Third Coast Magazine See other projects related to this listing. About Founded in 1995 by graduate students of the Western Michigan University English department, Third Coast is one of the nation’s premier literary magazines—and one of only a handful of nationally distributed literary magazines to regularly include four genres; Third Coast consistently publishes excellent and often award-winning fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama.In the past several years, stories published in Third Coast have gone on to appear in the O. Henry Award Series, the Pushcart Prize anthologies, and Best of the West: New Stories from the Wide Side of the Missouri. Poetry first featured in the journal has been selected for Best New Poets and the Pushcart Prize Series. 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 $3 (average for magazines that charge). Submission Caps: They may close to submissions early if they reach their quota. Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s). Country of Publication & Year Established United States Established in 1995 Publication Medium & Frequency Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 2 x per year AI Policy Unknown AI policy Statistics Synopsis Regular Speed Third Coast Magazine's overall average response time is within a normal range for magazines. More ChallengingThird Coast Magazine's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines. More ResponsiveThird Coast Magazine's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines. Collapse section Fiction Open Fee-based Dates:Open to fiction submissions through 02 October 2026* (approx. 18 days from now).10Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: GeneralLengths: Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words. Short Story: 1,000 - 7,500 words.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Experimental, Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics.Payment:No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.Submissions:Method: Submittable submission manager. Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.Media: Text. Collapse section Nonfiction Open Fee-based Dates:Open to nonfiction submissions through 02 October 2026* (approx. 18 days from now).3Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Lengths: Interview: 2,000 - 6,000 words. Review: 500 - 2,000 words. Essay: Up to 7,000 words. Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 7,000 words.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Critical, Experimental, Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics.Payment:No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.Submissions:Method: Submittable submission manager. Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.Media: Text. Collapse section Poetry Open Fee-based Dates:Open to poetry submissions through 02 October 2026* (approx. 18 days from now).16Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: GeneralLengths: Poem: No 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:No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.Submissions:Method: Submittable 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. Go to publication's website Report: Submission/Response Correction/Update New Cover ArtSocial:Facebook FacebookInstagram @thirdcoastmagX (Twitter) @thirdcoastmag Support this Publisher: Subscribe For the Editor(s): Request Interview Duosuma Submission Manager Link to Duotrope Third Coast Magazine 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: Category: All Categories Fiction Nonfiction Poetry Group by submission Include outliers Include related projects Accuracy We have received 98 reports from 94 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information. Days Reported 1 min | 77.4 mean avg | 80.0 median | 203 max days (158.5 std dev) Responses 86.73 % Acceptances: 3.06 % of submissions accepted (95.3 avg. days per acceptance) | 3.19 % 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. Rejections: 83.67 % (80.0 avg. days per rejection) | 17.1 % personal, 63.4 % form, 19.5 % unspecified Non-Responses 0.00 % Lost/Returned: - Never Responded: - Withdrawals 13.27 % (44.9 avg. days per withdrawal) Pending 35 responses are pending (0 min | 9.2 mean avg | 10.0 median | 13 max days waiting | 1,365.5 std dev) from 34 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days Other Information The editors will try to make a decision within 365 days. Do not query on the status of your submission before 365 days have passed. The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00. Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day. Most recent response reported was received on 02 Sep 2026. Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 07 May 2026. Date compiled: 14 Sep 2026 21:31 UTC (less than a minute ago). View report of recent responses from this project Work submitted here was also submitted to...This section is available to subscribers only. Sign up and start your free trial today!Members accepted here also had work accepted by...This section is available to subscribers only. Become a member and start your free trial today! Your Submissions This section is available to subscribers only. Join today! Related ProjectsThird Coast Fiction and Poetry Contest Charges fees for all submissions Before SubmittingWe 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. DatesLast Updated: 01 Sep 2026We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year. Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy. Accept All Cookies Allow Essential Cookies Only