12/08/2014 - to read an updated and expanded version of this post, please visit Error Proof Editorial Services' blog. Thank you for visiting!
I've been working on the following list for my 'One List to Rule Them All' for some time now, and thought I'd turn it into a post.
Below, in no particular order, are links to the major Australian literary journals and magazines currently accepting submissions, and a little information on each. I've only included those that are reasonably well-known and feature at least two pieces of unsolicited fiction per issue.
As you'll see, most don’t pay very well compared to non-fiction, and most take a while to reply to submissions, but having a story in any of these is sure to help your writing career.
If I've missed any of your favourites, please don't hesitate to say so in a comment and include a web address if possible. Thanks for reading and good luck: the short story industry is quite competitive at the moment.
Emanuel
MEANJIN QUARTERLY
Description: 
"Known primarily as a literary magazine, Meanjin reflect[s] the breadth of contemporary thinking, be it on literature, other art forms, or the broader issues of the times."
"Known primarily as a literary magazine, Meanjin reflect[s] the breadth of contemporary thinking, be it on literature, other art forms, or the broader issues of the times."
Submission Guidelines: "Submissions should be attached as a .doc or .docx file and emailed to meanjin@unimelb.edu.au with the subject heading ‘Meanjin Submission’. Please send only ONE piece, and wait for a response before submitting again. Include a very brief biographical note. We do not impose word limits on submissions, but note that we rarely publish work over 5,000 words."
Commission: "Contributors are paid a minimum $100 for prose. The total fee will be determined by the number of pages the article fills in published form ... The average fee paid is about $50 (Australian) per printed page; higher fees are sometimes paid to specially commissioned authors."
Description: "Overland, the most radical of Australia’s long-standing literary and cultural magazines, celebrated its 50th year in 2004. Publishing features, fiction, poetry, reviews, comment, artwork and opinion pieces. Overland is committed to engaging with important literary, cultural and political issues in contemporary Australia. It has a tradition of publishing dissenting articles with a political and cultural focus."
Submission Guidelines: "We prefer writers who show some consciousness of their era and the issues it presents. We encourage experiments with both form and content. We do not impose formal word limits and occasionally publish very long essays and stories, but potential contributors should be aware that space limitations make longer pieces harder to accept. We ask all authors to submit their work via an electronic submission manager."
Estimated Response Time: "The quantity [of submissions] received means that the process can take some months."
WET INK
Description: "Wet Ink is put together by a passionate team of writers and a designer who decided to do something about the lack of opportunities for writers to publish their short works and readers to access them. Inside each issue you’ll find fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction, interviews, photography, book reviews and more. It’s the place to discover some of today’s best up-and-coming talent, as well as new works by established authors."
Submission Guidelines: "Send no more than three submissions.
• Only hard copies considered.
• Only hard copies considered.
• Text should be double spaced in Times New Roman 12pt.
• No word limit—although the longer a piece is, the more
outstanding it needs to be to replace two or three shorter
pieces.
• Also interested in shorter pieces (to 500 words) that are
funny, snappy, experimental or thought-provoking."(Full guide here)
Estimated Response Time: Four months.
Commission: Under 1500 words $70, above 1500 words $120.
GRIFFITH REVIEW
Description: "Griffith REVIEW has a proud tradition of creating space for new and emerging writers. [It] is written with intelligent, well-informed and curious readers in mind."
Submission Guidelines: Each issue is themed. Check out the future editions page for details. The rest of the guidelines are set out in ‘For Writers’
Estimated Response Time: I couldn't find one, but when I submitted a short story to them in 2010 it only took six weeks, which (in my experience) is quite good.
Commission: "Rates will be negotiated directly with the author upon acceptance."
SOUTHERLY
Description: Published three times a year, "Southerly is a journal of and for the discussion of Australian Literature and the publication of the best in new Australian writing."
Estimated Response Time: "We attempt to acknowledge receipt of submissions within a week." Although, you may need to wait a little longer to find out if your work is accepted.
Commission: ???
Description: "The Lifted Brow is a bimonthly magazine based in Melbourne. Every two months, the Brow publishes fiction, art, comics, and commentary on everything from maths to celebrity to design. It’s just meant to be fun and smart."
Estimated Response Time: The official website says they may take up to six months to respond to fiction, but are one of the rare few that encourage simultaneous submissions.
Commission: ???
MASCARA LITERARY REVIEW
Description: "A bi-annual literary journal ... particularly interested in the work of contemporary Asian, Australian and Indigenous writers."
Submission Guidelines: "Submit 1 short story up to 3,000 words, or for flash fiction no more than 1,000 words in a single Microsoft Word doc as an attachment, labelled with your name to submissions@mascarareview.com. 12 point Times New Roman, 1.5 spaced."
Estimated Response Time: Three to six months, but they accept simultaneous submissions as long as you notify them immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Commission: Seems like a flat $100
Other publications I've yet to research in full:
The Big Issue - http://www.bigissue.org.au/the-magazine/contribute/
Updates:
29/02/2012 - Updated submission guidelines
07/01/2012 - Added more information and images for most publications
07/01/2012 - Added more information and images for most publications
11 comments:
Good list to begin with here, Emanuel. I'm sure it will grow exponentially.
Eureka Street have been a good online publisher eurekastreet.com.au
Good luck with the list.
Margaret
Thanks Margaret.
I thought about including Eureka Street and a few others, but deleted them as they only had submission guidelines for poetry.
I'll have to do some more research.
Emanuel
Sensational post Emanuel! I will be linking to your blog, and this post in particular when I launch my website.
Thanks Suellen.
I've wanted to post this information for a while now and finally had the time to make it shiny :)
Emanuel
many thanks for all the links , am now following your blog my friend, love and light from the wee tin can
You're most welcome, Andy. And Thanks for the follow. I'm following your blog now, too.
Emanuel
I highly recommend Etchings (out of Melbourne). http://www.ilurapress.com/index.php?pid=2
It's always an interesting read, and beautiful too.
kocuinn
Thanks for the list. It's just what I need right now. Looking forward to researching each journal / magazine further and begin submitting. Jennifer M Dunbar.
Thanks so much for this list. It's very generous of you.
I know this is a pretty old post now, but I recommend Brain Drip. It's a simple site, but clean and nicely laid out. They don't pay for submissions though (not last time I checked anyway).
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