Four Genres | We seek well-crafted writing that takes risks. We publish work in and between all genres: poetry, fiction, essays, and plays—we appreciate work in experimental and traditional modes. We accept prose submissions of less than 7,000 words (24 double-spaced pages) and poetry submissions under five pages. We publish scripts in the 10-minute format (10 pages). Our issues feature the work of 20-35 writers chosen from our general submissions (Only one or two pieces may be by a contributing editor or author we've queried.).
Book Reviews, Translations, Illustrations | We publish book reviews of under two pages. We go to press in September, so books reviewed should be published between June and December. Submit reviews to Essay and signal as a review in your cover letter. We publish original translations into English. We only accept work that has not been previously published elsewhere, electronically or in print. We showcase illustrators in every issue: send your portfolio to review@tusculum.edu to be considered for a commission.
Reading Period | We read year round, though our response time may be slower during the summer months. We go to print annually in the fall. We accept simultaneous submissions, but please alert us via Submittable in the event of acceptance elsewhere. We would love to pay you with money, but our budget only allows for payment in copies (2).
Cover Letter | Please include your name, address, phone number, email address, and title(s) of your submissions in your cover letter. A short bio is optional.
Award Nominations | We nominate for the Pushcart Prize, O. Henry Awards, Best New Poets, and The Best American Series. Irene O'Garden's "Glad to be Human: A Joie de Coeur," published in Volume 6 of The Tusculum Review, won a 2012 Pushcart Prize. Robin Storey Dunn's "Gimme Shelter" and Jamie L. Smith's "Mythology Lessons," published in Volume 16, were recognized as Notable Essays and Literary Nonfiction of 2020 in The Best American Essays 2021. In The Best American Essays 2022, Priscilla Long's "After Long Silence" and Suphil Lee Park's "An Escape Clause" (Volume 17), were recognized as Notables of 2021. Katrin Arefy's "Blowing Dandelions" (Volume 18) was honored by Series Editor Robert Atwan as a Notable Essay of 2022 in The Best American Essays 2023.
Publication Rights | Except for second printings of the journal due to demand, all rights to material in The Tusculum Review revert to the individual authors and artists after publication (first serial rights). We request that you acknowledge us if you reprint work we published first. The ideas and opinions expressed in The Tusculum Review are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or ideas of Tusculum University, its administration, faculty, or staff. Tusculum University does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, age, sexual orientation, identity, religion, ethnic origin, or disability.
Online Submission Manager | We do not generally accept mailed or e-mailed submissions, but if Submittable is a hardship, let us know at review@tusculum.edu. If you do not have internet access, please mail your manuscript to The Tusculum Review, P.O. Box 5113, 60 Shiloh Rd., Greeneville, TN 37745-0595 and include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for our reply.
2024 Issue - Volume 20 | Our 20th Anniversary Issue will be green in color and thicker than usual. It will feature the winner of the 2024 Nonfiction Chapbook Prize selected by guest judge Mary Cappello, original illustrations of the written work, and texts in all four genres chosen from our general submissions.
Questions? | review@tusculum.edu | (423) 636-7300 ext. 5420
The Tusculum Review 2024 Nonfiction Chapbook Prize
- A prize of $1,000
- publication of the essay in The Tusculum Review’s 20th Anniversary Issue (2024)
- Creation of a limited edition stand-alone chapbook with original art
The deadline is June 15, 2024 on Submittable.com.
The entry fee is $20 per manuscript. Entry fees include a one-year subscription to The Tusculum Review (an annual publication) and consideration for publication. We encourage international submissions but must charge an additional $15 fee to mail the journal to locations outside the U.S.
Each manuscript should consist of a single essay in a standard 12-point font. Format of entries is open and may be short form, long-form, or experimental. Essays may be between 1,500 words (5 manuscript pages) and 17,000 words (55 pages: novelette-length).
Essays may not have been previously published nor be forthcoming, though small portions (less than 20% of the essay) may have been printed elsewhere (provided rights have reverted to the author). Simultaneous submissions are accepted: please alert us if your essay is going to be published elsewhere.
Please do NOT include your name or any other identifying information on any page of the essay manuscript.
Editors of The Tusculum Review and contest judge Mary Cappello will determine the winner of the 2024 prize. Family, friends, and previous students of the contest judge as well as The Tusculum Review editors are disqualified from the contest, as are those with reciprocal professional relationships.
Names and identifying information will not be visible to the judges. The Tusculum Review reserves the right to extend the call for manuscripts or cancel the award. We have only canceled one of the 20+ contests we've hosted, due to single-digit entries. We look forward to reading your work.
Mary Cappello’s seven books of literary nonfiction include a Los Angeles Times bestselling detour on awkwardness; a lyric biography; the mood fantasia, Life Breaks In; and a speculative manifesto, Lecture. She has been variously honored with Guggenheim and Berlin Prize Fellowships in Nonfiction; the Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize for her documentary work with new immigrants to Italy; and the Bechtel Prize for Educating the Imagination from Teachers and Writers Collaborative. Her third book, the breast cancer anti-chronicle, Called Back, was recently re-issued by Fordham UP. Professor Emerita of English and Creative Writing at the University of Rhode Island, she is currently completing Frost Will Come: Essays from the Bardo based on the last two weeks in the life of her mother, poet Rosemary Cappello.
Please attach your story of less than 7,000 words (24 double-spaced pages) as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf. Include your name, address, phone number, email address, and the title of the submission in your cover letter. A short bio is optional.
Please attach your poetry submission of less of less than five pages as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf. Include your name, address, phone number, email address, and the title(s) of the submission(s) in your cover letter. A short bio is optional.
Please attach your essay of less than 7,000 words (24 double-spaced pages) as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf. Include your name, address, phone number, email address, and the title of the submission in your cover letter. A short bio is optional.
We publish book reviews of under two pages. We go to press in September, so books reviewed should be published between June and December. Submit reviews to Essay and signal as a review in your cover letter.
Please attach your play of 10 pages as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf. Include your name, address, phone number, email address, and the title of the submission in your cover letter. A short bio is optional.