Submission Guidelines

Submission Guidelines: Everything You Need To Know


Thank you for your interest in contributing to Discourse.

Before submitting, please read the guidelines below carefully and make sure your work meets the requirements for its category.

You are welcome to submit more than one piece. However, each work should be attached as a separate file.

Please send your submission(s) to:

In your email, please include:

  • your full name;
  • faculty;
  • study programme;
  • study cycle;
  • year of study;
  • your preferred pronouns, if you would like them to appear alongside your name in the publication.

Please note that only texts written in English are accepted, with the exception of original texts included alongside eligible translations.

Where academic or secondary sources are used, please follow the Harvard referencing style.


What We Accept


Creative Writing

POETRY

Original poems in any form or style.

Word limit: up to 500 words
Accepted file types: .docx, .doc, or .pdf

Please preserve intentional spacing, line breaks, and formatting in the submitted file.

SHORT FICTION

Short stories or excerpts from longer prose fiction.

Word limit: up to 2,000 words
Accepted file types: .docx, .doc, or .pdf

If you are submitting an excerpt from a longer work, you may include a short contextual note if needed.


Non-fiction Writing

LITERARY OR STYLISTIC ANALYSIS

Analytical writing exploring literary texts, language, style, discourse, or related subjects.

Word limit: up to 2,000 words
Accepted file types: .docx, .doc, or .pdf

Where sources are used, please follow the Harvard referencing style and include a reference list.

CULTURE, HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY & LITERATURE

Accessible non-fiction exploring questions connected to literature, culture, philosophy, history, language, or the humanities more broadly.

Word limit: up to 2,000 words
Accepted file types: .docx, .doc, or .pdf

We welcome thoughtful writing aimed at a general student readership as well as more academically informed pieces.


Translations

POETRY & VERSE TRANSLATION

Translations of poems or excerpts from dramatic texts written in verse.

Word limit: up to 500 words for the translated text
Accepted file types: .docx, .doc, or .pdf

Accepted language pairs:

  • Lithuanian → English
  • English → Lithuanian
  • Ukrainian → English

Please include the original text alongside your translation, preferably within the same document and clearly labelled.

Where the original work remains protected by copyright, contributors are responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary permission to reproduce and translate it.


Visual Arts

ILLUSTRATION & LITERARY ART

Visual work inspired by literature, storytelling, poetry, or creative writing.

Accepted file types: .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tiff, or high-quality .pdf

Where possible, please submit:

  • a high-resolution version of the artwork;
  • the title of the work, if applicable;
  • the name you would like to be credited under;
  • a short description or artist’s note where relevant;
  • any required credits for source material or inspiration.

We welcome:

  • illustrations inspired by a poem, short story, novel, or dramatic text;
  • artwork created in response to your own writing;
  • visual interpretations of work submitted to the same issue;
  • literary-inspired visual work that fits the theme or character of Discourse.

If your work is selected, the editorial team may contact you for a higher-resolution or alternative file format where needed for publication.

File Preparation

To help the editorial team process submissions smoothly, please follow these simple file guidelines.

Text submissions

Please use:

.docx, .doc, or .pdf

Where possible, .docx is preferred because it allows the editorial team to leave comments and suggested edits more easily.

Please use a clear file name such as:

Surname_Title_Genre.docx

For example:

Petrauskaite_TheLastTrain_ShortFiction.docx

Visual submissions

Please use:

.jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tiff, or .pdf

Please submit the highest-quality version available.

A suggested file name is:

Surname_Title_Illustration.png


Translation submissions

Where possible, please include the original and translated text in the same document, clearly labelled.

For example:

Original Text

[original poem]

Translation

[translated poem]


Originality and Plagiarism

All submissions must be the contributor’s own original work.

Plagiarism — including the unauthorised use or presentation of another person’s words, ideas, creative work, or intellectual property as one’s own — is strictly prohibited.

If plagiarism is identified in a submission, that piece will not be considered for publication. Other submissions by the same contributor may also be reviewed or excluded from the issue.

Where your work draws on other sources, please ensure that these are clearly acknowledged and appropriately referenced.


Use of Artificial Intelligence

Discourse follows the relevant Vilnius University guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence.

Contributors should ensure that submitted work reflects their own authorship and creative or academic contribution.

Where AI tools have been used in a way that materially contributes to the content, structure, wording, translation, analysis, or visual production of a submission, contributors should follow the applicable university requirements regarding transparency and disclosure.

AI-generated content should not be presented as entirely original human-authored work where this would misrepresent the contributor’s authorship.

If you are unsure whether your use of AI should be disclosed, please contact the editorial team before submitting.


Before You Submit

Please check that:

  • your work fits one of the accepted submission categories;
  • it falls within the stated word limit;
  • you are using one of the accepted file formats;
  • each work is attached as a separate file;
  • your full name and study information are included in your email;
  • sources are properly referenced where applicable;
  • translations include the original text;
  • visual submissions include any necessary credits;
  • the work is original and complies with university guidance on plagiarism and AI use.


Questions?

If you are unsure whether your work fits one or any of the categories above, or if you have any questions about the submission process, please contact us at: . We would rather you ask than decide not to submit!

We look forward to reading and seeing your work!