Border Crossing

Submission Guidelines

Our reading period for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for our Fall 2013 issue is now closed; the deadline for visual art submissions has been extended. For writers who have been previously published in Border Crossing, please wait one year after publication before submitting again

Border Crossing is a literary and arts journal published by the Lake Superior State University Creative Writing Program. Uniquely situated on the border of America and Canada, we're committed to publishing the best work submitted by emerging and established writers on both sides of the border, as well as to supporting literacy and the literary arts in the sister cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Ontario. We're especially interested in writing that crosses boundaries in genre or geography, and voices that aren't often heard in mainstream publications. The best way to see what we mean by this is to order a copy of our latest issue. All of our submissions go through a rigorous editorial board process. We consider ourselves a “teaching journal,” in that one of our main goals is to give LSSU English and creative writing students editing opportunities prior to graduation. Visual art is only considered from residents of Michigan's Upper Peninsula or Ontario in order to provide an outlet where area artists may publish their work. We only accept submissions via our online form during our official reading period. Submissions emailed, mailed, or sent outside of our reading period will not be read. Please follow the guidelines for each genre. Please note that we do not accept multiple submissions during our reading periods.

Important note: Please do not include your name, address, and phone number on your submission file, as our editorial board reads submissions blind. Only include that information on your cover letter, along with an email address you regularly check, as well as a brief biography of about fifty words. We do accept simultaneous submissions; however, please return to the submission manager and withdraw your piece immediately if it is accepted elsewhere. For poems, please send us a note indicating which part of your submission was accepted elsewhere. We can be reached at bordercrossing@lssu.edu.

Response time is roughly 4-6 months. Contributors receive two copies of the journal as payment.

Art - Deadline extended

This year's theme for cover art submissions will be "fire." In order to have your work considered for the cover art contest, which will be judged by U.P. artist Jeanne Manesto, please submit work inspired by, or work which inspires reflection upon, this theme. The first prize winner will have his or her work appear on the cover and receive an installation and showing of his or her artwork during the next issue's launch party and reading. Any medium is welcome, as long as the digital representation you submit here can be featured on our black and white cover, which has the dimensions of 6 1/2" x 11" (please allow a bit of overlay for a bleed). This digital representation should be a high resolution scan or photograph of your piece as a .gif or .jpg. To enter, you must be a resident of Michigan's Upper Peninsula or neighboring Ontario. (If your work was published in the previous year's journal, please wait a year before resubmitting.)

For general publication in the journal, apart from the cover art contest, we are open to considering any submissions of visual art from artists residing in Michigan's Upper Peninsula or neighboring Ontario. (If your work was published in the previous year's journal, please wait a year before resubmitting.) Please note that the inside pages are printed in black and white, and your submission should work in that medium.

The deadline for both cover and general art submissions has been extended to April 2, 2013. Submit a high resolution scan or photograph of your piece as a .gif or .jpg.

Please specify whether your art submission is on the "fire" or "general" theme when you submit.

Fiction - Closed until Fall 2013

No longer than 5000 words, with title and page number on each page after the first. If you have a longer piece which you think may be right for us, please send a query to bordercrossing@lssu.edu. Please do not include your name or any identifying information on the work itself, as our editorial board reads submissions blind.

Nonfiction - Closed until Fall 2013

No longer than 5000 words, with title and page number on each page after the first. If you have a longer piece which you think may interest us, please send a query to bordercrossing@lssu.edu. We are interested in general literary creative nonfiction, as well as essays on craft. Please do not include your name or any identifying information on the work itself, as our editorial board reads submissions blind.

Poetry - Closed until Fall 2013

Submit up to 3 poems in one file. Do not submit poems separately. Please do not include your name or any identifying information on the work itself, as our editorial board reads submissions blind.

To submit, please visit our online submissions form.

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