Submission Guidelines
Everything you need to know before you hit submit on Duosuma.
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Eligibility & General Requirements
Eligibility & General Requirements
To ensure a smooth review process, please confirm that your submission meets our core criteria:
Who May Submit: We publish writers who identify as Filipino or are of Filipino lineage. Whether you are based in the Philippines or living anywhere across the global diaspora, your voice is welcome here.
Contributor Eligibility: Formerly-accepted contributors to DILIM Press anthologies are not eligible for subsequent anthologies; however, please access our other projects inside Duosuma.
Original, Unpublished Work Only: We do not accept reprints or previously published pieces. This includes work previously posted on personal blogs, Substacks, social media platforms, public email newsletters, forums, or personal websites.
Single-Author Submissions: At this time, we only accept individual works (no co-authored or joint pieces).
No Simultaneous Submissions: We ask that you do not submit work that is currently under consideration with other presses or publications.
Cultural Focus: We seek stories and poetry deeply rooted in or inspired by Philippine heritage, lore, culture, history, foodways, and the lived realities of the global diaspora.
Strict No-AI Policy: We do not accept any work generated by AI, as we consider AI-generated work to be theft from human creators. All initial and revised work must be created entirely by you as the author. Furthermore, our reader team conducts routine portfolio and social media checks—if a submitter’s public portfolio or platforms display evidence of generative AI use, their work will not be recommended for publication.
Imprint & Project Focus
Imprint & Project Focus
While specific theme prompts are announced with each open call, our primary projects seek the following:
Anthology of Dark Fiction: Speculative poetry and prose that explore horror, fantasy, folklore, mythology, science fiction, and mixed or experimental work.
FiliFutures (Journal of Speculative Fiction): Forward-looking, futuristic, and narrative-reclaiming speculative fiction for our digital-first journal.
Luz-Silva Literary Prize: Literary fiction exploring interiority, relationships, collaborative values, and how global Filipinos live and work across the world—including the quiet, wonderful overlaps with creatures and beings unseen.
Submission Specs & Formatting
Submission Specs & Formatting
Please prepare your files according to the guidelines below before uploading to our submission portal:
Word Count & Limits:
Fiction, Short Stories: Up to 2 pieces per submission. (Maximum 5,000 words per piece).
Poetry / Experimental Submissions: Up to 5 poems per submission.
Formatting Requirements:
Line Spacing: Double-space lines for fiction.
Font & Size: Standard font (Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri) in 12-point size.
Page Numbers: Please include page numbers on all files.
Poetry Layouts: If your poetry requires specific formatting, please use a PDF to submit. We will do our best to retain layout in collaboration with you.
File Formats & Submission Method:
Accepted formats: .doc, .docx, or .pdf. If sharing via Google Docs or file-sharing links, please ensure permissions are set to "Anyone with the link can view".
File Naming & Templates:
Name your file: LastName_FirstName_Title_.pdf or LastName_FirstName_Title_.doc
File Organization: Each piece must be submitted as a separate file.
Cover Letter & Materials: Please include a brief cover letter with a short bio, your contact details, and a quick summary/synopsis of your piece.
Anonymity: Anonymous / blind submissions are not required. Feel free to include your name on the manuscript.
What We Pass On
What We Pass On
To save you time and preserve your submission limits, please note that we do not accept:
Stories disconnected from our mission: Work with no connection to the Philippines or the Filipino diaspora.
Gratuitous or unearned harm: While we love dark fiction, horror, and high-stakes tension, we pass on graphic content or extreme violence that exists purely for shock value without literary purpose.
Plagiarized or non-original material.
Incomplete drafts or work requiring heavy, foundational editing. Send us your best, most polished work!
Rights, Privacy & Contributor Warranties
Rights, Privacy & Contributor Warranties
When you submit to DILIM Press, we ask you to confirm a few standard terms to ensure a smooth, transparent publishing process:
Age & Ownership: You are at least 18 years old and hold 100% of the copyright to the submitted work.
Clear Rights: The work is not bound by any previous publishing agreements that would prevent you from granting us non-exclusive publishing rights.
Accuracy: All contact details and cover letter information provided in your submission are accurate and truthful.
Privacy & Data Protection: We only collect personal information necessary to handle contracts and contributor payments. Your data is accessible strictly to our core administrative team and is never shared, sold, or distributed, except under direct legal obligation or with your express written permission (e.g., sharing your public bio with event organizers).
If your piece is accepted for publication, we will send you a clear, author-friendly contract detailing rights, compensation, and contributor copies for your review before anything is finalized.
Author’s Rights & Payment
Author’s Rights & Payment
DILIM Press Requests:
First North American publication rights.
First Republic of the Philippines publication rights.
Non-exclusive online rights on our website.
Copyright & Reprints:
All copyright is retained by the author.
Authors are free to resell or reprint the work, although we do request a two-year exclusive from our first publication.
We ask that whenever an author reprints a piece that first appeared in our volume, DILIM Press is acknowledged as the work’s original publisher.
Pay Rate & Contract:
We pay for accepted work at 7 cents per word.
[View a sample Contributor Agreement, DILIM]: once accepted, we move toward creating an e-signed & dated copy.
We Look Forward to Reading Your Stories
We Look Forward to Reading Your Stories
Whether this is your first submission or your fiftieth, your voice matters to us. Double-check your file formatting, pick your active call, and send us your best work.
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