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The Arkansas International is committed to writing that transcends borders—be they borders of place, language, form, or assumptions. Our magazine features work from over 70 countries, from Egypt to Brazil, South Korea to Russia, as well as U.S. writers working out of regions not centered by the literary marketplace. We support fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and graphic storytelling, in translation and source English alike.
Themed Submissions
The Arkansas International publishes biannually; one of the two issues centers on a theme.
ISSUE 20: LABOR • FALL 2026
The Arkansas International is now open for submissions for themed issue #20, due out in the fall of 2026. This issue will be both online and in print.
Send us your stories, poems, comics, and non-fiction about all the ways we labor, whether emotional, physical, or mental. How does labor form and inform our lives? What does our work say about what we love, or about what or whom we care for? What does it reveal about what we hate or fear? Hired labor, hard labor, labors of love, or laborious revenge, all of it creative fodder. Send us your best work by January 15, 2026!
Scroll down for guidelines and Submittable link!
general guidelines
We accept simultaneous submissions, provided we are notified if your work is accepted elsewhere; however, we do not accept multiple submissions. Writers are welcome to send new work once a year.
Prose submissions should be no more than 8,000 words, poem packets no more than five poems, and we ask that excerpts from longer works be self-contained. Please submit all work in one document.
Submissions of translated works must include a copy of the original text. Before submitting translations of works that are not in the public domain, translators should identify the rights holder and obtain a statement that the rights to publish an English translation are available.
We do not accept work produced by artificial intelligence (AI) generators or similar.
For all submissions, include a brief cover letter and bio.
In the event that you need to withdraw any or all parts of your submission, withdraw via Submittable, or for partial withdrawals of poetry submissions, add a message to your submission.
While we are no longer open to free submissions, we are happy to offer waivers to those identifying as BIPOC or in need of financial assistance. For more information on how to apply, please email editor@arkint.org.
Prose contributors will be paid $25 per 500-word page (capped at $200) and poets will be paid $25 per page. All contributors will receive two copies of the journal. We accept electronic submissions only, via Submittable.
Please follow our social media channels for announcements and visit Submittable for details.