Still Here Magazine

Thank you for considering Still Here, a magazine for emotional realism, witnessing, and the quiet courage of staying.

Still Here publishes work that is emotionally realistic, honest, and rooted in lived experience. We welcome submissions from anyone, regardless of background, identity, or experience—we’re not picky, we promise.

For writers interested in extra support, we also offer year-round optional paid feedback submissions, which provide thoughtful, editor-focused responses to your work (though we can’t help but sprinkle in some reader-focused reactions as well). Choosing this option does not affect consideration for publication.

Upcoming Opportunities:

OPEN THEMED CALLS:

• COMING SOON…

UPCOMING SUBMISSION WINDOWS:

• OPENS:
  • JUNE 1ST, 2026
• CLOSES:
  • JULY 1ST, 2026
• WHAT IS IT?
  • What Makes Us Human Contest: In Honor of Still Here Magazine’s 1st Anniversary: The theme for this contest is the title of said contest. With the rise of A.I., it’s important to remember what it is to be human. We must remember that while being human can sometimes be terrifying, miserable, or joyous, it is still beautiful.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

• ANY SUBMISSIONS THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES OR ARE SUBMITTED OUTSIDE OPEN WINDOWS WILL NOT BE READ OR RESPONDED TO.
• WE DO NOT ACCEPT ANY A.I. GENERATED, OR A.I. ASSISTED WRITING.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Prose (up to 3,000 words)
  • Short stories that center emotional realism, intimacy, small moments, or quiet strangeness. One piece per submission.
• Personal Essays (300-2,000 words)
  • Honest reflections, moments of grief, joy, survival, or soft epiphanies that you carry silently. One piece per submission.
• Poetry (up to 60 lines)
  • Any form. We love sensory details, clear images, and emotional truth. Up to five poems per submission.
• Art & Photography
  • Color or black & white. We are drawn to stillness, soft strangeness, and work that feels like a held breath. Up to five pieces per submission
• Please send your submission as a Word document (.doc/.docx) or Google Doc link (with editing permissions turned off).
• For poetry, you may submit up to 5 poems in one document.
• For art/photography, please send up to 5 pieces in high-quality JPG or PNG format.
• Include a short third-person bio( 50-150 words) with your submission.
• We’re not currently able to offer payment at this time, but we are dedicated to supporting our contributors in other meaningful ways and are actively working toward a model that includes compensation in the future.
• Reprints are accepted if you hold the rights. Please note where and when it was previously published.
• Please submit in 12pt Times New Roman, double-spaced with one-inch margins.
• Simultaneous Submissions are acceptable, but please notify us as soon as possible if your work has been accepted elsewhere.
• Multiple Submissions: You’re welcome to submit up to 5 poems at a time. For prose and personal essays, we ask that you send one piece at a time to ensure we can give each submission the attention it deserves. For art and photography, please send up to five pieces that align with our current theme. If submitting to multiple open calls, please specify which issue you’re submitting for in your subject line.
• WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:
• Emotional realism, softness, and truth.
• Pieces that feel intimate, honest, and rooted in your lived experience.
• We love the quiet, the tender, the strange, and the small moments that carry big weight.

PAID FEEDBACK:

Still Here offers a paid feedback option for writers seeking thoughtful, editor-focused responses to their work. This service is open to anyone, whether or not your piece is being submitted for publication. 

Paid feedback is optional and does not guarantee acceptance. 

Subject Line Format: 

When emailing your work, please use one of the following subject line formats:

• Feedback Only- Jane Doe
• Feedback + PC- Jane Doe

(PC= Publication Consideration)

This ensures your work is reviewed under the correct process. 

Poetry Feedback:

$4 per poem * $8 minimum total

Pricing is per piece.

Includes:

• Editor-response
• Big-picture craft notes (theme, clarity, emotional impact)
• Select line-level comments

Limits:

• Up to 60 lines or 500 words per poem
• Longer poems may require an adjusted rate. 

Writers submitting multiple poems will be charged based on the number of pieces. If you have a budget in mind, please note that in your email.

Prose/Personal Essay Feedback:

$5 per piece (up to 2,000 words)

$8 per piece (2,001-3,000 words)

Includes:

• Editor-response
• Big-picture craft notes (voice, clarity, pacing)
• Select line-level comments

This option is best suited for short prose, personal essays, and hybrid forms within Still Here’s standard submission guidelines. Longer or unconventional pieces may require an adjusted rate.

Payment Information:

If opting in to paid feedback, payment can be sent via PayPal or Venmo. 

Please include your name and the title(s) of your piece(s) in the payment note. 

Venmo: Still Here Magazine

PayPal: Still Here Magazine

Additional Notes: 

-Feedback reflects subjective editorial and reader experience.

– Paid feedback is separate from the editorial decision-making process.

– This service does not include full line edits or rewrites

-Rates are subject to change as capacity and demand evolve.

Thank you for supporting Still Here and the labor behind careful, intentional editorial work. Your support helps make this space sustainable and accessible. 

HOW TO SUBMIT:

Please email your submission to stillheremag@gmail.com

Use the subject line: Submission-[Category]-[Your Name]

Example: Submission-Personal Essay-Jane Doe

A NOTE ON RESPONSE TIMES:

Still Here is a one-person operation! While our content readers help with preliminary reviews and support, all final decisions, editing, layouts, deadlines, and the creation of each issue are handled personally by me. Because of this, and the volume of submissions we receive, responses may take up to 10 days.

I deeply appreciate your patience and trust. Every submission is read with care, and I’m grateful to have such a talented and supportive community contributing to the magazine.

PUBLICATION:

You retain all rights to your work. We only ask that if you choose to republish elsewhere in the future, you credit Still Here as the first publisher. We may make minor edits for clarity and formatting. If more substantial edits are needed, we will reach out to discuss first. Edits are not made until after the submission window closes.

**Still Here Magazine does not use A.I. in any way to assist with publishing, editing, or creating. Still Here utilizes stock images from Pexels & Unsplash + Canva/Adobe creation tools that do not use A.I.. If you have further questions about our A.I. policy/use, please visit the Contact page to get in touch with us.**

Thank you for trusting us with your work. We can’t wait to read what you have been carrying.