Reed Magazine is California’s oldest literary journal. Tracing its heritage to 1867, the journal started as a mere pamphlet published by students of the California State Normal School,

Reed Magazine is California’s oldest literary journal. Tracing its heritage to 1867, the journal started as a mere pamphlet published by students of the California State Normal School, the precursor of San José State University. In more than a century and a half of publication, the journal’s name evolved until the end of World War II. Then in 1948, we adopted The Reed, which was later shortened to just Reed, the title we have proudly held ever since.

Our name honors James Reed, a survivor of the infamous Donner Party and a prominent citizen of early California. James Reed made a fortune during the Gold Rush and strongly advocated that San José be named the capital of the new state. While he failed in that ambition, he did keep his promise to donate five hundred acres to the state. The current campus of San José State—the oldest public institution of higher education on the West Coast, and the founding institution of the California State University system—now occupies that land.

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)

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)

Community poll results. In an internet drowning in AI and advertising, your real recommendations are everything.

Where The Cool Kids Are Submitting Their Writing: Part 1

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

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.

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 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

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

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

Focuses specifically on poetry journals with established histories of Pushcart nominations.

Poetry Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Reed Magazine

Thank you for submitting your poetry to Reed Magazine.
Our taste is eclectic and celebrates the wonderful diversity of forms, styles, and levels of diction available to the contemporary poet. Writers are welcome to submit up to five (5) poems per submission. 

 Reed Magazine policies and guidelines:

  Submission cap: Please limit your submission to our free categories to two (2) per person during each open reading period. There is no limit to the paid categories.
  Use of AI: Reed Magazine honors the complexity and diversity of human creativity. Submissions that appear to be the product of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools will be declined. However, if you have a piece that interrogates the use of AI, we welcome it. Reach out if you have questions on this.
  Formal-play and genre-blending work: We love and encourage work that is both formally and generically playful. If this describes your work and you’re unsure which category to submit it to, submit to the one it more closely aligns to. You can add an explanatory note in your cover letter if the context would help us in our consideration.
  Editorial process: Reed Magazine copy editors will review submissions accepted for publication to ensure consistency with our style conventions. 
  We do not accept work that has been previously published (physically printed and distributed or digitally available to the public). We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us if your work is selected for publication elsewhere.


 Please be sure to: 

  provide a cover letter that includes your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address (but exclude this information from the works themselves)
  include a brief bio, up to 50 words
  save submissions as a Microsoft Word (.docx or .doc) or Portable Document Format (.pdf) document
  single- or double-space text, and use an easily readable 12-point typeface (such as Times New Roman)
  number pages
  submit up to five (5) poems in a single document
  check that your Submittable profile is up-to-date


      Submitters can expect to hear back from Reed Magazine by the end of December 2025.

General Poetry

Thank you for submitting your fiction to Reed Magazine. 
Writers may submit pieces of up to 5,000 words.  Aesthetically, Reed Magazine is open to most styles and approaches, including experimental and literary. All works should be stand-alone short stories, not chapters of longer works. 

 Reed Magazine policies and guidelines:

  Submission cap: Please limit your submission to our free categories to two (2) per person during each open reading period. There is no limit to the paid categories.
  Use of AI: Reed Magazine honors the complexity and diversity of human creativity. Submissions that appear to be the product of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools will be declined. However, if you have a piece that interrogates the use of AI, we welcome it. Reach out if you have questions on this.
  Formal-play and genre-blending work: We love and encourage work that is both formally and generically playful. If this describes your work and you’re unsure which category to submit it to, submit to the one it more closely aligns to. You can add an explanatory note in your cover letter if the context would help us in our consideration. 
  Editorial process: Reed Magazine copy editors will review submissions accepted for publication to ensure consistency with our style conventions.
  We do not accept work that has been previously published (physically printed and distributed or digitally available to the public). We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us if your work is selected for publication elsewhere.


 Please be sure to:  

  provide a cover letter that includes your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address (but exclude this information from the works themselves)
  include a brief bio, up to 50 words
  save submissions as a Microsoft Word (.docx or .doc) or Portable Document Format (.pdf) document
  double-space text, and use an easily readable 12-point typeface (such as Times New Roman)
  number pages
  include word count (5,000-word limit)
  check that your Submittable profile is up-to-date


         Submitters can expect to hear back from Reed Magazine by the end of December 2025.

General Fiction

Thank you for submitting your nonfiction to Reed Magazine. 
Reed Magazine seeks creative nonfiction, such as personal essays and narratives, not scholarly papers or book reviews. All works should be stand-alone essays, not chapters of longer works. Writers may submit pieces of up to 5,000 words. 

