Career Builder - Best Lit Mags of 2025

As the oldest literary magazine in the nation, our selected works reflect the breadth of the American experience, and encompass any voices that are committed to telling rich narratives that challenge the status quo.

Founded in Boston in 1815, the North American Review is the oldest and one of the most culturally significant literary magazines in the United States. 

Contributors include important nineteenth-century American writers and thinkers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Douglass, Edith Wharton, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman; and twentieth-century writers like William Carlos Williams, John Steinbeck, Thomas Wolfe, William Saroyan, and Flannery O’Connor.

Out of 1,762 votes, these lit mags came out on top in 2025 as the best lit mags for advancing writers' careers.

Prestigious publications that strengthen your literary credentials, signaling serious accomplishment and catching attention from editors and agents.

Impressive Bylines for Your Literary Bio

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

Digital publications chosen for Best of the Net. These journals demonstrate consistent excellence in identifying digital fiction that deserves wider recognition and readership.

Fiction Magazines Featured in Best of the Net Anthologies

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 nonfiction in BAE, the premier American essay anthology. These journals consistently publish thought-provoking, beautifully crafted nonfiction defining contemporary essay excellence.

Lit Mags Featured in Best American Essay Anthologies

Digital publications with work selected for inclusion across genres. These journals consistently publish online work of exceptional quality that stands out in the digital literary landscape.

Lit Mags Featured in Best of the Net 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

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

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

Essential publications that nominate short fiction for the O'Henry Prize anthology, one of America's most venerable literary awards. Established in 1919.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for the O'Henry Prize

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 competitive speculative fiction literary magazines this year. These magazines are revered in the fiction world for their editorial rigor.

Most Competitive Speculative Fiction Magazines This Year

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 chosen for Best of the Net. These journals consistently publish digital essays and memoirs that exemplify the best of what's possible in online creative nonfiction.

Nonfiction Magazines Featured in Best of the Net Anthologies

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

Digital publications with poems chosen for Best of the Net. These journals consistently identify exceptional verse that represents the highest quality of poetry published online.

Poetry Mags Featured in Best of the Net Anthologies

North American Review

See detailed submission windows and guidelines above.

(Submission) Fiction

Please submit no more than five poems. Submissions with more than 5 poems will not be considered. Please wait to hear a decision before sending additional work. Do not send entire collections of poetry. See detailed submission windows and guidelines above.

(Submission) Poetry

NAR is accepting book reviews of fewer than 1,200 words, written for a general audience, to publish on our website. We will prioritize material from NAR contributors and marginalized voices. Please include link to press for item reviewed. If submission is accepted, we will ask for a head shot and an image of the book cover at that time.

(Submission) Book Reviews

Please submit a portfolio of recent work for review. Submissions will be considered for use on our website or in print issues. Please do not submit more than once, and wait to resubmit until your first submission has been responded to. We allow only one attachment, so to submit several pieces for review, please put all images into a single PDF file.
We pay $100 per image for rights to publish in our print issues only.
We are open to all forms, media, and genres of visual art, including graphic poetry, graphic book review, and graphic narratives. Read this blog post for more details about the art selection process.

(Submission) Visual Art

The Short Story Prize 
From 1990 until 2014, the biannual journal Short Story published a grab bag of short stories, critical articles, essays, interviews, and book reviews. It represented a unique contribution to the literary world. Well, it’s back—with a new look and vision under the auspices of the North American Review.
For a time, the two publications shared an institutional home at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and after a more than decade-long hiatus, the NAR is reviving its sister journal as an annual to make a home for an eclectic range of short fiction, craft essays, and other story-related material.
In order to create space for a wide range of different kinds of stories, Short Story returns with an eye toward plot and a strong narrative arc and an emphasis on entertainment. Our promise is to be a venue open not only to literary stories, but also westerns, rom-coms, thrillers, horror stories, crime stories, sci-fi stories, tales, yarns, and other narrative modes, forms, and genres. All finalists for our annual Short Story Prize will be published.
Open for submission: December 1, 2025 
Deadline: April 1, 2026 
First Prize: $1,000 
Finalists: $100 (upon publication)
Word count: 2,500 - 7,500 words 
Judge: Molly Antopol

  Submissions are judged anonymously; please remove identifying information from the manuscript.
  Current University of Northern Iowa students are not eligible to submit.
  Close friends, family members, or former students/teachers of the final judge are not eligible to submit. 
  The winner will be published in the 2026 annual issue of Short Story in the fall. All entry fees include copy. 
  All finalists for the prize will be published.
  Results will be announced in July. 

      Please see prize page on our website here for full FAQs and guidelines before submitting.

