Ninth Letter is a print journal published semi-annually by the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Its editorial stance is deliberately capacious: the magazine states an interest in prose and poetry that experiment with form, narrative, and nontraditional subject matter, as well as more traditional literary work. This is not a venue that demands a single aesthetic; it is a curated space where innovation and craft coexist. For fiction writers, the print edition represents a tangible, designed object—a context in which typography, layout, and sequence are part of the reading experience, not an afterthought. The journal accepts electronic submissions via Submittable and does not consider work by email attachment. There is a $3.00 fee to submit. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but writers must withdraw their work immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. Only one submission per genre is allowed at a time, and previously published work—including self-published material on websites or blogs—is ineligible. Contributors whose work has appeared in Ninth Letter must wait three years from their publication date before submitting again. These parameters are firm and reflect the journal’s commitment to fairness and editorial focus. What the journal offers is publication in a respected university-affiliated print magazine with a national readership. There is no monetary prize or honorarium indicated. The curatorial vision is one of literary inquiry: work that takes risks with structure, voice, or subject matter, and work that honors traditional narrative traditions, are equally welcome. The editors read blind; the fee supports the submission system and the production of the journal. For the serious fiction writer, Ninth Letter is a venue where the sentence and the story are considered with equal seriousness.