Porkbelly Press is an independent chapbook press based in Cincinnati, Ohio (where pigs fly). We print chapbooks, micro chapbooks, anthologies, zines (such as the body image zine Love Me, Love My Belly), and literary magazine Sugared Water.
We welcome works from writers all along the identity spectrum; we're queer-friendly & feminist. No hate speech.
Our catalog favors lit & poetry leaning heavily toward fabulism, folklore, & magic—often confessional or intimate poems or personal lyric essay. All work should be tightly linked.
Full guidelines: porkbellypress.com or click the market you're interested in under subs:
SUBMISSION PERIODS
- chapbooks : January 1 – 31
- micro chapbooks : July 1 – July 31
- sugared water : October 1 - 31
- love me, love my belly : May 1 - May 31
- anthologies : varies
- broadsides : varies
- reviews : varies
NOTES
Sugared Water is transitioning to an online magazine with occasional mini-print issues. Issues 001 - 007 are print. Issue 008 on will be digital-only. See porkbellypress.com for more information & updates.
Simultaneous Submissions are fine by us, but do let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere and needs to be withdrawn in part (please use submittable's messages feature). Submittable's "withdraw" button will take the entire packet out of consideration. Need to make an edit? Please request an edit rather than withdrawing.
We will read up to 5 poems at a time, preferring at least 3. Each poem should somehow be grounded in (or reference) body.
Rhyming poetry is a difficult sell for us, as is an abundance of alliteration.
Include all of your poems in one document.
Works should range from 500 to 5,000 words in standard manuscript format. (We prefer Times New Roman or Garamond typeface, 12 point.) All kinds of work will be considered, including essay, lyric essays, letters, lists, profiles, and chunks of memoir.
Whether it's a letter to a younger self, or an essay about the body as a map of survival, we're looking for work with distinctive voice.
Previously published works (reprints) considered on a case by case basis. You must notify us in your cover letter & state the original publication and format (you must also have the rights to publish again as reprint). If you're unsure, check with your previous publisher before submitting.
We prefer high contrast black and white work.
All media will be considered so long as the body is a central theme.
Please include a list of titles, media, and sizes with up to 5 pieces/pages of work. Initial submission should be .jpgs of up to 7 inches on the longest side. Vertical (portrait) format is preferred, but not required. We prefer to look at multiple images, so please send at least 3 related works if possible.
We will also consider comics and sequential art via this submission category.
(We will request a print-ready version of your image if your work is accepted.)
We sometimes leave the jar open between regular reading periods, allowing for submissions slipped under our doors whilst we're huddled at the proofing table.
Though tipping doesn't mean we'll treat your submission differently than others during the selection process, it does garner our good thoughts, thanks, and some good vibes sent out into the universe in your name.
Please be sure to make a note of your genre when submitting via the jar!