One side of our mission at Lunch Ticket is to publish writers and artists who have been marginalized and underrepresented, and work that engages with issues of social, economic, and environmental justice.

Lunch Ticket is Antioch University MFA program’s student and alumni-run literary magazine. Established in 2012, the name Lunch Ticket pays homage to Antioch University’s focus on issues that affect the working class and underserved communities. Lunch Ticket publishes weekly blog posts and columns, including Amuse-Bouche and Midnight Snack, and bi-annual issues featuring poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction, flash prose, literary translation, writing for young people, visual art, and feature interviews.

We publish work that upholds the vision and values of the Antioch MFA program. We aim to center writers and artists who have been marginalized and underrepresented, or historically misrepresented, and encourage submissions that engage with issues of racial, social, economic, gender, and environmental justice. Our teams read and look for work that plays with form and strives for a more just world.



Finding magazines that accept work from writers under eighteen can be challenging. These publications explicitly welcome submissions from young writers.

Lit Mags for Writers Under 18

Publications with stories in this respected annual flash fiction showcase. Perhaps the most prestigious flash-specific recognition.

Lit Mags in Wigleaf's Top 50

Ultra-competitive magazines with one to two percent acceptance rates. They are competitive. They are choosy. But who doesn't love a challenge?

The 1% Club (Good Fuckin' Luck)

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

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

Lunch Ticket

Amuse-Bouche

Creative nonfiction authors are invited to submit work of up to 3,500 words on the subject of their choice to be considered for the Diana Woods Memorial Award in creative nonfiction.

Diana Woods Memorial Award

Submit up to three poems.

Maximum of 3,500 words.

Gabo Prize For Literature In Translation & Multilingual Texts

Please read these guidelines thoroughly before submitting. Submissions that do not adhere to our guidelines will not be considered.
Literary Translation for Lunch Ticket Issue 29 
(see general guidelines)
Translation Submission Guidelines:

  Translation can be submitted year-round. Submissions received between October 1st and March 31st will be reviewed for the spring issue (published in June), and those received between April 1st and September 30th will be reviewed for the fall issue (published in December). 
  Please submit to Lunch Ticket only once per issue reading period (regardless of genre).
  Any submissions received through this section that are not translations or multilingual texts will be declined without being reviewed. We only publish translations into English.
  If your work has been published in Lunch Ticket, please skip one issue before submitting again.
  All submissions at Lunch Ticket are read anonymously in the first round. We only read pieces that have all identifying information removed. Make sure no identifying information exists in the document title, submission title, or the work itself. Identifying information (such as names and bios) can only be included in the cover letter, and not in any attached files or the submission title.
  Please include names and bios for the original author and translator and a statement about your translation process (translator’s statement) in your cover letter.
  Include the original work along with your translation, preferably in editable form (not a scan). The original work is published along with accepted translations.
  If your submission is a self-translation or re-translation, please elaborate in your cover letter.
  Indicate if your work is a multilingual submission (instead of a translation). Multilingual work submitted under Literary Translation will be considered for the Gabo Prize (see below). 
  All prose must be double-spaced in 12-pt Times New Roman font.
  Submit up to 3 poems per submission reading period. Submit all poems in the same document. 
  We recognize that poetry often calls for its particular formatting. When in doubt, use 12-pt Times New Roman font.
  Submissions should not exceed 3,500 words (source text not included in the word count). Please specify the genre of your submission (poetry, fiction, non-fiction).
  We allow simultaneous submissions. Please indicate in your cover letter that this is a simultaneous submission, and if your piece is accepted elsewhere, you must notify us immediately.
  We do not accept previously published work (this includes work published in personal blogs or social media).
  We do not accept AI-generated work.
  Submitters must be 18 years of age or older.
  All submitters are added to our bi-monthly newsletter email subscriber list. 
  Submissions and cover letters must be in English. Multilingual submissions are acceptable if they are substantially in English. Submissions that are entirely in a language other than English or are translations into a language other than English will be declined without being reviewed.
  PLEASE NOTE: This cycle, all pieces submitted to our Literary Translation section, including multilingual pieces, will be automatically considered for our Gabo Prize in Translation & Multilingual Texts.



 
The Gabo Prize in Translation & Multilingual Texts
Lunch Ticket is honored to host the Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts. The Gabo Prize is funded by writers, translators, and Antioch University Los Angeles MFA Alumni Allie Marini and Jennifer McCharen, who launched the prize to support the work of peer translators.
Gabo Prize winners receive $200 and publication in the next issue of Lunch Ticket. Two finalists will also be published in each issue.
The Gabo Prize is dedicated to upholding the Council of Literary Magazines & Presses code of ethics, defined as such:
CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines—defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.
Additionally: friends, family, and associates of the judges are not eligible for consideration for the award.


