Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What is this?
A:
This is a literary magazine.
Q: This is what a literary magazine looks like?
A: Technicalities. This is the website; the literary magazine comes in the mail.
Q: Is this an e-magazine?
A
: No. 5x5 is a printed magazine, mailed via snail mail to your mailbox courtesy of the United States Postal Service. We're old school.
Q: What's the frequency, Kenneth?
A: We publish four issues per year. Each issue is printed and mailed at the beginning of the season (e.g. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter).
Q: Who can submit?
A: Anyone in high school or older.
Q: Even kids?
A: That depends on how you define "kids." We encourage high school students to submit. Please let us know that you're under eighteen. And we encourage kids younger than high school age to wait until they're a little older. We absolutely love that you're into writing and art, and we encourage you to continue making and enjoying art, but that's not our niche.
Q: Do you only publish teenagers?
A: If you're reading these in order, then this question may seem redundant. We accept submissions from anyone in high school or older.
Q: What type of work do you publish?
A: Of course, the best way to answer this question is to get yourself a copy of a past issue. Click here. Let's just say no fan fiction, and only original, previously unpublished work. Please only submit your own work.
Q: Who is your target audience?
A: Same as the ones submitting their work to us.
High school students, college students, MFA holders. Some of the work we publish may not be appropriate for grade schoolers, but we believe high schoolers are mature enough to handle it.
Q: Do you have themes?
A: Yes. Each issue has a theme. We think it helps tie all the different media together. They're loose guidelines though. We hope you don't feel too boxed in. Click here to read what our nonfiction editor, Jory M. Mickelson, has to say about this.
Q: What makes 5x5 different from other literary magazines?
A: We're small for one thing. Each issue is pocket sized, and the work inside is short. Not short and simple; but complex and concise. We're still growing, so future issues will be a little longer, but they won't be thick and daunting.
A: Also, we try our best to encourage younger writers and artists to write and create art. We want to let them know that art is an important part of life even if a lack of school funding, and our general capitalist society, sways them to believe otherwise.
Q: When will I hear back?
A:
Response times vary, but there's a pattern. You can expect to hear back from us within two weeks after the deadline. Deadlines for certain themes can be listed six months in advance, so if you submit for that theme, it will be six months before you hear back from us. That's a long time. If you're submitting simultaneously, there's a chance it will be accepted elsewhere before we ever read it. We suggest submitting for an earlier theme. Think of the future themes as prompts; you may not want to submit for those themes until the deadline draws a little closer, but you're certainly welcome to submit as early as you like and let it sit in our inbox.
Q: How do I submit with this Submishmash deal?
A: Hopefully this YouTube video is helpful.
