The Nation

About

Home to tenacious muckraking, provocative commentary, and spirited debate about politics and culture, The Nation empowers readers to fight for justice and equality. By providing a deeper understanding of the world as it is—and as it could be—we drive bold ideas into the conversation and ignite debates far beyond our pages.
We believe in intellectual freedom. We value facts and transparency. We argue that dissent is patriotic and we hold the powerful to account, no matter their political persuasion. We raise up the promise of a radical tomorrow while we agitate for meaningful change today. Above all, we aspire to galvanize a more informed public—one equipped with a more profound understanding of events, ideas, and history.
Founded by abolitionists in 1865, The Nation has long believed that independent journalism has the capacity to bring about a more democratic and equitable world. Our writers shift paradigms and open minds. Our deep investigative reporting launches congressional hearings, forces policy change, and shapes news cycles. Instigating progress: It’s not only our legacy, it’s our continued commitment to future generations of torchbearers.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 1865

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 30 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication: Published 30 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

237 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Slower: The Nation's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.
More Challenging: The Nation's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
Less Responsive: The Nation's overall rate of non-response is higher than most magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Query first.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Americans.

Lengths:

Article: 1,500 - 6,000 words.
Essay: Up to 750 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Economics.
Nature/Environment.
Politics/Political Science.
Sexuality/Gender: Women/Female issues.
Society/Culture: General, Current events, Social issues.

Payment:

Unknown payment Unknown payment.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Americans.

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, Mainstream.

Topics:

Nature/Environment: Environmental issues.
Politics/Political Science.
Sexuality/Gender: Women/Female issues.
Society/Culture: General, Current events, Social issues.

Payment:

Unknown payment Unknown payment.

Submissions:

Methods: Email. Submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Text.

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

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The Nation 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.

This project ranks among the Most Unresponsive Poetry Publishers in our database.

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Accuracy

We have received 23 reports from 21 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

4 min | 255.2 mean avg | 287.0 median | 460 max days (224.3 std dev)

Responses

30.43 %

Acceptances:

0.00 %

Rejections:

30.43 % (300.5 avg. days per rejection) | 0.0 % personal, 71.4 % form, 28.6 % unspecified

Non-Responses

56.52 %

Lost/Returned:

4.35 % (50.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as lost or returned)

Never Responded:

52.17 % (289.8 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)

Withdrawals

13.04 % (55.3 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

40 responses are pending (1 min | 221.4 mean avg | 223.5 median | 455 max days waiting | 883.6 std dev) from 38 different members

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 120 days. (78.3 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 120 days.)
Most recent response reported was received on 12 May 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 05 Nov 2025.
Date compiled: 07 Sep 2026 04:35 UTC (less than a minute ago).

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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: 01 Sep 2026

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