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Sunspot Literary Journal

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About

Sunspot Literary Journal was founded to cut through the blinding flashes. The publications present writing that is meaningful. Writing created by individuals who might not have a large social media following, but who still have something important to say.

Here at Sunspot, we believe in the power of the written word. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry and art can speak truth to power with the power inherent in all human beings. Our mission is to amplify every voice.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions, and they do not offer monetary payment for accepted submissions. (Note: About 8% of magazines always charge fees.)
The fee range is USD $5 to $14 (above average for magazines that charge).
Important: They may accept different lengths at different times; as always, check their current guidelines before submitting.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 2019

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication
Published 2 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

Statistics Synopsis

Faster
Sunspot Literary Journal's overall average response time is faster than most magazines.
More Challenging
Sunspot Literary Journal's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
More Responsive
Sunspot Literary Journal's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.

Collapse section Fiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Rolling Deadlines: Check cutoff dates.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette: 7,500 - 15,000 words.
Novella: 15,000 - 40,000 words.
Novel: 40,000 - 49,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Rolling Deadlines: Check cutoff dates.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Review: 350 - 1,500 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 49,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Literature/Books: Theory/Analysis/Criticism, See guidelines.
Memoir.
Travel.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Open Fee-based

Dates:

Rolling Deadlines: Check cutoff dates.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Unknown number of pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Visual Art Open Fee-based

Dates:

Rolling Deadlines: Check cutoff dates.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: Up to 2 pieces.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Methods: Duosuma submission manager. Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Image.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Sunspot 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.

Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 73 reports from 58 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 | 26.1 mean avg | 29.0 median | 246 max days (28.9 std dev)
Responses
93.15 %
Acceptances:
4.11 % of submissions accepted (83.7 avg. days per acceptance) | 5.17 % 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:
89.04 % (28.0 avg. days per rejection) | 15.4 % personal, 83.1 % form, 1.5 % unspecified
Non-Responses
0.00 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
-
Withdrawals
6.85 % (8.8 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
11 responses are pending (1 min | 11.1 mean avg | 12.0 median | 22 max days waiting | 333.0 std dev) from 10 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. (1.4 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 180 days.)
The most common submission fee paid: USD $5.00.
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 14 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 15 Jul 2026.
Date compiled: 09 Sep 2026 13:01 UTC (2 hours, 26 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

Work submitted here was also submitted to...

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Members accepted here also had work accepted by...

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Your Submissions

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Geminga Contest for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Goldilocks Zone Contest for Authors and Artists CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
A Single Word Contest CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Sunspot Lit Culmination Prize for a Prose, Poem, or Art Ending CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Sunspot Lit Inception Contest CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Sunspot Lit Rigel Contest CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Sunspot Lit Solar Flare Contest CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions

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: 25 Aug 2026

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

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