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.
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.
At The Seventh Wave, intentionality and accessibility are at the heart of everything we do. Ever since we began in 2015, we’ve endeavored to be as inclusive as possible in our offerings, staying nimble to respond to the ever-changing literary landscape. As a BIPOC- and queer-led organization, we are committed to meeting folks wherever they might be in their creative journey, and as such, we offer three ways to get involved with our organization and community:
- The Magazine. We publish one digital issue per year, elevating up to 32 artists and writers. There are two submission windows, one in winter and one in summer. The bedrock of our organization has always been our digital magazine, which seeks to elevate urgent and oft-underrepresented voices. This opportunity is for the writer or artist who has a piece they are ready to work on with our editors toward publication. Upon acceptance, contributors can expect an up-to-four-month editorial process, which kicks off with an orientation session with your fellow contributors, followed by a call with the editor assigned to your piece. To note: we employ a two-editor rule for every piece, so while you will work primarily with one editor, at each stage of revision, you’ll get feedback from two. Our one requirement throughout this whole process is that you are open to feedback and a collaborative editorial environment. If our process, and this aesthetic, feels like home to you, then we welcome you to submit your work. For publication, every contributor is paid $100.
- Digital Residency. Perhaps you’re working on a manuscript, wrestling over an idea for a piece, or looking for a space where you can exchange ideas, words, and inspiration with other writers and artists. Maybe you just finished an MFA and are looking to keep one foot in a literary community, or maybe you’re considering applying to a program, but want to know what that could entail. Or maybe you just need accountability. No matter who or where you are, our Digital Residency, an incubator for creative exchange, could be just what you need. This process-based program is for folks who are seeking community and resources. Our Digital Residency is a months-long, multi-session cohort-based program that deepens your relationship to your work. As such, each session is equally generative and restful, guiding you through one aspect of the writing or creative process, and welcoming in established authors for roundtable talks that bring the publishing process to life. Our first Digital Residency will open for applications in 2023. This program costs $900, but scholarships and payment plans are available.
- #TSWIRL Community Hub. For folks looking to join or stay connected to a literary community and/or are earlier on in their creative journeys, we’re building an online community hub just for you. The #TSWIRL Community Hub (which stands for The Seventh Wave in real life) provides you with special access to our monthly community offerings; for example, concrete tips for cover letters (and how not to cover up your voice) or 7 ways to make your residency applications stand out; exclusive interviews with renowned authors and artists that will embolden the way you approach your work; and discounted and waived fees for our submissions and events — all for just $7 a month. If you’re a writer or artist out there wishing you had an anchor for your work or creative practice, this hub is for you. #TSWIRL is slated to launch in 2024.
If you are familiar with The Seventh Wave, you may notice that our in-person residencies are only available to our past contributors. Meaning, once you get published in our digital magazine or take part in our Digital Residency, you will then be eligible to apply and attend our three in-person residency programs. To see more info about those, head over to our Residency Page.
To note: We made these critical changes because we are committed to creating community in the digital space, and we are proud that our magazine and our Digital Residency are still open to writers and artists from around the world. We have been heartened by the responsiveness of writers, artists, and creators in these difficult times, and will continue to respond to changing realities as humanly as possible. We look forward to getting to know your voice.
We are now open for submissions to Issue 16: Proximities.
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 anytime: submit@seventhwavemag.com.
Dates.
We are open for submissions May 15 - June 30, 2023. You will be notified of the status of your submission by late July 2023.
Fee.
We charge $7 to submit, which helps us continue our commitment of paying every person we publish. We provide personalized feedback for every single submission — unless your submission is incomplete. You will hear from us by late July 2023. If our submission fee is prohibitive, we are happy to waive this fee for you (see instructions below).
Call.
To submit, you must read our full call for submissions here. We do not accept any piece that does not speak to this issue. If our call interests you, then you interest us: please read the information below, which outlines who we are looking for, what we are/are not interested in, and info on how to submit.
Who we are looking for:
At The Seventh Wave, we are committed to building 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. We’re looking for unique perspectives, distinctive voices, and novel takes on our current issue, and are committed to being as inclusive as possible. We do not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, or xenophobic content. We also care very little for pieces/voices that dismiss the possibility and importance of feedback, because to us, writing is a conversation: one that begins with what you write, continues with our editorial process, and that begins again upon publication. It is our genuine hope that your piece, once published, will create new conversations. You are very needed today.
What we are (not) interested in:
We want to know why you are interested in this particular issue. What is it about the topic that grips you? Why submit it to us? We are interested in what kind of a writer or creative you are. Do you have a writing or artist community? Do you want or need one? How do you live as a writer/creative in the world? In part, this is why we do not read blind — that practice actually reinforces systemic issues in the publishing industry — and it is also why we require a cover letter. What you say matters just as much as what your piece can say. And so we are less interested in writers whose sole goal is just to publish a piece. There are many magazines out there whose sole goal is to publish work. We are looking for writers and artists who want to publish their work with us, and then join our digital community of now 250+ creatives from around the world. We are also not interested in self-obsessed writers. So if, instead of submitting a cover letter, you write, "I think you'll see for yourself how my piece relates to the issue, and why it's/I'm important," kindly save us both the time.
What you can expect from us:
Our editorial process is intimate. We connect with you via phone/Zoom once your work is accepted, and then go through a multiple-month editorial process, depending on what the work requires. It’s important to note that we welcome rough drafts, but not careless writing. Powerful work that is unfinished is entirely acceptable to us. Though, of course, the more polished it is, the better chance you’ll have of being accepted (we are a small staff of 15). Once the editorial process begins, you will have two editors working with you on your piece. We utilize Google Docs to work together in a transparent manner. Our one requirement during this whole process is that you are open to feedback on your work. Every piece of work we publish, no matter how polished it is, will go through this process. We have yet to publish a piece where we did not make suggested edits to it. If our process, and this aesthetic, feels like home to you, then we welcome you to submit to Issue 16: Proximities.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
To submit/apply, you must submit three items: a bio (2-6 sentences), a 500-word (max) cover letter (see below), and your submission as a Word Document or PDF. These are not optional. In your cover letter, please tell us in 500 words or less the following:
- What are the driving forces behind your work? Tell us what your particular aesthetic and voice will bring to this issue.
- 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?
- Tell us a little about what you hope to get out of this editorial process.
- How does your submission relate to our topic?
OTHER NOTES:
- Waive Fee. If you are unable to pay the $7 fee, we are happy to waive it. Please send all of the above materials to submit@seventhwavemag.com, and write "Issue 16 Submission • YOUR FULL NAME" in the subject line. Please attach your submissions in Word Docs or PDF formats.
- To our past contributors. We hope to continue providing a platform for new voices. While we are big fans of your creative work, if we have previously published you, we ask that you help us give space to new writers (as such, we do not publish anyone twice). We have other ways to continue repping your voice, and if you are not sure of what those might be, definitely do get in touch. We are just a click away: info@seventhwavemag.com.
- Multiple/simultaneous submissions. Multiple submissions are not accepted; please only submit once for consideration. Do note: for poets, you can submit up to four poems, but please do so as one "submission." We do 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!