Submitting a Project to Beadwork Magazine

Coffee Talk: Submission Guidelines

As Managing Editor of Beadwork magazine, one of the most common questions I get from readers is “How do I submit a project to be published?” If you, too, are interested in submitting a project to Beadwork magazine, read on!

Rolling Submissions

We accept submissions on a rolling basis. This means that we don’t send out a call for submissions but instead consider them as they come in to us. We also don’t have specific “themes” that we’re trying to fill for a particular issue. However, starting with the April/May 2017 issue, we’re including a small themed section of stringing projects. This is to appeal to former Jewelry Stringing readers who might also like to try their hand at beadweaving.

Our submissions meetings occur approximately every 2-3 weeks (less frequently during busy times of the year, such as the holidays). If your project is accepted, we’ll notify you via email and will provide further instructions at that time. We generally allow at least a couple of months for contributors to send us their physical project and instructions.

Do’s and Don’ts

There are a few things we’re looking for when we review submissions to determine which ones to accept. Projects that are overly complicated or use a large number of techniques are typically rejected because the instructions would be too long in the print magazine. Likewise, projects that are exceedingly simple are typically rejected. (We do publish a special issue of Beadwork, called Quick+Easy, that features quicker and easier beading projects than what you’d typically find in the magazine.) Finally, projects that are “out there” design-wise are typically rejected, because we’re looking for projects that would interest a large number of people.

Of course, we also look for quality craftsmanship, pleasing color choices, and wearability. We love to see multiple colorways of a project. Keep in mind that each piece should be made the same way (unless it’s intended to be a “variation,” with separate instructions). We’ve also started including alternate colorway materials lists in the magazine, so please keep track of the actual color names of the beads in your designs. We don’t need them at submission time, but we will ask for them if your project is accepted.

The Rules

We accept only original, previously unpublished designs. If your project is accepted, you’ll sign a contract attesting to the originality of your design and giving us first publication rights. For more detailed submission guidelines, please click for our guidelines PDF.

The Nitty Gritty

To submit your original design to Beadwork magazine, simply email a photo (or photos) of your project to us at beadworksubmissions@interweave.com. When you send your submission photos to us, it’s helpful to include a brief description of the materials and techniques used in creating the piece. Usually our editors can tell the technique used by looking at a photo, but sometimes it isn’t readily apparent. We also like to know if you’ve used any beads or other materials that might be difficult for others to find.

What Are You Waiting For?

Now that you have the skinny on submitting to your favorite beading magazine, what are you waiting for? We’d love to receive YOUR submission to Beadwork magazine!