The Black Fork Review (BFR)

About

We are thrilled by the fresh, the unexpected, and the fearless.
Launched in 2019, Black Fork Review is run by students and alumni from Ashland University and supported by Ashland Poetry Press.
We love work that makes us consider the world and our lives in new and unexpected ways. Art can profoundly affect and connect communities. We seek work that makes us pause, challenges us, work that both interrogates and honors humanity.
The Black Fork River, for which this journal is named, is a local landmark in Ashland, Ohio. It winds its way through Richland and Ashland Counties, on occupied land of the Lanape, Mohican, Wyandot, Erie, and Seneca tribes. The river has long been a staple for the area’s ecosystem as it joins with Clear Fork River to form the well-known and beloved Mohican River in Ashland County. Because of this, we are drawn to work that has a sense of place, in many different ways.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. They charge fees for submissions of written work.
The fee is USD $3 (average for magazines that charge).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2019

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Unknown publication frequency

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

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Statistics Synopsis

Slower: The Black Fork Review's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.
Normal Acceptance: The Black Fork Review's overall acceptance rate is within a normal range for magazines.
Less Responsive: The Black Fork Review's overall rate of non-response is higher than most magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to fee-based fiction submissions through 30 November 2026* (approx. 42 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words; Unknown number of pieces.
Short Story: 1,000 - 2,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to fee-based nonfiction submissions through 30 November 2026* (approx. 42 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: Up to 3,000 words; Unknown number of pieces.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 3,000 words; Unknown number of pieces.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to fee-based poetry submissions through 30 November 2026* (approx. 42 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 3 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:

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

Collapse section Visual Art Open

Dates:

Open to visual art submissions through 30 November 2026* (approx. 42 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: Up to 5 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:

Method: 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.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for The Black Fork Review

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Social:
Instagram @theblackforkreview

For the Editor(s):
Request Interview
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Link to Duotrope

The Black Fork Review 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:

Group by submission

Include outliers

Accuracy

We have received 11 reports from 8 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

29 min | 290.1 mean avg | 319.0 median | 531 max days (129.5 std dev)

Responses

27.27 %

Acceptances:

9.09 % of submissions accepted (201.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 12.50 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

18.18 % (200.5 avg. days per rejection) | 0.0 % personal, 100.0 % form, 0.0 % unspecified

Non-Responses

54.55 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

54.55 % (356.3 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)

Withdrawals

18.18 % (215.5 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

4 responses are pending (0 min | 276.3 mean avg | 274.0 median | 557 max days waiting | 421.2 std dev) from 4 different members

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00. (75.0 % of reports specified whether they paid a fee; of those, 100.0 % paid fees.)
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 02 Oct 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 15 Mar 2026.
Date compiled: 19 Oct 2026 22:48 UTC (1 hour, 44 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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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: 19 Oct 2026

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