We’re welcoming submissions for the blog year-round!
We’re looking for speculative blog-posts, such as:
What do we mean by speculative? Anything that could be construed as both literary and genre. Fantasy, horror, science fiction, superhero, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, gaslamp, steampunk, and anything else that you can think of. We also encourage submissions related to mythology and folklore.
Unlike the journal, the blog counterpart of The Spectatorial focuses on showcasing non-fiction writing that touches upon speculative material while looking at it through different lenses, such as gender/queer theory, ethics, psychology, or just generally great critical thought (etc.).
CURRENT TOPICS OF INTEREST
At the present moment we are looking to publish articles that focus on speculative works from other cultures. If you know a speculative writer or book that you feel needs to be read, or a trend in the literature of another country that differs from our own North American one, we strongly encourage you to send in your writing, or pitch ideas for an article.
We are also looking for more pieces of writing that focus on art, poetry, anime, manga, and video-games. These are subject areas which need more attention on our blog. If you have any reviews/previews, articles that discuss speculative aspects of a work, or anything else of the sort, we will gladly take a look at them!
SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES
Pitches of 200 words max. stating the topic of the piece, key points of the argument/focus, as well as approximate length. Once it has been approved by the editor, a deadline for the completed piece will be assigned.
Completed pieces are also accepted. In the body of the email please write a 200 words max. summary describing the piece and why you feel it would be a good fit for The Spectatorial.
Finished works of writing should be:
- 500 – 1200 words (longer pieces may potentially be broken up and serialized as smaller, separate posts, once approved by the Online Editor)
- .doc (NOT .docx)
- 12pt font
- Times New Roman
- Single Line Spacing
Optional Inclusions:
- Typically, the Online Editor will determine the images or illustrations a post will include, along with their respective captions. If you have specific images, artwork, and/or captions that you wish to include, then please inform the Online Editor either in your initial pitch or in your completed draft.
ILLUSTRATIONS
We are always looking for illustrators who are willing to contribute their talent and provide illustrations that accompany the articles/reviews/etc. that appear on our blog. If interested, please send an email to the Creative Director at spectatorialcreative@gmail.com with a link to an online portfolio or 3-5 example images (attached as JPEGs).
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A Note on Content
The Spectatorial has a zero tolerance policy on works that condone sexism, racism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, ageism, or any other form of discrimination and/or prejudice.
Thankfully, we have never received work that could be read as hateful. However, we have received pieces that depict upsetting material in a manner that we felt was careless and insensitive. We see this recourse to “edginess” and crass sensationalism as exploitative, derivative, and just plain bad writing.
We do not want our writers to shy away from difficult content—but we ask that you be sure that you address difficult material with empathy, understanding, and maturity.
If your work contains material that some readers may find upsetting, we ask that you let us know in advance with a brief content warning. Thank you for your cooperation.
Please send your blog pitches and questions to spectatorialonline@gmail.com
If you have any larger questions or concerns, or would like further clarification, please email us at thespectatorial@gmail.com.
The Spectatorial 