Frequently Asked Questions
Etchings Literary and Fine Arts Magazine
Who are the editors?
Our editorial staff is made up entirely of student editors in English 379 at the University of Indianapolis who are overseen by a faculty advisor. As such, our editorial staff rotates each issue. These student editors select submissions, design the magazine, communicate with submitters, and create promotional materials for each issue.
How are submissions chosen?
Pieces are chosen through a blind submissions process, meaning the editorial staff does not know the name or university affiliation of the author, artist, or composer of a piece until after judging has finished. While each issue’s staff is different, our judges often place heavy emphasis on literary or artistic merit and how well a piece will resonate with our Greyhound audience. To get a taste for what we publish, check out our previous issues here.
What can I submit?
We accept submissions of visual art, poetry, short stories, creative nonfiction essays, creative scripts, original music, and spoken word for publication in our online and print magazine. For more information on submission guidelines and to submit, go to https://etchings.submittable.com/submit.
Will I be paid if my work is selected for publication?
We do not pay for publication. However, poetry and prose submissions from undergraduate students at the University of Indianapolis will automatically be considered for the Dorlis Gott Armentrout Award, which awards scholarship prizes to the winner and the runner-up.
How does first rights copyright work?
Contributors published in Etchings Magazine retain full rights to their work to do with as they please following publication of the issue their work appears. We simply request to be credited as the work’s first publication (for example, “[Title]” first appeared in Etchings Magazine, Issue [X].”
Novella and Chapbook Contests
Who are the editors?
Our editorial staff if made up entirely of student editors in English 479 at the University of Indianapolis who are overseen by a faculty advisor. As such, our editorial staff rotates each issue. These student editors select our prize winners, design the winning books, communicate with authors, and create promotional materials for each winner.
How are submissions chosen?
Pieces are chosen through a blind submissions process, meaning the editorial staff does not know who the author of a piece is until after judging has finished. While each staff is different, our judges often place heavy emphasis on literary merit and how well a piece will resonate with its intended audience. To get a taste for what we publish, check out our previous winners, available for purchase here.
What can I submit?
We run three annual contests: one for a novella, one for a poetry chapbook, and one for a chapbook. For more information on submission guidelines and to submit, go to https://etchings.submittable.com/submit.
Is there a reading fee?
Our reading fee for novellas is $15, and the reading fee for chapbooks is $8, both payable through Submittable.
What does the winner receive?
The novella winner will receive a $400 honorarium and 15 copies of their published novella. The chapbook winners will receive a $200 honorarium and 15 copies of their published chapbook.
Whirling Prize
What is the Whirling Prize?
The Whirling Prize is an award given annually to two books that demonstrate an excellent and compelling response to a theme that students at the university select.
How are the two winners chosen?
Our judging staff if made up entirely of students in English 479 at the University of Indianapolis who are overseen by a faculty advisor. As such, our judging staff rotates each contest. These student judges select our prize winners and contest themes each year.
How do I enter my book?
Books that address the contest theme, have been published within the last two years, and are written in English are eligible. Submissions for the Whirling Prize must be sent in through snail mail. For more information on submission guidelines and what this year’s theme is, please click here.
Is there a reading fee?
Our reading fee for the contest is $20 US dollars. It is payable by check or online.
What do the winners receive?
Both winners receive $500 and 25 copies of a letterpress broadside that highlights their book as a Whirling Prize winner (designed by UIndy Hullabaloo Press student artists), and each winner is featured in an episode of UIndy’s Potluck Podcast.
UIndy’s Potluck Podcast
What is UIndy’s Potluck Podcast?
UIndy’s Potluck Podcast provides a place for UIndy students and faculty to discuss the arts, often with outside members of the community. This includes interviews with authors, scholars, and artists. It also features original music compositions and spoken words from student, faculty, and alumni, which are published through Etchings Literary & Fine Arts Magazine biannually.
Why do you host the podcast?
We host this podcast in order to open up productive discussion about the reality of the arts, as well as to provide a platform for professional publication of the auditory arts at the University of Indianapolis.