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Please read our full submission guidelines, here, before submitting.
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What we publish in Hippocampus Magazine
During our submission periods – March 1 through May 31 AND Sept. 1 through Nov. 30 – we accept the following:
- Personal Essays & Memoir Excerpts, max 4,000 words.
- Flash Creative Nonfiction, max 800 words.
Reviews, interviews, craft articles, and writing life articles by invitation/pitch to our editors directly, NOT via Submittable. Send to articles@hippocampusmagazine.com and we will forward to the right person.
Regular submissions come with a $3 submission fee. However, for those unable to cover the fee, we maintain a Submission Fund. To access the fund, contact us here.
What are we looking for in submissions?
True tales from your life. Honesty that possesses both the situation AND the story. Intensely personal experiences that reflect universal truths about what it means to be human. Firsthand accounts from the full spectrum of humanity – folx from the LGBTQIA+ community, Black writers, Indigenous writers, and writers of Color, disabled writers, writers of all genders, backgrounds, experiences, lifestyles, and identities.
What we publish elsewhere:
Our small press division Books by Hippocampus publishes book-length creative nonfiction, including:
- Memoirs
- Essay Collections
- Craft Books
Additionally, we occasionally publish themed anthologies, including through our The Way Things Were series.
Submission guidelines, as well as open anthology calls, are listed at our Books by Hippocampus submissions page.
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Dates & Deadlines
- We're open for magazine submissions twice per year: March 1 through May 31 AND Sept. 1 through Nov. 30.
- We're on hiatus from for book queries through Feb. 1, 2025.
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Reminder
Please read our full submission guidelines, here, before submitting.
Hello, creative nonfiction friend! Below, you will find our abbreviated essay submission guidelines; Please read full guidelines on our website first if you have not done so already. Otherwise, please fill out the brief form, including checking off if your piece is an essay or memoir excerpt.
Essay submissions should be:
- No more than 4,000 words
- Double-spaced, with pages numbered
- Free of your name in header/footer, title page, and file name. (We do realize that in creative nonfiction, your name might be necessary within the content. Please use your judgment.)
Hello, creative nonfiction friend! Below, you will find our abbreviated essay submission guidelines; Please read full guidelines on our website first if you have not done so already.
Flash CNF submissions should be:
- No more than 800 words
- Double-spaced, with pages numbered
- Free of your name in header/footer, title page and file name. (We do realize that in creative nonfiction, your name might be necessary within the content. Please use your judgment.)
Hippocampus Magazine and Press LLC is looking for book-length works for its small press division, Books by Hippocampus.
We're looking for work in the following categories (and, in parentheses, is what to submit for consideration):
- Memoirs (query, proposal + first three chapters or equivalent)
- Essay collections (query + three essays)
- Craft of writing books (proposal)
We'll respond to all queries/proposals within six months. Thank you for your interest.
Please note the selection process is competitive; during our early years, we'll have the capacity to publish two to three titles per year.