Blog > Understanding Publishing – Posted on April 19, 2019
Top Places Accepting Short Story and Poetry Submissions in 2020
When it comes to becoming a successful author, sending short story submissions or poetry submissions to open publications is the equivalent of learning to walk before you run. It gives you experience in appealing to editors, helps you build your writer’s resume, allows you to reach an audience — and, notably, gives you the opportunity to get paid for your writing. In other words, it can be an incredibly useful and accessible stepping stone for launching your writing career.
The following is a list of our favorite publications currently accepting short story and poetry submissions for 2020.
Poetry Submissions
32 Poems
About: “As a rule, we publish shorter poems that fit on a single page (about 32 lines), though we sometimes make exceptions to accommodate remarkable work that runs a little longer. Please send no more than five poems (in a single document, if submitting online) and no more than one active submission at a time.”
Deadline: Ongoing
Compensation: $25 per poem
Submission Guidelines: here
Arc Poetry Magazine
About: “Arc accepts unsolicited submissions of previously unpublished poetry in English, or translations of poetry into English, on any subject and in any form.”
Deadline: Jun 1st - September 30th (for Winter issue), October 1 - January 31st (for Summer issue)
Compensation: $50 per page
Submission Guidelines: here
Believer Mag
About: “The Believer, a five-time National Magazine Award finalist, is a bimonthly literature, arts, and culture magazine based at the Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute, a department of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.”
Deadline: Ongoing
Compensation: Payment for unsolicited submissions is not specified
Submission Guidelines: here
Beloit Poetry Journal
About: “We are open to a wide range of forms and styles in contemporary poetry. We are always watching for new poets, quickened language, and work that offers a fresh purchase on the political or social landscape.”
Deadline: June 1st - August 31st
Compensation: Payment for unsolicited submissions is not specified
Submission Guidelines: here
Poetry Magazine
About: “We examine all work received and accept that which seems best. We consider original works written in the English language as well as translations of poetry into English. We regret that the volume of submissions received and the small size of our staff do not permit us to give individual criticism.”
Deadline: Ongoing
Compensation: $10 per line
Submission Guidelines: here
Rattle
About: “We’re looking for poems that move us, that might make us laugh or cry, or teach us something new. We like both free verse and traditional forms—we try to publish a representative mix of what we receive. We read a lot of poems, and only those that are unique, insightful, and musical stand out—regardless of style.”
Deadline: Ongoing
Compensation: $100 per poem
Submission Guidelines: here
The American Poetry Review
About: “The American Poetry Review is dedicated to reaching a worldwide audience with a diverse array of the best contemporary poetry and literary prose. APR also aims to expand the audience interested in poetry and literature, and to provide authors, especially poets, with a far-reaching forum in which to present their work.”
Deadline: Ongoing
Compensation: Payment for unsolicited submissions is not specified
Submission Guidelines: here
The Common
About: “We seek stories, essays, poems, and dispatches that embody a strong sense of place: pieces in which the setting is crucial to character, narrative, mood, and language. We receive many submissions about traveling in foreign countries and discourage writers from submitting conventional travelogues in which narrators report on experiences abroad without reflecting on larger themes.”
Deadline: March 1st - June 1st, September 1st - December 1st
Compensation: $20 per poem
Submission Guidelines: here
The Kenyon Review
About: “Building on a tradition of excellence dating back to 1939, the Kenyon Review has evolved from a distinguished literary magazine to a pre-eminent arts organization. Today, KR is devoted to nurturing, publishing, and celebrating the best in contemporary writing. We’re expanding the community of diverse readers and writers, across the globe, at every stage of their lives.”
Deadline: September 15th - November 1st
Compensation: Payment for unsolicited submissions is not specified
Submission Guidelines: here
The Nation
About: “The Nation welcomes unsolicited poetry submissions. You may send up to three poems at a time, but no more than 6 poems a year. No simultaneous submissions, or previously published works, please. Submissions are not accepted from June 1 to September 15.”
Deadline: June 1st - September 15th
Compensation: Payment for unsolicited submissions is not specified
Submission Guidelines: here
The New Yorker
About: “Send up to six poems per submission, but please do not submit more than twice in twelve months. We do not consider work that has appeared elsewhere (this includes all Web sites and personal blogs). We are interested in translations of poems that have never been published in English.”
Deadline: Ongoing
Compensation: Payment for unsolicited submissions is not specified
Submission Guidelines: here
The Paris Review
About: “Send up to six poems per submission, but please do not submit more than twice in twelve months. We do not consider work that has appeared elsewhere (this includes all Web sites and personal blogs). We are interested in translations of poems that have never been published in English.”
Deadline: Ongoing
Compensation: Payment for unsolicited submissions is not specified
Submission Guidelines: here
Short Story Submissions
Black Warrior Review
About: “BWR publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, comics, and art twice a year. Contributors include Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners alongside emerging writers. Work appearing in BWR has been reprinted in the Pushcart Prize series, Best American Short Stories, Best American Poetry, PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize, New Stories from the South, and other anthologies.”
