These magazines accept reviews of books. Most of them also accept other genres, like fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Some of them pay writers. Many, but not all, of them are open for submissions now.
Frivolous Comma
They publish speculative fiction (closed now) and nonfiction (1,000-2,500 words), including reviews; “Reviews/book round-ups through a personal/memoir lens (note: we prefer reviews that focus on positive aspects of books; that is, “who this is for” rather than “who this isn’t for”)”. While fiction is open during their reading periods, nonfiction is open on an ongoing basis, and pays $125. Submission is via a form. Details here.
Boston Review
They’re currently open for essays and reviews; they accept drafts as well as proposals. “Boston Review is a magazine of ideas, politics, and culture with a global audience… We primarily publish long-form essays, substantial book reviews, political, cultural, and social analysis, and reporting and commentary on current affairs.” And, “We usually publish reviews only within six months of the publication or release date of the work under review. It is best to submit reviews as close as possible to the release date of the work under review, ideally in advance.” Details here and here.
Cleveland Review of Books
“The Cleveland Review of Books invites pitches and submissions of critical writing that prioritize formal vision and generous engagement with their subject matter. … While the writing we publish frequently takes the form of a review, it is our conviction that the best “reviews” are critical-creative essays rooted in one or more texts operating within a recognizable critical mode. They may also be collaborations, letters, conversations, disruptions, or other inventions.” They also accept fiction, poetry, cross-genre work, and other formats. They have detailed guidelines. They publish online and in print, and pay $50- 200. Details here.
Big Score Lit
This is a new biannual print magazine. For critical prose they say, “Think deep dives or reorderings of the universe, not book reviews. We are interested in critical work about specific authors, whether modern or in the fairly recent past; authors of yesteryear (even those still publishing); “scenes,” which includes, say, a certain poetry series or a coterie of authors in a given place; earthshaking manifestos; critical work that defies category. The main thing is that the criticism be engaging and substantive, and that it honor the work of the writers under consideration, whether or not the substance of the criticism is challenging or laudatory. We want criticism with teeth—which doesn’t mean we’re looking for gratuitous takedowns. We believe that to criticize work with serious attention is to honor that work and the author who brought it into being. Show us what matters.” Submissions for narrative prose (fiction/nonfiction/memoir/what-be-it) and poetry follow reading periods, and are now closed; critical prose is open on an ongoing basis. They pay $400 and above for commissioned critical prose (see guidelines), and $100-400 for other genres. Details here.
Rain Taxi
This is a print journal, with an online edition. “Our literary quarterly provides a forum for the sharing of ideas about books, particularly those that may be overlooked by mainstream review media or marginalized for presumed strangeness, difficulty, or other othering. … While Rain Taxi focuses on reviews of current book releases (generally those published within the previous nine months), it also devotes space to interviews, essays, and critical reflections on older books that continue to resonate. Because we are focused on the kind of writing that has been historically underrepresented, we are especially interested in book coverage written by and/or about BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and women authors.” They accept both review submissions (via this form) and pitches. Submissions are accepted year-round, except during June and December. They do not want original fiction or poetry. Details here.
Fiction Week Literary Review
The Fiction Week Literary Review accepts essays and book reviews. “We are looking for essays that are at least peripherally related to the art and craft of innovative writing. Book reviews about innovative books of fiction or poetry will also be considered.” They also accept innovative and/or postmodern fiction and innovative, leading-edge poetry. Details here.
West Branch
“Book reviews are typically arranged by assignment, and we currently publish only poetry reviews. If you are interested in writing reviews, please query with a sample. Our pay rate for reviews is highly competitive.” Pay for other prose is up to $200 and for poetry, it is $100. They also publish fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. West Branch is affiliated with Bucknell University. Submissions will reopen on 1 August 2024. Details here.
Good River Review
They accept review pitches. “We welcome queries to review new books (no more than 2 years since publication) of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, hybrid and cross-genre forms, and writing for children and young adults. … We are particularly interested in reviews of work that speaks to the current urgencies of race, class, gender, and the environment, as well as titles from independent and university presses.” They also accept fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama/scripts, and writing for children and young adults. Good River Review is affiliated with Spalding University. Details here.
COMP: an interdisciplinary journal
“For critical prose, we’d love to feature craft essays, artist manifestos, criticism, reviews, essays on film, music, visual art, poetics or writing praxis/pedagogy, etc.” They also publish fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and cross-genre work. Their submission period is November to February. Please send your work only during the reading period. This magazine is affiliated with Piedmont University. Details here.
Gramarye
“The Chichester Centre for Fairy Tales, Fantasy and Speculative Fiction seeks articles, book reviews and creative writing relating to literary and historical approaches to fairy tales, fantasy, Gothic, magic realism, science fiction and speculative fiction for Gramarye, its peer-reviewed journal published by the University of Chichester.” Reviews are approximately 1,000 words. They accept other genres also – fiction, poetry, and articles. The deadline is 21 September 2025. Details here.
