Rhetorical Analysis: Publication Venue Handout

The Pinch 

The Pinch is a journal of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and visual art produced by the MFA program at the University of Memphis.


Background:

The journal is published biannually. Work that has appeared in The Pinch has been reprinted in the Best American Essays and Best American Nonrequired Reading. Two stories that have previously been published in The Pinch have been short-listed for the Pushcart Prize.

The journal was founded by William Page in 1980, under the name Memphis State Review. The journal's name was changed to River City in 1988 and to The Pinch in 2006.

Among the writers whose work has appeared in the journal are Robert Bly, Philip Levine, Mary Oliver, Robert Penn Warren, Margaret Atwood, Donald Justice, Marvin Bell, Dinty W. Moore, Adrienne Rich, Lucille Clifton, Mary Gaitskill, John Updike, Linda Gregerson, Bobbie Ann Mason, and Scott Russell Sanders.

Submission Requirements (In their own words):

In truth, we are just looking for strong voices and well-written prose and poetry. We want beautiful, muscular work with strong emotional threads. We want to read essays, stories, and poems that move us, provoke us, and excite us.

We accept submissions between August 15th and March 15th.

All submissions should include a brief cover letter that includes contact information (name, address, phone number, email) and a self-addressed stamped envelope for our response. We do not read submissions outside the deadlines. Manuscripts or other materials will be recycled. We do not return manuscripts.

All submissions must be previously unpublished. The Pinch purchases first North American serial rights upon acceptance; after publication, rights revert back to the author. Payment for publication is two copies of The Pinch issue in which the work appears. We accept simultaneous submissions.

Send only original work. If your work quotes or borrows from other work, that source should receive credit. If we suspect work to be plagiarized, we will assume good faith, but we’ll still investigate and contact the appropriate authorities.

You can submit either ONLINE or BY MAIL!

Online

Please select the genre for which you are submitting for and then pay the $3 reading fee. Subscribers can submit for free through the “Subscriber’s Submission” category. People expressly solicited by a member of The Pinch staff can also submit for free through the “Solicited Submission” category. We do NOT accept submissions via email.

Creative Nonfiction:
Manuscripts should be typed and double-spaced. Please use 1″ margins and include page numbers. Manuscripts should be no more than about 5,000 words.

By Mail

Creative Nonfiction:
Manuscripts should be typed and double-spaced. Please use 1″ margins and include page numbers. Manuscripts should be no more than about 5,000 words. We do not accept email manuscripts. Address to CREATIVE NONFICTION EDITOR.

Contests: 

The Pinch Literary Awards in Fiction and Poetry 2012
Sponsored by the Hohenberg Foundation

Fiction First Prize: $1,500.00. Judged by Justin Torres.
Poetry First Prize: $1,000.00. Judged by Nicky Beer.

ENTRY PERIOD:
December 15th – March 1. Entries not postmarked within the reading period will be discarded unread.

PUBLICATION:
All entries are considered for publication. First, second, and third place winners will be selected from each category. The first place fiction winner, along with all three poetry winners, will be published in the Spring issue following announcement. Second and third place winners in fiction will be given high-priority consideration for publication, but because of space, cannot be guaranteed. Due to the high volume of submissions, any prize winners will be ineligible for contest participation for three years.

CONTEST RULES:
Only unpublished work will be considered. Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but notify us immediately if work is accepted elsewhere. No refunds will be issued. Manuscripts will not be returned. You may submit entries online via the link below or via mail. Emailed entries will not be considered.