The Bayou Review

The University of Houston-Downtown's literary and visual arts magazine is now open for submissions for the Spring 2026 issue through February 15th.

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Submission Guidelines: 

We accept unpublished poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, literary translations and visual art.

All work is welcome in English, Spanish, Spanglish, and translations into English.

 

** If you have been published in The Bayou Review, we ask that you wait at least two issues (one full year) until you send us your work again. **
 

• Poetry: Up to 5 poems (no more than 8 pages per submission)

  • Submit an image for shape poems

• Fiction (short stories): up to 1,500 words or 6 pages double-spaced 

• Creative Non-Fiction: up to 1,500 words or 6 pages double-spaced 

• Literary Translation into English: Poetry 3 to 5 pages; or Prose: up to 1,500 words 

• Visual Art: Must be submitted electronically with a minimum 600x, 600px, or 300dpi. 

• All submissions must be from those eighteen years or older.

• All submissions must be entirely and completely free from AI-generated or AI-assisted content.

  

How to Submit:

 

1. Send your submission to bayourevieweditor@gmail.com with your full name and the genre of the work in the subject line. (Please email us before sending large graphic files). 

2. Please include a cover letter, a short bio in third person (up to 50 words), your full name as you want it to appear in the magazine, your email address, and your phone number.  

3. The file with your work must be attached as a Word document (poetry, prose only) saved under your first and last name, along with the genre for the piece. For example, "Sam Sample - Poetry.docx." 

4. If submitting multiple texts, each one should be in a separate Word document. (If you are submitting four poems, your email would include four Word document attachments, one for each poem submitted.) 

5. Your name and contact information must appear on each page of your Word document. For example, "Sam Sample; samplesam@sample.net; (555) 555-5555." 

6. For translations: 

   •  Include both the original text and your translation into English. 

   • Translators are expected to have identified the original copyright holder and have permission to publish the translated text. Please attach the permission to publish along with your submission.   

  

* Please follow all the above guidelines to be considered for publication. 

  

Questions regarding submissions can be sent to bayourevieweditor@gmail.com