Submission Guidelines

Metaphor is now accepting submissions for Volume 45!  Please follow all submission guidelines in order for your piece(s) to be considered for publication. 

Eligibility

  • Submissions are currently only open to undergraduate students enrolled at Weber State University. This includes works from those with multiple authors/creators.
  • Submissions are accepted year-round for our annual Spring publication. Seniors anticipating graduation should submit prior to their graduation date.
  • All works submitted must be original and previously unpublished.
  • Metaphor reserves first rights to accepted pieces; however, students may submit their work elsewhere after Metaphor accepts or rejects them.

Guidelines

  • Submissions should fit within one of the following literary categories: poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, music, visual arts, or film. Hybrid works are accepted. If you are interested in submitting work outside of these categories, please contact metaphor@weber.edu.
  • Students may submit as many pieces as they see fit to different categories. 
  • Written pieces must be limited to 5,000 words each. 
  • Students may submit up to 5 poems, no longer than 2 pages per poem.
  • Foreign language pieces are accepted if accompanied by an English translation and may be subject to additional review by native users of the submitted language.
  • Art submissions must be print-ready: no pushpins, clips, or glare. Artwork should not contain any visible background beyond the piece itself.
    Do not include a name or any other identifying information on the submission or file name.

Formatting Requirements

  • All written submissions must be in 12 pt., Times New Roman font. 
  • The title of the work and page number should be listed on every page of the manuscript.
  • Include a “Works Cited” or "References" page if needed.
  • Name your file FORM_"Title". 
  • Ex. POETRY_"Sudoku"; ART_"Ambient Still Life"; FICTION_"The Day My Frog Did the Thing"
  • Do NOT put your name in the file title.

File Type Requirements

  • Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and other written submissions must be submitted as a DOCX.
  • Audio files must be submitted as an MP3.
  • Video files must be submitted as an MP4.
  • Image files must be submitted as a JPG.

Selection Process

  • All submissions will be judged as blind entries during the Spring semester – names of the authors will be kept confidential until final selections are made.
  • If submission guidelines are not met, pieces are subject to automatic disqualification.
  • Students will be notified of final decisions regarding their piece(s) via email.
  • All judging decisions are final.

Artificial Intelligence Disclaimer: Metaphor does not support the use of Generative AI. All submissions must be original work created by the author/artist. All AI-generated work will be automatically disqualified.

How to Submit

  • Submit via this form. Be sure to be logged into your university Google account to access the form.