The Seventh Wave builds community for and with individuals who come from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives to dig deeper into the hard conversations that impact how we view our lives, our environments, and our relationships to one another.

At The Seventh Wave, intentionality and accessibility are at the heart of everything we do. As a BIPOC- and queer-led organization, we are committed to meeting folks wherever they might be in their creative journey. We invite writers, artists, and activists to take part in global conversations that examine the complexities of our deep-seated narratives. All of the information you need to know about each specific opportunity is outlined in detail in its corresponding submission form. Any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to us at submit@seventhwavemag.com.

In general, there are three ways to work with us:


  • The Magazine: If you have work that is ready to be edited toward publication, our magazine is for you. We publish one issue per year, elevating up to 32 artists and writers via two submission windows — one in winter and one in summer — to increase accessibility. The bedrock of our organization has always been our magazine, which seeks to showcase urgent and underrepresented voices. Our editorial style and process is intimate: you’ll have an orientation with fellow contributors, a one-on-one call with your editor, and an up-to-four-month editorial process where you’ll work with two editors toward publication. Each contributor is paid $100. 



  • Community Anthologies: This cohort-based storytelling platform gives the editorial keys to 4 editors-in-chief to create their own anthologies, showcasing the work of 7 people in each, allowing us to publish 28 additional voices per year. This program provides writers, artists, and editors with the opportunity to become an EIC, utilizing our platforms, resources, and social media handles to produce their own anthologies of work and to elevate the issues and voices they believe are less-heard today. You will find applications to be an EIC here, as well as calls for submissions to the anthologies that are open to the public. See more info here.

You will see any and all open calls below.

Ends on $7.00
$7.00
Submit to Issue 17: The Cost of Waiting

We are now open for submissions to Issue 17: The Cost of Waiting. Below, you will find everything you need to know in order to submit a competitive piece for publication. We can't wait to read your work. Any questions, reach out: submit@seventhwavemag.com. 

  • Dates + Deadlines. We are open for submissions from Nov. 3 - Dec. 31, 2023. You will be notified of the status of your submission by Feb. 14, 2024.
  • Submission Requirements. You will submit three items: 1) a bio of 2-6 sentences, 2) a 250-500 word statement (addressing the four questions below), and 3) your submission as a Word Document or PDF. These are not optional.
  • Statement + Questions. In your statement — this will be a text field in the form on the next page — please tell us in 500 words or less: 1) What are the driving forces behind your work? Tell us what your particular aesthetic and voice will bring to this issue; 2) What are recent social issues, political decisions, or cultural mishaps that sparked meaningful conversation and inspired you to create art, write stories, or otherwise communicate your thoughts to the world? 3) Tell us a little about what you hope to get out of this editorial process; and 4) How does your submission relate to our topic?  
  • FAQs. We highly recommend you read our Submit page and our FAQ page. There is plenty of information there: why we don't read "blind," why we charge a $7 fee, why we require a cover letter / statement, the type of work we're (not) looking for, etc. You should also read this post on our Well-Crafted bulletin: 7 tips on submitting work to TSW. 
  • Genre/Form. We welcome prose and poetry, hybrid work, and visual art. For prose, a good limit is 3,000 words (though this isn't a strict cut-off). For hybrid work, a good limit is 20 pages. For poems, you can submit up to four poems (please let us know if they are a series, etc). For art, keep in mind that we will be publishing your work on a website. We have visual capabilities — accordion scrollers, galleries and lightboxes, and even a flipbook — as well as audio capabilities. 
  • Submission Formats. For prose and poetry, you'll upload a Word Doc or PDF. For art, send whatever format you think will help our selection committee get the best understanding of your work.  
  • Fee waiver. If our $7 submission fee is prohibitive, no problem. Just email your full submission to submit@seventhwavemag.com, no questions asked. Please write "Issue 17 • [Last Name] [Genre]" in the subject line. 
  • Note on TSW Style: Our editorial process is intimate. We host an orientation session for all contributors once selected; you work with two editors toward publication; and you'll get to know others in your cohort. If you are just looking to get your work published, our magazine likely isn't for you. Everything we do is rooted in community, conversation, and collaboration.
  • Multiple/simultaneous submissions. Multiple submissions are not accepted. Please only submit once for each open call window for consideration. We do, however, accept simultaneous submissions. Please just let us know if any of the poems/pieces you submit get picked up by another magazine/platform.
  • Payment. We are committed to paying our contributors. While it can vary by submission, generally speaking, we offer $100 for prose, film, plays, multiple poems, and multiple pieces of artwork; for individual poems, images, artwork, we offer $75.

Any questions, reach out to submit@seventhwavemag.com. We look forward to getting to know your voice!

The Seventh Wave