antae was first established in 2013 as an academic journal, and was relaunched in 2024 as a journal of creative writing. Since then they’ve published three issues with writing from 22 to 29 contributors. The issues are thoughtfully designed and available to read for free as downloadable PDFs.

antae holds three submission periods each year: June 1 through August 31, October 1 through December 31, and February 1 through April 31. They also sometimes hold additional submission periods for special issues, contests, and events.

Poets may submit up to four poems in any style. Although there’s no length limit, if any poem exceeds three pages, only one poem may be submitted. Authors of prose—fiction or creative nonfiction—may submit 1,000 to 3,000 words in any genre or style. They also accept excerpts from longer works in both poetry and prose.

antae also accepts scripts, creative criticism, reviews, and other works that don’t fit into the categories they’ve outlined.

Authors of scripts may submit 1,500 to 4,500 words in any genre or style. Authors of creative criticism may submit works of any length, using past issues of antae as a guideline. Authors may also contact antae to pitch reviews of creative works—such as novels, essay collections, poetry anthologies, and plays—or to ask about submitting writing that does not fit into their usual categories—such as interviews, videos, and artwork.

In addition to writing in English, antae also accepts English translations from Maltese. All submissions undergo a three-stage review process, and writing is considered without the author’s name attached. 

antae accepts submissions via email, not online or by post. antae does not accept simultaneous submissions or previously published writing. Authors may submit once per submission period. Submissions to one issue may be considered for later issues as well. Authors will be notified when this is the case.

antae only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to antae, please visit their website here. 

Bio: Ella Peary is the pen name for an author, editor, creative writing mentor, and submission consultant. Over the past five years, she’s written hundreds of articles for Authors Publish, and she’s also served as a copywriter and copy editor for a wide range of organizations and individuals. She is the author of The Quick Start Guide to Flash Fiction. She occasionally teaches a course on flash fiction. You can contact her at ellapeary@gmail.com.

149 Review launched in 2025, and since then they’ve published two online issues, with writing from twelve and thirteen contributors. Both the journal and the website as a whole  are thoughtfully designed. The journal is published twice a year, in the summer and winter. They also offer craft essays and other craft resources, as well as a podcast about submissions.

149 Review is open to poetry submissions twice a year: from February 1 through April 30 for their summer issue, and August 1 through October 31 for their winter issue. Poets may send one submission per reading period. They are open to fiction and nonfiction submissions year-round, and authors in these categories should submit no more than once every three months.

Poets may submit three to five poems. Authors of fiction and creative nonfiction may send one short story or essay, 5,000 words or fewer (keeping in mind that they prefer stories and essays under 3,000 words).

Every issue, 149 Review awards a non-monetary prize to one poem, one story, and one creative essay with exceptional craft: “It takes an incredible amount of time to develop a command over one’s craft toolkit, and as writers ourselves, we want to put that effort on display.” All submissions are considered for these prizes. 149 Review also plans to nominate writing published in the journal for all the major anthologies.

149 Review accepts submissions via email, not online or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions, but ask that authors withdraw writing published elsewhere. They do not accept previously published work, and they do not accept writing generated or assisted by AI.

149 Review only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to 149 Review, please visit their website here. 

Bio: Ella Peary is the pen name for an author, editor, creative writing mentor, and submission consultant. Over the past five years, she’s written hundreds of articles for Authors Publish, and she’s also served as a copywriter and copy editor for a wide range of organizations and individuals. She is the author of The Quick Start Guide to Flash Fiction. She occasionally teaches a course on flash fiction. You can contact her at ellapeary@gmail.com.

Shadowplay was established in 2023, and since then they’ve published three yearly issues. The most recent issue contains writing by 36 contributors, with six pieces available to read for free online. The print edition is distributed in bookstores, libraries, academic institutions, and through online retailers.

Shadowplay is open to submissions from October 15 through March 15. Poets may submit up to five pages, with each poem beginning on a separate page. Authors of fiction and nonfiction may submit up to 2,500 words. Authors may send one submission per genre per reading period. Submitting authors can expect a response within six months.

Authors published in Shadowplay receive one contributor copy of the print journal, and Shadowplay nominates authors published in the journal for the Pushcart Prize.

Shadowplay accepts submissions via email, not online or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions but ask that authors withdraw writing published elsewhere. They do not accept previously published work.

Shadowplay only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Shadowplay, please visit their website here. 

