About the Magazine

Yellow Ink Stain is a regional Southern literary magazine that through fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, and other expressions continues to uphold the company’s mission statement to share “true stories well told”. The magazine provides an opportunity for people from different experience levels, different education levels, and different age levels to describe the world in their own words and to be seen and heard. Our editors want to hear stories from writers who are writers and from people who have something they feel they need to express.

The purpose of this indie press’s magazine is to give opportunities to people who may have something to say to say it. If your submission is accepted, an editor will be touch to notify you via email and to request any edits or revisions.

Each month, the magazine will have a theme or focus. Please do not email submissions. Please use the submission link for all submissions.

Now Seeking Submissions

Short Story Contest

Enter now to win Yellow Ink Stain’s first short story contest and be the first feature piece in the magazine’s premier issue in January 2026!

First place prizes include:

  • A full centerfold spread with your story and author bio

  • Highlight of your winning story on the front cover

  • $100 award

Second place prizes include:

  • Mention in the magazine with the title of your story and links to follow you online

  • $50 award

Third place prizes include:

  • Mention in the magazine with the title of your story and links to follow you online

  • $25 award

Submit to Yellow Ink Stain now!

Submit your writing or art in the following categories to be selected to appear in Yellow Ink Stain’s first issue!

Deadline for all submissions: August 31, 2025

Now seeking submissions in all categories for the first issue premiering January 2026!

  • Poetry

  • Memoir

  • Creative nonfiction essay

  • Short story fiction

  • Photography

 FAQs

  • Yes. You can submit as much as you want to each issue of the magazine or for any contest. If there are ever restrictions on submissions, those guidelines will be stated specifically for that call for submissions.

  • All submissions must be made with the link on the submissions and guidelines page. Email submissions will not be reviewed. Please submit all written files as .doc or .docx (Microsoft Word) files and all image files as JPG and PNG files.

  • The previous work cannot have been previously published, though, we reserve the right to make exceptions depending on circumstances.

  • The fee for submissions helps cover overhead, production, compensation for employees, contest winnings, and it helps prevent a time-consuming proliferation of bot submissions.

  • If your work is selected, you will receive an email from an editor. If any revisions or suggestions for modification are needed, your editor will communicate that to you in the congratulatory e-mail. If you are asked to make modifications, we ask that you do so within two weeks of the request being submitted.

    Your editor will also ask you to submit a headshot, a bio, and two social links (ex: website and BlueSky or Substack and Facebook, etc.)

  • Submissions not chosen that we feel would be a good fit later will be retained with permission. Submissions not chosen but that are not a good fit will not be retained and will be deleted.

  • Yellow Ink Stain is a print and digital magazine with a podcast coming soon, which provides multiple opportunities for exposure. You receive a complimentary copy of the magazine when your work is featured in that issue as well as other “thank you” gifts. You also have the opportunity to win the “best read” contest, which allows readers to vote for their favorite piece.