About BSR:
Barely South Review is dedicated to publishing prose, poetry, and art from both emerging and established writers and artists. Our name refers to our home – the coastal Tidewater region of southeastern Virginia and its unique blend of diverse cultures and histories. We feel there is great complexity in any creative assertion of “here,” and it is in this spirit that BSR features voices that defy regional, thematic, and stylistic categorizations. We seek great writing in its myriad forms.
The best way to get a clear sense of our tastes is to explore our recent issues.
Guidelines:
BSR seeks original, unpublished works of nonfiction, poetry, short fiction, and art. We have two reading periods:
- September 1 – November 1st for our Winter issue.
- 15 January – 15 March for our Spring issue.
Along with your submission, please provide a brief cover letter and bio. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please note this in your cover letter, and notify us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere.
Fiction and nonfiction submissions must be 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. Include the word count on the first page. Please avoid any nonstandard formatting or alternative fonts.
You may submit to multiple genres, but we ask that you submit once per genre per submission period. If you are a recent contributor, please wait at least two submission periods after publication to submit again.
We accept submissions internationally, and we do nominate for the Pushcart.
BSR uses Submittable to process submissions. This allows for better, more timely contact with those who send us their work. There is a link at the bottom of this page. Your submission must be in Word or Rich Text format (.doc or .rtf) format. The system will not accept other formats, including .pdf.
BSR acquires only the first serial publication rights of accepted work. Copyright is asserted on behalf of the author; all reprint rights (print or electronic) revert to the author upon publication, but we ask that you mention Barely South Reviewas first publication appearance.
Genre Submission Details:
Fiction: One short story (<4000 words).
Poetry: Up to three poems. Please submit all poems in one document.
Creative Nonfiction: One essay (<4000 words).
Flash Non/Fiction: Up to three flash pieces (<1000 words each). Please submit each piece separately.
Literary Comics: Up to three strips (<19 images).
Art: Up to five pieces. Art submissions of all mediums will be considered. Works must not have appeared elsewhere (other than on the artist’s personal website). Formats accepted include .jpg, .gif, .tiff, and .png.
Brackish waters are sites of mixing, places where diverse waters come together to form something entirely unique. Like the seven cities that make up the Hampton Roads, brackish waters form habitats that are both dynamic and transitional, abundant and rich with life, corridors for migration and nurseries harboring new growth.
Our mission is to publish and promote a body of literary work that celebrates and explores the varied and diverse character of Hampton Roads. We are seeking works deeply imbued with a sense of place, with roots that run deep in the Tidewater region.
We are open to submissions of poetry, fiction, and creative-nonfiction, as well as hybrid and experimental works, from both emerging and established writers. Writers need not be current residents of Hampton Roads as long as their work engages with the area in a meaningful way.
We are open for submissions until April 30th, 2026.
Along with your submission, please provide a brief cover letter and third-person bio. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please note this in your cover letter, and notify us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere.
All submissions should be formatted in Time New Roman, 12 pt. font, with standard margins.
For prose, please submit one short story or essay of no more than 4,000 words. For flash fiction or non-fiction, you may submit up to three pieces of no more than 1,000 words each. All prose should be double spaced.
For poetry, please submit no more than three poems in a singular document.
We use Submittable to process submissions. Your submission must be in Word or Rich Text (.doc or .rtf) format. The system will not accept other formats, including .pdf. You can find the link to our Submittable at the bottom of this page.
We accept both previously published and unpublished work. Please indicate in your cover whether your work has been published elsewhere and if so, where. For previously unpublished work, Brackish Waters acquires only the first serial publication rights of accepted work. Copyright is asserted on behalf of the author; all reprint rights (print or electronic) revert to the author upon publication, but we ask that you mention Brackish Waters as first publication appearance.
Barely South Review accepts artwork submissions year round. Your original works of art including photography, painting, graphics, sculpture, video work, and multimedia could be featured in BSR. Works must not have appeared elsewhere (other than on the artist's personal website).
We are not currently accepting AI generated work.
You may submit up to 15 works. If your work has not been accepted, please wait one calendar year before resubmitting.
Formats accepted include .jpg, .gif, .tiff, .png., .mov, .mp4.