The Seventh Wave is a BIPOC- and queer-led organization. We are committed to meeting folks wherever they may 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. In general, there are three ways to work with us: through our 1) annual literary magazine, 2) digital residency program, and 3) Community Anthologies platform. You can see more info about each below:
- Annual Literary Magazine: If you have work that is ready to be edited toward publication, our annual literary magazine may be for you. We publish one issue per year, elevating up to 16 artists and writers. The call for submissions for the magazine opens in November of each year. Is our magazine for you? The short answer is: if our call interests you, then your work will interest us. Read our past issues here. Our calls are open to all writers and artists, as well as all genres and forms. Specific guidelines (length, etc.) may be found on our FAQ page here. Each contributor is paid $100.
- Digital Residency: This process-based program is for folks who are seeking accountability, community, and resources (but not necessarily publication). Our digital residency, Narrative Shifts, is a genre-agnostic, generative writing program that includes seven sessions over seven weeks, centering specific aspects of craft that any writer, reader, or thinker could wield both on and off the page. In 2025, we will be running two intakes — Spring and Summer — each with two cohorts of 12-16 residents. This program costs $895, but payment plans are available, and there are two fully-paid scholarship seats per intake. See more information here.
- Community Anthologies: This cohort-based storytelling platform gives our editorial keys to four editors-in-chief to create their own anthologies on our site. Each Community Anthology publishes 6-8 artists/writers, so 24-32 people in total. Our applications to be an EIC open in February of each year, and our submissions to the anthologies open in June of each year. You can see more info here.
Any open calls/opportunities will be below. For any questions, reach out to submit@seventhwavemag.com.
We are thrilled to open up applications for our Spring 2025 digital residency, Narrative Shifts. For more information about this program, please visit our site here. We have summarized some of the pertinent information below:
- The logistics: Narrative Shifts is a genre-agnostic writing program that includes seven sessions over seven weeks, centering specific aspects of craft that any writer, reader, or thinker could wield both on and off the page. In 2025, we will be running two intakes — Spring and Fall — each with three cohorts of 12-16 residents. Each sessions is 2 hours long.
- Benefits: Throughout these seven sessions, residents will learn concrete tools for craft, tips for submitting and publishing your work, and best practices for cover letters and more. Residents will get access to Seventh Wave's specially curated resources, an optional one-on-one with their facilitator, and the opportunity to practice public speaking by performing their work during the seventh session. There is also an eighth session — the bonus session — which invites an established author into the room. Past authors have included Alexander Chee, Melissa Febos, Kaveh Akbar, Ruth Ozeki, and more.
- Costs: This program costs $895, which is $125 per session. There will also be two fully-funded seats per cohort, and payment plans are available.
- Application Materials: In addition to general information, the primary submission requirement is filling out our statement of interest, which asks three questions about you, your work, and why you want to join the residency.
- Zoom Info Sessions. TSW will be hosting a Zoom Info Session in January to answer any and all questions about application requirements and the program in general. You'll see our announcement for this via newsletter and social media later this month.
- No fee. There is no application fee to submit to Seventh Wave's digital residency.