Our Work, Roots & Vision
Chapter House Journal is an Indigenous-centered online literary journal committed to publishing and uplifting Indigenous thought and language. We understand Indigenous literature as an expansive living practice, one shaped by relation to land, to language, to kinship, to memory. These relations inform not only the work we publish, but also how we approach editorial collaboration and the structures through which Indigenous writing reaches readers.
We want to make space for work that is still becoming: writing that takes risks, art that asks new questions, experiments with language and form, and creative practices rooted in the relationships, histories, places, and communities that shape Native life. This might include poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, personal essays, visual art, photography, sound art, interviews, collaborative projects, translations, experimental writing, or work that does not fit neatly into a single category.
We are interested in pieces that move between Native languages and English; engage oral traditions, family histories, archives, and community knowledge; experiment with visual or sonic form; or explore relationships to land, identity, memory, and belonging.
Housed within the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Low Residency MFA Program, we publish issues on a biannual basis; all submissions, including solicitations, are read by our editorial team, which includes IAIA MFA students and faculty advisors. Our editors also manage publication decisions, website design, and blog content.
Submission Guidelines
Chapter House Journal accepts submissions twice a year:
- Fall/Winter Reading Period: November 1 – December 31
- Spring/Summer Reading Period: May 1 – June 30
While the following guidelines are organized by these categories, we recognize that creative work often resists clear boundaries and that many submissions may inhabit the space between them. We encourage work that experiments with form, challenges convention, and expands our understanding of what writing can be. If your work does not fit neatly within a single category, we invite you to submit it under the closest applicable genre.
We also welcome simultaneous submissions, but please notify us promptly via our online system if your work is accepted elsewhere. We do not accept previously published work, including material that has appeared on personal blogs or websites.
Rights & Publication
We request first North American serial rights and non-exclusive electronic rights to publish your work on our website. All rights revert to the author upon publication. If your work is reprinted elsewhere—digitally or in print—we ask that Chapter House Journal be credited as the original publisher.
2027 Winter Issue Call: Interviews & Reviews
What We’re Looking For: We seek interviews and reviews that are thoughtful, relational, and attentive to Indigenous knowledge systems. This includes:
- Interviews with Indigenous writers, artists, scholars, and cultural workers
- Reviews of books by Indigenous authors published within the last 5 years
- Work that engages theme, story, and voice with care and context
Formats Accepted
- Text (interviews or reviews)
- Audio (recorded conversations)
- Video (recorded interviews or visual essays)
Guidelines & Parameters
- Text interviews/reviews: 1,000–2,500 words
- Audio/video: 5-8 minutes in length (include a brief written summary, 150–300 words)
- Up to 2 submissions per contributor
- All interviews and reviews must be original and unpublished
- For interviews, please confirm participant consent before submission
- Reviews should focus on a single text or a small grouping of related works
Submission Window November 1 through December 31, 2026
Please include a brief cover letter introducing yourself, your relationship to the work, and any relevant context. If you are an Indigenous contributor, you are welcome to share your tribal affiliation if you wish.
2027 Winter Issue Submission Guidelines
Open for submissions from November 1 through December 31.
We welcome original works of fiction that engage, challenge, and expand the boundaries of Indigenous narratives. We’re interested in character-driven narratives, experimental forms, flash fiction, and everything in between. Whether your work is grounded in realism or reaches toward the speculative, we are looking for writing that resonates emotionally, culturally, or politically.
- Please submit one story, or up to three shorter pieces (such as flash fiction), with a combined word count of no more than 3,000 words.
- All submissions must be original and unpublished, including online (blogs, websites, or social media).
- Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please notify us immediately through our submission platform if your work is accepted elsewhere.
- Use a standard, readable font (e.g., Times New Roman, 12 pt), and format your manuscript with double spacing and page numbers. If a submission does not follow this requirement, the piece will be automatically disqualified.
- Please submit your work as a single document (.doc, .docx, or PDF) via our online submission system.
2026 Winter Issue Submission Guidelines
Open for submissions from November 1 through December 31.
We invite submissions of creative nonfiction that engage the truth with imagination, precision, and voice. We are interested in work that explores lived Indigenous experience through memory, identity, observation, and the personal in relation to the collective. Whether lyrical, braided, fragmented, or narrative, we welcome inventive forms and styles.
- Submit one full-length piece or up to three shorter pieces, totaling no more than 5,000 words combined.
- We encourage submissions that take risks in form, language, and perspective while remaining grounded in truth.
- Please include a cover letter with a brief bio and any relevant context for your work.
- Double-space your manuscript and use a standard, readable font (e.g., Times New Roman, 12 pt).
- All work must be previously unpublished, including on personal blogs or websites.
- Simultaneous submissions are welcome; please notify us promptly if your work is accepted elsewhere.
2026 Winter Issue Submission Guidelines
Open for submissions from November 1 through December 31.
We seek work that resonates through voice, form, rhythm, and image. Whether grounded in Indigenous tradition or breaking new ground, we welcome work that speaks truth, challenges boundaries, and evokes the personal, political, and spiritual.
We welcome traditional and experimental approaches to poetry, including visual poetry, concrete poetry, collage, shaped text, unconventional layouts, and work that explores the relationship between language, space, and form.
Surprise us. Move us. Reshape the silence.
- Submit 1–5 poems, not exceeding a total of 5 pages.
- Begin each poem on a new page and include all poems in a single document (.doc, .docx, or PDF).
- We accept all poetic forms and styles, including hybrid, experimental, and visual poetry—as long as the work can be read in a primarily text-based format.
- Audio recordings and sound-based poetry are also welcome. Please submit audio files in an accessible format and include a written transcript when applicable.
- All submissions must be previously unpublished, including on personal blogs or social media.
- Simultaneous submissions are welcome; please withdraw your work promptly if it is accepted elsewhere.