Women's Review of Books (WRB)

About

Women’s Review of Books (WRB) began publishing in October 1983, with a goal of spreading the news about the scholarship emerging from the then new field of women’s studies and about creative writing—fiction, memoir, poetry—that examined women’s experiences. At the time, it was just about possible for WRB to cover every book that fit under these broad guidelines; and it was not always easy for those interested in such writings to track them down. Mainstream book review publications, newspapers, and even scholarly journals did not cover them; a network of women’s and gay bookstores was just emerging; and of course there was no Internet. Feminist and gay publications came and went and often did not devote much space to book reviews. WRB became essential reading for feminists.
Mission
To give writing by feminist scholars and creative writers the serious critical attention it deserves.
To promote women’s critical writing.
To act as a bridge between feminist scholars, writers, and activists by encouraging thoughtful discussion of new information, ideas, analyses, and experiences.

Limited Demographic: Submissions are restricted to women.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 1983

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 4 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication: Published 4 x per year

AI Policy

AI use may be permitted in some circumstances (see their site for details)

18 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Collapse section Fiction Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Females, Scholars.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 3,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Sexuality/Gender: Women/Female issues.

Payment:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $100 per piece.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Females, Scholars.

Lengths:

Review: Up to 500 words.
Essay: Up to 1,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Literature/Books: Theory/Analysis/Criticism.

Payment:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $100 per piece.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Females, Scholars.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 4 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Sexuality/Gender: Women/Female issues.

Payment:

Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Professional payment. Details: USD $100 per piece.

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.

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Women's Review of Books 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.

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Accuracy

We have received 1 report within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Pending

3 responses are pending (29 min | 76.3 mean avg | 60.0 median | 140 max days waiting | 57.3 std dev) from 3 different members

Other Information

Most recent response reported was received on 27 Apr 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 05 Apr 2026.
Date compiled: 17 Sep 2026 19:02 UTC (3 hours, 44 minutes ago).

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Dates

Last Updated: 28 May 2026

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