The TGEP Literary Network
Literary Magazines and Journals Around the World
A curated working directory of established literary magazines and journals for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, flash, translation and young writers, with current reading periods, submission routes and editorial notes.
The right journal is a readership, not merely a publication credit.
TGEP favours publications with identifiable editors, clear submission rules and a serious publishing record. A writer should read the journal before submitting and send only work that belongs naturally in its editorial world.
Where writers can submit now
These are the most useful September 2026 signals from the directory. Always open the official guidelines immediately before submitting because caps, special calls and portal conditions can change.
September windows are open
Granta, AGNI, The Common and Kenyon Review are inside stated September reading periods.
Longer windows remain open
Ploughshares reads through 15 November. SmokeLong Quarterly is in its August–November general reading period.
Year-round routes
The Missouri Review, Narrative and The Bombay Review currently maintain year-round or rolling submission routes.
Opening next
Poetry reopens 15 September. The Paris Review next accepts online prose and poetry in October, while postal submissions remain year-round.
Open Now means an official reading period is presently active. Rolling means no fixed regular deadline is stated. Opens Soon means a future opening is published. Monitor means the journal is credible but the relevant creative window is presently closed or cap-based.
Selected Literary Magazines and Journals
This is an editorially selected directory, not an exhaustive list. Dates, fees, payment, word limits, rights and AI rules can change. The official journal page remains controlling.
TGEP Editorial Pick · United Kingdom
Open NowGranta
One of the best-known international literary magazines, accepting unsolicited fiction and nonfiction during stated reading periods.
TGEP Editorial Pick · United States
Open NowAGNI
Published at Boston University, AGNI seeks distinctive poetry and prose that resists formula and carries an individual intelligence and voice.
Fiction · Nonfiction · Poetry
Open NowPloughshares
An established journal at Emerson College with a broad literary remit and an annual open reading period for unsolicited work.
September Reading Period
Open NowThe Kenyon Review
A major American literary journal with a concentrated September general reading period and clear payment terms.
Poetry Foundation
Opens 15 SepPoetry Magazine
Poetry, published by the Poetry Foundation, receives a very large volume of work and uses an annual September-to-June reading cycle.
Place · Migration · Community
Open NowThe Common
The Common publishes literature in which place is active rather than decorative, including work engaging landscape, migration, community and cultural memory.
Flash Fiction & Nonfiction
Open NowSmokeLong Quarterly
A specialist flash journal with a long archive, defined reading periods and clear contributor-payment information.
University Literary Journal
Year-RoundThe Missouri Review
A long-running University of Missouri journal that remains open to regular submissions throughout the year.
Broad Literary Categories
Year-RoundNarrative Magazine
Narrative accepts a wider range of lengths and forms than many literary magazines, including fiction, memoir, literary nonfiction, poetry and selected longer work.
TGEP Regional Reference · India
RollingThe Bombay Review
An India-based international literary magazine with a rolling regular submission cycle and separate themed or special calls.
Prose & Poetry
Online Opens OctThe Paris Review
A major international literary review with year-round postal submissions and capped online windows in specified months.
Short Fiction · Cap-Based
Check PortalOne Story
One Story publishes one work of short fiction at a time and uses capped submission periods rather than a fixed closing date.
TGEP Young Writers Reference
Fall 2026One Teen Story Contest
A credible international publication route for teenage fiction writers, with three stories selected annually through its free contest.
International Writing · United Kingdom
Creative ClosedWasafiri
Wasafiri is an established journal of international contemporary writing and criticism with periodic creative submission windows.
Translation & World Literature
Special Call RollingAsymptote
A major international journal of literary translation and world writing, publishing work from many languages and countries.
AI rules now belong in every submission check
Literary journals no longer follow one common assumption about artificial intelligence. Policies range from complete prohibition to disclosure requirements. Read the current rule for every journal before sending work.
Some journals prohibit AI assistance
AGNI states that it will not consider work produced in whole or in part by a large language model. One Story likewise says AI may not be used for ideas, drafting or revision.
Some require disclosure
The Missouri Review permits submission only with detailed disclosure when artificial intelligence generated any portion of the work.
Never assume the rule
A spelling tool, translation tool, structural suggestion and generated sentence may be treated differently by different editors. The journal's own current wording controls.
How to choose where to submit
A prestigious journal can still be the wrong destination. Publication begins with editorial fit.
Read before submitting
Read several recent pieces, not merely the masthead. Look at voice, length, form, subject, pacing and the kind of risk the editors reward.
Compare cost with value
A small service charge is not automatically suspect, but it should be weighed against payment, access alternatives, response time and the journal's publication record.
Know what rights are taken
Check first-publication rights, exclusivity periods, archive rights, print or anthology permissions and when rights revert to the author.
Respect simultaneous-submission rules
If simultaneous submissions are allowed, withdraw promptly when accepted elsewhere. Some journals require a message rather than withdrawal of an entire multi-piece file.
Do not confuse journals with book publishers
A literary magazine may publish an extract, story or essay without considering the complete book. Follow the precise category offered.
Track every submission
Record journal, title, date sent, response window, simultaneous-submission status, outcome and any rights or payment terms.
Before you press Submit
A five-minute rules check can prevent an otherwise good submission from being rejected unread.
What should a literary magazine cover letter contain?
Keep it brief and professional. Identify the submitted work and genre, state that it is unpublished where relevant, provide a short biography, and disclose simultaneous submission or translation details only where required. Do not explain the story at length, praise your own writing or provide a personal history unless the journal specifically asks for it.
Rights, fees and misleading submission offers
Use the journal's official domain or official submission manager. Be cautious of copied calls on social media, unofficial payment requests, guaranteed publication, excessive rights demands, or a fee that is not explained in the official guidelines. A legitimate publication should make its editorial identity, submission route and publication terms reasonably clear.
Common questions from writers
Should I submit to the most famous journal first?
Not automatically. Submit where the piece fits. A well-matched serious journal is usually a better first destination than a prestigious publication whose editorial character is plainly different from the work.
Can I send the same piece to several journals?
Only where simultaneous submissions are permitted. If one journal accepts the piece, follow every other journal's withdrawal procedure immediately.
Does a submission fee mean a journal is unreliable?
No. Some established journals charge small online service fees or contest fees. The important questions are transparency, the publication's record, what the fee supports, available free routes, contributor payment and the rights requested.
Can work posted on my website or social media still count as unpublished?
Policies differ. Some journals regard any public online appearance as prior publication, while others make limited exceptions. Never assume. Check the journal's own definition before submitting.
Do literary magazines accept chapters from novels?
Some do, but only when their guidelines say so and usually when the excerpt can stand independently. A journal submission is not the same as submitting a complete novel to a publisher or literary agent.
How TGEP maintains this directory
The Good Earth Publishers links to official publication and submission pages wherever possible and records reading periods, fees, payment and eligibility only where the information can be stated with reasonable confidence. This page was editorially checked on 12 September 2026. Because submission portals can close early or change without notice, the official journal guidelines always take precedence.
Please verify every submission opportunity
Reading periods, caps, fees, payment rates, word limits, eligibility, rights and AI policies may change. Always consult the journal's current official guidelines before submitting work or paying a fee. TGEP provides this page as an independent information resource and does not administer third-party journals or guarantee publication.
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