OJAL Art Incorporated's
OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L)
Buttonhook Press
HOT BUTTON PRESS (Contemporary Issues)
General submission guidelines
and current calls for submissions
About Open: Journal of Arts & Letters:
OJAL Art Incorporated, publishing since 2017 as Open: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) and its imprints Buttonhook Press and HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues, serves writers and artists worldwide. OJAL Art Incorporated's publications offer a range of contemporary aesthetic experiences made available through several media platforms. OJAL Art Incorporated's Open: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L), Buttonhook Press, and now HOT BUTTON PRESS (Contemporary Issues), have as a primary ambition to gather, publish, and popularize notable contemporary writing and other fine arts and to promote the work of its contributors to a varied and discerning audience in the English-speaking world and beyond. Open: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L), Buttonhook Press and now HOT BUTTON PRESS (Contemporary Issues) offer their audiences the opportunity to sample an array of artistic expressions presented in several media by both emerging and established contemporary artists, writers, musicians, and videographers from around the world.
NOTE: By arrangement with Submittable, O:JA&L, Buttonhook Press, and now HOT BUTTON PRESS (Contemporary Issues) are eligible collectively to receive from submitters 100 free submissions per month. When this limit of submissions is reached, all categories of free submissions close temporarily.
What to Submit:
Open: Journal of Arts & Letters will consider submissions of previously unpublished original work in flash fiction, creative nonfiction as essay or memoir, poetry in all styles and genres, as well as submissions of prose, poetry, and drama as audio or video files. Academic articles, craft essays, book reviews, art/gallery reviews, music reviews, arts collaborations, and interviews with artists, musicians, photographers, poets, videographers, writers, and others will also be considered. Open: Journal of Arts & Letters will also consider queries for long fiction suitable for serial publication.
Buttonhook Press considers submissions for publication as broadsides, pamphlets, chapbooks, and works suitable for KDP release based on its published calls for submissions or by direct solicitation.
HOT BUTTON PRESS (Contemporary Issues) will issue specialized or themed calls for submissions or will solicit submissions directly.
How to Submit:
Open: Journal of Arts & Letters and Buttonhook Press, and now HOT BUTTON PRESS (Contemporary Issues) will accept submissions only through an electronic Submissions Manager. Send submissions for the categories listed or send an entry to any specific Contest. Submissions must be in one of the following file formats: .doc, .docx, .rtf, .pdf, .mp3, .mp4, .mov, and .flv.
Rights and Permissions:
As a condition of publication, O:JA&L reserves for previously unpublished work First North American Rights and one-time worldwide Internet rights. O:JA&L also reserves the right to permanently archive work(s) online and to consider it/them for a print anthology release AND TO OFFER THEM IN NOMINATION FOR AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS THAT REQUIRE PERMISSION FOR THE AWARD-GRANTING AUTHORITY TO REPRINT. Thirty (30) days following publication, all other rights revert to the artist/writer. In the event new work(s) first appearing in O:JA&L is/are reprinted elsewhere, O:JA&L should be credited as the first publisher.
License to Publish:
The Contributor, or the authorized agent/agency who submits on behalf of the Contributor, in the act of submitting the Work to the Publisher for publication thereby agrees to grant to the Publisher a license to publish on its website or in its media vehicles the Work/s submitted to the Publisher by the Contributor, or by the authorized agent/agency who submits on behalf of the Contributor. It is understood by all parties that the submission of a Work to the Publisher is an offer to license the Publisher to publish the Work according to the terms and conditions of this agreement and that publication by the Publisher will be considered an acceptance of such an offer to publish. This acceptance by the Publisher does not require the Submitter to abjure the right of refusal.
The license granted by the Contributor who is a Writer, or the authorized agent/agency who submits on behalf of the Contributor, to the Publisher includes the following rights:
· to publish in perpetuity the Work on the Publisher’s O:JA&L website;
· to include the Work in perpetuity in the Publisher’s online archive of published Work;
· and to reproduce, display, and distribute in perpetuity the Work in print or other medium on the condition that in any and every other use by the Publisher the Work is fully attributed to the Contributor and a link or links to the Contributor’s commercial sales site is included.
The Publisher shall retain an exclusive license to publish the Work for a period of thirty (30) days from the date of its first publication. After thirty (30) days, all rights except those specified above revert to the Contributor.
The license granted by the Contributor who is an Artist, or the authorized agent/agency who submits on behalf of the Contributor, to the Publisher includes the following rights:
· to publish and use in perpetuity the Work on the Publisher’s O:JA&L website;
· to include the Work in perpetuity in its online archive of published Work;
· and to reproduce, place, display, and/or distribute in perpetuity the Work in print or other medium only on the condition that in any and every use directly controlled by the Publisher, the Work is fully attributed to the Contributor and that links to all the Contributor’s commercial sales site/s is/are available and included in a caption or other appropriate notation.
The Publisher shall retain an exclusive license to publish the Work for a period of thirty (30) days from the date of its first publication. After thirty (30) days, all rights except those specified above revert to the Contributor.
The licenses granted and representations made to the Publisher by the Contributor, or the authorized agent/agency who submits on behalf of the Contributor, will, however, continue for the term of any copyrights held by the Contributor.
Cover Letters:
Submitters should include a short cover letter that references the submitter’s background, experience, and important publications and awards. The cover letter should include a third-person professional biography of up to 50 word unless otherwise specified in the call for submissionss.
