The Rejected Quarterly

Permanently Closed: This project is permanently closed to submissions. We provide the following information as an archive.

We list other projects with similar titles. Please check that you report any submissions under the correct listing.

About

The Rejected Quarterly is unique among literary magazines. We offer quality offbeat fiction you can’t find anywhere else. But that’s not to say traditional literary magazines don’t have a place. Indeed, they provide a valuable function. Knowing how good traditional literary magazines are at their job, TRQ allows them to do the first level of weeding for us. Whatever they want, we don’t want. That’s why we require our writers to submit at least five rejection slips from other publications along with each manuscript. No other literary journal maintains such strict standards. Then the editors select from among the best of this already select group. What emerges always makes for engaging reading.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication: Published 4 x per year

Collapse section Fiction Closed

Fiction that doesn't fit anywhere else. All fiction submitted must be accompanied by at least 5 rejection slips (copies okay.) TRQ desires stories that are as unique as possible. We want unusual stories, but high quality writing and a story to tell and/ or a coherent idea/ideas to express are the most important criteria. We will consider just about any type of story, but remember, we are looking for originality.

Audience:

Unknown

Genres:

Open to all/most Genres, including:
General
Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Cross-Genre, Weird/New Weird
Horror Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Cross-Genre, Weird/New Weird
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Cross-Genre, Weird/New Weird

Lengths:

Short Story: 1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette: 7,500 - 8,000 words.

Styles:

Experimental, Humorous, Literary, Surrealist.

Topics:

None found.

Payment:

Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) Token payment (under 1 US cent per word).
Note: We list broad pay categories rather than payment specifics. Check with the publisher for details.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Closed

Usually use one or two poems per issue. Currently we are only looking for rejection-related poems. Rejection slips optional.

Audience:

Unknown

Genres:

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Experimental, Humorous, Literary, Surrealist.

Topics:

None found.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem) Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem).
Note: We list broad pay categories rather than payment specifics. Check with the publisher for details.

Submissions:

Method: Postal.
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 Rejected Quarterly 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 listing is inactive and does not have any submission reports for the past 12 months.

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: 22 May 2026