About Raptor Lit

What is Raptor Lit?

At Raptor Lit, we are not looking for the “next big thing.” We believe the boundaries of literature are pushed the furthest, not when writers are striving to do so, but when writers are bold enough to share their own truth.

Maybe your story is epic, or maybe you’re spinning a literary moment from baking cookies in your grandma’s kitchen. Whatever it is, only you can tell the story inside you, and, at Raptor Lit, we want to hear it. We really do. We believe that diverse perspectives not only foster a great reading experience, but also great people.

Emerging as a writer in a new literary community is a daunting task, but the voices of creatives who haven’t always had a place on the page has never been more important. At Raptor Lit, we empower writers to submit and publish their work by creating an uplifting and accepting environment for contributors that reflects our inclusive values.

Black Lives Matter.

LGBTQ+ rights are a must.

And there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism.

How to Submit

Raptor Lit is currently closed for submissions. We will reopen Fall 2021.

You can submit directly to our Medium publication or by emailing us at readraptorlit@gmail.com.

What We Do and Don’t Want

Let us hear your story. At Raptor Lit, we want to explore the crossroads of personal and imaginative. Send us the stories that are alive (or won’t stay dead); the stories that get stuck in your throat; the ones that live in your head rent free; the ones that lift you off the ground. Let your writing be your wings.

• We publish all literary genres including but not limited to poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.
• Working closely with all creatives in our community is important to us. We also accept digital art submissions (digitized illustration, photography, graphic design, etc).
• We are searching primarily for writers early in their career, so please let us know in your bio if you are previously unpublished. We’d love to be the first to show the world your words!​
• We are not just accepting something because it is “different.”
• We are not just looking for the “next big thing.”
• We want writers to be able to write in their own voices. Sorry, No fan fiction.
• We accept only previously unpublished work​
• Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please let us know immediately if your work is picked up by someone else​
• Raptor Lit is a publication dedicated to spreading cultural awareness and visibility for those who have been under-represented in the past; we will not tolerate work that furthers suppressive dialogue.​
• No human is an island, so we do not expect that any one contribution will perfect the first go around. Imperfection and open dialogues are welcome and encouraged.
• Communication is key. We find that submitters know any glaring reasons behind rejection may be helpful for emerging writers looking to land a hit in the future.
• We accept all genres, but excessive gore, sex, or violence is not appealing. If these things do appear in your story, they should serve the overall plot in an important way.​

Submission Guidelines

• We publish all literary genres including but not limited to poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. All prose submissions must be 3,500 words or less. We prefer shorter pieces where possible. Please double-space your work.
• We will accept 2–3 shorter poems or 1 lengthy poem per submission.
• Digital art submissions (digitized illustration, photography, graphic design, etc.) for the cover or accompany published literary pieces must be submitted in PDF., .PNG, or.JPEG format, and they cannot be pictures or scans of paintings or drawings.

We are a small group of Students so it may take us several weeks to get back to you about your submissions. Don’t give up on your writing and continue to submit to us. We heartily look forward to reading your work.

Questions?

Email us at readraptorlit@gmail.com

Follow Us

We’re on Twitter and Instagram: @raptorlit.

You Oughta Know…

While Raptor Lit is run by students who attend Spalding University, the works in the publication are not representative of the views of the University.