The Opiate

About

The Opiate is a quarterly literary journal dedicated to publishing narcotically good works.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions, and they do not offer monetary payment for accepted submissions. (Note: About 8% of magazines always charge fees.)
The fee is USD $2 (below average for magazines that charge).

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

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2015

Publication Media & Frequency

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

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

62 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

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

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words; Up to 5 pieces.
Short Story: 1,000 - 7,500 words; Up to 5 pieces.
Novelette: 7,500 - 10,000 words; Up to 5 pieces.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Duosuma submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: Up to 10,000 words; Up to 5 pieces.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Literature/Books: General, Theory/Analysis/Criticism.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Duosuma submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 5 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: Duosuma submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are 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.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for The Opiate

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Submission/Response
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Support this Publisher:
Make a Donation
Purchase Issue(s)

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

The Opiate 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 25 Most Approachable Fiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the 25 Most Approachable Nonfiction Publishers in our database.

Filter:

Group by submission

Include outliers

Accuracy

We have received 69 reports from 62 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 | 102.9 mean avg | 73.0 median | 300 max days (88.3 std dev)

Responses

82.61 %

Acceptances:

47.83 % of submissions accepted (79.3 avg. days per acceptance) | 48.39 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

34.78 % (167.9 avg. days per rejection) | 62.5 % personal, 37.5 % form, 0.0 % unspecified

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

17.39 % (52.9 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

21 responses are pending (76 min | 113.3 mean avg | 115.0 median | 134 max days waiting | 766.4 std dev) from 21 different members

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $2.00.
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 23 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 14 Jun 2026.
Date compiled: 12 Sep 2026 03:48 UTC (4 hours, 2 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

Work submitted here was also submitted to...

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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: 03 Sep 2026

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