(Contest Submission) The Short Story Prize

2026 Contest Information

  Contest Opens: January 1, 2026 at 12:00am CST 
  Contest Closes: April 1, 2025 at 11:59pm CST
  Entry Fee: $23.00USD
  Winner’s Prize: $1,000.00USD
  Entry Length: 500–10,000 words
  Contest Judge: Jessica Hendry Nelson

 
The Judging Process

  All submissions to  the Terry Tempest Williams Creative Nonfiction Prize will be handled  through our online submission system, Submittable.
  Simultaneous submission to other journals or competitions is allowed with notice should your essay be accepted elsewhere.
  Work previously published online or in print is ineligible for submission. (This includes Substack.)
  Submissions  are gathered through Submittable and packaged by the Contest Manager,  who may not serve as a Contest Reader or Coordinator.
  Submissions  are read by the Contest Coordinators, who are NAR Editors, as well as  by fifteen or more Contest Readers, most of whom are undergraduate or  graduate students at the University of Northern Iowa.
  Contest Readers receive the initial entries and select a slate of semifinalists.
  The Contest Coordinators then reduce the semifinalist list to a pool of finalists; these essays are sent to the Prize Judge.
  The Contest Judge selects a Winner, Runners-up, and possibly a number of Honorable Mentions from the pool of finalists.
  All finalists and semifinalists will be announced on the NAR website in an Open Space post.

Manuscript Preparation Rules

  Each entry can consist of only one file.
  We only accept Microsoft Word (.docx) and Google Doc (.doc) files; we do not accept PDFs.
  Remove  all identifying information from the document: no names, addresses, or  other identifying information should appear anywhere on the manuscript.
  Remove all pagination as we have an internal system for managing page numbers.
  Do not include a cover page.
  If possible, please use single-spaced Times New Roman 12pt font with one inch margins.
  If possible, center and bold the title at the top of the page using Title Case.
  Entries  over 10,000 words are ineligible, and please note we determine word  count using Google Docs, which may yield a different—usually  smaller—count than other programs, and here’s why.
  These  rules allow for a consistent double-blind reading and management of the  contest, which reduces the possibility of unconscious bias.
  Disregarding these rules may result in disqualification; no refund will be offered.
  Should  you have questions or concerns about your submission, please send a  message via Submittable or contact the Contest Manager at nar@uni.edu.
  For FAQs and more information, please visit our contest page.

(Contest submission) 2026 Terry Tempest Williams Creative Nonfiction Prize

(Submission) Flash Fiction

(Submission) Nonfiction

(Submission) Flash Nonfiction

Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize  The Vonnegut Prize is an annual fiction competition sponsored by North American Review. This award is intended to recognize the finest speculative fiction, which can include, but is not limited to, work influenced by the postmodern science-fiction of Kurt Vonnegut. We love Vonnegut’s dark humor, but please avoid mere imitation. We are enthusiastic about all work painted with speculative fiction’s broad brush: fairytale, magical realism, fabulism, the fantastic, horror, Afro-futurism, science fiction hard and soft, and everything in between. The winning entry will appear in the North American Review's annual summer fiction issue, and all finalists will be considered for publication.
Contest Information
Open for submission: August 1, 2026.
First Prize: $1,000
Deadline: November 1st, 2026. Results will be announced in 2027.
Word count: 500 - 10,000 words
Judge: Kate Folk
Submissions are judged anonymously; please remove identifying information.
Current University of Northern Iowa students are not eligible to submit.
The winner will be published in the Summer 2027 Issue. All entry fees include copy of the Summer Issue.
Please see prize page on our website here for full FAQs and guidelines before submitting.

(contest submission) Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize

The James Hearst Poetry Prize is a competition intended to recognize the finest poetry. We welcome all forms of previously unpublished poetry and up to five poems per submission. James Hearst wrote like he farmed, with an eye for clean fields and straight fences. A writing professor at the University of Northern Iowa for four decades, he also served as a contributing editor and guiding light for the North American Review. The Complete Poetry of James Hearst was published in 2001 by the University of Iowa Press. The winning entry, runners-up, honorable mentions, and finalists will be offered publication in the North American Review’s spring issue. Results will be announced in late January.
You may submit up to five previously unpublished poems in a Word document. All contact information should be entered in your cover letter. No names or addresses should appear on manuscripts.  Please title your submission with the titles of each poem included. For long titles, use the first 2-3 words. Your poems will be assigned log numbers so they can be read blind. Simultaneous submission to other journals or competitions is allowed with notice should your poems be accepted elsewhere. All finalist poems will be published, and all entrants will receive the Spring issue of NAR. Current University of Northern Iowa students are not eligible to submit.
Open for submission: August 1, 2026.
First Prize: $1,000
Deadline: November 1st, 2026. Results will be announced in February 2027.
Final Judge: Forrest Gander
Please see prize page on our website here for full FAQs and guidelines before submitting.

North American Review

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(contest submission) Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize

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