“My relationship with the Half Mystic crew has been among the most fruitful and invigorating of my life. I’ve worked with them on radio shows, their journal, at readings, each new leaf turned then seized by the music of Half Mystic, becoming the D minor that gives our melancholy a soft landing or the skyward pitch needed to shatter the glass ceiling. It wouldn’t be quite precise enough to say it’s been a joy and an honor working with them; it’s more accurate to say it’s been a joy and an honor finding in them my family.” —Anthony Thomas Lombardi, author of Murmurations

Submissions to the journal, press, and blog are hosted on Submittable. Click here to submit.

Journal submissions: The theme for Opus II, Issue IV is Fioritura: a decorative run of notes added to a melody, and an Italian noun meaning “flowering.” For our fourteenth issue, we’re seeking death valley superblooms, vocal fry as ornamentation, matryoshka dolls, effervescence and efflorescence, wind chimes harmonising with birdsong, peacock tails, appoggiaturas, monogrammed everything, crown shyness, filigree, honeysuckle buds blossoming into jasmine, petri dishes as still lifes, dirt beneath painted fingernails, technicolour tenderness, flowers outsinging their neighbours down the length of the garden. In the Fioritura issue, devotion wears the voice of decoration. The best encores outlive their applause, and the trellis was only ever a suggestion. Bring us a symphony snaking over the house entire. We pay US$20 per accepted piece, and submissions close in April 2027.

Manuscript submissions: Send a cover letter (including a biographical note, a list of acknowledgements of previous publications, a brief description of what music means to you, and an explanation of why you’ve chosen to submit to Half Mystic Press) and a complete manuscript of at least 60 pages. We publish only full-length manuscripts—no chapbooks. We welcome submissions from both literary agents and independent writers. We pay competitive royalties.

Featured artist submissions: Send a cover letter (including a biographical note, an artist statement, and a brief description of what music means to you) and a portfolio including five to ten art pieces in any medium. Featured artists illustrate Half Mystic Journal with a suite of 13-15 pieces inspired by the issue’s theme. We offer a token payment of US$50.

Band and musician interview requests: Send a cover letter (including a biographical note, the musical genre in which you primarily work, and your most recent releases), links to where we can find you online, and—if applicable—a press kit. Interviews are published on our blog, sent to our mailing list, and promoted on our social media.