Skip to Content

An Important Announcement
We are excited to announce the long-awaited Duotrope community! Create your profile, high five your fellow creators, and journey along Rejection Road.

Press Pause

See other projects related to this listing.

About

Press Pause is a literary magazine with zero social media presence. No Facebook. No Twitter (#amwriting). No Insta, no Snapchat, and none of whatever that TikTok thing is.

We want to create an online (and real-life) place away from the usual spaces—a primarily quiet place. Right now that means not spending our time shouting into the sometimes hapless mostly merciless usually noisy void of social media.

At Press Pause, we are dedicated to the idea that the world would probably be a better place, at least somewhat, if we all took a moment to pause and reflect before doing (or tweeting.retweeting.subtweeting.commenting.condemning.ranting.sharing.liking.hearting).

Think of us as a quiet literary think tank. A closed room with a comfortable reclining chair, lots of sunlight and a beautiful vase of daisies. This is your space. This is our space, far away from the noise.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. They charge fees for some submission periods.
The fee is USD $5 (above average for magazines that charge).
Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 2018

Publication Media & Frequency

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

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Statistics Synopsis

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

Collapse section Fiction Open

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 30 April 2027* (approx. 227 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 5,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

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

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 30 April 2027* (approx. 227 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Article: Up to 5,000 words.
Essay: Up to 5,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream. Excluding: Academic.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

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

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Open

Dates:

Open to poetry submissions through 30 April 2027* (approx. 227 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 10 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

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

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Visual Art Open

Dates:

Open to visual art submissions through 30 April 2027* (approx. 227 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork:

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

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

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
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.

Press Pause 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:
Accuracy
We have received 14 reports from 12 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
64 min | 181.5 mean avg | 173.0 median | 327 max days (96.4 std dev)
Responses
71.43 %
Acceptances:
7.14 % of submissions accepted (327.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 8.33 % 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:
64.29 % (168.0 avg. days per rejection) | 22.2 % personal, 66.7 % form, 11.1 % unspecified
Non-Responses
0.00 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
-
Withdrawals
28.57 % (156.3 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
10 responses are pending (7 min | 155.9 mean avg | 154.0 median | 312 max days waiting | 321.0 std dev) from 10 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $5.00. (35.3 % of reports specified whether they paid a fee; of those, 16.7 % paid fees.)
Submissions are acknowledged within 2 days on average.
Most recent response reported was received on 11 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 18 Dec 2025.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 02:10 UTC (7 hours, 57 minutes ago).

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: 01 Sep 2026

We 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.