Creator Form

The goal of Pocket Birds is to encourage people to engage with birding in a casual, lighthearted, everyday way while showcasing new artwork and creative writing alongside facts and folklore about each species.

Artwork can show different ways to imagine the bird from the scientifically accurate, realistic illustrations we’re used to seeing in field guides to imaginative characterization in different styles. We want to maintain some accuracy so the bird species is identifiable, but we hope you’ll use your artistic license to embellish and lean into your style.

We’re inviting guest writers to tell stories, write poems, essays, lyrics, or other creative writing about their favorite bird in 250 words or less.

Submitting the form below will add you to our list of creators that we can work with. We will prioritize creators whose favorite bird corresponds with the issue we're working on and has provided a link to a portfolio or website.

It may take a while before you hear from us as we only have 1-3 new creators per monthly release. Submitting the form does not guarantee we will commission your work.

See our Creator FAQ below the Signup Form for more information.

Creator FAQ

What is the art submission requirements?

These are the specs we'll request from artists. If you need help removing a background from a scan or photograph of your work, please let us know and we can help with that.

  • Spot art, transparent background.
  • Minimum Image size: 300dpi at 4” wide (100mm, 1200px)
  • Raster or vector work accepted.
  • Artwork can be highly stylized, realistic, simple, complex, digital or physical media, sketched, illustration, watercolor, inked, cross hatched, knit, cross-stitched, embroidery, wood carving, or in any other style.
  • We can accept artwork as .png, .tiff, .pdf, .eps, .ai, .ps, .af, .afdesign, .afphoto or other common image formats that support transparent backgrounds.

Can I share the art I make for Pocket Birds?

Yes, our art contract allows you to maintain full ownership of the art for your own personal or commercial use, and you just license it to Pandion Games for use in Pocket Birds issues and products.

Am I good enough to submit?

YES. All art is good art. If you make art, you're an artist. If you love birds, please submit the form. Your 'portfolio site' can be as simple as a link to a photo of your art.

Can I submit previously created art?

Yes, we may be interested in licensing existing art if it has not been used in other publications.

Do you accept anthropomorphic birds?

Sort of. Please keep the birds anatomically birds for this project. However, you can put your bird in clothes and doing non-bird things with non-bird expressions. We’re happy to provide examples if you are uncertain.

What is the expected timeline?

We would like to have a 2-week turn around from the time we submit our deposit. Our plan is to build up a 6-month buffer of Issues to give us time to slow it all down a bit in the future.

Can I use my existing art contract instead of yours?

If selected for an issue, you can send it to us to review. We may use both: ours for the project and licensing, and yours for the actual commissioning of the art.

Will I be able to make art for more than one issue?

Maybe! We want to showcase different artists throughout the series, but will certainly have returning artists over time.

I would like to sell merchandise and prints of the art I make, can you help with that?

We will start with stickers and patches as add-ons to the zine each month. If Pocket Birds takes off, yes. We would love to work with artists to sell merch on the store with royalties paid back to the artists, but we are not ready for that yet.