Hey there, aspiring writers! ✍️🌟 Ever dreamed of getting paid for your words in a magazine that champions creativity? This guide dives into The Sun Magazine, a place where expressive essays, stories, and poems not only find a home but also reward you financially.
In this post, we’ll cover what The Sun seeks, how your work can stand out, the submission process, and the tangible benefits of being published. Ready to see your name in print? Let’s explore how to make that happen. 🚀💼
What is The Sun Magazine?
Imagine a magazine that dives deep into the human experience – without a single ad to distract you. That’s The Sun Magazine 🌞 for you.
Since 1974, this Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based gem has been lighting up readers’ lives with its unique blend of personal essays, fiction, poetry, and stunning photography.
It’s not just about celebrating life; it’s about acknowledging its complexities, too.
- Ad-Free Sanctuary: A rare find in today’s world 🌍 , offering a peaceful reading experience.
- Deeply Human: Every issue is a heartfelt exploration of what it means to be human, blending the personal with the political, and touching on both our splendors and heartaches.
- Award-Winning Content: Not just any magazine, but a recognized one, with works that have won the Pushcart Prize and more.
- From Idealistic Beginnings: Started by Sy Safransky back in 1974, it’s grown into a beloved nonprofit publication with over 60,000 subscribers.
Is The Sun Magazine legit?
Absolutely! ✅
The Sun Magazine stands out as a beacon of authenticity in a sea of commercial publications.
- Critically Acclaimed: It’s not just readers who love it. The magazine’s commitment to radically intimate and socially conscious writing has earned it the Pushcart Prize, the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers, and spots in prestigious anthologies like Best American Essays and Best American Short Stories. 🏆
- Independently Awesome: As an ad-free, independent, reader-supported magazine, The Sun maintains its unique voice and integrity, steering clear of the influence of media conglomerates.
- Socially Conscious: Each issue promises provocative, personal, and political content, proving that this magazine isn’t just legit; it’s essential reading for those who value depth and honesty in literature.
What exactly is The Sun looking for?
The Sun Magazine 🌟 seeks standout pieces that command attention, stir emotions, and prompt reflection.
From essays, fiction, to poetry, they’re after writing that can turn heads, open hearts, and change minds.
Personal Essays
- Your Untold Stories: Essays so personal, they demand a platform that respects your courage and vulnerability. 📝
- Unique Insights: They love essays that offer a fresh perspective, tackling complex questions with no easy answers. 🎯
- Read Sample Essays 📖
Fiction
- Emotionally Honest Stories: Seeking fiction that allows us to walk in someone else’s shoes, whether through satire, tragedy, or parables that echo in the mind. 📘
- Risk-Takers Welcome: Stories in any genre that reveal truths about the human condition. 🌈
- Read Sample Stories 📖
Poetry
- Poems That Speak Volumes: From the cosmic to the intimate, they’re after poems that reflect on the vast and the minute aspects of our existence. 📚
- Narrative & Accessible: Poems that invite us into your world, leading us to moments of revelation. 💖
- Read Sample Poems 📖
Submission Guidelines:
- Length: No strict word limits, but works over 7,000 words are rare. 📜
- Poetry: Up to 5 poems per submission, bundled into one file. 🗂️
- Formatting: Preferably 12-point font, double-spaced, with your name, title, and genre on the first page. Formatting perfection isn’t required – focus on the content. 📝
Who can write for The Sun Magazine?
Anyone with a story to tell! 🙋🏽♀️
The Sun Magazine welcomes:
- Voices from Everywhere: From established authors to emerging talents, if you’ve got something to say, they’re listening. 🖋
- Diverse Perspectives Wanted: Especially interested in works by writers of color, queer and trans writers, writers with disabilities, incarcerated writers, and others from marginalized communities. Your voice matters. 🌈
How much can I earn with The Sun?
- Rewarding Your Work: For personal essays, fiction, and poetry, payments start at $200, scaling with page length. 📄
- Easy Payment: Once your work is published, expect a prompt payment via PayPal or direct deposit. 💰
Why should I write for The Sun Magazine?
- Broad Impact & Unparalleled Creative Freedom 🌍✨: With over 60,000 print subscribers, The Sun Magazine not only offers writers a vast and engaged audience but also seeks out stories that are too personal, provocative, or profound for other platforms. This unique combination ensures your work reaches a wide audience while allowing you the freedom to express your deepest truths.
- Ad-Free Platform 🚫📣: In today’s ad-saturated media landscape, The Sun stands out by offering a clean, focused space where writers’ voices can shine without competition from advertisements.
- Award-Winning Recognition 🏆📚: Being featured in The Sun can lead to notable acknowledgment, as the magazine’s writers have earned prestigious awards such as the Pushcart Prize and the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize.
- Embracing Diversity 🌈🤝: The Sun is dedicated to providing a platform for a diverse range of perspectives, especially those underrepresented in mainstream media, making it a nurturing ground for all voices.
- Financial Compensation 💸🖊: The magazine values its contributors, offering financial compensation starting at $200 for personal essays, fiction, and poetry based on page length, thus supporting writers not just artistically but also financially.
Is The Sun Magazine worth it?
- Pros ✅ : The Sun Magazine offers a wide reach, ad-free platform, recognition through awards, embraces diversity, and provides financial compensation 💵 for contributions. These aspects make it an attractive venue for writers looking to share personal, challenging, or profound stories with an engaged and broad audience.
- Cons ❌ : The submission process includes a fee for online submissions, which might be a deterrent for some writers. Additionally, the competitive nature of the magazine, receiving over 2,000 submissions per month 📈 , means not all work will be accepted.
Verdict: Yes, given the magazine’s commitment to quality, diversity, and writer compensation, it is certainly worth considering for submission.
The potential benefits, including monetary compensation and the chance to be part of a respected publication, outweigh the challenges. ⚖️✨
How do I get started?
To submit to The Sun Magazine, follow these steps:
- Online Submissions: Use Submittable to send your work. Note there’s a $2.50 submission fee to help manage the high volume of submissions 🌐💻.
- Mail Submissions: Send your printed manuscript with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Editorial Department at The Sun, 107 N. Roberson St., Chapel Hill, NC 27516. No submission fee is required for mail submissions 📬.
- Simultaneous Submissions: The Sun accepts submissions that are under consideration elsewhere but asks to be notified if your work is accepted by another journal ✉️.
- Response Time: Expect a response within three months, though it may sometimes take longer ⏳.
- Submission Status & Withdrawals: You can check the status of your submission or withdraw it through Submittable 🔄.
Final thoughts
Engaging with The Sun Magazine as a writer offers a unique opportunity to share your voice in a respected, ad-free publication that reaches a wide and diverse audience. 📖🌈
While the submission process includes a fee for online entries and faces high competition, the benefits of potential recognition, financial compensation, and being part of a publication that values deep, meaningful storytelling are significant.
Whether you’re an established writer or just starting out, submitting your work to The Sun Magazine could be a rewarding endeavor. ✍🏽🌟
