The average response time for submissions is between 1 and 6 months. If you have not received a response after 6 months, please check on the status of your submission in Submittable. If you encounter any problems, email us at blackwarriorreview@gmail.com
We do not consider previously published work.
Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Please tell us if it is a simultaneous submission, and notify us immediately if the work is accepted elsewhere.
Please do not mix genres in the same submission. Our online issue is currently an exception to this rule.
Past contributors and contest winners, please wait three years from the date of your publication to resubmit work.
Past contributors and contest winners to the print journal may submit after waiting only one year to the online journal. Past contributors to the online journal should also wait a year before submitting to the print journal. We view these journals as separate creatures, having meaningful conversations late into the night.
You may submit to both the online and the print journal.
Students, faculty, staff, and administrators currently or formerly (within four years) affiliated with the University of Alabama are ineligible for consideration or publication.
We especially strive to magnify voices that are traditionally and systemically silenced. Writers of color, queer and trans writers, disabled writers, immigrant writers, fat writers and femmes: you are welcome and wanted here.
We offer a limited number of fee waivers for writers whom the submission fee would present financial hardship, and we offer free submissions for incarcerated writers. Please email feewaiver.bwr@gmail.com to request a fee waiver.
We encourage you to read Black Warrior Review before submitting. Sample issues are available for $15; one-year subscriptions for $25.
BWR is excited to launch our March 2024 Online Flash Contest, inviting you to explore our enigmatic, one-word prompt of “creature(s).” Creature(s) can represent anything, from mythical beasts straight out of a medieval bestiary to microscopic organisms on distant planets to cryptids lurking in the woods, just out of sight. Whether you draw inspiration from folklore, sci-fi, the natural world, lived experiences, or the abstract, we’re desperate to know: what do(es) creatures conjure up for you?
Prizes:
- Winner: Publication on the Black Warrior Review website, free entry to our annual summer contest, and a moderate cash prize.
- Runner-up and Shortlist: Publication on our website & our social media platforms, as well as free entry to our annual summer contest.
Details:
- Genres: We are looking for flash fiction or flash nonfiction.
- Submission Window: March 4th to March 31st. Please submit your entries electronically via our Submittable portal.
- Word/Poem Limit: Flash fiction or creative nonfiction submissions up to 1,500 words each.
- Entry Fee: $10 per entry. Each entry can include up to two flash pieces in either genre. (If you’re submitting one fiction and one nonfiction piece, specify which is which in your cover letter.)
Important Notes:
- Submission Guidelines: This contest is distinct from our annual flash contest. We accept multiple and simultaneous submissions, but please submit only previously unpublished work.
- Inclusivity and Diversity: Black Warrior Review is dedicated to supporting a diverse range of voices and stories in our publications, and we welcome submissions from writers around the world.
- Restrictions: AI-generated work will not be accepted for this contest.
Stay Connected:
Keep an eye on our social media platforms (@blackwarriorrev on Instagram and Twitter) and our website for other updates. In the meantime, we’re eager to see how you bring your creature(s) to life…
Black Warrior Review exists in part because of your continued and generous support. Your donations here are applied directly to our endowment, which supports contributor and artist payments.
Please note that a donation through this portal will not be tax deductible. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to BWR, please visit this link. For submitting work to BWR, please see our other forms. This is not a portal to submit your work to BWR.
To show our gratitude for your gift at the patron ($50) and guarantor ($100+) levels, you will receive a one-year subscription and recognition in upcoming issues of BWR.