Literary Journal

AC|DC - A Journal for the Bent

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About the magazine

AC|DC - A Journal for the Bent is an independent literary journal founded in 2015 by a collective of poets and artists seeking a home for work that resists easy categorization. Taking its name from the electrical terms for alternating and direct current, the journal positions itself at the intersection of formal experimentation and emotional immediacy, publishing poetry, short fiction, and hybrid texts that often blur the line between the two. Its founding ethos is one of productive tension: the 'bent' in its subtitle signals a commitment to work that is queer, oblique, or otherwise angled away from the mainstream, without reducing identity to a single axis. The journal appears in print twice yearly, with occasional digital supplements, and maintains a small, editor-led reading period that prioritizes careful attention over volume.

Editorial focus

AC|DC is a one-man operation based in Brooklyn, New York. It aims to feature a diverse collection of queer voices: virgins, veterans, and everyone in between. AC|DC currently publishes new short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry by LGBTQIA+ authors on (most) Tuesdays.

PoetryFictionCreative Nonfiction

Submitting your work

Reading periodJan 1 to Dec 31

Reading feeNo

PaymentNo payment

Response timeLess than 3 months

Simultaneous submissionsYes

Unsolicited submissionsYes

AC|DC reads submissions during two windows each year, typically in March and September, and charges no fee for standard submissions. The editors recommend reading at least one recent issue before submitting, as the journal's aesthetic is best understood in context. Work that is overtly experimental is welcome, but the editors prioritize clarity of intent over shock value. Simultaneous submissions are accepted with prompt notification of acceptance elsewhere. Response times average four to six weeks; queries are discouraged unless a submission has gone unanswered for over three months.

Read official guidelines