Submission Guidelines
We will begin publishing in February 2026!
How to Submit
Please send all submissions to rootsmoke.lit@gmail.com.
Submission Format
Subject line: SUBMISSION TYPE_Name
For example: POETRY_Jamie SmithAttach your poetry or prose as a .doc or .docx file.
In the body of your email, please include a brief author bio. If your work is accepted for publication, the bio you provide will appear alongside your piece.
Simultaneous Submissions
Root Smoke welcomes simultaneous submissions. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please notify us by replying to your original submission thread so we can update our records.
Guidelines
Poetry
Submit up to 5 unpublished poems per submission.
Fiction
We accept both flash fiction and short stories.
Please submit up to 3 unpublished pieces, totaling no more than 8,000 words.
Creative Nonfiction (CNF)
Submit up to 2 pieces, totaling no more than 6,000 words.
Art
Submit up to 6 images in high resolution.
(Please note: final publication may require additional formatting.)
Other Work
We are open to book reviews, interviews, hybrid work, and other literary offerings. If you’re unsure whether your piece is a fit, feel free to query us at rootsmoke.lit@gmail.com.
Rights & Permissions
Root Smoke requests first publication rights for all accepted work. Upon publication, all rights revert fully to the author. Authors retain copyright to their work and are free to republish it elsewhere after it appears with us.
By submitting, authors grant Root Smoke non-exclusive rights to archive the work on Substack and to share excerpts for promotional purposes (newsletter, social media, or announcements related to the journal).
If a piece is republished elsewhere, we ask that Root Smoke be credited as the original place of publication.
Print Anthology
Depending on interest, select pieces may be considered for inclusion in a future Root Smoke print anthology. If an author’s work is chosen, they will be contacted in advance and will receive a contributor copy.