When I tell people that I founded Ruminate, an arts and literary magazine, I often get blank stares and hear: “Umm…what is a literary magazine?” I realize everyone here is fairly literary folks, but I still think this is a great question—one worth asking and answering. Especially because, in my experience, many writers don’t know enough about the publications they are submitting to or the rich world in which these magazines exist. And getting published has everything to do with researching and understanding the publications out there!

.

So, I usually tell this friend how the six hundred or so currently publishing US literary magazines make up a non-commercialized market of small or “little” magazines that promote a variety work and genres from both established and emerging writers. Each magazine typically has a specific mission or niche, like an environmental focus or one that only publishes writers only from the west coast (check for this mission in the tagline under the magazine title, on the masthead page, or the “about us” page on their website). They also have a small circulation—usually between five hundred and ten thousand, are often a nonprofit organization run by volunteer staff and maintained by donations and grants or affiliated with a university. They typically pay only in a subscription or contributor copies, although some of the larger and/or university-funded magazines pay anywhere from $5 to $30 per printed page. And, reputable magazines do not charge a reading fee for general submissions. Most do, however, charge an entry/reading fee for contests.

.

The next question I often hear is, “Well, why do they matter?” This was a question we asked ourselves when starting Ruminate, and I think it is also very valid. I usually share how literary magazines provide an important opportunity for new writers to begin and establish a career, how it is easier to find a publisher for a manuscript of short stories or poetry if some of the work has already been published in literary magazines, and how they are one of the few places where experimental/boundary-pushing work or “no-name” authors may find a home. No literary magazine makes a “profit”—therefore, they don’t have to answer to advertisers or commercial marketing and can truly serve and foster the literary arts. What a gift!

.

And on a more practical level, many great writers began their careers by first publishing in literary magazines, and most in the publishing world would agree that this is still true today. It is a tried and true process and agents and publishers will want to see that you have published work in reputable literary magazines. Also, many anthologies (such as The Best American Short Stories or The Best American Poetry) select work every year from literary magazines around the country.

.

Now the most eager of folks might even ask where they can find our more about these fascinating publications. In which case I’d get their email address and promise to send them a list of resources (see below). And I’d also tell them that they should join the conversation—pick one literary magazine…and subscribe! And help ensure that this rich world of voices and words continues to thrive.

.

Online Literary Magazine Resources

.

Duotrope - searchable by genre, word count, payscale, response times, rejection rate, etc. 

New Pages - literary magazine database, magazine reviews, and calls for submissions.  

Poets and Writers Online - Lit magazine database searchable by genre with info on reading periods and editorial guidelines. 

Winning Writers - Primarily geared toward poets.

Lit List - Literary magazines, contests, and online litmags, allows you to “follow” your favorite literary mags.

.

Print Resources (available in the reference section of most libraries):

. 

CLMP Literary Press and Magazine Directory - Detailed submission guidelines for online and print literary magazines and profiles of top publishers and journal editors.

.  

International Directory of Little Magazines & Small Presses - Full editorial information on both book and magazine publishers; 4,000 markets for writers to sell their work.

.

Thanks for Reading JWorld Café, the Poetica Magazine Blog

Brianna Van Dyke, Guest Blogger

.

Brianna Van Dyke is the founder and editor-in-chief of Ruminate: Faith in Literature and Art. She recently completed her MA in English literature from Colorado State University where her thesis was on literary magazines. She has presented at numerous publishing and editing conferences and workshops across the country and last month spoke on a panel of small press and little magazine editors at the Calvin College Festival of Faith and Writing. She lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, with her husband, two kids, and two dogs. - Linda Pressman, Blog Editor