Shadow Dog Press
An Independent Publishing House
(Formerly known as The SDL Review Antholo-journal)
Previous SDL Review submitters- your outstanding submissions have been moved to the appropriate SDL Anthology category and are not affected by this change. Please refer to the updated guidelines for acceptance email timelines listed below as we have changed our response process as of January 1st 2026.
The SDL Review is now SDL Anthologies!
We now publish two annual anthologies in place of our quarterly journal, one poetry and one prose.
Our anthologies are beautifully formatted and high quality jacketed hardback editions available from all major book sellers.
We are drawn to evocative, raw, poignant, and powerful pieces of substance and style.
Pluck at our heartstrings, speak to our souls, send shivers down our spines, shine a light on our darkness, and uncover our unspoken truths.
Current & Upcoming Submission Opportunities
The SDL Anthology - Poetry, 2026
Submissions re-open January 21st for The 2026 SDL Poetry Anthology, slated for publication in the summer of 2026.
Poetry submissions close March 1st 2026
Eligible Work:
Submit up to three pieces of previously unpublished poetry.
The SDL Anthology - Prose, 2026
Submissions re-open March 10th for The 2026 SDL Prose Anthology, slated for publication in the Fall of 2026.
Prose submissions close July 1st 2026
Eligible work:
Submit one piece of previously unpublished fiction or CNF.
Length – Flash to 5,000 words.
OUR SUBMISSION GUIDELINES HAVE CHANGED.
Please read through the following guidelines completely before submitting.
Things to know before submitting:
-Submissions that do not follow the guidelines will be discarded without notice.
-We don’t publish writers who use generative ai in any stage of the creative process. Pieces written with generative ai will be discarded.
We do not want:
-work depicting rape or sexual assault, hate speech of any kind, violence toward women and children, any work that is primarily fueled by gratuitous violence and gore, work that so much as hints at the mistreatment of animals, or work in which being offensive is the primary purpose. Sending such work could result in being banned from submitting again, depending on the severity of the offense.
-We publish works that touch on erotic themes, but we do not publish pornography.
– Due to our subject matter, SDL Anthologies only publish work from creators ages 18 and over.
What does “unpublished” mean?
For our purposes, “unpublished” means your piece has not previously appeared in any publication, online or in print. Work you’ve shared on personal blogs and on social media is okay, but we ask that you take it down if it is accepted for publication.
Rights:
First worldwide print, digital, and audio rights until publication, after which rights revert to the author. We also retain non-exclusive rights to reprint and/or archive the work in any form on our website indefinitely. Authors agree not to self-publish, authorize, or otherwise permit the publication of the work, in whole or in part, in any publication or on any platform, including personal blogs and on social media, from acceptance through its appearance. For reprints, we ask for acknowledgment of first publication.
Simultaneous Submissions:
We welcome and encourage simultaneous submissions. If your submission is accepted elsewhere you don’t have to notify us, you can let us know it isn’t available if we reach out with an offer to publish it.
Multiple Submissions:
You may submit multiple packets, provided each is submitted separately.
Submission Fee: $5 We charge a submission fee to weed out spam and ai submissions. This fee goes to paying and platforming writers and the costs associated with doing so.
Payment:
A cash honorarium of $20 per contributor OR 1 copy of the completed anthology, either sent one week after publication. (Additional copies can be ordered with a contributor discount.)
We require the following separate documents.
Document #1- Your Work
—Saved as a .doc, .docx, or PDF file
—Start each piece on a new page.
—Number your pages.
—Use a 12pt font
—Double-space prose
—Poetry may be spaced as needed.
Document #2- Your Cover Letter
Your cover letter should introduce you and the work itself. Provide any warnings or background info you feel is appropriate.
Beneath that information, please provide a 3rd-person bio. Tell us about yourself! When in doubt, include it. We include a full page bio for every contributor.
Next, list your website and any social media handles you have.
After that, include a short statement certifying that generative AI was not used during your creation process. This is mandatory. We will not process submissions that don’t include this statement.
Finally, include your contact information as follows:
—Pen Name under which you wish to publish, if applicable
—Pronouns
—Legal Name (for internal uses such as accounting and contracts)
—Email address
Acceptance timelines:
Acceptance emails will be sent no later than the dates listed below.
Poetry – Acceptance by April 1st 2026
Prose – Acceptance by August 1st 2026
Please note that we no longer send rejection/pass emails.
In furtherance of our mission statement and our quest to platform rising underrepresented, disadvantaged, and otherwise disenfranchised writers, poets, and artists from beyond the academic realm, we do not separate the creator from the creation by blind reading The SDL Anthology submissions.
This is a safe place for you—for all writers, poets, and artists, no matter who you love, how much money you have in your pocket, the color of your skin, your educational background, or what you have going on in your pants.
We do not solicit work and only publish poetry and prose received through the submission system.
SDL Anthologies is presented by Shadow Dog Press, an indie publishing house started with seed money scraped together by working-class writers.
NOTICE: Abuse, threats, harassment, and mistreatment directed toward any member of our staff, authors, readers, or our contributors on or off our platforms will result in being permanently banned by Shadow Dog and all its holdings and partner programs, including but not limited to its past, current, and future publications, platforms, events, social media pages, outreach and support programs, grants, scholarships, contracts, prizes, awards, etc. and reported to the authorities as necessary. We reserve the right to change dates, submission methods, our honorarium, to reschedule or cancel a publication, and to close submission windows as needed without notice. Submission fees are non-refundable.
Winter Office/Availability Hours:
Tuesdays & Thursdays 10-2pm
© 2024 Shadow Dog Press All Rights Reserved