THEME

The theme for this fall 2026 issue is “Temples & Prisons.”

DEADLINE

Submissions for this special issue open January 1st through April 30th for September 2026 print and electronic publication.

We aim to have a determination within three weeks of your date of submission. However, submissions for cover art will not be decided on until after submissions close.

WHAT WE WANT

We love a conversational narrative voice! While we don’t often accept pieces that rhyme, we are open to traditional forms of poetry, as long as they provide a sensory experience and avoid cliches and emotionally loaded language.

While we focus on poetry, we also accept visual art (including sequential art), creative non-fiction (essays and memoirs), and fiction (flash, micro, and short stories). We will consider speculative fiction and scripts, as long as they are stand-alone pieces and within our word count.

Remember to maintain consistency in point of view, tense, and punctuation.

REQUIREMENTS

Unpublished, original, non-AI generated works only.

Simultaneous submissions are allowed; notify us if accepted elsewhere. Multiple submissions are not allowed.

We review submissions blind. Do not include identifying information or bio in your attachment(s). Contact information and bio must be included in the designated Submittable fields only.

There are no submission fees for this issue.

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS

Submissions for this issue are only being accepted through Submittable: WavesReview.Submittable.com.

All submissions will remain private and accessible only by the editors unless accepted. If accepted, pen names may be used. Please note this in your cover letter, especially if your pen name doesn’t match your Submittable account name.

RIGHTS

Submitters grant First Rights to publish to Making Waves. We may reprint accepted work on our website and/or social media accounts, LudingtonWriters.org. Otherwise, all rights revert to the author upon publication.

FORMATTING

.doc, .docx, .odt, or .pdf files for creative writing.

Please format titles in all caps for clarity (you may indicate preferred capitalization for publication).

Please note that .pdf files are difficult for us to print and should be reserved for visual poetry.

Font preferences: Times New Roman, Helvetica, or Arial.

POETRY

Up to two (2) pieces, single-spaced and justified as required by the form chosen.

Note: Space limitations allow for no more than 60 characters per line and 30 lines per page.

PROSE

Up to two (2) pieces, 1,000-word max.

Prose should be double-spaced.

VISUAL ART

Up to four (4) black and white pieces and/or up to (2) color pieces.

Color images will only be considered for the cover. Submissions for consideration for interior print should be pre-formatted in black and white (no sepia or cool toned filters).

Interior page is 6”x9” portrait; wraparound cover size is roughly 12.5”x9.25”.

Preferred file formats: high-resolution (minimum 300 dpi) .jpg or .png.

Note: While .tiff may be submitted, they are difficult to view on Submittable.

FILE NAMES

Include last name, number of submissions, and first words of the title(s). Avoid special characters.

For example, “LastName_3_TitleA_TitleB_TitleC.”

Visual Artists: Works will not be considered if the filename is not descriptive. If your piece is untitled, please name the files sequentially using “LastName_2_untitled1_untitled2”

OPTIONAL TIP JAR

With the help of writing and visual arts communities, Ludington Writers has been able to fund the Carol Bennett $1,500 scholarship, the George Dila $500 sponsorship, the Barry Matthews Continuing Education Scholarship, as well as various workshops and live readings.

If you would like to contribute to our community activities, consider using the tip jar at checkout.