The two-sentence version of this page
Irreantum publishes literary work of high quality that resonates with Mormon experience.
Irreantum publishes both themed and open issues and you, o writer, should certainly submit.
General guidelines
Irreantum has been, since 1999, the only literary magazine focused on the literature of the Latter-day Saints. As an official organ of the Association for Mormon Letters, we are focused on publishing work by/for/about Mormons and Mormon-adjacent peoples. However, Irreantum’s role in literature is distinct, and our audience assumes that what we publish will engage with Mormon resonances in new and interesting ways. In other words, work that is merely by a Mormon can find a home with any literary outlet. Irreantum is a bit more explicit.
With that in mind, consider our audience. Although we do not preemptively reject works for being “inappropriate,” we do consider our audience when making decisions.
A good sense of what we publish may (of course) be discovered by looking at what we have published in the past, but you may also examine works published by the Mormon Lit Blitz, Zarahemla Books, BCC Press, and Peculiar Pages—not necessarily to establish the boundaries of what we’re looking for, but as a way to explore possibilities and directions. If you think “Mormon lit” sounds limiting then, ahem, we figure you haven’t read very much of it.
We prefer publishing new work, but are willing to consider previously published work. Include a complete and thorough and entire description of the work’s previous publication(s) and current availability.
With your submission, you are granting us one-time publication rights. These rights include appearance on the Irreantum website and inclusion in that issue’s ebook. These rights are perpetual and nonexclusive, though we do request you wait six months after its appearance in Irreantum before republishing a work elsewhere.
We have begun paying for the work we publish and hop to increase the amount as time passes. Currently, the bulk of the money comes from our Patreon, the full amount of which is distributed to each issue’s participants each issue. However, if you are interested in supporting Mormon literature through another manner, irreantum.editor@gmail.com and @irreantum are open, day and night.
Fiction
Irreantum considers fiction submissions of any length and of any genre. However, longer works are a hard sell for people reading on the internet. Therefore, querying works over 7,000 words, though not necessary, is appreciated; email irreantum.editor@gmail.com.
Poetry
Irreantum considers up to five poems per submission. Please note that, as we are an online publication, we may not be able to accommodate certain experimentation with line spacing/word placement. That does not mean you shouldn’t submit such work, just be aware that we will be considering logistics.
Essay
Irreantum considers both personal essays, and works of literary criticism or history/bibliography. At this moment we are most interested in so-called “creative nonfiction” and unique takes on literary/social criticism, but are willing to be wowed by anything. Again, no specific length requirements, but consider a) your future reader and b) querying longer works by emailing irreantum.editor@gmail.com.
Drama
Irreantum considers drama, whether intended for performance or not, whether previously performed or not. If the publication rights are unusually complicated, please include that information in your submission. Naturally, one-acts are more likely to be accepted than full-lengths, but we are open to considering your work, no matter the length.
Comics
Irreantum considers comics. If you have questions about formatting or other practical issues, please feel free to write us at irreantum.editor@gmail.com. Comics may not be included in an issue’s ebook.
Visual and auditory arts
Irreantum considers all works that can potentially be shared online. We find it helpful to have these works accompanied by an artist’s statement. Note that practical concerns may keep your work from being included in an issue’s ebook. Please write us at irreantum.editor@gmail.com to query or clarify.
Translations
Irreantum considers translations of fiction, poetry, essay, and comics from Spanish or Portuguese into English. Submissions should follow the general and issue-specific guidelines stated here. Translation submissions should include the translated work in English and the original piece in its source language, along with a statement that explains the rights status of the original and its translation. (In other words, we need to know that we can publish the work in both languages.) Include a note explaining the context and relevance of the piece you are submitting.
If you have a piece you feel strongly about but lack the ability to get it translated, we can take a look at it anyway, so send it our way along with the explanatory note.
Please bear in mind that translated pieces usually take longer to evaluate and publish than English-only pieces.
(Currently we only have a translations editor for Spanish and Portuguese. If you are interested in being an editor for another language, please send an email now to irreantum.editor@gmail.com.)
