Runestone Literary Journal

About

We’re a national online literary annual, compiled and edited by BFA students in The Creative Writing Programs at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
We feature the best fiction, nonfiction, and poetry we can get our hands on, all of it written by undergraduates.
Runestone’s editorial process takes place each spring during our upper-level undergraduate course “Introduction to Literary Publishing: Runestone.” The class is a collaborative effort among its faculty-editor; two associate editors, both graduate students in our MFA program; and an undergraduate student editorial board.

Limited Demographic: Submissions are restricted to current undergraduates at a two- or four-year institutions.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 1 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

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Collapse section Fiction Open

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 01 October 2026* (approx. 16 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 500 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Short Story: 1,000 - 5,000 words; Unknown number of pieces.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

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

Theme:

Into the Deeps (01 Oct 2026*)

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 01 October 2026* (approx. 16 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 500 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Narrative Nonfiction: 500 - 7,500 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

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

Theme:

Into the Deeps (01 Oct 2026*)

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Open

Dates:

Open to poetry submissions through 01 October 2026* (approx. 16 days from now).

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.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

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

Theme:

Into the Deeps (01 Oct 2026*)

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
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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Runestone Literary Journal 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.

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Accuracy

We have received 1 report within the past 12 months. The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Other Information

Most recent response reported was received on 04 Feb 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 18 Sep 2025.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 08:50 UTC (less than a minute ago).

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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: 22 May 2026

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