Submissions Formatting:
All submissions (including captions for images) should be set in 12-point Garamond type and should be formatted with one-inch margins and sequentially numbered pages (page numbers to appear as footers). Fiction and nonfiction should be double-spaced. Poetry, including prose poetry, should be single-spaced. The submitter’s name, address, telephone number, and email address should appear at the top of the first page. Subsequent pages should use the author’s name and email address as a header. Submitters should include a formal third-person biographical note (up to 50 words) for publication in the “Artists Index.” Submissions must be in one of the following file formats: .doc, .docx, .mp3, .mp4, .mov, and .flv.
Reading Periods:
Unsolicited submissions may be sent at any time, year-round.
Simultaneous Submissions:
Open: Journal of Arts & Letters Buttonhook Press, and now HOT BUTTON PRESS (Contemporary Issues) accept simultaneous submissions. Submitters should immediately notify Open: Journal of Arts & Letters through the messaging feature of the submission system if work under consideration by Open: Journal of Arts & Letters is accepted elsewhere.
Response Times:
Response times vary from one to twelve OR MORE weeks.
Submissions Fees:
Open: Journal of Arts & Letters considers 100 unsolicited fee-free submissions per month distributed across all fee-free categories. After 100 unsolicited fee-free submissions have been received, submissions close in all categories until the first day of the following month.
Open: Journal of Arts & Letters occasionally conducts contests for writers and artists. There are always fees associated with O:JA&L contests.
Open: Journal of Arts & Letters is a magazine with the ambition of popularizing good literary and artistic work. Open: Journal of Arts & Letters desires to connect our audience members to our artists. Open: Journal of Arts & Letters is committed to publishing debut and emerging writers and artists as well as those already established.
EXPEDITED EVALUATION OPTION: Expedited evaluation of unsolicited submissions is available for a fee of $5 USD. Expedited evaluation encourages a 72-hour response by the O:JA&L editors.
NOTE: EXPEDITED EVALUATION IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: PROSE SUBMISSIONS OF 1001-10,000 WORDS, SUBMISSIONS OF LONG-FORM PROSE (INCLUDING SERIALS), DRAMA SUBMISSIONS, AND SCREEN PLAYS.
Payments to submitters:
Open: Journal of Arts & Letters is strongly committed to promoting our artists’ works and maintains a varied, sustained, and powerful social media program to serve that end. At present, Open: Journal of Arts & Letters offers no payment to contributors.
Buttonhook Press, an imprint of OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L).
Open call for submissions for 2024 PDF Broadside Series:
O:JA&L's Buttonhook Press will consider poems (including prose poems) and flash narratives of up to 30 lines for its 2024 Broadside Series.
O:JA&L encourages writer/artist collaborations for this series.
Use a cover letter that contains all contact information and includes a professional biography in third person of up to 100 words for the writer and 100 words for any artist collaborator. Include a link to the proposed art of the collaborator in the cover letter.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted with the understanding that notice to O:JA&L will be prompt if a MS is accepted elsewhere.
To ensure processing by the correct editors, the subject line or cover letter should include the words “Call for Submissions: buttonhook broadside series.”
No reading fees apply.
“Expedited” consideration is not available in thgis category.
Conditions:
Submissions accepted for publication in the PDF Broadside Series will be released to readers as free PDFs through the O:JA&L website and will enjoy limited distribution as O:JA&L subscriber premiums. No ISBNs will be associated with these titles. Copyright for the PDF versions of these broadsides will reside permanently with OJAL Art Incorporated, O:JA&L, and O:JA&L’s Buttonhook Press and with the writer. Rights for printed versions of the PDF will be reserved on behalf of each author and artist and/or pair of collaborating creators. OJAL Art Incorporated, OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L), and Buttonhook Press will provide to each writer and artist and/or pair of collaborating creators a free license and appropriate electronic files to produce a printed version of the broadside to bring to market for their own purposes.
OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters & O:JA&L s imprint HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues
SPECIAL CALL FOR CONTEST SUBMISSIONS
COUNTERREVOLUTION STORIES
$1000 CASH PRIZE TO WINNER
AN ENTRY FEE OF $5 (USD) APPLIES.
CONTEST OPENS APRIL 15
CONTEST CLOSES DECEMBER 1.
or when 100 submissions have been received.
O:JA&L’s imprint HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues invites CONTEST SUBMISSIONS of COUNTERREVOLUTION STORIES.
O:JA&L’s imprint HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues invites CONTEST SUBMISSIONS of COUNTERREVOLUTION STORIES.
Counterrevolution stories convey one’s own personal experience with woke injustice. They stand in contrast to the dominant “woke” ideology, which, in purporting to oppose injustice, has succeeded mainly in perpetrating its own oppressive version of it. Counterrevolution stories may be fiction or nonfiction, serious and reflective, or comedic or satirical.
Submitters certainly can be, but need not be, straight White males. Submitters might also be Black conservatives, trans people who have something contentious to say about the LGBTQ movement, artists, legal immigrants who support enforcement of immigration laws, members of the military, the police forces, the private or public education systems, government employees with an insider’s perspective, or any number of other identities. We invite all who have something counterrevolutionary to say to share their stories of woke marginalization and oppression with us.
What is “wokeism” exactly? It is the social justice warrior’s pseudo-religion of critical race theory presenting as Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practices, Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) policies, White Studies, as well as other critical theories such as Women’s Studies, Gender Studies, or any of the various academic disciplines rooted in real-world manifestations of the fusion of classical Marxism with postmodernism. “Wokeness” has been described as “applied postmodernism,” which “rejects innate human nature, objective truth, knowledge, reason, and the individual, replacing them with socially constructed identity groups, cultural and value relativism, ideologies, and indistinct categories.”
Please do not send analytical essays. We are looking for narratives that are based in some way on personal experience. Submissions need not even contain the word “woke."
For those who wish to explore a bit further, counterrevolution stories stand in counterpoint to counterstories, a popular genre that for decades has been a major part of far-left critical race theory.
