Actually Inclusive - Best Lit Mags of 2025

Best WTF Is Genre Lit Mags of 2024

Fruitslice is a quarterly publication run by a team of Queer editors featuring exclusively Queer writers, artists, creators, etc. 

Fruitslice is a Queer-run quarterly publication featuring work exclusively by Queer creators. We platform marginalized voices, especially BIPOC, Disabled, and Trans artists who are overlooked by mainstream outlets.<div><br><div>Fruitslice exists to distribute, democratize access to, and archive Queer art and ideas. By putting this work into circulation, we make it visible, reachable, and lasting.</div><div><br></div><div>Curated in real time from across the Queer diaspora, each issue is a cultural document that reflects and shapes the movements, language, and dreams of our communities. It is both a snapshot of our collective present and groundwork for a Queer future.</div></div>

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

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

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

Magazines open to contemporary, accessible poetry styles—the kind that were "previously published" as a social media post.

Lit Mags for Instagram Poets

Trendy, aesthetically pleasing publications worth displaying. These mags look as good as they read.

Mags Spotted on a Cool Girl's Coffee Table

Community poll results. In an internet drowning in AI and advertising, your real recommendations are everything.

Where The Cool Kids Are Submitting Their Writing: Part 1

Because we've all written something raw and real in a moment of emotion that turned out surprisingly good.

Where to Publish That Piece You Wrote Crying in Your Car

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.

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

Highlights publications that regularly put forward essays, memoirs, and other creative nonfiction for Pushcart consideration.

Nonfiction Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Focuses specifically on poetry journals with established histories of Pushcart nominations.

Poetry Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Fruitslice

Rituals

A Fruitslice Survival Guide: Maps, Manuals & How To's

Welcome to Issue 6 of Fruitslice!

Life blooms in unexpected places. In gardens, we see how seemingly fragile plants break through concrete, how mushrooms transform decay into nourishment, and how diverse species support each other in ways we're only beginning to understand. The same magic happens in Queer communities, where people create spaces of belonging and support, often in unlikely circumstances.

For our Spring 2025 issue, we're exploring these parallels between natural systems and Queer communities. Think about how gardens work: nutrients and resources flow through underground networks of fungi, plants develop partnerships to help each other thrive, and the whole ecosystem becomes stronger through its diversity. Similarly, Queer communities have always created networks of care and support, turning challenging spaces into places where people can flourish. We share resources, build chosen families, and celebrate the many ways of being alive and in relationship with each other.


Queer Ecology

Welcome to Issue 6 of Fruitslice!

Life blooms in unexpected places. In gardens, we see how seemingly fragile plants break through concrete, how mushrooms transform decay into nourishment, and how diverse species support each other in ways we're only beginning to understand. The same magic happens in Queer communities, where people create spaces of belonging and support, often in unlikely circumstances.

For our Spring 2025 issue, we're exploring these parallels between natural systems and Queer communities. Think about how gardens work: nutrients and resources flow through underground networks of fungi, plants develop partnerships to help each other thrive, and the whole ecosystem becomes stronger through its diversity. Similarly, Queer communities have always created networks of care and support, turning challenging spaces into places where people can flourish. We share resources, build chosen families, and celebrate the many ways of being alive and in relationship with each other.

(Prose Poetry, Haiku, Sonnet, Villanelle, Ghazal)

Welcome to Issue 6 of Fruitslice!

Life blooms in unexpected places. In gardens, we see how seemingly fragile plants break through concrete, how mushrooms transform decay into nourishment, and how diverse species support each other in ways we're only beginning to understand. The same magic happens in Queer communities, where people create spaces of belonging and support, often in unlikely circumstances.

For our Spring 2025 issue, we're exploring these parallels between natural systems and Queer communities. Think about how gardens work: nutrients and resources flow through underground networks of fungi, plants develop partnerships to help each other thrive, and the whole ecosystem becomes stronger through its diversity. Similarly, Queer communities have always created networks of care and support, turning challenging spaces into places where people can flourish. We share resources, build chosen families, and celebrate the many ways of being alive and in relationship with each other.

