There are some magazines that’ll pay you for writing. However, there are many that won’t. A literary magazine can be described as a periodical, which publishes short stories, essays, and poems. Many among them also publish book reviews, literary criticism, and interviews with the authors. Then there are the ones who promote new, unpublished writers and budding talents in the world of literature.
Every literary magazine will have its own editorial focus and a unique style. If you’re a new writer, you must certainly try to get a piece of your work in a literary magazine. Here are some of the renowned Texas-based literary magazines:
1. The First Line
Each story in the magazine begins with the same first line. The purpose is to jumpstart the writers’ imagination and help them overcome the block of a blank page. This quarterly magazine is based in Plano, Texas. It was founded by Jeff Adams, David LaBounty, and Robin LaBounty in the year 1999. Each issue of the magazine consists of the best short stories having no restrictions on style or genre.
These stories offer an exercise in creativity for writers. They also allow readers to know how many different directions writers can take after starting from the same place. Besides this, The First Line also has a forum for discussing favorite lines in literature. The discussions happen through personal or academic essays.
2. American Short Fiction
Founded in 1991, American Short Fiction seeks out stories that keep the readers hooked. These stories must take a different route, stretching the readers between recognition and surprise. This magazine based in Austin has a national circulation and publishes short fiction, an occasional novella, and novel excerpts. It also strives to publish emerging as well as established contemporary writers.
The magazine sponsors two short fiction contests every year. One of them is the Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize, which had ZZ Packer as the judge in 2018. The second one is the American Short(er) Fiction Prize. In addition to these two contests, the magazine also sponsors online workshops and a reading series in Austin.
3. The Southwest Review
Formerly known as the Texas Review, this literary magazine is based in Dallas, Texas. If you’re a writer based in Dallas, you can find it on the Southern Methodist University campus. The Southwest Review is the third oldest literary quarterly in the country. It began in 1915 at the University of Texas. During the year 1924, it went to the Southern Methodist University.
This was possible because of the efforts of George Bond and Jay B. Hubbell. They had served as the joint editors of the magazine until 1927. In 2005, Willard Spiegelman was honored with the PEN/Nora Magid Award for Magazine Editing. He has been the editor of the magazine since 1984.
4. Concho River Review
This magazine was founded in the year 1987 by Terry Dalrymple. Based in the San Angelo city of Texas, Concho River Review publishes short stories, interviews, poetry, book reviews, and creative non-fiction. The book reviews in this magazine come from the Southwestern authors and discuss Southwestern themes.
An interview with the writer featured at the Angelo State University Writers Conference appears in the fall issue. Since the conference’s inception, interviews with featured writers have been a regular component of the magazine. The Spring 2013 issue featured the interview of the 2012 Texas Poet Laureate, Jan Seale.
