Rattle Foundation

A Damn Good Read - Best Lit Mags of 2025

Best Poetry Lit Mags of 2024

25 Best Lit Mags of 2023 - Chill Subs Community Favorites

Our mission is to promote the practice of poetry,

We feel that poetry lost its way in the 20th century, to the point that mainstream readers have forgotten how moving language alone can be. As a result, most people learn to find their feelings in music, movies, and novels, while poetry languishes on its lone shelf in the bookstores, waiting only for the occasional cameo at a university workshop.

But it shouldn’t take a scholar to be moved by the written word—great literature has something to offer everyone. All our lives are compelling, full of joys and burdens and profound experiences we should be sharing—and poetry is the most intimate way to share it. When you read a poem, you become the medium; the poet speaks in your voice, paints the canvas of your inner eye.

This connection is more direct than any other, and it doesn’t take a Hollywood budget to do it. Read the poems on Rattle.com for free. 

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

Community Favorites: Our 2024 Best Lit Mag Awards winners for poetry, selected entirely by community vote. Over 500 magazines nominated with thousands of votes cast.

These magazines push back on the negativity around labels like "approachable" and "accessible," publishing lasting poetry with stakes. Editor picks from ONE ART: a journal of poetry.

Journals that Publish Good, Lasting, Approachable Poetry

Who said that poets don't make money? Okay, we don't. But sometimes we do. Start with these amazing magazines paying highly competitive rates.

Lit Mags Paying Big Bucks for Poetry

Pay writers. Accept simultaneous submissions and reprints. Nominate for prizes. Active on socials. Free to read. No fee. No notes.

Lit Mags That Speak Our Love Language

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)

Not about prizes or prestige. Solely based on the writing community's nominations.

The ultimate ranking of the world's liveliest indie literary magazines, curated by author and editor Charlie Fish. These are the passion projects; the kaleidoscopic cutting edge.

FISH List of Lively Indie Literary Magazines 2026

Publications with verse selected for America's foremost poetry anthology. These journals consistently publish poetry representing the most significant contemporary verse across styles and approaches.

Lit Mags Featured in Best American Poetry 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

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

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

Discover the all-time most competitive poetry literary magazines. These legendary publications are where only the best poetry gets through.

Most Competitive Poetry-Only 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

Discover the all-time most popular poetry literary magazines. These outlets have maintained a significant presence in the world of poetry.

Most Popular Poetry-Only Literary Magazines of All Time

Discover the all-time most submitted-to poetry literary magazines. These publications have consistently attracted a high volume of poetry submissions.

Most Submitted-To Poetry-Only Literary Magazines of All Time

Discover the most submitted-to poetry literary magazines this year. These publications have consistently attracted a high volume of poetry submissions.

Most Submitted-To Poetry-Only Literary Magazines This Year

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

Rattle

1) The $30 entry fee is a one-year subscription to Rattle (or a one-year extension for subscribers) at our regular rate. Prior to May 1st, new subscriptions will start with the Summer 2026 issue, arriving in June. After May 1st, new subscriptions start with the Fall 2026 issue, arriving September 1st. Current subscribers will receive a one-year extension. Due to shipping costs, international entries through Submittable will receive a 3/4-year subscription (three issues) instead of the full year. 

2) One $15,000 Winner and ten $500 Finalists will be selected in an anonymized review by the editors of Rattle and printed in the Winter 2026 issue;  one $5,000 Readers’ Choice Award will then be chosen from among the finalists by subscriber and entrant vote.

3) Open to writers, worldwide; poems must be written primarily in English (no translations except by the original author). Rattle's winter issue must be a potential first curation for all works submitted—meaning they can't have appeared in any books, magazines, or similar collections, online or in print. No previously curated works, or works accepted for curation elsewhere. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but we must be notified immediately by sending a message through the submission if any poems are accepted elsewhere. Log into your account, click on the submission, and then the "messages" tab to send a message. 

4) Do not include any identifying information within the file(s) that you submit—only include the poems (up to four). We will have all the contact information that you enter through Submittable's online form, and that's where we'll send the subscription. 

5) Send up to four poems, either in a single file or four separate files. There are no line-limits. Poems may be any length, any style, or any subject. Multiple entries by a single poet are accepted, however each group of four poems must be treated as a separate entry, and an additional $30 fee. Each additional entry will add an extra year to your subscription. Contest entries are non-refundable, and can't be revised once they're submitted, so please be sure to upload your final versions of the poems. If you make a mistake while submitting and need to fix your submission, DO NOT withdraw the entry. Use the built-in messaging system to send a replacement file as a message within the submission. 

Rattle Poetry Prize

There's a long tradition of poetry responding to art (and vice versa), and we thought it would be fun to post these challenges. Every month we will post an image on our Ekphrastic Challenge page. Poets will then have one month to write a poem in response.

Ekphrastic Challenge

General Poems

Because of the nature of the traditional publication apparatus, poetry doesn't often respond in a timely way to current events—but we think it could. To test this hypothesis, we'd like to try publishing a poem online each Sunday (if we receive any that we like) that responds to a news story or public event from the previous week, and has been written in the time since.

Selected poems will appear as the Sunday poem at Rattle.com, with occasional extra poems Tuesday or Thursday, which are fed to over 10,000 people via our RSS feed and daily email service. Poets will receive $100 and a complimentary subscription to the print magazine.

Poets Respond

For the Rattlecast episode on January 19th and onward, we will be changing the second half of our weekly live show to the Invited Prompt Lines. Series editor Katie Dozier will select around ten poets that submitted their prompt poems the previous week to read on this new, Invited Prompt Lines format during the second half of the Rattlecast. Katie will curate the poems with poem quality and diversity in mind.

