2025 in Review re my Submissions/Publishing Results

It was a record-setting year in terms of overall number of pieces accepted/published in one year, though I have had years with more of my books published simultaneously. I may have countered that with an assault on anthologies this year though. Heh.

Here is a synopsis and basic stats re my 2025 publishing efforts. I was on a prolific pace until August/September, when I started encountering new health challenges that worsened as the year went on, as well as personal challenges involving my late mother’s estate, travel, logistics, finances, etc. By the time November arrived, circumstances didn’t allow me to do nearly any more writing (of any kind, whether typing, longhand, etc.) into 2026, which culminated in hospitalizations and surgery last month with more allegedly on the way very soon. Thus, my publishing success decreased exponentially after my September birthday so while I’m not complaining about an exciting, successful year, it is a bit disappointing to know I was on pace for well over 200 items published only to get virtually shut down the final quarter of the year. Nonetheless, the following stats indicate the minimum of my efforts and I say that because there are almost certainly more of my poems, stories, essays, etc., out there that were published without my knowledge — I literally ran across two such just this week! No one ever notified me, sent me an acceptance or contributor copies, yet I found two more journals in random search results that had published me earlier in the year — I had no idea. This is not unheard of, but it’s always been mystifying to me, and a little annoying at that. Nonetheless, here are the basics as I know them…

2025 in Review re my Submissions/Publishing Results

172+ unique pieces accepted/published, as well as 9+ anthologies and 1 full-length poetry collection.

146 poems
23 fiction/stories
3 nonfiction pieces
1 essay
9+ anthologies
1 132-page, 90-poem FL poetry collection: SURVIVING IMMORTALITY AGAIN (Alien Buddha Press)
Nominated for 2026 BOTN in NF (Libre Magazine)
Nominated for 2026 Eric Hoffer Award for Best New Book of Poetry by an Independent Press (Alien Buddha Press)

2025 Stats per Duotrope,

54.1% Overall Acceptance Rate
33.1% Rejection Rate
62.1% Acceptance-to-Rejection Rate
12.8% No Response Rate [FAR TOO HIGH!!!]

Acceptance Rates per Genre:

Fiction: 59.5%
Poetry: 51.6%
Nonfiction: 50%

Thanks to the journals and publishers that accepted and/or published my work during 2025, a record year for me despite numerous health and logistical challenges.

Those are the basics. So far, 2026 is off to a good start. Through the first six days, I’ve had 10 poems and one short story accepted/published as well as a new anthology with five of my poems in it. This is shaping up to be an interesting year for a million reasons. One shouldn’t lack material for writing regardless of genre. Thanks to those of you who follow, subscribe, keep up with me, etc. I widened my online presence during 2025 and I’ll post some social media links at the end of this post. Thanks all. Happy reading and writing to each of you and feel free to engage whenever. Circumstances often make it hard for me to immediately respond but I have good intentions and hope to do so more assuredly this year.

Cheers!

Scott Holstad