Blackbird an online journal of literature and the arts

About

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 all submissions, except for currently-enrolled students, art, and multimedia submissions.
The fee range is USD $2 to $3 (below average to average for magazines that charge).

Submission Caps: They may close to submissions early if they reach their quota.

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 Publication: Published 4 x per year
Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 4 x per year
Video Publication Video Publication: Published 4 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

1,680 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

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

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Short Story: 1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette: 7,500 - 8,000 words.
Novel Excerpt: Up 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:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Open Fee-based

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Interview: No specific word count limits known.
Review: Up to 500 words.
Essay: Up to 8,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up 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:

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

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No 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:

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

Collapse section Visual Art Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: Up 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.
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.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for Blackbird

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Report:
Submission/Response
Correction/Update
New Cover Art

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For the Editor(s):
Request Interview
Duosuma Submission Manager
Link to Duotrope

Blackbird 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 project ranks among the 25 Slowest Poetry Publishers in our database.

Filter:

Group by submission

Include outliers

Accuracy

We have received 242 reports from 226 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

0 min | 173.7 mean avg | 172.0 median | 397 max days (316.7 std dev)

Responses

80.16 %

Acceptances:

1.65 % of submissions accepted (183.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 1.77 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

78.51 % (188.3 avg. days per rejection) | 10.0 % personal, 71.1 % form, 19.0 % unspecified

Non-Responses

2.48 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

2.48 % (344.4 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)

Withdrawals

17.36 % (76.2 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

129 responses are pending (2 min | 195.9 mean avg | 172.0 median | 387 max days waiting | 967.0 std dev) from 127 different members

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 180 days. (47.9 % 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.
The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00. (62.3 % of reports specified whether they paid a fee; of those, 98.1 % paid fees.)
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 06 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 24 Apr 2026.
Date compiled: 12 Sep 2026 04:28 UTC (3 hours, 3 minutes ago).

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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: 11 Aug 2026

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