 Reed Magazine policies and guidelines:

  Submission cap: Please limit your submission to our free categories to two (2) per person during each open reading period. There is no limit to the paid categories.
  Use of AI: Reed Magazine honors the complexity and diversity of human creativity. Submissions that appear to be the product of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools will be declined. However, if you have a piece that interrogates the use of AI, we welcome it. Reach out if you have questions on this.
  Formal-play and genre-blending work: We love and encourage work that is both formally and generically playful. If this describes your work and you’re unsure which category to submit it to, submit to the one it more closely aligns to. You can add an explanatory note in your cover letter if the context would help us in our consideration.
  Editorial process: Reed Magazine copy editors will review submissions accepted for publication to ensure consistency with our style conventions. 
  We do not accept work that has been previously published (physically printed and distributed or digitally available to the public). We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us if your work is selected for publication elsewhere.


  Please be sure to: 

  provide a cover letter that includes your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address (but exclude this information from the works themselves)
  include a brief bio, up to 50 words
  save submissions as a Microsoft Word (.docx or .doc) or Portable Document Format (.pdf) document
  double-space text, and use an easily readable 12-point typeface (such as Times New Roman)
  number pages
  include word count (5,000-word limit)
  check that your Submittable profile is up-to-date


     Submitters can expect to hear back from Reed Magazine by the end of December 2025.

General Nonfiction —no fee required

With an award of $1,000 for the winning poem, the Edwin Markham Prize honors outstanding works of poetry. Our taste is eclectic and celebrates the wonderful diversity of forms, styles, and levels of diction available to the contemporary poet. Writers may submit up to five (5) poems per submission. 
About the Judge
Claudia Rankine is the author of five books of poetry, including Citizen: An American Lyric and Don’t Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric; three plays including HELP, which premiered in March 2020 (The Shed, NYC), and The White Card, which premiered in February 2018 (ArtsEmerson/ American Repertory Theater) and was published by Graywolf Press in 2019; as well as numerous video collaborations. Her recent collection of essays, Just Us: An American Conversation, was published by Graywolf Press in 2020. She is also the co-editor of several anthologies including The Racial Imaginary: Writers on Race in the Life of the Mind. 

 Reed Magazine policies and guidelines:

  Submission cap: Please limit your submission to our free categories to two (2) per person during each open reading period. There is no limit to the paid categories.
  Use of AI: Reed Magazine honors the complexity and diversity of human creativity. Submissions that appear to be the product of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools will be declined. However, if you have a piece that interrogates the use of AI, we welcome it. Reach out if you have questions on this.
  Formal-play and genre-blending work: We love and encourage work that is both formally and generically playful. If this describes your work and you’re unsure which category to submit it to, submit to the one it more closely aligns to. You can add an explanatory note in your cover letter if the context would help us in our consideration.
  Editorial process: Reed Magazine copy editors will review submissions accepted for publication to ensure consistency with our style conventions.
  We do not accept work that has been previously published (physically printed and distributed or digitally available to the public). We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us if your work is selected for publication elsewhere.


 Please be sure to: 

  provide a cover letter that includes your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address (but exclude this information from the works themselves)
  include a brief bio, up to 50 words
  save submissions as a Microsoft Word (.docx or .doc) or Portable Document Format (.pdf) document
  single- or double-space text, and use an easily readable 12-point typeface (such as Times New Roman)
  number pages
  submit up to five (5) poems in a single document
  check that your Submittable profile is up-to-date 


        The contest reading fee is $20, which includes a free copy of the latest edition of Reed Magazine. (Submitters with US addresses on file will receive print copies of the journal, whereas those with international addresses may receive digital copies.) Multiple submissions are accepted as separate entries. Contest submissions not selected for final judging may still be considered for publication in the journal and/or online. 
Edwin Markham Prize for Poetry submitters can expect to hear back from Reed Magazine by the end of December 2025.

Edwin Markham Prize for Poetry

Thank you for submitting your art to Reed Magazine.
Reed Magazine seeks artwork that reverberates beyond the page, with imagery that lingers in the minds and challenges viewers to think. Our pages are open to a variety of media and styles. Artists may submit up to five (5) pieces of studio art, including photography, per submission.
 
Reed Magazine policies and guidelines:

  Submission cap: Please limit your submission to our free categories to two (2) per person during each open reading period. There is no limit to the paid categories.
  Use of AI: Reed Magazine honors the complexity and diversity of human creativity. Submissions that appear to be the product of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools will be declined. However, if you have a piece that interrogates the use of AI, we welcome it. Reach out if you have questions on this.
  Formal-play and genre-blending work: We love and encourage work that is both formally and generically playful. If this describes your work and you’re unsure which category to submit it to, submit to the one it more closely aligns to. You can add an explanatory note in your cover letter if the context would help us in our consideration.
  Editorial process: Reed Magazine copy editors will review submissions accepted for publication to ensure consistency with our style conventions. 
  We do not accept work that has been previously published (physically printed and distributed or digitally available to the public). We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us if your work is selected for publication elsewhere.


