These 30 magazines publish fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in print format. Most also publish online. Some have limited print runs, and a few are themed. Most, not all, of them are open for submissions now. Many of these are paying markets. They are listed in no particular order.
West Branch
This is a prestigious magazine, printed thrice-yearly from Bucknell University. They publish poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and translations. Send up to 6 poems, or up to 30 pages of prose. Pay is $50 per poem, and $0.05/word for prose, up to $100. The deadline is 1 April 2022. Details here.
Fourteen Poems
This UK-based journal publishes LGBTQ+ poets. Each issue publishes 14 queer poems. Send up to 5 poems. Pay is £25/poem. They publish thrice yearly, but take submissions throughout the year. The deadline for submissions for their next issue is 1 October 2021. Details here.
En Bloc
They are accepting fiction, poetry, art, and photography for their third issue. They read submissions on an ongoing basis; the deadline is 1 September 2021 for Issue 3 (see ‘Is there a deadline?’ in FAQ). Pay is £35 per side as they appear in the magazine, capped at £150 (see here). Details here.
Midnight & Indigo
This literary magazine publishes fiction, as well as narrative and personal essays, by Black women writers only. They publish in both, paperback and electronic formats. For general fiction their guidelines say, “We are looking for previously unpublished, CHARACTER-DRIVEN fictional short stories written by Black women writers. All genres are welcome. Subject matter and plots can run the gamut, but we want emotion, grit, soul, and writing that forges an immediate connection with the reader.” There is no pay for book reviews. Length guidelines are at least 1,500 words for fiction; at least 1,200 words for essays. Pay is $50-125 for fiction, and $50 for essays. The deadline is 5 September 2021 for fiction and essays; reviews accepted year-round. Details here.
AGNI
This respected literary journal publishes personal essays, think-pieces, memoir, prose poems, formal poems, blank verse, free verse, short stories, and short shorts; they do not publish academic essays or purely journalistic writing. Also, “We do not publish genre romance, horror, mystery, or science fiction; however, we are open to writing that borrows elements from any of these.” All work will be considered for print and online publishing. Pay is $10/page for prose, up to $150. Their next reading period is 1 September 2021 to 31 May 2022. Details here.
Vautrin
This is a print magazine that publishes gritty, urban fiction, crime/mystery fiction, and stories about ghosts and the supernatural – or a mix of any of these genres. They also publish essays that talk about contemporary crime fiction, “or essays that walk the path between, say, 19th century fiction and fiction in the here and now.”
Length guidelines are up to 6,000 words for fiction (no flash fiction), and up to 5,000 words for essays. They pay $130 for fiction over 2,000 words, $65 for fiction under 2,000 words, and $50 for literary essays. The deadline is 1 September 2021. Details here.
Prospectus
This magazine only publishes work by little-published or unpublished poets and writers (see guidelines). For poetry, they say, “Please do not send us personal, sentimental, or children’s poetry. We are looking for poetry that shows a sense of craft—content and form working together to bring thoughtful meaning to the poem. We are open to formal poetry as long as the form is working for the poem; for example, a perfectly rhymed and metered sonnet would not be of interest to us unless it also has fresh and thoughtful content.” For fiction, “We prefer traditional short stories with good characterization and a strong voice.” They do not want genre fiction or novel chapters. Send up to 3 poems, or fiction of 2,500-3,000 words; pay is $25 for these. They also publish reviews of debut full-length collections, blog pieces, and art. The deadline is 31 August 2021. Details here.
Freshwater Literary Journal
This is a student-coordinated professional literary journal produced at Asnuntuck Community College. They publish poetry, short stories, personal essays, and creative nonfiction. Length guidelines are up to 1,500 words for prose, and up to 5 poems. The deadline is 15 February 2022. Details here.
Broken Pencil
This is a magazine of zine culture and independent arts. They accept zines, books, comics, videos/films, mail-art and other things for review. They publish “news pieces, how-to and resource guides for creators, investigations, thematic spreads, political screeds and other features and pieces that appeal to our community of talented and politically engaged zine/comic/DIY creators, supporters and aficionados” (query first), and artwork. They also publish fiction (up to 3,000 words) – “We want work that hurts you to write, and us to read.” Pay is CAD50-100 for fiction, and the deadline is 15 September 2021. Details here (general guidelines) and here (Submittable, with fiction guidelines).
