Hello friends,
That’s what subscriber means, friend. No take backs.
Remember last year when we did this:
Well, this year we did it again, but differently, and betterly (better-er?). In case you missed the announcements on our Chill Subs newsletter or socials, here’s a quick breakdown along with the top 10 in each category.
And, if you’re into deeper stats and want to learn more about how we designed this year’s Best Lit Mags Community Awards, pop over to our blog here.
In brief, though—for our winners, we took the tag each magazine was awarded the most, and ranked them within that category. This way, the resulting winners would be those who most represent that core aspect of the community we want to support and see more of. Since 8,160 people voted for 2,299 magazines 13,884 times(!!), we ended up with roughly 36,173 tags awarded to lit mags. So we feel pretty confident that the folks who landed at the top of these categories deserve to be there.
Out of 4,357 votes, The Pinch came out on top in 2025 as the best lit mag for exceptional reading.
The Pinch → Closed | Fee: $4.95 | Pay: $1000-$2000 | Publishes Nonfiction, Multimedia, Poetry, Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 180 days | A: 9.99% | 15K+ followers | United States | 1980 — “The Pinch was founded in 1980 as the Memphis State Review by William Page. The Pinch is a bi-annual literary journal produced entirely by the students of the University of Memphis MFA Program and English Department.”
Blackbird → Closed | Fee: $2 | Pay: Yes (varies) | Publishes Nonfiction, Multimedia, Poetry, Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 180 days | A: 1.82% | 7K+ followers | United States | 2002 — “An online journal of literature and the arts offers visitors from around the world outstanding fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and reviews, as well as plays, visual art, new media, and video essays.”
Rattle | Theme: Ekphrastic Challenge → Deadline: Dec 31 | Fee: Some fee | Pay: $50-$200 | Open for Poetry, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 180 days | A: 1% | 60K+ followers | United States | 1995 — “Our mission is to promote the practice of poetry,”
Brevity | Fee: $3 | Pay: $45 | Open for Nonfiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 60 days | A: 1.99% | 15K+ followers | United States | 1997 — “Publishes well-known and emerging writers working in the extremely brief essay form, along with craft essays.”
Split Lip Magazine → Closed | Fee: $3 | Pay: $50-$75 | Publishes Poetry, Multimedia, Nonfiction, Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 120 days | A: <1% | 40K+ followers | United States | 2012 — “Totally bonkers-in-love with voice-driven writing, pop culture, and the kind of honesty that gets you right in the kid”
Birmingham Poetry Review | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | Under 100 followers | United States | 1987 — “National poetry journal based at the University of Alabama at Birmingham featuring diverse poetic voices.”
The New Verse News | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Poetry | ✖️ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 14 days | A: 5% | 100+ followers | United States | 2005 — “Since 2005, The New Verse News has covered the news of the day with poems on issues, large and small, international and local. It relies on the submission of poems (especially those of a politically progressive bent) by writers from all over the world.”
The Sun | Fee: Some fee | Pay: No | Open for Multimedia, Nonfiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 360 days | A: <1% | 80K+ followers | United States | 1974 — “We’re looking for narrative writing and evocative photography from all over the world. Send us work that maps the human landscape, where the light catches on the faintest joy, where darkness sometimes threatens to overwhelm, and where ✗ never marks the spot.”
Flash Fiction Online → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: $0-$100 | Publishes Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 56 days | A: 2.46% | 10K+ followers | United States | 2007 — “Bold. Brief. Beautiful. Fiction in fewer words.”
Hippocampus Magazine → Closed | Fee: $3 | Pay: Yes (varies) | Publishes Nonfiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 180 days | A: 4% | 15K+ followers | United States | 2011 — “An exclusively online publication set out to entertain, educate and engage writers and readers of creative nonfiction. Each issue features memoir excerpts, personal essays, reviews, interviews and craft articles.”
Out of 5,067 votes, Flash Fiction Magazine came out on top in 2025 as the best lit mag for emerging writers
Flash Fiction Magazine | Fee: No | Pay: $40 | Open for Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 28 days | A: 6% | Under 100 followers | United States | 2014 — “We publish one flash fiction story a day.”
Apricus Literary | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 14 days | A: 100.00% | 15K+ followers | United States | 2024 — “Apricus Literary is a multimedia magazine designed to uplift and celebrate teen girl creatives globally.”
