Hello lovely readers and submitters!
The fall and winter holidays are approaching here in Los Angeles, which for me at least means baking cookies, gatherings with family and friends, and gift-giving.
So in the spirit of self-care, I’d like to announce that, as we usually do during the end of the year, we’ll be closing submissions during the month of December to allow our editors and volunteers time to slow down and enjoy the holidays.
If you currently have pieces with us, don’t worry, we won’t neglect you. We’ll still be reading through submissions, albeit at a bit of a slower pace, but you will get an answer from us! Our current response time is approximately 3 months.
Along with that, I’d like to announce that in the new year, we will be trying out a new submission schedule. As of January 1, 2025, we will adopt a two months on, one month off submission period. This means that submissions will be OPEN during the months of January, February, April, May, July, August, October, and November. Submissions will be CLOSED during March, June, September, and December.
Why are we making this change? Because Mel and Cerid and I want to give ourselves a bit of breathing room between reading submissions to be able to work on some other Metaworker projects we’ve been meaning to tackle for a while. The new schedule may work, or it may not, but if you’ve been following along, you’ll know we’re not afraid to try new things.
We will still be publishing fresh new writing and art year-round–every Monday at noon Pacific–and it’s always free to submit. Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter to get the latest posts and updates sent directly to your inbox.
In the meantime, get those submissions in before we close for the holidays on November 30 at 11:59pm PT!
One last piece of news before I go: we’ll briefly be opening applications for new slush readers! We are particularly searching for BIPOC readers during this application period. Read all the details on our Volunteer Page.
Applications for slush readers will close on November 30 at 11:59pm PT. Please fill out this form to apply and spread the word to anyone who might be interested.
That’s all I’ve got for now. May the lead-up to your holidays be restful. See you in the slush pile!
Elena L. Perez
Editor in Chief, The Metaworker
