A semiannual print and online literary journal and an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) that supports practicing writers at every stage of their careers.

Epiphany is a semiannual print and online literary journal and an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) that supports practicing writers at every stage of their careers. We publish two print magazines a year and publish essays, fiction, and poetry online on a rolling basis. With our Breakout contest and Fresh Voices Fellowship we honor both student writers and writers of color who exist outside the literary establishment. For over 20 years we have championed work that transcends convention and demonstrates literary mastery.

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

Story-focused publications with works chosen for Pushcart Prize anthologies. Less than 5% of nominated fiction typically makes the anthology.

Fiction Magazines Featured in Pushcart Prize 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.

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 pieces chosen for Pushcart Prize anthologies. Recognition of exceptional quality across poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

Lit Mags Featured in Pushcart Prize Anthologies

Looking for balance between prestige and accessibility? These magazines are competitive but attainable for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writers.

Literary Magazines in the Sweet Spot

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

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

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 all-time most competitive speculative fiction literary magazines. These magazines are revered in the fiction world for their editorial rigor.

Most Competitive Speculative Fiction 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

Check out the all-time most popular speculative fiction literary magazines. These publications have a long-standing reputation for quality speculative fiction.

Most Popular Speculative Fiction Magazines of All Time

Essay-focused publications with works selected for Pushcart Prize anthologies. These journals have repeatedly identified nonfiction that resonates with Pushcart editors and readers.

Nonfiction Magazines Featured in Pushcart Prize 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

Verse-centered publications with poems chosen for Pushcart Prize anthologies. These journals have consistently identified poems that stand out in this intensely competitive field.

Poetry Magazines Featured in Pushcart Prize Anthologies

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

Looking for a balance between prestige and accessibility? These speculative fiction magazines are in the sweet spot—competitive but attainable for writers.

Speculative Fiction Magazines in the Sweet Spot

Epiphany Magazine

<div><b>GUIDELINES FOR GENERAL SUBMISSIONS (POETRY):</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><ol><li>Submit up to 5 poems at a time.</li><li>Format in 12-pt font, single-spaced (where appropriate).</li><li>Send us a Message (not a Note) informing us if a poem in your submission has been accepted for publication elsewhere.</li><li>We only consider previously unpublished work (online or in print).</li><li>Poetry contributors will receive a payment of $75 per poem and a copy of the journal.</li><li>All work must be entirely the product of the listed author. No work that is plagiarized or created with the use of AI will be accepted.</li></ol></div><div><br></div><div>Everyone who submits will receive 40% off the first year of a subscription to Epiphany. The code to access this subscription will be found in the receipt email for each submission.</div><div><br></div><div>We typically respond to submissions within five to six months, and aim for much faster. Please be patient: we give thoughtful and thorough consideration to each submission. We look forward to receiving your work!</div>

Poetry Print Submissions

<div><b>GUIDELINES FOR GENERAL SUBMISSIONS (NONFICTION):</b><br><br><ol><li>Submit one essay at a time. Our word cap is 7.5k words. If you choose to submit something longer, please make sure it's really spectacular!</li><li>Format in 12-pt font, double-spaced.</li><li>Withdraw your work promptly through Submittable should it be accepted elsewhere.</li><li>We only consider previously unpublished work (online or in print).</li><li>Please include your name, title, and word count on the first page of the submitted file.</li><li>Excerpts from books in progress, memoirs, or longer works are welcome.</li><li>Nonfiction contributors will receive a payment of $175 and a contributor's copy.</li><li>All work must be entirely the product of the listed author. No work that is plagiarized or created with the use of AI will be accepted.</li></ol><div><br></div></div><div>Everyone who submits will receive 40% off the first year of a subscription to Epiphany. The code to access this subscription will be found in the receipt email for each submission.</div><div><br></div><div>We typically respond to submissions within five to six months, and aim for much faster. Please be patient: we give thoughtful and thorough consideration to each submission. We look forward to receiving your work!</div>

Nonfiction Print Submissions

<div><b>GUIDELINES FOR GENERAL SUBMISSIONS (FICTION):</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><ol><li>Submit one story at a time. Our word cap is 7.5k words. If you choose to submit something longer, please make sure it's really spectacular!</li><li>Format in 12-pt font, double-spaced.</li><li>Withdraw promptly through Submittable should your work be accepted elsewhere.</li><li>We only consider previously unpublished work (online or in print).</li><li>Please include your name, title, and word count on the first page of the submitted file.</li><li>Fiction contributors will receive a payment of $175, and a contributor's copy of the journal.</li><li>All work must be entirely the product of the listed author. No work that is plagiarized or created with the use of AI will be accepted.</li></ol></div><div><br></div><div>Everyone who submits will receive 40% off the first year of a subscription to Epiphany. The code to access this subscription will be found in the receipt email for each submission.</div><div><br></div><div>We typically respond to submissions within five to six months, and aim for much faster. Please be patient: we give thoughtful and thorough consideration to each submission. We look forward to receiving your work!</div>

