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Free Inquiry

About

Free Inquiry is published by the Council for Secular Humanism, a nonprofit educational corporation.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication
Published 6 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Free Inquiry publishes articles explaining the principles of secular humanism and supporting those living out its ideals. It explores the contributions of science as they increase our understanding of the world and our ability to improve it. It also examines the damage done by ignorance, intolerance, and superstition. The readership includes scholars, researchers, and lay readers with diverse backgrounds. Query first for reviews.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Specific group.

Lengths:

Review: No specific word count limits known.
Article: Up to 6,000 words.
Essay: Up to 1,600 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Ethics: See guidelines.
Philosophy: Secularism/Atheism/Agnosticism, See guidelines.
Science: See guidelines.
Society/Culture: See guidelines.
Other: See guidelines.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Open

Free Inquiry publishes a limited amount of poetry in most issues. The magazine seeks unpublished original poetry that is lyrical and enlightening, and compatible with our magazine’s secular humanist focus. We consider poetry of any kind: formal to free-verse, traditional to experimental. Poems should be accessible without being pat, compelling without being preachy, and shortish rather than longish.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Specific group.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Unknown number of pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms, including: Experimental poetry, Formal verse, Free verse.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Philosophy: Secularism/Atheism/Agnosticism, See guidelines.
Science: See guidelines.
Society/Culture: See guidelines.
Other: See guidelines.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Free Inquiry 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 2 reports from 2 different members within the past 12 months. The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Other Information

Most recent response reported was received on 29 Oct 2025.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 05 Jul 2025.
Date compiled: 18 Sep 2026 02:18 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: 29 Aug 2026

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

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