Orwell and other writers are known for having said that all art is propaganda. But the art is in how the messages are conveyed. Finessed persuasively through the true, the good, and the beautiful, it is art. But if the message is too on the nose, then it’s propaganda and nothing else.
GUIDELINES:
Please include a cover letter which contains the writer's contact information, the title of the work, the type of work (fiction, nonfiction, essay, memoir, etc.), and the writer's professional biography of 100 words or less in third person. Writers may elect to release works under a pseudonym without a biography. This preference must be stated clearly in the cover letter.
Regarding works accepted for publication, O:JA&L claims first international rights, first North American rights, and the right to archive the accepted works on its website and to publish the winner and all finalists as a collection. In lieu of royalties for this compilation, each contest entrant published under the HOT BUTTON PRESS imprint will receive appropriate files and a free license for production, sale, and distribution of an O:JA&L-designed pamphlet version of his (or her) individual essay to serve the author's own purposes.
All other rights revert to the author upon publication. OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters asks to be identified as first publisher if published works are reprinted elsewhere.
Expedited evaluation of your submission is not available in this category.
Contest entries may contain no more than 5,000 words, not counting the title, byline, and any epigraph.
All contest entries are eligible for publication.
Contest entries will be received only through the O:JA&L submissions manager. Submissions in .docx file format are preferred. A limit of one entry is permitted to each submitter. An entry fee/reading fee of $5 (usd) is required for each entry.
Please do not send analytical essays. We are looking for narratives that are based in some way on personal experience. Submissions need not even contain the word “woke."
SUBMIT ONLY ONE TITLE IN EACH ENTRY FILE.
Award money for the winner will be paid by direct transfer.
The winner will be announced on December 15, 2024.
OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters. VOLUNTEER VOICE ARTISTS (READERS) WANTED.
OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L), an established multi-platform journal publishing since 2017 on behalf of OJAL Art Incorporated (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation), has immediate need for volunteer Editorial Assistants: Readers-in -Performance/Voice Artists with near-native fluency in English.
Are you an emerging actor or theater arts student? Are you a spoken-word artist or slam poet? Are you a vocalist or on-air personality? Are you a teacher, journalist, or literary academic with a focus on stage arts or film studies? Are you a student or graduate student pursuing a degree in theater arts, film studies, or broadcast journalism? Would you like to join an arts/media team that publishes some of the world’s most exciting studio artists, poets, and writers who are working today?
If you can answer yes to any of the questions above, you may find this resume-building position as A VOLUNTEER Editorial Assistant: Reader-in-Performance (Voice Artist) with OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L), to be a very interesting opportunity.
Qualifications:
The qualified candidate will be able to commit to up to 10 hours of assigned work per month (4-5 well-rehearsed readings); will be able to demonstrate the ability to read, write, and speak English with at least near-native fluency and/or will be able to document current enrollment at an accredited institution of higher learning in a degree-granting program in fine arts, language and literature, journalism and communication, theater arts, or education; and will be able to furnish compelling references.
The ideal candidate will have command of two or more languages, a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent professional skill set, and an IMDb profile.
Essential Skills:
- Good stage, screen or vocal presence.
- The ability to enter into another character and engage with an audience.
- The ability to memorize lines.
- Good understanding of dramatic techniques.
- Having the confidence, energy and dedication to perform.
- Creative insight.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Duties:
- Reports to the Associate Editor for Media and Media Production.
- Selects material from among the eligible works published by OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters
- Develops and rehearses an appropriate persona and/or delivery style for the selected work
- Writes a simple introduction for each selected work including as appropriate the performer's own identity, and a preview of the work (without spoilers)
- Writes a simple conclusion for each selected work including the writer's summarized biography. The reader's recorded biography is optional.
- Performs the work and creates an MP3 and submits it to the Associate Editor for Media and Media Production
- Duties of Systems Analysis - In consultation with the Managing Editor, determines how and to what extent the interview met the needs of both O:JA&L and the needs of the interview subject and to what extent the conditions, operations, and the interview environment were under the control of the interviewer, or determines how and to what extent the or dramatic reading/oral interpretation of a selected work met the needs of both O:JA&L and the needs of the audience and the writer and to what extent the conditions, operations, and the performance environment were under the control of the reader.
- Duties of Systems Evaluation – In consultation with the Managing Editor, identifies measures/indicators/actions which would improve the interview environment and/or improve interviewer control over the conditions and operations of the interview process to meet the goals of O:JA&L, or identifies measures/indicators/actions which would improve the dramatic performance environment and/or improve reader control over the conditions and operations of the dramatic/interpretive reading act to meet the goals of O:JA&L
Benefits:
Intrinsic benefits include the singular experience of first-hand opportunity to interpret for an international audience the work of first-rate creative talents from across the world, the professionally valuable experience of working as part of a team of dedicated artists and writers to produce a journal with value to readers and contributors, and the personally valuable opportunity to develop or strengthen specific interpersonal skills and to improve professional expertise as a Perfomer or On-Air Personality.
After 90 days of faithful performance in the position (a minimum of 20 on-air readings), extrinsic benefits include letters of recommendation from a senior editor attesting to the reader's qualifications and dependability supported by detailed performance evaluations in all skill areas.
Contact O:JA&L:
Respond with letter of interest and resume to the initial screener through Submittable.
OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) will consider articles/editorials/position papers concerning the contemporary state of literary and fine arts for possible publication in the journal and for inclusion as broadsides, pamphlets, or chapbook collections for release via O:JA&L’s new imprint HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues.
