Do you think you’re destined to be the next great author of our generation? Wondering what you have to do to get there?
Many of the most talented, well-respected authors have gotten their start in literary magazines. Why?
Think of literary magazines as a sort of massive filter to select the cream of the crop among thousands of just ‘average’ writers.
The top editors and publishers in the world–the people who publish anthologies like “Best American Short Stories”–look for new authors in prestigious literary magazines, because they know that those magazines have already done most of the work for them. The literary magazine editors spend all year processing thousands of manuscripts, and have taken painstaking care to pick the very best.
That’s why getting published in a prestigious literary magazine means immediate, global, recognition as a highly-talented writer.
You can think of them like the Ivy Leagues of short-form writing. Drop Harvard on your resume, everyone will want to hire you. Drop Cincinnati Review on your portfolio, everyone will want to publish you.
So, take your shot. What’s the worst that could happen? I’ll tell you the best thing that could happen:
Overnight, you go from struggling writer to world-renowned published author.
To give you an extra edge, we hand-picked 3 magazines that just opened submissions for the year in September, which means you can get on top of the pile before you’re competing with thousands of other writers for attention.
Good luck!
Don’t think you’re ready for these incredibly competitive opportunities? Learn more about how we can help you prepare your work for submission. Hop into our calendar for a consultation call.
If these just aren’t you’re thing, no worries. We put out a curated list of the latest publishing opportunities each week. Be sure to check back here in 7 days for 3 more opportunities! Or, you can get on our mailing list to have this list delivered straight to your inbox. Never miss a publishing opportunity again. Click below to sign up.
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The Cincinnati Review
Who they are: This is one of the biggest names in literary journals. “The Cincinnati Review has published many promising new and emerging writers as well as Pulitzer Prize winners and Guggenheim and MacArthur fellows. Poetry and prose from our pages have been selected to appear in the annual anthologies Best American Poetry, Best American Essays, New Stories from the South, Best American Short Stories, Best American Fantasy, Best American Mystery Stories, New Stories from the Midwest, and Best Creative Nonfiction.”
What they publish: Fiction, literary nonfiction, poetry, and flash fiction. They are open to submissions from writers at any point in their careers.
Word Count: No more than 40 double-spaced pages for fiction; 20 for nonfiction; 10 manuscript pages for poetry
Pay: $25/page for prose, $30/page for poetry
Accepting submissions since: September 1, 2020
Deadline: January 1, 2021
Get more information and submit here.
The Antioch Review
Who they are: The Antioch Review is one of the oldest, continuously publishing literary magazines in America and has garnered extremely high respect among the writing community. They say: “the Antioch Review has an international readership and reputation of publishing the “best words in the best order” for over 75 years.” To be published in the Antioch Review is to be in company with some of the most influential writers, from Ralph Ellison to Silvia Plath to Leon E. Panetta.
What they publish: Nonfiction essays, fiction, and poetry from promising and prominent authors. They say about fiction submissions: “It is the story that counts, a story worthy of the serious attention of the intelligent reader, a story that is compelling, written with distinction.”
Word count: They recommend against submissions of over 5,000 words. 8,000 is the outside limit
Pay: $20/page (about 425 words)
Accepting submissions since: September 1, 2020
Deadline: May 31, 2021 for nonfiction and fiction. April 30, 2021 for poetry.
Get more information and submit here.
Copper Nickel
Who they are: Copper Nickel is a national literary journal housed at the University of Colorado Denver. Work published in Copper Nickel has appeared in the Best American Poetry, Best American Short Stories, Best Small Fictions, and Pushcart Prize anthologies, and has been listed as “notable” in the Best American Essays anthology.
What they publish: Poetry, fiction, essays, and translation folios “with a particular—but by no means exclusive—interest in work that considers sociohistorical context.”
Wordcount: They do not have explicit limits on length, but state that “longer-than-normal pieces have to earn their space.”
Pay: $30/page, along with the possibility to win one of two $500 prizes for poetry or prose.
Accepting submissions since: September 1, 2020
Deadline: December 15, 2020
Read their guidelines and submit your work here.
Is your work ready for these prestigious magazines?
Thousands of writers submit for very few publication spots–especially for prestigious magazines like these. Editors can’t–and won’t–read past your first five pages if it’s not top-quality work. If you’re unsure whether or not your work is ready, we can help.
You can sign up for our five page review here to get feedback and professional editing on your work so it’s ready to publish.
Check out how our services helped Lauren get a short story published in an anthology:
