Submission Guidelines

Martian Lit has an open submissions policy. Before submitting, please read carefully the relevant information below.

No payment is currently provided for any material published on the website. You retain the copyright, giving Martian Lit only the right to keep the material in print online.

All work appearing on Martian Lit, if it is not itself already a work of visual art, is accompanied by at least one illustration. If your work is accepted, Martian Lit will secure artwork to accompany your writing. You may, of course, suggest an artist or provide the artwork yourself.

All submissions should be directed to sequart.mike@gmail.com

Fiction and Non-Fiction

We’re looking for creatively aggressive work — intelligent work that makes an impression. We want writers to be fearless. No topic is off limits, nothing is sacred. If you’re not willing to go there, then stay the fuck home.

Fiction and non-fiction should generally run from 1000 to 3000 words. Shorter works are accepted only if they’re really great. Longer works may be serialized, but they’d better not waste our time.

Please submit MS Word files attached. Include “submission” in the subject line. Please also include a short bio.

No previously published work. Simultaneous submissions okay.

Poetry

We are looking for poetry that has teeth and knows how to use them. Interpret that as you wish, or read what we’ve already published to get a better idea. Please send poems in the body of an email. Make sure you include your name and a brief bio in the body of the text.

Generally, we only accept previously unpublished poetry, but we may make exceptions as long as you cite the previous publication, including its date, in your submission.

Artwork, Comics, and Video

We’re always looking for artists capable of producing artwork to accompany writing on the site. We also publish artwork on its own, as well as online comic books and video projects.

No original art sent by mail will be returned. Use email instead.

For paintings / drawings / photography: please submit a minimum of 2-3 pieces for consideration. Please also indicate whether you’re interested in your work being considered for online publication on its own, or whether you’re willing to produce artwork to accompany our online writing or are looking to illustrate comics scripts.

Comic books: we understand. You have a project that is so great and weird that it wouldn’t be considered by any of the big publishers. Fortunately, Martian Lit is seeking offbeat, startling, and exciting projects. We accept submissions of any genre, whether for a one-off or a series, in B&W and in color, but we must ask that all work be of a high standard. Martian Lit does not put creative teams together, and we’re currently only looking to publish unsolicited comics on our website. If you’re a comic-book artist, however, please feel free to provide samples of your work for our consideration, since we’re always interested in finding new artists.

Videos: please submit completed work, in .avi format if possible.

Print / Book / DVD Publication

In addition to our website, we also publish books and other for-sale projects. The odds are against you, because we can afford to take excellent work that fits well with our smart but slightly bent perspective.

If you’re interested in this option, the best way to proceed is probably to publish on the website first, demonstrating quality and reliability while also familiarizing our audience with your work.