Echo Review → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Poetry, Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 36 days | A: 10.53% | Under 100 followers | United States | 2023 — “Echo Review wants history. We don’t mind what it is, or how personal it is--we simply want work that will force us to look back at the past. We want your raw, beautiful, hideous, real, wonderous depictions of it.”
Micromance Magazine → Deadline: Dec 31 | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Poetry, Fiction | ✖️ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 30 days | A: 25% | 1K+ followers | United States | 2024 — “Microfiction + Romance = Micromance Magazine (Love Stories in Flash <1200 words & Poetry)”
Hey! Young Writer | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 14 days | 10K+ followers | United States — “A Blog For and By Aspiring Writers”
101 Words | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 70 days | A: 37.92% | 2K+ followers | United States | 2007 — “101 Word short stories and #flashfiction”
Hotch Potch Literature and Art → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Fiction | ✖️ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 7 days | Under 100 followers | United States — “Hotch Potch is a collective. We want to discover and delight, collaborate, share stories and images. We publish online biannually.”
Ubwali → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Poetry, Nonfiction, Fiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | Under 100 followers | United States | 2023 — “Zambian storytelling, like our cooking, is very straightforward: each dish has a list of trusted ingredients, and the method of preparation is tried and tested.”
The Sunlight Press → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: Yes (varies) | Publishes Nonfiction, Poetry, Fiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 90 days | A: 10.24% | 2K+ followers | United States | 2017 — “The Sunlight Press is a nonprofit digital literary journal that provides a home to new and established voices. We welcome creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, reviews, photography, and artist reflections on their craft.”
Elegant Literature | Fee: No | Pay: Per word: CA$0.01 | Open for Fiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 30 days | A: 25.00% | 2K+ followers | Canada | 2021 — “Our magazine/contest is only for new writers. We accept stories in all genres and pay professional rates. Our goal is to help promote aspiring talent. We don’t accept pros so submissions are less competitive than other mags.”
Out of 1,762 votes, New Letters came out on top in 2025 as the best lit mag for advancing writers’ careers.
New Letters → Deadline: May 18 | Fee: $4.95 | Pay: Yes (varies) | Open for Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 180 days | A: 4.82% | Under 100 followers | United States | 1934 — “The mission of New Letters magazine is to discover, publish and promote the best and most exciting literary writing, wherever it might be found. We publish and serve readers and writers worldwide.”
The Stinging Fly → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: Yes (varies) | Publishes Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction | ✖️ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 120 days | A: 1.32% | 25K+ followers | Ireland | 1997 — “The magazine was established to seek out, publish and promote the very best new Irish and international writing. We believe that there is a need for a magazine that, first and foremost, gives new and emerging writers an opportunity to get their work out into the world.”
Mslexia Magazine | Fee: No | Pay: Yes (varies) | Open for Poetry, Nonfiction, Multimedia, Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 102 days | A: 4.17% | 35K+ followers | United Kingdom | 1999 — “The UK’s bestselling magazine for women who write. Mslexia is a quarterly masterclass in the business and psychology of writing.”
North American Review → Deadline: Apr 1 | Fee: $3 | Pay: Yes (varies) | Open for Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 150 days | A: 3.03% | 400+ followers | United States | 1815 — “As the oldest literary magazine in the nation, our selected works reflect the breadth of the American experience, and encompass any voices that are committed to telling rich narratives that challenge the status quo.”
TriQuarterly | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Multimedia, Nonfiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 240 days | A: 1.41% | 5K+ followers | United States | 1958 — “TriQuarterly is the literary magazine of Northwestern University. Available around the world, TriQuarterly has remained “an international journal of writing, art, and cultural inquiry.
Bennington Review → Closed | Fee: $3 | Pay: Per piece: $25-$250 | Publishes Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 150 days | A: <1% | 5K+ followers | United States | 1966 — “We aim to stake out a distinctive space for innovative, intelligent, and moving fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, film writing, and cross-genre work.”
New English Review → Deadline: Dec 20 | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Nonfiction, Poetry, Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | 900+ followers | United States | 2006 — “political analysis, history, poetry, philosophy, short fiction, memoir, religion”
Poetry Wales → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: Yes (varies) | Publishes Poetry, Nonfiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 30 days | A: 7.46% | 15K+ followers | United Kingdom | 1965 — “National poetry magazine of Wales. Publishing contemporary poetry, features and reviews since 1965.”
