Starting in May 2025, I submitted various poems and essays from my writing collection to online literary journals and magazines. It seemed appropriate that today, April first, a day for fools and playing jokes, I’d show you just how many of these websites declined my work. Because if you can’t laugh and joke about your own shortcomings, someone else will do it for you. On the upside, if you’re a writer too, this post can double as a list of ideas to submit your own work to (or at least give you more websites to check out and read other people’s talents). Either way, you’re welcome! (Those in BOLD font I’m still waiting to hear back, so there’s hope yet). 

3 Elements Review 3Elements Literary Review || A Literary Journal

Apricity Press Apricity Press | literary magazine

Arcturus Arcturus – The Chicago Review of Books presents Arcturus, an online literary magazine of new perspectives in fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and hybrid genres.

Baltimore Review The Baltimore Review

Beyond Words Welcome | Beyond Words

Big Whoopie Deal Big Whoopie Deal

Blood + Honey Blood+Honey

Blood Tree Literature Blood Tree Literature

Bullshit Lit (submitted photography and writing) BULLSHIT LIT

CALYX Home - CALYX

Catamaran Catamaran Literary Reader

Dadakuku dadakuku – microdadaism, nanononsense, minisurrealism

Door is a Jar Homepage | Door Is A Jar Literary Magazine

Five Minute Lit Five Minutes

Gooseberry Pie Home - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine

HAD HAD :: Had

Hobart Hobart :: Home

HOOT HOOT – a {mini} literary magazine on a postcard – flash fiction, poetry, memoir, non-fiction, book reviews

In A Flash In A Flash | Substack

In Short Home - In Short: A Journal of Flash Nonfiction - We publish creative nonfiction of 1,000 words or fewer, micros of 400 words or fewer, and short-shorts of 100 words or less.

Ink and Marrow Ink & Marrow

JAKE: The Anti Literary Magazine JAKE

Literary Mama Literary Mama – Writing about the many faces of motherhood

Little Something Press little somethings press – a collection of small writings

Memoir Magazine Memoir Magazine - Memoir, Narrative Creative Nonfiction, Personal Essays, OWN stories and more.

Molecule (submitted photography) Molecule – a tiny lit mag

Mom Egg Review MER - Mom Egg Review - Literature + Art + Motherhood

Muzzle MUZZLE MAGAZINE - Home

Northwest Review (submitted photography) Poetry and “more” since 1957 - Northwest Review

Orange Juice https://orangejuicepoetry.wixsite.com/orangejuice

Passages North Passages North

Password password. very short poetry.

Pinch PINCH

Pithead Chapel Pithead Chapel – An Online Literary Journal and Small Press

Punk Monk Press (submitted photography) Punk Monk Press/Magazine

Rappahannock Review Rappahannock Review

Rejection Letters Rejection Letters

Rogue Agent RogueAgent

Rust & Moth Rust & Moth – A Journal Of Poetry And The Arts

Sad Girl Diaries Writing | Sad Girls Club

Salt Hill Salt Hill Journal

SCAB SCAB

Sixth Finch (submitted photography) Sixth Finch

Split Lip Split Lip Magazine

Stink Eye Stink Eye Magazine – A Poetry Magazine for the Good, the Gritty, and the Weird

Street Lit StreetLit

Surely surely

Susurrus (submitted photography) Susurrus

The Disappointed Housewife The Disappointed Housewife – fiction/essays/poetry

The Good Life Review The Good Life Review

The Shore THE SHORE

Under the Gum Tree Under the Gum Tree – Tell Stories Without Shame

Voicemail Poems Voicemail Poems Voicemail Poems

Wild Greens https://www.wildgreensmagazine.com/

Wireworm WORMWORMWORMWORMWORMWORMWORMWORMWORM - Home

WOW! Women on Writing https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/

X-R-A-Y Home | X-R-A-Y

Y2K Quarterly Y2K Quarterly