Resources
From Category: Magazines and Literary Journals
Foothill: A Journal of Poetry
Foothill, a publication of Claremont Graduate University, accepts unpublished poetry by graduate students enrolled anywhere in the world. Submit 1-5 poems by email. CGU administers the prestigious Kingsley Tufts and Kate Tufts Awards for poetry books.
Fulcrum: An Annual of Poetry & Aesthetics
Edited by prizewinning poets Philip Nikolayev and Katia Kapovich, aims at furthering communication between poets, critics and philosophers from different cultures and literary traditions.
Ghost Town
They are looking for fearless and inventive fiction, poetry, and narrative nonfiction. Prose should be 7,500 words maximum. They are also interested in translations, letters, cryptic found writings, illustrations, and other oddments. Reading period is September 1-February 1.
Global City Review
Global City Press and Review seek to embody New York City's diversity and dynamism, with an international reach. "Edited and produced by writers, it celebrates the difficulties and possibilities of the 'global city' and other constructions of community...while honoring the subversiveness and originality of ordinary lives." Past contributors include Marilyn French, Robin Blair, Wayne Koestenbaum, and Cornelius Eady.
Good River Review
A publication of Spalding University's Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing in Louisville, KY, Good River Review publishes short creative writing in a variety of genres: poetry, fiction, essays, 10-minute stage plays or short film scripts, immersive journalism pieces, and book reviews. A notable feature of this magazine is that they publish writing for children and young adults in these genres alongside work for adults. See website for length limits in each category.
Graphic Policy
Graphic Policy is an online journal featuring news and reviews for comics fans, with an emphasis on mainstream properties. The site includes TV episode recaps, movie reviews, creator interviews, podcasts, and reviews of comics in various genres (manga, indie, webcomics, action/superhero, and more).
H.O.W. Journal
For each submission, they request a $5 donation that they will send to a relevant charity. H.O.W. stands for "Helping Orphans Worldwide".
Half Mystic
Half Mystic is a semi-annual print and online literary arts journal dedicated to the celebration of music in all its forms. They publish poetry, fiction, interviews, artwork, essays on music and the arts, and original songs. Diverse voices welcomed.
Hanging Loose
Important influences include the New York School and the "New American Poetry" defined by the Donald Allen anthology of that name, but the magazine is open to a wide variety of styles and themes. Star find: Sherman Alexie. Read an interview with co-editor Mark Pawlak here.
HELD Magazine
Edited by MFA students at the University of Guelph in Ontario, HELD Magazine is an online journal of writing and visual art that explores "how all systems are interconnected, interdependent, and ever-evolving." See website for themed submission calls. Because "HELD is a platform for contributors to explore the realities and systems that have shaped them," writers and artists from marginalized populations (Black, indigenous, racialized, disabled, LGBTQ or 2-Spirit) comprise at least 70% of each issue.
Homology Lit
Homology Lit is a Pacific Northwest-based online literary magazine for people of color, queer folks, and people with disabilities, founded by Savannah Slone in July 2018. Contributors have included Dagmawe Berhanu, Donte Collins, Kailah Figueroa, and Danielle Rose.
Icebreakers Lit
Icebreakers Lit is an online journal that publishes collaborative writing (two or more authors) in the genres of poetry, short fiction, personal essays, flash prose, and hybrid text. If you don't have a collaborator in mind, ask them to match you with another interested author. Previously published work is eligible. See website for themed submission calls. Editors say, "We like 80s and 90s nostalgia, nods to pop culture, and vulnerability. We like good writing that doesn't take itself too seriously. We also like being surprised and things that don't quite follow the rules."
Image: Art, Faith, Mystery
Beautifully designed, thought-provoking quarterly journal of the arts and religion. Free email newsletter profiles contemporary artists, writers and musicians whose work engages with spiritual themes in profound ways.
Iron City Magazine
Iron City Magazine is a print and online journal specializing in creative writing and art by currently or formerly incarcerated people. They publish short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, one-act plays, cartoons, comics, graphic stories, and art. Prison volunteers, staff, or family members may submit work on topics related to mass incarceration. Prisoners and former prisoners can submit work on any topic. Unpublished work only. No explicit violence, nudity, or detailed discussion of drug use. Read detailed guidelines and then enter by mail or email.
J Journal: New Writing on Justice
This literary journal, launched in 2008, is published by a well-regarded college in the CUNY system. Contributors have included Paul Mariani, Erika Dreifus, Randall Brown, Paul Hostovsky and Kathryn Howd Machan.
Jewish Review of Books
Launched in 2010, this print and online journal features critical essays about religion, literature, culture, and politics, as well as fiction, poetry, and the arts.
