University of Memphis

A Damn Good Read - Best Lit Mags of 2025

Founded in 1980 and run by the Creative Writing MFA program at the University of Memphis, Pinch publishes art, fiction, nonfiction and poetry biannually. Our sister publication, Pinch Journal Online, publishes weekly during the academic year.

Our editorial mission is to be pinchy–the word used to describe the ethos underpinning the journal’s print and digital platforms. More broadly, pinchy is the encapsulation of the following aesthetic, ethical, and community standards.

Aesthetic
We publish work that uses form, content, and subtext to dissolve boundaries maintained by traditional publishers. The authors of these innovative texts most often identify as outsiders because their voices are underrepresented in contemporary literature. 

The poetry, fiction, and nonfiction work in our journal experiment across and within those forms. In practice, this means publishing an essay that disguises itself as a pet euthanasia form, a poem that uses font size changes to emphasize the fragility of identity, or a multi-modal short story that incorporates line drawings. 

Given that genre labels are nothing more than a marketing tool, we do not require work to be tethered to realism. Many conventions of genre, such as worldbuilding (which we recently featured in a special section), are the foundation of excellent and interesting writing.

Most of the work we publish uses subtext to address the complexities of human experience across culture, class, race, gender, sexuality, and ability. We often highlight such work, as we did in a recent issue that dedicated a section to work by neurodivergent writers. 

We believe in disrupting the marketing and algorithm bias that steers readers to work that is similar to what they’ve read before. Each issue of Pinch is an escape hatch from the echo chamber of monetized content.

Ethical
Our editorial process is designed to minimize gatekeeping and nepotism. More than ninety percent of the written work we publish is unsolicited. We offer no-cost equity submission periods, and our submission portal stays open year-round. Each submission is evaluated by a minimum of two readers and our contests adhere to the CLMP code of ethics. In an effort to publish more authors, we have expanded the number of publications in our online magazine, PJO.

Community 
The Pinch is managed by the students in the creative writing MFA program at the University of Memphis. We are an underfunded public university in a majority Black city. Our cohort includes international, nontraditional, part-time, and unfunded students. By empowering students to make editorial, management, and marketing decisions, they gain practical, hands-on experience in the literary arts. The only student to receive financial support for their work is our managing editor, which means that everyone else is a volunteer. First and foremost the work we publish must excite and energize our students. They relish the opportunity to impact the larger literary culture and have embraced the Memphis “grit and grind” mentality.

Our community includes our contributors. We’ve become a place where writers start their careers. Since our founding in 1980, we have published early work by Margaret Atwood, Chen Chen, Roxane Gay, Terrance Hayes, Harrison Scott Key, Rae	Armantrout, T.C. Boyle, Wanda Coleman, and others. 

To be pinchy is to embrace and uplift the creators, contributors, and readers of the Pinch.

ABOUT OUR NAME
The section of North Memphis known as the Pinch* District is among the
oldest and most vital areas of our city. It is and always has been a community of outsiders, including Irish, Jewish, Italian, Russian, and Greek immigrants. Today it is a majority Black neighborhood with demographics that reflect our city.

It’s an eclectic square mile—bordered on one side by St Jude’s Children’s
Hospital and on the other by a 300-foot glass pyramid. It’s never been a
neighborhood of the wealthy, but it embraces, as we say here, the mentality of “grit and grind.”

Like us, it’s pinchy.

*Before being shortened to Pinch, colloquially, the area was called “Pinchgut,” after the malnourished appearance of the Irish railroad workers, who were fleeing famine.





Out of 4,357 votes, these lit mags came out on top in 2025 as the best lit mags for exceptional reading.

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

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 pieces chosen for Pushcart Prize anthologies. Recognition of exceptional quality across poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

Lit Mags Featured in Pushcart Prize 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

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

A curated selection of publications that regularly submit work to this prestigious annual anthology showcasing 50 poems from emerging writers.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for Best New Poets

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 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

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

Pinch

Poetry submitted will be considered for the Spring 2026 print edition of the Pinch as well in our sister publication PJO. 
We will consider up to THREE poems as one submission as long as altogether they are fewer than 12 pages. Please ensure that the title of your submission is the title(s) of your poems. 
We strive to respond quickly, however due to the academic calendar we might take up to six months to respond. If you have not heard from us within 180 days, please send an email inquiry about your submission to editor@pinchjournal.com
 
 Submission Checklist

  No more than THREE poems and total page count is 12 pages or fewer
  The title of the work is the same as the submission title
  Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but please notify us if any (or all) of your work is accepted elsewhere. 
  We do not publish translations.
  Please do no submit additional poems before you hear back from us.

Consider reading through our FAQs for more information

Poetry

Please limit the number of poems per entry to SIX and do not exceed TWELVE total pages.

Pinch Literary Award in Poetry

Please limit your stories to 4,000 or fewer words.

Pinch Literary Awards in Fiction

This award, named for our founder, is for flash nonfiction. We accept original work that has not previously been published. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. You may submit as many entries as you would like, however, please limit your essay to 1,000 or fewer words. All submissions are read blind. 

To submit, please use our online submissions portal via submittable, where you will find further guidelines. Each entry fee is $15. We abide by the CLMP code of ethics. 