 Please be sure to:  

  provide a cover letter that includes your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address (but exclude this information from the works themselves)
  include a brief bio, up to 50 words
  include available art credits: title, medium, dimensions, year 
  render submissions in an easily accessible format, such as .jpg
  size submissions to at least 300 dpi 
  check that your Submittable profile is up-to-date


      General Art submissions may be considered for the cover. Submitters can expect to hear back from Reed Magazine by the end of December 2025.

General Art —no fee required

Reed Magazine seeks to celebrate the young voices of the San Francisco South Bay region. Submit your original fiction, nonfiction, poetry, visual art, photography, and scholarly works to share your creativity with readers of California's oldest literary journal.
This contest is for high school students of Santa Clara County, California, ONLY.
Reed Magazine policies and guidelines:
Please be sure to:
All submissions
Fiction and nonfiction
Poetry
Visual art and photography
Winner receives a monetary prize, as well as publication in and a free copy of the latest issue of Reed Magazine. Up to two (2) multiple submissions are accepted as separate entries. Contest submissions not selected for final judging may still be considered for publication in the journal and/or online.
Emerging Voices Contest submitters can expect to hear back from Reed Magazine by the end of January 2027.

Emerging Voices Contest (Santa Clara, CA High School Students Only) — Fiction

Emerging Voices Contest (Santa Clara, CA High School Students Only) — Nonfiction

Emerging Voices Contest (Santa Clara, CA High School Students Only) — Multimedia

Awarding one of the richest purses among literary magazines—$1,000 for the winning story—the John Steinbeck Award recognizes exceptional works of fiction.  Aesthetically, we are open to most styles and approaches, including experimental and literary. All works should be stand-alone short stories, not chapters of a longer work. Please limit submissions to 5,000 words.
Reed Magazine policies and guidelines:
Please be sure to:
The contest reading fee is $25, which--for submissions received in the month of MAY ONLY-- includes a free copy of the latest edition of Reed Magazine. (Submitters with US addresses on file will receive print copies of the journal, whereas those with international addresses may receive digital copies.) Multiple submissions are accepted as separate entries. Contest submissions not selected for final judging may still be considered for publication in the journal and/or online.
John Steinbeck Award for Fiction submitters can expect to hear back from Reed Magazine by the end of December 2026.

John Steinbeck Award for Fiction

The Mary Blair Award for Art honors exceptional artists’ work across various media. With a prize of $1,000, this award is constantly seeking new and fresh artist perspectives to create a dialogue with our audience. Works can be stand-alone pieces or part of a larger series. Artists may submit up to five (5) pieces of studio art, including photography, per submission.
Reed Magazine policies and guidelines:
Please be sure to:
The contest submission fee is $25, which--for submissions received in the month of MAY ONLY--includes a free copy of the latest edition of Reed Magazine. (Submitters with US addresses on file will receive print copies of the journal, whereas those with international addresses may receive digital copies.) Multiple submissions are accepted as separate entries. The winner of the Mary Blair Award may have a portfolio of their work featured in the journal and/or online (as space permits). Contest submissions not selected for final judging may still be considered for publication in the journal and/or online. Submitted pieces may be considered for the cover.
Mary Blair Award for Art submitters can expect to hear back from Reed Magazine by the end of December 2026.

Mary Blair Award for Art

The Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction recognizes outstanding works of nonfiction, awarding $1,333 to the author of the winning entry.  We are looking for creative  nonfiction, such as personal essays and narratives, not scholarly papers or book reviews. All works should be stand-alone essays, not chapters of a longer work. Please limit prose submissions to 5,000 words.
About the Judge
Suzanne Rico is an award winning print, podcast, and television journalist whose morning news broadcast won three Emmys in the prestigious Best Newscast and Breaking News categories. She has covered national and international stories for three television networks. Her writing has been featured in The Atlantic, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, Outside Magazine and many others.She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two sons, and dog named Blueberry.
Reed Magazine policies and guidelines:
Please be sure to:
The contest reading fee is $25, which--for submissions received in the month of MAY ONLY-- includes a free copy of the latest edition of Reed Magazine. (Submitters with US addresses on file will receive print copies of the journal, whereas those with international addresses may receive digital copies.) Multiple submissions are accepted as separate entries. Contest submissions not selected for final judging may still be considered for publication in the journal and/or online.
Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction submitters can expect to hear back from Reed Magazine by the end of December 2026.

Reed Magazine

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Edwin Markham Prize for Poetry

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