Where to publish short comics
Hello comics friends,
Many of us are making comics that are non-traditional, and the graphic novel business is booming. But it is not easy to find places to publish shorter works. At least two exceptions to my opening salvo here are the genres of graphic medicine and of comics journalism, of course, but even here I have not found anything like the rich publication or exhibition landscape available to writers, poets and artists.
For my own publishing purposes, I have put together the growing list you will find below of literary, medical and other journals and magazines that
(a) publish short comics in the serious comics genre,
(b) in the English, French or German languages, and that
(b) welcome works created by Canadians and by foreigners.
Disclaimers and things:
I am sharing the results of my own efforts out of a sense of collegiality with other artists, but this is not a comprehensive list, not by a long stretch. Also, I am not paid and this information will be maintained in a non-systematic way. Please use it as one springboard for your own research. Please let me know in a polite way of any mistakes. Please do not copy and paste it anywhere in the public domain, in whole or in part, without crediting me and linking back. And PLEASE let me know of publications you would like me to add to the list!
More resources:
For book-length comics, also try Jason Thibault’s tips on The Definitive List of Comic Publisher Submission Guidelines for 2019 - Jason Thibault
I get a lot of suggestions for possible publications and contests from the classified pages of newpages.com I donate monthly because they have been such a great resource.
Especially if you are located in the United States or Canada, you should check out the great list by Leslie Salas at Literary Journals with Comics here. My list overlaps nicely with it, with the difference being that my list specifically targets publications that welcome international submissions.
Things you should know, especially if you are new to working with this type of publication
Know the lingo. Many publications do not call these pieces ‘comics.‘ Instead they use wording like narrative art, sequential art, graphic narrative, or some other term meant to make it clear that they are not looking for genre comics. Moreover, you will typically be submitting in the art category, not the literature category, unless the publication has a separate category for comics. Having said that, the “type” of art and its quality varies tremendously by publication. Research your publications prior to submitting.
Where’d y’all say youse was from?: I am only interested in publications that explicitly welcome submissions by foreigners, or by Canadians (because I am Canadian). The majority of the publications here are in North America, or Europe, but eventually, I may explore other markets.
No trees were harmed: More and more often, I am seeing literary journals turn to an online format, or to some hybrid model, such as online publication plus selected works anthologised in a book. I have tried to note this where I had the information.
Come together: Most of these journals will allow for simultaneous submissions (submitting your work for consideration to multiple publications at once), but some do not. ALWAYS check submission guidelines.
They bought it – hook, line and sinker: Publications vary quite a bit in the way that they will own or use your work upon publication. Check this carefully because the standard in your country could be very different elsewhere.
Paying for it: Some of these publications demand a token submission fee (5-20USD), but most do not. These publications are normally overwhelmed with fiction and poetry submissions, but not with art subs, so as a result they often do not charge artists, including comic artists. Several of these journals will pay you upon publication, typically a small amount.
I came from outer space: Most of these publications are literary journals, which traditionally publish short fiction or poetry along with a very small collection of contemporary fine art. Most of these journals now publish work that blurs the lines between fiction and poetry to include hybrid fiction of many types, creative non-fiction, flash fiction, etc. But extremely few blur the lines between writing and art. Very few publish comics. The positive thing is that you will see journals publishing emerging comic artists alongside big names in fiction or poetry, only because the market is so new.
Check your watch: Many publications only accept submissions during specific time frames.
DIN need not apply: Remember to check the journal dimensions before submitting. I live in a country where print sizes are standardized. Elsewhere, such as in North American, journals operate in a Wild West when it comes to paper sizes. I have responded to this in one case by creating three different versions (4, 6, or 8 panels per page) of a comic in order to fit various possible publications that I had targeted. Ouf.