RHINO Poetry → Closed | Fee: $15 | Pay: Yes (varies) | Publishes Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 79 days | A: 6.38% | 5K+ followers | United States | 1976 — “a non-profit literary organization, primarily devoted to the publication of RHINO Poetry, an annual high-quality print journal featuring well-crafted, diverse poetry, flash fiction, and translations”
Southword Journal → Closed | Fee: €19 | Pay: Yes (varies) | Publishes Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 70 days | A: 6.00% | 300+ followers | Ireland — “Southword: New International Writing is a print literary journal published twice a year by the Munster Literature Centre.”
Out of 7,067 votes, ONLY POEMS came out on top in 2025 as having the best lit mag editors around.
ONLY POEMS | Fee: No | Pay: $77 | Open for Poetry, Essays, Book Reviews, Book Lists | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 56 days | A: <1% | 80K+ followers | Canada | 2023 — “Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.”
After Dinner Conversation | Fee: No | Pay: Per piece: $75 | Open for Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 90 days | A: 5% | 100K+ followers | United States | 2019 — “An award-winning independent nonprofit that promotes philosophical and ethical discourse by publishing short story fiction.”
MER - Mom Egg Review → Closed | Fee: $3 | Pay: No | Publishes Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 180 days | A: 5% | 10K+ followers | United States | 2002 — “MER publishes literary work on mothers, mothering, and motherhood, in an annual print and quarterly online issues of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and art. Opening for submissions 4/23 (free “early bird” submissions 4/23-4/30).”
Fiction on the Web | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 30 days | A: 10% | 1K+ followers | United Kingdom | 1996 — “Fiction on the Web has been online and continuously publishing since July 1996, which makes it one of the oldest online literary magazines. Thousands of stories have been enjoyed by millions of readers.”
ONE ART: a journal of poetry | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 7 days | A: 3% | 2K+ followers | United States | 2020 — “ONE ART is a home for good poems.”
SWING → Closed | Fee: $3 | Pay: Yes (varies) | Publishes Fiction, Poetry, Multimedia, Nonfiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 90 days | A: 8% | 3K+ followers | United States | 2022 — “SWING is home for the emerging writer to the renowned, the discovered to the too-long neglected. We are creating a magazine with the energy and verve of its home city, Nashville, a town of vagabonds and roots, where new influences course through the old.”
Feed the Holy | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry | ✖️ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | Under 100 followers | 2024 — “These are fraught times. Share positive energy and help people achieve peace of mind and heart. What brings you joy? How do you feed the holy or sacred in your life or community? How do you nurture love and kindness? What is it like to be human in this world? How and why do we suffer? How and why do”
Tint Journal → Closed | Fee: Some fee | Pay: €25 | Publishes Nonfiction, Poetry, Fiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 90 days | A: 6% | 4K+ followers | Austria | 2018 — “The first online literary journal with an explicit focus on writers who produce creative texts in English as their second or non-native language.”
Frazzled Lit → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 35 days | A: 10% | Under 100 followers | Ireland | 2024 — “Frazzled Lit is a new and exciting literary journal, headed by Jennifer McMahon and Laura Cooney.”
SmokeLong Quarterly → Closed | Fee: $30 | Pay: Yes (varies) | Publishes Nonfiction, Fiction, Multimedia, Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 21 days | A: <1% | 30K+ followers | United States | 2003 — “We are dedicated to bringing the best flash narratives to the web quarterly, whether written by widely published authors or those new to the craft. We pay $100 or $150 with audio.”
Out of 4,291 votes, Abundance Literary Magazine came out on top in 2025 as the best lit mags you didn’t know about.
Abundance Literary Magazine → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 60 days | A: 20% | 100+ followers | United States | 2025 — “Our focus is to promote emerging writers, continue supporting established writers, all with with an emphasis on cultural perspectives. Individuals from underrepresented groups in writing spheres (BIPOC, women, LGBT+, Latine) are strongly encouraged”
MoonLit Getaway | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Fiction, Poetry, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 60 days | A: 10% | 400+ followers | Canada | 2024 — “A multi-genre literary journal. We post artwork, fiction, and poetry on our website every week and publish the year’s best each fall in our in-print anthology, Harvest Moon.”
JADE&COMPASS | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 7 days | A: 6% | 400+ followers | United States | 2024 — “JADE&COMPASS seeks the nostalgia of the future, liminal work that fearlessly feeds us a sunburn. Scald us, softly.”
