This list focuses on a wide variety of journals that are seeking specific kinds of writers, including older writers, younger writers, writers attending university, working class writers, the incarcerated, veterans and their families, and women writers. Some publications have stricter guidelines than others.
Not all are currently open to submissions but most are. If you know of another journal that belongs on this list send us a link, at support@authorspublish.com.
If you are a member of an underrepresented community, our most recent monthly round-up of those opportunities is here; this list is updated and released on the third Thursday of every month.
Bipolar Poetry
This not-for-profit online publication publishes original poetry by people who have been diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder.
Thin-Skin
This literary journal focuses on publishing work of writers that are 50 or older.
The Awakenings Review
They are committed to publishing the works of artists, writers, and poets with mental illness. They also accept submissions from those with a family member or friend with mental illness. They publish two issues a year. I cannot link directly to their submission guidelines, but if you scroll down on the main page there is a yellow panel that says “Submit your work today” and clicking on it, will lead you to the instructions.
Tint Journal
This beautiful online journal showcases the original work of writers for whom English is a second or non-native language.
Furrow
They accept unpublished poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art, and comics by undergraduate students in the United States. They reopen to submissions on Dec 1, 2026.
Luna Station Quarterly
They only publish work by women-identified speculative fiction writers. They are not open for submissions currently.
Mistake House
This literary journal publishes fiction and poetry by student writers actively enrolled in graduate and undergraduate programs around the world. They are currently not open to submissions.
Passager Journal
This journal was founded in 1990 to focus on publishing writing by authors who are 50 and older. Since 2005 they’ve also published books (although they are only interested in working with authors who were previously published in the journal or poets over 70 who enter their contest). There is a fee to submit electronically, but postal submissions are free. They are currently open to submissions of poetry and prose.
Boomer Lit
Technically open to submissions from writers of all ages, they describe themselves as having a “home base in the Boomer generation.”
Magic Dragon
They publish stories, essays, poems, and art by children. They don’t have strict age limits that I could find, but most work seemed to be by children under the age of 12.
Tween Girl Magazine
This print magazine focuses on girls between 8-12 is open to submissions on topics like friendship and self care.
Press Pause Press
This literary journal publishes work by adults and by those 18 and younger. If you are younger than 18, they do have special guidelines you must follow. They charge for some submission periods, including their current one. They have free submissions from January 1st to April 30th, and September 1st through December 31st.
One Teen Story
This magazine publishes three stories a year. Stories are written by teenagers and have to be submitted as part of their yearly contest. Entry is free, the winners are paid, and the next contest opens up in fall 2026.
Bloom
A literary site devoted to highlighting, profiling, reviewing, and interviewing authors whose first major work was published when they were age 40 or older, and they recently started accepting poetry and fiction submissions from authors who first publish or publish in a new genre at 40 or later. They are now Substack-based, and are closing to submissions on August 15th.
Mslexia
This respected feminist magazine is open to submissions from women in most categories (although some are reserved only for subscribers). They are a paying market, which publishes a wide range of writing.
Anemone Magazine
This publication focuses on publishing the work from young creatives. They state, “We review work from submitters through the ages of 11 and 25 – exceptions for 25+ creators will be considered, but please email us before submitting.’ You can learn more about their publication here and see the latest submission call here. They close for submissions on August 31st.
Lilith
Lilith Magazine “welcomes submissions of high-quality, lively, original writing: reporting, analysis, opinion pieces, memoir, fiction and poetry with a feminist take on subjects of interest to Jewish feminist”.
Literary Mama
They are open to “submissions by anyone who identifies as a mother, or with the journey of motherhood, or the act of mothering in its many forms. This includes those hoping to conceive, those who have lost a child, and those providing parental care. We are open to work by fathers if that title better describes your caretaking role.” They publish nonfiction, poetry, and fiction as well as other writing.
Blue Marble Review
A literary journal open to students ages 13-22. They are a paying market. They reopen to submissions on 1st September.
Room Magazine
This established Canadian lit magazine publishes “original fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art by folks of marginalized genders, including but not limited to women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit and nonbinary people”. They go on to say “We encourage writers with overlapping under-represented identities to submit, and we don’t want writers to feel restricted by gender or genre labels, so if you are unsure if your work is a fit for Room“. They are currently open to submissions of work for their themed Belonging issue. They pay.
We’Moon
We’Moon is “a combination literary journal, art magazine, and poetry digest all rolled into one”. They only accept submissions from women and nonbinary creatives. They’re open to submissions on the theme, On the Cusp, till 1st August 2026.
Susurrus
An online literary arts magazine for artists from the American South. They are closed to submissions at the time of this update.
Gyroscope Review
This literary journal publishes an annual “Crone Power” issue in the fall. Submissions for this issue are for poets over the age of 50 who identify as female. This year they are open to submissions for it from July 1st through September 1st, or until the issue is filled.
The Wrath-Bearing Tree
Established by combat veterans and maintained by a diverse board of veterans, military spouses, and writers compelled by themes of social justice and human resilience, The Wrath-Bearing Tree accepts submissions of essays, reviews, fiction, and poetry on military, economic, and social violence written by those who have experienced military, economic, and social violence or their consequences.
Consequence Forum
A paying journal that publishes work addressing the human consequences and reality of war and geopolitical violence. They will close for submissions on 15th October. They pay.
Quartet Journal
A journal that publishes poetry by women over the age of 50.
Workers Write
This long-running themed journal focuses on working class writers. They are putting together a themed collection called Tales from the Contingent Workforce and it will contain stories and poems from gig, temp, and contract workers’ perspectives. Their deadline for submissions is Dec 31st, or until filled. They are a paying market.
Persimmon Tree
An online magazine of the arts by women over 60. You do have to sign up to be a subscriber in order to submit but it is free.
Bamboo Ridge Press
This established literary journal only publishes authors located in Hawai’i or the Pacific region or with a direct connection to that region. They are currently accepting submissions, but only allow postal submissions.
The Incarcerated Writers Initiative
The Incarcerated Writers Initiative at Columbia University serves as a resource for incarcerated writers (current and former) to submit their work for detailed critique. Each submitter receives feedback from a Writing Program student, offering a constructive response to their work and ideas on how to improve its effectiveness. They accept submissions year-round, but they are only actively reading submissions September through March. All submissions received before early December are considered for the Spring publications of Exchange and the Columbia Journal.
Certain Age
They are only open to submissions from women “”of a certain age” and a lot of attitude”. They are currently closed to submissions.
Résonance
While anyone can submit, they particularly encourage work by and/or about the Franco-American communities of the United States and their realities. They state that they will favor works that relate to this subject/community.
BOOMER Magazine
This digital magazine publishes a wide range of work of work including articles, poetry, and fiction. They are open to submissions from authors of any age, but they want writing to be “Targeted to be of interest to our audience, active adults age 45 and up”. Most of the authors they publish are also in this age bracket.
Ars Medica
Founded in Canada, this online publication is focused on writing about the body, health, wellness, and encounters within the medical system. The work they publish is primarily written by patients and health care workers. This includes fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and visual art.
Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2026 Guide to Manuscript Publishers. She regularly teaches three acclaimed courses on writing and publishing at The Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish. You can follow her on Facebook here.
