Submit
American Literary Review welcomes submissions of previously unpublished poems, short stories, and essays. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but please let us know immediately via Submittable if your piece is accepted elsewhere. Please note that all submissions will be considered for online publication only.
We are open from October 1 – December 1 and January 1 – May 1 for general submissions of poetry, fiction, and essays. General submissions can be sent to us through our online submission manager for a fee of $4. There is a 300-submission cap per genre, after which the corresponding submission portal will close.
Check out our previously published work to get a sense of what we are looking for: Spring 2026 – American Literary Review
Starting in the Spring 2027 issue, we will be paying contributors for the stories, essays, and poems that are selcted for publication from our general submissions. Published stories will receive a one-time payment of $40. And published poems will receive a one-time payment of $15.
Guidelines and Expectations for Submitting to ALR Overall:
- Submission must be previously unpublished. Including online publication and “revised” or altered versions of stories, poems, or essays.
- Anyone who is or was associated with the University of North Texas in the last three years is ineligible to submit.
- Submissions of work created in part or in whole with generative A.I. or LLMs are not accepted.
- Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but please withdraw your work immediately if your piece is accepted elsewhere.
- Only send finished pieces; we do not consider edits once a piece is submitted.
- We are unable to leave feedback on submissions.
ALR Awards
The ALR Awards contest is open for submisisons of poetry, fiction, and essays from June 1 – September 1. Read the guidlines here or visit our Submittable page.
Flash Flood
Our Flash Flood contest is open from the 1st to the 15th of September, October, November, February, March, and April for submissions of flash fiction, nonfiction, or prose poetry that is under 1000 words. Read the guidlines here or visit our Submittable page.
Interviews or Reviews?
We do not publish unsolicited book reviews or interviews at this time. The ALR editorial team publishes several interviews and book reviews in each issue, typically featuring recent small- or independent-press books. You may mail review copies to ALR for possible review.
Fiction Guidelines:
American Literary Review seeks distinctive, character-driven stories. We generally avoid novel excerpts unless they can stand alone as stories.
- Submit only one story at a time.
- Submissions should be under 6,000 words.
- Submissions must be double-spaced.
- Include a cover letter with the author’s name, address, phone number, email, and the story’s word count.
Poetry Guidelines:
Poetry submissions are reviewed by a widely read group with eclectic tastes who look for the best poems, regardless of form or subject matter.
- Submit no more than five poems.
- Submissions must be single-spaced.
- Include a cover letter with the author’s name, address, phone number, email, and the poem titles.
Essays Guidelines:
We welcome creative nonfiction essays in all forms, including flash, and we are interested in both traditional personal essays and those that push the boundaries of the genre.
- Submit only one story at a time.
- Submissions should be under 6,000 words.
- Submissions must be double-spaced.
- Include a cover letter with the author’s name, address, phone number, email, and the story’s word count.
Art
We prefer cohesive sets of art with shared themes and/or media. We are more likely to publish work accompanied by a detailed artist statement that discusses the relationship between the work’s subjects, themes, and craft. We are much less likely to publish submissions of fewer than 5 pieces. We do not typically publish cartoons or comics.
Art Guidelines:
- Include 5-10 images in a standard web-readable format (we prefer JPEG).
- Each piece should have a title that is reflected in the file name.
- Include a cover letter with the artist name, address, phone number, email, and the art titles.
- Include an artist statement.
FAQs
Submissions
Do you accept simultaneous submissions?
Yes. Simultaneous submissions are welcome. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please withdraw it immediately through Submittable.
Can I submit more than one piece?
This depends on the genre. Please see our [Fiction, Poetry, and Essays guidelines] for the current limits per submission. Additional peices beyond the genre specific limits will not be read.
You shouldn’t submit the same peice in multipule genres. Submit any hybrid work in whichever category you feel best describes your piece.
Can I submit work that has been self published online?
No. We only consider previously unpublished work. This includes work previously published online, as well as revised or altered versions of previously published work.
Work that has appeared anywhere online, including on personal websites or social media, is considered previously published.
Submission Fees and Payments
Why does ALR charge a $4 submission fee?
This fee covers the administrative and IT costs associated with our online submissions system. And, it helps cover publication costs.
Do you pay contributors?
Yes, we are now paying those selected for publication of from the general poetry, fiction and essay submissions!
- $40 per published story(fiction/ essay)
- $15 per published poem
Are submission fees refundable?
No. Submission fees cannot be refunded, including when a submission is withdrawn.
Can I request a fee waiver?
Yes. At this time, we’re offering a limited number of fee waivers for submissions to marginalized writers, including migrant and international writers, writers of color, LGBTQIA+ writers, and neurodiverse and disabled writers.
Please note that fee-waived submissions are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
How do I request a fee waiver?
Please note that fee-waived submissions are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with our guidelines before sending your work. If you believe you qualify for a waiver and would like to request one, please email americanliteraryreview@gmail.com with:
- the genre to which you will be submitting;
- the email address you use for your Submittable account (if you do not have a Submittable account, you must make one to be considered);
- the title of the peice(s) under concideration;
- your name, and if it is different, your legal/business name;
- your phone number;
- a Word or PDF copy of your piece(s) for the entry;
- a cover letter including a brief, third-person bio that includes your contact information and may list previous publications, accomplishments, and/or other information you feel may be pertinent to readers.
If waivers are still available once we’ve received the necessary information from you, an editor will manually add your work to Submittable, at which point you will receive a Submittable notification that it has been added. If you’ve sent the necessary information but have not received a Submittable notification within two weeks, feel free to email again to check on the status of your fee-waived submission.
After You’ve Submitted
How long does it take to receive a response?
We respond to submissions in approximately six to eight months.
Can I make changes to my submission after I submit it?
No. Per our submission guidelines, we do not accept edits to either regular or contest entries once a piece has been received. If you would like us to consider your edited piece or a new work, you may submit it via Submittable during our open submission period, then withdraw your initial submission.
Note that we are unable to offer refunds or replacement submissions for withdrawn submissions.
How do I withdraw my submisison?
To withdraw submissions, click the submission in Submittable, then on the “Activity” tab, click the link labeled “Withdraw” in the upper-right corner beneath the blue box labeled either “Received” or “In-Progress.” This will prompt you to add a “reason for withdrawal,” where you can indicate you’ve created a new submission, then click “Withdraw.”
To withdraw individual poems, please send a note via Submittable indicating the poem you need to withdraw.
Note that we are unable to offer refunds or replacement submissions for withdrawn submissions.
Will the editors provide feedback on my submission?
No. We are unable to provide individual feedback on submissions.
Other
Can I submit a book review or interview to American Literary Review?
We do not publish unsolicited book reviews or interviews at this time. The ALR editorial team publishes several interviews and book reviews in each issue, typically featuring recent small- or independent-press books.
Can I submit via email or via post mail?
We do not accept submissions via email, and we do not accept submissions via postal mail, except from incarcerated writers or others who do not have internet access.
Can I send a book to ALR for possible review?
To send review copies to ALR for possible review, please contact us at americanliteraryreview@gmail.com or use the mailing address below.
American Literary Review
University of North Texas- English
1155 Union Circle #311307
Denton, Texas 76203