Midwest Review is an annual print magazine featuring the Midwest in new work by writers, photographers, and artists who live in, or have lived in, the Midwest.
The Midwest is the region of the north central United States that includes the Great Lakes area and the upper Mississippi River valley (according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Midwest is comprised of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, and Missouri). Of course, the Midwest is also a state of mind.
We're looking for thoughtful and thought-provoking writing and visual art that examines, interprets, and redefines the wide spectrum of life, past and present, in the Midwest. We accept unsolicited submissions of original creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and visual art from June to December. We're interested in new, diverse, and emerging voices. We welcome work from under-represented communities and from incarcerated writers in the Midwest. Contact the editor at christopher.chambers@wisc.edu regarding those submissions.
We do not consider previously published work (work that has appeared previously in any publication, print or online, including self-published work, in print or online). Simultaneous submissions are okay; please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Authors of work accepted for publication by Midwest Review receive a contract granting non-exclusive first serial rights. Copyright reverts to the author upon publication with the request that subsequent re-publication of the work acknowledges first publication in Midwest Review.
General submissions for Issue 9: June 1 – December 1, 2020.
Great Midwest Writing Contest: December 1, 2020 – February 1, 2021.
ISSN 2471-6871
We're looking for thoughtful and thought-provoking photography and visual art that examines, interprets, and redefines the wide spectrum of life, past and present, in the Midwest. Let us know in your cover letter your connection to the Midwest. Submit black & white or color, up to 5 images.
We're looking for thoughtful and thought-provoking poetry that examines, interprets, and redefines the wide spectrum of life, past and present, in the Midwest. Submit up to 5 poems or 10 pages of poetry in one file. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE A SEPARATE SUBMISSION FOR EACH POEM. You can title the submission with the title of the first poem, or with the titles of all the poems. To withdraw a poem, add a note to your submission and indicate the poem(s) you would like to withdraw. Let us know in your cover letter your connection to the Midwest, and please do not put your name on the manuscript.
Receive a copy of a recent issue of Midwest Review with your submission.
This is to purchase a copy of Midwest Review, issue 8 (this is not a submission category). Please enter "purchase copy 8" in the Title field, your name and mailing address in the Cover Letter field. You will receive an automatic email from Submittable thanking you for your submission, even though this is an order to purchase a copy. That email is your confirmation that we received your order. We hope you enjoy the magazine. Thank you for your interest and support!
This is to purchase a copy of Midwest Review, issue 7 (this is not a submission category). Please enter "purchase copy 7" in the Title field, your name and mailing address in the Cover Letter field. You will receive an automatic email from Submittable thanking you for your submission, even though this is an order to purchase a copy. That email is your confirmation that we received your order. We hope you enjoy the magazine. Thank you for your interest and support!
This is to purchase a copy of Midwest Review issue 6 (this is not a submission category). Please enter "purchase copy 6" in the Title field, your name and mailing address in the Cover Letter field. You will receive an automatic email from Submittable thanking you for your submission, even though this is an order to purchase a copy. That email is your confirmation that we received your order. We hope you enjoy the magazine. Thank you for your interest and support!
This is to purchase a copy of Midwest Review 5 (this is not a submission category). Please enter "purchase copy 5" in the Title field, your name and mailing address in the Cover Letter field. You will receive an automatic email from Submittable thanking you for your submission, even though this is an order to purchase a copy. That email is your confirmation that we received your order. We hope you enjoy the magazine. Thank you for your interest and support!
This is to purchase a copy of Midwest Review 4 (this is not a submission category). Please enter "purchase copy 4" in the Title field, your name and mailing address in the Cover Letter field. You will receive an automatic email from Submittable thanking you for your submission, even though this is an order to purchase a copy. That email is your confirmation that we received your order. We hope you enjoy the magazine. Thank you for your interest and support!