2023 was the year I began writing poetry in earnest. I had my first publication in March of 2023, and my debut chapbook, Celine, came out in November. I am so grateful for this year and all of the magazines that have featured my work. It was hard to find good literary journals for a new writer, so I wanted to take a brief moment to acknowledge the literary magazines that I have fallen in love with since beginning my journey. They deserve just as much credit for my success as I do. I could not have done this without them. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite journals this year.
Door is a Jar Magazine
Door is a Jar Magazine is a phenomenal quarterly magazine that appears in Barnes & Nobles and bookstores across the United States. This journal accepted my very first published short story, Shrimp, which they then nominated for Best Short Fictions.
I also had a few poems published here in two different issues, some of my favorites. Short poems that meant a lot to me that I was struggling to find a home for. I am so glad that they ended up here.
It is an amazing feeling to see your work in print, especially when it is in a brick and mortar store. Door is a Jar gave me the confidence to put my head down and write. Not only that, but I gained the confidence necessary to keep writing. I highly recommend submitting to this journal. Big thank you to Maxwell, the editor, and Door is a Jar as a whole.
Sage Cigarettes Magazine
Sage Cigarettes published my very first poem ever. For all intents and purposes they launched my career. I can still remember the email of that first acceptance, how gratifying it was to know someone liked my work. It was all I needed to snowball submitting. I owe a lot of my trajectory and momentum to them.
Later in the year, they published another one of my poems which felt great. Everyone I’ve ever communicated with at this publication has been so kind and supportive. They are passionate about what they do and I could not recommend submitting here more.
Empyrean Literary Magazine
Empyrean is a pleasure to work with. They are also a quarterly magazine, and their EIC, Kaylyn, is wonderful. They have great fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Empyrean was actually the first place to publish multiple poems of mine at one time in their Spring 2023 issue, which was such an amazing experience.
You’ll have a great time with the submission process if you do submit here. Each issue has a loose theme, like Free Will, Beauty and Hope. Additionally, you’re not just submitting three poems, but rather a small collection of up to ten! I look forward to these submission periods every time they come around.
So a big thank you to Kaylyn and Empyrean Lit Mag for all the support they have given me over the course of this year. I hope for much more collaboration in the future!
Bottlecap Press
Bottlecap Press is a small publishing house run by two people. They make absolutely beautiful copies of chapbooks that I had the unbelievable opportunity to publish my debut chapbook, Celine, with in November of 2023.
What sets these guys apart is that they have rolling submissions. Most small presses, especially chapbook publishers, have exclusive reading periods that might take place over just one month a year. It is easy to miss those windows, and hard to remember when they open. I worked with Craig on this manuscript and had a great time doing it. I highly recommend checking out their work.
Additionally, they do cover art in house, and I could not be more pleased with how the aesthetic of Celine turned out. It was such an honor to work with them and I am so grateful to have published a chapbook of such quality in my first year of writing.
Coffee Ring Review
Coffee Ring Review is the publisher to go to if you’re getting into writing fiction. I published my favorite short story that I’ve ever written in their inaugural issue. It would not have been possible without their EIC Abby Sundeen. The manuscript I submit, The View From Mars, was originally 1700 words and a little rough around the edges. Ultimately, it was not ready for publication.
Abby, instead of declining it outright like every publication I’ve submit to before, made notes and suggestions on the manuscript. She believed the story could be great and I can’t express how encouraging that support was. Her critiques were so useful and I revised the original manuscript into one of my favorite pieces ever. Submitting to this journal was one of the best decisions I made in 2023.
My story finally came out this year and I am eternally grateful to the work she put into this issue. If you are trying to get into fiction, Abigail is not only a fantastic Editor, but a fan of the arts. Your work will find a good home at Coffee Ring.
Reading Literary Journals for a New Author
I’d like to give a shoutout to a few journals that I started reading in 2023, too. Some of them are repeats of places I’ve submit, but others are journals I admire greatly. Who knows? Maybe 2024 will see my publishing there too! You might recognize a few of these, but if you don’t (or if you do!) check them out.
Ploughshares
One of the single best journals to subscribe to. Constantly putting out amazing work. Some of my favorite reads of 2023.
The Georgia Review
Fantastic fiction and some of the best contemporary poetry. Their styles vary from lyric to plainspoken. It would be hard to read this journal and not find something you love. Well worth it.
Version 9 Magazine
I have had poems published here. But each issue is completely free, and online so it’s easily accessible. Such an honor to be included here because each issue runs the gamut of contemporary poetry. Fun read, and you should submit, too!
Southern Poetry Review
I found this journal on accident, it is sold at Barnes & Noble. Probably other places, too because it is fantastic. So thankful to have stumbled upon it. You can buy single issues, but I highly recommend the annual subscription.
