✯ HOW LONG ARE EXPECTED RESPONSE TIMES?

Please allow at least three weeks from the close of submissions for a response. Every submission is read with care and we kindly ask that contributors refrain from chasing updates during the reading period.

✯ WILL I RECEIVE A RESPONSE IF MY SUBMISSION IS NOT ACCEPTED?

Due to the volume of submissions received, only successful contributors will be contacted.

✯ HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY SUBMISSION WAS RECEIVED?

Submissions sent within the correct three-week window will toggle an automatic response confirming it has been received. If you do not see this response in your inbox or your spam folder, ensure you have sent your work to the correct email provided on this page.

✯ DO CONTRIBUTORS GET PAID RIGHT NOW?

Not yet. Everything you see - the prompts, the curation, the publication - is kept alive by one girl, one laptop, and a community of bright, strange believers. Nowhere Girl Collective is fully self-funded, with no submission fees or institutional backing. Our choice is accessibility first.

✯ WILL CONTRIBUTORS BE PAID IN FUTURE?

We believe artists deserve to be paid. Building a sustainable path toward contributor payment is one of the Collective's long-term goals. We will never promise what we cannot responsibly deliver, but we remain committed to growing toward a model that compensates contributors fairly.

✯ WHY ISN’T THE COLLECTIVE PAY-TO-PLAY?

Because art should not require a toll booth. We believe in open gates. Submissions will stay free and this is non-negotiable. No fees now, no fees later. No gate-keeping, ever. We will never compromise the Collective’s soul for the sake of a dollar. It is important to us to maintain this accessibility for this platform to remain true to the reason it began - to uplift and spotlight emerging artists and voices.

✯ HOW CLEARLY DO I NEED TO SHOW EVIDENCE OF THE PROMPT?

The interpretation of each prompt is entirely up to the artist. We are not interested in literalism so much as thoughtful engagement. Some accepted works may explore the prompt directly; others may approach it sideways, symbolically, or through a personal lens. We simply ask that the connection be intentional.

✯ CAN I RE-SUBMIT THE SAME WORK FOR MULTIPLE PROMPTS IF IT WASN’T ACCEPTED?

We believe each prompt deserves its own conversation. While a piece may occasionally reveal itself to belong elsewhere, we encourage contributors to use each issue as an opportunity to create something new. The Collective exists to inspire making as much as it exists to publish.

✯ WHAT IS NOWHERE GIRL COLLECTIVE LOOKING FOR?

We are drawn to work that surprises us, unsettles us, delights us, or leaves a strange taste in the mouth. We value originality, sincerity, emotional precision, and a willingness to take risks. Above all, we are looking for work that makes us feel something. Anything. Everything all at once.