Pearl Press → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 21 days | A: 9% | Under 100 followers | United States | 2020 — “Pearl Press is an online publication that strives to build a proud community of diverse voices.”
Collaborature | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 3 days | A: <1% | Under 100 followers | United States — “Collaborative (ie written by more than one author) poetry and fiction, flash fiction”
Audi Locus → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 28 days | A: 16% | 800+ followers | United States | 2024 — “A creative space showcasing poetry, music, art, and ideas that are both delicate and bold.”
Abhartach Magazine → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 2 days | A: 20% | 1K+ followers | Ireland | 2024 — “A new publication for creatives of all mediums/experience levels. Each issue is themed around a horror sub-genre.”
Beyond the Quill | Theme: The Plume Challenge - December 2025 → Deadline: Jan 5 | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 3 days | A: 30% | 2K+ followers | India | 2024 — “a multi-media magazine that aims to establish a haven for writers, artists, and photographers!”
Feign | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 90 days | A: 9% | Under 100 followers | United States | 2024 — “Feign is an online literary magazine for fiction that publishes original work by emerging & established writers every 7th & 21st of the month.”
Swamp Ape Review | Theme: Short Fiction - SURVIVAL Special Zine → Deadline: Jan 1 | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 60 days | A: 13.64% | 1K+ followers | United States | 2017 — “The Swamp Ape is a legend that reflects Florida—its mythology, its weirdness—as well as the human desire to create a narrative around that which we can’t explain.”
Out of 3,264 votes, Bloodletter Magazine came out on top in 2025 as the best lit mag for experimental work.
Bloodletter Magazine | Fee: No | Pay: $250 | Open for Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 30 days | A: 5% | 3K+ followers | United States | 2023 — “Bloodletter is a feminist horror magazine showcasing personal and analytical perspectives on the horrific by women, trans, and non-binary writers.”
HAD → Closed | Fee: Some fee | Pay: No | Publishes Fiction, Nonfiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 1 days | A: 11.08% | 20K+ followers | United States | 2020 — “We had an idea that started as a joke. We had an affinity for that minimalist look and feel of early online journals. We do spontaneous, popup submission calls.”
Rat Bag Lit → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: Yes (varies) | Publishes Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 60 days | A: 17.65% | Under 100 followers | United States | 2025 — “Fiction that crosses genres and blurs the lines between literary and speculative genres. Work that keeps us up at night, stories that make us laugh, and the strangest dreams that pop out of your odd little noggin.”
Weird Lit Magazine | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 30 days | A: 2% | 700+ followers | United States | 2024 — “We are a platform for the weird and boundless. We support freedom of expression, community engagement, and the open exchange of ideas. We publish quarterly on the solstices and equinoxes.”
Wallstrait → Closed | Fee: $3 | Pay: $100 | Publishes Fiction, Nonfiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 60 days | A: 1% | 800+ followers | United States | 2024 — “Wallstrait publishes hard-to-define prose on a triweekly basis. We respond quickly and include feedback as time allows.”
Folly Journal → Deadline: Apr 13 | Fee: $150 | Pay: No | Open for Nonfiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 30 days | A: 1% | 1K+ followers | New Zealand | 2022 — “Folly is an international luxury annual print only anthology. Touted by media as the rebel child of the lit scene, and finalist for the 2024 CLMP Best Literary Debut awards, Folly is found worldwide from parliamentary desks, independent bookstores and the rooms of luxury boutique hotels.”
Okay Donkey → Closed | Fee: $2.5 | Pay: Yes | Publishes Poetry, Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 90 days | A: 1% | 15K+ followers | United States | 2018 — “At OKD Magazine, we like to read the odd, the off-kilter, and the just plain weird. We like things that are funny, things that are sad, and things that are funny and sad at the same time.”
hex literary → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Poetry, Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 30 days | A: 9.80% | 1K+ followers | United States | 2022 — “We welcome the surreal, the weird, and the uncanny. Scare us, surprise us, take us to space. Show us how horror, fantasy, and science fiction can be bent in new ways.”
Marrow Magazine | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 120 days | A: 29.51% | Under 100 followers | United States | 2021 — “a literary magazine committed to publishing work that explores dark spaces”
Moonday Mag | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Nonfiction, Poetry, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 90 days | A: 16% | 1K+ followers | United States | 2023 — “A quarterly art and literary magazine celebrating all things fantastic and fantastically strange.”