Harbor Review
“We are currently accepting reviews of poetry chapbooks, full length books of poetry, poetry and art hybrid books, and art books. Written reviews should be around 300 words. The book being reviewed should be forthcoming or have been published in the last 6 months. … Send us something different. Make a video. Write something unusual. Incorporate an interview. Interpretive dance? Yes!” They’re particularly interested in reviews of work by women, non-binary folks, people of color, and members of the LGBT community. They also have fee-free submissions of poetry and art, which are currently closed. Details here.
(They also have fee-free open contest entry for BIPOC writers – currently, for a micro chapbook, deadline: 31 July, as well as free reading period for BIPOC writers – for chapbooks, deadline: 30 September 2025, see the relevant categories here.)
Ballast
“We love poetry’s excesses”. They accept poetry, as well as book reviews and critical essays. Details here.
The Los Angeles Review of Books
“The Los Angeles Review of Books is a magazine covering culture, politics, and the arts. … LARB publishes reviews, essays, and interviews online every day, as well as a quarterly print journal, which also features original fiction, poetry, and art.” You can read about them here. They accept pitches on an ongoing basis, details here (see ‘Pitches’). “We offer a standard honorarium based on the current health of our Writer’s Fund”.
The Inquisitive Eater: The New School Food
The Inquisitive Eater is affiliated with NY-based The New School. “The best food writing is not just about what’s on the plate, but is, like all literature, also interested in language, psychology, and the most pressing issues of the day. The Inquisitive Eater: New School Food provides a forum for artists and academics to explore the intersections between food and family, the environment, politics, economics, social justice, and media. Submit your short stories, personal essays, poems, reviews of books, movies and TV, visual art, multi-media projects, and academic work. Cross genre is absolutely okay.” You can read more about them here. They’re reading work on ‘Eat the Rich’ theme till 30th August 2025, theme details are here. About reviews, they say, “Current reviews of books, movies and anything pop culture. Like or hate the new David Chang cookbook? Write in and tell us why. Submissions limited to 1,000 words.” See the Books & Media tab here.
Woods Reader
They only accept submissions from writers in the US and Canada. “Woods Reader is a publication for those who love woodland areas: whether a public preserve, forest, tree farm, backyard woodlot or other patch of trees and wildlife. Our readers like to hear about others’ experiences and insights, especially those that make an impression that they think about long after they have finished the article. Submitted content should center around trees and woodlands.” They accept pitches for book reviews (not unsolicited submissions), and various types of articles / creative work with woodland themes. They pay $25-100. Details here.
Poetrybay
“Poetrybay seeks fine poetry, reviews, commentary and essays without restriction in form or content”. Details here.
Death Kit
This is a London-based digital and print magazine. They publish short book and film reviews, as well as fiction, essays, and poems. Book and film reviews are unpaid, and they pay £25-50 for other genres. Watch for their next submission period. This is a new magazine; they’ve published one issue, so far. Details here.
The Quarter(ly)
They want fiction, poetry, art, graphic stories, as well as analysis/interviews/reviews. Their upcoming theme is, Animate Me. Regarding analysis/interviews/reviews, they say, “As long as it is tied to the theme in some way, we’d love to see any and all media analysis (film, music, literature, etc.), interviews with notable creatives, or reviews of past—or present—media. We’re open to anything up to 10,000 words.” They also accept pitches for this section. Please note, they pay $5 for contributions but in some instances, for shorter works, payment is a digital contributor copy only (see guidelines). The deadline is 15 September 2025, or until filled. Details here.
Aniko
They accept submissions from Australia and around the world – reviews and review pitches, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and experimental work. For reviews, “We mainly focus on literary and contemporary fiction, short story collections, poetry, interesting/experimental nonfiction and exciting graphic novels. We include both Australian and international authors. We prioritise recent releases, but will also consider fresh takes on ‘forgotten’ classics or contemporary books you loved that didn’t get enough time in the spotlight.
Book reviews should be between 600-900 words, and contain a mix of literary criticism and personal opinion.” They pay AUD50 for reviews and AUD125 for other genres. Reviews are closed until August 2025, and other genres will open in 2026. Details here.
Poetry
Apart from poems, they also publish reviews of poetry books of 1,200-1,800 words and other poetry-related prose. They want reviews that consider 2 or more new poetry collections, drawing connections between disparate works, focusing on a shared theme/aesthetic/etc. across works by different poets; reviews focused on multiple books by a single author and/or on collected or new and selected works; and reviews of underappreciated/overlooked works from the last year. Pay is $150/page for prose, and $10 per line for poetry ($300 minimum). They will reopen for submissions mid-September. Details here.
SmokeLong Quarterly
They publish flash narratives (fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid, between fiction and nonfiction of up to 1,000 words). They also accept reviews of flash collections, essays on craft, and articles on teaching flash for their blog; there’s no submission fee, or payment, for these. They’re also open for other genres currently, for which there is a submission fee; their next fee-free submission period for flash narratives will open mid-August 2025. Details here and here.
