Helen Keller
Though most literary journals are more than happy to accept submissions from disabled writers, there are only a few that specifically focus on disability.
The experience of disability, especially when it comes later in life, can be profoundly unsettling. It launches a person into a new world, a new reality, one that seeks expression. (I speak from experience, having written all of my books after I became disabled.)
If you are a writer with a disability of any kind, whether congenital or acquired, there are some magazines that would love to publish your writing - whether it focuses on your own experience, or is simply something you would like to say.
These magazines accept fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, essays, novel and memoir excerpts, reviews, drama, and, in some cases, artwork. Some of these magazines are paying markets. I have included non-paying markets as well, as this is such a small niche. There are no fees to submit.
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Breath and Shadow
Breath and Shadow accepts writing on any topic for poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama; these pieces do not have to be "about" disability. However nonfiction, academic, and similar articles (profiles, interviews, opinion pieces) do have to relate to disability in some way.
Payment is upon publication. The pay scale is $20 for poetry, $30 for fiction, and $30 for nonfiction. In addition to publication and payment, Breath & Shadow will post links to contributors' work on other sites and to their Web site or e-mail address.
______________________
Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope magazine creatively focuses on the experiences of disability through literature and the fine arts. This publication expresses the experience of disability from the perspective of individuals, families, friends, healthcare professionals, educators and others.
"The material chosen for Kaleidoscope challenges and overcomes stereotypical, patronizing, and sentimental attitudes about disability. We accept the work of writers with and without disabilities; however the work of a writer without a disability must focus on some aspect of disability. The criteria for good writing apply: effective technique, thought-provoking subject matter, and in general, a mature grasp of the art of story-telling. Writers should avoid using offensive language and always put the person before the disability."
Kaleidoscope is published online twice a year
January (submission deadline - August 1)
July (submission deadline - March 1)
Kaleidoscope accepts electronic (website and email) submissions. Electronic submissions should be sent as an attachment when submitted both on the website and within an email. Please include complete information-full name, postal and email address and telephone number(s)
Payment is made upon publication, and varies from $10 to $100.
Submission guidelines are HERE.
______________________
Wordgathering
Wordgathering is an online quarterly journal of disability poetry, literature and art dedicated to providing a venue where the new work of writers with disabilities can be found and to building up a corpus of work for those interested in disability literature. While it gives preference to the work of writers with disability, it seeks the well-crafted work of any writer that makes a contribution to the field.
Though Wordgathering focuses primarily on poetry, they also accept literary essays, short fiction, drama, art and books for review. Their aim is to give voice to the emerging genre of disability literature. They seek work related to disability or by writers with disabilities. Wordgathering is also very interested in reviewing books of poetry, fiction, memoir and drama by writers with disabilities, as well as books in disability studies related to literature.
Accepts reprints
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New Mobility
New Mobility covers active wheelchair lifestyle with articles on recreation, travel, people, health, relationships, media, culture, civil rights and resources. Eighty-five percent of our readers have disabilities, most caused by spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy.
"We tell stories directly and honestly, without sentimentality. We aren’t interested in “courageous” or “inspiring” tales of “overcoming disability.”
We like the unusual, the quirky, the humorous angle, but we also need well-reported service articles (practical information). These include pieces on health (innovations in bladder or bowel management, pain or fatigue prevention, stem cell news); technology (new products for work or play) and travel."
Payment: 15 cents per word for new writers. Payment is based on the number of words published, not the number submitted, and is made within 60 days of publication.
______________________
Deaf Poets Society
The Deaf Poets Society is an online literary journal that publishes poetry, prose, cross-genre work, reviews of deaf or disability-focused books, interviews/miscellany, and art by deaf and/or disabled writers and artists. Their mission is to provide a venue for deaf and disability literature and art, as well as to connect readers with established and emerging talent in the field.
"We're looking for narratives about the D/deaf and/or disabled experience that complicate or altogether undo the dominant and typically marginalizing rhetoric about deafness or disability. We especially want to highlight work that investigates the complexity of the experience across identities. Whether you're drawing from experiences related to gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, race, or any other marginalized identity, we want your voice in our journal."
______________________
Exceptions
"Exceptions showcases the perspectives of visually impaired and blind individuals through creative work. A print journal, also available in audiobook, and an accessible multimedia website make the worldviews, personal experiences, and artistic ideas of students with visual disabilities available to a diverse audience. By highlighting fictional and nonfictional depictions, artistic portrayals, and musical interpretations of navigating the world with limited sight, Exceptions opens all of our eyes and minds to new ways to see."
They accept general submissions in four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and other media (music, film, visual and tactile arts, etc.)
______________________
Intima
Intima publishes original contributions of literary and artistic merit that relate to the theory and practice of narrative medicine. They accept nonfiction articles and fiction. "We are seeking captivating fictional stories with unique literary voices that incorporate themes of health, illness, care and bodied experiences. The Intima is particularly interested in exploring what fiction makes possible that might not otherwise be available through the telling of a “true” story. Submissions may be excerpts of a longer work, and should be no more than 5,000 words."
