These literary magazines publish in print. They are a mix of literary and genre magazines, and accept fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Some of them pay. Many, but not all, of them are open for submissions now. They’re listed in no particular order.
The Waxed Lemon
They accept poetry, flash, short fiction, and art. Writers receive a contributor copy. The deadline is 2 March 2025. Details here.
The Helix
The magazine is affiliated with Central Connecticut State College. They publish fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art. Send 250-3,000 words for fiction, up to 3,000 words for nonfiction, or up to 4 poems. And, “All works published on the website have the opportunity to be published in the December annual. If your work is put into the annual, you will be given a free copy of the book.” Details here and here.
14 magazine
This is an annual poetry magazine. Poems must be 14 lines long, excluding the title; send up to 3 poems. Their reading period is 1 April to 30 June each year. Please note, contributors outside Europe can either opt for a PDF contributor copy, or cover postage for the print copy. Work sent outside of the reading period will not be responded to. Details here.
The Paris Review
They open submissions via Submittable on the first day of the month during their reading periods, and close when the cap is reached. They also accept hard-copy submissions during these reading periods; “prose (fiction and nonfiction) submissions are accepted during the months of February, June, and October and hard-copy poetry submissions during the months of January, April, July, and October. Submissions postmarked after the last day of the month in question will not be processed.” Details here and here.
Pulp Literature
They want any genre or between-genre work of literature up to 50 pages in length. They accept short stories, novellas, poetry, and comics. They take all genres of fiction, not just pulp – including fantasy, romance, mystery, literary. They do not publish nonfiction, memoir, or children’s stories. They take more short fiction than novellas, and stories under 5,000 words have the best chance of publication. They also publish reprints. They accept queries for art. They pay $0.02-0.08/word for short stories, $25-50 for poetry and art, and $25-75/page for sequential art. They’re open for fiction submissions by BIPOC writers only through February 2025; their period for general submissions (from all writers) will be March. Please note, fiction submission is via a form on their website, which may close temporarily even during open reading periods, if submissions get overwhelming. Details here.
Able Muse
They publish metrical poetry (rhymed or unrhymed) and poetry translation, as well as art, fiction, and nonfiction (essays, book reviews, and interviews that focus on metrical and formal poetry). Able Muse accepts submissions in all genres from 1 January to 15 July, and usually publishes one issue per year. Details here.
Peasant Magazine
They want fantasy and historical fiction stories. “We are currently accepting works of short fiction that are between 1,000 to 10,000 words in length. We may sometimes accept submissions that exceed that length, but any lengthier works will be considered a hard sell for us. Ideally we want to be accepting 10 works of fiction per magazine issue. … We are focused on pre-industrial (pre-1750) settings such as the middle ages, ancient cultures, and the prehistoric era. Any pre-industrial setting (pre-1750) will do. … We are not interested in contemporary urban fantasy, weird westerns set after 1750, steampunk stories, royal romances, or court intrigue. Instead, we seek stories that focus on peasant/pauper fiction, with main characters who are poor or working-class.” They also accept reprints, as well as queries for nonfiction. They’ve published one issue so far. Details here.
Thimble Literary Magazine
This is a quarterly journal. It is primarily a poetry journal, “but we happily publish plenty of short prose and art.” Send 2-3 poems, or up to 1,200 words of prose. “We are not looking for anything in particular in terms of form or style, but that it speaks to the reader or writer in some way. Meaning, we’re not huge fans of abstractions. When selecting your poems or prose, please ask yourself, did writing this poem help me create shelter?” They’re open for submissions February, March, May, June, August, September, November, and December. They publish quarterly online and have a limited print run. Details here.
Mslexia
This print and online magazine accepts submissions by women-identified authors only (see Eligibility here), of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, pitches, and fun projects. Their deadlines vary, please check the guidelines for details. For fiction and poetry, they want work on their showcase themes: Snakes (deadline: 10 March) and Blue (deadline: 9 June 2025) themes. They also have interesting sections in each genre. Some of their submission sections are for subscribers only, and a few are occasionally closed, but many of them are open to all writers. Pay starts at £30 (see here, under Payment). Details here (scroll down and click on various sections/genres).
Blue Unicorn
This is a poetry magazine and publishes in print twice yearly. They have been publishing since 1977; you can read about them here. Contributors are paid. Submission is via a form on their website. Details here.
Mystery Tribune
They publish mystery fiction (3,000-6,000 words for print), including translated work, as well as nonfiction (commissioned, for print), art, and photography. And, “Unsolicited non-fiction or flash fiction contributions to our submission system are automatically considered for our website or our mobile apps, and if accepted, are unpaid.” They have a print and an online version, and short stories will be considered for both, unless you specify otherwise in your cover letter. Details here and here.
Wyldblood Magazine
They publish speculative fiction, nonfiction, and art. They are open for fiction submissions (up to 6,000 words, until 28 February 2025), as well as queries about nonfiction and art. Pay is $0.01/word for prose. Details here.
