CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Speculative Mothers
— A Mini Anthology of speculative poetry
We seek poetry for Speculative Mothers, a curated, 7”x 5” (portrait) mini-anthology exploring the intersection of motherhood and speculative poetry. We want poems that explore, examine and excavate the maternal archetype moving out and through the quotidian domestic and into the cosmos, the mythological, through the possibilities of today, yesterday, tomorrow.
Whether your work engages sci-fi, dystopian survival, ancestral time travel, or any of the many possibilities under the speculative umbrella, we want to see how you report on, represent and record the reality-shaping energy and will of mothers.
Submission Guidelines
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Poem Count: Submit up to 2 poems. Only 9 total poems will be selected for this print chapbook. Include your bio.
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Line Length Limit: Maximum 56 characters per line (including spaces). This ensures your text fits elegantly across our page without forced text-wrapping.
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Layout Note: Longer poems are welcome! They will be formatted across multi-page spreads.
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Our Design Layout: The anthology will be set in 11 pt Optima with 1.15 line spacing and 0.5-inch margins. If your poem relies on hyper-specific visual spacing, please ensure it fits within a 4-inch wide printable text block.
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Deadline: September15, 2026.
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How to Submit: speculativepoetry@gmail.com If you don’t receive a response saying it was received, then it hasn’t been. Submissions may close once the anthology is filled. Previously published poems are acceptable if you have permission for reprinting.
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Contributors will receive:
a $20 honorarium, payable upon execution of the publication agreement;
one complimentary contributor copy of Speculative Mothers
Total estimated value: approximately $37
Rights Requested
First North American anthology print rights. If the submitted work has been previously published, the publisher requests non-exclusive anthology reprint rights. All rights not expressly granted remain with the author.
Call for Cover Art
We are also seeking one artist to create the cover for Speculative Mothers. We welcome original artwork that engages the anthology's themes through speculative imagination. We are especially interested in work that moves beyond conventional representations of motherhood to embrace the cosmic, mythic, surreal, futuristic, ancestral, ecological, or otherwise speculative.
Traditional, digital, collage, fiber, mixed media, sculpture, photography, printmaking, and other visual media are welcome.
Submission Guidelines
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Submit up to 3 images (JPEG or PNG).
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Include image title, medium, dimensions, and year completed.
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Images should be at least 300 dpi or capable of being reproduced at high resolution.
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Include a brief artist biography (100 words maximum).
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Email submissions to speculativepoetry@gmail.com with the subject line:
Speculative Mothers Cover Art. -
Deadline: September 15, 2026.
Compensation
The selected artist will receive:
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a $50 honorarium upon execution of the publication agreement;
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credit on the copyright page and in promotional materials;
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one complimentary copy of the anthology
Rights Requested
The artist grants ArtFarm Press a non-exclusive license to reproduce the artwork on the cover of Speculative Mothers and in promotional materials related to the anthology. Copyright remains with the artist. All rights not expressly granted remain with the artist.
Speculative Mothers is the first in a series of Speculative Gift Books, mini-anthologies of speculative verse.
Publisher: ArtFarm Press
Editor: Akua Lezli Hope
Next in the Series
Speculative Dis/Ability
Speculative Divinations
Speculative Pastoral
Speculative Cats
Speculative Father