This page has information about publishing opportunities for literary and nonfiction writing.

Objective: Explore options, opportunities and tips for publishing your written work. 

How to Submit Your Work to Literary Magazines

1. Prepare your work. Review, get feedback, revise and edit. Only submit work that is finished and polished. Follow Ms. Ntoso's writing process steps for any writing that you are interested in publishing.

2. Identify publishing opportunities (see below) that fit with the work you are interested in submitting, based on genre, focus, theme,  audience, and submission deadlines.

3. Read the journal's "About" page and some of the recent work that has been published in the journal. This will give you a good idea of the kind of work the editors are looking for.

4. Review the journal's submission guidelines carefully, and follow directions. If you don't follow the submission guidelines, many journals will reject your submission without even reading it.

5. Format your work according to the specifications in the guidelines. If there are no formatting requirements specified, the following specifications are generally considered acceptable for purposes:

   • Fonts: Times New Roman

   • Font size: 12pt

   • Spacing: single-spaced (or depends on the publication)

   • Margins: 1"

   • Document type: Word document (.doc)

6. Draft a cover letter (see below for details). Once you have drafted a cover letter, you can revise it and reuse it for many different submissions in the future. (Most submissions require that you include information about your writing and publishing background.)

7. Write your author bio - one paragraph written in third person

8. Rejection is common, so it's good to submit your work to multiple journals at a time. This is called simultaneous submissions, and most journals allow it; just be sure to let the other journals know if a piece has been accepted elsewhere. Once a piece has been published in one literary journal, it usually cannot be published in any other (unless the journal is specifically asking for previously-published work).

9. Submission Tracker - keep track of your submissions. Your submission tracker should list what journals you submitted to, the titles of the pieces you submitted, and the dates you submitted

Publishing Opportunities

Literary Magazines & Contests that Publish Teen Writing

• Teen Ink – magazine for teens, by teens

• Crashtest - magazine by and for high school students

• The Renaissance Review - The Renaissance Review is an online youth-led literary magazine that aims to merge literature with other disciplines like science and history. They especially love writing that explores a range of passions, like poems that showcase historical figures or fictional stories that explore scientific ideas: “Renaissance artists were not only writers, painters, performers, and musicians, but also inventors, philosophers, scientists, and scholars who delved deep into any subject that captivated them. We hope to capture the same spirit in our work.” Built on the idea of the "Renaissance Man"--one who has attained mastery in more than one field--the journal is dedicated to publishing literature and art that spins together passion in multiple fields, whether it be art about environmental activism or poems in the shape of free body diagrams. At Renaissance Review, we want your personal renaissances, whatever they may mean to you.

• Scribere - publishes work by 11-18 year olds, content must be appropriate for youth readers between the ages of 11-18

• Bridge: The Bluffton University Literary Journal - We appreciate fresh, unique perspectives and imagery on issues. We have found that means vivid language and precise word choice. The more specific you can be in detail, the less a reader will be wondering what was going on or how that character was reacting to a certain situation. We value work that shows the writer has thoroughly done their homework. If this is a topic or character outside of your own experience or background, do in-depth research on that topic and its histories!

• Paper Lantern - publishes work by and for readers age 13 and older. Writers 16 and older receive payment if a piece is accepted for publication.

• Cast of Wonders - young adult short fiction, open to stories up to 6,000 words in length. Here is their schedule.

• The Adroit Journal 

• Chincilla Lit - prose and poetry; Chinchilla Lit staff is composed entirely of high school students dedicated to making the world of literature accessible and friendly to young writers

• Ice Lolly Review - accepts all pieces from writers ages 12-26

• One Teen Story Contest - publishes 3 stories a year and accepts submissions from teen writers ages 13-19; winners receive $500

• Élan - international literary journal accepts original fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, screenwriting, plays, and all kinds of art from students ages 14-18

• Lunch Ticket - has a Young Adult genre category for writers between the ages of 13-17

• Polyphony Lit - international literary journal publishes work by high school students ages 14-18

• Levitate - Literary and Art Magazine of  the Chicago High School for the Arts, wants work that takes creative risks, challenges the status quo, and embodies quality and skill in form, voice, and genre

• The Daphne Review - accepts submissions from high school age writers and artists (ages 13-18).

• The Milking Cat- online teen comedy magazine

• Inertia - literary magazine published by a mental health initiative run by and for teenagers; only accepts submission from writers under 25 years old;  accepts a variety of pieces including, creative nonfiction, fiction, poems, plays, spoken word, artwork, photography, collages, etc.

