Poetry, Fiction, Creative nonfiction, Other
Black Warrior Review
Black Warrior Review states plainly that it pays contributors, and equally plainly that the amount depends on how many contributors an issue carries and the budget its university office allocates - so no figure can be quoted and none is. It reads poetry, prose, comics and hybrid work in winter and summer windows, takes prose up to 6,000 words, notes simultaneous submissions, reverts rights on publication, and will not consider AI-assisted work.
🔴 Currently closed 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
- Not statedPayment stated, amount not published. The publication publishes no figure BRYME could record. That is not the same as unpaid — but you cannot price the work from this page.
- Length
- Prose up to 6,000 words, with nonfiction limited to 4,000 words; poetry, comics, art and hybrid work also read
- Who can submit
- Not statedOfficial page: no country restriction stated. The magazine is staffed by graduate students at the University of Alabama and carries the university's copyright line, which is where the US filing comes from.
- Reading period
- Reads in two windows a year, predominantly 15 December to 1 Marchand 1 June to 30 September - so the summer window closed on 30 September 2026 and the winter window opens 15 December 2026. The page warns the dates are liable to change as the masthead turns over
- Response time
- Three to six months
- Simultaneous submissions
- You may submit elsewhere at the same timeSimultaneous submissions are welcome, if noted, and please notify us immediately if the work is accepted somewhere else. — https://bwr.submittable.com/submit (read 2026-10-01)
- AI policy
- AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
- Rights
- StatedRights revert to the author upon publication.
- 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.
- Payment — pitch only if you are comfortable negotiating the fee itself, or ask before you write.
- Who can submit — the guideline leaves this open, so ask before you spend an evening on the pitch rather than assuming a yes.
- 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. This record holds no figure BRYME could compare, so no ranking appears above it. Where a rate is quoted per word, it is never ranked against a flat fee.
Quick facts
- Payment
- Payment stated, amount not published
- Word count
- Prose up to 6,000 words, with nonfiction limited to 4,000 words; poetry, comics, art and hybrid work also read
- Submission
- Online through the submission manager; fee waivers are available on request.
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🔴 Currently closed
- 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, Fiction, Creative nonfiction, Other. Official guideline: Black Warrior Review guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Poetry - the page says it believes poetry is the history of words.
- Fiction the editors describe as unreal, nonfiction that can be uncertain of itself, comics, art and hybrid work.
- Work of up to 6,000 words for prose, and 4,000 words for nonfiction.
- Simultaneous submissions, if noted as such.
Subjects they avoid
- Work translated, written, developed or assisted by AI writing tools: the page names ChatGPT and states it will consider none.
- Previously published work.
- Prose beyond the stated limits - the journal is print and the page notes its physical space is limited.
- Simultaneous work that is accepted elsewhere without withdrawal.
Key requirements
- Read the general guidelines at https://bwr.submittable.com/submit before sending.
- Submit through the submission manager only.
- Send during a reading window: predominantly 15 December to 1 March and 1 June to 30 September, though the page warns the dates can shift.
- Note simultaneous submissions as such, and withdraw immediately on acceptance elsewhere.
- Request a fee waiver if the submission fee is a hardship; free submissions are available for incarcerated writers.
- Allow three to six months for a response.
Who can submit
Official page: no country restriction stated. The magazine is staffed by graduate students at the University of Alabama and carries the university's copyright line, which is where the US filing comes from.
Rights
Rights revert to the author upon publication.
AI policy
Prohibited
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.
Not accepting submissions at the last check.
How to submit
Online through the submission manager; fee waivers are available on request.
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Online through the submission manager; fee waivers are available on request.
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Read https://bwr.submittable.com/submit before sending.
- Submit through the submission manager during a window - general submissions are between windows now, with the winter period opening 15 December 2026.
- Keep prose within 6,000 words and nonfiction within 4,000.
- Note simultaneous submissions and withdraw on acceptance elsewhere.
- Ask for a fee waiver if the fee is a barrier; the page says it grants them.
What happens after submission
Expected response: Three to six 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.