Poetry, Fiction, Creative nonfiction
The Hemlock Journal
The Hemlock Journal pays $15 for each piece selected for print and refunds the submission fee to contributors published digitally. Fiction and nonfiction run from 1,000 to 4,000 words, with anything shorter treated as flash, and each poetry submission may hold two poems across five pages. Rights remain with the author and the artist.
🟢 Currently accepting Verified 2026-09
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
- $15 per piece selected for print; fee refunded for digital publicationOf the other 63 records quoting in USD on this desk that state a figure, 17 state less, 42 state more, 4 state exactly this.
- Length
- Fiction and nonfiction 1,000–4,000 words; under 1,000 is flash; poetry max 2 poems and 5 pages
- Who can submit
- Not statedNo stated country restriction on the guidelines page.
- Reading period
- Not yet assessedBRYME has not recorded a reading period for this market from its guideline page. That is our gap rather than the publication's silence: it does not mean the window is open, and it does not mean there is none. Read the guideline linked on this page before you send.
- Response time
- Not statedNo response time recorded. A follow-up after two to three weeks is reasonable; silence past that is a soft no, not a rejection.
- Simultaneous submissions
- Not statedThe guideline does not address simultaneous submissions. BRYME records that as silence rather than assuming a yes: if you are sending the same piece to several publications, say so in your cover letter and withdraw it everywhere the moment it is taken.
- 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
- StatedThe rights remain with the author and the artist. The Hemlock Journal retains the right to publish the submitted work, if selected, in its upcoming issues, whether in print or digitally.
- 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 6 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.
- Reading period — no window recorded yet, so check the guideline before you pitch rather than assuming it is open.
- Response time — expect to wait blind, and keep other pitches live.
- Simultaneous submissions — the guideline leaves this open, so declare it in your cover letter rather than assuming.
- 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 2026-09-30. 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
- $15 per piece selected for print; fee refunded for digital publication
- Word count
- Fiction and nonfiction 1,000–4,000 words; under 1,000 is flash; poetry max 2 poems and 5 pages
- Submission
- Online submission — $3 expedited response option
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🟢 Currently accepting
- Last verified
- 2026-09
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. Official guideline: The Hemlock Journal guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Poetry, fiction, nonfiction and visual art.
- Fiction and nonfiction of 1,000 to 4,000 words, typed in Times New Roman or a similar font, single-spaced.
- Flash fiction — pieces shorter than 1,000 words, submitted under the same category with the submission noted.
- Poetry: a maximum of two poems and five pages in total, all poems in a single document.
- Previously published work, provided the author retains all the rights.
Subjects they avoid
- Fiction or nonfiction outside the 1,000 to 4,000 word band, unless it is flash.
- More than two poems or more than five pages in a poetry submission.
- Previously published work where the author no longer holds the rights.
Key requirements
- Send one complete work of fiction or nonfiction per submission.
- Put all poems in one single document, maximum two poems and five pages.
- Take the $3 expedited option if you need an answer in under two weeks.
- Check the site and the magazine's Instagram for commencement dates and deadlines.
Who can submit
No stated country restriction on the guidelines page.
Rights
The rights remain with the author and the artist. The Hemlock Journal retains the right to publish the submitted work, if selected, in its upcoming issues, whether in print or digitally.
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.
Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.
How to submit
Online submission — $3 expedited response option
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Online submission — $3 expedited response option
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Read https://thehemlockjournal.com/submissions/ before sending.
- Flash is a legitimate route here — under 1,000 words is welcome, just label it.
- Check the current submission window; dates are announced on the site and Instagram.
What happens after submission
Expected response: Not stated; expedited response under two weeks for $3
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: 2026-09.