Hayden's Ferry Review is the international literary journal out of Arizona State University.
General Notes on Submission (or withdrawal)
- For our PRINT issues: Please send one submission per genre at a time, and wait for a response before you submit additional work. If you submit more than one submission, we will not read the second one. Please double-check that you are submitting in the correct genre. Work submitted in the incorrect genre will be declined.
- For our WEB issues: please send one submission at a time, and wait for a response before you submit additional work. If you submit more than one submission, we will not read the second one.
- Simultaneous submissions are welcome. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please notify the editors immediately by adding a message to your submission in Submittable.
- Withdraw your submission using Submittable. if you are only withdrawing a section of your work (for example: 1/3 poems), add a message to your submission in Submittable.
- Please limit your poetry submissions to a maximum of 3 poems totaling up to 8 pages.
- Please limit your prose submissions to under 20 pages.
- All prose should be double-spaced.
- We are always open to submissions of visual art and translations.
- Contributors receive one copy of the issue in which they appear. Additional copies may be purchased for $6 each up to 5 copies.
- We do not accept previously published material - this includes work that’s been published on social media and Substack. (See exception for art submissions.)
- We do not consider book-length works.
- Our goal is to respond to submissions within six months. Please only reach out about your submission status after six months have passed.
- Submitters are strongly encouraged to read the journal before submitting: to subscribe, visit http://haydensferryreview.com/store.
- Anyone affiliated with ASU (staff, faculty, and graduate/undergraduate students) should refrain from submitting to HFR until they have been unaffiliated for three years.
- If you have previously been published in HFR's print journal or a web issue, please wait 2 years from your publication date before submitting again.
- By submitting, you are agreeing to receive occasional newsletter emails from us. You are welcome to opt out at any time and a link to do so will be included in each newsletter.
PLEASE NOTE: We no longer accept submissions by mail. We will only review work that has been received through Submittable.
A Note on the Submission Fee
We know the $3.00 submission fee might be a pain, but we hope that you will rest assured knowing the money we receive goes toward supporting HFR's continued success as a supportive environment for our contributors. We all want to thank you for your trust in sending us your work.
Free Submissions for Underrepresented Writers
At HFR, we believe that as a literary journal we have the responsibility to publish creative work that reflects diverse experiences, identities, and cultures on both a national and global scale. We are especially committed to uplifting the voices of those who have long been marginalized and underrepresented.
Towards this cause, we will have at least 50 free submissions in each genre for underrepresented voices. If you consider yourself to fit into this category, please submit for free to “Free Submissions for Underrepresented Writers.” Among the many types of underrepresentation that exist in literature, we particularly encourage Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and those who belong to the LGBTQIA+ and disability communities to submit to HFR.
We do not discriminate on any impermissible basis, including race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, or disability. Anyone without regard to these categories is welcome to submit as an underrepresented writer if they consider their experiences or identities to be underrepresented in the literary industry. If you have any questions please email us (haydensferryreview at gmail dot com).
A note on accessibility: It has come to our attention that Submittable may not be accessible to visually impaired writers. HFR is committed to accessibility and wants to receive submissions from all writers equally. If you are a visually impaired writer who is currently unable to submit via Submittable due to accessibility issues, you may email your submission as an attachment in .pdf format to haydensferryreview AT gmail.com. Note that submissions received via email which are outside the current submission period, or do not suit the current call(s) or current guidelines, will not receive a response. If you have questions concerning this policy, please email us at the above address
For Issue 76, we're accepting general un-themed submissions in each genre. We're also hoping to feature a small folio on the theme of maximalism. If you feel that your piece fits this theme (see below), please check the respective box on the submission form. Even if the work is not quite right for the folio's theme, we will still consider it for Issue 76!
Special Themed Folio - Maximalism
For this folio within Issue 76, we're looking for work that celebrates more is more for the sake of more. Send us work that uses too many adjectives, that are overly-punctuated, poems that are sonically overwhelming, that could be seen as overly intense. We want your excess.
How does leaning into maximalism, in being “too much,” help us express our complexities, multiplicities, and digressions?
Examples of work we’re interested in include “Equestrian Monuments (A Litany)” by Luis Chaves, “Planet Dread” by Safiya Sinclair, “Feed” by Tommy Pico, “my sweet angel on earth thank you for this life” by Jenny Zhang, and White Teeth by Zadie Smith.
Translation submissions are open year-round and during the months we open for submissions in other genres for a forthcoming issue, we’ll also open submissions for 100 free translation submissions under the Submittable category “TRANSLATION: Free Submissions for Underrepresented Writers - Issue X.”
Submission Guidelines
Translations submissions should be works translated into English from any other non-English language, and must include the original text along with the translated text.
- Translators should secure rights to translate the work they are submitting. Please confirm in your cover letter that you have the rights.
- Please only submit to one call for submissions at a time.
- Submit up to 6 poems/micro-fictions, or one essay/story.
- Prose should be double-spaced. We do not have a strict word count, though we favor pieces under 17 pages, and rarely accept work that is over 20. Please do not submit pieces that are over 25 pages.
- Please include your entire submission in one file, and be sure your name and contact information are included on the first page of the file.
- All work should be uploaded through our submissions manager. Acceptable file formats include .doc, .docx, and .pdf.
- Please send one submission per genre at a time, and wait for a response before you submit additional work.
- Simultaneous submissions are welcome. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please notify the editors immediately by adding a message to your submission in Submittable.
- Withdraw your submission using Submittable. If you are only withdrawing a section of your work (for example: 2/5 poems), add a message to your submission.
- We do not accept previously published material.
- We do not consider book-length works. Submitters are strongly encouraged to read the journal before submitting. Sample work from current and past issues is available on our website.
- Upon acceptance, we will request a translator's note on your translation process (similar to an artist statement).
Free Submissions for Underrepresented Writers
At HFR, we believe that as a literary journal we have the responsibility to publish creative work that reflects diverse experiences, identities, and cultures on both a national and global scale. We are especially committed to uplifting the voices of those who have long been marginalized and underrepresented.
Towards this cause, we will have 100 free submissions in each genre for underrepresented voices. If you consider yourself to fit into this category, please submit for free to “Free Submissions for Underrepresented Writers.” Among the many types of underrepresentation that exist in literature, we particularly encourage Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and those who belong to the LGBTQIA+ and disability communities to submit to HFR.
We do not discriminate on any impermissible basis, including race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, or disability. Anyone without regard to these categories is welcome to submit as an underrepresented writer if they consider their experiences or identities to be underrepresented in the literary industry. If you have any questions please email us (haydensferryreview at gmail dot com).
Anonymous Demographic Survey
After submitting your work, we'd appreciate it if you'd consider filling out our optional and anonymous Issue 76 Demographic Survey. Your responses to this survey will help us better understand who our calls for submissions are reaching and better fulfill our mission!
Submission Guidelines
We are looking for visual art in all categories.
Please submit 5-8 pieces at a time. We may ask for additional art based on this submission. We accept work that has been previously published on the artist's social media or personal website but we do not accept work that has been previously published in other journals.
Upon acceptance, we will request high res files, an author's bio, and an artist's statement. We publish art in full color, often selecting between 2 and 4 artists for each issue. One of these will receive cover credit and bookmark credit.
Anonymous Demographic Survey
After submitting your work, we'd appreciate it if you'd consider filling out our optional and anonymous Issue 75 Demographic Survey. Your responses to this survey will help us better understand who our calls for submissions are reaching and better fulfill our mission!