Q: When is the submission period open?

Submission periods open occasionally during the year. Follow us on Twitter for the latest submission update.

Q: Do you pay contributors?

At Touchstone, we depend on our own fundraising initiatives and donations from contributors to keep the lights on. While we always strive to pay our contributors, due to our uncertain and continuously evolving financial status, we are not always able to offer honoraria. If and when that changes, we’ll be sure to update this page with our current rate for contributor honoraria.

Q: How do I submit to you?

Touchstone accepts all submissions through Submittable. Submit to us on Submittable here.

Q: What is Submittable?

Submittable is an awesome (& free!) submissions management website that allows writers and artists to discover new journals, opportunities, and resources. It takes only a few minutes to make an account, and you’ll be able to submit, organize your submissions, and get status updates on your submissions all in one place. Submittable is a great tool if you intend to submit regularly.

Q: How should I format my submission?

Excellent question! As a ground base, you’ll want to make sure:

  • All of your pieces have consistent font & font sizes. For prose, it’s helpful to include page numbers. For poetry, you do not need a header.

  • Each new piece starts on a new page: clumping multiple stories or poems in one page mixes the reading experience for multiple works. Starting on a new page signals to the reader that it’s time to “cleanse the palette“ with a new set of mind and it offers them time to think about the previous piece.

  • Click here for Touchstone’s detailed submission guidelines for each genre.

Q: Do you accept simultaneous submissions? And what is a simultaneous submission?

Yes we do! However, if your pieces are accepted elsewhere, please notify us through the “Messages“ tab in your submission on Submittable right away. We’d love to congratulate you!

If you have submitted or intend to submit the same works for consideration with other journals and magazines, your submission will be considered a simultaneous submission. It is good literary citizenship to keep track of your acceptances and immediately notify other submitted journals about withdrawing the accepted piece from consideration.

Q: Do you nominate contributions to external anthologies and contests?

Yes! Each fall, we nominate our favorite contributions from each genre for the Best of the Net Anthology and the Pushcart Prize. In 2022, Yuko Taniguchi’s essay “Running Through” was included in the annual Best of the Net Anthology!

Q: My whole submission has been accepted elsewhere. How do I withdraw my submission?

Congratulations! To withdraw, go into the submission on Submittable. You will find the “Withdraw“ button on the top right corner. Please only choose this option if you are withdrawing your whole submission from consideration.

Q: Only part of my submission was accepted elsewhere. Can I withdraw part of my submission?

You sure can! If you would like to withdraw partially, you don’t need to use the “Withdraw“ button. Simply go into your Touchstone submission on Submittable, select the “Messages“ tab, and send us a note about which piece you’d like to withdraw.

Q: Do I have to be a U.S. citizen or a student at Kansas State University in order to submit?

Touchstone is proudly open for all submitters—student or non-student, nationally and internationally.

Q: I am from a minority background; would it hurt my chances?

We are dedicated to creating a safe platform for publication for our new writers & artists. BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+, diversely-abled, international writers, and other underrepresented voices are cordially welcome to find a home for your work with us!

Q: I have never been published before; would it hurt my chances?

Nope! Touchstone has been the first home for countless new and emerging writers since 1975. We pride ourselves for amplifying the voices of never-published writers and underrepresented voices. All that matters is the strength of your work.

Q: How long does it take before I hear back from Touchstone?

Our readers and editors read new submissions carefully every week. Unless otherwise noted, it usually takes 3-4 months for us to get back to you, although we try to respond faster than that if we can. All of our staff are full-time graduate & undergraduate students, and we appreciate your patience with our review process.

Q: Who owns the rights to my work after publication?

You do! Touchstone only asks for first publication rights. All rights revert back to its original author after our publication online. We ask, however, that you credit us as the first publisher in acknowledgements when you publish the same work again.