The following journals and magazines specialize in writing by / for / about women. Some of these publications feature women exclusively; others are simply committed to amplifying marginalized voices, drawing attention to women’s issues, or advancing a feminist agenda. The description of each is taken directly from the associated website.
I have tagged these publications according to country of origin, but please note that many—particularly the ones publishing online only—welcome international contributions and readership.
This list is a work in progress. If you find a non-working link or newly defunct publication at any time in the future, or if you know a journal or magazine that should be added to this list, please let me know. I appreciate your help in making this list as comprehensive as possible. Thank you!
LAST UPDATED: September 2022
— Nicole Melanson
13th Moon: A Feminist Literary Magazine (USA)
* CLOSED
13th Moon: A Feminist Literary Magazine is a home for women writers, and people who want to read their work.
Adanna (USA)
While this journal is dedicated to women, it is not exclusive, and it welcomes our counterparts and their thoughts about women today. Submissions to Adanna must reflect women’s issues or topics, celebrate womanhood, and shout out in passion.
Alaska Women Speak welcomes submissions in the following genres: non-fiction, poetry, fiction, memoir, creative non-fiction, and essay for our quarterly journal. We also publish work from visual artists and welcome Cover Art/Photo submissions.
Alyss
* CLOSED
A literary zine for dangerous women
ang(st) is an intersectional, transnational, diverse, inclusive, and queer feminist zine. ang(st) explores the physicality of feminism — our relationships with our bodies, with society, and with other bodies. We publish prose, poetry, and visual art. But we are open to interstitial and hybrid pieces: micros, personal essays, visual poetry, etc.
Bi Women Quarterly (USA)
BWQ features the voices of women with bi+ sexualities (i.e., bi, pan, fluid, and other non-binary sexualities).
Bone Bouquet (USA)
Bone Bouquet is a biannual online journal seeking to publish the best new writing by female poets, from artists both established and emerging.
Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers
* Now part of Creative Nonfiction
An award-winning literary magazine dedicated to motherhood.
The Brown Orient is a commitment to uplift the marginalized: women and LGBTQIA+ writers and artists from mainland and diasporic Brown Asia, who remain to be sidelined even among their own communities.
Brown Sugar Literary Magazine (USA)
Brown Sugar is an online womanist literary magazine for women, womxn, and womyn of color, of any nationality, sexuality, religion, or cultural diasporas that are misrepresented and underrepresented.
CALYX Journal (USA)
A forum for women’s creative work—including work by women of color, lesbian and queer women, young women, old women—CALYX Journal breaks new ground. Each issue is packed with new poetry, short stories, full-color artwork, photography, essays, and reviews.
Canthius (Canada)
Canthius accepts submissions of poetry and short fiction from established and emerging women and queer-identified writers.
Capulet Mag is a literary magazine for Juliets everywhere. For women by women, Capulet Mag searches for the best creative fiction and art across mediums and genres.
A literary journal about embracing the wild feminine. Pulling from classical stories and myth, each issue will be themed around a woman or myth who embraced the dark and seductive.
We are a quarterly online magazine, sharing the work of cis women*, trans women, and nonbinary artists, writers, and creatives. We are particularly interested in work that relates to a sense of spiritual life, ecology, and community, but we welcome submissions of all kinds that reflect one’s unique stories.
Crone (USA)
At Crone: Women Coming of Age, we believe that the experience of aging is rich with spiritual meaning. That’s why we have created a unique magazine that honors our deep wisdom as eldering women.
We are a brand new biannual literary magazine publishing short fiction, essays, and poetry by writers of color. Each issue will publish writings inspired by a theme relevant in the intersectional feminist community.
We are looking for previously unpublished work by women writers and artists. We want work that is brief and powerful. We want art and photography that make us feel something profound.
We accept writing from writers with lived experience of womanhood or misogyny in the epistolary style.
Feels Blind Literary welcomes submissions of short fiction, creative nonfiction, plays, and art from new and emerging writers and artists who are nonbinary or identify as women.
FemAsia was conceived as a magazine for women, in which issues and events which impact on girls and women in our contemporary world are discussed and explored. We wish to showcase the talents, experience and perspectives of women across Asia.
