Copytext Magazine is an independent, biannual literary magazine dedicated to celebrating the artistic process by publishing creative works in the context of revision.

Copytext is an online literary arts magazine founded in 2025 that publishes creative work in the context of revision.

We work to preserve and display writing and art-making as an active and ongoing practice, creating a space for many genres and disciplines to share their artistic and archival evolutions. We view the act of publishing through the lens of an archive, giving creators agency to curate their drafts—and inviting readers to study and delight in the deeply human process of creation. 

We seek to publish urgent, exceptional work with an interesting origin story. Send us work that plays with your medium, that chases possibility, that sparks discovery—and always, work that is carefully crafted and thoughtfully revised. We love the weird, the wild, and anything that evokes wonder. Both emerging and established creators are encouraged to submit.  

Why "Copytext"? The name comes from a bit of an outdated term for a "proof." Across history, textual scholars looking to publish or reprint a manuscript would first create and review a “copy-text”—a preliminary, unofficial version—to make corrections and ensure the accuracy of the final typescript form. The modern words “copy” and “copy-edit” derive from this legacy. Our revision and reclamation of the term “copy-text” connects us back to the very act of publishing a work within the context of moving it from draft to final form.

We open for submissions in Spring and Fall to publish issues in Summer and Winter. Please check our Submission Guidelines for more information on current calls. We always look forward to reading your work and its many drafts! 

Forgot about National Poetry Month? Don't miss these reading periods before April ends. Here are all our favorite lit mags closing on April 30th / May 1st for that sweet, sweet last-minute sub rush.

Where to Submit for National Poetry Month (at the Eleventh Hour)

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

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

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

Literary Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

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

Copytext Magazine

<div><b>Send us up to five different artworks, documented via high-resolution PNGs.</b> For each piece, include images of two early stages/versions as well as the final piece. We welcome submissions of paintings, textile art, sculpture, assemblage, and more — so long as we can accurately represent the work and its process via static online images, we’re open to any medium. </div><div><br></div><div><b>We request that you clearly label each PNG file as follows: </b>1) LastName_Title_Early/Middle/Final. For example, the PNG file for the final draft of “Untamed” by Lisa Cox in Issue One would be titled Cox_Untamed_Final. 2)  In the body of the email submission, you can also note the dates for your progress on the piece. </div><div><br></div><div><b>We seek to publish urgent, exceptional work with an interesting origin story. </b>Send us work that plays with your medium, that chases possibility, that sparks discovery—and always, work that is carefully crafted and thoughtfully revised. We love the weird, the wild, and anything that evokes wonder. Both emerging and established creators are encouraged to submit.  </div><div> </div><div><b>We accept art submissions on a rolling basis. </b>Work submitted between June and October will appear in our next Winter issue; work submitted between November and May will appear in our next Summer issue. <b>Please only send one submission package at a time. </b>You must wait to receive a response on a pending submission before sending another. Additional concurrent submissions will be declined automatically.</div><div><br></div><div>As we publish drafts alongside the final piece, please make sure you have reviewed our full Submission Guidelines. We can't wait to read your work and witness your process!</div>

ART - Always Open

<div><b>Send us up to three pieces of creative nonfiction, up to 750 words each! </b>We welcome CNF in all its forms, from flash and micro pieces to excerpts from larger works—just let us know what you have submitted in your cover letter. </div><div><br></div><div><b>For each piece, include two drafts and one final version. </b>Please curate the three versions that our Editorial Team will consider. Your Early Draft might be the second version that you created, and your Middle Draft might be your seventh or thirteenth. We want to see authentic records of your process that show the meaningful artistic decisions that led you to the final version. As you select your versions, consider the story that your revisions tell. Please only submit work where all versions are under the 750-word limit.</div><div><br></div><div><b>We seek to publish urgent, exceptional work with an interesting origin story. </b>Send us work that plays with your medium, that chases possibility, that sparks discovery—and always, work that is carefully crafted and thoughtfully revised. We love the weird, the wild, and anything that evokes wonder. Both emerging and established creators are encouraged to submit.  </div><div><br></div><div><b>As we publish drafts alongside the final piece, please make sure you have reviewed our full Submission Guidelines</b>. We also recommend that writers use our Submission Template found on our website, but it is not required. We can't wait to read your work and witness your process!</div>

CREATIVE NONFICTION - Issue Three - Winter 2026

<div><b>Send us up to three pieces of fiction, up to 750 words each!  </b>We welcome fiction in all its forms, from flash and micro fiction to self-contained excerpts from larger works—just let us know what you have submitted in your cover letter. Please only submit work where all versions are under the word limit. </div><div><br></div><div><b>For each piece, include two drafts and one final version. </b>Please curate the three versions that our Editorial Team will consider. Your Early Draft might be the second version that you created, and your Middle Draft might be your seventh or thirteenth. We want to see authentic records of your process that show the meaningful artistic decisions that led you to the final version. As you select your versions, consider the story that your revisions tell. </div><div><br></div><div><b>We seek to publish urgent, exceptional work with an interesting origin story. </b>Send us work that plays with your medium, that chases possibility, that sparks discovery—and always, work that is carefully crafted and thoughtfully revised. We love the weird, the wild, and anything that evokes wonder. Both emerging and established creators are encouraged to submit.  </div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>As we publish drafts alongside the final piece, please make sure you have reviewed our full Submission Guidelines. </b>We also recommend that writers use our Submission Template found on our website, but it is not required. We can't wait to read your work and witness your process!</div>

FICTION - Issue Three - Winter 2026

<b>Send us up to five poems! </b><div><br></div><div><b>Please only submit work where all versions are less than 50 lines (or two pages).</b> We welcome poetry in all forms, from experimental free verse and received forms to prose poems and erasure. We are able to recognize indentation, spaces, and line breaks. Please note that poems with longer line lengths may appear altered, especially on smaller screens.</div><div><br></div><div><b>For each poem, include two drafts and one final version. </b>Please curate the three versions that our Editorial Team will consider. Your Early Draft might be the second version that you created, and your Middle Draft might be your seventh or thirteenth. We want to see authentic records of your process that show the meaningful artistic decisions that led you to the final version. As you select your versions, consider the story that your revisions tell. </div><div><br></div><div><b>We seek to publish urgent, exceptional work with an interesting origin story. </b>Send us work that plays with your medium, that chases possibility, that sparks discovery—and always, work that is carefully crafted and thoughtfully revised. We love the weird, the wild, and anything that evokes wonder. Both emerging and established creators are encouraged to submit.  </div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>As we publish drafts alongside the final piece, please make sure you have reviewed our full Submission Guidelines. </b>We also recommend that writers use our Submission Template found on our website, but it is not required. We can't wait to read your work and witness your process!</div>

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CREATIVE NONFICTION - Issue Three - Winter 2026

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