• Blue Marble Review - literary journal open to students ages 13-22; accepts submissions of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, opinion pieces, travel writing, photography and art on a rolling basis

• Haiku Journal - offers small token payment

70 Places to Publish Teen Writing and Art – list from The New York Times

22 Magazines that Publish Writing by Children and Teens - list from Authors Publish

The New York Times 2024-25 Student Contest Calendar

Other Publishing Opportunities

The Acentos Review - publishes writing, art, music and multigenre work by Latinx writers. They are open to submissions all year long.

Latinx Lit Audio Mag - "Tell us a good story. All pieces are read aloud by the author. (We’ll send you a cheat sheet on how to record yourself.) Give us entertaining dialogue, an engaging writerly voice and rich descriptions. We want stories that are ultimately hopeful, even if the subject matter is sad."

Black Lawrence Press Immigrant Writing Series - for immigrants living in the US – for manuscripts of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and hybrid writing. “Poets and authors, at any stage of their careers, who identify as immigrants are welcome to submit a book manuscript of poetry or prose or a hybrid text for consideration.

Black Girl Times (BGX) - a publication from The Lighthouse, focusing on thought-provoking stories and content for Black women, girls, and the people who love them. 

Year-Round Publishing Opportunities

The Bluebird Word - supports and showcases work from new and emerging writers

Trampoline - poetry magazine that accepts submissions year-round

34 Journals Publishing Very Short Prose or Poetry

Public Poetry - Houston-based; initiatives include anthologies, events, and REEL Poetry Film Festival 

Ekphrastic Challenge - Art Inspiring Poetry

Each month, Rattle sponsors the Ekphrastic Challenge which features "a new piece of art to inspire your poetry. You’ll have one month to write and submit your poems. Each month, two winners—one chosen by the artist and the other by Rattle’s editor—will receive online publication and $100 each."

GROUND Journal - a biannual poetry journal of found object-inspired ekphrasis. Which is to say a poem that is a vivid description of an object, rather than a piece of art. 

Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP)

Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) is an organized community that helps independent literary publishers thrive to ensure a vibrant, diverse literary landscape. Comprised of hundreds of small publishers creating print and digital books, magazines, online publications, chapbooks and zines, who have come together to do our work as publishers better and to organize around a shared set of beliefs. Their website includes lots of resources including publishing guidelines, calls for submissions, a directory of publishers, and resources for educators.

Lit Mag Adoption: Through CLMP, I have adopted the following literary publications for AP English Literature and English IV. Please use the following link to order a subscription at 20-50% off the regular price.

•  The Cafe Review

• Creative Nonfiction

• Hanging Loose

• The Hopkins Review

• Kenyon Review

• The Massachusetts Review

• New England Review

• The Paris Review

• Ploughshares

• Alaska Quarterly Review

• One Story

• POETRY

• River Teeth: A Journal of Nonfiction Narrative

• The Sun Magazine

• The Southern Review

Publishing Small Group

1. Look at specific opportunities (pick 3 magazines/contests).

2. Discuss writing process and what it means to prepare your work for publishing (especially sharing, revising & editing).

3. Discuss two other things needed: bio & cover letter, share link to notes/outline.

4. Prepare and submit a finished piece to at least one magazine or contest.

Publishing Tips

Authors Publish is a an excellent resource for creative writers that features an email magazine with legitimate, up-to-date publishing opportunities, along with free articles, lectures and books to help you develop as a creative writer.

• Submit, Publish, Repeat: How to Publish Your Creative Writing in Literary Journals by Emily Harstone - PDF book with detailed information about publishing your writing

Self-Publishing Checklist from the Nonfiction Authors Association

Poetry & Chapbook Publishing

Editors Talk Poetry Acceptances - Frontier Poetry interview with editor of Poet Lore about what editors look for in poems

What is a Chapbook + 11 Chapbook Publishers by Emily Harstone

Practical Ways to Combat “Publishing Block”

Authors Publish Lecture by Emily Harstone; includes slides with helpful links and information (1 hr)

How to Increase Your Chance of a Literary Magazine Acceptance by 50% 

Author's Publish Lecture by Shannan Mann; includes slides with helpful information (1 hr)

The Publishing Industry

The Other Side of the Desk series from Authors Publish online magazine

Literary Publishing in the Twenty-First Century edited by Travis Kurowski, Wayne Miller & Kevin Prufer

Copyright

Info from Academy of American Poets Writing and Publishing FAQ: "You own the copyright of anything you write, regardless of whether you register it with the U.S. Copyright Office in Washington, D.C. However, you cannot win a copyright infringement case unless your work is registered. Many publishers will copyright in your name when they accept your book for publication, but you may prefer to fill out the form and send it in before submitting your work. You can download forms from the Library of Congress at http://www.copyright.gov/registration. For more information, see Brad Templeton's A Brief Intro to Copyright."

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