Plainsong

Publish your creative work. 

Plainsong is the University of Jamestown’s literary journal, that features work from students, community members, and nationally recognized writers and artists. We are currently accepting poetry, fiction, nonfiction, artwork, and photography. 

Past Publications

	2023	2022
2020	2019	2018
2017	2016	2015
2014	2013

“Plainsong strives to honor the University of Jamestown’s long-standing relationships with the surrounding community as well as their connections with the broader Northern Great Plains region. To use the old phrase, Plainsong aims to be a creative magazine for both gown and town.”

–Dr. Aaron Cloyd, Editor

Submission Rules & Guidelines 

The submission deadline for the 2024 publication of Plainsong is December 31, 2023. To be eligible for prizes: 

• All submissions must be original, human-written (created), and unpublished work. 
• Entrants may submit up to three poems, two short stories, two pieces of creative nonfiction; or may submit to all three literary genres as well as all genres of art—photographs, painting, drawing, sculpture—up to three photographs or three artworks. 
• Prose should be entered as fiction or nonfiction and cannot exceed ten pages. 
• We do not accept paper submissions. All manuscripts, photos, and art may be sent via email attachment to ujplainsong@uj.edu. Please include each submission as a separate file attachment.  All submissions must fit within the following submission guidelines:
  

  Poetry, Fiction, & Creative Nonfiction	Single-spaced Times New Roman font 11 pt font Submitted document in .docx or .doc format (This is especially important for poetry to ensure the publication effectively imitates the desired format of the poet.)
  Photography	Include a title for the submitted piece OR specify if the piece has been purposely left untitled. Include the original file of the submission as a JPEG or PNG, with a resolution of at least 300 dpi, to ensure the best quality for publication.
  Art	Include a title for the submitted piece OR specify if the piece has been purposely left untitled. Include the original file of the submission as a JPEG or PNG, with a resolution of at least 300 dpi, to ensure the best quality for publication. Describe the materials that were used in the composition of the piece to provide more insight for the readers of the publication.

• Do not include your name or any identifying information on the submission itself. Instead, include your name, email address, and mailing address in the accompanying email along with a brief biographical statement.
• For any further information, contact the editor at ujplainsong@uj.edu.