New Plains Review welcomes submissions for our 40th anniversary issue. Affiliated with the University of Central Oklahoma, the journal was founded with the dream of encountering new writers, voices, and perspectives each year. We continue that tradition by inviting writers of all backgrounds, emerging and experienced alike, who work on any subject but with an undeniable point of view. We accept works of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, plays, scripts, experimental work, as well as visual art.
For this special anniversary issue, we are thrilled to launch a new contest, the New Plains Prize in Poetry and Fiction! All submissions are welcome, though we are particularly interested in work that focuses on water as a theme. Here in the Plains, water is not a resource to be taken for granted. We are grateful when it rains. Oklahoma has more man-made lakes than any other state. Water is a complex part of our lives. The New Plains Review Prizes hope to highlight concerns that most directly impact our communities as part of one shared world.
The $3 fee for each submission helps defray the costs of production. Contributors may submit multiple times to however many genres they wish, but an additional fee will apply to each submission. Submissions for the contest are considered through a separate process from general submissions. Simultaneous submissions are welcome and encouraged, but inform us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere.
Prize submissions will be screened by our editors and considered for general submission. External judges will select the winners.
Your work must be original and previously unpublished in any form–we do not accept any submissions that contain generative AI tools in the creation or editing processes.
New Plains Review upholds our institution's commitment to inclusivity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, gender identification, sexual orientation, national origin, native language, religion, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, etc.
October 13th is the deadline for all submissions!
New Plains Review publishes poems from new and established voices alike, poetry that comes from the individual and is shaped by unique experiences. We want to read work that blurs boundaries and seek to publish poems borne of necessity. We will consider up to three poems per submission (no more than five pages total).
Please include all poems in a single file (Word .doc or PDF), with each poem starting on a separate page.
Poetry in languages other than English is permitted (if possible, translated footnotes are encouraged). We do not however accept translations, at this time.
New Plains Review accepts multimedia submissions of visual art & photography. We will consider any submission in this genre for our 40th anniversary issue's cover art.
While the work doesn't necessarily have to reflect any region or identity, we love what pushes boundaries and brings new forms to life. Send us your strongest work that explores genres and mediums such as photography, painting, sketch, collage, sculpture, graphic or experimental work, etc.
We particularly encourage art and artists from intersectional or marginalized identities. We are, however, restricted from accepting work that includes a recognizable human face because of privacy rights and copyright laws.
Please clearly indicate the title of each submission individually.
No AI-generated or assisted content, please.
Please limit your submission to five, single-file images, with most file types accepted, including PDF, .doc or .docx, .jpeg, .png.
For this special anniversary issue, we are thrilled to launch a new contest, the New Plains Prize in Poetry and Fiction! All submissions are welcome, though we are particularly interested in work that focuses on water as a theme. Here in the Plains, water is not a resource to be taken for granted. We are grateful when it rains. Oklahoma has more man-made lakes than any other state. Water is a complex part of our lives. The New Plains Review Prizes hope to highlight concerns that most directly impact our communities, part of one shared world.
We will consider up to five poems per submission (no more than ten pages total).
Please include all poems in a single file (Word .doc/.docx or PDF), with each poem starting on a separate page.
Poetry in languages other than English is permitted (if possible, translated footnotes are encouraged). We do not however accept translations.
We invite nonfiction submissions that reflect experiences from personal, critical, or creative narratives. The work must be grounded in reality put we are open to all forms of experimentation, genre-bending, and hybrid forms. Submissions should be a maximum of 10,000 words. You may submit any number of separate pieces distinguished clearly in your submission up to that word count, with flash pieces also accepted.
Our editors also want to read your finest plays and scripts, work that comes alive on the page. We encourage writers who push narrative boundaries and accept submissions of up to 10,000 words in any form. While we are focused on plays and scripts in a traditional sense, we also invite work that tests the boundaries of such forms.
Per submission, please submit previously unpublished short stories with a 10,000-word max, up to three flash fiction pieces ranging from 500 to 1,000 words, or several pieces of microfiction ranging from 3+ sentences to 500 words. All genres welcome, the wilder the better. We especially invite writers from traditionally underrepresented communities, and particularly voices and perspectives from our region, the Plains.
Files accepted: PDF, .doc or .docx, and .rtf.
For this special anniversary issue, we are thrilled to launch a new contest, the New Plains Prize in Poetry and Fiction! All submissions are welcome, though we are particularly interested in work that focuses on water as a theme. Here in the Plains, water is not a resource to be taken for granted. We are grateful when it rains. Oklahoma has more man-made lakes than any other state. Water is a complex part of our lives. The New Plains Review Prizes hope to highlight concerns that most directly impact our communities, part of one shared world.
Per each submission, please submit previously unpublished short stories with a 10,000-word max. We especially invite writers from traditionally underrepresented communities, and particularly voices and perspectives from our region, the Plains.
Files accepted: PDF, .doc or .docx, and .rtf.