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Ploughshares 1,413

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About

Ploughshares has published quality literature since 1971. Best known for our award-winning Ploughshares literary journal, we also publish Ploughshares Solos [listed separately], digital-first long stories and essays, and a lively literary blog. Since 1989, we have been based at Emerson College in downtown Boston.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. Look for the fees icon.
Important: They may accept different prose lengths at different times. As always, check their current guidelines before submitting.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States Established in 1971

Publication Media & Frequency

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

Fiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 June 2024 12:00 PM EDT (in 19 days) through 15 January 2025. 15

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
General General
Lengths:
Flash Fiction Flash FictionUp to 1,000 words.
Short Story Short Story1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette Novelette7,500 - 15,000 words.
Novella Novella15,000 - 20,000 words.
Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

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 (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word).
Note: We list broad pay categories rather than prize specifics. Check with the publisher for details.

Submissions:

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


Nonfiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 June 2024 12:00 PM EDT (in 19 days) through 15 January 2025. 4

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:
Essay EssayUp to 7,500 words.
Essay Essay7,500 - 20,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction Narrative NonfictionUp to 7,500 words.
Narrative Nonfiction Narrative Nonfiction7,500 - 20,000 words.
Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics, including: Memoir.

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 (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word).
Note: We list broad pay categories rather than prize specifics. Check with the publisher for details.

Submissions:

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


Poetry Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 June 2024 12:00 PM EDT (in 19 days) through 15 January 2025. 29

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
General General
Lengths:
Poem PoemNo line limits known; Up to 5 pieces.
Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem).
Note: We list broad pay categories rather than prize specifics. Check with the publisher for details.

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.

Ploughshares 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 Extremely Challenging Nonfiction Publishers in our database.
AccuracyWe have received 603 reports from 507 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported2 min | 68.1 mean avg | 60.0 median | 365 max days (41.4 std dev)
Responses95.69 %
Acceptances0.83 % of submissions accepted (135.8 avg. days per acceptance) | 0.99 % 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.
Rejections94.86 % (64.7 avg. days per rejection) | 11.2 % personal, 62.6 % form, 26.2 % unspecified | 0.2 % rewrite requests | 1.0 % shortlisted
Non-Responses4.32 %
Lost/Returned-
Never Responded1.33 % (282.4 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals2.99 % (63.0 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending14 responses are pending (38 min | 223.1 mean avg | 226.5 median | 346 max days waiting | 82.8 std dev) from 14 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 150 days. (4.2 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 150 days.)
Do not query on the status of your submission before 150 days have passed.
The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00. (59.6 % of reports specified whether they paid a fee; of those, 86.9 % paid fees.)
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 27 Apr 2024.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 15 Jan 2024.

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Your Submissions

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Ploughshares Longform Charges fees for some submissions

Dates

Last Updated: 18 Mar 2024
Last Audited: 18 Mar 2024. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 02 Aug 2005

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.