Literary Journal

Sky Island Journal

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Journals & literary magazines1 open opportunity listedNM

About the magazine

Sky Island Journal is an independent, online literary journal founded in 2016 by a small collective of writers and editors. Taking its name from the isolated mountain ranges of the American Southwest—ecological 'sky islands' that harbor unique species—the journal seeks to provide a similar refuge for poetry, flash fiction, and creative nonfiction that might otherwise go unnoticed by mainstream literary outlets. Its mission is to publish work of high literary quality that is accessible, emotionally resonant, and formally precise, without regard to an author's publication history. Each quarterly issue is curated to feel like a cohesive reading experience, balancing established and emerging voices.

Editorial focus

Sky Island Journal is an independent, international, free-access literary journal; it is dedicated to discovering and publishing the finest original poetry, flash fiction, and creative nonfiction. The magazine publishes accomplished, well-established authors—side by side—with fresh, emerging voices. It provides readers with a powerful, focused, advertising-free literary experience that transports them: one that challenges them intellectually and moves them emotionally.

PoetryFictionCreative NonfictionTranslation

Submitting your work

Reading periodJan 1 to Dec 31

Reading feeYes

PaymentNo payment

Response timeLess than 3 months

Simultaneous submissionsYes

Unsolicited submissionsYes

Sky Island Journal accepts submissions year-round via its website, with reading periods aligned to quarterly issues. Send up to three poems, one flash fiction piece (under 1,000 words), or one creative nonfiction essay (under 1,500 words) per submission. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but notify the journal immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. The editors value concise, image-driven writing with a strong emotional core; avoid overly experimental or genre-heavy work. Include a brief third-person bio and no more than five publication credits. Response times typically range from two to six weeks. There are no reading fees for standard submissions, though a tip jar is available to support the journal.

We want to be the first publication to give your writing a clean, powerful, international platform with a diverse readership. What are we looking for? We don’t want to limit our readers; therefore, we don’t want to limit you. We know quality work when we experience it. We don’t mean to be coy, but you need to know that we’re not interested in making your art conform to some preconceived aesthetic. We’re neither presumptuous enough, nor pretentious enough, to proclaim what “won’t fit” before we even try it on. Send us your best. We have over 160,000 readers in 150 countries, and we've published over 1,300 writers from 59 countries.

Read official guidelines

Submission calls

2 listed

ClosedDeadline · 2026-10-01