Exist Otherwise Literary Journal

About

We are a journal of creative writing and photography inspired by the gender-nonconforming writer, artist, and activist, Claude Cahun.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2022

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 6 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

23 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Regular Speed: Exist Otherwise Literary Journal's overall average response time is within a normal range for magazines.
More Approachable: Exist Otherwise Literary Journal's overall acceptance rate is higher than most magazines.
More Responsive: Exist Otherwise Literary Journal's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Opens to submissions on 16 November 2026* (approx. 61 days from now)

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 1,300 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Sexuality/Gender: See guidelines.
Other: May vary.

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 $15 per piece.

Submissions:

Method: Online form.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Opens to submissions on 16 November 2026* (approx. 61 days from now)

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: Up to 1,300 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 1,300 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Memoir: See guidelines.
Sexuality/Gender: See guidelines.
Other: May vary.

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 $15 per piece.

Submissions:

Method: Online form.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

Dates:

Opens to submissions on 16 November 2026* (approx. 61 days from now)

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 3 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Sexuality/Gender: See guidelines.
Other: May vary.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem) Semi-pro payment. Details: USD $15 per poem.

Submissions:

Method: Online form.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Visual Art Temp Closed

We’re looking for art that tells a story. We accept any visual artwork: photography, black and white or color, digital or analog, photo montage, painting, watercolor, drawing, illustration, mixed media, animated GIF, and even video. We want work rooted in the self, in your self, your dreams, your challenges, your desires, your struggles. Erotica is fine, but nothing explicit. For inspiration, we have a page showing some of the artwork of our muses, Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore.

Dates:

Opens to submissions on 16 November 2026* (approx. 61 days from now)

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: Up to 2 pieces.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles, including: Experimental.

Topics:

Sexuality/Gender: See guidelines.
Other: May vary.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (US$10-49 per piece) Semi-pro payment. Details: USD $20 per piece.

Submissions:

Method: Online form.
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.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for Exist Otherwise Literary Journal

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Social:
Bluesky @existotherwise.bsky.social

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

Exist Otherwise Literary Journal 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:

Group by submission

Include outliers

Accuracy

We have received 14 reports from 14 different members within the past 12 months. The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

27 min | 67.2 mean avg | 47.0 median | 259 max days (100.3 std dev)

Responses

100.00 %

Acceptances:

28.57 % of submissions accepted (54.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 28.57 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

71.43 % (49.9 avg. days per rejection) | 20.0 % personal, 80.0 % form, 0.0 % unspecified

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

Other Information

Most recent response reported was received on 06 Jul 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 12 May 2026.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 09:47 UTC (less than a minute 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: 05 Aug 2026

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