In my experience, there are many reasons to seek publication in journals that have been around for less than a year. When a literary journal is new, the editors tend to be a lot more passionate. I have gotten handwritten thank you cards from editors of new publications, something that has never happened when my work was published by a more established journal.

Editors of new journals tend to be more generous with their time, energy, and enthusiasm. Plus, they are genuinely grateful that you trusted their new and untested journal with your work. Several of the journals that published my work in their first issue have gone on to permanently feature my poems on their website as their ‘sample poem’, so that other submitters get a feel for the kind of work they like to read.

New journals have recorded podcasts about my work. My work ended up getting promoted a lot more than if it had been accepted by an older, more established journal.

With a new journal, the odds that work will be nominated for a literary prize increase as well. I have been publishing in new journals for over a decade now, and some of the journals that published my work when I was a new writer are now established and several now have a less than 1% acceptance rate. However, when I originally submitted, they were far less competitive.

During that decade, a number of those new journals went under, which is one of the major pitfalls to submitting to new journals. Another pitfall is that you don’t know what you are getting into, particularly if your work is published in the first issue. You can’t look at past issues, online and in print, because they have none. Editor’s of brand new journals are also a little more likely to make mistakes/not know what they are doing.

Submitting to new journals is a lot like stepping into the unknown. In my experience though, the risk is almost always worth it because the reward.

Some of these journals are currently closed but the majority are open to submissions.

Seam Allowance
This online journal publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and pairs it with “an introductory editorial note and a garment of the editor’s choosing.” This approach, for me at least is very intriguing. I really enjoyed the pieces and pairings I saw. I really suggest reading some of what they have already published before submitting. The most recent issue is here. Please also read their submission guidelines carefully here.

Umbrellas for Fish
I am a sucker for a good name, especially if it conveys something about the literary journal. Umbrellas for Fish is such a fun name that does a great job conveying the absurdist leanings of this journal. I also like that they focus on publishing plays/scenes. They are open to submissions of Absurd Plays, Existential Drama, Experimental Theatre, One-Act Plays, Flash Drama Monologues, Dramatic Scenes, and Playwriting Essays, for their second issue. They are currently open to submissions from now to November 15th, for their anthology ‘THE LOST & FOUND OF EXISTENCE’. Please read and follow their full guidelines before submitting. You can read their first issue here.

Waltz
This online literary journal isn’t reopening till January, but I’m listing them here anyways, because they have published some good poems in their first two issues. They have also published some very established poets alongside newer poets. You can read the second issue here. They also really take advantage of publishing online by presenting work well. Their website as a whole is a joy to navigate. Their masthead is here, and their submission guidelines are here.

Corollary SF 
A new UK-based electronic science fiction focused journal, Corollary is open to submissions of science fiction short stories between 1,500 and 4,000 words. They are upfront about not offering substantial edits. They are also open to factual articles but you must approach the editors first. To see their masthead, go here. You can read the first issue here. Their submission guidelines are here.

River Margin
River Margin is an online journal that focuses on ecology, botany and wild places, publishing poetry, essays, short fiction, creative nonfiction, photography and visual art. They stress that “Every submission must relate to ecology, botany, the environment, conservation and wilderness areas — think about rivers and bodies of water, insects, wildlife, fungi, plants, forests, mountains… we want to hear your stories.” You can see their submission guidelines here. They close to submissions on November 1st.

Shadow Falls Review
Shadow Falls Review is run by creative writing graduate students at the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, Minnesota. They are seeking innovative poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Their website is basic, but well organized and memorable. They have named the journal after a waterfall and the drawing of it in the logo is particularly striking. They close to submissions for their first issue on January 20th. Learn more here.

The Sam Hill! Review
This literary journal is focused on publishing historical fiction and poetry. Their name, exclamation point and all was intended to convey that what they publish inspires the reader to say: “Now that was good as SAM HILL!”’. It is edited by Steve Kemple & Kathleen Kidder. The one hiccup is the submission guidelines on their website are out of date, but you can see the full ones on Duosuma here. They close to submissions on 31st October. 

CRUMBS
A new UK based literary journal, CRUMBS has yet to publish their first issue. But they do already have a clear focus. This is what they say they are seeking work focused on for their first issue: “the absurdity of modern work and the struggle to make ends meet. We’re interested in everything from nightmare bosses and bizarre workplaces to the job-hunting hellscape and post-burnout convalescence. Think wide and fun and free – anything that surprises us or piques our curiosity will be a goer. Style-wise, we’re looking for writing that’s playful, incisive, lively and engaging. Throw in some witty observations, a smattering of humour, and a few scathing critiques and we’ll be chomping at the bit.” You can see their own humor come across on the current landing page where the S in their name CRUMBS, is reduced to crumbs, instead of visibly an S. They are open to fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

Honorary Mentions: Andromeda’s Scifibuns: A Journal of Speculative Haibun, is a great name and premise for a journal. As a lover of Haibun, I’m excited to read it. Also Yield is a wonderful new UK-based poetry journal, but they haven’t yet announced their next reading period.