Frequently Asked Questions

What do you mean by ‘underrepresented voices’?

We mean voices which historically, and as a result now systemically, are not being published, seen or heard within the Literary sphere. This could be due to an author’s sexuality, ethnicity or gender identity, and it also includes individuals who have received less opportunity in the Literary world due to economic status or physical ability.

This isn’t about a ‘diversity tick’. This is about creating real, grassroots change, and a platform individuals can use to help build their writing practice.

Who can submit?

Currently, Unpalatable Press is open to international writers, though we do preference publishing individuals born or living within so-called ‘Australia’.

I am a cis, white, heterosexual man– can I still write for you?

We urge you to consider other literary journals that will statistically already preference your work. If you still believe Unpalatable Press is the right journal/zine for your work, submissions will be accepted, but authors outside of your demographic will take precedence.

Is there a difference between ‘literary’ and ‘Literary’?

We use a capital ‘L’ for ‘Literary/Literature’, when referring to archaic practices and ideas of what literature should be, and especially who gets to write it.

Excellent writing is excellent writing, and in order to break out of the Literary echo chamber, we need to work on publishing real, diverse voices – not just ones that are consumer-friendly or ‘safe’.

We understand literature to be quality writing that incites discussion, engages with the world and offers new ideas; often turning the mundane into the exceptional. We don’t believe you need to be university-educated to write good literature, nor do we think ideas about what good literature is, are fixed.

We encourage you to submit work that holds value to the time and place in which it was written, and which engages with ideas of what you think good literature is.

Where is Unpalatable Press based?

Unpalatable Press is currently based in Naarm (Melbourne), ‘Australia’.

Do you have any examples of work you usually publish?

We’re working on it! But for now, feel free to browse our Tumblr for inspo.

Will I get paid if my submission is successful?

Unfortunately not. At the moment our currency is time and energy. We hope that your hard work and our hard work combine to create something tangible and long-lasting, be it a platform for underrepresented voices, a foundation for emerging writers, experience for author/editor, or most importantly, community.

I have a bit of an idea, but I’m not sure how to execute it…

We’re here to help!

As our focus is on emerging writers, we would love to collaborate on ideas. If you’re unsure of how to visually format something, or if you have a content idea, but don’t believe your form expresses it the way you want it to, simply email us at: unpalatablepress@gmail.com, with your query in your email body. The subject line should include your name, the title of your piece, and keywords regarding your query.