Submit to the Anthology

The Purple Aardvark is accepting submissions from writers or writing with significant connections to Indiana.

We’re looking for writing from the human soul, really good writing about really hard things, writing from your truth, from voices sometimes drowned out by the sound of the planes flying over. We want big truths seeded from those planted among the fields of corn and soybeans, wanting to share their defining life experiences with the rest of the world. Haunt us with those lingering images and stories, the moments that have challenged you, and the meaning that has changed you. Challenge us with your reality, delight us with beautiful turns of phrase, humor us with the unexpected, enthrall us with the voice that only you have to share.

The Purple Aardvark is open for submissions August 1 – November 1, 2024, and is accepting poetry, personal essays, creative nonfiction, flash fiction, micro-essays, and short stories, song lyrics, and visual art.

Submission guidelines

Early submissions – Aug. 1–Sept. 30, 2024  – $25
Final submission deadline – Oct. 1–Nov. 1, 2024 – $30

You may submit: 

• Poetry: up to 3 poems of 59 lines or less
• Creative nonfiction/memoir/essay – up to 5,000 words
• Fiction (Short Story) – up to 7,500 words
• Micro-essay – up to 800 words
• Flash fiction – up to 800 words 
• Visual arts – up to 3 grayscale JPG images, at least 300 dpi at 5×8” size 

After paying submission fee to [PayPal account], forward your receipt to submissions@purpleaardvarkpub.com. You will then receive a link to a Google form that will walk you through the required information. You will need to provide a bio (up to 150 words), social media links, and a brief explanation of how you or your writing is connected to Indiana.

Submissions must be double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman or other standard font, and saved as a Microsoft Word or PDF document. (Can you upload these to Google Docs/Forms? Or do we ask them to give us a Google Docs link?) Yes, we can upload .docx and .pdf. I would avoid google doc link, since we can’t house the final version in our Google Drive.

By submitting, you affirm that you own the copyright of the material, that it is previously unpublished, and that you are granting Purple Aardvark Publishing permission to reproduce the work. (How do we state the rights – first time, world, ??)