The Basics
Topics: You must write about the state of contemporary literary or fine arts. If you aren't familiar with the HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues areas of interest, consider the following list of appropriate topics:
1. Activism/agitprop in art and contemporary literature
a. An HBP:CI collection of these articles is currently in process.
2. Issues of contemporary Americana (art, literature, music)
3. Emerging world art, music, and literary schools/movements/trends
4. Creative processes and AI/acts of AI originality (esp. creative use of AI)
Expertise: This might sound obvious, but you must be knowledgeable about these issues. We are an arts publication and our readers are experts in our field. No empty posturing.
Length: Articles should be between 750 and 1,500 words.
Tone: Articles may be conversational or academic in tone.
The Process
Submit the full text of your article via our submission manager.
Our response times will vary from two hours to twelve weeks or more.
Accepted editorials/articles may be published in two formats.
1: Accepted articles may be released to the general readership via the OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) website. The writer will be credited as “Guest Editor” on the website.
2: Selected topically related articles may be gathered under single covers and released to subscribers and Patreon supporters as free PDF collections. To be eligible for inclusion in these specialized offerings (broadside, pamphlet, or chapbook), specific authorization must be granted by the submitter at the time of submission via a special form in the Submissions manager.
Preferred Formats
When planning to write an article for us, please consider one of these formats:
Position Paper
This type of article presents an arguable position on an important issue. Use the standard format for this type of article including 1) ntroduction and thesis, 2) strong arguments and evidence in support of thesis, 3) opposing and qualifying ideas, and 4) a compelling conclusion.
Problem-solution-benefit
This type of article presents a problem, explains the steps that could be taken to achieve a workable solution, and discusses the benefits of that solution.
Case study
A case study presents an example of a particular situation, i.e. the story about how an organization identified and solved a problem, the reasons why it was h, problems encountered along the way, and the benefits of the outcome.
Supporting Elements for Your Editorial/Article
When submitting an article for consideration, please include the following supporting information:
Images (optional)
Supporting photos, charts, graphs, or artwork to support your article and enhance the reader’s experience will be requested upon acceptance if this supporting material is available.
About the author (required)
Provide a professional biography of up to 75 words in third person that includes quality-related qualifications and experience, as well as hyperlinks to professional or commercial websites.
NOTE: For preferred format/content of professional biographical statements, visit the O:JA&L link at: https://ojalart.com/contributing-editor-hermione-laakeeditors-advicehow-to-prepare-a-professionalbiographical-statement/ .
Sources Cited (optional/dependent upon nature of the editorial/article)
Include quotes in your article whenever practical, with permission or appropriate citation. When quoting individuals, first obtain their informed consent, and include their title upon first reference. For academic references, consult the MLA stylesheet. Permissions are the liability/responsibility of the submitters. Failure to appropriately cite sources can be viewed as plagiarism.
Plagiarism is a concern for all publishers. Dictionary.com defines plagiarism as “the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work, as by not crediting the author.”
Be careful.
O:JAL's imprints Buttonhook Press & HOT BUTTON PRESS
Open call for long prose submissions suitable for SERIAL PUBLICATION:
O:JA&L’s imprints Buttonhook Press and HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues will consider long prose manuscripts of more than 30,000 words, fiction or nonfiction, organized for serial publication.
Submit the manuscript as a single document divided logically into sections of 10,000 to 12,000 words, more or less. Begin each section on a new page within the document and number the sections sequentially. .docx files are preferred.
Submitters should include an acknowledgments page if any part of the work has been previously published.
Follow other general O:JA&L guidelines that may apply. Simultaneous submissions are accepted in this category with the understanding that O:JA&L will be notified promptly if a piece under consideration here is accepted elsewhere.
A cover letter should include the writer's contact information, the title of the work, and the writer's professional biography of up to 100 words in third person.
O:JA&L and its imprints Buttonhook Press and HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues claims first international rights, first rights in the Anglosphere, and the right to archive in perpetuity all published versions of the accepted manuscript on its website.
Expedited consideration is not available in this category.
Conditions:
O:JA&L editors will determine which O:JA&L imprint will release the title.
Manuscripts accepted for publication will be released to readers serially as free PDFs through the O:JA&L website and will enjoy limited distribution via Patreon as O:JA&L subscriber premiums. No ISBNs will be associated with these titles. Copyright for the PDF versions of these serialized publications and for the related proprietary files of both Buttonhook Press and/or HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues will reside permanently with OJAL Art Incorporated, O:JA&L, and O:JA&L’s imprints Buttonhook Press, HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues and with the writer. OJAL Art Incorporated, as OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) and BHP/HBP, will provide to each writer of a published PDF manuscript a .docx file of that title suitable for use by most full service commercial printing houses and a free license to produce and distribute a printed version of the writer's published PDF work.
Limits:
Long prose submitters may submit once during a calendar year.
Buttonhook Press, an imprint of OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L).
Open call for pamphlet submissions:
Poetry/Prose poetry/Flash fiction & nonfiction, including memoir
O:JA&L's Buttonhook Press will consider pamphlet collections of 8 (minimum) to 16 (maximum) pages of poetry, prose poetry, or flash discourse, fiction or nonfiction, including memoir. Submitters should include an acknowledgments page if any individual works have been previously published. The acknowledgments page is not to be included as part of the page count.
Submit the manuscript as a single document. Begin each individual title on a new page. .docx files are preferred. Follow other general O:JA&L guidelines that may apply.
Use a cover letter that contains all contact information, that identifies a category for the submission (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, etc) and that includes a professional biography in third person of up to 100 words.