 We look forward to reading your work!

Translation

Please read these guidelines thoroughly before submitting to Lunch Ticket. Submissions that do not adhere to our guidelines will not be considered.
Visual Art for Lunch Ticket Issue 29


     Visual Art can be submitted year-round. Submissions received between October 1st and March 31st will be reviewed for the Spring issue (published in June), and those received between April 1st and September 30th will be reviewed for the Fall issue (published in December). We accept photography, mixed-media, painting, sculpture, installation, printmaking, graphic narratives, and other 2D work.  
(see general guidelines)
Visual Art Submission Guidelines:

  Please submit to Lunch Ticket only once per issue reading period (regardless of genre).
  If your work has been published in Lunch Ticket, please skip one issue before submitting again.
  Any submissions received through this section that are not Visual Art and Graphics will be declined without being reviewed.
  All submissions at Lunch Ticket are read anonymously in the first round. We only read pieces that have all identifying information removed. Make sure no identifying information exists in the document title, submission title, or the work itself. Identifying information (such as names and bios) can only be included in the cover letter, and not in any attached files or the submission title.
  Submit up to 10 images in JPEG, PDF, TIFF, GIF or PNG format. Each image should be numbered and named in this format: “1_title.” If the title of a work is long, you may abbreviate it in the image name.
  Submit in a single DOC or DOCX file (titled “Statement”) the following three things:

                  1. An artist statement (50-400 words) with no identifying information
                   2. The name of the collection
                   3. A list of submitted images with the following information in this order:
                                            Image Number, Image Title, Date (year), Medium, Dimensions

  We allow simultaneous submissions. Please indicate in your cover letter that this is a simultaneous submission, and if your piece is accepted elsewhere, you must notify us immediately.
  We do not accept previously published work (this includes work published in personal blogs or social media).
  We do not accept AI-generated work.
  Submitters must be 18 years of age or older.
  All submitters are added to our bi-monthly newsletter email subscriber list.

If your work is accepted for publication, we will ask for a short bio, and you’ll have a chance to edit your statement for publication.
 We look forward to sampling your work!

Visual Art and Graphics

Please read these guidelines thoroughly before submitting to Lunch Ticket. Submissions that do not adhere to our guidelines will not be considered.
Young Adult for Lunch Ticket Issue 28
(see general guidelines)
Young Adult Submission Guidelines:

  Writing for Young People can be submitted year-round. Submissions received between October 1st and March 31st will be reviewed for the spring issue (published in June), and those received between April 1st and September 30th will be reviewed for the fall issue (published in December).
  Please submit to Lunch Ticket only once per issue reading period (regardless of genre).
  Any submissions received through this section that are not Young Adult (Writing For Young People 13+) will be declined without being reviewed.
  If your work has been published in Lunch Ticket, please skip one issue before submitting again.
  All submissions at Lunch Ticket are read anonymously in the first round. We only read pieces that have all identifying information removed. Make sure no identifying information exists in the document title, submission title, or the work itself. Identifying information (such as names and bios) can only be included in the cover letter, and not in any attached files or the submission title.
  All prose must be double-spaced in 12-pt Times New Roman font.
  Submissions should not exceed 3,500 words. 
  For poems, please submit to the Poetry category. This section is for Prose only.
  We allow simultaneous submissions. Please indicate in your cover letter that this is a simultaneous submission, and if your piece is accepted elsewhere, you must notify us immediately.
  We do not accept previously published work (this includes work published in personal blogs or social media).
  We do not accept AI-generated work.
  Submitters must be 18 years of age or older.
  All submitters are added to our bi-monthly newsletter email subscriber list.

We look forward to sampling your work!

Young Adult (Writing For Young People 13+)

Please read these guidelines thoroughly before submitting to Lunch Ticket. Submissions that do not adhere to our guidelines will not be considered.
Flash Prose for Lunch Ticket Issue 29


 
Flash Prose Submission Guidelines:

  Please submit to Lunch Ticket only once per submission reading period (regardless of genre).
  If your work has been published in Lunch Ticket, please skip one submission reading period before submitting again.
  All submissions at Lunch Ticket are read anonymously in the first round. We only read pieces that have all identifying information removed. Make sure no identifying information exists in the document title, submission title, or the work itself. Identifying information (such as names and bios) can only be included in the cover letter, and not in any attached files or the submission title.
  All prose must be double-spaced in 12-pt Times New Roman font.
  Submit one flash piece per cycle. We only accept prose that is 750 words or less. (If your piece is 751 to 3,500 words, please submit it to Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, or Young Adult.)
  We allow simultaneous submissions. Please indicate in your cover letter that this is a simultaneous submission, and if your piece is accepted elsewhere, you must notify us immediately.
  We do not accept previously published work (this includes work published in personal blogs or social media).
  We do not accept AI-generated work.
  Submitters must be 18 years of age or older.
  All submitters are added to our bi-monthly newsletter email subscriber list.

