List of Best UK Literary Magazines for Author Submissions

You’re a writer, you have finished writing your story and are now looking for a well-maintained list of UK literary magazines open to author submissions.

Well you are in the right place!

Or perhaps you are frustrated by trawling through huge lists of UK literary magazines, only to discover that half the publications don’t exist anymore? Or the submission information is out of date?

Or you have to pay to kill off some trees by printing your work, posting it off and hoping to hear back sometime in the distant future, during which you aren’t allowed to do anything else with your masterpiece?

Well relax, you won’t find those issues here!

What you will find is a select list of literary magazines, personally chosen by myself. Due to the often short-lived nature of the literary magazine industry, I regularly update this list so that it only contains magazines that are a) operating and b) open to submissions from writers and poets.

BOOKMARK this big list of best UK literary magazines and submit your stories at your leisure. Regularly updated, this carefully curated list is a brilliant resource for authors!

This list of the best UK literary magazines and journals are all accepting submissions from authors and poets. There are fiction magazines accepting short stories, poetry magazines accepting submissions and online magazines and journals. Get your writing seen by readers in these top magazines to publish your short story, flash fiction or poem.

Literary magazines are one of the best routes to becoming a published author. You probably won’t make a lot of money from them, but you will gain new fans and forge links within the publishing industry.

I have also limited the list to (what I believe to be) the more reputable magazines. Those which have been established for a little while, aren’t on an indefinite break and aren’t associated with any specific religious, cultural or political leaning.

In this modern age, they must also accept emailed or online submissions and have an appealing, easy to navigate website.

A couple of my favourite international literary magazines (which are open to submission from UK authors) have been added too. If you think I have missed a UK literary magazine that fits into the above criteria and deserves to be on this list of the best ones, please let me know via my contact page.

---

List of Best UK Literary Magazines

A3 Review
Format: Print
Frequency: Twice per year
Submissions: Monthly competition for writing under 150 words
Website: The A3 Review

Acumen
Format: Print
Frequency: Three times per year
Submissions: Poems, literary critiques and reviews of poetry
Website: Acumen

Agenda
Format: Print and Online
Frequency: Three times per year
Submissions: Poems and reviews of poetry
Website: Agenda

Albedo One
Format: Print and Online
Frequency: Unscheduled
Submissions: Science Fiction short stories, poems, reviews and interviews
Website: Albedo One

Allegro Poetry Magazine
Format: Online
Frequency: Four times per year
Submissions: Poems
Website: Allegro Poetry Magazine

Apparition Literary Magazine
Format: Online
Frequency: Four times per year
Submissions: Short stories (1,000-5,000) and poetry
Website: Apparition Literary Magazine

Ash Tales
Format: Online and Audio
Frequency: Unscheduled
Submissions: Post-apocalyptic short stories around 2,000 words
Website: Ash Tales

Between These Shores
Format: Print
Frequency: Once per year, usually November
Submissions: Literary and supernatural short stories, usually submitted by July
Website: Between These Shores

Carve Magazine
Format: Print and Online
Frequency: Unscheduled
Submissions: Short stories and poetry
Website: Carve Magazine

Dawntreader
Format: Print
Frequency: Four times per year
Submissions: Short stories, poetry and reviews
Website: Dawntreader

East of the Web
Format: Online
Frequency: Unscheduled
Submissions: Short stories
Website: East of the Web

Envoi
Format: Print
Frequency: Twice per year – Apr and Oct
Submissions: Poems, reviews and articles
Website: Envoi

Fictive Dream
Format: Online
Frequency: Unscheduled
Submissions: Short stories between 500 and 2,500 words
Website: Fictive Dream

Foxglove Journal
Format: Online
Frequency: Unscheduled
Submissions: Short stories and poems
Website: Foxglove Journal

The Frogmore Papers
Format: Print
Frequency: Twice per year
Submissions: Short stories and poems – within strict Apr and Oct submission timeframes
Website: Frogmore

Ghastling
Format: Print
Frequency: Twice per year
Submissions: Short stories about ghosts and macabre things – up to 3,500 words
Website: Ghastling

Granta
Format: Print
Frequency: Four times per year
Submissions: Fiction, non-fiction and poetry
Website: Granta

Here Comes Everyone
Format: Print
Frequency: Four times per year
Submissions: Short stories (2,000 words), Poetry (35 lines) and Non-Fiction (1,500 words)
Website: Here Comes Everyone

