Great Editor(s) - Best Lit Mags of 2025

Best Flash Fiction Lit Mags of 2024

25 Best Lit Mags of 2023 - Chill Subs Community Favorites

We are dedicated to bringing the best flash narratives to the web quarterly, whether written by widely published authors or those new to the craft. We pay $100 or $150 with audio. 

The term “smoke-long” comes anecdotally from the Chinese, who noted that reading a piece of flash takes about the same length of time as smoking a cigarette. SmokeLong Quarterly does not encourage smoking.

We run two competitions each year: 

The SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction. Grand Prize $2500
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest. Grand Prize $1000 

Beginning May 16, 2025 we have migrated to a submission reading schedule in which we'll have a free-submission period and a paid-submission period. SmokeLong will always offer a free-submission period. Refer to our submission schedule here and at smokelong.com for details. 


Prestigious publications that strengthen your literary credentials, signaling serious accomplishment and catching attention from editors and agents. Check out the full list here (with 40 more mags!) at: https://www.chillsubs.com/lists/impressive-bylines-bio

10 Impressive Bylines for Your Literary Bio

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

The most trending literary magazines based on tracked submissions in the last 24 hours.

Chill & Trending Lit Mags Today

Out of 7,067 votes, these lit mags came out on top in 2025 as having the best lit mags editors around.

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

Impressive Bylines for Your Literary Bio

Your life flashing before your eyes in brief glimpses. These magazines want short-short memoir—snapshots, fragments, and compressed life stories.

Lit Mags That Want Short & Sweet Memoir

Publications with stories in this respected annual flash fiction showcase. Perhaps the most prestigious flash-specific recognition.

Lit Mags in Wigleaf's Top 50

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

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

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

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

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.

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 2025

FISH List of Lively Indie Literary Magazines 2026

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

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 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

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

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

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

Uncover the most competitive literary magazines this year. These are the publications where getting published is a significant achievement for any writer.

Most Competitive Literary 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

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

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

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

SmokeLong Quarterly

The editors are lovely. The responses are quick. And I never feel bad getting rejected because hey, it's SmokeLong Quarterly. It's where everyone wants to be.

The Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) will offer one full fellowship given to a trans writer for a week-long farmhouse residency thanks to a generous gift from SmokeLong Quarterly. This fellowship also includes six months of SmokeLong Fitness, the community workshop of SmokeLong Quarterly, to be taken whenever the fellow has the time.<div><br></div><div>Our short-term residency bedroom is 130 sq. ft. with queen-size platform bed, closet, small dresser, and desk. The window faces the front of the house with a view of the butterfly bush in the yard. The room is painted a warm grey with original photography and art from regional artists.</div>

SmokeLong Quarterly Fellowship for Trans Writer

Infos: SmokeLong Quarterly veröffentlicht Kurzgeschichten bis zu 1000 Wörter. Für den Global Flash Feature haben wir dies auf 600 Wörter beschränkt. Bitte senden Sie uns EINE noch nicht veröffentlichte Geschichte und warten Sie auf unsere Rückmeldung. Eine kurze Beschreibung über sich selbst könnten Sie zum Deckbrief beifügen, bitte aber KEINE persönliche Informationen im Story Dokument einfügen, da die Auswahl der Geschichte vom Gastleser anonym erfolgt.Elektronische Rechte: Falls wir Ihre Arbeit veröffentlichen, fordern wir exklusive elektronische Rechte für drei Monate und weiterhin das unbefristete nicht-exklusive Recht die Geschichte in unseres Archiv aufzunehmen. Druckrecht: Wir fordern nicht-exklusive Rechte für potentielle jährliche Sammlungen und Werbematerial. Alle weitere Rechte bleiben Ihnen vorbehalten.

Global Flash Series -- German/deutsch

Word Count: 250 words or fewer for each micro (excluding the title). Put both/all micros in the same document. For the SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest, we consider previously published and unpublished fiction, CNF, narrative poetry. 

SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest

SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction

For original cover art that has not appeared elsewhere, SmokeLong pays $200. Please use this form to submit up to five works of art, keeping in mind our cover dimensions and general feel (see archived issues HERE).
Please include a third-person bio. Starting in 2025, we will also be doing a quarterly "Artist Spotlight" interview if the cover artist is in agreement. 
Please also indicate if you'd like to your work to be considered to accompany individual stories (unpaid). 
Submission deadlines for each issue: 

 
March Issue: February 15
June Issue: May 15
September Issue: August 15
December Issue: November 15

 
We look forward to your viewing your work. 
Christopher Allen and the SmokeLong Team

Artwork -- Cover Art

SmokeLong publishes essays on the subject of flash fiction on our blog. Essays will be considered for the Flash in the Classroom, Why Flash Fiction? and Flash, Back series, but we also consider craft essays and flash fiction collection Reviews. 
The Why Flash Fiction? series explores what draws flash fiction writers and editors to the form. Send us your essays about the first time you wrote a piece of flash, why flash resonates with you, your favorite piece by another writer, your experience writing a particular published flash piece, or any other topic that broadly answers the question "Why do you write flash?" We normally do not publish Why Flash Fiction essays that exceed 2000 words. Read our past essays on flash (which can be found on the blog!) to get a better idea of what we’re looking for.
Our Flash, Back series asks writers to discuss flash fiction that may be obscure or printed before the term “flash fiction”  became popular, and tell us how these older or not-widely-known works are meaningful. 
The Flash in the Classroom series invites creative writing instructors to discuss how they use flash fiction in their classrooms with the aim of inspiring other creative writing instructors around the world. We pay $25 for accepted Flash in the Classroom essays. 
Please submit a completed draft for consideration.
Book Reviews
SmokeLong is interested in reviewing flash fiction collections from emerging writers, famous authors, independent presses, big publishing houses, and everything in between. Authors and publicists are welcome to submit queries and/or books for consideration through our Submittable portal. If you are a reviewer, please submit a completed review or query letter detailing your interests and qualifications as a flash fiction reviewer. Please note that we are a flash journal and that the reviews and interviews we publish should also be 1000 words or fewer. 
Please note there is no monetary payment at this time for blog content unless otherwise stated above.

