The Cougar Review

SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN!
DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 15, 2024

The Cougar Review Submission Guidelines

Thank you for considering submitting your creative work to The Cougar Review. We are excited to review your poetry and short fiction. Please carefully read the guidelines below before submitting your pieces.

You must be a current Crockett Early College High School student

We encourage all students from grades 9-12 to submit work

You do not have to be in a Creative Writing class to submit your pieces

You can use your real name, a pen name (pseudonym), or be anonymous in your submission

We are looking for your great short fiction and poetry. We accept any genre, including literary fiction, science fiction, fantasy, free verse, traditional poetry, etc. Your creative work can find a home here. Perhaps you’re working on something you already want to publish, or maybe you want to write something new. This is your chance to see your work published online for the world to see. While we cannot accept every submission, we will carefully review them for consideration. Your work will be reviewed by an editorial board of peers, teachers, and professionals.

Poetry Guidelines:

Number of Submissions:

• Submit up to three poems per entry. You may submit as many entries as you like.
• Include all poems in the same document.

Formatting:

• Use a legible font (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial) at 12 pt. font size.
• Single-space your poems.
• Include the title of each poem at the top.

Length:

• No strict length requirement, but we recommend submissions to be no longer than two pages per poem.
• No gratuitous violence or explicit sexual content. We encourage submissions that respect a broad audience.

Short Fiction Guidelines:

Number of Submissions:

• Submit one short story per entry. You may submit as many entries as you like. Please see word count guidelines below.

• Use a legible font (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial) at 12 pt. font size.
• Double-space your short story.
• Include the title of your short story at the top.

Definition of Short Fiction:

• Short fiction includes short stories, flash fiction, and micro-fiction.
• Micro-fiction: 50-250 words.
• Flash fiction: 250-1,000 words.
• Short stories: 1,000-3,000 words.
• Note: We can not accept pieces longer than 3,000 words.

Content Advisory:

• No gratuitous violence or explicit sexual content. We seek engaging narratives that are accessible to a diverse readership.

General Submission Guidelines:

Simultaneous Submissions:

• We accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

Previously Published Work:

• We do not accept previously published work; submissions should be original and unpublished.

Submission Process:

Email Address:

• Send submissions to cougarreviewlitmag@gmail.com.

Subject Line:

• Use the subject line “Submission – [Your Name/Pen Name] – [Poetry/Short Fiction].”

Attachment:

• Attach your poetry or short fiction in a Word or PDF document.

Submission Window:

• Submissions will be accepted until November 15, 2024.

We appreciate your interest in The Cougar Review and look forward to reading your submissions. Thank you for being a part of our creative community!