The Fem Lit Mag
* CLOSED
THE FEM is a magazine of inclusive, diverse, and feminist poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and spoken word.
For the Sonorous is a literary journal dedicated to empowering and publishing women and non-binary people of color.
Submit your original poems under 40 lines for a paid slot in our email newsletter sent to 550 people each month.
GUTS (Canada)
GUTS is a digital, volunteer-run feminist magazine and blog. Our biannual magazine publishes literary essays and reviews, long-form journalism, interviews, fiction, poetry, and new media to further feminist discourse, criticism, and community engagement in Canada.
HerStry Literary Magazine (USA)
HerStry centers the experiences of women identifying persons. HerStry publishes personal essays every Wednesday.
HerWords is The Halycone / Black Mountain Press’s newest literary journal, featuring a collection of poetry for, by, and about women. The collection provides a feminine touch on the literary world and gives women the opportunity to receive recognition for who they are and for the words they have written.
Honey Literary is a space for BIPOC (Black/Indigenous/People of Color and any combination therein). We publish BIPOC womxn, non-binary and trans people, disabled writers, and anyone of color from the LGBTQIAP2+ community.
Hysterical
* CLOSED
Hysterical is a dudeless literary utopia where we highlight and champion the voices of writers who are women, femmes, and non-binary people.
Iris (USA)
Iris is an award-winning, nationally acclaimed magazine for thinking young women at U.Va. and beyond.
Jahanamiya (Saudi Arabia)
Jahanamiya is a feminist literary magazine that publishes written work exclusively by Saudi women, as well as accompanying artwork created by regional artists.
La Vague publishes female poets and artists whose work occupies the space between poetry and visual art.
Lady (USA)
Lady is an online literary magazine for women, by women of all ages.
Lady / Liberty / Lit
* CLOSED
Lady/Liberty/Lit is a journal spotlighting women-identifying and gender-non-conforming writers who address experiences of, and ideas about, freedom of voice and body.
The Last Girls Club is an indie feminist horror ‘zine interested in creative work from the female gaze.
Lavender Review is an international, biannual (June & December) e-zine dedicated to poetry and art by, about, and for lesbians, including whatever LGBTQ might appeal to a lesbian readership.
Lilith (USA)
Independent, Jewish & frankly feminist since 1976, Lilith magazine charts Jewish women’s lives with exuberance, rigor, affection, subversion and style.
Literary Mama (International)
Literary Mama publishes literary writing about the many faces of motherhood.
Lumen
* CLOSED
Lumen is a project for (and by!) women and nonbinary people. We are interested in poetry, fiction, personal essays, and interviews that examine how we move through the world, both as complex individuals and as members of larger communities.
Luna Station Quarterly publishes speculative fiction written by women-identified authors.
MANTID Magazine
* CLOSED
MANTID is a literary publication featuring works of horror fiction by women from intersectional backgrounds who illustrate the power of diversity through their work. The series was created to celebrate unusual underground horror writing and to serve as a platform for marginalized women in the arts. MANTID focuses on publishing genre work including Weird Fiction and Literary Horror.
Online zine dedicated to women who are mostly over 35.
The Menstrual: Radical Feminist Literary Magazine
* CLOSED
The Menstrual: Radical Feminist Literary Magazine is an independent, online literary magazine with an objective to locate, publish and promote radical feminist literary opinions in the form of essays, memoirs and auto/biographical accounts, reviews, graphic and visual arts, poetry and creative texts.
midnight & indigo is a small publisher and literary journal dedicated to short fiction and narrative essays by Black women writers.
A web journal devoted to formal poetry by women.
Milk (Netherlands)
Milk art journal is a new, limited series publication of written and visual art works by artist-mothers about motherhood.
Minerva Rising (USA)
Minerva Rising is an independent literary journal celebrating the creativity and wisdom in every woman. We publish thought-provoking fiction, non-fiction, photography, poetry and essays by women writers and artists.
Minola Review fosters the conversation between women, publishing strong, honest work safe from the gaze of patriarchy.
Mothers Always Write (USA)
* CLOSED
A monthly, online literary magazine for mothers and mother writers who consider parenting to be their highest calling. We publish essays and poetry about the mothering experience.
