Black Warrior Review – General Submissions

Location
Tuscaloosa, Alabama (University of Alabama)

Open to
Writers and artists worldwide. Categories include Poetry, Prose, Nonfiction, Experimental Forms, and Comics & Art. Simultaneous submissions are allowed if noted. No previously published work accepted.

Application Fee
Submission fee required. Fee waivers available for those facing financial hardship and free submissions offered for incarcerated writers. Email feewaiver.bwr@gmail.com to request a waiver.

What’s Provided
Contributors are paid (exact amount varies by issue and contributor count). Print and online publication opportunities available, including Boyfriend Village (online edition). Rights revert to the author upon publication.

What the artist/applicant must cover
Submission fee unless waived. No other costs are stated.

Duration
Not applicable

Deadline
Summer reading period: June 1 – September 30, 2025
(Winter reading period runs December 1 – March 1 annually)

Additional Notes

• Do not mix genres in a single submission (except for monthly themed contests or Boyfriend Village entries).

• Response time averages 3–6 months.

• Categories have unique focuses:

• Fiction: Stories about communities (“us”)

• Poetry: Political and experimental works

• Nonfiction: Anti-colonial, socially conscious writing

• Experimental Forms: Hybrid or boundary-pushing formats

• Comics & Art: Up to 4 single-page works or 1 multi-page piece (accepted in .jpg, .tiff, or .pdf)