• TVBR is published twice per year, in June and November. Our reading period for the June issue is January 15 - April 30; our reading period for the November issue is July 1 - October 1. We will not accept submissions of any kind in May, June, November, and December. Manuscripts submitted during these months will be immediately returned.

• All submissions and correspondence to TVBR must be made by mail and include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (S.A.S.E.) with sufficient postage if the work is to be returned and a response is expected; no replies will be given by e-mail or postcard. Avoid oversized (and undersized) envelopes. TVBR cannot be held responsible for manuscripts submitted without a S.A.S.E. Your return address must appear, legibly, on the outside of the envelope. TVBR cannot be held responsible for delay, loss, or damage. We do not consider, and will not respond to, any submissions made by email or fax.

• Mail your manuscript in a page-size manila envelope, your name and address written on the outside. In general, address submissions to the “Fiction Editor,” “Poetry Editor,” or “Nonfiction Editor” rather than to staff editors by name, unless you have a legitimate association with them or have been previously published in the magazine.

• TVBR editors request that poets submit not more than 6 poems at a time. We also ask that writers submit not more than one short story, novel excerpt, essay, review, or non-fiction piece at a time (2-3 short-shorts or flash pieces are acceptable). More than one short story may be submitted to our annual short story contest if sufficient entry fees are also included. Please mail genres separately. Also, please mail all other correspondence (such as issue requests and submission inquiries) separately.

• Cover letters are helpful, but please know that we encourage new as well as established writers and do not give automatic preference to previously published or award-winning writers. A good story is a good story.

• Poems should be individually typed single-spaced on one side of the page. Prose should by typed double-spaced on one side. We do not post min./max. word limits (except for the annual story contest—4,500 word limit), but we tend to select shorter pieces and admire authors who employ an economy of words. Generally, contributions should generally not exceed 25 pages; authors wishing to submit longer manuscripts should query first with S.A.S.E. There are no preferences in regards to names in headers or footers, or to staples or paper clips.

• Please do not send multiple submissions of the same genre, and do not send another manuscript until you receive a response about the first. No more than a total of two submissions per reading period, please. Additional submissions will be returned unread.

• Simultaneous submissions are amenable (though certainly not preferred) as long as they are indicated as such and we are notified immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. Simultaneous submissions are NOT acceptable for TVBR annual story contest.

• We cannot consider any work that has been previously published or accepted for publication—anywhere, in any form—either in the United States or abroad.

• Translations are welcome as long as permission to translate has been granted before submitting. All submissions must include the original as well as the translated work.

• Payment is upon publication: $125 minimum for accepted short stories, essays, letters, nonfiction, and prose articles; $40 minimum for poetry; payment for artwork is negotiable. All rights revert to artists and authors upon publication.

• We cannot accommodate revisions, changes of return address, or forgotten S.A.S.E.’s after the fact. Do not send revisions unless they have been specifically requested by the editors.

• We regret that the volume of submissions received and the small size of our staff do not generally permit us to offer individual criticism.

• For more information about literary magazines, consult directories such as The Writer’s Market, Poets & Writers, Writers Digest, and The International Directory of Literary Magazines and Small Presses.

There are no upcoming themes at this time. Please check back in January 2005 for new themes and contests.

TVBR seeks work that is original, concise, and well crafted, and the following suggestions may help you make it that way. But remember, most rules—especially those concerning writing—may be broken to achieve an interesting end.

• Edit and proofread carefully. The most useful skill you can acquire as a writer is the ability to efficiently edit and proofread your own work. This ability requires a willingness to carve away any unnecessary words, phrases, characters, etc., your first draft contains.
  
  

• It’s prudent to “rest” a “finished” piece for at least two weeks before proofing it for weak spots.
  
  

• Be as specific as possible in word choice, descriptions, and metaphorical language. Make each word contribute to the entire piece. Words such as “very,” “really,” “some,” “kind of,” “a lot,” “somehow,” etc., are vague and empty. Also, use direct verbs whenever possible. Use adverbs sparingly. Vary sentence lengths and watch out for repetitive sentence structures.
  
  

• Reread your opening lines. Does your beginning immediately pull the reader into the world you’ve created? Or is it plodding, boring, mundane? Reread your ending. Does your ending ring true and natural? Or is it too pat and tacked on? Make sure your work is fresh overall. Are your words, characters, plot too familiar or clichéd? Are your style and voice consistent and controlled?
  
  

• Read. Also, research your markets.
  
  

• Above all, learn to appreciate your writing and the writing process itself. Passion for the creative process is translated into the completed work.

We have no upcoming contests at this time. Please check back in January 2005 for new themes and contests.

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