Rawhead is an online journal that publishes poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, and visual art. We are not a horror publication, though we are interested in work that unsettles through emotional depth, sharp craft, and surprising clarity.
We believe the arts are a form of resistance against monsters, in whatever shape they take. Artists draw their blades. Writers raise their shields. Creators are found at every last stand and keep the truth breathing.
That’s why we need your voice: your witness, your joy and fury, your circle of salt. We need your silence to be broken.
Send us the still dripping pieces of the beast you’ve finally slain. Show us the scars of an ongoing fight. Or throw out the plot entirely and just share something that you believe in.
Submission Guidelines
Rawhead is currently accepting Poetry, Visual Art, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, & Mixed Genre submissions for:
Issue Two & Issue Three
Rawhead is committed to always offering free submissions to all writers and artists. If you’d like to support the growth of our journal, we gratefully accept donations via Ko-fi. For those who want a guaranteed decision within two weeks, we offer a $10 expedited response option via Submittable. We also offer a 72 hour priority response for $20. 100% of donations help us cover operational costs, pay our contributors, save towards producing our first print anthology, and growing Rawhead. Donations are appreciated but have no impact on editorial consideration. If using Submittable is a barrier, please reach out to rawheadjournal@gmail.com. If you’re requesting an expedited response via email, please indicate this in your Ko-fi note and cover letter.
Thank you for supporting Rawhead!
Editor’s Spotlight
Rawhead will select one outstanding artist and one standout writer from each standard issue to receive a $100 award. We are actively seeking funding and hope to one day offer payment to all contributors. Supporting Rawhead through readership, amplification, and donations helps us achieve that goal.
Poetry
You may submit up to 7 poems, totaling no more than 15 pages. Submit 3 to 7 poems in a single document. Format one poem per page unless part of a sequence. Indicate stanza breaks if a poem spans pages.
Prose
We accept fiction and nonfiction up to 3,000 words. Submit one longer piece or up to two shorter works totaling no more than 4,000 words. For flash or experimental (under 1,000 words), submit up to three pieces.
Visual Art
Submit 3 to 10 pieces in any medium—illustration, photography, digital collage, mixed media, painting, sculpture. Upload high-quality images (min 1500px, .jpg/.png/.tiff).
Editor’s Statement
What I want to see is art that explores the delicate threshold between fear and beauty. I am not looking for horror or gore, but rather artwork that dances along the edges of heightened emotion. If you are inspired by the work of Louise Bourgeois, Francis Bacon, Man Ray, Joseba Eskubi, Anna Weyant, or Jinyoung Yu, your work would be a great addition to Rawhead.
Show me the work that makes the butterflies in your stomach flutter. Show me the creepiness and the caresses. Show me your fury, fear, and gentleness — all the messy bits of beauty that call you to the act of creation.
— Caressa Layne
We do not accept AI-generated content. Submissions must be original, human-made, and free of AI assistance.
Rawhead Presents: Bloody Bones
Rawhead is not a horror journal, but we believe in monsters and love Halloween.
In lore, Rawhead is often part of a monstrous duo known as Rawhead & Bloody Bones. Every year, right in time for Halloween, Rawhead will team up with the other half of our namesake for a special issue and celebrated that myth while also honoring our favorite spooky holiday.
We are currently closed to submissions for Bloody Bones, but will open again in August 2026. We’re seeking work that explores shadowed corners of being: ghosts, folklore, grief, hunger, rage, queerness, transformation. Monsters as metaphor or monsters as real as you need them to be.
We welcome poetry, prose, hybrid work, and visual art. Submission standards are the same as regular issues.
Simultaneous & Previously Published Work
We accept simultaneous submissions. Notify us if any pieces are accepted elsewhere. Previously published work is welcome upon the condition that the rights have reverted to the author and at least a year has passed since the piece was last published.
We believe that powerful work deserves more than a single appearance. Too often, published pieces reach only a limited audience before slipping into obscurity. At Rawhead, we’re committed to giving exceptional writing and art a second life where it can continue to resonate, provoke, and endure.
Cover Letters
Include a third-person bio, previous publications (if applicable), and any personal sites or social media handles you’d like us to share.
Inclusion & Equity
At Rawhead, we actively welcome and seek submissions from creators of all backgrounds and lived experiences. This includes, but is not limited to, people who identify as:
- Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
- Indigenous peoples globally, including but not limited to First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Native American, Aboriginal, and other sovereign nations
- Refugees, displaced individuals, and members of diaspora communities
- LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, including trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people
- People with disabilities (visible and invisible)
- Neurodivergent individuals
- Survivors of trauma, war, or systemic oppression
- People from historically marginalized castes, classes, or ethnic groups
- First-generation immigrants and children of immigrants
- Individuals from rural, remote, or underserved areas
- People of diverse religious, spiritual, and cultural traditions
- Individuals facing economic hardship or housing instability
- Elder creators and youth underrepresented in traditional publishing
- Incarcerated and formally incarcerated individuals
- Anyone whose voice has been historically excluded or dismissed by dominant systems of power
We are committed to building a publication that resists erasure and amplifies voices at the edges.
Ethical Standards
We do not accept work that promotes hate or dehumanization. That includes racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or any form of bigotry.
Response Time
We aim to respond to submissions within 2–4 months, though often will reply sooner.
Rights & Reprinting
By accepting publication, authors grant Rawhead First Serial Rights, Non-Exclusive Reprint Rights, Electronic Rights, Archival Rights, and Non-Exclusive Anthology Rights. Authors retain all other rights.
Featured artwork by David Dodd Lee and Edward J. Steichen.
