Paying market, "The Hidden City" issue of Descant Quarterly Journal, pays $100 honorarium

Deadline: 15 June 2012

Now in its third decade, Descant is a quarterly journal publishing new and established contemporary writers and visual artists from Canada and around the world. Begun in 1970 as a mimeograph, Descant has evolved into an exquisitely produced journal of international acclaim. Over the years many ground-breaking special editions of Descant have been published, including issues focusing on single artists such as Dennis Lee, Michael Ondaatje and R. Murray Schafer, theme issues such as Male Desire, Romantic Love, Anatomy and Music, and issues exploring the culture of countries such as India, Australia/New Zealand, China, the former Yugoslavia and Japan.

Call for Submissions: The Hidden City

Many years ago, Descant discussed an issue centred on Toronto’s buried waterways. We began with Taddle Creek, and then Garrison Creek, a 12,000-year-old stream that was “buried” beneath the city’s downtown streets nearly a century ago, but which can still be glimpsed, whether trickling beneath a sewer grate or rushing through the city’s imagination. Toronto’s creeks are the progenitors of The Hidden City, an issue dedicated to that which escapes first notice in the world’s myriad urban landscapes. From buried rivers to underground habitats to the city’s silent/silenced citizens to the city transformed by darkness, we want your best creative work on the creatures, geographies, and societies that elude our surface experience. What do we cover over? What escapes us? What have we forgotten or missed? The Hidden City wants you to show us the unexamined corners of the world’s living cities.

Submission Guidelines

Before submitting work to Descant, you may wish to consider the following guidelines:

C O N T E N T

Descant considers submissions of poetry (submit about six poems), short stories, novel excerpts, plays, essays, interviews, musical scores and visual presentations. Standards for acceptance are high. We receive a large number of submissions every month – please send only your best, carefully edited work. No submission may be under consideration by another publisher, nor can it have been previously published. Please note that it can take up to 12 months to hear back from us regarding your submission. *

F O R M A T

Submissions must be typed, double-spaced on one side of the page, with ample margins. Good quality photocopies or computer printouts are acceptable. On your envelope please print your full name, type of submission and complete address.

Manuscripts may be sent back if they do not adhere to format guidelines.

Art submissions can be mailed to us, either on hard copy or on CD-R. If sending on CD-R, use low resolution jpgs or pdf, preferably Mac format, but PC is acceptable. As with writing, we do not accept email submission or links to websites.

R E T U R N

Our preferred method of responding to submissions is by email; note that should you choose to have us communicate using this method, unsuccessful applications will be recycled following our response.

If you would prefer a paper response and/or your manuscript returned, include a SASE with adequate Canadian postage or International Reply Coupons.

Americans please note: U.S. postage on SASEs is not sufficient! Please use IRCs or Canadian postage on your SASE.

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N

We recommend that you read at least one issue of the magazine before submitting work. Descant is available in public libraries and bookstores across the country, and sample copies may be purchased from our office for $13 each, including postage. Get a copy here.

I F A C C E P T E D

If accepted, it may take Descant up to 12 months to publish accepted works (occasionally longer, often shorter). Descant pays a $100 honourarium upon publication.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: info@descant.ca

For submissions: Descant, PO Box 314, Station P, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S8

Website: http://www.descant.ca/