ABOUT US
Making Waves: A West Michigan Review is published by Ludington Writers, a not-for-profit community of writers living in and/or visiting Ludington, Michigan.
Please visit our website to read our past issues: LudingtonWriters.org.
DEADLINE
Submissions for a special Pride them will open October 1st through December 31st for June publication.
Submissions for our regular publications will open January 1st and close April 30th for September print and electronic publication. We are open to both poetry, short prose (under 1,000 words in length), and visual art.
Our response time is generally three (3) weeks. Cover artwork decisions will follow after the submissions period.
WHAT WE WANT
We seek original work avoiding clichés and sentimental language (no light verse).
Maintain consistency in point of view, tenses, and punctuation (unless intentional).
While we focus on poetry, we also accept visual art and short pieces of non-fiction (essays and memoirs) and fiction (flash, micro, and short stories).
We will consider speculative fiction and sequential art!
THEME
The theme for this special issue is “Pride 2026.”
We invite poets, fiction, and non-fiction authors, and visual artists to submit works uplifting voices and experiences from the LGBTQ+ community and about it.
DEADLINE
Submissions are open October 1st through December 31st for June 2026 print and electronic publication.
We aim to have a determination within three weeks of your date of submission. However, submissions for cover art will not be decided on until after submissions close.
WHAT WE WANT
We are open to all tones. “Uplifting” in this context doesn’t necessarily mean we want only happy material. As long as it’s original work that avoids clichés and sentimental language, we want to see it!
While we focus on poetry, we also accept visual art (including sequential art), short non-fiction (essays and memoirs), and fiction (flash, micro, and short stories). We will consider speculative fiction.
Remember to maintain consistency in point of view, tense, and punctuation (unless intentionally varied).
REQUIREMENTS
There are no submission fees for this issue.
Submissions for this issue are only being accepted through Submittable.
Simultaneous submissions are allowed; notify us if accepted elsewhere.
Multiple submissions are not allowed for this issue.
All pieces for consideration must be submitted at the same time.
We review submissions blind. Do not include identifying information or bio in your attachment(s). Contact information and bio must be included in the designated Submittable fields only. Please note if using a pen name and/or wishing to remain anonymous.
Unpublished, original, non-AI generated works only.
AWARDS
Four (4) $50 awards, funded by the editors of Making Waves, will be given to outstanding works chosen by the editorial team.
Submitters may opt out of award consideration on the Submittable form.
Awards will be paid via PayPal and are open to all contributors, domestic and international.
Award recipients will be notified at the time of acceptance and formally announced and distributed at the book launch.
Winners are responsible for any taxes associated with award payments.
RIGHTS
Submitters grant First Rights to publish to Making Waves. We may reprint accepted work on our website and/or social media accounts, LudingtonWriters.org. Otherwise, all rights revert to the author upon publication.
FORMATTING
.doc, .docx, .odt, or .pdf files for creative writing.
Please format titles in all caps for clarity (you may indicate preferred capitalization for publication).
Please note that .pdf files are difficult for us to print and should be reserved for visual poetry.
Font preferences: Times New Roman, Helvetica, or Arial.
POETRY
Up to two (2) pieces, single-spaced and aligned as required by the form chosen.
NOTE: Space limitations allow for no more than 60 characters per line and 30 lines per page.
PROSE
Up to two (2) pieces, 1,000-word max.
Prose should be double-spaced.
VISUAL ART
Up to four (4) pieces.
Color images may be included in the interior.
Interior page is 6x9 portrait; wraparound cover size is roughly 6x19.
Preferred file formats: high-resolution (minimum 300 dpi) .jpg or .png.
NOTE: While .tiff may be submitted, they are difficult to view on Submittable.
MIXED SUBMISSIONS
No more than one (1) poem, one (1) piece of prose, and four (4) pieces of visual art may be submitted.
FILE NAMES
Include last name, number of submissions, and first words of the title(s). Avoid special characters. For example, “LastName 3 TitleA TitleB TitleC.”
NOTE TO VISUAL ARTISTS: Works will not be considered if the filename is not descriptive. If your piece is untitled, please name the files sequentially using “untitled_1.”
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OPTIONAL TIP JAR
With the help of writing and visual arts communities, Ludington Writers has been able to fund the Carol Bennett $1,500 scholarship, the George Dila $500 sponsorship, the Barry Matthews Continuing Education Scholarship, as well as various workshops and live readings.
If you would like to contribute to our community activities, consider using the tip jar at checkout.