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Prism Review

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About

Since 2008, Prism Review has been almost exclusively under the editorial direction of Sean Bernard, with the keen help of University of La Verne undergraduates. But the journal has a much longer history: in 1977, Dr. Esther Davis suggested “PRISMS” as the concept for a school literary magazine, and advisor Kathleen Irace heralded the first journal into production. Since then many La Verne faculty have advised and edited the student editorial board, including Sara Ellen Fowler, Cathy Irwin, Kirsten Ogden, Catherine Henley-Erickson, Ken Scambray, Ann Fisher, Carol Fetty, and Janice Johnson.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions, except for some submission periods, underrepresented people, and people who can't afford the fee. (Note: About 8% of magazines always charge fees.)
The fee is USD $2 (below 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 2008

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication
Published 1 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Statistics Synopsis

Regular Speed
Prism Review's overall average response time is within a normal range for magazines.
More Challenging
Prism Review's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
More Responsive
Prism Review's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Our taste is deeply varied: in fiction, we're moved by the succinct prose of Ernest Hemingway and the fresh wackiness of Aimee Bender, by the ethereality of Italo Calvino and the ruminations of Alice Munro.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words; Unknown number of pieces.
Short Story: 1,000 - 5,000 words; Unknown number of pieces.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Minimalist, Quirky.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Provides free copy/copies Pay ranges from Token payment to Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: At least USD $40 per contributor.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

We love non-fiction and would love to see more! We're keen on recent work by, among many others, Esmé Wang, Maggie Nelson, and Claudia Rankine, and of course forebears such as Joan Didion, Audre Lorde, and Anne Carson.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: Up to 5,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 5,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Minimalist, Quirky.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Provides free copy/copies Pay ranges from Token payment to Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: At least USD $40 per contributor.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

We enjoy poetry that is witty and poetry that is moving, especially poetry that's both; we're suspicious of end-rhyme and formal structures but hey, we're cool, we'll hang with them a little. Mark Strand, Brenda Hillman, and Mary Jo Bang are among the many poets we adore.

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, including: Free verse.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Minimalist, Quirky.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem) to Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Provides free copy/copies Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: At least USD $40 per contributor.

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.

Prism 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:
Accuracy
We have received 46 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
8 min | 85.3 mean avg | 82.0 median | 228 max days (106.9 std dev)
Responses
89.13 %
Acceptances:
2.17 % of submissions accepted (58.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 2.50 % 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:
86.96 % (88.6 avg. days per rejection) | 12.5 % personal, 72.5 % form, 15.0 % unspecified
Non-Responses
0.00 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
-
Withdrawals
10.87 % (56.2 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
8 responses are pending (2 min | 94.3 mean avg | 42.0 median | 253 max days waiting | 895.0 std dev) from 8 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. (8.7 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 180 days.)
The most common submission fee paid: USD $2.00.
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 18 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 30 Jun 2026.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 01:50 UTC (7 hours, 55 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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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.

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