If your work is submitted as "Featured Seasonal Content," begin your cover letter with the words FEATURED SEASONAL CONTENT and identify the specific season.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted with the understanding that notice to O:JA&L will be prompt if a MS is accepted elsewhere. To ensure processing by the correct editors, the subject line or cover letter should include the words “Annual Call for Submissions: buttonhook pamphlet.”
No reading fees apply. “Expedited” consideration is available for a fee.
Conditions:
Pamphlets accepted for publication will be released to readers as free PDFs through the O:JA&L website and will enjoy limited distribution as O:JA&L subscriber premiums. No ISBNs will be associated with these titles. Copyright for the PDF versions of these chapbooks will reside permanently with OJAL Art Incorporated, O:JA&L, and O:JA&L’s Buttonhook Press and with the writer. Rights for printed versions of the PDF will be reserved on behalf of each author. OJAL Art Incorporated, OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L), and Buttonhook Press will provide to each writer of a published PDF pamphlet a free license and appropriate electronic files to produce a printed version to bring to market.
Buttonhook Press, an imprint of OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L).
Open call for chapbook submissions: Poetry
O:JA&L's Buttonhook Press will consider chapbook collections of 20 (minimum) to 44 (maximum) pages of poetry, including prose poetry. Submitters should include an acknowledgments page if any individual works have been previously published. The acknowledgments page, the dedication page, and the table of contents are not to be included as part of the page count.
Submit the manuscript as a single document. Begin each individual title on a new page. .docx files are preferred. Follow other general O:JA&L guidelines that may apply.
Use a cover letter that contains all contact information and includes a professional biography in third person of up to 100 words. To ensure processing by the correct editors, the subject line or cover letter should include the words “Annual Call for Submissions: buttonhook chapbook.”
Simultaneous submissions are accepted with the understanding that notice to O:JA&L will be prompt if a MS is accepted elsewhere.
No reading fees apply. “Expedited” consideration is available for a fee.
Conditions:
Chapbooks accepted for publication will be released to readers as free PDFs through the O:JA&L website and will enjoy limited distribution as O:JA&L subscriber premiums. No ISBNs will be associated with these titles. Copyright for the PDF versions of these chapbooks will reside permanently with OJAL Art Incorporated, O:JA&L, and O:JA&L’s Buttonhook Press and with the writer. Rights for printed versions of the PDF will be reserved on behalf of each author. OJAL Art Incorporated, OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L), and Buttonhook Press will provide to each writer of a published PDF chapbook a free license to produce a printed version to bring to market.
Submissions open January 1. Submissions close December 1.
Buttonhook Press, An imprint of OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters.
Open call for chapbook submissions: Flash fiction or flash nonfiction
O:JA&L will consider chapbook collections of 20 (minimum) to 44 (maximum) pages of flash discourse, fiction or nonfiction, with no single work longer than 1000 words. Submitters should include an acknowledgments page if any individual works have been previously published. A table of contents and an acknowledgments page are not included as part of the page count.
Submit the manuscript as a single document. Begin each individual title on a new page within the document. .docx files are preferred. Follow other general O:JA&L guidelines that may apply. Simultaneous submissions are accepted in this category with the understanding that O:JA&L will be notified promptly if a piece under consideration here is accepted elsewhere.
A cover letter should include the writer's contact information, the title of the work, and the writer's professional biography of up to 100 words in third person.
O:JA&L and its imprint Buttonhook Press claims first international rights, first North American rights, and the right to archive in perpetuity the accepted chapbook on its website.
Expedited consideration is not available in this category.
Conditions:
Chapbooks accepted for publication will be released to readers as free PDFs through the O:JA&L website and will enjoy limited distribution via Patreon as O:JA&L subscriber premiums. No ISBNs will be associated with these titles. Copyright for the PDF versions of these chapbooks and for Buttonhook Press's related proprietary files will reside permanently with OJAL Art Incorporated, O:JA&L, and O:JA&L’s Buttonhook Press and with the writer. OJAL Art Incorporated, as OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) and Buttonhook Press, will provide to each writer of a published PDF chapbook a file of that chapbook suitable for use by most full service commercial printing houses and a free license to produce and distribute a printed version of the writer's published PDF chapbook.
Buttonhook Press
An imprint of OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters
Open call for chapbook submissions:
Mixed Forms as Haibun or Tanka Prose
O:JA&L will consider chapbook collections of 20 (minimum) to 44 (maximum) pages of mixed-form writing as haibun or tanka prose. Submitters should include an acknowledgments page if any individual works have been previously published. A table of contents and an acknowledgments page are not included as part of the page count.
Submit the manuscript as a single document. Begin each individual title on a new page within the document. .docx files are preferred. Follow other general O:JA&L guidelines that may apply. Simultaneous submissions are accepted in this category with the understanding that O:JA&L will be notified promptly if a piece under consideration here is accepted elsewhere.
A cover letter should include the writer's contact information, the title of the work, and the writer's professional biography of up to 100 words in third person.
O:JA&L and its imprint Buttonhook Press claims first international rights, first North American rights, and the right to archive in perpetuity the accepted chapbook on its website.
Conditions:
Chapbooks accepted for publication will be released to readers as free PDFs through the O:JA&L website and will enjoy limited distribution via Patreon as O:JA&L subscriber premiums. No ISBNs will be associated with these titles. Copyright for the PDF versions of these chapbooks and for Buttonhook Press's related proprietary files will reside permanently with OJAL Art Incorporated, O:JA&L, and O:JA&L’s Buttonhook Press and with the writer. OJAL Art Incorporated, as OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) and Buttonhook Press, will provide to each writer of a published PDF chapbook a file of that chapbook suitable for use by most full service commercial printing houses and a free license to produce and distribute a printed version of the writer's published PDF chapbook.
Buttonhook Press, an imprint of OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L).