Page Prize in Nonfiction

Artists,
Use this form to upload up to 5 different art pieces for consideration. For each piece, please identify the medium you are using. You do not have to upload more than one piece to be considered.

We prefer images to be jpeg or tiff and the resolution needs to be at least 300 dpi. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Submit Your Artwork to the Pinch

Prose submitted will be considered for the Spring 2026 print edition of the Pinch as well in our sister publication PJO. 

 We will consider up to THREE flash nonfiction pieces as one submission (flash should be fewer than 1000 words each). Please ensure that the title of your submission is the title(s) of your essay. We rarely publish excerpts and do not publish translations, scripts, or plays. Please do no submit additional work before you hear back from us.

 We strive to respond quickly, however due to the academic calendar we might take up to six months to respond. If you have not heard from us within 180 days, please send an email inquiry about your submission to editor@pinchjournal.com

 Submission Checklist

  We rarely publish work that is more than 4,000 words. 
  If the form allows, please use conventional manuscript typography (double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, pages numbered)
  The title of the work is the same as the submission title

Other questions? Consider reading our FAQs.

Flash Nonfiction

Prose submitted will be considered for the Spring 2026 print edition of the Pinch as well in our sister publication PJO. 
We will consider up to THREE flash fiction pieces as one submission (flash should be fewer than 1000 words each). Please ensure that the title of your submission is the title(s) of your stories. We rarely publish excerpts and do not publish translations, scripts, or plays. 
We strive to respond quickly, however due to the academic calendar we might take up to six months to respond. If you have not heard from us within 180 days, please send an email inquiry about your submission to editor@pinchjournal.com
Submission Checklist

  We rarely publish work that is more than 4,000 words. 
  If the form allows, please use conventional manuscript formatting (double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, pages numbered)
  The title of the work is the same as the submission title
  Simultaneous submissions are okay
  Please do no submit additional stories before you hear back from us

Consider reading through our FAQs for more information

Flash Fiction

The Pinch Literary Award in fiction recognizes the best short stories. All forms and types of fiction are eligible for this prize, so long as they are fewer than 4,000 words, previously unpublished, and original. We do not accept any work that uses AI. Every submission will be considered for publication in the Pinch and the winner will receive $2,000 in addition to publication in the fall 2026 issue.      
Overview

  Submissions accepted from February 1 thru February 28 through our Submittable portal
  Entry fee is $28
  Winner receives $2,000 and publication in the Fall 2026 issue of the Pinch.
  Submissions should not exceed 4,000 words.
  Previously published work and translations are ineligible, as is any work created using AI content tools.
  Simultaneous submissions accepted, as long as you notify us if the piece is accepted elsewhere. (No refunds will be issued for withdrawals.)
  We do not offer fee waivers for our contests. 

Process       
The first round of readers are students and faculty at the University of Memphis. They all serve in positions on the masthead of the Pinch. Each contest entry is judged blind. To ensure that your entry is not disqualified, please title your entry the name of your story and remove all identifying details from the document itself.          
All entries are read and scored by two or more readers. Once all the entries have been read and scored, those submissions in the top percentile will be reviewed by the editorial team, who will choose ten finalists.           
Finalists are sent to the contest judge, who will make all final decisions with respect to the winner, runner-up and any honorable mentions.          
The winner and any runners-up and/or honorable mentions will be posted publicly to the Pinch website during the spring of 2026.      
Payment       
Due to the administrative demands of the University of Memphis, it can take several months after the award is announced to fully process payment to the winner. For those who reside in the United States, the university requires a valid state issued or federal issued ID, and completion of a W9 form. For those who reside outside the United States (who are not US Citizens) the university will require photo identification and banking information to complete a wire transfer. The wire transfer can take upward of six months to process.   
Guidelines

  Each entry should be a single file.
  All identifying information should be removed from the file. Please double check the name of your file, the first page, and the header, which often include identifying information. 
  Do not include a cover page.
  If the form allows, please use Times New Roman 12 point font and double space the text allowing for one-inch margins.
  Any entry that exceeds 4,000 words will be ruled ineligible and will not be read.
  Disregarding these rules may result in disqualification; no refund will be offered.
  Questions can be sent to editor+contest@pinchjournal.com

Frequently Asked Questions

  All contact with writers will be managed through Submittable or via our contest coordinator who can be reached at editor+contest@pinchjournal.com
  We will accept multiple submissions, but each submission will incur the $28.00 entry fee.
  We will accept submissions from domestic and international writers. Please note in the event that an international entry wins the contest, payment may take up to six months to complete. 
  We do not accept translations.
  We will accept excerpts so long as they stand alone as a complete story with beginning, middle, and end.
  Current Memphis students are ineligible to submit. Students at the undergraduate and graduate level must have been out of school for more than five years to submit.
  All current staff and volunteer readers of the Pinch are ineligible. Staff members and volunteers who have not been part of the journal for at least five years are eligible.
  Former students, relatives and friends of the contest judge are ineligible to submit.
  The editors may offer publication, in a future issue of the Pinch or in the Pinch Journal Online, to any entry submitted to the contest.

Pinch

Highlights

About

Featured Call

Poetry

Appears in collections