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Contrary Magazine

Literary Magazine

Poetry

Fiction

Nonfiction

Submission info
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A literary journal of poetry, fiction, and lyrical commentary, founded at the University of Chicago in 2003.

contrarymagazine.com

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Highlights

Vibe:Send us your best but less intimidating
Response time:
1-4 months*
Editor reported data
Acceptance rate:
?

PaysYes

Find more details in the Genres section

FeeNo

Accepts simultaneous submissions
What's that?
When you can submit your work to multiple magazines at the same time
Accepts previously published
What's that?
When the magazine wants to publish your previously published work. Requirements vary
Nominates for prizes
Active on social media
Available in print
Provides contributor copies
Has examples online
Offers expedited response
What's that?
Expedited submission: When the magazine offers a faster response time for an extra fee

Poetry

Max pieces: 3

We look especially for plurality of meaning, for dual reverberation of beauty and concern. Contrary’s poetry in particular often mimics the effects of fiction or commentary.

Fiction

Sub Genres: Literary, Experimental, Magical Realism

We favor fiction that is contrary in any number of ways, but our fiction typically defies traditional story form. A story may bring us to closure, for example, without ever delivering an ending. It may be as poetic as any poem.

Nonfiction

Lyrical commentary/creative non-fiction —“Commentary” is our word for the stuff that others define negatively as non-fiction, nominally as essay, or naively as truth. We favor commentary that delivers a message less through exposition than through artistry. The commentary we select is often lyrical, narrative, or poetic.

How to submit

Processs
Google / other forms
Cover letter
No cover letter advice
Eligibility
No specific eligibility requirements
Formatting
We don't have formatting requirements for this magazine
Author's rights
We don't have rights information for this magazine
Additional info
Payment – If you invoice us within one month after publication, we will send you a payment. For original commentary, fiction, and poetry, Contrary Magazine pays $20 per author per issue, regardless of the number of works or nature of the submission. If you are enquiring about the status of a submission, you can determine the status immediately. Contrary begins each issue cycle from scratch, holding over no submissions. If an issue has appeared since your submission, and your submission is not in it, then your submission was not accepted. If an issue has not appeared since your submission, your submission is still in consideration, and we will contact you if it is accepted.

Tracker statistics

Total submissions tracked

26 days

Average response time

50%

Average acceptance rate

5 days

Fastest response time

46 days

Slowest response time

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Submission calls

All genres

Closed

About

Founded

2003

Country

contrarymagazine.com

Masthead

Jeff McMahon

Editor-in-Chief

Shaindel Beers

Poetry Editor

Frances Badgett

Fiction Editor