By Autumn Hutson

A big goal for many writers out there (no matter what their age may be) is to get their work published in a literary magazine.

When you’re published, it can be the spark that gets your writing career off the ground and lead to you getting the recognition your talent deserves. 

But big time publications can be tough to break into, even for writers who have been honing their craft for years.

However, there are always starting points to every journey, and when it comes to writing, teens can get their work out there through publications that are geared towards (and even run by) teens.

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Why Should You Submit Your Work to Teen Literary Magazines?

Any source of encouragement and community for young creatives instills assurance in your work and yourself. Not only can submitting your work give you confidence in your talent, but it can also be a lot of fun! 

Hitting the “submit” button and sending your work to editors can be intimidating, but more than that, it can be exciting.

And while you wait for them to get back to you, there are still plenty of new stories to get inspired by. From young writers like you! 

You have a passion and talent for a reason: it is meant to be shared. So why not give it a shot?

Who knows, maybe you’ll see your very own story or poem flash across the homepage of a great teen publication one of these days.

Here are five unmissable teen literary magazines that you should definitely check out…

You may also like: Why You Should Participate in Teen Writing Contests

Teen Literary Magazines To Submit Your Work

Stone Soup

Stone Soup is an online literary magazine written and illustrated by kids aged 8-13. It inspires kids and teens to read, write, and create through a rich and colorful platform. 

While this publication caters more to younger kids, those on the cusp of their teenage years can still show off their talents here. You can also check out and be a part of book reviews and the blog written by kids and teens.

Along with submitting prose, poetry, and art, young creatives can partake in “Daily Creativity” activities that serve as prompts to get your juices flowing every day. Some prompts include keeping a visual diary, writing a story in dialogue, and writing a poem with interesting words. 

Élan

Élan Literary Magazine is a publication run by a staff of high school juniors and seniors with a passion for literary and visual art. Students in grades 9-12 are encouraged to submit work within fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, screenwriting, plays, and visual art. 

The magazine’s audience is international, so you will come across artistic ideas and expressions from students all around the world! 

An even cooler reason to submit is that each piece submitted to the online editions of Élan automatically gets entered into the Élan Art and Writing Contest. One written piece and one art piece are selected as winners, and the lucky creators get a cash prize, recognition in the magazine, and a print copy of Élan!

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Parallax                    

Parallax Literary Magazine is published by the Creative Writing department at the famous Idyllwild Arts Academy, a boarding high school for creative artists. The magazine is created and run by students, and they accept submissions from high schoolers worldwide. 

They accept fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and plays. Make sure to have a cover letter ready to submit with your work, the staff wants to know a little about you and your passion for writing!

An exciting new addition to the content Parallax provides are book reviews and interviews with writers – all done by students, of course. 

Skipping Stones                    

Skipping Stones is a multicultural and global literary magazine geared towards writers aged 8-16. This platform celebrates stories, poems, and art about culture and the environment from all over the world.

They also encourage writers to submit in all languages (with an English translation, if possible), which is not only inclusive but also promotes exposure to other cultures that are different from your own! Some categories include: African American, Immigration Experience, and Asian American.

The Adroit Journal 

The Adroit Journal is a highly regarded publication with features in Poetry Daily, the New York Times, Teen Vogue, and more. They take an all ages approach when it comes to accepting submitted work.

This publication is looking for raw, authentic work that reflects the youth. And another cool thing to check out is the feature where teen writers like yourself can submit a question to an established poet or writer!

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How to Submit to Teen Literary Magazines

On every online literary publication’s website, there is a tab dedicated to their submission guidelines, which tell hopeful writers like yourself how many pieces you can send and how they should be formatted.

Every publication has unique preferences, so be sure to follow their instructions to increase your chances of being published.

A good idea would be to create your own account on Submittable.com, where you can have access and easily submit to literary magazines with listings on the site. And a few publications may ask you to submit your work through Submittable rather than their own submission process or email. 

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to get your work out there! Have you ever submitted your work to these teen literary magazines? If so, tell us your experiences below.