Journal of the Month
Journal of the Month is a curated subscription service that sends a different literary journal each time, giving subscribers an overview of the contemporary creative writing market. "Decide how often you want to receive magazines—every month, every other month, or once every three months—and during that period of time, you will receive a brand new literary magazine by the 10th of the month. Exactly which literary magazine you'll get is a tantalizing surprise that changes every month. And you'll never receive the same literary magazine twice." Participating journals include Creative Nonfiction, Ecotone, The Iowa Review, Prairie Schooner, December, and many more.
jubilat
Based at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the literary journal jubilat aims to publish not only the best in contemporary American poetry, but to place it alongside a varied selection of reprints, found pieces, lyric prose, art, and interviews with poets and other artists.
just femme & dandy
Launched in 2021, just femme & dandy is a biannual literature and arts journal created for and by queers on the topic of fashion. See their website for each issue's themed submission call. Editors say, "just femme & dandy embraces all the layers of hybridity that push against the tensions that pressure us to conform. Nothing is off limits. To get an idea of what we accept, think of the following, and beyond: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, comics, illustration, drag, dance, video, film, photography, tutorials, interviews, reviews, listicles, thinkpieces, commentaries, historical investigations, and so on."
Kaleidoscope Magazine
They accept poetry, fiction, essays, interviews and book reviews. Submission deadlines are March 1 and August 1 annually. The editors say: "Unique to the field of disability studies, this award-winning publication expresses the experiences of disability from the perspective of individuals, families, healthcare professionals, and society as a whole. The material chosen for Kaleidoscope challenges and overcomes stereotypical, patronizing, and sentimental attitudes about disability. Although content always focuses on a particular aspect of disability, writers with and without disabilities are welcome to submit their work."
Kids’ Book Review
Kids' Book Review is an online journal that showcases authors, illustrators, and publishers in the children's literature field. They publish news, reviews, interviews, articles, guest posts, events, and specialist literacy articles. The site also hosts monthly themed creative writing contests.
Kyoto Journal
See website for submission guidelines for poetry, prose, and artwork. Recent themed issues have included "Unbound: Gender in Asia" and "Transience: Dwelling in the Moment".
Letter Review
Letter Review is an online lit mag with contests, publishing opportunities, and articles about the craft and business of writing. They offer a reasonably priced critique service for short fiction, and an annual poetry and fiction contest with attractive prizes. An interesting feature of their publishing advice columns is that they tell you the going rates for selling work in various genres.
Literary Mama
Literary Mama is an online journal publishing poetry, fiction, personal essays, reviews, and articles about the many faces of motherhood.
Literature and Belief
"A semi-annual journal of scholarly critical articles, interviews, personal essays, book reviews, and poetry focusing on moral-religious aspects of literature."
Los Angeles Review
Each issue is dedicated to a contemporary writer or cultural leader; honorees have included Ishmael Reed, Eloise Klein Healy, Judy Grahn, and Bruce Holland Rogers.
Los Angeles Review of Books
The Los Angeles Review of Books publishes original poetry, fiction, essays, interviews, and literary and arts criticism. Their nonprofit foundation also offers publishing workshops, author events, and a book club. Use the online form on their Contact page to pitch an article.
Magic Dragon
Published since 2005 by the nonprofit Association for Encouragement of Children's Creativity, Magic Dragon is a quarterly magazine featuring art and creative writing by children aged 12 and under.
MAKE: A Chicago Literary Magazine
Contributors have included Joyelle McSweeney, Eula Biss, Gabriel Gudding, and Joe Meno. See website for upcoming themed issues. Editors say, "Chicago is a storyteller's city, and MAKE is the story's magazine. Chock full of fiction, poetry, essays, art, and reviews, MAKE is substantial in both feel and scope. MAKE expands on the Chicago tradition to entertain and to inform."
Maple Tree Literary Supplement
The Maple Tree Literary Supplement, a thrice-yearly online journal, provides a platform for dialogue or interviews on any topic between and amongst Canadian writers, while featuring their work and reporting on literary events, landmarks or festivals in Canada and around the world—with an emphasis on their Canadian composition. The journal accepts submissions of unpublished poetry, short fiction, general-interest nonfiction and personal essays, excerpts from dramatic works, and author interviews. This is a paying market.
Mary: A Literary Quarterly
Submissions of poetry, fiction, and essays are accepted by email. Maximum 5,000 words per piece. Contributors have included Tom Cardamone, Christopher Hennessy, Michael Montlack, and Sarah Sarai.
Masters Review (The)
The Masters Review is an online and print literary journal dedicated to supporting emerging writers. They publish short fiction and nonfiction, craft essays, and interviews with established authors. Ten winners of their annual fiction contest receive cash prizes and publication in an anthology that is mailed to agents, editors, publishers, and authors nationwide. The contest has been judged by prominent writers such as A.M. Homes and Lev Grossman. Contributors to the magazine are also paid. See website for deadlines and rules.
