Essays, Journalism, Fiction, Poetry, Reviews, Interviews, Personal essays, Opinion

The Markaz Review

The Markaz Review wants essays, features, fiction, memoir, poetry and reviews that amplify the Middle East, North Africa and Southwest Asia. Official: every contributor is paid an honorarium within 30 days of publication — the dollar amount is not on the submissions page. Comedy-issue deadline 1 September 2026; year-round pitches also invited. No AI.

🟢 Rolling submissions Verified 2026-09 Researched by BRYME Editorial Desk.

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 304-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.

Payment: Not statedHonorarium — 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. Within 30 days of publication.
Length: Submissions 750–3,000 words; features/reviews often 1,000–3,000; opinion 750–1,500
Who can submit: Not statedOfficial mission: amplify voices from the Middle East, North Africa and Southwest Asia (SWANA). Open to emerging and established writers, and to writing in multiple languages. That is a mission, not a closed passport list.
Reading period: Year-round.The Markaz Review runs six bimonthly themed issues plus regular weekly pieces, and invites submissions all year round. Individual themed calls carry their own deadlines — the humour issue closed 1 September 2026.
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: You may submit elsewhere at the same timeThe Markaz Review will accept simultaneous submissions, provided you inform us upon submitting your completed ms. — https://themarkaz.org/submissions/ (read 2026-09-30)
AI policy: AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
Rights: Not statedBRYME records that 162 of the 304 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: Wants some prior publicationTMR is open to both emerging and established writers, and to writing in multiple languages — https://themarkaz.org/submissions/ (read 2026-09-30)

What this record does not tell you

This publication leaves 4 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.
Response time — expect to wait blind, and keep other pitches live.
Rights — you may be asked to assign more than you expect. Get the terms in writing.

Record last human-checked 2026-09-06. 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: Honorarium — amount not published
Word count: Submissions 750–3,000 words; features/reviews often 1,000–3,000; opinion 750–1,500
Submission: Duosuma, or a short query to an editor
International writers: Yes
Status: 🟢 Rolling submissions
Last verified: 2026-09

🟡 Research only. BRYME has researched this opportunity but has not yet submitted to it. Nothing here should be read as a claim of acceptance, publication or payment.

What this publication wants

This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Essays, Journalism, Fiction, Poetry, Reviews, Interviews, Personal essays, Opinion. Official guideline: The Markaz Review guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

Work from and about SWANA. Strong point of view, clear voice, authority, a commanding lead.
Comedy issue: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, hybrid — humorous writing or writing about humour. Deadline 1 September.
Query: one or two sentences on the story, why TMR, why you, plus clips if you are new.

Subjects they avoid

AI-generated or AI-assisted text or images. Official: violators are permanently banned. Spellcheck/grammar tools are fine.
Stories or corrections in the body of an email — Word or Google Doc, track changes.
A made-up honorarium number.

Key requirements

Duosuma or editor query
No AI
SWANA relevance

Who can submit

Official mission: amplify voices from the Middle East, North Africa and Southwest Asia (SWANA). Open to emerging and established writers, and to writing in multiple languages. That is a mission, not a closed passport list.

Rights

Not fully stated on the submissions FAQ.

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.

Rolling Last verified 2026-09-06 Official submission page

Reads year-round; no submission window to wait for.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Duosuma, or a short query to an editor

Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.

Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
Submission: Duosuma, or a short query to an editor
Submission email: editor@themarkaz.org

What the guideline asks you to prepare

Read https://themarkaz.org/submissions/.
Duosuma portal (comedy portal noted as opening 21 August) or query editor@themarkaz.org.

Safety note. Never pay to submit your work. A legitimate publication does not ask writers to pay a fee or provide identity documents to be considered. If you are asked to, do not proceed.

What happens after submission

Expected response: Not publicly stated

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.

OFFICIAL

Read the official guideline

Open the publication's own page and confirm everything on this record before you pitch.

Open → GUIDE

How to write a pitch

A step-by-step structure for a pitch that a busy editor can act on.

Open the guide →

Check, question or correct this record

BRYME publishes its working, not just its conclusions. Last human check: 2026-09.

What do these statuses mean? Every badge on this page explained — open, closed, researched, tested, paid. Report an outdated listing Guideline changed, link dead, or submissions closed? Tell the desk and it gets rechecked. How BRYME verifies The editorial standard behind this record: sources, dates, corrections and limits.