North America
Publishing shorter creative works in the U.S.A. and Canada is often done by publishing in small journals. There are hundreds of journals on the continent, many of them attached to universities. This has been the tradition for a long time in the areas of prose and for poetry, and increasingly such small journals are publishing “serious comics”, or graphic narrative. The primary way that these journals will find the writing and art that they publish, is by reviewing submissions that they did not commission. They review these with a small team of (usually unpaid) readers, and publish their favourites. For my Germany-based friends, SAND Journal in Berlin is similar to the journals I am familiar with from back in my country, Canada.
Canada (English language)
Antilang: Canadian. Artists must live in Canada’s borders or be Canadian citizens abroad. Specialty is short works. Works must be under 6 pages. They request donations by submitters. They use guest editors.
Augur: Canadian. They publish 75% Canadian and Indigenous. Speculative, surreal or magic.
Broken Pencil: Canadian. They publish comics, but primarily they review zines.
Canadian Medical Association Journal: Canadian. They took submissions in the area of graphic medicine in their Humanities section from 2018 to 2020 but there is no mention of this on their website at time of writing. You must go through a peer review process, similar to academic peer review.
Carousel Magazine: Canadian. Online only as of 2021. Biannual. It is unclear how open they are to non-Canadian submissions. From their site, Carousel “is an exquisitely produced hybrid literary/arts magazine representing new & established artists, with a focus on positioning Canadian talent within an international context.”
Carte Blanche: Canadian. Online only. Triannual, each issue has about two comics. They actually have an editor specifically for comics!
Pulp: Canadian. Prefers entertaining, accessible, “good” stories. No non-fiction or memoir.
Scrivener Creative Review: A journal run out of the English department of my alma mater, McGill University. I was Fiction Editor years ago, sniff. Oh, the nostalgia.
This Magazine: Canadian. They publish Canadian residents only. They accept pitches only. By Twitter, THIS told me that, “We sometimes run a one page comic, but not every issue. Definitely open to comic pitches for that length (when we open to pitches, info is here https://this.org/contribute/)“ On their masthead: “Progressive politics, ideas & Culture.” Probably ideal for comics journalism.
Untethered magazine: Canadian. They do not accept comics, but I included them because a fair amount of their art fits into the overall comic look and feel. Could be interesting for artists.
U.S.A. (English language)
Annals of International Medicine: American. Publishes short graphic medicine pieces online under the heading “Annals Graphic Medicine Web Exclusives” section. Look for the links within each online issue. Includes a lot of amateur work by those in the medical industry or patient experiences.
Aquifer: See Florida Review.
Believer Magazine: American. Online and print. Published every two months. Non-fiction comics only. Pitch directly your ideas to the Art Director/Comics Editor.
Chestnut Review: American. Quarterly online, anthologised annually. “We are always interested in work that speaks to the season, even if it is in unusual and contradictory ways, but that is in no way a requirement.“
Driftwood Press Literary Magazine: American. Bi-annual literary magazine. They have numerous contests, and publish small books.
Feathertale Review: Canadian. Submissiones accepted from Canadians only. Online writing, but the printed review journal publishes “cartoons and sketches”. Journal is “dedicated to high and low-brow humour.”
Florida Review and Aquifer: Florida Review Online: American. FR is published biannually. One black and white comic per print issue. “We look for graphic narratives that show both artistic and literary merit. Currently, we are able to consider black and white only for the print magazine. However, we can consider both black-and-white and color works for Aquifer: The Florida Review Online.” Aquifer published 7 full-colour or b x w pieces online in 2020.
Full Bleed: American. Annual. Art and design criticism. Publish “graphic essays” once a year.
Hypoallergic: American. Regularly update online platform; magazine style but not organised by issue. This is a (mostly) art-oriented online journal but with a deep basket of formats used by contributors. Hypoallergic publishes comics on an irregular basis, and sometimes presents several in a row by a single creator. There is a lot of scope for formats (from photo essay, one-panel comic, to short personal pieces) but artists should pitch first. In their words, "We prefer pitches but will consider submissions."
Intima: American. Biannual. Online. “A journal of narrative medicine.” Intima owns the work and all rights forever, they charge a submission fee AND they do not pay you. Essentially, you are given away your work for a publication credit. Not only that, they do not allow simultaneous submissions.
