• If you've been published in the previous year's issue, please wait a year before submitting again. We now read submissions blindly. That means, you should not include your name in the title of your manuscript file or on the manuscript pages itself. If we accept your work, we'll know who you are via your information on Submittable. 
• You may submit up to FIVE poems per reading period. Submit your poems as separate files in your entry rather than putting all five poems in a single file (yes, the system is set up to accept five separate files per poetry entry). However, do not submit each poem as a separate entry because then you'll end up paying the Submittable submission fee five times. We don't want that to happen to you!
• Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please immediately withdraw your piece if it is accepted elsewhere. Simply leave us a message about the acceptance in Submittable.
• Because of the increased volume of submissions we're now receiving, please submit only once per reading period.
• Each poem should not exceed 1,000 words. 
• Poems that continue onto a second page should include a note of either “continued with stanza break” or “continued without stanza break.”
• A note about our niche: We tend to like poetry that engages with authentic spiritual, emotional, and social experience with a good ear for the music of language. Free verse and formalist poetry are welcome. Although we are rooted in Judeo-Christian faith, we welcome well-crafted and sophisticated poems interacting with any faith, including poems that question, express doubt about, or even resist faith. We also welcome poems exploring social justice themes. We prefer poems rooted in concrete images over abstract poetry. We do not publish devotional poetry.

  We don't want memoirs or devotionals so much as exploratory essays with an emotional arc that may or may not be narrative.

• If you've been published in the previous year's issue, please wait a year before submitting again.
• You may submit up to THREE pieces per reading period; attach each piece as a separate file below.
• Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please immediately withdraw your piece if it is accepted elsewhere. Simply leave us a message about the acceptance in Submittable.
• We now read submissions blindly. That means, you should not include your name in the title of your manuscript file or on the manuscript pages itself. If we accept your work, we'll know who you are via your information on Submittable.
• Each piece should not exceed 5,000 words.
• Double space.

Relief seeks fiction of high literary merit that takes the struggles and joys of our everyday lives seriously.

• If you've been published in the previous year's issue, please wait a year before submitting again.
• You may submit up to THREE stories per reading period. Submit each story as separate files within the same submission.
• Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please immediately withdraw your piece if it is accepted elsewhere. Simply leave us a message about the acceptance in Submittable.
• We now read submissions blindly. That means, you should not include your name in the title of your manuscript file or on the manuscript pages itself. If we accept your work, we'll know who you are via your information on Submittable.
• Please write the title of the work and the word count at the top of the first page.
• Each story should not exceed 8,000 words, though in general, we prefer to work with much shorter pieces.
• Double space.

• We want our reviews to provide our readers with a snapshot of the book. Help them decide if they want to read this particular book or not. Your review should answer some, but not necessarily all, of the following questions: What makes it well written and worth their time?  Why do you care about it enough to write a review?  What questions did it leave you pondering after you finished reading?
• Keep the tone informative but friendly. This isn’t an academic essay.
• Including a few specific examples from the book/collection you’re reviewing is always helpful to our readers. Please keep the quotations brief.
• Do not site external sources or include a works cited.
• Length: 500-750 words
• Please format your review title as simply as possible.
  • For example: “A Review of Author’s Title by Your Name.”  See reviews posted on our site for examples.
• Keep in mind the aesthetic values of Relief. We aren’t interested in simplistic “inspirational” writing. Instead, we value writing that broadens our perspective and speaks honestly about the beautiful, complex pursuit of faith and art.
• Feel free to submit reviews for media other than books.

• We want blog entries that provoke deep thought, talking about important modern issues and ideas.
• Feel free to address current events or controversy, but remember that Relief is not interested in partisanship as much as we are passionate about problem-solving together in community. Don't shy away from telling the truth.
• Keep the tone approachable and informal.
• Provide hyperlinks for any external sources used.
• Length: 500-750 words