Letters are stories written with specific readers in mind. For this collaborative contest, Inscape Literary Magazine and Whirligig Magazine, BYU’s new children’s literature magazine, invite writers of all ages to tell a story in the form of a letter!

Contributors may write to anyone: a childhood friend, someone far away, someone imagined, or someone they have lost. Letters may also be addressed to a past or future self. However it is framed, each submission should tell a story, using the closeness of the letter form to explore relationship, change, and feeling.

Submissions will be divided into two categories, based on which magazine you are submitting to (considering the intended audience). Not sure which category to submit to? Here are some questions to help you figure it out:

Whirligig (for children)

• Does your letter value whimsy, light, curiosity, wildness, and play?
• Is your letter appropriate for children 7-11?
• Could you see your letter in an issue of Whirligig? Not sure? Check out our Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/whirligigmagazine/

Inscape (for adults)

• Does your letter channel the bizarre, believing or beautiful?
• Does your letter tackle adult themes with respect and maturity?
• Could you see your letter in an issue of Inscape Journal? Not sure? Check out our most recent issue:https://inscape.byu.edu/fall-2025/

$50

Publication on Inscape’s website

This contest invites writers to imagine a reader and speak directly—to say something that matters. By partnering across magazines and age groups, Inscape and Whirligig hope to celebrate storytelling as an act of connection and to make space for voices discovering, in a letter, what they most want to say.

Submission Guidelines:

Literary submissions must be written in English and may not exceed specified word limits. Only include one piece per submission.

Please submit works as a DOC, DOCX, or PDF file.

Do not include your name in any of the attachments.

Do not submit previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please let us know if your piece has been accepted somewhere else.

Current Inscape and Whirligig staff members may not be considered for publication.

We do not accept pieces that invoke the name of deity as an expletive. We also ask that you refrain from submitting anything depicting gratuitous sexual, violent, or otherwise morally objectionable content.

The use of artificial intelligence is prohibited.

Any submission that does not follow these guidelines will not be considered.

This submission category is for writers who want an expedited response for their submission. Writers will hear if their submission is accepted or rejected two Thursdays after the day they complete their submission. 

Since 1982, Inscape journal has curated pieces that are both peculiar and gorgeous without compromising craftsmanship and excellence. Averse to gratuitous violence, language and sex, we look for pieces that treat sensitive subjects with maturity and respect. Our favorite submissions explore refreshing takes on both the fantastic and the everyday. As a staff firmly rooted in following Jesus Christ and His teachings, we hope for submissions from people of all religious perspectives, countries, cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, backgrounds, and experiences. To anyone who wanders into our journal, we welcome you to Inscape, home of the bizarre, believing, and beautiful. 

Submission Guidelines:

1. Inscape curates fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts pieces. You may submit the following number of submissions per category: Poetry: 5, Visual Arts: 5, Fiction: 2, Creative Nonfiction: 2
2. If submitting multiple pieces, please submit them separately.
3. Literary submissions must be written in English and may not exceed 4,000 words. For the flash fiction and flash nonfiction categories, submissions must not exceed 1,000 words.
4. Please submit literary works as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.
5. Visual arts submissions must be scanned at 300 DPI or higher and saved as a .jpeg or .tiff image. Art submissions may include photography, paintings, drawings, digital art, sculpture, textile, etc. Performance art and musical scores will not be considered for publication.
6. Do not include your name in any of the attachments.
7. Do not submit previously published work unless you are submitting to the Alumni issue. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please let us know if your piece has been accepted somewhere else.
8. Current Inscape staff members may not be considered for publication. Staff members may submit their work in order to get blind workshop feedback; however, you must talk to the chief editors prior to doing so.
9. We do not accept pieces that invoke the name of deity as an expletive.
10. We do not accept unsolicited craft essays, but we do accept inquiries from professionals in the arts. Contact our editors at inscape.editors@byu.edu. 
11. Any submission that does not follow these guidelines will not be considered.

Reading Period: We accept submissions year-round. 

We carefully review every submission; this process often takes several months. If you don't hear back 6 months after you've submitted please send an email to editors.inscape@byu.edu to inquire on the status of your piece. 

Inscape observes US Fair Use copyright doctrine which states that 

1. authors must own the copyright of their submitted work and have full power to enter into a publication agreement with Inscape and to convey any rights they may grant to Inscape. 
2. the author’s submitted work constitutes their own original work or gives credit for ideas or material not their own, and does not in any way violate copyright. 
3. the author’s submitted work may not defame, invade the privacy of, violate the civil rights of, or infringe upon the rights of any individuals or third parties. 
4. the author has permission to submit a particular work to Inscape on behalf of all other authors in the event the submitted work has more than one author.

This submission category is for writers who are currently-enrolled students of Brigham Young University. One of Inscape's priorities is to provide a platform for BYU student's first publication. 

Since 1982, Inscape journal has curated pieces that are both peculiar and gorgeous without compromising craftsmanship and excellence. Averse to gratuitous violence, language and sex, we look for pieces that treat sensitive subjects with maturity and respect. Our favorite submissions explore refreshing takes on both the fantastic and the everyday. As a staff firmly rooted in following Jesus Christ and His teachings, we hope for submissions from people of all religious perspectives, countries, cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, backgrounds, and experiences. To anyone who wanders into our journal, we welcome you to Inscape, home of the bizarre, believing, and beautiful. 