Nimrod International Journal
This print journal is affiliated with the University of Tulsa. You can read about them here. They publish fiction (up to 5,000 words) and poetry (send 3-7 poems). They pay $20 per poem/page of prose, up to $300. They accept submissions via Submittable during November. Details here and here.
Brick
They accept submissions of nonfiction only, of 1,000-5,000 words. They publish twice annually and have two reading periods, during April and October; submissions (via Submittable) open on the first day of the reading period, and close when a cap is reached. They pay $65-720. Details here and here.
Rivanna Review
This is a print magazine of stories, essays, and art. Send prose of 500-3,000 words. They accept submissions on an ongoing basis, with cut-off dates for issues: Feb 1, May 1, Aug 1, and Nov 1. Details here.
West Branch
West Branch is a thrice-yearly print literary magazine is affiliated with Bucknell University. They accept fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and translations. Send up to 6 poems; up to 30 pages of prose. Pay is $100 for poetry, $0.10/word for prose up to $200. The deadline is 1 April 2025. Details here.
Thinking Ink Press: Keiko’s Calls
Their editor designs and edits “literary postcards, Instant Books (mini books folded from a single sheet of paper), and other publications in non-traditional formats.” They publish:
“For postcards: poems or flash stories you wish someone would send you in the mail. Story length is about 100 to 300 words. Poetry length is 30 lines or fewer. (currently, they want poetry for postcards).
For Instant Books: standalone stories 500-1,500 words in length with strong narrative arcs.
For a 4-page flexagon: (A flexagon is a flat piece of paper that you can fold and twist to reveal hidden surfaces.) Stories or poems that can be divided into four pages and read as a loop, with no enforced beginning or end. Perhaps time travel? Or four related poems?
Visual art: images that beg to have stories made about them.” They have detailed guidelines about the kind of work they like. Pay is $20. Details here.
Berkley Fiction Review
“We look for innovative and reflective short fiction from new and emerging writers across all genres that play with form and content, as well as traditionally constructed stories with fresh voices and original ideas that say something new or bring nuance and perspective to an ongoing cultural conversation.” Send stories up to 30 pages. They also accept artwork. They pay $25. Details here and here.
Toronto Journal
This journal publishes in print and sound. They accept short stories from anywhere in the world, and nonfiction pieces about local history – Toronto, the GTA, or surrounding areas – see guidelines. They’re currently accepting submissions for their Summer issue. Submission is via a form on their website. Pay is $50 for up to 7,500 words, and the deadline is 1 March 2025. Details here.
Rustica
“Rustica is a print and online literary and arts journal. We accept writing from any genre, including poetry, essays, literary criticism, fiction, dramatic writing, and translation. For visual art, our tastes are similarly broad but rigorous; accepted work will be able to communicate with our readers from within the confines of a trade paperback-sized piece of paper.” They pay $50. They’re reading submissions for Issue 4, to be released in Summer 2025; there’s no deadline given. Details here.
Bourbon Penn
This is a speculative fiction magazine. “We are looking for highly imaginative stories with a healthy dose of the odd. Odd characters, odd experiences, odd realities. We’re looking for genre / speculative stories and are quite partial to slipstream, cross-genre, magic realism, absurdist, and the surreal.” Pay is $0.04/word for stories of 2,000-7,500 words. Details here and here.
Willow Wept Review
They want writing that “explores, celebrates, interrogates, and/or problematizes the relationship between human beings and the natural world.” They accept fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. On rare occasion, they publish reprints of work that was published in a print journal at least one year ago (see guidelines). Contributors to their 2025 issues will receive payment of $20 per published piece, along with a complimentary print copy of the journal. Details here.
Shadowplay
This is an annual print literary journal founded at the University of Arkansas – Monticello; you can read about them here. “Shadowplay seeks work that dances in liminal spaces, that illuminates the pieces of our world which otherwise go unseen. Send us your light and your dark.” They accept fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Send prose up to 2,500 words, or poetry up to 5 pages. They’ll consider all submitted work for the print journal; some work will additionally be featured on their website. The deadline is 15 March 2025. Details here.
Rathalla Review
This magazine is affiliated with Rosemont College. They accept fiction (including flash and novel excerpts), nonfiction, poetry, and art. “Our aim is to find work that is vulnerable and honest, personal yet universal, and sharply written.” Send prose up to 4,000 words, or up to 3 poems. They publish two online issues and an annual print issue. Details here and here.
Thirteen Bridges Review
Thirteen Bridges Review (formerly THAT Literary Review) is a literary arts journal produced by the Department of English and Philosophy at Auburn University at Montgomery. You can read about them here. “We want captivating writing. Show us your rhythmic sentences, vivid scenes, and nuanced characters. Give us poems that make us think, stories that make us feel.” They want “beautifully written, character-driven” fiction and nonfiction. Currently, they are open for fiction (deadline 1 April) and creative nonfiction (deadline 30 April 2025) submissions for their online issues; send prose of up to 2,000 words. Poetry is closed. Work published online will also be considered for their print issue. Details here.
