Faqs

Answering some of your Frequently Asked Questions!  

If we haven’t answered your question, please don’t hesitate to send us an email at nighthawkliterature@gmail.com! We’d love to hear from you!

1: Is Nighthawk Literature a Print Journal?

Nighthawk Literature is an online journal. All of our Literary Issues will be digital and free to access.

2: How do I submit?

We are currently only accepting submissions through our email. Please send all of your submissions to nighthawkliterature@gmail.com.

Be sure to read our guidelines before submitting. 

3: What do I include in my submission email?

We suggest listing the title(s) of your submission and indicating if you have submitted the piece(s) elsewhere/ to another magazine. Please also include a short author/artist biography. Overall, we don’t really mind what you include in the email as long as your submission document is formatted correctly! In the body of the email, you can include anything you want, just be professional! You may include a cover letter but you don’t have to.

4: Does my Poetry/Fiction/Art have to follow a particular theme?

Despite our evident love for the gothic, we are not looking for any specific theme or motif in your writing. Please feel free to explore any theme or aesthetic. We judge your work based on its quality and originality.

For Art submissions, we highly recommend you view our Pinterest Board, or our Art Gallery for an idea of what we are looking for. We generally love dark, gothic, and surrealist aesthetics.  

5: Can I submit previously published work?

No, we don’t accept previously published work. You can send us work you have shared on social media such as Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, or any other personal platform. If the work has already appeared in a literary journal we kindly ask that you submit something else. 

6: Do you allow simultaneous submissions?

Yes, we do! However, please let us know if your submission is being considered by another magazine. If a magazine has accepted your submission before we have the chance to get back to you, please email us and let us know! We will congratulate you, then withdraw your submission from consideration!

7: Do you accept international submissions?

Yes! Our submissions are open internationally; anyone writing in English can submit! We do accept submissions in other languages, however, please be sure to submit an English translation to accompany them.

8: When will I hear back about my submission status?

We know the waiting game can be hard, but we ask that you wait 3-6 weeks before inquiring about your submission. You will likely hear back from us before then.

9: What happens if my work is accepted?

We celebrate! You will receive an acceptance email that will ask you to verify that your work is still available for publication. Your work may be subject to editing. We generally don’t accept work that needs heavy editing so you will only receive a few line edits here and there. Of course, no changes will be made without your approval. Once everything is set, your poem/story/art will appear in the Issue that you submitted to. We will email you the moment the Issue is published! We will also ask for your consent to post your work on our social media for publicity purposes!

10: What happens once submissions close?

Once submissions are closed, you can expect that our Issue will be released in the following month! Please do NOT  send us submissions while we are closed. We won’t review any work sent to us after the submission deadline. Please wait until we re-open submissions to send us your work.

11: Will I be paid or compensated if my work is selected for publication?

We are currently not a money-making publication, therefore, we are unable to offer monetary compensation. We know this can be frustrating, but please understand that we are not making money off of your work in any way. If you’re new to the online publishing industry, we would kindly like to point out that most literary journals do not pay you for your writing. For further information on why journals don’t pay writers, we highly recommend reading this article: Why Journals Don’t Pay by M.R Branwen.

12: Do you offer feedback for rejected submissions?

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer feedback for rejected pieces. This is because we receive several submissions every day, and we don’t have the availability to provide each writer with edits on their work. 

Sometimes, when a piece is especially striking (but just not quite there yet) our editors might send you a special note with your rejection. This note may offer you praise or general feedback and ask you to submit a revised version in the future. If you receive a special note, please know that at least one of our editors was passionate about your piece(s) and that your submission stood out amongst others. 

Whether or not you receive a special note, know that we took great care of your submission and that we spent a long time thoroughly reading and considering it for our Issue. You are still a good writer even if we reject you, and your work is still valuable and needed! We’ve had our share of rejections too, and we know it can be frustrating, but hang in there! Keep sending out work, and you will find a home for your prose and poetry.

We believe in you and we wish you great luck with your publishing journey!