Literary Magazines
Below is a list of literary magazines that are free to submit to.
For Teenagers Only
He(a)rd Zine: our submissions are open to all young writers ages 11-18 in Hong Kong. We are always looking for new pieces for our themed issues so if you have artwork, poetry, short stories, and creative nonfiction you want to see published in a zine, send them our way!
Age Range: Ages 11-18
Location: Hong Kong
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Art
History: 2 members have been published
Frequency: Twice a Year
The Interlochen Review: The Interlochen Review is an online literary journal produced by the creative writing students of Interlochen Arts Academy. We’re thrilled to invite talented high school writers, singer-songwriters and artists (grades 9-12 or high school postgraduate year) from around the world to submit their work. We look forward to receiving a diverse range of voices and welcome work that exhibits passion, skill, and an innovative approach to craft.
Age Range: Grades 9-12
Location: Worldwide
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Hybrid Genres, Songs, Scripts, Visual Art
History: None
Frequency: Once a Year
Wee Hooghly: Wee Hooghly is our project dedicated to publishing work by creatives under the age of 18. Send us your ward’s creativity — don’t be shy even if it is their first! The creator of the work must be under 18 years of age and the parent or guardian should send in their work. We publish poetry, fiction, CNF, art, photography and comics.
We are closed till further announcement. You can find all the how-tos, yes-yes, and no-nos in our detailed guidelines (to be available later), but please remember we will be occasionally updating them. So, always check before submitting.
Age Range: Ages 8-18
Location: Worldwide
Genres: ?
History: None
Frequency: TBA
For All Ages
50-Word Stories: A 50-word story is a piece of fiction written in exactly 50 words. That doesn’t mean “roughly” 50 words; it doesn’t mean “as close to 50 words as possible”; it doesn’t mean 50 words or fewer. It means exactly 50 words. As with any other form of fiction, a 50-word story should have a beginning and an end, a plot and character development (even if they are only implied), and a theme, meaning, or purpose of some sort. Many 50-word stories are built around twists or climactic moments.
Each month, submissions will be open between days 1 and 15 of that month. Any stories received on days 16 to 31 of a month will be deleted, but can be resubmitted the following month. You may only submit one story per month.
From the stories received in those 15 days, the best stories will be selected to be published that same month. Only enough stories will be selected to publish two stories per weekday.
There is no payment associated with stories. However, each month a “Story of the Month” is selected, and receives a prize of $10 Canadian.
Age Range: For all ages
Location: Worldwide
Genres: Microfiction
History: None
Frequency: Every month
53-Word Story: It's free, it's fun; the winner gets published in Prime Number Magazine and receives a free book from Press 53. Be sure to subscribe to our email updates for free. You’ll receive an email on the first day of each month with our winning story and the prompt for our next contest. Open to writers around the world who write in English.
Age Range: For all ages
Location: Worldwide
Genres: Microfiction
History: None
Frequency: Every month
Acorn: A Journal of Contemporary Haikus: Send 10-15 (or more!) original, unpublished haiku (not under consideration elsewhere). Beginning with the fall 2023 issue, Acorn will consider work that has been self-published on social media or other uncurated online platforms. Do not send work that has appeared in print or on any curated online journal. No simultaneous submissions. Please send your best work!
Age Range: For all ages
Location: Worldwide
Genres: Poetry
History: None
Frequency: Twice a Year
Aniko Press: Aniko Press is an independent publishing company founded in Sydney in 2020. We began as a literary journal, Aniko Magazine, and in 2025, we’re expanding to publish contemporary literary fiction, creative nonfiction and short story collections.
At Aniko Press, we’re passionate about curating a list of unique, exciting and experimental voices, and offering emerging writers a platform to share their stories. Our vision is to create a space where readers and writers can explore new ideas, perspectives and artistic possibilities.
As lifelong readers and book lovers, we understand the power, beauty and joy to be found in literature. We aim to approach publishing with vitality, warmth and a good dash of humour.
We may be small, but we’ve got big plans – and we’re so excited to share them with you.
Age Range: For all ages
Location: Worldwide
Genres: Art, Flash Fiction, Fictional Narratives, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry
History: None
Frequency: ?
Chestnut Review: Our mission is to provide a literary home to stubborn artists and writers.
We believe literary magazines should be ethical and honest in their treatment of writers and staff regarding reading fees and staff pay. There is a tender balance between keeping reading fees low, paying writers for their work, and paying staff for their labor. Here’s how we’ve struck the balance:
Reading fees. We believe everyone should have access to our market, and therefore, we always keep categories open for free: poetry (2-3 poems), flash (fiction & CNF), and art. We charge $5 submissions for longer prose. Submittable takes a cut of these fees, and the majority of the rest goes to pay writers. A small percentage is retained to fund the magazine (web hosting fees, marketing, editor honoraria, etc.).
