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FOLIO Literary Journal

See other projects related to this listing.

About

Folio is a nationally recognized literary journal sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences at American University in Washington, DC. Since 1984, we have published original creative work by both new and established authors. Past issues have included work by Michael Reid Busk, Billy Collins, William Stafford, and Bruce Weigl, and interviews with Michael Cunningham, Charles Baxter, Amy Bloom, Ann Beattie, and Walter Kirn. We look for well-crafted poetry and prose that is bold and memorable.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions, and they do not offer monetary payment for accepted submissions. (Note: About 8% of magazines always charge fees.)
The fee is USD $2 (below average for magazines that charge).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 1984

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication
Published 1 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication
Published 1 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed
316 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Slower
FOLIO Literary Journal's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.
More Challenging
FOLIO Literary Journal's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
More Responsive
FOLIO Literary Journal's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.
Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 15 December 2026* (approx. 53 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 5,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Theme:

The Whimsical Issue (15 Dec 2026*)

1

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 15 December 2026* (approx. 53 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: Up to 4,500 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Theme:

The Whimsical Issue (15 Dec 2026*)

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to poetry submissions through 15 December 2026* (approx. 53 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 5 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Theme:

The Whimsical Issue (15 Dec 2026*)

1

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Visual Art Open Fee-based

FOLIO seeks gritty, exciting, compelling, inspiring art. We now feature comic, graphic novel, paint, photography, and digital art. Featured artists in our most recent issues have included Asaf Hanuka, Yumi Sakugawa, Frank Correa, Ivan Pinkava, Sai Abishek, and Chelsea Martin, to name only a few. When submitting, please include a description of your work and the themes or motivations you are exploring.

Dates:

Open to visual art submissions through 15 December 2026* (approx. 53 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork:
Graphic Narrative: No page limits known.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media, including...
Digital art.
Cartoon/Comic strip.
Painting.
Photography.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Theme:

The Whimsical Issue (15 Dec 2026*)

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

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.
* 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 FOLIO Literary Journal

Go to publication's website

Report:
Submission/Response
Correction/Update
New Cover Art

Social:
Bluesky @FolioLit.bsky.social
Facebook Facebook
LinkedIn LinkedIn
X (Twitter) @FolioLitJournal

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

FOLIO 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:
Accuracy
We have received 39 reports from 39 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
1 min | 133.3 mean avg | 141.0 median | 403 max days (78.8 std dev)
Responses
84.61 %
Acceptances:
2.56 % of submissions accepted (25.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 2.56 % 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:
82.05 % (142.4 avg. days per rejection) | 28.1 % personal, 53.1 % form, 18.8 % unspecified
Non-Responses
0.00 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
-
Withdrawals
15.38 % (138.2 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
7 responses are pending (0 min | 1.2 mean avg | 1.0 median | 2 max days waiting | 748.4 std dev) from 7 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $2.00.
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 16 Jun 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 31 Dec 2025.
Date compiled: 23 Oct 2026 21:39 UTC (4 hours, 25 minutes ago).

Work submitted here was also submitted to...

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Your Submissions

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Folio Essay Contest DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
Folio Fiction Contest DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
Folio Poetry Contest DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions

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: 20 Oct 2026

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

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