Introducing Understory
Submissions for understory, issue 1 are open now through june 1!
Understory was born of a simple but powerful realization. Over the years, we’ve worked with thousands of students who are writing incredible short stories, poems, and essays. Many of those students go on to publish these works in magazines and journals. But what if, we wondered, there was a chance for students to publish right here within the Redbud ecosystem?
That’s one of the reasons we’re launching Understory: to give our students a venue to share their work with the world. Another reason? To give our Redbud community the chance to participate in the editorial/publishing side of the literary world. Each year, the Understory editorial and staff will be comprised of Redbuddy volunteers, who will have the opportunity to read, select, edit, and finalize stories for the journal. We’re so excited to promote and share voices from our community, to uplift the panoply of stories from our own backyard.
Read on to learn about our 2026 staff and to hear more about the submissions process!
Important dates
In 2026, Understory will be open for submissions in May and October. Editorial decisions will be made in June and November, and issues 1 and 2 will come out in July and December.
Submission faqs
Who can submit?
Although this is Redbud’s literary magazine, all writers over the age of 18 are welcome to submit! You don’t have to have taken a Redbud class.
For each issue, we will reserve a spot for students who’ve participated in our Community Courses program, which serves marginalized writers who’ve been through homelessness, domestic violence, addiction, or other experiences that aren’t often reflected in the publishing world.
What kinds of pieces do you accept?
All kinds of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction! We aren’t looking for particular themes or genres at this time, although themes may emerge for each of the issues as our readers go through submissions.
Do you accept simultaneous and/or multiple submissions?
We do accept simultaneous submissions (meaning that you can send your work to other magazines while also sending it to Understory), although we request that you let us know as soon as possible if your story is accepted elsewhere. We do not accept multiple submissions: please send us just one submission per reading period (the exception here is poetry: poets can send us a packet of up to five poems).
What about font, formatting, etc.?
Please format your pieces using a standard font (Times New Roman, Arial, etc), double-spaced, in PDF or .docx format. Please cap submission length at 20 pages, double-spaced.
Where will my piece be published, if accepted?
For each issue, we will accept eight to ten pieces for publication in our print magazine.
We will also publish a selection of stories on our website.
Do you pay writers?
We offer a $25 honorarium for stories that appear in print.
What if my story has been published elsewhere?
We can only accept stories that have not been published elsewhere—and that includes personal blogs, Substacks, and so forth. If we accept your story, we acquire first North American serial rights, which means we retain the right to be the first ones to publish your story, although rights revert to you upon publication (this means that you can send your story to other venues to have it reprinted, although keep in mind that many other magazines and journals also only accept previously unpublished work).
Masthead
Editor: Allie Coker
Staff: Casey Shapack
Olga Rossow
Henry Bundy
Sam Boucher
Sally Parlier
Tammy Blackard Cook