Demographic Information

As a queer-oriented publication, The Underway Review is open only to members of the LGBTQ+ community. However, the work you send in does not have to center exclusively around the queer experience. So, if you're wondering if you should submit your tender teenage coming-out story, or your nail-biting eldritch horror tale—the answer is yes!

The Ground Rules

• Our mission is to promote local queer art and provide a platform for local queer artists. As such, The Underway Review accepts submissions of pieces that have appeared elsewhere, though we would prefer to platform your newest and latest work. If you are sending in work that has not been previously published, the Underway Review will ask you only for first-time electronic publication rights to your piece; once it appears in TUR, you can do whatever you want with it.

• One submission per person, please. I.e., if you submit poetry, you cannot also submit fiction, nonfiction, art, etc., until the start of the next submission period.

• Simultaneous submissions are encouraged and accepted, but please notify us ASAP if your piece is accepted elsewhere.

• AI-generated submissions will not be accepted or considered. If a piece is accepted and later found to have been created with AI, that piece will be removed from the website.

• Content warnings for particularly sensitive subjects are appreciated, and will be preserved when the piece is published. That said, pieces that revel in gratuitous violence, sexual exploitation, animal cruelty, or other intense subjects, without a clear artistic or interrogative purpose, will be rejected out of hand.

• If you receive a rejection, do not submit again until the beginning of the next submission period. And please, don't be discouraged! Submissions are a numbers game—a rejection does not inherently mean that your work is bad; just that we did not have the space for it. Keep submitting!

• In addition to your piece, please include both an author photo (if comfortable) and a brief (50-60 word) author bio. We want to know who our contributors are!

• Please wait at least a month to ask for updates regarding the status of your submission—we are a small team, and can only process so many submissions at a time. Rest assured, your work will be reviewed fairly, and you will hear from us as soon as a decision is reached.

• All submissions, regardless of genre, must be sent to theunderwayreview@gmail.com

Photo by Shaah Shahidh on Unsplash

Genre-Specific Guidelines

Fiction

The Underway Review accepts both short and flash fiction. Fiction of all genres, including sci-fi and fantasy, is acceptable, so long as it tells a complete and satisfying story. Novel excerpts are acceptable as well, so long as they can be read and understood without needing the full context of the larger work. If you are sending in Short Fiction, please only send one piece in at a time. Those submitting Flash Fiction may send in up to three pieces at a time in a single document.

• Short Fiction: 1,000-3,000 words

• Flash Fiction: >1,000 words

Nonfiction:

The Underway Review accepts nonfiction in all its forms, be it a memoir/personal essay, or a more journalistic form such as an interview or article, though more creative work is encouraged. As with fiction, both Short Essays and Flash Nonfiction submissions are welcome, and excerpts from longer projects are acceptable so long as no additional context is required to understand the narrative.

• Short Essay: 1,000-3,000 words

• Flash Nonfiction: >1,000 words

Photo by nikldn on Unsplash

The Nitty-Gritty

•  In the header of your email, make sure to note which genre you are submitting to, followed by your name. For instance, for a fiction submission, write something like "FICTION SUBMISSION--JOHN DOE."

• All writing pieces must be sent in .docx form. For prose pieces, make sure your work is double-spaced. Single-spaced is acceptable for poetry. Please ensure all writing submissions are written in either Times New Roman or Garamond font.

   

• If your work contains experimental textual elements, such as multiple fonts, unorthodox spacing, etc., please note that such elements may not be preserved when the piece is uploaded for publication due to the limitations of the website.

   

• If you are sending in art, please do your best to send in a high-quality digital scan of your piece, rather than a photo taken on a cell phone or another similar method. We want to present your work in the highest quality possible!

Photo by Graphic Node on Unsplash

Poetry

Poetry of all forms is beloved at The Underway Review, whether you're writing free verse or using a more traditional structure. Double or single-spaced is fine, but try to make sure that all of your line breaks (if you're using them) are clearly intentional. For instance, if a poem is interrupted by a page break, do your best to clarify whether that break is meant to be there. To avoid confusion, try to keep individual poems on their own individual pages, unless you are sending in larger, longer poems.

• When submitting poetry, send in 3-5 poems in a single document.

Again, experimental or unorthodox structure is welcome, but be mindful that we may not be able to preserve radical spacing or other unique textual elements when the piece is published.

Art & Photography

Art and Photography submissions are welcome at The Underway Review. We want to see the world the way you see it, through whatever eyes you've got! When submitting art and/or photography, you may send up to 10 of your best images/pieces at a time. Comics and other forms of narrative art are accepted as well.

Eventually, we hope to use Art and Photography submissions as the cover of each issue of TUR, and to pair them with fiction, nonfiction and poetry pieces on the website. If a piece of your art is paired with a prose/poetry piece, don't worry—there will also be a dedicated section for your work to be viewed individually.

When submitting art or photography, be sure to send in your submissions at the highest quality possible (at least 300 dpi). Art should ideally be digitally scanned rather than photographed, if possible, to preserve all of your piece's detail.