Here at Minerva Rising we believe that there is creativity and wisdom in every woman. Other than by eating cake — because we love cake — one of the biggest ways we celebrate is by publishing the creative works of women throughout the world. Which is where you come in. We are currently accepting submissions for our Annual Chapbook Contest and our first Novella Contest!

For some, just knowing that submissions are open is enough to send your work our way. For others who may need a little bit more prompting, here are the top 5 reasons you should submit your work to Minerva Rising:

1. Because we can only eat so much cake. Don’t get us wrong, we really do love cake, but we’d rather indulge in a decadent poem or savory prose.

2. Because you have a story to tell. And you are the only one who can tell it. Since our founding in 2012 we have published 8 Journals, 4 Chapbooks, and the literary works of over 100 women in 4 countries. While we are proud of the ground we have covered, we know that this is just a fraction of the collective female voice. We’re counting on you to speak up and expand the understanding of what it means to be woman — a concept that is diverse and complex.

3. Because art matters, we offer stipends for the work we publish. That’s right! Cold. Hard. Cash… err check*. We pay writers $50 for fiction or nonfiction prose and $35 for poetry and photography.

4. Because your submissions support other women in a variety of ways. When women come together, we flourish — you will hear us say this a lot because we truly believe it and we’re taking it a step further. Once our production costs and contributor stipends’ have been covered we put all proceeds towards helping women. This includes our annual Owl Award, which is a $500 scholarship awarded to one woman writer while she pursues her writing endeavors, and donations to charities like Women for Women International, CareGifted, and others.

5. Because you have nothing to lose. Submission requires vulnerability. We get it. We’re writers too. But like our girl Brené Brown says, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” This is your invitation to engage in a community of thoughtful, creative, wise, and brave women. We’re glad you’re here. We’re glad you’re joining the conversation.