Poetry, Fiction, Creative nonfiction, Essays, Reviews

New Letters

New Letters pays $25 for book reviews, typically, and states that payment is not guaranteed but made as resources allow. It runs three annual awards of $2,000 each — the Patricia Cleary Miller Award for Poetry, the Robert Day Award for Fiction, and the Conger Beasley Jr. Award for nonfiction. Single-book reviews run 500 to 900 words, and all rights revert to the author upon publication.

🟢 Currently accepting 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 288-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.

Payment: $25 for book reviews (not guaranteed); three $2,000 annual awardsOf 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: Single-book reviews 500–900 words; essay-reviews of groups of books run longer
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: Every effort to respond within six months; some categories in three to four weeks
Simultaneous submissions: You may submit elsewhere at the same timeWe consider simultaneous submissions if you (a) let us know and (b) notify us immediately if the work you sent to us has been accepted for publication elsewhere. — https://www.newletters.org/general-submissions/ (read 2026-09-30)
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: StatedAll rights 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 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.

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.
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: $25 for book reviews (not guaranteed); three $2,000 annual awards
Word count: Single-book reviews 500–900 words; essay-reviews of groups of books run longer
Submission: Submittable only
International writers: Yes
Status: 🟢 Currently accepting
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: Poetry, Fiction, Creative nonfiction, Essays, Reviews. Official guideline: New Letters guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

Poetry, fiction, nonfiction and essays.
Book reviews of 500 to 900 words for a single book; essay-reviews of groups of books run longer.
Reviews of excellent books — including films and visual art — that are not receiving much attention in the national media, which is the magazine's stated review priority.

Subjects they avoid

Reviews of books already well covered in the national media.

Key requirements

Submit only through Submittable, the magazine's online submission manager.
Keep single-book reviews to 500–900 words.
Aim review pitches at under-covered work — that is what New Letters wants.
Expect six months, though some categories are answered in three or four weeks.

Who can submit

No stated country restriction on the guidelines page.

Rights

All rights revert to the author upon publication.

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.

Open Last verified 2026-09-30 Official submission page

Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Submittable only

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

Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
Submission: Submittable only

What the guideline asks you to prepare

Read https://www.newletters.org/general-submissions/ before sending.
The $25 review payment is explicitly not guaranteed — do not budget on it.
The three $2,000 awards are the real money here.

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: Every effort to respond within six months; some categories in three to four weeks

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.