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Blackbird an online journal of literature and the arts

About

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For over two decades, Blackbird: an online journal of literature and the arts has been one of the web’s premiere literary magazines, earning accolades and attracting an expansive readership for its diverse range of award-winning and emerging writers. Blackbird: an online journal of literature and the arts is made possible with the work of undergraduate and graduate student interns and graduate teaching assistants from the VCU Department of English. We are also deeply grateful to community volunteers, alumni, and donors to Friends of Blackbird for their support. We remain especially indebted to our Founding Editors: Mary Flinn, M. A. Keller, and Gregory Donovan.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. They charge fees for electronic submissions, except for currently-enrolled students. The fee range is USD $2 to $3.
Submission Caps: They may close to submissions early if they reach their quota. Check before submitting.
Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States Established in 2002

Publication Media & Frequency

Audio Publication Audio PublicationPublished 2 x per year.
Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationPublished 2 x per year.
Video Publication Video PublicationUnknown publication frequency.

Fiction Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General.

Lengths:
Short Story1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette7,500 - 8,000 words.
Novel ExcerptUp to 8,000 words.
Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $200 per story.

Submissions:

Methods: Submittable submission manager (fees apply). Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.


Nonfiction Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:
InterviewNo specific word count limits known.
ReviewUp to 500 words.
EssayUp to 8,000 words.
Narrative NonfictionUp to 8,000 words.
Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics, including....
Memoir.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $200 per essay; $100 per book review, craft essay, or interview.

Submissions:

Methods: Submittable submission manager (fees apply). Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text. Video.


Poetry Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General.

Lengths:
PoemNo line limits known; 2 - 6 pieces.
Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem) Semi-pro payment. Details: USD $40 per poem.

Submissions:

Methods: Submittable submission manager (fees apply). Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.


Visual Art Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:
ArtworkUp to 10 pieces.
Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (US$10-49 per piece) to Professional payment (US$50 or more per piece) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $200 for featured artist.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager (fees apply).
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.

Blackbird 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 Most Challenging Nonfiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the 25 Most Challenging Poetry Publishers in our database.
AccuracyWe have received 246 reports from 210 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported1 min | 124.9 mean avg | 127.0 median | 458 max days (309.4 std dev)
Responses86.99 %
Acceptances1.22 % of submissions accepted (111.3 avg. days per acceptance) | 1.43 % 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.
Rejections85.77 % (128.0 avg. days per rejection) | 15.2 % personal, 65.4 % form, 19.4 % unspecified | 0.4 % shortlisted
Non-Responses13.01 %
Lost/Returned-
Never Responded0.81 % (250.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals12.20 % (50.6 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending105 responses are pending (0 min | 113.8 mean avg | 109.0 median | 266 max days waiting | 651.1 std dev) from 105 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 180 days. (24.4 % 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.
The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00. (67.4 % of reports specified whether they paid a fee; of those, 99.4 % paid fees.)
Submissions are acknowledged within 5 days on average.
Most recent response reported was received on 28 Apr 2025.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 01 Apr 2025.

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Your Submissions

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Dates

Last Updated: 07 Apr 2025
Last Audited: 09 Feb 2025. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 11 Feb 2006

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.