Ah-hooo, Werewolves of Lit Mags!

List of closed lit mags; most submitted-to lit mags; "Why is Stripe attacking litmags?"; new sex-focused lit mag; and more

Welcome to our bi-weekly news roundup!

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Greetings Lit Maglectorate,

We all know lit mags come and go. Have more gone in the past few years than usual? Are we seeing an unusual number of lit mags close? This was the question on my mind as I encountered this thread from Brecht De Poortere, who keeps meticulous track of lit mags.

The list includes several well-known journals like Green Mountains Review and Sycamore Review, plus dozens of others. Brecht confirmed that these are journals that have not been active for at least two years.

For you horror writers, I also saw that Gamut has announced it will close shop.

In answer to that question about lit mags closing, I recalled that in fact we discussed this very thing in a recent panel. Ben Davis, Co-Founder of Chill Subs, assured us that while many lit mags have been closing, there were also a lot that launched in 2020. So overall things might not be as dire as they seem.

Speaking of Chill Subs, you might be interested in a list they’ve posted, 25 Most Submitted To Poetry-Only Literary Magazines (All Time). They write, “These poetry mags get flooded with submissions, and the odds? Well, they’re probably not fantastic. But someone’s got to fill those poetic pages, right? Maybe it’s you.”

Also perhaps of interest is their list of 77 Literary Magazines in the Sweet Spot. “Here are the lit mags where your chances are better than impossible. Not too competitive, but not exactly easy either. A little bit of luck, a little bit of skill—you might just make it through the sweet spot.”

And speaking of dire—though hopefully remedied soon!—one of our very own Lit Mag News contributors/community members/editor-writers appears to be in a bit of a fix. Over at Witcraft, Doug Jacquier asks, Why is Stripe attacking litmags?

He writes,

As the operator of the humour site, Witcraft, which uses Duotrope to process submissions, I have just received a warning from Stripe, Duotrope’s exclusive payment processor, that they are planning to close my account because they have decided my site is a content creation platform. They define content creation platform as ‘a marketplace that hosts or distributes third-party content from multiple content creators and enables end users to provide payments to creators.’ My site, Witcraft, does not do that and only uses Stripe to accept donations and to accept entry fees for competitions. If that is in breach of Stripe's rules, let me suggest that would apply to hundreds of Duotrope customers and, if so, Duotrope needs to find a new payment platform. It would seem that would also apply to any litmag who uses Stripe’s services.

So why is Stripe making life difficult for small litmags?

Have other journal editors on Substack experienced this? Has anyone been able to find a workaround here? I wonder if some sort of petition might be in order?

Now for something a bit…different. Let me preface this bit of news by saying that I always feel conflicted when non-literary enterprises decide to launch literary magazines. On one hand, hey, that’s cool, I’m glad to see you think that launching a lit mag will add cachet to your designer-shoe brand or what-have-you.

On the other hand, really? You’re doing lit mags now? Stay in your lane, fancy people!

Anyway, whatever. This story is fun and this particular magazine’s creators seem playful and well-intentioned.

So here it is: the dating app Feeld has launched a literary magazine. The dating app is “for the curious; those open to experiencing people and relationships in new ways. Polyamory, consensual non-monogamy, homo- and heteroflexibility, pansexuality, asexuality, aromanticism, voyeurism, and kink are just a few of the sexual identities and desires that make up the Feeld community.”

Their magazine is called AFM, A Fucking Magazine. (Get it? LOL.)

What was the impetus for the launch? Says the company,

After joining and exploring Feeld, nearly 40% of Members choose to expand their bios, with “reading” remaining one of the top Interests expressed on the app. Feeld's embodiment of creative expression has led to the inevitable design of creative outlets like AFM for Members' and other inspired voices to reach new audiences.

That’s why AFM's intent is simple—read a fucking magazine.

Who could argue with that logic?

Bindu Bansinath, who recently attended the magazine’s recent launch party, gave a mixed review of the first issue:

There’s a guide to making your own latex, a short story about a woman who fantasizes about breaking up with her lover by throwing the strap-on he got her for Christmas into the ocean, a personal essay about a sexual awakening in Palm Springs, and a philosophical meditation on houses. The issue has some poignant moments and beautiful writing, but it can also feel overly broad and abstract, even a little safe…[I]n one poem, even the cheeseboard the narrator prepares “forever goes untouched.”

All giggles aside, the magazine’s production value appears to be high.

It also appears they are actively seeking submissions. Contributors are paid $500 or more for pieces 1,500 words and up.

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For those of you seeking work in the dazzling land of lit mags:

Narrative seeks a Content Manager. Submission fee to apply is $100. (Just kidding. There is no fee to apply for this job.)

Full Stop is open for applications for Editorial Fellows.

For those of you seeking homes for your latest & greatest, I’m now only listing resources in the first newsletter of each month. So do check here.

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As for us, lots of great stuff coming down the pike! We have our Lit Mag Chat this week, as well as an upcoming meeting for the Lit Mag Reading Club and a discussion with Alaska Quarterly Review Editor Ronald Spatz. You can learn about all these events and register here:

Save the Dates! October Panels, Interviews, Info Sessions and a Class!

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Also, I’m delighted to announce that I’ve added one more magazine to our Lit Mag Reading Club roster for this year. That magazine is Clarksworld. This magazine made headlines not long ago for being so inundated with AI submissions they had to temporarily close submissions for the very first time. I’m eager to hear all about this from Editor Neil Clarke, as well as to learn about his journal overall and dive into the world of sci-fi!

For November, we will be reading Copper Nickel. I haven’t yet secured a discount code but will let you all know if/when I do. In the meantime you can check out the magazine’s current issue here.

And you can learn more about our fabulous Lit Mag Reading Club here:

Another Year of Reading Lit Mags! 2024-2025

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And that you naughty nurses and swashbuckling superheroes, you wicked and wayward witches and you super cute curly cats, you adorable Disney royals and you munchkin merry-yellow Minions, you Spidermen, you Wonder Women, you who’ve already carved your pumpkins and you who’ve reached into its stringy wet clumpy depths, you whose stairways have transformed into weaves of cottony webs and you whose windows are plastered with shimmery ghosts, you whose neighbors have turned into zombies and you whose every street corner contains some kind of frightening scarecrow, you who can’t wait for the thrill, you with your mwa-ha-ha, you tricksters and you sweet treat collectors, you and you, everywhere, in every form, in glitter and glam, sprayed-on hair and satin wigs, you in costume, you yourself, you so perfectly haunted, perfectly gruesome, perfectly and magically alive (or at least un-dead), is the news in literary magazines.

Have a most pleasant week, pals.

Fondly,

Becky

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