FAQs
Do you accept online submissions to the Pinch?
Yes. In fact, we only accept online submissions. Please see our submission guidelines for more details.
Do you accept submissions via email?
No. Please send your work through Submittable.
Please note that we operate as part of the University of Memphis and therefore are unable to accept email submissions for legal reasons. Feel free to send your general questions to our email but no submissions, please!
When do you accept submissions?
We accept submissions year-round. Due to our production schedule and the university’s holiday schedule, responses to manuscripts submitted during winter and summer breaks are often delayed.
How does the Pinch work? What is a “pinchy” story, essay, or poem?
We encourage all potential contributors to review a recent copy of the Pinch before submitting their work to us. Our editors favor strong voices, well-written prose and poetry, and engaging art that moves, provokes, or engages editors and readers. Read more about what makes a piece “pinchy.”
We rarely publish translations, excerpts from longer works, screenplays, or plays.
How should I format my submission?
All submissions must be typed with 1″ margins and in Times New Roman 12 pt font or similar. We ask that you include page numbers. Prose writers - please help us keep our eyesight and double-space your submissions!
How many poems can I submit in a single submission?
Please submit no more than THREE poems per single submission. Additionally, the entire submission should be fewer than TEN pages.
I can’t recognize a comma splice to save my life: Will grammar and spelling mistakes hurt my submission?
Yes–if it’s disrupting our reading of your submission. We might not fault you for one tiny comma splice (especially if it’s clearly a stylistic choice), but if we can’t understand your writing, we can’t properly critique it.
Can I submit even if I’ve never been published before?
Yes, please! We strive to find new, exciting voices.
So, you rejected my submission. Can you give me notes on my story or let me know how to make my piece better?
We wish we could! If only we had the time. Our editors regret that due to the high volume of submissions, we are unable to offer you notes on your piece.
How do I know if my submission is still under consideration?
For regular submissions, we will notify you of acceptance via email. Please wait at least three months to inquire about the status of your submission. We pride ourselves on the fact that each submission gets attention from several editors before a decision is made—but thoroughness takes time.
Can I send in multiple submissions?
Please wait until we have responded to your first submission before sending another.
Do you accept dramatic works like plays and screenplays?
No. Our focus is on fiction, poetry, and nonfiction for an adult audience.
Do you accept simultaneous submissions?
Yes, of course! We welcome simultaneous submissions and applaud your ambitions.
I’ve revised my piece since submitting it, can I update my submission?
Unfortunately, no. Revisions may be considered if the piece is accepted. You may also withdraw your piece and submit a new entry with the revised work.
I moved and didn’t send you my new address. Will I still receive my issues?
If we are not informed of your new address, we are not responsible for issues that are returned to us or that are not forwarded to your new address. We don’t have the funds to cover these losses. Please inform us of any address changes immediately.
Does the Pinch do theme issues?
Nope. Send us your best and brightest, regardless of theme!
I read this great book that I think your staff will love! Can I send you a review to print?
We love a good book recommendation, but the Pinch does not publish unsolicited book reviews.
Would you be interested in publishing my interview with a fabulous, famous author?
Currently, all interviews are done by Pinch staff. The majority of these interviews take place as a part of our reading series held by the MFA program at the University of Memphis. If you have a great author interview in your portfolio that has never been published anywhere else, however, please pitch it via email.
If I’m published in the Pinch, how long before I can submit again?
We ask that you wait for at least one year before submitting again.
I still have questions, what should I do?
Send them over to editor@pinchjournal.com, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks!