Aside from the category guideline expansion details with the arrows as you scroll down below, please read our Submittable reminders shared document HERE before proceeding and then carefully read https://www.dipitylitmag.com/submit. Thanks so much for considering Dipity as a home for your work and please never stop writing or creating no matter what our decision is!
Send an email to diptydesk@gmail.com if you have just a general question. OR you can also hop into our dipity. Discord chatroom (invitation linked here) on your computer or mobile to ask questions or just to chat with us and say hello.
Examples can be found on our new YouTube channel here (look at the ones with episode numbers): https://www.youtube.com/@dipitylitmag/videos
Please attach the written word or text version of our spoken word piece in addition to your podcast audio or video submission so that we can follow along carefully.
Submit only one spoken word poem at a time. Our Founding Editor is no longer hosting episodes because we want to hear others more, so we are starting NEW video and audio submissions at dipity! Please bare with us as we're just starting the new video format option, but audio is still accepted too. If you haven't yet, listen to the Hummingbird Blink podcast on Spotify. The podcasts are 100% free to listen to also. We recommend listening to some of our past episodes such as no. 134 and no. 135 but remember your sub won't be in an interview format. Record yourself on your phone in video portrait mode or use your PC's built-in cam, the long horizontal sideways way not vertical or we may not be able to use your submission. Video [Optional] most poets use the Voice Memo app on their phone to record just audio-based submissions.
2. Say hi, state your name at least, and say Welcome to the [just the name of the podcast you're submitting to] podcast. The Hummingbird Blink: Nectar Poetry podcast. An introduction of some kind doesn't need to be exact.
3. State for example "I'll be reading my poem" [the title of the poem] pause a few secs and then read the poem. ONLY these community podcasts and bonus shares sections allow previously published poems.
4. After the poem we want you to state why you wrote it briefly or the story of it to you in terms of meaning (OPTIONAL).
5. You're totally welcome to share where others can grab more of your work, and upcoming publications or where to follow you on social media. Feel free to discuss what prompted you to start your poetry journey or why you love poetry too. Share fun facts or any information about yourself only as much as you're comfortable with.
6. At the end of your recording please share your favorite song + artist in existence for others or share your favorite movie. You can state a thank you for listening or closing message too.
Please appropriately credit any sources of inspiration too in your audio recording after reading.
7. The recording should be no more than a maximum of up to or within 3 to 8 minutes and ONE POEM of any length. The poem can be previously published for our podcast calls. Please state where else your work if applicable was previously published, the year etc. if possible or page number if its from one of your poetry publications.
OR if you don't prefer video, then we recommend submitting only audio files following the same instructions
You are permitted to skip the backstory or behind the poem, but should still end your recording stating your favorite song and the artist/band or musician in existence for fun. Or if you can't choose a fave song or artist you can state one of your favorite movies or TV Shows in existence. Additionally, you may share a fave poetry collection that you love as well, and remember to share the author's name (spell out any names via individual letters) and include its publication year. Again a concluding thank for listening message is preferred for your audio or video submission.
Do note music will not be on these individual read episodes going forwards because we would like to distribute these beyond Spotify and out to Apple etc. However, we may add a visual video clip similar to our online features tank to accompany audio-only-based reads. Video can only be seen on Spotify at this time and the audio on Apple and elsewhere.
Up to three previously unpublished poems may be submitted, but they must be LGBTQ+ themed. Do not put identifying info in your document file.
Our annual contest has a new name. Please read the guidelines very carefully as a few changes have occurred. See past winners on our site or listen to our first round when it started as an example episode no. 128 with INGEBAR on the Hummingbird Blink Nectar Poetry Spotify podcast or winner announcement episodes such as no. 130 with Jazz Marie and episode no. 137 hosted by Emily Magpie in the example from 2024 above.
Our editor DOES actually share these acceptances with the musicians, artists, or bands too! If the artist is available at the time of the contest closure, they will also do an audio read of the winning poem and finalists, otherwise our founder will read it. Our editor chooses the finalist group of three, but the fave poem is selected by the artist or band themselves if they received more than one inspo poem like in 2023 and 2024. However, if the three poems in the finals are from three different artist profiles, and the final decision is made by the editor. Accepted entries will be published online and narrowed down to the TOP 3 and then down to 1 for the CASH PRIZE $100.
