The Good Life Review, Inc

Best Nonfiction Lit Mags of 2024

An online literary journal committed to exploring the overlooked. We strive to provide a beautiful and equitable platform for writers and artists to showcase and share their poetry, prose, and artwork.  

The Good Life Review is an independent, nonprofit literary journal co-founded by Shyla Shehan and a cohort of graduates of the MFA in Writing program at the University of Nebraska.

In the spring of 2020, our group of writers, editors, and designers came together to craft a space intended to shine a light on the diversity in the Midwest (and beyond!). 

Now 40+ members strong, the central focus of our mission remains rooted in a desire to foster a positive and inclusive literary community and help writers connect with a wider audience. 

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

Top-tier magazines that specifically welcome first-time writers. No fancy bio required—these editors focus on the quality of your work, not your credentials.

Classy AF Lit Mags That Love & Support Emerging Writers

These high-quality poetry magazines nominate for Pushcart and pay. For real!

Top-Tier Pushcart-Nominating Poetry Mags (That Pay)

Created by the editors of ONLY POEMS and endorsed by Chill Subs. Hidden gems in the poetry world that are worth your attention.

Underrated Poetry Mags We Love to Read

Those really cool poems and short stories you squirrel away in your Google Drive? Send them to these magazines that appreciate distinctive voices.

Where to Send Your Sexy, Weird, Tragically Relatable Writing

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.

Digital publications advancing very short fiction for Best of the Net consideration.

Flash Fiction Magazines That Nominate for Best of the Net

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

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

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

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

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

The Good Life Review

Does your original photography or artwork tell a story? We are currently looking for pieces to feature in our next seasonal issue. There are no specific guidelines, and the only requirement is that the work must be original and not created with help from AI. We hate AI. 

We are a 501C3 nonprofit organization and pay a $25 honorarium for pieces selected for the cover of our seasonal issue. We appreciate the love that goes into every piece and hope that we can pay all artists for their efforts in the future. 

* Also of note * We currently don't require first rights or file contracts for images and therefore, by submitting, you acknowledge and authorize publication if accepted. The only exception to this is if you explicitly withdraw the entire submission or send a note/email letting us know the piece or pieces that you want removed from consideration.

We will respond to all submitted artwork; however, pieces we have a particular interest in may remain "in process" for the duration of a calendar year. We aim to select pieces that visually complement the writing accepted for our seasonal issues, and therefore, we don't know what might make a good match until the writing is selected. Thank you in advance for your patience.

2026 Open Call for Artwork

The Good Life Review Poetry Prize. The payout is $1000 collectively ($500 for first place, and $60 for other finalists). The winner will be published in the Summer issue along with all finalists.


HoneyBee Prize in Poetry

Work submitted here will be considered for our Micro Monday feature -- a twice-monthly release of micro pieces that appear onThe Buzz and our home page. These pieces are also sent to our subscribers, shared on social media, and sometimes promoted on our Substack. Payment for a spot in Micro Monday is $25 per published piece. 
Genre guidelines are as follows...

  Send one piece per submission.
  We consider original, previously unpublished stories and essays up to 400 words (if it’s a little more, we will keep reading, but the story has to earn it). Please select the correct category on the form so the submission can be routed to the correct editorial team. 
  Submissions should be typed, double-spaced, and paginated with one-inch margins and a 12-point serif font, preferably Times New Roman in Word or PDF format. 
  If there are content warnings, please include those in the submitted document preceding the piece. 
  We prefer to read blind, so please remove your name from the submitted document.

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We also support Spanish translations, provided the rights to translate have been previously acquired. Be sure and check the box for translation on the form. 
A comprehensive set of guidelines can be found on the submission page of our website.
We will respond to work submitted here within 3 months. Thank you in advance for your patience.

2026 Open Call for Micro Fiction

2026 Open Call for Micro Creative Nonfiction

Work submitted here will be considered for our Micro Monday feature – a twice-monthly release of micro pieces that appear on The Buzz and our home page. Check out the latest releases here.
These pieces are also sent to our subscribers, shared on social media, and sometimes promoted on our Substack. Payment for a spot in Micro Monday is $25 per published piece.
Genre guidelines are as follows...
Send one piece per submission.
We consider original, previously unpublished stories and essays up to 400 words or one brief poem, no more than 40 lines.
Prose should be typed, double-spaced, and paginated with one-inch margins and a 12-point serif font, preferably Times New Roman in Word or PDF format. Poetry can be formatted as desired, and we will do our best to represent the work as such if accepted.
If there are content warnings, please include those in the submitted document preceding the piece.
We prefer to read blind, so please remove your name from the submitted document.
-------------------------
We support Spanish translations, provided the rights to translate have been previously acquired. Be sure to check the box for translation on the form.
A comprehensive set of guidelines can be found on the submission page of our website.
We will respond to work submitted here within 3 months. Thank you in advance for your patience.