Irreantum will be publishing themed issues and issues guided by a guest editor, as well as issues composed of works collected by open submissions. Please read carefully below and submit your work where you think it best belongs.
[RESTORATION]
This theme can be interpreted however you like. A new musical setting to Parley P. Pratt’s “An Angel from on High,” historical fiction about the founding of the Relief Society, a new critical analysis of Merrill Bradshaw’s The Restoration, science fiction imagining future revelation, speculative theology on the ongoing restoration, a video collage of drawings from Kirtland and Nauvoo, poetry in the voices of the extended Smith family—and so on. It’s called THE RESTORATION. The rest is up to you.
Deadline: August 15, 2024.
[MYSTERY]
What if a Lamanite detective solved murders? What if one of the young women at Girl’s Camp had the observational skills of Sherlock Holmes? What if a Mormon painting from the 1880s was imitated in a modern crime? What if a crockpot of chili was stolen at the ward Halloween cook- off? For this issue, we are looking for mystery stories that resonate with the Mormon experience. All tones and sub-genres of mystery are welcome: we would love to see Mormon noir, hardboiled mysteries, trained detectives, Miss Marple-esque amateurs solving crimes, cozy mysteries, historical mysteries, and even genealogical mysteries. Classic crimes may be used—murder, kidnapping, or theft—as well as unexpected and unusual crimes. Other genres may be incorporated (SFF, horror, romance, humor, role-playing games, etc.) as long as the mystery provides the structure for the narrative. We are also open to mystery/crime poetry and true crime, as well as essays or articles related to Mormon mystery writers or a particular mystery text. Submissions should be attached to an email, under 6,500 words, and contain no identifying information.
Submissions due January 31, 2025.
The editor of Mystery:
Katherine Cowley’s debut novel, The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and was the winner of LDSPMA’s Praiseworthy Award for Best Mystery/Suspense. She is the author of two other mystery novels and numerous short stories. Her Mormon fiction appears in the Mormon Lit Blitz, Segullah, and Irreantum. She has taught writing at Brigham Young University, Mesa Community College, and Western Michigan University. She lives in Michigan with her husband and three daughters.
[PORTRAITS]
I remember in my late adolescence / early adulthood reading Orson Scott Card’s Storyteller in Zion, a collection of essays about just that, and being struck by the value he placed on being part of the community, no matter how much being an artist might make estrangement easy. And I remember ten or fifteen years later reading Nephi Anderson’s millennial fantasy of a storyteller in Zion. And , as I look around at the storytellers and other artists in Zion today finding their paths, I realize this is something we should explore, together, directly.
This issue will collect essays, comics, fictions, poems, or whatever else that creates a portrait of the Latter-day Saint artist. Your submission may range from the most literal personal essay to the most metaphoric series of science-fiction haikus. As always, what is accepted will be based, in part, on what, among all the submissions, will fit together.
The deadline is either June 1, 2025, or when I realize that I have a complete issue. Whichever comes first.
[SMALL]
The SMALL issue of Irreantum will consist of 100 poems of six lines or less (not including the title, if any). There is no particular theme, though keep in mind Irreantum‘s overall concerns (see above) while crafting and submitting. Please note that because of the large number of writers potentially involved in SMALL, the amount that could thus be paid each writer may become so pitiful, that we will likely just not do so for this issue. That decision will not be finalized, however, until publication. Or, in other words, while I reserve the right to pay you, I probably will not for this issue.
While there is no limit to the number of poems you may submit for this issue, please be judicious.
Because of the nature of this issue, strange formatting of poems, while not disqualifying, will count as a mark against.
Also, while this is always true, we wish to be particularly solicitous of Irreantum‘s readers for help in uncovering lost gems by earlier Mormon writers to include in this issue. If you know of previously published short Mormon poems, please share them with us!
Submissions for SMALL will remain open until the 100th poem is accepted.
