Fiction, Creative nonfiction, Poetry, Reviews

The Journal

The Journal, based in the Department of English at The Ohio State University, states it is unable to offer monetary payment to its contributors at this time. It does not accept work generated by AI, generally does not publish work over 8,000 words, and keeps reviews to 1,200 words. It does not publish academic writing or straight reportage.

🟢 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: Unpaid — the journal states it cannot offer monetary paymentNot applicable — unpaid.
Length: Generally not over 8,000 words; reviews no more than 1,200 words
Who can submit: Not statedOpen internationally. No country restriction is stated on the submit page. The Journal is published from the Department of English at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States.
Reading period: The Journal accepts general submissions during its current reading period.
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 timeSimultaneous submissions are accepted, but we ask that you notify us of this at the time of submission. — https://thejournalmag.org/submit (read 2026-09-30)
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 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.
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.
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. 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: Unpaid — the journal states it cannot offer monetary payment
Word count: Generally not over 8,000 words; reviews no more than 1,200 words
Submission: Submittable
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: Fiction, Creative nonfiction, Poetry, Reviews. Official guideline: The Journal guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

Fiction and nonfiction, generally under 8,000 words.
Self-contained excerpts of novels and long stories, though the journal notes that historically it is unusual for it to publish submissions longer than 8,000 words.
Reviews of no more than 1,200 words.
Poetry and artwork.

Subjects they avoid

Work generated by AI. Submissions including AI-generated work are rejected.
Academic writing or straight reportage — neither is published.
Multiple submissions. They are not accepted and will not be read or responded to.

Key requirements

Submit your writing and artwork on Submittable.
Keep prose under 8,000 words and reviews to 1,200.
Send one submission at a time and wait for the response.
Address correspondence to The Journal, Department of English, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.

Who can submit

Open internationally. No country restriction is stated on the submit page. The Journal is published from the Department of English at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States.

Rights

Not stated on the official submit 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.

Open Last verified 2026-09-30 Official submission page

Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Submittable

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

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

What the guideline asks you to prepare

Read https://thejournalmag.org/submit before sending.
No academic writing or reportage — literary work only.
One submission at a time; multiples are not read.

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 stated; the journal asks for patience

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.