We know that submitting your work can feel like sending a message in a bottle. So we want to take the time and offer some best practices for PHIL LIT journal specifically. This post is for writers curious about what we’re seeking, and how to align your submission with our philosophical and philanthropic focus.
What We Publish
We publish poetry, short fiction, essays, hybrid work, and visual art that grapples with philosophy, Big Love, metaphysics, ethics, consciousness, mortality, time, and meaning.
But we’re not looking for answers per say, or anything prescriptive; so much as we’re looking for the presence, awareness, awe, and questioning. We want to feel the reach.
(i.e., Your work doesn’t have to cite Kant—but ideally it should wrestle with a question that keeps you up at night. Even if that question is why grocery stores continue to bag lettuce, produce, flowers, and nuts in plastic.)
What We’re Really Looking For
We read with curiosity, not judgment. But pieces that tend to rise to the top often share some of the following qualities:
A deep question at the core: The best pieces approach the unsayable, they’re possibly unresolvable but urgent. What does love taste like in all four seasons? Can we trust our memory—our collective memory? How do we live ethically in a broken world? Are birds messengers?
Style that suits the substance: Whether it’s spare or expansive, poetic or cerebral, form should meet function. We’re open to hybrid and formally inventive pieces—especially when structure is in service of the subject.
A willingness to risk: The pieces that stay with us often don’t play it safe. They might use silence, or vulnerability, or defamiliarization, or contradiction. We appreciate out-side-the-box technique, but without being gimmicky; with genuine intentions behind the risk.
Tips for Submitting to PHIL LIT
Don’t send something generic. Even if you’re submitting to many journals, it helps to know what makes us different.
Include a cover letter but keep it simple. If you’ve published before, great. If not, that’s fine too. We love discovering new voices.
Read our issues. Not required, but it helps.
If it’s a simultaneous submission, just let us know and please withdraw it promptly if accepted elsewhere.
We respond faster than most. Our average turnaround is under four months, but often much quicker. We hope to shorten the submission jail time most writers grapple with.
Before You Hit Submit Ask Yourself
Does this piece explore something I care deeply about?
Does it invite the reader to think?
Is it a neutral observation, or Love-based, Vs. fear or scarcity-based.
Am I willing to be surprised by what this submission might become?
Our Editorial Commitment to You
We understand what it means to be published. It’s not just about adding a line to your bio—it’s about preserving your voice, your vision, and your integrity as a writer.
We promise not to publish your work if we believe it isn’t fully developed.
Even if we see potential, even if we’re excited by the idea—we’ll only move forward when we feel your piece reflects your best work.
Sometimes this means a kind no. Other times, it might mean a note of encouragement to revise and resubmit. We’re here to publish your best work!
— Editors
PHIL LIT Journal
Hello! I noticed this morning that when I hit ‘submit’ on the website, it says ‘form no longer exists’. Wondering if this means you’ve hit your 100 submissions cap?