Literary Magazines That Publish High School Students: A Curated Directory
Published · Guide · Writing · Grades: 9–12
Getting published in a literary magazine before college is genuinely achievable for high school writers — but the landscape of publications accepting student work is uneven. Some are high-quality journals with real editorial standards that carry weight on a college or writing program application. Others are anthologies that accept nearly everything submitted and charge fees to appear in print. The list below focuses on publications with actual editorial selectivity and no pay-to-publish model.
For each publication: who can submit, what they publish, and what the submission process looks like based on their current guidelines. Always verify submission windows and word-count requirements directly with the publisher; literary magazines open and close submissions frequently.
Polyphony Lit
What it is: A student-run international literary magazine that publishes poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction by high school writers. The editorial staff consists of high school students from around the world; submitting writers receive detailed line-by-line feedback from peer editors regardless of whether their work is accepted for publication.
Eligibility: Ages 14–18, worldwide. Work must be in English.
What they publish: Poetry (80 lines or fewer), fiction and creative nonfiction (1,800 words or fewer).
Submission structure (2025–2026 cycle): Polyphony Lit moved from open submissions to a seasonal contest model for the July 2025–June 2026 cycle. Contests have included a Black History Contest (January–March), a Winter Contest (January–March), an Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Contest (May), and a Pride Contest (June). Open submissions are expected to return around May or June 2026. Check the Polyphony Lit website for current windows.
Fee: No submission fee.
Why it matters: The feedback model is the primary value for student writers who do not yet have access to writing workshop communities. A writer who submits to Polyphony Lit and receives editorial commentary — even if the piece is not accepted — gets a form of peer critique that is genuinely useful for revision.
Teen Ink
What it is: A print and online magazine that has published student writing since 1989. With more than 55,000 student works published to date, it has a much higher acceptance rate than a selective literary journal, but it has a genuine readership of students and educators.
Eligibility: Students ages 13–19 (grades 7–12).
What they publish: Personal essays, short stories, reviews (books, films, music), interviews, poetry.
Submission structure: Accepts online submissions year-round through the Teen Ink website. No submission window to track.
Fee: No submission fee.
Honest assessment: Teen Ink is not a selective literary journal. Publishing there does not carry the same weight as a Polyphony Lit acceptance. It is a reasonable starting point for younger writers (grades 7–9) who are building a submission habit, and the platform exposes work to a student readership. For a college-application or MFA-application portfolio, a more selective publication will be more meaningful.
Sine Theta Magazine
What it is: A print creative arts magazine that centers the Sino diaspora — connecting and publishing writers and visual artists with Chinese heritage. It is not exclusively for students but actively features emerging voices alongside established creators.
Eligibility: Open to Sino diaspora writers and artists of any age; high school students are eligible and have appeared in the magazine.
What they publish: Poetry (up to 5 poems per submission), prose (no strict word limit; typically 1,500–3,000 words), visual art.
Why it matters for students: For students from Chinese American, Chinese Canadian, and other Sino diaspora backgrounds who write about identity, language, or cultural memory, Sine Theta provides an editorial home that takes that material seriously rather than treating it as exotic. The magazine has an international audience and a print publication with real design values.
Gigantic Sequins
What it is: An annual print literary arts journal with a distinctive black-and-white design aesthetic that publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and art. Each year the journal runs a contest specifically geared toward teenage writers.
Why it matters for students: The teen contest provides an age-appropriate submission path into a journal that also publishes adult literary writers. Check the Gigantic Sequins website for the current contest window, as timing shifts by year.
What to expect from the submission process
Most literary magazines use online submission managers (Submittable is common). You create an account, upload your work in the specified format, and receive a decision by email. Response times vary: some journals respond in weeks; others take several months. Simultaneous submissions — sending the same piece to multiple publications at once — are permitted by most student publications but check each magazine’s policy. If a piece is accepted elsewhere, notify the other publications promptly and withdraw the piece.
The practical advice that improves acceptance rates is straightforward: submit work that has been revised multiple times, read recent issues of the publication before submitting to understand what they actually publish, and follow the submission guidelines exactly (wrong file format or exceeded word count is an avoidable rejection). Rejection is the norm at any selective publication; a writer who stops submitting after three rejections will not have a publishing record. The writers with publication lists built in high school submitted consistently over years, not all at once.
About this guide: Meli Review publishes resources for student writers navigating the contest and publication landscape. For national writing competition profiles, see Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and YoungArts. For guidance on understanding contest rules, see How to Read Contest Rules.