Annual call for chapbooks of Experimental Discourse
O:JA&L's Buttonhook Press will consider chapbook collections of 20 (minimum) to 44 (maximum) pages of Experimental Discourse with no individual title in the submission to exceed 2100 words.
Submitters should include a table of contents and if any individual works have been previously published, an acknowledgments page. The acknowledgments page, the table of contents, and any dedication page should be included as part of the page count.
Submit the manuscript as a single document. Begin each individual title on a new page within the document. .docx files are preferred. Follow other general O:JA&L guidelines that may apply. Simultaneous submissions are accepted in this category with the understanding that O:JA&L will be notified promptly if a piece under consideration here is accepted elsewhere.
Previously published works are not accepted.
A cover letter should include the writer's contact information, the title of the work and its category (fiction or nonfiction), and the writer's professional biography of up to 100 words in third person. O:JA&L and its imprint Buttonhook Press claims first international rights, first North American rights, first Australian rights, and the right to archive in perpetuity the accepted chapbook on its website.
No reading fees apply.
“Expedited” consideration is not available in this category.
Conditions:
Chapbooks accepted for publication will be released to readers as free PDFs through the O:JA&L website and will enjoy limited distribution via Patreon as O:JA&L subscriber premiums. No ISBNs will be associated with these titles. Copyright for the PDF versions of these chapbooks and for Buttonhook Press's related proprietary files will reside permanently with OJAL Art Incorporated, O:JA&L, and O:JA&L’s Buttonhook Press and with the writer. OJAL Art Incorporated, as OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) and Buttonhook Press, will provide to each writer of a published PDF chapbook a .docx file of that chapbook suitable for use by most full service commercial printing houses and a free license to produce and distribute a printed version of the writer's published PDF chapbook.
Americana: Short Nonfiction (to 5000 words)
OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) will consider submissions of Americana as short nonfiction (to 5000 words).
Americana will here be defined as any writing that has as its sympathetic focus the United States of America or the American people or that endorses and supports American culture and American values.
Submit work that celebrates the history, geography, folklore, cultural heritage, or the people of the United States of America. Short nonfiction submissions may contain ONLY ONE title. Each submission may contain no more than 5,000 words, not counting its title, byline and any epigraph. Submissions must be in one of the following file formats: .doc or .docx. Simultaneous submissions are accepted in this category.
Previously published works are not accepted.
A cover letter should include the writer's contact information, the title of the work, the type of work (fiction, memoir, poetry etc.), and the writer's professional biography of up to 100 words in third person.
O:JA&L claims first international rights, first North American rights, and the right to archive the accepted works on its website and to consider them for inclusion in future collections and anthologies to be compiled and published by the O:JA&L imprint BUTTONHOOK PRESS.
All other rights revert to the author upon publication. OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters asks to be identified as first publisher if published works are reprinted elsewhere.
Expedited evaluation of submissions is not available in this category.
Americana: Short Fiction
OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) will consider submissions of Americana as short fiction (restricted to 5000 words).
Americana will here be defined as any writing that has as its sympathetic focus the United States of America or the American people or that endorses and supports American culture and American values.
Submit work that celebrates the history, geography, folklore, cultural heritage, or the people of the United States of America. Short fiction manuscript submissions may contain ONLY ONE title. Each title may contain no more than 5,000 words, not counting its title, byline, and any epigraph. Submissions must be in one of the following file formats: .doc or .docx. Simultaneous submissions are accepted in this category.
Previously published works are not accepted.
A cover letter should include the writer's contact information, the title of the work, and the writer's professional biography of up to 100 words in third person.
O:JA&L claims first international rights, first North American rights, and the right to archive the accepted works on its website and to consider them for inclusion in future collections and anthologies to be compiled and published by the O:JA&L imprint BUTTONHOOK PRESS.
All other rights revert to the author upon publication. OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters asks to be identified as first publisher if published works are reprinted elsewhere.
Expedited evaluation of submissions is not available in this category.
Americana: Poetry
OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) will consider submissions of Americana as poetry in all forms and styles (restricted to 5 individual titles with a 100 line limit per title).
Americana will here be defined as any writing that has as its sympathetic focus the United States of America or the American people or that endorses and supports American culture and American values.
Submit work that celebrates the history, geography, folklore, cultural heritage, or the people of the United States of America. Titles of 36 lines or less are eligible for the Buttonhook Press 2024 PDF Broadside Series. If you want your work to be considered for the series, nominate your qualifying poems in your cover letter.
Poetry submissions may contain up to five titles. Each title may contain no more than 100 lines, not counting the title, byline and any epigraph. Previously published works are not accepted. Simultaneous submissions are accepted in this category. Submit all titles in a single document file. Start each title on a new page within the document.
Submissions must be in one of the following file formats: .doc or .docx.
A cover letter should include the writer's contact information, the titles of the poems, and the writer's professional biography of up to 100 words in third person.
O:JA&L claims first international rights, first North American rights, and the right to archive the accepted works on its website and to consider them for inclusion in future Americana collections and anthologies to be compiled and published by the O:JA&L imprint BUTTONHOOK PRESS.
All other rights revert to the author upon publication. OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters asks to be identified as first publisher if published works are reprinted elsewhere.
Expedited evaluation of submissions is not available in this category.
To make this content available for an O:JA&L YouTube/Rumble event, mark the Affirmative Permission/Release box on the submission form.
OPEN Call for Submissions: Experimental Discourse as XP fiction or nonfiction to 2000 words
OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) will consider submissions of Experimental Discourse (fiction or nonfiction) of 2000 words minimum, 2100 words maximum, not including title, by-line, and any epigraph.