Capsule Stories: Sugar and Spice
Capsule Stories publishes once every season. They’re reading submissions on the ‘Sugar and Spice’ theme – stories, nonfiction, and poems “that feel cozy and warm and explore the ways food can bring us together during the winter holidays. Write about connecting with loved ones, a culture, or even yourself through food and drink, whether you’re cooking and baking with someone special, sitting down for a homemade meal with your family, or relishing an exquisite meal at a restaurant. Give us drool-worthy descriptions of a sumptuous feast and sweets and treats. Write about a snuggly love story. Or write about a quieter moment alone, wrapped in a blanket by the fire, sipping a hot drink. We are especially interested in cozy pieces that take place in winter and evoke the feeling of the season.” They’re also accepting submissions for their blog about your reading life, and are especially interested in essays that talk about reading the right book at the right time. They have a helpful checklist for new writers, who want to submit to this journal. Send prose of up to 3,000 words, or up to 5 poems. The deadline for the ‘Sugar and Spice’ theme is 31 August 2021. They read submissions year-round. Details here (general guidelines) and here (theme guidelines, blog guidelines, Submittable).
Small Beer Press: Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet
Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet is a magazine run by Small Beer Press. They accept fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and black and white art. Also, “The fiction we publish most of tends toward but is not limited to the speculative.” Submissions must be mailed. Pay is $0.03/word for prose ($25 minimum), and $10 for poems. Details here (scroll down).
Montana Mouthful: Road Trip
Montana Mouthful is an electronic and print on demand journal. They want fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art on the ‘Road Trip’ theme. Their guidelines say, “What drives you out the door to experience life on the open road? Is it to visit family? Do you crave new scenery? Is it to deal with a tragedy? Sheer restlessness? Simple curiosity? Or perhaps you have to relocate for work, family, or pleasure? And once on the road, what mishaps/miracles/unexpected events occur? We’re looking for great road trip stories, essays, poems, or unique photographs/artwork. As always, we’re less interested in anecdotes and more interested in stories full of tension.” Length guidelines are up to 2,000 words for prose, and up to 1,000 words for poetry. The deadline for this theme is 31 August 2021. Details here.
Spartan
They publish literary fiction, online quarterly and short-run print issues periodically. Submit one flash or micro fiction, of 1,000 words or fewer. They have four submission windows a year. The deadline is 31 August 2021. Details here.
Haiku Journal
This magazine publishes haiku which follow the 5/7/5 syllabic pattern. Send up to three haiku per issue. Pay is $1.50 per poet, and $10 for Editor’s Choice. Details here (scroll down for links to submission guidelines and portal).
Corbel Stone Press: Reliquiæ
Reliquiæ is a biannual journal of landscape, nature and mythology. They publish poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, translations and visual art. “We are particularly interested in visionary and mythopoeic writing, and in work that embraces ritual practice and esoteric philosophy. We’re also excited by translations, especially if the work has never been translated into English before. Please don’t send us plain ‘nature’ or ‘mythological’ writing. We’re looking for submissions that refract these elements through the prism of the imagination.” They want work “that interleaves ecologically aware writing from the past and present, ranging from the ethnological to the philosophical, the lyrical to the visionary.” Send up to six poems, or up to 3,000 words of prose. There is a small payment. The deadline is 31 August 2021 for the November issue. Details here.
Aquila
This is a UK-based children’s magazine. They publish stories and features for children aged 8-13 years, with the majority being in the 9-12-year range. They want stories of 1,000-1,300 words per double-spread stories, or 1,050-1,200 words per instalment for two-instalment stories. The content is designed to appeal to bright children who are confident and independent readers. The work should have not been published before in Great Britain. Pay is £105 per short story, or per instalment for a two-part story. Details here (download Author’s Guidelines).
The Dark City Mystery Magazine
The Dark City is dedicated to “the love of story, and in particular, the rough and tumble of the world of crime and violence. We are fans of story that has roots in reality but we do consider humorous situations and characters to be part of reality. We hope to acquire stories that leave readers thinking about the characters and their dilemma.” They want stories of 1,000-7,500 words. Pay is $25. Details here.
Star*Line
This is the official print journal of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association, established in 1978. It is a literary venue for speculative (including science-fiction, fantasy, and horror) poets and poetry enthusiasts, and also accepts short articles on topics related to science-fiction, fantasy, and horror speculative poetry. Send up to 5 poems. Pay is $0.03/word for poetry and $0.01/word for articles. They also accept reviews, and art. They accept submissions on an ongoing basis. Details here.
Swamp Ape Review
This is a literary journal founded and produced by the MFA in creative writing students at Florida Atlantic University. Their yearly print and online issues feature fiction, nonfiction, poetry, swamp (works that defy genre – “We’re looking for weird work that has intention”), translations, and visual art. They also highlight South Florida writers and artists. Send up to 6,000 words for prose, or up to 5 poems. The deadline is 31 August 2021. Details here.
