Call for submissions

Summer 2026 - Issue #25 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!

Guided by our commitment to inclusive and ethical storytelling, Stonecoast Review welcomes submissions from emerging writers from underrepresented groups beginning 2/1. Open submissions for all writers will follow from 2/15 - 3/15.

Submission close at 11:59 p.m. on March 15 2026.

We support the Stonecoast community's goal to promote inclusivity, equity, and social justice through writing.

Click here to submit!

  • Genres Accepted:

    Fiction

    Popular (Genre) Fiction

    Creative Nonfiction

    Poetry

    Dramatic Works

    Experimental Literature

    Visual Art

  • issue format:

    Beginning with Issue 21, released in June 2024, Stonecoast Review assumed the form of a print/online hybrid journal. The print form now consists of a 48-page chapbook, with full color art throughout, as well as a QR code that directs readers to more new content on StonecoastReview.org. As such, all pieces selected for publication will be featured online but, due to page limitations, only a select number of pieces will be able to be featured in the print Issue. Please see below for new guidelines regarding word count limitations for each type of publication.

  • rights:

    Stonecoast Review acquires First Serial Rights and First Electronic Rights for all work published in the journal. Rights revert to the author upon publication. Contributors selected for print publication will receive a complimentary copy of the Issue in which their work appears. 

  • our staff:

    We are a volunteer group of Stonecoast MFA Program alumni and current students. Most of us have experience working on numerous Stonecoast Review issues or other literary journals. Any Stonecoast alumni and current students currently working on the current Issue of Stonecoast Review are ineligible to submit.

  • consider supporting us!

    We rely upon donations to cover advertising, website, and printing costs. To support Stonecoast Review, click on the “Donate” buttons throughout the website.

Submission guidelines

  • Send submissions via Submittable only.

  • Please include a short cover letter and bio (50- and 100-word max., respectively).

  • We accept one prose submission, one poetry submission (of up to three poems), or five pieces of visual art per author, per submission cycle. Submissions that do not abide by these rules will not be considered for publication.

  • Your work must be previously unpublished. (Stonecoast alumni may submit already published work for consideration as reprints.)

  • We encourage simultaneous submissions. However, please withdraw your submission immediately if it’s accepted elsewhere. If you submit multiple poems and one is accepted at another publication, please attach a note on Submittable identifying which poem is no longer available.

  • If your piece contains language that is not English:

    • If your entire piece is not in English please provide a translation of the piece in English and we will publish the translation and original side by side should it be accepted.

    • If your piece occasionally combines languages then a translation is not necessary. We also encourage authors to avoid italicizing words that are not English.

  • While we love to represent stories with raw, emotional truth, we ask that you refrain from submitting pieces featuring excessive sex, violence, assaults, or suicide. We ask that you include trigger warnings when needed.

  • We will reject pieces determined to be written by the use of AI software.

Format Guidelines

  • Please don’t include your name in your manuscript.

  • Please adhere to standard manuscript format: Double spaced, 12 pt., Times New Roman font. Poetry may be single spaced. (If you tell us that diverging from these rules is integral to your piece, we will consider it.)

As a reminder, all pieces selected for publication will be featured online in summer 2026. Due to page constraints, only a few of these selected pieces will be featured in both the print and online summer 2026 Issue.

Please see below for word count limitations based on consideration for either Hybrid (Print + Online) or Online-only publication formats.

click here to submit!

Genre Guidelines

  • fiction

    We are looking for stories that push the boundaries of traditional fiction with regard to form and content. Our team appreciates pieces that can be both current and timeless, and accessible yet elevated.

    For consideration for Hybrid Publication: limit submissions to 2,500 words or fewer. 

    For consideration for Online-Only Publication: limit submissions to 5,000 words or fewer. One submission per author, per submission cycle.

  • creative non-fiction

    We are looking for a diverse array of Creative Nonfiction works that engage with readers and challenge the boundaries of conventional storytelling. We encourage experimentation with hybrid forms of essay and memoir and are particularly interested in works that are both socially-relevant and personal.

    For consideration for Hybrid Publication: limit submissions to 2,500 words or fewer. 

    For consideration for Online-Only Publication: limit submissions to 5,000 words or fewer. One submission per author, per submission cycle.

  • dramatic works

    We are seeking short dramatic works of all types. Plays, screenplays, and hybrid works including monologues, one-minute scripts, ten-minute scripts, and experimental works are all welcome. Excerpts from longer dramatic works are welcome if they stand on their own.

    For consideration for Hybrid Publication: limit submissions to 5 or fewer pages. 

    For consideration for Online-Only Publication: limit submissions to 12 or fewer pages. One submission per author, per submission cycle.

  • poetry

    We value attentiveness to language, form, and craft. We want poems that make us gasp and wonder and take us beyond ourselves. Send us your best work. .

    Limit submissions to 3 poems, with no more than 50 lines each. One submission per author, per submission cycle, of up to three poems.

  • popular/genre fiction

    We are looking for popular fiction of all genres and storytelling traditions. We are looking for stories that say something new and break the mold.

    For consideration for Hybrid Publication: limit submissions to 2,500 words or fewer. 

    For consideration for Online-Only Publication: limit submissions to 5,000 words or fewer. One submission per author, per submission cycle.

  • visual art

    We seek visual images for the cover and selected inside pages. We welcome experimental and unusual art forms. We accept 2D digital images of photography, sculpture, painting, and mixed media. Please send high-res digital images (300 dpi or higher) in JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, or RAW file format.

    Limit submissions to five pieces. One submission per author, per submission cycle, of up to five pieces.