Reviews and Craft Essay submissions--SmokeLong Blog

Have you participated in a SmokeLong workshop or attended a SmokeLong webinar? Have you subsequently published a narrative--or even more--born in one of these SmokeLong workshops/webinars? Then we'd love to hear from you. You might just win some money. 
Guidelines: 

  Your narrative or narratives–fiction, nonfiction or anywhere in between–must have begun in a SmokeLong workshop (from 2019 to the present) and must be published by December 31, 2026. You’ll be required to indicate the workshop, the workshop leader, and the writing task when you submit. Please also let us know where the piece was published. Please enter your work in this competition only AFTER the piece has been published. 
  Your narrative must be 1000 words or fewer.
  You must be 18 years of age or older.
  You may enter all narratives that qualify, but you must enter each separately as an acceptable file on Submittable.
  Due to the nature of this competition, we won’t be able to assure that entries are blind. Your work might have already won a prize, for example. With this in mind, however, we do ask that you remove your name from the story document itself.
  SmokeLong staff and current fellows are not eligible. Once a member of staff or fellow is no longer working with SmokeLong, they are eligible.  
  Annual Deadline: December 31st, midnight ET.



 
The Prizes:
First Prize: $500
Second Place: $100
Third Place: $50


 
Entry Fee: 
There is no entry fee for this competition. This one's on us.

The SmokeLong Workshop Prize

Global Flash Series -- German/deutsch (copy)

SmokeLong publishes flash narratives—fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid (somewhere between fiction, nonfiction, and narratives that lean poetic)—up to 1000 words. This word limit is firm.
Please use this form to send ONE previously unpublished narrative at a time and wait until you hear from us before sending another. We consider multiple submissions through the paid multiple submissions form. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please consider that we usually reply within four weeks during unpaid submissions windows, within one week during paid submissions windows, and within three days to submissions accompanied by a tip-jar donation regardless of when the piece is submitted. That's not long to wait for a reply. If a piece included in a multiple submission or a submission accompanied by a tip-jar donation is sent to the senior editors for comments, we'll do our best to let you know this within three days. The editors' discussion will take a bit longer.
Include a print-ready, third-person bio and the word count of your submission as your cover letter. There is no need to include a personal note in your cover letter. We will not see it. Our submissions editors have no access to the cover letter.
Please do not include your name or other identifying information anywhere on the story document, in the filename, or in the Submittable title. Your name and bio should appear ONLY in the cover letter on Submittable, which is hidden in our anonymous editing process. We believe that the unpublished, unknown writer should have equal footing with the established writer. If you need to let us know that a narrative is fiction, nonfiction or hybrid (narrative poetry), please put this information directly at the top of the story document. As a final step in our editorial process, two editors check for plagiarism, the use of AI, and own voices concerns.
We are a scrappy bunch with lots of reading experience under our belts, but if you are submitting a narrative to us that includes (sexual) violence, we would appreciate a content warning at the top of your submission.
We pay $100 per narrative or $150 per story with audio upon publication in the quarterly issue. Payment will be issued via PayPal or Zelle, and the writer may be responsible for any associated fees if applicable.
Online Rights: If we publish your work, we require exclusive electronic rights to it for 3 months and non-exclusive rights indefinitely so we can include it in our online archives.
Print Rights: We require non-exclusive print rights, for potential anthologies and promotional materials. All other rights remain yours.
You Might Want to Know Before Submitting:
As with any literary journal, the best way to understand what we're looking for is to read the journal. We have thousands of stories archived on our site. Why not spend a couple of hours browsing the quarterly issues from the last 23 years? The SmokeLong aesthetic remains an ever-changing set of principles, but it most likely has to do with these kinds of things:
* language that surprises and excites,
* narratives that strive toward something other than a final punch line or twist,
* pieces that are emotionally resonant,
* honest work that feels as if it has far more purpose than a writer wanting to write a clever story.
We publish spring, summer, fall and winter quarterly issues, featuring each story with an interview in the subsequent weeks. We gladly consider simultaneous submissions, but please consider where you'd like your work to appear before you send it to 10 journals. We work hard to respond within four weeks for unpaid submissions and one week for paid submissions, within three days for multiple submissions and submissions accompanied by a tip-jar donation. Please inform us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere for publication.
Finally, if you appreciate what SmokeLong does to further the art and community of flash, please consider making a donation through the tip-jar feature, either here on Submittable or on the site itself. Although we don't charge our readers to subscribe and we always have free-submissions windows, we are a paying market ($100 per narrative/$150 with audio). A tip-jar donation is a much appreciated thumbs-up, and we are so grateful for your generosity. We try to process tip-jar submissions as quickly as possible (usually within three days, but of course we'll need longer if we're considering the work for publication). Our decision regarding your submission is, however, in no way influenced by whether or not you donate.
We also offer general feedback from three of our senior editors for $30 or detailed feedback from one senior editor for $48. If you're interested in receiving feedback on your work, please have a look at these options in Submittable. Check out our shop for our current workshops.
We look forward to your words. Before you hit SEND, please make sure your name is removed from the story and that your word count is 1000 or fewer.
Christopher Allen

SmokeLong Quarterly

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SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest

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