What kind of work is American Goat looking for?
The staff examines all work received and we accept that which seems best. We strive to build a publication that is both inclusive and selective. Generally speaking, poetry should be no more than 50 lines; both free verse and formal verse are accepted, however with regards to the latter, formal verse should be fresh and updated. Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction pieces should be no more than 2,500 words. Flash Fiction submission are also encouraged and should be no more than500 words per piece. All written submissions should be sent as an attachment in a Word or AppleWord document.
Does American Goat accept previously published material?
No. We do not accept previously published materials, but we will consider simultaneous submissions.
Does American Goat pay money?
No. As of now we cannot pay for publication, but gladly offer all published writers one free copy of the issue in which their work has been published.
Does American Goat retain the copyrights to my work?
No. While we do claim for first serial rights for publication, all rights will revert to the author upon publication.
How do I submit my work to American Goat?Submission is an easy process.
- Simply send work formatted in Word document (.doc) file attachment to AmericanGoat.submissions@gmail.com with the phrase >>SUBMISSION<< in the subject.
- Please do not send work pasted in the body of your email, all work received as such will be discarded.
- Be sure to include a cover letter with your name and contact information, along with the titles of each piece you are submitting.
Poets: Please send no more than 5 poems at no more than 50 lines per piece.
Fiction Writers: Please send only 1 piece of fiction per submission cycle, at no more than 2,500 lines.
Flash Fiction Writers may submit upto 3 pieces, at no more than 500 words per piece.
Visual Artists: Please contact the editor at
e-karbin@neiu.edu for all visual art queries.
When can I submit to American Goat?
We accept submissions from July 15 through December 15. We ask that you do not make multiple submissions: please wait for a response to your submission before sending new work.
How soon can I expect to hear about my submission?
We will do our best to respond within 6-8 weeks from the day of receipt, however response time may vary contingent upon volume of work received. Please be patient as we will make every effort to ensure each submission gets a good read. Adhering to our single submission of 5 poems or 1 piece of fiction, or less, at a time will help insure a timely response to your work.
Please contact the editor at e-karbin@neiu.edu for any questions. We look forward to reading your work!
