We consider short fiction and personal essays with contemporary themes (no genre fiction or literary criticism). There is no specific word or page count; generally, however, Colorado Review prefers short stories and essays that are somewhere between 15 and 25 manuscript pages. We do not accept flash fiction or nonfiction. Please submit only one story or essay at a time.

While it is difficult to define the sort of story we’re looking for, some of the questions we ask ourselves while reading manuscripts are: Is there an engaging opening? Has the author created original, idiosyncratic characters, people you’re interested in following through the story? Is the language crisp and sharp? Is there a provocative central problem or issue in the story? Is the story about something, and is whatever it is about important or troubling? Is the pace suitable? Is the story tightly constructed from start to finish? Most of the stories we accept—though not all—are twenty to twenty-five manuscript pages.

For nonfiction, we are interested in memoir, personal essay, and creative nonfiction. Generally, scholarly essays are not appropriate.

Colorado Review pays $300 for short stories and nonfiction.