About Inverted Syntax Press and Magazine:  

Established in 2018, Inverted Syntax Press started as an independently run art and literary magazine. We have been publishing annually in print and periodically online through the Fissured Tongue series since 2019. Beginning in 2024, Inverted Syntax magazine issues will move from a print format to our well-established online format of the Fissured Tongue Series. There will no longer be a print issue of the magazine. However, we are embarking on a new venture of publishing poetry books. With the help of Bookmobile for printing and Itasca Books for distribution services, Inverted Syntax will be publishing and debuting between 3-5 full-length poetry books beginning in the fall of 2026. Starting in 2024, we seek to identify up to five exceptional manuscripts for publication. Our editors are seeking work that risks everything. We favor the hybrid but welcome all writing. If it's well-crafted, uses language in daring ways, we want it.​

When we read: Our reading window varies. In 2024 we are accepting manuscripts to our new book awards as well as individual pieces to our Fissured Tongue Series between June and August. We will be reading your manuscripts for 4-6 months after the submission window closes and reading Fissured submissions through December.

About Our Book Awards

The Sublingua Prize for Poetry (1st Book Award):

​In 2024 the Sublingua prize is dedicated to the discovery of an exceptional debut poetry collection written in English by a female-identifying writer of any citizenship residing in the United States who has not yet published or self-published a full-length manuscript in any genre nor a chapbook exceeding 25 pages. The poetry manuscript can be a hybrid, that is, it can intersect with any genre, including speculative prose and visual elements (note: we do not publish photographs); essentially, we encourage work that celebrates hybridity and resists genre specificity. 

The Aggrey Prize for Poetry:

This prize is dedicated to the discovery of exceptional first- or second-poetry collections written in English by a writer who identifies as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC) residing within the United States, regardless of citizenship. Named after the Aggrey family of Ghana, the prize seeks to identify, award, and honor those whose original work focuses on any aspect of life from the perspective of those within the BIPOC community. We are looking to amplify through Poetry the myriad experiences, struggles, triumphs, and aspirations of the diverse narratives within the BIPOC  communities. We aim to create a space for solidarity, healing, and empowerment, showcasing the richness and complexity of BIPOC voices in contemporary writing. While there is no specific theme for this book contest, we encourage submissions that reflect on intersectional perspectives, including those that delve into themes of identity, cultural heritage, social justice, resilience, and the nuanced complexities of lived experiences. We encourage genre-breaking /hybrid, speculative, and experimental writing. Inclusion of other languages/ code-switching/meshing is very much welcome as long as the book is largely written in English. The poetry manuscript can be a hybrid, that is, it can intersect with any genre, including speculative prose and visual elements (note: we do not publish photographs); essentially, we encourage work that celebrates hybridity and resists genre specificity. 

The Tabbikha Prize for Poetry:

This prize is dedicated to the discovery of exceptional first- or second-poetry collections written in English by writers of the S .W.A.N.A. diaspora. We invite all members of the South West Asian and North African region residing within the United States to submit work. Named after the Tabbica/Tabbikha family of Lebanon, the prize seeks to identify, award, and honor those whose original work focuses on any aspect of life within this particular diasporic experience. Diasporas can span up to several generations. We strive to elevate the diverse narratives within the S.W.A.N.A diaspora, illuminating the myriad experiences, challenges, triumphs, and dreams. We aim to create a space for solidarity, healing, and empowerment, spotlighting the richness and intricacy of voices within contemporary S .W.A.N.A. poetry. While there is no specific theme for this contest, we encourage writers to submit work that reflects on intersectional perspectives that explore the complexities of lived experiences, addressing themes such as diaspora, cultural heritage, tradition, displacement, and belonging--from navigating and negotiating aspects of identities, including ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, and socio-economic background. The poetry manuscript can be a hybrid, that is, it can intersect with any genre, including speculative prose and visual elements (note: we do not publish photographs); essentially, we encourage work that celebrates hybridity and resists genre specificity. 

BOOK AWARD GUIDELINES:

Please review the detailed guidelines here

About Fissured Tongue Series:

Fissured Tongue Series is the online magazine imprint of Inverted Syntax Press. We seek to publish unorthodox approaches to form and aesthetics. We love work that is non genre, those that straddle multiple categories, however you may submit previously unpublished work to the following categories:  flash fiction, flash nonfiction, and poetry. We also publish visual art. To get a better sense of what we are looking for, check out ourStore for print issues 1-5 and our Fissured Tongue Volumes. We also suggest checking out our instagram, facebook, and twitter feeds and stories to see what's on our minds, what we are leaning towards or excited about. Most importantly,  get familiar with our mission and our masthead. Just keep in mind that we hesitate to offer concrete definitions of what we are looking for because we don’t like limits. We might not know we love something until we see it. Send us what you think is missing—it could be what we’ve been searching for. 

What we are looking for in Fissured Tongue:

We seek to publish unorthodox approaches to form and aesthetics. We love work that is non genre, those that straddle multiple categories, and you may submit previously unpublished work to the following categories:  flash fiction, flash nonfiction, and poetry. We also publish visual art. Just keep in mind that we hesitate to offer concrete definitions, because we don’t like limits. We might not know we love something until we see it. Send us what you think is missing—it could be what we’ve been searching for.

Fissured Tongue Series Guidelines 

• Flash Fiction Submit ONE piece (800 words) or no more than TWO pieces of flash fiction (400 words each) in one document.  No exceptions. 
• Flash Creative NonFiction Submit ONE piece (800 words) or no more than TWO pieces of flash fiction (400 words each) in one document.  No exceptions. We are not interested in scholarly articles.
• Poetry Please submit 6-8 poems in a single document. Poems may be single-spaced. There aren't length restrictions for poems published in our online journal, however for our print journal, we prefer poems no longer than 50 lines or two pages. Each new poem should begin on a new page.  
• Visual Art Please submit 6-8 pieces. We are open to any medium.  Send high resolution images of each piece as you would want them to appear. We no longer consider photography.​
• We no longer accept long nonfiction and long fiction

Inverted Syntax strongly encourages diverse and inclusive voices, especially those from under-represented and vulnerable communities, to consider submitting work to our Book contests and to the Fissured Tongue Series.

​Manuscripts are screened carefully by our aesthetically diverse volunteer editorial staff. If you are interested in being a reader for the Prize, contact us here.

• ​Before you submit, check that your work meets our standards. Work is automatically ignored, rejected, declined, dismissed if it contains any manner of abusive behavior and this extends to the creators of said work. To be clear: NO racism, NO misogyny, NO homophobia, NO sexism, NO transphobia, NO body-shaming, NO Islamophobia, NO Anti-semitism, NO xenophobia, absolutely no work that in any way perpetuate stereotypes. 

*Inclusivity statement 

We value and respect all volunteers, readers, subscribers, submitters, and participants, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, and/or disability. Inverted Syntax editors are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive, and welcoming environment where our community of contributors and supporters feel valued. Inverted Syntax stands in solidarity with the Palestinian plight for liberation. Read our October 2023 letter for more information.  

Discover more published work at www.invertedsyntax.co