Founded in 2004, Bat City Review is a literary journal and community devoted to supporting emerging and established writers and artists.

Dedicated to diversity of form, thought, and voice we publish poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and visual art crafted with passion and precision—work that expands our imaginations and complicates our conversations; work willing to take risks, surprise, experiment, and play. 

Collaboratively edited by MFA candidates from the New Writers Project, Michener Center for Writers, and Studio Art; Bat City Review is generously supported by the University of Texas at Austin’s English Department and James A. Michener Center for Writers.

These lit mags specifically note in their guidelines that they publish established and emerging writers alike. Nice:D 

Landing a piece in one of these would be a real nice bolster the ol' (new) literary bio. 

13 Top-Tier Lit Mags That Publish New Writers

This list is a mixed bag. Some places are highly competitve, some accessible, and some just have good vibes. 

What they all have in common though is that they love to publish emerging writers and you can trust them with your work. 

18 Lit Mags Every New Writer Should Know About 

Printed lit mags are way cooler than you'd expect. Some are pocket-sized. Others are like actual books. Lots of writers get so much more out of seeing their work in print. Holding it. Smelling it. Using it as a reason to show their favorite English teacher while low-key checking if they're still married. We have over 1000 mags with printed issues so we cut this down to our most competitive ones in our top two vibe categories. Good Luck!

89 Reputable Lit Mags with Print Issues

Top-tier magazines that specifically welcome first-time writers. No fancy bio required—these editors focus on the quality of your work, not your credentials.

Classy AF Lit Mags That Love & Support Emerging Writers

Story-focused publications with works chosen for Pushcart Prize anthologies. Selection indicates exceptional quality, as less than 5% of nominated fiction typically makes it into the anthology. These journals have consistently identified stories that stand out among thousands of nominations.

Fiction Magazines Featured in Pushcart Prize Anthologies

Publications with pieces chosen for, or mentioned in, Pushcart Prize anthologies.

Lit Mags Featured in Pushcart Prize Anthologies

Essay-focused publications with works selected for Pushcart Prize anthologies. The Pushcart increasingly celebrates innovative nonfiction, with essays often comprising nearly a third of each anthology. These journals have repeatedly identified nonfiction that resonates with Pushcart editors and readers.

Nonfiction Magazines Featured in Pushcart Prize Anthologies

Verse-centered publications with poems chosen for Pushcart Prize anthologies. Poetry selections represent the most competitive category, with thousands of nominations for roughly 30 slots annually. These journals have consistently identified poems that stand out in this intensely competitive field.

Poetry Magazines Featured in Pushcart Prize Anthologies

They told us personally or put it in their guidelines so go get em'. 

These Lit Mags Want to Be the First Place to Publish You 

Bat City Review

Issue 19 Contributors:
POETRY
Sasha Burshteyn * Cara Dees * Loisa Fenichell * Mag Gabbert * Nica Giromini * Ira Goga * Brian Henry * K. Iver * Russell Karrick * Tyler Kline * Roey Leonardi * Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum * Giovannai Rosa * Maria Zoccola
FICTION
Cara Lynn Albert * Stephen Brophy * Pauline Holdsworth * Donna Huneke * Zeke Jarvis * Mack Marsden * Matthew Mastricova * Adam Peterson * Christina Qiu
NONFICTION
Sylee Gore * Matt Knutson * Alex Tretbar * Jill Zheng
ART
Raffael Bader * Despy Boutris * Carrie Cook * Daisy Diamond * Esther Elia * Henry Goldkamp * LORRAINE * Michael Madrigali

BUY: Issue 19 - Poetry

Upload general fiction submissions here!
 Do not include any identifying information on your submission. 
 Please number your pages, and include a word count at the top of the first page. 
 Limit 6,000 words.
 Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please let us know immediately if a piece is accepted elsewhere. 
 Submit only once per genre per reading period. 
 Students and faculty at the University of Texas at Austin cannot submit. If we have published your work, please wait a full issue cycle before submitting again (2 years).
 If you have additional questions, please contact our fiction editor at fiction@batcityreview.com.
 We look forward to reading your work!

Fiction

Upload general poetry submissions here. 
Please no more than 5 poems as a single submission. 
Please submit only once per reading period. 
Do not include any identifying information on your submission file. 
.doc and .docx files strongly preferred!
Simultaneous submissions are fine, but do let us know immediately if a piece is accepted elsewhere. 
If you wish to withdraw only a particular piece from a submission of multiple poems, please add a note to your submission via Submittable.
Students and faculty at the University of Texas at Austin cannot submit. If we have published your work, please wait a full issue cycle before submitting again (2 years).
If you have any additional questions, please contact our poetry editor at poetry@batcityreview.com.
We look forward to reading your work!

Poetry

Upload creative nonfiction submissions here!
Do not include any identifying information on your submission. 
Do include a word count at the top of the first page, and please keep submissions under 6,000 words. 
Submit only once per genre per reading period. 
Simultaneous submissions encouraged, though we ask that you withdraw your piece should it be accepted elsewhere.
Students and faculty at the University of Texas at Austin cannot submit. If we have published your work, please wait a full issue cycle before submitting again (2 years).
If you have additional questions, please contact our nonfiction editor at nonfiction@batcityreview.com.
We look forward to reading your work!

Creative Nonfiction

Please upload visual art submissions here. 
We are receptive to art submissions of all kinds, inclusive of drawing, painting, photography, digital works, and documentation of sculpture and performance. We welcome anything that can be represented well in our print publication or on our website.
Editors may elect to publish accepted visual submissions either online or in our print issue, or both. 
Accepted file formats include: pdf, doc, docx, jpg, jpeg, mp4, tif, tiff, png, mov, avi.
If the file type you need is not available, please contact the Art Editor for assistance, or upload a .jpg photo or .pdf with a SAMPLE OF THE WORK. Specify the nature of the submission in your cover letter. The editors will review your sample and contact you if they wish to see more.
If you have further questions, contact our art editor at art@batcityreview.com
Students and faculty at the University of Texas at Austin cannot submit. If we have published your work, please wait a full issue cycle before submitting again (2 years).

Bat City Review

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