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West Branch

About

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West Branch is a magazine of poetry, fiction, essays, and reviews. Founded in 1977 and housed at the Stadler Center for Poetry & Literary Arts at Bucknell University, West Branch publishes a fall, winter, and spring/summer issue each year.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States Established in 1977

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationPublished 3 x per year.
Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 3 x per year.

Fiction Open

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 01 April 2025* (approx. 54 days from now). 19

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
General General
Lengths:
Flash Fiction Flash FictionUp to 1,000 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Short Story Short Story1,000 - 7,500 words; Unknown number of pieces.
Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $0.10/word, max. $200.

Submissions:

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


Nonfiction Open

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 01 April 2025* (approx. 54 days from now). 4

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:
Essay EssayUp to 7,500 words.
Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $0.10/word, max. $200.

Submissions:

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


Poetry Open

Dates:

Open to poetry submissions through 01 April 2025* (approx. 54 days from now). 44

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
General General
Lengths:
Poem PoemNo line limits known; Up to 6 pieces.
Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem) to Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $100.

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.

West Branch 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 Most Challenging Fiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the 25 Most Challenging Nonfiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the 25 Most Challenging Poetry Publishers in our database.
AccuracyWe have received 588 reports from 465 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported0 min | 49.1 mean avg | 45.0 median | 391 max days (301.3 std dev)
Responses94.56 %
Acceptances0.68 % of submissions accepted (75.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 0.86 % 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.
Rejections93.88 % (46.3 avg. days per rejection) | 7.3 % personal, 70.1 % form, 22.6 % unspecified | 0.2 % shortlisted
Non-Responses5.44 %
Lost/Returned-
Never Responded1.02 % (222.2 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals4.42 % (26.2 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending109 responses are pending (0 min | 50.3 mean avg | 28.0 median | 364 max days waiting | 551.0 std dev) from 107 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 70 days. (22.5 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 70 days.)
Do not query on the status of your submission before 120 days have passed.
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 05 Feb 2025.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 12 Jan 2025.

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Your Submissions

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Dates

Last Updated: 17 Dec 2024
Last Audited: 10 Oct 2024. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 11 Feb 2006

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.