The best way to get a sense of what our editors might be looking for is to pick up an issue or subscribe. Every subscription helps keep alive an important venue for Canadian writing, and every issue is an excellent read. You will discover a community of other writers in our pages and be able to partake in an engaging conversation about the writer's craft.
Submission requirements have been updated, please read carefully. Submissions that do not meet all of the following criteria will be recycled.
The New Quarterly currently receives several hundred submissions in each genre every quarter, more this past year than ever before. Consequently our editors—all of whom volunteer their time—find themselves struggling to keep up with the reading and provide thoughtful response where they can. Therefore it is our policy that writers may send just one submission in each genre per calendar year, except when there is a special call for submissions (i.e. for our contests or a theme issue of TNQ). Because the different genres go to different editors, submit poetry (3 poems per submission), fiction (1 story per submission) and/or postscripts (3 postscripts per submission) separately. If your submission exceeds the maximum, only the first story or first 3 poems/postscripts will be considered. Most of our non-fiction is solicited—query first with an email to editor [at] tnq [dot] ca with a proposal for an essay on writing.
Writers must print and complete a copy of our submission cover sheet, and include it as the topmost sheet of the submission.This form includes a checklist of requirements to help make the submission process as easy as possible. If you have any questions please contact us by email at info [at] tnq [dot] ca or by phone 519-884- 8111 x 28290. If you cannot print the form, please create a coversheet of your own with the same headings.
[Click to download the submission cover sheet] Please include a short, typed bio. You may also include a cover letter but all fields of the form must be filled in regardless.
Submission Format Requirements:
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All submissions must be typed.
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Include a word count at the end of your piece, and page numbers for prose or multi-page poems.
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Your name should appear on every page of the submission itself.
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Fiction submissions must be double-spaced. Please use only one space after a period.
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Poetry may be single-spaced. Please indicate stanza breaks when a poem goes on to a second page.
We do not consider email submissions, except for our contests. However, we are happy to send our decision to you by email if you do not wish to have your manuscript returned. Please indicate on your cover sheet that you would like an email response. If you want your manuscript returned or prefer to receive our decision by post, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope (with sufficient Canadian postage or international postal reply coupons). Please do not send an envelope so small that we have to turn our reply letter into origami. Some writers also like to include a stamped postcard for us to return with confirmation that the submission has been received. This is not a requirement, but we're happy to return postcards if they're included in your package.
Please be advised that we only publish writing by Canadian citizens (whether living at home or abroad) and landed immigrants. If you live outside of Canada please email our submissions manager at info [at] tnq [dot] ca before you mail your submission.
TNQ’s fiction and poetry editors meet twice a year to talk about your writing, with a three month reading period leading up to the meeting. Our editors read everything that comes across their desks and are always on the lookout for talented newcomers. However, they don't send out acceptances until they've read all the work in hand. To reduce the wait time submit as close as possible to the start of the reading period. Anything received prior to February 28 and August 31 will sit in a box until the reading period begins. At other times editors are busy adjudicating the OAC Writers’ Reserve Grant program and our various contests. The chart below indicates when you can expect to receive a response regarding your regular submission.
| Submissions Received | Responses sent |
| March 1-August 31 | Early January |
| September 1 to February 28 | Early June |
We pay, on publication, $250 for a short story and $40 per poem or "postscript" story. We ask for first Canadian rights to anything we publish. Copyright remains with the author.
We prefer not to have multiple submissions but realize that this can be problematic for writers because of the long response times with literary journals. Should you submit elsewhere, and should your work be accepted, please notify us right away.
Click here to visit our Submission Requirements Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
We look forward to reading your work!
Send submissions to:
The New Quarterly c/o St. Jerome's University
290 Westmount Road N
Waterloo, ON
Canada
N2L 3G3
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