Dark Phrases is creatively fueled by the talent of students of color, whose distinctiveness and breadth of their creative scope shape our community.

Send us your prized work in the form of artistic and literary submissions. We prioritize ideas of empowerment and embrace themes of multiculturalism and intersectionality, but such themes are not a requirement, unless otherwise stated.

Share with us your interpretation of our mission statement— “Rooted In Our Mothers’ Gardens”—and what this means to you. How do your experiences inspire your creativity? We value your interpretations and visions—they shape each and every issue in their own unique way. Trust your instincts and feel free to ask us questions. Our inbox is always open.

Note: DP Digital, or Dark Phrases Digital, is our digital publication platform. Our newsletter, “Dark Phrases’ Editors Desk”, is not open for public contribution.

DP Digital & Spring Print Guidelines

Writing

We accept the following forms:

  • Nonfiction (1,000 words limit.)*

    • Personal essay/memoir, opinions (op-eds), interviews, reviews, satire are acceptable.

  • Fiction (2,000 words limit.)

    • Short stories, flash, and excerpts are acceptable.

  • Poetry, with a threshold of 3-5 poems.

    • Prose, with a 5-page limit.

*We do not accept “news” or “features.” Ideally, all non-fiction will center being a person of color, though not necessarily limited to just Sarah Lawrence.

If you have work outside of these guidelines and would still like to submit, please contact us.

Design

We accept the following styles and formats:

  • Studio Arts, with a maximum of 5 pieces, titled*, sent via JPEG.

  • Film, with 3-5 stills that best represent your piece, with a blurb of the project (250-500 words). If a YouTube or Vimeo link exists, please send it.

  • Photography, with 3-5 photos, titled.*

Please submit an artist’s statement (around 250-500 words) per project, series, or photograph.

*We consider “Untitled” to be a title, but please discuss its meaning in the artist’s statement.

Submissions are currently open for Dark Phrases Digital.

Submission Windows

DP Digital

  • Submissions are rolling.

  • To submit, send us an email at darkphrases@gm.slc.edu with a one-line pitch. Please indicate section (Writing or Design) in the email header. CC the Senior Section Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

    • Refer to this document for more specific details on the submission process.

Spring Print

  • Submissions open in Spring 2026 via Google Form. More details will be released then.

    • If you would like for your DP Digital piece to be considered for our print issue, please send us an email when the Spring submission window opens.