Literary & Medicine Journal: American. a medical journal that publishes graphic medicine submissions twice a year. The editor is a leader in the graphic medicine genre. Its home university is also the major publisher of graphic medicine titles (graphic mundi). Their website is poor, however, and for best results, follow them on Twitter Literature and Medicine (@literature_med) / Twitter or follow @ComicNurse, their comics editor.
Memoir Magazine: American. Theme is memoir. Online: please note, the website states that, “Memoir Magazine is published weekly online continuously throughout the year at the end of which, an annual print edition is published showcasing our most popular reads.” However, there is no print journal listed on the website, though Memoir began publishing online in 2017. The website does not state which rights are purchased by the magazine (only that these rights – whatever they are - revert back to you “three months after publication”). In case you are looking for a print publication, do clarify with the magazine that they are not purchasing printing rights. I e-mailed them asking for clarification (April 2021).
Narrative Magazine: American. Triannual. This is a major publication, and a significant writer (eg. Sharon Olds, Ann Beattie) is included in each issue. They publish at least one graphic narrative and several cartoons per issue.
Nashville Review: American. 0-3 two comics per issue. “We’re seeking anything from one-page comics to excerpts from graphic novels. Please note we do not publish single-frame cartoons in the style of The New Yorker. “
The Nib: American. Online and print (quarterly). Political satire, journalism, non-fiction comics. Submit via e-mail.
Palooka: American. Frequency of publication is unclear. Print magazine. Also print chapbooks and hold contests. I have been rejected by Palooka. They were quick, and kind. I will try again.
Popula: American. Online. I clicked all over the website and could find no information on submitting to Popula. It looks as if, even for comics, you need to pitch.
Split Rock Review: American. Biannual. Online only. “Online journal dedicated to publishing literature and art that explore place, environment, and the relationship between humans and the natural world.”
Storm Cellar: American. Two to three issues per year. I am sweet on this magazine because they had David Mack art on a recent cover. “[B]e as un-boring as you can.”
Superpresent: American. New in 2021. Quarterly. They respond quickly. I was rejected, but kindly.
Volney Road Review: American. Biannual. They publish comics, but rarely, and these are not mentioned in the submission guidelines. You might want to inquire prior to submission.
United Kingdom and Europe
So far, and maybe I am just missing something, the publications I have found in this category mostly publish commissioned works or works by a collective. How does a comic artist get on the radar of a magazine in Europe? If someone would like to educate me, I would love to learn. (Perhaps the norm here is simply to self-publish shorter works in zines, or to seek publication by small publishers, like the marvelous Jaja Verlag?) Just a short list so far:
Drawing the Times: Dutch. English language. A publishing platform for the comics of this collective of graphic journalists and illustrators. They also publish a magazine under the same name. Its frequency and format (online or print) are unknown (to me). Theme is comics journalism, “non-fiction visual stories.” The last call for entries was advertised via their newsletter and Facebook in September 2020.
Missy Magazine: German. German language. Pop, politics and feminism magazine out of Berlin. I was not sure if I should include Missy, because they do not ask for unsolicited comics, but they did give me a nice reply to a submission I sent them, which suggested they are not against considering comics.
Obradek: German. German language. Online. They have published two issues to date. The magazine represents the work of an illustration collective from Hamburg. The magazine plans to publish guest artists, but no submission guidelines are provided on their website.
Spring: German. German language. Annual print journal out of Hamburg, Germany, which publishes works created by a collective of artists, including comics artists. The collective changes membership somewhat with each publication. The admissions process is not described on the website. Their members include women artists across Germany.
Strapazin: Swiss. German language. Comics journalism. There is a companion website in Germany, but only one magazine. They publish quarterly in print and themes are sometimes listed on their website. They commission their work, but I submitted to them cold, and received a kindly written rejection, so I think they would accept unsolicited submissions if these fit an upcoming issue.
The four reviews: French. French language. Four print publications that fall in the comics journalism field, including for young adult.
