about

post ghost press is a tiny publisher of microchapbooks and other strange projects, committed to publishing something new, weird, and lovable every month. What does this look like? We’re just finding out ourselves.

post ghost press is a safe space. This means zero tolerance for homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, or hate speech of any kind. In the wise words of Cotton Xenomorph: no creeps. 

You can support the press through Patreon or by purchasing microchapbooks / zines / broadsides through Etsy.

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projects

Our projects fall into three main categories: microchaps, our quarterly zine (small poems for the masses), and other dreams (broadsides, unconventional publications, etc).

July 2018’s project is FOR BABIES! a diatribe against Ottawa’s mountains by Dessa Bayrock. This micro-essay is a creative non-fiction recounting of Dessa’s first hike after moving to Ontario from B.C., which went about as well as you might expect given that B.C. has world-famous mountains and Ontario has almost none. It is set against a collage of mountain images cut from vintage science textbooks. FOR BABIES! is in its first printing of 50 copies. It is cut, folded, and numbered by hand.

August 2018’s project is Landing, a poem by Angela Caravan. This frank and lyrical poem about the meaning of the moon landing — to the moon, to the feet that touched it, to those stuck back on earth — is set on a watercolour background. Landing is in its first printing of 50 copies. It is cut, folded, and numbered by hand.

September 2018’s forthcoming project is small poems for the masses, volume one, the first volume of our quarterly zine featuring six poets.

 

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submissions

post ghost press press is currently closed for submissions. Anything sent to us before submissions reopen may not receive a response. Our next reading period will open late 2019 or early 2020.

how to submit

  • Send subs to postghostpress@gmail.com
  • Attach as .doc or .docx files. No PDFs, please!
  • Address your email to Dessa

what to include

  • Intended submission category (e.g. small poems for the masses, microchap, broadside), preferably in the email subject line
  • Your name and preferred pronouns
  • A 50ish-word bio
  • Your hometown, because we have a soft spot for hometowns (optional)
  • Self-identification as part of a marginalized group (optional, if comfortable)

important notes

Please note that we do not and most likely never will publish traditional chapbooks, full-length poetry or prose manuscripts, or book reviews.

We prefer to publish Canadian writers but consider work from all over the world. We strongly encourage women, LGBTQ+, POC, disabled writers, and other minority groups to submit. If you are comfortable identifying as one of these groups, please note it in your cover letter.

Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Just let us know as soon as you can if your submitted piece is picked up somewhere else.

At this time, you should hear back about your submission within a month. It might take a little longer. It might be a lot faster. We’re doing our best, which takes many forms.

Please note that all projects for the foreseeable future will be published in a format of six pages (plus front and back cover) of approximately 4″ high and 3″ wide. Notes on how to best fit this format are included in the descriptions of microchaps and small poems for the masses; if your project falls outside of these suggested guidelines, please include how your project will fit these physical specs. They are, for now, non-negotiable.

no bullshit

post ghost press is a safe space: any submission including homophobic, transphobic, fatphobic, misogynist, racist, anti-Semetic, Islamophobic, or needlessly violent content will remain unanswered. We also reserve the right to remove content from our catalogue and listings if the creator turns out to subscribe to anything abusive described above; this includes gaslighting, harassing, or sexually abusing anyone in the literary community or beyond. We shouldn’t have to spell this out, but we do. We don’t have time for your bullshit. Be better.

notes on copyright and payment

Your work is valuable, and post ghost is committed to paying its contributors: each microchapbook author receives an honorarium of $10 CAD and ten copies of the book with the option to purchase more at cost. Contributors to small poems for the masses will receive an honorarium of $5 and five copies of the issue, with the option to purchase more at cost. These are small amounts, but also note that post ghost press is totally volunteer-run and only receives funding through sales and donations.

post ghost press retains first north american serial rights to your piece; after publication, rights return to you. Should we wish to reprint, anthologize, or publish your piece(s) online, we’ll talk to you first.

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contact

post ghost press is run by Dessa Bayrock, a Canadian PhD student with too many succulents and strong loyalties towards breakfast for dinner. You can learn more about her at dessabayrock.com and find her on Twitter at @yodessa.

For any questions, comments, concerns, facts, factoids, and general salutations, please use the form below.