Pencil Magazine is a themed print publication featuring work created entirely with graphite pencil and paper. Artists and writers are invited to respond to each publication theme through visual art, writing, or a combination of the two. The mission of Pencil Magazine is to create an opportunity for artists and writers to connect or reconnect with an unsung, basic tool for creative expression — the pencil — and to inspire our readers to make time and space for analog experiences.

The details:

• We will accept submissions by email to hello.pencil.magazine@gmail.com from June 1 - July 7, 2025
• The theme for Issue Two  is “The Eraser Issue.” Your submission could be about erasers/erasing/erasure. We welcome submissions that also touch on themes around attention and/or pencils. Images, writing in your handwriting, or a combination of both – all created with graphite pencil. We welcome collaborations. The text could be the image. The parameters are truly open-ended.
• We were inspired to create Pencil Magazine by the observation that entire worlds can emerge from pencils, the most humble and universal of tools.
• If your project is an essay and you would like to pitch it before writing it in its entirety, please send us your pitch by June 15. Please include writing samples.
• Specs: Each double-page spread is 12″ x 9″, so you can think of the space as one area or two facing 6″ x 9″ pages. There is a gutter in the middle, so please avoid placing crucial information down the center line. If you wish your artwork to bleed off the edges of the paper, use these dimensions for each spread: 12.25″ x 9.25″. See diagram, above, for guidance. You may download a single page diagram from here and print two out at actual size if that is helpful. Your piece could be one double-page spread, or up to four spreads. We prefer double-page spreads or at least 2 single pages as we generally devote each spread to one contributor.
• Make sure your name appears on your piece in pencil, on the first spread if there are more than one.
• Use any graphite pencil. No colored pencils or charcoal.
• Please use white or light-colored paper for optimal legibility.
• We prefer to include work at 100% or close to 100%, rather than reproducing larger works at a small scale.
• Published submissions will receive an honorarium. The amount will be based on the number of submissions accepted.
• Please send a photo or scan of your work to this email address from June 1 to July 7, 2025. High-resolution scans are preferable.
• Unfortunately, we won’t be able to publish all submissions. We will notify you about your submission in August, 2025. We thank you in advance for your submission to Pencil Magazine, and we hope this assignment is inspiring!
• Questions? Feel free to send an email.