This is where you’ll find the current list of upcoming themes and other ways you can contribute creatively to the National Pasquinade. We’ll try to include some suggestions, but these are not meant to be used verbatim, simply as inspiration. A starting point.

Speaking of inspiration, several issues ago we began creating a mixtape based on each issue’s theme to inspire creators. We call it the Muselist and it gets its own special section each issue. We also try to post it here early in the process to help inspire you.

We also create Humor Writing Prompts when the mood strikes us. Just another tool in your toolbox. Like that oddly-shaped thing you vaguely remember buying in the late nineties but no longer have any idea what it’s used for.

Having said all that, we highly recommend that you read our Submission Guidelines (Revised 5/20/2017) and a recent issue or two before submitting.

There are many other ways you can contribute as well.  If you’re artistic and funny, consider submitting a cover for an upcoming issue. If short-form comedy is in your wheelhouse, maybe you’d like to participate in Listeria, our somewhat weekly #hashtag game; create some fake letters for our fake letters column; or suggest a regular short recurring column. For example, I once wrote a parody of travelogue columns called “The Agoraphobic Tourist.” Unfortunately, it didn’t actually recur since the magazine folded before I could really explore any additional possibilities of the character, but I still think the idea was clever and had some real comic potential. If you have a clever idea with some long-term comic potential, pitch the idea and we’ll see where it goes.

I’ve contemplated adding a “…But Seriously…” section in the future, featuring reviews of humorous media (books, television, movies, whatever). This wouldn’t conform to the issue theme and will probably only happen if someone other than me is interested in running it, so let me know if you’d be up for the quarterly commitment at editor-in-chief@nationalpasquinade.com.

But, generally, email submissions should always be sent to submissions@nationalpasquinade.com. If you’re submitting for a theme,

indicate which theme you’re submitting for in the subject. If you’re submitting for a different section of the magazine, briefly mention which section in the subject.

If you’re still submitting through the U.S. Mail (and who does that anymore?) you can send your submission, double-spaced, single-sided, with contact info, a short bio and a S.A.S.E. to:

National Pasquinade
c/o Ed Lynn
P.O. Box 315
Occoquan, VA  22125

The best of the Listeria submissions for each quarter will be collected from Twitter, and replies on our Facebook page and this website.

Note: If you’re submitting a cover, you need to size it in a 3:4 ratio (eg., 600×800) and should leave appropriate space for up to four elements: “National Pasquinade,” “Issue ##” (where ## is the issue number below), the theme as listed below, and, optionally, the publishing date as shown in the image. Note from previous issues that we get a little loose about placement of these elements. An example of the 3:4 sizing can be found by clicking on the image above.

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Production Schedule

In production:

Issue 88
Fashionably Late #
Spring 2020

Muselist Deadline: March 31, 2020
Submission Deadline: April 30, 2020
Approximate Publication: May 15, 2020

Content needed for Listeria, fake letters column, and themed stories or articles of 1000-5000 words. Stories, articles, and cover art will not adhere to a theme. Material should be emailed to  submissions@nationalpasquinade.com.

Upcoming issues:

Issue 89
Hopeless #
Summer 2020

Muselist Deadline: May 31, 2020
Submission Deadline: June 30, 2020
Approximate Publication: July 15, 2020

Content needed for Listeria, fake letters column, and themed stories or articles of 1000-5000 words. Stories, articles, and cover art will adhere to the theme of “hopelessness.” Material should be emailed to  submissions@nationalpasquinade.com.

Issue 90
Bully #
Autumn 2020

Muselist Deadline: August 31, 2020
Submission Deadline: September 30, 2020
Approximate Publication: October 15, 2020

Content needed for Listeria, fake letters column, and themed stories or articles of 1000-5000 words. Stories, articles, and cover art will adhere to the theme of “Bully.” Material should be emailed to  submissions@nationalpasquinade.com.