Special Bicentennial Edition Theme

What’s the Theme & Why?

In celebration of Mississippi College’s bicentennial, the 2026 issue of The Arrowhead Literary and Art Magazine will follow the theme “time,” a very versatile topic. Although the magazine itself was first published in 1939, MC’s 200th anniversary gives us the opportunity to reflect on the creativity of students from the school’s founding all the way through to 2026.

What Does this Mean for My Submission(s)?

We strongly encourage students to submit works related to the concept of “time.”However, the Arrowhead will accept submissions whether they relate to the theme or not. All submissions will be judged anonymously, and no preference will be given to any art or literature of a particular topic. As long as the guidelines on the “Submissions” page are met, your creative work(s) will be considered for publication.

When & How Can I Submit?

Submissions open October 1st and will close November 15th. You may submit your art and/or literature via the form at the bottom of this page. All genres, acceptable formats, and guidelines can be found below. Please read all general, genre, and category guidelines applicable to your work(s) before submitting.

When Can I Expect to Hear Back About My Submission(s)?

Because judges want to carefully consider each submission, we often do not receive the results until March or April. Students with submissions that place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will be contacted accordingly.

Please read all guidelines below before submitting

GENERAL

  • Open to all current Mississippi College undergraduate students, regardless of major.

  • Submissions must be your own, unpublished work.

  • Submission must not include any material that is copyrighted, trademarked, generative AI, or someone else’s work.

  • You are limited to 2 submissions per category. You may submit to as many categories as applicable.


LITERARY

  • Poetry must be between 2- 25 lines

  • Short Story must be between 500- 1300 words

  • Creative Essay must be between 500- 1300 words

  • Comics must fit to one page and be legible at that size.

File Formats: Submit all writing entries in a Microsoft Word document or Google Doc.

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ART

Art submissions should be unsigned (you may edit the image to cover). If you are selected as a winner by the judges, we will request the original, signed art for publication.

Resolution: For print-quality images, please submit files with a resolution of at least 300 DPI.

Size: Photos should meet or exceed 8.5 x 11 inches (2550 x 3300 pixels).

File Formats: Submit high-resolution JPEG or PNG files. Ensure the file size does not exceed 50 MB. 

Editing: Light edits are welcome, but avoid heavy manipulation that alters the authenticity of the photo, unless the piece is intended as a conceptual or abstract work.

Content Standards

Ensure that all artwork aligns with The Arrowhead’s community standards by avoiding explicit, offensive, or overly graphic material. Submissions must not include hate speech in any form or advocate gratuitous violence against real people.

Guidelines

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Guidelines •

  • Any written work composed in lined verse. May be any form.

    Length:

    • 2 lines - minimum

    • 25 lines - maximum

    Examples include:

    • free verse

    • sonnet

    • haiku

    • ballad

    • elegy

    • lyric

    • etc.

  • A written work of fictional prose.

    Length:

    • 500 words - minimum

    • 1300 words - maximum

  • A written work of non-fiction prose.

    Length:

    • 500 words - minimum

    • 1300 words - maximum

    Examples include:

    • autobiographical narrative

    • short memoir

    • op ed

    • etc.

  • A written work created as a sequence of illustrations that tell a story.

    Size:

    • Must fit to 1 page (dimensions) and be legible at size.

    Examples include:

    • comic strip

    • manga

    • single panel

    • three panel

    • etc.

  • Any art created on a flat surface, such as canvas, paper, wood, glass, etc.

    Examples include (but are not limited to):

    • acrylic painting

    • watercolor

    • oil painting

    • lithography

    • pastels

    • sketch

    • illustration

    • pyrography

    • paper collage

    • mural

    • etc.

  • Any art with height and depth. May utilize any medium or materials.

    Some examples of 3D art include (but are not limited to):

    • Sculpture, 3d printing / Collage, Metal, Statue

    • pottery / ceramics

    • clay model

    • crochet / knitting

    • wood carving

    • blown glass

    • Papier-Mâché, origami

    • jewelry, clothing, floral arrangement, furniture

    • cake

    • taxidermy

    • etc.

  • Any digital or film/analog photographs.

  • Any artwork created primarily using digital tools (e.g., drawing tablets, software like Photoshop, Procreate, Illustrator, or Krita) where the entire creative process occurs digitally.

Submit

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Submit •

Disclaimer

The Arrowhead respects the ownership rights of each contributor. By submitting to The Arrowhead, you retain all rights to your work. Mississippi College and The Arrowhead do not claim ownership of any works contributed to the publication. As a contributor, you grant The Arrowhead permission to publish and promote your work within our yearly publication and associated digital platforms, but this permission does not transfer any copyright or ownership to Mississippi College.

​All works remain the intellectual property of their creators. Contributors are welcome to use, publish, and share their works in other venues at their discretion, without any limitations imposed by The Arrowhead or Mississippi College.