Down in the Dirt A project of Scars Publications (see other related projects). About Down in the Dirt is published as a perfect-bound 6"x9" paperback book. We have no specific preferences, but we appreciate work that is related to issues such as politics, sexism, society, and the like, but are definitely not limited to such. We publish good work that makes you think, that makes you feel like you’ve lived through a scene instead of merely reading it. If we had to use two words to describe what we want, they would have to be intelligent and powerful. Keep that in mind. Country of Publication & Year Established United States Established in 2000 Publication Media & Frequency Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationUnknown publication frequencyPrint Publication Print PublicationUnknown publication frequency AI Policy Unknown AI policy Statistics Synopsis FasterDown in the Dirt's overall average response time is faster than most magazines. More ApproachableDown in the Dirt's overall acceptance rate is higher than most magazines. More ResponsiveDown in the Dirt's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines. Collapse section Fiction Open If it relates to how the world fits into a person’s life (political story, a day in the life, coping with issues that people face), it will probably win us over faster. Please tell the story like it actually happened -- what makes a story believable is the detail given in it that pulls the reader in. Make our reader see the scene, smell the food, feel the wind on their face. They’ll remember the story more when they read something and they feel like they lived the story instead of merely reading it. They can take something from it -- and when they do you know you’ve done something right.Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: GeneralLengths: Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words. Short Story: 1,000 - 2,500 words.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Politics/Political Science. Society/Culture.Payment:No monetary payment No monetary payment.Submissions:Method: Email. Reprints: Reprints are allowed.Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.Media: Text. Collapse section Nonfiction Open Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Lengths: Essay: No specific word count limits known.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Personal.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Memoir. Politics/Political Science. Society/Culture.Payment:No monetary payment No monetary payment.Submissions:Method: Email. Reprints: Reprints are allowed.Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.Media: Text. Collapse section Poetry Open We accept work of almost any genre, but we will not consider rhyme, because it seems to us that all rhyme is for rhyme’s sake (we don’t care why you rhyme, we just don’t want it in Down in the Dirt), and we’re definitely not keen on religion poems. We are also not keen on poem with multiple irregular indentations (precisely because we publish poems in print aswell as online, and there is a good change that irregular indentations will not appear the way you intended). This is one reason why we shy away from considering then, but if you do submit a poem with irregular indentations and we do accept it, it may not have those indentations in the Internet versions of publication.Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: GeneralLengths: Poem: No line limits known; Up to 5 pieces.Poetry Forms:Open to all/most Forms, including: Prose poetry.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Politics/Political Science. Society/Culture.Payment:No monetary payment No monetary payment.Submissions:Method: Email. Reprints: Reprints are allowed.Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.Media: Text. Collapse section Visual Art Open Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Lengths: Artwork: Art Media: Digital art. Drawing. Photography.Excluding: Cartoon/Comic strip.Art Styles:Open to all/most Art Styles. Excluding: Humorous.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Politics/Political Science. Society/Culture.Payment:No monetary payment No monetary payment.Submissions:Method: Email. Reprints: Reprints are 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. Go to publication's website Report: Submission/Response Correction/Update New Cover ArtSocial:Facebook Facebook Support this Publisher: Purchase Issue(s) For the Editor(s): Request Interview Duosuma Submission Manager Link to Duotrope Down in the Dirt 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 Visual Art Group by submission Include outliers Include related projects Accuracy We have received 21 reports from 18 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information. Days Reported 12 min | 25.5 mean avg | 26.0 median | 53 max days (10.5 std dev) Responses 100.00 % Acceptances: 85.71 % of submissions accepted (24.6 avg. days per acceptance) | 83.33 % 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: 14.29 % (32.3 avg. days per rejection) | 66.7 % personal, 33.3 % form, 0.0 % unspecified Non-Responses 0.00 % Lost/Returned: - Never Responded: - Withdrawals - Pending 2 responses are pending (12 min | 42.5 mean avg | 42.5 median | 73 max days waiting | 831.9 std dev) from 2 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days Other Information Most recent response reported was received on 14 Aug 2026. Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 01 Jul 2026. Date compiled: 05 Sep 2026 15:04 UTC (2 hours, 32 minutes 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! Related ProjectsChildren, Churches and Daddies 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: 02 Jun 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