Fiction, Creative nonfiction, Poetry, Translation
The Maine Review
The Maine Review pays a $25 honorarium per published flash piece and per poem, and $50 for prose of 1,001 words or more; artwork is paid $50 on publication. It reads 1 September to 30 November, alongside two other windows, and asks $3 per submission - the fee is the writer's cost. One prose piece of up to 3,000 words or three flashes, up to three poems, simultaneous work accepted with immediate withdrawal, and AI-generated writing refused.
🟢 Currently accepting 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
- $25 per published flash piece or poem, $50 for prose of 1,001 words or moreOf the other 63 records quoting in USD on this desk that state a figure, 26 state less, 24 state more, 13 state exactly this. On publication.
- Length
- Prose: one piece of 3,000 words or fewer, though longer works of exceptional merit are considered, or three flash pieces of no more than 1,000 words each. Poetry: up to three poems, five pages total.
- Who can submit
- Not statedOfficial page: no country restriction stated, and no sentence on the page states the review's country. Submitters are asked to wait a year after a publication before sending again.
- Reading period
- Open 1 September to 30 November, one of three annual windows…(1 January-31 March, 1 May-30 June, 1 September-30 November); free submissions also run 28 September to 5 October for Hispanic Heritage Month
- Response time
- Six months or longer
- Simultaneous submissions
- You may submit elsewhere at the same timeWe encourage simultaneous submissions, but please withdraw your submission immediately if it is accepted elsewhere. — https://mainereview.submittable.com/submit (read 2026-10-01)
- AI policy
- AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
- Rights
- Not statedBRYME records that 149 of the 288 publications on this desk state their terms. This one does not. Ask what rights you are assigning, for how long and for what territory, before you sign anything.
- 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.
- Rights — you may be asked to assign more than you expect. Get the terms in writing.
- 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
- $25 per published flash piece or poem, $50 for prose of 1,001 words or more
- Word count
- Prose: one piece of 3,000 words or fewer, though longer works of exceptional merit are considered, or three flash pieces of no more than 1,000 words each. Poetry: up to three poems, five pages total.
- Submission
- Online form through Submittable; one submission at a time.
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🟢 Currently accepting
- 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: Fiction, Creative nonfiction, Poetry, Translation. Official guideline: The Maine Review guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Contemporary fiction, nonfiction and poetry, including work in translation and hybrid forms.
- New, emerging and established writers; the page states a commitment to representation, innovation and literary artistry.
- Artwork - photography, illustration and other forms - for the cover and section openings.
- The free submission windows the review runs to keep the magazine accessible.
Subjects they avoid
- AI-generated work: "We do not publish AI-generated work. Such work will be automatically declined."
- Multiple submissions at a time - the page says it cannot refund them.
- Submitting again within a year of having work published in the review.
- Querying before six months have passed.
Key requirements
- Read the general guidelines before submitting.
- Submit through Submittable, one submission at a time.
- Pay the $3 per-submission fee, or use a free window - 28 September to 5 October ran free for Hispanic Heritage Month.
- Prose: one piece up to 3,000 words or three flash pieces of no more than 1,000 words each; poetry: up to three poems and five pages.
- Format prose in 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced, numbered pages, and include the word count in the cover letter.
- Address the cover letter to the genre editor, and allow six months before querying.
Who can submit
Official page: no country restriction stated, and no sentence on the page states the review's country. Submitters are asked to wait a year after a publication before sending again.
Rights
Not stated on the guidelines page.
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.
Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.
How to submit
Online form through Submittable; one submission at a time.
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; one submission at a time.
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Read the general guidelines before sending.
- Submit through the Submittable form during a reading window - 1 September to 30 November is open.
- Check whether a free submission window is running before paying the $3 fee.
- Send one submission at a time, with the word count in the cover letter.
- Withdraw immediately if a simultaneous piece is accepted elsewhere, and wait a year after publication before sending again.
What happens after submission
Expected response: Six months or longer
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.