African Voices Magazine accepts poetry and fiction submissions year round. Submit up to 5 poems totalling no more than 3 pages. The maximum word count for short stories is 2,500 words.
African Voices does not accept AI generated poems, short stories, essays or art. Submissions must be 100 percent created by human writers and artists. We accept original content.
African Voices invites submissions for the Summer/Fall 2025 issue focused on the artistry and activism of the late Harry Belafonte. This issue will be guest edited by award-winning poet, author, and artist Keisha-Gaye Anderson.
Harry Belafonte's decades-long work of blending his artistry and activism to promote civil rights and human rights in the United States and beyond helped to foment significant social change in his lifetime, from his work with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to his role in the anti-apartheid movement.
This issue will showcase fiction, art, poetry, and essays that exemplify some of the areas that Belafonte was passionate about, including racial equity, social justice, human rights, community empowerment, the interconnectedness of the cultural production of the African diaspora in the Americas, and the power of literacy and the arts to positively transform lives.
“Artists are the gatekeepers of truth," said Belafonte. "We are civilization’s anchor. We are the compass for humanity’s consciousness.” The issues that Belafonte worked to advance in his life in terms of Civil Rights and human rights are particularly resonant at this moment. We want to share your work that reflects and ponders these themes.
Please include your short bio and contact information with your submission.
What we’re looking for:
● Fiction – no more than 2,500 words
● Essays – no more than 2,500 words
● Poetry – three to five poems
● Artwork – three to five images
File types accepted: Word, PDF, JPEG, TIFF.
African Voices does not accept AI generated poems, short stories, essays or art. Submissions must be 100 percent created by human writers and artists. We accept original content.
African Voices is an international, literary magazine devoted to the promotion of fiction, non- fiction, poetry and visual arts created by people of color. Founded in 1992, African Voices is published three times a year (2 print issues and 1 digital issue) and distributed throughout the United States and abroad. We encourage writers and artists to review sample copies before submitting work so they are familiar with our editorial style. African Voices publishes short stories and poetry online on a monthly basis.
African Voices does not accept AI generated poems, short stories, essays or art. Submissions must be 100 percent created by human writers and artists. We accept original content.
We have an open submissions policy that is year round. Please note, African Voices prioritizes and publishes work from writers from the African Diaspora and people of color. We encourage you to submit work that is transgressive, creative and thought provoking. We accept all genres and styles (i.e. speculative fiction, humor, mystery and drama). Short one to three act plays and novel excerpts are accepted as well. Please refer to our word count before submitting. The small reading fee helps cover the use of the online platform (it is relatively the same cost of postage).
Payment: African Voices pays on average $150-$300 for original short stories and plays. We pay authors in contributors' copies for novel excerpts.
The Guidelines are as follows:
• Fiction submissions are to exceed 500-2,500 Words long.
• All submissions should come with a short bio and cover letter attached.
• Please format your submissions as Microsoft Word document.
• Writers are to submit no more than 2 pieces for consideration.
• No AI generated short stories, poems or art.
African Voices is an international, literary magazine devoted to the promotion of fiction, non- fiction, poetry and visual arts created by people of color. Founded in 1992, African Voices is published three times a year (2 print issues and 1 digital issue) and distributed throughout the United States and abroad. We encourage writers and artists to review sample copies before submitting work so they are familiar with our editorial style. African Voices publishes short stories and poetry online on a monthly basis.
African Voices does not accept AI generated poems, short stories, essays or art. Submissions must be 100 percent created by human writers and artists. We accept original content.
We have an open submissions policy that is year round. Please note, African Voices prioritizes and publishes work from writers from the African Diaspora and people of color. All styles of poetry are considered including avant-garde, free verse, haiku, light verse and traditional. All subject matter of poems are considered for publication. The small reading fee helps cover the use of the online platform (it is relatively the same cost of postage).
Payment: African Voices pays on average $25-$150 for original poems, plus two contributors' copies. We pay authors in contributors' copies for poetry book excerpts.
The Guidelines are as follows:
• Poetry submissions should not exceed three pages.
• All submissions should come with a short bio and cover letter attached.
• Please format your submissions as Microsoft Word document.
• Writers are to submit no more than 5 poems for consideration.
• No AI generated poems, short stories or art.