Since launching in January of 2019, Sunspot Literary Journal has amplified diverse multinational voices. New works have been published in their original language side-by-side with English translations.

Sunspots are areas of lower temperatures that appear on the sun's surface. Because of the sun's brilliance, sunspots are not visible to the naked eye. Compare that to the blinding static many publishers use when marketing celebrity rehab stories. The unique and creative get lost. 

Hearing Every Voice
Sunspot Literary Journal was founded to cut through the blinding flashes. The publications present writing that is meaningful. Writing created by individuals who might not have a large social media following, but who still have something important to say.

Writing a New World
Here at Sunspot, we believe in the power of the written word. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry and art can speak truth to power with the power inherent in all human beings. Our mission is to amplify every voice.

Not just words. These magazines publish paintings, comics, illustrations, and other visual art alongside or instead of traditional text-based work.

Magazines That Publish Comics, Art, or Other Visual Works

Sunspot Lit

Need to hear back quickly? Use this form to receive a response in one week for prose or art, or two weeks or less for poetry. Submit any category or type of work here.The lowest fee allows you to submit artwork (a total of two images) or very short prose and poetry. Longer prose and poetry submissions, up to novella form, can also be submitted by selecting the appropriate fee from the dropdown menu.  Be sure to select the correct fee option based on length. Incorrect fee selection will result in rejection without consideration.

Fast Flux (1-2 week response) 2025

We accept all types of artwork including, but not limited to, collage, multimedia, miniatures, digital images, and video stills. Using this form, submit between three to five images total. Please note that a single file with multiple images will be considered a single artwork and will be reviewed as such. So, a file with multiple photographs will be reviewed as if it is a single image where all the photos are to be taken as a whole rather than judged individually. 
Feel free to submit multiple times during the same open call period.

Art, 3 to 5 images

Sunspot Lit's Angel Leya is now offering feedback on genre fiction, with a particular emphasis on novel excerpts. She specializes in fantasy and paranormal, with experience in light sci-fi, contemporary romance, and YA.
For works up to 5,000 words, you will receive a few paragraphs (about half a single-spaced page) of comments intended to strengthen your work. For works up to 12,500 words, you'll receive around a full single-spaced page of comments. NOTE: Please do not request advice on where or how to submit work for publication, as this type of guidance is beyond the scope of the feedback on offer.
Submissions are capped each month, and the form will shut off once the cap is reached. 
Angel Leya is the coauthor of the USA Today bestselling book, Shifted (Siren Prophecy series), with over 12 additional novels, novellas, and short stories to her name. She’s been published in  several anthologies, including Fiddlehead Press and The Alliance of YA Authors.
She reads avidly (and writes) in the fantasy and paranormal genres, but she also has a soft spot for a good light sci fi or contemporary romance. Angel specializes in giving practical advice, with a bent toward characterization and dialog, as well as word flow, breaks in logic, and hooks.
Using this form, submit one story or excerpt. Submit as many times as you like using a new submission form for each story or excerpt.

Genre Fiction Feedback 2025

We accept all types of fiction and nonfiction including essays, memoir, travel, teleplays, film and stage scripts. Using this form, submit a single work of fiction or nonfiction up to 3,500 words. Graphic novels should run 5 to 10 pages. In your cover letter, please indicate length and whether the piece is fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. 
Note that submissions that do not meet the guidelines will be declined without review. 
Do feel free to submit in separate categories by using the same form any number of times.

Long-form Fiction, CNF, Graphic Novel, Poetry 2025

Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. 

Excerpts from longer works are accepted if they stand alone.

Titles are not included in the word count. 

Compound words separated by hyphens, numbers, and letters of the alphabet are counted as a single word. 

In the micropoetry category, characters include spaces, punctuation, numbers, and letters of the alphabet.  

Geminga

Word limit is 100 for fiction and nonfiction.

Excerpts from longer works are accepted if they stand alone.

Titles are not included in the word count. 

Compound words separated by hyphens, numbers, and letters of the alphabet are counted as a single word. 

In the micropoetry category, characters include spaces, punctuation, numbers, and letters of the alphabet.  

Geminga for Flash  2025

Graphic novels should be 4 pages or less. 

Excerpts from longer works are accepted if they stand alone.

Titles are not included in the word count. 

Compound words separated by hyphens, numbers, and letters of the alphabet are counted as a single word. 

In the micropoetry category, characters include spaces, punctuation, numbers, and letters of the alphabet.  

Maximum of 500 words for short stories or nonfiction, 12 lines for poetry, and 8 pages for graphic novels, scripts, or screenplays. No size requirements for painting, photography, video stills or sculpture, although each entry is limited to one image.

Solar Flare

Solar Flare for Flash  2025

Maximum of 500 words for short stories or nonfiction, 12 lines for poetry, and 8 pages for graphic novels, scripts, or screenplays. No size requirements for painting, photography, video stills or sculpture, although each entry is limited to one image.

(Hybrid)

maximum of 1,500 words for short stories, 14 lines for poetry, and 6 pages for graphic novels. Note that excerpts from longer works are accepted if they stand alone.

Rigel

For Sunspot Lit’s Inception contest, send your best opening. There are no restrictions on theme, category, or the length of the piece or collection from which the excerpt comes. 

Word limit is 250 for prose, 25 words for poetry.  

Graphic novel and comic book entries should be the first page (unlimited number of panels on that page) with a maximum of 250 words (cut the number of panels in order to meet the word count, if needed).  

Inception

Inception for Flash  2025

No restrictions on theme or category. Maximum of 2,500 words for short stories or nonfiction, 24 lines for poetry, and 8 pages for graphic novels.

Goldilocks Zone

We accept all types of prose including essays, memoir, travel, teleplays, film and stage scripts. Using this form, submit:
 One or two pieces of flash fiction or nonfiction; total length of submission not to exceed 1,000 words
 OR
 Up to three poems, each poem starting on a new single-spaced page; max 30 lines per page; total submission not to exceed three pages
 OR
 A graphic novel of 1 to 4 pages
 OR
 Artwork; total of two images
 In your cover letter, please indicate length and whether the piece is fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. 
 Please do not mix submission formats (for example, provide one poem and one flash piece as a single entry). Mixed submissions will be rejected without review. 
 Note that submissions that do not meet the guidelines will be declined without review. 
 Do feel free to submit in separate categories by using the same form any number of times.

Flash, Poetry, Graphic Novel, or Art 2025

Use this form to support Sunspot Literary Journal's mission, content, creators, and distribution. Funds are used to defray the cost of publication and distribution as well as to cover stipends to our fantastic contributors. We're all in this together. Thank you for helping out so that Sunspot can help others. Free downloads of quarterly editions are available on the website.

Sunspot Lit

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Flash, Poetry, Graphic Novel, or Art 2025

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