Ebony Tomatoes Collective, mission statement.

Ebony Tomatoes Collective (How to Submit)

Nov 15, 2025 Chinaza James-Ibe

Ebony Tomatoes Collective Opens Submissions: A Home for Black, Queer, and Gender-Expansive Storytelling

Ebony Tomatoes Collective has opened its doors to new submissions, welcoming Black writers, queer writers, and gender-expansive creatives into a space built with care, intention, and community at its core. Before sending in your work, the editors encourage you to read their notes and FAQs—which outline the mission, payment structure, and submission process guiding the collective’s approach to publishing.

A Community-Rooted Payment Structure

Thanks to the support of their readers, Ebony Tomatoes has introduced a trial payment system for editors, writers, and illustrators. Issue sales and community fundraising powered this model and may shift over time depending on available resources.

Here is the current payment breakdown:

Print issue submissions:
They pay writers $0.04 per word for up to 1,000 words.
And determine compensation for non-writing submissions (such as visual or hybrid work) individually based on medium and scope.
Newsletter features:
Every month, the editors select two standout pieces to feature in their Substack newsletter. Featured writers receive $0.02 per word for up to 1,000 words.
Website-only pieces:
At this time, pieces published exclusively on the website are unpaid, though the team is actively working toward offering compensation.

They deliver all payments via Zelle, PayPal, or Venmo upon publication. No compensation for pieces they do not accept.

Why Ebony Tomatoes Collective Exists

The collective understands how difficult and underpaid creative work can be—especially for writers who are Black, queer, or gender-expansive. Ebony Tomatoes ground themselves in the belief that Black storytelling is valuable, necessary, and worthy of investment.

Their impact reflects this belief:

They have published over 80 Black writers and artists, featuring work on Palestinian liberation, queer futurisms, the modern lesbian and transgender experience, and mental health among women of color.
Editors collaborate closely with writers, fostering a process rooted in mentorship, conversation, and trust. Many contributors maintain long-term relationships with the publication.

The publishing industry at large continues to fall short: as of 2024, 73% of publishing staff and 78% of executives are white, while only 5% of staff are Black. DEI efforts move slowly or dissolve entirely, leaving emerging Black writers struggling to find spaces where they are not dismissed, tokenized, or censored.

Ebony Tomatoes refuses to wait for the industry to evolve. Instead, the collective is redefining what publishing can look like—community-centered, socially relevant, and unapologetically rooted in the lived experiences of Black and queer people.