Rawhead A Journal of Art and Literature

About

Rawhead is an online journal that publishes poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, and visual art. We are not a horror publication, though we are interested in work that unsettles through emotional depth, sharp craft, and surprising clarity.
We believe the arts are a form of resistance against monsters, in whatever shape they take. Artists draw their blades. Writers raise their shields. Creators are found, at every last stand, to keep the truth breathing.
That’s why we need your voice: your witness, your joy and fury, your circle of salt. We need your silence to finally be broken.
Send us the still dripping pieces of the beast you’ve finally slain. Show us the scars of an ongoing fight. Or throw out the rules entirely and just share something that you believe in.

Voluntary Fees: This project accepts voluntary fees for expedited responses.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2025

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Unknown publication frequency

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

52 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Faster: Rawhead's overall average response time is faster than most magazines.
More Approachable: Rawhead's overall acceptance rate is higher than most magazines.
More Responsive: Rawhead's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Open

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 01 October 2026* (approx. 20 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Short Story: 1,000 - 3,000 words; Unknown number of pieces.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Theme:

Halloween issue: Rawhead & Bloody Bones (01 Oct 2026*)

Payment:

No monetary payment to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pays occasionally, up to Professional payment. Details: USD $100 for Editor's Spotlight Award.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed in some circumstances; check their site for details.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 01 October 2026* (approx. 20 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: Up to 1,000 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Essay: 1,000 - 3,000 words; Unknown number of pieces.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 1,000 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Narrative Nonfiction: 1,000 - 3,000 words; Unknown number of pieces.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Theme:

Halloween issue: Rawhead & Bloody Bones (01 Oct 2026*)

Payment:

No monetary payment to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pays occasionally, up to Professional payment. Details: USD $100 for Editor's Spotlight Award.

Submissions:

Collapse section Poetry Open

Dates:

Open to poetry submissions through 01 October 2026* (approx. 20 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; 3 - 7 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Theme:

Halloween issue: Rawhead & Bloody Bones (01 Oct 2026*)

Payment:

No monetary payment to Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Pays occasionally, up to Professional payment. Details: USD $100 for Editor's Spotlight Award.

Submissions:

Collapse section Visual Art Open

Dates:

Open to visual art submissions through 01 October 2026* (approx. 20 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: 3 - 10 pieces.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Theme:

Halloween issue: Rawhead & Bloody Bones (01 Oct 2026*)

Payment:

No monetary payment to Professional payment (US$50 or more per piece) Pays occasionally, up to Professional payment. Details: USD $100 for Editor's Spotlight Award.

Submissions:

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.

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Social:
Bluesky @rawheadjournal.bsky.social
Instagram @rawheadjournal

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

Rawhead 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 62 reports from 55 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

2 min | 35.6 mean avg | 33.5 median | 100 max days (29.4 std dev)

Responses

87.09 %

Acceptances:

12.90 % of submissions accepted (11.5 avg. days per acceptance) | 12.73 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

74.19 % (41.8 avg. days per rejection) | 10.9 % personal, 78.3 % form, 10.9 % unspecified | 1.6 % shortlisted

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

12.90 % (18.7 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

39 responses are pending (1 min | 44.9 mean avg | 40.0 median | 86 max days waiting | 46.9 std dev) from 35 different members

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 180 days.
The most common submission tip paid: USD $3.00. (19.0 % reported giving a tip.)
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 28 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 24 Aug 2026.
Date compiled: 11 Sep 2026 20:28 UTC (less than a minute ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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Your Submissions

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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: 18 Aug 2026

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