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Michigan Quarterly Review (MQR)

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About

Michigan Quarterly Review, founded in 1962, is an interdisciplinary and international literary journal, combining distinctive voices in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, as well as works in translation. The flagship literary journal of the University of Michigan, our magazine embraces creative urgency and cultural relevance, aiming to challenge conventions and address long-overdue conversations. As we continue to promote an expansive and inclusive vision, we seek work from established and emerging writers with diverse aesthetics and experiences.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions. (Note: About 8% of magazines always charge fees.)
The fee is USD $3 (average for magazines that charge).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 1962

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication
Published 4 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work preferred, but limited AI use may be permitted in some circumstances (see their site for details)

Statistics Synopsis

Slower
Michigan Quarterly Review's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.
More Challenging
Michigan Quarterly Review's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
More Responsive
Michigan Quarterly Review's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.

Collapse section Fiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 01 November 2026* (approx. 57 days from now).

13

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Short Story: 1,500 - 7,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

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

Payment:

Unknown payment Unknown 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

Nonfiction submitted to the print publication may be considered for MQR Online.

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 01 November 2026* (approx. 57 days from now).

2

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: 1,500 - 7,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Literature/Books: General, Theory/Analysis/Criticism.
Politics/Political Science.
Society/Culture.
Other: May vary.

Payment:

Unknown payment Unknown 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 01 November 2026* (approx. 57 days from now).

15

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; 3 - 6 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.

Payment:

Unknown payment Unknown 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.

Michigan Quarterly Review 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.

This project ranks among the Extremely Challenging Fiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the Extremely Challenging Nonfiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the 25 Most Challenging Poetry Publishers in our database.
Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 375 reports from 308 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
0 min | 101.9 mean avg | 65.0 median | 458 max days (206.7 std dev)
Responses
93.34 %
Acceptances:
0.27 % of submissions accepted (64.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 0.32 % 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:
93.07 % (101.2 avg. days per rejection) | 7.7 % personal, 71.6 % form, 20.6 % unspecified | 0.3 % shortlisted
Non-Responses
0.00 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
-
Withdrawals
6.67 % (74.0 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
148 responses are pending (0 min | 97.8 mean avg | 32.5 median | 374 max days waiting | 487.5 std dev) from 142 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 180 days. (23.7 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 180 days.)
Do not query on the status of your submission before 365 days have passed.
The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00.
Submissions are acknowledged within 3 days on average.
Most recent response reported was received on 02 Sep 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 23 Aug 2026.
Date compiled: 05 Sep 2026 20:11 UTC (18 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

Work submitted here was also submitted to...

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Your Submissions

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James A. Winn Prize in Nonfiction  Charges fees for all submissions
Jesmyn Ward Prize in Fiction  Charges fees for all submissions
Laurence Goldstein Prize in Poetry DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
MQR Mixtape  Charges fees for all submissions
MQR Online

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: 10 Aug 2026

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

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