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Big List of Literary Magazines

Jay, as my bios indicate I've been happy to have been in a couple hundred journals, etc, etc. Have given up the pulpy po mags when I accidentally saw OAF website on Google.

In the past 2 years I've had rejection slips from 20 mags. One sent a "no thanks" after ELEVEN MONTHS. Five others rejected my poems because "the poems do not suit our needs at this time." Doesn't that imply that they WILL accept the poems at a later date? Beginning to sound like George Carlin. "Does not suit their needs" means-- Fuck it Doug some of your poems have sexual references!! Wow the 21st century.

I used to think that posting on line was not sophisticated, not like holding a physical object with one of your poems you don't know will ever be read. And no feedback!! OAF covers all bases.

I was just late (not to late) in realizing the craziness of thinking those journals are really important. Months and months of waiting to hear from places that reject 98% of submissions.

And down with the submittable lottery game.

p.s. I started my own po mag decades ago called Road Apple Review. Received NEA support. We published Robert Creeley, William Stafford, W.S. Merwin and lots of then beginning poets. I was faculty advisor to the Wisconsin Review for over 20 years. I mention this in case it is perceived that I don't have an editorial background in the little mag scene and can't appreciate the work involved
 
I haven't submitted anything in a while. I'm tired of it. Too many, as Doug mentioned, take a preposterously long time to reply. And the insistence on first-publication is beginning to get on my nerves -- though they graciously consent to 'simultaneous submissions'. [Dear Editor, You pay nothing, which I'm comfortable with, I don't expect otherwise, but don't insist on exclusivity from me. ]



Please, take a look at what Wren Tuatha is doing with Califragile. She's a former poet on P.C. Very imaginative, and very supportive of other artists and writing.

Thanks for the list!
If you want good fb, though it can be a little acerbic, Scribble Camp is a good place to be.

Open Arts has the advantage of a very large and varied readership. If you want to pay someone to critique your work -- which you get for free here -- be prepared to pay a minimum of $25.00.
 
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Thanks, Trish, for telling the real story. And also, editors today are not as friendly and helpful as the "little press" editors of the '60s and '70s. Today, most editors will hold a poem they like for months and say things on the rejection slip like: " Sorry your poem didn't make the final cut."

And Trish is so correct when she mentions that at OAF, we members receive affirmation and sometimes suggestions for revision for free. And also, when we writers do have work published in the journals, who the hell ever knows if anyone reads our work. And there is no feedback!!
 
Trish Saunders said:
And the insistence on first-publication is beginning to get on my nerves -- though they graciously consent to 'simultaneous submissions'.
Click to expand...

Never liked that, either. These folks, though, have no way of actually knowing whether someone has submitted to more than one journal. So do what you think serves you best, I say.

Doug Flaherty said:
And also, editors today are not as friendly and helpful as the "little press" editors of the '60s and '70s.
Click to expand...

Not sure about others, but I'm friendlier than I was in the 80s as a little magazine editor, simply because the technology allows me to be. Try getting 2 huge mail sacks of submissions (actually happened to me) and responding "nicely" to even one. Form rejections were/are the only defense.
 
Person could always change the title, and the opening lines -- I'm not sure how much editors check, but I know at least one who does a google search on title, and that's it. But still.
 
Trish Saunders said:
Person could always change the title, and the opening lines -- I'm not sure how much editors check, but I know at least one who does a google search on title, and that's it. But still.
Click to expand...

There's only so much that one can do. I think this whole concern over "previously published" is way overblown. Who cares, really?
 
Doug Flaherty said:
In the past 2 years I've had rejection slips from 20 mags. One sent a "no thanks" after ELEVEN MONTHS. Five others rejected my poems because "the poems do not suit our needs at this time." Doesn't that imply that they WILL accept the poems at a later date? Beginning to sound like George Carlin. "Does not suit their needs" means-- Fuck it Doug some of your poems have sexual references!! Wow the 21st century.
Click to expand...

"your rejection slip does not suit my present needs"
 
Check out these excerpts from REAL famous author rejections:
  1. Sylvia Plath: There certainly isn’t enough genuine talent for us to take notice.
  2. Rudyard Kipling: I’m sorry Mr. Kipling, but you just don’t know how to use the English language.
  3. J. G. Ballard: The author of this book is beyond psychiatric help.
  4. Emily Dickinson: [Your poems] are quite as remarkable for defects as for beauties and are generally devoid of true poetical qualities.
  5. Ernest Hemingway (regarding The Torrents of Spring): It would be extremely rotten taste, to say nothing of being horribly cruel, should we want to publish it.
http://writersrelief.com/2011/07/26/famous-author-rejection-letters/
 
Doug Flaherty said:
p.s. I started my own po mag decades ago called Road Apple Review. Received NEA support. We published Robert Creeley, William Stafford, W.S. Merwin and lots of then beginning poets.
Click to expand...

