What We Publish
LITMAG PRINT
Fiction
Short stories, novellas
Nonfiction
Creative nonfiction; essays on literature, art, culture, and music; biography, memoir
Poetry
No restrictions on style or form
LITMAG ONLINE
Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry
Up to 4,000 words.
LITMAG CONTESTS
LitMag‘s Virginia Woolf Award for Short Fiction
First Prize: $2,500 + publication + agency review by Mollie Glick of CAA, Nat Sobel of Sobel Weber Associates, Lisa Bankoff of Bankoff Collaborative, Erin Harris and Sonali Chanchani of Folio Literary Management, Jenny Bent of The Bent Agency, David Forrer of Inkwell Management, Monika Woods of Triangle House, Emily Forland of Brandt & Hochman, and Sarah Fuentes of UTA. Results of the current contest will be announced by the end of May 2025. Click here for results of last year’s contest. Full contest guidelines are available on Submittable. The contest is open. Enter now.
LitMag‘s Anton Chekhov Award for Flash Fiction
First Prize: $1,250 + publication + agency review by Mollie Glick of CAA, Nat Sobel of Sobel Weber Associates, Erin Harris and Sonali Chanchani of Folio Literary Management, Jenny Bent of The Bent Agency, David Forrer of Inkwell Management, Monika Woods of Triangle House, Emily Forland of Brandt & Hochman, and Sarah Fuentes of UTA. Three Finalists will win $100 each. Results of this year’s contest will be announced by the end of May 2025. Click here for the results of last year’s contest. Full contest guidelines are available on Submittable. The contest is closed. It will reopen in summer of 2025.
LitMag‘s Emily Dickinson Award for Poetry
First Prize: $1,500 + publication + agency review by Amy Bishop-Wycisk of Trellis Literary Management, Emily Wescott of CAA, Haley Heidemann of William Morris Endeavor, Kelsey Day of Aragi, PJ Mark of Janklow & Nesbit, and Rayhane Sanders of Massie & McQuilken. Three Finalists will win $100 each. Results of this year’s contest will be announced by the end of April 2025. Click here for the results of last year’s contest. Full contest guidelines are available on Submittable. The contest is closed. It will reopen in May of 2025.
BARD BOOKS, an independent publisher affiliated with LitMag, is open for submissions. Visit www.bardbooks.com for guidelines about submitting your book of fiction, poetry, or nonfiction.
We are drawn to big minds, large hearts, sharp pens
Word Count Limits
Print: 15,000 words
Online: 4,000 words
What to Send
One story or essay at a time, up to three poems.
Please wait until you have heard back from us before submitting again.
Previously Unpublished
We do not consider work that has previously been published either in print or online including personal blogs etc.
(If a piece was published in a known journal that has since closed and the piece is currently unavailable, we will consider a reprint, though acceptance would be rare, and only after a full disclosure of previous publication circumstances.)
What We Pay*
LitMag Print: Upon acceptance, we pay $300 for full-length fiction or nonfiction (5,000+ words); $150 for fiction or nonfiction (2,500-4,999 words); $100 for a short short (flash); $100 for a poem or group of short poems.
LitMag Online: Upon acceptance, we pay $100.
What We Acquire
LitMag acquires First English-language print and electronic rights.
Copyright reverts to the author upon publication.
When to Submit
Regular submissions:
Fiction is open: Oct 1 to Dec 15; March 1 to May 31*
Poetry is open: Oct 1 to Dec 15; March 1 to May 31*
Nonfiction is open: Oct 1 to Dec 15; March 1 to May 31*
LitMag Online is open: Oct 1 to Dec 15; March 1 to May 31
*See our blog post of 8/18/23 about Regular Submissions.
Contest Deadlines:
LitMag‘s Virginia Woolf Award for Short Fiction. The contest is open. EXTENDED to January 10, 2025
LitMag‘s Anton Chekhov Award for Flash Fiction. The contest is closed. It will reopen in summer 2025.
LitMag‘s Emily Dickinson Award for Poetry is closed. It will reopen in spring 2025.
See previous contest results.
How to Submit
Online. We use Submittable. (Saves trees, prevents paper cuts.) We do not consider emails with attachments or snail mail.
Multiple Submissions
Please submit only once in each category and wait until you receive our response before submitting again. (A contest is its own category.)
Simultaneous Submissions
Yes, of course. But please withdraw your submission immediately via Submittable if another publication beats us to your work.
Response time
We try to respond to submissions as quickly as possible and strive to send a decision within nine months, but please understand that the volume of submissions may require us to take longer, especially for work under serious consideration.