The mission of The Baltimore Review is to showcase Baltimore as a literary hub of diverse writing and promote the work of emerging and established writers.

The Baltimore Review publishes poetry (including prose poems), fiction (from flash length to 5,000 words), and creative nonfiction in quarterly online issues. All work published online is also published in an annual print compilation. We do not charge submission fees (except for a modest fee for contests), and we pay the writers we publish.

We are a nonprofit organization with an all-volunteer staff and frequently have interns from academic institutions. Many of the BR staff members are included on our Staff page. 

Prestigious publications that strengthen your literary credentials, signaling serious accomplishment and catching attention from editors and agents. Check out the full list here (with 40 more mags!) at: https://www.chillsubs.com/lists/impressive-bylines-bio

10 Impressive Bylines for Your Literary Bio

Top-tier magazines that specifically welcome first-time writers. No fancy bio required—these editors focus on the quality of your work, not your credentials.

Classy AF Lit Mags That Love & Support Emerging Writers

Prestigious publications that strengthen your literary credentials, signaling serious accomplishment and catching attention from editors and agents.

Impressive Bylines for Your Literary Bio

Mixed bag of competitive, accessible, and good-vibe magazines. All love publishing emerging writers and can be trusted with your work.

Lit Mags Every New Writer Should Know

Journals that have published debut stories later selected for this award honoring exceptional first-time published short story writers.

Lit Mags That Have Published PEN/Robert J. Dau Award Winners

Quality magazines that compensate writers and don't charge submission fees. Supporting writers financially from both ends of the transaction? Hell yeah.

Lit Mags That Pay & Don't Charge Fees

Publications with stories in this respected annual flash fiction showcase. Perhaps the most prestigious flash-specific recognition.

Lit Mags in Wigleaf's Top 50

These lit mags are some of the titans and mainstays of the lit mag landscape. They've won tons of awards, published tons of people who have gone on to win tons of awards, etc.

Lit Mags with Excellent Reputations

Basically what it says in the title. Our top most bookmarked fee-free lit mags that nominate for the Pushcart Prize.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize (and Don’t Charge Fees)

Recently opened magazines that pay and charge no fees.

Recently Opened Magazines that Pay & Don't Charge Fees

The mags in this list are competitive and publish physical print editions, so you get the satisfaction of seeing your work in print: pocket-sized, book-like, tangible. Way cooler than you'd expect.

Reputable Lit Mags with Print Issues

Ultra-competitive magazines with one to two percent acceptance rates. They are competitive. They are choosy. But who doesn't love a challenge?

The 1% Club (Good Fuckin' Luck)

The top nonfiction lit mags in our database, ranked by how many users have bookmarked them.

The Ultimate List of Places to Submit Your Nonfiction

They told us personally or put it in their guidelines. These magazines actively want to be the first to publish you.

These Lit Mags Want to Be Your First Publication

These mags specifically note in their guidelines that they publish established and emerging writers alike. Landing a piece in one of these would be a real nice bolster to the ol' (new) literary bio.

Top-Tier Lit Mags That Publish New Writers

These high-quality poetry magazines nominate for Pushcart and pay. For real!

Top-Tier Pushcart-Nominating Poetry Mags (That Pay)

Community poll results. In an internet drowning in AI and advertising, your real recommendations are everything.

Where The Cool Kids Are Submitting Their Writing: Part 1

If we were new writers, here is where we would submit our work for publication. This list also includes the first places we *did* actually submit to. We've been there, and we'd do it again.

Where We'd Submit as New Writers

Digital publications chosen for Best of the Net. These journals demonstrate consistent excellence in identifying digital fiction that deserves wider recognition and readership.

Fiction Magazines Featured in Best of the Net Anthologies

Online publications putting forward exceptional short stories for Best of the Net.

Fiction Magazines That Nominate for Best of the Net

A targeted resource for short story placements with potential for Pushcart recognition.

Fiction Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Specialized publications that recognize exceptional brief fiction through Pushcart nominations.

The ultimate ranking of the world's liveliest indie literary magazines, curated by author and editor Charlie Fish. These are the passion projects; the kaleidoscopic cutting edge.

FISH List of Lively Indie Literary Magazines 2025

FISH List of Lively Indie Literary Magazines 2026

Digital publications advancing very short fiction for Best of the Net consideration.

Flash Fiction Magazines That Nominate for Best of the Net

Publications with ultra-short stories under 400 words selected for this anthology series. The definitive collection for the microfiction form.

