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Identity Theory A Literary Magazine

About

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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 submissions through their submission manager. The fee is USD $5.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States Established in 2000

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationPublished irregularly.

Fiction Temp Closed

Identity Theory is an online magazine that publishes fiction from new and up-and-coming writers, with special attention paid to promoting strong literary voices.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
General General
Lengths:
Flash Fiction Flash FictionUp to 1,000 words.
Short Story Short Story1,000 - 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.


Nonfiction Temp Closed

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 EssayUp to 4,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction Narrative NonfictionUp to 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.


Poetry Temp Closed

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 General
Lengths:
Poem PoemNo 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 — Free Preview!

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.
AccuracyWe have received 106 reports from 84 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported2 min | 70.4 mean avg | 58.5 median | 470 max days (375.6 std dev)
Responses67.92 %
Acceptances2.83 % of submissions accepted (67.7 avg. days per acceptance) | 3.57 % 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.
Rejections65.09 % (56.3 avg. days per rejection) | 17.4 % personal, 53.6 % form, 29.0 % unspecified
Non-Responses32.07 %
Lost/Returned0.94 % (107.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as lost or returned)
Never Responded6.60 % (275.3 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals24.53 % (53.6 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending30 responses are pending (2 min | 128.7 mean avg | 147.0 median | 354 max days waiting | 1,274.9 std dev) from 29 different members This only includes pending reports from users who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $5.00. (32.5 % of reports specified whether they paid a fee; of those, 31.6 % paid fees.)
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 02 Feb 2025.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 05 Nov 2024.

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Dates

Last Updated: 06 Jan 2025
Last Audited: 08 Oct 2024. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 18 Apr 2006

Before Submitting

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