Submission Guidelines
READ Literary Magazine
READ is NOT a publication for genre fiction such as romance, mystery, or sci-fi that tightly adheres to genre tropes. We will consider genre fiction that is fresh, pushes boundaries, and can be appreciated by many readers. Review submission guidelines carefully. Submissions that do not follow posted guidelines will be disqualified without being read. Submitters will NOT be notified prior to contest deadlines. Any submission or reading fees will be forfeited (not all contests have reading fees).
All submissions are read BLIND. DO NOT include the author’s name or pen name anywhere on the uploaded submission. Only the title and word count (neither count toward the total number of words) should appear on the submission.
We only accept PDFs. Use the title of the piece as the document name. Do NOT include the author’s name as part of the document name.
Do NOT include a cover letter. We will NOT read it. We do not take education or previous publications into consideration. We hate reading cover letters almost as much as we hate writing them.
All non-poetry submissions MUST be double-spaced and in Times New Roman 12pt font.
You must be subscribed to READ in order to enter a contest. The electronic version of READ is, and always will be, free for readers.
Submissions are by contest. This model allows us to maximize our payment to writers and keep our publication free for readers. More readers means more exposure for writers. All non-prize winning entries are considering for general publication ($10 paid upon publication). Please see our Publication Agreement for details.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
IMPORTANT: Submitters must be subscribed to the free version of READ to be considered for publication. Submissions from non-subscribers will not be considered and any submission fees will not be returned (not all contest options have fees).
We accept simultaneous submissions. Withdraw your submission if it is accepted elsewhere (and congratulations!).
We do NOT accept multiple submissions (except for poetry) from the same author during the same submission window.
We only publish original material.
We do NOT publish work that has previously been published anywhere including a personal website. Work that has appeared in another language but never in English can be submitted in English if both the original and translation are the work of the writer. We do not publish translations of the work of other writers.
Only submit work written in English.
Use double-spacing for prose. For poetry, use whatever spacing best represents your work.
Use Times New Roman 12pt font. For poetry, other typefaces are acceptable if they serve the piece (but don’t get crazy).
Submit only one piece at a time, except for poetry.
Flash Fiction - 1,000 words or less
Fiction - 3,500 word maximum.
Creative Nonfiction - 3,500 word maximum.
Poetry - Up to four poems may be submitted at one time. We prefer poetry that is accessible and meaningful to the average reader. Think: Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, Mary Oliver, Ada Limón, Diane di Prima, and Joy Harjo. If we can’t understand it, we aren’t going to publish it.
Do not submit academic essays or reviews
Do not submit book proposals.
Do not submit book manuscripts.
Do not submit book excerpts unless to a specific contest for these.
All decisions made by READ editors regarding winners and publication are final. No submission or reading fees will be returned. By submitting, you are agreeing to these rules and guidelines. Rules and guidelines are subject to change. All changes will be posted at this location.
Disclaimer: Editors reserve the right to suspend the contest due to a lack of quality submissions or award a fewer number of prizes based on submissions. In the event of a contest with a submission fee, prizes will be awarded or reading fees will be returned.
FEEDBACK
Submissions to contests without fees may request feedback for a small additional fee. Submissions to contests with a fee will receive basic feedback (strengths and weakness plus 2-3 lines of critique) and can request detailed feedback (overview of plot, dialog, characterization plus 5-6 lines of critique) for a small additional fee. All comments reflect the opinions of the editorial team and are intended to help authors gauge their position on the journey to publication.
COMING SOON: PAID subscribers receive detailed feedback, have submission fees waived, and submissions may be selected for READ’s monthly feedback workshop.
FAQS
1. How soon can I expect to hear about my submission?
We aim to respond to all submissions within one month of the closing of the submission window.
2. I’ve revised my piece since I have submitted. Can you consider a newer version of a piece rather than the one I submitted?
We cannot accommodate revised pieces.
3. My piece has been accepted for a different publication.
If your piece is accepted elsewhere, please withdraw your submission.
Yes!
Giving this a go! Look forward to a submission from me soon.