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Identity Theory A Literary Magazine

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About

Identity Theory is an online magazine of literature, music, film, social justice, and art. Identity Theory has been publishing original writing, interviews, art, and and other forms of creative expression since July 2000. In the past decade our journal has most famously published highly regarded long-form interviews with literary authors, indie musicians, filmmakers and artists. We also have posted fiction from lit stars and minor authors and essays that have been noted and anthologized in the Best American series, among other places. Those three forms–interviews, fiction, and essays–are the focus of our publishing efforts right now. We also publish book and film reviews, which then sometimes appear on places such as Rotten Tomatoes and Powells Review-a-Day. On rare occasions, we accept poetry, social justice pieces and artwork, though not nearly as much as we have in the past.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. They charge fees for post-quota submissions.
The fee is USD $5 (above average for magazines that charge).
Important: We list their Micros publication separately.
Submission Caps: They may close to free submissions if they reach their quota.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 2000

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication
Published irregularly

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

Statistics Synopsis

Slower
Identity Theory's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.
More Challenging
Identity Theory's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
Less Responsive
Identity Theory's overall rate of non-response is higher than most magazines.

Collapse section Fiction Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: 500 - 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 4,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Politics/Political Science.
Society/Culture: Social issues.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Identity Theory’s nonfiction section is devoted to creative work that is as thoughtful as it is vivid. We are especially interested narrative nonfiction and lyric essays. Take us someplace we haven’t been before, show us something that is not as it seems, guide us with an intelligent heart.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: 500 - 4,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: 500 - 4,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Politics/Political Science.
Society/Culture: Social issues.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Open

Without granting preference to any style or school, we seek original, unpublished poetry that engages the reader with a strong voice, no matter what voice is venerating within the poem. The confessional, the political, the humorous, the serious, the narrative and the lyrical are all equally welcomed contributors to the website and to the synthesis of poetry.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; 3 - 5 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.
Society/Culture: Social issues.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Methods: Email. 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.

Identity Theory 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 16 reports from 14 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 | 140.3 mean avg | 11.0 median | 545 max days (293.6 std dev)
Responses
68.75 %
Acceptances:
6.25 % of submissions accepted (521.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 7.14 % 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:
62.50 % (6.6 avg. days per rejection) | 30.0 % personal, 40.0 % form, 30.0 % unspecified
Non-Responses
18.75 %
Lost/Returned:
6.25 % (192.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as lost or returned)
Never Responded:
12.50 % (448.5 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals
12.50 % (203.0 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
3 responses are pending (14 min | 30.0 mean avg | 30.0 median | 45 max days waiting | 2,325.0 std dev) from 3 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

Most recent response reported was received on 16 Sep 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 13 Sep 2026.
Date compiled: 16 Sep 2026 15:43 UTC (5 hours, 46 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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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: 31 Aug 2026

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

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