Vita Poetica Journal is an online quarterly publication of creative work explored through a spiritual lens. This may be engaging directly with religious faith or a broader inquiry into meaning and the human experience. We appreciate a sensibility that is open and thoughtful rather than didactic. We seek diversity in experiences, backgrounds, and spiritual perspectives, as well as in genres and art disciplines. We also welcome cross-genre, cross-discipline, or multimedia experimentation. Those interested in submitting are encouraged to read previous issues to gain a sense of the kind of work we're looking for.

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OPEN CALL ART EXHIBITION: FULLY HUMAN

**DEADLINE EXTENDED!!**

We are delighted to announce an art exhibition in Washington, DC, October 4 - November 15, 2026, on the theme "Fully Human." Artists are invited to submit two-dimensional artworks on this theme for consideration. Up to two artists will receive special commendation and a cash prize. Artists selected for the show may be publicized, and winning artists may be featured in a future Vita Poetica journal issue. All entries are automatically considered for publication in the journal. 

Entries must be received before the new deadline of August 29, 2026 at 11:59pm ET. There is a $5 fee per entry. You may submit up to 3 entries for consideration, but each artwork must be submitted separately as an individual entry.

For further details and to submit, please see guidelines below or click here.

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*Vita Poetica Journal will be closing journal submissions Aug. 29, 2026, and reopening Nov. 15, 2026. We're currently reading for our Autumn 2026 issue, which will be published in print format in the fall of 2026 and online in early 2027.

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GENERAL SUBMISSIONS 

During our open submissions window, Nov. 15 - Aug. 29, we accept submissions in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, visual arts, multimedia, reviews, interviews, and contemplative practices.

For reviews, please see full guidelines and suggested review titles on our website here. Reach out to our Reviews Editor Brandon James O'Neil at james@vitapoetica.org.

For interviews, please send queries to our Interviews Editor Christopher Honey at christopher@vitapoetica.org. Include a brief bio and 1-2 writing samples.

For contemplative practices, please see full guidelines on our website here and send queries and submissions to our Contemplative Practices Editor Deb Baker at deb@vitapoetica.org.

For all other genres (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, visual arts, and multimedia), please see specific guidelines below and use the appropriate Submittable form to submit.

We do not accept previously published work, including web-published or self-published material. Simultaneous submissions are welcome provided you notify us immediately if the work is placed elsewhere. 

We ask for first-time rights of publication and request acknowledgment as the first place of publication. All rights revert to the author/artist after publication.

Please allow up to 3 months while we review your submission. We publish on a quarterly cycle, and it can sometimes take a bit longer if the submission arrived in between issues.

We regret that we’re unable to offer payment for publication at this time. Vita Poetica is a nonprofit organization and relies on a small team of volunteers who read every submission carefully. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for sharing your work with us.