6 Online Literary Journals Looking for Submissions

If you're an unpublished or emerging writer, it can be tough to figure out where to submit your work. Many of the major print publications are swamped with submissions, and you may never hear a reply if your work is not accepted. If what you're looking for is to build up some publication credits, think about submitting to an online literary journal. These journals may not have the largest readership, offer payment or a glossy print publication, but they do offer a professional platform for your work and credit for your writing resume.

If you're looking for exposure with an online magazine or literary journal, it's important to pay attention to the website's Alexa ranking. The Alexa ranking lets you know how much traffic the site garners. The lower the number, the higher the ranking. For example, at the time of writing Associated Content had an Alexa ranking of 525. My personal blog, ExpatHeather.com, had an Alexa ranking of 3,469,209. It's a new blog and I haven't promoted it much yet. All of these online literary journals have an Alexa ranking with a higher number than my blog, meaning these journals get less traffic than my personal site. Rankings listed were accurate at the time of writing, but you can check current rankings here: Alexa.com.

For a new writer, less traffic can be a good thing. It means less people are submitting to the online journal and you have a better chance of getting your work published. Some of these journals accept previously published work as well, so if you've got a piece on your blog or something that has already been published in print, you can still submit it.

Before submitting to any of these online journals, be sure to read the submission guidelines carefully and spend some time browsing the current issue on the site.

Cha: An Asian Literary Journal
Base: Hong Kong
Fiction: 5000 words max
Nonfiction: 5000 words max
Poetry: 1-4 poems
Medium: Online
Frequency: Quarterly
Payment: None
Reading Period: All year
Notification: 3 months
Submission Info: http://www.asiancha.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=41
Submit By: Email
Simultaneous Submissions: Yes
Previously Published: Only for "lost teas" - published works that appeared in journals which have now folded
Alexa Traffic Rank: 4,950,736
Note: Publishes travel writing

The Coachella Review
Base: University of California, Riverside
Fiction: 1500 - 6000 words
Nonfiction: 1000 - 6000 words
Poetry: 3-5 poems
Medium: Online
Frequency: ?
Payment: ?
Reading Period: ?
Notification: ?
Submission Info: http://www.thecoachellareview.com/submit.html
Submit By: Varies
Simultaneous Submissions: ?
Previously Published: ?
Alexa Traffic Rank: 8,560,471
Note: Also considers screenplays and films

The Chesapeake Reader
Base: Baltimore, Maryland
Fiction: 3000 words max
Nonfiction: 3000 words max
Poetry: 5 poems max
Medium: Online
Frequency: Four times a year
Payment: None
Reading Period: Varies, check site for details
Notification: Varies
Submission Info: http://www.chesapeakereader.com/submissionguidelines.html
Submit By: Email
Alexa Ranking: 20,264,576
Note: Focused on works about the Chesapeake area of by local authors, although any work is considered

Hot Metal Bridge
Base: University of Pittsburgh
Fiction: 7000 words max
Nonfiction: 5000 words max
Poetry: 5 poems/5 pages max
Medium: Online
Frequency: Twice a year - fall and spring
Payment: ?
Reading Period: Not specified
Notification: By email
Submission Info: http://hotmetalbridge.org/submissions/
Submit By: Email
Simultaneous Submissions: ?
Previously Published: ?
Alexa Traffic Rank: 6,336,024
Note: Interested in literary criticism as well (1-30 pages MLA format), has a great list of other literary journals in the sidebar

Monadnock Online
Base: Peterborough, New Hampshire
Fiction: 2500 words max
Nonfiction: 2500 words max
Poetry: 3 poems max
Medium: Online
Frequency: Rolling
Payment: None
Reading Period: Rolling
Notification: 8 - 12 weeks
Submission Info: http://www.adhocmonadnock.org/submissions.html
Submit By: Email or snail mail
Simultaneous Submissions: ?
Previously Published: Yes
Alexa Traffic Rank: No Data
Note: Also accepts journalistic work

Raving Dove
Base: West Linn, Oregon
Fiction: 2500 words max
Nonfiction: 1000 words max
Poetry: 3 poems max
Medium: Online
Frequency: Quarterly
Payment: None
Reading Period: Rolling
Notification: 3 months
Submission Info: http://www.ravingdove.org/submissions
Submit By: Email
Simultaneous Submissions: Yes
Previously Published: Yes
Alexa Traffic Rank: 3,512,840
Note: Focus on humanitarian issues