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Rock and a Hard Place Magazine

A project of Rock and a Hard Place Press (see other related projects).

About

The flagship publication of Rock and a Hard Place Press is Rock and a Hard Place Magazine, a literary noir journal that serves as “A Chronicle of Bad Decisions and Desperate People.”

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 2019

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication
Unknown publication frequency
Print Publication Print Publication
Unknown publication frequency

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

Statistics Synopsis

Regular Speed
Rock and a Hard Place Magazine's overall average response time is within a normal range for magazines.
Normal Acceptance
Rock and a Hard Place Magazine's overall acceptance rate is within a normal range for magazines.
Less Responsive
Rock and a Hard Place Magazine's overall rate of non-response is higher than most magazines.

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: No specific word count limits known (our definition: up to 1000 words).
Short Story: 2,000 - 5,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: See guidelines.

Payment:

No monetary payment to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Provides free copy/copies Pays occasionally, up to Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $35 for stories 2,000-5,000 words minus cost of print copy if desired; negotiable payment for under 2,000 words, no payment for flash but free copy.

Submissions:

Method: Online form.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: See guidelines.

Payment:

Unknown payment Unknown payment.

Submissions:

Method: Online form.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Visual Art Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork:
Photo Essay: No image limits known.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: See guidelines.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (US$10-49 per piece) Semi-pro payment. Details: USD $15 for most art pieces.

Submissions:

Method: Online form.
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.

Rock and a Hard Place Magazine 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 13 reports from 13 different members within the past 12 months. The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
0 min | 82.9 mean avg | 97.0 median | 231 max days (54.5 std dev)
Responses
84.61 %
Acceptances:
7.69 % of submissions accepted (45.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 7.69 % 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:
76.92 % (91.5 avg. days per rejection) | 10.0 % personal, 90.0 % form, 0.0 % unspecified
Non-Responses
7.69 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
7.69 % (231.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals
7.69 % (0.0 avg. days per withdrawal)

Other Information

Most recent response reported was received on 24 Jun 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 15 Mar 2026.
Date compiled: 16 Sep 2026 14:56 UTC (6 hours, 33 minutes ago).

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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: 16 Aug 2026

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

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