15 Lit Mags That Are Like That Quiet But Deeply Cool Kid At The Party

Some magazines I love that you should love too because they don't get enough love.

Dec 20, 2023

∙ Paid

Some magazines are big and flashy with sweet-sweet contests and advertising. Others are huge on social media, engaging with the community on a daily basis.

In my experience, this rarely equates to consistent publishing habits or producing the best work. It isn’t a negative. Just doesn’t really impact other aspects of publishing (as far as I can tell).

But, in this day and age, it does mean that several magazines fly under the radar. Loads of people discover new magazines via social media, advertising, or through some event or another. So how do you discover those low-key greats? Time, mostly. And, well, here I guess.

I wouldn’t call any of these magazines “hidden gems.” Several have won prestigious awards, and they aren’t always social media hermits. It is simply that, as someone who has spent nearly two years jacked into indie lit full time (after 14 years of submitting on-and-off to lit mags) I feel like these magazines have been consistently solid without getting much spotlight. So, here: Spotlight.

Like I said, I’m trying to move things in the direction of providing a bit more commentary as well as data. So this list is based on my personal experiences and preferences. They may not be yours. I will try to give a range beyond the genres and styles I like, though. I am also excluding any magazines that were on our Top 25 Best Lit Mags of 2023 because they just got a load of attention though several of them would normally be on my list of low key faves.

I’ve also included all the usual data for paid subscribers with everything you need to decide whether to submit. Genre, fee, payment, description, founding date/country, and on and on.