Deadlines for Lifelines: Little Magazines

Little magazines — also known as literary journals or lit mags — have a long, illustrious history in U.S. publishing. They first appeared in the early nineteenth century, and today number in the hundreds if not thousands. Some feature a single genre, but most offer the full literary spectrum: fiction, poetry, essays, short memoirs, book reviews, interviews, even short-form comics/graphic novellas. Not only have individual writers been launched in little magazines but entire literary movements. Though their circulations are tiny (averaging about 1,500) their readership is highly influential: agents, editors, academics, and other writers. You’ll never get rich writing for little magazines (most pay in copies, subscriptions, or perhaps $100) but they remain a vital venue.

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