I’m often asked for a list of the best blogs and websites focused on literary fiction and culture. This list was first curated in 2011; after five years, I continue to update it as sites fold or launch.
If I’ve missed any sites that deserve consideration, please let me know your favorites in the comments. Note: I have deliberately excluded well-known traditional media or social media, e.g., Publishers Weekly, New York Times, Goodreads, etc.
LitHub
The newest arrival to the literary blogging scene—and one of the most successful on this list—LitHub was launched in 2015 as a collaboration among Grove Atlantic, Electric Literature, and other literary publishers and magazines. You’ll find diverse voices and conversations about both contemporary and classic literature, with a HuffPo marketing twist. Twitter: @lithub
BookRiot
The perfect place for writers and readers of both literary and commercial literature. In other words, it’s more friendly and enjoys pop culture. It claims to be the biggest independent book editorial site in the US. Twitter: @bookriot
Electric Literature
Kind of a cousin to LitHub, since they share founders. You’ll find many facets to Electric Lit, but the most consistent thing they publish and are known for is Recommended Reading, a weekly fiction magazine. They also do a range of articles about literary culture and the publishing industry. Twitter: @ElectricLit
The Rumpus
An online literary magazine about culture, rather than pop culture. Mission: “To introduce readers to things they might not have heard of yet.” It was founded and continues to be run by author Stephen Elliott (since 2008), and has a sizable editorial staff. This is where Cheryl Strayed wrote “Dear Sugar.” Twitter: @The_Rumpus
The Millions
An online magazine that’s been published since 2003, offering coverage on books, arts, and culture. They run a very popular end-of-year series, A Year in Reading. Twitter: @The_Millions
The Paris Review blog
Most people know The Paris Review and it needs no introduction. The print edition releases only quarterly, and their blog offers a place for more informal posting and literary culture discussion. It’s probably the most followed literary blog by a print literary journal. (The others on this list are online-only publications.) Twitter: @parisreview
3 a.m. Magazine
An online, international literary magazine that’s been around for more than 15 years. (That is a tremendous accomplishment for an online mag!) They accept essays, fiction, and poetry. I think of them fondly, as I published my first online piece here in 2003. Twitter: @3ammagazine
The Nervous Breakdown
Not as prolific as most sites on this list, but worth a look; it’s run by Brad Listi, who produces the well-respected literary interview podcast, Otherppl. Twitter: @TNBtweets
Catapult
A relative newcomer to the online literary magazine scene. It’s an extension of a book publisher and its aspirations are to nurture a community of writers. Twitter: @CatapultStory
Vol. 1 Brooklyn
Founded in 2009; despite the name, it offers wide-ranging coverage of literary culture. Twitter: @vol1brooklyn
Bonuses
- My longtime favorite aggregation site for broad arts & culture news: Arts & Letters Daily
Jane Friedman (@JaneFriedman) has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in digital media strategy for authors and publishers. She is the publisher of The Hot Sheet, the essential newsletter on the publishing industry for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2019.
In addition to being a columnist for Publishers Weekly, Jane is a professor with The Great Courses, which released her 24-lecture series, How to Publish Your Book. Her book for creative writers, The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), received a starred review from Library Journal.
Jane speaks regularly at conferences and industry events such as BookExpo America, Digital Book World, and the AWP Conference, and has served on panels with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund. Find out more.