The Journal of African Youth Literature/ How to Submit

The Journal of African Youth Literature (also known as Jay Lit) is currently seeking submissions for its third issue. The journal is looking for submissions of poetry, fiction, plays, and comic/ visual art from young African writers who are between the ages of 15 and 35.

The deadline for submissions is November 30, 2020.

Who is Eligible to Submit to the Journal of African Youth Literature:

• Anyone who is of African descent and who is between 15 and 35.
• There is no submission fee.

How to Submit to the Journal of African Youth Literature:

• Submit a short story of up to 5000 words, or a novella of up to 30,000 words.
• Submit a short play of up to 5000 words, or a long play of 10,000 words.
• Or a comic book or graphic art of up to 20 pages.
• Or a packet of 5 short poems of no longer than 20 lines each. Or a single long poem of up to 50 lines.
• The submitted piece should be original, previously unpublished.
• Submissions could be made in any African language, and in English, French, or Portuguese.
• If you are submitting a piece written in an African language, or in any language other than English, do include a brief summary of the piece in your cover letter. The cover letter should be written in English.
• Format: 12 pt., Times New Roman, 1.5 line spacing and justified alignment.
• Include a photo of yourself and a brief bio of no longer than 100 words.
• Simultaneous submissions will be considered.
• Submit here: [email protected].

To Better Your Submission:

Check out this article on how to write good poetry from Kaveh Akbar, and these reviews and recommended stories here and here, and these tips from TJ Benson on how to write good short stories, as well as this interview with six of the best Nigerian poets writing today.

Goodluck.