Creative Nonfiction Guidelines

We welcome literary nonfiction stories or essays that have a distinctive personal voice, attentiveness to language, rich details, and lyrical phrasing. We want to read a story that introduces us to a fresh perspective. We do not publish political rhetoric or academic essays. 

Please send one story or essay per submission. Manuscripts should be no longer than 5,000 words, double-spaced, and in standard MLA manuscript format. All genres are welcome.

General Guidelines

We want to read your work! We value and encourage both emerging and experienced creators. Our goal is to engage readers and create a space for great art to bring us closer together.

The Headlight Review is deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity amongst the staff and its contributors. We value varying editorial experience levels and consider aspects of identity, including race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, veteran status, or disability status, a pivotal part of artistic work. We encourage submissions from marginalized and underrepresented communities and perspectives, including emergent creators of color and those from the LGBTQIA+ community. 

We are open to submissions in all genres for publication in our biannual issues. Please submit your manuscript with a short (1-3 sentences), third-person bio in the comment section. For all submissions, please ensure that you do not include your name or other identifying information on your submission attachment. We reserve First North American electronic serial rights only; all rights revert back to the author upon publication. We ask that any reprints include the acknowledgment of first publication in The Headlight Review. THR does not offer compensation for regular publication.

Current students and recent graduates of Kennesaw State University, contest judges, and masthead members are not eligible to submit. KSU graduates become eligible to submit once 2 years have passed since graduation. 

Submissions are open year-round. The Headlight Review staff reads for our Fall/Winter issue in August – November and the Spring/Summer edition in February – May of each year. Please expect responses to occur within those reading windows. 

Simultaneous submissions are accepted when noted in your cover letter. Thank you for your interest in The Headlight Review!