Submission Guidelines:

1. Inscape curates fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts pieces. You may submit the following number of submissions per category: Poetry: 5, Visual Arts: 5, Fiction: 2, Creative Nonfiction: 2
2. If submitting multiple pieces, please submit them separately.
3. Literary submissions must be written in English and may not exceed 4,000 words. For the flash fiction and flash nonfiction categories, submissions must not exceed 1,000 words.
4. Please submit literary works as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.
5. Visual arts submissions must be scanned at 300 DPI or higher and saved as a .jpeg or .tiff image. Art submissions may include photography, paintings, drawings, digital art, sculpture, textile, etc. Performance art and musical scores will not be considered for publication.
6. Do not include your name in any of the attachments.
7. Do not submit previously published work unless you are submitting to the Alumni issue. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please let us know if your piece has been accepted somewhere else.
8. Current Inscape staff members may not be considered for publication. Staff members may submit their work in order to get blind workshop feedback; however, you must talk to the chief editors prior to doing so.
9. We do not accept pieces that invoke the name of deity as an expletive.
10. We do not accept unsolicited craft essays, but we do accept inquiries from professionals in the arts. Contact our editors at inscape.editors@byu.edu. 
11. Any submission that does not follow these guidelines will not be considered.

Reading Period: We accept submissions year-round. 

We carefully review every submission; this process often takes several months. If you don't hear back 6 months after you've submitted please send an email to editors.inscape@byu.edu to inquire on the status of your piece. 

Inscape observes US Fair Use copyright doctrine which states that 

1. authors must own the copyright of their submitted work and have full power to enter into a publication agreement with Inscape and to convey any rights they may grant to Inscape. 
2. the author’s submitted work constitutes their own original work or gives credit for ideas or material not their own, and does not in any way violate copyright. 
3. the author’s submitted work may not defame, invade the privacy of, violate the civil rights of, or infringe upon the rights of any individuals or third parties. 
4. the author has permission to submit a particular work to Inscape on behalf of all other authors in the event the submitted work has more than one author.

This submission category is for all writers. Inscape publishes a diverse array of voices. In the past year we received submissions from all 50 states and 36 different countries.

Since 1982, Inscape journal has curated pieces that are both peculiar and gorgeous without compromising craftsmanship and excellence. Averse to gratuitous violence, language and sex, we look for pieces that treat sensitive subjects with maturity and respect. Our favorite submissions explore refreshing takes on both the fantastic and the everyday. As a staff firmly rooted in following Jesus Christ and His teachings, we hope for submissions from people of all religious perspectives, countries, cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, backgrounds, and experiences. To anyone who wanders into our journal, we welcome you to Inscape, home of the bizarre, believing, and beautiful. 

Submission Guidelines:

1. Inscape curates fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts pieces. You may submit the following number of submissions per category: Poetry: 5, Visual Arts: 5, Fiction: 2, Creative Nonfiction: 2
2. If submitting multiple pieces, please submit them separately.
3. Literary submissions must be written in English and may not exceed 4,000 words. For the flash fiction and flash nonfiction categories, submissions must not exceed 1,000 words.
4. Please submit literary works as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.
5. Visual arts submissions must be scanned at 300 DPI or higher and saved as a .jpeg or .tiff image. Art submissions may include photography, paintings, drawings, digital art, sculpture, textile, etc. Performance art and musical scores will not be considered for publication.
6. Do not include your name in any of the attachments.
7. Do not submit previously published work unless you are submitting to the Alumni issue. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please let us know if your piece has been accepted somewhere else.
8. Current Inscape staff members may not be considered for publication. Staff members may submit their work in order to get blind workshop feedback; however, you must talk to the chief editors prior to doing so.
9. We do not accept pieces that invoke the name of deity as an expletive.
10. We do not accept unsolicited craft essays, but we do accept inquiries from professionals in the arts. Contact our editors at inscape.editors@byu.edu. 
11. Any submission that does not follow these guidelines will not be considered.

Reading Period: We accept submissions year-round. 

We carefully review every submission; this process often takes several months. If you don't hear back 6 months after you've submitted please send an email to editors.inscape@byu.edu to inquire on the status of your piece. 

Inscape observes US Fair Use copyright doctrine which states that 

1. authors must own the copyright of their submitted work and have full power to enter into a publication agreement with Inscape and to convey any rights they may grant to Inscape. 
2. the author’s submitted work constitutes their own original work or gives credit for ideas or material not their own, and does not in any way violate copyright. 
3. the author’s submitted work may not defame, invade the privacy of, violate the civil rights of, or infringe upon the rights of any individuals or third parties. 
4. the author has permission to submit a particular work to Inscape on behalf of all other authors in the event the submitted work has more than one author.

This contest opens January 12th and closes February 13th at 11:59.

Rewrite a fairy tale, twist a classic epic, or reimagine a famous canon moment. Change the ending. Change the premise. Subvert expectations with a bold new take on a familiar story. Submit your creative fiction retellings for a chance to win a cash prize!

First Place Prize: $50 Second Place Prize: $25

The Dos

• Submission fee: $5 for each submission, and only one piece per submission.
• Submission length: Between 500 and 3000 words.
• Genre: Fiction
• Format: Please submit works as a DOC, DOCX, or PDF file. Include the title of your piece in the "Submission Title" field on Submittable.
• Language: Literary submissions must be written in English and may not exceed specified word limits.
• Who can submit: Anyone!

The Don'ts

• Don't include your name in any of the attachments.
• Don't submit previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please let us know if your piece has been accepted somewhere else.
• Current Inscape staff members may not enter or be considered for publication.
• We do not accept pieces that invoke the name of deity as an expletive. We also ask that you refrain from submitting anything depicting gratuitous sexual, violent, or otherwise morally objectionable content.
• The use of artificial intelligence to create submissions for Inscape Journal or Inscape contests is prohibited.

Any submission that does not follow these guidelines will not be considered. Visit our contests page and get a feel for what we publish.