Many of us are making comics that are non-traditional, and the graphic novel business is booming. But it is not easy to find places to publish shorter works. At least two exceptions to my opening salvo here are the genres of graphic medicine and of comics journalism, of course, but even here I have not found anything like the rich publication or exhibition landscape available to writers, poets and artists.
For my own publishing purposes, I have put together the growing list you will find below of literary, medical and other journals and magazines that
(a) publish short comics in the serious comics genre,
(b) in the English, French or German languages, and that
(b) welcome works created by Canadians and by foreigners.
Disclaimers and things:
I am sharing the results of my own efforts out of a sense of collegiality with other artists, but this is not a comprehensive list, not by a long stretch. Also, I am not paid and this information will be maintained in a non-systematic way. Please use it as one springboard for your own research. Please let me know in a polite way of any mistakes. Please do not copy and paste it anywhere in the public domain, in whole or in part, without crediting me and linking back. And PLEASE let me know of publications you would like me to add to the list!
More resources:
For book-length comics, also try Jason Thibault’s tips on The Definitive List of Comic Publisher Submission Guidelines for 2019 - Jason Thibault
I get a lot of suggestions for possible publications and contests from the classified pages of newpages.com I donate monthly because they have been such a great resource.
Especially if you are located in the United States or Canada, you should check out the great list by Leslie Salas at Literary Journals with Comics here. My list overlaps nicely with it, with the difference being that my list specifically targets publications that welcome international submissions.
Things you should know, especially if you are new to working with this type of publication
Know the lingo. Many publications do not call these pieces ‘comics.‘ Instead they use wording like narrative art, sequential art, graphic narrative, or some other term meant to make it clear that they are not looking for genre comics. Moreover, you will typically be submitting in the art category, not the literature category, unless the publication has a separate category for comics. Having said that, the “type” of art and its quality varies tremendously by publication. Research your publications prior to submitting.
Where’d y’all say youse was from?: I am only interested in publications that explicitly welcome submissions by foreigners, or by Canadians (because I am Canadian). The majority of the publications here are in North America, or Europe, but eventually, I may explore other markets.
No trees were harmed: More and more often, I am seeing literary journals turn to an online format, or to some hybrid model, such as online publication plus selected works anthologised in a book. I have tried to note this where I had the information.
Come together: Most of these journals will allow for simultaneous submissions (submitting your work for consideration to multiple publications at once), but some do not. ALWAYS check submission guidelines.
They bought it – hook, line and sinker: Publications vary quite a bit in the way that they will own or use your work upon publication. Check this carefully because the standard in your country could be very different elsewhere.
Paying for it: Some of these publications demand a token submission fee (5-20USD), but most do not. These publications are normally overwhelmed with fiction and poetry submissions, but not with art subs, so as a result they often do not charge artists, including comic artists. Several of these journals will pay you upon publication, typically a small amount.
I came from outer space: Most of these publications are literary journals, which traditionally publish short fiction or poetry along with a very small collection of contemporary fine art. Most of these journals now publish work that blurs the lines between fiction and poetry to include hybrid fiction of many types, creative non-fiction, flash fiction, etc. But extremely few blur the lines between writing and art. Very few publish comics. The positive thing is that you will see journals publishing emerging comic artists alongside big names in fiction or poetry, only because the market is so new.
Check your watch: Many publications only accept submissions during specific time frames.
DIN need not apply: Remember to check the journal dimensions before submitting. I live in a country where print sizes are standardized. Elsewhere, such as in North American, journals operate in a Wild West when it comes to paper sizes. I have responded to this in one case by creating three different versions (4, 6, or 8 panels per page) of a comic in order to fit various possible publications that I had targeted. Ouf.
