The editors of BWR read all 3 genres–Poetry, Prose, and Nonfiction–year round. We also accept submissions of art and comics. Submissions are only accepted through our online submission manager which may be found at http://bwrsubmissions.ua.edu.
General Rules and Guidelines
Please submit only once every six months. The average response time for submissions is between 3 and 6 months, but occasionally stretches longer. If you have not received a response after 6 months (excepting the summer), log in to the submission manager and check on the status of your submission; if you encounter any problems, email us at bwr.interns@gmail.com.
We do NOT consider previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are fine, if noted (please notify us immediately if the work is accepted somewhere else). Please do not mix genres in the same submission.
We encourage you to read Black Warrior Review before submitting. Sample issues are available for $10; one-year subscriptions for $16.
Past contributors, please wait three years from the date of your publication to resubmit work. Contest submissions are included in this policy.
Poetry
We accept up to five poems per submission at a maximum of 10 pages. Poems should be submitted in one document, with the titles separated by commas in the “Submission Title” field. You may abbreviate the titles if they do not fit. We welcome most styles and forms, and we favor poems that take risks–whether they be quiet or audacious.
Prose
We are looking for prose that invite us beyond the familiar, and into widely shared human experiences from a unique perspective. We nurture a special interest in prose pieces that push the boundaries of form, or invent new spaces in the narrative arc.
We ask that prose works are no longer than 7000 words (longer pieces are subject to immediate rejection.)
Nonfiction
We are looking for essays that offer a new perspective, an unvoiced thought, an overlooked association—and we hope that you will send us pieces that not only challenge us with their content, but also with their form. We prize the lyric and the language driven, both the sparsely stated and the indulgently ruminative.
We ask that nonfiction works are no longer than 7000 words. Please query for longer works. We do not usually accept academic articles.
Art and Comics
Although we usually solicit one featured artist per issue, we do welcome submissions of striking art and photography — don’t let us overlook you. We publish a handful of comics (also black and white/greyscale) in each issue. For art and comics, we request that you submit in .jpg or .pdf format.
Payment
BWR pays a one-year subscription and a nominal lump-sum fee for all works published.
Publication rights notice: All rights reserved. Rights revert to author upon publication.