We’re Back, Baby: The 2025 Best Lit Mag Awards Are Here!

It’s about that time, and by “that time,” I mean it’s time for the 3rd Annual Chill Subs Community Favorites Best Lit Mag Awards! A mouthful, I know.

Last year, we went all in on genre, with folks nominating their favorite lit mags in categories including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, WTF is genre anyway, and more. The way everyone showed up for these mags was honestly Very Cool, and set the kind of vibe we've wanted to create more of in the lit world.

This year we're doing something that celebrates the winners (with money and confetti) AND benefits every single magazine that gets nominated.

Here’s how it works.

Using this form, you can nominate up to five publications, awarding each magazine with up to three tags:

Hidden Gem
Career Builder
Actually Inclusive
Beautiful Design
Bold and Weird
Great Editor(s)
New Writer Friendly
I Just Love Them!
A Damn Good Read

We will aggregate these tags for each magazine and show those votes on their Chill Subs listing pages (FOR-EH-VA). The most voted for journals will become our winners, and we will shout their names from the Instagram-tops and Substack-tops. Naturally.

Winners are selected 100% by the indie lit community—no fees, no judges. Nothing matters but what the community thinks and votes (which is still legal, we think).

Also, this year we're able to give more money. Each winning journal will receive $300! And each voter will be entered into a raffle to win a year of Chill Subs Best or $500.

Voting opens November 17 and closes December 7. You can cast your vote right here.

So tell your friends, rally for your favorites, and let's celebrate the magazines making the lit world a better place—one submission at a time.