If you would like to be considered to read on the Invited Prompt Lines, submit your prompt poem, based on the current week’s prompt, by Sunday night at midnight ET. If selected to share your poem on the show, Katie will send you a note on Submittable on Monday before the Rattlecast begins at 8pm ET. If you cannot share your poem just select “no” when you submit; checking “yes” or “no” will not influence which poem is selected at the end of the month as the winning prompt poem.

Rattlecast Prompt Poems

If you'd also like to submit artwork, please use this category and submit up to six JPGs. Most often we only use art for our covers, which are full-bleed, 9" x 6".  In order to publish a cover we will need a file with at least 300 ppi—but please submit smaller screen-res files (no larger than 1 MB each or so) for now, to keep the servers happy. 
Our upcoming themes are as follows: 
General issues & Chapbooks - no deadline or theme
Late Bloomers July 15th
Rebels November 15th
Invented Forms February 15th


 
Artwork should somehow relate to the theme. We also prefer to have covers with vibrant colors, rather than black and white. 
Artists receive $200 and a box of copies of the issue when it comes out.

Artwork - Themed or General

Our Fall 2026 issue will be dedicated to poems about the future—what it might look like, feel like, or become. Whether speculative, surreal, hopeful, or dire, we’re looking for poems that imagine what lies ahead, for the world or the self. The future can be political, ecological, technological, spiritual, or deeply personal. However you interpret the idea, we want to see how poetry can be a vehicle for foresight, fantasy, or reflection on what comes next.
Include a contributor's note about how your poem envisions the future—what inspired your approach, and how you're using poetry to stretch into what’s possible. We don’t publish essays, but always include a contributor notes section, which functions as a series of micro-essays around the theme.
You may submit up to four previously uncurated poems (or pages of short poems) at the same time, either in a single file or up to four files. Do not include your name or contact info within the file content. Do not submit more work in this category until we've replied.

Tribute to the Future

Our Spring 2027 issue will feature a Tribute to Youth Poet Laureates—celebrating the hundreds of young poets who have held the title at national, state, city, county, and local district levels. What began as a handful of programs has exploded over the last decade and a half into a vibrant nationwide network of more than 70 partner cities, states, and counties. We invite previously uncurated poems from current or former Youth Poet Laureates at any level. The poems may be any length or subject, but together they reflect how this growing cohort is writing and shaping contemporary poetry. We no longer publish essays, but always include a contributor notes section. In this case, please tell us which laureate program you served, a little about your experience, and how it affect the way you approach poetry.
Submit up to four previously uncurated poems (or four pages of very short poems) at the same time, either in a single file or up to four files. Do not include your name or contact info within the file(s) content.

Tribute to Youth Poet Laureates

Our Summer 2027 will be dedicated to travel poems—poems about leaving home for a while and experiencing somewhere else. We’re interested in vacations, road trips, flights, train rides, hotels, museums, beaches, guidebooks, wrong turns, unfamiliar meals, and the small disorientations that come with being away from your ordinary life. Travel has a way of sharpening attention, making even the most practical details feel strange or memorable. The poems may be on any subject and of any length, as long as they engage with the experience of travel. We no longer publish essays, but always include a contributor notes section, where we ask in this case for a brief note about the trip, place, or travel experience behind the poem.
Submit up to four previously uncurated poems at the same time, either in a single file or up to four files. Do not include your name or contact info within the file(s) content.

Tribute to Travel

The Rattle Chapbook Prize is an entirely separate category from the others listed at Submittable, and because of the nature of the contest, some of the rules are different. Please read the following rules very carefully.
1) The $30 entry fee is a one-year subscription to Rattle (or a one-year extension for subscribers) at our regular rate. New subscriptions will start with the next season's issue after the entry date. Current subscribers will receive a one-year extension. Due to shipping costs, international entries will receive a 3/4 subscription (three mailings) instead of the full year.
2) Three winners, judged by the editors of Rattle in an anonymized review, will receive $5,000 and 500 author copies of their chapbook, which will also be distributed to all of Rattle's 10,000+ subscribers along with issues of the magazine. At least one of the winners will be a poet who has not yet professionally published a full-length book of poetry (more than 48 pages) at the time of submission.
3) Open to writers, worldwide; poems must be written primarily in English (no translations unless your own). Individual poems may be previously published in any medium, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished as a collection. Do not include any poems that have been published in Rattle—if the chapbook includes poems that we have published, they may be added back before publication, but we cannot consider them during the anonymized review of this contest. Likewise, do not include any individual poems currently under consideration for publication at Rattle. Manuscripts may include visual art. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please withdraw the submission immediately should the manuscript be accepted elsewhere.
4) Manuscripts may be 15 - 30 pages of poetry in length, not including table of contents or acknowledgments, with any reasonable fonts or font sizes (12 pt, etc.). Don't worry about the formatting. Do not include any identifying information within the manuscript itself, or within the file-name. If any of the poems have been previously published, include an acknowledgments page. A table of contents and page numbering are optional.
5) Submit your manuscript in a SINGLE file containing all 15 - 30 pages of poetry. (File types: doc, docx, txt, rtf, pdf.) Multiple entries by a single poet are accepted, however each manuscript must be treated as a separate entry, each with an additional $30 fee. Each additional entry will add an extra year to your subscription. Contest entry fees are non-refundable and manuscripts cannot be edited after submission, so please be sure to upload your final versions of the manuscripts.
6) The winners will be announced on April 15, 2027. Unpublished individual poems from the manuscripts may also be offered standard publication in Rattle. Please remember to include an acknowledgments page so that we know which poems have already been published individually.
See the Rattle Chapbook Prize webpage for more information and a list of past winners.

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Ekphrastic Challenge

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