Lit Mags Featured in Best Microfiction Anthologies

Digital publications with work selected for inclusion across genres. These journals consistently publish online work of exceptional quality that stands out in the digital literary landscape.

Lit Mags Featured in Best of the Net Anthologies

Publications with narratives under 1,000 words selected for this anthology series. These journals consistently identify short-short fiction, exemplifying the artistry possible in compact narratives.

Lit Mags Featured in Best Small Fictions Anthologies

Journals that forward outstanding nonfiction to this respected anthology series founded in 1986. These publications identify exceptional essays that might reach the broader readership BAE provides.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for Best American Essays

Best Microfiction, edited by Meg Pokrass and Gary Fincke, celebrates the art of the extremely brief narrative. These publications have editorial teams with particular sensitivity to the craft.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for Best Microfiction

Identifies publications that put forward outstanding online work for this respected digital anthology established in 2006.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for Best of the Net

Publications that nominate work for this respected anthology series founded in 2015 by Tara Masih to celebrate fiction under 1,000 words.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for Best Small Fictions

Essential publications that nominate short fiction for the O'Henry Prize anthology, one of America's most venerable literary awards. Established in 1919.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for the O'Henry Prize

A comprehensive guide to journals that regularly nominate work for the Pushcart Prize.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

BASS represents the most mainstream recognition for short fiction in America. These journals serve as the initial screening layer for potential inclusion in this widely-read collection.

Literary Mags That Nominate for Best American Short Stories

All-time most competitive literary magazines. Getting published in these is a significant achievement for any writer.

Most Competitive Literary Magazines of All Time

Explore the most popular literary magazines of all time. These long-established publications are a staple in the literary world for writers of all genres.

Most Popular Literary Magazines of All Time

Digital publications chosen for Best of the Net. These journals consistently publish digital essays and memoirs that exemplify the best of what's possible in online creative nonfiction.

Nonfiction Magazines Featured in Best of the Net Anthologies

Digital publications nominating outstanding essays and creative nonfiction for Best of the Net.

Nonfiction Magazines That Nominate for Best of the Net

Highlights publications that regularly put forward essays, memoirs, and other creative nonfiction for Pushcart consideration.

Nonfiction Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Online journals that specifically champion poetry for Best of the Net consideration.

Poetry Magazines That Nominate for Best of the Net

Focuses specifically on poetry journals with established histories of Pushcart nominations.

Poetry Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Digital publications with poems chosen for Best of the Net. These journals consistently identify exceptional verse that represents the highest quality of poetry published online.

Poetry Mags Featured in Best of the Net Anthologies

Baltimore Review

No theme! Subject matter is entirely up to you. Surprise us.
 
        But keep it short. See how much you can accomplish, how much of an impact you can have, with a small number of words. We want to wonder how you abracadabra words into magic. We want to be amazed and maybe a little jealous of how you do that. 
 
        One writer in the flash fiction category will be awarded a $400 prize and published in the winter issue. All entries are considered for publication with payment at our regular rate ($50).
 
        Total word limit for this category is 1,000, same as for flash CNF and prose poem. One, two, or three flash fiction works in one Word doc, but no more than 1,000 words for all stories combined. Seriously. And shorter is often better. We love shorts.
 
        Fee is $8. 
 
        Please do not include your name on your work. 
 
        (As always, writers may submit work in non-contest categories and pay no submission fee. Of course, only contest submissions are considered for prizes. Contest entry fees are used for prizes and for payments to all writers published in the journal. Every penny. Thank you.)

Flash Fiction Contest

Submit three poems. No fee. Please submit all poems in one document, not individually. If you later need to withdraw one or two poems, please send us a message through Submittable. No need to email us. No need to withdraw the entire submission. 
One submission per reading period. 
Submit poems for contest at that link (during contest submission periods), not this one.  Thanks.
Poems (including prose poems, which we love) should generally be single spaced, titled, with clear stanza breaks. Please proofread your work carefully before submitting. 
We recommend that you read some poems from our online issues to get a sense of what we do and do not publish. Not that we're looking for any specific kind of poem. We like to be surprised. 
We look forward to reading your work.

Poetry Submissions

Submit one short story (really, just one, no more than 5,000 words; shorter is often better, to be honest). Flash fiction, one story only, may also be submitted here. 

Submit only one story per reading period. 

No fee.      

We enjoy a wide range of literary short stories and recommend that you read same sample stories from our online issues to get a sense of what we publish.     

