Fall/Winter 2023 submissions are OPEN!
Poetry
Poems can be any length and style, but must be single-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman.
Creative Non-Fiction
Essays up to 3,000 words may be submitted with excerpt, 1,200 words or under, clearly noted. As with fiction, if a piece is selected and over 1,200 words, the excerpted section is the only portion that will receive publication.
Must be 12 point double-spaced Times New Roman.
Plays & Screenplays
Submit full manuscripts with potential excerpts clearly noted. Pieces over 1,200 words must have a marked excerpt. All excerpted submissions should include the full manuscript with the selected portion clearly marked. If a piece is selected and over 1,200 words, only the excerpted portion will receive publication.
We would prefer for all screenplays to be formatted with the free site Celtx, as long as one is able. Plays can also be formatted through this service. If you are unable to use the service, your screenplay must still match its formatting.
We welcome student produced visual art including photography, drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, mixed media, and printmaking. We are open to considering anything so long as you can provide a high quality image (at least 300 dpi and 2 MB)! We look for fresh, diverse, and emotional art work which seeks to tell a story. Take a look at our recent issues to see the kind of work we are publishing.
Art
General Guidelines
Élan accepts original fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, screenwriting, plays, and all kinds of art from students ages fourteen to eighteen in high school in locations internationally. We produce two online editions a year, one in the Fall/Winter and another in the Spring/Summer. The two editions are combined into a single Print Edition each Summer.
All writers and artists who have their work chosen for the Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer Edition will be mailed a free copy of the Print Edition in which their piece appears. Élan holds first serial rights for material that we publish. The copyright automatically reverts to the author upon publication.
We will not accept any art or writing pieces that are graphically sexual or gratuitously violent. Profanity is acceptable so long as it’s not excessive. We only accept original work, if you submit work that is not your own, we will not publish it.
After we have reviewed all submissions accepted submissions will be sent a confirmation email. This email will confirm the title, spelling of first & last name, along with serial rights(full right to publish and use work for marketing/ social media purposes) from the submitter. Upon being sent this email we give seven calendar days to for confirmation.
All submissions should be sent to elanlitmagazine@gmail.com. All submitters may only send three pieces.
Email Submission Guidelines - Writing (Required)
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The subject of the email as the writer’s full name and then “Submission for Élan.” (For example: Sara Rodgers “Submission for Élan.”)
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In the body, please include the writer's name, age, primary email, school, city, and home address, followed by the titles and the genre (creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, etc.) of each piece being submitted.
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Include a cover letter with the writer’s name at the top followed by the titles of all pieces submitted underneath. Include a brief biography and name of current school. If applicable, include sponsoring teacher’s name and email address.
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Attach each piece as a separate document with the title of each piece bolded in the upper left hand corner. Do not include your name in the body document, as all submissions go through a blind reading process by our staff.
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All cover letters and submissions must be attached to the email as a word document. The title of the document needs to be the writer’s name only.
Email Submission Guidelines - Art (Required)
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The subject of the email as the artist’s full name and then “Art Submission.” (For example: “Sara Rodgers Art Submission.”)
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In the body, please include the artist’s name, age, primary email, school, city, and home address, followed by the titles and the medium (ie, painting, drawing, print, etc.) of each piece being submitted.
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Include a brief biography and, If applicable, include sponsoring teacher’s name and email address.
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Name each art file “Piece Title (Full Name)” – example, “Water (Sara Rodgers).”
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Submit the highest resolution quality format that can be sent as an attachment – 300 dpi or higher, and at least 2 MB. If your art does not meet the dpi requirement, there is no guarantee your art can be published.
Fiction
Micro-fiction, short-stories and excerpts of larger stories up to 5,000 words are acceptable. Pieces over 1,200 words must have a marked excerpt. All excerpted submissions should include the full manuscript with selected portion clearly marked. If a piece is selected and over 1,200 words, only the excerpted portion will receive publication.
Must be 12 point double-spaced Times New Roman.