Alchemy Literary Magazine accepts original, previously unpublished, creative work in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts. We particularly uplift work from the PCC community, but all writers working in English, regardless of location, are welcome to submit as-yet unpublished writing and artwork. We warmly welcome work from writers and artists of marginalized communities, identities, and traditions. This includes, but is not limited to, people who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ people, neurodivergent people, and people with intersectional identities.
Alchemy is published annually in June by Portland Community College student-editors enrolled in Advanced Creative Writing Editing and Publishing classes at the Sylvania campus. Our aesthetics may change from year to year, but we consistently seek well-crafted work that is innovative in style, theme, and form.
Our fifty-first issue is dedicated to the theme of metamorphosis: from the Greek meta, indicating “change,” and morphē, meaning “shape or form.” Show us works that encapsulate transfiguration, transmogrification, transmutation, and/or transformation. Show us works on, about, or formally inspired by morphing, becoming, evolving. Like change itself, the interpretative possibilities are never-ending.
Submissions will be accepted from February 8 to April 8, 2025.
Contributors receive a complimentary issue. Published copies will be available for purchase at PCC Bookstores and Portland area bookstores such as Powell’s Books and Annie Bloom’s.
Submission Guidelines
- Submissions from the general public must be related to the theme of metamorphosis. We will accept general submissions from current PCC students only.
- Poetry submissions: Please submit up to three poems of no more than five pages total. Poems may be single spaced or in their final format.
- Fiction submissions: Please submit a single piece of fiction up to 3,000 words in length or two pieces of flash fiction under 1,000 words each. Double space your work and include page numbers.
- Nonfiction submissions: Please submit one essay up to 3,000 words in length or two flash essays under 1,000 words each. Double space your work and include page numbers.
- Visual art submissions: Please submit up to three pieces of artwork in PDF, JPG, and PNG file types. For publication, we will need high resolution images.
- Each work submitted must have a title.
- We do not accept AI-generated work in any medium.
- We will consider translations, but our capacity to publish them is limited, based on our ability to proof the works in the original language.
- Please include a cover letter with a brief bio (50 words or less), e-mail address, postal address (to receive a contributor’s copy), and the titles of each work submitted.
- We accept simultaneous submissions, but please inform us immediately if a submitted work has been accepted elsewhere.
- You can withdraw your online submission from consideration via Submittable. To withdraw just one piece from a submission of multiple works, please send us a message through Submittable with the title of the piece you'd like to withdraw
- If your work is accepted for publication, we ask only for the right to publish it for the first time, online and in print -- Alchemy Literary Magazine acquires first North American serial and online publication rights of material selected for publication; authors and artists retain all other rights to the material..
- Please note that we cannot mail contributor copies internationally.
www.pcc.edu/alchemy • alchemy@pcc.edu
Alchemy Literary Magazine • Department of English, Reading, and Writing
Portland Community College • PO Box 19000 • Portland, OR 97280-0990
Script Submission Guidelines:
- Submissions from the general public must be related to the theme of metamorphosis. We will accept general submissions from current PCC students only.
- Please submit a single script up to 3,000 words in length or two short scripts under 1,000 words each. Double space your work and include page numbers.
- We do not accept AI-generated work in any medium.
- Please use .doc, .docx, or .rtf.
- No pdf files, please.
Nonfiction Submission Guidelines:
- Submissions from the general public must be related to the theme of metamorphosis. We will accept general submissions from current PCC students only.
- Please submit one essay up to 3,000 words in length or two flash essays under 1,000 words each. Double space your work and include page numbers.
- We do not accept AI-generated work in any medium.
- Please use .doc, .docx, or .rtf.
- No pdf files, please.
Submissions from the general public must be related to the theme of metamorphosis. We will accept general submissions from current PCC students only.
Poetry Submission Guidelines:
- Please submit up to three poems of no more than five pages total.
- Please submit all poems in a single submission, including clear page breaks between poems, and a title with each poem.
