Published three times per year, the Gettysburg Review considers unsolicited submissions of poetry, fiction, essays, and essay-reviews from September 1 through May 31. We welcome submissions of full-color graphics year round. We will also stay open through the summer to those who would like to purchase a subscription or the current issue with their submission or to those who continue to use snail mail.
Our reading time varies but is typically three to eight months. Manuscripts are read in the order in which they were received. Submittable has proven to be an extremely reliable system, so there is no need to query about the loss of a manuscript or for the status of submissions. If you haven't heard from us, that means your work is still under consideration. Should you decide to query, we ask that you wait until eight months have elapsed.
The main criterion for selection is quality, but the best way to determine what might be accepted by the Gettysburg Review is to read what has already been published. Sample copies are available at $15 each; one-year subscriptions are $30. We encourage all potential contributors to become familiar with our publication before submitting.
While we charge a small fee ($3.00) for standard online submissions, we welcome snail-mail submissions, free of charge. Address postal submissions to Mark Drew, Editor at 300 N. Washington St., Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA 17325.
Should you decide to simultaneously submit, indicate that your manuscript is under concurrent consideration and notify us immediately via Submittable if it is accepted elsewhere.
accept short-shorts, as well as lengthier pieces, which we have
serialized on a couple of occasions. We also publish novel excerpts.
Manuscripts should be double-spaced. Novel excerpts should be complete and self-contained;
they should not require any written contextualization. No submission should exceed 10,000 words.
Aesthetically, we are open to most styles and approaches and are
always interested in stories, whether more traditional or experimental,
that are off-beat, penetrating, and surprising. We do not publish genre
fiction—mystery, crime, science fiction, fantasy, and the like—but are
certainly not opposed to considering work that self-consciously employs
the tropes of formulaic writing for more sophisticated literary ends.
literary in focus. To complement the poetry and fiction we publish, we
look for essays on a wide variety of subjects, including but not limited
to literature, art, film, history, science, and contemporary thought.
All we ask is that the subject be treated in a literary
fashion—gracefully and in depth.
Essays can take any form—creative nonfiction, memoir, biography,
autobiography, etcetera. Length typically hovers around twenty-five
manuscript pages, but we welcome both shorter and longer essays, not exceeding 10,000 words.
Whatever the length, manuscripts should be double-spaced.
For those who would like to subscribe to our magazine, we are waiving the submission fee. When finalizing your purchase, be sure that you have selected the correct option. You have the choice between a digital and print subscription. If you have chosen to subscribe in print, please select the option that corresponds to your locale.
Follow guidelines for the genre to which you are submitting and only submit in one genre.
For those who would like to order a copy of our newest issue, we are waiving the submission fee. Be sure to designate whether you would prefer the print (domestic only) or digital edition. Please follow guidelines for the genre to which you are submitting and only submit in one genre.