Cleveland Review of Books We list other projects with similar titles. Please check that you report any submissions under the correct listing. About The Cleveland Review of Books is a journal of criticism in many forms. We publish reviews, essays, interviews, and experiments in critical writing. We also publish fiction, poetry, and excerpts of titles from small and independent publishers.Founded in 2018 to fill a perceived gap in regional criticism, we showcase Midwestern writers and concerns alongside, and in dialogue with, writing from around the world. As cities on bodies of water have historically been hubs for the flow of goods and commerce, we view ourselves—a publication based in a city on a lake—as a metaphorical port of call for cultural exchange. In a landscape where American writing and publishing has become concentrated on the coasts, we stake a claim for literary modes and responses that challenge this arrangement, along with its conventions and assumptions.Editorially, we commit to criticism as a creative practice and a literature unto itself, embracing its formal and expressive potential. We prioritize ambitious authors, presses, and artists over our own house style, and take inventive writers seriously regardless of their age or credentials. We question established paradigms of professionalism, seriousness, and respectability, paying minimal deference to time, fashion, or the market. There is always something else out there and our aim is to always be something else: not just a journal of criticism, but a journal of what criticism can be. Country of Publication & Year Established United States Established in 2018 Publication Media & Frequency Audio Publication Audio PublicationUnknown publication frequencyElectronic Publication Electronic PublicationUnknown publication frequency AI Policy Unknown AI policy Statistics Synopsis Regular Speed Cleveland Review of Books's overall average response time is within a normal range for magazines. More ChallengingCleveland Review of Books's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines. More ResponsiveCleveland Review of Books's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines. Collapse section Fiction Open We're looking for prose fiction that meets the terms it sets for itself; more experimental work is welcome provided it does the same.At this time, we are interested particularly in stories that are formally tight and inventive; thematically, we would like to consider writing that abstractly or concretely prioritizes place (understood conceptually or geographically), especially if that place belongs to what we contentiously know as the Rust Belt or Midwest. These formal and thematic preferences are not requirements.Audience:Open to a broad Audience, including: Americans, People in a specific region.Genres: GeneralLengths: Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words. Short Story: 1,000 - 5,000 words.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Experimental, Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Place/Regions: General, Specific region.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 $100 for online publication; $200 for print publication.Submissions:Method: Email. Reprints: Unknown.Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.Media: Text. Collapse section Nonfiction Open Audience:Open to a broad Audience, including: Americans, People in a specific region.Lengths: Interview: No specific word count limits known. Review: No specific word count limits known. Essay: No specific word count limits known.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Critical, Literary.Topics: Literature/Books: Theory/Analysis/Criticism. Place/Regions: Specific region. Visual Arts: Theory/Analysis/Criticism.Payment:Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Token payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $100 for online publication; $200 for print publication.Submissions:Method: Email. Reprints: Unknown.Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.Media: Text. Collapse section Poetry Open We invite submissions of poetry and adjacent texts. We are interested in experimentation. We like work invested in sustained attention, research, texture, or performance.Audience:Open to a broad Audience, including: Americans, People in a specific region.Genres: GeneralLengths: Poem: No line limits known; Up to 6 pieces.Poetry Forms:Open to all/most Forms, including: Experimental poetry.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Experimental, Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Place/Regions: General, Specific region.Payment:Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem) to Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $100 for online publication; $200 for print publication.Submissions:Method: Email. Reprints: Unknown.Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.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:Instagram @clereviewbooksX (Twitter) @clereviewbooks Support this Publisher: Make a Donation Subscribe For the Editor(s): Request Interview Duosuma Submission Manager Link to Duotrope Cleveland Review of Books 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 Fiction Nonfiction Poetry Group by submission Include outliers Accuracy We have received 23 reports from 22 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information. Days Reported 6 min | 57.0 mean avg | 51.0 median | 312 max days (60.8 std dev) Responses 91.31 % Acceptances: 4.35 % of submissions accepted (15.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 4.55 % 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: 86.96 % (58.8 avg. days per rejection) | 15.0 % personal, 70.0 % form, 15.0 % unspecified Non-Responses 4.35 % Lost/Returned: - Never Responded: 4.35 % (312.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded) Withdrawals 4.35 % (6.0 avg. days per withdrawal) Pending 12 responses are pending (11 min | 55.8 mean avg | 54.0 median | 112 max days waiting | 38.0 std dev) from 12 different members 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 42 days. (78.3 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 42 days.) Most recent response reported was received on 19 Aug 2026. Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 20 Jun 2026. Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 10:02 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: 03 Sep 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. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy. Accept All Cookies Allow Essential Cookies Only