Submissions

banner that says submit with close up of typing hands in back

Hippocampus wants to publish and promote YOUR TRUTH.

***

What do we publish in our CNF magazine?

During our regular creative nonfiction submissions periods we accept previously unpublished work in the following categories:

(You can also view our main Hippocampus Magazine Submittable landing page here.)

Reviews, interviews, craft articles, and writing life articles by invitation/pitch to section editors; use the email address articles@hippocampusmagazine.com and we will get your note to the right person.

What we publish elsewhere:

When can I submit to Hippocampus Magazine?

We have two regular submission periods per year, which vary by category; please note we updated dates and duration in May 2025:

Category Fall Spring
Essay Closed in Fall 2025 for one-time pause for queue catch-up March 1 – April 30
Flash Sept. 1 – Nov. 30 March 1 – May 31

Occasionally, we may open a call for special theme issues, contests, and other magazine-related projects.

 

What do we need from you?

  • Formatting Requirements: Your submission should be double-spaced and in a 12-point standard font (ex: Times/Arial/Calibri, Georgia)
  • Please do not include identifying information in your submitted document (the manuscript) or within the filename unless it is critical to the story; your name and contact information is automatically included with your submission so, again, you do not need it in the submitted manuscript.
    • Why this matters: We have a concealed reading process, which means your work is judged on the work itself. Our reading panel members do not see your name, cover letter, or any other submission details: they only see the manuscript.

Other Information & Requests:

  • Regular submissions come with a $3 submission fee. However, for those unable to cover the fee, we maintain a Submission Fund. To access the fund, contact us here.
  • Please only send us one piece for submission per category at a time; this means you may have a flash piece and essay for consideration at the same time. If you want to send us something else, wait until you hear from us about the first piece you sent.
  • Turnaround time: Please be patient. We review pieces as we receive them, and we’re all volunteers. Our typical turnaround time is 4 months for flash and up to six months for essays.
  • You can submit an excerpt, essay, or flash piece if you have an outstanding query with Books by Hippocampus.
  • We’re happy to accept simultaneous submissions, but if your piece gets accepted by someone else, please withdraw it through Submittable as soon as possible!
  • Take your time. We generally only publish each author once a year. We want to give everyone a chance to be heard.

Want to get in touch about an existing submission? It’s best to send an email to submissions@hippocampusmagazine.com; you may also use this contact form. We can’t guarantee that if you DM us on Twitter or send a Facebook message that we’ll see it and respond.

Publishing Info & Editorial Calendar

  • We publish 6 regular issues per year: January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December.
  • New issues typically go live the Monday of first full week of the month.
  • Reviews, interviews, and articles typically come out the first week of each month.

What are we looking for in creative nonfiction submissions?

True tales from your life. Honesty that possesses both the situation AND the story. Intensely personal experiences that reflect universal truths about what it means to be human. Firsthand accounts from the FULL spectrum of humanity – folx from the LGBTQIA+ community, Black writers, Indigenous writers, and writers of Color, disabled writers, writers of all ages, genders, backgrounds, experiences, lifestyles, and identities.

About our reading process: we generally read submissions in the order received and we use a concealed reading process; this means that our reading panel does not see a name or cover letter. The work is read and considered independent of identifying information and author bio.

What isn’t right for us?

Story pitches. Fiction, poetry, academic works, editorials, social/political commentary, satire, criticism. Timely pieces responding to a current event. Pieces that require special formatting/coding, including pieces that use footnotes/subscript. Pieces that are prescriptive or come with a lesson. Pieces that undermine, judge, marginalize, or “other” the voices and experiences of different individuals or communities.

Please note that we also do not solicit essays, and we do not accept essay placements from PR agencies. Everything we do comes through our standard queue, and all submissions are treated equally.

What will you get out of publishing with us? 

Hippocampus runs on volunteer energy, submission fees, and generous support from our Friends. We also believe that writing should be valued, and the labor of writers should be compensated.

We offer a $40 honorarium to authors who publish memoir/personal essays and flash nonfiction with us. Honoraria are paid via PayPal or Venmo within about 90 days of publication.

Writers who contribute to our book reviews, interviews, and craft & writing life columns are considered volunteer contributors and are not compensated.

All pieces are shared via our social channels (Facebook, Threads, Instagram, X/Twitter, BlueSky, etc.) after publication. All magazine contributors are also eligible for a discount to our annual creative nonfiction conference, HippoCamp (currently on hiatus).

Last Words

Remember that publishing is inherently subjective, and therefore, inherently imperfect. Like every other literary publication out there, we do our best to assume best intentions and publish and promote the work we’re moved and inspired by. Just because your piece wasn’t a fit for us doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable and worthy of publication at any one of these amazing platforms for creative nonfiction. Keep writing, keep editing, keep submitting.

 

Still have questions? Contact us.

These guidelines were updated on May 9, 2025. We can’t wait to read your work!