River Teeth A Journal of Nonfiction Narrative

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About

River Teeth: A Journal of Nonfiction Narrative is recognized as a national leader in publishing quality essays, memoir, and literary journalism. It was co-founded in 1999 by Joe Mackall and Dan Lehman, professors at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. In 2019, following the retirement of editors Joe Mackall and Dan Lehman, River Teeth moved its primary location to Ball State University.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions. (Note: About 8% of magazines always charge fees.)
The fee is USD $3 (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 1999

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

828 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

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

Learn more about our statistics

Nonfiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 01 December 2026* (approx. 80 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Review: No specific word count limits known.
Article: No specific word count limits known.
Essay: No specific word count limits known.
Narrative Nonfiction: No specific word count limits known.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Literature/Books: Theory/Analysis/Criticism.
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 $100.

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.
* 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 @riverteeth.bsky.social
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Instagram @riverteeth_

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

River Teeth 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.

This project ranks among the 25 Most Challenging Nonfiction Publishers in our database.

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Accuracy

We have received 150 reports from 129 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

3 min | 56.4 mean avg | 51.0 median | 142 max days (93.0 std dev)

Responses

92.67 %

Acceptances:

0.67 % of submissions accepted (80.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 0.78 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

92.00 % (58.2 avg. days per rejection) | 17.4 % personal, 60.1 % form, 22.5 % unspecified | 0.7 % rewrite requests | 2.0 % shortlisted

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

7.33 % (22.7 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

15 responses are pending (3 min | 9.8 mean avg | 11.0 median | 11 max days waiting | 633.4 std dev) from 15 different members

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 180 days.
The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00.
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 26 Jun 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 03 Apr 2026.
Date compiled: 12 Sep 2026 22:32 UTC (less than a minute ago).

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Beautiful Things

River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Prize

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: 31 Aug 2026

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