American Literary Review

American Literary Review welcomes submissions of previously unpublished poems, short stories, and essays. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable if noted in your cover letter. Please note that all submissions will be considered for online publication only.

• We are now open for general submissions in all genres. The general submission window will close on December 1 to give our staff time to catch up on reading. We will then reopen January 1 and remain open till April 1. 
• The reading period for our American Literary Awards Contests is open from June 1-Oct. 1. 
• Regular submissions can be sent to us here for a fee of $3. Contest submissions require a $15 entry fee.
• Why the $3 fee? This is not a reading fee but simply meant to cover the administrative and IT costs associated with our online submissions system.

With the exception of Flash Flood submissions, we do not accept submissions via email or via postal mail. We also do not accept any previously published work, including online publication and “revised” or altered versions of stories, poems, or essays. Unsolicited manuscripts received outside the reading period will be returned unread.

Please note that all current students and students who have graduated within three years from the University of North Texas are ineligible to submit to ALR.

To withdraw single poems, please send a note via Submittable.

We respond to submissions in approximately three to six months. Please do not query about the status of your submission until six months have passed.

To request a submission fee waiver, email americanliteraryreview@gmail.com.

For Flash Flood submission guidelines, please visit https://americanliteraryreview.com/alr-flash-flood/.

FICTION GUIDELINES:

Submit only one story at a time. ALR seeks distinctive, character-driven stories. We have no set maximum for length, but stories under 8,000 words have the best chance of publication. We generally avoid novel excerpts unless they can stand alone as stories.

Short fiction submitted for publication in the ALR must:

• be double-spaced
• have the author’s name, address, and phone number on the first page

POETRY GUIDELINES:

Submit up to five poems at a time. Poetry selections are made by a widely-read group with eclectic tastes who look for the best poems, regardless of form or subject matter.

Poetry submitted for publication in the ALR must:

• be accompanied by a cover letter with the author’s name, address, and phone number

ESSAYS GUIDELINES:

Submit only one work at a time. We welcome essays in all forms, including flash, and we are interested in both traditional essays and ones that push the boundaries of the genre. We prefer submissions shorter than 4,000 words.

Essays submitted for publication in the ALR must:

• be accompanied with a brief cover letter including the essay’s word count

REVIEWS:

We do not publish unsolicited book reviews at this time. The editors and their associates regularly prepare a section of short book evaluations, selectively treating recent publications.