What is Calliope: Voice of the Writers?

We are a free-of-charge online literary magazine, publishing a wide variety of creative writing and non-fiction pieces. Calliope is designed to provide a public forum through which writing can be shared and discussed by other writers. 

We are accepting ongoing submissions for upcoming issues.

How do I submit?

Please read the Submission Guidelines before submitting your work. When we receive your work, we will email a response to confirm receipt. When it has been accepted or declined for publication, an email of our decision will be sent.

When will I know whether my piece has been selected for publication in Calliope?

Upon submission you should receive a confirmation e-mail.  Once the editorial board has made a decision, you will be notified be e-mail as to whether your piece has been selected.  In most cases, you will receive notification of our decision within 2 to 3 weeks.  See Submission Guidelines for more details.

Does it cost anything to have my writing included in Calliope?

Calliope is free for both writers and readers.  We will not charge you a submission fee, and all writing will be published to the Calliope online magazine, where it can be accessed by readers free of charge.

What sort of writing can be submitted?

Most forms of writing, fiction and non-fiction, are acceptable. These include, but are not necessarily limited to, short stories, chapters of books, poetry, screen and stage plays, political commentary, etc.  Decision for publication will be made by the editorial board on a case by case basis.

Who decides what will be included in Calliope?

All pieces submitted for publication are reviewed by Calliope’s editors.  While we encourage all types of submissions, the final decision for inclusion in Calliope rests with the editorial board.

Can anyone submit, or is it for experienced writers only?

Calliope is open to absolutely anyone. Both experienced and first-time writers are welcome and encouraged to submit items or comment on others’ writing.

Will Calliope edit my work? What about content restrictions?

Calliope is committed to providing an open environment and freedom of expression for all writers.  Therefore, we will not censor submissions based on content.  Any pieces deemed to contain possibly offensive material will be marked with a Content Warning.

However, the editorial board does reserve the right to edit for grammar and to require revision prior to publication.  We are committed to maintaining the individual style and voice of each piece published, but the final decision for publication rests with the editorial board.

NOTE: The above is true for works of fiction only, where individual creativity is paramount. Non-fiction articles are a different format and may require structural editing before publication. If you disaprove of how your non-fiction piece has been edited, you are welcome to re-submit your piece as re-edited by yourself, or, of course, to leave comments after the piece noting your disatisfaction with the edited article.

By submitting my work am I giving Calliope copyright?

We retain electronic publication rights for any work submitted (including the right to publish the content on the web, and to archive the content for permanent electronic access), but copyright remains with the author of the piece. (Submission of a piece of writing to Calliope indicates the author’s consent for web publication). Calliope will not re-produce your writing in a second format without your permission, and will not sell your work to a third party.

Where can content be discussed?

Each piece included on the Calliope site will have a comments section through which readers can leave remarks and reactions for the author of the piece.

Bullying of any kind will not be tolerated and any such comments will be deleted. However, constructive criticism is welcomed – this is a site to encourage the creative growth of writers and to nurture talent.

I am new to writing and unsure of my abilities. Do I have to use my real name?

For submission, we require your real name, along with your email address, a contact telephone number, and your town and country of residence. However, you’re free to be published anonymously.  If you desire a pseudonym, then please provide a pen name for yourself. Calliope will never pass on your details to a third party, nor will we publish your contact details.

What is your policy on plagiarism?

All works sent to us must be your own entirely. If a writer is found to be submitting the work of another, we will delete all published writing on our site by that writer and refuse all subsequent submissions.