Whale Road Review

About

This journal takes its name from an old kenning. The ocean is the whale road. Whale road. Those words conjure an image of whales moving in patterns through the waters of the world. “Whale road” makes us re-see the ocean.
Whale Road Review publishes poetry, flash fiction, and micro essays that don’t demand too much time up front, but somehow leave readers changed. We hope readers of all sorts will enjoy these short pieces in stolen moments—waiting in line, using the restroom, riding a train, steeping tea.
Whale Road Review is also a resource for writing teachers and a venue for reviews. We publish quarterly.

Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2015

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 4 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

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Statistics Synopsis

Faster: Whale Road Review's overall average response time is faster than most magazines.
More Approachable: Whale Road Review's overall acceptance rate is higher than most magazines.
More Responsive: Whale Road Review's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 December 2026* (approx. 85 days from now) through 15 December 2026.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Specific group.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 500 words; Up to 3 pieces.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Please see their full guidelines to determine what categories of nonfiction writing are currently being accepted.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Specific group.

Lengths:

Interview: No specific word count limits known.
Review: Up to 500 words.
Essay: Up to 500 words; Up to 3 pieces.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Education/Pedagogy: See guidelines.
Literature/Books: Theory/Analysis/Criticism, Writing.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 December 2026* (approx. 85 days from now) through 15 December 2026.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Specific group.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; 3 - 5 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
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.

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For the Editor(s):
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Link to Duotrope

Whale Road 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.

Filter:

Group by submission

Include outliers

Accuracy

We have received 142 reports from 114 different members within the past 12 months. The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

2 min | 31.8 mean avg | 33.0 median | 42 max days (16.4 std dev)

Responses

96.48 %

Acceptances:

12.68 % of submissions accepted (26.4 avg. days per acceptance) | 15.79 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

83.80 % (32.8 avg. days per rejection) | 50.4 % personal, 32.8 % form, 16.8 % unspecified | 0.7 % shortlisted

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

3.52 % (10.2 avg. days per withdrawal)

Other Information

Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 10 Jul 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 17 Jun 2026.
Date compiled: 05 Sep 2026 23:49 UTC (6 hours, 48 minutes ago).

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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: 28 Jul 2026

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