This is a journal committed to diverse voices, an accessible journal, a journal for everyone. We’re interested in the work you’re producing--not where you’ve been published before. 

Our passion lies in giving readers a place to find exciting new work that inspires, stirs, surprises, and sparks the empathetic imagination.

Journals that have published debut stories later selected for this award honoring exceptional first-time published short story writers.

Lit Mags That Have Published PEN/Robert J. Dau Award Winners

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

Looking for balance between prestige and accessibility? These magazines are competitive but attainable for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writers.

Literary Magazines in the Sweet Spot

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

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

Peatsmoke Journal

General Guidelines
We accept previously unpublished poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please let us know right away if your work is accepted elsewhere. You can include a cover letter full of amusing tidbits about you or of fascinating trivia you learned from a podcast recently, but we are not interested in reading a list of the journals your work has appeared in. What is important to us is that you are sending us writing that feels urgent and necessary, work that is ready to go out for a stroll in the world. As a journal, we are committed to publishing diverse voices of all kinds. 
We know how nerve-wracking it can be to check your inbox every morning, hoping to hear back from a journal, so we do our best to make our turnaround time as quick as possible. We will try to respond to every submission within two months, if not sooner. Please do not send more than one submission in any genre until you have heard back from us. 
 We aren't looking for particular styles or types of writing, but here are some things we consider when reading:
We’re into fiction that explores the human condition with empathy and curiosity. We love reading fully realized characters who are pushed and challenged, and clear, carefully-crafted sentences that bring them to life. Speculative and experimental work is absolutely welcome here. 
Important:
One story per submission between 1,001-7,000 words.

Fiction

General Guidelines
We accept previously unpublished poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please let us know right away if your work is accepted elsewhere. You can include a cover letter full of amusing tidbits about you or of fascinating trivia you learned from a podcast recently, but we are not interested in reading a list of the journals your work has appeared in. What is important to us is that you are sending us writing that feels urgent and necessary, work that is ready to go out for a stroll in the world. As a journal, we are committed to publishing diverse voices of all kinds. 
We know how nerve-wracking it can be to check your inbox every morning, hoping to hear back from a journal, so we do our best to make our turnaround time as quick as possible. We will try to respond to every submission within two months, if not sooner. Please do not send more than one submission in any genre until you have heard back from us. 
Here are some things we consider when reading:
We love flash with strong sentence-level writing and compelling images that hold a moment and explode it, taking us to unexpected depths in a small space. We're excited to receive both flash fiction and flash CNF. If it's important to you that we know the genre you're submitting, please drop us a note in your cover letter to tell us. Realism, speculative and experimental work, or a mix of all of these,  is very welcome. Feel free to get weird — we’re here for it.
Important: An individual flash  should be no longer than 1000 words. You may include up to 3 pieces per submission.

Flash

General Guidelines
 We accept previously unpublished poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please let us know right away if your work is accepted elsewhere. You can include a cover letter full of amusing tidbits about you or of fascinating trivia you learned from a podcast recently, but we are not interested in reading a list of the journals your work has appeared in. What is important to us is that you are sending us writing that feels urgent and necessary, work that is ready to go out for a stroll in the world. As a journal, we are committed to publishing diverse voices of all kinds. 
 We know how nerve-wracking it can be to check your inbox every morning, hoping to hear back from a journal, so we do our best to make our turnaround time as quick as possible. We will try to respond to every submission within two months, if not sooner. Please do not send more than one submission in any genre until you have heard back from us. 
 
  We aren't looking for particular styles or types of writing, but here are some things we consider when reading:
 We love nonfiction pieces we can’t classify. We most admire essays that (like poetry) emphasize image, that show the  process of discovery. Please send only one piece at a time between 1,500-7,000 words. If you have flash CNF, please submit it in our Flash category.

