2021 Literary Magazine Ranking–Fiction

Below is the 2021 Literary Magazine Ranking for Fiction. For a discussion of the rationale and methodology for the ranking, please go here.

If you find the list useful, please consider purchasing one or more of my books.

2021Magazine2020 Rank2021 Score
1Paris Review255.5
2One Story451
2Ploughshares151
4Conjunctions349
5Gettysburg Review643.5
6Threepenny Review537
7Zoetrope: All Story735.5
8Southern Review933.5
9Tin House © 933
10Noon1231
11Ecotone Magazine1130
12Kenyon Review828.5
13Narrative1826.5
14American Short Fiction2325
14Georgia Review1625
14Missouri Review1425
17Glimmer Train ©1324.5
18New England Review2024
19Virginia Quarterly Review1523.5
20A Public Space1723
21Granta3921
21Sun2221
21ZYZZYVA2621
24Bellevue Literary Review2020
25Agni2418.5
25Iowa Review1818.5
27McSweeney’s3217.5
27Oxford American2517.5
29Image2616
30Sewanee Review3515.5
31Wigleaf2914
32Hudson Review2813.5
32Pleiades3113.5
34Epoch2912.5
34Idaho Review4212.5
36Colorado Review3412
37New Orleans Review3511.5
38Boulevard3210
38New Letters3710
40Crazyhorse379.5
41Electric Literature469
41Pinch409
43Chicago Quarterly428.5
44Bennington Review778
44Cincinnati Review488
44Copper Nickel758
44Southampton Review428
44Yale Review778
49Common, The427.5
49Harvard Review487.5
49n+1517.5
49Witness467.5
53Catapult546
53Prairie Schooner416
53Raritan546
56Five Points485.5
56Mississippi Review515.5
58Egress ©605
58Notre Dame Review605
58Paper Darts605
58Prime Number Magazine605
58Sarabande Books605
58Southern Indiana Review605
58Stillhouse Press605
58Story5
58West Branch585
58Hysterical Rag5
68Epiphany724.5
68Little Star714.5
68Michigan Quarterly Review604.5
71Alaska Quarterly Review544
71Antioch Review604
71J Journal584
71Santa Monica Review514
71Southwest Review724
76Bomb603.5
76New Madrid543.5
78Arts & Letters773
78New Ohio Review823
78Ninth Letter823
78One Teen Story723
82Consequence Magazine822.5
82Florida Review772.5
82Hopkins Review772.5
82Ruminate822.5
82Salmagundi602.5
82Third Coast752.5
88American Scholar1192
88Black Warrior Review902
88Blackbird1032
88Grist902
88Gulf Coast822
88Healing Muse902
88StoryQuarterly902
88Willow Springs902
88Zone 3902
97Akashic Books1031.5
97Berkeley Fiction Review901.5
97Brooklyn Rail901.5
97Chattahoochee Review1191.5
97Chicago Review1191.5
97Cimarron Review821.5
97Collagist1031.5
97Confrontation1031.5
97Fiction International1031.5
97Graywolf Press1031.5
97Green Mountains Review901.5
97Indiana Review1031.5
97Kweli1031.5
97Mid American Review901.5
97Minnesota Review1031.5
97Per Contra901.5
97River Styx901.5
97Salt Hill1031.5
97Upstreet821.5
116African American Review1191
116Another Chicago Magazine1
116Baffler, The1191
116Barrelhouse1191
116Bat City1191
116Black Clock © 1191
116Black Lawrence Press1191
116Blue Fountain (?)1191
116Broadkill River Press1191
116Chautauqua1191
116Crab Orchard Review1
116December1191
116East (?)1191
116Exile1
116failbetter.com1191
116Fifth Wednesday ©1031
116Fjords1191
116Gascony Writers Anthology (?)1191
116Gigantic (?)1191
116Glossolalia1191
116Hunger Mountain1191
116Juked1031
116Leaf Litter1191
116Literal Latte1191
116Literary Review1191
116Litmag1191
116Meridian1
116Midwestern Gothic1191
116Moon City1191
116Mud City/Chapter House1191
116Mythium © 1031
116New Delta Review1191
116Nimrod1
116Obsidian1191
116Pembroke Magazine1191
116Potomac Review1191
116Press 531191
116Prism1
116Provincetown Arts1191
116Pulp Literature1191
116Quiddity1191
116Redivider1031
116Reservoir Journal1191
116Sixfold1191
116Spectacle1191
116Vassar Review1191
116Water-Stone Review901
116Western Humanities Review1191
116Worcester Review1
116Yemassee1191
116Jewish Fiction1
116Rumpus1
116Outlook Springs1
116Shade Mountain Press1
116About Place Journal1
171Anomalous1750.5
171Asian American Literary Review1750.5
171At Length1750.5
171Austin State University Press1750.5
171Baltimore Review1750.5
171Beloit Fiction1750.5
171BkMk Press1190.5
171Brick1190.5
171Catamaran1190.5
171Cleaver1750.5
171Crab Creek Review1750.5
171Cutbank1750.5
171Dalkey Archive Press1750.5
171Dogwood1750.5
171Dr. T.J. Eckleburg Review1190.5
171Elm Leaves/ELJ1190.5
171Enizagram1750.5
171Fiction1190.5
171Five Chapters © 1750.5
171Four Way Books1190.5
171Fourteen Hills1190.5
171John Daniel & Co.1750.5
171Joyland1750.5
171Little Fiction1750.5
171Lumina1750.5
171Malahat Review1750.5
171Massachusetts Review1030.5
171Memorious1750.5
171Natural Bridge1750.5
171New York Tyrant1750.5
171Normal School1750.5
171North Carolina Literary Review1750.5
171Outpost 191750.5
171Pear Noir © 1750.5
171Pegasus Books1750.5
171Post Road1190.5
171Puerto del Sol1750.5
171Seneca Review1750.5
171Shenandoah1030.5
171Sonora Review1750.5
171Sweet1190.5
171Texas Review1750.5
171Texas Review Press1750.5
171Transition1190.5
171TriQuarterly1190.5
171Tweed’s (?)1190.5
171World Literature Today1190.5

About the author

I am the author of three novels--THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE, OLIVER'S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY--and three story collections--IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES, and WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. I am also the co-founder and former editor of Prime Number Magazine and the editor of the award-winning anthology series EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET.

Comments

  1. Thanks for compiling this list. However, you have Zoetrope and Southern Review tied at 7 even though they have different scores. It looks as though Zoetrope should be 7 and Southern Review 8.

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