72 Magazines Closing at the End of May
Poetry, fiction, & cnf publishers closing on May 31st/Junes 1st.
Yay! Monday closings.
So, some thoughts.
These closing lists are great—but I feel like I’m mostly copy-pasting. No, really. Like pro-level copy-paste, but still. At the beginning of each month, after we confirm all of the dates, Karina sends me a MASSIVE spreadsheet of all the month’s closing dates. I go through, cut all the info I don’t need, separate it into lists, then create new columns beside each section where I type ***. Then, I copy that list into Microsoft where I do “replace all” *** with a paragraph mark. I do this in various ways until the magazines have all of their info on a new line. Then I go through and clean it all up, manually hyperlink every link to new text, then copy-paste it into Substack to make it look fancy.
If that sounds confusing and nonsensical. That’s OK. Nobody else here gets it either. I tried showing the whole process to our two new interns last week and they were like, “WTF?” because yeah. WTF, why would anyone go through this much trouble?
I’ve spent the past year making lists like this. In another life, I was a teacher and worked at a school where we built lesson plans via spreadsheets. It’s like meditating. Shut my brain off and organize things into little boxes.
But, excuse me when I say this…
FUUUUUUUUUUUCK
It’s so boring.
And with lists like today’s, it is so big that I can’t really add any fun extras or link to the magazine names because that would take ages (between doing every single one while taking 15-minute breaks in my scream corner).
So, I feel like all of that energy would be better spent on some more specific content. SO, here are some ideas:
Recommendation Threads: You comment the cover letter of a work you're trying to submit (story, essay, poem, chapbook, whatever) and I’ll research a recommendation for you.
Indie press lists: more lists about where to submit your longer works.
Contest Lists: self-explanatory.
Or hell, comment an idea I haven’t thought of.
In the meantime, enjoy this week’s closing list!
Pocket Samovar
An international literary magazine dedicated to underrepresented post-Soviet writing, art, and diaspora.
Theme: Post-Soviet Conflict
Eligibility: Location
Genres: Poetry, Hybrid, Art, Translations, Video, Photography, Fiction, Nonfiction
Twitter Followers: 23
Deep Overstock Magazine
A magazine focused on publishing "overstocked" ideas in the form of nonfiction, fiction, poetry, art, comics, and translations.
Theme: Issue 21: Romance
Genres: Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry, Art, Comics, Translations
Twitter Followers: 151
Genuine Gold
A literary journal featuring high-quality yet unpretentious poems, short stories, and essays.
Genres: Poetry, Fiction
Twitter Followers: 159
Hot Pink
HOT PINK MAGAZINE is currently open for submissions for their next special issue: 40 over 40. Poets 40+ please send 3-5 poems to hotpinksubmissions@gmail.com. Submissions are open from May 1st through May 31st.
Theme: 40 Over 40
Genres: Poetry, Art
Response Time: 2-3 months
Twitter Followers: 263
The Bombay Literary Magazine
A magazine with a mission to promote fine literature and provide a writerly perspective on how literature works. Publishes stories, poetry, essays, reviews, and graphic fiction three times a year.
Pays: $65
Genres: Poetry, Hybrid, Fiction
Twitter Followers: 325
flo.
A magazine dedicated to publishing short stories, creative non-fiction, and poetry by writers in the Ottawa-Gatineau area.
Pays: 5-10 CAD/piece
Eligibility: Location
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Art, Anything
Twitter Followers: 388
Months to Years
A magazine striving to publish creative nonfiction, poetry, photography, and art that explores the human experience related to mortality.
Theme: Mortality
Genres: Nonfiction, Poetry, Art, Photography
Twitter Followers: 521
Crannóg
A literary magazine publishing fiction and poetry.
Pays: €120-200
Genres: Poetry, Fiction
Response Time: 8 weeks after DL
Twitter Followers: 542
Carmen et Error
A magazine seeking poems and fiction that falls between genres, including weird, wild, speculative, daring, or odd works.
Eligibility: Marginalized
Genres: Poetry, Fiction
Response Time: 14 days
Nominates for: Pushcart, Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions, Best Micro Fictions
Twitter Followers: 574
Yellow Arrow Vignette
A publication expanding Yellow Arrow Publishing's mission to provide a space for women and nonbinary writers, featuring nonfiction and poetry.
Theme: SPARK
Eligibility: Women and Nonbinary
Genres: Nonfiction, Poetry
Response Time: 1 month
Nominates for: Best of the Net
Twitter Followers: 576
Cloudy Magazine
A literary magazine based in Daly City, CA, accepting work worldwide from youth aged 13-21. Sponsored by the Daly City Youth Poet Laureate Program and Public Library Associates.