Submit work that is experimental in nature. "Experimental" will here be defined according to the working definition offered by William Paterson University's Map Literary:
Experimental fiction is fiction that refuses to stay within the boundaries laid out either by traditional realistic literary fiction or by the standard genres of thriller, mystery, sci-fi, romance and so forth. We might say that experimental fiction is non-escapist literature in that it does not seek to seduce its readers into a dreamy forgetfulness. It is fiction, instead, that often unsettles, that makes one feel uncomfortable or liberated, because it breaks rules and invents new ones. Ideologically, it undermines the common conceptual categories by which we understand and navigate the world; it rejects the normal rhetoric of how we describe things.
A submission may contain ONLY ONE title. A submission may contain no less than 2000 and no more than 2100 words, not counting its title, byline and any epigraph. Submissions must be in one of the following file formats: .doc or .docx. Simultaneous submissions are accepted in this category with the understanding that O:JA&L will be notified promptly if a piece under consideration here is accepted elsewhere. Follow other general guidelines that may apply.
Previously published works are not accepted.
A cover letter should include the writer's contact information and the writer's professional biography of up to 100 words in third person.
O:JA&L claims first international rights, first North American rights, and the right to archive the accepted works on its website and to consider them for inclusion in future experimental collections and anthologies to be compiled and published by the O:JA&L imprint BUTTONHOOK PRESS.
All other rights revert to the author upon publication. OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters asks to be identified as first publisher if published works are reprinted elsewhere.
Expedited evaluation of submissions is not available in this category.
Flash Discourse: Open call for submissions as FLASH FICTION/SHORT-SHORT STORY
Open: Journal of Arts & Letters will consider submissions of flash fiction and short-short fiction to 1000 words.
Flash submissions may contain up to three titles. Each title may contain no more than 1,000 words, not counting its title, byline, and any epigraph. Include all titles in one document file. Start each title on a new page within the document. Submissions must be in one of the following file formats: .doc or .docx. Simultaneous submissions are accepted in this category with the understanding that O:JA&L will be notified promptly if a piece under consideration here is accepted elsewhere.
Previously published works are not accepted.
A cover letter should include the writer's contact information, the title/s of the work/s, and the writer's professional biography of up to 100 words in third person.
O:JA&L claims first international rights, first North American rights, and the right to archive the accepted works on its website and to consider them for inclusion in future collections and anthologies to be compiled and published by the O:JA&L imprint BUTTONHOOK PRESS.
All other rights revert to the author upon publication. OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters asks to be identified as first publisher if published works are reprinted elsewhere.
“Expedited” consideration is available for a fee.
Flash Discourse: Open call for submissions as FLASH NONFICTION as PERSONAL ESSAY, MEMOIR, VIGNETTE
Open: Journal of Arts & Letters will consider submissions of flash nonfiction as flash essay, memoir, vignette.
Flash submissions may contain up to three titles. Each title may contain no more than 1,000 words, not counting its title, byline, and any epigraph. Include all titles in one document file. Start each title on a new page within the document. Submissions must be in one of the following file formats: .doc or .docx. Simultaneous submissions are accepted in this category with the understanding that O:JA&L will be notified promptly if a piece under consideration here is accepted elsewhere.
Previously published works are not accepted.
A cover letter should include the writer's contact information, the title/s of the work/s, and the writer's professional biography of up to 100 words in third person.
O:JA&L claims first international rights, first North American rights, and the right to archive the accepted works on its website and to consider them for inclusion in future collections and anthologies to be compiled and published by the O:JA&L imprint BUTTONHOOK PRESS.
All other rights revert to the author upon publication. OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters asks to be identified as first publisher if published works are reprinted elsewhere.
“Expedited” consideration is available for a fee.
O:JA&L will consider submissions of haibun and tanka prose.
Submit up to 5 separate titles in one document file. Each title may contain no more than 1,000 words, not counting its title, byline, and any epigraph. Include all titles in one document file. Start each title on a new page within the document. Submissions must be in one of the following file formats: .doc or .docx. Simultaneous submissions are accepted in this category with the understanding that O:JA&L will be notified promptly if a piece under consideration here is accepted elsewhere.
Previously published works are not accepted.
Works of 36 lines or less are eligible for the Buttonhook Press 2024 PDF Broadside Series. If you want your work to be considered for the series, nominate your qualifying titles in your cover letter.
A cover letter should include the writer's contact information, the title/s of the work/s, and the writer's professional biography of up to 100 words in third person.
O:JA&L claims first international rights, first North American rights, and the right to archive the accepted works on its website and to consider them for inclusion in future collections and anthologies to be compiled and published by the O:JA&L imprint BUTTONHOOK PRESS.
All other rights revert to the author upon publication. OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters asks to be identified as first publisher if published works are reprinted elsewhere.
“Expedited” consideration is available for a fee.
To make this content eligible for an O:JA&L YouTube event, mark the Affirmative Permission/Release box on the submission form.
Call for Submissions: Mixed Forms
SEQUENTIAL ART STORIES/Graphic Narratives, Manga/Manhua/Manhwa, Bandas Desenhadas/Fumetti
O:JA&L will consider submissions of mixed-form narratives as SEQUENTIAL ART STORIES/Graphic Narratives, Manga/Manhua/Manhwa, Bandas Desenhadas/Fumetti up to25 pages maximum for each individual work.
Submit a single work of up to 25 pages as a PDF document file. Include a link to a publishable .jpeg color panel containing the title.
Follow other general O:JA&L guidelines that may apply.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted in this category with the understanding that O:JA&L will be notified promptly if a piece under consideration here is accepted elsewhere.
Previously published works are not accepted.
