Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction

Doek! Literary Magazine

Doek! is a free, independent Pan-African online literary magazine from Windhoek, Namibia. It seeks poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Payment is not publicly stated for this issue.

🟡 Information needs verification Verified 2026-09 Researched by BRYME Editorial Desk.

The docket

The nine things that decide whether a pitch is worth sending. Every answer below is either taken from the publication’s own guideline or computed by BRYME from the 304-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.

Payment: Unpaid (token payments when funding allows)
Length: Fiction 1,500-4,500; nonfiction 1,500-4,500; poetry no minimum (up to 5 poems per document)
Who can submit: Not statedOpen to Pan-African writers; confirm specific restriction on the official page.
Reading period: Not yet assessedBRYME has not recorded a reading period for this market from its guideline page. That is our gap rather than the publication's silence: it does not mean the window is open, and it does not mean there is none. Read the guideline linked on this page before you send.
Response time: Not statedNo response time recorded. A follow-up after two to three weeks is reasonable; silence past that is a soft no, not a rejection.
Simultaneous submissions: You may submit elsewhere at the same timeSimultaneous submissions (submissions which have been sent to other literary magazines) are permitted and should be retracted when accepted for publication elsewhere. — https://doeklitmag.com/submissions/ (read 2026-09-30)
AI policy: Not statedThe guideline is silent. BRYME records that 138 of the 304 publications on this desk do restrict AI-assisted work, so silence here is not permission — ask.
Rights: StatedCopyright remains with contributors, who license the work exclusively to Doek! for three months from publication.
Experience: Not statedThe guideline sets no experience requirement. BRYME records that as silence, not as a welcome — a first-time writer is not excluded, but nor are they invited.

What this record does not tell you

This publication leaves 5 of the nine questions unanswered. BRYME publishes that gap instead of filling it — a generated answer would look complete and cost you a pitch.

Who can submit — the guideline leaves this open, so ask before you spend an evening on the pitch rather than assuming a yes.
Reading period — no window recorded yet, so check the guideline before you pitch rather than assuming it is open.
Response time — expect to wait blind, and keep other pitches live.
AI policy — assume disclosure is expected unless the editor says otherwise.
Experience — look at what kind of writer this publication normally publishes before you pitch; its guideline does not say.

Record last human-checked 2026-09-27. Sources listed at the foot of this page. This record holds no figure BRYME could compare, so no ranking appears above it. Where a rate is quoted per word, it is never ranked against a flat fee.

Quick facts

Payment: Unpaid (token payments when funding allows)
Word count: Fiction 1,500-4,500; nonfiction 1,500-4,500; poetry no minimum (up to 5 poems per document)
Submission: See official site
International writers: Yes
Status: 🟡 Information needs verification
Last verified: 2026-09

🟡 Research only. BRYME has researched this opportunity but has not yet submitted to it. Nothing here should be read as a claim of acceptance, publication or payment.

What this publication wants

This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction. Official guideline: Doek! Literary Magazine guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

Original, exciting short fiction, nonfiction, poetry and visual art from Namibia and the African diaspora
Strictly pan-African perspectives - work not directed at the white gaze
Themed calls: Issue 18 window runs June 1 - September 30, 2026 (two issues per year)

Subjects they avoid

More than one piece per window (poets may submit up to five poems in one document)

Key requirements

Fiction and poetry eligibility: Namibian citizens (at home or in the diaspora) and foreign nationals permanently residing in Namibia
Nonfiction and visual art eligibility: African writers and artists of African descent, continent-wide or diaspora
Fiction minimum 1,500 words; fiction and nonfiction maximum 4,500 words
No submission fee; submissions via the online form

Who can submit

Open to Pan-African writers; confirm specific restriction on the official page.

Rights

AI policy

Not stated in the guideline

How to write for them

Official requirement: always follow the publication's own guideline exactly.

BRYME's practical advice: write for the publication's audience, use a clear structure, keep paragraphs short, lead with a specific angle, and confirm the word count before submitting. These are practical suggestions — they are not the publication's official rules.

How to pitch

Where a pitch is required, this is the general pattern BRYME recommends — always adapt it to the publication's guideline.

Research the publication and read several recent pieces.
Choose a specific idea that fits their beat and audience.
Write a concise subject line naming your idea.
Introduce yourself in one or two lines (who you are, where you publish).
Explain the proposed piece in a short paragraph — angle, structure, length.
Say why it fits this publication.
Include 2–3 relevant clips or links.
Close professionally and thank them for their time.
Send through the official channel only.

Unknown Last verified 2026-09-27 Official submission page

The official page does not state a current status.

Track this pitch

How to submit

See official site

Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.

Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
Submission: See official site

What the guideline asks you to prepare

Send one piece per window via the Doek! submission form during an open window
Poets: up to five poems in a single document

Safety note. Never pay to submit your work. A legitimate publication does not ask writers to pay a fee or provide identity documents to be considered. If you are asked to, do not proceed.

What happens after submission

Expected response: Decisions after each window closes (issues publish June/July and November/December)

If the publication does not state a response time, BRYME records that it is unknown. A follow-up is generally reasonable after a couple of weeks; if there is still no response, treat that as a likely non-acceptance rather than a rejection. Acceptance is normally communicated by the publication. If they accept, they will tell you exactly how to submit the final piece and, for most, how and when payment is made.

OFFICIAL

Read the official guideline

Open the publication's own page and confirm everything on this record before you pitch.

Open → GUIDE

How to write a pitch

A step-by-step structure for a pitch that a busy editor can act on.

Open the guide →

Check, question or correct this record

BRYME publishes its working, not just its conclusions. Last human check: 2026-09.

What do these statuses mean? Every badge on this page explained — open, closed, researched, tested, paid. Report an outdated listing Guideline changed, link dead, or submissions closed? Tell the desk and it gets rechecked. How BRYME verifies The editorial standard behind this record: sources, dates, corrections and limits.