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The Iowa Review

See other projects related to this listing.

About

Founded in 1970 and edited by faculty, students, and staff from the renowned writing and literature programs at the University of Iowa, The Iowa Review takes advantage of this rich environment for literary collaboration to create a worldwide conversation among those who read and write contemporary literature. We publish a wide range of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, translations, photography, and work in emerging forms by both established and emerging writers. Work from our pages has been consistently selected to appear in the anthologies Best American Essays, Best American Short Stories, Best American Poetry, The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses, and The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. They charge fees for electronic submissions.
The fee is USD $4 (average for magazines that charge).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 1970

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication
Unknown publication frequency
Print Publication Print Publication
Published 3 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy
2,069 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Slower
The Iowa Review's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.
More Challenging
The Iowa Review's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
Less Responsive
The Iowa Review's overall rate of non-response is higher than most magazines.
Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Open

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 01 October 2026* (approx. 25 days from now).

25

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 6,250 words.
Novel Excerpt: Up to 6,250 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Experimental, Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Payment:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $0.08/word; $100 minimum.

Submissions:

Methods: Submittable submission manager (fees apply). Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 01 November 2026* (approx. 56 days from now).

7

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Review: 750 - 1,000 words.
Essay: Up to 6,250 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 6,250 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Experimental, Literary, Personal.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Literature/Books: Theory/Analysis/Criticism.
Memoir.
Other: May vary.

Payment:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $0.08/word; $100 minimum.

Submissions:

Methods: Submittable submission manager (fees apply). Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Open

Dates:

Open to poetry submissions through 01 October 2026* (approx. 25 days from now).

34

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 8 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms, including: Hybrid form.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Experimental, Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem) to Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $1.50 per line; $100 minimum.

Submissions:

Methods: Submittable submission manager (fees apply). Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for The Iowa Review

Go to publication's website

Report:
Submission/Response
Correction/Update
New Cover Art

Social:
Bluesky @theiowareview.bsky.social
X (Twitter) @iowareview

Support this Publisher:
Purchase Issue(s)
Subscribe

For the Editor(s):
Request Interview
Duosuma Submission Manager
Link to Duotrope

The Iowa Review Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

This project ranks among the 25 Slowest Fiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the Extremely Challenging Fiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the 25 Slowest Poetry Publishers in our database.
Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 325 reports from 313 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
7 min | 229.2 mean avg | 229.5 median | 475 max days (216.1 std dev)
Responses
81.23 %
Acceptances:
0.92 % of submissions accepted (269.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 0.96 % of submitters accepted Rejections are often underreported, which skews the statistics in favor of acceptances. Most publishers have a lower acceptance rate than indicated here.
Rejections:
80.31 % (249.6 avg. days per rejection) | 3.8 % personal, 74.7 % form, 21.5 % unspecified
Non-Responses
3.08 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
3.08 % (298.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals
15.69 % (93.0 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
226 responses are pending (1 min | 32.4 mean avg | 29.0 median | 391 max days waiting | 269.3 std dev) from 220 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 120 days. (84.6 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 120 days.)
The most common submission fee paid: USD $4.00. (61.2 % of reports specified whether they paid a fee; of those, 97.1 % paid fees.)
Submissions are acknowledged within 4 days on average.
Most recent response reported was received on 30 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 23 Feb 2026.
Date compiled: 06 Sep 2026 08:17 UTC (2 hours, 41 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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Your Submissions

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Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

  • Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
  • Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
  • Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 02 Aug 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.

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