Gordon Square Review, a publication of Literary Cleveland, holds two open reading periods each year:
- February 1 to March 31. Publication drops May 15.
- August 1 to September 30. Publication drops November 15.
Gordon Square Review pays writers $25 after publication.
Gordon Square Review considers works that have been previously published but are no longer available online or in-print. If work has been published on a personal blog or website, we request that it be taken down prior to publishing it.
Gordon Square Review welcomes works of translation; simultaneous submissions; and writing from writers from diverse backgrounds, voices, and experiences.
Gordon Square Review encourages writers to submit poetry, fiction, or brief nonfiction. For genre specific guidelines, please see below.
- Poetry Submission. Only include one poem in your submission.
- Fiction Submission. Only include one story in your submission. The word limit is 5,000 words (if fewer than 5,000 words, that is okay).
- Brief Nonfiction Submission. Only include one story or essay in your submission. The word limit is 1,000 words (if fewer than 1,000 words, that is okay).
Literary Cleveland Amplify Fellow Zuggie Tate is accepting submissions for her Transitions project.
Transitions is about truth, memory, and honoring Black trans women and femmes the way they deserve: whole, real, and in their own words. Too often, their stories get rewritten after they’re gone. This project pushes back, inviting community members to write “corrected obituaries,” share memories, and create “day-in-the-life” narratives.
Through a series of meet-ups and workshops, project manager Zuggie Tate will compile writings, stories, and testimonies that capture the full, complex lives of Black trans women and femmes—those lost and those still living. With consent and intention, the pieces written and recorded in these gatherings will be used to fabricate art for a multimedia exhibition at the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland (6705 Detroit Avenue) in the second floor corridor from Monday May 19-June 27.
Use this form to submit your story for the exhibition. Written content such as poems, essays, short stories, memoir, journal, texts, plays, scripts, and FB posts as well as audio or video are welcome.
Thank you for submitting your work to Gordon Square Review, a Literary Cleveland publication!
Only include one story in your submission. The word limit is 5,000 words.
Thank you for submitting.
Thank you for submitting your work to Gordon Square Review, a Literary Cleveland publication!
Only include one story or essay in your submission. The word limit is 1,000 words (if fewer than 1,000 words, that is okay).
Thank you for submitting.
Thank you for submitting your work to Gordon Square Review, a Literary Cleveland publication!
Only include one poem in your submission.
Thank you for submitting.
For $10, a Gordon Square Review editor will read, consider, and respond to your submission within seven days. Submissions must follow our regular submission guidelines.
Please note that paying for a Rapid Response submission will not influence our editors’ decisions in either direction. Instead, Rapid Response is merely a way to ensure writers can cut out the waiting period and receive a decision quickly. Please also note that, like most literary journals, Gordon Square Review receives far more submissions than can be published in an issue. Our acceptance rate is about 2%.
Please make sure your email address is up to date within Submittable. If you do not receive an automated confirmation email after making your submission, please contact us at gordonsquarereview@gmail.com with “Rapid Response” in the subject line.
We appreciate the opportunity to read all submitted work, whether that work is sent via free, regular submissions or via Rapid Response. Thank you for your support!
– Gordon Square Review Editorial Team
Prose (Nonfiction) Guidelines: Only include one story or essay in your submission. The word limit is 1,000 words (if fewer than 1,000 words, that is okay).
Prose (Fiction) Guidelines: Only include one story in your submission. The word limit is 5,000 words.
Poetry Guidelines: Only include one poem in your submission.