We welcome submissions to Symposeum. We accept both pitches and unsolicited, original work. We also encourage folks to reach out to us directly with general interest, questions, or half-baked ideas. Potential contributors should familiarize themselves with our work when possible, noting our commitment to a standard of excellence and expressive but accessible prose. If you’re not sure whether your work belongs in the magazine, drop us a note. We are always eager to engage with potential new writers and are happy to discuss your ideas with you.
Writing for us
Symposeum is a digital and print publication guided first and foremost by a disposition of optimism over genre or ideological stance. We work closely with contributors through a rigorous editorial process—not to worry if you’ve never done this before. We’re there every step of the way to get to know you, guide you, and develop your idea into a publication-ready piece.
As a project of The Dial, we see ourselves as a creative, collaborative community. We aim not only to publish quality work but also to build quality relationships among contributors, readers, and Symposeum editors. As such, our own readers and contributors are an essential source for new members of The Dial community. If you know of someone whose work belongs in Symposeum, please consider telling them about us or telling us about them.
Readership
Contributors should aim at a thoughtful, though not necessarily intellectual, general readership. We don’t assume specialist knowledge, but it is a priority to us that contributors weigh in where they are uniquely qualified to do so. Language level is approximately that of The Atlantic or The New Yorker. Style may vary according to individual voices or the nature of the piece.
Topics
We publish a broad range of pieces, including but not limited to: fiction, poetry, personal narratives, essays, cartoons, artworks, drawings, photography, and translation. Our range of subject matter is similarly wide. Topics that interest us include but are not limited to: history, science, tech, philosophy, languages, religion, art, music, culture, current events, politics, literature. Temporally, we appreciate works about the past as much as the present, provided that they can be somehow connected to our current moment.
Length
The length of pieces depends on their genre and subject. We’re open to a variety, though our print format limits the size of our publication. The maximum will generally be 3,500 words.
Payment
At the moment, we are volunteer-run and entirely supported by our readers.
Submissions
Please email your query, pitch, or piece to symposeum@thedial.us. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but do let us know promptly if the piece has been accepted elsewhere. We will do our best to respond in a timely manner. We are a small team with limited resources; if you have not heard from us in two weeks, please feel free to submit the piece to another publication.