Free State Review

Submitting your work

Writers should familiarize themselves with the journal's aesthetic by reading recent issues before submitting. Free State Review values work that is polished, evocative, and grounded in specific detail. For nonfiction, the journal seeks essays that blend personal experience with broader reflection, avoiding overly academic or journalistic tones. Submissions should be sent via the website's submission manager, and simultaneous submissions are accepted with prompt notification of acceptance elsewhere. The journal offers feedback on submissions for a fee during certain reading periods, which can be valuable for writers seeking constructive criticism. Response times vary, but generally range from one to three months.

Strange is not always better. Simple and clear are not always memorable, but it’s possible to make a whole career painting daisies and irises (#vincentvangogh). The editors give preference to poems which do not use the word “dancing” to describe light, and to stories that do not use the words “because”—we are putting explanations on hiatus--and to any first line that bagins with "when." Like the ghost says, “The job of the poet is not to explain the mystery. The job of the poet is to make the mystery greater.” We once asked the drummer for punk band Half Japanese to explain the role of static in defining contempory art and he responded, "There's no such thing as static." We agree.