Ponder Review

About

PONDER REVIEW is a student-run publication of the MFA program at Mississippi University for Women, staffed by graduate students. PR publishes fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction, poetry, short plays, new media, and visual art. MISSION: We seek stories that challenge, stories that shift our view, ignite our imaginations, spark conversations, and linger with us long after our eyes leave the page. We invite you to explore, expound, and inspire through one act plays, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and new media.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions, and they do not offer monetary payment for accepted submissions. (Note: About 8% of magazines always charge fees.)
The fee is USD $2 (below average for magazines that charge).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2016

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 2 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication: Published 2 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

66 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Slower: Ponder Review's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.
More Approachable: Ponder Review's overall acceptance rate is higher than most magazines.
More Responsive: Ponder Review's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 15 December 2026* (approx. 69 days from now) through 15 March 2027.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 750 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Short Story: 1,500 - 3,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Other: May vary.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 15 December 2026* (approx. 69 days from now) through 15 March 2027.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: 1,500 - 3,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: 1,500 - 3,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Other: May vary.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 15 December 2026* (approx. 69 days from now) through 15 March 2027.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

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:

Other: May vary.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Visual Art Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 15 December 2026* (approx. 69 days from now) through 15 March 2027.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: Up to 5 pieces.
Graphic Narrative: Up to 8 pages.
Photo Essay: Up to 5 photos.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media, including...
Cartoon/Comic strip.
Mixed media.
Collage.
Painting.
Photography.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Other: May vary.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

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 Ponder Review

Go to publication's website

Report:
Submission/Response
Correction/Update
New Cover Art

Social:
Facebook Facebook
Instagram @PonderReview
X (Twitter) @PonderReview

Support this Publisher:
Purchase Issue(s)

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

Ponder 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 49 reports from 40 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

20 min | 108.7 mean avg | 108.0 median | 223 max days (51.0 std dev)

Responses

87.76 %

Acceptances:

20.41 % of submissions accepted (69.5 avg. days per acceptance) | 25.00 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

67.35 % (125.9 avg. days per rejection) | 21.2 % personal, 42.4 % form, 36.4 % unspecified

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

12.24 % (78.2 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

9 responses are pending (22 min | 108.8 mean avg | 109.5 median | 208 max days waiting | 233.8 std dev) from 9 different members

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $2.00.
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 30 Sep 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 06 Sep 2026.
Date compiled: 06 Oct 2026 10:02 UTC (6 hours, 33 minutes 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: 15 Sep 2026

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