North America
Publishing shorter creative works in the U.S.A. and Canada is often done by publishing in small journals. There are hundreds of journals on the continent, many of them attached to universities. This has been the tradition for a long time in the areas of prose and for poetry, and increasingly such small journals are publishing “serious comics”, or graphic narrative. The primary way that these journals will find the writing and art that they publish, is by reviewing submissions that they did not commission. They review these with a small team of (usually unpaid) readers, and publish their favourites. For my Germany-based friends, SAND Journal in Berlin is similar to the journals I am familiar with from back in my country, Canada.
Canada (English language)
Antilang: Canadian. Artists must live in Canada’s borders or be Canadian citizens abroad. Specialty is short works. Works must be under 6 pages. They request donations by submitters. They use guest editors.
Augur: Canadian. They publish 75% Canadian and Indigenous. Speculative, surreal or magic.
Broken Pencil: Canadian. They publish comics, but primarily they review zines.
Canadian Medical Association Journal: Canadian. They took submissions in the area of graphic medicine in their Humanities section from 2018 to 2020 but there is no mention of this on their website at time of writing. You must go through a peer review process, similar to academic peer review.
Carousel Magazine: Canadian. Online only as of 2021. Biannual. It is unclear how open they are to non-Canadian submissions. From their site, Carousel “is an exquisitely produced hybrid literary/arts magazine representing new & established artists, with a focus on positioning Canadian talent within an international context.”
Carte Blanche: Canadian. Online only. Triannual, each issue has about two comics. They actually have an editor specifically for comics!
Pulp: Canadian. Prefers entertaining, accessible, “good” stories. No non-fiction or memoir.
Scrivener Creative Review: A journal run out of the English department of my alma mater, McGill University. I was Fiction Editor years ago, sniff. Oh, the nostalgia.
This Magazine: Canadian. They publish Canadian residents only. They accept pitches only. By Twitter, THIS told me that, “We sometimes run a one page comic, but not every issue. Definitely open to comic pitches for that length (when we open to pitches, info is here https://this.org/contribute/)“ On their masthead: “Progressive politics, ideas & Culture.” Probably ideal for comics journalism.
Untethered magazine: Canadian. They do not accept comics, but I included them because a fair amount of their art fits into the overall comic look and feel. Could be interesting for artists.
U.S.A. (English language)
Annals of International Medicine: American. Publishes short graphic medicine pieces online under the heading “Annals Graphic Medicine Web Exclusives” section. Look for the links within each online issue. Includes a lot of amateur work by those in the medical industry or patient experiences.
Aquifer: See Florida Review.
Believer Magazine: American. Online and print. Published every two months. Non-fiction comics only. Pitch directly your ideas to the Art Director/Comics Editor.
Chestnut Review: American. Quarterly online, anthologised annually. “We are always interested in work that speaks to the season, even if it is in unusual and contradictory ways, but that is in no way a requirement.“
Driftwood Press Literary Magazine: American. Bi-annual literary magazine. They have numerous contests, and publish small books.
Feathertale Review: Canadian. Submissiones accepted from Canadians only. Online writing, but the printed review journal publishes “cartoons and sketches”. Journal is “dedicated to high and low-brow humour.”
Florida Review and Aquifer: Florida Review Online: American. FR is published biannually. One black and white comic per print issue. “We look for graphic narratives that show both artistic and literary merit. Currently, we are able to consider black and white only for the print magazine. However, we can consider both black-and-white and color works for Aquifer: The Florida Review Online.” Aquifer published 7 full-colour or b x w pieces online in 2020.
Full Bleed: American. Annual. Art and design criticism. Publish “graphic essays” once a year.
Hypoallergic: American. Regularly update online platform; magazine style but not organised by issue. This is a (mostly) art-oriented online journal but with a deep basket of formats used by contributors. Hypoallergic publishes comics on an irregular basis, and sometimes presents several in a row by a single creator. There is a lot of scope for formats (from photo essay, one-panel comic, to short personal pieces) but artists should pitch first. In their words, "We prefer pitches but will consider submissions."
Intima: American. Biannual. Online. “A journal of narrative medicine.” Intima owns the work and all rights forever, they charge a submission fee AND they do not pay you. Essentially, you are given away your work for a publication credit. Not only that, they do not allow simultaneous submissions.
