The Blue Bell Review is a digital magazine that is published quarterly (i.e., once in 4 months). Submissions are accepted all year round from kids around the world.
Share Your Voice
Thank you for your interest in submitting to our magazine for and by youth! We look forward to reading your work.
Please review the submission guidelines below before submitting.
What Can You Submit?
Writing
Poetry, short stories, essays, op-eds, book reviews
Fiction, non-fiction, creative writing
Visual Art
Paintings, drawings, digital art, photography
Any medium or style welcome
Audio
Podcasts, audio essays, spoken word, music
MP3, WAV formats accepted
Video
Short films, animations, video essays
Under 2 minutes duration
1. General Requirements
📢 Updated February 2026: We've simplified our submission process! You can now submit directly — no registration step required.
Submission Method
All submissions are accepted exclusively through our official Google Form. Simply click the submission link and submit your work directly.
Eligibility
Open to students aged 6–16 globally.
Reading Process (Blind Review)
We read all pieces blind. Please omit your name and any other identifying information from the submission file itself.
Response Time
Expect a minimum 30-day response time from the date of submission. Please do not send email inquiries regarding the status of your submission until after this 30-day period has passed.
Parental Consent Requirement
Upon Acceptance: If your work is selected for publication, we will require the submitter's parent or legal guardian to send us an email to editorbluebell@gmail.com formally providing written consent for us to publish the work. Publication cannot proceed without this confirmation.
2. Originality & Simultaneous Submissions
Originality
We do not accept work that has been previously published, except if it has appeared only on a personal blog or social media account.
Plagiarism
We want to see your original work! Please do not submit AI Generated content.
Simultaneous Submissions
Permitted. If your work is accepted by another journal while under consideration with us, you must notify us and withdraw the submission immediately by emailing us at editorbluebell@gmail.com.
3. Submission Limits (Per Submission Cycle)
To ensure our student editorial board can review all pieces thoroughly, please adhere to the following limits:
- Poetry: Maximum of 5 poems, each under 100 lines
- Prose (Fiction/Non-Fiction/Essays): Maximum of 2 pieces, under 2500 words each
- Visual Art: A portfolio of up to 7 works of art
You can submit in multiple categories. However we ask that you wait until we have reviewed your work, before submitting again in the same category.
4. Content and Language Policy
Appropriate Content
Our editorial board consists of students. We request that you do not submit pieces that contain goriness, discrimination, intense violence, profanity, or overly romantic/sexual content. Such pieces will be rejected, and further submissions from the author will not be considered.
Language
We prefer submissions in English. However, in an effort to be inclusive, we also accept pieces in other languages. If submitting in a language other than English, we ask that you include a brief context and/or a full translation along with your original piece.
5. Formatting & Technical Specifications
| Category | Maximum Limit | Required Format |
|---|---|---|
| Written Works | 2,500 words | PDF or DOCX format is preferred. In an easy to read font. Handwritten submissions are not allowed. |
| Visual Art | 7 pieces | High-resolution images (min. 300 dpi and 1920x1080px) in JPEG or PNG format. |
| Audio Submissions | 10MB file size | Under 2 minutes. MP3 or WAV format. |
| Video Submissions | 100MB file size | Under 2 minutes. MP4 format. |
6. Required Contact Information & Bio
All submissions must include the following information entered in the Google Form fields:
- Student's Full Name
- Age
- Name of School/College
- Location (City and Country)
- Bio: A brief, third-person biography between 50–100 words. Your bio should not include details like your exact address (country/city of residence is OK), or contact info like your email/phone number. This is for your safety.
7. Rights
We reserve First Serial Rights for your work, which includes the right to publish the piece in The Blue Bell Review's quarterly magazine (i.e., once in four months), weekly newsletter, and/or online blog/website. Upon publication, however, all rights revert back to the author. If your work is reprinted elsewhere (online or in print), we ask that you credit The Blue Bell Review as the original publisher.
Ready to Submit?
Click the button below to submit your work directly through our Google Form.
Submit Your WorkIf you have any further questions, visit our FAQ Page.
What Happens After You Submit?
Blind Review
Your work is reviewed anonymously by our student editorial team to ensure fairness.
Feedback & Revision
If selected, you may receive constructive feedback and an opportunity to revise.
Parental Consent
Upon acceptance, your parent or guardian must email editorbluebell@gmail.com to provide written consent for publication.
Publication
Accepted work is featured in our upcoming issue and celebrated across our platforms!
