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The Common A Modern Sense of Place

About

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The Common is a literary organization whose mission is to deepen our individual and collective sense of place.
Based at Amherst College, we aim to serve as a vibrant common space for the global exchange of ideas and experiences through three main areas of activity: publishing, public programming, and mentorship and education.
We publish works that embody particular times and places—literature and art powerful enough to reach from there to here—and feature new and underrepresented voices from around the world.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions, except for their subscribers. The fee is USD $3.
Important: Subscribers can submit outside of their regular submission periods.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States Established in 2010

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationPublished on a rolling basis.
Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 2 x per year.

Fiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 01 June 2025* (approx. 70 days from now). 10

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
General General
Lengths:
Flash Fiction Flash FictionUp to 1,000 words.
Short Story Short Story1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette Novelette7,500 - 10,000 words.
Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Place/Regions.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $200 per piece.

Submissions:

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


Nonfiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 01 June 2025* (approx. 70 days from now). 0

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:
Essay EssayUp to 10,000 words.
Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Place/Regions.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $200 per piece.

Submissions:

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


Poetry Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to poetry submissions through 01 June 2025* (approx. 70 days from now). 18

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
General General
Lengths:
Poem PoemNo line limits known; Up to 5 pieces.
Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Place/Regions.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem) Semi-pro payment. Details: USD $40 per poem.

Submissions:

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

The Common Submission Statistics — Free Preview!

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.
This project ranks among the 25 Slowest Fiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the 25 Most Challenging Poetry Publishers in our database.
AccuracyWe have received 333 reports from 301 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported1 min | 132.8 mean avg | 115.0 median | 497 max days (148.9 std dev)
Responses84.08 %
Acceptances1.50 % of submissions accepted (81.2 avg. days per acceptance) | 1.66 % 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.
Rejections82.58 % (133.6 avg. days per rejection) | 13.8 % personal, 65.5 % form, 20.7 % unspecified
Non-Responses15.92 %
Lost/Returned0.30 % (40.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as lost or returned)
Never Responded-
Withdrawals15.62 % (130.3 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending165 responses are pending (1 min | 153.2 mean avg | 169.0 median | 384 max days waiting | 445.8 std dev) from 160 different members This only includes pending reports from users who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00.
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 21 Mar 2025.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 07 Mar 2025.

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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Dates

Last Updated: 16 Mar 2025
Last Audited: 25 Oct 2024. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 16 Sep 2010

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.