Last updated: February 2026
In this article: Writing Magazines | Submission Databases | Industry Newsletters | Literary Websites | Premier Literary Magazines | Nonfiction Resources
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Whether you’re submitting your first short story or navigating your tenth year as a working writer, having the right resources makes all the difference. The best publications, databases, and newsletters save you time, connect you to opportunities, and keep you informed about an industry that’s constantly shifting.
We’ve compiled the essential resources every writer should have bookmarked. These are the magazines worth reading, the databases worth using, and the newsletters worth subscribing to in 2026.
Writing Magazines & Craft Publications
These publications focus on the craft of writing, the business of getting published, and the community of working writers.
Poets & Writers
Poets & Writers is the gold standard for serious writers. Founded in 1970, this nonprofit organization publishes a bimonthly magazine and maintains what many consider the most comprehensive set of free databases in the industry.
What they offer:
- A searchable database of nearly 1,000 literary magazines with editorial focus, submission guidelines, and reading periods
- The most trusted writing contests database, featuring only vetted competitions
- A grants and awards database updated throughout the year
- Readings & Workshops grants for writers in New York State (mini-grants of $150 to $450 per event)
- Subject-based handbooks on publicity, book deals, literary agents, and MFA programs
The 2026 Writers for Writers Award recipients include Tina Chang, Khaled Hosseini, and Eugene B. Redmond, to be honored at their annual gala on March 23.
Cost: Magazine subscription ~$19.95/year; databases free to access
Follow them: Blue Sky | LinkedIn
Writer’s Digest
Writer’s Digest has been serving writers since 1920, making it the oldest major writing magazine in the United States. Now publishing eight issues per year, it covers craft, publishing, and the business of writing with a practical, accessible approach.
What they offer:
- Six annual writing competitions, including the 95th Annual Writing Competition (early-bird deadline: May 4, 2026)
- Grand Prize includes a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference and a pitch session with editors or agents
- First place in each category wins $1,000 cash and publication on WritersDigest.com
- Writer’s Digest University courses, webinars, and tutorials
- Annual conferences, including the Novel Writing Conference
Important: Writer’s Digest does not accept AI-generated or AI-assisted work in any of their competitions.
Cost: Magazine subscription ~$26.99/year
Follow them: @WritersDigest on X
Submission Databases & Trackers
Keeping track of where you’ve submitted, what’s open for reading, and how long you might wait for a response can feel like a second job. These tools do the heavy lifting.
Chill Subs
Chill Subs has become the go-to free database for emerging writers. With over 69,000 registered writers and 4,235 publishing opportunities listed, it offers what many paid services charge for.
What they offer:
- A free database of 4,000+ literary magazines searchable by response time, payment, genre, word count, and acceptance rate
- 1,200+ writing contests with deadline tracking
- A submission tracker to monitor your submissions and expected response times
- Statistics based on 189,332 tracked submissions from the community
- A cover letter generator and portfolio feature
- A Chrome extension that shows acceptance rates and community data on magazine websites
Cost: Free (premium features available)
Follow them: @chillsubs on X | LinkedIn
Duotrope
Duotrope has been the industry-standard paid database since 2005. If you’re submitting consistently and want the most comprehensive data available, this is worth the investment.
What they offer:
- A searchable database of more than 7,500 publishers and agents across 40+ countries
- Detailed statistics including response times and acceptance rates for each publication
- A submission tracker with automatic reminders for when to follow up
- A calendar of upcoming deadlines
- Clear upfront information about submission fees
Cost: $5/month or $50/year
Chill Subs vs. Duotrope: If you’re submitting sporadically (five or fewer submissions per month), Chill Subs’ free database will serve you well. If you’re submitting regularly and want more granular statistics, Duotrope’s paid service provides deeper data. Many active submitters use both.
Submittable
Submittable isn’t a database of publications, but it’s the platform you’ll use to submit to most of them. The majority of literary magazines, contests, and grants use Submittable to manage their reading periods.
What writers should know:
- Free for submitters (publications pay for the service)
- Universal Submission Tracker keeps all your submissions in one place
- Used by thousands of magazines, presses, and organizations
- Your submission history stays with your account
Follow them: LinkedIn
Industry Newsletters & Intelligence
The publishing industry changes fast. These newsletters help you stay informed without drowning in noise.
The Bottom Line by Jane Friedman
Jane Friedman‘s newsletter (formerly The Hot Sheet, rebranded in early 2025) is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the business of publishing. Friedman, a former publisher of Writer’s Digest, was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023.
What you get:
- Weekly reporting and analysis on the publishing industry
- Coverage of AI’s impact on publishing, licensing, and author rights
- TikTok/BookTok analysis and marketing strategy
- Industry trends and what they mean for working authors
- Archive access dating back to 2015
About half of subscribers work inside the industry (agents, editors, publicists), and half are authors who want business intelligence that puts the writer first.
