Ninth Letter See other projects related to this listing. About Ninth Letter is the award-winning literary arts journal edited and produced by the Creative Writing Program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The journal’s mission is to present original literary writing of exceptional quality, illuminated by cutting-edge graphic design.Work published in Ninth Letter has been selected for many awards anthologies such as Best American Nonrequired Reading, Best American Poetry, The Pushcart Prize, Best American Short Stories, Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, Best Creative Nonfiction, Best New Fantasy, Best New Poets, Best of the Net, and New Stories from the Midwest. During a decade-plus collaboration with the UIUC School of Art + Design, the journal also received many national and international awards for graphic design, and was featured in the design awards annuals of both STEP Inside Design and HOW Magazine. In 2005 Ninth Letter was named Best New Literary Journal by the Council of Learned Journals, an affiliate of the Modern Language Association.In addition to our dedication to literary and artistic excellence, Ninth Letter also maintains a strong commitment to our role in the UIUC Creative Writing curriculum. Graduate and undergraduate students in English and Creative Writing have the opportunity to enroll in editing and publishing courses in which they gain hands-on experience in editorial work. Students who have completed the Ninth Letter courses have gone on to career success in commercial, academic, and literary publishing, thanks in part to their experience working with Ninth Letter. Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. They charge fees for some submission periods. The fee range is USD $2 to $3 (below average to average for magazines that charge). Important: Their Web Edition is listed separately (see below). Submission Caps: They may close to free submissions if they reach their quota. Country of Publication & Year Established United States Established in 2003 Publication Medium & Frequency Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 2 x per year AI Policy Human-created work only; no AI use allowed Statistics Synopsis Slower Ninth Letter's overall average response time is slower than most magazines. More ChallengingNinth Letter's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines. More ResponsiveNinth Letter's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines. Collapse section Fiction Open Fee-based Dates:Open to fee-based fiction submissions through 30 November 2026* (approx. 72 days from now).15Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: GeneralLengths: Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words; Up to 3 pieces. Short Story: 1,000 - 7,500 words. Novelette: 7,500 - 8,000 words.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Experimental, Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Other: May vary.Payment:Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Provides free copy/copies Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $100 for prose.Submissions:Method: Submittable submission manager. Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.Media: Text. Collapse section Nonfiction Open Fee-based Dates:Open to fee-based nonfiction submissions through 30 November 2026* (approx. 72 days from now).4Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Lengths: Essay: Up to 1,000 words; Up to 3 pieces. Essay: 1,000 - 8,000 words.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Experimental, Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Other: May vary.Payment:Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Provides free copy/copies Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $100 for prose.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 fee-based poetry submissions through 30 November 2026* (approx. 72 days from now).27Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: GeneralLengths: Poem: No line limits known; 3 - 5 pieces.Poetry Forms:Open to all/most Forms, including: Experimental poetry, Hybrid form.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Experimental, Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Other: May vary.Payment:Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem) Provides free copy/copies Semi-pro payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $25 per poem.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. Go to publication's website Report: Submission/Response Correction/Update New Cover ArtSocial:Bluesky @ninthletter.bsky.socialFacebook FacebookInstagram @ninthletterX (Twitter) @ninthletter Support this Publisher: Make a Donation Subscribe For the Editor(s): Request Interview Duosuma Submission Manager Link to Duotrope Ninth Letter 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 25 Most Challenging Fiction Publishers in our database. This project ranks among the 25 Most Challenging Nonfiction Publishers in our database. This project ranks among the 25 Most Challenging Poetry Publishers in our database. Filter: Category: All Categories Fiction Nonfiction Poetry Group by submission Include outliers Include related projects Accuracy We have received 450 reports from 384 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 | 140.0 mean avg | 141.0 median | 447 max days (248.1 std dev) Responses 88.45 % Acceptances: 0.67 % of submissions accepted (134.3 avg. days per acceptance) | 0.78 % 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: 87.78 % (145.2 avg. days per rejection) | 2.0 % personal, 79.0 % form, 19.0 % unspecified Non-Responses 0.22 % Lost/Returned: - Never Responded: 0.22 % (222.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded) Withdrawals 11.33 % (87.8 avg. days per withdrawal) Pending 133 responses are pending (2 min | 74.6 mean avg | 18.0 median | 272 max days waiting | 817.6 std dev) from 130 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. (32.2 % 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 180 days have passed. The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00. (57.9 % of reports specified whether they paid a fee; of those, 91.2 % paid fees.) Submissions are acknowledged within 4 days on average. Most recent response reported was received on 14 Sep 2026. Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 31 Aug 2026. Date compiled: 20 Sep 2026 05:03 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! Related ProjectsNinth Letter Ekphrastic Poetry Contest DNQ Charges fees for all submissionsNinth Letter Literary Awards Charges fees for all submissionsNinth Letter Web EditionRegeneration Literary Contest ON HIATUS Charges fees for all submissions Before SubmittingWe 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. DatesLast Updated: 01 Sep 2026We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year. Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy. 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