Tough

This project is on indefinite hiatus. Check their site to find out whether this is a submission and/or publication hiatus. (September 2025)

About

Tough is a crime fiction journal publishing short stories and self-contained novel excerpts and occasional book reviews. We are particularly interested in stories with rural settings and stories that intersect with the weird or occult. Our book reviews will reflect these interests.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2017

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 36 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication: Unknown publication frequency

Collapse section Fiction On Hiatus

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Adults.

Genres:

Mystery/Crime Subgenre: Crime
Suspense/Thriller Subgenre: Crime

Lengths:

Short Story: 1,500 - 7,500 words.
Novel Excerpt: 1,500 - 7,500 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Place/Regions: Rural areas.
Religion/Spirituality: Occultism.

Payment:

Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) Pay ranges from Token payment to Semi-pro payment. Details: USD $50 for originals; $25 for reprints.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed in some circumstances; check their site for details.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction On Hiatus

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Adults.

Lengths:

Review: Up to 1,500 words.
Essay: Up to 1,500 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Literature/Books: Theory/Analysis/Criticism, See guidelines.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $50 for originals; $25 for reprints.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed in some circumstances; check their site for details.
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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Tough 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.

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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.
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Dates

Last Updated: 22 May 2026