Submission Status
We are currently Closed for unsolicited submissions. We will be open for submissions again in March of 2012.
Submission Guidelines
Ontologica aims to present an eclectic mix of prose and art. Ours is a journal of differing perspectives. Readers will be just as likely to encounter the Christian as the Marxist, the relative as the absolute, the liberal as the conservative in the essays we present. We want to offer material that is illuminating, challenging, and, if need be, antagonizing. Above all it must accessible. Accessibility here doesn't just mean a lack of specialized language, but a writing style that invites the reader in. Work with a philosophical slant is preferred, but not required. What is required is contemporary relevance and, more or less, general appeal. (An essay on the difference between Transcendentalist and Romantic poetry, no matter how well written, will most likely not find a home in Ontologica). Unless you lived a sublimely amazing life, no so-called creative non-fiction or memoirs.
We will include a small amount of fiction and visual art in every issue. There is no clear-cut definition of what we're looking for in fiction , though, like non-fiction, accessibility is a good keyword. We want fiction that moves beyond simple entertainment. In the words of Robert Bly, we want work that punches a hole
in the pervading culture of denial: The health of any nation's soul depends on the capacity of adults to face the harsh facts of the time.
Pieces that point to the injustices of the world and reminds us of our own mortality, rather than giving us reason to ignore them, will be greeted here. Genre pieces are okay as long as, like the work of Cormac McCarthy or Robert Heinlein, the story transcends the limitations of the genre. Pieces that treat intense subjects without linguistic finesse or subtlety will not likely appear in the magazine--bring us to the battle lines without blatant preaching, childish whining, or melodrama.
All this applies equally to visual art submissions. Above all the work must have a distinct sense of subject. No ultra-modern, Jackson Pollock slapdashery. This doesn't mean we want black-and-white photos of your lawn furniture. The art we present must engage our readers, whether through shock or awe. Ontologica wants art that fantastically suggests the possible, or horrifically portrays the actual.
See the Contact Us Page for submission email addresses. At present we accept electronic submissions only. Simultaneous submissions are encouraged. We will only review and respond to submissions sent during the open reading periods. Anything outside of our published reading periods will sit in a void until a new period opens.
Additional Guidelines -- Formatting, etc
Please use the appropriate genre email address found on the Contacts page to send your submissions. All submissions should be attachments using the following rules defined by genre:
- All submissions
- Send all submissions as attachments to your email
- Send a brief bio within the body of your email
- Only send submissions during published open reading periods. If you submit outside of our reading times, your submission will be ignored until the next reading period.
- Non-Fiction
- Use MS Word, Open Document or Text format for your attachments
- Ensure your name and the title of the work is on the first page of your submission
- Fiction
- Use MS Word or Open Document Format for your attachments
- Ensure your name and the title of work is on the first page of your submission
- DO NOT send a synopsis of the story in the body of your email
- Please Adhere to published available page limit (above)
- Unless it's very very good, flash fiction is discouraged
- Art
- Send No more than five (5) high quality photos of your artwork in JPEG or PNG Format
- Your bio should describes in some detail the media used in your art and/or your process
- Include the titles of all submitted works in the body of your email