Eligibility: Young
Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Fiction, Art, Photography, Hybrid
Response Time: 2 weeks
Twitter Followers: 603
Lunaris Review
A journal embracing creativity from every corner of the earth, focusing on African literature.
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Art, Photography
Response Time: Four months
Twitter Followers: 651
The Laurel Review
A biannual print magazine seeking submissions of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, reviews, scripts, and works that blur genre boundaries.
Fee: $2
Eligibility: Marginalized
Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Fiction
Twitter Followers: 888
Gyroscope Review
A quarterly publication of contemporary poetry aimed at turning your world around.
Genres: Poetry
Response Time: 1-3 months
Nominates for: Pushcart, Best of the Net
Twitter Followers: 901
South Broadway Ghost Society
A magazine seeking intimate and thought-provoking pieces that challenge the status quo. Emphasizes humor with a larger purpose.
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Art
Twitter Followers: 920
Nawr
A tri-annual magazine supporting Welsh and Wales-based writers and artists. Embraces creative and outside-the-box ideas.
Eligibility: Location
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Art, Photography, Video
Response Time: 1 week
Twitter Followers: 960
long con magazine
A digital arts and literature quarterly publishing art about art.
Pays: $25-50 Canadian
Eligibility: LGBT, Location, WomenAndNonbinary, Disabled
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Video, Audio, Art, Hybrid
Response Time: Less than 4 months
Twitter Followers: 1054
The AutoEthnographer
An award-winning non-profit, open-access, peer-reviewed, digital literary and arts magazine.
Fee: $5
Pays: $25
Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Fiction, Video, Audio, Photography, Art, Hybrid
Response Time: Within 14 days
Twitter Followers: 1357
Strix
A magazine focusing on poetry and short fiction.
Genres: Poetry, Fiction
Twitter Followers: 1359
Hearth & Coffin Literary Journal
A journal founded with the purpose of publishing new and upcoming writers without submission fees. Emphasizes provocative, exploratory, and accessible works.
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
Response Time: 1 month
Twitter Followers: 1513
the other side of hope: journeys in refugee and immigrant literature
A UK-based literary magazine edited by refugees and immigrants. Publishes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry by refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants.
Pays: £50-300
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Art, Review, Interview
Response Time: 6 months
Twitter Followers: 1546
Spartan Literary Journal
A boutique literary journal focusing on very short prose. Releases online pieces and periodic issues.
Genres: Fiction
Response Time: 30 days
Nominates for: Pushcart, Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions, Best Micro Fictions
Twitter Followers: 1604
Short Story Substack
A platform publishing one short story per month. Offers a payout of $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue.
Pays: $100+
Genres: Fiction
Response Time: 1 month
Twitter Followers: 1700
VIBE (Violet Indigo Blue, Etc.)
A literary and cultural publishing project concerned with the materiality and physicality of artistic production. Primarily publishes poetry.
Theme: Anthropoetics
Pays: Yes
Genres: Poetry
Twitter Followers: 1800
River Heron Review
A journal established to support the arts through the sharing of poetry in their online journal, readings, workshops, and by showcasing the transformative power of poetic expression.
Fee: $3.00
Genres: Poetry
Response Time: 20 days average
Nominates for: Pushcart, Best of the Net
Twitter Followers: 1819
Propel Magazine
A new online literary magazine featuring the work of poets based in the UK or Ireland who have yet to publish a first full-length collection of poetry.
Pays: £20
Eligibility: Location
Genres: Poetry
Response Time: Six weeks after DL
Twitter Followers: 2100
Vestal Review
The longest-running flash fiction magazine in the world. Eclectic in style and open to all genres.
Fee: $3
Pays: $75
Genres: Fiction, Art, Interview, Review
Response Time: 1 month
Nominates for: Best Small Fictions, Best Micro Fictions
Twitter Followers: 2153
TMP Magazine
A literary magazine focused on freeform poetry, short stories, flash fiction, nonfiction, art, and photography.
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Art, Photography
Twitter Followers: 2170
3Elements Literary Review
A unique quarterly literary journal publishing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, and photography. Each issue begins with the posting of three elements and showcases how writers and artists transformed those elements creatively.
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Art, Photography
Twitter Followers: 2227
ArtAscent: International Art Magazine
ArtAscent is an international art magazine that showcases indie and emerging international artists.
Fee: $25-80
Genres: Art, Photography, Fiction, Poetry
Response Time: Five weeks after DL
Twitter Followers: 2261
Hypertext Magazine
Hypertext Magazine & Studio publishes original, brave, and provocative narratives of historically marginalized, emerging, and established writers. They also conduct writing workshops.
