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Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern

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A project of McSweeney's (see other related projects).

About

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McSweeney’s began in 1998 as a literary journal that published only works rejected by other magazines. That rule was soon abandoned, and since then McSweeney’s has attracted work from some of the finest writers in the country, including Denis Johnson, Jonathan Franzen, William T. Vollmann, Rick Moody, Joyce Carol Oates, Heidi Julavits, Jonathan Lethem, Michael Chabon, Ben Marcus, Susan Straight, Roddy Doyle, T.C. Boyle, Steven Millhauser, Gabe Hudson, Robert Coover, Ann Beattie, and many others. At the same time, the journal continues to be a major home for new and unpublished writers; we’re committed to publishing exciting fiction regardless of pedigree. Each issue of the quarterly is completely redesigned. There have been hardcovers and paperbacks, an issue with two spines, an issue with a magnetic binding, an issue that looked like a bundle of junk mail, and an issue that looked like a sweaty human head. McSweeney’s has won multiple literary awards, including two National Magazine Awards for fiction, and has had numerous stories appear in The Best American Magazine Writing, the O. Henry Awards anthologies, and The Best American Short Stories.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States Established in 1998

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 4 x per year.

Fiction Open
Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General.

Lengths:
Flash FictionNo specific word count limits known (our definition: up to 1000 words).
Short StoryNo specific word count limits known (our definition: 1000 to 7500 words).
Styles:

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

Topics:

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

Payment:

Unknown payment to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Unknown payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $400 for short stories; pay for flash fiction and other works varies.

Submissions:

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

Nonfiction Open
Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:
EssayNo specific word count limits known.
Styles:

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

Topics:

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

Payment:

Unknown payment Unknown payment. Details: Payment varies.

Submissions:

Method: Postal.
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.

Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern 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.
AccuracyWe have received 35 reports from 32 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported1 min | 127.3 mean avg | 99.0 median | 387 max days (1,037.5 std dev)
Responses82.86 %
Acceptances0.00 % No publication has a 0% acceptance rate. This data is based on submission reports sent to Duotrope, and we have not received reports of any acceptances yet.
Rejections82.86 % (66.1 avg. days per rejection) | 37.9 % personal, 48.3 % form, 13.8 % unspecified
Non-Responses17.14 %
Lost/Returned-
Never Responded17.14 % (278.5 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals-
Pending34 responses are pending (1 min | 152.9 mean avg | 107.0 median | 348 max days waiting | 1,425.7 std dev) from 33 different members This only includes pending reports from users who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

Most recent response reported was received on 07 May 2025.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 18 Feb 2025.

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Dates

Last Updated: 19 Mar 2025
Last Audited: 26 Feb 2025. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 19 Mar 2006

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