We publish the best poetry and short fiction we can lay eyes on and we read everything we see - regardless of who you are. Our associate editors read your work with no identifying information. Our turn-around time is three months or less, often much less. Please submit only once per quarter. Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Please inform us promptly if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Fiction submissions will reopen in January of 2025
Read the individual guidelines for each category carefully, then send us your best work. Unfortunately, we're unable to offer comment or critique about individual pieces because of the volume of work.
If your work is accepted for publication, you will receive one copy of the issue in which your work appears and a token payment of $3 per piece. Payment can be made only within the USA. Please note that we no longer ship contributor copies outside of the USA but copies can be purchased at a low price through Amazon in most countries. The electronic issues of 3W are always free at our website.
Be sure to find and like us on Facebook. Something of yours could be featured someday and you wouldn't want to miss it. You can also find us on Instagram.
A key element in getting your work published is to match your submission to the needs and tastes of the journal to which you are submitting. If you're not already a subscriber, consider downloading or purchasing a copy of an issue or two of Third Wednesday. You can download free issues in PDF format at thirdwednesdaymagazine.org.
By submitting work to Third Wednesday, the author grants us First Right to publish the work in print and electronically (on our blog site). Works that are accepted will be published in one issue of Third Wednesday and a very few will also appear on our blog to serve as examples of what we publish. All copyrights revert to the author upon publication.
We are now reading for the Winter issue, which will be published in late December of 2024.
How to Submit:
Submit no more than three poems in a single .doc or .docx file attachment. Your file should contain no identifying information, as all submissions are read blindly by our editors. A cover letter or biography is not necessary but we enjoy reading them.
We welcome simultaneous submissions, but please be a good poetry citizen by informing us promptly if your work is accepted elsewhere.
All types of poetry are welcome, from formal to experimental. Emphasis is placed on the ideas conveyed, craft, language, the beauty of expression, and the picture that extends beyond the frame of the poem. Quality is paramount. No previously published poems, please.
Be sure to find and like us on Facebook. Something of yours could be featured someday and you wouldn't want to miss it.
New Publishing Model:
Our website now features poetry and fiction pieces accepted for publication or within a few days of their acceptance. This means you will now be able to share your good news and your work with the world right away. If you have a piece accepted we encourage you to post the link on your social media - spread the news.
Publication Rights:
By submitting work to Third Wednesday, the author grants us First Right to publish the work in print and electronically (on our blog site). Work that is accepted will be published in one print issue of Third Wednesday. All copyrights revert to the author upon publication.
Here's what some of our editors have said about what they look for:
When a piece of work touches my ear lyrically or if the words jump at my eyes on the page, I’m excited. A writer needs to say something I haven’t heard a million times before. “The moon” has to be melting Velveeta to catch my attention. “My Soul” is a deal breaker, no matter how tortured it may be. I want a twist, a new perspective, an inventive thought, a word used in a freshly descriptive way. - Joe
What I look for in a poem is the sense that I am somehow being addressed. I want to see that the poet has the reader in mind. Equally important to me is the poet’s skillful and fresh use of contemporary language and imagery. Poets who don’t have a clue about craft should learn about it before submitting. Finally, I would encourage poets to write about something worth writing about, rather than leaving me with the urge to say, “So what?” - Marilyn
I want to see poems that are outward-looking and accessible and material that is outside the individual psyche of the author. Many good poems end in ways that surprise the writer, who starts out attending closely to something and finds, through writing, what it means to him or her. - Lynn
I look for an interesting story or a photograph within the poem. I look for layers of meaning and for what isn't said. In a love poem, for example, I look for the absence of words like love, heart, soul and all the other words or phrases that are expected. I want the unexpected. - David
Our annual subscription rate is $28.00. Subscriptions are available only within the United States. Individual copies can be purchased world-wide through Amazon.com at $6 (U.S.) per copy plus shipping.
Have a new book or a recent one? 3rd Wednesday can help you spread the news in two ways.
1. We can post an announcement on the 3rd Wednesday website and on our Facebook page. There is no cost for this. Access is through Submittable. Look for the “Contributor Book Listing” form and upload your information. Your free listing will reach hundreds of potential readers.
2. You can request a 10-to-15-minute reading with our editor over Zoom. Just mark the box when you upload the information for your free book listing. We’ll contact you to schedule a Zoom meeting. The meeting will be just you and the moderator who will introduce you. The recorded meeting will appear on our YouTube Channel so you can include the link on your social media and in any publicity releases. This service is free of charge but you're welcome to make a small donation of $5 as an add-on to the form.