What Genres Do Most Short Story Magazines Focus On Today?

The university reviews are the lifeblood of the literary ecosystem. 'The Iowa Review,' 'Missouri Review,' 'Georgia Review,' and 'Sewanee Review' have been publishing heavyweight literary fiction for decades. They're tied to writing programs, so the curation is sharp and academic in the best sense. They can be a bit denser or more experimental than commercial magazines, but that's where you often find the writers who define the next generation's style. The production quality is usually superb, too.

Flash fiction markets are a great way to start. 'Microfiction Monday Magazine' publishes stories under 100 words. The constraint forces incredible creativity. While the pay is token, it's a fun challenge and a quick publication credit. There's also '50-Word Stories', which is exactly what it sounds like. These ultra-short forms teach you precision. Getting a few of these published can boost your confidence and help you build a writing habit. They often have quick turnaround times, so you get the satisfaction of completion and publication faster than with longer pieces. It's a good training ground.

Hmm, I don't write short stories, I just read the winners sometimes. They're often a bit depressing, aren't they? Beautifully written, but I usually need to go read a comic after to cheer up. Maybe that's the real genre: beautifully written sadness.

Reading fees. Ugh. Some magazines, especially for contests, charge a small reading fee ($3-$5). This is a hot-button issue. Proponents say it helps fund the magazine and pay their editors. Critics say it creates a pay-to-play barrier. My personal rule: I'll occasionally pay a fee for a contest with a substantial prize or a magazine I truly, deeply admire and want to support. For general submissions, I prioritize the many, many excellent magazines that don't charge. It's a personal calculation. Don't feel like you have to pay to play, but also recognize that for some small presses, that fee is what keeps the lights on.

Getting a short story published in magazines feels like chasing a lightning bolt — thrilling but unpredictable. I started by obsessively reading my target magazines to understand their vibe. 'The New Yorker' craves literary nuance, while 'Clarkesworld' wants speculative fiction that punches you in the gut. I tailored each submission like a love letter to the editor’s taste. Rejections? Oh, dozens. But one editor scribbled, 'Try us again,' and that scribble became my lifeline. Networking at writing workshops unlocked secrets too. A guest editor casually mentioned preferring stories with 'unfinished edges,' so I revised my piece to end ambiguously — and bam, acceptance. Now I treat submissions like a game: study the rules, then bend them just enough to stand out.

What about contests? Many literary magazine contests have long submission windows, like 3-4 months, and often include a subscription and consideration for the non-contest issue. It's a way to support the magazine and get your work read, even if you don't win. Just watch out for high entry fees with vague promises.

Reading for a magazine, even a small one, was the most educational experience for my own submissions. You see the sheer volume of stories that come in, the common mistakes, and what makes a piece instantly stand out—usually a unique, confident voice from the very first sentence. It also teaches you empathy for the editors. They're not rejecting you; they're sifting through a mountain of material to find the handful of pieces that fit their specific vision for that issue.