The Rappahannock Review

About

The Rappahannock Review is a literary journal that has been edited and published by students in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Mary Washington since 2013. The journal features poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and visual art and has recently started featuring audio.
The Rappahannock Review takes its name from the Rappahannock River, which runs from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay. A young George Washington grew up on the banks of the river and famously threw a rock across its expanse. Abraham Lincoln crossed it in 1862 in order to view the occupied city Fredericksburg, which changed hands eight times during the Civil War. About the same time, fugitive slaves risked its waters to flee north to freedom.
Now, the University of Mary Washington, founded in 1908 and named after the mother of the nation’s first president, stands on Marye’s Heights overlooking the river. From our vantage point we hope once again to make history by publishing the best work from seasoned and emerging writers throughout the nation. Send us your work. Be a part of history.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2013

Publication Media & Frequency

Audio Publication Audio Publication: Unknown publication frequency
Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 2 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

321 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Regular Speed: The Rappahannock Review's overall average response time is within a normal range for magazines.
More Challenging: The Rappahannock Review's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
More Responsive: The Rappahannock Review'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 3 pieces.
Short Story: 1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette: 7,500 - 8,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: Up to 1,000 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Essay: 1,000 - 8,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 1,000 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Narrative Nonfiction: 1,000 - 8,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT 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, including: Formal verse, Free verse, Prose poetry.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Visual Art Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: 5 - 20 pieces.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable 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 Rappahannock Review 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.

Filter:

Group by submission

Include outliers

Accuracy

We have received 94 reports from 90 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

13 min | 62.3 mean avg | 64.0 median | 209 max days (29.0 std dev)

Responses

93.62 %

Acceptances:

5.32 % of submissions accepted (37.4 avg. days per acceptance) | 5.56 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

88.30 % (65.6 avg. days per rejection) | 16.9 % personal, 66.3 % form, 16.9 % unspecified

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

6.38 % (62.5 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

31 responses are pending (14 min | 30.4 mean avg | 32.0 median | 44 max days waiting | 291.3 std dev) from 30 different members

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 180 days. (1.1 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 180 days.)
Do not query on the status of your submission before 180 days have passed.
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 04 Apr 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 31 Jan 2026.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 09:47 UTC (less than a minute ago).

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Before Submitting

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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: 02 Sep 2026

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