Mom Egg Review (USA)
Mom Egg Review is an annual literary journal by and about mothers and motherhood.
Ms. (USA)
Ms. continues to be an award-winning magazine recognized nationally and internationally as the media expert on issues relating to women’s status, women’s rights, and women’s points of view.
Mslexia (UK)
At Mslexia we are committed to helping women writers progress and succeed, through our quarterly magazine, writer’s diary and annual writing competitions.
Exploring real-life motherhood, from every angle, at every stage.
Not Very Quiet (Australia)
* ARCHIVED
Not Very Quiet is a new twice yearly online journal for women poets of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds to publish their work.
OyeDrum Magazine is an online magazine for all types of explorative creative work, exclusively by women, for all audiences. Our magazine features poetry, art, creative writing, and multimedia content.
Pen + Brush / P+B Publications (USA)
P+B Publications is an independent publisher, seeking the best new work by women and non-binary authors. We publish short stories and poems in our literary magazine Pen + Brush In Print, which is distributed in print and electronically.
(NB: P+B publishes e-Books as well as magazines.)
Persimmon Tree (USA)
Persimmon Tree, an online magazine, is a showcase for the creativity and talent of women over sixty.
PMS poemmemoirstory (USA)
* CLOSED
PMS poemmemoirstory is a 140-page, perfect-bound, all-women’s literary journal published annually by the University of Alabama at Birmingham. We proudly feature the best literary writing by emerging and established women writers.
Poethead (Ireland)
Poethead was conceived and planned as a woman-friendly publishing platform that welcomes work from women poets, their translators, and their editors.
Pretty Owl Poetry is a feminist quarterly journal that publishes the visual arts, traditional and nontraditional forms, fiction masquerading as poetry, and work that does not snugly fit into a specific genre, all with a lyrical quality.
Q / A Poetry
* CLOSED
*Q / A Poetry exists to amplify the voices of womxn and nonbinary poets, and to expand the subjects deemed “appropriate” for womxn to be writing about.
Quaint Magazine (USA)
Quaint Magazine accepts submissions from female-identified and genderqueer/non-binary folk only. We are strongly committed to publishing work from traditionally marginalized writers, and in exploring identity performance, particularly as it pertains to subverting the cultural cliche of femininity.
A poetry journal featuring work by women fifty and over.
Rag Queen Periodical
* CLOSED
Rag Queen Periodical is a femme-centric lit zine publishing quarterly in May, August, November, and February.
Raising Mothers is an online literary magazine created by and for femme-identifying and nonbinary POC writers who parent. Raising Mothers publishes creative nonfiction, graphic narrative, poetry, in-depth interviews and fiction, honoring both parenting and personhood.
ROAR (USA)
* CLOSED
ROAR is a print literary journal that exists to provide a space to showcase women’s fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. We are committed to publishing literature by emerging and developing writers and we aim to support the equality of women in the creative arts.
ROOM Magazine (Canada)
Room Magazine is Canada’s oldest literary journal by and about women.
SageWoman Magazine (USA)
Celebrating the Goddess in Every Woman.
Published twice a year, Salty at Heart Journal features witty and creative content that highlights the work of female change-makers, scientists, humanitarians, politicians, artists, and explorers from across the globe.
* ARCHIVED
Welcome to the Same, an online literary journal for women . . . by women. Our goal is to advance and celebrate the voices of women and girls.
Sinister Wisdom (USA)
Sinister Wisdom is a multicultural lesbian literary & art journal that publishes four issues each year.
Sister Writes is the annual literary magazine of the Sister Writes program, filled with stories about women’s experiences, plus original photography and artwork.
So to Speak (USA)
A feminist journal of language and art.
Southern Women’s Review (USA)
By showcasing well-known and emerging southern women writers and artists, SWR amplifies their unique voices while exploring both traditional and innovative literary themes.
SWWIM (Supporting Women Writers in Miami) was co-founded by Jen Karetnick and Catherine Esposito Prescott. SWWIM publishes, promotes & celebrates women writers with a year-round reading series held at The Betsy-South Beach in Miami Beach, FL and the online poetry journal SWWIM Every Day.
