Foglifter is a biannual compendium of the most dynamic, urgent queer and trans writing today. It’s a space where LGBTQ+ writers celebrate, mourn, rage, and embrace.
Foglifter welcomes daring and thoughtful work by queer and trans writers in all forms, and we are especially interested in cross-genre, intersectional, marginal, and transgressive work. We want the pieces that challenged you as a writer, what you poured yourself into and risked the most to make. But we also want your tenderest, gentlest work, what you hold closest to your heart. Whatever you're working on now that's keeping you alive and writing, Foglifter wants to read it.
What does that look like? Check out some writing we love from our recent issues:
- “Seven Dates” by Elliot Gish
- “Whirlpool” by Meg Cass
- “Zulum,” by Fargo Tbakhi
- “INWARD ASPECT,” by Chekwube Danladi
- “Magical Faggot as Cinematic Study,” by Dez Deshaies
Editorial Statement
We provide a path to representation for a broad selection of LGBTQ+ voices, centering queer and trans literary artists of color, youth, elders, and those beyond traditional LGBTQ+ cultural centers so that our readers and audiences can see their own experiences authentically represented through queer and trans literary arts.
We believe that queer and trans people must curate our own artistic discourses and we curate with a commitment to not perpetuate harm in our communities and recognize our responsibilities as editors to uplift the voices of queer and trans people while not punching down on those of us who live at the intersection of multiple oppressed identities.
Writers in Need Fund
Foglifter is excited to launch the Writers In Need fund to support sliding-scale payments for our contributors. While we have been deeply fortunate to be able to compensate contributors for their important and incredible writing with a modest honorarium, Foglifter recognizes the many intersections of our queer and trans artistic communities, and that members of our community may be differently impacted by financial insecurity and historical disenfranchisement. This fund is an attempt to address those inequities. Please see the Submit page on our website for details.
Guidelines
Title your submission with the title of the work(s) you are submitting (separated by commas).
Include a 50-word or less bio (with pronouns after your name, please!) in your cover letter. (If accepted, we will request an author photo; JPG or PNG files are best.)
We accept the following unpublished unsolicited submissions:
- 3 to 5 poems (max 5 pages)
- up to 7500 words of fiction or nonfiction (up to three flash fiction pieces)
- up to 20 pages of cross-genre work, text-image hybrids, or drama
All submissions must be uploaded as one DOC or DOCX file using the following titling convention: First_Last_Foglifter (i.e., Audre_Lorde_Foglifter)
- We accept simultaneous submissions; however, please withdraw your piece immediately if it is accepted elsewhere (or, if you only need to withdraw part of a submission, send us a message in Submittable).
- Only one submission per genre is permitted each reading period.
- We do not accept previously published material.
- We welcome translated work in all genres, provided rights have been secured before submission. (Both author and translator will receive an honorarium.)
- If we've recently accepted your work, please wait two reading periods (1 year) to submit again.
- Contributors receive two copies of the issue in which they appear and a $50 honorarium (via PayPal).
Submission periods are:
- March 1 to May 1 (Fall Edition)
- September 1 to November 1 (Spring Edition)
- We are always open for cover art! Reach our production manager Alice Lee at production@foglifterpress.com. (For all other submissions, please use the applicable form below.)
The guest poetry editor for this issue is Diya Abbas. Diya (she/they) is a first-generation Pakistani poet, performer, and playwright from the Midwest. They were named the 2022 George B. Hill Poetry Prize and the Lyman S.V. Judson Awardee in the Creative Arts. Her work is featured in Adroit, The Offing, BAHR Magazine, Emerge Literary Journal, Foglifter and others. Diya has written and performed for venues including The Lincoln Center, St. Louis Film Festival, Brave New Voices, Button Poetry, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, The Andre De Shields Foundation, and others. She is currently studying Creative Writing and South Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin Madison through the First Wave program. @joyridddle
Submission must adhere to the following guidelines:
- Submit 3 to 5 poems (max 5 pages).
- Each new poem must start on its own separate page.
- Include all poems in a single Word document (and put the titles of your poems, separated by commas, in the title field).
Foglifter aims to reflect the vibrant diversity of the LGBTQ+ literary community in our award-winning journal. Fill out our anonymized Demographics Survey to be considered for publication—then take a screenshot of the thank-you screen at the end and attach it along with your submission.