Fiction Print Submissions

<div><b>GUIDELINES FOR PROSE SUBMISSIONS: </b></div><div><ol><li>Submit one story at a time. Our word cap is 7.5k words. If you submit something longer, please make sure it's really spectacular!</li><li>Format in 12-pt font, double-spaced.</li><li>Withdraw promptly through Submittable should  your work be accepted elsewhere.</li><li>Please include your name, title, and word count on the first page of the submitted file.</li><li>Translations require rights permission from the original writer. </li><li>Prose contributors will receive a payment of $175, and a copy of the journal.</li><li>All work must be entirely the product of the listed author. No work that is plagiarized or created with the use of AI will be accepted.   </li></ol></div><div><br></div><div><b>GUIDELINES FOR POETRY SUBMISSIONS:</b></div><div><ol><li>Submit up to 5 poems at a time.</li><li>Format in 12-pt font, single-spaced (where appropriate).</li><li>Send us a Message (not a Note) if one of the poems from your submission has been accepted for publication elsewhere.</li><li>Please include your name and title on the first page of the submitted file.</li><li>Translations require rights permission from the original writer.</li><li>Poetry contributors will receive a payment of $75 per poem and a copy of the journal.</li><li>All work must be entirely the product of the listed author. No work that is plagiarized or created with the use of AI will be accepted.   </li></ol></div><div><br></div><div>Everyone who submits will receive 40% off the first year of a subscription to Epiphany. The code to access this subscription will be found in the receipt email for each submission.</div><div><br></div><div>We typically respond to submissions within five to six months, and aim for much faster. Please be patient: we give thoughtful and thorough consideration to each submission. We look forward to receiving your work!</div>

Translation Print Submissions

The Breakout Prize brings visibility to and supports outstanding early-career writers who have not yet published a full-length book. Previous winners have gone on to sign with literary agents, publish at esteemed presses, win prizes, receive fellowships, and develop rich and rewarding literary careers. Previous judges include Victoria Chang, Cynthia Cruz, Hilary Leichter, Alexandra Kleeman, Shane McCrae, and Safiya Sinclair.<div><br><div>One prose writer and one poet will receive: </div><div>A $1000 cash prize</div><div>Publication in the next issue of Epiphany</div><div> </div><div>CONTEST WILL CLOSE ON APRIL 15TH OR WHEN WE RECEIVE 300 SUBMISSIONS IN EACH GENRE CATEGORY.</div><div> </div><div>Eligibility: To apply you must not be signed with an agent, be in contract for or have published a full-length book with a traditional publisher. Chapbooks, self-published, and hybrid-published books are permissible. Submission must be previously unpublished and written primarily in English.</div><div>Submission: Applications are to be submitted by individual writers. Interested applicants must submit a creative manuscript and an optional “Statement of Interest.” Poetry manuscripts may include up to five poems of up to 10 pages, with each poem beginning on a new page, and in a 12-point font, unless deviation from this form is necessary for the integrity of the project. We are not currently accepting works in translation.</div><div><br></div><div>All submissions are considered for print and online publication. Submissions may be unpublished (on author's personal website or social media is okay). Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please message us to inform us if a poem has been accepted elsewhere. </div><div>All work must be entirely the product of the listed author. We do not accept any work that has been created with the assistance of AI or LLM tools.</div><div><br></div><div>In order to keep the contest sustainable for our organization and our community, we are capping paid submissions at 300 per genre, and are offering 50 fee waiver applications to writers facing financial hardship. Our fee waiver cap of 50 has been reached. Please refrain from submitting fee waiver requests for this opportunity.</div><div> </div><div>Judging: Honorees will be selected on the basis of the work’s creative merit by the editorial team of Epiphany, and from the finalists two winners will be chosen by our judges.</div><div> </div><div>All applicants will receive 40% off the first year of a digital subscription to Epiphany. The code to access this subscription will be found in the receipt email for each submission.</div></div>

