Our Reading Periods Have Changed

Spring/Summer 

  • General Submission Reading Period January 15- March 15 
  • Our Contests in Fiction and Non-Fiction will be open from March 1- April 1
  • Open for Cover Art submissions March 1- May 1 

Fall/Winter 

  • General Submission Reading Period will run from August 15- October 15 
  • Our Poetry Contest will be open from October 1- November 1
  • Open for Cover Art submissions October 1- December 1

General submissions will open with a cap of 200 in each category. We will re-open if more pieces are needed for a given issue. Please keep an eye on our social media if you miss the first cap but would still like to submit!

Harpur Palate is working towards a more consistent model for submissions starting in 2024. We always try to return pieces in a timely manner. Our goal for the following semesters is to have pieces returned in less than 4 months. We appreciate your patience as we balance the needs of the journal with our own needs as humans and students.  

Ends on This opportunity will close after 200 submissions have been received.
SUBMIT to Fiction: Issue 24.1

Fiction submissions should be no longer than 4,500 words. Flash stories cannot exceed 1,000 words each. Please send no more than one fiction submission per reading period. We can accept up to three flash pieces per submission. We are interested in both traditional literary fiction that excels in form and experimental fiction that pushes boundaries. We love pieces that play with style and structure in daring ways. We appreciate stories grounded in realism as well as speculative pieces that depart from our expected reality. Above all, we look for strong writing that captivates us from start to finish. We value inclusivity and publish work informed by a diverse range of perspectives and experiences.

Ends on This opportunity will close after 200 submissions have been received.
SUBMIT to Creative Nonfiction: Issue 24.1

Creative nonfiction submissions should be no longer than 5,500 words. Flash essays cannot exceed 1,000 words each. Please send no more than one CNF submission per reading period, either as a single essay or up to three flash essays. We prefer narrative nonfiction from diverse voices, and welcome hybrid and experimental forms. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us immediately should your work be accepted elsewhere.

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SUBMIT to Poetry: Issue 24.1

We accept submissions of 1-3 poems per reading period–no more than 5 pages total. Please send no more than one poetry submission per reading period. We prefer poems with a strong lyric voice and sense of urgency. Simultaneous submissions are accepted as long as you withdraw your piece immediately should it be accepted elsewhere.

$10.00
$10.00
SUBMIT to Purchase a Back Issue of Harpur Palate
This is NOT a submission category. If you'd like to submit your work, please chose the appropriate category below during our reading period.

This category is for back issues only. Our current issue is available through our subscription category.

Back issues are $8 per copy. The extra $1 included here is for Submittable fees. Please specify in the cover letter box which issue you'd like, where you'd like it sent, and to whom it should be addressed.
*Please note that issues 11.2 and 13.1 are no longer available*

Thank you for your interest in Harpur Palate! As always, thank you for your support and we hope to read work from you soon.
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SUBMIT to Visual Art: Issue 24.1

Harpur Palate welcomes cover art submissions for our online issue. Although we no longer publish in print, we love having a cover image for each new issue.  All styles are welcome here! We encourage you to study recent issues for a sense of size and space considerations. We promote all of our cover artists permanently on our website, as well as in our social media channels. We are also incorporating more art into each issue, so if your image isn't chosen for our cover, we may ask to use the image within the issue. 

All material must be original to the submitter. We will not consider art generated using AI technology. All submissions will be kept on file for future consideration.  It is the responsibility of the artist to withdraw the submission if it is no longer available.   

Submit up to two images as .pdf, .jpg, or .png files (1 submission per artist, per reading period).

Specs and specifics: 

  • our last 3 covers have adhered to an aspect ratio of 0.69:1, and images will be made to fit that aspect ratio for consistency across our platforms
  • we can only accept high quality images (minimum 72 dpi for web publication)
  • the cover art we choose will only be altered to fit our cover's aspect ratio, as well as adding Harpur Palate and the issue number. 
Harpur Palate