Tell us your stories!


We publish annually each Spring. Submissions for each issue close on December 31st.

Follow us on social media to stay updated! 

We welcome submissions from undergraduate students from the United States and its territories for a chance to be published! Our team promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion throughout the submission process. We especially encourage minorites to submit their works, as well as first generation students.

Waymark is a fully online literary magazine in html format. We publish fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry.

Reach out to eic.waymark@gmail.com for any pressing concerns or questions. ​

Fiction

  • We are seeking a variety of genres, a few examples being: romance, adventure, fantasy, etc.
  • We do not publish erotica or fan fiction.
  • We reject outright works with excessive violence, hate speech, and unnecessary gore. 
  • Word limit: 5,000 words
  • Formatting: please submit Word documents in MLA format, with a cover letter, and no identifying information. 
  • One story per submission.

Creative Nonfiction 

  • We are seeking coming of age tales, memoirs, travel writing, etc.
  • We do not publish academic essays.
  • We reject outright works with excessive violence, hate speech, and unnecessary gore.
  • Word limit: 5,000 words
  • Formatting: please submit a Word document in MLA format, with a cover letter, and no identifying information
  • One story per submission.

Poetry 

  • We are seeking new voices in formal and free verse poetry. Send us your spoken word, sonnets, rondels, etc. 
  • We reject outright works with excessive violence, hate speech, and unnecessary gore.
  • Please submit up to 3 poems in a Word document with no identifying information. Please include a cover letter in a separate file.

Visual Art

  • All mediums are welcome; however, AI art is not acceptable.
  • We reject outright works with excessive violence, hate speech, or gore. 
  • Entry limit: no more than 3 photographed or scanned pieces per submission
  • Must include the artist’s name, the title, the medium, the size of the work, and the year created. Can include a short description if needed.

We want to read your work! We value and encourage both emerging and experienced creators. Our goal is to engage readers and create a space for great art to bring us closer together.

The Headlight Review is deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity amongst the staff and its contributors. We value varying editorial experience levels and consider aspects of identity, including race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, veteran status, or disability status, a pivotal part of artistic work. We encourage submissions from marginalized and underrepresented communities and perspectives, including emergent creators of color and those from the LGBTQIA+ community. 

We are open to submissions in all genres for publication in our biannual issues. Please submit your manuscript with a short (1-3 sentences), third-person bio in the comment section. For all submissions, please ensure that you do not include your name or other identifying information on your submission attachment. We reserve First North American electronic serial rights only; all rights revert back to the author upon publication. We ask that any reprints include the acknowledgment of first publication in The Headlight Review

Current students and recent graduates of Kennesaw State University, contest judges, and masthead members are not eligible to submit. KSU graduates become eligible to submit once 2 years have passed since graduation. 

PLEASE NOTE

Submissions are open year-round. The Headlight Review staff reads for our Fall/Winter issue in August – November and the Spring/Summer edition in February – May of each year. Please expect responses to occur within those reading windows. 

As of February 2023, we charge a $3 submission fee. We accept submissions via Submittable. Simultaneous submissions are accepted when noted in your cover letter. Thank you for your interest in The Headlight Review!

FICTION

Please send only one story per submission. Manuscripts should be no longer than 5,000 words, double-spaced, and in standard MLA manuscript format. All genres are welcome except erotica, gore, and violence.

The Headlight Review is deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity amongst the staff and its contributors. We value varying editorial experience levels and consider aspects of identity, including race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, veteran status, or disability status, a pivotal part of artistic work. We encourage submissions from marginalized and underrepresented communities and perspectives, including emergent creators of color and those from the LGBTQIA+ community. 

We are open to submissions in all genres for publication in our biannual issues. Please submit your manuscript with a short (1-3 sentences), third-person bio in the comment section. For all submissions, please ensure that you do not include your name or other identifying information on your submission attachment. We reserve First North American electronic serial rights only; all rights revert back to the author upon publication. We ask that any reprints include the acknowledgment of first publication in The Headlight Review

Current students and recent graduates of Kennesaw State University, contest judges, and masthead members are not eligible to submit. KSU graduates become eligible to submit once 2 years have passed since graduation. 

PLEASE NOTE

Submissions are open year-round. The Headlight Review staff reads for our Fall/Winter issue in August – November and the Spring/Summer edition in February – May of each year. Please expect responses to occur within those reading windows. 

As of February 2023, we charge a $3 submission fee. We accept submissions via Submittable. Simultaneous submissions are accepted when noted in your cover letter. Thank you for your interest in The Headlight Review!

POETRY

Our journal prefers work that pushes the envelope conceptually, technically, or visually, challenges our perspectives, and meets us at the intersections of genres, artistic disciplines, and modes of thought. From subtle to paradoxical, we want to publish work that captures and reimagines the world in ways that move us down to our bones. 

Please send only three poems maximum per submission, formatted however the poem needs to be formatted to achieve the effect you desire. We’ll do our best to reproduce it, or we will work with you to readjust the format for our platform. All genres welcome.

