The Pretentious Literarian

This project is on indefinite hiatus. Check their site to find out whether this is a submission and/or publication hiatus. (February 2026)

About

Who We Are: We believe in fiction that carries a pulse. A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Its characters matter, its choices have weight, and its conclusion leaves us shaken — with laughter, with sorrow, or with the quiet urge to rethink our own lives. That’s what we’re here to publish.
Who We Aren’t: We have no appetite for vignettes that drift like smoke and vanish, or for political sermons dressed in prose. We aren’t interested in stories that mistake inertia for depth, or in journals that wear their politics on their sleeve.
The best writing doesn’t lecture; it resonates. It shows beauty, conflict, and truth without demanding you claw through nine layers of fog to find it.
Writer-First: Too many litmags are built like toll booths. They charge you exorbitant fees for the privilege of rejection, hide their work behind paywalls few readers cross, take half a year to reply, and bury you under contracts longer than your story.
We don’t believe in making writers bankroll our existence. We’re not here for profit; we’re here for mission. This magazine is a passion project, sustained by its editors and by the occasional donation or submission tip from those who believe in the same cause.

Voluntary Fees: This project accepts voluntary fees for "tip jar" submissions.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2025

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Unknown publication frequency

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Collapse section Fiction On Hiatus

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Open to all/most Genres (Excluding: Erotica), including:
General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: 500 - 1,000 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Short Story: 1,000 - 1,500 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Short Story: 1,500 - 5,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary. Excluding: Transgressive.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics (Excluding: Politics/Political Science).

Payment:

Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) Pay ranges from Token payment to Semi-pro payment. Details: USD $5.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction On Hiatus

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Narrative Nonfiction: 500 - 1,500 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Narrative Nonfiction: 1,500 - 5,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics (Excluding: Politics/Political Science).

Payment:

Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) Pay ranges from Token payment to Semi-pro payment. Details: USD $5.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Visual Art On Hiatus

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: Unknown number of pieces.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics (Excluding: Politics/Political Science).

Payment:

Token payment (under US$10 per piece) Token payment. Details: USD $5.

Submissions:

Method: Duosuma 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.

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The Pretentious Literarian 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 45 reports from 43 different members within the past 12 months. The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

0 min | 0.2 mean avg | 0.0 median | 4 max days (18.5 std dev)

Responses

97.77 %

Acceptances:

13.33 % of submissions accepted (1.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 13.95 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

84.44 % (0.1 avg. days per rejection) | 5.3 % personal, 94.7 % form, 0.0 % unspecified

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

2.22 % (0.0 avg. days per withdrawal)

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 14 days.
The most common submission tip paid: USD $3.00. (16.7 % reported giving a tip.)
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 01 Oct 2025.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 01 Oct 2025.
Date compiled: 20 Sep 2026 05:04 UTC (less than a minute ago).

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Before Submitting

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Dates

Last Updated: 22 May 2026