Submission Guidelines
Submissions Open
Deadline: Midnight May 31st
Theme: Resistance (being on the right side of history)
The generals
- Up to 3 submissions per art type
- We accept simultaneous submissions as well as previously published work
- If previously published, add where it was published for crediting
- Attach submissions as separate documents
- Remove any identifying information within the submission before sending
- Subject line reads art, current theme, and submission season
- Fiction, VineVibezz, Summer2023
- Documents are labeled with the submission’s title and art type
- Include transcripts, audio, and/or image descriptions for accessibility reasons
- Send your submission to brwnbgnln@gmail.com for consideration
The timeline
Summer
February 1st – May 31st
Winter
August 1st – November 30th
The specifics
An audio submission is anything submitted as an .mp3 and is around 5 min. This includes and is not limited to:
Song
Slam Poetry
Rant
Reading
“Radio” show
Comedy
Music of any kind
An experimental submission is anything submitted that uses a multiple mediums/submission types. This includes and it not limited to:
Interactive experience
Performance art
Cross genre/media
Found objects
Collage
When submitting experimental art/writing, follow the guidelines for the primary type. (i.e performance art would be submitted using video guidelines.) If the submission includes multiple format guidelines, send as a .zip folder.
A visual art submission is anything submitted as an .jpg image and is around 1 MB. This includes and is not limited to:
Sculpture
Claywork
Painting
Fashion
Digital
Jewelry
Crafting
Street art
An video submission is anything submitted as an .mp4/.mov and is around 5 min. This includes and is not limited to:
Puppet show
Stand-up
Dance
Interpretive
Process
MV
Short film
A written word submission is anything submitted as a .doc/.docx and is around 500 words. includes and is not limited to:
Poetry
Creative non-fiction
Fiction
Hybrid
Non-fiction
automatic rejection
We do not tolerate sexism, racism, or other ‘’isms. We automatically reject stories that involve, but are not limited to: offensive verbal or written comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, race, national origin, disability, physical appearance, body size, age, spirituality, source of income, or language preference. If the work perpetuates hate, it will immediately be declined. There is enough intolerance in the world, and Brown Bag is not that kind of dumpster dive.
- Excessive gore or violence
- Excessive sex – classy with a little trashy SEX WITH PORPOISE
- Field of flowers – says nothing but looks pretty
Publication rights
We don’t own anything—no souls, no firstborns (unless you’re offering). We only request digital publication rights.
Brown Bag is a digital publication, intended to be experienced online. While formatting, color, and layout may shift slightly across screens and devices, we do not make large content or structural changes after publication. Each magazine issue is designed with its own visual language, and pieces are laid out intentionally to live within that unique format.
Previously published work is welcome; please include the original credit line if selected. If published with us, we ask that you wait six months before publishing the work elsewhere and credit Brown Bag as the original publisher.
***Please include proper copyrights and permissions when applicable.