Submission Guidelines

Hello writers and readers,

The Rejoinder is excited to announce we’re open for submissions! We publish serialized fiction that can be broken up and published in four or five parts. Stories should have a strong sense of movement, and the storytelling should be enhanced by the drama of weekly section breaks. We want plot: cliffhangers, action, consequences, and other memorable moments that will keep readers returning week after week. Show us complex and surprising characters, vivid settings, and sentences that propel us forward. 

We especially love reading work that pushes the edge of literary fiction. We are open to work that dabbles in genre, like these historical and speculative stories, but are not the right market for hard genre works. Think fantastical instead of fantasy.

How to Submit 

To submit a story for consideration, please email us your story with four or five clearly delineated section breaks and a 3-5 sentence synopsis of the piece. The synopsis can be very simple: use no more than 150 words to explain where the story is headed across its parts. 

The sweet spot for our stories is around 7,000 words. We don’t have hard limits, but would be hard-pressed to publish something shorter than 6,000 or longer than 12,000 words. If you have something that you think would be a great fit and is outside that range, please reach out. 

We’ll be open for submissions on March 1 and will remain open until we hit our cap. We’re particularly enthusiastic about publishing a sweeping, gay story for Pride. If yours fits the bill, please note that in your synopsis.

The nitty-gritty

  • Send submissions as a Word Doc (PDF is fine too) to rejoindermag [at] gmail [dot] com

  • Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Please notify us if your work is accepted for publication elsewhere.

Editorial Opportunities

  • We’re looking for a highly motivated managing editor who can assist the magazine with critical functions: nonprofit management, grant applications, editorial calendar management.

    This is a volunteer position with a magazine committed to publishing work outside the literary mainstream.

    To apply, email rejoindermag@gmail.com with a quick paragraph with the following: why you’re interested in the position, any previous relevant experience, availability, links to work samples.

  • We are in need of a social media editor to direct our accounts: develop graphics and content for socials, figure out WTF to post and where, engage with contributors and readers.

    This is a volunteer position suited to someone with/seeking experience in building a voice online.

    To apply, email rejoindermag@gmail.com with a quick paragraph with the following: why you’re interested in the position, any previous relevant experience, availability, links to work samples.

Track your submissions at Duotrope