Whether you’re looking to get your work published or are itching for a good short story, here are some literary magazines with a unique edge you should check out!
1. Electric Literature
This nonprofit publication has an emphasis on social justice, and giving voices to emerging writers. They’re called “electric” because their main focus is on delivering their publications to readers electronically. Their website contains reading lists, conversations, and various essays. Recent eccentric headlines include “Is Technology Your Friend Or Your Enemy?” and “7 Dark Thrillers About Friendships Gone Wrong”. Fun fact: It was the first literary magazine to publish an issue on the iPhone and iPad!
2. Crazyhorse
Founded in 1960 and based in the College of Charleston in South Carolina, Crazyhorse is regarded as one of the fifty most influential magazines when it comes to publishing fiction, according to Writer’s Digest. Their main focus is on publishing poetry, giving voices to renowned poets such as Billy Collins, Robert Bly, and Franz Wright. Their content typically includes poems, essays, news, and fiction. You can also apply for their Crazyshorts! Short fiction writing contest, accepting submissions July 1st.
3. RATTLE
Based in Los Angeles, RATTLE’s focus is entirely poetry. Their goal is to publish meaningful poems, spreading their content and making things more accessible to a wider audience and reinstating their significance in the 21st century. They also cleverly have an Ekphrastic Challenge in their issues, where they post abstract paintings and ask people to write a poem based on said painting.
4. The First Line
Based in Texas, this literary magazine adds an unusual twist to all of its stories: they all start with the same line (one for each issue). Recent ones include “Benjamin was a man of his word”, “She said ‘I will’ then left”, and most recently, “I will visit again, if I am ever back this way”. This is done in order to help with writer’s block, and to see how many perspectives can occur from one sentence, where they all start off at the same place. The First Line also has an audio listening options to some of their stories, titled “TFL on tape”.
5. AGNI
Based in Boston University, this magazine gets its name after the Vedic fire god who is a guardian of mankind, and their symbol is a flying monkey. The publication has an emphasis on translated works, and likes to give voices to new, previously unpublished writers. Most of their submissions are in the print issue, meaning the work that can be seen on their digital website is only a small slice of what the magazine has to offer. Their content includes poetry, essays, interviews, reviews, and fiction. Fun fact: Their print issues are 240 pages long!
Featured image via NCTE.org