THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS

Apologies in advance.

For over thirty years, we at The Cypress Dome have championed the talent and tenacity of UCF's creative writing community. Our mission is to seek out and celebrate student works that challenge, captivate, and inspire. Whether you're a graduate student or undergrad, enrolled part-time or full, our doors are open to all current University of Central Florida students!

The Cypress Dome will be accepting themed works of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and art throughout the 2025 Fall semester. Open submissions will be held from November 15th to December 31st, with acceptance emails to be sent out on January 19th, 2026.

For those interested in personalized feedback regarding their work, we will also be holding Early Bird Pre-Submissions from October 15th to October 31st. Feedback for these pre-submissions should be expected to arrive on November 6th, 2025. However, please note that works submitted during this Early Bird period will not be considered for publication; any piece you wish to be considered must also be submitted during the Open Submissions window.

Submission Guidelines

Theme

Every year brings something new, and with it, a chance to see the world in a different lens. This year, The Cypress Dome invites you to set your eyes on the storm and explore the idea of Tempest—in all its turbulence, beauty, and devastation. Maybe that means diving into the chaos and unrelenting hurricane that is daily life, or capturing the resilience of a fox emerging from his den once the skies clear.

No two people are the same, and no two interpretations need to be either. Think outside the box! Our theme is here to serve as a spark for your imagination, not a boundary. We'd love to see where this theme takes your work, no matter what form it takes. But if our theme doesn't resonate with you, don't let that hold you back! You're free to send us your stories, poems, and art regardless of whether it sticks to theme or not. We'll be excited to see them all the same!

Formatting

While the specific formatting guidelines may vary depending on the genre, 

Remove your name from all submitted work including headers and footers.

Include page numbers on all multi-page work.

For all text-based work, submit a DOC or DOCX file. You may submit a PDF file only to retain non-standard formatting, if applicable; for editorial purposes, a DOC or DOCX file must accompany the PDF.

• Fiction

• CNF 

• Poetry
• 
  
• Artwork - 

Cover Letter

[insert text here]

Any work submitted without a cover letter will not be considered for the next issue of The Cypress Dome. Please copy and paste your cover letter into the box on the Submission page. 

Include all of the following:

• your first and last name
• your address
• your phone number
• your UCF email address
• academic status (graduate or undergraduate)
• the title(s) of your submission(s)
• submission category
• content warnings (death, sexual trauma, violence, graphic description, etc.)
• number of words/lines per submission (if written)
• medium of the work (if visual art)

Multiple Submissions

We accept up to two submissions per person.

If you are making multiple submissions to the same genre, please upload all files to the same submission form.

If you submit multiple pieces across different genres, please upload the submission forms separately according to each piece's genre. Please specify that you are submitting to different genres on your cover letter. The same cover letter should be submitted with each piece.

Our Stance on A.I.

Can I still submit a piece even if I know someone on the staff?

• Yes. We request that you remove your name from all submitted work to keep the scoring process fair and unbiased; our editors do not receive the names of the authors who have submitted, only their pieces. That being said, if an editor recognizes your piece, they will sit out of the scoring process.

Can I submit a piece that is part of a larger work and/or narrative?

• No. The Cypress Dome only publishes work that can stand on its own and consists of a closed narrative.

Can I submit a piece that has been published in another magazine/publication?

• No. The Cypress Dome only publishes work that has not been published elsewhere.

How do I know my work was received?

• When your submission is received, Submittable will send you a confirmation email. Please check your spam filters and the email you used to sign in to Submittable. If you do not receive an email, please email cdome@ucf.edu to make sure your submission was received (especially if you are submitting near the end of the Open Submission period).

Can I contact any of The Cypress Dome’s editors during the Open Submission period?

• If you have any questions, please contact us at cdome@ucf.edu. We cannot discuss any of your pieces during the submission process, nor can we accept any cash, food, or other gifts—your submissions are the only form of bribe we need.

How does the scoring process work?

• All work will be reviewed by the editors, evaluated according to artistic merit, and then accepted or denied.

If I am accepted, when will I be notified?

• Final decisions on all submitted work will be made in the Spring when all submissions have been reviewed. Responses are typically sent by the beginning of April.

If I am accepted, are there any awards and/or ceremonies I can look forward to?

• Awards are given for the strongest submissions in each category. The Cypress Dome editors will select the winning entries. A celebratory reading will be held upon the release of the magazine in late April 2025.W