The Cypress Dome Society is a University of Central Florida literary organization staffed by undergraduate students. Named after a feature of the landscape on the UCF campus, we are dedicated to fostering the literary arts and promoting a sense of community among writers and artists through events and our annual publication, The Cypress Dome, UCF's undergraduate literary journal.  

Founded in 1989, The Cypress Dome received the Associated Writing Programs Directors’ Award for exceptional content in 1995. It is edited, designed, and produced by a selected editorial team of The Cypress Dome Society students as part of a year-long internship. Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, flash fiction/nonfiction, graphic narratives, and visual art may be submitted by students of the University of Central Florida in the fall term, according to submission guidelines distributed each fall, to be considered for publication in the annual issue published each spring. 

Early Bird Feedback 

Open from October 15th to October 31st

We’re happy to offer an opportunity for brief feedback to any writers who submit during this period. This pre-submission period does not count toward a submission for The Cypress Dome’s next issue, nor is it a guarantee that your piece will be accepted. However, it is a great opportunity to hear from our editorial staff, and you’ll receive feedback in time to revise your piece before general submissions. For Early Bird Feedback, please only submit one submission per person: one poem for poetry, one short story/essay of up to 6,000 words for fiction and creative nonfiction, or one piece of flash fiction/creative nonfiction of up to 1,000 words. All additional submissions will be automatically withdrawn.

General Submissions for the 38th Edition 

Open from November 15th to December 31st 

Submission Guidelines 

Please review our submission guidelines and categories carefully. All submissions should include a professional cover letter. Do not include any personal or identifying information in your manuscript or file name. All submissions will be evaluated anonymously. Submissions that include personal information (excluding the cover letter) will be automatically rejected.

Submit your manuscript and cover letter using the appropriate link below. Only one submission per category. We do not accept previously published work, including work posted on social media, blogs, or personal websites. Simultaneous submissions are fine, as long as you include this in your cover letter and let us know if the piece gets accepted elsewhere.

All work must be entirely your own from inception to execution. We do not accept AI-generated or altered submissions. You have creative freedom, but please refrain from gratuitous use of gore, violence, expletives, and eroticism. Submissions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. You are encouraged but not required to include a content or trigger warning. All submissions will receive a response in the early spring semester. For questions, first review our FAQ page, then reach out to our editors at cdome@ucf.edu.