25 Best Lit Mags of 2023 - Chill Subs Community Favorites

An independent press + mag committed to publishing diverse voices at all stages of their career. Our staff is entirely volunteer run and all proceeds go towards creating new books and paying writers.

Variant Literature is a small press and magazine committed to publishing diverse voices at all stages of their careers.

We strive to be a press that fully supports our writers in carving paths for their work outside of big publishing.

We believe that the small press community is vital in helping writers establish themselves and in fostering accessibility in publishing.

We work hard to be an active part of that community, developing ongoing relationships with our contributors and readers.


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

Chill & Trending Lit Mags Today

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

Variant Lit

Micro Series (THREE connected pieces)

Each issue features one poem from each of about a dozen authors.<div><br></div>

Poetry

Literary Fiction

Flash Prose

Writers are paid $25 for work in this category.

Speculative Fiction

Variant Literature is excited to announce the inaugural Variant Lit Poetry Prize. We welcome submissions from both emerging and established poets, with a focus on work that is voice-driven and singular to the author. Winners will receive a cash prize and be published online in a special Variant Poetry Prize folio, with an introduction from guest judge Todd Dillard.

<ul><li>1st Place $750</li><li>2nd Place: $200</li><li>3rd Place: $50</li></ul><div>
Guidelines

<ul><li>Winners will be announced by September 2026
</li><li>Submit 1–3 poems per entry (up to 10 pages total)</li><li>Entry fee: $10</li><li>Submissions are open internationally to poets writing in English</li><li>Please do not include identifying information in your document </li><li>Submit unpublished work only</li><li>Simultaneous submissions are allowed; please notify us if accepted elsewhere</li><li>Multiple submissions are allowed, but each entry requires a separate fee</li><li>Work generated by AI will not be considered</li><li>Please do not submit if you have a close relationship with the judge</li><li>Please do not submit if you have had a chapbook or book published by Variant Literature</li><li>Contributors to past issues of our online magazine are eligible to submit</li><li>All submissions will be read by the Variant editorial team. A shortlist of finalists will be passed to Todd Dillard who will select the winners.</li></ul></div><div>
Todd Dillard’s work has appeared in American Poetry Review, Guernica, Fairy Tale Review, The Adroit Journal, Best New Poets, Waxwing, Poetry Daily and elsewhere. His debut collection Ways We Vanish (Okay Donkey Press) was a finalist for the 2021 Balcones Poetry Award. His chapbook Ragnarök at the Father-Daughter Dance is available from Variant Literature. A finalist for the 2025 AWP Donald Hall Poetry Prize, he lives outside Philadelphia, where he works as an editor and writer.


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