The times they are a'changing, folks. You would be hard-pressed nowadays to find a literary magazine published only in print, with no online presence.
This merging of media means that the quantity of work being put out there is growing like a weed. According to CLMP, there are approximately 600 active literary magazines and 700 non-active (those that post irregularly, but still post.) If you're thinking about submitting your fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, you don't have time to read 1,300 magazines! Trust us.
So, what the heck do those publishers want? The Publishing Lab's student-researched market sheets give a brief overview of some of our favorite literary magazines. Market sheets will reveal how open the publication is to emerging writers, what they publish, how frequently they publish, and a brief prose review.
Anderbo- Emerging writers welcome.
PDF Market Sheet
Bartleby Snope's - Unlike the Scrivener, they expect some good work.
PDF Market Sheet
Beloit Literary Journal - Traditional and experimental narratives can find a home in their pages.
PDF Market Sheet
Bird's Thumb - Dedicated to publishing non-genre-specific work from new and emerging writers, started by Columbia College alumn.
PDF Market Sheet
Black Denim Lit - Prose somewhere between blue jeans and khaki's.
PDF Market Sheet
Black Fox Literary Magazine- Writing to be taken seriously.
PDF Market Sheet
Bluestem Magazine- Out of the dirt, grows great poetry and prose.
PDF Market Sheet
Brevity-A home for your creative nonfiction
PDF Market Sheet
Brick - A challenging magazine to have your non-fiction be accepted by
PDF Market Sheet
Carve - It's what we talk about when we talk about great fiction.
PDF Market Sheet
Corium Magazine- They'll get under your skin but won't reject you on your birthday.
PDF Market Sheet
Devilfish Review - Since 2011, misfits have found a home here.
PDF Market Sheet
Driftwood Press- They may drift, but their prose does it right.
PDF Market Sheet
Every Day Fiction- Providing your daily dose of prose.
PDF Market Sheet
Forge-An eclectic journal of modern art and story
PDF Market Sheet
Failbetter - For poets and fiction writers unafraid of failure.
PDF Market Sheet
Fiction Southeast - Flash fiction for the technologically savvy.
PDF Market Sheet
Foundling Review- Edited by people who simply love to read.
PDF Market Sheet
From the Depths - A story will rise.
PDF Market Sheet
Full of Crow - Macrow quality, microw flaws.
PDF Market Sheet
Haunted Waters Press- Don't let the name fool you, they like more than just horror.
PDF Market Sheet
Jersey Devil Press - Quirky fiction.
PDF Market Sheet
Literary Juice-Drink up a fresh glass of prose
PDF Market Sheet
Literary Orphans- Making their place in the world and saving a spot for you.
PDF Market Sheet
Map Literary- A clear destination isn't always necessary.
PDF Market Sheet
Midwestern Gothic - Whether your piece is physically set in the Midwest or inspired by your time living here, they want it.
PDF Market Sheet
New Letters - as long as the piece's literary quality is strong, they'll be interested.
PDF Market Sheet
PANK - A magazine where no story is off-limits.
PDF Market Sheet
Passages North - Onward and upward only for this Michigan magazine.
PDF Market Sheet
Pleiades - Literature in context.
PDF Market Sheet
Phoebe-This Virginia magazine has been going strong since 1971.
PDF Market Sheet
The Rag - A journal for unfiltered writers who never pull their punches.
StoryChord - One story, one image, and one 1-song soundtrack published every other Monday.
Tin House - Top notch lit mag will be hard for newbies to break into
PDF Market Sheet
TRNSFR - Everything you could ever hope for from a literary magazine.
PDF Market Sheet
Used Furniture Review-Grab a seat and enjoy some top notch literature.
PDF Market Sheet
Vestal Review - The oldest magazine dedicated exclusively to flash fiction
PDF Market Sheet
Whiskey Paper-"Drink Words."
PDF Market Sheet
Wigleaf- (very) short fiction
PDF Market Sheet
Word Riot - An online journal of edgy up-and-comers.
PDF Market Sheet
- Other Markets We Like
AGNI- A tried and true journal out of Boston
Barcelona Review - Trilingual magazine crosses all kinds of borders
Blackbird - Online journal of Virginia Commonwealth University
Blood Lotus - So much more than just an awesome name
Blood Orange Review - Precise, fierce, unusual, oh, and seedless.
Ballyhoo Stories - Offers a mix of veterans and newbie writing
Calyx - Pretty. Glossy artwork. Literary fiction published from Oregon
Caketrain- A journal with a truly delicious aesthetic..
Copperfield Review - The most current of historical fiction.
Crate- Prose and poetry that doesn't necessarily fit into a box
Del Sol Review - Publishing arm of Web Del Sol champions the newbie
Feathertale Review - A home for humor writing with a snarky edge
Fence - Beautiful mag that highlights bold and fresh emerging writers
Flapperhouse- Strong voices, with a very particular style.
Fourteen Hills - Both emerging and veteran writers find a home here
Front Porch - Crisp journal from Texas State U's MFA program
Gertrude Press- One of the oldest LGBTQ journals still in print
Gettysburg Review- 20 years of great literature, how many scores is that?
Glimmer Train- The Queens of literary magazines.
Guernica- A magazine of art and politics.
Harpur Palate- A cute and powerful journal<
Identity Theory - An ambitious and frequently updated online journal
McSweeney's - Show Dave Eggers your own staggering genius
Monday Night - Stunning print journal is a solid choice for newbies
Our Stories - These folks put a focus on emerging writers
Oyez Review - Small lit mag from Columbia's neighbor, Roosevelt University.
Phoebe - Prestigious writing program looks to highlight emerging writers
Portland Review - Three issues a year, but a who's who of authors
StorySouth - As Southern as a mint julep
Sycamore Review- Another great college mag.
Summerset Review- Bright, fresh, summery writing here.
Thieves Jargon - New content daily gives newcomers a great chance
Water~Stone Review - Gorgeous and prestigious mag of Hamline Univeristy
Zoetrope All-Story - A giant of a journal begun by Francis Ford Coppola
All Poetry:
Arsenic Lobster- Seeking the "charley horse hearted"
Caliban- A magazine started in the '80s (don't worry, their style has evolved)
Columbia Poetry Review- Publishes amazing poetry, and we promise we're not biased.
Jubilat- Words you want to read.
Rhino- Poetry that charges right at you.
Thrush- A type of songbird, but also a beautiful journal of sing song poetry.
The Bakery- A mag with all the pastry puns you'll ever need.
Coconut Poetry- Modern, edgy, and experimental poetry.
Drunken Boat- An experiment in culture and literature.
ILK- Even their masthead is a poem.
Leveler- Every published poem comes with the editor's thought process in choosing the piece.
Pool- Poetry that is always clear and fresh.
Shampoo Poetry- Lather, rinse, write.
Verse Daily- A poem a day!
The Volta- A clean magazine of poetry and criticism.
Creative Nonfiction:
Creative Nonfiction- "True stories, well told"
Curator- Uncovering artifacts of culture.
Defunct- Salvaging stories from the past.
Fourth Genre- "Explorations in Nonfiction"
Grist- Publishes articles and discussions about writing
Hunger Mountain- Hungry for your stories.
Eco News Network- An environmental magazine crossing boundaries.
The Point- A magazine of artistic criticism and examination of life.
The Smart Set- All you geniuses should submit here.