We love reading your work!

PLEASE NOTE: If submissions are closed during our regular reading period, that means we have hit our submission limit for the month. Please check back at the first of the following month, when submissions will reopen.

Guidelines

Roanoke Review accepts poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, flash, photographic essay, graphic narrative, and visual poetry.

We love both traditional and experimental work. If you’re interested in getting a better sense of what we’re looking for, feel free to browse both our current issue and our archives. Everything here is open access, so you’re welcome to explore. We look forward to reading your work!

The nitty gritty: 

  • We accept submissions from September 1 through December 1. Issues are published monthly throughout the year.

  • We accept fiction and non-fiction submissions up to 5,000 words and flash fiction up to 1000 words. There is no line limit on poetry, but please send us five or fewer poems.

  • If we reach our submission limit, submissions will reopen on the first day of the next month.

  • Please do not submit more than once in the same category in a single year.

  • Roanoke Review values diverse voices and perspectives. We encourage writers of all backgrounds to submit work, including those who are historically underrepresented in literary circles.

  • For all submissions, include your contact information in the uploaded document.

  • Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please withdraw your piece if it is accepted elsewhere.

  • We do not accept previously published material.

  • We do not accept email or mail submissions.

  • There are no charges or reading fees.

  • We are not able to offer payment to authors, but we frequently nominate work for national awards.

  • We reserve the right to pull work from the journal at any point and for any reason.

  • We ask for first serial rights and indefinite electronic archival rights. All rights revert to the author upon publication.

  • If you are interested in having a new book of poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction reviewed, please send a copy through the mail to Reviews, Roanoke Review, Miller Hall, Roanoke College, Salem VA 24153 or send a PDF to review@roanoke.edu.

  • Correspondence following acceptance will be done via email (review@roanoke.edu). We do not always see Submittable notes, so please use our email for questions or to follow up.

Roanoke Review is part of the creative writing community at Roanoke College in Virginia.