Reading Period
We read submissions from April 15 through December 15. Work received outside this window will not be considered. Please review the genre-specific guidelines below before submitting.
All submissions are handled through Submittable. We look for work that surprises us — fiction that takes risks, poetry that resonates, and nonfiction that illuminates. Simultaneous submissions are accepted; please notify us promptly if your work is accepted elsewhere.
What We Publish
Fiction
- Up to 7,500 words per story.
- Flash fiction: up to 3 pieces, each no more than 1,000 words.
- Submit as a single document via Submittable.
Poetry
- Submit 3–5 poems in a single Word document.
- No length restrictions per poem, but be concise.
- All forms and styles considered.
Nonfiction
- Up to 7,500 words per essay.
- We seek personal essays, memoir, and critical writing with a strong voice.
- One submission per reading period, please.
Before You Submit
We ask that you submit previously unpublished work only. Please include a brief cover letter with your submission. Response times vary, but we aim to respond within eight to twelve weeks.
Writers whose work we publish receive a complimentary copy of the issue in which their work appears. For those seeking more intensive editorial feedback, consider our online fiction workshop, The Lowdown — a four-week program offering detailed manuscript critique and live discussion.
We also periodically run contests; past competitions include the Leap Day Flash Fiction Prize. Visit our contest page for details on any current opportunities.
The reading period for The Indiana Review opens each spring and runs through the early winter months, giving writers a generous window to send their most daring work. During this time, the editors carefully consider every submission that arrives, looking for pieces that break from convention and speak with an authentic voice. Simultaneous submissions are welcome, though the editors ask that writers notify them promptly when a piece finds a home elsewhere. This courtesy helps maintain a smooth workflow and ensures that works under consideration are handled with the attention they deserve.
The editors at The Indiana Review seek writing that feels urgent and alive, whether it arrives as fiction, poetry, or nonfiction. They value work that takes creative risks and resists easy categorization, favoring pieces that linger in the mind long after the page is turned. The journal's aesthetic leans toward the literary and the thoughtful, with a preference for prose that is precise and poetry that resonates on a deeper emotional level. Each issue aims to reflect a wide range of perspectives and experiences, building a community around the written word.