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Bat City Review

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About

Founded in 2004, Bat City Review is a literary journal and community devoted to supporting emerging and established writers and artists. Dedicated to diversity of form, thought, and voice we publish poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and visual art crafted with passion and precision—work that expands our imaginations and complicates our conversations; work willing to take risks, surprise, experiment, and play. Collaboratively edited by MFA candidates from the New Writers Project, Michener Center for Writers, and Studio Art; Bat City Review is generously supported by the University of Texas at Austin’s English Department and James A. Michener Center for Writers.

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

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 2004

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication
Published 1 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Statistics Synopsis

Slower
Bat City Review's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.
More Challenging
Bat City Review's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
Responsive
Bat City Review's overall rate of non-response is within a normal range for magazines.

Collapse section Fiction Open

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 15 October 2026* (approx. 30 days from now).

3

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 6,000 words.
Novel Excerpt: Up to 6,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Theme:

Bread & Circuses (15 Oct 2026*)

Payment:

No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 15 October 2026* (approx. 30 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Interview: Up to 5,000 words.
Essay: Up to 5,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 5,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Theme:

Bread & Circuses (15 Oct 2026*)

Payment:

No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Open

Dates:

Open to poetry submissions through 15 October 2026* (approx. 30 days from now).

4

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; 3 - 5 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Theme:

Bread & Circuses (15 Oct 2026*)

2

Payment:

No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Visual Art Open

Dates:

Open to visual art submissions through 15 October 2026* (approx. 30 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: Unknown number of pieces.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media, including...
Digital art.
Drawing.
Painting.
Photography.
Sculpture.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Theme:

Bread & Circuses (15 Oct 2026*)

Payment:

No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT 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.

Bat City Review 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:
Accuracy
We have received 138 reports from 135 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
32 min | 114.0 mean avg | 114.0 median | 189 max days (136.5 std dev)
Responses
88.40 %
Acceptances:
0.72 % of submissions accepted (80.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 0.74 % 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.
Rejections:
87.68 % (118.2 avg. days per rejection) | 8.3 % personal, 71.9 % form, 19.8 % unspecified
Non-Responses
1.45 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
1.45 % (173.5 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals
10.14 % (56.3 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
29 responses are pending (1 min | 54.9 mean avg | 5.0 median | 396 max days waiting | 1,252.3 std dev) from 29 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

Submissions are acknowledged within 5 days on average.
Most recent response reported was received on 25 Jan 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 01 Oct 2025.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 01:58 UTC (7 hours, 47 minutes ago).

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Your Submissions

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Bat City Review Editors' Prize DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
Bat City Review Short Prose Contest DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions

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: 09 Sep 2026

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

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