The Louisville Review publishes two issues each year.
There is no fee to submit fiction, poetry, or poetry by young writers in grades K-12 for our Cornerstone section.
The general call for Fiction and Poetry for TLR #100 is open September 21-26, 2026.
We will hold the next call for Cornerstone September 21 - October 31, 2026.
GUIDELINES:
SUBMIT ONCE, IN ONE GENRE, PER ISSUE
Unpublished work only. This includes online publications, such as Substack.
We do not accept work made with the assistance of any form of AI.
Special Categories for TLR 100:
Long-Form Fiction: Submissions of approximately 4,000 - 7,000 words. The Louisville Review aims to be a home for long-form fiction! For our 100th issue we're reading a limited number of longer stories. Capped at 50 submissions.
Fiction: Submissions of Fiction / Flash Fiction / Hybrid Prose submissions of up to 3,500 words. Send us your standard, short, and flash fiction! This category is also open to experimental, lyrical, or hybrid short prose. While we do not read unsolicited creative nonfiction at this time, we welcome work that is fictive but does not fit neatly into the fiction genre. Please note we cannot print in color or print images. Capped at 100 submissions.
Poetry: Submit up to five poems. Please be sure all poems are in a single document before uploading. Each page should include complete contact information for the author. Translations are welcome if permission has been granted by the original author.
Cornerstone: Submissions of poems by students in grades K-12. The Louisville Review accepts submissions of previously unpublished poetry from students in grades K-12 for publication in our Cornerstone section. Cornerstone submissions must be accompanied by parental permission to publish if accepted.
ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES
Returning Cornerstone Contributors: We enthusiastically welcome submissions from previous TLR Cornerstone contributors! However, if you have had work accepted in Cornerstone please wait two issues before submitting again.
Returning Contributors: We enthusiastically welcome submissions from previous TLR contributors! However, if you have had work accepted in the general call for either Poetry or Fiction in the last two years please wait four issues from publication before submitting again in that genre.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted: Any work accepted elsewhere must be withdrawn immediately.
Withdrawals: Entire submissions can be withdrawn by logging into Submittable. For partial withdrawals (single poems, for example) message us via Submittable.
If your work is selected for publication: We provide one complimentary print copy of The Louisville Review to our U.S. based contributors with a discount on additional copies shipped to the contributor's address. International contributors receive a digital copy of t issue.
Have any questions you’d like to ask before submitting? Send us an email at editor@louisvillereview.org.