Bio: Ella Peary is the pen name for an author, editor, creative writing mentor, and submission consultant. Over the past five years, she’s written hundreds of articles for Authors Publish, and she’s also served as a copywriter and copy editor for a wide range of organizations and individuals. She is the author of The Quick Start Guide to Flash Fiction. She occasionally teaches a course on flash fiction. You can contact her at ellapeary@gmail.com.

Root Smoke will begin publishing in February of this year, and right now they are seeking submissions for their first publications. They plan to publish three times a week, featuring poetry every Tuesday, fiction every Thursday, and an essay, interview, or artwork every Sunday. Then on the last Wednesday, they will share a compilation of everything published that month.

In general, Root Smoke is looking for memorable writing with emotional resonance and “clarity balanced with mystery”. Poets may submit up to five poems. Authors of fiction may submit up to three flashes or short stories, totaling 8,000 words or fewer. Authors of creative nonfiction may submit up to two pieces, totaling 6,000 words or fewer. Root Smoke also accepts book reviews, interviews, and hybrid writing.

Root Smoke accepts submissions via email, not online or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions but ask that authors withdraw writing published elsewhere. They do not accept previously published work, and they do not accept writing generated or assisted by AI.

Root Smoke only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Root Smoke, please visit their website.

Bio: Ella Peary is the pen name for an author, editor, creative writing mentor, and submission consultant. Over the past five years, she’s written hundreds of articles for Authors Publish, and she’s also served as a copywriter and copy editor for a wide range of organizations and individuals. She is the author of The Quick Start Guide to Flash Fiction. She occasionally teaches a course on flash fiction. You can contact her at ellapeary@gmail.com.

The quarterly lit mag features selections from five zines and is available to read for free online. The full-length zines are also available for purchase; they are created by paid artists and folded by hand.

The zine vending machine is a pop-up installation that can be found at museums, bookstores, art galleries, festivals, and more, mostly in the Southern United States. You can find out where it will be here.

Zine Machine is open for submissions four times a year: from January 1-31 for the Spring edition, April 1-30 for the Summer edition, July 1-31 for the Fall edition, and October 1-31 for the Winter edition.

Authors may submit up to two mini zines. The whole zine must fit on one side of an 8.5” x 11” paper, which will be folded into a zine no larger than 4.25” x 2.75”.  They offer a mini zine design guide to help with this. Zines may include writing and/or artwork of any kind.

All zines accepted for publication will be published online, and will be available in the zine vending machine. Authors published by Zine Machine will receive $20.

Zine Machine accept submissions online using Submittable, not via email or by post. They only accept original writing and artwork. Zines that include collage or found elements must meet fair use guidelines.

Zine Machine only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Zine Machine, please visit their website here.  

For online publication they are open to submissions of written and visual works, “including but not limited to poetry, short stories, personal essays, opinion pieces, photography, illustrations, and videos”.

Their website is easy to navigate, well organized, and the work they share is well presented. It’s easy to get a feel for what they publish online here.

They accept all submissions through Google forms, which you can see here, although I very much encourage you to read some pieces first to see if they are a good fit for your work or not.

Lamplit was established earlier this year, and so far they’ve published two out of four quarterly issues. Their first and second issue featured 19 contributors in each issue. Both issues are thoughtfully designed and available as free digital downloads.

Right now Lamp Lit is seeking submissions for their winter issue.

Poets may submit three to five poems of any length, though very long poems will need to be exceptional to be published. Authors of fiction may submit up to three stories, 6,000 words or fewer each. Lamp Lit also accepts flash fiction, and authors of flash may submit up to three stories, 1,000 words or fewer each. Authors of creative nonfiction may submit one personal essay, 6,000 words or fewer.

They also welcome other writing that stands on its own but doesn’t fit a genre category, as long as it’s 6,000 words or fewer.

Authors submitting to Lamp Lit can expect a response within three months. Lamp Lit nominates authors published in the journal for The Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net.

Lamp Lit accepts submissions via email, not online or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions but ask that authors withdraw writing published elsewhere. They do not accept writing previously published in another literary journal; however, they do accept writing published on personal websites or social media.

Lamp Lit does not accept submissions generated by AI. They only accept submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online, so please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Lamp Lit, please visit their website here. 

Wild Greens has been published monthly since 2020, and each issue contains work from around ten to fifteen contributors—both authors and visual artists alike. Some issues also contain forms that combine image and text, such as collage and erasure. 

