At Stained Silk Magazine, we welcome essays that approach mindfulness, philosophy, and psychology with a blend of humor, introspection, and depth. We believe that real, complex topics deserve to be explored seriously—but not too seriously. If you're ready to challenge conventional thinking while adding a healthy dose of irreverence, we want to hear from you. We will read and reply to all submissions.

What We’re Looking For:

• Essays: Personal, reflective, or critical essays that explore the intersections of mindfulness, mental health, philosophy, psychology, and self-awareness. We want pieces that confront deep, real-life issues with wit, irony, and authenticity.

• Style: First-person or narrative-driven pieces are encouraged, but we’re also open to more analytical work. Bring your unique voice and perspective. We appreciate the raw and the real.

• Length: Submissions should be between 400 and 2,500 words, but this is a loose guideline.

What We’re Not Looking For:

• Overly Academic Papers: While we welcome thought-provoking ideas, please avoid jargon-heavy writing or academic-style essays. We want the work to be accessible and engaging to a general audience.

• Conventional Self-Help: We’re less interested in overly prescriptive takes on mindfulness. Personal stories or fresh takes on self-help, however, are welcome.

• Humor for Humor’s Sake: We love a good laugh, but we seek essays that balance wit with substance. If your piece doesn’t offer a real reflection on the human experience, it’s not quite what we’re looking for.

How to Submit:

• File Format: Please submit your work as a Word document (.doc or .docx) or PDF.

• Cover Letter: Include a brief cover letter introducing yourself and your piece. Let us know why your essay fits with Stained Silk Magazine.

• Biography: Include a short bio that mentions your writing experience and any relevant background.

• One submission per person: Writers are allowed to submit one piece per submission period.

• Poetry submissions: Multiple poems may be included in a single submission, up to a maximum of 5 poems.

• Please ensure that all poems are submitted as a single document (PDF or Word format).

Deadline:

• Submissions are open on a rolling basis.

Compensation:

• Accepted work will receive $30, a feature in the digital and print magazine, and a contributor’s copy.

• Contributors will retain full ownership of their published work. If the work is republished elsewhere, we appreciate acknowledgment of its first appearance in Stained Silk Magazine, but this is not required.

Art Submissions

We believe art has a place in every story—whether it’s visual, abstract, or downright strange. If you’ve got a piece of art that challenges conventional ideas of mindfulness, philosophy, or the human experience, we want to see it.

Whether it's a painting, digital artwork, photography, or anything in between, we’re open to unique, raw, and irreverent visual work that complements our magazine’s ethos.

How to Submit:

• Submit high-quality images of your work via the below form.

• Include a brief artist statement (max 300 words) that gives context to your piece and why it speaks to the themes of our magazine.

• Pieces should be in line with the tone and style of Stained Silk—think messy, imperfect, and unapologetically real.

• We’ll respond to all submissions and if your work is accepted, you’ll receive a $30 compensation, a feature in the digital and print issue, and a contributor’s copy.

• Contributors will retain full ownership of their published work. If the work is republished elsewhere, we appreciate acknowledgment of its first appearance in Stained Silk Magazine, but this is not required.