- Poems may be single spaced or in their final format.
- If the poem has formatting that would affect its layout and publication (ex. concrete poetry, erasures, poetry with long lines, poetry with particular spacing), please let us know in your cover letter. If we accept your poem, we will work with you as best we can and within our limitations to present your poem as you intend it to appear.
- Please submit .doc, .docx, or .rtf files.
- No pdf files, please.
Fiction Submission Guidelines:
- Submissions from the general public must be related to the theme of metamorphosis. We will accept general submissions from current PCC students only.
- Please submit a single piece of fiction up to 3,000 words in length or two pieces of flash fiction under 1,000 words each. Double space your work and include page numbers.
- We do not accept AI-generated work in any medium.
- Please use .doc, .docx, or .rtf.
- No pdf files, please.
Our fifty-first issue is dedicated to the theme of metamorphosis: from the Greek for meta, indicating “change,” and morphē, meaning “shape or form.” Show us works that encapsulate transfiguration, transmogrification, transmutation, and/or transformation. Show us works on, about, or formally inspired by morphing, becoming, evolving. Like change itself, the interpretative possibilities are never-ending.
Visual Art and Photography Submissions Guidelines:
- Please submit up to three pieces of artwork in PDF, JPG, and PNG file types in one submission.
- We accept work in many visual mediums. You will be asked to identify the media when you submit.
- We do not accept AI-generated work in any medium.
- For publication, we will need high resolution images.
- Alchemy is printed in full color, on high quality matte white paper.
Our fifty-first issue is dedicated to the theme of metamorphosis: from the Greek for meta, indicating “change,” and morphē, meaning “shape or form.” Show us works that encapsulate transfiguration, transmogrification, transmutation, and/or transformation. Show us works on, about, or formally inspired by morphing, becoming, evolving. Like change itself, the interpretative possibilities are never-ending.
Poetry Submission Guidelines:
- Submissions from the general public must be related to the theme of metamorphosis. We will accept general submissions from current PCC students only.
- Please submit up to three poems of no more than five pages total.
- Please submit all poems in a single submission, including clear page breaks between poems, and a title with each poem.
- Poems may be single spaced or in their final format.
- If the poem has formatting that would affect its layout and publication (ex. concrete poetry, erasures, poetry with long lines, poetry with particular spacing), please let us know in your cover letter. If we accept your poem, we will work with you as best we can and within our limitations to present your poem as you intend it to appear.
- Please submit .doc, .docx, or .rtf files.
- No pdf files, please.
Our fifty-first issue is dedicated to the theme of metamorphosis: from the Greek for meta, indicating “change,” and morphē, meaning “shape or form.” Show us works that encapsulate transfiguration, transmogrification, transmutation, and/or transformation. Show us works on, about, or formally inspired by morphing, becoming, evolving. Like change itself, the interpretative possibilities are never-ending.
Nonfiction Submission Guidelines:
- Submissions from the general public must be related to the theme of metamorphosis. We will accept general submissions from current PCC students only.
- Please submit one essay up to 3,000 words in length or two flash essays under 1,000 words each. Double space your work and include page numbers.
- We do not accept AI-generated work in any medium.
- Please use .doc, .docx, or .rtf.
- No pdf files, please.
Our fifty-first issue is dedicated to the theme of metamorphosis: from the Greek for meta, indicating “change,” and morphē, meaning “shape or form.” Show us works that encapsulate transfiguration, transmogrification, transmutation, and/or transformation. Show us works on, about, or formally inspired by morphing, becoming, evolving. Like change itself, the interpretative possibilities are never-ending.
Fiction Submission Guidelines:
- Submissions from the general public must be related to the theme of metamorphosis. We will accept general submissions from current PCC students only.
- Please submit a single piece of fiction up to 3,000 words in length or two pieces of flash fiction under 1,000 words each. Double space your work and include page numbers.
- We do not accept AI-generated work in any medium.
- Please use .doc, .docx, or .rtf.
- No pdf files, please.