Submission Guidelines
Read this before you submit. Following these guidelines gives your piece the best chance of being published, and helps our editors work faster.
📋 What We Publish
Writing Café Journal publishes across 3 categories: Stories & Fiction, Lifestyle & Wellness, and Poetry.
Meeting these guidelines is the first step, not a guarantee. We receive more submissions than we can publish, and every piece is weighed individually against the standard of the work we're building here. Final publishing decisions rest with our editors and are made at their discretion.
📏 Length & Format
- Minimum: 800 words
- Maximum: 1700 words
- Format: Plain text or basic HTML. No special formatting required.
- Language: English only at this time.
✅ Do's & Don'ts
✓ Do
- Submit original, unpublished work
- Write with a specific, genuine voice
- Include a short bio (optional but helpful)
- Use a pen name if you prefer
- Proofread before submitting
✗ Don't
- Submit work published elsewhere
- Submit AI-generated content
- Submit multiple pieces simultaneously
- Include excessive self-promotion
- Submit content that harasses or demeans
- Submit anything political
- Submit anything sexual or inferred as being sexual
⏱ Response Time
We aim to respond to all submissions within 7 days. It can take up to two weeks.. If you haven't heard from us after two weeks, feel free to follow up via our contact form.
"We review every submission and aim to notify you of our decision. During high-volume periods, some submissions may not receive an individual response.".
©️ Rights & Ownership
You retain full ownership of your work. By submitting, you grant Writing Café Journal a non-exclusive license to publish your piece on this platform. You may publish it elsewhere beginning two weeks after its publication date here, with a note crediting Writing Café Journal as the original publisher (e.g.,"First published in Writing Café Journal").
📬 Simultaneous Submissions
We accept simultaneous submissions. If your piece is accepted elsewhere before we make a decision, please notify us immediately at editors@writingcafejournal.com so we can withdraw it from consideration.