(Hybrid)

In an era where belonging feels increasingly elusive—particularly for Queer people—we seek stories about creating home against the odds.
Beyond designated urban enclaves, countless Queer lives unfold in quiet defiance, claiming space in hostile or unmarked landscapes. As legislative efforts attempt to erase us from public spaces, we ask: How do we make home when conventional structures fail? What wisdom resides in communities that never took belonging for granted?
We're interested in the intersections of queerness with race, class, disability, and geography—the distinctive challenges and unexpected joys that emerge despite everything.
Tell us about:
Spaces claimed despite opposition
Communities built that defy conventional wisdom
How you've transformed exclusion into belonging
What does having a place of safe return mean—in your body or in the world?
How do we redefine space to make home anywhere?
We want to explore home in all forms: as memory, as refuge, as creative foundation for wh

Fruitslice Issue 7: Home

In an era where belonging feels increasingly elusive—particularly for Queer people—we seek stories about creating home against the odds.
Beyond designated urban enclaves, countless Queer lives unfold in quiet defiance, claiming space in hostile or unmarked landscapes. As legislative efforts attempt to erase us from public spaces, we ask: How do we make home when conventional structures fail? What wisdom resides in communities that never took belonging for granted?
We're interested in the intersections of queerness with race, class, disability, and geography—the distinctive challenges and unexpected joys that emerge despite everything.
Tell us about:
Spaces claimed despite opposition
Communities built that defy conventional wisdom
How you've transformed exclusion into belonging
What does having a place of safe return mean—in your body or in the world?
How do we redefine space to make home anywhere?
We want to explore home in all forms: as memory, as refuge, as creative foundation for wh

(Prose Poetry)

Fruitslice Issue 7: Home 

Repair is not a straight line. It’s a winding road, a back alley, a torn seam held together. It is not always heroic or hopeful—often it’s slow, quiet, imperfect work. And yet, it’s work we return to, again and again. Because what other choice do we have?

We’re interested in the labor of mending: relationships, communities, histories, selves. What does it mean to be broken, and who gets to decide? Who defines what needs fixing, and why? 

Embedded in the language of repair is a colonial impulse: a missionary logic that labels communities as damaged by the very systems that harmed them. Bodies pathologized for surviving impossible conditions. Some things can’t be fixed. Some shouldn’t be.

For this issue, we want stories that complicate tidy narratives of recovery. 

Tell us about the break that became a doorway. The apology that mattered and the one that didn’t. The relationships that changed shape after shattering. The rituals you’ve invented to stitch yourself together again.

Repair

Repair is not a straight line. It’s a winding road, a back alley, a torn seam held together. It is not always heroic or hopeful—often it’s slow, quiet, imperfect work. And yet, it’s work we return to, again and again. Because what other choice do we have?

We’re interested in the labor of mending: relationships, communities, histories, selves. What does it mean to be broken, and who gets to decide? Who defines what needs fixing, and why? 

Embedded in the language of repair is a colonial impulse: a missionary logic that labels communities as damaged by the very systems that harmed them. Bodies pathologized for surviving impossible conditions. Some things can’t be fixed. Some shouldn’t be.

For this issue, we want stories that complicate tidy narratives of recovery. 

Tell us about the break that became a doorway. The apology that mattered and the one that didn’t. The relationships that changed shape after shattering. The rituals you’ve invented to stitch yourself together again.

(Prose Poetry)

Cringe is sincerity without armor. It’s what happens when real human feeling collides with a culture that rewards irony and mockery. But the spaces we’re taught to find embarrassing are often where real community, joy, and revolution take root.
For this issue, we’re looking for stories that reclaim embarrassment. Show us your earnest manifestos, overwrought love letters, genuine obsessions, and unabashed joys.

FRUITSLICE Issue 9: Kill the part that Cringes! 

Fruitslice Submission Guidelines
About Us
Fruitslice exclusively showcases work created by members of the LGBTQIA+ community. This commitment to providing a dedicated space where Queer voices are centered is fundamental to our mission. While we maintain this policy, we respect that identity is personal and nuanced; we trust contributors to determine whether they align with our community focus.
Publication Schedule & Submissions

  Publication Dates: Fruitslice publishes quarterly on the solstices (March, June, September, and December).
  Submission Windows: We only accept work during the first two weeks of every quarter (January, April, July, and October). Exact dates may vary—please check our website and instagram @thefruitslice for current information.
  Submission Fee: There is no fee to submit your work.
  Payment: At this time, we are unable to offer payment for published work. For more information about our long-term goals around compensation, please check our FAQ.

What We're Looking For

  Theme: All work must engage with our current theme. Themes change for each issue and are open to interpretation. Please double-check our current theme before submitting.
  Editorial Focus: We welcome a wide range of creative work. For detailed information about the types of content we're most excited to receive, please visit our FAQ section. We especially encourage submissions beyond poetry.
  Word Limit: We ask that submitters keep written pieces under 1500 words.     
    
