Oyster River Pages publishes fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and visual art. We search for and champion underrepresented voices. To find out more about ORP please go to: https://www.oysterriverpages.com/
See below for guidelines and deadlines for any active opportunities and special issues. Submissions for our annual issue will re-open on January 15, 2025.
*If you have not heard back from us regarding your submission, we may be considering your piece for publication. Please do not send duplicate submissions. If you receive a decline or are waiting to hear back, please wait until the next submission cycle before submitting again. Thank you!*
Please submit one essay no longer than 6,000 words in a Word Doc or PDF format. Include your first and last name and contact information at the top of your piece. All work should be double-spaced.
Your cover letter should introduce yourself and your essay. Additionally, include a third-person biographical statement. You may also include an optional author photo as a separate file alongside your essay.
We welcome simultaneous submissions, but please withdraw your submission via Submittable if your work is picked up elsewhere.
We are especially eager to publish pieces from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ creators, as well as creators of all levels of dis/ability. To that end, we invite creators to self-identify in their submissions.
ORP runs entirely on the love and support of its volunteers. Please consider supporting our mission to make the world more equitable by including a small donation with your submission. All donations go directly to ORP's essential operations. (Donating does not change the priority or care with which your submission will be read.)
Submissions are open through May 1, 2025.
ORP’s Emerging Voices (EV) seeks to publish and support writers and poets who are beginning their creative journeys. To that end, the first 100 EV submission will receive at least one or two lines of constructive feedback.
Submissions must meet the following criteria:
- Emerging Voices have been published no more than two publications in any genre (poetry, drama, prose, nonfiction, and media). (Publications in the author’s college and/or university are exempt.)
- Emerging Voices have not published (with publishing house) in book-length form.
- Content deemed overly explicit and/or violent will be declined without feedback.
Submissions that do not meet the above criteria will be declined.
Please indicate whether you are submitting work to Emerging Voices Fiction or Emerging Voices Poetry. Submissions that combine Emerging Voices Fiction and Emerging Voices Poetry will be declined unread. We welcome simultaneous submissions, but please contact us immediately if your work is picked up elsewhere.
Emerging Voices Fiction: Please submit one story of no more than 5,000 words in .docx format. Please do not send two stories within one submission. Such submissions will be declined, unread. Please do not submit twice within the same submission window. The second submission will be declined, unread. All work should be double-spaced. Please include word count, your full name, pseudonym or pen name, should you wish to use it for publication, and preferred email on the top of the first page of the document. If your submission is declined, please wait for the next submission cycle to submit again.
Emerging Voices Poetry: Please submit up to 3 poems in one document of no longer than 10 pages total in .doc or .docx format. If your poem(s) require specific formatting, you may use .pdf to preserve the spacing. Each poem should start on its own page. Please note if a page break is also a stanza break. Please include your full name, pseudonym or pen name, should you wish to use it for publication, and preferred email on the first page of the document. Please also include the title(s) of your poem(s) with each poem. Only one submission of poetry per submitter will be read and reviewed. If your submission is declined, please wait for the next submission cycle to submit again.
We do our best to respond to submissions in a timely manner. However, given the volume of submissions and the personalized feedback each submission receives through Emerging Voices, please wait at least 6 months before inquiring about a submission. Duplicate submissions within the same submission window will be automatically declined.
Please submit up to three poems in Times New Roman, 12-point font. We accept .doc, .docx, and .pdf formats. Each poem should start on its own page. Please include your name and email address in the header of the first page. Please number your pages. Note if a page break also indicates a stanza break. Otherwise, the spacing of the submission will remain unchanged in publication to preserve the integrity of the poem.
In your cover letter, include a short bio (~60 words), and feel free to upload a photo with your submission. Due to the high volume of poetry we receive, duplicate poetry submissions within the same submission window will be automatically declined.
Generally, we are not interested in traditional rhyming poetry. We recommend reading through our previous issues to gain a sense of our preferences.
ORP runs entirely on the love and support of its volunteers. Please consider supporting our mission to make the world more equitable by including a small donation with your submission. All donations go directly to ORP's essential operations. (Donating will not change the priority or care with which your submission is read.)
Submissions are open through May 1, 2025.
Please submit one (1) story of no more than 6,000 words in .docx format. Include word count on the first page of your submission. All work should be double-spaced. In your cover letter, please include a short bio (~60 words), and feel free to upload a photo with your submission, which helps us on the back end should your submission be accepted.
We welcome simultaneous submissions, but please withdraw your submission via Submittable if your work is picked up elsewhere.
We are especially eager to publish pieces from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ creators, as well as creators of all levels of dis/ability. To that end, we invite creators to self-identify in their submissions.
ORP runs entirely on the love and support of its volunteers. Please consider supporting our mission to make the world more equitable by including a small donation with your submission. All donations go directly to ORP's essential operations. (Donating does not change the priority or care with which your submission will be read.)
Submissions are open through May 1, 2025.
ORP is accepting submissions for reviews, interviews, profiles, commentary, or other innovative forms (including multimedia) that seek to highlight or critically engage with issues or works of literary, artistic, or cultural significance. The most compelling Soundings submissions will align with ORP's mission to amplify stories that speak to what it means to be alive in this world, works that move of out of ourselves and into other spaces, and voices who bring balance and diversity to historical institutions of power. For these reasons, we prioritize works that are published or produced independently, without the clout of corporate promotion. We are especially eager to publish pieces that engage with the work of marginalized and decentered people—Black and Brown creators, LGBTQ+ creators, and creators of all levels of dis/ability.
Reviews need not be uncritically positive, but predominantly negative reviews will be evaluated for necessity and/or urgency. If you aim to eviscerate the subject of your review, please ask yourself whom your critique serves. ORP is not in the business of strafing the creative community.
There is no predetermined length requirement, but successful Soundings will exercise brevity and a sense of proportion to the content they engage with.