Best Fiction Lit Mags of 2024

We provide a literary home to stubborn artists and writers. We believe literary markets should be open to everyone, and we are passionate about holding the door open for all writers who wish to enter ours.

The chestnut blight that wiped out 4 billion (billion!) trees in North America in the early years of the last century didn’t kill the stumps. So when those trees were cut down, in many places the stumps still send up young shoots over and over, and when they get old enough, the blight hits them and they die. And yet they send up another. And another. Sustaining a creative practice requires that level of tenacity. Artists persist despite rejection, the intrusions of real life, the bills that must be paid, the jobs that must be done before any art can be created–that’s the best kind of stubbornness. A stubborn belief in your own worth, in the art of your hands, eyes, and mind.

We are here for you, our stubborn creators. Welcome.

Community Favorites: Our 2024 Best Lit Mag Awards winners for fiction, selected entirely by community vote. Over 500 magazines nominated with thousands of votes cast.

Not just words. These magazines publish paintings, comics, illustrations, and other visual art alongside or instead of traditional text-based work.

Magazines That Publish Comics, Art, or Other Visual Works

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

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

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

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 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

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

A curated selection of publications that regularly submit work to this prestigious annual anthology showcasing 50 poems from emerging writers.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for Best New Poets

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

These magazines have the fastest response times, so you won't be left hanging for months. No more endless waiting. Just, you know, regular waiting.

Literary Magazines with the Fastest Response Times

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

Most Competitive Literary Magazines of All Time

Uncover the most competitive literary magazines this year. These are the publications where getting published is a significant achievement for any writer.

Most Competitive Literary Magazines This Year

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 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

Chestnut Review

Submit one piece between 1000 and 5000 words, single-spaced throughout. Prose submissions can be works of fiction or nonfiction. We do not accept excerpts of longer works.
Feedback: We offer specific feedback on your work for a small fee.
Editorial Feedback: We are also offering editorial feedback on your work from a Chestnut Review Prose Editor including line and developmental edits and a 1-2 paragraph overall response.
Authors who have appeared in the magazine must wait two years before resubmitting in any genre category.

Free Prose Submissions for Black and Indigenous Authors

If you currently are or anticipate becoming a regular submitter, our Patreon offers perks that will benefit you.
Poetry: Length and format are open. Poems should be single-spaced and all in one document. Begin each poem on a new page, and clearly indicate when a poem extends beyond one page. There are no absolute length limits, but remember that the longer a poem, the better it has to be.
Formatting: our print/online page width is about 55 characters. Poem lines longer than this will need to be reformatted. You do not need to reformat until after acceptance.
Free Submissions: Submit 1-3 poems.
Paid Submissions: Submit up to 6 poems (see below for fee).
Feedback: We offer specific feedback on up to three poems for a small fee (see below). If you are submitting more than three poems but do not specify which ones you'd like feedback on, our staff will select three for which they will provide critique.
Editorial Feedback: We are also offering editorial feedback on your packet of poetry from a Chestnut Review Poetry Editor including a full document markup of three of your poems and a 1-2 paragraph overall response about your work.
Authors who have appeared in the magazine must wait two years before resubmitting in any genre category.

Poetry

Visual Art/Photography: Submit up to twenty images, which must be of publishable quality. We recommend, but do not require, illustrative titles to contextualize submitted media. With regret, we no longer consider hybrid works (image+text) unless they are in comic format.

  We strongly encourage artists to submit work in groups consisting of a single medium: for example, if you work in photography and watercolor, send us separate submissions of each with a description of your technique/medium/style. (Please adhere to our overall guidelines of one submission at a time, but once you receive a response, feel free to submit more.)  
  Because we publish in 6x9" format, images in portrait orientation are more easily compatible with our layout as single pages; otherwise, a double page spread is preferred. This decision is solely an editorial one. We do print our yearly anthology in full color. 
  All images must be between 300 and 600 dpi resolution; you may submit in lower resolution if that is more convenient, but the final image for publication must meet this standard. If you cannot provide it, the offer of publication may be retracted.
  Art and photography submissions may have previously been presented online, but are eligible for publication if they have not been featured in another magazine, website, or venue besides an artist's portfolio or webpage (personal or social media).  
  Artists who have appeared in the magazine must wait two years before resubmitting in any genre category.

To see the art we have published, click here.

Art/Photography

If you currently are or anticipate becoming a regular submitter, our Patreon offers perks that will benefit you.
Submit one piece between 1000 and 5000 words, single-spaced throughout. Prose submissions can be works of fiction or nonfiction. We do not accept excerpts of longer works.
Feedback: We offer specific feedback on your work for a small fee.
Editorial Feedback: We are also offering editorial feedback on your work from a Chestnut Review Prose Editor including line and developmental edits and a 1-2 paragraph overall response.
Authors who have appeared in the magazine must wait two years before resubmitting in any genre category.

Prose

If you currently are or anticipate becoming a regular submitter, our Patreon offers perks that will benefit you.
Flash: Submit one piece of up to 1000 words, single-spaced throughout. Include word count(s) in header. Writers may only have one active submission in this category at a time.
Feedback: We offer specific feedback on your work for a small fee.
Editorial Feedback: We are also offering editorial feedback on your work from a Chestnut Review Editor including line and developmental edits and a 1-2 paragraph overall response.
Authors who have appeared in the magazine must wait two years before resubmitting in any genre category.

Chestnut Review

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Free Prose Submissions for Black and Indigenous Authors

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