Yolk is currently accepting submissions for our Digital Publication from August 1st-November 30th.
Annual Submission Windows:
Spring Print: January 1st–January 31st
Digital: February 1st–May 31st
The Montreal Fiction Prize: May 15th–June 15th
Fall Print: July 1st–July 31st
Digital: August 1st–November 30th
We do no accept submissions of any kind during December and June (except for The Montreal Fiction Prize in June).
Our print publication is open to all Canadian writers. For our publication, we consider this to be:
-Anyone with Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Resident status, residing here or abroad
-Anyone that currently resides in Canada
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Yolk is a Montreal-based literary journal that publishes fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and visual arts in our print (Canadian citizens and residents of Canada) and digital (Canadian + international) publications. Our mandate is to publish fine work by established and emerging artists.
We encourage submissions from all artists and writers, including those from marginalized communities and those generally under-represented in literature, in particular Indigenous writers, writers of colour, LGBTQ+ writers, and writers with disabilities.
PAYMENT AND COPYRIGHT
- Yolk believes in paying artists. We offer a $100CAD honorarium for our digital publication. For print, we offer $30 per page up to a maximum of $200. We also pay $200 for our cover art. Prizes are handled separately.
- All contributors whose work has been selected for publication in our print issues will also receive a free copy of the journal.
- Yolk does not accept written work that has been previously published in print or online (we also will not consider work that has previously appeared on social media or on public personal blogs). For visual arts, we do not accept work that has been previously published in print. We will consider visual art that has appeared on personal blogs/social media and in galleries/exhibitions.
- Yolk acquires First Serial Rights and the right to archive your work on our website, though copyright reverts to the author upon publication.
There is a nominal $3 submission fee. Yolk is a registered NPO and these charges will go towards sustaining operating costs. We will always have a free submission option available for those for whom the submission fee is preventative. In recognizing the additional cultural and socioeconomic barriers Indigenous people overcome, we are waiving submission fees for submissions by Indigenous people for print and digital publication (see "INCLUSIVE ACCESS" below).
RESPONSE TIME/SUBMISSIONS
- Please do not inquire about the status of your submission. Each submission will be carefully reviewed by our editorial committee, and you will receive a response within two to five months.
- Though we accept simultaneous submissions, notify us immediately should your work be accepted elsewhere.
- Artists and writers may only submit once per genre per submission window. For the purposes of our publication, this means twice a year for digital publication, and once per print issue. Note that this restriction does not apply to contests.
- Per submission window, prose writers may submit up to two pieces as separate submissions. Poets may submit up to three poems as a single submission. Visual artists may submit up to ten pieces as a single submission.
Please ensure you carefully read all of these general submission guidelines before submitting.
We submit work published in our journal to the National Magazine Awards, the Best Canadian Anthology series, the Best American Anthology series, Best of the Net, and for Pushcart prizes.
For all other general inquiries, please contact us at themail@yolkliterary.ca
Thank you for submitting to yolk
Yolk’s team is growing! Montreal’s burgeoning literary journal is looking to expand its masthead. We’re a small, non-profit organization publishing Canadian poetry, prose, and visual arts in print and Canadian and international artists on our digital publication. We’re seeking creative, well-organized, and reliable team members from diverse and varied backgrounds, all ages, and communities. While all positions are volunteer, a modest honorarium is provided when funding is secured.
Please include your CV and a short letter of intent stating your interests, relevant experience, and which visual artists you admire. Applications are due September 20.
Visual Arts Editor
About the role: The Visual Arts Editor will lead the selecting and/or commissioning of visual art for yolk. Key responsibilities include:
- For print publication (2x per year):
- Review visual arts submissions assigned to you through yolk’s Submittable account
- Assign a “Shortlist” or “To be rejected” label to each submission and enter (brief) comments to explain/support decision
- Meet with the Editor-in-Chief to discuss and decide the final selections
- Decline or Accept submissions as per your decisions
- For digital publication (rolling, when print submissions are closed):
- Review visual arts submissions assigned to you through yolk’s Submittable account
- Decline submissions you feel are not up to yolk’s standards
- For commissions:
- Establish a list of visual artists whose work might potentially be considered for publication in yolk
- Reach out to members of the visual arts community to solicit work as required
- Actively communicate with visual artists in a respectful and responsive way to achieve the best commissions
- Organize contract signing and payment for commissioned pieces
- Attend various events in support of yolk, including Pop-up Poetry events, Egg-the-Poet, Literary Oktoberfest, print launches, staff get-togethers, and more
- Support yolk staff, including other genres editors, the managing editor, and editor-in-chief as requested
- Promote yolk through your own personal network
Skills:
- Appreciation for and knowledge of visual art
- Familiar with Montreal artists and the wider Canadian VA scene
- Experience as a visual artist or VA editor an asset
- English-language fluency imperative; French language fluency an asset
- Proficiency using tools such as Submittable, Google Workspace, Discord, and Instagram
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
Personal Qualities:
- High level of commitment and reliability
- Passionate about Montreal, literature, and visual arts
Yolk’s team is growing! Montreal’s burgeoning literary journal is looking to expand its masthead. We’re a small, non-profit organization publishing Canadian poetry, prose, and visual arts in print and Canadian and international artists on our digital publication. We’re seeking creative, well-organized, and reliable team members from diverse and varied backgrounds, all ages, and communities. While all positions are volunteer, a modest honorarium is provided when funding is secured.
Please include your CV and a short letter of intent stating your interests, relevant experience, your favorite poems/poets, and which poems yolk has published that you enjoyed. Applications are due September 20.
