Tendon is currently open for submissions in the below categories. Please see our open call for information about the theme of our upcoming issue. Authors of accepted submissions retain rights to creative works upon publication. At present, we are regrettably not able to provide financial compensation to contributors.
Poetry
We’re looking for poetry exploring the theme of rest. Poems can be written in any form, and prose poetry and hybrid forms are welcomed.
You may submit 1–4 poems (up to 10 pages). If submitting multiple pieces, please submit all poems in a single Word document or PDF.
Fiction
We are seeking fiction exploring the theme of rest. Perhaps the work feels restful; perhaps not. We’re looking for fiction that surprises, making us aware of the absence of rest like a lump in the throat. We’re looking for sensory or sensual work that invites us to move with or create rest.
We welcome short stories or novel excerpts of up to 5,000 words, or flash fiction (1–3 pieces) up to 1,000 words. If submitting multiple pieces, please submit all pieces in the same document.
Creative Nonfiction
Creative nonfiction submissions on the theme of rest can include personal essays or memoir, narrative essays or reportage, ethnographic vignettes or atmospheric scenes, or history written with a flourish. Submissions belong in this category, rather than critical perspectives, if they are driven by narrative, voice, or lyric language.
Longform submissions may be up to 5,000 words, and 1–3 flash nonfiction submissions may be up to 1,000 words each. If submitting multiple pieces, please submit all pieces in one document.
Critical Perspectives
Submissions belong in this category, rather than creative nonfiction, if they are driven by analysis, argumentation, or a brief scholarly intervention. Disciplinary focus may include anthropology, sociology, history, literary studies, media studies, gender and sexuality studies, or any discipline or interdisciplinary domain with a humanistic bent.
Please submit only one piece. We rarely publish anything 3,000 words or more, and in most cases consider this the submission word count cap.
Visual Art
Artwork media exploring rest may include (but are not limited to) photography, sculpture, ceramics, painting, mark-making, mixed media, digital art, film/video and installation. Additionally, you will be asked to provide a description of the work. Priority will be given to pieces that effectively translate to print and published online content.
You may submit 1–3 pieces. JPG, PNG, TIF, GIF and PDF formats are accepted as original work or documentation. All video submissions must be provided as embedded web links, such as Vimeo or YouTube. Runtime is limited to ten minutes per video.