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"A literary journal that features explorations of life in a mad world. More specifically, it welcomes writing and art from people with lived experience of what is variously called mental health challenges, mental illness, madness, neurodiversity. "

"A literary journal that features explorations of life in a mad world. More specifically, it welcomes writing and art from people with lived experience of what is variously called mental health challenges, mental illness, madness, neurodiversity. "

Vibe

Send us your best but less intimidating

Response Time

2 months / 114 days

Acceptance Rate

12%

  • Payment

    Yes: CA$25

  • Fee

    No

  • Simultaneous submissions

    Yes

  • Previously published

    No

  • Expedited response

    No

  • Available in print

    Yes

  • Provides contributor copies

    No

  • Examples online

    No

  • Active on social media

    Yes

Accepted genres

7 genres

Fiction

Max words: 3000

Max pieces: 1

Nonfiction

Max words: 3000

Max pieces: 1

Poetry

Max lines: 96

Max pieces: 4

Hybrid

Max words: 3000

Max pieces: 1

Art

Max pieces: 4

Any 2D medium, suitable for print.

Photography

Max pieces: 4

Wtf is genre, send anything

Other: Includes experimental pieces, letters, opinion pieces, research, and anything that doesn’t quite fit in the above categories. 1 piece...

Fiction

Max words: 3000

Max pieces: 1

Nonfiction

Max words: 3000

Max pieces: 1

Poetry

Max lines: 96

Max pieces: 4

Hybrid

Max words: 3000

Max pieces: 1

Art

Max pieces: 4

Any 2D medium, suitable for print.

Photography

Max pieces: 4

Wtf is genre, send anything

Other: Includes experimental pieces, letters, opinion pieces, research, and anything that doesn’t quite fit in the above categories. 1 piece...

Statistics

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You're the best!

Track submission

38

Total submissions tracked

114 days

Average response time

12%

Average acceptance rate

77 days

Fastest response time

211 days

Slowest response time

How to submit

Process

We use Submittable.

Cover letters

Do NOT put your name, address, email, a cover letter, or any other identification within the file you submit to us. Our assistant editors conduct blind reviews to ensure fairness. Any submissions that contain identifying information will be declined.

Eligibility

Creators w/ disabilities

Formatting

Please provide high resolution (300 dpi) files for artwork.

Rights for published work

If your submission is accepted for publication in OMQ, we will ask you to grant us one-time, non-exclusive serial and/or electronic publication rights to your work. That means we’re asking for permission to publish your work once, in the print (serial) and/or future online (electronic) editions of OMQ, but you retain ownership of your work and can freely submit it for publication elsewhere.

Additional info

We strive to promote these voices and perspectives by publishing work based on first-hand lived experience. Payment/copies. Contributors published in OMQ will receive a print copy of the issue they are published in and an honorarium (currently $25 CAD). This payment is subject to change.

About the Magazine

Founded in ? | Canada

OMQ is published by NISA/Northern Initiative for Social Action, a member-driven, peer-support mental health organization built on the premise that people with mental health challenges are intelligent, creative, and valuable. Both NISA and OMQ operate out of Sudbury, Ontario, in what is currently called Canada, which is Robinson-Huron treaty territory on the traditional lands of the Atikameksheng Anishinawbek and the Wahnapitae First Nation. The magazine was created the same year as NISA—in 1998—to act as the official publication of The Writers’ Circle. It quickly outgrew its digs, and now receives submissions from all around the world, from Canada, to Australia, and everywhere in between. We have a full-colour cover, and all inside pages are black and white. There is also now a FREE/PWYC, full-colour PDF of the magazine available. You can access it, subscribe, or buy a single print issue in our online store. OMQ features a broad range of writing—including but not limited to prose, poetry, research, and reviews—and visual art. Our intention is to facilitate explorations of life in a mad world. More specifically, our goals are to: - Create space for people with lived experience of mental health challenges to consider our similarities, as well as our differences; - Facilitate discussions of concepts such as madness, support, recovery, and wellness, in all the forms that may take; - Explore and grow the language used to describe people’s experiences of what is variously called mental illness, madness, neurodiversity, mental health challenges etc.; - Acknowledge and address the impact of broader social factors on mental health; - Offer our lived experiences to those who have not experienced mental health challenges in an effort to increase understanding and reduce stigma; - And, testify to the significance, impact, and dignity of all our lives.

Masthead

We currently list only main editors, more will be added later! If you are an editor, you can edit your masthead in our admin panel :)

Sabine Gorecki

Editor-in-Chief