Essays & Commentary
Reflective, thoughtful, accessible essays on culture, education, identity, civic life, memory, family, work, and place.
Editorial Invitation
We are looking for work that feels lived, not manufactured.
Send us stories with texture: the kind that remember a place, notice a person, make an argument, carry a voice, or reveal something about life in the Fox Valley and beyond.
We welcome polished submissions, but we are also interested in honest, promising work that can grow through thoughtful editorial collaboration.
Reader of Fox Valley Review standing next to table displaying the magazine in print.
What We Publish
Many forms. One regional voice.
Fox Valley Review is broad by design. We publish work that helps readers see the Valley — and themselves — more clearly.
Local Stories
Town-based pieces, neighborhood memories, hidden places, local histories, community rituals, and regional features.
Creative Writing
Fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir fragments, literary sketches, poetry, and short prose with a strong voice.
Profiles & Interviews
Artists, entrepreneurs, educators, athletes, elders, organizers, neighbors, and people shaping Fox Valley life.
Arts, Food & Culture
Reviews, previews, recommendations, restaurant reflections, music, theater, galleries, books, and cultural events.
Sports & Community Talent
Athlete stories, youth development, NIL features, local excellence, and sports pieces with a human-interest lens.
Submission Guidelines
Clear enough to guide. Flexible enough to welcome.
These guidelines help us review work efficiently while keeping the door open to a wide range of strong submissions.
Length
Most prose submissions should be 700–2,500 words. Shorter reflections, poems, and micro-essays are welcome.
Format
Paste your submission into the message field or attach a Google Doc, Word file, or PDF when emailing directly.
Originality
Submit original work. Previously published work may be considered if you clearly identify where it appeared.
Rights
Contributors retain ownership of their work. Fox Valley Review requests permission to publish and promote accepted pieces.
Tone
We favor work that is human, specific, clear, reflective, and accessible to a general audience.
Editing
Accepted pieces may receive light editing for clarity, flow, grammar, style, and magazine presentation.
Simultaneous Submissions
Allowed. Please notify us if the work is accepted elsewhere before we complete review.
Images
If you have photos, artwork, or illustrations connected to your piece, mention them in your submission.
“You are not submitting to a faceless platform. You are helping build a regional voice.”
Fox Valley Review exists to gather the people, stories, memories, talents, and ideas that make this region more visible.Editor’s Preference
Show us the human story.
The strongest submissions usually do three things: they begin somewhere concrete, they reveal something emotionally or intellectually meaningful, and they connect personal experience to a larger world.
A good Fox Valley Review piece does not need to be flashy. It needs to be observant, grounded, and alive.
What Happens Next
A transparent editorial path.
We want contributors to know what happens after they send work to the magazine.
1
You Submit
Send your piece, pitch, idea, or completed draft through the form or by email.
2
We Review
Our editorial team reviews submissions for fit, clarity, voice, relevance, and publication timing.
3
We Respond
If selected, we contact you about edits, images, author details, and expected publication placement.
4
We Publish
Accepted work may appear online, in a digital issue, in a spotlight feature, or as part of a themed package.
Submit Your Work
Start your submission.
Use the form to introduce your work. You may also email submissions directly to submit@foxvalleyreview.com.
For stronger submissions, include a short note explaining what the piece is, why it matters, and whether it connects to a specific town, person, issue, event, or theme.
Read Before You Submit
Get a feel for the magazine.
The best way to understand Fox Valley Review is to read the current issue, browse the archive, and notice the magazine’s tone: thoughtful, regional, human, and visually polished.
Your voice can help shape the Valley’s story.
Submit your work, introduce us to someone worth profiling, or share a story from your town that deserves a wider audience.