Submissions for our inaugural print issue closed on March 1.
Guidelines
We welcome submissions from established and emerging writers alike, and hold no allegiance to any particular aesthetic or subject matter. Our editors are open-minded and eager to encounter work that invites and challenges us to read in variously exciting ways. We seek writing that gives us pause, that does not shy away from difficulty or risk, and that displays a strong sense of itself and its context. We like thinking about language and form, tradition and futurity, literary communities and literature’s place in the world.
For all submissions:
- Include a brief bio and anything you would like us to know about your submission in the body of your email. Please also indicate if you are a Maine writer or a member of the Colby College community.
- Attach your submission as a PDF or docx file. Please omit any identifying information from the body or filename of the attachment.
All submissions will be considered for publication, either in a forthcoming print issue or online. Submissions are free, and print contributors will receive a copy of the issue in which their work appears.
Further guidelines for each genre are below. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, just notify us promptly if any portion of your submission is accepted elsewhere. Multiple submissions are accepted as well, but please only submit once per genre in a given reading period. We will respond to all submissions within 30 days of closure.
Fiction
Short fiction: Up to 3 stories, 5k words max.
Flash/micro: Up to 5 pieces.
Poetry
Up to 5 poems, 10-12 pages max.
CNF, Essay, Hybrid
Up to 3 pieces, 5k words max.
Criticism
Critical essays, book reviews, and interviews are welcome. Feel free to query or pitch us ahead of time. 5k words max.
Translation
Translated work in any genre will be considered as long as it follows the guidelines outlined above. Upon submission, translators should indicate whether they hold the rights to translated material, or have a plan for securing rights should the submission be accepted.
Policies
Visual Writing, Imagery
Writing in any genre that engages visual forms or contains imagery is welcome. Contributors should have permission to use images, artworks, or photographs. Please note our physical issue interiors are printed in black and white.
Multimedia
Writing that incorporates audio, video, interactive elements, or that simultaneously engages both physical and digital media is welcome. We are open to thinking about how we might support multimedia projects in print issues and on our website.
Generative AI
Writing that uses or engages with generative AI tools and processes is generally not of interest to our editors. If a project uses AI in a compelling conceptual way, please query us before submitting. AI-generated submissions will not be considered.
Right to Privacy, Pedagogy
By submitting to The Colby Review, you agree to allow our editorial team to read and consider your work for future publication in print and/or online. Versions of your work may be discussed by student editors in a private, educational setting in adherence with editorial ethics and FERPA.
Copyright
The Colby Review secures first serial rights to publish accepted work in print and/or online. Copyright belongs to each respective work’s author(s). We kindly request acknowledgment should any work originally published in The Colby Review appear elsewhere.
Disclaimer
The contents, viewpoints, and opinions expressed on this website and in print issues of The Colby Review belong solely to individual contributors and editors, are never the product of unanimous agreement among our Masthead, and do not reflect viewpoints or opinions of the Creative Writing Program, the English Department, Colby College, or its Board of Trustees.