december, a nonprofit arts organization based in St. Louis, nurtures writers and artists at every stage of their development. Through our twice-a-year literary magazine, we publish and distribute outstanding and thought-provoking work of established and emerging authors of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and the work of established and emerging artists whose media include painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, printmaking, and installations.
december has a distinguished legacy of publishing the earliest work of little-known writers and artists, many of whom became major literary figures, including Rita Mae Brown, Raymond Carver, Philip Levine, Joyce Carol Oates, Marge Piercy, and more.
Literary journals like december contribute mightily to a vital and vibrant culture; for many readers, they provide an essential connection to inspiration and imagination that benefit the human experience. In addition, december takes seriously its roles in the local and global literary communities, and we are inordinately proud of the community we continue to build among writers, artists, and readers.
december was created to:
1. Encourage and promote literary excellence and the literary arts;
2. Educate students and emerging authors in literary and journalistic techniques and methods;
3. Publish on a nonprofit basis meritorious works of established and emerging authors of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry:
4. Promote literary excellence and the development of new writers and emerging authors through the sponsorship of writing contests; and
5. Provide internship opportunities for students and young adults interested in pursuing careers in literature, publishing, or nonprofit organizations.
december is 100% committed to paying our contributors and the editorial staff involved with the production of the magazine. Beyond being one of our core values to pay people for their work, we value and respect what our contributors bring to the table. We are, in fact, the sum of our contributors.
december's mission includes advocating for our contributors in the literary and artistic communities as well as in the general population. Through our reading series "december Presents…," held in conjunction with each issue's release, we give writers and artists a chance to meet their audiences and each other. These readings bring people together to experience literary works in community and put faces to the content of the magazine.
Additionally, december stays connected to its contributors, celebrating their accomplishments via social media and on our website, boosting attendance for their readings or advertising their published works. december has sponsored book launches for past contributors and regularly submits names for a wide variety of literary prizes and awards, including Pushcart Prizes and publication in anthologies.