Submission Guidelines

We are excited to read your submission! On this page, you will find detailed instructions on content, format, and submission.

Content

What We Don't Accept

We do not accept pieces previously published elsewhere or unfinished works (this includes chapter excerpts), nor do we accept submissions with grammatical or developmental errors. We will not consider any pieces generated by AI. We will not consider submissions that do not adhere to our content or submission guidelines.

As Inkblot is produced by Brigham Young University-Idaho's Writing Center, we will not accept submissions with tactless approaches to subjects such as mental health, abuse, or death. We will not accept works with explicit content, including (but not limited to) sexually suggestive material, graphic depictions of violence or abuse, and offensive, politically charged content. As a magazine sponsored by BYU-I's Writing Center, we are dedicated to sharing thoughtful, respectful, appropriate pieces with our readers.

Our goal is to produce a collection that uplifts students and shares the creative spirit of our BYU-I community. Please help us in our mission as you consider your submission.

What We Accept

We are looking for quality unpublished works that have been revised, edited, and are ready to be published!

Each student may submit up to 2 submissions per semester. All works must be unpublished and have been written or completed in the last year.

We will be accepting the following submissions:

Poetry (under 2 pages, double spaced)

Fiction (under 2,500 words)

Creative Nonfiction (under 2,500 words)

Writing is never a process you should do alone. If you need someone to look over your piece, or you would like help revising, please make an appointment with a BYU-I Writing Center tutor.

Format

Submissions must follow these formatting requirements:

Prose must be double-spaced, poetry must be single spaced.
use a comfortable and professional 12-pt font (for instance, Times New Roman, Arial, or Cambria).
If you need to provide citations for a creative nonfiction piece, please do so using your choice of MLA, APA, or Chicago style.
Save and submit your piece as a PDF or Word document.

Submissions undergo a blind review process by an editorial board. Your name should never appear in the document or the file name.

Submission Form

Current Theme:

You must submit your pieces by WEDNESDAY, February 25th at 11:59 PM (the middle of Week 8). Pieces submitted after this date will not be considered for publication.

The theme for this semester's edition of Inkblot is "Frisson." The word frisson is French in origin, and the original meaning of the word was associated with "fever, illness; shiver, thrill." In more contemporary vocabulary, it means something slightly different: emotional thrill. When you're listening to a song and it speaks to your soul, gives you goosebumps. When you go to watch a performance and the crescendo gives you pause, gives you a slight thrill. When you're out in nature, struck by the sublime, and your every hair stands on end. These are aesthetic chills. This is frisson.

Submissions are not required to match this title to be considered for publication. In order to submit your piece, please access our Google form.

We will not consider works that do not adhere to our content guidelines.

We are excited to review your work. Thank you for your submission!