Each issue of Wild Greens is themed, and past themes have included “protection,” “time,” and “mending.” Now through December 15, Wild Greens is seeking submissions on the theme “The Great Unknown”.

Poets may submit up to five poems of any kind. Authors of fiction may submit one piece, 1,000 words or fewer, in any genre. Wild Greens also accepts longer fiction to be serialized across multiple issues. Authors of creative nonfiction may submit one personal essay, 2,000 words or fewer.

Wild Greens accepts a wide variety of other work too, including cultural commentary—such as responses to current events or reviews of television shows, 2,000 words or fewer—and visual art—such as photographs, paintings, sketches, digital images, and photos of handmade items. They also accept musical recordings.

All submissions should respond to the monthly theme.

Submitting authors can expect a response within one week of the deadline. Authors published in Wild Greens will receive a small honorarium.

Wild Greens accepts submissions using an online form, not via email or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions, but they do not accept previously published work.

Wild Greens only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Wild Greens, please visit their website here. 

Shift was established in 2018, and since then they’ve published seven annual issues. Each edition is available online as a free digital journal, and in print. Most issues contain writing from around 40 contributors.

Now through January 15, 2026, Shift is seeking submissions for their eighth issue. Authors of fiction and nonfiction may submit pieces up to 4,000 words. Poets may submit poems up to 75 lines. Authors may submit up to five pieces across all categories (poetry, fiction, and nonfiction), and each piece must be sent as a separate submission. This includes poems, which should be submitted one at a time. Submitting authors will receive a response by May 31, 2026.

All authors published in Shift receive a print copy of the journal. Shift also nominates authors published in the journal for prizes and anthologies like Best of the Net, The Pushcart Prize, and others.

Authors of especially strong submissions might be invited to join Ringling’s Visiting Writers Forum, “a conversation series with authors and other literary professionals.” You can learn more about the Visiting Writers Forum here.

Shift accepts submissions using an online form, not via email or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions, but ask that authors withdraw writing published elsewhere. They do not accept previously published work.

Shift does not accept writing generated by AI. They only accept submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online, so please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Shift, please visit that website here. 

Months to Years was founded in 2017, by two writers who had each experienced the loss of a spouse. So far, Months to Years has published 27 issues, each with writing from around fifteen to twenty contributors. You can read the journal for free online, on their webpage or as a thoughtfully designed digital flipbook. They also offer the journal in print.

Months to Years is published four times annually—in the spring, summer, fall, and winter—and they hold four corresponding submission periods each year. This year, they’re accepting submissions from October 15 through December 1 for their Spring 2026 issue, from January 15 through March 1 for their Summer 2026 issue, from April 15 through June 1 for their Fall 2026 issue, and from July 15 through September 1 for their Winter 2027 issue. They also sometimes put out additional calls for themed publications.

Authors of nonfiction—essays, memoires, and other creative forms—may submit one piece, up to 2,500 words. Poets may submit one poem. Authors should send only one submission per submission period.

Months to Years does not accept fiction. And while they do accept writing about the death of pets and animals, they are primarily interested in writing about the death of humans.

Months to Years accepts submissions online using Submittable, not via email or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions but ask that authors withdraw writing published elsewhere. They do not accept previously published work, including writing published on personal websites and social media. And they do not accept writing created by AI.

Months to Years only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Months to Years, please visit their website here. 

That said, Emerald City Ghosts loves “ghost stories of any kind” as well as monster stories: “especially if it’s an obscure monster or a monster created by you.” You can read the journal online to get a sense of what they like.

Emerald City Ghosts is published monthly online, and each issue contains around five pieces of writing. They also publish weekly installments of longer ghost stories. Right now, they’re publishing parts of a story called “The Haunting of Swinomish Channel” each week.

Emerald City Ghosts accepts general submissions year-round. They also accept submissions for themed calls throughout the year. Now through October 31, they’re accepting submissions on the theme of “Signs and Omens.” After that, their upcoming themes will include: “Oceans,” “Winter and Winter Solstice,” “Cosmic Horror and Old Gods,” “Curses,” “The Haunted House,” and “Summer Camp.” They also accept general submissions both during and after themed calls.

Authors are required to subscribe to the journal’s free Substack newsletter before submitting. Authors of fiction may submit flashes up to 500 words, or short stories up to 2,000 words. Poets may submit poems up to 50 lines (though they prefer poems under 20 lines). They also accept movie and book reviews up to 1,000 words.

