Jelly Bucket [jel-ee buhk-it]-noun
- Archaic slang for a lunch pail, formerly used by coal miners and other laborers residing in Appalachia.
- Bluegrass Writers Studio's annual graduate-student-produced literary journal.
Jelly Bucket is published annually by Bluegrass Writers Studio, the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Eastern Kentucky University. Founded in 2009, Jelly Bucket features established and new writers. We accept works of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, as well as visual art. Preference is given to visual art that incorporates text and/or features an aspect of the book arts, but all genres are welcome.
Our reading period for our annual journal's general section runs from July 1st — December 1st.
Jelly Bucket is committed to publishing writers from, and writing about, marginalized and under-represented communities.
Jelly Bucket will make a specific call for work from that community and showcase it alongside our regular, high-quality, general submissions. The special section will comprise roughly 50% of the issue and will be guest-edited by an established writer who is connected in some way to the community being featured.
Issue #15's special section, Incarcerated Voices, guest editor is Keeonna Harris.
Call for Submissions: The Voices of Incarceration
Jelly Bucket 15's special section will focus on the voices of those impacted by incarceration. We’re looking for creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and art from writers and artists who have been incarcerated, worked with incarcerated people, or who have been affected by loved ones who have been incarcerated. Submit @submittable by January 20, 2025. No fee to submit!
The deadline to submit work for the Incarcerated Voices special section is January 20, 2025
This year we are accepting paper submissions. Send paper submissions to:
Professor Robert Dean Johnson / Department of English / Eastern Kentucky University / 521 Lancaster Ave / Richmond, KY 40475.
By submitting via mail, the piece must not be simultaneously submitted. Additionally, by submitting via mail the author is agreeing that if we choose to publish, they are agreeing to let us publish the piece "as-is" or with reasonable copy edits (not content or style) and granting us standard, First North American Serial Rights. Because the deadline for printing will be tight, we need them to agree to these things upfront because there will be no time to correspond with an author via email as we normally would.
Please convey our genre guidelines if you are passing along this information.
If published, for compensation, they will receive a copy of the issue. Please let us know which address they would want it sent to.
Guidelines For Submitting Your Work
Only one submission per genre per reading period. Simultaneous submissions are considered, but if your work is accepted elsewhere please withdraw your submission via Submittable. If you need to withdraw just a portion of a submission, leave a comment on your submission via Submittable.
Previously published work will not be accepted. We define previously published work as a piece published in another journal (paper or electronic), in a book or chapbook (traditionally or self-published), or one that is currently online in a public blog or within a public forum.
With all submissions, please include a short biography (about 50-100 words) in your cover letter. This bio will be included with your piece should you win or place.
To view individual genre guidelines, please scroll and click the links below.
University Disclaimer
Jelly Bucket cannot accept work from current students at Eastern Kentucky University. In addition, a minimum of 4 years must have passed between study at the University and submissions to the journal. There is a publication at the University for student work, titled Aurora Online, whose reading period takes place each Fall.
Jelly Bucket 15's special section will focus on the voices of those impacted by incarceration. We’re looking for fiction, from writers who have been incarcerated, worked with incarcerated people, or who have been affected by loved ones who have been incarcerated. Submit by January 20, 2025. No fee to submit!
Please limit word count to 5,000. Only one short story may be submitted at a time. For short fiction (less than 1,000 words), up to three pieces may be submitted. Please double-space all entries. We accept .doc, .docx, and .rtf files.
Jelly Bucket 15's special section will focus on the voices of those impacted by incarceration. We’re looking for art from artists who have been incarcerated, worked with incarcerated people, or who have been affected by loved ones who have been incarcerated. Submit by January 20, 2025. No fee to submit!
Submit your artwork! Each issue features an art cover and color insert. We are open to all types of art. You may submit up to 5 pieces of artwork. Please zip multiple files together and submit them as one submission. Artwork must be hi-res, 300 dpi, at least 6" wide by 8" tall. We accept jpeg, tiff or .zip files. Please include the title of your work, the year your artwork was produced, size, and media used.
Jelly Bucket 15's special section will focus on the voices of those impacted by incarceration. We’re looking for creative nonfiction from writers who have been incarcerated, worked with incarcerated people, or who have been affected by loved ones who have been incarcerated. Submit by January 20, 2025. No fee to submit! Submit your creative nonfiction work!
Nonfiction pieces of up to 5,000 words are welcome. For short nonfiction (less than 1,000 words), up to three pieces may be submitted. Please double-space all entries. We accept .doc, .docx, and .rtf files.
Jelly Bucket 15's special section will focus on the voices of those impacted by incarceration. We’re looking for poetry from writers who have been incarcerated, worked with incarcerated people, or who have been affected by loved ones who have been incarcerated. Submit by January 20, 2025. No fee to submit!
Submit your poetry!
Please send us no more than (5) five poems. Each poem should begin on a new page but be submitted in a single document. Format poems on the page as you would have them printed. We accept .doc, .docx, and .rtf files.