Print Magazines

This is a growing list of print magazines. Where possible, with the small presses, I've tried to include magazines that accept email or online submissions.  You can find the current email addresses by following the links to the sites.

Note: Most of these magazines are British based, due to my locality, but if you know of print magazines elsewhere in the world that accept submissions in English, please contact me

Literary or Special Interest Magazines

(you can find a full list of paying literary mags at www.duotrope.com )

The First Line - A5 printed mag with very interesting premise. They post four first lines per year on their website and your story has to begin with the first line for that particular season. Magazine has four issues per year, using the first lines set in the previous year.  Check mag for submission details. They do accept email applications and also articles based on famous first lines from literature. Pays $10 and a copy of the magazine.

Quality Women's Fiction - As it says, quality fiction by women for women. Not accepting submissions at the moment due to an influx of submissions, but keep a look out for when they open again. Work has to be posted to the address on the website. (note: QWF has now moved over to America and they no longer pay for submissions)

Scribble - Magazine with several competitions a year. Subscribers to the mag get free entry into the comps. All submissions and entries must be sent to postal address on website.

Mslexia - Women's magazine dedicated to literary fiction, poetry and articles. Study magazine for example of work that makes the grade. Work to be sent by post.

Twisted Tongue - A magazine that features 'twisted' fiction. Contributors get a free pdf copy of their work and chance to publicise their published books. Best story of the month gets editor's award of £10.

Scarlet Magazine - (**Warning** site contains explicit material - Do not visit if you are easily offended) Erotica for women (mostly hetero-vanilla sex from what I've seen so far). Stories are very well written, and nearly always told from the female point of view. You can submit your work using their online form which also has details of what they're looking for (and clear guidelines about what they don't want). They pay £65 per page, working on a basis of 650 words per page. You can also sign up for their Harlot newsletter , to get an idea of what sort of erotica they're looking for before you submit. Also accepts true stories of 650 words (though I don't think they have to be strictly true).

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Sites that list magazine markets

John Ravenscroft  - Good list of ezines and magazines, tiered according to how easy or hard it is to get in.

Jacqui Bennett  - another extensive list of markets, including ezines and print mags

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Mainstream Magazines

Please buy the magazine or check The Writers And Artists Yearbook for up to date addresses for each magazine and submission status as they're often in a state of flux. It's also wise to read a few issues to get a feel for the tone of the fiction used.

Note: Very few mainstream magazines accept email submissions, though some may once a writer is established with them. At the moment only Billy Higgins of The Weekly News accepts unsolicited email submissions.

Note 2: Several womens magazines have recently stopped taking fiction submissions, and I've just updated the page to indicate that. This is very sad for us writers, and also for readers. If you're a reader, please write to the magazines in question and urge them to reintroduce their short story pages.

Many thanks to Cally Taylor , who provided me with the following link to some extensive guidelines (and thanks to Wrekin Writers for providing them in the first place):

Wrekin Writers Womens Magazine Guidelines

THE WEEKLY NEWS - Has a vibrant and helpful new fiction editor, Billy Higgins, who wants 'edgier' ghost and crime stories up to 2000 words. Preference for stories written in third person, and will give very helpful feedback on why he has rejected a story. Prefers email submissions at whiggins(at)dcthomson(dot)co(dot)uk

BELLA: UPDATE: Bella are no longer taking fiction submissions

BEST 1000 words Young, fresh & lively. Humour. Sexy (not explicit) No middle-aged housewives & OAPs. Situations modern & believable - no sit-com chars. or set-ups. Romance, revenge/triumph, mystery, comedy, ghosts, the unexplained, paranormal. Must have original twists & angles. Pat Richardson specifically outlaws lottery/twin sibling, animal or murdering spouse twists.

CHAT Chat are no longer taking fiction but do have a 60 word fiction slot, which pays £25.

FICTION FEAST More or less anything goes at Fiction Feast. Norah McGrath will take themes and plot usually considered taboo at the other magazines - e.g. romance, hospital drama, supernatural etc. Several twist in the tale slots. 'One from the Heart' can be a very emotional weepy! Other slots include Spine Chiller and Mini Mystery

TAKE A BREAK 1000 words Strong plot, good twist in tail. No straightforward romance, sci-fi, historical, or told by animals or children. NO graphic murders or sex crimes. Modern. Note: If you send a story to Norah McGrath, she will consider it for both Fiction Feast and Take a Break.

MY WEEKLY Any length between 1000 and 4000 Real down to earth themes, romance (not cliched) with surprise ending. Humour. Some twist endings (not conning the reader). NO violence or gratuitous sex. Ghost stories - light, tongue in cheek. Stories should be heart-warming.

THE LADY Up to 2000 words Subject suitable for The Lady and must be CHEERFUL

THE PEOPLE'S FRIEND Any length up to 4000 words Characters of any age. Humour. Some twists, but not misleading or cheating. Emotion. Identifiable characters. Stories should be heart-warming and have strong sense of place. Tend not to like death or divorce.

that's life! That's Life no longer accept fiction submissions.

WOMAN 1000 words Emotions important. Will consider a more literary story than most.

WOMAN'S OWN  1000 words NOT twist in tale, Not depressing. More down-market than Radio 4. Age about 35. Funny, ISSUE LED Not finding yourself, Just say No or boy-meets-girl. (Sex OK)

WOMAN'S WEEKLY No predictable romance or nostalgia. Up to date characters in modern believable situations. Stories about children, teenagers, family problems, funny, crime, thriller, (not violent or threatening). NO explicit sex or violence, ghost or sci fi. Happy ending, uplifting and hopeful. Need young, light hearted fiction. Warm quality 1000 words Twist in the tale Other stories 1000 - 2500 words. Womans Weekly also accept stories up to 50 words and poetry for their Readers' page. Pay £10.

YOURS - Magazine aimed at the older reader (50+) Stories up to 2000 words. They like nostalgia and contemporary stories, but don't like stories that stereotype the elderly. Study magazine for ideas. Yours have now started publishing their magazine fortnightly, whereas it used to be monthly.