Meanjin
Meanjin also gives wide coverage to issues of global concern. It is an imprint of Melbourne University Publishing. The journal's name, pronounced Mee-an-jin, is derived from an Aboriginal word for the finger of land on which central Brisbane sits.
Merlyn’s Pen
The Merlyn's Pen Foundation mentors promising young writers and trains English teachers. Submissions from students in grades 5-12 are accepted for their magazine. The 10+ years of archives include over 1,000 stories, essays and poems. Books, tapes and teacher's guides are available in the store.
Michigan Review of Prisoner Creative Writing
The Prison Creative Arts Project at the University of Michigan publishes this annual journal to showcase the talent and diversity of Michigan's incarcerated writers.
Midst
Midst is an online journal that showcases the creative process by publishing poems as an interactive time-lapse from first draft to the author's preferred final version. Editors hope to make poetry more accessible by demystifying the process of its creation.
Midwest Book Review
Established in 1976, the Midwest Book Review is an organization committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. Reviews are posted monthly on their affiliated websites and distributed to libraries, literary websites, databases, and online discussion groups. MBR welcomes small press and self-published authors.
Military Experience and the Arts
This organization's mission is to bridge the gap between military and civilian cultures through creative expression and scholarship. The site includes resources to help veterans write their personal stories. MEA publishes three magazines: The Blue Falcon, a journal of military fiction; Blue Streak, a journal of military poetry; and the Journal of Military Experience, an interdisciplinary scholarly periodical. See website for their calls for submissions.
Milk Candy Review
Milk Candy Review is an online journal of "beautifully weird, lyrical" flash fiction up to 750 words. They publish new work weekly, and include a two-question author interview with each selected piece. Send one unpublished story by email as a Word document or pasted into the message. Contributors have included Sara Siddiqui Chansarkar, Thomas Kearnes, Kathryn Kulpa, and Margaret Roach.
Misfit Magazine
Edited by poet Alan Catlin, Misfit Magazine is an online poetry journal that publishes gritty and energetic free verse. They value authentic narrative poetry inspired by "down in the dirt, real life experience". Submission periods are Jan. 2-Feb. 28 for Spring Issue, April 1-May 31 for Summer Issue, Sept. 1-Oct. 30 for Fall/Winter Issue.
Missouri Review
We especially enjoy MR's fiction selections.
Modern Haiku
Publishes original poetry in Japanese forms, book reviews, and essays. Also sponsors the Robert Spiess Memorial Award ($100), annual deadline in March.
Months to Years
Founded in 2017, Months to Years is an attractively designed online journal of poetry, essays, and artwork about terminal illness and mortality. See website for submission periods and suggested topics.
Mount Island
Mount Island, a print and digital annual journal, accepts creative writing and art from authors who identify as LGBTQ+ and/or POC and who currently live in or hail from a rural area.
Narratively
Founded in 2012, Narratively is an online magazine of journalistic features about "ordinary people with extraordinary stories". They publish longform and shortform articles, short documentary films, photo essays, audio, and comics. Narratively sponsors an annual free writing contest with a large cash prize.
Necessary Fiction
Necessary Fiction is an online journal publishing original short stories, book reviews, and essays on writing. In their "Research Notes" column, published authors share informative and quirky stories about doing research for their recent books. Writers in the "Translation Notes" column describe the process of bringing a recent book of fiction into English.
Neon Door
Founded in 2021, Neon Door is an immersive online literary space that publishes poetry, fiction, essays, visual art, music, graphic narrative, and video clips. Sign up for their free e-newsletter for book recommendations, literary links, and thought-provoking columns from their editors.
Nepantla
Launched in 2014 by the Lambda Literary Foundation, Nepantla is an online journal of poetry by LGBTQ writers of color. The journal's name is an Aztec-language word for the space between worlds, or liminal space. For guidelines or other questions, contact the editors at nepantla@lambdaliterary.org.
New Letters
Past contributors have included May Sarton, J.D. Salinger, Marianne Moore, Joyce Carol Oates, Tess Gallagher and Richard Wright. See their website for audio archives from their radio program, New Letters on the Air, and rules for their annual writing contests.
New Millennium Writings
"New Millennium Writings is published annually. We accept general submissions January through April of each year. We will consider poetry, for which we pay in two copies, plus fiction, and nonfiction, for which we pay $100, plus two copies, upon acceptance. We're especially interested in interviews and profiles of famous writers or tributes to legendary writers (for our Janus File) who are no longer living but whose influence is still felt."
