Tint Journal is dedicated to publishing creative work by writers for whom English is a second or non-native language. ESL writers bridge borders and blend cultures without the third party of the translator and offer the purest and deepest understanding of their fiction and nonfiction worlds. Our mission is to create a platform for emerging and established ESL writers and shine a light on the ways that authors all over the globe can contribute to what we know as literature in English.
Submissions for our biannual literary issues (short stories, personal essays, flash and poetry) are only accepted by writers who have learned or acquired the English language after being fluent in another language and within an open call for submissions. Submissions may be sent through Submittable or as instructed on our website -- do not submit both ways.
Submissions for our In Conversation section (reviews, interviews, and profiles focusing on ESL writing) are welcome year-round by writers of all linguistic backgrounds.
We also welcome art submissions to accompany the literary texts featured in our biannual issues. These are only accepted within an open call for submissions.
There is no submission fee. However, donations of any amount are highly appreciated and will help to ensure quality and quantity of our work as well as to increase the range and impact of the journal. Find out more about how to support Tint here.
Pieces which do not follow our guidelines will not be considered.
**Note**: If we have reached our limit of Submittable submissions, please email your submission directly to submissions@tintjournal.com. Please note that the submission guidelines do apply.
#showyourtint
You have been fluent in a language other than English before you acquired/learned English? You write your short stories or flash stories in English? If so, submit your non-native English creative writing on the theme of nurture until May 31, 2026 to be considered for Tint's Fall '26 issue (#16)!
We exclusively accept submissions by writers who write creatively in English as their second, foreign or non-native language (exophonic writers).
- For our 16th issue, we are looking for submissions on the theme of nurture. To find out what we are looking for, see our theme description on our website.
- Please submit only previously unpublished pieces. If you have a previously published piece that fits our mission, please contact us via info@tintjournal.com.
- Translations will not be accepted. It should be an original creation in English as your foreign language. However, the work can feature words or passages in the writer’s original language or other languages.
- We prefer doc and docx files. In case your submissions requires special formatting, we also accept pdf files.
- Please name your document [Category*]_[Last Name]_[Title], e.g. Fiction_Miller_The Rose, or Flash Fiction_Miller_The Rose.
- Provide your submission with a title page, indicating your 1. name, 2. first language(s)/mother tongue(s), 3. second or foreign language(s), 4. locale (= state(s)/region(s) you associate yourself with), 5. category*, 6. title of your piece, 7. word count, 8. contact information (your email address), and 9. day of submission.
- Put page numbers on all pages following the title page.
Does Tint Journal accept simultaneous and multiple submissions?
- Feel free to submit your text for Tint Journal also to other magazines/calls. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please let us know immediately via email at info@tintjournal.com.
- Submit one piece per category at a time, but feel free to approach us in the future with new work.
How long should my submission be?
- For short story (fiction) submissions, please submit one text between 1,000 and 4,000 words.
- For flash fiction submissions, please submit one text. It should not exceed 600 words.
If this form of submission represents an obstacle to you, please contact the journal at info@tintjournal.com.
* Categories: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Nonfiction, Flash Nonfiction, Poetry.
You have been fluent in a language other than English before you acquired/learned English? You write your short stories or flash stories in English? If so, submit your non-native English creative writing on the theme of nurture until May 31, 2026 to be considered for Tint's Fall '26 issue (#16)!
We exclusively accept submissions by writers who write creatively in English as their second, foreign or non-native language (exophonic writers).
- For our 16th issue, we are looking for submissions on the theme of nurture. To find out what we are looking for, see our theme description on our website.
- Please submit only previously unpublished pieces. If you have a previously published piece that fits our mission, please contact us via info@tintjournal.com.
- Translations will not be accepted. It should be an original creation in English as your foreign language. However, the work can feature words or passages in the writer’s original language or other languages.
- We prefer doc and docx files. In case your submissions requires special formatting, we also accept pdf files.
- Please name your document [Category*]_[Last Name]_[Title], e.g. Fiction_Miller_The Rose, or Flash Fiction_Miller_The Rose.
- Provide your submission with a title page, indicating your 1. name, 2. first language/mother tongue(s), 3. second or foreign language(s), 4. locale (= state(s)/region(s) you associate yourself with), 5. category*, 6. title of your piece, 7. word count, 8. contact information (your email address), and 9. day of submission.
Does Tint Journal accept simultaneous and multiple submissions?
- Feel free to submit your text for Tint Journal also to other magazines/calls. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please let us know immediately via email at info@tintjournal.com.
- Submit one piece per category at a time, but feel free to approach us in the future with new work.
How long should my submission be?
- For poetry submissions, please submit one poem at a time. If the poem has subsections, mark them clearly in your document. A poem should not exceed four C4, A4 or Letter pages in length.
If this form of submission represents an obstacle to you, please contact the journal at info@tintjournal.com.
* Categories: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Nonfiction, Flash Nonfiction, Poetry.
You have been fluent in a language other than English before you acquired/learned English? You write your short stories or flash stories in English? If so, submit your non-native English creative writing on the theme of nurture until May 31, 2026 to be considered for Tint's Fall '26 issue (#16)!
We exclusively accept submissions by writers who write creatively in English as their second, foreign or non-native language (exophonic writers).
- For our 16th issue, we are looking for submissions on the theme of nurture. To find out what we are looking for, see our theme description on our website.
- Please submit only previously unpublished pieces. If you have a previously published piece that fits our mission, please contact us via info@tintjournal.com.
- Translations will not be accepted. It should be an original creation in English as your foreign language. However, the work can feature words or passages in the writer’s original language or other languages.
- We prefer doc and docx files. In case your submissions requires special formatting, we also accept pdf files.
- Please name your document [Category*]_[Last Name]_[Title], e.g. Fiction_Miller_The Rose, or Flash Fiction_Miller_The Rose.
- Provide your submission with a title page, indicating your 1. name, 2. first language/mother tongue(s), 3. second or foreign language(s), 4. nationality (= state(s)/region(s) you associate yourself with), 5. category*, 6. title of your piece, 7. word count, 8. contact information (your email address), and 9. day of submission.
- Put page numbers on all pages following the title page.
Does Tint Journal accept simultaneous and multiple submissions?
- Feel free to submit your text for Tint Journal also to other magazines/calls. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please let us know immediately via email at info@tintjournal.com.
- Submit one piece per category at a time, but feel free to approach us in the future with new work.
How long should my submission be?
- For longer personal essays (nonfiction) submissions, please submit one text between 1,000 and 4,000 words.
- For flash nonfiction submissions, please submit one text that does not exceed 800 words.
If this form of submission represents an obstacle to you, please contact the journal at info@tintjournal.com.
* Categories: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Nonfiction, Flash Nonfiction, Poetry.
We are an online literary journal dedicated to publishing creative work by non-native English writers. We are currently looking for visual art on the theme of nurture by artists of any linguistic background to accompany our stories, essays, and poetry.
Submit your artworks until May 31, 2026, to be considered for Tint's Fall '26 issue (#16)!
- Submit hi-resolution files of your visual art (paintings, illustrations, drawings, photographs, ...) to accompany our ESL stories, poems and essays.
- Give each artwork a title. The file should be named [Artist's Last Name]_[Title], e.g. Munch_The Scream.
- We prefer PNG, JPG or JPEG files.
- Submit up to three pieces at a time, but feel free to approach us in the future with new work.
If this form of submission represents an obstacle to the writer, please contact the journal at info@tintjournal.com.