Thema
They publish three themed issues a year. They’ve announced the themes for 2025: The Lost Sock (deadline March 1, 2025); I Wish I’d Said That (deadline July 1, 2025); and Today’s Onerous Task (deadline November 1, 2025). They accept short stories, essays, poetry, and art. They also accept reprints. Only writers outside of the US can submit by email, US-based writers have to post their submissions. Send up to 20 pages for fiction, up to 3 poems. Pay is $10-25. Details here.
Whistling Shade
Whistling Shade is a literary journal and small press. “We take a populist approach to literature and our audience is the general reading public. Whistling Shade is now published annually and we have been in print since 2001.” And, And, “We publish poetry, fiction, memoirs, essays, reviews and cartoons. Our emphasis is primarily mainstream and literary, but we have a broad readership and do not espouse any given school of writing.
Poetry can be of any form, including lyric verse that employs rhyme and meter, and there is no word limit. Short stories can be anywhere from very short to 10,000 words. Essays should surround writers or literary works. Profiles of contemporary writers are very much welcome!” They’re currently reading submissions for their 2026 issue on ‘The Road’ theme; “All work is welcome, but we are particularly looking for stories, poetry and memoirs involving rovers, vagrants, fugitives, and travelers of any stripe.” The deadline is 1 June 2025. Details here and here.
The School Magazine
They publish fiction, articles, poetry, plays, and activities that have literary and academic merit, as well as comics and cartoons for children. For fiction, they say, “Stories can be realistic, fantastical or humorous genres with contemporary or historical settings. Stories should demonstrate clear, intriguing prose, originality of characters and fresh storylines. No longer than 1500 words (shorter stories are encouraged). Occasionally a longer story may be considered for serialisation.” Their website also says, “Please note: at the moment we are looking for very short stories, plays and nonfiction. We especially require material for our younger readers (Countdown and Blast Off).” They are Australia-based and pay AUD0.50/word for fiction, articles and plays, and AUD55-230 for poetry. Details here and here.
Blink-Ink
This magazine publishes 50-word stories in quarterly issues. They usually have a theme, and announce the theme when they open for submissions. For art, they say, “We are always open for visual artwork. Please keep in mind it must reproduce well in in our small (5 1/2 X 4 1/4) format. We like to tie in our covers with our themes, so please inquire.” They’ll reopen for submissions on 1st March, and will announce the theme then. Details here and here.
Bushfire
Brushfire is a student-run publication at the University of Nevada, Reno. “We accept any and all printable forms of art.” They accept poetry, prose, fiction, screenplays, creative non-fiction and other non-fiction pieces. Send up to 3,000 words of prose, or up to 10 poems. And, “we consider experimental, traditional, Shakespearean, etc.” They accept submissions year-round, with cut-off dates for issues: deadline for the Spring edition is 14 March 2025. Please note, they can give contributor copies to writers in the US; for international contributors, they’ll send copies only if funds permit. Details here.
Poetry Ireland Review
This respected journal is published thrice annually. “We welcome unsolicited submissions of poems, and proposals for articles and interviews, from Ireland and abroad, in Irish or English.” Watch for their next submission period. Details here and here.
The Stinging Fly
This respected Ireland-based magazine publishes fiction, nonfiction, including graphic fiction and nonfiction, and poetry from around the world. They also accept translations. Currently, they are accepting pitches only (not completed submissions) of creative nonfiction on the Climate Crisis theme; the deadline for these pitches is 31 March 2025. They’ll open for fiction and poetry in May. They pay €45-1,200. Details here, here, and here.
Night Picnic
“Night Picnic is a journal of literature and art which publishes novels, novellas, plays, short and flash stories, fairytales for adults, poetry, interviews, essays (including popular science essays), letters to the editors, and artwork.
We prefer, but not exclusively, fantasies with multidimensional metaphysical meanings. Our slogan: “Find Truth in Fiction!” We encourage authors to submit all that is strange, dark, jubilant, complex, confusing, scary, mystical, and multidimensional.” Details here and here.
One Story
This magazine publishes one literary fiction story per issue, of 3,000- 8,000 words. They also accept reprints, if the story has appeared in print only, outside North America. They pay $500 and 25 contributor copies. Submissions will reopen in spring 2025. Details here.
Blue Earth Review
Blue Earth Review is Minnesota State University, Mankato’s graduate-run literary magazine. It was previously published under such titles as Medicine Jug, The Muse, and Minnesota River Review. They want “ambitious and exuberant works of short fiction, essay, memoir, poetry, and visual art that offer insights, complicates existing conversations, and enriches our understanding of what it means to be human in this increasingly diverse world. We gravitate towards small, focused works in which every word matters.” For fiction (up to 4,000 words), “Our unique square format fairs best with shorter pieces that reflect our mission of dramatic impact in a small size. We welcome all genres, including literary, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, surrealist, magical realism, and any others, or blend of others.” For nonfiction (up to 3,000 words), “We love nonfiction that works on more than just a narrative level. Surprise us with metaphor and layers of meaning. We are interested in creative nonfiction (memoir and personal essay) with contemporary themes. No literary criticism.” They also accept poems (send up to 5) and art. Details here and here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine.
