The Account is a relatively new online journal that publishes poetry, creative non-fiction, flash fiction, and short stories. When I look at new journals, ones that only have an issue or two out, I look for various indicators of quality that are different from those of more established journals.

First I look at the website to see if it is well organized and esthetically pleasing. Next I look at the list of contributors and through a few poems and short stories. I always read the bios of one or two contributors if I don’t recognize any of their names. I do this to see how established they are. Finally, I read the bios of the editors to see what sort of projects they have been involved with in the past.

I reviewed all these factors when examining The Account, and I was very impressed by what I saw. The website is beautiful and easy to navigate. Both the contributors and the editors are established writers, several I recognized by name alone. The works published on the website were excellent.

Finally, what impressed me the most was that The Account had a unique aspect that separated it from other literary journals: Every work of creative writing is accompanied by ‘an account.’ The editors define an account as “history, sketch, marker, repository of influences.” Essentially they want to know what has influenced or factored into the work authors have submitted.

When you submit your piece(s) of creative writing, you include an account with your submission. The submission process is easy. They use the common submission manager submittable, and there are different length guidelines for each category.

In conclusion The Account is an excellent magazine to contribute to. Even though it is new, it is already doing things that set it apart from the rest of the journals out there. To learn more or submit, please visit: http://theaccountmagazine.com/