Submission Guidelines

The Red Cedar Review accepts poetry, short fiction, and creative non-fiction from both veteran and emerging writers. The Red Cedar Review also accepts black and white photography submissions to be considered for cover art and inclusion in the issue. There are no restrictions on subject or form. The annual reading period is from August 1 to October 1. Submissions received after this deadline will be held for consideration in the next reading period. Absolutely no submissions will be considered during the months of May, June, and July, and Red Cedar Review cannot guarantee that manuscripts received during that time will be returned in a prompt manner, if at all. Send all submissions and inquiries, along with SASE, to:

Red Cedar Review
113C Morrill Hall
Department of English
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan 48824

The staff will respond to all submissions and inquiries received during the reading period in four to six weeks, or by October 31. Red Cedar Review receives First Publishing Rights, and pays in two copies.

Sample back issues are available for $10.00, including shipping and handling.

General Guidelines
All submissions:

  • Must specify the genre on the envelope, for example, "Attn:
    Fiction," and also on the cover letter, if included.
  • Must be unpublished and not simultaneously submitted to any other publication or contest
  • Must be typed
  • Must be original work
  • May not be a translated or reprinted work
  • Must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. (We will not read submissions that do not include an SASE.)

Fiction and Nonfiction Guidelines

  • May include only one short story or essay per submission
  • Should not exceed 5,000 words in length
  • Must have each page numbered
  • Must include author's name and address on the title or first page
  • Must include author's last name on each subsequent page

Poetry Guidelines

  • No more than five poems per submission
  • Must include the poet's name and address on the first page
  • Must include the poet's last name on each subsequent page
  • Must include the title of the poem and page number on each subsequent page

Photography Guidelines

  • Must be in black and white
  • Must be submitted on a CD
  • Must be in jpeg format, at a minimum of 300 dpi
  • No more than 5 photographs per submission
  • Should be of a vertical orientation or in square format. Horizontal orientations do not fit well in the dimension of our pages.