Thank you for your interest in The Fifth Plinth! Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with our submission guidelines. When you are ready to submit, please use our online submission manager.
GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submissions are open to writers and artists of any experience level.
POETRY
We aim to publish innovative poetry. If your original poem is written in another language, please include your English translation as well.
All poems submitted must have titles. If you prefer we use the first line of a poem as its title, we will do so, but you need to format your submission to include the first line as the title.
You may submit up to five (5) poems. Submissions should be no more than forty-five (45) lines* per poem. Please include the line count of the poem in the document.
FICTION
We will consider original works of fiction in any genre. We will also accept novel excerpts if the submission stands alone as a complete short story.
Flash Fiction – 1,000 words or less: You may submit up to five (5) flash fiction stories. Each flash fiction piece should be no longer than 1,000 words. Please include the word count in the document.
Short Story – 1,000-5,000 words*: You may submit up to three (3) short stories. Each short story should be no longer than 5,000 words. Please include the word count in the document.
NON-FICTION
Although we publish for a general readership, we welcome submissions in all genres of nonfiction: personal essay, memoir, article, review, travel essay, scholarly essay, and experimental nonfiction. Above all, we are interested in publishing non-fiction that surprises and intrigues.
You may submit up to three (3) works. Each submission should be no longer than 5,000 words*. Please include the word count in the document.
DRAMA
We accept short plays in traditional and experimental styles.
You may submit one play or screenplay. The play should be no longer than fifty (50) pages*. Plays and screenplays should be formatted to industry standards.
GRAPHIC NARRATIVE
We accept sequential art, comics, or hybrids. Submissions here are considered for publication as stand-alone work or as portals for other written work.
You may submit up to five (5) pieces. Your artwork must be saved at 300 dpi, and suitable for color and black and white reproduction. Label each file with the title of the work.
VISUAL ART
Submissions here are considered for publication as stand-alone work or as issue cover art. You are welcome to submit color and black and white digital reproductions of your art.
You may submit up to five (5) works. Your art must be saved at 300 dpi, and suitable for color and black and white reproduction. Label each file with the title of the work. If you send us artwork or photography, please also include a document containing titles and brief descriptions of each piece.
If your art is an integral part of a written submission which has already been submitted, please email us at [email protected].
*Length. If your work is outstanding, we’ll make room for it!
The Fifth Plinth reserves the right to make edits for typos, grammar, and clarity.
The Fifth Plinth reserves the right to use your name and the title of your work in press releases and on sections of the Alvin Community College website other than the pages of The Fifth Plinth. Beyond this use and following publication in The Fifth Plinth both in print and online, rights revert to the author/artist of the work.
The Fifth Plinth does not offer payment. However, if your work is accepted, you will receive a contributor’s copy. We will also make every effort to promote our authors and their work.
Submissions are open to writers and artists of any experience level.
- We welcome submissions of original poetry, fiction, non-fiction, graphic narrative, drama, and visual art. There are no restrictions on style or subject matter; however, submissions that are hateful, racist, sexist, unnecessarily obscene and vulgar, or bigoted toward any demographics will not be considered.
- We accept simultaneous submission with prompt notification of your good news by way of our online submission system should your work be accepted elsewhere. If you wish to withdraw part of your submission, please log in to your Submittable account to add a note to your submission activity and list the title no longer available for consideration. If you wish to withdraw your entire submission, log in and update your Submittable account.
- Previously published works will be accepted if print circulation was under 5,000, or the work was published online only. Previously published work must be accompanied with a list of where and when it has been previously published.
- Co-authored manuscripts are acceptable.
- Translations of other artists’ works will not be considered.
- All submissions should include a biographical note (75 words or less) to be used in the event of publication. Your biographical statement should be in the third person and include some highlights of your publishing history and any other relevant information. Space is provided in the online submission form.
- Include your connection, if any, to Alvin Community College in the space provided in the online submission form.
- Include contact information in the space provided in the online submission form. If you write under a pseudonym, please also include your legal name, and state clearly which is which.
- Submissions are read blind. The submission file should contain only the title and text of the work. No other identifying information may appear on the pages of the manuscript or artwork.
- Place the title of work(s) in the “Portfolio" title field. If submitting multiple pieces in the same genre (see specific guidelines below), include all titles in the "Portfolio" title field, separated by semi-colons. You can abbreviate titles to fit in the space provided.
- Submissions must be received by the deadline.
- Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will not be considered.
POETRY
We aim to publish innovative poetry. If your original poem is written in another language, please include your English translation as well.
All poems submitted must have titles. If you prefer we use the first line of a poem as its title, we will do so, but you need to format your submission to include the first line as the title.
You may submit up to five (5) poems. Submissions should be no more than forty-five (45) lines* per poem. Please include the line count of the poem in the document.
FICTION
We will consider original works of fiction in any genre. We will also accept novel excerpts if the submission stands alone as a complete short story.
Flash Fiction – 1,000 words or less: You may submit up to five (5) flash fiction stories. Each flash fiction piece should be no longer than 1,000 words. Please include the word count in the document.
Short Story – 1,000-5,000 words*: You may submit up to three (3) short stories. Each short story should be no longer than 5,000 words. Please include the word count in the document.
NON-FICTION
Although we publish for a general readership, we welcome submissions in all genres of nonfiction: personal essay, memoir, article, review, travel essay, scholarly essay, and experimental nonfiction. Above all, we are interested in publishing non-fiction that surprises and intrigues.
You may submit up to three (3) works. Each submission should be no longer than 5,000 words*. Please include the word count in the document.
DRAMA
We accept short plays in traditional and experimental styles.
You may submit one play or screenplay. The play should be no longer than fifty (50) pages*. Plays and screenplays should be formatted to industry standards.
GRAPHIC NARRATIVE
We accept sequential art, comics, or hybrids. Submissions here are considered for publication as stand-alone work or as portals for other written work.
You may submit up to five (5) pieces. Your artwork must be saved at 300 dpi, and suitable for color and black and white reproduction. Label each file with the title of the work.
VISUAL ART
Submissions here are considered for publication as stand-alone work or as issue cover art. You are welcome to submit color and black and white digital reproductions of your art.
You may submit up to five (5) works. Your art must be saved at 300 dpi, and suitable for color and black and white reproduction. Label each file with the title of the work. If you send us artwork or photography, please also include a document containing titles and brief descriptions of each piece.
If your art is an integral part of a written submission which has already been submitted, please email us at [email protected].
*Length. If your work is outstanding, we’ll make room for it!
The Fifth Plinth reserves the right to make edits for typos, grammar, and clarity.
The Fifth Plinth reserves the right to use your name and the title of your work in press releases and on sections of the Alvin Community College website other than the pages of The Fifth Plinth. Beyond this use and following publication in The Fifth Plinth both in print and online, rights revert to the author/artist of the work.
The Fifth Plinth does not offer payment. However, if your work is accepted, you will receive a contributor’s copy. We will also make every effort to promote our authors and their work.