submit

we are looking for submissions that capture what it feels like to be south asian with authenticity and creativity. we love the personal and the unconventional, the abstract and the concrete, the literary and the plot-based. we accept fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, playwriting/screenwriting, and visual arts.

guidelines:

you must be between ages 13-25 to submit.

you must be of south asian descent (afghan, bangladeshi, bhutanese, indian, maldivian, nepali, pakistani, sri lankan) to submit.

we accept submissions in the following categories:

submission formats:

currently, we are not accepting essay or video submissions. we hope to do so sometime in the future.

we do not accept pieces that have been published elsewhere. however, we accept concurrent submissions, but in the case that it has been accepted elsewhere, please let us know that you are withdrawing your submission to us. if you are concurrently submitting, please indicate so on the submission form.

please include a short author/artist bio (50-150 words) mentioning your hobbies and interests, along with a short explanation (up to 200 words) about how your piece connects with the themes of south asian culture, identity, and social justice.

we do allow submissions in another language. however, please include an english translation along with it. if accepted, we will publish both versions to maintain the integrity of the original piece.

we do not accept plagiarized works and works generated by artificial intelligence. if we suspect otherwise, we will contact you and you will have a chance to appeal.

while we are looking for mature works that explore taboo themes, please refrain from submitting NSFW work to our zine. we want to keep the lotus paper inclusive and accessible to all creatives.

if you are portraying sensitive themes and historical events (such as border control and the india-pakistan partition), please handle all themes with respect. we have a zero-tolerance policy towards hate speech of any sort, unless the piece actively tries to subvert it/condemn it.

examples of what we are looking for:

- creative works that illustrate a south asian historical event, or an alternate history portrayal of that event (ex. colonialism)

- writing & art that portrays a speculative future based on real-world issues you have faced as a south asian (ex. dystopian border control, racism, and xenophobia)

- works that portray a personal or familial experience being south asian (ex. academic pressure, mental health stigma)

- retellings of popular artworks and writing, such as shakespeare's plays being subverted to explore themes faced by the south asian community (ex. feminism in south asia, decolonization)

- satirical writing or artworks addressing a real-world topic in the south asian community, such as south asian film industries

examples of what we are NOT looking for:

- works where brwon characters are figures are added just to make sure the story is "diverse"

- writing & art that focuses on overused "lunchbox" tropes (ex. bringing ethnic food to school, wearing ethnic clothes for the first time, unless it is executed with depth)

- works where South Asian characters are shallow and fit overused, harmful stereotypes (the “model minority” overachiever, exaggerated accents, hypersexualized female portrayals, etc.)

- off-topic submissions

- submissions that do not follow our guidelines and word counts

know your rights:

the lotus paper is based in the state of washington, USA, so we adhere to the state of washington contract laws and frameworks. By signing this agreement, all international contributors agree that any disputes will be resolved under the state of washington legal standards. south asian creatives aged 13-25 residing in any nation are permitted to submit.

by being accepted to the lotus paper, you confirm the work(s) you submitted are completely original, created solely by you, and do not infringe upon any third-party copyrights. If you are under 18 years of age and your work(s) has been accepted, you confirm that your parent or guardian co-signed the digital consent form to confirm their permission.

if any disputes arise because a submission belongs to someone else, you (and your parent/guardian if you are under 18) accept full responsibility for resolving that claim.

you also grant us non-exclusive archival and print rights, meaning that the lotus paper holds the right to store, preserve, and provide access to your published work(s). your work(s) will be published on digital archives and social media platforms (including but not limited to instagram, substack, and online flipbooks like heyzine) but also through physical archives, such as through printed back-issues for libraries.

you still retain full ownership of copyright over your work(s) and can republish your work anywhere else.

update (effective starting July 13, 2026): by being accepted to the lotus paper, you grant us first north american serial rights, meaning that you confirm the work(s) you submitted have not been previously published elsewhere in the united states and canada (even online). you confirm that, by being accepted, we are your work’s first home.

