Submissions
This page is the hub for submission information that applies to all regular submissions (including poetry, fiction, and nonfiction). Please read the guidelines below and then select what genre of writing you want to submit, at which point you will be directed to a page with specific information for that genre as well as the place to submit your work.
Before You Submit
Our mission at The New Quarterly is to publish and promote Canadian writers and writing. We are committed to providing an inclusive platform for new voices in Canadian Literature, particularly for voices who have been historically underrepresented in Canadian literary contexts and who represent the varied dimensions of race, ethnicity, geography, culture, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and religion in Canada.
The New Quarterly is also dedicated to nurturing emerging Canadian writers by carefully engaging with their work, which we publish alongside the work of established Canadian writers. Our aim is to highlight a diverse array of emerging Canadian writers, whom we promote and support on their path to publication.
The New Quarterly publishes Short Fiction, Poetry, Postscripts, and Nonfiction.
A Note about Nonfiction: The New Quarterly has a range of nonfiction series that focus on the writing life: Day Jobs, In Conversation, On Writing, Soundings, The Writer at Large, and Word & Image. For most of these series, we solicit works from writers we know and love. If you have an essay that you think would be a perfect fit for one of these series, please forward it with a cover letter to info[at]tnq.ca.
If you are new to The New Quarterly, consider entering your nonfiction piece to the annual Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest, where submissions of any length, on any subject matter, are considered for publication.
We seek to nurture emerging writers by publishing and promoting their work alongside established writers, whose works are familiar and respected in the Canadian literary arena. We synchronize these voices by carefully tailoring the editorial context for each issue.
We occasionally run special submission callouts, but the theme for each issue is usually determined by the content selected for publication and a consideration of topical discussions in Canadian publishing.
The New Quarterly aims to provide a varied and balanced representation of literary excellence in contemporary Canada.
In every issue, we strive to present an assemblage of writers that display variety in voice, professional experience, and personal background. We seek to publish material that balances rigour, complexity, and innovation with a playful spirit and clear, approachable language.
To familiarize yourself with The New Quarterly, check out our free online archives. Anything older than 5 years is free to read!
Submitting Your Work
- Online (Regular Submissions Stream)
- Our three annual writing contests: The Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest,The Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest, and The Peter Hinchcliffe Short Fiction Award. While each of these contests produce a winner and runner-up, we select pieces from contest submissions for regular publication.
As we transition to accepting online submissions, we have set the following submission caps per genre per reading cycle:
Fiction: 150
Poetry: 120
Nonfiction: 50
We are not currently accepting mail-in submissions.
The New Quarterly is now accepting online submissions. Follow the links at the bottom of the page to submit your work online.
- Online submissions must be in a single file in .doc, .docx, or PDF format.
- Title your submission in the following format: YourSurname_SubmissionTitle (i.e. Bala_Butter-Tea-at-Starbucks).
- You must include a cover letter with your submission. Include your cover letter as the first page of your submission.
Fiction must be double spaced. Indicate stanza breaks in poetry. - Include a word count at the end of your work.
- Include page numbers on prose or multi-page poems.
- Include your name on every page.
- We will accept one piece per author, per genre, per calendar year. Contest submissions do not count towards this total.
- We will accept no more than one piece of fiction, or three poems, or three postscript stories per submission.
- Do not include footnotes or Works Cited in your submission. If notes or references are central to your project, try to sort out attribution issues before submitting, or in conversation with TNQ editors.
The New Quarterly holds two annual reading periods for each genre.
For fiction and poetry:
Submissions sent between March 1st and August 31st will receive a response around late January. Submissions sent between September 1st and February 28th will receive a response around late August.
For nonfiction:
Submissions sent between January 1st-31st will receive a response around x. Submissions sent between June 1st-June 31st will receive a response around y.
Every submission is read by a senior editor, who recommends work to the editorial collective. From these submissions, approximately 10-15 are selected for publication. Works that have been accepted for publication are edited in direct communication with authors.
We reply to everything! We deliver feedback on submissions as often as possible, even to writers not selected for publication. Please note that we prefer to reply by email. Save paper and skip the SASE if possible.
The Path to Publication
The New Quarterly is committed to ensuring professional conditions for our writers at every step of the submission and publication process.
The New Quarterly pays all contributing writers for works published. Signed contracts grant first serial rights only, and the author retains all other rights to the work. We accept simultaneous submissions and do not claim proprietary rights to works under consideration.
Fiction and Nonfiction: $275
Poetry and Postscripts: $50 per piece
Plus a complimentary copy and a special contributor subscription rate!