High Window
Format: Print
Frequency: Four times per year
Submissions: Poems
Website: High Window

Hypertext Magazine
Format: Online
Frequency: Three times per year
Submissions: Flash Fiction, Short Stories (3,000) and Poetry
Website: Hypertext Magazine

Iceberg Tales
Format: Print and Online
Frequency: Unscheduled
Submissions: Shorts stories, poetry and critiques
Website: Iceberg Tales

Interpreter’s House
Format: Print
Frequency: Three times per year
Submissions: Short fiction and poetry up to 3,000 words
Website: Interpreter’s House

Lighthouse
Format: Print
Frequency: Four times per year
Submissions: Poems (60 words) and short stories (4,000 words)
Website: Lighthouse

Litro
Format: Print and Online
Frequency: Twelve times per year
Submissions: Short fiction around 4,000 words on specific themes
Website: Litro

Loud Coffee Press
Format: Online
Frequency: Unscheduled
Submissions: Flash Fiction (1,000) and Poetry
Website: Loud Coffee Press

Magma
Format: Print and Online
Frequency: Three times per year
Submissions: Poems
Website: Magma

Makarelle
Format: PDF Download and Online
Frequency: Four times per year
Submissions: Short Stories (2,000 words), poetry (40 lines) and non-fiction
Website: Makarelle

Memoirist
Format: Online
Frequency: Unscheduled
Submissions: Autobiographical non-fiction
Website: Memoirist

Milk + Beans
Format: Online
Frequency: Unscheduled
Submissions: Shorts stories, essays and poems
Website: Milk + Beans

Neon
Format: Print and Online
Frequency: Twice per year
Submissions: Shorts stories and poetry – no word limit
Website: Neon

One Story
Format: Print
Frequency: Unscheduled
Submissions: Literary fiction between 3,000 and 8,000 words
Website: One Story

Open Pen
Format: Print
Frequency: Four times per year
Submissions: Short stories up to 3,000 words
Website: Open Pen

Popshot
Format: Print and Online
Frequency: Three times per year
Submissions: Poetry (12-40 lines), Flash fiction (100-1000) and Short Stories (up to 3,000)
Website: Popshot

Pulp Poets Press
Format: Online
Frequency: Unscheduled
Submissions: Short stories and poems
Website: Pulp Poets Press

Reach Poetry
Format: Print
Frequency: Four times per year
Submissions: Poetry
Website: Reach Poetry

Rialto
Format: Print
Frequency: Three times per year
Submissions: Poetry
Website: Rialto

Seaside Gothic
Format: Print
Frequency: Four times per year
Submissions: Flash Fiction, Poetry, Non-Fiction up to 1,000 words
Website: Seaside Gothic

Scrittura
Format: Online
Frequency: Four times per year
Submissions: Short Stories (3,000) and poetry
Website: Scrittura

Shoreline of Infinity
Format: Print and Online
Frequency: Four times per year
Submissions: Science Fiction or Fantasy up to 6,000 words
Website: Shoreline of Infinity

Storgy
Format: Online
Frequency: Unscheduled
Submissions: Flash Fiction (500), Short Fiction (5,000), essays, reviews and articles
Website: Storgy

Wells Street Journal
Format: Online
Frequency: Twice per year
Submissions: Short stories
Website: Wells Street Journal

White Review
Format: Print and Online
Frequency: Four times per year
Submissions: Short stories and poetry
Website: White Review

Wildness
Format: Online
Frequency: Six times per year
Submissions: Poems and short stories (2,500)
Website: Wildness

3:AM
Format: Print and Online
Frequency: Unscheduled
Submissions: Poetry and short stories
Website: 3:AM

---

Good luck with your submissions!

Want more support with writing, editing, publishing and marketing your book, short story or poetry? Visit my Resources for Authors page for lots more useful links, tips, tricks and advice.

Aaron Mullins

---

Pop in your email and click the ‘Subscribe’ button to get free goodies!

Be among the first to see my new blog posts, with free story examples, writing tips and author advice:

---

Aaron Mullins (@DrAaronMullins) is an award winning, internationally published psychologist and Amazon bestselling author. Aaron has over 15 years experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in business strategy for authors and publishers. He started Birdtree Books Publishing where he worked as Editor-in-Chief, partnered with World Reader Charity and taught Academic Writing at Coventry University. Aaron’s book How to Write Fiction: A Creative Writing Guide for Authors has become a staple reference book for writers and those interested in a publishing career. Find out more.