Who We Are

The Boiler publishes new and emerging writers biannually. Submissions sent will be considered for the Winter and Summer issues. Please allow 6-8 months for consideration.

Submission window: Nov 15 – Dec 15. (Always check submission link for deadlines.)

We’re hungry for your best stuff.

The Boiler was founded in 2011 and has published diverse voices since its inception. We are dedicated to normalizing the elevation and amplification of underrepresented voices and are always seeking to do better under pressure. We actively welcome submissions that dismantle the power structures of white supremacy.

How It Works

Place all work in one document. DO NOT place your cover letter or any biographical information on your file. Instead use the cover letter form on submittable. Read our past issues to get an idea of what we publish. Submit no more than once per submission period.

NO EMAIL SUBMISSIONS. PLEASE USE OUR ONLINE SUBMISSION MANAGER.

**Please submit no more than one submission per genre. We are not opposed to an author submitting to more than one genre. Keep it simple; your work must speak for itself. 

Poetry guidelines:

Quite simply, we’re looking for great poetry. Poetry from hungry writers with something to say. Lyricism that refuses to sit still on the tongue and brood in the mind. Lines that hold both risk and precision. We want to feel.

Send us 3 – 5 poems of your best work in one document along with a cover letter. We are excited to see what you and your words are up to.

Fiction guidelines:

THE BOILER seeks fiction submissions that display commonalities in the human spirit which derive from an human ideal. Whether those commonalities display loss, defeat, triumph, humor, abandonment, fortitude, etc. We admire duality of character, conflict and unique personality.

We feel what makes us unique is our dedication to publishing works that aren’t afraid. When we read a story, it should evoke the sensation that something has taken hold of us, that we can’t stop reading it. We ask that stories not be written for shock alone, but with the knowledge that from strangeness, humanity shines.

Submit an unpublished piece of flash fiction, short story or story excerpt up to 1,500 words, double spaced. No fancy fonts.

We’re looking for well-crafted, detailed, and honest essays that come more from the heart than the head. Lately, we’ve been thinking about essays and the non-traditional narrative. Surprise us. 

Pieces up to 1,500 words.

(Essay submissions should be double-spaced and limited to one stand alone piece or excerpt.)

The Technical Stuff

For all published pieces, we retain first publication rights. After publication, rights revert back to you. We ask that you credit us with the first publication, thereafter.

A note on A.I. (Artificial Intelligence): We will not accept any submissions that are aided by Large Language Models (L.L.M.s), such as ChatGPT, or A.I.-generated art tools such as Stable Diffusion, in whole or in part, unless submitter notifies the editors in the cover letter of the specific L.L.M. or A.I.-platform used. If specific A.I. tools are used, editors will include attribution to said platform upon publication of the work .

At this time, we’re not able to compensate our writers, our work here is a labor of love for your words. Our tip jars submissions help support the cost of maintaining our website.

Simultaneous submissions are permitted.  If your piece is accepted elsewhere, promptly withdraw it and inform us immediately.

Email: editors@theboilerjournal.com

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