THIS ISSUE’S THEME IS:

Repair

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Fruitslice Submission Guidelines

About Us

Fruitslice exclusively showcases work created by members of the LGBTQA+ community. This commitment to providing a dedicated space where Queer voices are centered is fundamental to our mission. While we maintain this policy, we respect that identity is personal and nuanced; we trust contributors to determine whether they align with our community focus.

Publication Schedule & Submissions

  • Publication Dates: Fruitslice publishes quarterly on the solstices (March, June, September, and December).

  • Submission Windows: We only accept work during the first two weeks of every quarter (January, April, July, and October). Exact dates may vary—please check our website and instagram @thefruitslice for current information.

  • Submission Fee: There is no fee to submit your work.

  • Payment: At this time, we are unable to offer payment for published work. For more information about our long-term goals around compensation, please check our FAQ.

What We're Looking For

  • Theme: All work must engage with our current theme. Themes change for each issue and are open to interpretation. Please double-check our current theme before submitting.

  • Editorial Focus: We welcome a wide range of creative work. For detailed information about the types of content we're most excited to receive, please visit our FAQ section. We especially encourage submissions beyond poetry.

  • Word Limit: We ask that submitters keep written pieces under 1500 words.

    • New this cycle: For fiction submissions only, we will now accept pieces up to 2250 words. (Please note: This is the only exception to our standard word limit.)

  • Mediums: We accept all printable mediums. If you're unsure whether your piece fits, feel free to submit.

  • No AI Submissions: We do not accept any AI-generated or AI-assisted work. For more information about this policy, please visit our FAQ section. 

Submission Rules

  • Multiple Submissions:

    • Authors may submit up to three pieces per genre, but each piece must be submitted separately.

      • For example: If you’re submitting three standalone poems (not part of a series), you should fill out three individual submission forms—one for each poem.

    • Multiple pieces in one form will be considered as a series.

  • Cover Letters are encouraged but not necessary. We appreciate hearing how your work connects to our theme.

  • Proofreading: Please thoroughly proofread your work. Submissions with numerous errors risk rejection as we have limited editing resources.

Format Requirements

For All Submissions

  • File Naming: LastNameFirstName_PieceTitle

Written Work

  • Format: .doc or .docx only (NO PDFs)

    • If you are submitting poetry or other written work in which the exact form or shape of the words is integral to the piece, and you’re worried that a .doc or .docx file will ruin the formatting, you are welcome to include a PDF as a visual reference. However, you must still submit a .doc or .docx file alongside it.

  • 12pt font, double-spaced for prose

  • Include a note about how your piece relates to the theme in the Submission Form or in a cover letter

Visual and Hybrid Works

  • Resolution: Minimum 300 DPI for print quality

  • Artist Statements: Optional, around 500 words

For Page Layouts/Spreads Only

This information is only for visual pieces that are meant to take up a whole page or spread. If your piece does not fall into these categories, you can ignore the instructions below. 

  • Dimensions:

    • Single Page: 5.50" x 8.50" (Trim Size)

    • Spread: 11.00" x 8.50" (Trim Size)

  • Bleed Area: Extend all edges by 0.13" beyond trim size

    • Total with bleed (single page): 5.76" x 8.76"

    • Total with bleed (spread): 11.26" x 8.76"

  • Quiet Area (Safe Zone):

    • Top: 0.25"

    • Right: 0.25"

    • Bottom: 0.25"

    • Left: 0.50"

  • Gutter: Add at least 0.7" to inner margin for binding

Editorial Process

  • Notification: We confirm receipt immediately.

  • Review Process: Our team reviews submissions on a rolling basis.

  • Response Timeline: First round of responses are typically sent within two days of the submission deadline.

  • Final Decisions: Communicated no later than six weeks before publication.

  • Total Timeline: From submission deadline to publication takes about three months.

Additional Information

Thank you for considering Fruitslice as a platform for your work!

Welcome to Issue 8 of Fruitslice!

Repair is not a straight line. It’s a winding road, a back alley, a torn seam held together. It is not always heroic or hopeful—often it’s slow, quiet, imperfect work. And yet, it’s work we return to, again and again. Because what other choice do we have?

We’re interested in the labor of mending: relationships, communities, histories, selves. What does it mean to be broken, and who gets to decide? Who defines what needs fixing, and why? 

Embedded in the language of repair is a colonial impulse: a missionary logic that labels communities as damaged by the very systems that harmed them. Bodies pathologized for surviving impossible conditions. Some things can’t be fixed. Some shouldn’t be.

For this issue, we want stories that complicate tidy narratives of recovery. 

Tell us about the break that became a doorway. The apology that mattered and the one that didn’t. The relationships that changed shape after shattering. The rituals you’ve invented to stitch yourself together again.

We’re curious about the geography of repair: the therapist’s office and the kitchen table, the protest and the poem, the silence and the reach. Send us your imperfect blueprints. 

As always, we invite contradiction and nuance. 

Review our modified AP style guide here:

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