Writer’s Guidelines

WHAT KIND OF MATERIAL DOES THE ANTIOCH REVIEW USE?

The best answer: Read some issues of The Antioch Review. Within these pages you will find information that can help you to develop ideas for subjects and an understanding about treatment, lengths of articles, and the stories we have used. Perusing prior issues of The Antioch Review will be far more rewarding for you than any theories we might postulate.  This said, the following may also be helpful:

• Nonfiction essays: Our audience is made up of educated citizens, often professional people, who are interested in matters beyond their fields of special activity.  With few exceptions, our subjects cover most of the range of social science and humanities.  Our approach tries to steer a middle course between scholars speaking exclusively to other scholars in their field and workaday journalists appealing to a broad popular audience; both these approaches have their own journals and audiences.  We try for the interpretive essay on a topic of current importance, drawing on scholarly materials for its substance and appealing to the intellectual and social concerns of our readers.  We are also interested in reviving the moribund art of literary journalism.
• Fiction: We seldom publish more than three short stories in each issue. New writers as well as the previously published authors are welcome. It is the story that counts, a story worthy of the serious attention of the intelligent reader, a story that is compelling, written with distinction. Only rarely do we publish translations of well-known or new foreign writers. A chapter of a novel is welcome only if it can be read complete in itself as a short story.
• Poetry: Like fiction, we get far more poetry than we can possibly accept, and the competition is keen. Here, where form and content are so inseparable and reaction is so personal, it is difficult to state requirements or limitations.  Studying recent issues of The Antioch Review should be helpful. No “light” or inspirational verse. Any poetry received without a self addressed stamped envelope will be discarded if rejected and no notice will be sent. No need to enclose a post card for the purpose of acknowledging receipt of a submission. Do not mix poetry and prose in the same envelope. Please submit three to six poems at one time.
• Reviews: We do not publish unsolicited book reviews and very seldom do we publish essays on literary problems or the canons of significant contemporary writers. The editors and their associates regularly prepare a section of short book evaluations, selectively treating recent publications.

DOES THE ANTIOCH REVIEW PROVIDE FREE SAMPLE COPIES?

Since The Antioch Review is expensive to produce and operates on a precarious financial margin, free sample copies are not provided.

DOES THE ANTIOCH REVIEW ACCEPT ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS?

At this time, we do not accept electronic submissions.

DOES THE ANTIOCH REVIEW ACCEPT PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED SUBMISSIONS?

No, The Antioch Review does not accept previously published materials, hence, please do not submit materials that have been published in other publications.

DOES THE ANTIOCH REVIEW ACCEPT SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS?

The editor discourages simultaneous submissions.  If you are also submitting to other publications and another publication accepts your submission, immediately let us know via emailing review@antiochcollege.edu.

WHAT ARE THE ANTIOCH REVIEW‘S CRITERIA FOR STYLE, LENGTH, ETC.?

Our literary standards are high. We do not have the staff to engage in major editorial rewriting except on rare occasions when the content justifies the effort.

Length:  We have no rigid expectations of length, preferring the content and treatment to determine size.  Rarely do we use articles or stories over 5,000 words—and 8,000 at the outside limit.

Style and more: Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced on one side of white, 8.5 x 11 paper. Please spare the editors the task of reading dirty Xerox copies or pages with excessive inter-linear corrections and revisions.

WHAT ARE SOME HELPFUL TIPS FOR MY SUBMISSION TO THE ANTIOCH REVIEW?

We encourage you to include a cover letter that tells us the type of piece you are submitting (fiction, non-fiction, poem, etc.) as well as provides a short bio about you. Please be sure to include your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address in your cover letter.

While our interns and staff do what we can to ensure that all pages submitted by you remain together and in the order you submitted them, things do happen. As a result, we encourage you to include the following on every page:

• page numbers  and tell us how many pages are in the piece (Example: Page X of Y)
• the title of your piece
• your name
• your email address
• your phone number

SUBMISSION INSTUCTIONS

Manuscripts: We prefer manuscripts to be mailed flat, fastened by paper clip only, and one at a time, except for poetry.

Envelope: Address your submission to FICTION EDITOR or NONFICTION EDITOR or POETRY EDITOR, as appropriate, as this will help us to more efficiently process your submission. Note the type of submission on the envelope you use to transmit your material(s):

• FICTION
• NONFICTION
• POETRY

Do not mix prose and poetry in the same envelope.

Self-addressed, stamped envelope: A self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) is required. We do not read domestic submissions that do not include a SASE. International submissions must include either an SASE or an International Reply Coupon (IRC). If an IRC is unavailable, an email response can be requested.  Note: Email responses are an option for solely international submissions.

Mailing Address: Submissions should be sent to: The Antioch Review, One Morgan Place, Yellow Springs, OH 45387, again with the appropriate information noted on the envelope (see above “Envelope” criteria).

WHEN DOES THE ANTIOCH REVIEW ACCEPT SUBMISSIONS?

As noted above, at this time, we do not accept electronic submissions.

• Nonfiction Essays: Submissions postmarked with a date between September 1 through May 31 are accepted.  We do not accept essay submissions postmarked with a date between June 1 and August 31. Submissions received during this period will be returned unread (if SASE enclosed) or discarded.
• Fiction: Submissions postmarked with a date between September 1 through May 31 are accepted. We do not accept fiction submissions postmarked with a date between June 1 and August 31. Submissions received during this period will be returned unread (if SASE enclosed) or discarded.
• Poetry: Submissions postmarked with a date between September 1 through April 30 are accepted. We do not accept poetry submissions postmarked with a date between May 1 and September 1. Submissions received during this period will be returned unread (if SASE enclosed) or discarded.

WHAT OTHER HELPFUL INFORMATION CAN THE ANTIOCH REVIEW PROVIDE?

​Contract:  Authors must be of legal age to enter into contracts.

Fee: There is no submission fee.

Processing Time: We try to report on manuscripts as quickly as possible. The process can sometimes take months.  Your patience during this time is appreciated. We acknowledge receipt of a manuscript only if it is accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope for that purpose. Please do not email inquiries or call asking for the status of your manuscript or poetry.

Payment: Payment is upon printed publication at the rate of $20.00 per printed page (about 425 words) plus 2 copies of the issue.  Authors may buy additional copies at an authors’ discount off the cover price.

Rejections: While material read by The Antioch Review is seriously considered, we cannot comment on each rejection.