The Emerson Review is Emerson College’s oldest literary magazine, and strives to publish meaningful fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and artwork each year. We accept submissions between August 1 and January 1 for our annual issue, which is published in April. Submissions are reviewed by our genre editors and general reading staff, who are all undergraduate students at Emerson College.
Simultaneous submissions for multiple genres are acceptable. Please notify us immediately if your piece is accepted elsewhere; we do not accept works that have already been published or are set to be published. Submissions submitted in Word Document (.doc or .docx) format are preferred, but PDFs are also accepted.
Every contributor receives complimentary copies of the issue in which their work appears. Additionally, we will be paying non-Emerson contributors. Unfortunately, due to legality issues, we cannot pay Emerson College students at this time.
Please include the following information in your cover letter:
- Short author biography
- Word count (for fiction and nonfiction)
- Medium (for artwork)
- Trigger warnings (if applicable)
We look forward to seeing your work!
Maximum word count: 3,500 words
We are looking for fiction pieces that create an emotional connection and a meaningful reading experience through beautiful prose. We accept all kinds of fiction, including genre fiction (i.e., romance, sci-fi, fantasy, etc.), though we are particular fans of literary fiction with evocative prose. We also accept flash fiction (fiction pieces that are 300 words or shorter).
Submit no more than one story or three flash fiction pieces at one time. We do not accept novel excerpts.
Maximum word count: 3,500 words
We are strong believers in the idea that you don’t need extraordinary experiences to write extraordinary nonfiction. We’re looking for pieces that showcase an understanding of thoughtful storytelling and beautiful prose about reality.
Submit no more than one personal essay and/or memoir at one time. We do not accept academic essays or research papers.
Maximum Pieces Per Artist: 5
We accept all kinds of 2D visual artwork, with a preference for paintings and digital art. All submissions will be considered to print in color in the interior of the book.
Please upload each submission individually at 300 dpi, at least 6" x 9". Please name the submission the title of the submitted piece. If you would like to submit more than one file, please do so in a separate submission.
We may not respond to art submissions until March.
Maximum Page Count (per poem): 3 pages
Maximum Poems Per Submission: 3
We accept all kinds of poems but have a special place in our hearts for narrative poetry and form poetry with a contemporary twist.
Please name your submission with the titles of each poem submitted. We will not take poems that have already been published or are set to be published.