Submitting to The New Quarterly

Our Mission

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.

 

What do we publish?

  • Short Fiction
  • Poetry
  • Postscripts
  • Nonfiction
    • 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.
    • 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.

 

Who do we publish?

All contributing writers to The New Quarterly are either:

  • Canadian citizens living in Canada or abroad, and / or
  • Identify as a members of the First Nations, Inuit, or Métis peoples, and /or
  • Are current residents of Canada (i.e. newly-landed immigrants, temporary residents, and refugees)

 

What kind of writers do we publish?

  • 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.

 

What kind of writing do we publish?

  • 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!

 

How do we treat the writers we publish?

  • 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.

 

Publication Rates

  • Fiction / Nonfiction – $275
  • Poetry / Postscript – $50 per piece
  • Plus a complimentary copy and a special contributor subscription rate.

 

How can writers get published in The New Quarterly?

 

Regular Submissions: Mail-In

The New Quarterly c/o St. Jerome’s University
290 Westmount Road N
Waterloo, ON
Canada
N2L 3G3

 

Regular Submission Formatting

  • Fill out and print our submission cover sheet. Attach it to the front of your submission.
  • Typed, single-sided, double spaced (fiction), stanza breaks (poetry).
  • Word count at the end of your work, 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 3 poems, or 3 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.

 

Reading Cycles

  • The New Quarterly holds two annual reading periods for each genre.
    • 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.

 

Selection and Feedback

  • 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 deliver feedback on submissions as often as possible, even to writers not selected for publication.
  • We reply to everything!
  • Please note that we prefer to reply by email. Save paper and skip the SASE if possible.

 

FAQs

Q: Do you accept multiple submissions (submissions that have also been submitted elsewhere)?

A: Yes, but please let us know right away if your work is accepted somewhere else so we don’t get too attached. Also, so we can send you our felicitations!

Q: What is the theme of upcoming issues?

A: That decision is made once the content has been chosen for an issue. Try to submit something unlike what we’ve published in the past year.

Q: Do you have length restrictions?

A: No, but the longer the piece, the more we have to justify its appearance in the magazine. That said, we have published long poems, poem cycles, and novellas. We rarely publish pieces longer than 6000 words.

Q: What do you mean by “poetry”?

A: We print it all! Free verse, ballad, sonnet, epic, and prose poems.

Q: Do you print novel excerpts?

A: Generally speaking, no. Think “short fiction” as a genre.

Q: Do you consider work from first-time authors?

A: Yes, we are The NEW Quarterly, but we are not an entry-level magazine. We are, however, interested in hearing from writers at all stages. And remember, a conversation with an editor—even if it results in a rejection—is just a part of the writing life.

Q: Do you publish book reviews? 

A: No, we publish poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Q: Does TNQ review novels? 

A: No.

Q: What if I don’t have an email address?

A: If you don’t have an email address to provide us, please include a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope with your submission to receive feedback.