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Ploughshares

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About

3,716 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Ploughshares has published quality literature since 1971. Our award-winning literary journal is published four times a year; our lively literary blog publishes new writing daily. Since 1989, we have been based at Emerson College in downtown Boston.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. They charge fees for online submissions, except for Ploughshares subscribers. The fee is USD $3.75.
Important: They may accept different prose lengths at different times. As always, check their current guidelines before submitting.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States Established in 1971

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationPublished 3 x per year.
Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 3 x per year.

Fiction Open

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 15 January 2025 11:59 AM EST (in 97 days). 29

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
General General
Lengths:
Flash Fiction Flash FictionUp to 1,000 words.
Short Story Short Story1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette Novelette7,500 - 15,000 words.
Novella Novella15,000 - 20,000 words.
Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

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 $45 per printed page, with a $90 minimum and $450 maximum.

Submissions:

Methods: Online form (fees apply). Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.


Nonfiction Open

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 15 January 2025 11:59 AM EST (in 97 days). 9

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:
Essay EssayUp to 7,500 words.
Essay Essay7,500 - 20,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction Narrative NonfictionUp to 7,500 words.
Narrative Nonfiction Narrative Nonfiction7,500 - 20,000 words.
Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics, including: Memoir.

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 $45 per printed page, with a $90 minimum and $450 maximum.

Submissions:

Methods: Online form (fees apply). Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.


Poetry Open

Dates:

Open to poetry submissions through 15 January 2025 11:59 AM EST (in 97 days). 58

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
General General
Lengths:
Poem PoemNo 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.

Payment:

Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) (Provides free copy/copies) Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $45 per printed page, with a $90 minimum and $450 maximum.

Submissions:

Methods: Online form (fees apply). Postal.
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.

Ploughshares 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.
This project ranks among the 25 Most 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.
AccuracyWe have received 666 reports from 539 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported1 min | 61.0 mean avg | 52.0 median | 513 max days (56.8 std dev)
Responses96.10 %
Acceptances0.75 % of submissions accepted (116.6 avg. days per acceptance) | 0.93 % 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.
Rejections95.35 % (55.7 avg. days per rejection) | 15.3 % personal, 59.2 % form, 25.5 % unspecified | 1.1 % shortlisted
Non-Responses3.90 %
Lost/Returned-
Never Responded1.50 % (302.2 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals2.40 % (105.7 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending198 responses are pending (1 min | 52.1 mean avg | 40.5 median | 424 max days waiting | 44.0 std dev) from 194 different members This only includes pending reports from users who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 150 days. (4.4 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 150 days.)
Do not query on the status of your submission before 150 days have passed.
The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.75. (61.3 % of reports specified whether they paid a fee; of those, 93.6 % paid fees.)
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 09 Oct 2024.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 25 Sep 2024.

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Dates

Last Updated: 06 Sep 2024
Last Audited: 06 Sep 2024. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 02 Aug 2005

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.