Submission Guidelines

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Submission Guidelines 
​Issue 21,  Spring 2026

** Call for Submissions **

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 (Changes, a Shift in Gears) and/or to other sections in the magazine (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, and 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  (Water and Waterways).

Special Note:   Submissions for Issue 21, Spring 2026 will be considered and accepted in February 2026.  

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Literary Submissions for 
​Issue 21,  Spring 2026

Changes, a Shift in Gears (Special Literary Theme):
Our literary theme for this issue is Changes, a Shift in Gears. Life consists of changes, pivots, large and small, chosen or imposed.
Write about Changes, a Shift in Gears in any way and using any literary form you choose.
(See complete Submission Guidelines below.)

Photographic Submissions for 
​Issue 21,  Spring 2026

Photo Essays MUST be on the special photographic theme.
 
Water and Waterways (Special Photographic Theme):
Anything to do with water—oceans, rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, puddles, waterfalls—even birdbaths.
Create a photo essay of up to five photos, include a brief overall explanation or narrative describing how the scene (s) show (s) us Water and Waterways, and provide a caption of a few words for each photo.
(​See complete Submission Guidelines below.)
 
Banner and Accent Photos: As of Issue 21, these standalone photographs (no number limit) MUST be related to our photographic theme of Water and Waterways. A brief caption IS required for each photograph. They are not subject to review by our Editorial Board or Visual Arts and do NOT appear in the Photographic Section, but may serve as background displays for literary works, with credit given.
(See complete Submission 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.
 
​Submissions for the Spring 2026 issue of Vistas & Byways will be accepted during the month of February 2026. No submissions received after the February 28, 2026 deadline will be considered for publication.

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General Guidelines 
​Issue 20, Fall 2025

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
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 other person, with that person's written permission.
 
Photography:
NOTE: There are TWO types of photographic submissions, one type limited to the special photographic theme, Water and Waterways: 
1. Water and Waterways: 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 which 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. As of Issue 21, these photos MUST to be on the photographic theme, Water and Waterways.
 
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.

Changes to Literary Submissions: No changes will be permitted after material has been submitted, except as required to correct inadvertent minor errors.

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 Spring 2026 issue of Vistas & Byways  will be accepted during the month of February 2026. No submissions received after the February 28 deadline will be 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, Changes, a Shift in Gears.
NOTE: No changes will be permitted after material has been submitted, except as required to correct inadvertent minor errors.
(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 other person, with that person's written permission. 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: Water and Waterways.
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.
NOTE: Permission must be obtained from any person whose face is shown in a photograph.
 
 
Banner and Accent Photos (To Be Displayed as Background Photos Anywhere in the Magazine):
Original stand-alone photographs (no number limit) must be submitted in jpg or png format.
As of Issue 21, these standalone photographs (no number limit) MUST be related to our photographic theme of Water and Waterways. A brief caption IS required for each photograph.
NOTE: Permission must be obtained from any person whose face is shown in a photograph.
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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 bio (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, please make sure your contact information is up to date. Also, review your bio and picture in the Contributors and Works Page of Issue 20 (or the last issue your work appeared in) to see if they are up to date. If not, please submit updated versions.
 
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. I accept corrections by the Editorial Board of typos, misspellings and grammatical errors without consultation with me. I certify that if the Editorial Board made substantive changes, the changes were implemented by 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.