Submissions are open for ginger & smoke volume 1 until June 30 at 11:59 PST.

You must be Filipino-Canadian to submit for volume 1. The estimated publication date will be October 2025.

ginger & smoke focuses on the reclamation of Filipino folklore, mythology and fairy tales. There can be all sorts of blurred lines in terms of genre, though the focus is on fantasy and speculative fiction. ginger & smoke will be a digital publication.

What does it mean to take on the work of reclamation? Is it wanting to reconnect with our roots? Is it because we’ve suffered so much disconnection in our family? Is it protection? Art? Freedom? Do you meditate to Mayari or Tala in your guided meditations? Do you call on them to charge your anting-anting? Do you wish there was a RPG where you could just wallop someone with a kris sword? Do you carry enough garlic on you to make aswang shake in their boots?

However you take this prompt, we’d love to see fictional pieces that retell stories and personal pieces that explore the deep psychology of each story and your place in the world.

Guidelines:

Please send your submissions here. 

Please adhere to these guidelines for all types of submissions:

• In your cover letter, please include a brief description of the work with its title and word count, a short bio, and the name you’d like to be credited for. 

• You must be Filipino-Canadian in order to submit to this call. Please in your cover letter designate where you reside, and what the Fil-Can community is like there.

• Please use size 12 pt font, double spaced and in Times New Roman for prose.

• The piece should be sent as a .doc, .docx or .pdf. Any other format will not be accepted. 

• You can only submit once to the magazine, please no multiple submissions in different types of submissions.

• Please be respectful. We carefully consider each submission and strive to include pieces that align with the theme and complement the overall collection. However, due to space limitations, we can only accept a select number of submissions, and will be prioritizing short fiction/CNF. Thank you for your understanding!

Short Fiction or Creative Non-fiction

• Word count: 500-2,500 words.

• For Creative non-fiction, no academic pieces. We’re looking for more personal essay, memoir or reflection pieces.

Poetry:

• Up to three poems per submission.

• 60 line limit per poem; please put each poem on a new page.

Visual Art:

• High-resolution images in PNG or JPEG format.

• Include a brief description or artist’s statement.

Simultaneous submissions are allowed but if your piece is accepted elsewhere please immediately contact us and withdraw your submission.

Thank you!

AI POLICY

For visual art submissions:

• We do not accept generative AI art. We want to see your unique artistic expression.

For written submissions:

• We want to hear your genuine voice. Please no generative submissions! If you’ve used AI as a minor assistive tool (e.g., for grammar checks), please either note that in your submission or use your best judgment.

• Remember that if your piece is accepted, the magazine offers editorial support—far more personal and nuanced than any AI!

• Our folklore, mythology, and fairy tales come from an oral tradition, so we’re not looking for polished perfection. We recognize that some folks rely on AI for accessibility or due to limited editorial resources, and that’s okay. We’re here to help you develop your work.

• Please be transparent here, we value these conversations, but know we will not accept generative art or written content.