Submission guidelines
Why should you submit your work to us?
Creativity and inspiration can be found in every aspect of our lives, and sometimes it finds its way to the page. We are looking to showcase the creative work written by our very own undergraduate CSU students, regardless of their previous artistic experience, current major, or aspirations.
When can you submit your work to us?
Submissions open on September 9th and end on December 16th. We know that life can get busy, but we will not accept any work after December 16th — so try to submit sooner rather than later.
How do you submit your work to us?
We use Submittable to see your work (link below.) To remain unbiased in our selection process, we require you to provide a cover letter with your selected works. Please include:
- your full name
- e-mail address
- submission title
- genre
- total word count
Identifying information should only appear in the Submittable cover letter and should not appear anywhere in the title or content of your submission.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted
Please notify us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere. We do not accept previously published work.
Guidelines by genre
Each genre has different rules to follow. Regardless of genre, each work should be submitted separately.
Fiction Submissions
We consider all genres of fiction, including excerpts from longer works so long as they are self-contained. Be fearless, and view your fiction writing as a way to get at the truths of the human experience. Please send us your best work following these guidelines:
- 2,000 word minimum, 4,000 word maximum
- 3 fiction pieces maximum (note: each piece must be submitted separately, you may submit to the fiction category a total of 3 times)
- Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx format)
- Double-spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman preferred
For the 2022-23 issue, the Greyrock Review will be accepting work for a Flash Fiction category. Following along with the Fiction guidelines, all Flash Fiction submissions must be self-contained. Don’t be intimidated by the low word count, experiment and have fun with your submissions! Please follow these guidelines for Flash Fiction:
- 300 word minimum, 1,000 word maximum
- 3 flash fiction pieces maximum (note: each piece must be submitted separately; you may submit to the Flash Fiction category a total of 3 times)
- Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx format)
- Double-spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman preferred
Regardless of which category of fiction you're submitting to, please include the following in your cover letter:
- Name
- Email address
- Submission title
- Genre
- Word count
You must be a current CSU undergraduate student to submit. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Please notify us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere. We do not accept any previously published work.
Your name and other identifying information should NOT appear in the title of your submission or on the manuscript, only on the cover letter.
Poetry Submissions
We welcome poems of any length and style. You may submit a maximum of five (5) poems, totaling no more than fifteen (15) pages.
All poems must be uploaded in a single document and each poem should begin on a separate page.
Note: formatting on an MS Word file may be altered by upload; if the format is important to you, please upload your poem(s) as a PDF file.
Please include the following in your cover letter:
- Name
- Email address
- Genre
- Number of poems submitted
- Poem titles
You must be a current CSU undergraduate student to submit. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Please notify us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere. We do not accept any previously published work.
Your name and other identifying information should NOT appear in the title of your submission or on the manuscript, only on the cover letter.
Nonfiction Submissions
We welcome any genre of creative nonfiction, from literary journalism to lyric essay. Nothing is too personal or off limits, but if you feel the need, please include a trigger warning. All pieces either be grounded in truth, or make it clear to the reader when the piece departs from the truth. Any piece of creative nonfiction must be self-contained and you are welcome to submit up to three pieces, each submitted separately.
Submission requirements include:
- 250 to 4,000 words
- Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx format) or PDF allowed (if you would like the formatting of your piece to remain unchanged)
- Double-spaced
- 12 point font (Times New Roman preferred)
Please include the following in your cover letter:
- Name
- Email Address
- Submission Title
- Genre
- Word Count
You must be a current CSU undergraduate student to submit. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Please notify us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere. We do not accept any previously published work.
Your name and other identifying information should NOT appear in the title of your submission or on the manuscript, only on the cover letter.
Art Submissions
We welcome visual art of all categories. You may submit a maximum of five (5) pieces of your best work for consideration - multiple images of a singular piece are allowed for three-dimensional artworks. Please upload your visual work as a PDF or High-Quality JPEG file, 300 dpi minimum. We are not accepting any hard copies.
If you would like any sculptural pieces or large paintings/drawings to appear in the magazine, we require that you photograph the work yourself and then submit. What you submit will appear in the final issue, so be mindful of the composition of your images.
Please include the following in your cover letter:
- Name
- Email address
- Submission Title
- Medium
- Size
- Resolution
You must be a current CSU undergraduate student to submit. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Please notify us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere. We do not accept any previously published work.
Your name and other identifying information should NOT appear in the title of your submission or on the manuscript, only on the cover letter.
Submit your work now with Submittable
The Greyrock Review uses Submittable to receive, review, and accept work for publication. Submittable is a cloud-based online platform that is secure and simple to use. All art, fiction, poetry, and nonfiction must be submitted through Submittable. All original works will be considered for publication. Work may be accepted, declined, or resubmitted with suggested revisions from the editors. All majors are encouraged to submit.
Questions regarding submissions can be sent to editor.csu@gmail.com.
2022
Special thanks to the Lilla B. Morgan Memorial Endowment for the Arts for providing a grant to make this year’s publication possible.
The Lilla B. Morgan Memorial Endowment for the Arts provides grants to support art, music, humanities, literature, and the performing arts.
Cover Art by Natalie Freeman
Cover Design by Dorie Keck
Logo Design by Renee Haptonstall
© 2022 Greyrock Review
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in
any form or by any means, without prior written consent from
Printed in the United States.
2021

