The quality of the writing is the chief criterion. We also consider it our mandate to encourage Atlantic Canadians and Canadian writers - although excellent writing can come from anywhere. We also welcome new and young writers.
Long pieces may displace several shorter ones, so the longer the piece the higher its quality should be as there is less chance we will read it through and less chance we will respond with a critique.
Most pieces that meet our minimum standard are read by at least 2 readers, and all works published are read and approved by at least 2 readers and a senior editor. Because of this, we may be a bit slow in responding, but we try to answer authors within 2-3 months. We sometimes suggest revisions, but if a writer sends back a revised version we feel no obligation to publish it; it has to compete with the new stories it arrives with.
We also respond to rejected submissions with suggestions when we can, particularly if we are asked to do so and particularly with new or young writers, and the closer the writer is to us geographically, Canadian, American, or other, the more trouble we take.
Please be patient with us. We read everything, sometimes four times, and we have high quality help who get no pay. So if our comments sometimes seem cryptic, enigmatic, or even on the edge of something even worse, don't get cross at us - maybe we're tired or grumpy. But just the same we love to get your stuff.
PLEASE NOTE we do not accept submissions which have been previously published in any format.
1. TAR is open to poetry on any subject written from any point of view and in any form. However, writers should expect their work to be considered within the full context of old and new poetry in English and other languages.
2. The amount of space TAR can devote to any one writer is usually limited to 5-6 pages at a maximum.
3. No more than 6-8 poems should be submitted at any one time. A preferable submission would be from 3-4 poems. Submitting more than 8 tends to conceal the merits of individual poems. The poet should also know, fairly clearly, what is or is not good work and send only that.
4. Poets should wait for response to a submission before submitting again.
PLEASE NOTE we do not accept submissions which have been previously published in any format.
The Antigonish Review invites English-language translations on any subject, written from any point of view in any form. Be sure to indicate the source language in your submission (ie. French to English, German to English, Spanish to English, etc.).
For prose submissions, up to a maximum of 2500 words.
For poetry submissions, 2-3 poems (or 3-4 pages of poetry) maximum.
Please include a brief bio of the author as well as the translator(s) - up to 100 words, maximum, for each.
Please provide proof of permission from the author and/or literary estate, as well as a copy of the source text.
Translators should wait for a response to a submission before submitting again.
PLEASE NOTE we do not accept translation submissions that have been previously published in any format.
Travel sketches, personal memoirs, writing about sports, culture, history, or other essays which fall under the general rubric of creative non-fiction, are welcome. Accompanying photographs may be considered.
Serious scholarly works, interviews with Canadian literati, and the like will be considered from time to time, but those too narrow in scope or written in specialized jargon are better placed in a targeted academic, refereed, or professional journal.
Most of the essays we publish run from 1000 to 4000 words.
We do not accept submissions which have been previously published in any format.
Please submit only one essay at a time.
1. Submission should be typed, double spaced, author's last name on each page, and can range in length from 500 to 3,000 words. Any submissions longer than 3,000 words are not likely to be accepted.
2. No more than 1 story should be sent at any one time. Writers should wait for a response before submitting again.
3. The Antigonish Review prefers not to consider fiction that has been submitted elsewhere (multiple submissions).
4. Normally we do not publish sections of novels and we do not publish plays or scripts.
5. We attempt to respond within two to four months.
PLEASE NOTE we do not accept submissions which have been previously published in any format.