WEST TRADE REVIEW


GENERAL SUBMISSIONS:

Are you a writer or artist that wants to be published and recognized? West Trade Review wants to hear from you! We are looking for original and unpublished works of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry by both new and established writers/artists.  We also accept novel excerpt submissions.  

A writer bio is required with each submission. 

Please submit your work to the appropriate genre folder and follow all established guidelines found on our website:

https://www.westtradereview.com/submissionguidelines20.html


We look forward to reviewing your work.  


Our reading period is April 1 through August 1 & August 15 through December 15.  Some genres, however, could close early if submission caps are reached prior to the end of a reading period.


Submit only once per reading period.


We offer free submissions during the first week of each month (April to December); otherwise, there is a $3 general submission fee.

You may also choose to receive a quick decision about your work for $10, and may also receive a quick decision about your work along with personalized feedback from the editors for $25.   The response time for both fee related options is approximately 2 weeks.

Our contest period (fiction and poetry) is January 15th-March 15th.  


Subscribe to our Newsletter and Stay Connected to Our Literary Community

Our monthly newsletter highlights some of our recent fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction and also includes book reviews of upcoming and recently released titles.  If you're looking for something new to read, you won't want to miss these carefully curated titles and recommendations. You'll also have access to interviews with exciting emerging writers.  Don't miss these important conversations and all our best contemporary fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction.

Sign up for our newsletter now at the link below to learn about West Trade Review events, readings, and contests before anyone else.

https://mailchi.mp/99ebb2b99e87/west-trade-review-newsletter

Thank you for your sponsorship, your friendship, and your invaluable commitment to literature.


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Questions? Contact us at westtradereview@gmail.com

Special Submissions Promo:  Submit by end of day on 11/24, and we'll respond to your submission within 2 weeks (no extra charge for expedited response).


 

WTR seek poems that perform Olympic feats with language that leave a reader in wonder while still referring back to the basic things that make us human. We want powerful imagery and enjoy the juxtaposition of images in interesting and unexpected ways.
        We want poems that make the reader think and feel, work that humbles us with its joy, humor, embarrassment, anger, hope, grief, or all of the above, and gravitate toward writing that has something important to teach us--something that readers really need to know but might not have understood this was a need until the last word of the work.




NOTE: Submissions which do not meet the following guidelines will not be considered:
 

  • All submissions must be previously unpublished and are limited to five poems per reading period and must be accompanied by a cover letter and a biography of no more than 150 words. Work submitted without a biography will not be considered.
  • In your cover letter, please mention your social media handles (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter).  If you have a website dedicated to your writing, please include the link in your letter.
  • Include a clear title for each poem.
  • Submit poems as one reading packet and place what you consider your stronger work at the front of the group.
  • Enter the title of each poem as your packet's submission title.
  • Work must be submitted as a Microsoft Word file. 



Submit only once per reading period.  


While we offer free submissions the first week of each month (April to December), general submissions are typically $3 (to cover administrative costs).  

You may also choose to receive a quick decision about your work for $10, and may also receive a quick decision about your work along with personalized feedback from the editors for $25 (1.5-2 pages).   The response time for both expedited and personalized options is approximately 2 weeks.


Please take a moment to follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter.
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook

You'll also find us on Threads and Bluesky.


We look for fiction with a literary focus and prioritize characterization and psychological depth. No genre pieces considered.

​We  want stories that make the reader think and feel, work  that humbles us with its joy, humor, embarrassment, anger, hope, grief,  or all of the above, and gravitate toward writing that has something  important to teach us--something that readers really need to know, but  might not have understood this was a need until the last word of the work.


 

Manuscripts are read between April 1 and August 1 & August 15 to December 15.

NOTE: Submissions which do not meet the following guidelines will not be considered:


 

  • All submissions must be previously unpublished and are limited to one entry per submission period.
  • While we have no hard limit regarding story length, most pieces we accept are typically less than 5,000 words.
  • Work must be submitted as a Microsoft Word file and include a clear title of the work
  • Submissions must be accompanied by a cover letter and a biography of no more than 150 words. Work submitted without a biography will not be considered.
  • In your cover letter, please mention your social media handles (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter).  If you have a website dedicated to your writing, please include the link in your cover letter as well.


 

Submit Only Once Per Reading Period.

While we offer free submissions the first week of each month (April to December), general submissions are typically $3 (to cover administrative costs).  

You may also choose to receive a quick decision about your work for $10, and may also receive a quick decision about your work along with personalized feedback from the editors for $25 (1.5-2 pages).   The response time for both expedited and personalized options is approximately 2 weeks. 


 

Please take a moment to follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter.

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook


You'll also find us on Threads and Bluesky.

We are interested in personal essays, memoir, travel essays, and lyric essays of up to 6000 words that blend style with substance and reach beyond the personal to tell us something new about the world.

We  want creative nonfiction that make the reader think and feel, work that humbles us with its joy, humor, embarrassment, anger, hope, grief,  or all of the above, and gravitate toward writing that has something  important to teach us--something that readers really need to know, but  might not have understood this was a need until the last word of the work.


 

Manuscripts are read between April 1 and August 1 & August 15 to December 15.

NOTE: Submissions which do not meet the following guidelines will not be considered:


 

  • All submissions must be previously unpublished and are limited to one entry per submission period.
  • While we have no hard limit regarding CNF length, most pieces we accept are typically less than 6,000 words. We do accept flash nonfiction, but we find pieces are often undeveloped or unfocused.
  • Work must be submitted as a Microsoft Word file (.doc or .docx). We have had issues with Apple Pages and Google docs. Follow conventional formatting (12pt readable font, double spacing, 1" margins).
  • Include a clear title of the work, a brief cover letter, and a short biography no more than 150 words.  Work submitted without a biography will not be considered.  
  • Please mention your social media handles in your cover letter.  If you have a personal website for your writing, please provide the link in your cover letter as well.


Submit Only Once Per Reading Period.
 

While we offer free submissions the first week of each month (April to December), general submissions are typically $3 (to cover administrative costs).  

You may also choose to receive a quick decision about your work for $10, and may also receive a quick decision about your work along with personalized feedback from the editors for $25 (1.5-2 pages).   The response time for both expedited and personalized options is approximately 2 weeks. 


 

Please take a moment to follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter.

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook


You'll also find us on Threads and Bluesky.

West Trade Review