2020

Managing Editors Sierra Reilly, Izabelle Hood
Fiction Editor Kailey Almquist
Poetry Editor Kathryn Lopez
Nonfiction Editor Kennie Ma
Typesetter & Graphic Designer Jesse Schaub
Associate All-Genre Editor Paris Huckaby
Associate Fiction Editor Sierra Reilly
Associate Nonfiction Editor Izabelle Hood
Associate Poetry Editor Jesse Schaub
Graduate Advisor Anna Emerson
Faculty Advisor Stephanie G’Schwind
Sponsors Lilla B. Morgan
Memorial Endowment
CSU English Department

Overview
Students participating in the Greyrock Review internship (E487B) will receive 1 credit per semester for 40 hours of work. Interns meet with the Graduate Student Advisor every week for an hour, and they complete assignments outside of the scheduled meetings. Students can register for E487B for 1 credit per semester for up to 4 semesters.
During this yearlong internship, students learn the intricacies of publishing, promoting, and printing a literary journal. As a staff intern, you will be expected to attend weekly staff meetings, where you will discuss advertising, promoting submissions, reading poetry, fiction and nonfiction submissions, copy editing, writing acceptance and rejection notices, and whatever else may come across the Greyrock Review desk.
Backgrounds in editing and/or creative writing are preferable, though not necessary. Students are asked to commit to working on the journal for the entire academic year so that they are able to see the journal to completion.
Time Involvement With E487B
Students meet every week, reading and deciding on submissions before winter break. Interns will begin copyediting near the end of the break. The graphic designers and the editor spend more time working on the journal during the spring semester.
The fall semester is a lot slower than the spring semester. In the fall, students meet for one hour each week. In the spring, students will meet for an hour twice weekly. The staff will work to find a time during which everyone can meet.
Internship editorial roles
Managing Editor
Duties include overseeing all editorial staff, communicating with contributors, working with BookMobile to coordinate the production timeline and costs, and serving as final proofreader before sending the journal to print.
Poetry Editors
Poetry editors will create submission guidelines, read all poetry submissions and decide which poems will appear in the journal. In the spring editors will copyedit selected poems as well as proofread pieces from their section and fiction/nonfiction.
Nonfiction Editors
Nonfiction editors will create submission guidelines, read all nonfiction submissions and decide which pieces will appear in the journal. In the spring editors will copyedit selected pieces as well as proofread in poetry/fiction.
Fiction Editors
Fiction editors will create submission guidelines, read all fiction submissions and decide which stories will appear in the journal. In the spring editors will copyedit selected pieces as well as proofread in poetry/nonfiction.
Visual Arts Editor
The visual arts editor will create submission guidelines, review all submissions and decide which pieces to include in the issue. The editor will also work with the artists and graphic designer on formatting.
Typesetter
The typesetter will insert all text into the InDesign layout, paying close attention to proper and uniform formatting, and perform corrections as dictated by the managing editor and section editors.
Graphic Designer
The graphic designer will be responsible for designing the cover and creating the master layout for the journal (decisions include typeface, trim size, margins, running head, placement of logo and page numbers etc.). Knowledge of InDesign necessary or a willingness to learn in your own time.
Promotions and Fundraising
The person with this position will manage the Greyrock Review Facebook page, organize fundraising events and classroom visits, create posters and flyers to promote the submission period as well as Greyrock Review events, and plan the release party.
Internship application
To Apply
If you are interested in participating, please e-mail Stephanie G'Schwind to determine your eligibility for this internship. Instructions for registration will be emailed once the override is complete.
In your email, include:
- Full name
- CSU ID
- Year in college - junior or senior
Credit Information
E384A, E487A and E487B, and E495 cannot fulfill requirements listed in Column A of the check sheets. Undergraduates may count a total of only four E487A and/or E487B internship credits toward graduation. However, only 3 credits of E487A will satisfy graduation credits. These credits will count as free electives, not as replacements for other English courses.
Students taking E487C and/or E487D may be able to count up to 7 credits of internship toward graduation. E487C or E487D can satisfy 3 upper-division English elective credits in Column A. All students should consult their advisors regarding verification of the number of credits they may count toward graduation.
Positions
Faculty and Graduate Student Advisors will assign positions early in the Fall Semester.
Qualifications
- Minimum GPA 3.0
- Grade of B or better in E210: Beginning Creative Writing
- Class - Junior or Senior
- Major or minor in English