Lists
Thematic lists of submission opportunities from our browse updating weekly
25 Most Competitive Literary Magazines (All Time)
Our twenty-five most competitive lit mags according to thousands of rejection letters collected by our community. Go us! Or, well, go you, if you can land a spot in any of them. To make this list, we cut any with 0% acceptance rates (I mean, why bother?) and only counted lit mags with at least 100 tracked submissions. Your chances? Oh, a bit less than .5%. But hey, fuck it?
25 magazines25 Most Popular Literary Magazines (All Time)
These 25 lit mags have the most fans in Chill Subs World. Whenever someone bookmarks a lit mag’s listing page, they get a little more popular. Go on, give it a try. Then, come back and see if your favorites are winning. If not, tell a friend, send out a mailer, or create 500 dummy accounts to skew the numbers (wait! no, kidding, please don’t do that last one).
25 magazines77 Literary Magazines in the Sweet Spot
Here are the lit mags where your chances are better than impossible. Not too competitive, but not exactly easy either. A little bit of luck, a little bit of skill—you might just make it through the sweet spot. Nitty gritty? 3-8% acceptance rates with 100+ tracked subs.
74 magazines25 Most Competitive Poetry-Only Literary Magazines (All Time)
These poetry mags? Tough as big strong tough guys. Less than 1% of submissions make the cut, but you’re a poet, so you’re used to rejection by now. Still, someone’s got to get in—why not you? If not, well, at least you'll have something sad to write another poem about.
25 magazines25 Most Competitive Fiction-Only Literary Magazines (All Time)
These twenty-five fiction mags are some of the hardest to break into. Like calc final kinda hard. You’ll need more than just talent. Luck doesn't hurt. But hey, someone’s got to land a spot, and maybe, just maybe, it’s you. Why not try? Unless your tired. In which case, nap first.
25 magazines25 Most Popular Poetry-Only Literary Magazines (All Time)
These poetry mags are community favorites thanks to all you bookmarkers. Maybe they're competitive? We don't really know. Probably, if everyone is bookmarking them. Or maybe they pay well? Who knows. Go try them out and bookmark them if you like them too.
25 magazines25 Most Popular Fiction-Only Literary Magazines (All Time)
Every fiction writer wants a piece of these mags. Or at least a nibble. It’s a crowded room but everyone is always ready to make space for someone who smells a little weird. I mean--is a real good writer.
25 magazines25 Most Popular Nonfiction-Only Literary Magazines (All Time)
Nonfiction writers are flocking to these top twenty-five mags. True story. Will yours stand out? Maybe. Maybe not. But you’ll never know unless you try. The odds aren’t terrible (but they’re not great either).
25 magazines25 Most Submitted To Poetry-Only Literary Magazines (All Time)
These poetry mags get flooded with submissions, and the odds? Well, they’re probably not fantastic. But someone’s got to fill those poetic pages, right? Maybe it’s you. If you can think of something better than saying "poetic pages." You’ve got nothing to lose—except a little pride. Go wild.
25 magazines25 Most Submitted To Fiction-Only Literary Magazines (All Time)
These fiction mags are busy, to say the least. Thousands of submissions and tough competition. Still, your story might be the one to cut through all that noise. It’s worth a try, because, hey, someone’s got to make it.
25 magazines25 Most Submitted To Nonfiction-Only Literary Magazines (All Time)
Nonfiction writers, these mags are where everyone’s sending their stories. The competition is stiff, but maybe your piece has what it takes. Worst case? You get a rejection. Best case? You get in. Seems worth a shot.
25 magazines25 Lit Mags with Fastest Response Time
Impatient? These mags have the fastest response times, so you won’t be left hanging for months. You’ll get a quick “yes” or “no,” and let’s be real, that’s a win in itself. No more endless waiting—you know—regular waiting. We kept it to mags with 50+ tracked submissions to be safe.
25 magazines50 Recently Added Lit Mags
Fifty fresh lit mags, waiting for you to say hi or hello or "Dear editor, please consider..." They haven’t been in our database long, so maybe you’ll be the early bird who makes friends with the worm. The odds? Unknown. Possibilities? Endless.
50 magazinesLit Mags Who Published Kelly Link
Kelly Link is one of our favorites! She writes incredible magical realism stories. She just released her first novel. And she got her start publishing in literary magazines. What a gem. If you like her work and want to be able to say, "I'm published in the same magazine as Kelly Link!" here are your options.
8 magazines
21 Magazines for Micro Fiction!
Fiction in a few hundred words
21 magazines19 Lit Mags Agents Love To Read (We Asked)
Not everyone wants an agent. Not everyone published in top-tier magazines will attract an agent. And this is not a comprehensive list of all magazines that agents read. But it's damn close.
19 magazines22 Litmags to Target For Social Media Exposure
I've focused on 5 key components; engagement rate, follower count, posts about writers & their work, beautiful presentation, and accounts that I’ve witnessed grow exponentially over the last 1.5 years
22 magazinesLit Mags Who Love Prose Poems
Prose poetry! Everyone loves it except those who hate it and if that sounds like you then, hey—hey, what are you doing here? Go iambic pentameter yourself. This is for prose poets. Cause they awesome.
21 magazines20 Litmags On The Cool Girl's Coffee Table
Displayed all nonchalant and sexy - just like her hair.
20 magazinesLit Mags We Love Who Love Personal Essays
Who has a navel? LOOK AT IT! Gaaaze into its depths. Tell these editors what you see. They love it. All the personal essays. Let us know your favorites, we'll add them.
19 magazines54 Impressive Bylines to Have in Your Literary Bio
54 magazines23 Top Tier Poetry Mags Who Nominate for Pushcart (and Pay)
How do you show writers you care? Nominate their work. Pay them if you can. How to know if a lit mag is on your side? These aren't bad starting points. Know more? Shoot us an email and we'll add them.
24 magazines15 Lit Mags That Want to Publish the Poems on Your Instagram
Many magazines consider work that has been posted to social media "previously published" and thus won't accept it to their magazines. Not these one's though!
15 magazines15 Lit Mags That Publish Female Rage
Curated by community member Caitlin Behrens & endorsed by Chill Subs.
15 magazines35 Lit Mags That Publish Writers Under 18 Years Old
Hey teen writers, these places want to publish you! It can be tough to know who will accept work from writers under 18 since many magazines don’t directly specify, so we did some digging and found some that definitely do!
35 magazines13 Classy AF Lit Mags Who Love and Support Emerging Writers
Who doesn't love an emerging writer? These magazines have specifically asked for them. They want to publish your first story, poem, essay. They call it out right on their website. But they are also some of the best lit mags around so your chances are rough. Just know that when these folks are reading your work, that's what it's all about. No fancy bio required for entry. Know more? Let us know.
14 magazines7 Underrated Poetry Lit Mags We Love to Read
Created by the editors of ONLY POEMS — endorsed by Chill Subs.
7 magazinesThe Brand Spankin' New Lit Mag List (2024)
Looking for some fresh faces in the lit world? Hey, look no further. We've had 170+ lit mags added to our database who were founded this year. Wouldn't it be cool to have been published in the first issue of Paris Review or The Sun? Hey, here's your chance.
104 magazines