Call for submissions for the Fall 2026 Issue of Inlandia Journal

We are requesting art, creative nonfiction, micro creative nonfiction, fiction, flash fiction, and poetry during the month of September for the fall 2026 issue of Inlandia Journal, Inlandia Institute’s online literary & arts journal.

As part of Inlandia's mission to support regional writers and artists, we spotlight a writer or artist with connections to inland Southern California (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties plus neighboring cities) every issue. Each issue of Inlandia Journal also features a Cover Artist interview.

Deadline and Category Caps

The submission window opens September 1, 2026, and closes September 30, 2026, at midnight PDT. We are capping submissions by category: 100 for art and poetry; 50 for creative nonfiction, micro creative nonfiction, fiction, and flash fiction.

Guidelines for Submissions

• Editors evaluate only anonymized submissions. Please remove your name from the submission AND the file name.
• For art you may submit *each in its own submission* 1–5 digital photographs and/or digital images of work including but not limited to drawings, paintings, collages, ceramics, fiber art, sculpture, murals, metalwork, jewelry, and comics. Each art submission must include the title, medium/media, and dimensions.
• For creative nonfiction the essay, memoir, or narrative nonfiction should be 501–3,000 words. Any topic is okay. If you are submitting an excerpt from a larger work, it must be able to stand alone.
• For micro creative nonfiction you may submit *each in its own submission* 1–3 micros. There is no minimum word count. Each micro should not exceed 500 words. Any topic is okay.
• For fiction the story should be 751–5,000 words. Any topic is okay. If you are submitting an excerpt from a larger work, it must be self-contained with a beginning, middle, and end.
• For flash fiction you may submit *each in its own submission* 1–3 flashes. There is no minimum word count. Each flash should not exceed 750 words. Any topic is okay.
• For poetry you may submit *each in its own submission* 1–5 poems. Each poem should not exceed 100 lines.
• You may submit in more than one category, but do not submit more than once in any category except art, micro creative nonfiction, flash fiction, and poetry as noted. (That means you could potentially submit 18 times: 5 works of art, 1 creative nonfiction narrative, 3 micro creative nonfictions, 1 fiction story, 3 flash fictions, and 5 poems.)
• We recommend you choose the "Yes, I want to receive email notifications" under Submittable Settings and check the email connected to your Submittable account on a regular basis for automated notifications. If that’s not possible, you will need to remember to check your Submittable account regularly. Because we assign a number to each submission (for anonymity), Submittable is where to go to see all the updates and communications separated by submission number.

FAQs

Where do I submit my work? We accept submissions only through the Inlandia Institute’s Submittable portal. We will not consider mailed or emailed submissions.

Is there a submission fee? No! Submissions are free.

How should I format my written work?

1. Font and Point Size: something standard such as 12-point Times New Roman.
2. Spacing: double space your work unless it is poetry, which is at the poet's discretion but usually single spaced.
3. Margins: 1 inch on all sides.
4. Header: include the title of your work and page numbers if more than a single page.
5. Remove your name from the submission AND the file name.

What file type should I use for my submission? For creative nonfiction, micro creative nonfiction, fiction, flash fiction, and poetry, submit as a DOCX, DOC, or RTF file. For art only, submit as a JPG, JPEG, or PNG file. We cannot consider links to google docs, dropbox, or other sharing platforms.

Anything else to submit? We request a biographical statement (up to 75 words) written in the third person. Bios should include your name as you want it to appear if your submission is accepted. Note: Bios are concealed from screeners.

Are there types of work you don’t want?

• Do not submit erotic material, content containing gratuitous violence, hate speech, or work that degrades any gender, race, religion, ability level, etc. In other words, nothing demeaning to others.
• Do not submit AI-generated or AI-assisted work..
• We do not want any work that you did not create yourself. Do not plagiarize. By submitting your work, you are verifying that it is solely your creation.

When will I know if my work has been accepted? Please be patient as we review and seriously consider every submission. It may be November before you receive a response.

If my submission is accepted for publication, will my work still be mine? Writers and artists retain rights. Please credit us if your work is republished, and be sure to let us know so we can celebrate your achievement!

Additional Information

Do you allow simultaneous submissions? Simultaneous submissions are okay but please notify us and withdraw any work accepted elsewhere promptly.

Do you allow reprints? Previously curated works — in books, magazines, journals, anthologies, online or in print — by writers and artists who have republication rights are okay to submit with proper attribution/credit listed.

Do you allow non-English submissions? Unfortunately, at this time, we can only review submissions primarily in English or translated into English (with written permission).

Do you allow translations? Translations are okay to submit with permission of both author and translator. Please include the English as well as native-language version of the work along with third-person bios for both author and translator.

If I have a question that is not answered here, who do I ask? Please email your question to the managing editor of Inlandia Journal, Erin Michaela Sweeney (she/her), at JournalEditor@InlandiaInstitute.org.