Kestrel

Open now for fiction, nonfiction, other work, and poetry.

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Kestrel is a Fairmont State University literary magazine publishing fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, reviews, and writing about overlooked literature.

Response time info: 3-5 months; allow 6 months before inquiring

Read the full guidelines at fairmontstate.edu↗

Submission calls

fictionScience FictionFantasyHorrorLiteraryMysteryRomanceHumorYoung AdultEligibility requirements

Open to: previously unpublished work is considered; work generated or influenced by LLMs/AI is not accepted.

Kestrel accepts short fiction in any genre that questions assumptions and reconsiders everyday life; experimental writing is welcome. Maximum 5,000 words. Submissions are accepted year-round through Submittable only; limit submissions in each genre to one per calendar year. Only previously unpublished, non-LLM/AI-generated or influenced work is considered.

nonfictionLiteraryEligibility requirements

Open to: previously unpublished work is considered; work generated or influenced by LLMs/AI is not accepted.

Kestrel prefers creative nonfiction, memoir, and literary essays, with emphasis on craft, diction, syntax, detail, and revealing a subject’s complexity. Submissions are accepted year-round through Submittable only; limit submissions in each genre to one per calendar year.

otherLiteraryEligibility requirements

Open to: previously unpublished work is considered; work generated or influenced by LLMs/AI is not accepted.

Wrongfully Neglected seeks vivid recommendations, reflections, and reviews of overlooked poems, short stories, essays, or books, typically published more than two years ago; 500-750 words. Submissions are accepted through Submittable only.

poetryLiteraryEligibility requirements

Open to: previously unpublished work is considered; work generated or influenced by LLMs/AI is not accepted.

Kestrel welcomes poems of all genres, styles, and traditions, including experimental, hybrid, and translated poetry; send 3-5 poems. Poetry submissions were paused for summer 2026 and resume in September 2026. Submissions are accepted through Submittable only; limit submissions in each genre to one per calendar year.

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