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Pleiades Literature in Context

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About

Pleiades: Literature in Context is a nationally recognized literary magazine published by the University of Central Missouri. Each issue includes a guest-edited folio that highlights literature within a specific cultural or geographic context. These folios, beginning 2026, are re-published on our website. Our tagline, “literature in context,” reflects our commitment to publishing work that engages with place, community, and the diverse conditions that shape creative expression. We publish original poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, works in translation, book reviews, and interviews. Our print issues are published twice per year, Spring and Fall.

Over the years, Pleiades has made a point of publishing well-established writers alongside unknown writers. Among the journal’s literary “discoveries” (poets and writers who published work in its pages before their first books were released) are Amina Gautier, Zachary Mason, Alexander Weinstein, Tiphanie Yanique, Adrian Matejka, Ken Chen, Joy Katz, Arielle Greenberg, Christine Sneed, Mark Bibbins, Randall Mann, Hadara Bar-Nadav, and Michael Snediker.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 1981

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication
Published 2 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

Statistics Synopsis

Slower
Pleiades's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.
More Challenging
Pleiades's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
Responsive
Pleiades's overall rate of non-response is within a normal range for magazines.

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 December 2026* (approx. 82 days from now) through 31 December 2026.

5

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette: 7,500 - 12,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

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

Payment:

Unknown payment Unknown payment.

Submissions:

Method: Duosuma submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 December 2026* (approx. 82 days from now) through 31 December 2026.

2

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Review: 800 - 1,200 words.
Essay: Up to 6,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Literature/Books: Theory/Analysis/Criticism.

Payment:

Unknown payment Unknown payment.

Submissions:

Method: Duosuma submission manager.
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. 82 days from now) through 31 December 2026.

20

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

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: Experimental, Literary.

Topics:

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

Payment:

Unknown payment Unknown payment.

Submissions:

Method: Duosuma submission manager.
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.

Pleiades 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 Most Challenging Fiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the 25 Most Challenging Nonfiction Publishers in our database.
Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 779 reports from 735 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
0 min | 151.5 mean avg | 155.0 median | 514 max days (255.7 std dev)
Responses
77.67 %
Acceptances:
1.80 % of submissions accepted (88.2 avg. days per acceptance) | 1.90 % 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:
75.87 % (166.0 avg. days per rejection) | 7.8 % personal, 87.7 % form, 4.6 % unspecified | 0.1 % shortlisted
Non-Responses
1.41 %
Lost/Returned:
0.13 % (196.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as lost or returned)
Never Responded:
1.28 % (353.2 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals
20.92 % (72.6 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
849 responses are pending (70 min | 101.0 mean avg | 92.0 median | 472 max days waiting | 266.4 std dev) from 809 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 270 days. (4.8 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 270 days.)
Do not query on the status of your submission before 270 days have passed.
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 21 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 30 Jun 2026.
Date compiled: 09 Sep 2026 23:30 UTC (1 hour, 4 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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Your Submissions

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Gail B. Crump Prize DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
Prufer Poetry Prize DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
R.M. Kinder Award in Realistic Fiction DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions

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: 10 Aug 2026

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

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