Nonfiction

Exciting news! Peatsmoke is now able to pay artists! We pay $10 per accepted piece. 
Peatsmoke features artists in each issue, with art paired with each story and poem and displayed prominently on our main page. We are into any kind of 2-D art that appears well on a website, but the one exception is cartoons. It's hard to pair them well with another piece of writing. 
Send us your collage, your photography, your paintings, your sculptures, your line drawings, your wood cuts, your etchings, your linotypes, your sand art --- whatever it is, we'd love to check it out. For our consideration, please give us a submission of up to 8 images. Upload each JPEG image with a name or title so that it is easier for us to differentiate between pieces. Please only submit once per submission period and wait until you have received a response before submitting again. If you were in our past two issues, please skip this submission cycle (unless asked to submit) so we can give more artists a chance to get published.
Sometimes it can take months, even up to a year, before we accept or decline, a submission, especially if we like your work. We pair art and writing, so finding a match can take time, but we realize the long wait can be frustrating. If you want an update, feel free to send our art editor, Shagufta, a message after it has been three months since you submitted. If you would like to have your submission opened for editing to replace art that was accepted elsewhere, let us know at any time.
We accept simultaneous submissions but if any of your pieces are accepted elsewhere, please let us know immediately.

Artwork

Poetry

Contest Dates  June15 - July 15
Genres  Fiction, Poetry, & Flash
Prize  $500 and publication in our Fall 2025 issue of Peatsmoke
Entry Fee
$12 per submission
All submissions will be considered for publication in our fall issue, even if they are not chosen as contest winners.
Authors are welcome to make multiple separate submissions, each with a submission fee.
We will read all submissions blind, so please do not include any identifying information within your document.  We will also announce  at least three runners-up per genre.
We will only consider original, previously unpublished work. Work that has previously appeared elsewhere, including blogs or personal websites, will not be considered.
It is always our mission to support and lift up the voices of marginalized writers, so we encourage BIPOC, disabled, LGBTIAQ+, and neurodivergent writers to submit. We are also excited to see work by previously unpublished writers.
Poetry  Please submit up to three poems per entry. Each individual poem may be of any length. 12-point font.
We will announce our winners in September. We can’t wait to read your work!

Summer Contest: POETRY

Contest Dates June15 - July 15
Genres Fiction, Poetry, & Flash
Prize $500 and publication in our Fall 2025 issue of Peatsmoke
Entry Fee
$12 per submission.
All submissions will be considered for publication in our fall issue, even if they are not chosen as contest winners.
Authors are welcome to make multiple separate submissions, each with a submission fee.
We will read all submissions blind, so please do not include any identifying information within your document.  We will also announce  at least three runners-up per genre.
We will only consider original, previously unpublished work. Work that has previously appeared elsewhere, including blogs or personal websites, will not be considered.
It is always our mission to support and lift up the voices of marginalized writers, so we encourage BIPOC, disabled, LGBTIAQ+, and neurodivergent writers to submit. We are also excited to see work by previously unpublished writers.
Fiction Please submit one short story per entry, 1001-6,000 words in length. All subject matter is welcome, as long as it is not discriminatory in nature. We are equally excited to see speculative work and realism. Bring it on!
Poetry Please submit up to three poems per entry. Each individual poem may be of any length. 12-point font.
Flash You may submit up to three pieces  per entry, each piece under 1,000 words in length. We’re open to all subject matter, as long as it is not discriminatory in nature. Realism, speculative, traditional narration, and formal exploration are all welcome to the party!
We will announce our winners in September. We can’t wait to read your work!

Summer Contest: FLASH — Fiction

Contest Dates June15 - July 15
Genres Fiction, Poetry, & Flash
Prize $500 and publication in our Fall 2025 issue of Peatsmoke
Entry Fee
$12 per submission.
All submissions will be considered for publication in our fall issue, even if they are not chosen as contest winners.
Authors are welcome to make multiple separate submissions, each with a submission fee.
We will read all submissions blind, so please do not include any identifying information within your document.  We will also announce  at least three runners-up per genre.
We will only consider original, previously unpublished work. Work that has previously appeared elsewhere, including blogs or personal websites, will not be considered.
It is always our mission to support and lift up the voices of marginalized writers, so we encourage BIPOC, disabled, LGBTIAQ+, and neurodivergent writers to submit. We are also excited to see work by previously unpublished writers.
Fiction Please submit one short story per entry, 1001-6,000 words in length. All subject matter is welcome, as long as it is not discriminatory in nature. We are equally excited to see speculative work and realism. Bring it on!
We will announce our winners in September. We can’t wait to read your work!

Peatsmoke Journal

Highlights

About

Appears in collections