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A watercolor image of two blue heads facing each other, their brains connected by a tangle of neon squiggles.

Submission Guidelines

Nerve to Write is an online journal publishing poetry, nonfiction, fiction, hybrid work, and art by disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent writers. While we welcome work that addresses these experiences, writers do not need to focus solely on these subjects and are encouraged to submit work on any range of topics. We are open for submissions from September 1 to December 1 and January 1 to April 1 or until we hit our submission cap. We are currently reading submissions for our inaugural issue (Spring 2026).

General Submission Guidelines

  • We accept submissions via email at nervetowrite@gmail.com during our open submission window. We will not read submissions sent outside of the open submission window. 

  • We do not accept multiple submissions.

  • We do accept simultaneous submissions. Please withdraw your work immediately if a piece you’ve submitted is accepted elsewhere. If you need to withdraw part of your submission, please contact us indicating the piece you’d like to withdraw. Please label the subject line Genre: Last name (for example Poetry: Smith). We cannot consider additional work in the place of withdrawn work.

  • No manuscript edits or revisions will be considered during the reading period.

  • We do not accept previously published work for our journal issues (this includes personal blogs, social media posts, and personal websites).

  • Nerve to Write does not accept submissions of AI-generated work. If an AI submission is identified, it will be rejected. We also reserve the right to withdraw acceptance, including after publication, from any work found to be AI-generated.

  • Response time may be up to 6 months. Please do not query us about the status of your piece until then. If you haven’t heard from us after this time, first check your spam folder before you contact us.

  • If your work is accepted, you agree to give Nerve to Write First Electronic Rights and Archival Rights. If you republish your work, we ask that Nerve to Write is acknowledged as the initial place of publication.

  • Unfortunately, we are unable to pay our contributors at this time. We do, however, promote our writers and artists and their work on social media and through our interview series and book reviews.

A black colored neuron.

Poetry

  • Submit 3-5 poems in a single document.

  • We accept Word doc, docx, and pdf file types. 

  • Please include your name and email address at the top of the first page.

  • Begin each poem on a new page.

  • Poems should be single-spaced or formatted how they should appear on the page.

  • Please label the subject line Poetry: Last name.

A black colored neuron.

Hybrid Work

  • Submit up to 3 pieces (including graphic poetry and narrative, comics, erasures, speculative work, etc.) totaling no more than 4,000 words combined in a single document.

  • We accept jpg, png, Word doc, docx, and pdf file types.

  • Please send the highest resolution possible for your work. 

  • If your work is accepted, we may ask you to send us a higher resolution file for publication.

  • Please label the subject line Hybrid: Last name.

A black colored neuron.

Nonfiction

  • Submit a single piece of nonfiction up to 4,000 words.

  • We accept Word doc, docx, and pdf file types. 

  • Please include your name and email address at the top of the first page.

  • Double-space your manuscript or format it how it should appear on the page. 

  • Please label the subject line Nonfiction: Last name.

A black colored neuron.

Artwork

  • Submit 3-5 pieces of artwork.

  • We accept jpg and png file types.

  • Please send the highest resolution possible for your work. 

  • If your work is accepted, we may ask you to send us a higher resolution image for publication. 

  • Please label the subject line Artwork: Last name.

A black colored neuron.

Fiction

  • Submit a single piece of fiction up to 4,000 words.

  • We accept Word doc, docx, and pdf file types. 

  • Please include your name and email address at the top of the first page.

  • Double-space your manuscript or format it how it should appear on the page. 

  • Please label the subject line Fiction: Last name.

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