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Halfway Down the Stairs 282

About

Halfway Down the Stairs publishes poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and book reviews. We publish primarily literary and mainstream work, but accept work in most genres, with children's literature and erotica as the exceptions.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States Established in 2005

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationPublished 4 x per year.

Fiction Temp Closed

We accept fiction related to the theme of the issue. The fiction editors are looking mostly for short stories, but we are happy to consider well-crafted flash fiction. We don't want to be too strict with the guidelines, because we appreciate originality, creativity, and stories that are off the beaten path. We like stories that grab us from the beginning, make us think, and keep us enthralled. Stories should be written confidently and fluidly, avoiding too many adjectives or too much dialogue. We will be negatively distracted by poor grammar, clichés, and a lack of editing.

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 June 2024* (approx. 23 days from now) through 01 August 2024. 0

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience. Excluding: Children.

Genres:
GenreSubgenres
General General
Open to all/most Genres Open to all/most Genres Excluding: Erotica.
Lengths:
Flash Fiction Flash FictionUp to 1,000 words.
Short Story Short Story1,000 - 5,000 words.
Styles:

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

Topics:

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

Theme:
On the RoadDeadline: 01 Aug 2024*5
Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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


Nonfiction Temp Closed

We accept creative nonfiction related to the theme of the issue. Halfway Down the Stairs is specifically looking for essays and memoir with a strong voice and a unique point of view. We publish well-written, honest writing that inspires emotion. Humor is also appreciated.

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 June 2024* (approx. 23 days from now) through 01 August 2024. 0

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience. Excluding: Children.

Lengths:
Essay EssayUp to 3,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction Narrative NonfictionUp to 3,000 words.
Styles:

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

Topics:

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

Theme:
On the RoadDeadline: 01 Aug 2024*4
Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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


Poetry Temp Closed

We are rarely willing to be lenient with the theme when it comes to poetry, and will do so only if the submission is very good.

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 June 2024* (approx. 23 days from now) through 01 August 2024. 1

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience. Excluding: Children.

Genres:
GenreSubgenres
General General
Open to all/most Genres Open to all/most Genres Excluding: Erotica.
Lengths:
Poem PoemNo line limits known; Up to 3 pieces.
Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

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

Topics:

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

Theme:
On the RoadDeadline: 01 Aug 2024*5
Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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


Visual Art Closed

This project has permanently closed to submissions in this category.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Halfway Down the Stairs Submission Statistics — Free Preview!

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 Fastest Nonfiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the 25 Most Approachable Nonfiction Publishers in our database.
AccuracyWe have received 129 reports from 103 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported0 min | 29.2 mean avg | 22.0 median | 235 max days (34.4 std dev)
Responses89.92 %
Acceptances14.73 % of submissions accepted (22.2 avg. days per acceptance) | 17.48 % 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.
Rejections75.19 % (24.6 avg. days per rejection) | 20.6 % personal, 42.3 % form, 37.1 % unspecified | 0.8 % rewrite requests
Non-Responses10.08 %
Lost/Returned-
Never Responded3.10 % (174.8 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals6.98 % (30.1 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending17 responses are pending (7 min | 15.8 mean avg | 14.0 median | 48 max days waiting | 9.7 std dev) from 17 different members This only includes pending reports from users who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 60 days. (10.9 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 60 days.)
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 03 May 2024.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 01 May 2024.

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Dates

Last Updated: 02 May 2024
Last Audited: 07 Dec 2023. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 24 Oct 2005

Before Submitting

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