Literary Journal

Santa Monica Review

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About the magazine

Santa Monica Review is a national literary journal published by Santa Monica College, founded in 1988. From its inception, the journal has been dedicated to publishing contemporary fiction, poetry, and essays that demonstrate formal ambition and emotional depth, with a particular openness to experimental and hybrid forms. Its mission is to provide a serious, non-commercial venue for writers at all stages of their careers, reflecting the college's commitment to literary arts education and the cultural life of the Los Angeles region.

Editorial focus

Founded by poet and fiction writer Jim Krusoe in 1988, Santa Monica Review is a nationally distributed literary arts journal sponsored by Santa Monica College. The journal is published twice yearly, in fall and spring. Early appearances in SMR : Venita Blackburn, Keenan Norris, Brittany Corrigan, Suzanne Greenberg, Lisa Alvarez. Writers appearing multiple times in SMR: Gary Amdahl, Michelle Latiolais, Diane Lefer, Richard Wirick, Alisa Slaughter.

FictionCreative Nonfiction

Submitting your work

Reading periodJan 1 to Dec 31

Reading feeNo

PaymentContributor copies only

Response timeLess than 3 months

Simultaneous submissionsYes

Unsolicited submissionsYes

Writers should submit only previously unpublished work. The journal accepts fiction, poetry, and essays, with reading periods typically announced on its website. Simultaneous submissions are permitted with immediate notification of acceptance elsewhere. Expect response times of several months; patience is advised. Familiarity with recent issues is recommended to understand the journal's aesthetic range, which favors work that is linguistically precise and emotionally resonant over purely topical or genre-driven writing.

Smart, funny, fabulist, diverse, and politically-tuned prose featuring mostly West Coast writers. Sincere realism okay. Memoirs and novellas okay. No genre fiction; experimental and avant-garde okay. We love gorgeous sentences, big ideas, meaningful satire, and over-the-top dialog. Okay? Auto fiction also good but with low emissions and high MPG. Please read an issue before submitting. A self-addressed, stamped envelope must, of course, accompany submissions. SMR absotively, posilutely does not accept email or online submissions, thank you.

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