Call for Submissions

Debris Magazine does not accept unsolicited pitches.

We issue themed call-outs twice a year. Each issue is shaped in collaboration with two guest editors, and we encourage contributors to align their work with these themes. To stay updated, subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on social media!

Current Call out

Call for Pitches: Debris Magazine Issue 06 - No!
Guest edited by Cher Tan and Jon Tjhia.

Pitch call-out for issue 06

'No!'

DEBRIS Magazine is now calling for pitches for Issue 06, 'NO!'.

What does the word 'no' conjure? This issue is rooted in the many affects and actions that accompany decline, disbelief, distaste, denial and myriad other meanings awakened by its call.

As Anne Boyer writes in an essay of the same name, "History is full of people who just didn’t.”¹ She goes on to note, "Saying nothing is a preliminary method of no." Yes: can’t you—or won’t you?

‘No’ is arguably the only word in the English language that doesn’t lend itself to ambiguity, with variations of the same in other languages: non, nil, nej, nahin, nein, ne, nihil, net, nu, nem, nee. What begins from no? What comes after no? What possibilities open up simply with its utterance? Alternatively, what options does it foreclose?

A satisfying ‘no’ can signify a confident absence. Its effect can resemble a sharp inhalation of newfound resolve, or the rush of steam from a valve, relieving a mounting pressure. Its humble lone syllable can index grief, rejection, incredulity.

We invite proposals for short fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, visual essays and more that intersect with this issue’s conceptual frame. What’s the worst response you could get?

KEY DATES

Submit your pitch HERE by June 6th, 23:59 AEST.

Contributors will be notified of the outcome by 12 June 2025. Please note that we are unable to provide any feedback should your pitch be rejected.

Pitches will have around 2 months to be developed into first full drafts

Issue 06 will be published in November 2026.

Please inform us if you are pitching to multiple publishers or if you are pitching an already published piece.

RATES

  • Long-form Text Works (Essays, Short stories etc.) $500 AUD

  • Poetry: $150 AUD

This issue has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.