Muse /A Journal (myoo-zay) seeks lyrical, playful, moving, linguistically-inventive, unique, experimental, moving, honest, diction-sensitive, perhaps collaborative, economical, attentive, vested, clever, touching, REAL work. If this describes your work in any way, we’d love to see it.

See our submissions guidelines for full details. Submissions must be sent via Submittable on our website; work submitted to email addresses will not be accepted. Any Word or .doc.x format is fine, but no PDFs. For submissions of artwork, please ensure your files are of sufficient image size and hi-res (300 dpi and 640 x 640 minimum) – otherwise they will not be used. Please don’t send more than 3 poems/artworks in total for each issue. Please don’t send more than one story or non-fiction piece. We encourage bold/striking interpretations of the theme (BRUTAL); if the link isn’t clear, please include a few lines in your author bio to provide context.

We are particularly interested in work that uses the internet and digital media for the opportunities they present. By 'sinful' we mean art that represents voices and stories that have not traditionally been represented in literary arts magazines - we don't mean erotica, though sex may have a role to play in a given work.

You may submit as many pieces as you like, provided that each work is submitted in its own email. Previously published and simultaneous submissions are allowed -- just let us know if someone else snatches up your piece before we do. 

Preference: Writing between 200 - 2000 words

We publish a wide range of work. We have an eye for craft. We want work that is well written, deliberate, and has something to say. Send us your best finished work. Please read and follow our submission guidelines. Note that we read blind to avoid bias - do not put your name anywhere other than the cover letter.

Roanoke Review was founded in 1967 by Pulitzer prize-winning poet Henry Taylor at Roanoke College, where it remains to this day. For the past fifty years, the Review has promoted both established writers and new voices. We seek to be an accessible read, intent on publishing down-to-earth writers with a sense of place, a sense of language, and—perhaps most importantly—a sense of humor.

Love what you send us. We hope we will, too.

Please thouroughly read and understand the submission guidelines on our site.

Submission work in body of email. Include short bio and name you want listed. We DO accept previously published work. We are CURRENTLY Unfunded, NO payment until further notice. We normally pay $5 for poems, and $25 for a short story. We usually respond in days. If your work has not been published or rejected in 60 days, you may contact us to follow up. If we like it, we will publish it. Submit no more than once every 3 months. The subject matter is up to you. We rarely publish long poems. We have a soft spot for limericks and haiku. We will publish any story we like. Best 900-1200 words. We arent prudes, we accept sex, violence or crude language if they are key to a good story. We dont publish what we find hateful. We love a good story and a great poem. Give us a reason to like it.