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For an unpublished short story writer, what magazines or online publications offer the best chance of being recognized?

11.06.2025 16:17

For an unpublished short story writer, what magazines or online publications offer the best chance of being recognized?

If mystery is your thing, I think Ellery Queen magazine is still around and I assume still takes submissions for contests, etc.

Go to a bookstore (a large chain bookstore) and go to the magazine section. Find a magazine of the type of story you’re interested in writing, whether mystery, fantasy/sci-fi, horror, etc. Happy writing!

Writer’s Digest (are they even around anymore?) used to have good contests; in 1998 or so, I came in 61st place(!) in the “Literary Short Story” category. I thought that was pretty good; 61st out of hundreds or maybe thousands who entered in that category. Basically my first effort ever in a national competition.

Canadians went out of their way to help Americans stranded in Canada after 9.11.2001. Why did Canadians help so much the way they did? We read that Canadians don't particularly like Americans to begin with.

If you’re not shy about that sort of thing, Literotica is a publication specializing in-you guessed it-erotic fiction.