Assistant Poetry Editors:
About the role: We’re looking for two Assistant Poetry Editors. The Assistant Poetry Editors will assist the Poetry Editor in reading and selecting poetry for yolk. Key responsibilities include:
- For digital publication (rolling, when print submissions are closed):
- Read poetry submissions assigned to you through yolk’s Submittable account
- Vote no and reject submissions you feel are not up to yolk’s standards
- Vote yes (or maybe) for submissions you feel are worthy of publication
- For print publication (2x per year, though you may be asked to focus solely on digital publication):
- Read poetry submissions assigned to you through yolk’s Submittable account
- Vote yes/no/maybe for each submission and enter (brief) comments to explain/support decision
- Attend meetings called by Poetry Editor to participate in the discussion to determine the short list
- Attend various events in support of yolk, including Pop-up Poetry events, Egg-the-Poet, Literary Oktoberfest, print launches, staff meetings, and more
- Support yolk staff, including other genres editors, the managing editor, and editor-in-chief as requested
- Promote yolk through your own personal network
Skills:
- Appreciation for and knowledge of poetry
- Previous experience as a poet or poetry editor an asset
- English-language fluency imperative; French language fluency an asset
- Proficiency using tools such as Submittable, Google Workspace, Discord, and Instagram
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
Personal Qualities:
- High level of commitment and reliability
- Enthusiastic about Montreal and the Canadian poetry scene
- Passionate about literature and the arts
Our digital publication is open to Canadian + international submissions.
FORMATTING
- Writers may submit up to two stories, but will have to submit them as separate entries.
- We will only review self-contained works. Excerpts or chapters from a larger body of work will not be accepted.
- Do not exceed 4,000 words.
- For all written works, use a legible font and 1.5 line spacing. Though yolk is especially fond of Garamond, 12-point, we do not discriminate against other styles. Should you be compelled to justify your text, do so knowing that you will be choosing a side in a tireless internal dispute at yolk.
- Do not include any personal information in your text or file name. Our editors read anonymously—any submissions including personal information (name, email, etc.) within the text will not be considered.
"In Transit" is a collection of work representing the culture of Montreal’s underground in relation to the 68 metro stations. The STM is the beating heart of the city, the transitory pulmonary vein that breathes life into each borough. We are looking for visual art, poetry, fiction, and non-fiction that convey the subterranean particularities of our city.
To submit to "In Transit", simply mention this in your cover letter and at the top of your submission.
Before submitting, we strongly encourage you to read our general submission guidelines. Thank you for submitting to yolk!
Our digital publication is open to Canadian + international submissions.
FORMATTING
- Writers may submit up to two individual pieces, but will have to submit them as separate entries.
- We will only review self-contained works. Excerpts or chapters from a larger body of work will not be accepted.
- Do not exceed 4,000 words.
- For all written works, use a legible font and 1.5 line spacing. Though yolk is especially fond of Garamond, 12-point, we do not discriminate against other styles. Should you be compelled to justify your text, do so knowing that you will be choosing a side in a tireless internal dispute at yolk
- Do not include any personal information in your text or file name. Our editors read anonymously—any submissions including personal information (name, email, etc.) within the text will not be considered.
"In Transit" is a collection of work representing the culture of Montreal’s underground in relation to the 68 metro stations. The STM is the beating heart of the city, the transitory pulmonary vein that breathes life into each borough. We are looking for visual art, poetry, fiction, and non-fiction that convey the subterranean particularities of our city.
To submit to "In Transit", simply mention this in your cover letter and at the top of your submission.
Before submitting, we strongly encourage you to read our general submission guidelines. Thank you for submitting to yolk!
Our digital publication is open to Canadian + international submissions.
FORMATTING
- Submit a maximum of three poems; do not exceed 6 pages.
- For all written works, use a legible font and 1.5 line spacing. Though yolk is especially fond of Garamond, 12-point, we do not discriminate against other styles. Should you be compelled to justify your text, do so knowing that you will be choosing a side in a tireless internal dispute at yolk.
- Do not include any personal information in your text or file name. Our editors read anonymously—any submissions including personal information (name, email, etc.) within the text will not be considered.
"In Transit" is a collection of work representing the culture of Montreal’s underground in relation to the 68 metro stations. The STM is the beating heart of the city, the transitory pulmonary vein that breathes life into each borough. We are looking for visual art, poetry, fiction, and non-fiction that convey the subterranean particularities of our city.
To submit to "In Transit", simply mention this in your cover letter and at the top of your submission.
Before submitting, we strongly encourage you to read our general submission guidelines Thank you for submitting to yolk!
Our digital publication is open to Canadian + international submissions.
FORMATTING
- Submit a maximum of 10 pieces of visual art, each as separate files with the name of the work included in the file name
- Submit your work in JPEG and provide a brief description of the work's intention in your cover letter
- Should you be uncertain about placing your work in this category, do not hesitate to inquire (themail@yolkliterary.ca)
- Do not include any personal information in your submission or file name. Our editors view anonymously—any submissions including personal information (name, email, etc.) within the text will not be considered.
- There is no separate submission for cover art. All visual art submitted is considered for the cover.
"In Transit" is a collection of work representing the culture of Montreal’s underground in relation to the 68 metro stations. The STM is the beating heart of the city, the transitory pulmonary vein that breathes life into each borough. We are looking for visual art, poetry, fiction, and non-fiction that convey the subterranean particularities of our city.
To submit to "In Transit", simply mention this in your cover letter and at the top of your submission.
Before submitting, we strongly encourage you to read our general submission guidelines Thank you for submitting to yolk!