Cost: Free tier available; paid subscription $70-$120/year
Follow her: LinkedIn | Youtube
FundsForWriters
FundsForWriters, run by author C. Hope Clark, has been delivering paying opportunities to writers’ inboxes for 26 years. Named one of Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Websites for Writers every year since 2001, it focuses on one thing: helping writers get paid.
What you get:
- A weekly Friday newsletter listing 24-30 paying opportunities
- Freelance gigs and opportunities paying $200+ or 10 cents/word and up
- Contests with first prizes of $200 or more
- Grants, freelance gigs, and publisher/agent news
- The newsletter reaches 35,000 readers
Cost: Free
Follow her: C. Hope Clark on LinkedIn
Lit Mag News
Lit Mag News on Substack, run by Becky Tuch (founder of The Review Review), delivers literary magazine industry news, scam alerts, and submission advice. If you want to know which magazines are legitimate, which are closing, and which have problematic practices, this is your source.
Cost: Free tier available; paid tier for additional content
Literary Websites & Daily Reading
These sites publish original content daily and serve as central hubs for the literary world.
Literary Hub (Lit Hub)
Literary Hub launched in 2015 and quickly became the daily destination for book lovers. Founded by Grove Atlantic publisher Morgan Entrekin, American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame editor Terry McDonell, and Electric Literature founder Andy Hunter, it aggregates the best of literary culture while publishing substantial original content.
What they offer:
- Daily essays, interviews, excerpts, and literary news
- Partnerships with 100+ publishers for exclusive content
- CrimeReads, a dedicated site for crime, mystery, and thriller coverage
- Book Marks, a review aggregation service that scores books as “rave,” “positive,” “mixed,” or “pan”
- LitHub Radio, a network of literary podcasts
Their Most Anticipated Books of 2026 list features titles like Téa Obreht’s Sunrise and Karl Ove Knausgaard’s The School of Night.
Cost: Free; membership available for ad-free reading and early giveaway access
Follow them: Blue Sky
Electric Literature
Electric Literature is a nonprofit digital publisher with a simple mission: make literature more exciting, relevant, and inclusive. In 2024 alone, they published over 600 writers to 3 million readers. Every writer gets paid, and everything on the site is free to read.
What they offer:
- Recommended Reading: A weekly fiction magazine that has published over 715 issues, making it the largest free archive of contemporary fiction outside a library system
- The Commuter, featuring poetry and flash fiction
- Book coverage, craft essays, and writing advice
- Payment of $300 per published piece
For submitters: General fiction submissions open January 26 through February 1 (or when the 750-submission cap is reached). Members can submit year-round. Recommended Reading publishes fiction between 2,000 and 10,000 words.
Cost: Free to read; membership available
Follow them: Blue Sky
Premier Literary Magazines
Getting published in these magazines is a career milestone. They’re highly competitive, but they set the standard for literary excellence.
The Paris Review
The Paris Review, founded in 1953, is one of the most prestigious literary magazines in the world. Beyond publishing exceptional fiction and poetry, it’s famous for its Writers at Work interview series, which has captured conversations with nearly every major writer of the past seven decades.
Cost: Subscription ~$40/year
Kenyon Review
Kenyon Review, based at Kenyon College, has published consistently excellent work since 1939. They pay $0.08/word for prose and $0.16/word for poetry. Their 2026 submission themes have already been announced.
Cost: Subscription ~$40/year
Ploughshares
Ploughshares, based at Emerson College, uses guest editors for each issue, bringing fresh perspectives to every publication. They hold more Pushcart Prize recognitions than almost any other non-commercial magazine.
Cost: Subscription ~$40/year
Granta
Granta, the British literary magazine founded in 1889, publishes themed issues of fiction, nonfiction, memoir, reportage, and photography. They’re known for their influential Best of Young British/American Novelists lists.
Cost: Subscription ~$55/year
Poetry Magazine
Poetry, published by the Poetry Foundation since 1912, is the oldest English-language monthly poetry magazine. The Poetry Foundation also maintains poetryfoundation.org, a massive archive of poems, poet biographies, and educational resources.
Cost: Subscription ~$35/year
Nonfiction-Specific Resources
If you write creative nonfiction, personal essays, or memoir, these publications specialize in your genre.
Brevity
Brevity is the premier venue for flash creative nonfiction (750 words max). Founded in 1997, they also publish excellent craft essays on nonfiction writing. Free to read.
Hippocampus Magazine
Hippocampus Magazine, founded in 2011, is dedicated entirely to creative nonfiction. They also run HippoCamp, an annual conference for nonfiction writers. Free to read.
Additional Resources Worth Bookmarking
| Resource | Best For | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Winning Writers | Free contest database and scam alerts | Free |
| Authors Publish | Curated lists of magazines accepting submissions | Free |
| Reedsy Blog | Craft articles and literary magazine directory | Free |
| The Masters Review | Emerging/unpublished writers | Free to read |
| McSweeney’s | Innovative literary forms and humor | Subscription ~$60/year |
| Narrative Magazine | Prestigious online publication ($5000 annual prize) | Free to read; $27 submission fee |
| Mslexia | Women writers (UK-based) | Subscription ~£39.99/year |
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