Fee: $5
Pays: $40
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction
Response Time: 3-4 months
Nominates for: Pushcart
Twitter Followers: 2379
Gettysburg Review
A triannual literary journal that has been in publication since 1988.
Fee: $3
Pays: $30/page
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Art
Response Time: 3-8 months
Twitter Followers: 2620
The Shallow Tales Review
An online literary outfit curating the best literature from Africa and across the world. Seeks brave pieces and aims to house marginalized voices.
Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Fiction, Review, Photography, Play
Response Time: 10-40 days
Twitter Followers: 2699
Dappled Things
Dappled Things is a Catholic literary magazine exploring the intersections of art, ideas, and faith. Publishes fiction, poetry, interviews, essays, visual art, and more.
Pays: $20-100
Genres: Nonfiction, Interview, Review, Art, Play, Fiction
Twitter Followers: 2779
Elegant Literature
A magazine/contest exclusively for new writers, accepting stories in all genres and paying professional rates. Aims to promote aspiring talent and welcomes submissions from non-professional writers.
Pays: $0.10/word
Genres: Fiction, Art
Response Time: 1 month
Twitter Followers: 2789
Black Fox Literary Magazine
A print and online literary magazine with an eclectic taste, seeking diverse fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art.
Genres: Art, Photography, Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Review
Response Time: 3-4 months
Twitter Followers: 2837
Bad Lilies
Bad Lilies is a poetry magazine published six times a year, showcasing a range of poetry techniques and subject matter.
Genres: Poetry, Translations
Response Time: 8-10 weeks
Twitter Followers: 2941
Poet Lore
America's oldest poetry magazine, publishing since 1889. Biannual print journal featuring contemporary poetry that broadens the spectrum of what poetry can be on the page.
Pays: $50/poem
Genres: Poetry, Translations
Response Time: 4-6 months
Nominates for: Pushcart, Best of the Net
Twitter Followers: 4121
The Other Journal
A twice-yearly print and digital journal featuring high-caliber Christian writing on social issues, politics, cultural trends, pop phenomena, and theological ideas.
Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Review, Interview
Twitter Followers: 4446
ScribesMICROFiction
A project of Fairfield Scribes. Seeks micro poetry, nonfiction, and fiction.
Pays: $1
Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Fiction
Response Time: Within two months
Twitter Followers: 4541
Contemporary Verse 2
Publishes high-caliber, original poetry, nonfiction, interviews, reviews, and translations by local, national, and international poets to educate, engage, and expand public appreciation of poetry.
Pays: Yes
Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Interview, Review, Translations
Response Time: 2-6 months
Twitter Followers: 4598
The Shore Poetry
An online poetry publication seeking cutting, strange, and daring work from both new and established poets.
Genres: Poetry
Twitter Followers: 5351
Sewanee Review
America’s oldest continuously published literary quarterly, founded in 1892 by William Peterfield Trent. Publishes fiction, nonfiction, reviews, and poetry.
Fee: $3
Pays: $100+
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Review, Poetry
Response Time: 3 months
Twitter Followers: 5716
WestWord Journal
A journal of short stories, flash fiction, and micro fiction from Retreat West.
Fee: £5
Pays: Yes
Genres: Fiction
Response Time: 5 weeks
Nominates for: Pushcart, Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions
Twitter Followers: 6019
LitMag
A literary magazine based in NYC. Recognitions include Best American Short Stories, O. Henry Prize, Pushcart Prize, etc. Available at Barnes & Noble.
Fee: $4
Pays: $125-500
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Art
Response Time: 3 months
Nominates for: Pushcart
Twitter Followers: 6848
The Fiction Desk
An independent short story publisher specializing in new fiction. Regular anthologies include stories from debut and established authors from the UK and around the world. Occasionally publishes ghost stories.
Fee: £3
Pays: £25-250
Genres: Fiction
Response Time: Within four weeks
Twitter Followers: 7286
Baltimore Review
Showcasing Baltimore as a literary hub of diverse writing and promoting the work of emerging and established writers.
Pays: $50
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
Response Time: 1-4 months
Nominates for: Pushcart, Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions, Best Micro Fictions
Twitter Followers: 8937
Willow Springs
Publishing work by unknown and up-and-coming writers, as well as established authors. Engaging readers in an ongoing discussion of art, ideas, and the human experience.
Fee: $3
Pays: $20-100
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translations
Response Time: 6 months
Twitter Followers: 9712
Variant Lit
A small nonprofit press and magazine committed to publishing diverse voices at all stages of their career. Staff is entirely volunteer-run, and proceeds go towards creating new books and paying writers.
