Please review our guidelines before submitting here.

Blue Mesa Review accepts previously unpublished work in Fiction (up to 6,000 words), Nonfiction (up to 6,000 words), Poetry (up to 3 poems), and Visual Art. We have a rotating editorial board, so each issue is fresh and unique. In general, we are seeking strong voices and lively, compelling narrative with a fine eye for craft. We look forward to reading your best work! We have an annual contest for our issue, now in the Spring, and from July to October we accept general submissions for our fall issue. Our 2024 Spring Contest is now open for submissions via Submittable!!

*We only considered unpublished work. Please do not submit anything that has been published on your blog, through your Facebook page, in other magazines including those online, or in an anthology or chapbook.

*We only accept submissions online through Submittable. We do not accept submissions via email or postal mail. Any submissions received by means other than Submittable will be returned to the submitter unread or recycled if a stamped, self-addressed envelope was not provided.

*We gladly accept simultaneous submissions. Please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere and withdraw your submission through the Submittable system. If a poem in a group of 3-5 poems is accepted, simply add a note identifying the piece that is no longer available.

*Individuals previously affiliated with the University of New Mexico (students, staff, and/or faculty), should not submit to Blue Mesa Review until they have been unaffiliated for five full years.

*Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, response time can be longer than our standard two-six months. Please be patient. If you have not heard from us in six months, you can contact us here. “Submission Query” should be the subject line.

*Submissions should be saved in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or Rich Text Format (.rtf). Prose submissions should be double-spaced. Poetry can be single-spaced. Please use a standard typeface and font size (12 pt). Pages should be numbered and a brief cover letter should be provided.

Rights: We ask for first North American serial rights and non-exclusive electronic rights for our website. Blue Mesa Review does not consider work that has been previously published in print or online. Rights revert to the author upon publication. Each piece will be published in one of our biannual online issues.

Click Here To Submit