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WAYWORDS TRIBUTES
This quarterly literary journal welcomes work from writers around the world in all stages of their writing career. Each issue includes a separate space for writers to share tributes in creative nonfiction.
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If you have a tribute essay, open letter, or other CNF piece, send it in! Let us help you honor that subject.
Please try to refrain from sending us abuse and suicide topics.
Recovery pieces are welcome!
OPEN CALL through Nov 20, 2025
Tributes are separate from the theme; they can be for, to, or about anything you want. We've published odes, open letters, personal essays, recipe stories and other creative nonfiction styles in this section since WayWords opened in 2020.
Submissions
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Submissions must be in English and include the required Title Information (below).
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Limits:
up to 5,000 words of creative nonfiction
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Formatting:
Keep formatting professional, please: readable font, empty lines for scene breaks, empty margins, etc. You can find recommended settings on the Submissions page​.
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Title Information
Please add the following to the top left of your document body (not in the header margin):
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Name or Pseudonym, email
Piece Title
WayWords TRIBUTE
Word or Line Count
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If your submission was previously published, please credit your publisher below your word/line count.
Accepted file types: .doc, .docx, .odt
Submissions accepted via email (submissions [at] writersworkout.net) OR Dropbox OR Duosuma.
Live, unlocked Google Docs or Microsoft Word links are accepted via email.
We must be able to download your file. We will not request access and we are not responsible for locked docs.
Please be sure your Title Information includes the word "Tribute" on the third line.
If using Duosuma, please use the special TRIBUTE call.
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The Writer's Workout will not review fanfiction, religious, political, erotic, or AI-generated/assisted/copied content.
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Rights
​The Writer's Workout requests one-time, non-exclusive serial rights with worldwide distribution. We will not retain rights to republish your work in an additional collection.
We accept simultaneous submissions, previously published works, and you retain the right to submit your work elsewhere after we publish it.
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AI Statement
AI-generated content is theft. We do not accept anything generated in whole or part by AI.
Works published by The Writer's Workout are for entertainment purposes. These publications should not be used in whole or part for content mills, reproduced without written approval, or for training Artificial Intelligence. Humans work very hard to produce the creative works featured in our publications; they deserve our respect.
If you need to withdraw, please let us know.
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This literary journal is published in digital and print. Contributors receive a digital contributor copy. The Writer's Workout is a registered nonprofit organization run by volunteers.
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YES, we nominate!
Pushcart, Best Microfiction, and others
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Find us on...
Since 2020
WayWords Masthead:
Seth Cupery, Cassell Presnell, & Michael Parker, Jr.
Aug '25 update: we've added a reading team to help speed up the review process, make life easier for our volunteer editors, and provide you with fuller, more expansive feedback.
Issue Info
Check the status of recent, current, and upcoming issues.
Issue 19: Mountain
Released!
This issue is available in digital and print. See below for links.
Issue 20: Messy
in edits
July 1 - August 20
Issue 21: Wonder
OPEN CALL
October 1 - November 20
Recently published:
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Issue 19: Mountain
This features the collected works of Rochelle M. Anderson, Stewart Bellus, B.J. Burton, Finn Cassidy, John Delaney, Lucinda Dhavan, Chloe Dorsey, Sara Das Gupta, Mary Baca Haque, F.L.E Haynes, John Hug, Erin Jamieson, Jean Janicke, Lorraine Jeffery, Zoé Mahfouz, Diane Melby, Zita Muranyi, James B. Nicola, Howard Osborne, Alex Pellerin, Susan M. Pendley, Bud Pharo, Nancy Werking Poling, Moriah Richard, Janet McMillan Rives, Kaveesha Ruwindi, Ethan Sabetta, John Swofford, Fendy S. Tulodo, Michael Wallace, Richard West, Valery Wine, and Sunny Zheng-Herb
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Stats and Info:
Published 400+ pieces & counting!
On average, WayWords publishes 30% of submissions received. This journal rarely solicits specific authors for work; everything we publish comes from open calls. We accept unagented submissions.
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​Submission to WayWords will always be free. WayWords is published in digital and print; contributors receive a digital contributor copy. Learn how to claim your authorship on Amazon here.
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Check our FAQ for more information.
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WayWords is published in digital and print.
Contributors receive a digital contributor copy.
Starting with issue 17 (kindness), WayWords is available at EBSCOhost.
Find out what this means here.
The Writer's Workout is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit run entirely by volunteers.
Your submission is a charitable donation; we appreciate your support!
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