Thimble is an online literary magazine, featuring art, poetry, and short prose. They publish issues quarterly. “At Thimble Literary Magazine, we believe armor can be found in the oddest of places: whether that’s facing a hard truth head-on or reframing it so you can better understand it. We believe the stories we tell ourselves to be the most powerful protection for our edges.” You can read all their past issues to see the type of work they like to publish on their website. See my interview with Editor-in-Chief Nadia Arioli and a link to submission guidelines below.
HOPKINSON: Tell me a little bit about Thimble.
ARIOLI: Thimble is a quarterly online journal with a print feel. It is for poetry, visual art, short stories, and short creative nonfiction. We use a thimble as an image of how art operates in the world. Art might seem insignificant compared to basic needs, but it will help us where we are most vulnerable.
HOPKINSON: How/why was Thimble originally started?
ARIOLI: Two friends from college thought it would be fun. I wanted a nice, cozy publication for folks to read.
HOPKINSON: Who is your target reader audience?
ARIOLI: Plenty of poets read poetry. And that’s great; I am one. But I would also like to appeal to someone who is less inclined towards poetry or is less high-brow. I want people to know it’s going to be okay, or, at least, the darkness won’t swallow them whole. For when people need to hear “I can’t go on. I’ll go on.”
HOPKINSON: What type of work are you looking for?
ARIOLI: Our general theme is about making small shelters out of the stories we tell ourselves. As for style, I am not looking for art that is needlessly complex or pretentious. Doodles and weird pop culture poems are great. This is not to say that the work should be dumbed down and devoid of metaphors or difficulty. I want art like beef jerky. Beef jerky is hardly a snobby food. You can get it at any gas station. But you do have to chew.
HOPKINSON: What do you wish you’d see submitted, but rarely comes in?
ARIOLI: More visual art. More experimental work (as long as it’s not too hard to format on WordPress).
HOPKINSON: What are some of your favorite lit mags/journals?
ARIOLI: I love what small journals with integrity are doing. As It Ought To Be does great work. Love Whale Road Review. Voicemail Poems is wonderful. I’m also fond of Kissing Dynamite.
HOPKINSON: What is your favorite part of being on staff with the Thimble?
ARIOLI: I love making the lit mag I want to see in the world. My favorite thing to do is publish authors who have never been published before. My other favorite thing to do is nominate people for the Pushcart who have never been nominated before.
HOPKINSON: Where can folks send submissions?
ARIOLI: ThimbleLitMagSubmissions@gmail.com
HOPKINSON: If someone has a question, how can they contact you?
ARIOLI: ThimbleLitMag@gmail.com
Click here to read submission guidelines.
- NEXT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: December 31. 2025
- READING PERIODS: Every month except January, April, July, and October.
- FORMAT: Online and print
- SUBMISSION FEE: None
- PAYMENT: None
- ISSUE FREQUENCY: Quarterly
- AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME: about a month or two
- SUBMISSION METHOD: Email
- SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: Yes
- FORMS: Poetry, prose, artwork, hybrid
- DUOTROPE: https://duotrope.com/listing/25345/thimble-literary-magazine
- SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
If you like this post, please share with your writerly friends and/or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. You can see all the FREE resources my site offers poets/writers on my Start Here page.
Discover more from Trish Hopkinson
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categories: Call for Submissions, Interviews, Online Lit Mag/Journal
Sounds like a great magazine to display poetry to poetry lovers.