the lotus paper respects intellectual property rights. if you are a contributor who wishes to have your accepted work removed from our social media or digital archives, please contact us at thelotuspaper.hello@gmail.com. we will review and remove the specified content within 5 business days.

however, in the case that a digital archive issue, physical issue, or print layout has entered production or printing, the publication and print rights for that specific issue are permanent and cannot be revoked.

all other rights remain with you upon publication.

submit

guidelines:

you must be between ages 13-25 to submit.

you must be of south asian descent (afghan, bangladeshi, bhutanese, indian, maldivian, nepali, pakistani, sri lankan) to submit.

we accept submissions in the following categories:

prose (fiction & creative nonfiction) : up to 2 pieces, each no more than 2,500 words

poetry: up to 5 poems, no more than 15 pages total

playwriting/screenwriting: up to 2 pieces, each no more than 15 pages

visual arts (2D, 3D, photography, design, fashion): up to 5 pieces

if your submission is part of a larger novel, portfolio, or play, please include a short synopsis/description of the larger work, no more than 250 words.

submission formats:

written: 12-point font size, times or times new roman, double-spaced, .pdf or .DOCX

visual: high-resolution, proper lighting, .jpg or .png

currently, we are not accepting essay or video submissions. we hope to do so sometime in the future.

please include a short author/artist bio (50-150 words) mentioning your hobbies and interests, along with a short explanation (up to 200 words) about how your piece connects with the themes of south asian culture, identity, and social justice.

we do allow submissions in another language. however, please include an english translation along with it. if accepted, we will publish both versions to maintain the integrity of the original piece.

we do not accept plagiarized works and works generated by artificial intelligence. if we suspect otherwise, we will contact you and you will have a chance to appeal.

while we are looking for mature works that explore taboo themes, please refrain from submitting NSFW work to our zine. we want to keep the lotus paper inclusive and accessible to all creatives.

if you are portraying sensitive themes and historical events (such as border control and the india-pakistan partition), please handle all themes with respect. we have a zero-tolerance policy towards hate speech of any sort, unless the piece actively tries to subvert it/condemn it.

examples of what we are looking for:

- creative works that illustrate a south asian historical event, or an alternate history portrayal of that event (ex. colonialism)

- writing & art that portrays a speculative future based on real-world issues you have faced as a south asian (ex. dystopian border control, racism, and xenophobia)

- works that portray a personal or familial experience being south asian (ex. academic pressure, mental health stigma)

- retellings of popular artworks and writing, such as shakespeare's plays being subverted to explore themes faced by the south asian community (ex. feminism in south asia, decolonization)

- satirical writing or artworks addressing a real-world topic in the south asian community, such as south asian film industries

examples of what we are NOT looking for:

- works where brwon characters are figures are added just to make sure the story is "diverse"

- writing & art that focuses on overused "lunchbox" tropes (ex. bringing ethnic food to school, wearing ethnic clothes for the first time, unless it is executed with depth)

- works where South Asian characters are shallow and fit overused, harmful stereotypes (the “model minority” overachiever, exaggerated accents, hypersexualized female portrayals, etc.)

- off-topic submissions

- submissions that do not follow our guidelines and word counts

know your rights:

if any disputes arise because a submission belongs to someone else, you (and your parent/guardian if you are under 18) accept full responsibility for resolving that claim.

you still retain full ownership of copyright over your work(s) and can republish your work anywhere else.

the lotus paper respects intellectual property rights. if you are a contributor who wishes to have your accepted work removed from our social media or digital archives, please contact us at thelotuspaper.hello@gmail.com. we will review and remove the specified content within 5 business days.

however, in the case that a digital archive issue, physical issue, or print layout has entered production or printing, the publication and print rights for that specific issue are permanent and cannot be revoked.

​

all other rights remain with you upon publication.