Last week’s post was about literary magazines that solely publish young writers, so in keeping with the theme, this week, I have a list of literary magazines that accept submissions from writers of all ages. While it can be easier for young writers to get published in youth LitMags, it is worth trying to submit to more general LitMags. You can become comfortable with their submission process and level of expectations and potentially form connections with a literary magazine that could prove useful in the future.
So, here is a non-exhaustive list of general literary magazines:
Indigo Literary Journal. This literary magazine is accepting submissions to its Halloween-themed issue called Ghost until October 25th. Although it is currently closed to general submissions, it publishes a variety of works in its online issues as long as the pieces have not been previously published. Simultaneous submissions are welcome.
The Aurora Journal. It publishes pieces in both its online gallery and in print, and its issues are unthemed. Although it has published a variety of styles, most published pieces are short and written in a literary style. Accepted authors are paid $12 per piece. It welcomes simultaneous submissions but not previously published pieces.
Lumiere Review. Lumiere mostly publishes pieces (prose and poetry) written in a literary style. They are open to submissions until November 31st and accept both simultaneous submissions and previously published works.
Pollux Journal. This LitMag seeks pieces regarding multilingualism (or pieces that are themselves multilingual). Pieces can be of any genre, and accepted writers can get paid. It is currently closed to submissions but should reopen soon. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but previously published pieces are only considered if the piece was only published on a personal blog.
Postscript Magazine. It accepts pieces of all types of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Unlike most literary magazines, Postscript pairs accepted writers with editors to bring pieces to the level the magazine wants. Previously published works and simultaneous submissions are acceptable.
Strange Horizons. Like the name suggests, this literary magazine publishes only speculative fiction (although they have a broad definition of what this encompasses). It is a non-profit, but it pays writers 10 cents per word for accepted pieces. Neither previously published pieces nor simultaneous submissions are accepted, with exceptions for works only published in a language other than English.
Michigan Quarterly Review. The official literary magazine of the University of Michigan accepts longer pieces (prose and poetry) from all writers. It is accepting general, unthemed submissions and submissions to its special issue entitled SomaFlights until November 1st. It is also open to pitches for its online blog. Submitting to MQR costs $3, but accepted writers are paid for their pieces. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but previously published pieces are not.
The New Yorker. I can’t end a list of literary magazines without the quintessential literary magazine. The New Yorker mostly publishes longer pieces, often with multiple sections. These pieces range from genre to literary fiction to poetry. The New Yorker is one of the world’s biggest literary magazines, so it tends to only accept pieces from previously published writers.
Mental Health
I mentioned this in my previous post about submitting to literary magazines, but this is important enough to warrant repeating. A literary magazine’s rejection does not reflect your worth as a writer or the quality of your writing. Often, it is more likely that your piece does not fit the LitMag’s specific theme or essence. You can always submit your piece to another literary magazine, self-publish it, or keep it for personal joy. A rejection is not worth worrying about.
That being said, if a LitMag offers you feedback, you should definitely consider implementing it. An outsider tends to look at your piece more objectively than you can and editors have experience working with different types of works. Of course, you have the final say over your piece, and should always balance your judgment with outside feedback.
And if your piece is accepted, congratulations! You deserve it.