SUBMISSIONS
Submissions are now open, and will remain open through 27 Aug 2025. There is a small chance that the number of submissions we receive will reach a point of critical mass, and force us to cap our numbers for the sake of preserving our own mental health. (You understand—after all, this is a journal dedicated to the work of bad-luck brains—and that includes us.)
This does seem unlikely. Should numbers become overwhelming, a updated deadline will be provided, in advance. Checking back here periodically, will be the best way to ensure you're up to date on developments—though we do make every effort to keep our Chill Subs listing up to date.
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APROSEXIA LIT is an International online poetry journal dedicated to writing of unusual creativity by neurodivergent, cognitively diverse, and non-visibly disabled writers. The journal's overarching goal is to impress its readership with first-rate work, that emphasizes the unique nature of divergent life experience, and what makes it genuinely different from what's assumed to be "the norm." We want to showcase the best our community has to offer, without assuming that neurodivergent art and forms of expression need to be accessible to a neurotypical or more generally abled audience, before we look to speak to and inspire one another. We publish in English, but welcome submissions from anywhere in the world.
This means that APROSEXIA is inherently biased, but has no desire to be exclusionary. While a number of publications invite marginalized voices to stand near the "front-of-the-line," and feel free to self-identify when submitting work, APROSEXIA's mission is to stay focused on publishing those voices who are marginalized under the broad umbrella of "mental health." We ask that those who submit to the journal respect that mission.
APROSEXIA LIT publishes poetry & poetry adjacent work, biannually in the spring and fall. Response time varies, but all decisions are finalized shortly after the submission window closes.
CONTENT
Send your strange and wonderful, offbeat and disturbing [within reason—APROSEXIA LIT isn’t about horror or the experience of abuse for the sake of it]; your dream logic; the stuff you write, and love, but no one seems to get; the inexplicable difficulties you experience in a difficult world; your awkward misinterpretations of neurotypical expectations. Most especially, you are invited to share your joy—even if it is bittersweet—and wherever and however you happen to find it. The latter is overlooked so frequently, and poorly acknowledged in the representation of our community. Whether manic, abstract, or mundane—this isn't the place you need to mask what makes your work strange; unusual; wonderful.
My hope is that APROSEXIA LIT represents a chance for you to send work out into the world that comes from an origin of neurodivergent and invisibly challenged perspective, but isn't required to address the trauma of mental health or disability explicitly—although, if it does, APROSEXIA is a place where it may find a home, as well. If you would like to send something in to be considered, please do.
It should go without saying, but any work that advocates or glorifies hurt or harm will be obliterated from the APROSEXIA inbox.
INSTRUCTIONS
Send 2–5 poems; on no more than five pages. Each poem should begin a new page. We take the term poetry as broadly defined—but the journal can only accommodate text, for the time being. Formatting that is unusually demanding will be a harder sell, as the our capacity to reproduce faithfully, within accessible standards, is limited.
In your submission email, include the name you would like to see your work published under, if it is selected for the issue; your preferred pronouns; and a short bio [50–150 words], written in any style you wish. A cover letter isn't necessary—though knowing a little bit about who’s submitting to APROSEXIA is always welcome.
As mentioned above, APROSEXIA LIT is here to elevate the voices and work of a specific, and marginalized, community. There's no good way police this mission in practice, and the honor system can become tricky to navigate—but so are requests to self-identify. If you feel comfortable with the latter, you are invited to do so. You're also welcome to include a few words in your email, sharing some example of a time you encountered neurotypical behavior and found it personally bewildering, absurd, or incomprehensible. Neither of these options are required, per se—but it is the type of information that will have a bearing on the way your submission is received.
It's not perfect, but it's the best, non-intrusive way we can think of to establish that our contributors fall within the constraints of our overall mission, without getting pushy or demanding about specifics. None of the above information will be shared beyond our small group of editors.
The important points:
✬ Previously unpublished work only, please. Simultaneous submissions are encouraged—but, be courteous and withdraw any piece if it finds a home elsewhere.
✬ We are not a paying market, but are actively looking to change that in the future.
✬ Only one submission per open call. If your work isn't right for the upcoming issue, you're welcome to submit new material once submissions open for the next. Material that arrives outside these guidelines will net be considered.
✬ “SUBMISSION” should appear somewhere in your email's subject line. Attach your work in a single .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .txt file. At this time, we're unable to accepts .pdf files.
✬ If your submission happens to involve especially demanding formatting, feel free to reach out so we discuss potential solutions.
✬ Please send your work to: submissions@aprosexia.org
✬ APROSEXIA asks for first serial rights, and acknowledgement in the case of future publication. All rights return to the author immediately upon publication.
✬ Because APROSEXIA LIT is published as a complete digital issue that follows specific layout and graphic design, contributors' work is archived indefinitely—as long as the issue can be maintained online.
✬ Copyright always remains with the author.
✬ APROSEXIA LIT is open for submissions now. Our current reading period is for the upcoming issue, [case #2] will close 28 May 2025. The issue [case #2] is expected to go live during the autumn of 2025.
DISCLAIMER
APROSEXIA LIT operates under the assumption that people who do and say hateful things should find their produce has rapidly decomposed in the fridge overnight; any milk products purchased at market gone sour on the way home; only single socks of a pair ever return to them from the dryer; and anything that they've ever truly wanted from life remain forever out of reach. If you're someone who feels compelled to spew intolerance and malice at other human beings—especially if that's reflected in your writing—go away. We hope you're about to be chased off a cliff, in melodramatically hostile rain—down to the rocks of a raging and polluted sea—by angry villagers wielding sharp and fiery objects.