Literary Journal

Moss

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About the magazine

Moss is a literary organization rooted in the Pacific Northwest, founded with the conviction that literature thrives in quiet, sustained attention. Since its inception, it has cultivated a reputation for publishing work that is formally adventurous yet emotionally precise, often favoring the lyrical and the strange over the merely topical. Its core mission is to provide a home for writing that resists easy categorization, offering writers a space where craft is paramount and where the editorial eye is both generous and exacting.

Editorial focus

Moss is a literary journal of writing from the Pacific Northwest. Published annually, Moss is dedicated to exploring the intersection of place and creative expression, while exposing the region’s outstanding writers to a broad audience of readers, critics, and publishers. Since its debut issue in the summer of 2014, Moss has received praise for its sharp design, strong editorial hand, and its commitment to supporting new and emerging writers.

PoetryFictionCreative NonfictionTranslation

Submitting your work

Reading periodJan 1 to Dec 31

Reading feeNo

PaymentCash

Response time3 to 6 months

Simultaneous submissionsYes

Unsolicited submissionsYes

Before submitting, read several recent issues to understand the aesthetic range Moss favors—work that is attentive to language, comfortable with ambiguity, and unafraid of silence. Submit only your most polished pieces; the editors value precision over volume. Cover letters should be brief and professional, and simultaneous submissions are acceptable as long as you notify promptly upon acceptance elsewhere. Expect a response time of several months, and refrain from querying before that period has elapsed.

Submissions are limited to current and former residents of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia, or those with a substantial connection to the region. Please send your submissions to the appropriate email accounts, listed on our website. There is no fee to submit. See https://mosslit.com/submissions for more details.

Read official guidelines