Please submit up to three prose pieces OR up to six poems in one document via our Submittable page (adroit.submittable.com). 

Prose submissions may be up to 9,000 words per entry of between 1-3 pieces. There is no length limit for poetry. 

All work in the submission packet should be by the same author. If you would like to submit translations of works by different authors, please make a separate submission for each one.

Your translation should be accompanied by a translator’s note explaining the significance of the work and providing a brief biography of the author, followed by a summary of your previous publications and a few words about how you came to learn about the work. You should include this information in your cover letter in Submittable and in the uploaded file. 

You must secure the right to publish your translation before submitting it to us. If your translation is accepted for publication by Adroit, you will be required to document that you have obtained the English-language rights to the work from the copyright holder (unless the work is in the public domain).

Please paginate your submission and include a word count at the top. 

You are welcome to submit no more than two (2) times per reading period. Additional submissions will be returned unread.

No AI-generated or AI-assisted work will be considered or even tolerated. Every line, word and punctuation mark must come from you or if it is inspired by another poem or resource, you must provide attribution. 

Happy submitting, and thanks in advance!

Poetry Reader

Poetry readers get the first crack at all poetry submissions and are expected to submissions regularly and consistently. Reviewing submissions includes voting, providing comments, and participating in occasional discussions about pieces on the bubble. (Est. commitment: 3.5 hrs/week.)
 

Before applying please familiarize yourself with the journal by visiting our About page, and perhaps also an issue or two.

APPLICATION WALKTHROUGH:

1. Adroit Statement (Required)

The Adroit Statement should explain your interest in becoming a Poetry Reader at The Adroit Journal and describe how your past experiences—whether in writing, editing, or related fields—have prepared you for the role. Upload as a document (.doc, .docx, .pdf, etc.).

2. Writing Sample (Required)

Submit up to five poems, with a maximum of ten pages total. Each poem should start on a new page. The sample should showcase your attention to craft, language, and voice. Upload as a document (.doc, .docx, .pdf, etc.).

3. Appreciation of Craft Essay (Required)

In about 500 words, reflect on a poetry collection published in the last three years that left an impression on you. Focus specifically on elements like voice, craft, and theme, and discuss its impact on you as a reader or writer. Upload as a document (.doc, .docx, .pdf, etc.).

4. Resume/CV (Optional)

You may upload a resume or CV to provide additional context about your background, education, relevant experience, and skills. Upload as a document or image file (.doc, .docx, .pdf, .jpg, etc.).

A NOTE ON ELIGIBILITY:

We are fully open to all readers and writers. At this time, for editorial roles, we are not open to editorial staff on the masthead of other internationally-staffed unaffiliated literary journals. Publications that consider solely campus work, or work with specific geographic eligibility requirements, do not apply to this restriction. Non-editorial roles are exempt from this proviso.

As we seek to fill open positions sooner rather than later, we consider applications on a rolling basis.

***Unless otherwise specified, all positions are volunteer and remote in nature & have a start-date of ASAP.***

Click here to view our Call for Interviews & Reviews, full of titles we'd especially love to see covered.
Thank you for your interest in interviewing or reviewing for us.
Interviews & Reviews -- we are currently accepting completed reviews and interviews for consideration on our blog.
At this time, we have a preference for reviews.
IMPORTANT: Please consult our style guide for reviews and/or our style guide for interviews prior to submission. Thank you!
Click here to view our most recent interviews and reviews.

Reader in Translation

The Adroit Journal seeks readers in translation to join our growing team. This is a volunteer, remote position with a start date of ASAP. The monthly commitment is approximately 6-8 hours when the submissions portal is open. Readers will read, discuss, and vote on submissions of translated work, and will attend monthly meetings, convened by the section editor. 

Candidates need not be expert in multiple languages to apply. We’re looking, first and foremost, for experienced readers who are passionate about language and story, who are willing to read across genres, and who are enthusiastic about literary translation as an art form. 

Please apply with a statement of interest (no more than a page) detailing your experiences as a writer, editor, and translator, if applicable; and what you would add to the journal’s literary and/or artistic community. You are encouraged to include things such as experience in the specific field(s), writing and publication, and other commendations and accolades, but this statement should NOT read like a résumé.

Your statement should highlight your history, passion, and experience with the areas of the position and creative writing. Feel free to discuss other topics you feel are appropriate, as well as any specific connections, measures, or initiatives you might have (or aspire to have) with The Adroit Journal’s staff community.

Please upload a cv/résumé. 

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. This position is volunteer and remote, with a start date of ASAP. Due to the volume of applications, we can only respond to people we wish to interview for an opening.

Before applying please familiarize yourself with the journal by visiting our About page, and perhaps also an issue or two.

Thank you for your interest in participating in the 2026 Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program.  

About the Program

Now in its fourteenth year, The Adroit Journal’s Summer Mentorship Program is an online program that pairs established writers with high school students (including graduating seniors) and gap year students (Classes of ’25 or ’26) interested in learning more about the creative writing processes of drafting, redrafting and editing.

The 2026 program will cater to poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The aim of the mentorship program is not formalized instruction, but rather an individualized, flexible, and often informal correspondence. Poetry students will share weekly work with mentors and peers, while fiction and creative nonfiction/memoir students will share biweekly work with mentors and peers.

The 2026 program will last from June 15 until July 27.

The Application

STUDENT WRITER APPLICATION PROCESS

The application for this year’s mentorship program consists of four parts: three Application Essays, a Writing Sample, an Optional Academic Transcript, and an Optional Additional Information Section.

We encourage you to double space your responses and include a page break between them, making sure to also include the full question to which you are responding above each answer. (P.S. We find that conventional fonts like Times New Roman or Garamond often work best!)

