Annual Submission Period November 1 to December 15 11:59PM Pacific Time.

The Timberline Review

The Timberline Review is an all-volunteer literary journal operated by Willamette Writers. Whether you’ve been previously published or not, we look for writing that is  clear, well-crafted, and written in your original voice.

We seek work from these genres

• Poetry
• Fiction (flash, short story, novella, and novel excerpt)
• Creative nonfiction (including essay and memoir) and critical commentary (Writing about writing including literary analysis, and craft instruction)
• Visual art: we seek black and white for inside the journal and color images for cover art. 

General Submission Guidelines for the Timberline Review 

Submissions failing to meet all guidelines below will be disqualified.

• Limit: one submission per person.
• We seek submissions from writers 18 and up.
• If you are not a member of Willamette Writers, please use the guest submission form. Even better, sign up as a member today!
• All submissions are considered anonymously. (Be sure your name DOES NOT appear anywhere in the submission (including headers and footers, please). 
• Submissions that include identifying information will automatically be disqualified. 
• One submission per person. 
• We welcome human efforts, creative ideas, and formulations that do not rely on large language learning models or generative A.I.

Text Formatting

• Submissions are anonymous: Do not include name or contact information on your attachment (including headers and footers). Any identifying information in a submission results in immediate disqualification.
• Font: Times New Roman.
• Size: 12 pt.
• Spacing: 1.5 line spacing for prose; single spacing for poetry.
• Margins: 1 inch left/right and top/bottom.
• Headers/Footers: Not necessary. Please check that your name is not in the header or footer.
• Title of Work: Only at the top of the first page.

File Formatting

• Documents must be in .doc, or .docx.
• Digital images must be in .tif or .jpeg, with a resolution of 300+ dpi. Submit Black and White files for work for consideration inside the journal; submit color files for consideration as cover art.
• File name:  Only the title of the piece. (NOT your name and title) for example: GreatPoem.docx

Word and Page Limits

• Fiction, Non-fiction, Critical Commentary: 3,500 words.
• Poetry: One poem; maximum of 10 pages.
• Visual Art: One piece.

Genre-Specific Guidelines

Follow genre-specific formatting anywhere the genre-specific formatting conflicts with the general text formatting.

• POETRY: The poem must be single-spaced. If you have specific spacing ideas, please explain in a note at the end of the poem.
• VISUAL ART: All images selected for the interior will be produced in b/w. We can only accept digital images submitted as .tif or .jpeg files with a resolution of 300+ dpi.

Diversity

We encourage submissions from everyone, particularly emerging talent. Consider submitting to the Timberline Review if you identify with a group which is not well-represented by traditional publishing, including, but not limited to, the following:

• BIPOC and other people of color
• members of LGBTQIA+ communities
• Members of disabilities communities

Please consider this door open to you. We are eager to consider your work.

Accessibility

We use a simple form to gather submissions, but we understand that this is not universally accessible to people with disabilities. If you have questions related to accessibility, please email us at wilwrite [at] willamettewriters [dot] org with the subject line “Accessibility Query.” Accessibility Queries should only contain a request to submit by alternate means, and not be a submission.

Reprints & Simultaneous Submissions

The Timberline Review does not accept reprints. Previously produced or performed drama and performance poetry is welcome as long as it has not appeared in print elsewhere. Simultaneous submissions are always welcome, but if your work is accepted elsewhere, please make sure to inform us right away by emailing wilwrite [at] willamettewriters [dot] org.

The Timberline Review Payment and Rights Acquired

Authors receive $25 + one print contributor copy. First North American Serial Rights.

Kay Snow Awards

The Kay Snow Awards were named in honor of Willamette Writers founder. The aim of the awards is to help writers reach professional goals in writing through a broad array of categories, and also to encourage student writers. In addition to prizes, winners are listed on the Willamette Writers website and honored at our Willamette Writers Conference held annually in August.

This year, the Kay Snow Award will be chosen from among accepted submissions to the Timberline Review by our editorial staff and given to (1) the top piece and (2) the runner-up in each of the above categories. 

Prizes

• First prize: $100 cash prize and one-day admission to the Willamette Writers Conference.
• Runner-up: $50 cash prize and one-day admission to the Willamette Writers Conference.

Eligibility

• 1. First and second place winners of the last two Kay Snow Writing Awards are not eligible for the award.
• 2. Officers and board members, staff and contractors, chapter chairs, program leads and editors are not eligible for the Kay Snow Awards or for inclusion in the Timberline Review.
• 3. The Timberline Review readers are welcome to submit outside the category that they are reading.

Contact Us

Email wilwrite [at] willamettewriters [dot] org. Normal response time is one week.

We look forward to reading your work!