THEMA

About

THEMA, the theme-related journal, has three goals. One is to provide a stimulating forum for established and emerging literary artists. The second is to serve as source material and inspiration for teachers of creative writing. The third is to provide readers with a unique and entertaining collection of stories and poems.

Important: People outside the USA may submit electronically.

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

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 1988

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication: Published 3 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

385 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

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

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Open

Dates:

Rolling Deadlines: Check cutoff dates.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Open to all/most Genres, including:
General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: No specific word count limits known (our definition: up to 1000 words); Unknown number of pieces.
Short Story: No specific word count limits known (our definition: 1000 to 7500 words).

Styles:

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

Topics:

Other: May vary, See guidelines.

Themes:

Sent by Mistake (01 Nov 2026*)

In Your Dreams... (01 Mar 2027*)

Payment:

Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) Pay ranges from Token payment to Semi-pro payment. Details: USD $10 for fiction under 1,000 words; $25 for longer stories.

Submissions:

Method: Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Dates:

Rolling Deadlines: Check cutoff dates.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: No specific word count limits known.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Other: May vary.

Themes:

Sent by Mistake (01 Nov 2026*)

In Your Dreams... (01 Mar 2027*)

Payment:

Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) Pay ranges from Token payment to Semi-pro payment. Details: USD $25 per essay.

Submissions:

Method: Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Open

Dates:

Rolling Deadlines: Check cutoff dates.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Open to all/most Genres, including:
General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 3 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Other: May vary, See guidelines.

Themes:

Sent by Mistake (01 Nov 2026*)

In Your Dreams... (01 Mar 2027*)

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem) Semi-pro payment. Details: USD $10 per poem.

Submissions:

Method: Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Visual Art Open

Dates:

Rolling Deadlines: Check cutoff dates.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: Unknown number of pieces.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media, including...
Illustration.
Photography.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Other: May vary, See guidelines.

Themes:

Sent by Mistake (01 Nov 2026*)

In Your Dreams... (01 Mar 2027*)

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (US$10-49 per piece) Semi-pro payment. Details: USD $25 for cover art; $10 for interior art.

Submissions:

Method: Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Image.

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 THEMA

Go to publication's website

Report:
Submission/Response
Correction/Update
New Cover Art

Social Platforms:
None known

Support this Publisher:
Purchase Issue(s)
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For the Editor(s):
Request Interview
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Link to Duotrope

THEMA 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 13 reports from 12 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 | 103.5 mean avg | 97.0 median | 170 max days (41.2 std dev)

Responses

76.92 %

Acceptances:

7.69 % of submissions accepted (108.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 8.33 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

69.23 % (102.4 avg. days per rejection) | 22.2 % personal, 66.7 % form, 11.1 % unspecified

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

23.08 % (81.0 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

7 responses are pending (72 min | 123.0 mean avg | 107.5 median | 194 max days waiting | 803.9 std dev) from 7 different members

Other Information

Most recent response reported was received on 16 May 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 24 Feb 2026.
Date compiled: 06 Sep 2026 14:44 UTC (7 hours, 53 minutes ago).

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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: 25 Jul 2026

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