ENTRY TERMS & CONDITIONS
Open to poets of ALL ages and they can be located anywhere in the world. Formerly known as the Symphonic Challenge in 2023, it is now permanently rebooted as our annual dipity. Surf Rock Poetry Prize because our founder just loves lol surfing movies lol aside from rock climbing, crocodile, and shark flicks. Our reading team will not see your cover letter unless it makes it to the final stage. You can enter as many times as you like in the year before it closes. ALL accepted poems again in each window will be published and featured under our Contest or Dipity Lit Mag > Online Tank > Surf Rock [Contest] Tab and become eligible to be part of one of our new upcoming spin-off Dipity Press community mini print series one day. We may hold up to two rounds in a calendar year if possible or close it early depending upon our submission volume caps. All entry fees are non-refundable.
HOW TO START:
SURF THE 22. Choose any ONE of the 22 artists or groups listed and linked BELOW and write up to THREE NEW poems inspired by just ONE of their song releases—we recommend going out to the links of their profiles below: SoundCloud [Tracks] section YouTube, and Spotify, etc. It cannot be a cover song. Again, send up to 3 poems but focus on just ONE artist/ band and ONE song for the overall entry. The poems can be of any length or style (again read our general site sub guidelines under Submit carefully).
PRIZE DEETS
One 1st place winner will be awarded now $100 USD via PayPal within 30-120 days of closure once announced on our podcast show by the artists or band if available at the time of closure, or, the founder of dipity, and will also be announced through our newsletter/channel before the end of the year as some artists have tour events which impact the time of announcements. Our editor will share accepted entries with the artists. Deadline is March 1st, 2025 but subject to be extended based on submission volume. Once an artist reaches 8 poems from different poets they are crossed off for the round. The count will be updated under the Submittable bucket guidelines here below.
All accepted entries get a unique digital collage from our founder and will be placed potentially one day in one of our new upcoming print spin-off series part of Dipity Press and we'll inform you if that's ever done. Entries must be through Submittable only. We tend to use SoundCloud on our website, however, not all artists are on there but that’s ok you can go out to Spotify, YouTube, etc. We have their profiles linked below. The artist selections can close now in the year once an artist/ bands has a max of 8 writers select them for this to make it as fair as possible or once our caps are hit—so be sure to read the Dipity Lit Mag > Surf Rock [Contest[ online tank section and bottom of each poem to see which artists have inspo pieces thus far. We will be cycling through all supportive artists and past issues but predominantly from our online community Q&As. Be sure to follow them and subscribe to their channels to stay in the loop on their releases too! We will carefully look at how you gained inspiration from the lyrics or song's vibe overall. READY SET, SURF!
dipity.'s 2025 Surf Rock Poetry Prize Artist & Band List
1. Saint Gardenia [OPEN] 0 of 8
- https://www.youtube.com/@saintgardenia/videos
- https://soundcloud.com/saintgardenia
- https://open.spotify.com/artist/08aIHAz9znmhSLwOuZOhqt
2. Isla Rose [OPEN] 0 of 8
3. NoxTros [OPEN] 0 of 8
4. ECHOS [OPEN] 0 of 8
5. Kiiōtō [OPEN] 0 of 8
6. EDDA [OPEN] 0 of 8
7. Boy Okay [OPEN] 0 of 8
8. CELIA [OPEN] 0 of 8
9. MUX [OPEN] 0 of 8
10. Some Days Are Darker [OPEN] 0 of 8
11. 92elm [OPEN] 0 of 8
12. Kylo [OPEN] 0 of 8
- https://open.spotify.com/artist/4H8gvWMKDnkJeqeuRtOqQj
- https://www.youtube.com/@kylomusic4987/videos
14. MYRY [OPEN] 0 of 8
15. Fever Blue [OPEN] 0 of 8
16. Marley Angel [OPEN] 0 of 8
17. BLOCKED [OPEN] 0 of 8
18. Fire Beninois [OPEN] 0 of 8
19. In the Middle [OPEN] 0 of 8
20. fkblnde [OPEN] 0 of 8
21. Josh Pozzi [OPEN] 0 of 8
22. Jahrund [OPEN] 0 of 8
Follow dipity. productions on YouTube or Spotify. Here are previously unpublished audio examples of what we're looking for and what'll it look like [listen closely]. Also, if you dabble in music you're certainly welcome to add your guitar, piano, typewriter sounds etc. to your submission. For each accepted submission we'll also create a lyrics or written word video for fun.
