Calls for Submissions
Essays and illustrations
Triangular Prism publishes original literary essays that are centered on one or more particular works of cinema, or on other creations of sequential storytelling akin to cinema, such as comics.
Additionally, we publish one illustration alongside each essay, directly inspired by the film (or other artwork) on which the essay is focused.
A call for essays for Issue #1 is now open. Call ends on January 26th, 2026.
A call for illustrations for Issue #1 will be made when we have finished selecting the essays that will compose it.
Meanwhile, a call for illustrations for Issue Zero (whose essays are already published on the site, and will be the only issue with permanent free access) is open. Call ends on December 21st, 2025.
GUIDELINES
All submissions must be sent through Duosuma, the submissions management platform. Please read the guidelines carefully.
Please note that, to submit, a small fee is required.
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Guidelines for essays:
We are looking for (to repeat the lines above) original literary essays that are centered on one or more particular works of cinema, or on other creations of sequential storytelling akin to cinema, such as comics.
We seek to publish insightful writing that examines and calls attention to the distinctiveness and the beauty of the artworks under discussion.
We are not looking for any kind of critiques or reviews, historical overviews, or broad generalisations. Pieces should be personal reflections revealing a full engagement with the thematic core of each work, and must not be the offshoot of fashions, ideologies, or any preconceived narratives and formulations.
Essays should be strictly between 1000 and 4500 words and written in the English language. We strongly discourage the use of either footnotes or endnotes.
All work must be original and previously unpublished. We do not publish work that has appeared previously in any form, on paper or online. (If you are submitting simultaneously to several venues and are accepted elsewhere, please notify us immediately or simply withdraw your submission via the platform.)
We read blindly. Your document should not include any personal identification, cover letter, or bio.
Only one submission per person is accepted per submission period.
We will try to respond in 3 to 4 weeks. We are not able to follow up on submissions individually, and will use the platform to respond. If your work is not accepted it may be for any number of reasons (especially the limited number of essays we publish) and not necessarily a reflection of the work’s quality.
Triangular Prism offers a (symbolic) payment of €15 per essay selected for publication. (Payments are made exclusively via PayPal or Stripe.) In addition, contributors will be offered free access on the site to the full issue in which they appear.
If selected for publication, writers will be asked to agree to the following conditions:
Being available to work with an editor to prepare their piece for final publication. Editing may vary from minimal to extensive.
Granting Triangular Prism first serial rights and publishing exclusivity for one year. If the work is later reprinted elsewhere, we kindly ask the author to acknowledge its first appearance in Triangular Prism.
Granting the rights to republish the piece in any future Triangular Prism anthologies in print, such as the planned end-of-each-year print issue (in the event of being selected for that effect).
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Guidelines for illustrations:
We will feature 1 illustration for each essay, displayed on the essay’s page, credited on that page and with a link to the artist’s site or social media profile.
Illustrations must be specifically about one of the films (or other works) that are the subjects of the essays appearing in the issue in question. When we open a call for illustrations, we put out the titles. For Issue Zero, we are looking for illustrations relating to the following films: All Is Lost (2013); Grand Canyon (1991); Life Lessons (from New York Stories, 1989); Waking Life (2001).
We will not be interested in featuring illustrations that are directly culled from the visuals of the film in question, but prefer imagery that reveals a specific personal engagement with the story or the themes of the work. Evocative approaches, rather than immediate and direct, are welcome.
Only one image per person is accepted per submission period. In the “cover letter" section of the submission form, the artist must indicate the title of the film that the illustration relates to, as well as the title of the illustration and any other specifications (media, dimensions, etc.) considered relevant.
Any 2D visual can be submitted (drawing, painting, photography, mixed media, etc.) and any technique , traditional or digital. Files should be .jpg or .png in high quality (we may ask for a different file later if the work is selected to appear in print).
We will respond in a few days after the end of the call period. We are not able to follow up on submissions individually, and will use the platform to respond. If your work is chosen, we will contact you for the follow up after sending the response via the platform.
Triangular Prism offers a (symbolic) payment of €10 per illustration selected for publication. (Payments are made exclusively via PayPal or Stripe.) In addition, contributors will be offered free access on the site to the full issue in which they appear. (Since Issue Zero is open access, artists chosen for this issue will be offered free access to Issue #1).
If selected for publication, artists will be asked to agree to the following:
Being available to work with an editor on the adjustments needed for publication. (Adjustments to the visuals will naturally be minimal or none at all. )
Allowing a detail of the illustration, if selected for such, to appear on the site’s home page as the respective issue’s “cover” image, during the period (quarter) that the issue is announced there.
Granting one-time rights to republish the work in print, in any future Triangular Prism anthology, such as the planned end-of-each-year print issue.
Submit art for Issue Zero here
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