Literary & Medicine Journal: American. a medical journal that publishes graphic medicine submissions twice a year. The editor is a leader in the graphic medicine genre. Its home university is also the major publisher of graphic medicine titles (graphic mundi). Their website is poor, however, and for best results, follow them on Twitter Literature and Medicine (@literature_med) / Twitter or follow @ComicNurse, their comics editor.
Memoir Magazine: American. Theme is memoir. Online: please note, the website states that, “Memoir Magazine is published weekly online continuously throughout the year at the end of which, an annual print edition is published showcasing our most popular reads.” However, there is no print journal listed on the website, though Memoir began publishing online in 2017. The website does not state which rights are purchased by the magazine (only that these rights – whatever they are - revert back to you “three months after publication”). In case you are looking for a print publication, do clarify with the magazine that they are not purchasing printing rights. I e-mailed them asking for clarification (April 2021).
Narrative Magazine: American. Triannual. This is a major publication, and a significant writer (eg. Sharon Olds, Ann Beattie) is included in each issue. They publish at least one graphic narrative and several cartoons per issue.
Nashville Review: American. 0-3 two comics per issue. “We’re seeking anything from one-page comics to excerpts from graphic novels. Please note we do not publish single-frame cartoons in the style of The New Yorker. “
The Nib: American. Online and print (quarterly). Political satire, journalism, non-fiction comics. Submit via e-mail.
Palooka: American. Frequency of publication is unclear. Print magazine. Also print chapbooks and hold contests. I have been rejected by Palooka. They were quick, and kind. I will try again.
Popula: American. Online. I clicked all over the website and could find no information on submitting to Popula. It looks as if, even for comics, you need to pitch.
Split Rock Review: American. Biannual. Online only. “Online journal dedicated to publishing literature and art that explore place, environment, and the relationship between humans and the natural world.”
Storm Cellar: American. Two to three issues per year. I am sweet on this magazine because they had David Mack art on a recent cover. “[B]e as un-boring as you can.”
Superpresent: American. New in 2021. Quarterly. They respond quickly. I was rejected, but kindly.
Volney Road Review: American. Biannual. They publish comics, but rarely, and these are not mentioned in the submission guidelines. You might want to inquire prior to submission.
United Kingdom and Europe
So far, and maybe I am just missing something, the publications I have found in this category mostly publish commissioned works or works by a collective. How does a comic artist get on the radar of a magazine in Europe? If someone would like to educate me, I would love to learn. (Perhaps the norm here is simply to self-publish shorter works in zines, or to seek publication by small publishers, like the marvelous Jaja Verlag?) Just a short list so far:
Drawing the Times: Dutch. English language. A publishing platform for the comics of this collective of graphic journalists and illustrators. They also publish a magazine under the same name. Its frequency and format (online or print) are unknown (to me). Theme is comics journalism, “non-fiction visual stories.” The last call for entries was advertised via their newsletter and Facebook in September 2020.
Missy Magazine: German. German language. Pop, politics and feminism magazine out of Berlin. I was not sure if I should include Missy, because they do not ask for unsolicited comics, but they did give me a nice reply to a submission I sent them, which suggested they are not against considering comics.
Obradek: German. German language. Online. They have published two issues to date. The magazine represents the work of an illustration collective from Hamburg. The magazine plans to publish guest artists, but no submission guidelines are provided on their website.
Spring: German. German language. Annual print journal out of Hamburg, Germany, which publishes works created by a collective of artists, including comics artists. The collective changes membership somewhat with each publication. The admissions process is not described on the website. Their members include women artists across Germany.
Strapazin: Swiss. German language. Comics journalism. There is a companion website in Germany, but only one magazine. They publish quarterly in print and themes are sometimes listed on their website. They commission their work, but I submitted to them cold, and received a kindly written rejection, so I think they would accept unsolicited submissions if these fit an upcoming issue.
The four reviews: French. French language. Four print publications that fall in the comics journalism field, including for young adult.