OTHER MAPS is an independent literary platform dedicated to Indonesian literature in translation. Published as a quarterly English-language journal, it brings Indonesian writing into global circulation and invites international readers to engage with voices, histories, and lived experiences from across Indonesia.
OTHER MAPS is founded by IDWRITERS, a literary initiative committed to expanding space, access, and opportunities for Indonesian writers. Both share the same mission: strengthening Indonesian literature, supporting writers, and connecting local writing with wider global readership beyond institutional or bureaucratic frameworks.
Our mission is to expand the global presence of Indonesian writing by increasing its circulation, readership, and critical engagement across languages and cultures. We believe literature can open new ways of seeing the world and create space for voices, memories, and realities often left outside dominant literary centers.
We publish carefully curated fiction, essays, poetry, interviews, and reviews. All works originate in Indonesian and are presented in English translation, allowing Indonesian perspectives, storytelling traditions, and intellectual voices to reach international audiences.
No. Writers may submit in Indonesian. Selected works will go through a collaborative editorial and translation process involving editors, translators, and authors to ensure literary quality, accuracy, and integrity of voice.
Indonesian writers from diverse backgrounds, regions, and experiences. We accept both unpublished works and recently published works, provided no official English translation has been published elsewhere.
On Indigeneity: Reclaiming Spotlight — exploring lived realities, memory, land, community, and voices shaped outside dominant literary centers, including indigenous and coastal experiences, local knowledge systems, and everyday struggles often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
https://othermaps.id/volume-1-issue-1/theme/
Initially, for the inaugural issue, publication will be on a non-paying basis. As an independent platform, OTHER MAPS prioritizes building a sustainable literary space, expanding the global reach of Indonesian writers, and creating long-term opportunities for future issues and contributors.
However, OTHER MAPS will be published in three paid formats—Web, PDF, and Print-on-Demand—which means the journal will generate some revenue. With this in mind, we continue to explore the most responsible and sustainable ways to support contributors. One approach under consideration is a revenue-sharing model for all contributors—including authors, editors, and translators—where compensation would be distributed proportionally based on overall sales performance, level of involvement, and professional contribution.
If there are any changes or updates regarding this approach, they will be officially announced in due course.
All contributors will also receive a token of gratitude, along with full access to every publication format (Web, PDF, and Print-on-Demand).
No. Submission to OTHER MAPS is completely free. We believe access to literary space should remain open and inclusive, allowing writers to participate based on the strength of their work rather than financial barriers.
Yes. Once a submission is accepted, contributors will receive a translation and publication agreement outlining rights, permissions, and usage. This ensures clarity, protects the author’s ownership of the original work, and formalizes consent for English translation and publication across all journal formats. The process is handled transparently and collaboratively with the contributor.
OTHER MAPS will be published in three formats:
• Web edition (digital access)
• PDF edition (downloadable archive format)
• Print-on-demand edition (physical copy for global distribution)
This multi-format approach ensures accessibility, sustainability, and wider international reach.
We invite submissions of literary works originally written in Indonesian, whether unpublished or recently published.