The Headlight Review is deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity amongst the staff and its contributors. We value varying editorial experience levels and consider aspects of identity, including race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, veteran status, or disability status, a pivotal part of artistic work. We encourage submissions from marginalized and underrepresented communities and perspectives, including emergent creators of color and those from the LGBTQIA+ community. 

We are open to submissions in all genres for publication in our biannual issues. Please submit your manuscript with a short (1-3 sentences), third-person bio in the comment section. For all submissions, please ensure that you do not include your name or other identifying information on your submission attachment. We reserve First North American electronic serial rights only; all rights revert back to the author upon publication. We ask that any reprints include the acknowledgment of first publication in The Headlight Review

Current students and recent graduates of Kennesaw State University, contest judges, and masthead members are not eligible to submit. KSU graduates become eligible to submit once 2 years have passed since graduation. 

PLEASE NOTE

Submissions are open year-round. The Headlight Review staff reads for our Fall/Winter issue in August – November and the Spring/Summer edition in February – May of each year. Please expect responses to occur within those reading windows. 

As of February 2023, we charge a $3 submission fee. We accept submissions via Submittable. Simultaneous submissions are accepted when noted in your cover letter. Thank you for your interest in The Headlight Review!

VISUAL ART

We’re looking for artwork that tells a story that includes emotional texture and character. We accept up to 6 images of photography, comics, digital artwork, or scanned images of traditional artwork such as paintings, drawings, or sketches. 

Submissions must have a minimum of 300 dpi resolution, regardless of format. Three-dimensional artwork requires a minimum of two photos taken from different angles, taken in front of a neutral background (black, white, or gray preferred). Artwork must include the name of the artist, the title, the medium, the size of the work, and the year created to be considered. 

We want to read your work! We value and encourage both emerging and experienced creators. Our goal is to engage readers and create a space for great art to bring us closer together 

The Headlight Review is deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity amongst the staff and its contributors. We value varying editorial experience levels and consider aspects of identity, including race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, veteran status, or disability status, a pivotal part of artistic work. We encourage submissions from marginalized and underrepresented communities and perspectives, including emergent creators of color and those from the LGBTQIA+ community. 

We are open to submissions in all genres for publication in our biannual issues. Please submit your manuscript with a short (1-3 sentences), third-person bio in the comment section. For all submissions, please ensure that you do not include your name or other identifying information on your submission attachment. We reserve First North American electronic serial rights only; all rights revert back to the author upon publication. We ask that any reprints include the acknowledgment of first publication in The Headlight Review

Current students and recent graduates of Kennesaw State University, contest judges, and masthead members are not eligible to submit. KSU graduates become eligible to submit once 2 years have passed since graduation.  

PLEASE NOTE 

Submissions are open year-round. The Headlight Review staff reads for our Fall/Winter issue in August – November and the Spring/Summer edition in February – May of each year. Please expect responses to occur within those reading windows. 

As of February 2023, we charge a $3 submission fee. We accept submissions via Submittable. Simultaneous submissions are accepted when noted in your cover letter. Thank you for your interest in The Headlight Review!

CREATIVE NONFICTION

We welcome literary nonfiction stories or essays that have a distinctive personal voice, attentiveness to language, rich details, and lyrical phrasing. We want to read a story that introduces us to a fresh perspective. We do not publish political rhetoric or academic essays. 

Please send one story or essay per submission. Manuscripts should be no longer than 5,000 words, double-spaced, and in standard MLA manuscript format. All genres welcome.


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Eligibility Requirements

Applicants to the Georgia Writers Registry (GWR) must be residents of Georgia and must also earn a minimum of 12 publication points based on the following point system:

12 Points

  • Each book of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, or creative non-fiction
  • Each play produced by a professional theatre (equity contract)

6 Points

  • Each chapbook
  • Staged readings of plays by professional theatres or professional playwright’s organizations

3 Points

  • Each work of fiction, non-fiction, or creative non-fiction published in a literary journal, anthology, or edited Web publication
  • Each poem published in a literary journal, anthology, or edited Web publication

Ineligible Publications

  • Publications from vanity presses
  • Self-published work
  • Work from presses that do not offer authors standard book contracts
  • Work published by a journal or anthology for which one makes editorial decisions
  • Translations

This form should be filled out by the sponsoring organization prior to the event. 

Applications will not be considered unless all information is provided. Please keep a copy for your records. Sponsors are required to submit all promotional materials, including print copies of webpages and e-mails, that highlight the logos of the Georgia Writers Association, the Georgia Council of the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Proof of verbal acknowledgement made at the event must be submitted if there are no written promotional materials.

This form should be filled out by the sponsoring organization after the event has taken place.

The event director is to complete this form within 15 days of the completion of the event. Sponsors are required to submit all promotional materials along with this form, including screenshots of webpages and e-mails, that highlight the logos of the Georgia Writers Association, the Georgia Council for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Proof of verbal acknowledgement made at the event must be submitted if there are no written promotional materials. 


  • This form should be filled out by the writer after the event has taken place and within 15 days of the completion of the event. 
  • Please cash your check within 90 days of issuance.
  • If there are any discrepencies between the amount you agreed to be paid for the even and the actual amount of the check, please contact Terri Dudenhoeffer at terri@georgiawriters.org
Georgia Writers