Listed below are some local and large national publishers who are currently open for submissions, however please do check their websites as these guidelines can change regularly and not all publishing houses accept unsolicited manuscripts.
You can find details of all Australian publishers and agents at Australian Writers Marketplace. Writers SA members receive a 10% discount on a subscription.
If you are seeking publication, you can also consider securing a literary agent. Please see the Australian Literary Agents Association.
Virginia Quarterly Review
Ongoing
Virginia Quarterly Review is currently accepting submissions of poetry, fiction and non-fiction.
Reed Magazine
Ongoing
Reed Magazine publishes works of short fiction, non-fiction, poetry.
Barrelhouse
Ongoing
Barrelhouse is an independent non-profit literary organisation that aims to bridge the gap between serious art and pop culture.
The Zodiac Review
Ongoing
The Zodiac Review is an online, semi-annual literary magazine presenting short fiction by new and emerging authors, as well as more established ones.
American Reader
Ongoing
American Reader is a bimonthly magazine publishing fiction, poetry and criticism.
Overland
Ongoing
Overland is always looking for nonfiction pieces, especially for its online magazine.
The Lifted Brow
Ongoing
The Lifted Brow is always seeking submissions!
Creative Nonfiction
Ongoing
Unlike many magazines, Creative Nonfiction draws heavily from unsolicited submissions.
The Fiction Desk
Ongoing
Theye’re always looking for new short stories at Fiction Desk anthologies, and most of the stories they publish are unsolicited submissions.
Narrative Magazine
Ongoing
Narrative regularly publishes fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, including stories, novels, novel excerpts, novellas, personal essays, humor, sketches, memoirs, literary biographies, commentary, reportage, interviews, and features of interest to readers who take pleasure in storytelling and imaginative prose.
Overland’s Cursive Letters
Ongoing
Every month Overland run a literary advice column called Cursive Letters in which their wonderful fiction editor Jennifer Mills responds in agony-aunt style to questions submitted by writers about their literary dilemmas.
Structo
Ongoing
Structo is a UK-based literary magazine.
Harvard Review Online
Ongoing
Harvard Review publishes short fiction, poetry, essays, drama, and book reviews.
MadHat (Mad Hatters’ Review)
Ongoing
MadHat (Mad Hatters’ Review), seeks to foster the work of writers and poets: explosive, lyrical, passionate, deeply wrought voices and aesthetic experiments that stretch the boundaries of language, narrative and image, vital and enduring literary voices that sing on the page as well as in the mind.
Pantera Press
Ongoing
Pantera Press aims to be known as a great new home for Australia’s next generation of best-loved authors™.
Kill Your Darlings
Ongoing
Kill Your Darlings quarterly edition accepts submissions of original writing all year around for KYD subscribers and during the months of March, June, September and December ONLY for non-subscribers.
Website | info@killyourdarlingsjournal.com
Fantasy and Science Fiction
Ongoing
Fantasy and Science Fiction is one of the major magazines of the genre. They pay 7-12 cents a word, up to 25,000 words.
Clarkesworld
Ongoing
Clarkesworld is a science fiction magazine that has won numerous awards, including 3 Hugo Awards.
The New Yorker
Ongoing
The New Yorker is possibly the most profitable magazine in the world. They have a huge and loyal readership.
Scribe
Ongoing
Scribe is a trade-publishing house. They are generally interested in literary fiction, serious non-fiction, and children’s picture books.
Antic Magazine
Ongoing
Antic is a not-for-profit online literary magazine of new writing in fiction, nonfiction, poetry and criticism, featuring the works of new and established Australian writers, as well as a smattering of international ones.
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Ongoing
A Chicken Soup for the Soul story is an inspirational, true story about ordinary people having extraordinary experiences. Chicken Soup for the Soul stories are written in the first person and have a beginning, middle and an end. The stories often close with a punch, creating emotion, rather than simply talking about it.
HOW magazine seeks freelance writers
Ongoing
HOW magazine provides a practical mix of essential business information, up-to-date technology tips, the creative whys and hows behind noteworthy projects, and profiles of professionals who are influencing design. HOW seeks writers who can write articles pertinent to our audience in an enter taining, concise style.
Asimov’s Science Fiction
Ongoing
Asimov’s Science Fiction is a well established publisher of science fiction.
Strange Horizons
Ongoing
Strange Horizons publishes speculative fiction, “broadly defined.”
Lightspeed Magazine
Ongoing
Lightspeed Magazine seeks to publish original science fiction and fantasy stories. They say that “no subject should be considered off-limits.”
Island Magazine
Ongoing
Island subscribers are invited to submit poetry, short fiction and essays.
Apex Magazine
Ongoing
Apex Magazine publishes science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
Uncanny
Ongoing
Uncanny is an online magazine of scifi/fantasy. They publish fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.
One Story
Ongoing
One Story is a magazine that publishes one story, in print, every three weeks.
On human rights issues in Australia
Ongoing
Right Now, a not-for-profit media organisation committed to covering human rights issues in Australia through accessible, creative and engaging online, print and radio media. The journal aims to present a diverse range of perspectives, and encourages the participation of those who identify as GLBTIQ, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally and linguistically diverse, and persons with disability.
Website | clairew@rightnow.org.au
Wombat Books and Rhiza Press
Ongoing
Wombat Books and Rhiza Press are currently open for manuscript submissions.
Underground Writers
Ongoing
Underground Writers are open for submissions year-round!
Curiouser Magazine
Ongoing
Literary journal Curiouser Magazine is a biannual print publication specialising in weird, speculative and fantastical short fiction and poetry, and they’re accepting submissions.
Successful submissions will pay poets $25 per poem, and from $50-125 for short prose. Poetry and short fiction up to 5,000 words in length is accepted.
See here for more information.
International OCD Foundation
Ongoing
Stories can encourage, inspire, and inform. We offer storytellers the space to tell their personal stories about OCD and related disorders – boldly, honestly, and creatively.
Tell Us Your Story!
Website | ocdstories@iocdf.org
Tulpa Magazine
Ongoing
Tulpa Magazine is an online publication that accepts fiction and non-fiction ranging from reviews, opinion pieces, and industry advice. With a number of regular features including Fiction Friday, Tulpa has covered a wide amount of local South Australian arts matters. Keep reading…
Website | tulpamagazine@gmail.com
Big Sky Publishing
Ongoing
Big Sky Publishing currently accepts unsolicited non-fiction manuscripts only. Keep reading…