Blue Lake Review

Submitting your work

Writers should familiarize themselves with recent issues to understand the journal's aesthetic, which favors narrative depth, precise language, and emotional honesty. Submit only previously unpublished work, and adhere strictly to the guidelines: up to three poems, one story or essay under 5,000 words. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but notify immediately if accepted elsewhere. Expect response times of one to three months; do not query before then. Proofread meticulously—Blue Lake Review values clean, polished manuscripts. Include a brief cover letter with your submission, but let the work speak for itself.

We are interested in all kinds of poetry except for rhyming poetry. We are looking for literary fiction of all types. Give us something fresh, that moves us, that comes from the heart. We are not looking for something that shows how clever you are, or how large your vocabulary is. Nor are we interested in that which is overly sentimental. The writing must be authentic and pure, absent of false notes. No genre fiction or novel excerpts. We prefer work previously unpublished elsewhere, but will consider work previously published.