Wake Review Literary Magazine Submission Rules

The Wake Review accepts fiction, non-fiction, poetry, photography and multimedia art submissions, provided they meet the guidelines stated on this page.

The submission deadline is January 31.

General requirements

  • Students must be enrolled in at least one class in either the Fall or Spring semester. This means, even if you transfer out of Wake Tech, you are still eligible to submit and be published if chosen.
  • Multiple authors may collaborate on the same work. At least one author or creator must be a Wake Tech student.
  • All work should be the property of the original author or creator.
  • All art must be produced by the student author or authors. Content cannot be created with the assistance or augmentation of artificial intelligence.
  • Submitting graded essays does not count as self-plagiarism. Self-plagiarism pertains only to submitting the same work in multiple courses.
  • Students are allowed up to five total submissions. Multiple pieces can be submitted in different categories.
  • Each submission should be emailed separately. Submissions and submission forms should be attached – not copied and pasted – and sent to [email protected] from a valid Wake Tech email address.
  • If you want your submission(s) to be anonymous, please note that on your submission form.
  • Include the category for consideration in the subject line of the email.
  • A submission form must be completed for each individual submission and attached to it, regardless of category. Instructors submitting on behalf of students should complete and attach a teacher submission form to each.
  • Each submission should have a unique title. If you submit something with a title such as "Project 1," we will ask for a new title if your work is chosen for publication. Submissions without a proper title will be referred to as "Untitled."
  • You will receive a submission confirmation email. If you do not receive a response within 48 hours, please submit again.

Faculty and staff submissions

  • Wake Tech employees submitting their own work need to complete and attach a faculty submission form for each submission.
  • Faculty submissions are not eligible for cash prizes.

Additional requirements for fiction, non-fiction and poetry

  • The author's name and the title of work should be on the first page, unless it is an anonymous submission.
  • Written submissions should not exceed 3,000 words.
  • Fiction and non-fiction submissions should be in MLA format.
  • If the submission is an excerpt from a larger work, please specify in both the submission form and the actual document.
  • Poetry submissions should be in a basic font, but spacing is up to the author.
  • Submissions should be in Microsoft Word files (.doc or .docx).
  • If applicable, all non-fiction essays should have a works cited page in the same document as the essay. The works cited page is not included in the 3,000-word limit.

Additional requirements for songs, graphic design, art and photography

  • Submission files should be no larger than 4MB.
  • All images should be attached to the email in .jpg format.
  • Images should not have watermarks on them. Watermarks would prevent publication due to copyright laws.
  • Any dark or low-light image chosen to be published in the physical edition of The Wake Review will have to be brightened before being sent to the print shop. This may affect the quality and/or appearance of the submission.
  • Any videos of performances should be uploaded to YouTube. In the email, please attach a Microsoft Word document of the lyrics as well as the link to the video. If it is a video of simply playing an instrument without any lyrics, please describe the video/music in the submission form, including title and composer. If it is an original, feel free to attach the sheet music.
  • Any short films should be uploaded to YouTube if size allows. If not, email [email protected] and attach the link to the video.
  • Pictures of art (paintings, sculptures, etc.) should be of good quality and encompass only the item to be featured. If the quality is not up to standards, we will ask for a better picture if your submission is chosen for publication. If you do not have a way of taking a picture of the work or would prefer a better-quality picture, email [email protected] expressing concern, and we will have somebody take a picture for the artist.