Open Calls
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So you thought you might like to go to the show...
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The Dionysian Public Library is now OPEN for submissions for our second annual horror anthology, Spectacular, Spectacular!: An Anthology of Circensian Horror, a collection of circus-themed tales of terror. Contortionists and clowns, ringmasters and roaring beasts, fortune tellers and flying trapezes... Let your imagination run wild and your nightmares take to the stage. The theme may be interpreted however you wish, and if you're not quite sure if it fits, give it a try anyway; we love to be surprised. There is no limit on content or hard word limit, but somewhere around 8,000 words is a good ballpark for the maximum—that said, if you have something a bit longer, feel free to shoot it our way and we'll be happy to take a look. We are also open to poetry, black and white visual art, and nonfiction writing on the theme.
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This anthology will be edited by v.f. thompson. At this point, we are only able to offer contributor's copies as compensation, but hope to be able to change that with ancillary fundraising as the project progresses.
Submissions are open now through October 4th, for release on October 31st, 2024.
Spectacular, Spectacular!: An Anthology of Circensian Horror
Closed Calls
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The true genesis of the project that would eventually become DPL, x/y was a zine that ran from 2018-2020, providing a platform for trans and gender-diverse artists to share their work, be it poetry, prose, visual art, or anything else that could conceivably be reproduced in a printed form. Rebooted in 2023 with new numbering, x/y is open to anyone who identifies as trans (or to those who are seeking a platform to explore their relationship to gender but aren't quite sure how they identify). Don't be afraid to send us your weirdest, most challenging work, and interpret the theme however you wish; we are not interested merely in neat and tidy trans stories about representation and empowerment, but in representing the totality of the trans experience, scars and all. Though we are not currently able to pay for submissions for x/y, we hope to see this change for future issues. For now, you will receive both a contributor's copy of the zine and a printable PDF so that you can print as many copies as you want. Submissions are currently CLOSED, with issue #4 planned as a special project in October before opening for public submissions again in early 2025.
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x/y: a junk drawer of trans voices
The Vineyard
​The Vineyard is our biannual unthemed zine, open to all and published in the spring and fall. The zine is be available in both digital form available available for free and as a printed copy available for purchase. There are roughly forty pages of space available, so shorter pieces will have a higher chance of being accepted, though if you feel confident in a longer piece don't hesitate to send it our way. Poetry, prose, visual art*, or anything weirder you have up your sleeves—send it our way. Though we are not currently able to pay for submissions for The Vineyard, we hope to see this change for future issues. For now, you will receive both a contributor's copy of the zine and a printable PDF so that you can print as many copies as you want. The Vineyard is currently CLOSED for submissions and will reopen in August for publication later this year.
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General Submission Guidelines
Prose, poetry, and other written work should be submitted as either a .doc, .docx, or .rtf format. Prose should be formatted in something approaching Shunn Manuscript Format, though deviations from this format will not disqualify you. After all, who are we to tell you what to do with your work. We have no guidelines or restrictions on content, and in fact hope to see your most challenging work, should you trust us with it. Other than that, we're pretty loosey-goosey with what we're hoping to see.
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Please send your work to dionysianpubliclibrary@gmail.com, including your name, a few details about your piece, and a short third-person bio with any relevant social media links. Simultaneous and multiple submissions welcomed.