Submission Guidelines

Sweet rules for wonderfully weird creators!

Welcome to Brain Candy Magazine, a place where special interests get to shine like they’re dipped in sugar and rolled in Pop Rocks. Each issue is built around a theme chosen by our editors. Sometimes the theme is broad (Halloween! Camping!). Other times, it’s very specific, like exactly this one flavor of candy and absolutely nothing else.

Whenever we announce a new theme on social media, we’ll also post a dedicated webpage on our site. That page is your golden wrapper: it tells you exactly what we’re looking for in that issue. Because each theme is different, the guidelines may shift from issue to issue, so always check our social media or Chillsubs page.

Stay On Theme (Seriously.)

Think of the theme as the main flavor. If the issue is cotton candy, your piece should taste like cotton candy, not “technically sugar, so maybe it counts?” If the issue is gummy bears, don’t send us jawbreakers. If the issue is peppermint, don’t tell us, “Well, I like caramel better.”

We love creativity, outside-the-box ideas, and wonderfully bizarre work, but it must be connected to the theme. If it isn’t, we’ll decline it. Sometimes we might email you and say, “Hey, this doesn’t fit this issue, but it might go great in another jar.” But if it’s totally off-flavor, it’s going back on the shelf.

What You Can’t Send Us

We only accept work created by you. No AI-generated art or writing. No artificial sweeteners here!

How to Submit

Email everything to braincandymagazine@gmail.com.

In the subject line, include the issue name.

In the body of your email, please include:

• Your name
• Title of your piece
• The medium (poem, short story, collage, comic, etc.)
• Your submission (attached or linked)
• A short bio about you (1–3 sentences)
• A short description of the submitted work (What inspired it? How does it relate to the theme? Describe the process of you making the work!)
• Content warnings, if needed
• Contact information, including any social media where you’d prefer to chat (some people dislike email. We get it!)
• Confirmation that the work is yours

Keep descriptions short! We want the piece itself to deliver the punch.

Questions?

If anything in these guidelines leaves you confused, just reach out. We’re happy to help.