An online journal featuring nonfiction, fiction, poetry, criticism, journalism, author interviews, and multi-media texts. The bi-annual print magazine finished in spring 2019, ending its 11-year run.

We are nestled happily into California State University, Fresno like a comfy spore in a benign and mighty lung.

The Normal School is currently 100% staffed by graduate students of Fresno State’s Master of Fine Arts program, one of the most diverse creative writing programs in the country; and while we’re immensely proud of the magazine, we know there’s always more work to do. 

Thank you for reading and supporting our efforts.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to publish work that challenges the norm while highlighting work from Black and Indigenous writers, writers of color, writers with disabilities, writers from LGBTQIA+ communities, and voices that have been historically under-represented and minoritized in the publishing world. 

Not just words. These magazines publish paintings, comics, illustrations, and other visual art alongside or instead of traditional text-based work.

Magazines That Publish Comics, Art, or Other Visual Works

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 nonfiction in BAE, the premier American essay anthology. These journals consistently publish thought-provoking, beautifully crafted nonfiction defining contemporary essay excellence.

Lit Mags Featured in Best American Essay 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

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

A comprehensive guide to journals that regularly nominate work for the Pushcart Prize.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

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 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

Highlights publications that regularly put forward essays, memoirs, and other creative nonfiction for Pushcart consideration.

Nonfiction Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

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

Poetry Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

The Normal School

Submission Guidelines for Fiction: 5000 words maximum. Double-spaced, 12-point (readable) font, with name, address, and email on the submission. Format the document as .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .rtf. Please include a brief cover letter, and remind us if we know you.
We are looking for stories that experiment with form, genre, voice, character, and beyond; stories that engage with and push beyond the boundaries of convention. Send us your stories that are strange, surreal, and sincere, stories that are driven by the unexpected and meaningful. We are particularly excited to read stories by historically marginalized writers. Read a few of our most recently published stories to get an idea of what we’re passionate about.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but let us know immediately if the piece is accepted elsewhere. We only consider unpublished work.

TNS Submission Form - FICTION

General call

Photo Essay

Submission Guidelines for Poetry: Limit 5 poems per submission. Single-spaced, 12-point (readable) font, with name, address, and email on the submission. Format the document as .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .rtf. Please include a brief cover letter, and remind us if we know you.
Send us your weird, your strange, your hybrids, your rough edged, thorned, and deadly. We want the poetry that captures, transports, conjures, imagines, materializes you on a page. We consider poetry of any form, style, or focus. Stretch out language(s), blend them, if your work is bilingual/trilingual/a polyglot, send us the magic. The poems that don’t seem to fit, that the mold can’t seem to hold, we want them to find a home here. Black and Indigenous people, and people of color; LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, and other voices that have been historically under-represented and marginalized, help us redefine normal.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but let us know immediately if the piece is accepted elsewhere. Please notify us of withdrawals by sending us a note through submittable. We consider only previously unpublished work.
IF your work is inspired by or borrows heavily from the work of other poets/writers/artists, please tell us about this in your cover letter.

TNS Submission Form - POETRY

The Normal School seeks original fine art, digital art, and photography to feature in our online magazine. Our goal is to celebrate visual artists and provide a space for them to get some exposure. We especially encourage submissions from Black and Indigenous artists, artists of color, artists with disabilities, artists from LGBTQIA+ communities, and voices that have been historically under-represented and minoritized in the art world.
Please limit the number of submissions to 3 maximum
Formatting: 
- images should be “landscape” only
- image width should be between 1500 and 2500 pixels
- File sizes should be limited to 20 MB (but 1.5 MB or less
will have the best quality)
- Please make sure the file type for images is .jpg, .gif,
or .png only 
- There is a 120 megapixel (MP) limit on resolution 
- Lastly, please note that images posted on the Normal School magazine are downloadable. We cannot provide a watermark to protect against this, but we’re happy to use one provided by the artist.

TNS Submission Form - ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY

We seek submissions that use more than one medium to tell a story. This includes but is not limited to comics, graphic fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, photo and video essays, spoken word pieces, and audio prose and poetry. We especially encourage submissions from Black and Indigenous writers, writers of color, writers with disabilities, writers from LGBTQIA+ communities, and voices that have been historically under-represented and minoritized in the publishing world.

Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but let us know immediately if the piece is accepted elsewhere. We do not accept previously published or displayed multi-media work.



TNS Submission Form - MULTIMEDIA

Submission Guidelines for Nonfiction: Double-spaced, 12-point (readable) font, with name, address, and email on the submission. Format the document as .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .rtf. Please include a brief cover letter, and remind us if we know you.
For the current Submission Period, we will consider essays, memoir, and other forms of creative nonfiction of NO MORE than 5000 words, with contemporary styles and an attention to language, form, and consciousness. Our ideal word count is around 3500, but we're open to more as well. We especially encourage submissions from Black and Indigenous writers, writers of color, writers with disabilities, writers from LGBTQIA+ communities, and voices that have been historically under-represented and minoritized in the publishing world.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but let us know immediately if the piece is accepted elsewhere. We consider only previously unpublished work.

TNS Submission Form - NONFICTION

Here at The Normal School, we wish to support BIPOC writers, writers with disabilities, queer and LGBTQIA+  writers, and neurodivergent writers. As a way to work toward this goal, we'd like to offer a FREE SUBMISSION WINDOW in FICTION for writers from marginalized and traditionally marginalized communities.
Submission Guidelines for Fiction: 5000 words maximum. Double-spaced, 12-point (readable) font, with name, address, and email on the submission. Format the document as .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .rtf. Please include a brief cover letter, and remind us if we know you. We are looking for stories that experiment with form, genre, voice, character, and beyond; stories that engage with and push beyond the boundaries of convention. Send us your stories that are strange, surreal, and sincere, stories that are driven by the unexpected and meaningful. We are particularly excited to read stories by historically marginalized writers. Read a few of our most recently published stories to get an idea of what we’re passionate about. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but let us know immediately if the piece is accepted elsewhere. We only consider unpublished work.

 FREE Submission Window in FICTION for Marginalized Communities

Here at The Normal School, we wish to support BIPOC writers, writers with disabilities, queer and LGBTQIA+  writers, and neurodivergent writers. As a way to work toward this goal, we'd like to offer a FREE SUBMISSION WINDOW in CREATIVE NONFICTION for writers from marginalized and traditionally marginalized communities.
Submission Guidelines for Nonfiction: Double-spaced, 12-point (readable) font, with name, address, and email on the submission. Format the document as .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .rtf. Please include a brief cover letter, and remind us if we know you. For the current Submission Period, we will consider essays, memoir, and other forms of creative nonfiction of NO MORE than 5000 words, with contemporary styles and an attention to language, form, and consciousness. Our ideal word count is around 3500, but we're open to more as well. We especially encourage submissions from Black and Indigenous writers, writers of color, writers with disabilities, writers from LGBTQIA+ communities, and voices that have been historically under-represented and minoritized in the publishing world. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but let us know immediately if the piece is accepted elsewhere. We consider only previously unpublished work.

The Normal School

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TNS Submission Form - FICTION

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