Journal Together Community Chapbook
Volume One: WONDER
Your writing could be published!
Journal Together invites writers of all ages to submit original work for our first community chapbook, WONDER.
Every piece included in this collection will begin where Journal Together begins: with a prompt, a blank page, and the courage to write.
Wonder can begin with a question, an unexpected discovery, a memory, a dream, or an ordinary moment that suddenly feels extraordinary.
What makes you curious? What takes your breath away? What might exist just beyond what you can see?
We invite you to interpret the theme in your own way. Your submission does not have to include the word “wonder,” but it should connect to the theme in a way that feels meaningful to you.
Who Can Submit?
Writers of all ages are welcome to submit.
To be eligible, your piece must have begun during a Journal Together meeting, journaling session, workshop, or program. You are welcome—and encouraged—to revise, expand, and polish your writing before submitting it.
Writers under 18 must have permission from a parent or legal guardian.
You do not need to be an experienced or previously published writer. New and developing writers are encouraged to participate.
What can I submit?
We welcome:
• Poetry
• Short stories
• Flash fiction
• Personal essays
• Creative nonfiction
• Journal reflections
• Other short creative pieces
Submission limits:
• Prose may be up to 1,500 words.
• Writers may submit up to three poems.
• Each writer may submit a maximum of two entries.
• There is no fee to submit.
Submissions must be the writer’s original work.
Important Dates
Submissions open: September 2026
Submission deadline: November 30, 2026
Planned publication: Spring 2027
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I SUBMIT?
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I SUBMIT?
Journal Together will review all eligible submissions after the deadline.
Submitting your work does not guarantee publication. Writers whose work is selected will be contacted before publication and may receive light editing suggestions for clarity, grammar, spelling, or formatting.
Any proposed changes will be shared with the writer before the piece is published. We want each contribution to remain true to the writer’s individual voice
Your Writing Belongs to You
Writers retain the copyright to their work.
If your submission is selected, you will give Journal Together continuing, non-exclusive permission to publish, reprint, distribute, promote, and sell your contribution as part of Volume One: WONDER. This permission also covers future printings, editions, formats, and promotional materials connected to this specific chapbook.
Non-exclusive means that you still own your writing and may publish or use it elsewhere.
Submitting your work does not transfer ownership of your copyright to Journal Together.
Youth Writers
We are proud to welcome young writers into the Journal Together Community Chapbook.
Writers under 18 must provide the name and permission of a parent or legal guardian before their work can be published. Parent or guardian permission will be included in the submission process.
A young writer’s age will not be published unless the writer and their parent or legal guardian choose to include it.
Frequently asked questions
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No. Your piece must begin during a Journal Together meeting, session, workshop, or program, but you may continue developing and revising it afterward.
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Yes! We encourage you to revise, edit, and polish your work before submitting it.
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No. Journal Together will review all eligible submissions and select the pieces that best support the theme and vision of the chapbook.
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For this community chapbook, submissions must originate from a Journal Together prompt, session, workshop, meeting, or program.
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Yes. Each writer may submit up to two entries. A poetry submission may contain up to three poems.
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No. Submission is free.
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Yes. Writers of all ages are welcome. Writers under 18 will need permission from a parent or legal guardian.
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Yes. You retain the copyright to your work and may use or publish it elsewhere.
READY TO SHARE YOUR WRITING?
Your words matter. Your imagination matters. Your story deserves the opportunity to be heard.
Submit your work for Volume One: WONDER and become part of the first Journal Together Community Chapbook.
Submission deadline: November 30, 2026
Need a little inspiration before you submit?