Ludington Writers 

MWWM is a product of Ludington Writers, a diverse group of wordsmith enthusiasts and practitioners. Inspired by each other and the beauty of the lakeshore and landscapes around us, our mission is to engender creativity within our local community and beyond.

Ludington Writers (LW) is dedicated to supporting and sustaining writers, and to promoting written and oral storytelling within the local community. LW publishes an annual literary journal, the Driftwood Review, relaunched as MAKING WAVES: A West Michigan Review, holds weekly activities (see below) and special events. When possible, LW gifts a week’s retreat for a renowned writer and offers both scholarships for higher education and out-of-town writing conferences.

Making Waves: a West Michigan Review

SUBMISSION BASICS

No submission fees.
Unpublished, original, non-AI generated works only.
Simultaneous submissions allowed (withdraw your work if it is accepted elsewhere).
No multiple submissions: One submission per category per reading period.
We aim to respond within three (3) weeks. Cover art decisions will be made after submissions close.
We will consider speculative fiction & scripts, as long as they are stand-alone pieces & within our word count.

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

WHAT WE WANT

We love a conversational narrative voice & strong sensory experience. While we don’t often accept rhyming poetry, we are open to traditional forms when they avoid cliché & general, emotionally loaded language (e.g. anguished & soul-wrenching sobs).

View our past issues for free on our website: LudingtonWriters.org.

Please proof your work carefully before submitting, with attention to consistency in point of view, tense, & punctuation.

REQUIREMENTS

Submissions are reviewed blind. Do not include identifying information or a bio in your manuscript files. Contact information & bios must be entered only in the designated Submittable fields.

FORMATTING

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

(Please reserve .pdf files for visual poetry).

Titles should appear in ALL CAPS for clarity. You may indicate preferred capitalization for publication.

POETRY

Up to two (2) poems
Maximum of five (5) pages per poem.
Single-spaced, formatted as required by the chosen form
Space limitations allow for no more than 60 characters per line & 30 lines per page (excluding title & byline). This is provided as guidance for visual layout, not as a creative restriction.

PROSE

Up to two (2) pieces
Maximum of 1,000 words per piece
Double-spaced
VISUAL ART

Up to four (4) black & white pieces &/or up to (2) color pieces
Color work will be considered for the cover only
Interior work must be formatted in black & white (no sepia, warm or cool toned filters)
Interior page size is 6”x9”
Wraparound cover size: approximately 12.5”x9.25”
Preferred file formats: high-resolution (minimum 300 dpi) .jpg or .png (.tiff are difficult for us to view in Submittable)

Temples & Prisons (Poetry, Prose & Visual Art)

Writers & artists are encouraged to explore the ideas of the sacred, sanctuary, subjugation &/or suffering found in places, relationships, & ourselves.

SUBMISSION BASICS

No submission fees.
Unpublished, original, non-AI generated works only.
Simultaneous submissions allowed (withdraw your work if it is accepted elsewhere).
No multiple submissions: One submission per category per reading period.
We aim to respond within three (3) weeks. Cover art decisions will be made after submissions close.
We will consider speculative fiction & scripts, as long as they are stand-alone pieces & within our word count.

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

WHAT WE WANT

We love a conversational narrative voice & strong sensory experience. While we don’t often accept rhyming poetry, we are open to traditional forms when they avoid cliché & general, emotionally loaded language (e.g. anguished & soul-wrenching sobs).

View our past issues for free on our website: LudingtonWriters.org.

Please proof your work carefully before submitting, with attention to consistency in point of view, tense, & punctuation.

REQUIREMENTS

Submissions are reviewed blind. Do not include identifying information or a bio in your manuscript files. Contact information & bios must be entered only in the designated Submittable fields.

FORMATTING

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

(Please reserve .pdf files for visual poetry).

Titles should appear in ALL CAPS for clarity. You may indicate preferred capitalization for publication.

POETRY

Up to two (2) poems
Maximum of five (5) pages per poem.
Single-spaced, formatted as required by the chosen form
Space limitations allow for no more than 60 characters per line & 30 lines per page (excluding title & byline). This is provided as guidance for visual layout, not as a creative restriction.

PROSE

Up to two (2) pieces
Maximum of 1,000 words per piece
Double-spaced
VISUAL ART

Up to four (4) black & white pieces &/or up to (2) color pieces
Color work will be considered for the cover only
Interior work must be formatted in black & white (no sepia, warm or cool toned filters)
Interior page size is 6”x9”
Wraparound cover size: approximately 12.5”x9.25”
Preferred file formats: high-resolution (minimum 300 dpi) .jpg or .png (.tiff are difficult for us to view in Submittable)

Making Waves: a West Michigan Review

Highlights

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