It’s more important than ever to highlight trans and nonbinary art, to uplift trans joy, and to share stories of healing and connection. Help us share hope through art and writing! We invite you to contribute to the new Trans Survivors digital zine.
Throughout the year, we’ll invite submissions on specific themes (see below). These can be interpreted loosely. We welcome your full range of emotions and expressions. We encourage content focused on race and anti-racism; bodies and disabilities; class, housing, survival realities; and content that focuses or encompasses our complex, intersectional lives.
For a better idea of the kind of work we publish, check out one of our previously published issues of the Trans Survivors Zine.
Submissions are currently OPEN and will close on February 1st. Submit your work here.
Submission windows:
- Teens & Youth: January 13th – Febuary 1st
- Race & Culture: April
- Death & Grief: July
- Disability & Health: October
Current issue: Teens & Youth
Trans and nonbinary youth are frequently under a spotlight when it comes to anti-trans legislation—in schools, bathrooms, sports, and healthcare. At the same time, youth often aren’t given the space to talk about their experiences with transness, trauma, or healing.
For this issue, we invite submissions from trans and nonbinary youth age 24 and younger. If you are not part of this age group, we encourage you to share this submission info with young people in your life, and consider submitting your own work to a future issue of the zine!
We welcome submissions focused specifically on unique experiences in the current world as a young trans person; we also welcome your joy, grief, rage, and creativity around a range of topics on growth, imagining the future, healing, trauma, and resilience.
Submission guidelines:
We welcome a variety of artforms, including visual art, poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction (fiction/nonfiction under 1000 words).
You may submit multiple poems or fiction/nonfiction under 1000 words, but please include them in the same document (Word document or PDF preferred).
Simultaneous submissions are welcome (meaning you can submit to the Trans Survivors zine while having a piece also considered by another publisher). Please let us know right away if your work is accepted elsewhere!
We welcome your expressions of rage and grief, humor and silliness, beauty and curiosity. We reserve the right to refuse submissions that include racism, anti-trans attitudes, or other oppressive language. We are accepting original art/writing (not generated by AI).
If your work has been published in the Trans Survivors Zine before, you are welcome to submit again, but we will prioritize artists/writers we have not published in the most recent issue. If your work has been held for consideration from a previous issue, you are welcome to make additional submissions.
Contributors will receive $25 if their art or writing is accepted. We aim to include as many voices and experiences as possible.
FORGE requests non-exclusive rights to publish your work in the Trans Survivors zine and promote it on our social media. Your work still belongs to you. If you have any questions about submissions, please reach out to caleb@forge-forward.org.