FAQ
What is Whim & Wander and who is it for?
We are a literary journal that exists solely here on Substack. The goal of Whim and Wander: The Journal is to bring a little more imagination into a world that’s forgotten how to wonder — to be a refuge in an online world that grows increasingly heavy.
We are for those who are still children at heart, want a little more wonder in their lives, or simply enjoy a good story.
How do submissions work?
We intentionally select a handful of pieces each month — stories within the loose range of 500 to 5,000 words and poetry.
We open for submissions at the beginning of the month. This will be via a Google forms link accepting documents in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format.
Submissions will remain open for either two weeks or until they fill up. We take the remainder of the month to carefully read through them and reply. Selected pieces are published the following month (e.g. selected stories submitted in March will be published in April).
Each submission will receive a personal response from us, whether or not it was accepted, and accepted writers will be invited to provide a short bio and any relevant links.
Writers will retain copyright — we only ask for first publishing rights.
For more information, visit our submissions page here.
What kind of stories do you publish? What do you avoid?
We are not narrowed down to a specific genre, and we don’t want to enclose our writers into a box. The themes we’re searching for can be found across nearly all genres and writing styles.
We're searching for stories where craftsmanship, wonder, and depth all meet. Think rich writing, vibrant imagination, and sincere meaning beneath the surface… the kind of thing that tugs at the imagination and feeds the soul — tales that remind us that goodness still exists. This is what we are looking for!
To submit a story and read more specifics about our guidelines, look here.
So, you just share children’s stories?
Well, yes… and no.
We believe there’s more to fairytales and we want to be a home for their underrated whimsy. Chances are, many of our stories will also happen to be kid-friendly.
But we also know that goodness can only be recognized when evil is present. Our tales may face shadows and storms, but the light will always prevail — we are not here to glorify the darkness.
We’re okay with pieces that wrestle with difficult topics, but by the end, they must ultimately lean toward hope.
Because in a heavy world, we believe that choosing light is what’s truly courageous.
What inspired the start of Whim & Wander?
We’ve been paying close attention to the way culture is shifting and noticed a concerning trend in today’s world. Modern literature seems to be slowly drifting darker — focusing more on heavy, dismaying, or hopeless themes. Whether this is just a phase or a reflection of our culture as a whole, we want to carve a path away from this side of the Internet.
Wholesome imagination and hopeful endings require restraint and sincerity. Irony and darkness are easy to find — the path to goodness is steep and narrow. We want stories that choose light; things that travel through the shadows without dwelling in them. Tales that spark wonder, invite curiosity, and uncover whimsy.
In a downtrodden world, we want to leave readers with hearts lightened and life sweetened.
Do you pay writers? How does that work?
We are currently paying $20 per accepted piece. Writers can expect to receive their honorarium via PayPal within one week of publication. If a writer doesn’t have PayPal, we can always send it to a friend or relative’s account instead.
Also — we plan to increase our rates as we grow! Each paid subscription goes directly towards increasing the amount we pay our writers, how many pieces we accept each month, and expanding to different categories (such as nonfiction, poetry, etc.).
If you would like to help us, consider upgrading your subscription! (We’re running a sale right now that will get you a discounted rate.)
Why become a paying subscriber if your stories will always be free to read?
Right now, every dollar goes directly toward compensating contributors and keeping this journal running. As we grow, our goal is to increase pay per piece, accept more stories each month, and expand into additional categories without compromising our standards.
We hope that Whim & Wander will be a steadying, uplifting, emboldening place. Paid subscriptions help increase capacity, keeping it afloat and continuing to honor writers for their work.
We will always be free to read and to submit to.
Paid support just helps our stories burn brighter.
What’s in store for Whim & Wander?
We love this question — we have big plans for the future, and we want to be transparent with our supporters (you!) about our goals.
Our first priority is to increase our pay rate to a minimum of $50 per story. The world would be a colorless place without the gift of words, and we believe good writing deserves recognition and support.
As we grow, we also hope to expand to other categories. Creative nonfiction is at the top of our list right now. Far, far on the horizon lies the dream of someday becoming a physical journal in print!
Contests, themed issues, writing challenges… there are so many ways we can expand, and while we don’t know what’s in store for us, we’re giving it everything we’ve got to work towards a future bright and beautiful.
And we’re thrilled you’re a part of our journey.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you again for being at the start of something we hope will last for years.
So… go work your magic and get ready to send in your wonderful little tales, or stick around to read them!
We can’t wait to read your stories!
