Calls for Submissions

Scroll Down for information on submitting to general issues. Click here for information on the 2012 Winston Collins / Descant Prize for Best Canadian Poem.
	Call for Submissions: Cartooning Degree Zero: Descant's Graphic Literature Issue The comic strip, the funnybook, the graphic novel -- whatever we call this melange of words and pictures, it all begins with the art of cartooning. This issue provides an opportunity to explore what cartooning looks like now, and where we find its limits. In writing that approaches the zero degree, Roland Barthes sees an “infinite freedom” shining forth, the creation of an “unexpected object” overflowing with possibilities. Can we say the same for cartooning degree zero? Contributors are encouraged to test out the affinities that exist between cartooning and poetry, comics and prose, drawing and writing. What are the stories that images tell, and what do they keep silent? What can comics recall about the past, or say about the present? What have we seen in the history of cartooning, and what can we expect for the future of the form? Descant welcomes cartooned strips, panels, and stories that address any topic and investigate the possibilities and boundaries of the medium. Traditional essays, poems, memoirs and fiction that deal in some way with comics and cartooning will also be accepted. Submission deadline for this issue: June 7th, 2013
	Call for Submissions: Berlin  "I still keep a suitcase in Berlin" - Marlene Dietrich "It's a city that's so easy to 'get lost' in - and to 'find' oneself, too." - David Bowie, on his "Berlin Years"   Has there ever been a more protean city than Berlin? Once home to emperors and palaces, cabaret halls and seductive starlets, Berlin became a city of stones and then a city divided, only to resume its status as capital of the reunified Germany. Berlin is a city of contradictions ­— or what its current mayor Klaus Wowereit calls, “Poor, but sexy.” It is precisely Berlin’s paradoxical nature that has long held appeal for artists coming to the city in search of creative revitalization. From Christopher Isherwood’s Berlin Stories, which inspired a young David Bowie to move to the city, to Christo wrapping The Reichstag, Berlin remains a haven for those seeking the unconventional and unpredictable. In 2014, Berlin will commemorate its 25th anniversary of the fall of the wall and the reunification of the city. Descant aims to take part in this celebration by welcoming submissions of unpublished fiction, poetry, essays and art pieces that speak to the mythology, memory and identity of Berlin — in all its various incarnations. Submission deadline for this issue: August 16, 2013

Submission Guidelines

Before submitting work to Descant, you may wish to consider the following guidelines:

Content

Descant considers submissions of poetry (submit about six poems), short stories, novel excerpts, plays, essays, interviews, musical scores and visual presentations. Standards for acceptance are high. We receive a large number of submissions every month – please send only your best, carefully edited work. No submission may be under consideration by another publisher, nor can it have been previously published.

Format for Written Work - Hard Copy

Submissions must be typed and double-spaced on one side of the page. Please use ample margins. Good quality photocopies are acceptable. Please print your full name, type of submission and complete address on the envelope. 

Manuscripts may be sent back if they do not adhere to format guidelines.

The mailing address to send submissions to is:

Descant
PO Box 314, Station P
Toronto, ON M5S 2S8

Format for Written Work - Electronic

Please adhere to the same requirements as hard copy. However, your cover letter information may be contained in the body of the email. The pieces themselves should be attached to the email in a .pdf or word processing document (.doc or .docx is preferred).

Email submissions that are not included in attachments in the preferred formats or do not adhere to the guidelines above will be sent back.

The email address to send submissions to is submit@descant.ca

Art Submissions

Art portfolios should include a selection of four or eight images of art (be it photography, illustration or painting).

Submissions can be mailed to us, either as a hard copy or on CD-R. If sending on CD-R, use low resolution .jpgs or .pdfs. Mac format is preferred, but PC is acceptable.

Email submissions are acceptable. Please send the images in attachments to submit@descant.ca - website links will not be accepted as portfolios.

Return

Our preferred method of responding to submissions is by email; note that should you choose to have us communicate using this method, unsuccessful applications will be recycled following our response.

If you would prefer a paper response and/or your manuscript returned, include a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) with adequate Canadian postage or International Reply Coupons.

Americans, please note: U.S. postage on SASEs is not sufficient! Please use IRCs or Canadian postage on your SASE.

Recommendation

We recommend that you read at least one issue of the magazine before submitting work. Descant is available in public libraries and bookstores across the country, and sample copies may be purchased from our office for $13 each, including postage. Get a copy here.

If Accepted

If accepted, it may take Descant up to 12 months to publish accepted works (occasionally longer, often shorter). Descant pays a $100 honourarium upon publication.