FERAL is a journal of poetry and artwork, produced by Animal Heart Press. They’re looking for wild-hearted writing: “We want your brave, your pain, your love, your teeth, your howling beast.” You can get a sense of what they publish by reading the journal online.
FERAL was launched in 2020, and since then they’ve published 22 issues. Each edition is available for free online, and for purchase as a print journal. They publish writing from around the world, and each issue contains work from around 40 contributors.
Now through August 31, FERAL is seeking submissions on the theme of joy: “Give us poems and art about the moments of your life that glow in your memory, the things that make you fizz with delight, the simple moments that mean everything. The world you love. The world you’d love to see blooming in front of you.” The “joy issue” will be published this year on September 30.
After that, FERAL will reopen to submissions from November 1-30, during which time they will be accepting submission on the theme of “mirror”. The “mirror issue” will be published on December 31.
Poets may submit up to four poems in any form, including erasures and visual poems. Artists may submit up to ten pieces of any kind, including drawings, collages, paintings, sculptures, textile works, or photographs.
FERAL does not currently accept fiction, creative nonfiction, or translations, though they welcome queries about pieces that fall outside their current guidelines.
Submitting authors should take care to remove any identifying information from submitted writing. Writing submitted with identifying information will not be considered. Authors should submit only once per submission period. Submitting authors can expect a response within 60 days.
FERAL accepts submissions via email, not online or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions, but ask that authors withdraw writing published elsewhere. They do not generally accept previously published writing, but they do accept writing that has been included on personal websites or social media. They will also consider previously published writing that needs to be “rescued”: “just let us know the circumstances.”
FERAL only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.
If you would like to learn more or submit to FERAL, please visit their website here.
Bio: Ella Peary is the pen name for an author, editor, creative writing mentor, and submission consultant. Over the past five years, she’s written hundreds of articles for Authors Publish, and she’s also served as a copywriter and copy editor for a wide range of organizations and individuals. She is the author of The Quick Start Guide to Flash Fiction. She occasionally teaches a course on flash fiction. You can contact her at ellapeary@gmail.com.