Variety Pack
They accept fiction, nonfiction, poetry, reviews (of books, albums/Vinyl/Eps, television series, films, theatrical productions, visual Art exhibits) and interviews, as well as visual art. They pay $10-20. They’ll reopen for submissions on 1st September 2025 for their Fall issue submission call. Details here.
Reactor
This was formerly Tor.com; they publish essays/reviews on speculative works. “We are most interested in pitches for essays, think pieces, list posts, reaction pieces, and reviews in the 1000-2500 word range (although we are also open to longer essays). … We do not encourage articles on spec—please send us clear, thoroughly outlined pitches on specific topics.” And, “Please note the distinction between reviews and other types of articles/essays: a review (of a book, movie, or television episode) entails a strict deadline; pitches must be made and accepted in advance of the pub/release date, and advanced copies/screeners will be provided if possible.” You can also pitch about about an older book or series, or a movie or TV show that has already been released (see guidelines). They pay. Details here.
London Review of Books
This well-regarded magazine accepts unsolicited submissions as well as proposals. “The best guide to what we might like is what we usually publish, including poems, reviews, reportage, memoir, articles for our Short Cuts and Diary slots, and blogposts.” Details here.
Mystery Tribue
For The Daily section, they say, “We publish daily online non-fiction essays, stories, interviews, and reviews on the genre of mystery and suspense. … Pitches or submissions are preferred to pieces written on spec; please keep submissions to under two thousand words.” Nonfiction, flash fiction, and art are accepted year-round. Details here.
Vagabond City
This magazine accepts work by marginalized creators. They accept reviews of works written by marginalized authors. They also accept interviews, art, creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Details here.
Slightly Foxed
Their website says, “Our contributors are established writers, journalists and people from other fields who share their passion for particular books and authors. Since it is entirely independent, Slightly Foxed is free to follow its own bent, to promote unfashionable enthusiasms, to celebrate the offbeat and the unusual. Contributors are encouraged to discuss their chosen books with passion and wit, to air arcane knowledge, to delight in eccentricity and to share the joys of exploring the extraordinary, the little-known and the downright peculiar.” Writers should check their index first to make sure they have not already covered their chosen book. They pay. Details here and here.
Horroraddicts.net
“HorrorAddicts.net is a podcast, blog, and publisher run by horror addicts, for horror addicts. Our main goal is to promote horror authors, musicians, artists, and entertainers for our listener’s entertainment.” They are open for interviews, essays, reviews, or commentary. They publish work on horror – Dark Fantasy, Monster, Steampunk, Cyberpunk, Clockpunk, Alternative, Goth, Metal, Industrial, Avant-garde themes. They are currently closed to fiction. Details here and here.
diode
This poetry journal publishes various types of poems, as well as related nonfiction. “There are no length restrictions for submissions of reviews, interviews, or essays.” Details here.
Archetype
They publish reviews (1,000-5,000 words), essays, poetry, fiction, interviews, impassioned musings, photography, and art. They have two reading periods, November 1 to January 7 for their spring issue, and from June 1 to August 6 for the fall issue. Please send your work only during the reading periods. Payment is a contributor copy. Details here.
The Wise Owl
This is an India-based literary magazine. They accept review pitches — of books, plays, films and releases on the OTT platform (usually recently published or forthcoming). They also publish interviews, fiction (multi-genre), nonfiction, poetry, and art. Details here.
Liber: A Feminist Review
“LIBER is a broadly feminist publication that welcomes timely reviews and essays on forthcoming books of all genres. Our interest is in feminist theory, culture, history, and publishing, though we welcome submissions that use a feminist lens to analyze works that are not explicitly feminist. Although primarily a review, we also publish poetry, comics, personal or hybrid essays, photo essays, and long-form reported features on topics related to feminist history and publishing. Reviews can vary in length, from 1,000 to 2,000 words. Average length for a feature is 2,000 to 4,000 words.” They review nonfiction, fiction, and academic books of interest to a feminist audience or classroom. Please pitch them three to four months ahead of the book’s publication date (see guidelines). Pay is $100 per book review, $50 per poem, and $100-300 for features. Details here.
Lincoln Review
This annual magazine is affiliated with the University of Lincoln. They accept queries for book reviews and interviews, and submissions of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, and comics. They will reopen for submissions on 1st September. Details here.
The Horn Book Magazine
They review children’s and YA books published in the US. “Articles submitted to The Horn Book Magazine should be of a critical nature on some aspect of children’s literature and should be no longer than 1600 words in length. Potential contributors are advised to have a solid familiarity with The Horn Book Magazine before submitting manuscripts. “Cadenza” submissions — witty commentaries, send-ups, poems, sketches, comics, cartoons, etc. — should be approximately 350 words (text) or fit on a 6-by-9-inch page (art).” They do not accept fiction, or work by children. They pay. Details here.
The Oxonian
The Oxonian (formerly The Oxonian Review of Books) is affiliated with Balliol College, Oxford. They publish essays on arts & literature, politics, history, and more), fiction, poetry, and interviews, as well as columns and series. They accept queries as well as submissions. Details here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
