Volume 5 Call for Submissions

한국어 버전

​Deadline: April 13, 2025

We say goodbye in this final volume of choa magazine.

이별 i-byeol—farewell, parting—takes many forms. A quiet goodbye, a sudden rupture. A choice, a consequence, an inevitability. Some farewells are heavy with regret; others bring relief. Some are whispered, while others are said loudly or left unsaid. Some linger in 추억 (memory), while others fade with time.

For our final volume, we invite submissions exploring the complexities of i-byeol—with people, places, oneself, and/or the intangible. What does it mean to let go of a person, an experience, a home, or a dream? How do we navigate distances—physical, emotional, generational? What does it mean to say goodbye when it’s not on our own terms?

Topics may include (but are not limited to):
  • I-byeol with/in oneself—navigating personal growth, parting with the past, unfulfilled expectations or dreams, including experiences shaped by illness, disease, and dying (e.g. dementia, ALS, or MAiD) 
 
  • I-byeol beyond control—shaped by forces beyond choice, including war, political turmoil, climate disasters, illness, or circumstances that compel separation—whether through miscarriage, infertility, adoption, or returning somewhere for survival or care.
 
  • I-byeol across distance—shaped by physical separation from one’s motherland, culture, traditions, family, or friends, whether through migration, studying abroad, homestay, boarding school, or work. 
 
  • I-byeol in transition—the act of preparing for goodbye, the ways farewells unfold in different settings—at home, in a hospital, during a pandemic, or over the phone—and the grief with goodbyes that don’t happen as planned.

This will be choa’s own i-byeol to this space we’ve built together, and to the stories we’ve shared. We hope you’ll join us in shaping this last chapter.

We encourage Korean women across the spectrum of experiences to share their submissions. Korean refers to anyone who identifies with this ethnicity, including those of mixed heritage and any adoption or citizenship status. Women include anyone who identifies with the gender identity of “female.” 

You don’t have to be an artist to submit! We welcome everyone in all sorts of careers and life stages. Given our mission to expand our understanding of Korean experiences, we especially encourage submissions from members of different parts of the Korean community, including people with disabilities, across generations, from the LGBTQ2+ community, and who identify with other marginalized groups.

We only accept pieces in English and/or Korean.

​All submissions will be notified of selection by May.
​Volume 5 will be released in January 2026.

​Please refer to our submission guidelines and publication rates below.

Submission Guidelines & Publication Rates

We only accept unpublished work—work that has not been published in another publisher's platform or publication, or previously shown publicly. Personal work that has been shown on personal websites for portfolio purposes without affiliation or display on another publisher's platform are accepted. You own the copyright to your piece. We only request first publishing rights.

Multiple submissions are permitted in the same or different genres, as well as simultaneous submissions, but please inform us if your piece is accepted by or will be released in another publication. 

If you've submitted to our previous call for submissions, you can submit again if you have not been published in the magazine. If you've contributed to our newsletter, you can submit as well.

To submit, please include all components of your piece in one email, label the subject line “Vol 5 - Your Name - Genre,” and send to [email protected]. We request that you provide a short bio of around 50 words, including how you identify in relation to being Korean and which city/country you are based in.

We are committed to providing an honorarium to all our contributors. All honorarium is in Canadian Dollars and provided through e-transfer or PayPal.

Poetry: 
  • Submit a maximum of 3 pieces of any style and form
  • Send as a pdf file to prevent formatting errors
  • Honorarium: 20 per page to a maximum of 60
​
Fiction & Non-Fiction:
  • Submit a maximum of 2 pieces
  • Word count of maximum 2,500 words (we’re flexible with the word count!)
  • Use Arial 12pt. font
  • Send as .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.
  • Honorarium: 50 per piece

Visual Art & Comic:
  • Submit a maximum of 3 pieces
  • Include the title of the piece, medium, and year
  • Include a short artist statement (max 100 words) for each piece
  • Image file(s) should be minimum 72 dpi and in .jpg, .png, or .pdf format
  • Honorarium: 30-60 per piece

Photography:
  • Submit a series of 3-5 images (if you have more, please let us know and we may request to see others)
  • Include the title of the piece/series, medium, and year
  • Include a short artist statement (max 100 words)
  • Image file should be 72 dpi and in .jpg format
  • Honorarium: 30-60 per piece to a maximum of 60

Short Video & Film:
  • Submit a maximum of 2 pieces
  • Up to 10 minutes in length
  • Video(s) should be encoded in minimum 720p, but 1080p is preferred
  • Include the title of the piece and year
  • Include a short synopsis of the piece (max 100 words) for each piece
  • Send a private link to your video on YouTube, Vimeo, or a file link (.mp4, .avi, .wmv, .mov) in your Google Drive
  • Honorarium: 40-60 per piece

Audio & Music: 
  • Submit a maximum of 2 pieces
  • Length should no longer be more than 30 min
  • Include a short artist statement (max 100 words) for each piece
  • Send a private link to your audio on Soundcloud or other website links, or a file type .mp3
  • Honorarium: 30-50 per piece

If you have any questions regarding the submission process or the guideline, please send your email to [email protected], and one of the Managing Editors will get back to you as soon as possible.

Deadline: April 13, 2025