Submission Guidelines

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We welcome short fiction from both emerging and established writers, and original artwork from emerging or established artists. Please read these guidelines carefully before sending your work to ensure it complies with our requirements. Thank you for allowing Sterncastle Magazine the opportunity to consider your work.

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Requirements - Stories
 

• Length: 1,500 to 6,000 words.

• Theme: Each issue has a posted theme. Submissions should clearly connect to it; work that is deemed (at our sole discretion) as not fitting the theme will not be selected.

• Originality: We only accept original, unpublished work. Submissions may not appear either in whole or in part on any personal blogs, social media, online or print publications, or any other platform not specified.

• Language: All submissions must be in English.

• Rights: You must be the sole author and hold all rights to your work

• NO AI-Generated Work: We do not accept AI-generated or AI-assisted written work of any kind. All submitted writing must be wholly the result of human authorship. Submissions created using generative AI, including text-generation, rewriting, or stylistic imitation tools, will not be considered. This includes work created, modified, or enhanced using generative artificial intelligence tools. Authors must be able to affirm that their submission is entirely human-written. Submissions may be rejected at any stage if they are found to include AI-generated content

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Requirements – Artwork

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• Medium: Accepted media include illustration, digital art, collage, and mixed media. All submissions must be suitable for print reproduction.

• Theme: Each issue has a posted theme. Submissions should clearly connect to it; work that is deemed (at our sole discretion) as not fitting the theme will not be selected.

• Originality: We only accept original, unpublished artwork. Submissions may not appear either in whole or in part in any online or print publications. 

• Technical Requirements: Images must be high-resolution (minimum 300 DPI) and submitted as JPEG, PDF, or PNG files.

• Rights: You must be the sole creator and hold all rights to the submitted work.

• NO AI-Generated Work: We do not accept AI-generated or AI-assisted artwork of any kind. All submitted artwork must be wholly the result of human creation. Submissions created using generative AI, including image-generation or image-alteration tools, will not be considered. This includes work created, modified, or enhanced using generative artificial intelligence tools. Artists must be able to affirm that their work is entirely human-made. Submissions may be rejected at any stage if they are found to include AI-generated content
   

How to Submit

 

Written works
 

• Format: Send your story as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf file, in a 12-point readable font (such as Calibri or Times New Roman) with page numbers via the submission form. 

• Cover Page: Include your name (or pen name), email address, word count, and story title.
   

Visual works
 

• Format: Send your artwork as a .jpeg, .jpg, .png, or .pdf file via the submission form. 

• Cover Page: Include your name (or pseudonym), email address, and title of work.
   

Rights Disposition
 

• We request worldwide first publication rights and the right to keep your submitted material in our archived issues (print and online). All other rights revert to you 90 days after publication.
   

Review Process
 

• All submissions are reviewed by our editorial team.

• We aim to respond within 4-6 weeks.

• Editorial decisions are final. We reserve the right to make minor edits to accepted written works for clarity, grammar, or formatting. No substantive or material changes will be made to any submission. Author will provide final approval prior to publication.
   

Publication​​

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• Works accepted for publication will require a signed publication agreement from the author/artist. Therefore, we can only accept submissions from authors above the age of majority in their home country or region, as applicable by local law. 

• Publication agreement will require a full legal name and electronic signature. 

• Terms of this publication agreement are legally binding. 
   

By submitting, you confirm that your submission meets these guidelines and that you agree to these terms.