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Frequently Asked Questions
Questions
Answers- I signed up for KR's online submissions program. Now what do I do?
- The first step is to read our submission guidelines. Next, decide what you want to submit--and remember that you can only submit one short story, one batch of poems (a maximum of 6 poems in a single document), and one creative nonfiction piece at a time. If you want to submit more than one short story, for example, you'll have to submit one and then wait until the story is either accepted or rejected before submitting another one. When you've decided what you'd like to submit, log in to the submissions page, click the “submit” button, and then follow the instructions.
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- When is the reading period?
- The Kenyon Review reads from September 15 through January 15. After January 15, you will not be able to submit your work again until the next reading period.
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- How do I upload my manuscript?
- As outlined on the submissions form, you can upload your manuscript from your computer. The miracles of technology! How does this work? First, you use the “browse” button on the submissions form. Once you click that button, you'll see your computer's directory. Look for your manuscript in the directory, click on the file name to select the file, and then click “open.” If all goes well, you will then see the name of your document in the “file” field on the submissions form.
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- Do you have any suggestions for me?
- Subscribe to The Kenyon Review. Read good writing. Keep hope in your heart.
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- I received an error message when I tried to upload my manuscript. What does it mean?
- Most likely, you're a Mac user. That's not a bad thing—many of us at KR are Mac users too! However, not all browsers understand Mac file types. Sometimes, adding a file extension to the name of your file will eliminate this problem. For example, to add a file extension to a Word document named “Hamlet,” you would rename the file “Hamlet.doc.”
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- Why don't you accept submissions through regular mail anymore?
- Logging in and tracking paper manuscripts takes a lot of time—time that could be better spent actually reading new submissions. This new program, launched in September 2004, streamlines our administrative work and makes KR more accessible to writers across the globe.
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- What does "status" mean?
- This column lets you know where your work is in the submissions process. "Under review" means that you work has not yet been read. "Response sent" followed by a date indicates that your work was read and an email was sent to you. The email tells you whether or not your work was accepted. "Withdrawn" means that you withdrew your work from consideration.
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- What is the "edit" button for?
- Select "edit" under the "options" column if you would like to withdraw your work or make changes to the title or cover letter. Please note: you cannot make changes to your manuscript once it has been submitted. If you decide that you do not like the manuscript and want to make changes to it, you will need to withdraw it from the system and resubmit it after you've made your changes.
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- I'd like to get feedback on my work. Can I ask for comments from your editors?
- We wish that we could comment on every submission, but we simply can't. We receive thousands of submissions each year. If you want to become a better writer, we recommend that you take a writing class or join a writing group. Better yet, enroll in one of KR's celebrated summer writing workshops.
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- What kind of work do you accept?
- That's a tough question. We look for literary fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, but there isn't a particular style that we favor. If you're unsure whether or not your work is appropriate for KR, check out our previous issues. You can find sample selections and order back issues on our web site.
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- Is there a limit on how many submissions I make during the year?
- Technically, no. We hope that everyone will be respectful and limit their submissions to one or two. Limiting your submissions to once or twice a year enables us to read in a more timely fashion, which benefits everyone.
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- What are "simultaneous submissions" and why don't you accept them?
- If you submit the same work to more than one journal (including KR), that's considered a simultaneous submission. We don't accept them because it's frustrating to spend time reading a submission only to be told that it has been accepted elsewhere. We do understand, of course, that you want your work to be read quickly. If you need to send your work to another journal, you can use the "options" button to withdraw your work from KR.
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- Your guidelines say that I can submit up to 6 poems, but when I try to submit more than one the program won't let me. What's wrong?
- We do, indeed, accept up to 6 poems per poetry submission. To do this, you need to group all of your poems in a single word processing document. You can separate your poems within the document using titles, page breaks, etc. Once you have all your poems in a single document, submit the document.
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- I've tried and tried to submit my work online, but I keep having problems and I don't know what to do!
- "A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history with the possible exception of handguns and tequila." --Mitch Ratcliffe, Technology Review
Yes, sometimes no matter how hard you try, things just don't work the way they're supposed to. Take a deep breath, and then email us at kenyonreview@kenyon.edu for help.
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- I submitted my work yesterday and already received a response. Did you actually read my work?
- Yes. Count yourself among the lucky ones who didn't have to wait four months for a response. When submissions arrive online, they are assigned to contributing editors. Some contributing editors are able to get to their reading quickly, others take a little more time. As the reading period continues, a backlog begins to build up and the wait takes much longer. To prevent a major backlog, we ask contributing editors to stay on top of their assignments--but all work is read. No one takes this work lightly. We know how much effort and love you put into your writing because we're writers too. So, please remember: a speedy response does not mean that your work was read in haste. It simply means that that our readers are keeping on top of their assignments, and that, as Martha Stewart would say, is a good thing.
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