Catamaran accepts fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and visual art. Themes we are especially interested in are science and nature writing, creativity and the artistic process, personal journey and travel, and innovation. Any setting is fine, but the West Coast is of particular interest.
By submitting your work to Catamaran, you grant us first North American serial rights, and the nonexclusive right to archive your work online for an indefinite period of time. We may also choose to nominate published work for awards for recognition in the Best American anthologies, the Pushcart Prize, and others. The author retains all other rights.
Catamaran is distributed to bookstores and subscribers quarterly. Catamaran seeks to provide a channel for you to share your creative work with the general public. We offer two complimentary contributor copies upon publication. We would like to consider your submission for two consecutive quarterly issues of Catamaran after you have sent us your work, so please allow up to six months for a decision.
The Catamaran Poetry Prize for West Coast Poets is open for submissions from November to April, and is for book length collections of poetry. Full guidelines are outlined in the submission. Submission to the poetry prize comes with a one year subscription to Catamaran.
Note: We do charge a small submission fee equal to the cost of mailing a flat rate USPS envelope as we don't accept submissions by mail, only online. The fee covers our costs associated with maintaining the online submission site and supports our work.
But if the online submission fee will pose a significant economic burden, writers may seek a waiver of the fee (for the poetry prize, the fee is equal to the cost of a one year subscription to the magazine you receive, and cannot be waived). To seek a waiver, please email us at editor@catamaranliteraryreader.com with your request and reasons for seeking a waiver.
This issue will explore our connections to the natural world through gardens. Topics can include the magic of the place, its profusion of colors, scents, sounds, healthy vegetables, enthusiastic gardeners, and similar topics. Settings may include organic farms, horticulture gardens, flower gardens or farms, cultivated landscapes, backyard gardens, centers for agronomy, the agrochemical industry, places of ecologically sustainable agriculture, Zen gardens, moon gardens, memorial public gardens, and other similar settings. From the geometric shapes of gardens in European castles, to the gardens of the Victorians on the wilder side, gardens could be seen as an expression of individuality and culture. Gardens can serve as settings we venture into to work out our imaginations. This issue will explore the beauty and truth related to gardens through essays, short stories, poetry, and art.
Please submit your original, previously unpublished short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or visual art. Select one genre per submission to this category. For fiction or nonfiction, it can be any page length. For poetry a selection of 3-5 poems. For fine art up to five images. In your cover letter please include a brief bio of one paragraph and a mailing address for contributor copies.
The submissions will close when the submission cap of 200 is reached.
This issue considers “Fashion” in all its forms used in literary writing to reveal character. Think of elements of fashion that are a filter for underlying human emotion and a lens into identity. The garments themselves can be used to tell a story as well…from denim to silk, from to sunglasses and swimwear to military attire. Settings can include anything that exudes fashion to generate meaning from the elaborate styles on the runway to the hats worn in formal gatherings. Topics can include exploration of characters who are identified by their attire, like in Breakfast at Tiffany’s or The Great Gatsby. Figurative or still life works in art that can evoke the feeling of a garment. Poems can explore the mysteries of what we wear. Essays can investigate the evolution of certain attire, or the personal meaning a specific style might have for the author. Let’s make this issue colorful and full of new insight!
Please submit your original, previously unpublished short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or visual art. Select one genre per submission to this category. For fiction or nonfiction, it can be any page length. For poetry a selection of 3-5 poems. For fine art up to five images. In your cover letter please include a brief bio of one paragraph and a mailing address for contributor copies.
This category will close when the submissions cap of 200 is reached.
Please submit your original, previously unpublished poetry. We prefer to see a selection of 3-5 poems rather than a single poem. In your cover letter please include a brief one paragraph bio and a mailing address for contributor copies.
Please submit your original, previously unpublished short fiction. In your cover letter please include a brief bio of one paragraph, and a mailing address for contributor copies. You may submit any page length. If this story is an excerpt from a novel please let us know. We prefer word documents for editing purposes.
Please submit high resolution image files of at least 300dpi, and 8 inches high/wide. You may submit up to 5 images, preferably in a series. In your cover letter please include a one paragraph bio, and a link to your website or gallery if possible where we can view more images.
Please submit your original, previously unpublished creative nonfiction. We accept any page length. In your cover letter please include a brief bio of one paragraph and a mailing address for contributor copies. If this is an excerpt from a longer work please let us know. We prefer word document format for editing purposes.