Our current theme: Masks. Here’s what we want you to ponder:

Thanks to the pandemic, wearing masks is now part of everyday life. But there are different types of masks we’ve worn far before this: ones to obscure our faces, to participate in rituals or celebrations, or to protect ourselves from the elements. We’ve also worn metaphorical masks to hide pieces of our identities, or change the way we appear to others.

The idea of wearing masks is multifaceted, and can mean different things depending on the context. Tell us about the times you’ve worn a mask — literally or figuratively — and what it meant to you and the people you interacted with. We want to hear about the emotions, relationships and identities that different types of masks bring out.

What we’re looking for:

• Send us poetry (max 100 lines), creative prose (max 600 words), lyrics, photography (max 3 photos per set), sketches, paintings or other visual art. 
• We will accept up to 2 submissions per person. You are welcome to send more than two, but please note that we will only accept a maximum of two to keep the zine from being oversaturated with the same voices. (In the future we may change this, but we’re limiting submissions to ensure our contributor pool is fairly represented).
• We’re looking for pieces that are conversational, honest, personal, exploratory and thought-provoking. Our favorite works focus on personal storytelling, so get creative by drawing from experiences in your own life. Pull us into a scene, bring us along to meet your best friend or worst enemy, show us your happy place or somewhere you never want to go again. We want to make this a place for people to share life experiences and the excitement and confusion that comes with young adulthood.  
• We welcome works that combine multiple mediums — for example, if you write a poem based off a photo you took and want to include both, feel free to send them as one submission. However, we ask that the total length of your submission not exceed two pages in length, as we’re a zine, so we like to keep things short. 
• All work must be ORIGINAL and UNPUBLISHED. We don’t want to run into any problems with our fellow zinesters or publishers, so please don’t send us any work that has been featured elsewhere. 
• Please only send us works that are COMPLETE and have been proofread by yourself. While we are willing to help you fine-tune your writing, please be kind and don’t send us junk. We can help you create a final draft, but not write the entire piece for you. 
• We want to make this a community for people of all skill levels, so we encourage young/new creatives to send us their work! We are willing to give critiques and advice on your submissions, especially stories/poetry. If this is something you would like help with, please express interest somewhere in the body of your email. 

How to format and send your materials:

• Format all submissions in a .doc/.docx file or a Google Drive link. A .jpeg or .png is appropriate for photo or illustration submissions. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY OTHER FILE TYPES. 
• We prefer submissions in standard 12-pt Times New Roman font.
• Send your submissions to sitmzine@gmail.com by Friday, June 25, 2021. 

Please include a short, third-person bio with your submission, including the state/city in the Midwest that you live or lived in. (If you need an example, see our website to read Jenn and Ryan’s bios).