Tangled Locks Journal is an online literary journal committed to sharing complex, well-rounded stories, poetry, and essays that illuminate the experience and lives of women. We publish four full issues a year and feature one short piece each month that does not have a full issue scheduled.
They Call Us is a literary magazine created by powerful womxn wanting to empower other womxn. Using media, art, and literature as a means to inspire, They Call Us wants to tell the everyday struggles of womxn from around the world. They Call Us puts forward a themed edition every 3 months. We look for any submissions of prose, poetry, and visual art within that theme.
Torch Literary Arts (USA)
Torch Literary Arts, a nonprofit organization established to support and promote creative writing by Black women, seeks original work for its Friday Features.
Feminist and queer positive dark fiction.
Understorey (Canada)
* CLOSED
Understorey Magazine publishes literary writing and visual art by and about Canadian women.
Since 2011, Vela has taken steps to help close the byline gender gap by publishing exceptional nonfiction writing by women, and by drawing attention to outstanding work by women writers at other online publications, print magazines, and publishing houses.
The VIDA Review is a bi-monthly online literary magazine publishing original fiction, nonfiction, poetry, reviews, and interviews by those often marginalized in literary spaces, including Black, Indigenous, and People and of Color (BIPOC); cis and trans women, agender, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, non-binary, and two-spirit people; LGBQIA people; people with disabilities; and people living at the intersections of these identities.
Voice of Eve
* CLOSED
Voice of Eve is a web magazine dedicated to showcasing quality women’s poetry.
VoiceCatcher (Washington & Oregon, USA)
VoiceCatcher is an online journal that supports, inspires, and empowers female-identified writers and artists. We encourage submissions from creatives who live in or have strong connections to the greater Portland, Ore. and Vancouver, Wash. areas.
Vox Viola
* CLOSED
Vox Viola is an intersectional feminist literary magazine that seeks to amplify the voices of all women regardless of race, age, ability, sexuality, or any other identifier.
Walled Women Magazine at the Walled City Journal (Pakistan)
* CLOSED
Walled Women Magazine is home to a yearly-curated collection of poetry, prose, photography, digital/print artwork, and all the in-between of these categories about the women experience. Only womencan submit to this magazine.
We’Moon is a lunar calendar, a handbook in natural cycles and most importantly a collaboration of women! Women from around the world send us their art and writing to be considered for publication within the date book.
We are open to poetry, fiction and art by women and nonbinary creators from around the globe.
A magazine about sex, desire, culture and getting some. Stuff we publish regularly includes thought-pieces on modern culture, feminist reviews of books/tv shows/movies, memoir, erotica, creative nonfiction, poetry, art, photography, and essays.
Founded in 2001, wicked alice is an online journal dedicated to women-centered writing and art.
Willow Lit Mag
* CLOSED
Willow is a literary magazine dedicate to publishing authors who identify as women, to whatever degree they do.
WomenArts Quarterly Journal (USA)
WomenArts Quarterly Journal (WAQ), an initiative of Women in the Arts, aspires to nurture, provide support, and challenge women of all cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, and abilities in their role in the arts and seeks to heighten the awareness and understanding of the achievements of women creators.
Women’s Studies Quarterly (USA)
Since 1972, WSQ has been an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of emerging perspectives on women, gender, and sexuality.
Writing in a Woman’s Voice (USA)
Beate Sigriddaughter’s keen interest in women’s writing has led her to her blog Writing In A Woman’s Voice, where she posts poetry and prose written by women or by men who convincingly write in a woman’s voice.
Yellow Arrow Journal is a biannual publication of creative nonfiction, poetry, and cover art by writers and artists identifying as women.
WordMothers - for women writers & women’s writing 
Very happy to run into this list.
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Great.. Good luck with your submissions, Marlene! 🙂
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Thanks for getting this list together Nicole! Plenty of inspiration there.
Kathryn, Ireland.
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You’re welcome, Kathryn! Good luck getting your work out. 🙂
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This was just the list I was looking for, thank you!
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Great. Good luck with your work!
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Thank you so much for these resources. I really appreciate the comprehensive list. 🙂
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Thanks for letting me know. Good luck with your work!
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Thank you for this!! Loved having this resource as I searched for the right place to sub my CNF piece on motherhood. 🙂
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Good luck with your piece!
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