Translation

Please read these guidelines thoroughly before submitting. Submissions that do not adhere to our guidelines will not be considered.

Literary Translation for Lunch Ticket Issue 27 

(see general guidelines)

Translation Submission Guidelines:

  • Translation can be submitted year-round. Submissions received between October 1st and March 31st will be reviewed for the spring issue (published in June), and those received between April 1st and September 30th will be reviewed for the fall issue (published in December). 
  • Please submit to Lunch Ticket only once per issue reading period (regardless of genre).
  • Any submissions received through this section that are not translations or multilingual texts will be declined without being reviewed.
  • If your work has been published in Lunch Ticket, please skip one issue before submitting again.
  • All submissions at Lunch Ticket are read anonymously in the first round. We only read pieces that have all identifying information removed. Make sure no identifying information exists in the document title, submission title, or the work itself. Identifying information (such as names and bios) can only be included in the cover letter, and not in any attached files or the submission title.
  • Please include names and bios for the original author and translator and a statement about your translation process (translator’s statement) in your cover letter.
  • Include the original work along with your translation, preferably in editable form (not a scan). The original work is published along with accepted translations.
  • If your submission is a self-translation or re-translation, please elaborate in your cover letter.
  • Indicate if your work is a multilingual submission (instead of a translation). Multilingual work submitted under Literary Translation will be considered for the Gabo Prize (see below). 
  • All prose must be double-spaced in 12-pt Times New Roman font.
  • Submit up to 3 poems per submission reading period. Submit all poems in the same document. 
  • We recognize that poetry often calls for its particular formatting. When in doubt, use 12-pt Times New Roman font.
  • Submissions should not exceed 3,500 words (source text not included in the word count). Please specify the genre of your submission (poetry, fiction, non-fiction).
  • We allow simultaneous submissions. Please indicate in your cover letter that this is a simultaneous submission, and if your piece is accepted elsewhere, you must notify us immediately.
  • We do not accept previously published work (this includes work published in personal blogs or social media).
  • We do not accept AI-generated work.
  • Submitters must be 18 years of age or older.
  • All submitters are added to our bi-monthly newsletter email subscriber list. 
  • PLEASE NOTE: This cycle, all pieces submitted to our Literary Translation section, including multilingual pieces, will be automatically considered for our Gabo Prize in Translation & Multilingual Texts.


 

The Gabo Prize in Translation & Multilingual Texts

Lunch Ticket is honored to host the Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts. The Gabo Prize is funded by writers, translators, and Antioch University Los Angeles MFA Alumni Allie Marini and Jennifer McCharen, who launched the prize to support the work of peer translators.

Gabo Prize winners receive $200 and publication in the next issue of Lunch Ticket. Two finalists will also be published in each issue.

The Gabo Prize is dedicated to upholding the Council of Literary Magazines & Presses code of ethics, defined as such:

CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines—defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.

Additionally: friends, family, and associates of the judges are not eligible for consideration for the award.


We look forward to reading your work!

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