Tension is at the center of all great writing. ​We are committed to publishing poetry, fiction, and nonfiction that stirs, shocks, or surprises us.

At Tension, we strive to uplift marginalized voices, so LGBTQIA+ individuals and POC are encouraged to submit. ​

Tension Lit is a not-for-profit journal. All reading fee and feedback fee donations are put directly back into the running of the site and promoting the work in each issue. The editor and any readers are unpaid volunteers. Therefore, we do not have the funds to pay writers to publish their work at this time. We hope to be able to do so in the future.

Submission Guidelines:

Submissions for Issue VI: Winter Blues will be open October 15 - November 15, 2026.

All submissions should be emailed to editor@tensionliterary.com with the genre (poetry, fiction, nonfiction) in the subject line. Include a cover letter and third person bio in the body of the email. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please be sure to tell us if your piece has been accepted elsewhere. Only previously unpublished pieces will be considered.

If you've been published by Tension previously, please wait two issues before submitting again.

Submissions are free!
​The reading fee is an optional and appreciated $5 donation toward the running of our site. 

Fiction: Must be no longer than 6,000 words. Please use Times New Roman 12 pt font, double spaced.

Nonfiction: Must be no longer than 6,000 words. Please use Times New Roman 12 pt font, double spaced.

Poetry: ​Must contain no more than five poems. Poems can be single spaced, but please use Times New Roman 12 pt font.