We publish short poetry, flash fiction, micro fiction, and flash creative nonfiction. The Citron Review doesn’t have a particular aesthetic, nor does it have a theme, though we have published a themed issue, and we may publish more of them in the future.

The Citron Review started back in 2009 when a group of writers decided to create a literary venue that celebrates short literature. 

These writers had all graduated from the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at Antioch University in Los Angeles, where they were collectively known as The Citrons. So they named the journal The Citron Review.

In each issue of the journal, you can experience the larger world through very small, focused lenses—fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction in small, economical packages. The essays and poems and stories in The Citron Review land all along the spectrum of human experience. 

They do what literature does best—tell us what it’s like to be human in new and different ways. We hope to include all of the possibilities that entails within this journal.

Your life flashing before your eyes in brief glimpses. These magazines want short-short memoir—snapshots, fragments, and compressed life stories.

Lit Mags That Want Short & Sweet Memoir

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

Lit Mags in Wigleaf's Top 50

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)

Short fiction told in just a few hundred words. These magazines specialize in publishing complete stories that pack a punch in minimal space.

Magazines for Micro Fiction

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

We asked, you guys answered. Here are more of the community's spring 2026 favorites for you cool kids, weird kids, very serious adults, etc.

Want to check out Parts 1-3? We've un-paywalled them for you guys, so get them before they're gone.
Part 1: https://www.chillsubs.com/lists/cool_kids_3
Part 2: https://www.chillsubs.com/lists/Cool_kids_2
Part 3: https://www.chillsubs.com/lists/cool_kids_pt3

Where The Cool Kids Are Submitting Their Writing: Part 4

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.

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

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

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

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

Literary Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

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 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

Citron Review

Submissions should be no more than one hundred (100) words. You may submit up to five (5) micro-works per quarter. If submitting multiple selections at once, please submit each selection as a separate document in ONE SUBMISSION.

MICROS - 100-Word Microfiction and MicroCNF, also Micropoems (haiku-sized)

Submissions should be greater than one hundred-and-one (101) words and not more than a thousand (1,000) words. You may submit up to two (2) flash-fiction selections per quarter. If submitting multiple selections at once, please attach each selection as a separate document.

Flash Fiction (101 - 1,000 words)

Submissions should be between one-hundred-and-one (101) words and one thousand (1,000) words.  All types of creative nonfiction (memoir, essays, etc.) are acceptable. You may submit up to two (2) creative nonfiction selections per quarter. If submitting multiple selections at once, please attach each selection as a separate document.
Per a recent discussion regarding the use of pseudonyms, we are no longer publishing creative nonfiction work under pseudonyms, and we will withdraw an accepted essay if a person is not who they say they are. If the writer wants their work to appear in the creative nonfiction section of a future issue of The Citron Review, it will need to appear under their real name. If for some reason you need to use a pseudonym due to a matter of personal safety, please be in touch with us.

Creative Nonfiction (101-1,000 words)

Submissions should be no more than thirty (30) lines.

	You may submit up to three (3) poetry selections per quarter.

	If submitting multiple selections at once, please attach each selection as a separate document.

Citron Review

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MICROS - 100-Word Microfiction and MicroCNF, also Micropoems (haiku-sized)

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