SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Sine Theta submissions are currently OPEN for Issue #36 “MIRAGE 幻” until December 7, 2025.

We are open for submissions to our themed print issues 3 times a year. Please check our website, social media, and newsletter to stay updated on our submissions windows.

Submissions sent outside of open submissions periods will not be read.

You must identify as a member of the Sino diaspora to submit. Sino diasporas are defined as people of ‘Chinese’ background who have some kind of relationship ‘away’ from that background. These ideas are defined as broadly as possible and are rooted in self-determination. This can include people with backgrounds from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and the broader Sinosphere—a cultural-linguistic space transcending national boundaries, where Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, and other Sinitic languages anchor shared and contested identities. We use the word ‘Sino’ because it is expansive, flexible, and encompasses tensions as well as contradictions of identity.

BECOMING A CONTRIBUTOR

Beginning with submissions to Issue #18 and continuing onward, all contributors whose works appear in an issue are hereby eligible to receive $10 USD as honorarium. (Because of our current mode of operations, we can provide this sum via Paypal, Venmo, or UK domestic bank transfer.)

Becoming a paying market is a step that we are committed to taking, and as we continue to grow, we hope to continue to expand our ability to compensate contributors in the future.

If you are interested in supporting our mission, please visit our Patreon: all of the support we receive on that platform is directed toward fairly compensating our contributors. Currently, we are a total non-profit — all of our staff are volunteers, and any revenue we receive from magazine sales is used for upkeep and maintenance costs.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

Please email all submissions to sinethetamag@gmail.com. Please format your document title as "NAME - Title [or description, eg Untitled photo essay or 3 poems]".

Please fill and include the following submission form in the body of your email:

  • Name (as you wish to be credited):
  • Chinese name (if you have one):
  • Third-person bio (up to 80 words):
  • For poetry – line count:
  • For prose – word count:
  • For artwork – medium:
  • IG and Bluesky social media handles:
  • Do you identify as a member of the Sino diaspora?: YES/NO [If the answer to this question is no, please do not submit.]

If you do not hear back from us confirming receipt within three days of your email, please send a follow-up email, as your submission may have gotten caught in our spam filter. Once we have confirmed receipt of your email, please do not send us multiple emails.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

We accept all genres of visual and literary work as long as they relate to the current theme. Works do not necessarily have to pertain to the diasporic experience.

Multiple submissions are encouraged (as long as all submitted works are relevant). Please do not re-submit a work that has already been declined.

  • Poetry: Please submit no more than 5 poems per submission.
  • Prose: There is no word limit on prose submissions, but please keep in mind that the prose pieces we publish in our magazine often range between 1500-3000 words. You may pitch a prose piece without a first draft; please do so as early as possible. Please indicate if your prose work is fiction, non-fiction, or hybrid.
  • Visual art: Please submit no more than 10 individual works of art per submission.
  • Translations: Please obtain written permission from the creator(s) of the original work (or their estate), or confirm that the original work is in the public domain.

Written work should be in PDF or Microsoft Word format. Visual work should be submitted as high-quality scans or well-cropped photography with no shadows.

We will not publish work that has already appeared in another publication. Simultaneous submissions are welcome, so long as they are classified as such and we are informed promptly if they are accepted elsewhere.

Upon publication in Sine Theta, publication rights of a work revert to its contributor. Any subsequent publications must acknowledge us, i.e. "First published in Sine Theta Magazine."

We reserve the right to remove the work of any contributor from print or digital circulation without warning or notification if presented with sufficient cause.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us.