Since 1990, the American Literary Review has been published through the Department of English at the University of North Texas. From the journal’s inception, we have made a point of publishing poetry, fiction, and nonfiction by writers at all stages of their careers.

We look for writing that reveals the nuances and complexities of human experience, that surprises and moves us.

 Some contributors whose work we feel embodies these ideals include: sam sax, Laura Kasischke, Marcia Aldrich, Bethany Ball, Rebecca Faust, Wayne Miller, Michael Nye, Jericho Parms, Roger Reeves, Ira Sukrungruang, and Pimone Triplett. 

In 2013 we moved online. While our format has changed, our mission to publish high quality writing and visual art remains the same. In the Spring of 2022, ALR became fully student-run for the first time.

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American Literary Review

Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in the Spring online issue of the American Literary Review will be given for a poem, a short story, and an essay.

American Literary Review Awards

FICTION GUIDELINES
Submit only one story at a time. American Literary Review seeks distinctive, character-driven stories.
We have no set maximum for length, but stories under 8,000 words have the best chance of publication. We generally avoid novel excerpts unless they can stand alone as stories.
Short fiction submitted for publication in the American Literary Review must be double-spaced and accompanied by a cover letter with the author's name, address, phone number, email, and the story's word count.
Please note: the fiction submission portal will close if we receive 300 submissions before the reading period ends.

Fiction

POETRY GUIDELINES:
Submit no more than five poems at a time. Poetry should be single-spaced. There is no maximum word or page count for poems. Selections are made by a widely-read group with eclectic tastes who look for the best poems, regardless of form or subject matter. 


 Poetry submitted for publication in the American Literary Review must be accompanied by a cover letter with the author's name, address, phone number, email and poem titles.


 Please note: the poetry submission portal will close if we receive 300 submissions before the reading period ends.

Poetry

ESSAYS GUIDELINES:
Submit only one work at a time. We welcome essays in all forms, including flash, and we are interested in both traditional essays and ones that push the boundaries of the genre. We have no set maximum word count, but most essays we publish are shorter than 8,000 words.  
Essays submitted for publication in the American Literary Review must be double-spaced and accompanied with a brief cover letter including the author's name, address, phone number, email, and the essay’s word count.
 
Please note: the essays submission portal will close if we receive 300 submissions before the reading period ends.

Essays

We are looking for art to feature on the title page of our online literary journal. Please send 5-10 original images in a standard web-readable format (we prefer JPEG) and an artist statement. Each piece should have a title. 
We prefer cohesive sets of art: 5-10 pieces with shared themes and/or in shared mediums. We are more likely to publish work accompanied by an artist statement that discusses the relationship between the work's subjects, themes, and craft. We are much less likely to publish submissions of less than 5 pieces. We do not typically publish cartoons or comics. 
We recommend viewing artwork from previous issues to get an idea of what we publish. Recent featured artists include Kathleen Frank, Jean Wolff, Benjamin Statser, Chris Lael Larson, and Oscar J. Gillespie.

Judge: Marcela Fuentes
One work of fiction per entry, limit 8,000 words per work. Do not include any identifying information in the uploaded document except for the title of the work. All work should be previously unpublished.

Short Fiction Contest

Judge: Diane Seuss
Entry fee covers up to three poems. There is no maximum word or page count for poetry. Poems should be single-spaced. Please include them all in a single document. Do not include any identifying information in the uploaded document except for the title of the poem(s). All work should be previously unpublished.

Poetry Contest

Judge: Gabe Montesanti
One work per entry, limit 8,000 words per work. Do not include any identifying information in the uploaded document except for the title of the work. All work should be previously unpublished.

Essays Contest

Tired of waiting months to hear back about a submission? Our Flash Flood contest is open for submissions on a rolling basis from the 1st to the 15th of each month (excluding December, January, May, June, July, and August).
We accept flash fiction, flash nonfiction, and prose poetry under 1000 words. At the end of each two-week submission window, we’ll read your submissions and decide on a winner by the following week! The winning story will be published on our website shortly after acceptance.
Flash Flood is the place for stories, essays, and poems that use economy of form to express the possibility in the unstated. We’re interested in stories that feel like they use the form’s compression to elevate the narrative. For poetry, the lyric is important: a prose poem should not have dead music just because it has bucked its lines. What is the relationship between shortforms and parable or figuration? What is said and how is what is left unsaid greater? Flash Flood is also a place to highlight pieces which embrace the hybridity of these forms—where does a prose poem end and a flash essay begin?
Flash Flood submissions can be sent to us through our online submission manager for a fee of $2.
Submissions should include one piece of flash fiction, flash nonfiction, or prose poetry. Submissions containing more than one piece will not be read.
Submission length should be under 1000 words.
Submission must be previously unpublished. Including online publication and “revised” or altered versions of stories, poems, or essays.
Submissions of work created in part or in whole with generative A.I. or LLMs are not accepted.
Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but please withdraw your work immediately if your piece is accepted elsewhere.
We are unable to leave feedback on submissions.
We do not consider edits once a piece has been submitted, so please send only finished pieces.
We do not accept submissions via email or via postal mail, except from incarcerated writers or others who do not have internet access.
Anyone who is or was associated with the University of North Texas in the last three years is ineligible to submit.
“Harbinger” by Tolu Ogunlesi
“Zari” by Shruti Goel
“Aunt Lou” by Miriam McEwa

American Literary Review

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Flash Flood Contest — Fiction

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