We are currently closed for general submissions, but are open for editorial internship applications while we reshape our magazine for its next chapter. Thank you for your time and support.
Founded in January 2022, NiftyLit publishes short form literary content in the genres of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and flash. Since our beginning, we have sought to present exceptional, thought provoking work, with an emphasis on publishing emerging writers and artists from underrepresented, underserved, and marginalized communities.
From our start and through the summer of 2023, NiftyLit utilized a unique publishing model that incorporated blockchain technology as a mechanism for commodifying art and writing such that our contributors could potentially earn from the sale of unique digital editions of their work (more commonly known as “Literary NFTs,” however, even as promising as the technology is, the term “NFT” has garnered a negative connotation due to scams and bad actors). Going forward, we believe it is in the best interest of our contributors and the magazine to operate with a more traditional approach (“traditional” may not be the right word to use here, since we recognize the many injustices and inequalities within the “traditional” publishing industry).
Please find our general guidelines below.
General Guidelines
NiftyLit accepts original work that has not been previously published (including on your personal blog or website) in the categories of short fiction and nonfiction/ memoir (up to 7500 words), flash fiction and essays (up to 3 pieces, up to 1,000 words each), and poetry (up to 6 poems). We also occasionally accept submissions for a more open-ended, “Pitch Us” category.
- Please read from work published at NiftyLit.io before submitting to see if your work is a good fit.
- Simultaneous Submissions. NiftyLit does accept simultaneous subs, but please do let us know promptly if your work has been accepted for publication elsewhere, in which case, we will offer you a big congratulations on having your work accepted! (Even though we will also be sad to not get the chance to publish your work).
- One submission per writer at a time across all genres please, no exceptions. Please wait at least one month from the date you hear back from us before submitting again.
- Formatting. Do double space your work, preferably with a 12-point, serif font. Single-spaced poetry is okay, and experimental forms of font, line spacing, etc. are also fine by us if that’s the direction your writing hearts and minds take you.
- File Type. .doc and .docx files are preferred.
- Rights. Like most magazines, NiftyLit will take the rights to the first-time, electronic publication. You can read more about this on our copyright page. If you are selected for publication, we will be in touch with you to discuss other parameters pertaining to our publishing model, delineated in our master publishing agreements with contributing authors.
- Illustrations. We typically pair all literary works published with original illustrations. This generally depends on the availability of our contributing artists, our publishing/ editorial calendar, and NiftyLit’s ability to pay for commission of original artwork.
- Publishing timeline. Pending any unforeseen complications during the editing process, publication typically occurs 6 to 9 months from the date of acceptance. Work selected for publication is already pretty polished, so most of this timeline has to do with our editorial calendar and the high volume of incredible submissions we receive.
- DO NOT SEND:
- Anything resembling hate speech or promoting bigotry or violence. We are passionate about building a community of creativity and kindness.
- Full length manuscripts
- Response Timeline. We are delighted to read your work, and will give each submission our full attention. As such, it does take time for us to respond to everything. We thank you in advance for your patience. We are so grateful for the opportunity to read your work.
- Newsletter. We send out a newsletter ~twice a month full of NiftyLit news and publication updates/ highlights. You can sign up for that here.
- Duotrope. If you use Duotrope, please report your submission! If you can’t tell, we are all about data (and will do our best to protect yours!).
- We’re on social. Here’s our Twitter and Instagram. If you like what you see/ read, give us a follow.
IMPORTANT: We will not accept emailed submissions, with the exception of submissions from writers with accessibility issues or who do not have a Submittable account. If you feel you fall into this category, please email us at submissions@niftylit.io and we will gladly consider your work.
Sending you a big, warm welcome to our community! Thank you for supporting us as we grow. We know that it takes a community to build something truly special. Please feel free to reach out to info@niftylit.io with any questions, or for more information.
*By submitting your work, you agree to the terms of use. Please take the time to look them over.
We are making some major changes at NiftyLit and we need help!
Do you love to read and want to help shape the future of literary publishing with our magazine? NiftyLit needs readers and editors with an eye for exceptional, thought-provoking work that investigates the human condition. We place an emphasis on publishing emerging writers from underrepresented, underserved, and marginalized communities.
NiftyLit began in early 2022 with a unique publishing model that incorporated blockchain technology as a means for publishing and distributing literary content. While we made some waves and garnered a lot of positive media recognition for such a small literary magazine (we were even featured alongside brands like Gucci and Formula 1! OK, maybe that’s not actually that impressive, but it felt cool at the time…), we did not have the mainstream success we had hoped for. You can read a bit more about our history on our about page at https://niftylit.io/about/.
With the foundations and infrastructure of a top-tier literary magazine, we are moving forward with a more traditional approach, such that we can focus on 1) continuing to publish great art and writing, 2) provide opportunities for readers and writers to grow professionally, and 3) ultimately create a sustainable and lasting literary community.
As one of our first editorial interns in our new chapter of operations, you will help shape the future of NiftyLit by voting on submissions, copyediting and proofreading accepted pieces, and ultimately bringing pieces to publication. Primary responsibilities will include reading work submitted for consideration, copyediting work accepted for publication, formatting for our website in WordPress backend, and helping with our editorial calendar. Interns will report to NiftyLit leadership, who are committed to helping our interns learn while meeting their professional and/ or academic goals. Editorial interns will also be asked to participate in team meetings as available, and to correspond with contributing authors. Interns can generally expect about 5 to 10 hours of work a week, with no set hours.
We consider editorial internship applications on a rolling basis, with internship lengths running approximately 4 to 6 months. If needed, we can work with your college or university to provide academic credit for a semester-long internship at NiftyLit. If you have not yet received a response to your application, it is still under consideration.
If you are past the "intern" stage but want to be considered for our editorial staff, use this application, but let us know in the cover letter section that you are applying for a staff position.
How to Apply:
- Upload your resume and a writing sample in the genre you'd prefer to work with. Also, please let us know any other relevant skills such as familiarity with Wordpress. This is certainly not a requirement; in fact, if there’s a technology component to publishing you want to learn more about, we are here to help you learn!
- Write a brief cover letter telling us about yourself (beyond the skills and experience listed on your resume) and why you'd like to be on our team. If you feel like it, include a bit about your favorite genres, books, authors etc.
Thank you for your time and interest! We will be in touch as soon as possible.