Defenestration A Literary Magazine Dedicated to Humor

About

Defenestration is a humor magazine. We don’t worry about the particulars of genre, style, or form as long as the work is funny. What exactly constitutes as “funny” varies from person to person, but we try to publish a wide range of humor, from the ridiculous to the satirical, and everything in between.

Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2003

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 3 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

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Statistics Synopsis

Faster: Defenestration's overall average response time is faster than most magazines.
More Challenging: Defenestration's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
Responsive: Defenestration's overall rate of non-response is within a normal range for magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Stories that are funny yet manage to exemplify their genre, or blend various genres into amusing and unique combinations. We’ve published literary fiction alongside science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and even period piece romances. No genre is off limits.

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 20 September 2026* (approx. 7 days from now) through 05 December 2026.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Open to all/most Genres, including:
General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: 50 - 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 4,000 words.

Styles:

Humorous, Satirical.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

Non-fiction includes what we call “fake” non-fiction. Think of it as fiction that reads like non-fiction. This can include anything from reviews of non-existent books, interviews with imaginary people, bogus letters to the editor, etc. Use your imagination. If you’re unsure whether your piece falls into this category, send it to us anyway. We’ll sort it out.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Article: Up to 2,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 2,000 words.

Styles:

Humorous, Satirical.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

Both free-form poems and highly-structured poems. We’re just as likely to publish blank verse as we are sestinas, sonnets, and haikus. We’re also convinced that rhyming poetry isn’t quite as dead as some people would like to believe, but a well-crafted rhyme scheme is preferable over something more simplistic. Forced rhymes are a huge turnoff.

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 20 September 2026* (approx. 7 days from now) through 05 December 2026.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Open to all/most Genres, including:
General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 5 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Blank verse, Formal verse, Free verse, Haiku (or related), Sestina, Sonnet.

Styles:

Humorous, Satirical.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Visual Art Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: Up to 5 pieces.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media.

Art Styles:

Humorous.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Media: Image.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for Defenestration

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Report:
Submission/Response
Correction/Update
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Social Platforms:
None known

For the Editor(s):
Request Interview
Duosuma Submission Manager
Link to Duotrope

Defenestration Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

Filter:

Group by submission

Include outliers

Accuracy

We have received 48 reports from 43 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

3 min | 27.8 mean avg | 20.0 median | 124 max days (77.1 std dev)

Responses

95.83 %

Acceptances:

6.25 % of submissions accepted (75.3 avg. days per acceptance) | 6.98 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

89.58 % (20.8 avg. days per rejection) | 48.8 % personal, 39.5 % form, 11.6 % unspecified | 4.2 % shortlisted

Non-Responses

2.08 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

2.08 % (124.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)

Withdrawals

2.08 % (3.0 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

2 responses are pending (101 min | 116.5 mean avg | 116.5 median | 132 max days waiting | 21.9 std dev) from 2 different members

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 28 days. (22.9 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 28 days.)
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 22 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 04 Aug 2026.
Date compiled: 11 Sep 2026 23:28 UTC (7 hours, 38 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 22 Aug 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.