the Thieving Magpie

About

the Thieving Magpie is a digital literary magazine dedicated to procuring and publishing good art: fiction, poetry, essays, art and photography. We are looking for writers and artists who take their art and mischief seriously. New and emerging voices and visions will share these pages with experienced writers and artists who believe in their craft. We don’t seek perfection, just dedication to the process, the craft and the truth in art.

Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2017

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 4 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

22 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Faster: the Thieving Magpie's overall average response time is faster than most magazines.
More Approachable: the Thieving Magpie's overall acceptance rate is higher than most magazines.
More Responsive: the Thieving Magpie's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Open

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 15 September 2026* (within the next 24 hours).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Short Story: No specific word count limits known (our definition: 1000 to 7500 words).

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Methods: Email. Online form.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 15 September 2026* (within the next 24 hours).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Interview: No specific word count limits known.
Essay: No specific word count limits known.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Methods: Email. Online form.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Open

Dates:

Open to poetry submissions through 15 September 2026* (within the next 24 hours).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 3 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Methods: Email. Online form.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Visual Art Open

Dates:

Open to visual art submissions through 15 September 2026* (within the next 24 hours).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: Unknown number of pieces.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media, including...
Photography.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Methods: Email. Online form.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Image.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for the Thieving Magpie

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Submission/Response
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Social:
Bluesky @the-thievingmagpie.bsky.social
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Instagram @thieving_magpie_

Support this Publisher:
Make a Donation

For the Editor(s):
Request Interview
Duosuma Submission Manager
Link to Duotrope

the Thieving Magpie Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

Filter:

Group by submission

Include outliers

Accuracy

We have received 14 reports from 14 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

6 min | 29.8 mean avg | 30.0 median | 120 max days (29.1 std dev)

Responses

78.57 %

Acceptances:

28.57 % of submissions accepted (57.5 avg. days per acceptance) | 28.57 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

50.00 % (28.4 avg. days per rejection) | 42.9 % personal, 57.1 % form, 0.0 % unspecified

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

21.43 % (18.0 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

3 responses are pending (4 min | 66.7 mean avg | 56.0 median | 140 max days waiting | 270.9 std dev) from 3 different members

Other Information

Most recent response reported was received on 11 Sep 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 06 Aug 2026.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 02:10 UTC (7 hours, 35 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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Your Submissions

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Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 21 Jul 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.