A cover letter should include the writer's/artist's contact information and the writer's/artist's professional biography/ies of up to 100 words in third person.
O:JA&L claims first international rights, first North American rights, and the right to archive the accepted works on its website and to consider them for inclusion in future collections and anthologies to be compiled and published by the O:JA&L imprint BUTTONHOOK PRESS.
All other rights revert to the author upon publication. OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters asks to be identified as first publisher if published works are reprinted elsewhere.
“Expedited” consideration is available for a fee.
Open: Journal of Arts & Letters will consider submissions of poetry in all forms, styles, and genres.
Submit up to 5 separate titles in one document file. Each title may contain no more than 100 lines. Include all titles in one document file. Start each title on a new page within the document. Submissions must be in one of the following file formats: .doc or .docx. Simultaneous submissions are accepted in this category with the understanding that O:JA&L will be notified promptly if a piece under consideration here is accepted elsewhere.
Previously published works are not accepted.
A cover letter should include the writer's contact information, the title/s of the work/s, and the writer's professional biography of up to 100 words in third person.
Poems of 36 lines or less are eligible for the Buttonhook Press 2024 PDF Broadside Series. If you want your work to be considered for the series, nominate your qualifying works in your cover letter.
O:JA&L claims first international rights, first North American rights, and the right to archive the accepted works on its website and to consider them for inclusion in future collections and anthologies to be compiled and published by the O:JA&L imprint BUTTONHOOK PRESS.
All other rights revert to the author upon publication. OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters asks to be identified as first publisher if published works are reprinted elsewhere.
“Expedited” consideration is available for a fee.
Works of less than 500 words accepted and published in this category are eligible for production as an O:JA&L YouTube/Rumble event. To make this content available for an O:JA&L YouTube event, mark the Affirmative Permission/Release box on the submission form.
Spoken-word performers and slam poets are encouraged to submit audio or video files. Such submissions must be in mp3 or MP4 file formats. Submissions accepted in this category are assumed to be available for production as an O:JA&L YouTube/Rumble event. To make this content eligible for O:JA&L's YouTube channel, mark the Affirmative Permission/Release box on the submission form. These videos will be linked to your content on the journal page. Accepted submitters in this mode should provide a text version of the performance pieces for simultaneous release on the O:JA&L website.
Expedited evaluation of your submission is available (see fee option below). Payment of this fee encourages a 72-hour response by the O:JA&L editors.
Open: Journal of Arts & Letters will consider submissions of short fiction, creative nonfiction, or memoir up to 10,000 words. Submissions may contain one title with a total word count of no more than 10,000 words, not counting its title, byline and any epigraph. Submissions must be in one of the following file formats: .doc, .docx.
Submit one title. Submissions may contain no more than 10,000 words, not counting its title, byline, and any epigraph. Submissions must be in one of the following file formats: .doc or .docx. Simultaneous submissions are accepted in this category with the understanding that O:JA&L will be notified promptly if a piece under consideration here is accepted elsewhere.
Previously published works are not accepted.
A cover letter should include the writer's contact information, the title of the work and the category (fiction, nonfiction, CNF, memoir, vignette), and the writer's professional biography of up to 100 words in third person.
O:JA&L claims first international rights, first North American rights, and the right to archive the accepted works on its website and to consider them for inclusion in future collections and anthologies to be compiled and published by the O:JA&L imprint BUTTONHOOK PRESS.
All other rights revert to the author upon publication. OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters asks to be identified as first publisher if published works are reprinted elsewhere.
“Expedited” consideration is not available in this category.
Open: Journal of Arts & Letters will consider fee-free submissions of drama whose effects can be experienced either on the page or in production.
Submit a file with up to 5000 lines, including title, byline, dramatis personae, and stage direction.
O:JA&L will consider several formatting options for drama: 1) conventions of formatting published by Gordon State College, 2) suggestions for formatting published by The Dramatists Guild, or 3) play formats in specialized software programs for writers like Final Draft or Movie Magic. Submissions which deviate by degrees of magnitude from these conventions of form will be declined.
Submitters should include a cover letter. This cover letter should contain, in the manner of a screenplay, a HEADER for the work, a LOGLINE of up to 30 words, and a SYNOPSIS of the work (without spoilers) of up to 150 words. This cover letter should also include a third-person professional biography of the playwright in 100 words, more or less.
Open: Journal of Arts & Letters will only consider plays that have never before been produced or published. Submissions must be made in PDF file format only.
NOTE: Expedited evaluation of your submission is not available in this category.
OPEN: Journal of Arts and Letters will consider fee-free submissions of screen plays as Feature Film script, Concept Video, or Series Pilot script.
Submitters should include a cover letter. This cover letter should contain a HEADER for the script, a LOGLINE of up to 30 words, and a SYNOPSIS of the work (without spoilers) of up to 150 words. The cover letter should also supply a third-person professional biography of the submitter in 100 words, more or less, and a link to the submitter's IMDb page, if available.
Format
O:JA&L has adopted the conventions of screenplay formatting as published by Storysense.com https://www.storysense.com/format.htm or as formats available in specialized software programs for writers like Final Draft, Movie Magic or others. Submissions which deviate by degrees of magnitude from these contemporary conventions of form will be declined.
Length
· Movie screenplay: 85-160 pages
· Movie concept video: 2-15 minutes
· Drama series pilot script: 50-70 pages
File Types
Text:·
- PDF: easy to format and easy for others to read and review
Video:
- MP4 (preferred)
- FLV
Language
English only.
Public Domain
No adaptations of works in the public domain. This applies to music, photos or other images. Even though the work is public domain in the US, it is not necessarily free of rights complications.
Expedited Evaluation
Expedited evaluation of your submission is not available in this category