Poetry, Creative nonfiction, Fiction, Translation
Bennington Review
Bennington Review pays $120 for prose up to six typeset pages and $250 beyond that, plus $25 per poem, along with copies of the issue. It acquires first North American serial rights and takes simultaneous submissions if told about an acceptance elsewhere. The next reading period opens 4 January 2027.
🟡 Opens soon Verified 2026-10
The docket
The nine things that decide whether a pitch is worth sending. Every answer below is either taken from the publication’s own guideline or computed by BRYME from the 288-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.
- Payment
- $120-$250 for prose by length and $25 per poem, plus two copies of the issueOf the other 63 records quoting in USD on this desk that state a figure, 26 state less, 24 state more, 13 state exactly this.
- Length
- Prose up to 30 pages; 3-5 poems per submission
- Who can submit
- Not statedNo stated country restriction. Current or recent Bennington College students, faculty and staff may not submit; alumni and past employees must wait three years.
- Reading period
- The next reading period runs 4 January 2027 to 5 March 2027
- Response time
- Five to eight months
- Simultaneous submissions
- You may submit elsewhere at the same timeWe welcome simultaneous submissions, as long as you notify us immediately when work has been accepted elsewhere. — https://benningtonreview.org/submit (read 2026-10-01)
- AI policy
- Not statedThe guideline is silent. BRYME records that 127 of the 288 publications on this desk do restrict AI-assisted work, so silence here is not permission — ask.
- Rights
- StatedBennington Review acquires first North American serial rights for all accepted work. Some accepted work is also featured on the magazine's website.
- Experience
- Not yet assessedBRYME has read this publication's guideline but has not yet put the experience question to it, so this row is untouched rather than unanswered — it is our gap, not theirs. Treat it exactly as you would an unstated policy.
What this record does not tell you
This publication leaves 3 of the nine questions unanswered. BRYME publishes that gap instead of filling it — a generated answer would look complete and cost you a pitch.
- Who can submit — the guideline leaves this open, so ask before you spend an evening on the pitch rather than assuming a yes.
- AI policy — assume disclosure is expected unless the editor says otherwise.
- Experience — BRYME has not assessed this one yet, so do not read the blank as either a welcome or a bar. Look at who the publication normally publishes before you pitch.
Record last human-checked 2026-10-01. Sources listed at the foot of this page. Figures are compared only against other records quoting in USD on this desk quoted the same way, so a per-word rate is never ranked against a flat fee.
Quick facts
- Payment
- $120-$250 for prose by length and $25 per poem, plus two copies of the issue
- Word count
- Prose up to 30 pages; 3-5 poems per submission
- Submission
- Online form through Submittable
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🟡 Opens soon
- Last verified
- 2026-10
What this publication wants
This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Poetry, Creative nonfiction, Fiction, Translation. Official guideline: Bennington Review guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Innovative, intelligent and moving fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, film writing and cross-genre work.
- Writing in the spirit of the poet Dean Young's dictum that poets should be "making birds, not birdcages".
- Translations, where the translator holds permission from the copyright holder and supplies the work in its original language.
Subjects they avoid
- Work previously published in print or online, including on personal blogs.
- Reviews and interviews, which are not accepted unsolicited.
- Film writing as its own category - it now goes through nonfiction.
- Paper and unsolicited email submissions, which the magazine cannot answer.
- Submissions from current or recent Bennington College students, faculty and staff.
Key requirements
- Read https://benningtonreview.org/submit before sending.
- Submit through Submittable only.
- Poetry: no fewer than three and no more than five poems per submission.
- Fiction and creative nonfiction: no more than thirty pages per submission; excerpts from longer projects must stand alone.
- Prose must be double-spaced and paginated, with a cover letter.
- The next reading period opens 4 January 2027 and closes 5 March 2027.
- No submission fee is stated on the page.
Who can submit
No stated country restriction. Current or recent Bennington College students, faculty and staff may not submit; alumni and past employees must wait three years.
Rights
Bennington Review acquires first North American serial rights for all accepted work. Some accepted work is also featured on the magazine's website.
AI policy
Not stated in the guideline
How to write for them
Official requirement: always follow the publication's own guideline exactly.
BRYME's practical advice: write for the publication's audience, use a clear structure, keep paragraphs short, lead with a specific angle, and confirm the word count before submitting. These are practical suggestions — they are not the publication's official rules.
How to pitch
Where a pitch is required, this is the general pattern BRYME recommends — always adapt it to the publication's guideline.
- Research the publication and read several recent pieces.
- Choose a specific idea that fits their beat and audience.
- Write a concise subject line naming your idea.
- Introduce yourself in one or two lines (who you are, where you publish).
- Explain the proposed piece in a short paragraph — angle, structure, length.
- Say why it fits this publication.
- Include 2–3 relevant clips or links.
- Close professionally and thank them for their time.
- Send through the official channel only.
Opens in windows. Currently between reading periods.
How to submit
Online form through Submittable
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Online form through Submittable
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Read https://benningtonreview.org/submit before sending.
- Submit through Submittable during the reading period that runs 4 January 2027 to 5 March 2027.
- Send 3-5 poems, or up to 30 pages of prose.
- Questions go to benningtonreview@bennington.edu.
What happens after submission
Expected response: Five to eight months
If the publication does not state a response time, BRYME records that it is unknown. A follow-up is generally reasonable after a couple of weeks; if there is still no response, treat that as a likely non-acceptance rather than a rejection. Acceptance is normally communicated by the publication. If they accept, they will tell you exactly how to submit the final piece and, for most, how and when payment is made.
Check, question or correct this record
BRYME publishes its working, not just its conclusions. Last human check: 2026-10.