All We Are Saying, Is Give Alts a Look

Writers looking for unique venues for your work? Readers looking to broaden your repertoire? If you haven’t ever been to the NewPages Guide to Alternative Magazines, then I would strongly recommend you give it a look.

In working with the publications, I am often taken in by a story I see on their site or in the print magazine. This is writing on contemporary issues in our culture and around the globe, often times including personal essay as a way to convey experience and meaning to the reader. Many alternative magazines also include more “literary” genres of writing: fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, as well as art. There is a wealth of opportunity here for writers that all too often may be overlooked since these magazines are not usually classed under literary genre markets.

I am also amazed at how many of the print alternative publications offer so much content online, some of them offering full content once the next issue of the publication is available. Of course, the fully online publications offer full content as well as archives. Time and again, I have encouraged my teaching colleagues in all disciplines to check out these guides. At a time of skyrocketing costs for our students to attend college, finding “free” resources such as these is a boon. The magazines, in turn, will gain new readers, perhaps new subscribers, but more importantly, an audience that becomes more informed on social, cultural, and political issues of concern. And isn’t that what alts are all about?

Swing by today and click a couple links. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. And as always, if you know of a publication that fits the scope of our work here that is not listed, drop me a line (denisehill-at-newpages-dot-com) and I’ll look into it!