Figs and Thistles

General Guidelines

The Editor and staff of Figs and Thistles, PC’s literary arts journal, appreciate your interest in submitting a manuscript or artwork for potential publication. Please read and follow the guidelines below when submitting your work.

By submitting your work to Figs & Thistles, you give us permission to publish your submission in the print edition and potentially on our website. Submitted artwork may be used in other venues as well, such as the College bookstore. Publication in Figs & Thistles does not hinder your right to reprint or sell your work elsewhere; however, you should acknowledge its original place of publication.

Contributors will receive two copies of the edition in which their work appears.

Our reading period for submissions opens in September and closes January 18.

Submit your work electronically to figsandthistles@presby.edu. You will receive a confirmation email. Include in the body of the email

• Your name and PC box number
• The title(s) of your submission(s)
• A short biographical statement about yourself (50 words or fewer).

Specific information about submission formatting is below.

Poetry Guidelines

• In the subject line of your email, type “Poetry Submission”
• Manuscripts should be submitted as Word (.doc) or Office (.docx) attachments.
• Submissions must be typed in a 12-point font, such as Times New Roman or Courier, and must have 1-inch margins all the way around.
• Poems should be single-spaced within stanzas.
• Use left justification unless another formatting is necessary.
• Consult William Shunn’s Poem Format for additional information.
• Poems should not run more than four pages.
• Submissions are limited to five poems, which should be submitted in a single email.
• Please submit poetry and prose in different emails.

Prose Guidelines

• In the subject line of your email, type either “Fiction Submission” or “Nonfiction Submission”
• Prose includes both fiction and nonfiction (memoir, travel writing, etc.)
• Manuscripts should be submitted as Word (.doc) or Office (.docx) attachments.
• Submissions must be typed double-spaced in a 12-point font, such as Times New Roman or Courier, and must have 1-inch margins all the way around.
• Consult William Shunn’s Short-Story Format for additional information (formatting applicable for nonfiction as well as fiction).
• Prose pieces should be 3,000 words or less. Query the editor first before submitting longer pieces.
• Prose submissions are limited to three pieces.
• Please submit poetry and prose in different emails.

Artwork Guidelines

• Artwork should be submitted as JPEG attachments.
• Photographs, drawings, and paintings are all accepted.
• Please submit high quality and clear images of your drawing and paintings. JPEGs should be sized at 300 dpi or higher resolution.
• You may submit up to ten pieces of artwork for consideration.