Emerald City Ghosts encourages authors to submit work that doesn’t quite fit these parameters if it’s a good fit in other ways: “We’ll make exceptions for the right piece!” That said, all writing submitting should have a paranormal element, and they prefer stories with “grungy, rainy, coastal vibes” or a strong sense of place.

Emerald City Ghosts accepts submissions using an online form, not via email or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions, but they ask that authors let them know if the submission is published elsewhere. They also accept reprints.

Emerald City Ghosts does not accept writing generated by AI. They only accept submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online, so please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you’d like to learn more or submit to Emerald City Ghosts, please visit their website here. 

They showcase authors of all experience levels—new, emerging, and established—and they publish writing from around the world. But all of the writing they feature—poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid—focuses on brevity.

DASH was founded in 2008, and they publish one print issue each year. Right now they’re returning from a one-year hiatus.

DASH is open for submissions through March 1, 2026. Submitting authors will receive a response in late May, and the journal will be published in late spring.

Author of fiction or creative nonfiction may submit one piece, 2,000 words or fewer. Poets may submit up to five poems, 30 lines or fewer each. DASH also accepts hybrid writing (no length limit is given, but keep in mind that the journal focuses on brief writing), and literary criticism, 2,000 words or fewer.

Authors published in DASH will receive a free print copy of the journal.

DASH accepts submissions online using Duosuma, not via email or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions, but they do not accept previously published work. They do not accept writing assisted by AI.

DASH only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to DASH, please visit their website here. 

Kismet launched earlier this year, and since then, they’ve published three online issues, each with writing from around 15 contributors. Starting in 2026, Kismet plans to publish three print editions each year. Kismet is run by Nearness, an organization that fosters connection through small groups that explore life’s big questions.

Kismet accepts submissions on a rolling basis. Authors of prose (fiction or nonfiction) may submit one piece. For essays, Kismet prefers pieces that go beyond the personal and stay relevant beyond the current news cycle. Poets may submit up to five poems. Kismet publishes poetry portfolios rather than individual poems. Kismet also accepts translations.

Authors published in Kismet are paid for their writing, though the specific amount for payment isn’t noted in the journal’s submission guidelines.

Kismet also plans to publish one book review per week, and they’re now accepting pitches. Books should align with the journal’s mission and should be forthcoming with a two to three month lead time. Reviews should be 1,500-2,000 words, and authors of published reviews will receive $250.

Kismet accepts submissions via email, not online or by post. Although they aim to respond to all submissions, submitting authors who don’t receive a response should consider their submission declined.

Kismet only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Kismet, please visit their website here. 

PINYON was founded in 1994. They publish one print edition each year in the spring, and you can read excerpts from each issue online.

PINYON accepts submissions from August 1 to December 1, and they respond to all submissions in February. They are looking for writing with a “clear voice” and “strong vision.” They accept all forms and styles of writing, including experimental work.

Poets may submit up to five poems. Authors of fiction and creative nonfiction may submit up to 10,000 words.

PINYON accepts English translations. They sometimes accept book reviews, but they are not open for reviews at this time.

PINYON accepts submissions online using Submittable, and by post. They do not accept submissions via email. PINYON accepts simultaneous submissions, but they ask that authors withdraw writing published elsewhere. They do not accept previously published work.

PINYON only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to PINYON, please visit their website here. 

Aorta is a new, youth-run literary magazine that explores the question, What does it mean to be human?: “Like the aorta, the heart’s main artery, we seek writing that feels alive.” Based in New Jersey, Aorta publishes poetry, creative nonfiction, and artwork.

Although Aorta welcomes writing from authors of all ages, they’re especially interested in submissions from young authors, ages 13-19. Right now, they’re curating their first issue.

Aorta welcomes writing on a wide range of topics, as long as it responds broadly to the question, What does it mean to be human? They want the writing published in Aorta to help readers gain, “a new perspective of life and humanity.”

Aorta publishes poems, critical essays, personal essays, memoirs, photographs and paintings. They also offer an “other” category, where they welcome all other forms of creative expression.

Authors should submit only one piece at a time, and can expect a response within one month. All submissions will receive feedback from Aorta’s editors. The deadline to submit to their first issue is December 1.

Aorta accepts submissions using an online form, not via email or by post. They do not accept previously published work.

Aorta only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Aorta, please visit their website here.