      New this cycle: For fiction submissions only, we will now accept pieces up to 2250 words. (Please note: This is the only exception to our standard word limit.)
    
  
  Mediums: We accept all printable mediums. If you're unsure whether your piece fits, feel free to submit.
  No AI Submissions: We do not accept any AI-generated or AI-assisted work. For more information about this policy, please visit our FAQ section. 

Submission Rules

  Multiple Submissions: 
    
      Authors may submit up to three pieces per genre, but each piece must be submitted separately.         
        
          For example: If you’re submitting three standalone poems (not part of a series), you should fill out three individual submission forms—one for each poem.
        
      
      Multiple pieces in one form will be considered as a series.
    
  
  Cover Letters are encouraged but not necessary. We appreciate hearing how your work connects to our theme.
  Proofreading: Please thoroughly proofread your work. Submissions with numerous errors risk rejection as we have limited editing resources.

Format Requirements
For All Submissions

  File Naming: LastNameFirstName_PieceTitle

Written Work

  Format: .doc or .docx only (NO PDFs)     
    
      If you are submitting poetry or other written work in which the exact form or shape of the words is integral to the piece, and you’re worried that a .doc or .docx file will ruin the formatting, you are welcome to include a PDF as a visual reference. However, you must still submit a .doc or .docx file alongside it.
    
  
  12pt font, double-spaced for prose
  Include a note about how your piece relates to the theme in the Submission Form or in a cover letter

Visual and Hybrid Works

  Resolution: Minimum 300 DPI for print quality
  Artist Statements: Optional, around 500 words

For Page Layouts/Spreads Only
This information is only for visual pieces that are meant to take up a whole page or spread. If your piece does not fall into these categories, you can ignore the instructions below. 

  Dimensions: 
    
      Single Page: 5.50" x 8.50" (Trim Size)
      Spread: 11.00" x 8.50" (Trim Size)
    
     
  
  Bleed Area: Extend all edges by 0.13" beyond trim size     
    
      Total with bleed (single page): 5.76" x 8.76"
      Total with bleed (spread): 11.26" x 8.76"
    
     
  
  Quiet Area (Safe Zone): 
    
      Top: 0.25"
      Right: 0.25"
      Bottom: 0.25"
      Left: 0.50"
    
     
  
  Gutter: Add at least 0.7" to inner margin for binding

Editorial Process

  Notification: We confirm receipt immediately.
  Review Process: Our team reviews submissions on a rolling basis.
  Response Timeline: First round of responses are typically sent within two days of the submission deadline.
  Final Decisions: Communicated no later than six weeks before publication.
  Total Timeline: From submission deadline to publication takes about three months.

Additional Information

  Compliance: Submissions that disregard these guidelines may be automatically rejected.
  Questions? Please check our FAQ section first. If you need more help, email us at submissions@thefruitslice.com.

Thank you for considering Fruitslice as a platform for your work!

Issue 9

We are interested in the expansive life of the word as a modifier, an identity, and a way of understanding the world. Rather than strictly defining Trans*, we want to spend time with its innate contradictions, uses, and edges. The asterisk functions as an acknowledgement of multiplicity.

Trans* can name movement, process, and relation. It can describe a path and a crossing, as well as destination or arrival. It can live in the in between, the not quite, the ongoing, and at the same time indicate certainty. Trans* invites us to linger in the liminal. 

The word Trans* has the power to disrupt the idea that things must remain in their assigned lanes. It moves across, through, and beyond fixed edges and borders. We live in a world that strictly, and often violently, enforces norms of behavior, identity, and belonging. When the world insists, “this is how to be,” Trans responds, “not necessarily.”

Trans*

Fruitslice accepts pitches from Queer writers, artists, and creators year-round through our Submittable open pitch form. If you have an idea that feels aligned with Fruitslice, we’d love to hear from you!

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Arts + Entertainment

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Advice + How To's

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Books + Literature

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Culture + Society

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Environment + Sustainability

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Food + Drink

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Health + Wellness

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Identity

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Fiction

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Social Justice + Activism

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Sports + Fitness

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Technology

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Science

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Politics + Social Issues

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Journalism + Reporting

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Lifestyle + Travel

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Memoir + CNF

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Mental Health

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Nature + Outdoors

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Opinion + Commentary

Fruitslice Open Pitch - Personal Essay

We are curating a selection of poetry that explores Mutual Aid as a social practice, a universalist theory, a political response, an insufficient band-aid, an egalitarian utopia, a connective tissue, and an ever-evolving buzzword.

