fifth wheel press

Actually Inclusive - Best Lit Mags of 2025

An independent community-focused publisher of art and writing by queer, trans, and gender variant creatives.

Originally founded by editor-in-chief nat raum in 2019 as a photobook press for lens-based artists of marginalized genders, fifth wheel press is a dedicated space for those who are historically underrepresented in creative communities. We publish dynamic art and writing by queer, trans, and gender variant creatives in single-author collections, zines, anthologies, and more. We believe a truly inclusive space must be intersectional; as such, we welcome, celebrate, and prioritize submissions from those who belong to other marginalized groups in addition to the queer community, including but not limited to BIPOC, disabled, and neurodivergent artists and writers.

Out of 3,489 votes, these lit mags came out on top in 2025 as the best lit mags for diverse voices.

Publications that celebrate LGBTQ+ voices every single day. Editor picks from Vellichor Lit.

LGBTQ+ Lit Mags Changing the Game

For Pride Month this year, we're featuring 20 of our favorite LGBTQ+ literary magazines. (Psst... if you're seeing this in June 2026, they're open right now, so don't miss out!)

LGBTQ+ Lit Mags We Love

Pay writers. Accept simultaneous submissions and reprints. Nominate for prizes. Active on socials. Free to read. No fee. No notes.

Lit Mags That Speak Our Love Language

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)

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.

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 2026

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

Flash Fiction Magazines That Nominate for Best of the Net

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

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

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

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

Review must center on an indie/small press book. No Big 5, not even imprints.

Book must be written by a queer author.

blog submissions: reviews

I want to interview and read pitches for interviews with both emerging and established queer, trans, and gender variant writers with forthcoming or recently published books or chapbooks (no longer than four months ago, please). While I am particularly interested in poetry, a little prose never hurts! I would especially love interviews with folks whose books engage with lived transness, disability, madness, and other forms of marginalization and oppression. My aesthetic tastes vary but I particularly welcome the experimental. Show me a book that plays with genre, form, and language. Pitch me an interview between two rivals. Between two lovers. I aim to publish a minimum of six interviews a year. 

The nitty gritty: As fifth wheel press is focused on queer, trans, and gender variant writers, please only pitch interviews in which both interviewer and interviewee are within these communities. To pitch an interview, send bios for you and your interviewee, as well as a synopsis of the work and a sentence or two on what you'd like to speak to them about. Alternatively, feel free to send completed interviews for consideration. If you are a writer with a recent or forthcoming book who is trans or falls under the trans umbrella, feel free to send a synopsis, bio, and review copy of your book in a printable format for me to consider for an ongoing series of interviews with trans writers. All interview pitches will receive a reply; authors sending review copies will hear from me if I'm interested in proceeding with an interview. 

blog submissions: interviews

electricity • currents • circuits • grounding • sparks • the electrical grid • wiring • electromagnetics • high voltage • blackouts • wattage • conductivity or lack thereof • static electricity • resistance • jolt • the fossil fuel industry • lightning strikes • charging • power lines • batteries • vibrant • spontaneous • unpredictable • solar power • hydroelectricity • wind power • energy • power • shocks • flickering

'livewire' digital anthology

The fifth wheel press fresh fruit contest is open only to queer, trans, and gender variant writers we have not published yet. This applies across our blog, anthologies, GARLAND, and single-author publications (including microchapbooks). This does not apply to folks who have only had visual artwork published by us—if we’ve seen your artwork but not your writing, we’d still love to hear from you. We love our returning contributors, some of whom have been included in a great number of our pubs, but we want to make dedicated space for new voices.

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