Menu 0
Submit to Ruminate
A mindful literary arts magazine that respects
what you do and why you do it.
Ruminate receives over 5,000 general submissions and contest submissions each year. We can't publish every story or poem, and we seek not to be a solution for all but rather a sign for all—a sign that points us toward hospitality, welcome, and care for one another's stories. We are particularly excited about sharing stories, poems, and art from voices that aren't often heard.

CONTESTS

VanderMey Nonfiction Prize
is open!
Submit
William Van Dyke Short Story Prize
is open.
Submit
Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize
is closed.
Learn More
Ruminate Broadside Poetry Prize
is closed.
Learn More

GENERAL SUBMISSIONS

Short Prose (The Waking: Ruminate Online) is open!
We are looking for short fiction and short nonfiction/hybrid work to include in our online space. Please be sure to submit your work to the correct link above. If you are interested in checking out all of our submission opportunities, please do so using the button below.
SUBMIT
Book Reviews/Interviews (The Waking: Ruminate Online) are open!
Ruminate’s book reviews/interviews seek to highlight books from small, independent publishers and university presses as well as books from new and emerging writers. In general, we avoid promoting books that already receive a lot of attention (publishers like Penguin, etc.). We also prioritize books by past Ruminate contributors as part of our mission to support our writers well after they have left our pages. When selecting books by noncontributors, there should be a clear link between the book and Ruminate’s emphasis on contemplative living.
SUBMIT
Readers Ruminate
column is closed.
Each issue of Ruminate includes personal notes, 300 words or less, from our readers on a particular topic. We notify our readers of the topic for each issue's Readers Ruminate column via our email newsletter and social media. To be notified of the topic, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page.
Poetry is open!
General Magazine Submissions Reading period from May 15 - December 15. (Between Jan. 1st-May 4th we will only accept poetry submissions to our Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize.) You may submit up to five poems (we prefer 3-5), with a maximum of 10 pages per submission.
SUBMIT
Visual Art is open!
Images must be professional quality digital images in TIFF or JPG formats and must be PC and Mac compatible.
SUBMIT
Nonfiction is closed
General Magazine Submission Reading period: December 15 - June 1st
(Between June 15th-October 18th we will only accept nonfiction submissions to our VanderMey Nonfiction Prize.) We accept pieces that are 5,500 words or less.
Fiction is closed
General Magazine Submissions Reading period: February 15th - August 15th. (Between August 15th-February 4th we will only accept fiction submissions to our William Van Dyke Short Story Prize). We accept pieces that are 5,500 words or less.

Submission FAQs
We know that sharing your art is a brave act–
we look forward to seeing your work!

  • General magazine submissions are always free—there is no entry fee.
  • We currently pay $20/page of poetry (with a maximum of $80 per poem), $20/page for visual art pieces, and $20/400 words for prose. Ruminate firmly believes in paying our contributors, and we are working hard to increase the amount we pay them.
  • We only accept submissions that are previously unpublished.
  • We do accept simultaneous submissions, however, please notify us right away if your work is accepted elsewhere.
  • If you agree to allow Ruminate to publish your work, we will receive first serial rights and all rights revert back to you upon publication.
  • We only accept online submissions, as our readers are spread across the country. Any submissions made by postal mail or email will not be considered.
  • Our response time is 3-4 months. Please wait 3-4 months before inquiring about the status of your submission.
  • Please wait for a response to your submission before sending us more work.
  • We highly recommend reading a copy of the magazine to better understand the type of work we are looking for.

"I wrote my essay with Ruminate in mind and am just thrilled to have it appear in such a great magazine."

- Tony Lusvardi, 2016 VanderMey Nonfiction Prize recipient

" It is encouraging and uplifting to be supported and recognized for one’s passion and effort as an artist."

- Eloisa Guanloa, 2018 Kalos Visual Art Prize recipient

Recognized by

Sign up for Ruminate Emails
and receive a FREE PDF of our 10th Anniversary Issue
Read an entire issue:
Subscribe to Ruminate: