Judy Magazine is committed to providing an easy and accessible submissions process to all writers regardless of their income, citizenship status, or residency. We are always open to submissions from writers who are currently incarcerated and will accept submissions via mail from anyone who is unable to send their work through our online process. We especially welcome submissions from writers who identify as members of historically marginalized groups, writers who are economically disadvantaged, and artists who are self-taught or identify as outsiders. Obviously, we are particularly interested in writers and artists who love their grandmothers as much as we do. 

Prose 

• We accept fiction, nonfiction, prose poems, and anything that can conceivably be called “prose” 

  (If you take that as an invitation to get weird, good, you’re picking up what we’re putting down)

• Submissions should be up to 5,000 words in length (with the exception of the rare and brilliant piece that requires more words) 

• Each issue will be themed, but feel free to be loose with your interpretation of that theme. Ultimately, good work will win out over anything else

• All work must be previously unpublished

• AI generated work will be mocked and rejected and any violators of this rule will be forced to explain artificial intelligence to Judy (the lady) as punishment 

• We (OF COURSE) accept simultaneous submissions—just drop us a note when your work is accepted elsewhere

  Recipes

• It’s simple: we want real family recipes that hold meaning to you as a person that you can use as inspiration as an artist

• We want recipes that make you feel something, that might make us feel something

• We don’t want recipes copy and pasted from the New York Times Cooking section; we read that, and you’ll get busted

• Given that this is a literary magazine (by name at least), recipes that are interesting and come with a compelling story will be favored over recipes that sound delicious, but don’t tell us anything about the writer’s family, culture, or self; make us feel something other than hungry (we get there on our own)

  
  
  

  Art

• We are looking for old family photographs, images that make us nostalgic for times and places we may have never known

• We accept all forms of visual art so long as it is original and created by a HUMAN BEING

• Our tastes are broad and underdeveloped, but we are certain we like folk/outsider art, anything surreal, raw, and provocative— also photographs of motels for some reason

• We are unlikely to publish all of your dog photos, but don’t let that stop you from sending them along!
  
  
  
  
  

If you are currently incarcerated or are otherwise unable to follow the online submissions process and wish to send your submissions through the mail, please reach out to us with any relevant details and we will provide you with a physical address.

Judy Magazine holds first serial publication rights for three months after publication. We ask that during that time the author does not permit the publication of any part of the material to another publication. Any work that is selected for reprint in a Judy Magazine anthology will be subject to different rules that will ensure fair compensation and rights of the author. 

Judy is not currently a paying market, but we aim to be one in the future.