Bluestem is an online journal, published thrice yearly.
Please submit no more than 5 poems at one time, or one short story, or one creative non-fiction essay. Fiction / prose should be no longer than 5000 words. Please include a brief bio with your submission. If you are submitting more than one poem, please include all pieces in one file (you may withdraw single poems by sending a message through Submittable or emailing us at bluestemmag@gmail.com).
No previously published work is accepted. Simultaneous submissions are fine. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please withdraw your work via the submission manager.
Please submit no more than once per reading period. If you have been published by Bluestem within the past three years, please wait until that period has passed before submitting again. Bluestem does not accept work from current students or faculty of Eastern Illinois University.
For more insight into what kind of work we are looking for, please read our updated interview at Duotrope.
Please note that Bluestem is currently a non-paying market. We are working to change this, but in the meantime, we hope that not charging any submission fees mitigates against this somewhat.
Bluestem is looking for poems that surprise with their originality of language or perspective. Please submit between 3-5 poems, and limit yourself to one submission per reading period, please.
Please notify us immediately if you need to withdraw a poem due to acceptance by another magazine. You can simply send a message through Submittable; there is no need to withdraw the entire submission.
Thank you!
Please submit no more than three pieces of flash fiction or one longer story. Work should be 5K words or less, total.
One submission per reading period.
Please withdraw ASAP if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Thank you!
Submit your best sequential art. Please check out previous issues to see what we're drawn to.
You may submit a longer piece, or up to three flash pieces. Word total should not exceed 5k for the submission.
No more than one submission per reading period, please.
Please withdraw ASAP if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Thank you!