We look forward to sampling your work!

Flash Prose

Please read these guidelines thoroughly before submitting to Lunch Ticket. Submissions that do not adhere to our guidelines will not be considered.
Fiction for Lunch Ticket Issue 29
Fiction Submission Guidelines:

  Please submit to Lunch Ticket only once per submission reading period (regardless of genre).
  If your work has been published in Lunch Ticket, please skip one submission reading period before submitting again.
  All submissions at Lunch Ticket are read anonymously in the first round. We only read pieces that have all identifying information removed. Make sure no identifying information exists in the document title, submission title, or the work itself. Identifying information (such as names and bios) can only be included in the cover letter, and not in any attached files or the submission title.
  All prose must be double-spaced in 12-pt Times New Roman font.
  Submissions should not exceed 3,500 words (source text not included in the word count). 
  If your piece is 750 words and under, please submit it to the Flash Prose category.
  We allow simultaneous submissions. Please indicate in your cover letter that this is a simultaneous submission, and if your piece is accepted elsewhere, you must notify us immediately.
  We do not accept previously published work (this includes work published in personal blogs or social media).
  We do not accept AI-generated work.
  Submitters must be 18 years of age or older.
  All submitters are added to our bi-monthly newsletter email subscriber list.

 We look forward to sampling your work!

Fiction

Please read these guidelines thoroughly before submitting to Lunch Ticket. Submissions that do not adhere to our guidelines will not be considered. 
Poetry for Lunch Ticket Issue 29


 
Poetry Submission Guidelines: 

  Please submit to Lunch Ticket only once per submission reading period (regardless of genre).
  If your work has been published in Lunch Ticket, please skip one submission reading period before submitting again.
  All submissions at Lunch Ticket are read anonymously in the first round. We only read pieces that have all identifying information removed. Make sure no identifying information exists in the document title, submission title, or the work itself. Identifying information (such as names and bios) can only be included in the cover letter, and not in any attached files or the submission title.
  Submit up to 3 poems per cycle. Submit all poems in the same document.
  We recognize that poetry often calls for its own particular formatting. When in doubt, use 12-pt Times New Roman font.
  We allow simultaneous submissions. Please indicate in your cover letter that this is a simultaneous submission, and if your piece is accepted elsewhere, you must notify us immediately.
  We do not accept previously published work (this includes work published in personal blogs or social media).
  We do not accept AI-generated work.
  Submitters must be 18 years of age or older.
  All submitters are added to our bi-monthly newsletter email subscriber list.

We look forward to sampling your work!

Poetry

Please read these guidelines thoroughly before submitting to Lunch Ticket. Submissions that do not adhere to our guidelines will not be considered. 
Creative Nonfiction for Lunch Ticket Issue 29
Creative Nonfiction Submission Guidelines:

  Please submit to Lunch Ticket only once per submission reading period (regardless of genre).
  If your work has been published in Lunch Ticket, please skip one submission reading period before submitting again.
  All submissions at Lunch Ticket are read anonymously in the first round. We only read pieces that have all identifying information removed. Make sure no identifying information exists in the document title, submission title, or the work itself. Identifying information (such as names and bios) can only be included in the cover letter, and not in any attached files or the submission title.
  All prose must be double-spaced in 12-pt Times New Roman font.
  Submissions should not exceed 3,500 words (source text not included in the word count). 
  If your piece is 750 words and under, please submit it to the Flash Prose category.
  We allow simultaneous submissions. Please indicate in your cover letter that this is a simultaneous submission, and if your piece is accepted elsewhere, you must notify us immediately.
  We do not accept previously published work (this includes work published in personal blogs or social media).
  We do not accept AI-generated work.
  Submitters must be 18 years of age or older.
  All submitters are added to our bi-monthly newsletter email subscriber list.
  PLEASE NOTE: This cycle, all pieces submitted to our Creative Nonfiction section will be automatically considered for the Diana Woods Memorial Prize.



 
The Diana Woods Memorial Prize in Creative Nonfiction
DWM winners receive $250 and publication in the next issue of Lunch Ticket. Two finalists will also be published in each issue.
The Diana Woods Memorial (DWM) Award in creative nonfiction is dedicated to upholding the Council of Literary Magazines & Presses code of ethics, defined as such:
CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines—defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.
Additionally: friends, family, and associates of the judges are not eligible for consideration for the award.
We look forward to reading your work!

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