Midwest Review

About

Midwest Review is a literary annual that features work by writers, photographers, and artists who live in or have a connection to the Midwest.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Midwest is comprised of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, and Missouri. Of course, the Midwest is also a state of mind.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. They charge fees for submission of written work, except for fee waivers available for those experiencing financial constraints.
The fee is USD $5 (above average for magazines that charge).

Limited Demographic: Submissions are restricted to those who live in, or have lived in, the Midwest (US).

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

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2012

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 1 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication: Published 1 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

120 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

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

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

We're looking for thoughtful and thought-provoking short fiction that examines, interprets, and redefines the wide spectrum of life, past and present, in the Midwest.

Dates:

Will be open to fee-based submissions from 15 January 2027* (approx. 121 days from now) through 15 May 2027.

Audience:

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

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 6,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

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

Payment:

No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

We're looking for thoughtful and thought-provoking essays and creative nonfiction that examines, interprets, and redefines the wide spectrum of life, past and present, in the Midwest.

Dates:

Will be open to fee-based submissions from 15 January 2027* (approx. 121 days from now) through 15 May 2027.

Audience:

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

Lengths:

Essay: Up to 6,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 6,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

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

Payment:

No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

We're looking for thoughtful and thought-provoking poetry that examines, interprets, and redefines the wide spectrum of life, past and present, in the Midwest.

Dates:

Will be open to fee-based submissions from 15 January 2027* (approx. 121 days from now) through 15 May 2027.

Audience:

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

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 5 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

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

Payment:

No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Visual Art Temp Closed

We're looking for thoughtful and thought-provoking black-and-white photography and visual art that examines, interprets, and redefines the wide spectrum of life, past and present, in the Midwest.

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 15 January 2027* (approx. 121 days from now) through 15 May 2027.

Audience:

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

Lengths:

Artwork: Up to 5 pieces.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media, including...
Black & white photography.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

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

Payment:

No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Image.

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.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for Midwest Review

Go to publication's website

Report:
Submission/Response
Correction/Update
New Cover Art

Social:
Facebook Facebook
Instagram @midwestreview

Support this Publisher:
Purchase Issue(s)

For the Editor(s):
Request Interview
Duosuma Submission Manager
Link to Duotrope

Midwest 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.

Filter:

Group by submission

Include outliers

Accuracy

We have received 39 reports from 35 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

53 min | 132.0 mean avg | 124.5 median | 230 max days (55.4 std dev)

Responses

92.31 %

Acceptances:

7.69 % of submissions accepted (91.3 avg. days per acceptance) | 8.57 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

84.62 % (137.0 avg. days per rejection) | 18.2 % personal, 57.6 % form, 24.2 % unspecified

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

7.69 % (83.7 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

2 responses are pending (123 min | 147.5 mean avg | 147.5 median | 172 max days waiting | 581.3 std dev) from 2 different members

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $5.00. (60.5 % of reports specified whether they paid a fee; of those, 100.0 % paid fees.)
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 09 Sep 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 15 May 2026.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 10:09 UTC (less than a minute ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

Work submitted here was also submitted to...

This section is available to subscribers only. Sign up and start your free trial today!

Members accepted here also had work accepted by...

This section is available to subscribers only. Become a member and start your free trial today!

Your Submissions

This section is available to subscribers only. Join today!

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: 05 Jul 2026

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