SUBMISSIONS: THE MOMMY ISSUE
Submissions are closed
About issue one
Issue 1: The Mommy Issue seeks to explore the mystique of “mommy issues” and the realms of motherhood in contemporary society. Palatable experiences of love, sacrifice, adoration, but also less discussed, underrepresented, and taboo experiences—guilt, generational trauma, abandonment, mental illness, violence, sexuality, repulsion, and restriction.
From expressions of grief to societal analysis, we welcome you to explore with us by submitting your own writing, art, and/or creative work.
Examples of possible submissions ideas:
- Photo collage utilizing the vintage photography of a mother figure and/or family photos.
- A critical essay on "boy-moms", the Oedepius Complex, MILFs, Cougars, and other mother-dependent phenomena
- A collection of notes-app poems about rage, desire, and vulnerability (We know you have them!)
- A painting of yourself that references a childhood photo, inspiring feelings of nostalgia and longing.
- Photographs of domestic home-life; dishes in the sink, dirty laundry, and all the labor performed by mothers that goes unseen.
- A short story reflecting on an imperfect upbringing.
- Analysis on movies and media that highlight mother-child relationships, like Ladybird, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Babadook, Hereditary, etc....
- If you've got something you think should go in our magazine, don't be shy and let us know!
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
The deadline to submit work is November 7, 2025. Please read the criteria for submissions to ensure your content follows our requirements.
We read and consider every single pitch. We will reply to you ASAP, but appreciate your patience as we take time to review your submission.
If you’re unsure or reluctant to submit your work, please don’t be afraid to DM us or email us at info@boyfriendmade.com. Additionally, we encourage you to take the risk! We love seeing how artists, writers, and creatives are capable of stretching a theme and interpreting the content.
Literary
All literary submissions must be sent in Word, Google Doc, or PDF.
Literary submissions must include an author statement for each submission.
Please typeset using a neutral font and 9pt-12pt size.
Short stories, personal essays, anecdotes: Minimum of 500 words, maximum of ~3,000 words.
Opinion, critique, analysis, research, ect: minimum of 600 words, maximum of 3,000 words, with citations/sources, if applicable.
Poetry and prose: a minimum of three stanzas
Visual
Visual submissions must include an artist statement for each submission.
Please reference the following resolution expectations before submitting.
Photography (including photography of the artwork, installation, or performance): Taken at 300 pixels per inch (ppi) or greater.
Digital Artwork: 300 dots per inch (dpi) or greater
Scans: taken at 600dpi or greater
Video: 1080p or greater
Artificially increased resolution (going into Photoshop and increasing the dpi) will be rejected, or we will ask you to resubmit.
If there are barriers that prevent you from working within these guidelines, please do not hesitate to reach out as we can help figure out accommodations. Libraries, tool libraries, camera shops, universities, and local non-profits often have resources, rentable equipment, and specialists to help.