Open Roles: Managing Editor • Art Editor • Print Production Editor • Poetry Reader • Prose Reader • Assistant Art Editor • Social Media Assistant • Grants & Fundraising Manager • Other
We’re a small independent journal driven by the the idea that art and literature are tools of resistance. Funding is limited (though not nonexistent), so most positions are volunteer-based with occasional stipends or the potential of shared profits from print projects.
We’re especially seeking:
• Art Editor – We're looking for someone who understands Rawhead’s aesthetic and can help shape its visual direction. Other tasks would include spending time curating artists and working with our contributors to perfectly format their works of art.
• Print Production Editor – We'd like to work with someone with experience making zines, chapbooks, or handmade books. This role is perfect for someone who believes in the values and potential of Rawhead and wants to help create Rawhead: Selected Works. As print-on-demand services don't necessarily fit our ethos, we are more interested in limited-edition, hand-bound or small-press made copies.
Other important roles include helping read submissions, managing communications, handling social media, or exploring grant opportunities.
If you’re passionate about art and literature, we’d love to hear from you. You can fill out an application here or message us directly with a brief introduction and how you'd like to help.
Rawhead Staff Application: https://forms.gle/pVpC1FVmcxzgs2qV6
Note: We are only accepting early submissions for Issue Two in the Visual Arts and Creative Nonfiction categories. We will open again to all genres in January 2026.
Pease review our submissions guidlines before sending us your work. Thank you!
Editor’s Spotlight
Rawhead will select at least one outstanding artist and one standout writer each regular issue to receive a $100 award. Each accepted piece will be considered for this prize.
Free to Submit
We believe financial reasons should never be a barrier to sharing creative work and are fully committed to always offering free submissions. Rawhead is actively seeking funding to help support operational costs, produce print issues, offer payment to each contributor, and expand our reach. If you'd like to help us reach those goals, we do offer paid submission options, expedited responses, and other donation methods. Please consider donating to our journal here: Support Rawhead on Ko-fi
Donations are appreciated but do not influence our editorial decisions.
Poetry
Submit 3 to 7 poems in a single document, totaling no more than 15 pages. Format one poem per page unless part of a sequence. Indicate stanza breaks if a poem spans multiple pages.
Prose
We accept one to two fiction and nonfiction pieces up to 3,000 words each. For flash or experimental works (under 1,000 words), submit up to three pieces.
Visual Art
Submit 3 to 10 pieces in any medium—illustration, photography, digital collage, mixed media, painting, sculpture, etc. Upload high-quality images (min 1500px, .jpg/.png/.tiff).
Mixed-Genre
We welcome work that crosses or blends forms such as prose/poetry hybrids, lyric essays with embedded images, comics, sound pieces, etc. You may submit one larger hybrid work up to 3,000 words, 5 shorter pieces (provided they total no more than the limits above), or up to 10 images. Please provide a brief description of your mixed-genre piece.
Simultaneous & Previously Published Work
We accept simultaneous submissions. Notify us if any pieces are accepted elsewhere. Previously published work is welcome when rights have reverted to the author.
We believe that powerful work deserves more than a single appearance. Too often, published pieces reach only a limited audience before slipping into obscurity. At Rawhead, we’re committed to giving exceptional writing and art a second life where it can continue to resonate, provoke, and endure. Please ensure that you credit the original publication in your submission note and that you retain the rights to your previously published work. Wait at least 6 months after its initial publication before submitting it.
Response Time
We aim to respond to submissions within 2–4 months, though will often reply sooner.
Follow us on Instagram @rawheadjournal and Bluesky @rawheadjournal.bsky.social
Please consider donating to our journal here: Support Rawhead on Ko-fi