Black Clock

Permanently Closed: This project is permanently closed to submissions. We provide the following information as an archive.

About

Singular, idiosyncratic and a little mysterious, Black Clock is one of America’s leading literary journals. Since its inception in 2004, the publication has featured work (by Don DeLillo, Richard Powers, Joanna Scott, Jonathan Lethem, Rick Moody, Lynne Tillman, Samuel R. Delany, Joseph McElroy, Aimee Bender, Brian Evenson, Geoff Nicholson, Shelley Jackson, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, David Foster Wallace, William T. Vollmann and many others) that has gone on to be anthologized in best-of-the-year collections, nominated for O. Henry and Pushcart Prizes, and win National Book Awards. Black Clock is also regarded as among the country’s most beautifully designed magazines. Edited by Steve Erickson, it’s published semi-annually by the California Institute of the Arts in association with the MFA Writing Program.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication: Published 2 x per year

Collapse section Fiction Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Short Story: 1,000 - 3,500 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

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

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Black Clock 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.

This listing is inactive and does not have any submission reports for the past 12 months.

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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: 22 May 2026