Mutual Aid

We're interested in artwork inspired by linocuts, punk patches, zines, protest posters, community printmaking, and DIY publishing. We're looking for pieces that feel handmade, graphic, rough, and imperfect DIY ephemera. 

Notes from the Micro Scene is a series of short, episodic nonfiction dispatches written from inside small, specific communities. We are looking for writers who can notice the details and drop us directly into the scene. Tell us who is there, what people are talking about, what has changed, and what is funny, tense, beloved, embarrassing, contested, dying out, or just beginning.
The Inspiration
This series takes inspiration from Janet Flanner's Letter from Paris, the dispatches she wrote for The New Yorker under the pen name Genêt from 1925 to 1975. Through observations of everyday life, cultural movements, personalities, and local happenings, Flanner chronicled a city from the inside, capturing the small things that made Paris Paris.
With Notes from the Micro Scene, we're interested in extending that tradition beyond major cultural capitals and into the countless smaller worlds that shape our lives. At a time when globalization and algorithms can make culture feel increasingly homogeneous, we want to document the particularities of local communities with their own histories and ways of being.
A dispatch might take us inside:
A neighborhood group chat with its own alliances, scandals, and etiquette
The regulars at the only Queer bar left in a small town
A community in the middle of a generational shift, disagreement, revival, disappearance, or strange new obsession
A bookstore, café, church basement, Discord server, rehearsal room, club night, sports league, or other gathering place with a culture of its own
This is a nonfiction series. We do not accept fiction, invented narratives, or fictionalized accounts for this column. We want true accounts of real communities, written by people who have a genuine relationship to the world they're describing. You might be a participant, regular, organizer, neighbor, employee, longtime observer, former member, or someone otherwise meaningfully embedded in the scene.
A micro scene might be organized around a geographic place, but it doesn't have to be. The smaller and more specific the entry point, the better.
We are not looking for comprehensive histories or traditional reported features. We want particular people, places, moments, conversations, and observations that tell us something about a culture from the inside.
Length: 500–1,000 words.
Genre: Nonfiction only.
Submission fee: None.
Payment: Fruitslice is entirely volunteer-run. We cannot currently offer contributor compensation or complimentary print copies. You can read more about our compensation policy in our website FAQ.
Eligibility: Fruitslice publishes work exclusively by members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We recognize that identity is personal and nuanced and will never ask you to explain or prove yours.
No AI: We do not accept AI-generated or AI-assisted submissions.
Please submit one completed dispatch per submission form. This is a call for finished work, not pitches.
Accepted formats: .doc or .docx only.
File naming: LastNameFirstName_PieceTitle.
Please thoroughly proofread your work before submitting.
Cover letters are welcome but not required.
If your work contains unusual formatting, embedded images, screenshots, transcripts, or other elements that may require special handling in print, please explain that in the Other Notes section.
Because these pieces are written about real communities, please be thoughtful about the people who appear in your work and consider the potential consequences of identifying private individuals or disclosing sensitive information. You may change names or identifying details to protect someone's privacy, but please disclose those changes in the Other Notes section.
Fruitslice generally publishes original, previously unpublished work. If your dispatch has previously appeared on a personal website, blog, social media, or elsewhere, please disclose this when submitting.
We accept simultaneous submissions. If your work is accepted elsewhere and is no longer available to Fruitslice, please withdraw your submission and notify us ASAP.
For further information about previously published work, contributor rights, our editorial process, and other publication policies, please consult the FAQ on our website.
Notes from the Micro Scene is an ongoing, year-round submission opportunity. Our Editors curate a selection of dispatches for each issue of Fruitslice.
Submission confirmation: You will receive an automated confirmation from Submittable when your work has been successfully received.
Editorial review: Submissions are considered on a rolling basis.
Acceptance: If your dispatch is selected for publication, a Fruitslice Editor will contact you directly to discuss the next steps.
Rejections and status updates: Because this is an ongoing submission pool, we do not send individual rejection letters or status updates. If you don't hear from us, your work has not necessarily been rejected.
Future consideration: All submitted dispatches remain eligible for consideration in future issues unless withdrawn by the contributor.
Withdrawal: If you would like to withdraw your dispatch from consideration at any time, you may do so through Submittable.
Before reaching out, please review the FAQ on our website, which answers many common submission questions.
If you still need assistance, contact us at submissions@thefruitslice.com.

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