Ruminate is a community of creators cultivating authentic selves, nourishing conversations, and sustaining life together through action and art. We are particularly excited about sharing work from voices and perspectives that aren't often heard. 

Ruminate Magazine is our print journal that explores and reexamines the most pressing themes, myths, and issues that connect us as humans. We are interested in literary poems, short stories, and essays that ask questions and make connections—whether about the environment, human nature, or topics beyond our comprehension. 

The Waking is our online literary magazine that houses high-quality literary writing about what it’s like to be human. We are interested in short-form prose and visual-text hybrid work. This art can be beautiful, it can be strange; we just ask that it feels true.

Editors: Jess Jelsma Masterton and Cherie Nelson

Development Coordinator: Emily Woodworth

Volunteer Notes Editor: Josh MacIvor-Andersen

A Note: We are a very small, part-time team who takes great care as we read and respond to your many emails and submissions. Please be patient as you wait to hear back from us.

More FAQs: 

• Ruminate Magazine currently pays $20/page for poetry and prose.
• The Waking offers an honorarium of $10 and a complimentary back issue of Ruminate Magazine (normally $15 each).
• We only accept submissions that are previously unpublished (a piece that has had a circulation of 500 or greater, in print or online, is considered previously published). 
• We encourage simultaneous submissions; however, please withdraw your work right away if it has been accepted elsewhere.
• If you agree to allow Ruminate Magazine or The Waking to publish your work, we will receive first North American serial rights. After publication, all rights revert back to you.
• We only accept online submissions, as our readers are spread across the country. Any submissions made by postal mail or email will not be considered.
• You may submit to more than one category. However, to help keep our queue moving, please wait to resubmit in a specific genre until you've received a response and wait 6 months before inquiring about the status of your submission. 
• Before submitting, we strongly recommend reading sample pieces from Ruminate Magazine or The Waking to better understand the type of work we tend to accept.
• If you need to make a correction to a submission, such as removing your contact info or withdrawing a poem from a batch of poems submitted, please use the "Allow Edit Requests" function in Submittable. 
• If you have any trouble using this online system, please email support@submittable.com.

We look forward to reading your work!