Crow Toes Quarterly: Broken; Cold
This is a Canadian art and literature magazine “for children who don’t scare easily”. Their guidelines say, “We are looking for “playfully dark”, intelligent, humorous, descriptive literature written for children ages 8 – 13.” They accept poetry, fiction, and art, and they read work throughout the year. After their relaunch, they have published two issues; the second issue was launched in July, according to a Twitter update. Their submission guidelines list all of the issue themes for the year. For the Fall 2021 issue (Issue 3, October-December), the theme is ‘Broken’; for the Winter 2022 issue (Issue 4, Jan-March), it is ‘Cold’; they have other themes listed for later, as well. They read submissions throughout the year. Send up to 3,000 words for fiction, or up to 5 poems. Pay is $25-50 for fiction, and $20 for poetry (Canadian). Details here.
Acumen
This is an award-winning poetry journal. They publish new poetry and poetry translations, alongside articles, debate, comment and reviews of recent poetry publications. Send up to 6 poems, or an essay. Details here.
Bourbon Penn
They want highly imaginative stories with a healthy dose of the odd. They want genre/speculative stories and they are “quite partial to slipstream, cross-genre, magic realism, absurdist and the surreal.” Send stories of 2,000-7,500 words. Pay is $0.02/word. They read submissions on an ongoing basis. Details here.
The Journal of Undiscovered Poets
This is a poetry journal and they are reading for their third issue. Their guidelines say, “While undiscovered does not necessarily mean unpublished, and previously published poems will be considered, the journal is interested in poems by writers striving to enter the world of published poets. All ages, levels of education and life experience are welcome.” Send up to 5 poems in any length or style. Details here.
filling Station
They accept poetry (up to 6 pages), fiction (up to 10 pages), creative nonfiction, critical nonfiction (about literature and occasionally about visual art), and visual art. They encourage writers to submit experimental interviews, articles, reviews, and creative nonfiction. Pay is $25. Details here.
Indigo Dreams Publishing: The Dawn Treader
The Dawntreader “specialises in myth, legend; in the landscape, nature; spirituality and love; the mystic, the environment.” They publish poetry, prose, articles and local legends. Length guidelines are: prose of up to 1,000 words, and poetry up to 40 lines. Their sister publications are Reach Poetry (currently only accepting work from subscribers) and Sarasvati (publishes poetry and prose). Details here.
Pure Slush: Love – Lifespan Volume 4
This press publishes anthology series. Through 2021, 2022 and into 2023, they are planning a 12-volume anthology series, looking across the lifespan. They’re reading for the 4th volume of the series, and the theme is ‘Love’ – which means characters can be any age. Writers can send fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Length guidelines are 150-1,000 words for prose, and 80-1,000 words for poetry. The deadline is 31 August 2021. Details here.
Pleiades
This is a literary biannual featuring poetry, fiction, essays, and reviews. Past contributors include winners of prestigious prizes, alongside many writers seeing their work in print for the first time. See editors’ guidelines for the kind of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry they want; the next reading period begins 1 December. There is also the Pleiades Book Review, a literary supplement to the magazine that features both essay reviews and shorter reviews of books released primarily by independent publishers; this is published online, and is open for submissions year-round. “We encourage experimental reviews—reviews that borrow from creative nonfiction, adopt a unique form, compare something new to something old, etc.—and are very interested in new interpretations of what a book review is and can look like.” Send reviews of 800-1,000 words. Details here.
Gwyllion
This Welsh magazine publishes genre fiction and poetry twice a year, and prints a limited number of copies. They want low fantasy, space opera, pulp fiction, swords-and-sorcery tales of mystery and adventure. Also, “We want your weird fiction, your eldritch horror, your wuxia, and your steampunk. Give us cryptids, give us aliens, give us vampires. If you think ‘lowbrow’ is an insult then we are not the right magazine for you. We also accept high fantasy, literary fiction, and ‘hard’ science fiction.” Send fiction of up to 10,000 words, or up to 3 poems, book reviews, as well as fan fiction recommendations of up to 200 words. The deadline is 31 August 2021. They offer a token payment of £10. Details here.
One Story
They publish one literary fiction story per issue, which can be of any style and on any subject. “We are looking for stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone.” Regarding reprints, if a story has been published in print (not online) outside of North America, it will be considered. They also accept translations. Send stories of 3,000-8,000 words. They pay $500 cash, and 25 contributor copies. Their next reading period is 7 September-14 November 2021. Details here.
Reckoning
They want creative writing, including translations, and art about environmental justice. “The fiction we publish is mostly, but not exclusively, speculative; the nonfiction is more creative than journalistic, the poetry tends towards the narrative, preferably with some thematic heft, the visual art leans away from the pulpy towards the surreal, subversive, political. But the heart of what we want is your searingly personal, visceral, idiosyncratic understanding of the world and the people in it as it has been, as it is, as it will be, as it could be, as a consequence of humanity’s relationship with the earth.” See the editors’ preferences for Issue 6. Send 3-5 poems, and up to 20,000 words of prose. Pay is $0.08/word for prose and $30/poem. The deadline is 22 September 2021. Details here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She is the author of 182 Short Fiction Publishers. She can be reached here.
