Submission Call: Winter Reading

A Call for Winter Reads and More

By Gretchen Gales
QuailBellMagazine.com

We have received tons of quality submissions these past few months (some we are still catching up on!). With that said, the long-awaited new call for submissions is here! Here is what we are looking for during the winter reading season:
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Winter Themed Essays and Other Nonfiction 
Do you have a short memoir about your first snow? A roundup of the best books to read while cooped up inside? We would love to see curated winter submissions to keep us warm all season long. Here are some other nonfiction submissions we want to see in our inbox:

-Book reviews: This can count for recent releases or for ones published in the 1800s. No, really! This can include novels, poetry collections, essays, literary magazine issues, and more. 

-Cosmetic reviews: You may have seen my most recent post about the Kylie Cosmetics Halloween collection. We would love to expand our reviews to include voices and brands by POC, the LGBTQ+ community, and many more. Don't be shy! Send us your thoughts about a product and whether or not you think it will work for other people. 

-Other reviews: In the past, we have had reviews of art shows, museum exhibits, and more. This recent review of a Cabaret show is an awesome example of what we like to show our audience. 

-Other Nonfiction: We've received many questions about if other reviews and other types of essays are accepted. We can't know unless you submit them to us! Just make sure your work adheres to our mission statement and read other posts to become familiar with what we like. 


Holiday and Winter Themed Poems and Fiction
Have a mystical winter tale or an ode to icy roads? We want it! You should have plenty of inspiration while sipping on hot cocoa.


Here are some specifically themed calls from the previous post that we are still interested in:


​My First Classic Book 
What classic book did you read for the first time? This could mean one read to you as a child or the first classic novel you were forced to read in high school. Did you fall in love with classic literature? Were you determined to never read again? Did it inspire you to become a writer? Tell us the story of your first journey into classic literature. Use the subject line CLASSIC LIT when submitting your piece. Who knows? Maybe I'll find that someone that hated A Separate Peace  as much as I did. 

Victoriana - Ongoing Forever
Our early days had a lot of Victoriana, and gosh darnnit, we want it back. Something likethis piece on Victorian Thanksgivings or a detailed list of the best teas out there. Maybe an interview with a Steampunk costume designer or a photo tour of a historic house. Give us a makeup tutorial inspired by the Queen.  Send submissions to the above email with the taglineVICTORIANA so we know you're the VIP guest we've been expecting. 

Essays on Current Events - Due at a decent time that makes sense, honestly.
I don't think I have to explain what kinds of current events I'm talking about, whether it be political turmoil or ongoing issues that still exist today. When submitting a political hot-take on an issue, make sure it has properly vetted sources and does not come off as a Facebook midnight rant. We're open to many different perspectives, but please take a look at things we've published in the past to get an idea of our values and audience. Use the subject line CURRENT EVENTS SUBMISSION so we can publish your timely piece ASAP.