We are starting a new spoken word community publication channel on streaming platforms for Dipity Literary Magazine. We recommend you listen to examples of a few spoken word artists if it's your first time tackling spoken word audio single or album tracks as well as the sample above.
A. This will mean we will generate an artist publication profile if you don't already have one on YT, possibly Spotify etc.that you can claim.
B. We will as of 11/14/2023 now cover one-time processing, and publication if accepted and be distributed on platforms such as Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Tidal etc.
C. Your audio can contain up to three previously unpublished poems, although one poem like our existing examples is preferred. You can read one poem and discuss the backstory of it after reading it in your recording to meet the length requirement. If you are only reading one poem please DO STATE the title initially at the start with a few seconds pause then read. If your poem is longer in length then, you may totally not need to say the backstory to reach the 3-5 minute requirement. We welcome creativity if you want to add sound effects like you closing the door or ripping up newspaper pages at the end or start of your audio recording go for it.
I will be reading my poem [title]. This next poem is [title] or called [....] My last poem is called [title] Do NOT state your name as it'll be on the cover art if selected and written ownership fields.
D. Your audio must be a single file recording and be at least 3-5 minutes long for publication not under that and cannot exceed 5 minutes, but be closer to 5 overall for successful categorization acceptance.
E. Please attach 3-4 photos of yourself for us to pick from. If you prefer not having a photo then we'll simply use something else for a single cover for the spoken word soundtrack. Attach a Word.doc copy of your poetry read and the titles of each one.
Please note we are not able to give royalty artist payouts to writers, but any generation from our channels will go towards our maintenance expenses, project funds as well as keeping dipity up and running and working towards paying writers for their poetry submissions in print and online. You however retain 100% publication rights over your written words (lyrics) and spoken poetry. You can claim your artist profile too separate from dipity. Please let us know if you already have a spoken word or artist profile out on music streaming channels otherwise we'll help generate one on your behalf.
We welcome publication and interview Q&A first-person publication features through our Substack subscribers.
You must answer ALL of the following questions in order to be potentially considered and featured on dipity's Substack. A few sentences within 5-8 will suffice for the Q&A. We like to include some fun questions.
- What is your pen name or author name?
- Where are you located in the world?
- Submit ONE unpublished poem OR just ONE short story 1-2.5 pages for consideration. Do not submit both. We want to see previously unpublished poems, but you may share only a previously published short or flash fiction piece letting us know where else it appeared. Please only share as much as you're comfortable with publicly sharing through our Substack newsletter if accepted. Poems should be left-aligned.
- Submit the backstory of that poem or short story within at least within 5-8 sentences.
- When did you begin writing? or What or who sparked and inspired your writing journey? 5-8 sentences
- Where can others find more of your work or what are some of your fave publications - please provide at least a few links? Max of 3-4.
- What advice would you give aspiring poets, authors, or fellow writers in the community?
- What else do you do outside of the writing or poetry community? or What else are you working on or excited about in the future? Any fun hobbies?
- What are you currently reading? OR What book would you recommend to others right now? - it doesn't have to be poetry or a collection....
- What was the last movie or TV show you watched or recommend others see in the community?
- What was your most recent publication or most recent publications 3-4 max?
- Which poets, artists, or writers inspire you? OR choose What are some of your fave Substacks?
- ANSWER JUST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING (a-d):
a. If you were stuck on the moon with anyone or could pick your space flight partner who would it be — it could be someone from the past or present time?
b. If you had the opportunity to portray any book character in the world and star in a movie adaptation of their life's story or another in a film who would you choose? Please share the character name, book title, and author of the book.
c. What's your favorite memory, event, or moment as a writer, author, or artist thus far? WHY?
d. If you could get a lifetime supply of any snack or one food dish in the world what would it be? WHY?
14. What's one of your favorite poems in existence? Provide 1 poem by another poet just the title and author name.
15. What is your website or share any social media handles? Do you have a Substack URL?
We will pair one or a few songs at the bottom of the spotlight. Feel free to give link suggestions or names from YouTube. No guarantees we'll use your song preferences.
Notes: We will also accept audio reads on our podcasts so you're welcome to submit your poem to our Hummingbird Blink podcast if it's accepted and choose the (I will be reading a poem I had published through Dipity Lit Mag option). We may need to adjust your formatting if it's accepted {preferably left align your poem} otherwise all other formatting may require us to screenshot it due to the finicky mobile reading view. We will always retain the original formatting if it is ever placed in one of our print series one day.