Age Range: For all ages
Location: Worldwide
Genres: ?
History: None
Frequency: ?
Havok: Readers play favorites, you know. Everybody has their favorite genres and our season themes are here to assemble story collections that readers will love. These themes function as story prompts for our author base, suggesting fun mashups and settings for the most creative, hard-hitting fiction. We only accept stories that fit these themes, and we wish you much Havok as you craft your best work!
We have prepared a downloadable/printable PDF of the monthly themes and deadlines below, including extra info about what we’re looking for this season. We highly recommend checking out these resources for ideas as you craft your story! Feel free to tag @havokauthornews on Instagram or email authorcentral@gohavok.com with any questions about our themes and guidelines. Sign up for our author newsletter (see sidebar on this page; scroll down on mobile) for tips from our editors and news about author contests.
Age Range: For all ages
Location: Worldwide
Genres: Fiction
History: None
Frequency: Monthly
Jet Fuel Review - Jet Fuel Review is open for submissions from January 15th to March 15th for our Spring Issue, and from August 15th to October 15 for our Fall Issue (or until we reach the max number of submissions allowed on our Submittable plan).
The Spring Issue is published in April/May; the Fall Issue is published in November/December.
Please follow the submission guidelines carefully. We reserve the right to reject submissions that do not follow these guidelines. We only accept one submission per category per reading period.
If you are unable to submit, that means we have reached our submission cap for the month.
Age Range: For all ages
Location: Worldwide
Genres: ?
History: None
Frequency: ?
Rattle: Rattle’s mission is to promote the practice of poetry.
We feel that poetry lost its way in the 20th century, to the point that mainstream readers have forgotten how moving language alone can be. As a result, most people learn to find their feelings in music, movies, and novels, while poetry languishes on its lone shelf in the bookstores, waiting only for the occasional cameo at a university workshop.
But it shouldn’t take a scholar to be moved by the written word—great literature has something to offer everyone. All our lives are compelling, full of joys and burdens and profound experiences we should be sharing—and poetry is the most intimate way to share it. When you read a poem, you become the medium; the poet speaks in your voice, paints the canvas of your inner eye.
This connection is more direct than any other, and it doesn’t take a Hollywood budget to do it. Read the poems on Rattle.com for free. Write a poem on a napkin and share it with a friend. Keep a journal and send us a page. Participate. The pure love of language is one of the most important experiences in the history of human culture, and somehow most of us have forgotten about it.
Age Range: For all ages
Location: Worldwide
Genres: Poetry
History: None
Frequency: Monthly
Solarpunk Magazine: Solarpunk is a prefigurative, utopian artistic movement that envisions what the future might look like if humanity solved major modern challenges like climate change and created more sustainable and balanced societies. As a genre and cultural aesthetic, it encompasses literature, visual art, fashion, video games, architecture, and more. Solarpunk carries many aspects of punk ideologies such as counterculture, humanitarianism, egalitarianism, animal rights, decolonization, anti-racism, anti-sexism, anti-authoritarianism, anti-corporatism, and anti-consumerism. The greatest difference between solarpunk and its sister genre, cyberpunk, is that solarpunk observes harmony between nature and technology.
Not all solarpunk stories take place in idealistic utopias. Many tales are rife with compelling conflict among people and communities optimistically striving to reach that ideal while still struggling to solve some existing challenges. But most solarpunk stories do share commonalities: futuristic or near-futuristic settings; optimistic perspectives; equitable societies; and balance between community, ecology, and technology are inherent to solarpunk writing. In short, solarpunk stories are decidedly not dystopias.
Age Range: For all ages
Location: Worldwide
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Art
History: None
Frequency: Every 2 months
The Four-Faced Liar: The Four-Faced Liar is a Cork-inspired and based, Irish-flavoured, internationally-facing journal publishing an eclectic mix of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, work in translation and visual art.
Our mission is to showcase emerging writers and artists, helping them on their creative and publishing journey. Where possible, we aim to offer constructive feedback to submitters whose work hasn't quite made the cut. And we are committed to letting every submitter know the outcome of their submission.
We determined from the get-go to pay all our contributors for their work, and have been true to our word.
Age Range: For all ages
Location: Worldwide
Genres: ?
History: None
Frequency: ?
Waxwing: Waxwing is published three times a year in fall, spring, and summer. Each issue features poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and works in translation. We strive to promote the tremendous cultural diversity of contemporary American literature, alongside international voices both in English and in translation. Our mission is to include writers from all cultural identities, in terms of race, ethnicity, indigenous tribe, gender, class, sexuality, age, education, ability, language, religion, and region.
Age Range: For all ages
Location: Worldwide
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, and Translation
History: None
Frequency: 3 times a year