Deadline: December 1st - March 1st, and June 1st - September 1st
Compensation: Payment for unsolicited submissions is not specified
Word Count: Up to 5,000 words for short stories, and up to 1,000 words for flash fiction
Submission Guidelines: here
Boulevard Magazine
About: “Boulevard strives to publish only the finest in fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. While we frequently publish writers with previous credits, we are very interested in less experienced or unpublished writers with exceptional promise. If you have practiced your craft and your work is the best it can be, send it to Boulevard.”
Deadline: October 1st - May 1st
Compensation: $100 - $300
Word Count: Up to 8,000 words
Submission Guidelines: here
Daily Science Fiction
About: “Daily Science Fiction (DSF) is a market accepting speculative fiction stories from 100 to 1,500 words in length. By this we mean science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, etc. We will consider flash series--three or more flash tales built around a common theme.”
Deadline: Ongoing outside of December 24th - January 2nd
Compensation: 8 cents per word
Word Count: 100 - 1,500
Submission Guidelines: here
Levee Magazine
About: “Overall, we won’t know what we’ll love or hate until we see it. That being said, here are some guidelines to what we tend to enjoy: literary fiction, surrealism, magical realism, flash fiction, environmental writing.”
Deadline: June 1st - July 31st, January 1st - February 28th
Compensation: Payment for unsolicited submissions is not specified
Word Count: Up to 8,000 words
Submission Guidelines: here
One Story
About: “One Story is seeking literary fiction. Because of our format, we can only accept stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They can be any style and on any subject as long as they are good. We are looking for stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone.”
Deadline: January 15th - May 31st, and September 3rd - November 14th
Compensation: $500
Word Count: 3,000 - 8,000
Submission Guidelines: here
Story Magazine
About: “Story is a tri-annual print publication devoted to the complex and diverse world of narrative with a focus on fiction and nonfiction. Formerly a publication of York College, Story has reorganized as a non-profit, independent arts organization based in Columbus, Ohio.”
Deadline: Ongoing
Compensation: $10 per page
Word Count: Unspecified
Submission Guidelines: here
The Antioch Review
About: “We seldom publish more than three short stories in each issue. New writers as well as the previously published authors are welcome. It is the story that counts, a story worthy of the serious attention of the intelligent reader, a story that is compelling, written with distinction. Only rarely do we publish translations of well-known or new foreign writers. A chapter of a novel is welcome only if it can be read complete in itself as a short story.”
Deadline: September 1st - May 31st
Compensation: $20 per printed page and two copies of the issue
Word Count: Up to 5,000 words
Submission Guidelines: here
The Atlantic
About: “The Atlantic is always interested in great nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. A general familiarity with what we have published in the past is the best guide to what we're looking for.”
Deadline: Ongoing
Compensation: Payment for unsolicited submissions is not specified
Word Count: Unspecified
Submissions Guidelines: here
The First Line
About: “Were you inspired by the fall 2008 first line (Roy owned the only drive-thru funeral business in Maine.) but didn't see the sentence until 2015? Or maybe you started writing a story for the spring 2005 issue (Life would be so much easier if I were a cartoon character.) but you never got around to submitting it. Or maybe you sent us a story that just missed the cut and you reworked it and want to try us again. Well, now is your chance to make up for missed opportunities.”
Deadline: February 1st (for Spring issue), May 1st (for Summer issue), August 1st (for Fall issue), November 1st (for Winter issue)
Compensation: $25 - $50
Word Count: 300 - 5,000
Submission Guidelines: here
The New Yorker
About: “We read all submissions within ninety days, and will contact you if we’re interested in publishing your material. We regret that, owing to the volume of submissions we receive, we are unable to call or e-mail unless a story is accepted for publication. If you have not heard from us within ninety days, please assume that we will not be able to publish your manuscript.”
Deadline: Ongoing
Compensation: Payment for unsolicited submissions is not specified
Word Count: Unspecified
Submission Guidelines: here
The Threepenny Review
About: Offering fiction, memoirs, poetry, essays and criticism to a readership of over 10,000, The Threepenny Review accepts short stories under 4,000 words and pays $400 per story.
Deadline: Ongoing
Compensation: $400
Word Count: Up to 4,000 words
Submission Guidelines: here
Vestal Review
About: “Launched in March of 2000, Vestal Review is the world’s oldest magazine dedicated exclusively to flash fiction.”
Deadline: February - May, and August - November
Compensation: $25
Word Count: Up to 500 words
Submission Guidelines: here
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Resources to help you nail your short story and poetry submissions
While these publications are some of our favorites, there are hundreds of other places you can submit your writing. Search for them here:
Or maybe you’re still working on your writing, and are not quite sure if it’s ready to send out to the world yet. If that’s the case, here are a few resources to help:
Finally, maybe you’re still at step one: you haven’t started writing yet and are waiting for inspiration to strike. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered there as well:
What are some of the challenges or successes you’ve experienced while sending out poetry and short submissions? Leave any thoughts or questions in the comments below!
