Who are you?

We are Clevelanders who love to write, love to read, and would like to uncover and foster regional literary talent. We’re looking for the John Steinbeck and Flannery O’Connor of the Rust Belt. It could be you.

What do you want from me?

We want your short fiction, literary non-fiction, poetry, photography and illustrations — anything you’ve created that is good.

And in return . . .?

We here at The Cleveland Review believe that writers, and all artists, should be paid for their work. As writers ourselves, we believe this strongly. However, we’re broke, and cannot afford to pay you. We hope that in time, we will be able to secure a modicum of funds.

For now, however, you’ll be paid in promotion and bragging rights.

I live in Pittsburgh. Can I contribute to The Cleveland Review, or is it just for my mortal enemies?

We accept and encourage submissions from the entire Rust Belt region, even Steelers country. Click here for a map of what constitutes the Rust Belt.

I’m from Pittsburgh but now I live in New York. Can I still submit?

Yes. The expat experience is part of our experience.

Why are you concentrating on the Rust Belt?

The Rust Belt has long been flailing in the economic mire that the rest of the country is just now sinking into, so it’s possible that the economic downturn of America will act as a catalyst for the emergence of Rust Belt fiction as a genre.   We see renewed opportunity for a return to the regionalist literary movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  So much has happened since then in our industrial heartland, yet there have been few attempts to examine our culture from a literary or artistic angle.

So what does the literature of the Rust Belt look like?  Regional literature involves more than just name-dropping people and places. A good Rust Belt tale attempts to illuminate our unique outlook and culture, to both differentiate us from other parts of the country and place us within a larger national context. A good Rust Belt tale helps explain who we are and how we got this way.

Please keep in mind that The Cleveland Review is not a marketing campaign. Good fiction cannot be a mere celebration of virtues; rather, it often involves taking a long, hard look at the ugliest parts of our personal and civic characters.

OK, I’d like to submit my work. What now?

Check out our Editorial Policy, and then visit our Submissions page. Our preferred format is anything that will open as a Google doc.  The deadline for the upcoming issue is always the 1st of the month prior to release (for example, to be considered for inclusion in the January issue, we must have your submission by December 1st).  We’ll get back to you within 30 days after the deadline to let you know if we’d like to use your piece.

Please use our submission manager for submissions and withdrawals. Submissions sent by e-mail will not be read or replied to.

NOTE: We are currently closed to submissions. We will reopen to submissions for Issue 4 on February 1, 2012.

What is your publication schedule?

The Cleveland Review will be published biannually, in January and July. We are an exclusively web-based publication.

I have a question that you don’t address here, you fools.

That’s not a question. You can e-mail any additional questions or queries (but please, no submissions or withdrawals) to editor@clevelandreview.org.