The Heron's Nest

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About

The Heron's Nest, founded in 1999, is a quarterly online journal. A new edition is published during the first week of March, June, September, and December. We publish multiple pages of fine haiku in each issue, plus three Editors' Choice Haiku; one of which is presented with the Heron's Nest Award, and receives special commentary. The Heron's Nest also appears in a single annual paper edition anthology each April.
It is our intention to present haiku in which the outward form of each poem has been determined by two important elements. The primary element is the poetic experience, faithfully and uniquely evoked in words. The second element helps to shape the first; it is the poet's knowledge and respect for traditional haiku values. When well balanced these elements result in work that is distinctively and unmistakably haiku. "Poetic experiences" are those that inspire us to express ourselves creatively with words. "Haiku values" are the traditional underpinnings, both Japanese and Western, by which haiku sensibility has evolved into what it is today, and which will continue to shape haiku traditions in the future. There are many ideals equated with each of the various haiku forms. No one poem can embody all, or even a majority of these ideals. Each of us must decide for ourselves what is important in the writing and appreciating of haiku.

Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 1999

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 4 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication: Published 1 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

114 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Faster: The Heron's Nest's overall average response time is faster than most magazines.
More Approachable: The Heron's Nest's overall acceptance rate is higher than most magazines.
More Responsive: The Heron's Nest's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Poetry Open

Rolling Submissions:

Next cutoff date is 15 December 2026* (approx. 90 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: Exactly 3 lines; 5 - 15 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Haiku (or related).

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Seasons/Holidays: Seasons.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT 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.

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Social Platforms:
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Purchase Issue(s)

For the Editor(s):
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Link to Duotrope

The Heron's Nest 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 24 reports from 13 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

0 min | 34.1 mean avg | 33.5 median | 88 max days (24.4 std dev)

Responses

100.00 %

Acceptances:

25.00 % of submissions accepted (44.8 avg. days per acceptance) | 38.46 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

75.00 % (30.6 avg. days per rejection) | 77.8 % personal, 16.7 % form, 5.6 % unspecified

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

Pending

6 responses are pending (0 min | 29.3 mean avg | 12.0 median | 120 max days waiting | 313.0 std dev) from 6 different members

Other Information

Submissions are acknowledged within 6 days on average.
Most recent response reported was received on 08 Sep 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 07 Sep 2026.
Date compiled: 16 Sep 2026 15:37 UTC (5 hours, 50 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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The Peggy Willis Lyles Haiku Award

Before Submitting

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Dates

Last Updated: 12 Aug 2026

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