Submissions

Submission Guidelines

The Talon showcases literary and visual art from Northeastern State University. Submissions are open to current undergraduate and graduate students (including international students) from all NSU campuses, concurrent students, alumni, faculty, and staff.

Fiction:
We accept either one story up to 5,000 words or up to 3 pieces of flash fiction (up to 1000 words each). We accept work in any genre.

Non-Fiction:
We accept non-fiction—creative non-fiction such as personal or travel narratives or critical work. We accept either one work up to 5,000 words or up to 3 pieces of flash non-fiction (up to 1000 words each).

Poetry:
We accept up to 3 poems per submission with a combined word count no higher than 3000 words. We welcome all forms.

Visual Art:
Art can be greyscale or full color. Up to 3 images total can be submitted. All images should be submitted in PNG or PDF format. Please send highest quality image possible and include title, year, name, and medium.

Non-Traditional Forms:
We are open to and try to accommodate non-traditional forms including graphic storytelling, mixed genre work, or experimental work. Visual art submission guidelines apply to graphic work.

Submitting Work:
Please use the link at the bottom of this page for all writing and art submissions. Alumni or others without an NSU email address can submit their work to thetalon@nsuok.edu. Any writing questions can be sent to thetalon@nsuok.edu and any art questions to talonart@nsuok.edu. Please include the type of submissions in the subject line of the email (Ex: “Fiction and Poetry Submissions”). Please submit only previously unpublished work.

All text documents should be submitted as a Word (.doc, .docx) file.

Each piece should be submitted as a separate file.

Please include a content warning if you feel your work necessitates it.

All pieces must include a title and a 50-word bio in 3rd person.

You can submit to as many genres--fiction, poetry, non-fiction, non-traditional, and visual art--as you like. However, you're only allowed to submit once per genre.

The Talon seeks to promote writers whose voices have been historically underrepresented, including LGBTQ+ writers, female writers, writers of color, and disabled writers among others.

Submissions are closed.

Submission Form

Northeastern Oklahoma High School Special Theme: Flow

We’d like to see work from Northeast Oklahoman high school students that deals, in some way, with the concept of “flow.” You can interpret the theme as literally or figuratively as you like, though we’ll need to find some link to your work and the concept. For example, you might think of “flow” as:

-Dealing with the natural world, like our river systems or lava (like pyroclastic flow!).

-Dealing with artistic performance and “flow states”

-Connected to ideas like “going with the flow” or “in the flow of things”

-Expressing movement, grace, dynamism

-Capturing the blissful feeling of being in the moment

Or provide your own interpretation! Mostly, we want to see what creativity flows from you. We’ll accept fiction, non-fiction, poetry, art, or non-traditional forms (like comics). All submission guidelines are the same as those for general submissions listed above.

We very much look forward to your work.