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Thorn & Bloom

Submission Portal

Thorn & Bloom is our quarterly publication dedicated to exploring the transformative power of self-care as a pathway to personal and collective liberation. At its core, this publication challenges how societal norms and socialisation suppress individuality, autonomy, and self-worth. By embracing self-care as an act of resistance and a tool for healing, Thorn & Bloom seeks to inspire readers to break free from expectations and redefine their lives on their own terms. We invite you to share your voice and creativity in this space dedicated to balancing struggle and growth. Whether through personal essays, poetry, fiction, memoirs, academic or expert insights, we want to hear how you navigate the journey toward mindfulness, balance, and authenticity.

The Details

Theme for Issue 02: Breaking the Cycle

 

Thorn & Bloom is seeking work that explores the journey of unlearning harmful societal conditioning and reclaiming autonomy over mind, body, and time.

We welcome submissions in any genre and style and are particularly interested in stories that:

  • Examine how societal structures shape identity, behaviours, and self-perception.

  • Share moments of resistance, boundary-setting, and learning to care for oneself without guilt.

  • Reflect on the internal conflict between who we are and who we were taught to be.

  • Explore childhood lessons on obedience, politeness, or compliance and their lasting effects.

We invite you to share your experiences of breaking free from expectations, rewriting narratives, and embracing self-care as an act of defiance and renewal. With a focus on inclusivity, empowerment, and meaningful reflection, this issue will create space for readers to connect, question, and grow.

 

DEADLINE: 15 May 2025

 

PUBLICATION: June 2025

 

Please read the guidelines before submitting your work. Any work that does not meet our guidelines will automatically be disqualified.

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Guidelines

redrosethorns publishes original short stories, creative non-fiction, fiction, poems, prose, academia and more.

  • Please submit your work through our secure online forms found on the right side of this page. You may submit your work either by uploading documents in PDF or Word format, or by posting directly into the message section of the forms portal. (If you experience any issues with uploading your document, please reach out to us at contact@redrosethorns.com.)

  • Please do not email your manuscript to our email address. All submissions must be uploaded to the forms portal on the right side of this page.

  • Only submit work that has not previously been published, in print or online.

  • You retain all copyrights of your work, and full license to use your work after Thorn & Bloom publication.

  • All written work needs to be 3000 words max.

  • You can submit as many pieces as you wish, though only submit one piece at a time. Please note that not all pieces submitted may be selected. 

  • We do not charge for submissions, however, donations are always appreciated. 

  • Please note that we do not offer compensation for pieces published in our publications. Nor do we offer complimentary print publications.

  • DEADLINE for all submissions: 15 May 2025

 

We encourage folks of marginalised communities, including but not limited to women - both cisgender and transgender women, transgender men, non-binary, gender neutral, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour to contribute their work.

Please get in touch with us with any questions, concerns, or compliments at contact@redrosethorns.com

redrosethorns does not tolerate any rudeness, discrimination, or aggressive behaviour of any kind for any reason. Only love and kindness are accepted in this space. 

Image by Carli Jeen

Submit your work here:

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Thank you for submitting! We will contact you to let you know if your work will be published in Thorn & Bloom.
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The deadline for submissions has been reached. This form no longer accepts submissions.

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Advertise with us

If you would like to purchase an advertisement space or to learn more about advertising in our publication, please contact us at contact@redrosethorns.com.

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Donations 

Our goal is to make the entries for the publication as accessible as possible, and all submissions are free to enter. Though we are a small business and donations are greatly appreciated.

Click on the button below to contribute. 

Donate with PayPal

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