An online literary magazine and cultural hub that has been publishing original writing, interviews, and other forms of creative expression since July 2000.

Identity Theory is an online magazine of literature, music, film, social justice, and art. Identity Theory has been publishing original writing, interviews, art, and and other forms of creative expression since July 2000. In the past decade our journal has most famously published highly regarded long-form interviews with literary authors, indie musicians, filmmakers and artists. We also have posted fiction from lit stars and minor authors and essays that have been noted and anthologized in the Best American series, among other places. Those three forms–interviews, fiction, and essays–are the focus of our publishing efforts right now. We also publish book and film reviews, which then sometimes appear on places such as Rotten Tomatoes and Powells Review-a-Day. On rare occasions, we accept poetry, social justice pieces and artwork, though not nearly as much as we have in the past.



Micro

Un-Identified

Prose poetry! Everyone loves it except those who hate it, and if that sounds like you then, hey—hey, what are you doing here? Go iambic pentameter yourself.

Lit Mags That Love Prose Poems

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)

Everyone loves online mags! They make it easier to share your work, and they require less resources to get up and running, so more people can start them. They also can fold more easily :/ 
But not these mags! They've been around for years, they're consistent, they rock!

Online Lit Mags that are 15+ years Old

Double-dipping is for winners. High-quality magazines that welcome previously published work, giving great writing a second life.

Top Lit Mags That Accept Reprints

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

Identity Theory

General call

We accept three categories of fiction: micro (100-500 words), flash (500-1000 words), and traditional (1000-4000 words).
1. Microfiction (100-500 words): Please send micro fiction via email to micro@identitytheory.com instead of using Submittable.  For more info, read our micro submission guidelines. Anticipated response time for micro is one day to one month.
2. Flash fiction (500-1000 words): Please submit flash using this form. Read our complete fiction submission guidelines here.
3. Traditional fiction (1000-4000 words): Please submit traditional fiction using this form. Read our complete fiction submission guidelines here.
1. Please include a word count in your cover letter.
2. Please submit your piece in .doc or .docx format.
3. Please include a third-person bio from one sentence to one paragraph for us to include with your piece.
4. Please do not submit AI-generated or otherwise plagiarized work.
1. New fiction submissions longer than 500 words can expect a response within three months. Microfiction submissions less than 500 words can expect a response within one month if submitted via email.
2. We will consider fiction of all lengths for nominations including Pushcart and Best of the Net. Fiction shorter than 1000 words is also eligible for Best Small Fictions consideration, and fiction shorter than 400 words is eligible for both Best Microfiction and Best Small Fictions consideration.
3. We currently don't offer paid compensation for accepted pieces.
4. We request first electronic rights of your story, and you are welcome to republish it elsewhere online after it has been on our site for six months. You are also welcome to seek print publication for your piece after it has appeared on our site.
5. Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Please respect our volunteer staff's time by withdrawing your piece from consideration after it is accepted elsewhere.
6. All flash and traditional-length submissions receive thoughtful consideration from multiple editors. Once your piece is placed "in-progress" in Submittable, you should receive a response within 1-4 weeks.
7. We don't generally accept previously published work, but we are open to reasonable exceptions if the work does not currently appear elsewhere online.
8. We promote our writers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Substack, LinkedIn, and sometimes TikTok. Please connect with us on those communities.

Fiction

Identity Theory’s nonfiction section is devoted to creative work that is as thoughtful as it is vivid. Take us someplace we haven’t been before, show us something that is not as it seems, guide us with an intelligent heart.
We accept micro CNF (100-500 words), flash CNF (500-1000 words), and traditional CNF (1000-4000 words). Micro CNF should be submitted via email at micro@identitytheory.com. Flash and traditional-length CNF must be submitted through this form.
Please:
Include an approximate word count in your cover letter.
Include a brief third-person author biography (50–100 words), including publishing credits and links to social media or personal sites as you wish.
Let us know if the piece has been published elsewhere, including online.
Do not submit AI-generated or otherwise plagiarized work.
Notes:
We nominate CNF for the Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize anthologies each year.
We request electronic rights to your piece. You may continue to seek print publication immediately and online publication six months after we publish your essay.
The estimated response time for newly submitted pieces is 1-3 months.

Creative Nonfiction

Submit literary work here that doesn't fit into just one category.
Go wild. But don't be weird for the sake of being weird.
Visual art is welcome.
Written work should not exceed 4000 words.
If you have questions, contact editor@identitytheory.com.

Identity Theory

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