Out of 4,960 votes, the serendipity archives came out on top in 2025 as the best ‘je ne sais quoi’ lit mag.
the serendipity archives | Theme: issue two : seconds → Deadline: Dec 24 | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Nonfiction, Poetry, Fiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 15 days | A: 30% | 2K+ followers | India | 2025 — “the serendipity archives is a literary magazine dedicated to capturing the beauty of the unexpected. our mission is to create a space where teen writers and artists can discover work that resonates, little pieces of themselves.”
Silly Goose Press → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 45 days | A: 21.05% | 2K+ followers | United States | 2024 — “HONK! Silly Goose Press is a very flocking serious literary magazine obsessed with craft-forward whimsy. HONK!”
Beaver Magazine → Deadline: Dec 31 | Fee: Some fee | Pay: No | Open for Nonfiction, Poetry, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 14 days | A: 3.99% | 10K+ followers | United States | 2021 — “A literary journal accepting poetry, fiction, nonfiction and art! We love works of any kind. You won’t find a strict, gatekeeping submission guideline in these waters. Writing and reading is for peace, not stress.”
Passages North → Deadline: Apr 1 | Fee: Some fee | Pay: No | Open for Nonfiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 82 days | A: 3.01% | 30K+ followers | United States | 1979 — “Annual literary journal sponsored by Northern Michigan University, has published short fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and hybrid writing since 1979.”
Scapegoat Review | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Fiction, Multimedia, Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 14 days | A: 5.95% | 1K+ followers | United States | 2009 — “Scapegoat is dedicated to publishing work that is original and thought-provoking. We aim to gather pieces that actively engage with the audience— they may be challenging, surreal, or even absurd, but they always express an interest in communication.”
Small Wonders Magazine | Fee: No | Pay: $125 | Open for Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | 1.5K+ followers | United States | 2023 — “A monthly publication featuring speculative flash fiction and narrative poetry that packs a punch.”
Beloit Poetry Journal → Closed | Fee: $20 | Pay: $0-$2500 | Publishes Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 240 days | A: 1.91% | Under 100 followers | United States | 1950 — “Our longstanding mission is to seek out and share work of fresh and lasting power, poems that speak startling, complicated, necessary truths and that do so in surprising and beautiful ways.”
Ecotone → Closed | Fee: $3 | Pay: Yes | Publishes Nonfiction, Poetry, Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 228 days | A: <1% | 10K+ followers | United States | 2005 — “A biannual magazine that seeks to reimagine place. Published by UNC Wilmington’s Department of Creative Writing. AWP Small Press Publisher Award winner | ASME Award for Fiction Finalist.”
The Berlin Literary Review → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 90 days | 1.5K+ followers | Germany | 2023 — “The Berlin Literary Review is an English-speaking journal of literature.”
Moss Puppy Magazine → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 14 days | A: 39.42% | 4K+ followers | United States | 2021 — “We are curly haired swamp creatures howling into the moonlight, doggy paddling and barking at toads and flies. We want your weird, muddy, and messy - the turtles without shells, boiled frogs, & mushroom-capped fairies.”
Out of 2,916 votes, Vellichor Literary came out on top in 2025 as the best lit mag for stunning visuals
Vellichor Literary | Theme: Ariadne’s Thread: monthly poetry & prose contest → Deadline: Dec 31 | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Poetry, Nonfiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 25 days | A: 5% | 90K+ followers | United States | 2024 — “Independently brewed in San Francisco, Vellichor Literary is a multimedia magazine for the dissonant, the tender, and the unbecoming. We look for works that, like a shot of espresso, stain. Stay for coffee?”
Sonder Literary | Theme: OPAL Contrapuntal Issue → Deadline: Dec 22 | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry | ✖️ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 90 days | A: 8% | 15K+ followers | United States | 2025 — “a magazine designed to showcase every person’s story. accepts submissions from everyone, regardless of age or background,”
Antler Velvet → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 30 days | A: 26% | Under 100 followers | Australia | 2023 — “Antler Velvet is an indie online arts magazine welcoming poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and visual art.”
Ink In Thirds → Deadline: Jan 31 | Fee: No | Pay: $5 | Open for Fiction, Poetry, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 7 days | A: 6% | 2K+ followers | United States | 2016 — “A magazine of poised prose, precarious poetry, and photography to pilot our own realms again.”
