Our Submission Philosophy

Horizon Review is a fine arts magazine that accepts submissions of literature (fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction), visual art, and open media. We accept submissions from both established and emerging artists. We believe art is revolutionary. We love stories that speak deeply about the spectral complexity of being human. We want to hear about the mundane as much as the fantastical and look for pieces we can chew on. We want pieces with more questions than answers. Make us think, make us feel, break our hearts, or bring us hope. We love pieces that show us a horizon: a meeting place, a fusion, a future, a light, or something looming.

We encourage submissions from all creatives, including those underrepresented in publishing, for example, Indigenous artists, artists of color, LGBTQ+ artists, and artists with disabilities.

Current Submission Period (Spring 2026 issue)

Horizon will begin accepting submissions in July for our first print issue, scheduled to publish in Spring 2026. Submissions will be open until October 17th, 2025.

Should the volume of submissions greatly exceed what we expect, we may close submissions early.

General Submission Guidelines

Horizon Review accepts previously unpublished work in fiction (up to 5,000 words), nonfiction (up to 5,000 words), poetry, visual art, and open media (read open media guidelines for more information on what we accept). Horizon Review is dedicated to encapsulating the stories of our local community. Therefore, we only accept submissions from current residents of the Southwest (New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah), with preference given to submissions from New Mexico.  Note: The subject matter does not need to relate to the Southwest.

We only accept unpublished work (we will not accept work that has been published on your blog, Substack, social media, or in an anthology, etc.).

We only accept submissions through our official Jotform submission page.

Submission fee: Submissions are free. We want submissions to our magazine to be accessible. However, Horizon Review is a non-profit organization, and donations help us with operating costs. There will be an opportunity to donate with your submission.

Simultaneous submissions: We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know if a piece is accepted elsewhere.

Multiple submissions: You may submit to up to two genres, but please only submit one submission per genre.

Compensation: Horizon Review believes in paying artists. We are a startup program in our first year, and at this time we are able to offer contributors a flat rate of $25 per piece accepted for publication in our magazine.

Rights: Horizon Review acquires First Serial Rights and non-exclusive electronic rights to archive your piece on our website. Rights revert back to the author upon publication.

Response time: We review submissions regularly and strive for a response time of 1-2 months for submission acceptances and rejections. However, our workload may exceed our manpower, so we ask that you wait three months before sending us an email on the status of your submission. If you have not heard from us in three months, you can contact us here.

Formatting: Written submissions should be attached as a Word document (.doc or .docx) or a PDF for specific formatting purposes. Submissions should use standard formatting (12pt font, double-spaced for prose and single-spaced for poetry), and the pages should be numbered. Visual art and open media should be submitted as a .jpeg, .png, .pdf, .mp3, or .mp4 and images should be no less than 300dpi. Please include any relevant content warnings at the top of your submission document. As submissions are reviewed blindly, please do not include any identifying information in your submission document or file name. 

AI Policy: Horizon review does not accept any works created with generative AI (ChaptGPT, Gemini, etc.). Any pieces using AI will be rejected.

Fiction Submissions

We accept fiction pieces up to 5,000 words. We only accept one fiction submission per person per submission period. We only accept self-contained works; excerpts and chapters from larger bodies of work will not be considered. Submissions should be attached as a word document (.doc or .docx). Submissions should use standard formatting (12pt font, double-spaced for prose) and pages should be numbered. Please include any relevant content warnings at the top of your submission document. As submissions are reviewed blindly, please do not include any identifying information in your submission document or file name.

Creative Nonfiction

We accept creative nonfiction pieces up to 5,000 words. We only accept one nonfiction submission per person per submission period. We only accept self-contained works; excerpts and chapters from larger bodies of work will not be considered. Submissions should be attached as a word document (.doc or .docx). Submissions should use standard formatting (12pt font, double-spaced for prose) and pages should be numbered. Please include any relevant content warnings at the top of your submission document. As submissions are reviewed blindly, please do not include any identifying information in your submission document or file name.

Poetry

We accept up to three poems, no longer than 10 pages total for all three (single spaced). Submissions should be attached as a word document (.doc or .docx or PDF for specific formatting). Submissions should use standard formatting (12pt font, single-spaced for poetry) and pages should be numbered. Should you have any specific formatting that you would like to keep in publication, please note it in your submission. Please include any relevant content warnings at the top of your submission document. As submissions are reviewed blindly, please do not include any identifying information in your submission document or file name.

Visual Art

We accept up to 5 pieces of visual art in one submission. Please submit visual art pieces as no less than 300dpi. Submissions should be .jpg or .png. As submissions are reviewed blindly, please do not include any identifying information in your submission document or file name.

Open Media

Open media is our fairly broad “other” category. Open media includes (but is not limited to) film, music (audio and music sheets), textile arts, graphic novels, video games and more. File types range from .mp3, .mp4, .pdf, .exe and more. If you aren’t sure if your piece would be accepted under open media, contact us and we’ll let you know if we can consider it!