Pays: $10/piece
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Art (Only poetry submissions are still open)
Response Time: 2 months
Nominates for: Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions
Twitter Followers: 11000
Hippocampus Magazine
An exclusively online publication entertaining, educating, and engaging writers and readers of creative nonfiction. Features memoir excerpts, personal essays, reviews, interviews, and craft articles.
Fee: $3
Pays: $40
Genres: Nonfiction
Response Time: 3 months
Nominates for: Pushcart, Best of the Net
Twitter Followers: 12486
AGNI
A literary magazine housed at Boston University known for publishing important new writers early in their careers, including translations.
Fee: $3
Pays: Yes
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translations, Review
Response Time: 2-4 months
Twitter Followers: 16173
TriQuarterly
The literary magazine of Northwestern University, exploring writing, art, and cultural inquiry.
Fee: $2
Pays: Yes
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Interview, Video
Response Time: 3-6 months
Twitter Followers: 20870
Swamp Pink
Formerly Crazyhorse, now Swamp Pink. Welcomes your best work.
Fee: $3
Pays: $25-35/page, 200 cap
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction
Response Time: 3-4 months
Twitter Followers: 21701
All Existing Literary Magazine
Dedicated to the strange and beautiful. Encourages secrets in exchange for stories, whimsical and fantastical themes.
Genres: Fiction, Art, Photography (currently closed for poetry)
Nominates for: Pushcart, Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions, Best Micro Fictions
Grimsy: A Literary & Arts Magazine
A gothic literary magazine where whimsy meets horror.
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Art
Response Time: 1 month
AvantAppal(achia)
Aims to bring the world to Appalachia and Appalachia to the world, breaking stereotypes and boundaries. Open to poetry, short stories, and art.
Eligibility: Location
Genres: Poetry, Video, Audio, Fiction, Art
Response Time: 15 days after DL
Alabama Literary Review
State-sponsored literary journal publishing regional and national writers, generously supported by Troy University and the Troy University Foundation.
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction
Response Time: 2 to 3 months
Bizarrchitecture
A quarterly magazine of the New Weird and all its genre-bending sisters. Loves the experimental, the strange, and the out of place. Check the website for submission details.
Theme: Inaugural Issue
Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Fiction
Response Time: 2-3 Months
Just Place
Seeks work that troubles received notions of place, evades easy characterizations, stereotypes, and limited perspectives. Open to innovative techniques, hybridities, and upcycled notions.
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Hybrid, Review, Interview, Art, Photography, Play, Comics, Audio, Video, anything
Response Time: 3 months
Adanna Literary Journal
Submissions must reflect women's issues or topics and celebrate womanhood.
Eligibility: Women and Nonbinary
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Play, Review, Interview, Art
Response Time: 8-12 weeks
The Quarter(ly)
A literary journal with some art, comics, and analysis thrown in for good measure. Offers a space for shorter works to mingle with art and other bits of nonsense.
Theme: Let's Go to the Movies
Pays: $5
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Art, Comics, Interview, Review
Response Time: 1-2 months
Duck Head Journal
An online, non-profit literary journal publishing poetry, short fiction, artwork, and photography.
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Art, Photography
Response Time: Within two weeks
Escape Pod
A media company specializing in free-to-listen short fiction podcasts, including the original science fiction podcast.
Pays: Yes
Eligibility: Marginalized
Genres: Fiction, Translations
Dark Moments Drabble Monthly Challenge
A project of Black Hare Press.
Pays: $4
Genres: Fiction
Fanatical: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Stories Inspired by Tabletop Games
The fiction magazine for stories inspired by tabletop games that stay with us once we leave the table.
Pays: £20
Genres: Fiction
The Closed Eye Open
An art and lit website that explores wide-ranging creative expressions.
Fee: $4.5-10
Genres: Art, Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Hybrid
Midway Journal
A journal seeking to publish a variety of styles and diverse voices, presenting work by new writers.
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Art, Nonfiction, Anything
War, Literature & the Arts
Launched in 1989, WLA examines the nexus of culture, conflict, and war, featuring nonfiction, art, poetry, fiction, and reviews.
Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Poetry, Fiction, Review
Presence Haiku Journal
Britain's leading independent haiku journal.
Genres: Nonfiction, Poetry
The Cherita
Cherita is the Malay word for story or tale. A cherita consists of a single stanza of a one-line verse, followed by a two-line verse, and then finishing with a three-line verse.
Genres: Poetry
The Flying Dodo
A monthly literary publication. Each issue goes online on the 15th.
Theme: WAR
Genres: Poetry
Have you thought about recruiting volunteer list managers to lighten your load?