guidelines

We created Lucia to meet a deep desire I think most people today relate with: The heart’s longing to be moved, feel inspired, and connect with what is real.
— Laura Lowery, Founder & Editor of Lucia

We are delighted to welcome submissions for publication in the print edition of Lucia Journal and at luciajournal.com.

Lucia Journal goes to print once per year. Each volume is propelled by a theme. We have explored inspiration and perfection and wild. We are currently accepting submissions for home.

Meanwhile, new work is posted each month on luciajournal.com. Here, things are open, fluid. Submissions might delve into building and leading and loving a creative life; adventure; relationships; or tales of personal growth. These are merely starting places. We look forward to seeing where your muse leads you.

Whether you are submitting for the print edition or luciajournal.com, we invite you to move us with words and images that are heartfelt and intimate, vulnerable and real, curious and light. On behalf of Lucia's readers and all they touch, we invite you to tell us a story up close. To make us think. To delight us. To feed our souls why not, yes please.

write for lucia

  • Length

    • Submissions for luciajournal.com can be up to 800 words.

    • Essays in Lucia Journal are generally between 1,000-1,200 words. We also accept shorter written essays. Only occasionally can we accept longer essays.

  • Permission

    • Writers for Lucia Journal and luciajournal.com retain copyright of their material. Writers for Lucia Journal agree to grant Lucia one year of exclusive permission to use the essay or poem in our print publication and on our website.

  • Style

    • The tone and voice of Lucia is authentic, fresh, thoughtful, personal, and heartfelt. Please see more on Lucia's writing tenets below.

  • Submit

    • Please send your work as a Word document to editor@luciajournal.com with "submission" in the message title.

    • Include:

      • Working title

      • Your name and contact information

      • Short written bio with appropriate media links if applicable

      • Specify Lucia Journal or luciajournal.com submission

    • Attach:

      • An author photo

      • You may include photography to accompany your writing. In JPEG format works. If we use your images, we will credit you. We reserve the right to use one of our photographs to accompany instead.

    • No fiction please.

lucia's writing style is...

heartfelt
curious
uses fewer words
inspiring
fresh
thoughtful
authentic

soft
poetic
respectful
open-minded
intellectual
vocabulary-rich
image-rich

personal
honest
vulnerable
serious
light
simple
handwritten

is not...

wordy
scary or shocking
reprimanding
whiny

cynical
judgmental
condescending
cliche

preachy
a "top 5" list
advice-oriented
know-it-all

writing tenets

  • Handwrite. Journal. Scribble. Make notes. Doodle.

  • Pay attention to where your writing originates in your body. Let it come from somewhere below the head.

  • Get joy from the process of writing. If you enjoy yourself as you write, readers are more likely to enjoy what you wrote.

  • Credit other artists, thinkers, and authors when credit is due.

  • Consider the reader. We want them to feel like they are exploring and questioning along with you. Cultivate a feeling of connection to others as you write.

photography submissions

  • Please send photographs as JPEG files no larger than 1MB to editor@luciajournal.com with "photo submission" in the message title.

  • If your images are selected, we will ask you for a higher-resolution RAW, TIFF or PSD file.

  • Include:

    • Working title

    • Your name and contact information

    • Short written bio with appropriate media links if applicable

    • If you are submitting photographs of people, please confirm you have secured their permission for editorial use.

lucia's photography style is...

spacious
personal
traveled
cultured
kind
meaningful
inviting
kind of magic

light-filled
emotive
wide f-stops
fresh
simple
real
true
natural

intimate
loose
composed
soft
inspiring
curious
respectful
beautiful

is not...

hipster
filtered
saturated
shocking

glamour
models
sexualized
boring

cliche
stock
unoriginal
airbrushed