Philly Chapbook Review is open to original poetry submissions of three to five poems and either one piece of short fiction or up to three pieces of flash fiction for our Summer 2026 issue and beyond from now until June 15. Full details for each category along with the links to submission forms can be found below.
Original Poetry
Original Poetry (Open): Click for submission form
We’re looking for serious poetry that has something important to say. This can mean poems about topics important to you, poems telling us about who you are or what you think, or an unusual or clever creative style. Poems don’t need to deal with weighty subjects, but should be meaningful.
Our feelings about form have evolved to only avoid what we perceive to be tired forms: metered verse with end rhyme in the English style, short forms made popular in the U.S. over a century ago like haiku, tanka, etc. Forms like non-rhyming sonnets, ghazals, pantoums, and others where serious work is still being done are now welcome along with our primary focus on free verse. We also like to feature a poet rather than a poem, so submissions must include at least three poems. Each submission is judged as a whole. Poems must be 40 non-space lines or less.
A small honorarium ($10) will be paid for first serial and archival rights for accepted submissions and all contributors get a Meet Our Contributor post. All original poetry will be considered for Best of the Net and Pushcart nominations at the end of the year.
While simultaneous submissions are permitted, we try to send first-round decisions–which account for over 90% of responses–within 1-2 weeks. If you can give us this time, we greatly appreciate it.
There is no fee to submit, but please read and follow the guidelines below:
- We have transitioned to submissions via Google Forms rather than email. Please complete this submission form. If you have difficulty with the form, please email info {@} phillychapbookreview.org.
- We are now pleased to accept submissions from poets anywhere in the world. Submissions must be at least 50% English.
- Only literary poetry, please. This doesn’t mean that poems can’t fall into a genre, but if they do, they should be meaningful to serious poetry readers.
- Any entries that denigrate another person on the basis of gender, age, ethnicity, sexual preference, or disability will be discarded. We are a small publication run by a disabled person who loves the great variety of voices in poetry.
- Poems may not be previously published in a periodical. (We define periodicals as magazines, websites, blogs, or social media feeds with more than 500 followers.)
- To allow others a chance, if we’ve published your work before, please wait two full issue periods after the one in which you appear before submitting again.
Original Fiction
Original Fiction (Open): Click for submission form
We’re looking for short fiction that has something meaningful to say. This can include stories that explore subjects important to you, reflect a distinct perspective or voice, or take an interesting or creative approach to storytelling. Stories should feel intentional and thoughtfully crafted.
We are open to a wide range of styles and genres within literary fiction, including speculative, flash fiction, experimental, and hybrid work. By “literary,” we mean fiction that shows strong attention to language, voice, and character, rather than relying primarily on plot or genre conventions.
We are interested in work from both emerging and established writers. Submissions are welcome from writers everywhere. Submissions can contain the following:
- One story of 1,000-5,000 words.
OR
- Up to three piece of flash fiction of 500-1,000 words each.
A small honorarium ($10) will be paid for first serial and archival rights for accepted submissions and all contributors get a Meet Our Contributor post. All original poetry will be considered for Best of the Net and Pushcart nominations.
Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but please let us know as soon as a piece is accepted by another periodical.
There is no fee to submit, but please read and follow the guidelines below:
- We have transitioned to submissions via Google Forms rather than email. Please complete this submission form. If you have difficulty with the form, please email info {@} phillychapbookreview.org.
- We accept submissions from writers anywhere in the world.
- Any entries that denigrate another person on the basis of gender, age, ethnicity, sexual preference, or disability will be discarded. We are a small publication run by a disabled person who loves the great variety of voices in poetry.
- Stories may not be previously published in a periodical. (We define periodicals as magazines, websites, blogs, or social media feeds with more than 500 followers.)
- To allow others a chance, if we’ve published your work before, please wait two full issue periods after the one in which you appear before submitting again.
Contents
Chapbook Poem: Slow Burn by Evan Wang
“The concept of personifying a slow burn deeply resonated with who I thought myself to be—a slow burn, love flickering around me.” Read the featured Chapbook Poem of the Month for April 2026, “Slow Burn” by Evan Wang, along with a few words from the poet.
Book Excerpt: She wants shimmering scales by Nicole Alston Zdeb
“The nexus of the erotic, the social, and the body felt relevant to what I was experiencing at the end of the 20th Century. There are glimmers of personal lore as well…” Read the featured Excerpt Poem of the Month for April 2026, “She wants shimmering scales” from The End of Welcome by Nicole Alston Zdeb, along with a few words from the poet.
“I wanted to explore how time was registered not only by the calendar and clock, but also in the various utilitarian tasks of my mother’s life.” Read three poems by Ron Mohring, our first biweekly poet of the Spring 2026 issue, along with a few words about “Fuse.”
Three Poems by Andrew Pelham-Burn
“Children in these circumstances are deprived of love at a formative stage and learn to immediately behave like adults without the benefit of the learning path of childhood.” Read three poems by Andrew Pelham-Burn, our second biweekly poet of the Spring 2026 issue, along with a few words about “Conkers.”
A Conversation with John deSouza
“Language is a powerful tool and can do great harm both to ourselves and to those most close to us when used cruelly or selfishly.” Poet John deSouza discusses his chapbook, This Rough Magic, his creative process, and the influence of John Ashbery in this interview with editor Danielle McMahon.