By Alex J. Coyne
Medical fiction is a popular and widely read genre that draws thousands of eyes every year; and it’s not just limited to doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, but sometimes also everyday readers and writers who appreciate a fictional glimpse into the profession.
Here are some markets for medical fiction, including literary and medical journals.
The Journal of Art and Aesthetics in Nursing and Health Sciences
The Journal of Art and Aesthetics in Nursing and Health Sciences publishes mostly nonfiction articles on nursing and caregiving, but they also accept “philosophic essays” of 1,500 words or less and will also look over poetry submissions.
Literature and Medicine: Johns Hopkins University Press
Literature and Medicine is published every year by Johns Hopkins University Press, and they’re looking for stories and essays from 5,000 to 9,000 words – and while they rarely accept creative writing, they will consider certain pieces, and their journal is filled with essays that talk about the relationships between the medical profession and fiction, or review actual medical fiction.
Blood and Thunder
Blood and Thunder (by far one of the coolest journal titles on this entire list, considering the profession) is published by the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine on an annual basis, and they’re looking for any stories (including fiction) that relate to healthcare, how it’s experienced by others or how it impacts them. They’ve got a 3,500 word limit on submissions.
Families, Systems & Health
Families, Systems & Health is published by the American Psychological Association four times per year. Overall, they publish comments and replies on articles, commentaries (1,000 words or less), review articles (up to 3,500 words) and research articles (up to 3,500 words) – but if you’re a fiction author, you should look at their submission guidelines for poetry and what they call their “55-word stories.”
Literary AMWA
Literary AMWA is the publication of the American Medical Women’s Association, and they publish any fiction, nonfiction and poetry from female medical professionals in the industry – though they’re also accepting stories from those in-training.
Ars Medica
Ars Medica calls itself “the only medical literary journal in Canada” – and they’re looking for any stories about the medical and healthcare professions, whether or not you are working in the industry. They publish creative nonfiction and medical history, but they’re also looking for medical-themed fiction during their regular submission calls. Keep an eye on their guidelines for theme and word count.
The Medical Literary Messenger
The Medical Literary Messenger is published by Virginia Commonwealth University, and they accept submissions from members of VCU and authors – for fiction, they’re looking for any fiction that touches upon healthcare and humanities with a 3,000 word limit.
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