The Writing Disorder a literary journal

About

The Writing Disorder is a literary journal devoted to literature, art and culture. We are based in Los Angeles, CA. Each issue is published online and sometimes as an ebook. The mission of our journal is to showcase new and emerging writers – particularly those in writing programs — as well as established ones. We feature new works of fiction, poetry, nonfiction and art, plus interviews with writers and artists, and some reviews. Although we strive to publish original and experimental work, The Writing Disorder remains rooted in the classic art of storytelling.

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

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2010

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 4 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

227 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Slower: The Writing Disorder's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.
More Approachable: The Writing Disorder's overall acceptance rate is higher than most magazines.
Less Responsive: The Writing Disorder's overall rate of non-response is higher than most magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: No word count limits (our definition: up to 1000 words).
Short Story: No word count limits (our definition: 1000 to 7500 words).

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: No word count limits.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; 3 - 8 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Visual Art Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: 10 - 15 pieces.
Graphic Narrative: No page limits known; Unknown number of pieces.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media, including...
Cartoon/Comic strip.
Photography.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
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.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for The Writing Disorder

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For the Editor(s):
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Link to Duotrope

The Writing Disorder 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 18 reports from 16 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

1 min | 194.7 mean avg | 155.0 median | 548 max days (275.1 std dev)

Responses

16.67 %

Acceptances:

16.67 % of submissions accepted (55.7 avg. days per acceptance) | 18.75 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

Non-Responses

33.33 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

33.33 % (429.2 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)

Withdrawals

50.00 % (69.7 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

9 responses are pending (88 min | 235.6 mean avg | 205.0 median | 432 max days waiting | 1,496.7 std dev) from 9 different members

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 180 days. (38.9 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 180 days.)
Do not query on the status of your submission before 180 days have passed.
Most recent response reported was received on 10 Mar 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 09 Mar 2026.
Date compiled: 07 Sep 2026 04:05 UTC (5 hours, 27 minutes 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: 05 Jul 2026

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