Gordon Square Review is published online biannually to showcase emerging writers nationwide and internationally, award editing mentorships, and provide a venue to spotlight Northeast Ohio writers.

Gordon Square Review is published by Literary Cleveland, a nonprofit organization working to nurture a vibrant literary arts community in Northeast Ohio. 

Literary Cleveland was founded in the Gordon Square Arts District, which serves as the cultural heart of Cleveland’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. 

Gordon Square Review embraces its namesake’s ideals surrounding creativity, artistic exploration, and the value of supporting and celebrating emerging talent.

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Gordon Square Review

Gordon Square Review is holding a 2025 Flash Fiction Contest for Midwest writers. Submit a single flash piece up to 1,000 words with a $10 entry fee. The winner will receive $500 and publication in Issue 16 of Gordon Square Review. Additionally, the runner-up will receive $250 and publication in Issue 16 of Gordon Square Review.
Final Judge: Amber Sparks
Amber Sparks is the author of three collections of short fiction, including And I Do Not Forgive You and The Unfinished World. Her essays, film and book criticism have appeared widely, in Bright Wall/Dark Room, The Paris Review, Slate, Tin House, Granta, and The Cut, among others. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband, daughter, and two cats.
The contest opens on August 1, 2025 and closes on October 1, 2025.
Contest Guidelines
The contest opens on August 1, 2025 and closes on October 1, 2025. Results will be announced in November 2025. All writers will be notified prior to the contest results being announced.

2025 GSR Flash Contest for Midwest Writers

Thank you for submitting your work to Gordon Square Review, a Literary Cleveland publication!

  Only include one poem in your submission. 
  Simultaneous submissions are okay, but alert us via submittable if the work is accepted elsewhere.
  Submissions must not be available elsewhere, print or online (including personal websites).  
  Submissions should be single-spaced, paginated, and in a 12 point legible font (Times New Roman, for example).

Thank you for submitting.

GSR - Poetry Submission

Thank you for submitting your work to Gordon Square Review, a Literary Cleveland publication!

  Only include one story or essay in your submission. 
  The word limit is 1,000 words. 
  Simultaneous submissions are okay, but alert us via submittable if the work is accepted elsewhere.
  Submissions must not be available elsewhere, print or online (including personal websites).  
  Submissions should be double-spaced, paginated, and in a 12 point legible font (Times New Roman, for example).

Thank you for submitting.

GSR - Brief Nonfiction Submission

Thank you for submitting your work to Gordon Square Review, a Literary Cleveland publication!

  Only include one story in your submission. 
  The word limit is 5,000 words. 
  Simultaneous submissions are okay, but alert us via submittable if the work is accepted elsewhere.
  Submissions must not be available elsewhere, print or online (including personal websites).
  Submissions should be double-spaced, paginated, and in a 12 point legible font (Times New Roman, for example).
 

Thank you for submitting.

GSR - Fiction/Prose Submission

Literary Cleveland’s Breakthrough Writing Residency provides year-long mentorship, support, and opportunities to help six emerging writers in Greater Cleveland develop a book-length project.<div></div><div> Residents (two in each genre of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry) will work with a mentor to make progress on their personal writing project (manuscript), gain free access to all Literary Cleveland programs, take part in professional development opportunities, and present their work at the annual Inkubator Conference. 2026-2027 mentors include Joseph Earl Thomas (fiction), Ira Sukrungruang (nonfiction), and Brittany Rogers (poetry). The program is primarily virtual with occasional in-person meetings throughout the year.</div><div></div><div>The program is intended for those who demonstrate a passion for writing and a commitment to developing a book-length project but who have not published a book or attended a MFA program.</div><div></div><div>Applicants are selected for the program based on the excellence of their writing and ability to complete their proposed writing project. Writing projects may include (but are not limited to) completing the first draft of a novel, memoir, poetry manuscript, or similar creative work, or revising and submitting a book-length project for publication. The residency is for personal writing projects (manuscripts) only, not community writing programs.         </div><div></div><div> </div><div></div><div>Benefits to Residents</div><div></div><div>Mentorship with professional writer for encouragement and accountability</div><div>A supportive writing cohort and environment</div><div>Free access to Literary Cleveland classes and programs (with some restrictions)</div><div>Participation in Inkubator Conference (as reader, presenter, or panelist)</div><div>Opportunities to develop teaching skills</div><div>Professional development consultation from working writers, agents, and more.</div><div>$200 monthly stipend for 12 months</div><div> </div><div></div><div>What the Program Supports</div><div></div><div>The development of new work</div><div>Writing projects that will be completed within one year</div><div>Works not previously published and/or produced (excluding excerpts or individual poems or stories that are part of a larger project)</div><div>Works of writing, including, but not limited to, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and digital storytelling</div><div> </div><div></div><div>Who Can Apply </div><div></div><div>The residency specifically aims to assist emerging writers who have not published a book and have not completed an MFA program. </div><div></div><div>We are especially interested in reaching writers with low or limited income for whom expensive writing opportunities are out of reach. Additionally, we encourage writers who are Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American Pacific Islander, or multihyphenate, those who identify as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and other members of communities historically underrepresented by and in the literary community to apply.</div><div></div><div>Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:   </div><div></div><div>Resident of the Greater Cleveland/Northeast Ohio area at the time of application and through completion of the residency period able to provide proof of residency if selected</div><div>Age 18 or older</div><div>Cannot be a current staff, board, or committee member of Literary Cleveland</div><div>Cannot be a graduate or undergraduate student in any degree program during the residency</div><div>Cannot already have and MFA or a traditionally published book</div><div> </div><div></div><div>Selection Process &amp; Criteria </div><div></div><div>Applications are reviewed by an independent panel of writers working in a variety of disciplines. The panel will select finalists based on the following criteria:   </div><div></div><div>Artistic excellence of work samples</div><div>Quality of the proposed project (manuscript)</div><div>Feasibility of and ability to complete the project</div><div> </div><div></div><div>2026-2027 mentors include Joseph Earl Thomas (fiction), Ira Sukrungruang (nonfiction), and Brittany Rogers (poetry). </div><div></div><div>Mentors will then select participants from the list of finalists. Applicants can expect to hear back in mid-September.         </div><div></div><div>Questions? Email info@litcleveland.org</div>

Literary Cleveland’s Breakthrough Writing Residency

Gordon Square Review (GSR) is open for volunteer reader applications for our Fall 2026 issue! Before you apply, please decide if you can commit to the following: 3-4 hours of reading and feedback per week; 3-4 in person or virtual meetings per each issue’s interval (February 1 to May 15; August 1 to November 15), with an introductory meeting to be held July 30, 6-8 PM. If selected as a GSR volunteer reader, you will have the opportunity to uplift other writers who are submitting their work to literary journals; read, comment, and vote on GSR submissions from August to October; help decide which pieces are published in the Fall 2026 issue of GSR; learn the behind-the-scenes process of selecting work for a literary journal; collaborate with GSR's editorial staff. GSR requests that volunteer readers live in Northeast Ohio. To avoid conflicts of interest, volunteer readers may not submit their own writing to Gordon Square Review’s general issue or contest(s) during their time reading for the journal. To apply, simply fill out the form below.

Must live in Northeast Ohio; no submissions to GSR during volunteer period.

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GSR - Poetry Submission

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