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heartwood literary magazine

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About

heartwood literary magazine is an alumni-run semi-annual online literary publication in association with the low-residency MFA program at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, West Virginia. HeartWood was founded in 2015 by graduate Danielle Kelly and guest poetry faculty member Mary Carroll-Hackett.

The name of our journal—the scientific term "heartwood, used in dendrology, the study of woody plants, and referring to the core—was inspired by Karen Salyer McElmurray's application of the word to the writing process in a lecture delivered during an MFA residency at WVWC.

Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 2015

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication
Published 2 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Statistics Synopsis

Slower
heartwood literary magazine's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.
Normal Acceptance
heartwood literary magazine's overall acceptance rate is within a normal range for magazines.
More Responsive
heartwood literary magazine's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 02 November 2026* (approx. 47 days from now) through 31 December 2026.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: People in a specific region.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words; Unknown number of pieces.
Short Story: 1,000 - 3,000 words.
Novel Excerpt: Up to 3,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Place/Regions: Specific region.

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 Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 02 November 2026* (approx. 47 days from now) through 31 December 2026.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: People in a specific region.

Lengths:

Essay: Up to 3,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 3,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Place/Regions: Specific region.

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 Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 02 November 2026* (approx. 47 days from now) through 31 December 2026.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: People in a specific region.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; 3 - 5 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms, including: Experimental poetry, Lyric poetry, Narrative poetry, Prose poetry.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Place/Regions: Specific region.

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.

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.

heartwood literary magazine 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 22 reports from 21 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
9 min | 117.9 mean avg | 111.0 median | 157 max days (42.1 std dev)
Responses
90.91 %
Acceptances:
9.09 % of submissions accepted (123.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 9.52 % 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:
81.82 % (121.2 avg. days per rejection) | 22.2 % personal, 61.1 % form, 16.7 % unspecified
Non-Responses
0.00 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
-
Withdrawals
9.09 % (13.5 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
5 responses are pending (83 min | 101.0 mean avg | 104.0 median | 117 max days waiting | 410.1 std dev) from 5 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 16 Apr 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 19 Dec 2025.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 10:02 UTC (less than a minute ago).

Work submitted here was also submitted to...

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Your Submissions

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Heartwood Poetry Prize  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: 11 Aug 2026

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

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