Literary Journal

Rough Cut Press

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About the magazine

Rough Cut Press is an independent literary press founded in 2018 with a commitment to publishing short-form prose by emerging and underrepresented writers. Operating on a quarterly reading period model, the press produces themed print anthologies that prioritize work demonstrating formal risk and emotional precision. Its founding ethos centers on accessibility and community: each issue is affordably priced, and contributors are paid, reflecting a sustainable approach to small-press publishing. The press has cultivated a reputation for curating voices that might otherwise be overlooked by mainstream literary outlets, with a particular emphasis on queer, trans, and BIPOC writers.

Editorial focus

The editors seek work of all genres by writers from the LGBTQIA community. They don’t define or gatekeep what it means to be a queer writer: if you think your work belongs here, then it belongs here. They like work that defies genre and love to be able to tell that the writer that started the piece is a little bit different from the one that finished it. Submit what you’re truly most excited about.

PoetryFictionCreative Nonfiction

Submitting your work

Reading periodJan 1 to Dec 31

Reading feeNo

PaymentCash

Response timeLess than 3 months

Simultaneous submissionsYes

Unsolicited submissionsYes

Writers should review the current theme and submit previously unpublished work of up to 1,500 words during the designated reading periods. The press values concise, evocative prose that engages with the theme in unexpected ways. Simultaneous submissions are accepted with prompt notification of acceptance elsewhere. Given the high volume of submissions, patience is appreciated; responses typically arrive within three months.

Read what we have published so you have an idea of what we like.

Read official guidelines