The experience of disability, especially when it comes later in life, can be profoundly unsettling. It launches a person into a new world, a new reality, one that seeks expression. (I speak from experience, having written all of my books after I became disabled.)
If you are a writer with a disability of any kind, whether congenital or acquired, there are some magazines that would love to publish your writing - whether it focuses on your own experience, or is simply something you would like to say.
These magazines accept fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, essays, novel and memoir excerpts, reviews, drama, and, in some cases, artwork. Some of these magazines are paying markets. I have included non-paying markets as well, as this is such a small niche. There are no fees to submit.
_____________________
Breath and Shadow
Breath and Shadow accepts writing on any topic for poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama; these pieces do not have to be "about" disability. However nonfiction, academic, and similar articles (profiles, interviews, opinion pieces) do have to relate to disability in some way.
Payment is upon publication. The pay scale is $20 for poetry, $30 for fiction, and $30 for nonfiction. In addition to publication and payment, Breath & Shadow will post links to contributors' work on other sites and to their Web site or e-mail address.
______________________
Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope magazine creatively focuses on the experiences of disability through literature and the fine arts. This publication expresses the experience of disability from the perspective of individuals, families, friends, healthcare professionals, educators and others.
"The material chosen for Kaleidoscope challenges and overcomes stereotypical, patronizing, and sentimental attitudes about disability. We accept the work of writers with and without disabilities; however the work of a writer without a disability must focus on some aspect of disability. The criteria for good writing apply: effective technique, thought-provoking subject matter, and in general, a mature grasp of the art of story-telling. Writers should avoid using offensive language and always put the person before the disability."
Kaleidoscope is published online twice a year
January (submission deadline - August 1)
July (submission deadline - March 1)
Kaleidoscope accepts electronic (website and email) submissions. Electronic submissions should be sent as an attachment when submitted both on the website and within an email. Please include complete information-full name, postal and email address and telephone number(s)
Payment is made upon publication, and varies from $10 to $100.
Submission guidelines are HERE.
______________________
Wordgathering
Wordgathering is an online quarterly journal of disability poetry, literature and art dedicated to providing a venue where the new work of writers with disabilities can be found and to building up a corpus of work for those interested in disability literature. While it gives preference to the work of writers with disability, it seeks the well-crafted work of any writer that makes a contribution to the field.
Though Wordgathering focuses primarily on poetry, they also accept literary essays, short fiction, drama, art and books for review. Their aim is to give voice to the emerging genre of disability literature. They seek work related to disability or by writers with disabilities. Wordgathering is also very interested in reviewing books of poetry, fiction, memoir and drama by writers with disabilities, as well as books in disability studies related to literature.
Accepts reprints
______________________
New Mobility
New Mobility covers active wheelchair lifestyle with articles on recreation, travel, people, health, relationships, media, culture, civil rights and resources. Eighty-five percent of our readers have disabilities, most caused by spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy.
"We tell stories directly and honestly, without sentimentality. We aren’t interested in “courageous” or “inspiring” tales of “overcoming disability.”
We like the unusual, the quirky, the humorous angle, but we also need well-reported service articles (practical information). These include pieces on health (innovations in bladder or bowel management, pain or fatigue prevention, stem cell news); technology (new products for work or play) and travel."
Payment: 15 cents per word for new writers. Payment is based on the number of words published, not the number submitted, and is made within 60 days of publication.
______________________
Deaf Poets Society
The Deaf Poets Society is an online literary journal that publishes poetry, prose, cross-genre work, reviews of deaf or disability-focused books, interviews/miscellany, and art by deaf and/or disabled writers and artists. Their mission is to provide a venue for deaf and disability literature and art, as well as to connect readers with established and emerging talent in the field.
"We're looking for narratives about the D/deaf and/or disabled experience that complicate or altogether undo the dominant and typically marginalizing rhetoric about deafness or disability. We especially want to highlight work that investigates the complexity of the experience across identities. Whether you're drawing from experiences related to gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, race, or any other marginalized identity, we want your voice in our journal."
______________________
Exceptions
"Exceptions showcases the perspectives of visually impaired and blind individuals through creative work. A print journal, also available in audiobook, and an accessible multimedia website make the worldviews, personal experiences, and artistic ideas of students with visual disabilities available to a diverse audience. By highlighting fictional and nonfictional depictions, artistic portrayals, and musical interpretations of navigating the world with limited sight, Exceptions opens all of our eyes and minds to new ways to see."
They accept general submissions in four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and other media (music, film, visual and tactile arts, etc.)
______________________
Intima
Intima publishes original contributions of literary and artistic merit that relate to the theory and practice of narrative medicine. They accept nonfiction articles and fiction. "We are seeking captivating fictional stories with unique literary voices that incorporate themes of health, illness, care and bodied experiences. The Intima is particularly interested in exploring what fiction makes possible that might not otherwise be available through the telling of a “true” story. Submissions may be excerpts of a longer work, and should be no more than 5,000 words."
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