Written By: Reese Gorney
If you’ve been on the University of Northwestern’s campus in the past couple of weeks, you’ve probably seen the bright posters encouraging students to “SUBMIT TO INKSTONE.” You might ask, What is Inkstone? Inkstone is UNW’s literary journal, which features works of poetry, short stories, personal essays and artwork produced by current students.
While the submissions season is an exciting time for the English department, other students may wonder, Why should I submit to Inkstone? As a member of the student-led staff and a passionate enjoyer of all things literary, I hope to address a few of the concerns you might have and offer some good reasons to give it a try!
“I don’t think I’ll have time. It sounds like a lot of work to write something for Inkstone.”
If you don’t have time to write anything new, we have good news: you don’t need to! Inkstone accepts a variety of original student work—but “original” doesn’t mean it has to be written specifically for the occasion. If you’ve held onto a short story from middle school Language Arts, a personal essay for your high school English classes, or even a poem from kindergarten you’re particularly proud of, we encourage you to send it in! (Inkstone isn’t limited to writing, either; we’re always looking for more submissions of artwork).
There are no rules regarding characters, theme or any other aspect of your storytelling. The only limits are on the number of submissions (up to 2 short stories, 2 personal essays and 5 poems) and the word count (below 2,000 is preferred). Other than that, feel free to submit absolutely anything—we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
“I’m not sure… I don’t think my writing is anything special.”
Some students might feel as though writing is best left to the English majors. However, everyone on campus has a unique voice to share! At Inkstone, we seek to represent all departments, all styles, and all stories. Although only a select number of works make it into the final product, each submission we receive is fully read and reviewed by our passionate team of students.
“We appreciate every piece we receive and love to hear from a variety of different voices.”
– Brouke Vahdat, Assistant Editor of Inkstone
“That all sounds good, but I’m a college student! I’m really busy working toward my future.”
Inkstone isn’t just a campus journal; it’s also a great tool for professional development! Having a piece published can be a strong point on any résumé.
“It’s special to see real students’ work presented in an official way. Inkstone both celebrates a love for art as well as creates opportunities for professional growth.”
– Sophie Eigen, Associate Editor of Inkstone
All works featured in the Fall and Spring editions of Inkstone are also entered in our Creative Writing contest, with awards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the categories of Poetry and Prose. Winning authors, in addition to a wonderful prize (and everlasting bragging rights), receive the opportunity to share their writing at our annual Fine Print Reading at the end of the school year. Even if your work isn’t selected, the event is a great opportunity to hear from up-and-coming writers on your own campus! Attendance is free and open to all, so we hope to see you there!

Winners of the 2024-2025 Creative Writing Contest pose alongside Professor Rebecca Fox (far left) and guest author Ciera Horton McElroy (far right) at the 2025 Fine Print Reading
“Well, you’ve convinced me! Where do I submit?”
We’re glad you asked! All Inkstone submissions can be sent to inkstone@unwsp.edu. Make sure you get them in by 5 p.m. on October 9, as the consideration process begins soon after. We can’t wait to hear from you!