The Dec. 1 deadline is fast approaching for writers and artists to submit their works into The Absolute literary and art journal, said Faculty Adviser and Editor Marybeth McCauley.

“The magazine is open for submission to the public,” said McCauley, English and humanities professor.

She said the process is competitive.

“We always have more good pieces than we have room for.”

McCauley said several hundred works were submitted for the 2015 issue, which was released in April. Of those, she said, 34 were published.

She said students with strong backgrounds in creative writing or journalism comprise the student staff for the literary journal, along with faculty advisers.

“We look for students who are reliable and conscientious,” McCauley said.

“It is not a position for someone who doesn’t like to read.”

McCauley said the staff convene, score submissions, and decide together which works will be published.

Joshua Sewell, business administration major, said the hardest part is creating the compositions.

“Submitting works of art is the easy part,” he said.

Sewell’s narrative essay about living with Bell’s palsy was published in the 2014 edition of the journal.

This year, he will join the staff as a student editor, alongside theater major and third year editor for the Absolute Tiffane Shorter .

“It’s a lot of fun,” Shorter said. “The hardest part is narrowing down submissions.”

Shorter said the journal seeks good storytelling elements and parallelism in the fiction and non-fiction pieces.

She said it’s more difficult with the poems.

“It’s more about how you tell the message,” she said.

“It is really important that the poems have a good flow.”

McCauley said students can submit pieces of fiction, non-fiction, art and photography into the OCCC-sponsored magazine.

Shorter said entries are not limited to short stories and poems. Drama pieces, monologues, dialogues, essays, and even song lyrics also may be submitted.

McCauley said those who submit works will receive a confirmation email thanking them for their interest.

She said they must wait until March to learn if their work will be published in the magazine.

Because the magazine doesn’t limit the number of submissions, McCauley recommends those who are interested in entering their writings should submit multiple stories and poems of various lengths.

She said letters are mailed in March to inform selected artists and writers of their successful publication in The Absolute.

An annual reception at the end of April celebrates the release of the new edition. Some of the published authors publically read their works and Critics Choice Awards are announced.

Last year, the magazine welcomed the OCCC Jazz Band to perform at the event, McCauley said. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Those published will be honored at the celebration and receive a free copy of the journal.

Previous issues of The Absolute are on sale in the OCCC bookstore for $5 and also are available for viewing in the the Keith Leftwich Memorial Library.

Those interested in submitting works into the journal can do so by clicking on “The Absolute Literary Journal” under the “Academics” tab at www.occc.edu.

For more information about submissions or the journal, email absoluteeditor@occc.edu or mmccauley@occc.edu or call 405-682-1611, ext. 7405.