Threads of Ice delves into the many faces of winter from the warmth that gathers around a hearth to the quiet endurance found in cold, and the fragile shimmer of what endures beneath the frost. This issue invites reflection on the vast range of the season and how it can both preserve and destroy, comfort and isolate, conceal and reveal. Within these contrasts, winter becomes not only a season but a mirror, capturing the resilience and fragility through every human story.
Beyond traditional digital publication, all accepted pieces will be considered for inclusion in a special honors edition. This honor edition will be shared both in person as a half page zine and online. The full issue will remain accessible online and through a QR code printed on the zine, but only the selected works will appear within this limited edition. This physical keepsake will be placed in Little Free Libraries and community spaces, allowing more readers to get their eyes on your work.
You can submit your piece to the following categories:
Frost Bite (Rewrite The Stars Review)
Glassbound (Little Free Zines)
Quilted Quiet (Ocean Stars Review)
Frost Bite (Rewrite The Stars Review):
Frost Bite explores the brutality and harshness of winter : the survival and fragility of life against the cruel cold. Figuratively, it also expands on feelings of numbness, grief, apathy and coldness in fractured relationships and life. It serves as a metaphor that mirrors society's frostbite, eroding warmth and compassion, a chilling indifference born out of conflict, cruelty and decay. However, beneath the harsh, frosty ice also lies the promise of renewal beyond hibernation — a pause before thaw, a transformation waiting to unfold. We invite you to bring forth your visions of resilience, survival and fragility of life.
Glassbound (Little Free Zines):
Glassbound explores the fragile art of holding on. It is winter’s attempt to preserve, in all senses of it. Breath crystallized on a windowpane, petals sealed in ice, a moment stilled in the silence of snow. Within its frozen light, beauty and breakage coexist as reflection turns to refraction. What does winter keep safe, and what does it alter beyond return? Can both remain beautiful?
Quilted Quiet (Ocean Stars Review):
Imagine Christmas at grandmas house, those magical Christmas lights. Curling up on the couch next to a crackling fire with a blanket. Watching a classic Christmas movie with homemade hot coco in your hand.
This sub-theme is for those who love nostalgia, warmth, and those old fashioned Christmas lights.
We are accepting art, photography, prose, short stories, and poetry
Please read the guidelines thoroughly to give you the best chances of getting your piece accepted.
General Guidelines
No gore or graphic material
Absolutely no AI, the use of AI will result in your work being rejected
Must be PG-13
Three submissions per magazine/mini theme
No NSFW material may be included in your submission, if your piece is found to have this contact it will automatically be rejected and you will not be able to submit to our magazine in the future.
Prose/Short Stories Guidelines
Max word count: 2,000
Document must be publicly viewable and sharable
Must be submitted as a PDF or Google doc
Author’s name (Or pen-name) must appear under the piece’s title on the document
Font size: 12
Font: Times New Roman or Arial
Poetry Guidelines
50 lines max
Document must be publicly viewable and sharable
Must be submitted as a PDF or Google doc
Author’s name (Or pen-name) must appear under the piece’s title on the document
Font size: 12
Font: Times New Roman or Arial
Art Guidelines
The artwork must be uploaded in high quality
Photographs of artwork must be well lit
Photography Guidelines
Must be uploaded in high quality
Any questions should be emailed to Oceanstarsreview@gmail.com