The New Territory is a biannual print magazine of the Lower Midwest.
Slow journalism. Regional literature. Photography and art. For endlessly curious Midwesterners to break free from distraction and dive deep in the Great Plains and Ozarks.

It started with love. In 2016, The New Territory launched as a long form print magazine for Lower Midwesterners who are hungry to understand the Great Plains and Ozarks. Our narrative journalism, creative writing, photography and art give readers a way to experience dynamic places, learn history through multiple lenses, think in metaphors, and hear personal stories of life’s challenges — in a distraction-free, beautifully designed, 128-page full color print format. Today, we are proud to say we’ve worked with more than 400 regional writers and artists (and counting!), publish twice a year, and relaunched as a 501(c)3 nonprofit. 

You should have a tie to the lower Midwest (primarily, but not exclusive to Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska)—whether that means you grew up in, are a transplant to, or have had a meaningful experience in the region.

The New Territory

The Here section is devoted to short (200-750 words) personal essays situating the personal in a sense of place, whether that be a specific location/building, a community/region, or even a specific object/animal/photo. You should have a tie to the lower Midwest (primarily, but not exclusive to Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska)—whether that means you grew up in, are a transplant to, or have had a meaningful experience in the region.What to Submit:  200-750 word essays.  File name should begin with author’s last name and include genre of submission.  Include page numbers and your name and email address in the header or footer.  .docx files preferred.  Although we prefer completed essays when choosing Here pieces for publication, we will be happy to consider pitches or photo collections that fit the section guidelines.

Here Section Essay Submissions

The New Territory seeks reviews on books, events, films, cafés, food, music, fashion, art, monuments, and anything else in the Lower Midwest that deserves to be spotlighted. The reviewer should have a connection to the Lower Midwest (which we loosely define as Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma) and, ideally, the subject that’s reviewed would also have a tie to the region.Review pitches should include:  The subject of the review, its relevance to the Lower Midwest, and the angle you expect to take in your review.  Information about yourself and your connection to the region. Include your name and contact info.  2-3 relevant clips as links (unpublished work for a class or personal project is perfectly acceptable).Parameters for completed reviews are:  The review should be up to 750 words in length.  Include your name and email address in the header or footer of your document.  Include your bio. Touch on your connection to the Lower Midwest and include a brief description of what compelled you to write your review.If you are the creator or agent of a piece of media you would like The New Territory to review: Please email Melanie directly at melanie@newterritorymag.com. Please note we run 3-4 reviews per printed issue.

Review Submissions

Our literature section seeks fiction, poetry, nonfiction, drama, comics, and genre-benders with teeth, a heart, and a roving intelligence trained on and emerging from the Lower Midwest, which we loosely define as the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska.Women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to send their work our way. We want to hear from you!Parameters for Fiction Submissions  Single document of up to 25 double-spaced pages.  Cover letter should touch briefly on your connection to the region and should list the word count of your submission.  Include page numbers and your name and email address in the header or footer of your document.  File name should begin with author’s last name and include genre of submission.

Fiction Submissions

Our literature section seeks fiction, poetry, nonfiction, drama, comics, and genre-benders with teeth, a heart, and a roving intelligence trained on and emerging from the Lower Midwest, which we loosely define as the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska.Women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and the differently abled are strongly encouraged to send their work our way. We want to hear from you!Parameters for Creative Nonfiction Submissions  Single document of up to 25 double-spaced pages  Cover letter should touch briefly on your connection to the region and should list the word count of your submission  Include page numbers and your name and email address in the header or footer of your document  File name should begin with author’s last name and include genre of submission

Creative Nonfiction Submissions

Our literature section seeks fiction, poetry, nonfiction, drama, comics, and genre-benders with teeth, a heart, and a roving intelligence trained on and emerging from the Lower Midwest, which we loosely define as the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska.Women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to send their work our way. We want to hear from you!Parameters for Poetry Submissions  Single document of up to 10 pages or 5-8 poems, with each poem beginning on a new page  Cover letter should touch briefly on your connection to the region and should list the title of each poem  Include your name and email address in the header or footer of your document  File name should begin with author’s last name and include genre of submission

The New Territory

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Here Section Essay Submissions