Literary Journal

MacQueen’s Quinterly

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About the magazine

MacQueen’s Quinterly is an online literary and arts journal founded in 2019 by Clare MacQueen, following her tenure editing the long-running journal *KYSO Flash*. The journal emerged from a desire to continue showcasing concise, vivid, and often hybrid works that might otherwise fall between the cracks of traditional publishing. Its core mission is to publish poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and visual art that demonstrate a high degree of craft, emotional resonance, and formal inventiveness, with a particular affinity for micro and flash forms. The journal is known for its carefully curated issues, which pair text and image in a clean, accessible digital format, and for its commitment to fostering a community of writers and artists through regular calls for submissions and occasional themed readings.

Editorial focus

MacQueen’s Quinterly is a smorgasbord of memorable works of art and literature, in multiple genres and short forms: prose poetry; flash and microfiction; essays and creative nonfiction; photographs, drawings, and fine art; poetry, both free verse and structured; and hybrids (including cheribun, haibun, haiga, taiga, photo-poems & more). MacQueen’s Quinterly primarily publishes works that are no longer than a thousand words each (a limit they stretch to 5,000 words for critical essays, interviews, and reviews).

PoetryFictionCreative Nonfiction

Submitting your work

Reading periodFeb 1 to Feb 17

Reading feeYes

PaymentNo payment

Response timeLess than 3 months

Simultaneous submissionsYes

Unsolicited submissionsYes

Before submitting, read several recent issues to understand the journal’s aesthetic, which favors precision, imagistic density, and emotional honesty over length or genre convention. MacQueen’s Quinterly accepts simultaneous submissions but asks that you withdraw promptly if accepted elsewhere. Use the online submission form and include a brief, professional cover letter with your publication history, if any. Proofread meticulously; the editors appreciate clean copy. Response times vary, but queries after three months are acceptable. The journal does not charge submission fees for standard calls, though occasional themed or contest submissions may have a fee—check guidelines carefully.

We look for works that knock our socks off, that is, prize-winning material. Regardless of the genre, we cherish a unique voice, fresh language, and the sly use of literary devices such as metaphor and irony. We hope to be side-swiped, poked in the ribs, and otherwise smitten by an arresting idea, a compelling narrative, an exquisite lyric, or a moving account, all of which thread the perfect line between the personal and the universal.

Read official guidelines

Submission calls

1 listed

OpenDeadline · 2027-02-01