PLEASE READ OUR GUIDELINES BEFORE SUBMITTING!
GUIDELINES CHANGE WITH EACH ISSUE...SO...AGAIN...
PLEASE READ OUR GUIDELINES BEFORE SUBMITTING!


As editors of The Pedestal Magazine, we intend to support both established and burgeoning writers. We are committed to promoting diversity and celebrating the voice of the individual.

All queries should be sent to pedmagazine@carolina.rr.com.

The Pedestal Magazine does not accept previously published work, unless specifically requested; however, we will accept simultaneous submissions, if so noted. Please inform us immediately if your submission is accepted elsewhere. Also, we do not accept submissions by direct mail. Neither do we accept direct email submissions. Please use the submission form. If you send us work, please wait for a response to your first submission before you submit again.

We are currently receiving submissions in the following areas:

POETRY: We are always open to a wide variety of poetry, ranging from the highly experimental to the traditionally formal. There are no length restrictions. There is no need to query prior to submitting poetry. Submit up to six (6) poems. Please submit all poems in one (1) form.

We will feature speculative poetry in each June issue (reading cycle April 28-June 14): Speculative includes science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, surreal, and experimental. No restrictions on length. No non-speculative submissions. While we are open to receiving speculative work during other reading cycles, please do not submit speculative work intended to be considered for the "speculative feature" prior to April 28.

Re poetry for the December 2011 and February 2012 issues (reading cycles October 28-December 14 and December 28-February 14): we will be accepting poetry that fits the general descriptions above. No theme, genre, or length restrictions.

Re poetry for the April 2012 issue (reading cycle February 28-April 14): we will be publishing a special "ekphrastic" issue. Poets are invited to submit work inspired by art. Submit a maximum of six (6) poems. Each poem must be accompanied by the piece of art which has inspired it. If the image is in the public domain; i.e., "Mona Lisa" by da Vinci, then no permission from the artist is required; if not in public domain, permission statement will be needed from the artist. Re submitting the complementary images: in the text field of the submission form, click on the image icon in the tool section; then click on "upload"; click on "browse" and select the desired image from your folders or desktop; click "send it to the server"; image properties screen will then come up. In the width/height box on the left, resize the image so that the largest dimension (width or height) is no more than 300 pixels. The image will resize proportionately. Click "ok." Image should appear in submission form. Repeat this for each poem submitted. Please include all poems in one form. Each poem should be accompanied by an image. All submissions should be relevant to the "ekphrastic" theme. Please do not submit work intended to be considered for the April 2012 "ekphrastic" issue prior to February 28, 2012.

Pay Rate: $40 per poem

FICTION: Generally, we are receptive to high-quality literary and genre fiction of all sorts, including traditional and experimental works. Please read the fiction in our current and archived issues to get a sense of what we publish; this said, we are always looking for the original piece, the piece that defies categorization and egregiously asserts its uniqueness. There is no need to query prior to submitting fiction; also, please do not send fiction directly to the fiction editor's email, as emailed submissions will not be read. As noted above, please submit work via the submission form.

We will feature speculative fiction in each December issue (reading cycle October 28-December 14). Speculative includes science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, surreal, and experimental. All fiction submitted between October 28 and December 14 should be speculative and not exceed 2,000 words. While we are open to receiving speculative work during other reading cycles, please do not submit speculative work intended to be considered for the "speculative feature" prior to October 28.

Re fiction for the February 2012 issue (reading cycle December 28-February 14): We will be accepting longer work (up to 5,000 words) as well as flash fiction. Literary and genre works welcome. Please do not submit work intended to be considered for the February 2012 issue prior to December 28, 2011.

Re fiction for the April 2012 issue (reading cycle February 28-April 14, 2012): Maximum length = 1,500 words. Pedestal 69 Brings You...The Adventures of Mark Nipple! All stories MUST be about Mark Nipple. Mark Nipple grew up in New England in the 1970s, where he was an aspiring musician. He was in a punk band and fantasized a recording career. This did not happen. He married during the first year of the Clinton administration and has two children, a son and a daughter. He and his wife Anita live in Pittsburgh, and Mark makes his living as a graphic artist. His son, Aubrey, is similarly an aspiring musician. His daughter Samantha lives in California. Mark does not believe in UFOs but he does have “lucky numbers” that he keeps to himself; not even Anita knows what they are. Stories can be humorous, tragic, or otherwise but must include Mark Nipple as a character in such a way that we get a glimpse into his personality and a better understanding of who he is. Please do not submit work intended to be considered for the April 2012 issue prior to February 28, 2012.

Pay Rate: $.05 per word

BOOK REVIEWS: While almost all reviews are now handled in-house, we are open to receiving queries regarding reviews of notable poetry collections, short story collections, and novels. Please query prior to submitting reviews.

Pay Rate: $.02 per word
Length: 850-1,000 words


INTERVIEWS: We are open to receiving queries regarding interviews with accomplished poets and fiction writers. Please query prior to submitting interviews.


SPOKEN WORD/SLAM: We are no longer accepting unsolicited spoken word/slam submissions. Please query Zachary Kluckman at zgkluckman@msn.com if you are interested in submitting spoken word work.


As mentioned above, The Pedestal Magazine does not accept previously published material, unless specifically requested. It asks for first rights to any piece its editors select. At the time of publication, all rights revert back to the author/artist; however, The Pedestal Magazine retains the right to publish the piece(s) in any subsequent issue or anthology, whether in print or online, without additional payment. Should you decide to republish the piece elsewhere, we ask that you cite The Pedestal Magazine as a place of previous publication and provide The Pedestal Magazine's web address.

For previous contributors: We utilize a "two-issue break" policy when republishing contributors, meaning, for example, that if your work appears in a February issue, we would need to let the April and June issues elapse and could then consider your work for the August issue.

We do our best to respond to submissions in 4-8 weeks. Please do not query regarding status of a submission until at least six weeks have passed. All questions pertaining to submissions should be addressed to the editor at pedmagazine@carolina.rr.com.

We will be accepting submissions according to the following schedule: Our new issues are released bimonthly on the (give or take a day or two) 21st of the month. During a month in which an issue of the magazine is released (February, April, June, August, October, and December), we will close submissions beginning a week prior to the release date and reopen submissions a week after the release date; for example, we will close submissions on August 14th and reopen them on August 28th. In addition, during the odd month (January, March, May, July, September, and November), we will close submissions for one week, from the 12th to the 19th. We will be receiving submissions at all other times. Here is a clear breakdown of our submission cycle: