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 Fall — each with three 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 March of each year, and our submissions to the anthologies open in June of each year. You can see more info here. Each contributor is paid $100.
Any open calls/opportunities will be below. For any questions, reach out to submit@seventhwavemag.com.
We are thrilled to open up the call for our Winter 2026 digital residency, The Cohort. For more information about this program, please visit our site here. We have summarized some of the most pertinent information below:
- The logistics: The Cohort is a 12-week program built around accountability, taking place at the start of each calendar year, between January and April. Interested applicants will be thoughtfully matched with other Seventh Wave alum in cohorts of 6-8 writers and artists in a partially self-guided environment that encourages meaningful connection and exchange. Each session is 90-minutes long.
- Benefits: Over the course of 12 weeks, residents will have the chance to connect with other Seventh Wave alum from across our publications (The Magazine, Community Anthologies) and our programs (Narrative Shifts, The Workshop, in-person residencies). Three of those weeks will be dedicated to digging deeper into how to build a sustainable creative practice through a series of mini lectures and resource-sharing; the other nine weeks will be primarily focused on generative accountability, or holding space for the residents' own creative practice. All residents will receive an Accountability Guide and a Directory of Residents, which you can read more about here.
- Costs: This program costs $395, which is approximately $33 per session. There will be no financial aid available for this program, though there are payment plans available to help offset costs.
- Application materials: There is no formal application process for The Cohort, as we want to welcome back any and all Seventh Wave alum who might be interested in the program. There is, however, an interest form that will help us better understand each prospective resident’s scheduling availability, interests, and hopes for the 12-week program. In addition to general information, the primary requirement is responding to our statement of interest questions, which will aid us in cohort formation. All applicants are also required to share a work sample.
- Zoom info sessions. Seventh Wave will be hosting a Zoom info session in October 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.
- No fee. There is no application fee to submit to The Cohort.