Terrain.org Online Environmental Magazine of Literature and Place See other projects related to this listing. About Contributions to in Terrain.org are of the highest quality, by a variety of contributors for a diverse, informed, and progressive audience. Contributors range from icons in the field of nature writing, such as Wendell Berry, Jane Hirshfield, Camille T. Dungy, and Joy Harjo, to essential new voices that are changing both writing and place itself, such as Aisha Sabatini Sloan, José Angel Araguz, and Joe Wilkins. Likewise, our critically acclaimed series—including Letters to America, A Life of Science, and Pam Houston’s Twenty Words During Lockdown—respond in real time to the most urgent social and environmental justice issues of the day. The works Terrain.org publishes on a rolling schedule merge literary and graphic art with science and activism in a beautiful, interactive design.Terrain.org is the world’s first place-based online journal. We were founded on a vision of marrying literary work—poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction—with articles and community case studies.By mixing poetry and prose with design, architecture, and urban planning, Terrain.org creates a unique community of place-based readers and contributors that has continued to expand just as the journal has expanded, both organizationally—from two editors and a small editorial board in 1997 to 15 editors and a larger, international editorial board today—and functionally, adding interviews, reviews and recommended reads, editorials, the Soundscapes podcast, and more. Today, we publish a rich mix of both literary and technical work—poetry, nonfiction, fiction, the ARTerrain gallery, editorials (which we call Currents), interviews, reviews and recommended reads, and the Unsprawl case study. We also publish hybrid forms and multimedia combinations, including online chapbooks, graphic poems and essays, videos, photo essays, audio, galleries, and other interactive designs that cross genres. Indeed, as one of the world’s first online literary journals, we were also one of the first to include audio on a regular basis. Important: Requirements for length/number of pieces vary. Check current calls for details. Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s). Country of Publication & Year Established United States Established in 1997 Publication Medium & Frequency Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationPublished on a rolling basis AI Policy Human-created work only; no AI use allowed Statistics Synopsis Slower Terrain.org's overall average response time is slower than most magazines. Normal AcceptanceTerrain.org's overall acceptance rate is within a normal range for magazines. More ResponsiveTerrain.org's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines. Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed Dates:Will be open to submissions from 01 January 2027* (approx. 107 days from now) through 30 April 2027.Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: GeneralLengths: Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words. Short Story: 1,000 - 6,000 words.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.Topics: Nature/Environment: General, See guidelines. Place/Regions: General, See guidelines. Other: May vary.Payment:Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Token payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $50.Submissions:Method: Submittable submission manager. Reprints: Unknown.Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.Media: Text. Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed Dates:Will be open to submissions from 01 January 2027* (approx. 107 days from now) through 30 April 2027.1Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Lengths: Review: No specific word count limits known. Article: More than 1,500 words. Essay: Up to 6,000 words. Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 6,000 words.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.Topics: Nature/Environment: General, See guidelines. Place/Regions: General, See guidelines. Other: May vary.Payment:Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Token payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $50.Submissions:Method: Submittable submission manager. Reprints: Unknown.Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.Media: Text. Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed Dates:Opens to submissions on 01 January 2027* (approx. 107 days from now)22Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: GeneralLengths: Poem: No line limits known; 2 - 6 pieces.Poetry Forms:Open to all/most Forms.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.Topics: Nature/Environment: General, See guidelines. Place/Regions: General, See guidelines. Other: May vary.Payment:Token payment (under US$5 per poem) to Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Pay ranges from Token payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $50.Submissions:Method: Submittable submission manager. Reprints: Unknown.Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.Media: Text. Collapse section Visual Art Open Query firstAudience:Open to a broad Audience.Lengths: Artwork: 6 - 12 pieces.Art Media: Open to all/most Art Media, including... Drawing. Painting. Photography.Art Styles:Open to all/most Art Styles.Topics: Nature/Environment: General, See guidelines. Place/Regions: General, See guidelines. Other: May vary.Payment:Token payment (under US$10 per piece) to Professional payment (US$50 or more per piece) Pay ranges from Token payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $50.Submissions:Methods: Submittable submission manager. Postal. Reprints: Reprints are 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.* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment. Go to publication's website Report: Submission/Response Correction/Update New Cover ArtSocial:Bluesky @terrainorg.bsky.socialFacebook FacebookInstagram @terrain_orgX (Twitter) @terrainorg Support this Publisher: Make a Donation For the Editor(s): Request Interview Duosuma Submission Manager Link to Duotrope Terrain.org 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: Category: All Categories Fiction Nonfiction Poetry Visual Art Group by submission Include outliers Include related projects Accuracy We have received 72 reports from 66 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information. Days Reported 1 min | 91.1 mean avg | 79.0 median | 314 max days (82.4 std dev) Responses 90.27 % Acceptances: 8.33 % of submissions accepted (88.2 avg. days per acceptance) | 7.58 % 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: 81.94 % (96.1 avg. days per rejection) | 17.0 % personal, 64.4 % form, 18.6 % unspecified Non-Responses 0.00 % Lost/Returned: - Never Responded: - Withdrawals 9.72 % (53.4 avg. days per withdrawal) Pending 6 responses are pending (13 min | 130.6 mean avg | 161.0 median | 206 max days waiting | 477.3 std dev) from 5 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 112 days. (20.8 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 112 days.) Submissions are acknowledged within 4 days on average. Most recent response reported was received on 29 Aug 2026. Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 23 Jul 2026. Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 03:10 UTC (6 hours, 37 minutes ago). View report of recent responses from this project Work submitted here was also submitted to...This section is available to subscribers only. Sign up and start your free trial today!Members accepted here also had work accepted by...This section is available to subscribers only. Become a member and start your free trial today! Your Submissions This section is available to subscribers only. Join today! Related ProjectsLetters to America NEW!Poetry & Polar Science CLOSEDSowell Emerging Writers Prize Charges fees for all submissionsTerrain.org Annual Contest Charges fees for all submissionsWords, Woods, and Wellness Before SubmittingWe 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. DatesLast Updated: 05 Jul 2026We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year. Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy. Accept All Cookies Allow Essential Cookies Only