Spring/Summer Submissions are CLOSED!
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.
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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 ask that all plays and screenplays be submitted as Word documents. You may use sites such as WriterDuet, Final Draft, Word, or Celtx. However, we ask that you convert your PDF scripts to Word documents. Some sites that are available for you to use are Smallpdf or Simplepdf Convertor.
We welcome student produced visual art including photography, drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, mixed media, and printmaking. All art pieces must be submitted as a jpeg or a png. Please provide a high quality image (at least 300 dpi and 2MB.) We are looking for fresh, diverse, and emotional artwork which seeks to tell a story. Please note that Élan only accepts original work and fanart will not be accepted. 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 art of all mediums from students ages fourteen to eighteen anywhere in the world. 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. Minor 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 receive 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 should be the writer’s full name and then “Writing Submission.” (For example: Sara Rodgers Writing Submission)
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In the body of the email, please include the writer's name, age, primary email, school, city, and home address, followed by the titles and the genre (ie, poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, etc.) of each piece being submitted. ​If applicable, include a sponsoring teacher’s name and email address.
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Include a professional biography (150 words maximum, in 3rd person).
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Example: Sara Rodgers is a sophomore at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. They love writing poetry, and riding horses in their free time.​
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Each piece must be attached as a separate WORD DOCUMENT and the file MUST be named the title of the piece.
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Élan only accepts editable WORD DOCUMENTS at this time.
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Do not include your name in the body of the document, as all submissions go through a blind reading process by our staff.​​ Make sure your piece title is included at the top of the document.
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Douglas Anderson students will submit through the forms posted around campus—not through email.
Email Submission Guidelines: Art (Required)
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The subject of the email should be the artist’s full name and then “Art Submission.” (For example: Sara Rodgers Art Submission)​
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In the body of the email, please include the artist’s name, age, primary email, school, city, and home address, followed by the titles and the medium (ie, oil on canvas, charcoal, photograph, print, etc.) of each piece being submitted. ​If applicable, include a sponsoring teacher’s name and email address.
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Include a professional biography (150 words maximum, in 3rd person).
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Example: Sara Rodgers is a sophomore at Dougl​as Anderson School of the Arts. Their favorite medium to use is acrylic paint, though their watercolor paintings have also won awards.
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Name each art file “Piece Title (Full Name)”—example, “Water (Sara Rodgers).”
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The art pieces must be a jpeg or png file. 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.
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Ensure that the photo of your art is clear and taken from a straight angle so that all aspects of the piece are visible with minimal glare.
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Élan only accepts original work, and fan art will not be considered for publication.
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Douglas Anderson students will submit through the forms posted around campus—not through email.
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.
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Must be 12 point double-spaced Times New Roman.