Magazine Seeks Veterans' Poetry, Prose, and Art

Established in 1946 as the Hospitalized Veterans Writing Project (H.V.W.P.), Veterans Voices Writing Project originally served a writing and reading audience of U.S. military veterans under the care of the Veterans Health Administration.

In 2015, the organization changed its name, and expanded its mission to include the artistic work of all U.S. veterans. The Kansas City, Mo.-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization publishes a print and on-line magazine called "Veterans' Voices" every March, July and October.

The most recent issue can be found FREE on-line here. An on-line archive of previous issues is available here.

Contributors receive $10 per poetry, prose, or art submission featured in the publication, as well as contributors' copies of the magazine. Photographers receive $5 per image used. Submissions are also eligible for a slate of cash prizes, each ranging from $15 to $50.

Other than being featured in local VA Medical Center publications, submissions must not have been previously published in print or on-line. Submissions to "Veterans' Voices" may be made via postal mail or electronically, after registering with the website. For a full set of submissions guidelines and procedures, click here. General guidelines are:

• Poetry: Submit up to three typed poems; each no longer than 24 lines, no more than 60 characters per line.

• Prose (fiction and non-fiction): Submit work no longer than 10 pages, double-spaced. (Approximately 1,500 words.)

• Art: Submit up to 10 drawings and photographs. Artwork submitted online should be at least 300 dpi and smaller than 3 MB.

In keeping with the organization's roots in healthcare, the editorial character of "Veterans' Voices" contains more than an echo of "writing-as-therapy" sentiment. The organization's mission/vision statement, for example, is "to enable military veterans to experience solace and satisfaction through our writing program. Our Vision is a world where people appreciate that writing can both heal and entertain."

Elsewhere on the organization's website, editors say:

It can mean so much to a veteran when a story, poem or artwork is published in Veterans’ Voices magazine, proving again that love (and writing) is still the best medicine. Veterans are looking for a helping hand like you to bolster their self-esteem and make them proud to have served our country. These veterans, whatever their disability, need to know that they are not forgotten.

VVWP has gone to great lengths to instill in the hearts of veterans a pride of accomplishment, a reward for an endeavor well done. For many veterans, seeing their poetry or prose in print is the boost that they need to help get over depression, emotional trauma or moral injury.

Annual subscriptions to the print magazine are $35. Educational and library rates are also available.

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