Kartika Review publishes creative writing from Asian Pacific Islander American perspectives and creative writing that engages with Asian Pacific Islander Americans in thoughtful ways to challenge Orientalism, Yellow Peril, racism, xenophobia, American Empire, colonialism, and other forms of oppression.
We also publish author interviews and APIA Writingscape commentaries. Consult our website for more information if you want to suggest an interview or commentary.
There is no fee for submissions.
When you submit your work, please include a note in the cover letter area with a short bio. Optional but encouraged: Also include a comment about one or more individual works that you have enjoyed in our previous issues (list the author and title). You can read our archives online on our website.
Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please withdraw your submission if it is accepted elsewhere. We do not publish reprints except as solicited by the editors.
Please submit your work for consideration only once each calendar year unless expressly solicited by the editors to submit revised or other work. This restriction applies separately to each category (poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction)—so you are welcome to submit more than once a year if your work falls in different categories.
If accepted, we will publish your work initially online and then in a print-on-demand anthology. You will retain copyright but assign us the rights to first publication.
We do not pay for work. However, you will have the chance to purchase print-on-demand anthologies at cost.
You will also be joining the network of authors we've published and interviewed in Kartika Review's pages, and we invite you to connect with us on social media.
Short stories, novel excerpts, experimental or interpretive works of fiction, flash fiction and micro-fiction pieces fall under our category of fiction. Although the content of your work need not deal explicitly with APIA characters or themes, all work should reflect or explore APIA perspectives. We give due consideration to all submissions written, but we prefer work under 5,000 words. Please send us your best work.
Narrative, experimental, lyrical or prose poetry, free verse, eastern or western poetic forms, and works meant as spoken word are all welcome as poetry. We give due consideration to all submissions, but we strongly prefer poems under 100 lines and would like to receive 4-6 pieces per submission. Please send us your best crafted poems.