Strange Hymnal | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 30 days | A: 2.70% | 900+ followers | United States | 2025 — “Strange Hymnal is a literary magazine of mystery, ritual, and obsession.”
Prosetrics The Literary Magazine | Theme: Aurora → Deadline: Dec 31 | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Fiction, Multimedia, Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 14 days | A: 6% | 1.5K+ followers | Netherlands | 2022 — “An independent literary magazine that publishes poets, writers, artists, both traditional and digital, and photographers.”
Jardin Zine → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Multimedia, Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 14 days | A: 13.33% | Under 100 followers | United States — “Jardin Zine is a digital and print multimedia magazine based in Boston.”
Seedlings | Fee: No | Pay: £5 | Open for Poetry, Multimedia, Fiction, Nonfiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 60 days | A: 16% | 10K+ followers | United Kingdom | 2024 — “Seedlings is a young art and writing magazine, releasing a handprinted book for each season.”
mildew zine → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Poetry, Nonfiction, Multimedia, Fiction | ✖️ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | Under 100 followers | India | 2024 — “Mildew Zine is a digital literary and art magazine that celebrates the eerie, the cozy, and the overlooked.”
Under the Gum Tree → Closed | Fee: $8.39 | Pay: No | Publishes Nonfiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 180 days | A: 5% | Under 100 followers | United States | 2011 — “Quarterly literary arts magazine publishing creative nonfiction & visual art in print and digital.”
Out of 3,489 votes, Ebony Tomatoes Collective came out on top in 2025 as the best lit mag for diverse voices.
Ebony Tomatoes Collective | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Fiction | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 90 days | 700+ followers | United States | 2022 — “The Black intersectional literary & arts magazine that publishes what’s personal.”
Dreamworldgirl Zine → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: Per piece: $5-$10 | Publishes Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 62 days | A: <1% | 40K+ followers | United States | 2024 — “Dreamworldgirl Zine is a Boston and LA based multimedia zine for all things girlhood.”
Fruitslice → Closed | Fee: Some fee | Pay: No | Publishes Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 21 days | A: 12% | 1K+ followers | United States | 2023 — “Fruitslice is a quarterly publication run by a team of Queer editors featuring exclusively Queer writers, artists, creators, etc.”
SICK Magazine → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: Yes (varies) | Publishes Poetry, Nonfiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 42 days | A: 4% | 600+ followers | United States | 2019 — “a thoughtful magazine by sick & disabled people”
Anodyne Magazine → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Poetry, Nonfiction, Fiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 60 days | A: 50.00% | Under 100 followers | Germany | 2023 — “An arts and lit magazine highlighting the intersectional health experiences of the global FLINTA* community.”
Opal Age Tribune | Theme: Humanity → Deadline: Feb 18 | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Nonfiction, Fiction, Multimedia, Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 14 days | Under 100 followers | United States | 2023 — “The queer publication of our dreams. Be a part of our digital illuminated manuscript, a luminous record of our times.”
fifth wheel press → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Multimedia | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 45 days | 9K+ followers | United States | 2019 — “An independent community-focused publisher of art and writing by queer, trans, and gender variant creatives.”
Foglifter | Theme: The Yearning Hour: Poetry Workshop for SF Bay Area Youth Writers (18-26) → Deadline: Jan 13 | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 90 days | A: 5.88% | 10K+ followers | United States | 2016 — “Foglifter’s literary journal is a biannual compendium of the most dynamic, urgent LGBTQ+ writing today. It’s a space where queer and trans writers celebrate, mourn, rage, and embrace.”
Stone of Madness Press → Deadline: Dec 31 | Fee: No | Pay: No | Open for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ☑︎ Some Reprints | R: 30 days | A: 19.35% | 6K+ followers | United States | 2020 — “Stone of Madness Press is a physical [online] and conceptual space for queer, trans, and neurodiverse writers. This project is born of the belief that you belong here, too.”
Tension Literary → Closed | Fee: No | Pay: No | Publishes Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry | ☑︎ Sim Subs | ✖️ Reprints | R: 30 days | A: 2.00% | Under 100 followers | United States | 2024 — “Send us your best poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for Issue IV: Chaos! If the world can be on fire, then so can we. This issue is not themed. Send us work with messy characters and urgent messages.”
BIG Thank you to Chill Subs team & The Poetry Community!! <333
Thanks so much for highlighting Anodyne! We do pay for contributors in profit dividends. ◡̈ Can it be changed?