Fence

ABOUT

Fence was founded in 1998 by Rebecca Wolff as a magazine dedicated to writing that resists easy categorization—work that is formally adventurous but doesn't answer to any particular school, clique, or aesthetic camp. In 2001 the operation expanded into Fence Books, a book-publishing imprint that has since released more than 120 titles, including the long-running Fence Modern Poets Series and the Ottoline Prize for debut collections. Both magazine and press operate under Fence Magazine, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in New York, and have received support from the New York State Council on the Arts. The magazine has become known over nearly three decades as one of the more idiosyncratic outlets in American letters, publishing poetry, fiction, translation, hybrid work, and criticism that sits outside mainstream and identifiably experimental lineages alike, with an explicit institutional commitment to queer writers and writers of color.

Practically, Fence draws most of its content from unsolicited submissions, so writers without connections have a real shot, though submission windows are periodic rather than perpetually open—prospective contributors should watch the site and newsletter for announcements rather than assume rolling submissions. Fence Books' two major entry points for poets are the Fence Modern Poets Series and the Ottoline Prize, both prize-structured (implying an entry fee and cash award, though the current amounts aren't stated on this page) rather than standard query submissions. The print magazine (now at issue no. 43, semiannual, Spring-Summer and Fall-Winter) is distributed internationally via Consortium Book Sales & Distribution and sold via subscription, bookstores, and libraries; the site also runs 'Steaming,' an online-only supplementary content stream separate from the print magazine. No specific submission fees, pay rates, or response times are disclosed on this page—poets should check the submissions/support pages directly during an open window for current terms.