Submissions

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Author Guidelines

We welcome submissions of short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry from new as well as established writers. While we read poetry submissions year-round, we may occasionally close prose submissions if we receive a large number. We usually respond to submissions in 3-5 months. We ask that you do not query the status of your submission until 6 months have passed. Please wait to submit again until after we have responded to any pending submission.

All submissions will be assessed by a team of readers and an editor to determine whether they meet the aims and scope of this journal before determining whether they will be accepted or rejected. No AI-generated work is permitted. Simultaneous submissions are fine as long as you notify us right away if your work has been accepted elsewhere. We acquire one-time rights for the print and digital versions of Cottonwood.

Copy your cover letter, including a short bio and approximate word count, into the "comments for the editor" box. Please only submit your work in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format.

We prefer submissions be made through our online portal (see below). Email submissions are no longer accepted.

If you choose to mail submissions to our physical address, be sure to use correct postage and include an SASE. Mailed submissions without an SASE will not be considered. Please address your envelope to the relevant editor and use the address below:

Cottonwood Magazine and Press
Dept. of English
1445 Jayhawk Boulevard, Room 3001
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS 66045

 

 

Submission Preparation Checklist

All submissions must meet the following requirements.

  • This submission meets the requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.
  • This submission has not been previously published, nor already accepted for publication by another journal.
  • This submission has not been produced in any part by generative AI.
  • Simultaneous submissions are permitted but please notify us at once if work is accepted by another journal.

Fiction

We welcome submissions of short fiction from new as well as established writers. We have no strict preferences as to subject or style, but our bent is towards the literary. Stories that blur genres are welcome.

We usually respond in 3-5 months. Do not query until 6 months have passed.

Please wait to submit again until after we have responded to any pending submission, and do not submit more than 3 times per year. We acquire one-time print and digital rights.

Please use our submission manager. Copy your cover letter, including a short bio and approximate word count, into the "comments for the editor" box. Please only submit your work in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format. Email submissions are no longer accepted.

Fiction length: 1500-8000 words

Flash prose length: 150-1000 words

Payment: 1 hard copy for U.S. residents / 1 digital copy for international residents

Poetry

We welcome submissions of poetry from new as well as established writers. We read submissions year-round, and usually report in 3-5 months. Please wait to submit again until after we have responded to any pending submission. We acquire one-time print and digital rights.

Poetry length: 10-80 lines

Reporting time: 3-5 months

Payment: 1 hard copy for U.S. residents / 1 digital copy for international residents

Creative Non-Fiction

We welcome personal narrative, memoir, lyrical essays, and critical essays (if they have a creative or personal bent). We also welcome travel and nature writing that shows us unexpected settings grounded in a unique authorial voice and insight. Please do not submit unsolicited reviews.

We aim to respond in 3-5 months. Do not query until 6 months have passed.

Please wait to submit again until after we have responded to any pending submission, and do not submit more than 3 times per year. We acquire one-time print and digital rights.

Please use our submission manager. Copy your cover letter, including a short bio and approximate word count, into the "comments for the editor" box. Please only submit your work in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format. Email submissions are no longer accepted.

Creative Non-Fiction length: 1500-8000 words


Payment: 1 hard copy for U.S. residents / 1 digital copy for international residents

Copyright Notice

Cottonwood claims one-time world print and digital rights.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.