Purpose
Rawhead: Point Blank is a new digital series featuring the work of a single writer or artist, released semi-monthly, in response to what is happening now. We accept Poetry, Visual Art, CNF and Hybrid works for this series. Point Blank exists as a form of resistance and documentation, a way of marking what is being done, who it is being done to, and how it is being fought. This series extends our core mission into the present tense, serving as a rapid-response record for the stories and injustices unfolding right now that cannot afford the distance of traditional publication schedules.
This is a space to name the realities of state violence: from the kidnapping and murder of our neighbors by ICE, to the genocide of the Palestinian people, to the plunder of the earth itself as our forests and oceans are sacrificed to endless greed. It is also a place to witness structural rot of the everyday: the indignity of economic hardship, the legislative attacks on our LGBTQ+ community, and the systemic racism that decides who is protected and who is pushed to the margins. This is a space to call out the corruption that impacts most people’s daily lives. We are meeting that force with a point-blank record of our own.
At the same time, we recognize that resistance is found in the persistence of hope, the labor of community care, and the bravery of everyday heroes. Rawhead: Point Blank is a space for the work that documents what is being built as much as what is being broken. We value stories of the things we create in spite of the powers that be: the mutual aid, the art, the healing & recovery, the defense of neighbors, the unexpected kindness of the world, and the daily ways we choose each other over the systems that despise us. A ledger of the moment is incomplete without the stories of those who insist on beauty and survival in the face of injustice.
We want to hear from anyone paying attention, whether that perspective comes from the shop floor, the classroom, the kitchen table, the picket line, the waiting room, the cell, the back roads, or the street. Rawhead has always been committed to work that does not look away, and this series holds space for these conditions to be named and remembered as they unfold.
Honorarium
Rawhead: Point Blank offers a flat $30 honorarium to each featured contributor and a $10 donation to the charity of their choice. We recognize this is a modest amount, but it is an acknowledgment of your time, your labor, and the value of your voice. We hope to be able to offer more in the future.
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.
We do, however, offer paid submission options in the form of Supporter, Expedited, and Priority response submissions simply to cover operation costs and allow our journal to grow. Expedited submissions will receive a guaranteed response within two weeks and Priority subs will hear from us within 72 hours.
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, please consider selecting a paid submission option or donating to our journal here: Support Rawhead on Ko-fi
Donations are appreciated but do not influence our editorial decisions.
Submission Guidelines
Poetry: You may submit up to 7 poems, totaling no more than 15 pages. Submit 3 to 7 poems in a single document. Format one poem per page unless part of a sequence. Indicate stanza breaks if a poem spans pages.
Prose: We accept creative nonfiction up to 3,000 words. Submit one longer piece or up to two shorter works totaling no more than 4,000 words. For flash or experimental (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. Upload high-quality images (min 1500px, .jpg/.png/.tiff).
Hybrid: We also 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.
Note: Work that is not selected for Point Blank may still be considered for standard issues of Rawhead.
Simultaneous & Previously Published Work
We accept simultaneous submissions. Notify us if any pieces are accepted elsewhere. Previously published work is welcome upon the condition that the rights have reverted to the author and at least a year has passed since the piece was last published.
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.
Cover Letters Include a third-person bio, previous publications (if applicable), and any personal sites or social media handles you’d like us to share.
Ethical Standards We do not accept work that promotes hate or dehumanization. That includes racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or any form of bigotry.
Response Time For this series, we aim to respond to submissions within a few weeks, though often will reply sooner.
Rights & Reprinting By accepting publication, authors grant Rawhead First Serial Rights, Non-Exclusive Reprint Rights, Electronic Rights, Archival Rights, and Non-Exclusive Anthology Rights. Authors retain all other rights.
Open Roles: Managing Editor • Nonfiction Editor • Poetry Reader • Prose Reader • Art Reviewer • Copy Editor • Social Media Assistant • Grants & Fundraising Manager • Print Production Assistant • Other
We’re a small independent journal driven by 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:
• Nonfiction Editor — We're looking for an editor to help shape Rawhead’s Creative Nonfiction section.
• Readers — We're looking for volunteers who are passionate about reading poetry, creative nonfiction, and short fiction. Tasks would include reviewing assigned submissions, discussing them with the team, and voting on pieces to advance.
• Managing Editor — We’re seeking a managing editor to oversee the production flow for each issue, coordinate between staff and contributors, keep deadlines on track, host reading events, and help shape the journal’s day-to-day operations. Previous experience is preferred.
• Social Media Assistant — We’re looking for someone who enjoys shaping an online presence and engaging with a creative community. Tasks would include drafting and scheduling posts across platforms, highlighting new issues and contributors, helping promote events, and maintaining a consistent visual and editorial tone. Familiarity with Instagram and other social media platforms is helpful, and an eye for aesthetics and storytelling is a plus.
Other important roles include managing communications, copy editing, assisting with print production, exploring grant opportunities, etc. We’d love to hear how you‘d like to help!
If you’re passionate about art and literature, please reach out. 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
Rawhead is OPEN to submissions of Poetry, Visual Art, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Hybrid works.
Submissions will be considered for Issue Two and Issue Three of Rawhead.
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.
We do, however, offer paid submission options in the form of Supporter, Expedited, and Priority response submissions. Expedited submissions will receive a guaranteed response within two weeks and Priority subs will hear from us within 72 hours.
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, please consider selecting a paid submission option or 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).
Hybrid
We also 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 because 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, retain the rights to your previously published work, and wait at least 6 months after its publication before submitting again.
Response Time
We aim to respond to submissions within 2–4 months. However, we often reply much sooner.
Additional Info
Follow us on Instagram @rawheadjournal and Bluesky @rawheadjournal.bsky.social.
Please consider donating to our journal here: Support Rawhead on Ko-fi.
Check out our sister journal, The Glacier, and read the latest issue.