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We only accept previously unpublished work.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 2025 Permafrost Book Prize in Nonfiction. The final judge will be award winning author Alison Hawthorne Deming. 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 April 21, 2025, 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 nonfiction sub-genres and 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 work 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.
We look for stories that reveal some understanding of the world we are living in, even if the work is speculative, and with a vibrant sense of place and character.
Fiction submissions may include one piece of up to 8,000 words or up to three flash pieces (less than 1,000 words each) in each submission.
We welcome novel excerpts (also up to 8,000 words), so long as they stand alone.
We like work that uses hybridity to rethink language and genre. Stories in verse, speculative nonfiction, graphic essays, excerpts from your comic book or graphic novel, sound play, and any other experimental or multimodal texts are welcome.
Hybrid submissions may be up to 8,000 words.
Please ensure you have the necessary copyrights if you use audio and/or visuals. Hybrid work does not need to be double-spaced; please submit it as you would like it to appear.
We seek essays by writers who are willing to wrestle with language and experiment with form. We have a soft spot for place-based writing, flash and micro memoirs, prose poems, hermit crab essays, or anything that pushes the limits of the fourth genre.
Nonfiction submissions may include one piece of up to 8,000 words or up to three flash or micro pieces (up to roughly 1,000 words each) in each submission.
Excerpts (also up to 8,000 words) from book-length works are welcome, so long as they stand alone.
Nonfiction work does not need to be double-spaced; please submit it as you would like it to appear.
We’re looking for fresh language and imagery, both with an element of risk. We like both experimental and conventional poetry, including traditional forms.
Poetry does not need to be double-spaced; please submit it as you would like it to appear.
Please only submit up to five poems at a time.
Current and past issues of Permafrost can be ordered for $15 each (please specify the issue and volume number). Please look at the Print Issues page on our website for information on past issues.
Please note that only one back issue can be purchased at a time. To purchase multiple copies, please complete this form multiple times or see our website for mail order instructions.