Submission Guidelines

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Submission Guidelines 
​Issue 18,  Fall 2024

Vistas & Byways welcomes submissions in all genres (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, book reviews, interviews, etc.) on all topics and themes. We also have a separate section devoted to pieces on our special literary theme. We encourage you to submit material (up to three pieces) in any genre to either the special literary theme section (Choices) and/or to other sections in the magazine (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Inside OLLI).
 
We also welcome photographic submissions. We encourage you to submit photo essays (up to five photographs per essay) on this Issue's theme of  Reflections.

Special Note:   Submissions for Vistas & Byways, Issue 18, Fall 2024 were accepted in August  2024. A writing theme and photographic theme for Issue 19, Spring 2025, will be selected and publicized in January 2025.

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Literary Submissions for 
​Issue 18,  Fall 2024

Choices (Special Literary Theme):
The literary theme this issue is Choices. A few examples:
Choosing that instead of this, staying instead of going, paths not taken, partners left behind, ocean or mountain, dogs or cats, why did he/she/they choose . . .?
Write about choices in any way and using any literary form you choose.
(See complete General Guidelines below.)

Photographic Submissions for 
​Issue 18,  Fall 2024

Photo Essays MUST be on the special photographic theme. 
Reflections (Special Photographic Theme):
Create a photo essay of up to five photos, include a brief overall explanation or narrative describing how the scene (s) show (s) us reflections, and provide a caption of a few words for each photo.

(See complete General Guidelines below.)
 
Banner and Accent Photos: These standalone photographs (no number limit) do NOT go through the Editorial Board or Visual Arts review process and do NOT appear in the Photographic Section, but may serve as background displays for literary works, with credit given.
(See complete General Guidelines below.)
 
Cover Contest: A photograph selected from the Special Photographic Theme Section OR Banner and Accent submissions will be chosen for display on the cover page of Vistas & Byways, with credit given.

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General Submission Guidelines 
​Issue 18,  Fall 2024

Vistas & Byways invites members of the OLLI at SF State community to submit original written work for publication. All work received within a submission period will be reviewed by our Editorial Board and considered for publication in the next issue of the magazine. Decisions of the Board are final.
​
In order to submit to Vistas & Byways, you must be a current OLLI at SF State member. If we accept your submission (s), and your membership is not current, you will be informed of that by an OLLI at SF State staff member and asked to update it.
 
Prose and Poetry:
You can submit up to three pieces (in any genre or combination of genres).
Literary Word Limits:
Fiction: 6,000
Nonfiction (memoirs, essays and other works of nonfiction): 6,000
Poetry: No limit
Drama: 6,000
Excerpts from longer works of fiction or nonfiction: 6,000
100-Word Story: 100-word limit
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Accompanying Illustrations: Up to four photographs, pieces of artwork or other illustrations may be submitted along with each literary submission to illustrate a written work. These illustrations MUST be original works by the author OR a specified relative or friend.
 
Photography:
NOTE: There are TWO types of photographic submissions, one type limited to the special photographic theme, Reflections, the second type not limited to that theme:
1. Reflections:  up to five photographs reviewed by the Visual Arts Editor and, if accepted, displayed in the Special Photographic Theme Section of the magazine. These photographs will also be considered for the cover.
2. Banner and Accent Photos: any number of photographs NOT subjected to our Editorial Board review process but may serve as background for literary works and may appear anywhere in the magazine, with credit given. These photographs will also be considered for the cover. These photos are NOT required to be on the photographic theme.
 
Cover Photo Contest:
The V&B staff will select the cover photo from photographs submitted to the Special Photographic Theme Section OR to Banner and Accent Photos.
 
Inside OLLI Reports:
We welcome material related to OLLI at SF State. This includes, but is not limited to, interviews with instructors or staff, reviews of published books by members, descriptions/reviews of events, creative projects or programs members are involved in.​ These reports are not reviewed by the Editorial Board and do not count as literary submissions. 

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Policy  

​Copyright Protection:
The contents of Vistas & Byways will NOT be submitted for copyright protection to the U.S. Copyright Office. Contributors who wish to secure copyright protection for their work (s) are responsible for filing for such copyright before submitting their work (s). Neither the Editorial Board nor Vistas & Byways assume any responsibility for loss or damages to individual authors for copyright infringement of literary or photographic work displayed in the magazine.
 
Editorial Notes:
The Editorial Board of Vistas & Byways reserves the right to reject submissions which contain language it deems offensive; or to require the author to delete such language as a precondition of accepting a piece for publication.
 
Vistas & Byways is staffed solely by volunteers who are members of the OLLI at SF State program. Since staff members are also participants in writing and photography classes at OLLI at SF State, some of their own works may be included in Vistas & Byways.

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Submission Procedures  

​Submissions for the Fall 2024 issue of Vistas & Byways were accepted during the month of August 2024. No submissions received after the August 31, 2024 deadline were considered for publication.
 
Literary Submissions:
​Literary submissions must be emailed as MS Word or rtf attachments (no other formats will be accepted).
Literary submissions should be single spaced with paragraphs flush left and a single empty line between each paragraph (no indents on first line of paragraph).
If you are submitting more than one piece, attach each one to the email SEPARATELY, not all in one file.
​Indicate whether you wish your piece (s) to be submitted to our special theme section for this issue, Choices.
(See description above.)
Accompanying Illustrations: Up to four photographs, pieces of artwork or other illustrations may be submitted along with each literary submission to illustrate a written work. These illustrations MUST be original works by the author OR a specified relative or friend. Accompanying illustrations must be in jpg or png format. List any captions you want included—captions are not required.
NOTE: Illustrations will be evaluated separately from literary pieces and may not be accepted, even if the literary piece is.
 
​Photographic Submissions (To Be Displayed in the Special Photographic Theme Section):
Original photographs must be submitted in jpg or png format.
Photographs must be on the special photographic theme: Reflections.
A brief overall explanation or narrative thread is required for each photo essay (no more than five photographs per photo essay).
A caption of a few words is required for each photograph.
 
Banner and Accent Photos (To Be Displayed as Background Photos Anywhere in the Magazine):
Original standalone photographs (no number limit) must be submitted in jpg or png format.
A caption of a few words IS required for each standalone photograph. These standalone photographs should NOT include an overall explanation or narrative thread. These photos are NOT required to be on the photographic theme.
 
If you are a first-time contributor, please include all of the following information:
Name and pen name, if different
Email address
Phone number
Short biography (120-word maximum)
Recent photograph of yourself (jpg or png)
The literary genre (e.g., short story, poetry, memoir, essay, book review) of all literary submissions and the medium (e.g., photography, acrylic, watercolor, charcoal) of all accompanying illustration submissions.
 
​If you are a repeat contributor, the bio, picture and contact information on file will be used unless you specify that you want to update them.​
 
Where to Submit:
Submissions and all other information should be emailed to:
[email protected]
 
NOTE: Vistas & Byways accepts simultaneous submissions and previously published works as long as you inform us.
 
If your piece or pieces are accepted, you will be informed by email. In that acceptance email, there will be a link to the following certification statement:
 
“I certify that this is an original piece of literary work, photography and/or artwork created by me, and that Artificial Intelligence (AI) was not used in any way in my work. I grant the Editorial Board of Vistas & Byways permission to publish my work and agree that I will receive no payment. Correction of typos, misspelling and grammatical errors, without consultation with me, is acceptable. I certify that if substantive changes were made, a V&B editor discussed them with me and the changes were implemented only after we reached mutual agreement. I understand that my work will be published in the upcoming issue.”
 
Questions: email to [email protected] or use our online contact form.