SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
We have saddled ourselves with the absurd task of judging works grouped into unnatural genre clusters: short fiction, creative nonfiction, and reportage will all compete against one another for the $2,500 grand prize. Our team will do its best in this assessment, referring to an entrant’s aptitude, style, and relatability of work(s) to magazine themes. Select runners up will be paid on a per-word basis.
Poems will be assessed independent of the above, competing for a $500 grand prize. As above, an entrant’s aptitude, style, and relatability of work(s) to magazine themes will be key in our selections. Select runners up will be paid on a per-poem basis.
Photography and visual art submissions are also welcome. Photographers and artists will be compensated on a per-photo, per-piece basis.
As for theme: broadly, the world as told by Montanans.
The specifications and guidelines for each category are noted in the below accordion sections. You can find the upload portal below as well. All submissions due March 31, 2026.
- No longer than 5,000 words per entry.
- All unpublished works welcome, written in any year, for any purpose (i.e. a class). Exceptions will be made for self-published work with minimal online traction at time of submission (if so, please note this in your submission document, with a link).
- Maximum three short fiction submissions per writer.
- As best as one reasonably can, relate the piece(s) to themes, pitfalls, joys, etc. of the day. Make of that what you will.
- No AI slop.
- Submit the document(s) with the following file extension: lastname_shortfiction_entrynumber, i.e. smith_shortfiction_1
- Add a full name (pen names OK) and a good contact email at the top or bottom of the document contents.
- Grand Prize: $2,500
- No longer than 5,000 words per entry.
- All unpublished works welcome, written in any year, for any purpose (i.e. a class). Exceptions will be made for self-published work with minimal online traction at time of submission (please note this in your submission document, with a link).
- Maximum three creative nonfiction submissions per writer.
- As best as one reasonably can, relate the piece to themes, pitfalls, joys, etc. of the day. Make of that what you will.
- No AI slop.
- Submit the document(s) with the following file extension: lastname_creativenonfiction_entrynumber, i.e. smith_creativenonfiction_1
- Add a full name (pen names OK) and a good contact email at the top or bottom of the document contents.
- Grand Prize: $2,500
- No longer than 5,000 words per entry.
- Unpublished submissions only.
- Reports should center events/topics of evergreen value.
- Pieces should be executed in “literary journalism” form.
- Maximum one submission per writer.
- No AI slop.
- Submit the document with the following file extension: lastname_originalreport_entrynumber, i.e. smith_originalreport_1
- Add a full name (must be your real name) and a good contact email at the top or bottom of the document contents.
- Grand Prize: $2,500
- No word count restrictions. But no epics, please!
- All structures welcome.
- Unpublished submissions only. Exceptions will be made for self-published work with minimal online traction at time of submission (if so, please note this in your submission document, with a link).
- Maximum ten submissions per poet.
- No AI slop.
- Submit the document(s) with the following file extension: lastname_poem_entrynumber, i.e. smith_poem_1
- Add a full name (pen names OK) and a good contact email at the top or bottom of the document contents.
- Grand Prize: $500
- All styles welcome.
- Resolutions between 150-300dpi.
- Photo files must be in .jpeg or .tiff forms. Art files must be in .png or .tiff forms.
- Unpublished photos/pieces only. Exceptions will be made for self-published works in an online portfolio or shared to personal socials.
- All subjects welcome. As best as one reasonably can, the subject should evoke the themes, pitfalls, joys, “moments,” etc. of the day.
- Maximum twenty submissions per photographer/artist.
- No AI slop.
- Submit all photos in a file with each photo cataloged with the following file extension: lastname_visual_entrynumber, along with a single written document describing/captioning the photo(s) (including a date, location, description of the subject, story behind the photo, etc.) or title of the piece and a description (medium, inspiration, subject, story/motive behind it, etc.).
- Add a full name and a good contact email at the top or bottom of the document.
*Any and all works will never be published without net-ninety (maximum) payment from date of publishing. Unpublished works will be filed into a slushpile, and if selected for a subsequent edition, you will be notified and paid according to negotiated per-word/per-placement rates. Your personal details, including name, email address, etc., will never be shared to an outside party without written prior consent. Your submitted works will not be shared to parties outside of our editorial team and panel of judges.