[TEMPLE]
I’ve been thinking about a pair of Isaac James Richards poems (“Sin” and “Daily Initiations“) that engage with the temple in interesting and new ways. And realizing I’d like to see more of that. Thus: a temple-themed issue. Poetry, essay, fiction, video, music, comics—whatever medium you like. Tell us about the temple. Explore its grounds and hallways. Explore the souls of those who worship there—or perhaps are left outside.
Note that Irreantum respects sensitivities people have about the temples and our editorial decisions will be influenced by this. However, we would rather you submit work both honest and true. We can negotiate boundaries later. Deadline: January 31, 2026.
[OPEN] issues
Any work relevant to Irreantum’s mission may be submitted through [OPEN]. When we have collected sufficient work for an issue, we will go to press. We anticipate this being about every nine months, but who knows. Your patience is appreciated.
Guidelines for potential guest editors
Irreantum is interested in capturing the full breadth of Mormon experience, intellect, aesthetics, and [etc]. We know we can’t do this alone. We know we have our own myopias—both within us as individuals and within our networks. For this reason, we eagerly seek partners willing to edit their own issue. While we imagine this will mostly end up occurring by invitation, we can’t invite you if we don’t know who you are. Assume you are qualified and write us at irreantum.editor@gmail.com with your issue pitch.
Suggest a previously published work for a theme
If you are aware of a neglected classic of Mormon literature that might be appropriately considered for a themed issue, please alert us! Write to irreantum.editor@gmail.com.
Submitting your work
Except when necessary for formatting, we prefer doc, docx, and rtf files. We do accept txt and pdf as well but please use them only when necessary. For works that are not simple text, rely on common formats. Make it easy for us to see what you’re sharing
All submissions should be sent to irreantum.editor@gmail.com. Include in the subject header [OPEN] or the relevant issue shorthand (see above).
We tend to get few enough submissions that we can be genuinely interested in your cover letter. Although previous publications are good information, we are particularly interested in learning a bit (a bit) about your artistic biography and your interest in Mormon letters. If we accept your work, we will want to publish a short bio (see examples below each work we’ve published), so sending one along with your submission does save time. Consider including in your bio a way for readers to contact you.
Contract and rights
Other Places to Submit Mormon literature
Mormon literature is more dynamic than many writers realize. Allow us to introduce you to some of our friends! (Remember to look at what they publish before submitting work of your own.
☆ The ARCH-HIVE publishes a delirious variety of work in ever-new formats.
☆ Bristlecone Firesides publishes work at the intersection of saintliness and environmentalism.
☆ Dialogue was founded in 1966 and is just as relevant today.
☆ Exponent II has been a voice for Mormon feminists since 1974.
☆ The Mormon Lit Blitz holds regular contests for works under 1,000 words.
☆ Segullah publishes work to promote understanding and faith among Latter-day Saint women.
☆ Ships of Hagoth publishes essays attempting new things through an LDS lens.
☆ Sunstone is transitioning to a primarily podcast-and-conferences model. Occasional print issue are also released.
☆ Wayfare “welcomes new voices and ideas that transcend and expand familiar boundaries.” They do not currently have a submissions page but you can send poetry to wayfare@faithmatters.org, and see fiction and essay guidelines here.
Finally, note that many reputable outlets are willing to publish works with “Mormon resonance,” as described above. Recent literary Thomas Kanes we have found in recent years we have found Amethyst Review, Analog, Coffin Bell, Every Day Fiction, Leading Edge, POETRY, Psaltery & Lyre, Rock & Sling, Silk Road Review, So to Speak, Thimble Mag, Weber—The Contemporary West, Western Humanities Review, Young Ravens Literary Review.
(Note: By no means is this a complete list. This is just a smattering of journals who have published such work in recent years that were top of our mind. If you would like to suggest a journal for this list, please do!)
If we are slow in responding
When we don’t have an immediately upcoming deadline, we may be slow looking at our email. Please feel free to reach out on Twitter @irreantum. We’re also open to conversation, so don’t feel you need to have a problem to say hi!