CLICK HERE TO READ THE 2026 MENTORSHIP BOOKLET AND  LIST OF MENTORS 

Essay #1: In approx. 450-600 words, explore your impulse to write—give us the who, what, where, when, and/or why behind your passion for the genre (or genres) of creative writing to which you are applying. Perhaps you’ll shed light on why you started writing. Or take us on a backstage tour behind your current writing process. Or dissect the ways writing fits into your life—academically, extracurricularly, philosophically, socially, and/or artistically. Or tell us about how your favorite writers inspire you. Please feel encouraged to reference work(s) from your sample(s) in your response. You might also reference any writing project(s) you have undertaken and/or how you hope your writing might develop in craft and/or theme as a mentorship student this summer.

Essay #2: In approx. 350-500 words, introduce us to a work of writing or art that moves you. Why does it move you? What’s kept it stuck in your head? Examples of selected work may include a poem, series of linked poems, or poetry collection; a short story, short story collection, or novella, or even an excerpt/chapter of a novel; an essay, essay collection, or memoir; a song, EP, or album (of any genre); a literary magazine issue; a piece or series of visual art; a movie; or that idea of yours that immediately sprang to mind! If it’s even arguably art but moving and meaningful to you, go for it. Note: Given length constraints, if you select a collection of work (e.g. a collection of poems, stories, or essays; a lit mag issue; etc.), please center your discussion around 3-4 specific pieces of the work. 

Essay #3: In approx. 150-200 words, what draws you to the Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program? Why mentorship? What excites you about our program specifically? How might working with an Adroit mentor support you as a writer? 

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The Writing Sample should consist of between four and five poems (max of ten pages, single-spaced, with each poem starting on a new page) or between eight and twelve double-spaced pages of fiction or creative nonfiction (excerpts are acceptable).

Students who wish to apply to multiple genres may do so by utilizing both the First Choice and Second Choice options in the mentorship application form linked below. Important: If you wish to apply to more than one genre, please include two complete writing samples in one file, one for each genre, with your second-choice genre following the first. Please abide by writing sample guidelines for each genre and note that we consider all genres independent of their ranking on your app.  

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The Academic Transcript is an optional component that is primarily used as a verification of student status. Transcripts may be official or unofficial and should ideally be in PDF form. There is no need to upload multiple transcripts if you’ve changed schools during your high school career—your latest transcript will suffice. If not sent with your application, a transcript, or other proof of student-status, is required when accepting a cohort spot.

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The Additional Information Section is an optional component included in the application as an opportunity to share any information that you feel is pertinent to your background and/or mentorship candidacy. Please upload no more than two pages as a .DOC or .PDF file in this section. You may treat this section as an opportunity to upload a resume/activity sheet if you would like, or you can instead share more about situational factors that you have not shared elsewhere. In offering this section, we hope that you will not feel pressure to fit, squish, or force any content into other areas of your application. Thanks very much for your interest in the mentorship program; we look forward to seeing what you've got!

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You may read our summer mentorship FAQ in full here. Please direct additional questions to mentorship@theadroitjournal.org.

Tuition for participation in the full program is $575/student. Please note that there is no application fee. Furthermore, we want to assure applicants for whom tuition will be a barrier that financial aid is available in the form of Peter LaBerge Scholarships. Financial need will be addressed entirely separately, and will not be an influencing factor on the mentorship’s admission decisions. Program administrators and application screeners will not have access to financial need information until after admission decisions have been made.

Questions?

Visit us online: www.theadroitjournal.org/mentorship 

Contact: Kate Gaskin, Program Director | mentorship@theadroitjournal.org

The Adroit Journal is seeking dynamic, creative candidates for the following volunteer positions:

Editorial Leadership Roles:

Art Editor:

The Adroit Journal seeks an experienced art editor to help guide and develop publication and recognition of art. The right candidate will have previous experience with a literary journal or press or an arts organization. As an art editor, you will, along with our editorial leadership, be responsible for evaluating and selecting art for publication, and soliciting submissions.

Please submit a statement and resumé.

NOTE: This is a volunteer position that requires approximately 2 hours per week.

Development and Fundraising Manager: 

The Development and Fundraising Manager will spearhead development efforts as The Adroit Journal continues to grow. The Development & Fundraising Manager will have the opportunity to build off the framework provided through a CLMP grant to drive a comprehensive fundraising program. 

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute The Adroit Journal’s annual fundraising plan
• Write and apply for grants
• Secure financial support from individuals, foundations and corporations
• Cultivate and maintain ongoing relationships with major donors
• Create and execute a giving strategy for a large sustained base of annual individual donors
• Develop and track proposals and reports for all foundation and corporate fundraising

This position reports to the Executive Editor and Editor-in-Chief. Please submit a resume and statement. 

NOTE: This is a volunteer position that requires approximately 4-5 hours per week.

Before applying, please familiarize yourself with the journal by visiting our About page, and perhaps also an issue or two.
 

NOTE: Reader applications are on separate Submittable forms.

APPLICATION DETAILS:

I. STATEMENT

Please briefly (no more than a page double-spaced) explain what qualifies you for this position, and what you would add to the journal’s literary and/or artistic community. You are encouraged to include things such as experience in the specific field(s), writing publication, and other commendations and accolades, but this Adroit Statement should NOT read like a résumé.

At the end of the day, the statement should highlight your history, passion, and experience with the areas of the position and creative writing. Feel free to discuss other topics you feel are appropriate, as well as any specific connections, measures, or initiatives you might have (or aspire to have) with The Adroit Journal’s staff community.

2. PLEASE UPLOAD A RESUME.

As we seek to fill open positions sooner rather than later, we consider applications on a rolling basis.

***Unless otherwise specified, all positions are volunteer and remote in nature & have a start date of ASAP.***