Submit stories for the contest at that link (during contest submission periods), not this one.      

Stories should be double spaced, 12-point standard font, one-inch margins, with indented paragraphs. It's helpful to include the word count on the first page. Pages should be numbered.      

Please proofread your work carefully before submitting. A couple of typos isn't a deal breaker, but taking some time to polish your story—checking for spelling, grammar, punctuation, word usage, and other errors—before submitting it to any journal is a good idea. Also be careful not to submit a doc still in track changes mode. When you finish editing your work, accept the changes, eliminate comments, and save the doc.          

A minor typo? Let it go. A major revision? Send the new doc as an attachment to a Submittable message rather than withdrawing and re-submitting. But again, taking time to carefully proofread your work before submitting is best.       

No need to tell us what your story is about or include extensive information about yourself. A "thank you for considering this story" and brief bio like others you see on our website is really all you need for the cover note box.       Please be sure to withdraw your work promptly if it is accepted by another publication.     

We look forward to reading your work.       

Fiction Submissions

Submit one creative nonfiction piece (no more than 5,000 words). Shorter works of CNF are often a better fit for us.
No fee.
A few thoughts on what we're looking for:
For creative nonfiction, we look for the hallmarks described by Philip Gerard in Creative Nonfiction: particularly, an apparent and deeper subject, a well-told story, and the sense that the writer has spent considerable time exploring the subject and making connections outside personal experience—to subjects such as current events and social issues, history, science, politics, religion, the arts—and demonstrating fresh insight. CNF involves telling true stories about people and events using narrative techniques, with a careful attention to language.  It rises above chronological description. The narrator is involved with the subject, and there is evidence of reflection in the work. Although the work usually involves the narrator's experience and opinions, the story should rise above the personal and speak to a larger truth. Readers want to learn; they also want to feel and care. This category should not be used to submit autobiography, life writing exercises, scholarly articles, research papers, book reviews, opinion pieces, rants, acts of revenge and other works that one of us might regret later, memoir that does not employ CNF techniques, and other work that doesn't fit this category. There are many markets for them, and no doubt we'll accept work from time to time that seems to defy our criteria, but this is where we stand right now.      
Submit CNF for the contest at that link (during contest submission periods), not this one. 
Work should be double spaced, 12-point font, one-inch margins, with indented paragraphs. Pages should be numbered. We appreciate seeing the word count on the first page. 
  Please be sure to withdraw your work promptly if it is accepted by another publication.

Creative Nonfiction Submissions

No theme! Subject matter is entirely up to you. Surprise us.
 
          But keep it short. See how much you can accomplish, how much of an impact you can have, with a small number of words. We want to wonder how you abracadabra words into magic. We want to be amazed and maybe a little jealous of how you do that. 
 
          One writer in the flash creative nonfiction category will be awarded a $400 prize and published in the winter issue. All entries are considered for publication with payment at our regular rate ($50).
 
          Total word limit for this category is 1,000, same as for flash fiction and prose poem. One, two, or three flash CNF works in one Word doc, but no more than 1,000 words for all works combined. Seriously. And shorter is often better. We love shorts.    
 
          Fee is $8. 
 
          Please do not include your name on your work. 
  
          (As always, writers may submit work in non-contest categories and pay no submission fee. Of course, only contest submissions are considered for prizes. Contest entry fees are used for prizes and for payments to all writers published in the journal. Every penny. Thank you.)

Flash Creative Nonfiction Contest

No theme! Subject matter is entirely up to you. Surprise us.                

But keep it short. See how much you can accomplish, how much of an impact you can have, with a small number of words. We want to wonder how you abracadabra words into magic. We want to be amazed and maybe a little jealous of how you do that.                 

One writer in the prose poem category will be awarded a $400 prize and published in the winter issue. All entries considered for publication with payment at our regular rate ($50).                

Total word limit for this category is 1,000, same as for flash fiction and flash CNF. One, two, or three prose poems in one Word doc, but no more than 1,000 words for all prose poems combined. Seriously. And shorter is often better. We love shorts.                 

Deadline is May 31, 2026.                

Fee is $8.                    

Please do not include your name on your work.                    

Final judge: TBA

            

(As always, writers may submit work in non-contest categories and pay no submission fee. Of course, only contest submissions are considered for prizes. Contest entry fees are used for prizes and for payments to all writers published in the journal. Every penny. Thank you.)

Baltimore Review

Highlights

About

Featured Call

Poetry Submissions

Appears in collections