As the editors of the farthest north literary magazine, we’ve chosen an unconventional, expansive place to live. That, too, is what we seek in your submissions. We look for clarity and text that exemplifies an understanding of each genre's conventions without shying from the vulnerable, the difficult, or the bizarre.
We only accept previously unpublished work. We accept simultaneous submissions, but let us know if your submission is accepted elsewhere as soon as it does. Please submit only one submission at a time. Please also note that we charge a $3 fee for submitting online, which helps offset some of the journal’s expenses.
We only accept submissions by mail IF you provide a return envelope with a stamp so we can mail our reply to you. Our mailing address can be found on the Contact Us page of our website. Email submissions will not be read.
We make every effort to respond to submissions as promptly as possible. Please wait 6 to 9 months before enquiring about the status of your submission.
Thank you for submitting and for your interest in Permafrost.
Permafrost is now accepting submissions for the 2024 Permafrost Book Prize in fiction. The final judge will be Pulitzer Prize winning novelist and Alaska writer Eowyn Ivey. Permafrost editorial staff as well as select outside readers serve as the preliminary judges. Winner receives publication of their full-length manuscript and $1000. The submission period opens on June 1, 2024, and closes on October 1 at midnight, Alaska Standard Time. We plan to announce the finalists by January, and the winner by March.
Guidelines:
- Submissions should be approximately 150-300 double-spaced pages (45,000 - 90,000 words). Please note that these numbers are intended as a guide, and not a mandate. We are more interested in the quality of the work than adherence to a page or word count.
- The reading fee is $25.
- All fiction sub-genres (novels, short story collections, novella collections, or any combination of those forms) are eligible.
- We only accept original manuscripts; AI-generated or AI-supported works are not accepted.
- Please do not include your name anywhere on the actual manuscript.
- Please include a brief bio in the “cover letter” section of Submittable
- It is fine to include acknowledgements of previously published stories, novellas or novel excerpts with the manuscript.
- Simultaneous submissions are fine and encouraged. Please let us know immediately if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
- Current and former University of Alaska Fairbanks and University of Alaska Press employees, current and former UAF students, and anyone who has served as an editor or reader for Permafrost whether for journal submissions or the book prize may not submit to the contest. Previous winners of the prize are also ineligible.