General Submission Guidelines 2024 – 2025
Submission Process
Thank you for your interest in The Hellebore Press. Submissions will open on July 1, 2024. Use our Google Form to share your work with us. We aim to provide a transparent, communicative, and inclusive review process that centers writers, poets, and artists. Due to the volume of submissions we receive, expect a response within 2-4 weeks.
Notifying folks about the status of their work within a reasonable time frame is important to us so inquire through email if you do not hear from us within the reading period. *No DMs via Twitter or Instagram please*
Email: thehelleborepress [@]gmail [dot] com *Only email for inquiries*
Note: We no longer accept submissions via email. Try our Google Form instead. We will only use email to update you on the status of your work or to respond to inquiries.
Behind the Scenes
Denise Nichole reads and reviews all submissions. After work is selected, contributors may be asked to undergo a brief revision process to ensure that work is ready for publication. The revision process incorporates reflective questions, feedback, and edits. We offer this service to support our contributors but recognize that this is not standard practice. Rest assured, that is why we do it. It is our hope to offer resources that support writers and poets throughout each stage of their career. Part of that includes developmental editing and mentorship.
Angel Camarena assists with the editing and formatting of each issue. They collaborate with Denise to prepare issues for publication by proofing and organizing individual pieces of writing.
There are no reading or submission fees.
Why? Literary and artistic resources should be afforded to all. Fees create more barriers for writers, poets, and artists who are already denied access to the industry. Our mission is to amplify the voices of exemplary creatives– not exploit our community.
Underrepresented communities are highly encouraged to submit. The Hellebore Press invites perspectives and narratives from: women, BIPOC, neurodiverse, disabled, indigenous, non-binary, immigrant, international, and LGBTQIA2S+ identities.
Reading Periods *Updated Process*
Submissions will be open from July 1, 2024 until July 15, 2024. Please use the Hellebore Press Submission Form.
Micro poetry, prose poetry, narrative poetry, flash fiction (under 1500 words), and flash nonfiction (under 1500 words) is welcome. We are especially interested in collage/hybrid work, visual forms that blend writing with photography or illustrations, and mixed media.
Important: Beginning in August 2024 we will publish 1-2 contributors a month. That way we can take the time to promote, share, and highlight each contributor’s work with intention and care. By December 2025 we will release Issue 12 which will include all of the prior contributors featured from August 2024 – November 2024 along with new artwork. We will repeat the same process in April 2024 with the hopes to release Issue 13 by July 2025.
All featured contributors will sign a publishing agreement and receive a $25 honorarium on the date of publication.
To have the best possible chance of publication, follow the guidelines and refer to the tips.
Submission Tips
We seek work that disrupts the canon. While we appreciate traditional forms and styles (and have featured it before!) we tend to gravitate to work that reinvents language, takes bold and daring risks, and pushes the boundaries of genre. At the same time, we want to spotlight work that is accessible and clear. Style is important to us as is voice.
Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate complex formatting and line spacing due to our new theme.
Our archive is teen/young adult friendly and inclusive, so please do not send us work that is violent, hateful, or gratuitous. No graphic depictions of any kind whatsoever.
Theme & Topics for Issue 12
Theme: Relief
Topics of interest include:
- Family Traditions, Dynamics, & Customs
- Friendships & Platonic Love
- Liberation & Resistance
- Release
- Social Issues: Palestinian Liberation, Roe v. Wade, US Presidential Election, Healthcare, Climate Change, Sudan, Congo, etc.
*These topics are suggestions to help our community. You are welcome to explore other topics. Once we see a pattern develop in our submission queue, we will add some example prompts & writing selections.
To submit your work use our Google Form.
HUES Scholars Program
HUES is back! We are offering an affordable course for students, writers, and poets of color who have not yet published a full length book. Our HUES Lecturer for Summer 2024 is jason b. crawford!
Join us online to grow in your craft. Build community and express yourself. Receive direct support from our Publisher, Denise Nichole who will share feedback and guidance along the way.
The HUES Scholar Summer 2024 Application form via Google Forms will be open from July 8-July 15 or until 5-12 applicants (at most 15!) are accepted into the program. Apply soon!
Scholarship Guidelines
The Hellebore Poetry Scholarship Award *Closed*
The Hellebore Poetry Scholarship Award offers a monetary book and supply scholarship to one honoree who demonstrates excellence in the poetic arts.
Please note: The Hellebore Poetry Scholarship Award is currently closed while we raise funds.
Terrarium 2025
Update about Terrarium: We thoroughly enjoyed working with students on Issue 10 & 11 but will take a break this year to focus on the relaunch of other programs. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to working with more student editors in 2025.
Thanks!
Don’t forget to check out the FAQ for more tips. There is some very helpful information there that applies to all of our submission periods.
Looking forward to receiving and reviewing your work.
