Beautiful Design - Best Lit Mags of 2025

Strange Hymnal is a literary magazine of mystery, ritual, and obsession. 

Strange Hymnal is a literary magazine of mystery, ritual, and obsession. A biome of writing and art that worships the strange and unusual. An investigation of liminal spaces, the ineffable, the profane, the god that lives inside the car wash. A made religion, consumed by possibility, the duality of self, the tension between fear and curiosity, the seen and unseen. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. 

We’re especially interested in seeing work from BIPOC writers and artists, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, neurodiverse and disabled creators, folks from rural places, makers both emerging and late-career, and folks who make hard-to-categorize art: poems in a series, hybrid writing, mixed-media art, art with digital elements, so on and on.

Every year, we try to highlight some up-and-coming lit mags that were founded in the past year. The lit mag world is ever-changing, and the scene is always shifting to include more and more amazing, diverse publications. For 2025, these are the 20 new magazines (not that it was easy to decide!) we think everyone should keep an eye on.

20 Lit Mags Founded in 2025 That We Think Will Be the Next Big Thing

Out of 2,916 votes, these lit mags came out on top in 2025 as the best lit mags for stunning visuals.

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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 all-time most competitive speculative fiction literary magazines. These magazines are revered in the fiction world for their editorial rigor.

Most Competitive Speculative Fiction 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

Check out the all-time most popular speculative fiction literary magazines. These publications have a long-standing reputation for quality speculative fiction.

Most Popular Speculative Fiction 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

Strange Hymnal

Email us at editor (at) strangehymnal (dot) com. Submit up to 5 pieces as a Word doc or PDF. 5,000-word limit. We accept art, poetry, essays, short stories, translations of the dead. 


We like: 
Unreliable narrators
Irreverence
Gray ideas of reality
Nonhuman entanglements
Subversive formal poetry
Narrative poetry
Mystery + the inaccessible 
The awareness of people as characters
Essays that ask more than they answer
Things made for the joy of making
The place where language falls away

Submit Fiction to Strange Hymnal

Email us at editor (at) strangehymnal (dot) com. Submit up to 5 pieces as a Word doc or PDF. 5,000-word limit. We accept art, poetry, essays, short stories, translations of the dead. 


We like: 
Unreliable narrators
Irreverence
Gray ideas of reality
Nonhuman entanglements
Subversive formal poetry
Narrative poetry
Mystery + the inaccessible 
The awareness of people as characters
Essays that ask more than they answer
Things made for the joy of making
The place where language falls away<br>

Submit Poetry to Strange Hymnal

Submit Creative Nonfiction to Strange Hymnal

Submit Hybrid Work to Strange Hymnal

Email us at editor (at) strangehymnal (dot) com. Submit up to 5 pieces as a Word doc or PDF. 5,000-word limit. We accept art, poetry, essays, short stories, translations of the dead. <div><br></div><div><br></div><div>We like: </div><div>Unreliable narrators</div><div>Irreverence</div><div>Gray ideas of reality</div><div>Nonhuman entanglements</div><div>Subversive formal poetry</div><div>Narrative poetry</div><div>Mystery + the inaccessible </div><div>The awareness of people as characters</div><div>Essays that ask more than they answer</div><div>Things made for the joy of making</div><div>The place where language falls away</div>

Strange Hymnal

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