Shaping the Future of the Arts in The Adroit Journal
As a young writer or artist, you may be looking to publish your work alongside emerging creatives. Whether you are looking to showcase your talent, strengthen a college application, or insert yourself into the next generation of innovators, you should strongly consider publishing your work in The Adroit Journal. This registered literary and arts nonprofit organization is looking to publish what it sees as the future of poetry, prose, and art. Read on to learn how to publish in this highly-esteemed journal, staffed by and created for young artists.
The Adroit Journal
The Adroit Journal stands apart as an exceptional resource for young talent because it is developed by high school students, college students, and emerging writers. It looks specifically for new talent on the art horizon and splits its publications into “Under 21” and “Over 21” categories, so you will see your work alongside other new artists and writers of all ages.
Although this journal is published by young people (because of this fact, really), it has achieved widespread acclaim. The Adroit Journal has been featured in Best American Poetry, the Pushcart Prizes Anthology, Poetry Daily, Best of the Net, and Best New Poets, and by the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Paris Review, Teen Vogue, PBS NewsHour, and NPR. They have featured United States Poets Laureates, MacArthur Fellows, and Pulitzer Prize winners.
The Adroit Journal is widely seen as the voice of the next generation, and by publishing your work with them, you will be able to boost your profile as an artist or writer and join a cohort of the best creatives of your generation.
Adroit Journal Submission Guidelines
The Adroit Journal is looking for work unlike anything that has been published before. They want “work that’s bizarre, authentic, subtle, outrageous, indefinable, raw, paradoxical,” art and writing that “lives just between the land and the sky.”
To submit your work to the Adroit Journal, you will use their submission manager here. While submissions are not typically accepted over email, if you have a disability or other impairment, you may submit your work via email, if needed, at editors@theadroitjournal.org. You will be asked to pick the genre of your submission, and each has its own guidelines:
The Adroit Journal will accept two submissions per genre per submission period, and any further submissions will be left unviewed.
In addition to your submission, The Adroit Journal will also ask for a cover letter and a short third-person biography statement. They ask for the first rights to publish your work, but after publication, all rights will be returned to you as long as you cite The Adroit Journal as the place your work first appeared.
The Adroit Journal is currently closed for submissions, but you can sign up for email updates here.
Some Words of Advice for Publishing in the Adroit Journal
Submitting your work for publication is a huge step. It shows that you have done enough work on your piece to feel confident, are brave enough to put your work out there, and are looking to engage with an audience. Try to remember when submitting your work that the worst outcome would be that the Adroit Journal says no. Unfortunately, rejection is just as much a part of the creative process as acceptance. While it can be easy to take personally, rejection can push you to improve your work, refine your voice, and create a better version that you can submit again.
As a young writer, you have all the time you need to edit and revise. You have access to teachers and mentors from your school or your local art and writing community. You have the time to explore and find your unique voice as an artist. At this point in your creative career, while publishing can be helpful, it is not crucial for your success as an artist. Instead, exploring your identity, creating and revising your work, and submitting it wherever you can is the most important way to spend this time.
If you have more questions or are looking for advice, The Adroit Journal has a Dear Writer: Tips for Young Writers blog that you can check out here and submit questions to here.
If you are interested in submitting your work to the Adroit Journal, consider applying to the 1:1 Mentorship Program at InspiritAI! Artificial Intelligence is intersecting with art and writing now more than ever, and our mentors – hailing from the world's top research institutions and tech companies – will walk you through an entire project from start to end. Whether you are a coding novice or a virtuoso, our individualized mentorship program will help you develop an exceptional project. For more information, do not hesitate to contact InspiritAI with questions.
