Magazine Submissions

Don Magazine is an all-volunteer-run publication, and our contributors (like our editors) are not compensated financially. As a token of our appreciation, contributors receive a complimentary copy of the print issue in which their work is featured. We ask that they pay for any extra shipping fees.

What We Publish

We welcome submissions in a range of formats and genres, guided by a specific theme for each issue. Accepted formats include creative writing, fiction, poetry, essays, interviews, reviews, translations, or any combination of these. In addition to written work, we welcome visual essays, collections of art based on a theme, and video works—especially those that can be featured at our release parties and public screenings.

Our Focus: Japan and Beyond

Don Magazine publishes work that connects meaningfully to Japan—particularly through the lens of personal experience. We are especially interested in how artists, writers, and creatives engage with life in Japan: the everyday, the unexpected, the challenging, and the inspiring. While your work does not need to focus explicitly on Japanese culture, it should reflect some aspect of your lived experience in Japan or how your time here has shaped your creative practice. We also welcome broader intercultural exploration and encourage contributors to approach cultural differences with nuance and specificity, avoiding generalizations and clichés.

What We Look For

We are interested in work that reflects the artist’s lived experience in Japan—whether through moments of connection, contrast, challenge, or discovery. We value specific, grounded insights that emerge from daily life and creative practice, rather than surface-level impressions. Our aim is to share perspectives that contribute to thoughtful, cross-cultural dialogue.

Submission Guidelines

Please follow the format guidelines to ensure your work is considered.

Within your submission email include the following:

  • Name

  • Artist Name

  • Title of Art (individual pieces and/or collection)

  • Explanation of art and how it ties into the theme

  • A brief bio (maximum 50 words). Include any URLs or social media handles you’d like us to include

File Naming: Name your file as follows

THEME-Name-Title.doc (e.g., MASK-MikeDinsmore-ShapesAndLines01.jpg)

Writings: Please submit your work as a Word document. Include your name, title, and word count at the top of the document. Length: 800 - 1,500 words. Feature articles may be up to 3,000 words, but in such cases, you’ll need to work closely with Don editors to help develop the potential of initial drafts.

Graphic Material: Submit as JPG or PNG files. Minimum resolution: 2480 × 3500 pixels at 300 ppi. Package multiple images into a ZIP file.

Video: Submit a link to your video (2–30 minutes in length). Please also include either a selection of still images (JPG format) or an A4-size movie poster (PDF format).

Submission Email

Do not send submissions to our general contact address as those will not be reviewed by our editorial team. Please send your submission to Submissions@donmag.org

Disclaimer

By submitting to Don Magazine you warrant and represent that you own or otherwise control all of the rights of the image/materials necessary to provide, post and upload the image (including but not limited to images, artwork, graphics, text, documents and/or video files.) Once a media file is submitted, you are granting Don Magazine full rights to reproduce the media in publications or other media material produced, used or contracted by Don Magazine including but not limited to: magazines, social media, videos, websites, etc. Don Magazine assumes no liability for any issues that may arise with the copyright or trademark of image usage, this is the sole responsibility of the submitting artist to resolve. This includes all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs or debt, and expenses resulting from the artist’s breach of this disclaimer submitting the image.

Response Time

As Don Magazine is entirely volunteer-run, we regret that we are unable to respond to all unsuccessful submissions. To give your work the best chance of being considered, please follow our submission guidelines carefully.

We look forward to reading your work!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No. Don Magazine does not charge submission fees.

  • No. Don Magazine is an all volunteer production. Contributors receive a complimentary copy of the issue and promotion through our channels.

  • No. Please refrain from submitting fully designed or laid-out pages. We need flexibility to consider how your work fits within the broader theme of the issue and in relation to other artists’ submissions. Pre-designed layouts make it difficult for us to create a cohesive flow from page to page.

    Please submit your materials as separate files:

    • Images as JPG files

    • Text as a Word document

    This allows our editorial and design team to properly sequence and integrate your work into the magazine.

  • Submissions are reviewed by the Don Magazine editorial team. Selection is based on:

    • Strength of the work

    • Cohesion and sequencing potential

    • How the submission fits with the overall issue

    Sometimes strong work cannot be included due to space or thematic balance.

  • Yes. Multiple submissions are welcome. If you are submitting more than one project, please submit each project separately so they can be reviewed on their own terms.

  • Due to the volume of submissions, we are not always able to provide detailed feedback. In some cases, we may reach out with brief notes or an invitation to submit again.

  • Yes. Selected work may be edited, sequenced, or shortened to fit the magazine. We will communicate with contributors if significant changes are needed.

  • Artists retain full rights to their work. By submitting, you grant Don Magazine the right to publish the work in print and online and to promote it online in relation to the magazine.

  • Yes, previously published work is acceptable. Please let us know where it was published and confirm that you retain the rights to submit it.

  • Yes, however best practice is for your friend to submit their artwork separately. For permission and attribution reasons, it is important to us that artwork is submitted directly by the person who created it. This helps avoid confusion around authorship and ensures proper credit.

    In your submission email, please mention that the pieces are intended to be considered together. However, Don Magazine reserves the right to review and select the works independently.

  • Response times vary by issue. We typically respond within a few weeks after the submission deadline.

  • If you have questions not covered here, please contact us through the email listed on our website.