Portage Magazine has moved to a biannual publication schedule effective 2023. Our next submission window will be December 1, 2024, through February 1, 2025.
We accept only previously unpublished work. Each page of the submission should include all contact info: name, email address, mailing address, and phone number. Submissions should be sent in a Word file with a 12-point Times New Roman font. PDFs will not be considered. See below for specifics in each submission category. No AI generated work being accepted at this time.
We welcome submissions from writers and artists living in the Upper Midwest or with a relationship to the Upper Midwest. We also welcome submissions from writers and artists who address the Upper Midwest some way in their work.
Simultaneous submissions are welcome. We don’t want to keep your work caged up in our little corner of the internet for too long. We only ask that you notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere and that you only submit once per submission period.
We tend to avoid straight genre pieces like fantasy or horror. That being said, we don’t mind if you cross the lines a bit. We do it all the time.
All submissions should be sent to portagemagazine@gmail.com with your name and genre in the subject line (Genre: Last Name, First Name). Please include a brief (50 words or less) third-person bio in the body of your email and if you have a blog or webpage, link to that as well. Responses will be sent out via email. Unfortunately, we do not have the means to pay contributors at this time. Unless you like photographs of rabid college students. We might be able to manage that.
You can expect to hear from us by April 1. If you do not, feel free to contact us. We require First North American Serial Rights for accepted work.
Creative Nonfiction
Sometimes, reality is more fun than fiction. Send us one creative nonfiction piece up to 3,000 words. Please double-space.
Fiction
Send us one short story up to 3,000 words or up to three pieces of flash fiction (up to 750 words each). Fiction pieces should also be double-spaced.
Music and Film
If you play the ukulele in a band called The Copperbelly Water Snakes, let us hear it. If you made a film about monarch butterflies, show it to us. We are looking for up to three pieces of music or one short film up to twenty minutes long from the upper Midwest. Music: send the music files by email, or if the files are too large, send pieces in separate emails or link to another online platform. Film: In your submission email, send us the Vimeo, YouTube, or similar link.
Poetry
Send up to five poems in one document. If you have unique formatting requirements, please query first and we will work with you to figure out the best submission option.
Reviews
We are accepting unsolicited reviews of upper Midwestern creative work (up to 1,000 words and double-spaced). Please query first with the work you would like to review.
Visual Art
We accept paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, and comics. If you have a visual art piece that isn’t one of these, feel free to ask us about it. Send us up to three scans or photographs.
Books for review
We accept books for review consideration. We review prose, poetry and nonfiction. If you know of a book you’d like to be reviewed, please email portagemagazine@gmail.com and write “Books for review” in the subject line.
Other
If you have something that doesn’t quite fit into any of the above categories but you think we’d love it, send us a query.
Portage Magazine 