Volta Magazine

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About

Literature is like shadow-boxing.
It coaches us in the art of feeling. By arousing our passions in response to imagined scenarios, literature strengthens our emotional muscles and increases the dexterity of our sympathies. In reading, we laugh or cry at fictional characters living fictional lives, so that we may learn how better to laugh or cry at our own.
Literature that leads us to feel something we don’t understand – empathy for a character who is different from us, admiration for an action we’d in real life condemn – is at best uncomfortable and at worst profoundly threatening. But at Volta, we believe that it’s precisely this quality of good literature that makes it matter: art pushes us towards encounters we shrink from. Like the shadow-boxer, fighting air, we train our feelings through fictional experience. We become emotionally stronger and more agile, so that in our real lives, we can feel more powerfully and honestly.
We’re looking for pieces that constantly confront readers with images that startle them into looking at the world in new ways. Our ambition is to reinvigorate the written word for our generation and encourage writers of all ages to keep engaging with and challenging literary convention.

Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2025

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 2 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

16 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Regular Speed: Volta Magazine's overall average response time is within a normal range for magazines.
More Challenging: Volta Magazine's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
Responsive: Volta Magazine's overall rate of non-response is within a normal range for magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Short Story: 1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novel Excerpt: Up to 7,500 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: Up to 3,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 3,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Film/Television: Theory/Analysis/Criticism.
Literature/Books: Theory/Analysis/Criticism.
Nature/Environment: Environmental issues.
Travel.
Visual Arts: Theory/Analysis/Criticism.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 6 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Visual Art Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: Up to 10 pieces.
Graphic Narrative: No page limits known.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media, including...
Drawing.
Illustration.
Cartoon/Comic strip.
Mixed media.
Painting.
Photography.
Printmaking.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Image.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

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Volta 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:

Group by submission

Include outliers

Accuracy

We have received 66 reports from 59 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 | 78.9 mean avg | 84.0 median | 260 max days (29.4 std dev)

Responses

89.39 %

Acceptances:

0.00 %

Rejections:

89.39 % (80.3 avg. days per rejection) | 11.9 % personal, 71.2 % form, 17.0 % unspecified

Non-Responses

1.52 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

1.52 % (260.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)

Withdrawals

9.09 % (52.3 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

16 responses are pending (76 min | 83.2 mean avg | 77.0 median | 104 max days waiting | 78.2 std dev) from 16 different members

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 60 days. (75.8 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 60 days.)
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 14 Sep 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 01 Jul 2026.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 02:57 UTC (7 hours, 3 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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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: 14 Sep 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.