The Drift A Magazine of Culture and Politics About Founded in June 2020, The Drift aims to introduce new work and new ideas by young writers who haven’t yet been absorbed into the media hivemind and don’t feel hemmed in by the boundaries of the existing discourse. Our issues, published three times a year, feature longform essays and cultural criticism, short fiction, poetry, interviews, dispatches, and extremely abbreviated reviews. Country of Publication & Year Established United States Established in 2020 Publication Media & Frequency Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationPublished 3 x per yearPrint Publication Print PublicationPublished 3 x per year AI Policy Human-created work only; no AI use allowed Statistics Synopsis Regular Speed The Drift's overall average response time is within a normal range for magazines. More ChallengingThe Drift's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines. ResponsiveThe Drift's overall rate of non-response is within a normal range for magazines. Collapse section Fiction Open Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: GeneralLengths: Flash Fiction: No specific word count limits known (our definition: up to 1000 words). Short Story: No specific word count limits known (our definition: 1000 to 7500 words).Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Politics/Political Science: See guidelines. Society/Culture: See guidelines.Payment:Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $500-$1,000.Submissions:Method: Email. Reprints: Unknown.Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.Media: Text. Collapse section Nonfiction Open Pitch first.Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Lengths: Review: No specific word count limits known. Article: No specific word count limits known. Essay: No specific word count limits known.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Critical, Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Literature/Books: Theory/Analysis/Criticism. Politics/Political Science: See guidelines. Society/Culture: See guidelines.Payment:Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $2,000 for essays; $25 for Mentions.Submissions:Method: Email. Reprints: Unknown.Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.Media: Text. Collapse section Poetry Open Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: GeneralLengths: Poem: No line limits known; Up to 6 pieces.Poetry Forms:Open to all/most Forms.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Politics/Political Science: See guidelines. Society/Culture: See guidelines.Payment:Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Professional payment. Details: USD $150.Submissions:Method: Email. Reprints: Unknown.Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.Media: Text. Expand section Visual Art Closed 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 @thedrift_magX (Twitter) @thedrift_mag Support this Publisher: Make a Donation For the Editor(s): Request Interview Duosuma Submission Manager Link to Duotrope The Drift 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 Most Challenging Fiction Publishers in our database. Filter: Category: All Categories Fiction Nonfiction Poetry Visual Art Group by submission Include outliers Accuracy We have received 272 reports from 223 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 | 79.9 mean avg | 72.0 median | 324 max days (80.0 std dev) Responses 92.65 % Acceptances: 0.37 % of submissions accepted (56.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 0.45 % 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: 92.28 % (79.7 avg. days per rejection) | 12.0 % personal, 69.7 % form, 18.3 % unspecified | 0.4 % rewrite requests | 2.2 % shortlisted Non-Responses 1.47 % Lost/Returned: - Never Responded: 1.47 % (210.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded) Withdrawals 5.88 % (49.0 avg. days per withdrawal) Pending 90 responses are pending (6 min | 58.1 mean avg | 49.0 median | 330 max days waiting | 319.7 std dev) from 86 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days Other Information Submissions are acknowledged within 21 days on average. Most recent response reported was received on 14 Sep 2026. Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 18 Aug 2026. Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 09:00 UTC (1 hour, 2 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! 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: 06 Jul 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