Q. What is 'namjooning'?

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A: Definition as per National Gallery Singapore: Inspired by singer and rapper Kim Namjoon—also known as RM, the leader of K-pop supergroup BTS—“Namjooning” refers to the act of appreciating art, visiting museums, reading, listening to music, playing music, communing with nature and other forms of self-care.

For more info and possibly inspiration, click here and here.

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Q. Do I have to know BTS or be BTS ARMY (ARMY is the name of the BTS fandom) to submit?

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A: Not really. As long as your writing sticks with the theme of ‘namjooning’, you’re good. But if you happen to be BTS ARMY, omg, *excited squeals* let us know who your bias is!

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Q: How long do you take to respond to submissions?

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A: We will begin reading once the submission window closes. Expect a response in about two months. If you haven't heard back from us two months after your submission date, feel free to nudge us at literarynamjooning@gmail.com.

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Q: Do you pay?

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A: Unfortunately, we cannot pay for published stories at this point. One of the main reasons we now have an optional tip jar is so we can pay our contributors, going forward.

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Q. Can Issue 1 contributors submit their work for consideration to Issue 2?

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A: Previous contributors, we love you, but please wait out this submission cycle. So if you've been published in Issue 1, please send us your work in 2026 (for consideration to Issue 3). Issue 2 contributors can sub for Issue 4, and so on.

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Q. Can you give us links to some published pieces to understand what you're looking for?

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A. Issue 1! Read here.

 

Also, here are some of our favorite pieces published in other magazines. Click on the links below and savor!

a. Passing by Andrew Bertaina in Matchbook.

b. The Nights I Spend Reading to a Rescue Horse Named Emmeline by Pat Foran in Fractured Lit

b. You Never Know Which Artwork Will Stay with You, Becoming Entirely Beloved, Entirely Necessary by Sumitra Singam in The Disappointed Housewife

c. On the Experience of Entering a Bookstore in Your Forties (vs. Your Twenties) by Steve Edwards in LitHub (Non-Fiction)

d. A Thousand Cups of Coffee by Steve Edwards in The Sun (Non-Fiction)

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More questions? Email us at literarynamjooning@gmail.com