Current Submissions
At this time, we are open to submissions for the Friday Feature only.
We are not currently accepting full manuscripts, chapbooks, or proposals for publication.
The Friday Feature
The Friday Feature is our recurring digital spotlight, highlighting one selected piece and artist at a time. Featured work is published on our website and shared across our social platforms as part of an ongoing series dedicated to community-centered literary work.
If your work is selected for a Friday Feature, you can expect:
- publication as a standalone feature on our website
- clear author credit and a short bio
- promotion across our social media channels
- inclusion in our archived Friday Feature index
Friday Features are part of a growing body of work that reflects the voices engaging with our community over time. Featured writers may be contacted for optional participation in future curated collections, including digital and/or print projects. Inclusion in any anthology or collection is never automatic and always requires contributor consent.
We strive to respond to submissions within 3-6 weeks. If your work is selected, you will be contacted directly with next steps.
*The Friday Feature is an ongoing digital series and has been submitted for ISSN registration. This page will be updated once registration
What We Look For
We are interested in work that has foundations in lived experience—writing that has been shaped by what you have seen, felt, and carried. We are not looking for a particular style, voice, or theme; we are uninterested in trend-driven or imitative work. We value writers who show up as themselves and allow their work to reflect their own way of seeing the world.
We are drawn to writing that:
- carries emotional weight without relying on excess
- shows clarity of voice and point of view
- reflects lived experience, reflection, or close observation
We welcome a wide range of forms, subjects, and perspectives. There is no single aesthetic we are seeking, but we value work that feels honest and aware of its own purpose.
Rights & Permissions
Contributors retain full rights to their work.
By submitting, you grant Thistle & Thread permission to publish your accepted work digitally as part of the Friday Feature and to share excerpts for promotional purposes related to the feature.
Any future use beyond the original feature, such as in curated digital or print collections, will be discussed with the contributor in advance and requires explicit consent.
How to Submit
Please submit the following for Friday Feature consideration:
- 1-3 poems or one short prose piece (up to 1,000 words total)
- a brief third-person bio (50-100 words)
- optional links to your website, social media, other publications
Submissions should be sent as a single document (PDF, Word, or Google Doc link) through the form below.
We accept simultaneous submissions. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please notify us so we can update our records.
Response time is typically 3-6 weeks. Due to the volume of submissions and the nature of our review process, we are unable to provide individual feedback.