Poets, writers, illustrators, lend me your ear.

Or at least your art.

Mock Turtle Zine is accepting submissions for its upcoming issue scheduled to be released in conjunction with Urban Nights Friday, Sept. 10.

Mock Turtle Zine is an independent publishing effort undertaken to give artists and authors in Dayton, Ohio, and surrounding areas a vehicle for sharing their work. The zine accepts poetry, song lyrics, fiction and nonfiction works, and visual art.

Founder Christina Dendy, who teaches creative writing at Stivers for the Arts, began printing her own poetry under the Mock Turtle name in 2005. Subsequent collections of short stories and other writings followed, and in 2009 the booklets evolved into a full-fledged ‘zine (Mock Turtle Issue #1) featuring prose, poems and photography from additional contributors.

Mock Turtle publication print runs have ranged between 50 to 100 copies, but Dendy hopes to expand the output for the next issue. She understands, however, assembling a team of dedicated partners is key for the growth of the ‘zine.

“The idea is to expand contributor base and distribution,” she says. “But that requires an independent source of funding, so we have to take on local (emphasis on local) advertising. We will also be seeking additional points of distribution though we have not determined the number yet. All of this requires an increase in volunteers.”

Previous issues have featured work from local artists, including dazzling photography by Kidtee Hello, prose by writer Tiffany Shaw-Diaz and art contributions by visual artist David Kenworthy.

Send electronic submissions to [email protected] by end of day August 27. Submissions guidelines are available on the ‘zine’s website, http://mockturtlezine.weebly.com/submissions.html.

For additional information about the zine, please contact Christina Dendy at [email protected] or email Mock Turtle at [email protected]