The Journal is pausing our general submissions as our team is undergoing some major transitions. We will update our Submittable with our new submission schedule as soon as we are able. Thank you so much for your patience! We cannot wait to read your work again soon.
We are interested in quality fiction, poetry, nonfiction, photo essays, author interviews, and reviews of new books of poetry and prose. We impose no restrictions on category or type of submission for fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but we ask that you notify us of this at the time of submission. We do not publish previously published work. Multiple submissions are not accepted and will not be read or responded to; please wait until you receive a response from us before submitting again. Please allow at least eight months for a decision.
Recent contributors, please wait at least one year from when your work appears in The Journal before submitting again. Unfortunately, at this time we are unable to offer monetary payment to our contributors.
In order to comply with federal, state, and local laws (including the Ohio Public Records Act), as well as Ohio State policies, communications with The Journal may be required to be disclosed publicly.
Each year, The Journal selects one full-length manuscript of poetry for publication by Mad Creek Books, an imprint of The Ohio State University Press. In addition to publication under a standard book contract, the winning author receives the Charles B. Wheeler prize of $2500.
Entries of at least 48 typed pages of original poetry must be electronically submitted BY OCTOBER 11, 2025. Please note: Your name or other identification should appear only on a separate cover page. No identifying information should be included on the manuscript. All manuscripts will be read anonymously. Manuscripts must be previously unpublished. Some or all of the poems in the collection may have appeared in periodicals, chapbooks, or anthologies, but these must be identified in the acknowledgments page. A nonrefundable handling fee of $23.00 (or $11.50 for BIPOC poets) will be charged for each entry. All entrants receive a one-year subscription to The Journal, which includes access to one print issue. If it is a hardship to meet the submission fee, please contact our editor to discuss options for a fee waiver at thejournalprize@osu.edu (please have the word "wheeler" in the subject line).
The winning entry, screened by the editorial staff of The Journal and chosen by guest judge Marcus Jackson, will be announced the following February.
We’re interested in visual art of all media. We are looking for a cohesive suite of work that demonstrates a clear point of view. Please send 6 – 10 pieces of art in high-quality PDF and include a short, third-person bio with your submission.
Title your submission with the title you want for the whole body of work. One option is to title it "Selections From..." and include the name of your series. You may include an artist statement, but it is not required.
We do not consider works created with Artificial Intelligence.
You can visit our online archives to preview the type of work we've accepted in the past.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but we ask that you notify us of this at the time of submission and withdraw your submission immediately if it is accepted elsewhere.
We are NOT looking for visual poetry at this time - please direct your poetry submissions to the poetry section.
We do our best to offer you a response within six months of your submission. If you have not heard from us by that time window, please feel free to send us a check-in email at: art@thejournalmag.org.