Indigo Literary Journal publishes fiction and poetry to 2,000 words. The audience is predominantly minors. Read the complete guidelines here.
SQF: Why did you start this magazine?
Dhwanee Goyal: We started Indigo Literary Journal to establish a community for young writers. It is easy to feel overwhelmed in an online space when there are so many magazines popping up, or disheartened when you receive a negative response to a submission. We wanted this journal to be a safe space for exploration: ours, as well as our readers’.
SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?
DG:
First, its form. The appearance of a piece is oftentimes the very first thing you notice about it, and even without its aesthetic value, good form directs the narrative of a piece (especially if it’s poetry), making sure to pause and stop at the right moments or giving certain parts a stronger emphasis.
Next, new turns of phrases. We like writing that surprises us, words that make us double back to reread a specific part. We want language that drives the reader, words that impact.
Lastly, emotion. What is the writer trying to say underneath all this? How has the writer used dialogue and/or imagery to direct the emotion of their piece better? At the end of the piece, I want to have felt something, and I really appreciate that urge to go read the piece once again from top to bottom. I feel like every piece we’ve accepted so far has this in common.
SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?
DG: This is so rudimentary, but bad grammar and narratives where nothing really happens. Both are instantaneously visible upon opening the piece, and it also shows the lack of time the submitter has spent with their work. Additionally, work that clearly warrants a content warning without a content warning being given.
SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s)/stanza(s) of a submission?
DG: I love an opening that commands. Something that instantly pulls the reader in, simple language that incites a spitfire. This is more or less subjective, but I love active openings as opposed to passive ones.
SQF: If Indigo Literary Journal had a theme song, what would it be and why?
DG: Never-Ending Summer by Wes Reeve!
SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?
DG:
Q: “How do you find the experience of running a literary magazine?”
A: I love it! It does take up a lot of my time, and it can get difficult balancing it with school and my other extra-curriculars, especially during issue-release time or high submission periods. But I love talking to the people we publish and corresponding with them about edits, I love working with our amazing editors and readers. I really look forward to reading each new submission, and every time I get to send out an acceptance, it makes my day. I’m really looking forward to continuing working on Indigo Literary Journal in the years to come.
Thank you, Dhwanee. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.
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