Very interesting, Doug! I believe I remember that mag's name. I used to read the International Directory as though it was a great book of short stories, which it was.
 
A judge's comment, on rejecting Sylvia Plath's submission for a poetry prize, which went to a far less gifted poet:

"while her work does seem to be superior, it wouldn't hurt her to not win a prize."
 
and let's not forget F. Scott Fitzgerald's plaintive (and pathetic) note to Louis. B. Mayer at MGM Studios:

"...I'm a good writer, Mr. Mayer, honest I am..."

SOB apparently gave poor Scott a cold shoulder.
 
Ha. Well, I guess all good things come to an end (quickly) in these days of profit-driven sites. Just got this message:

Your free basic listing for Open Arts Forum in the NewPages Big List of Lit Mags is being removed this week.
I sent an email about this a couple weeks ago and copied it below in case you did not receive it.
We’ve had a gratifying response to the first mailing, and we appreciate those who did send in a reservation for either the basic, enhanced, or sponsored listing.
Your support of our work at NewPages is essential. We will continue our efforts to reach out to creative writing teachers, students, and readers looking for a reliable, up-to-date list of great literary magazines.
Not only was our current Big List too large for us to keep accurate, users commented that it was overwhelming to identify a lit mag that would interest them in such a huge list.
The new list will still have several hundred lit mags, and we will be able to keep the listings far more useful for readers wanting to find good lit mags and writers looking for publications that fits their style.
You can review the various options for remaining listed on NewPages here:
https://npofficespace.com/newpages-guide-to-literary-magazines/

Best,
Casey
www.newpages.com

Here is the original info I sent out about the changes in our Big List of Literary Magazines, and how you can remain listed if you choose:
#####

Free Basic Listings to be discontinued
We have been including free basic entries in our Big List of Lit Mags for over 15 years. However, the list has grown to the point that we simply do not have the staff time to maintain so many entries and ensure each link is good or that each magazine is updating regularly.
We do not want NewPages’ users to have the aggravation of clicking on dead links or getting to a magazine only to discover they haven’t added any new content for months or years.

Keep your magazine listed at an affordable rate
We offer reasonably priced options for your magazine to receive increased attention on NewPages.

Sponsored Listing in the NewPages Guide to Literary Magazines
The option that will give you the most visibility on NewPages is the Sponsored Listing. This appears on the primary lit mag page users reach when visiting NewPages.
Sponsored Listings include: artwork and 50-word blurb in our Guide to Literary Magazines; an individual full-page listing with contact info, writers’ guidelines, and 250-word self-description; discounts on classified advertising; promotion of your journal on our social media accounts and blog; and a free one-month call for submissions ad.
Combined pageviews for magazines with Sponsored Listings in our Guide are over 200,000 per year. The fee for online lit mags is only $72 for a full year.

Enhanced Listing in the NewPages Big List of Literary Magazines
Our Big List receives nearly 50,000 pageviews a year, and it remains an important page for us. Your Enhanced Listing in the Big List will give you greater visibility on this page for only $35 for a full year. It will include your mag title in bold linked to your website and a 50-word description.

Basic Listing in the NewPages Big List of Literary Magazines
This is the entry you currently have. You can maintain your Basic Listing in our Big List for only $15 per year. This includes the title of your mag linked to your website and genres you publish.

Please reserve your listing
You’ll find a comparison of all our listing options and reservation links here: https://npofficespace.com/newpages-guide-to-literary-magazines/
Best,
Casey Hill
 
Jay, the above makes me speechless, unless you want to hear some choice four letter words.

I love those famous writers' rejections. Remember what one critic said about Moby Dick? "The ravings of a mad man."
 
Doug Flaherty said:
Jay, the above makes me speechless, unless you want to hear some choice four letter words.
Click to expand...

Well, the guy is basically running a link directory. Maybe this was the strategy all along. I was actually surprised to find such a directory. I thought link directories went the way of Excite!, Lycos, AltaVista, and Ask Jeeves. LOL.
 
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