Please read our submission guidelines before submitting your work!

Fall 2024 Prompt:


“Horror/Thriller… What a Nightmare!”


Keywords for ideas:


spooky, scream, monster, darkness, the woods, tense

Accepting submissions
October 1st - November 18th

General Guidelines

Formatting

Note: only one submission per form

For written submissions:

  • Submissions must be written in Times New Roman 12-point font. 

  • Submissions must be double-spaced.

  • Submissions must be submitted as Word or PDF documents. 

For audio submissions:

  • Submissions must include a written transcript that follows all of the guidelines for written submissions. 

  • The length of the written transcript must abide by specific genre guidelines.

  • Submissions must be submitted as MP3 or WAV files.

  • Recordings must be audibly clear.

  • Appropriate background music/sound effects are allowed if it contributes to the submission. 

  • Any audio interference or distracting background noise is not permitted. 

  • Submissions must include a warning for extremely loud or abrupt noises. 

For visual submissions:

  • If the creator chooses to use elements in their work that they have not created, then the elements must be in the public domain, with sources provided in the submission form. 

  • Acceptable file types are limited to JPEG, PNG, BMP, or TIF.

  • File size must be under 64 MB.

  • Pictures of physical mediums (such as paintings) must be presented in appropriate lighting and background that focuses clearly on the piece at the highest resolution possible. For 3D pieces, pictures should capture every angle of the work.

  • Submissions must include a short description of the work’s visual content.

 

Content

  • Submissions may not have been previously published in another journal, social media, blogs, or any other public media.

  • Submissions are the original work of the submitters. 

  • Submissions do not include offensive or discriminatory messaging on the basis of race, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ancestry, age, military status, disability, marital status, or any other identity.

  • Submissions contain content warnings for sensitive or provocative material. 

  • Submissions written entirely in a foreign language will not be accepted.

  • Written submissions are free or nearly free of grammatical and spelling errors.

  • Any cited material must be listed on the last page of the submission using the citation format of your choice. All website citations should include URLs. 

  • Submissions must be appropriately titled, even if the title is “Untitled.”

  • Please follow the genre/tone of the prompt as close as possible!

Fall 2024 Submissions are OPEN!

Submission Form

Genre Guidelines

Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction audio submissions that abide by the audio formatting guidelines are welcome. Note that these submissions must include a written transcript that follows the guidelines for written submissions.

 

Fiction

  • Submissions may range from a minimum of 250 words or less (flash fiction) to a maximum of 7,500 words.

    • Excerpts of longer works, such as novels, may also be considered for publication. 

    • Audio submission transcripts may range from a minimum of 800 words to a maximum of 7,500 words.

  • Submissions follow the definition of fiction—that is, literature that portrays imaginary events and characters. 

  • The submission may fall under, but is not limited to, the following genres: 

    • Horror, romance, drama, action-adventure, fantasy, mystery, science fiction, etc.

      • Genre hybrids are also acceptable (i.e. fantasy-romance).

    • Submissions that are considered as fanfiction will not be considered or accepted for publication.

Creative Nonfiction

  • Submissions must fall between 500 and 4,000 words in length.

  • All accounts, events, and details in the work must be of a factual nature. Names of private individuals, however, may be changed for the sake of concealing the identities of those who wish to remain anonymous.

  • Sources must be provided for all factual information, including the names and phone numbers (or email addresses) of individuals mentioned in the work if:

    • Claims are being made about the individual’s words or actions, AND

    • Confirmation of these words or actions cannot be easily found in an article, interview, or other readily available source.

 

Poetry

  • You may send up to three poems at a time.

  • There are no length limitations for poems. 

  • Poems must be single spaced with a double space between stanzas.

Disclaimer: If you believe that your poem needs to be formatted in a way that veers from the guidelines, you may contact the poetry editor for further discussion at beyondthoughtjournal@gmail.com

2d/3d Art

See the formatting guidelines for visual submissions above.

Fan art is not accepted.

Multimedia & Performing Arts

  • “Multimedia” is defined by Beyond Thought as anything that is not exclusively a text or image format submission, including works of film, photography, music, game design, spoken-word poetry, animation, gifs, etc. 

    • Note that submissions that combine text and/or image with other forms of media or with one another are also considered multimedia. 

  • Submissions must adhere to the following length requirements:

    • Video submissions (including film, theater performances, animation, etc.) may not exceed forty-five minutes in length. 

    • Audio submissions (including music, podcasts, etc.) may not exceed twenty-five minutes in length. 

  • Accepted file types include Word DOC, PDF, JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIF, AVI, MP4, WMW, WAV, or MP3. Multiple files may be submitted for one submission if they are all part of the same work.

  • Text files may not exceed 1 MB; image files may not exceed 64 MB; video files may not exceed 32 GB; and audio files may not exceed 16 MB.

  • Song covers are not accepted, with the exception of musical theatre submissions. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.