2026 Open Call for Micro Poetry

Work submitted here will be considered for our Autumn 2026 issue (online). 
Payment for poetry is $60 per published piece, $75 for two poems.
Guidelines are as follows...
-Original, previously unpublished poems only.
-There is no length limit on individual poems, but please send no more than 5 poems per submission and no more than 10 pages in total.
-If there are content warnings, please include those in the submitted document preceding the piece. 
-Poems should be typed with at least one-inch margins and a 12-point serif font, preferably Times New Roman in Word or PDF format. We do our best to format poems to the exact specification desired, but those with long lines may wrap unconditionally when rendered on some tablets and mobile phones.
-We prefer to read blind, so please remove your name from the submitted document.
------------------------- 
We also support Spanish translations, provided the rights to translate have been acquired in advance. 
Multiple submissions are allowed, but the fee will apply to each. 
A comprehensive set of guidelines can be found on the submission page of our website.
We will respond to work submitted within 4 months. Thank you in advance for your patience.

Poetry

Work submitted here will be considered for our Autumn 2026 issue (online).
Payment for prose is $60 per published piece. Payment for poetry is $60 per poem, $75 for two.
This submission portal is for short fiction, short creative nonfiction, and poetry. For flash pieces (prose 400-1000 words), please use the submission portal "Flash Fiction and Creative Nonfiction."  For micro pieces (prose under 400 words), please use the submission portal "Open Call for Micro." Thanks!
General Guidelines...
For fiction and creative nonfiction...
For poetry...
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We also support Spanish translations, provided the rights to translate have been acquired in advance.
Multiple submissions are allowed, but the fee will apply to each.
A comprehensive set of guidelines is available on the submission page of our website.
We will respond to work submitted here within 2-3 months. Thank you in advance for your patience.

Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, & Poetry - Fiction

Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, & Poetry - Nonfiction

Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, & Poetry

Work submitted here will be considered for our Autumn 2026 issue (online).
Payment for work published in our seasonal issue is $60 per published piece.
This submission portal is for flash fiction and flash creative nonfiction. For longer prose pieces (1000 - 5000 words) or poetry, please use the submission portal "Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, & Poetry."  For micro pieces (prose under 400 words or a single poem, 1 page max), please use the submission portal "Open Call for Micro." Thanks!
Guidelines...
-------------------------
We also support Spanish translations, provided the rights to translate have been previously acquired.
A comprehensive set of guidelines can be found on the submission page of our website.
We will respond to work submitted here within 3 months. Thank you in advance for your patience.

Flash Fiction & Creative Nonfiction - Fiction

Flash Fiction & Creative Nonfiction - Nonfiction

Work submitted here will be considered for our Winter 2027 issue (online).
Payment for prose is $60 per published piece.
This submission portal is for short fiction & short creative nonfiction. For flash pieces (prose 400-1000 words), please use the submission portal "Flash Fiction and Creative Nonfiction" or "Poetry" for poetry. For micro pieces (prose under 400 words), please use the submission portal "Open Call for Micro." Thanks!
General Guidelines...
Original, previously unpublished work only.
If there are content warnings, please include those in the submitted document preceding the piece.
We prefer to read blind, so please remove your name from the submitted document.
For fiction and creative nonfiction...
One piece per submission, between 1000 and 5000 words. Please select the correct category on the form so the submission can be routed to the correct editorial team.
Submissions should be typed, double-spaced, and paginated with one-inch margins and a 12-point serif font, preferably Times New Roman in Word or PDF format.
-------------------------
We also support Spanish translations, provided the rights to translate have been acquired in advance.
Multiple submissions are allowed, but the fee will apply to each.
A comprehensive set of guidelines is available on the submission page of our website.
We will respond to work submitted here within 2-3 months. Thank you in advance for your patience.

Short Fiction and CNF - Fiction

Short Fiction and CNF - Nonfiction

For poetry: Up to ten poems will be selected as finalists by our current editorial team.
For fiction: Up to five stories will be selected as finalists by our current editorial team.
All finalists will be sent to our guest judge, who will select the winners. The judge for 2027 is TBD.
The contest fee is $18. Results will be announced in June, with Publication in July.
Submission guidelines are the same as our regular publication guidelines. Key details are as follows:
Original, previously unpublished poems and stories only.
For poetry, please send no more than 5 poems per submission and no more than 10 pages in total.
For fiction, one story per submission, 5000 words max.
Pieces should be typed with at least one-inch margins and a 12-point serif font, preferably Times New Roman in Word or PDF format. Prose should be double-spaced. Poems should be formatted as the author desires, recognizing that long lines may wrap when rendered on a tablet or phone.
We prefer to read blind, so please remove your name from the submitted document.
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For a comprehensive set of guidelines, please visit our general submission page.
Multiple submissions are permitted, but the fee will be required for each.
We will respond to all submitted work; however, it may take up to eight months, depending on when the poems are submitted within the contest period. Thank you in advance for your patience.

The Good Life Review

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2026 Open Call for Artwork

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