Get published online, fast

If you’re in a hurry to get published or you just hate waiting around to hear if your work has been accepted, here are five places to submit. Many will give you an answer within days rather than weeks! All accept simultaneous submissions and don’t require fees. For more suggestions, see our posts on great places to submit if you hate to wait for poetry, flash fiction and short stories.

Riggwelter – publishes a diverse mix of poetry, flash fiction, short stories, essays. Basically they’re open to good writing–no matter the particular style or subject matter. The editors strive to give you an answer within a couple of days and usually succeed. We also like that they nominate for the Pushcart Prize.

Misery Tourism – takes poetry, flash fiction, short stories, creative nonfiction. They are looking for the emotion and humour lurking beneath life’s ugliness. Each month has a specific theme (for example, the theme for July 2019 is “Inner City Blues”) but they will consider non-themed submissions. The editors will usually respond within a week with a yea or nay and often they’ll get back within a day.

Terror House Magazine – accepts poetry, flash fiction, short stories, creative nonfiction and poetry. And they will also consider novels and novellas for serialised publication. This Budapest-based journal specialises in work that’s “too edgy, unusual, or honest to be released elsewhere”. The editors try to make a decision within a week and often respond within a day.

Children, Churches and Daddies – accepts poetry, flash fiction and short stories. Don’t be misled by the name; their tagline is “The UNreligious, NONfamily oriented literary and art magazine”. They like work that addresses political and social issues but they’re open to any well-written work that “makes you think, that makes you feel like you’ve lived through a scene instead of merely reading it”. They usually get back within a couple of days and often send personalised responses.

Star 82 Review – publishes poetry, flash fiction (under 500 words preferred) and short creative nonfiction online and in print. They also feature two unique forms Postcard Lit and Erasure Texts. They like “subtle, slightly gentle, slightly edgy works that don’t just self-express, but that do communicate and leave the reader with at least a fraction of hope”. Submissions are free until they reach their quota for that month; you can also choose to pay a small fee to receive feedback. They try to make  a decision within 10 days but often get back within 3 or 4).