The Stray Branch A literary publication

This project is on indefinite hiatus. Check their site to find out whether this is a submission and/or publication hiatus. (August 2026)

About

The Stray Branch, a print publication of poetry, fiction, art and photography. The Stray Branch looks to publish well crafted material from the experienced writers who are serious about their craft. Looking for honest, personal, blunt, edgy, raw, real life material that is related to the human condition known as existence in all its dark, flawed, secret self exposed in the wounds that bleed upon the page and leave a scar within the skull of the reader.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2008

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 2 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication: Published 2 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Collapse section Fiction On Hiatus

Open to subject matter though the same as with poetry, does not want political pieces, erotic pieces, pieces on religion or stories written by children. Would like to see humor, anything dark and edgy. personal pieces, horror, vampires, thrillers, mysteries and suspense.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience. Excluding: Children, Young adults.

Genres:

Open to all/most Genres (Excluding: Erotica), including:
General
Horror Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Vampire
Mystery/Crime Open to all/most Subgenres
Suspense/Thriller Open to all/most Subgenres

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 625 words; Up to 2 pieces.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Dark, Humorous, Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics (Excluding: Politics/Political Science, Religion/Spirituality).

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry On Hiatus

The Stray Branch is open to form and style, however it is not looking for crazy, complicated, messy looking forms. Free verse is preferred. Shorter poems have a better chance of being published. Open to subject matter but prefers edgy, raw material written from the gut that reflects the heart and the human condition....These include, depression, loss, sorrow, addiction, recovery, abuse, survival, daily exitence, self struggles and discovery through words, Art as healing, as coping. Wants poetry by real people that can be understood by all readers. Prefers works of a darker nature. Rhyming poetry is okay.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience. Excluding: Children, Young adults.

Genres:

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 6 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms, including: Free verse, Rhyming, Short poetry. Excluding: Light verse.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Dark, Humorous, Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics (Excluding: Politics/Political Science, Religion/Spirituality).

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Visual Art On Hiatus

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience. Excluding: Children, Young adults.

Lengths:

Artwork: Unknown number of pieces.

Art Media:

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

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles, including: Dark, Surrealist.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics (Excluding: Politics/Political Science, Religion/Spirituality).

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

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The Stray Branch 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.

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Accuracy

We have received 6 reports from 5 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

5 min | 30.7 mean avg | 27.5 median | 52 max days (18.1 std dev)

Pending

1 response is pending (287 days waiting).

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 28 days. (33.3 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 28 days.)
Most recent response reported was received on 24 Mar 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 25 Feb 2026.
Date compiled: 05 Sep 2026 16:34 UTC (less than a minute ago).

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Before Submitting

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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: 03 Aug 2026