Plenitude: Creative Nonfiction Submission — Canadian Writers
Overview
Plenitude Magazine has established itself as a vital forum for queer and trans literary voices in Canada, publishing work that engages with the complexities of identity, desire, and community. This call for creative nonfiction extends that mandate, seeking essays that move beyond the personal toward the resonant and the formally considered. The magazine's commitment to paying writers—$125 CAD per accepted piece—reflects a professional regard for the labor of nonfiction, a stance that distinguishes it within the Canadian literary landscape. The submission parameters are precise: one piece of up to 5,000 words, double-spaced and paginated, submitted through the magazine's portal. There is no submission fee, and simultaneous submissions are permitted, though the magazine asks to be notified if the work is placed elsewhere. Previously published work is not considered. The cover letter section of the form serves as the site for a brief biographical note and relevant self-identification, rather than a traditional letter. Writers may submit only once per calendar year per genre; multiple submissions within the same year will be rejected. The curatorial vision here is one of literary seriousness and inclusivity. By explicitly inviting Canadian citizens, Indigenous writers, and residents—including temporary residents and refugees—Plenitude casts a wide net while maintaining a specific cultural and geographic grounding. The invitation to self-identify as BIPOC, trans, or disabled suggests an editorial awareness of systemic barriers and a desire to read work that speaks from lived experience without reducing the writer to it. The result is a call that values craft, context, and the particular insights of queer and trans nonfiction.