Update: In the Summer of 2015 Caketrain went on an Indefinite Hiatus.
Caketrain is a primarily print journal based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 2003 and their goal has stayed the same: To publish the best contemporary works of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. They have become a respected modern journal and are known for publishing trendy but thoughtful literary work.
Caketrain has a 50 page online preview this issue, so it is very easy to get a feel for what sort of work they are looking for. Caketrain has a very low acceptance rate, they publish under 1% of the work they receive in all genres. This is partially because they get a lot of submissions and partially because they publish a lot of already established authors like Matt Bell, Sean Thomas Dougherty, and Denise Duhamel. They only release one issue a year with pieces from about 50 different writers.
You can submit up to seven poems at a time, or one work of fiction or creative non-fiction (no book reviews), works of visual art, or any combination of the three. They do not accept postal submissions. Submissions should include a cover letter with titles of pieces as well as a brief biographical statement (no longer then a hundred words). They do not accept work that has been previously published elsewhere.
Caketrain also publishes a number of books, including novellas and story collections, although the books tend to be published via a contest with an entry fee.
If you are interested in learning more or submitting please visit their website at http://www.caketrain.org/submissions/.