The guest fiction editor for this issue is Nadine Rodriguez (they/them/) is a transmasc, queer Cuban-American writer and visual artist born and raised in Miami, Florida currently based in Brooklyn. They hold an MFA in Fiction from Northern Michigan University and have been a Managing Editor for Passages North, a prose editor for Mag 20/20, and a co-editor for Sinister Wisdom: Trans/Feminisms. They've published fiction, poetry, and nonfiction in various journals and publications, including Foglifter, Superstition Review, Bullshit, and The Bitchin' Kitsch. They are a Best of the Net and Pushcart nominee.
- Please send a single Word document with up to 7500 words of fiction (up to three flash fiction pieces). Make sure it is in standard double-spaced formatting and a readable font.
Foglifter aims to reflect the vibrant diversity of the LGBTQ+ literary community in our award-winning journal. Fill out our anonymized Demographics Survey to be considered for publication—then take a screenshot of the thank-you screen at the end and attach it along with your submission.
The guest hybrid and drama editor for this issue is CQ, or C. Quintana. CQ (she/any) is a queer writer with Cuban and Louisiana roots + the author of The 126-Year-Old Artist (Audible) and Scissoring (Dramatists Play Service). The recipient of fellowships from NYSCA, MacDowell, Queer|Art, Van Lier New Voices, Lambda Literary, and beyond, CQ is a proud contributor to Foglifter, Jacar Press, Third Coast, great weather for MEDIA, BOMB, and more. Television writing credits include Alert: Missing Persons Unit (Season 2), Orphan Black: Echoes, and The Baker and the Beauty. Visit cquintana.com or @cquintanatown.
- Send up to 20 pages of cross-genre work, text-image hybrids, or drama.
- PDFs are accepted in this category.
Foglifter aims to reflect the vibrant diversity of the LGBTQ+ literary community in our award-winning journal. Fill out our anonymized Demographics Survey to be considered for publication—then take a screenshot of the thank-you screen at the end and attach it along with your submission.
The guest nonfiction editor for this issue is CQ, or C. Quintana. CQ (she/any) is a queer writer with Cuban and Louisiana roots + the author of The 126-Year-Old Artist (Audible) and Scissoring (Dramatists Play Service). The recipient of fellowships from NYSCA, MacDowell, Queer|Art, Van Lier New Voices, Lambda Literary, and beyond, CQ is a proud contributor to Foglifter, Jacar Press, Third Coast, great weather for MEDIA, BOMB, and more. Television writing credits include Alert: Missing Persons Unit (Season 2), Orphan Black: Echoes, and The Baker and the Beauty. Visit cquintana.com or @cquintanatown.
- Please send a single Word document with up to 7500 words of nonfiction (up to three flash nonfiction pieces).
- Please make sure it is in standard double-spaced formatting and a readable font.
Foglifter aims to reflect the vibrant diversity of the LGBTQ+ literary community in our award-winning journal. Fill out our anonymized Demographics Survey to be considered for publication—then take a screenshot of the thank-you screen at the end and attach it along with your submission.
The responsibilities are as follows:
Web Administrator
The Web Administrator manages the Foglifter website, ensuring that it is accessible, secure, and that the content is regularly updated. They update the calendar of events, oversee blog content, keep the masthead current, and manage the online store. The Web Administrator will also play a vital role in developing and implementing Foglifter's new digital journal platform. Experience in writing HTML and web development strongly preferred.
Website & Content Management
- Responsible for managing, updating & troubleshooting the website.
- Uploading submitted blog content on time. Work with the Communication Manager on announcing new content.
- Work with the Accessibility Coordinator in making the website 100% accessible.
- Help manage the Woocommerce page of the website. Create a product page for new issues with the Distribution Manager.
- Help Development Assistant with any data required for grant application.
Foglifter Digital Journal
- Foglifter is planning to go online in 2025. The Website Administrator's role is to plan a roadmap with the Digital Production Manager, Print Production Manager, Communication Manager, Accessibility Coordinator, and Distribution Manager.
- The objective is to have a free online journal that is a repository for queer and trans writing, with the main objective of helping contributors access and share their published writings.
- Securing a Web Developer to work with, establishing our needs and limitations.
Additional role requirements:
- Experience with design and formatting softwares. We currently use WordPress for our website, Divi as our theme builder, and Woocommerce to manage our online shop.
- Knowledge of CMS, Siteground, and Canva.