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Black Ocean

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About

Black Ocean is an award-winning independent publisher based in Boston and Chicago.

Drawing inspiration from early silent films to early punk rock, we bring together a spectrum of influences to produce books of exceptional quality and vision. Beyond publishing, we extend our aesthetic into the world through gatherings and celebrations across the country.

We believe in the fissures art creates in consciousness—those brief, electric moments that awaken us to a more vital way of being. Through them, we seek deeper, more expansive modes of existence and invite others to do the same.

Our mission is to amplify the voices of artists we believe in, sharing their work with a global audience in the hopes of sparking something lasting and luminous.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions. (Note: About 14% of publishers always charge fees.)
The fee is USD $20 (above average for publishers that charge).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 2004

Publication Medium

Print Publication Print Publication

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Statistics Synopsis

Slower
Black Ocean's overall average response time is slower than most publishers.
More Challenging
Black Ocean's overall acceptance rate is lower than most publishers.
More Responsive
Black Ocean's overall rate of non-response is lower than most publishers.

Poetry Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to poetry submissions through 30 September 2026* (approx. 25 days from now).

3

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poetry Collection: No page limits known.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Payment:

Unknown advance + Unknown royalties Unknown advance. Unknown royalties.

Submissions:

Method: Duosuma submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
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.

Black Ocean 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 project ranks among the Extremely Challenging Poetry Publishers in our database.
Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 237 reports from 237 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
84 min | 153.0 mean avg | 146.0 median | 389 max days (58.5 std dev)
Responses
97.47 %
Acceptances:
0.00 % No publication has a 0% acceptance rate. This data is based on submission reports sent to Duotrope, and we have not received reports of any acceptances yet.
Rejections:
97.47 % (152.0 avg. days per rejection) | 0.4 % personal, 99.6 % form, 0.0 % unspecified
Non-Responses
0.00 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
-
Withdrawals
2.53 % (177.3 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
25 responses are pending (0 min | 3.5 mean avg | 4.0 median | 5 max days waiting | 517.5 std dev) from 25 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $20.00.
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 19 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 01 Aug 2025.
Date compiled: 05 Sep 2026 12:07 UTC (7 hours, 26 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.
  • For book publishers, it is standard to submit a cover letter, synopsis, and sample instead of the full manuscript. Do this unless otherwise instructed.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 31 Aug 2026

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

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