Submissions will open in the fall!
Email all submissions, questions, etc. to hcmsubmissions@gmail.com.

General Submission Guidelines: 

  • We accept previously unpublished work from students—undergraduate and graduate—and faculty members of the Miami University community throughout the submission period.
  • Send all submissions to hcmsubmissions@gmail.com. The subject line should clearly label your email as a submission.
  • Attach individual works separately and make sure your name does not appear anywhere on your submission.
  • In the body of your email please include:

  1. Your first and last name
  2. Your major and year in school
  3. Clear identification of the title of your submission(s) and corresponding attachment(s)
  4. The form (i.e. short fiction, poetry, photography, painting, music submission)
  5. Any other relevant information, such as how you foresee unusual work being published or concerns regarding your vision of the work in the ​context of Happy Captive
  6. OPTIONAL: Tell us more about your piece!​
    1. ​What is the inspiration for your story?
    2. How is your work different from other pieces?
    3. What does your work accomplish?
    4. Why do you believe your work would be a good edition to Happy Captive Magazine?
    5. Anything else you'd like to share with our staff?

  • We accept simultaneous (meaning you've submitted them to some other place) submissions, but please do alert us IMMEDIATELY if your work is accepted in those other places, and plan to remove your work from consideration elsewhere in the event we would like to publish your work!
  • Submit no more than five pieces at a time, and after notification, you can continue to submit until five are accepted.
  • An email confirmation should be sent within a few days of submission; if you do not receive this confirmation, please follow up. We try to respond quickly with our decision to accept or decline, but may have to hold onto work until beyond the submission period. Please be patient.

Prose:

  • All prose, including fiction and creative nonfiction, must be previously unpublished. Unfortunately, if it's available on the internet, even through personal blogs, we cannot accept it.
  • Submit no more than three stories at a time, and do so in MS Word or an equivalent file type. Other file types such as PDFs, etc. should not be submitted unless the piece requires it, in which case please clarify that in the body of your email.
  • We have a word limit of no more than 4,500 words when it comes to fiction and nonfiction.
  • All accepted prose entries undergo an editing process put on by the Fiction & Poetry Editor, so please be understanding. They are trained to use the lightest touch to make accepted work shine.

Poetry: 

  • Submit no more than six poems at a time and, like prose submissions, please do so MS Word or an equivalent file.
  • We're not looking for any form poem, just excellence that fits our tune.
  • No word or page limit.
  • All accepted poetry entries undergo a minimal editing process put on by the Fiction & Poetry Editor, so please be understanding. They are trained to use the lightest touch to make accepted work shine.

Visual Art:

  • Visual art includes but is not limited to: paintings, sketches, sculptures, digital creations, prints, photographs, comic strips, cartoons, portraits, collages, etc.
  • Similar to our literary pieces, we seek stories within visual artwork.
  • Please send only digital copies of your work in a file type we can easily view. 
  • Submit no more than five pieces at a time, and if you have a particular arrangement of works in mind, feel free to disclose that in the body of your email.​

Audio & Music:

  • Attach an .mp3 file to your submission email along with any lyrics you have written in the body of your email.
  • Please keep in mind that, if accepted, we want to publish your lyrics in print, so do send those along with your submission. Proofread them and consider formatting as you'd like it to appear before submitting.
  • Accepted music contributors may choose to have their work available for download or streaming only. 

Flash Contest Guidelines:

  • Pieces must be 750 words or less.
  • The subject of each piece must be relevant to the monthly theme.
  • Send all submissions to hcmsubmissions@gmail.com. Please put "[Month] Flash Contest" in the subject of the email.
  • Only one submission per author per month will be considered.
  • Each winning piece will undergo light copyedits by our Fiction & Poetry Editors.
  • Submissions will be due towards the end of each month, and the winning submission will be posted to our website on the last day of that month.
Happy Captive Magazine is interested in all kinds of art, so even if you're unsure how or where your submission may fit, please send it anyway. 
As always, queries concerning unconventional work are appreciated—if you have any questions, please email hcmsubmissions@gmail.com​.