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The Southern Review

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A project of Louisiana State University Press

About

1,751 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

The Southern Review is one of the nation’s premier literary journals. Hailed by Time as "superior to any other journal in the English language," we have made literary history since our founding in 1935. The Southern Review strives to discover and promote a diverse array of engaging, relevant, and challenging literature—including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and translation from literary luminaries as well as the best established and emerging writers. The journal also features a broad range of visual artists from across the South and around the globe.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions. The fee is USD $3.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States Established in 1935

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 4 x per year.

Fiction Temp Closed
Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 September 2025* (approx. 226 days from now) through 01 January 2026. 5

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
General General
Lengths:
Short Story Short Story4,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette Novelette7,500 - 10,000 words.
Novel Excerpt Novel ExcerptUp to 10,000 words.
Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) (Provides free copy/copies) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $50 for first printed page, with $25 for each subsequent page, up to a max. of $200.

Submissions:

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

Nonfiction Temp Closed
Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 September 2025* (approx. 226 days from now) through 01 January 2026. 0

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:
Essay EssayUp to 10,000 words.
Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) (Provides free copy/copies) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $50 for first printed page, with $25 for each subsequent page, up to a max. of $200.

Submissions:

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

Poetry Temp Closed
Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 September 2025* (approx. 226 days from now) through 01 January 2026. 2

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
General General
Lengths:
Poem PoemNo line limits known; Up to 5 pieces.
Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) (Provides free copy/copies) Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $50 for first printed page, with $25 for each subsequent page, up to a max. of $200.

Submissions:

Method: Submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT 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.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

The Southern Review Submission Statistics — Free Preview!

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 Slowest Fiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the Extremely Challenging Fiction Publishers in our database.
AccuracyWe have received 268 reports from 254 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported9 min | 187.3 mean avg | 204.0 median | 469 max days (144.4 std dev)
Responses85.07 %
Acceptances1.49 % of submissions accepted (85.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 1.57 % of submitters accepted Rejections are often underreported, which skews the statistics in favor of acceptances. Most publishers have a lower acceptance rate than indicated here.
Rejections83.58 % (191.2 avg. days per rejection) | 17.4 % personal, 61.2 % form, 21.4 % unspecified | 0.4 % shortlisted
Non-Responses14.92 %
Lost/Returned-
Never Responded2.61 % (267.9 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals12.31 % (120.3 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending243 responses are pending (16 min | 83.1 mean avg | 94.5 median | 465 max days waiting | 285.8 std dev) from 243 different members This only includes pending reports from users who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 180 days. (54.5 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 180 days.)
The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00.
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 15 Jan 2025.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 30 Dec 2024.

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Dates

Last Updated: 01 Jan 2025
Last Audited: 14 Aug 2024. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 02 Aug 2005

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.