“45 YEARS OF LSM” ZINE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
The Lesbian Sex Mafia board is excited to put out a call for submissions for the 45 YEARS OF LSM zine, celebrating our 45th anniversary! We want YOUR perspective on what the Lesbian Sex Mafia, and the broader queer kink/leather/BDSM scene around us in NYC, has looked like from 1981-2026. Use whatever medium suits you: writings, photography, drawings, paintings, collage, printmaking, and/or any art that fits in a 2-dimensional visual format.
This zine will only be distributed via physical copies– there will not be a digital version. Entries will be selected for inclusion at the discretion of the 2026 LSM Board.
The deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM on December 1, 2026.
WHO CAN SUBMIT?
UPDATE: We are priotizing submissions from current or former LSM members for inclusion, but anyone may make a zine submission! We are especially seeking entries from those who have been consistently attending LSM events for the past 2 years, or who started attending LSM events more than 7 years ago.
GUIDELINES
- Entries may include your original writing, drawings, paintings, printmaking, photography, collage, or basically any other media that can be submitted in a 2-dimensional visual format.
- Each submission is limited to a size of two 5.5 in. x 8.5 in. pages. For primarily text-based submissions, this is a word count of about 450 words or less.
- Subject matter can include explicit nudity, kink, sex, blood, political themes, etc. If you are unsure if the subject matter you would like to address is a good fit, please email entries@lesbiansexmafia.org.
- For photography, all subjects depicted must have provided explicit consent for the photo(s) to be submitted to this zine.
- Entries may draw inspiration from the prompt options below, but you can also choose your own subject matter so long as it pertains to your experiences in LSM.
- ENTRIES MAY NOT INCLUDE: AI-generated content of ANY kind, recognizable reproductions of pre-existing works that are under copyright in the US, or photos or likenesses of people who did NOT consent to be depicted.
- The deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM on December 1, 2026.
For questions about these guidelines, please reach out to entries@lesbiansexmafia.org.
HOW TO SUBMIT
Please send all zine submissions via email to entries@lesbiansexmafia.org. Please be sure to include:
- Your zine entry (don’t forget the attachment, if relevant)
- The name you would like to be credited under
- If you are a former or current LSM member, and the years of your membership (to the best of your recollection)
- If you are a member, the name & email your membership is under
Entry does not guarantee inclusion in the zine. If your entry is selected, the board will reach out to confirm any necessary accommodations for zine formatting as well as crediting information. All contributors selected for inclusion will receive 1 free copies of the zine.
By submitting an entry, you grant LSM NYC, Inc. permission to print your submission in the 45 YEARS OF LSM zine and to distribute and sell copies of the zine containing your submission. The zine will be distributed in physical, print format only. No digital release is planned.
SUGGESTED PROMPTS
- How do you label/describe yourself in the scene, and how does that interact with LSM & the kink spaces you find yourself in?
- What first made you want to be an LSM member? Do you still feel that way?
- What’s something you witnessed as part of LSM that has stuck with you?
- How have kink and LSM affected nonsexual/non-kink parts of your life?
- What’s a skill or a piece of advice you’ve learned from a person or workshop at LSM that you’ve continued to use?
- Tell a story about an experience you had at LSM that might surprise people.
- Did you meet a long-term partner at LSM? What was that first meeting like?
- How have LSM and the NYC queer kink/leather/BDSM scene changed since you first joined? Are there changes you want to see?