Mission
THINK has a distinctive mission to publish the best metrical and structured free verse we can find, along with compelling criticism, reviews, and essays, and occasional pieces of literary fiction and creative nonfiction.
A Brief History
THINK’s first issue appeared in the winter of 2008, under the leadership of Founding Editor and Publisher Christine Yurick. In 2013, Western Colorado University acquired the journal as part of its Graduate Program in Creative Writing, where it was edited by Poetry Concentration Director and Program Director David J. Rothman and Managing Editor Susan Delaney Spear, a graduate of the program. In 2021 THINK became an independently owned journal under the leadership of Editor Brian Palmer, a poet who had earned his MFA at Western. Beginning with the S/F 2026 issue, David J. Rothman and Susan Delaney Spear reassumed co-editorship. The all-volunteer staff of the journal includes graduates of Western's program along with noted poets and writers who support the journal and have participated in The Critical Path, an annual symposium of poet-critics co-founded by Rothman and Jan Schreiber and now directed by Schreiber.
What We Publish
In keeping with its original mission, THINK publishes poems that emphasize craft, along with literary essays and reviews.
THINK also publishes essays on the art and history of poetry, as well as criticism and reviews, including a regular feature on literary prosody. While our essays often reflect extensive knowledge and scholarship, they are written for a broad range of non-specialist readers and are minimally annotated. When it comes to reviews, we publish individual and omnibus reviews of new collections of poetry.
We occasionally publish literary fiction and creative non-fiction. (Please query the editors before sending reviews, fiction or creative nonfiction.)
Who We Publish
THINK publishes well-established poets and writers, but also emerging ones. We prize excellence over reputation.
Join Us
Please consider becoming a subscriber by following the prompts on the submissions page. Our goal is to bring strong work to our our audience, but we can only do so with your engagement and support. Please subscribe, and thank you.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
General Document Format
Prepare all submissions in Word. No PDF files, please.
Use 12-point Times New Roman font.
POETRY: Submit up to 5 poems in a single document, one poem per page.
We publish mainly metrical poetry. We also welcome free verse with a clear organizing principle.
Each poem should begin on a new page. Each page of your submission should include your name and contact information in the upper right corner.
Please indicate stanza break information for poems longer than one page.
Poems should be lineated exactly as they would appear in publication.
FICTION or ESSAYS: Submit 1 piece of prose.
We regularly publish criticism and reviews, including a regular feature on literary prosody. Essays should be sophisticated but accessible, with a minimum of scholarly apparatus.
We occasionally publish literary fiction.
We occasionally publish creative nonfiction.
If you want to submit a review or piece of creative nonfiction, please query the editors before sending your piece.
Prose manuscripts should include your name and contact information in the upper right corner; paginate with last name going forward.
Filling Out the Submission Form
1. Title of Submission, and following the title please indicate if your submission is poetry, fiction, or an essay. If fiction or essay, it helps if you include a small piece of the title. For example:
- A. J. Henson 3 poems--Poetry
- B. Blake "The Road Home"--Fiction
- B. Nolan "Desert Imagery in 20th c. Eco-Writing"--Essay
2. Name and contact information.
3. A brief cover letter.
4. Biographical statement. Below your name at the end of your brief intro letter, include a short (50-75 words) third-person bio.
5. Bios are subject to editing.
General Policies
1. We accept only previously unpublished work.
2. We accept simultaneous submissions as long as you withdraw immediately any piece that has been accepted elsewhere.
3. Rights revert to the author upon publication; we do retain the option to reprint, including online and in social media.
4. We kindly ask that THINK be acknowledged as publisher when work is published again.
5. Unfortunately, we are unable to remunerate authors for their work; however, we do send a printed issue to published authors.
6. We make every effort to notify you about our decision within 2 months.
Finally...
A journal is more than a transaction; it serves a community of like-minded writers and readers. As you prepare your submission, please also consider joining our community as a reader by subscribing below. Each annual subscription includes two issues of poetry and prose by established and emerging poets and writers.
A journal is more than a transaction; it is a community. Join us.