Send Touchstone your best work fulfilling the theme of Bloom and show us your creativity! This project has a one-week submission window, and the selected poem for this project will enjoy digital publication on Touchstone's website. Please make sure to follow the guidelines below for your submission.

GUIDELINES (FOR EACH GENRE)

POETRY

• Submissions are open from April 28th - May 5th
• Submit up to three poems per submission (not exceeding 5 pages).
• Single spaced unless the piece requires special formatting. Use whatever form best captures the essence of your poem.
• Each new piece should start on a new page. The author's name and personal information should not appear on the submission itself unless it is part of the poem.
• Please use easy-to-read, standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Garamond 12 point font. Attach your file as a Word doc and please only submit a PDF if your piece has special formatting.
• Please include a brief cover letter and a third-person author bio (25-75 words for the bio) in the Submittable portion. A paragraph or two will suffice--just tell us a bit about you beyond your work.
• $3 donation per submission. Multiple paid submissions are allowed. 100% of your donation will go toward supporting our magazine (Submittable fees, website domain, etc). We'd also love to continue paying our contributors and your donations help us do just that!
• We accept simultaneous submissions. However, if your pieces are accepted elsewhere, please notify us through the "Messages" tab right away.
• To protect our readers, please provide a content warning if your work contains anything potentially triggering such as sexual assault, animal abuse, or anything else graphic or violent.

FICTION

• Submissions are open from April 28th - May 5th
• Stories may be about any topic, setting, or character. Genre fiction is welcome! Stories should be polished, and ready for print, though editors might reach out to make some editorial adjustments as they see fit. Writers will have a chance to review edits before they are published.
• We accept short stories (6,000 words max) or flash fiction (less than 1,000 words). Novel excerpts and stories that exceed the maximum word count will not be read. You may submit up to two stories, each of at least 1,000 words per piece. Please include both stories in the same document before uploading to Submittable.
• Please consistently keep the font 12pt, single-spaced, Times New Roman or Garamond, and the pages numbered.
• Your name or other identifying information should not appear anywhere in your document submission.
• Please include a brief cover letter and a third-person author bio (25-75 words for the bio) on the Submittable form. A paragraph or two will suffice--just tell us a bit about you.
• Simultaneous submissions to other journals are fine, but please do let us know immediately if your piece is no longer available.
• At the moment, we accept stories primarily written in English.
• $3 donation per submission. 100% of your donation will go toward supporting our magazine (Submittable fees, website domain, etc). We'd also love to continue paying our contributors. Your donation help us to do just that!
• To protect our readers, please provide a content warning if your work contains anything potentially triggering such as sexual assault, animal abuse, or anything else graphic or violent.

ART

• Submissions are open from April 28th - May 5th
• You may submit 1-5 pieces.
• We will accept all mediums: painting, digital art, photography, experimental, sculpture, multimedia, etc.
• One art piece should appear on a single page with the following information at the bottom right: title, media, dimension, & date of completion
• Each new piece should start on a new page. The artist’s name and personal information should not appear on the submission itself.
• If your piece contains sensitive material (e.g., sexual or mental abuse, violence, sexual assault, self-harm, etc.), please establish a content warning, either in the cover letter box or before the piece itself. Pieces that explore these topics in problematic ways (celebratory or otherwise) will be rejected.
• Please include a brief cover letter and a third-person artist bio (25-75 words for the bio) in the Submittable form.
• Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Please inform us immediately if a current submission is accepted elsewhere.
• $3 donation per submission. Multiple paid submissions are allowed. 100% of your donation will go toward supporting our magazine and staff.

NONFICTION

• Submissions are open from April 28th - May 5th
• Pieces submitted should be between 1500-5000 words, with a maximum of two pieces submitted per person. 
• 12-point font, preferably in Times New Roman or Garamond. Please do not include your name or title in the header line of your piece. Unless needed for emphasis, nonfiction pieces should be double-spaced and adhere to general fiction formatting.
• Include a brief cover letter and a third-person bio of between 25-75 words in the cover letter box. A paragraph or two will suffice--just tell us a bit about you beyond your work.
• Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please let us know in advance if your work has been accepted elsewhere.
• If your piece contains sensitive material (i.e. sexual or mental abuse, violence, sexual assault, self-harm, etc.), please establish a content warning, either in the cover letter box or before the piece itself. Pieces that explore these topics in problematic ways (celebratory or otherwise) will be rejected.
• At the moment, we accept stories primarily written in English.
• $3 donation per submission. 100% of your donation will go toward supporting our magazine (Submittable fees, website domain, etc).