## Background The Cincinnati Review was established in 2003 and is published by the University of Cincinnati's creative writing program. It has built a solid national reputation over two decades as a well-curated home for literary fiction, poetry, and essays, publishing a mix of established and emerging voices without the extreme selectivity of the very largest legacy magazines. It's frequently recommended to writers looking for a journal with genuine editorial rigor and a real readership, but with acceptance odds that are more realistic than the top handful of national names. The journal has adjusted its submission process over the years to keep response times manageable: it moved from a single long fall-through-spring reading period to three shorter, capped windows a year (September, December, and May), a change made partly to shorten what had become year-plus response times and partly to accommodate a larger editorial team weighing in on decisions. ## Submissions - Reading periods: September, December, and May; each opens on the 1st and closes once that period's submission cap is reached. - Submitted via Submittable. - Accepts fiction, poetry, and essays/nonfiction. - Response times aim to be faster than in past years, reflecting the journal's move to shorter, capped windows. Full guidelines: [cincinnatireview.com/submission-guidelines-2021-2](https://www.cincinnatireview.com/submission-guidelines-2021-2/) Submission manager: [cincinnatireview.submittable.com/submit](https://cincinnatireview.submittable.com/submit)