ZYZZYVA

ABOUT

ZYZZYVA was founded in San Francisco in 1985 by Howard Junker and quickly became one of the signature literary magazines of the West Coast, historically restricting its contributor pool to writers and artists living in California, Oregon, and Washington. Junker edited the magazine for its first quarter-century; since 2010 it has been run by editor Laura Cogan and managing editor Oscar Villalon, who have broadened its scope somewhat while keeping its identity rooted in West Coast literary culture. The magazine publishes fiction, poetry, essays, and art, and has built a reputation for discovering and showcasing writers early in their careers alongside established names, with an emphasis on strong, unfussy prose and a house style that favors realism and craft over experimental flash.

ZYZZYVA appears three times a year (the numbering — currently in the 130s — reflects roughly thirty-plus years of triquarterly issues) and pays its contributors, a point of pride for a magazine that has stayed independent and small. The site itself is mostly a magazine showcase and blog (book reviews, contributor notes, event write-ups) rather than a submissions portal, so writers should look for the actual reading-period windows and manuscript guidelines elsewhere on the site rather than assume year-round open submissions. As with most magazines of its stature, expect a competitive slush pile, response times measured in months, and a strong editorial preference for writers with some connection to the West Coast, though this is applied less rigidly than in Junker's era.