Gandy Dancer publishes writing and visual art by current students of the State University of New York (SUNY) campuses only. We also feature the work of one SUNY alumnus in each edition as our “PostScript.” We only consider previously unpublished work. If selected, Gandy Dancer retains first publication rights. After publication, rights revert back to you and we ask that you credit us with the first publication thereafter. Simultaneous submissions are permitted—if your piece is accepted elsewhere, inform us immediately through Submittable by withdrawing your work or, in the case of poetry and visual art, adding a note to your submission detailing which specific pieces we should no longer keep under consideration. Once an author agreement is signed, work can no longer be withdrawn. Due to the number of submissions we receive, we are unable to offer feedback on work we choose not to publish.
NOTE: We do not accept anything made by AI programs. We want to read your words and the feelings they envoke.
Deadlines: Gandy Dancer uses rolling submission windows. To be considered for fall issues, works must be received by October 8. To be considered for the spring, they must be received by March 1. Any works submitted after these deadlines will be considered for the following issue.
We will accept one submission per genre from an author at a time, but feel free to submit to as many different genres as you like. Text submissions must be formatted as .doc, .docx, or .pdf. Please only use .txt or .rtf if absolutely necessary.
Fiction: We accept submissions up to 25 pages. Stories must be double-spaced in Times New Roman or a similar font. We are unlikely to accept genre or fan fiction, though stranger things have happened…
Creative Nonfiction: We accept submissions up to 25 pages. CNF; must be double-spaced in Times New Roman or a similar font. All CNF submissions will be considered for the Parry Family Nonfiction Prize: an award of $100, along with publication in the journal, for the best essay published in Gandy Dancer this academic year.
Poetry: We accept submissions of three to five poems. Poems must be submitted as a single document in Garamond or a similar font. Please do not submit poems separately. Format as you would like to see in print.
Visual Art: We accept up to five submissions of art in the most popular file formats, such as .jpg, .tiff, .png, and .pdf. Quality photos of three-dimensional art are welcomed too. Submitted images should have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi and be at least 5 inches wide. Make sure all your works are titled!
Required for submission: We’d like to get to know you, so please include a third-person bio in your cover letter, seventy-five words or less. Here’s a template if you get stuck:
Molly Brown is a junior at SUNY Purchase, where she is studying underwater basketweaving. Her work has appeared in Italics Mine, Blue Route, and the Albion Review.
If you have any questions, please contact our managing editors: gandydancer@geneseo.edu. Please allow four months before querying our editors regarding submissions.
