Acumen A Literary Journal A project of Acumen Publications About Acumen is among the longest-running literary magazines today. Patricia Oxley started Acumen in 1985 armed with only an electric typewriter, and without subscribers or contributions. Since then it has grown to one of the country’s leading literary journals. Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s). Country of Publication & Year Established United Kingdom Established in 1985 Publication Medium & Frequency Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 3 x per year AI Policy Unknown AI policy Statistics Synopsis Slower Acumen's overall average response time is slower than most magazines. Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed Acumen is always on the look out for new and unusual articles etc. However, the magazine likes quality writing in its prose. It will consider articles on poetry and poetry-related subjects (eg. criticism, use of language, poetry from past-masters re-evaluated, etc.) , the main criteria being they are relevant, well-written, interesting and readable (ie. with a minimum of jargon throughout the text).Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Lengths: Article: Up to 2,500 words. Essay: Up to 2,500 words.Styles:Critical, Literary.Topics: Literature/Books: Theory/Analysis/Criticism, See guidelines.Payment:No monetary payment No monetary payment. Details: PDF copies.Submissions:Methods: Email. Online form. Postal. Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.Media: Text. Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed When reading poetry I look for a poem that says something which is not trivial, not obvious, doesn't use outworn images or diction, and which works at many levels simultaneously.Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: GeneralLengths: Poem: No line limits known; Up to 6 pieces.Poetry Forms:Open to all/most Forms.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Literature/Books.Payment:No monetary payment No monetary payment. Details: PDF copies.Submissions:Methods: Email. Online form. Postal. Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.Media: Text. Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary. Go to publication's website Report: Submission/Response Correction/Update New Cover ArtSocial:X (Twitter) @AcumenPoetry Support this Publisher: Purchase Issue(s) Subscribe For the Editor(s): Request Interview Duosuma Submission Manager Link to Duotrope Acumen 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: Category: All Categories Nonfiction Poetry Group by submission Include outliers Accuracy We have received 5 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 74 min | 133.6 mean avg | 139.0 median | 186 max days (47.8 std dev) Pending 1 response is pending (254 days waiting). 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 120 days. (60.0 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 120 days.) Do not query on the status of your submission before 120 days have passed. Most recent response reported was received on 13 Sep 2026. Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 08 Jun 2026. Date compiled: 18 Sep 2026 02:19 UTC (less than a minute ago). View report of recent responses from this project Work submitted here was also submitted to...This section is available to subscribers only. Sign up and start your free trial today!Members accepted here also had work accepted by...This section is available to subscribers only. Become a member and start your free trial today! Your Submissions This section is available to subscribers only. Join today! Before SubmittingWe 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. DatesLast Updated: 17 Jul 2026We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year. Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. 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