Breakout Prize Poetry

General art submissions are open year round.<div> </div><div>Please submit your artwork or photography to be considered for an Epiphany interior art or issue cover for the print magazine. Submit up to five images at a time. Artwork need not be unpublished, though if it is, please mention in what publications, galleries, websites, or books it has appeared in, excluding social media and your personal website.</div><div>All images will be printed in full color and may be reproduced on the magazine's website, social media, or promotional materials. The cover may include our magazine’s logo and other text or images in overprint. All intellectual property rights to the artwork remain with the artist.</div><div>If your artwork is selected for publication, you will need to provide a high-resolution scan of the piece(s) (300 dpi), at the inch dimensions of our issue, for print-quality reproduction.</div><div>In the cover letter, feel free to provide any information about your artwork that we should know. Low-res images are acceptable for submissions, as long as high-res images can be provided when necessary. Please do not send blurry or pixelated images. Compensation offered for licensing this art is on a sliding slide starting at $75 for interior art and $300 for cover art, and a copy of the journal. All work must be entirely the product of the listed author. No work that is plagiarized or created with the use of AI will be accepted.</div><div> </div><div>Everyone who submits will receive 40% off the first year of a digital subscription to Epiphany. The code to access this subscription will be found in the receipt email for each submission.</div><div>We typically respond to submissions within five to six months, and aim for much faster. Please be patient: we give thoughtful and thorough consideration to each submission. If it doesn't fit for the current issue, we may keep it for consideration for the next issue. We look forward to receiving your work!</div>

Art Submissions

The Breakout Prize brings visibility to and supports outstanding early-career writers who have not yet published a full-length book. Previous winners have gone on to sign with literary agents, publish at esteemed presses, win prizes, receive fellowships, and develop rich and rewarding literary careers. Previous judges include Victoria Chang, Cynthia Cruz, Hilary Leichter, Alexandra Kleeman, Shane McCrae, and Safiya Sinclair.<div> </div><div>One prose writer and one poet will receive: </div><div>- A $1000 cash prize</div><div>- Publication in the next issue of Epiphany</div><div> </div><div>CONTEST WILL CLOSE ON APRIL 15TH OR WHEN WE RECEIVE 300 SUBMISSIONS IN EACH GENRE CATEGORY.</div><div> </div><div>Eligibility: To apply you must not be signed with an agent, be in contract for or have published a full-length book with a traditional publisher. Chapbooks, self-published, and hybrid-published books are permissible. Submission must be previously unpublished and written primarily in English.</div><div>Submission: Applications are to be submitted by individual writers. Interested applicants must submit a creative manuscript and an optional “Statement of Interest.” Prose manuscripts may consist of one short story, a novel excerpt, or a work of creative nonfiction not to exceed 3000 words. We are not currently accepting works in translation for this prize.</div><div><br></div><div>All submissions are considered for print and online publication. Submissions may be unpublished (on author's personal website or social media is okay). Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please withdraw your piece if it has been accepted elsewhere.</div><div><br></div><div>In order to keep the contest sustainable for our organization and our community, we are capping paid submissions at 300 per genre, and are offering 50 fee waiver applications to writers facing financial hardship. Our fee waiver cap of 50 has been reached. Please refrain from submitting fee waiver requests for this opportunity.</div><div><br></div><div>All work must be entirely the product of the listed author. We do not accept any work that has been created with the assistance of AI or LLM tools.</div><div> </div><div>Judging: Honorees will be selected on the basis of the work’s creative merit by the editorial team of Epiphany, and from the finalists two winners will be chosen by our judges.</div>

Breakout Prize Prose

The Fresh Voices Fellowship annually supports one early-career Black, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander or other writer of color who does not have nor is currently pursuing an advanced writing degree. Fellows receive $2000, print publication, a year-long position on our editorial masthead, and a year-long writing mentorship with Epiphany editors. Developing writers who are historically excluded from the publishing industry gain an advanced understanding of the inner functioning of an established magazine and the editorial process while honing their literary craft.<div> </div><div> One writer, in prose or poetry, will receive:</div><div>- A $2000 stipend</div><div>- A twelve-month editorial fellowship at Epiphany, which entails participation in the editorial process of a nonprofit literary magazine, as well as a writing mentorship with our editors</div><div>- Publication in a print issue of Epiphany</div><div> </div><div>All applicants will receive 40% off the first year of a digital subscription to Epiphany. The code to access this subscription will be found in the receipt email for each submission.</div><div> </div><div>There is no fee for applications to the Fresh Voices Fellowship.</div>

Epiphany Magazine

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