A living directory of independent magazines across Canada. Browse, pitch, subscribe, and help strengthen an essential part of our publishing ecosystem.
What we mean by “independent“
Independent magazines in this guide are typically publisher-run or mission-driven, operating with small teams and modest budgets. They publish in print and/or digital formats, outside large corporate ownership. The list spans publications with a focus on arts and culture, news, design, science, lifestyle, and more. It’s informational, not an endorsement — and it will evolve over time.
How to be listed (or update your info)
If you run an independent magazine in Canada, email staff@magazine-awards.com with your publication’s key details — including its name, city and province (or note if it’s national in scope), focus area, format, frequency, website, pitch link, contact email, and main social handle. You’re also welcome to share any relevant notes, such as open submission periods.
We’ll review updates on a rolling basis and refresh the guide regularly. Independent publishers are also encouraged to take advantage of the Small Magazine Rebate during the Call for Entries, and freelance creators can explore additional support through the Freelancer Support Fund.
Why independent magazines matter
Independent magazines spotlight new voices, regional stories, and niche communities. They nurture emerging editors, writers, and designers, and drive experimentation in form and storytelling. If you value this work, consider subscribing, pitching thoughtfully, and sharing this guide with peers.
Entering the National Magazine Awards
Independent publishers are welcome — and encouraged — to enter the National Magazine Awards, NMA: B2B, and the Digital Publishing Awards. The Small Magazine Rebate will be available during the Call for Entries on a first-come, first-served basis while rebates last.
Shop independent
Discover and buy magazines from Canada and around the world online or in-person at Issues Magazine Shop.
Directory (A–Z)
This directory will continue to grow. Entries are organized alphabetically and include information such as publication name, location, focus, and format. If you spot an error or want to suggest an addition, email staff@magazine-awards.com.
Brick
Focus: Literature
Format: Print / Digital
Frequency: Twice a year
Website: https://brickmag.com/
Pitch / Contact: https://brickmag.com/submissions/
Instagram: @brickliterary
About:
Brick is an international literary journal published twice a year out of Toronto. With a focus on literary non-fiction—and a willingness to stray when our hearts are taken—the magazine prizes the personal voice and celebrates life, art, and the written word with the most invigorating and challenging essays, interviews, translations, memoirs, belles lettres, and unusual musings we can get our hands on.
BULLY
Focus: Community
Format: Print / Digital
Frequency: Periodically
Website: https://bullymagazine.co/
Pitch / Contact: contact@bullymagazine.co
Instagram: @bullymag
About:
BULLY is a Black-led print / digital publisher for unheard voices and unseen perspectives in lifestyle, arts and culture.
DARBY
Focus: Football
Format: Print
Frequency: Annually
Website: https://darbymag.com/
Pitch / Contact: https://darbymag.com/contact-form
Instagram: @darbymag
About:
DARBY is an independent print publication and cultural platform founded in 2019 working to grow and shape the game of football in Canada and beyond. We share the untold stories and the unifying passion that drive our community and culture at home and abroad.
Exclaim!
Focus: Music, Film and Entertainment
Format: Print / Digital
Frequency: Six times a year
Website: https://exclaim.ca/
Pitch / Contact: https://exclaim.ca/contact
Instagram: @exclaimdotca
About:
Established in 1991, Exclaim! Media Inc. is Canada’s foremost source for emerging new music, film and TV including news, interviews, reviews, streaming and original video content.
Feels Zine
Focus: Community
Format: Print
Frequency: Twice a year
Website: https://feelszine.com/
Pitch / Contact: https://feelszine.com/pages/submissions
Instagram: @feelszine
About:
Feels is a publication about feelings. It is a place to explore, to share, and to be honest. Having an open dialogue about what’s going on inside of us can foster meaningful connection and make us feel less alone, especially in the social-media era that asks us to curate and polish our lives and feelings before sharing them — if we share them at all. Feels believes there are no good or bad feelings — the value comes from how we relate to them, how we experience them, and what we learn from them.
Hiatus
Focus: Golf
Format: Print
Frequency: Annual
Website: https://www.hiatusgolf.com/
Pitch / Contact: https://www.hiatusgolf.com/contact
Instagram: @hiatusgolf
About:
hiatus is a new bilingual (EN/FR) print magazine that explores golf not only as a game, but as a space for expression, community, and reinvention. Designed in a 120-page collectible format, the magazine combines striking visuals with thoughtful editorial to spotlight voices reshaping how we see the game. It’s our love letter to print, design, bilingualism, intentional slowness, and friendships that start in DMs and land on the green.
Layered Butter
Focus: Film
Format: Print / Digital
Frequency: Periodically
Website: https://layeredbutter.com/
Pitch / Contact: https://layeredbutter.com/contact-us
Instagram: @layeredbutter
About:
Layered Butter is a love letter to cinema. Through breathtaking artwork, deep-dive essays, and exclusive interviews, we celebrate the films that shape us. With past volumes selling out and a passionate film community behind us, now is the perfect time to join the experience.
Lez Spread the Word
Focus: Community
Format: Print
Frequency: Annual
Website: https://lezspreadtheword.com/
Pitch / Contact: https://lezspreadtheword.com/policies/contact-information
Instagram: @lezspreadtheword
About:
From glossy covers to global stages, lstw continues to push boundaries, amplify unique voices, and redefine the publishing experience for a new generation of readers.
Literary Review of Canada
Focus: Literature
Format: Print / Digital
Frequency: Ten times a year
Website: https://reviewcanada.ca/
Pitch / Contact: https://reviewcanada.ca/contact/#submissions
Instagram: @reviewcanada
About:
At a time when books coverage is shrinking dramatically, the Literary Review of Canada offers writers the real estate they need to thoughtfully respond to the country’s vast intellectual output — everything from policy and politics to history, biography, and fiction. The magazine puts the written word front and centre. In addition to reviews, its original essays and poetry provide readers with informed, engaging, and confident cultural context not found anywhere else.
Lore
Focus: Community
Format: Print
Frequency: Periodically
Website: https://www.instagram.com/club.lore
Pitch / Contact: https://www.instagram.com/club.lore
Instagram: @club.lore
About:
Lore is a community-led magazine founded in 2023. Run out of downtown Toronto, we’re a space for cheeky stories, reflections and multidisciplinary creative work.
PhotoED
Focus: Photography
Format: Print / Digital
Frequency: Three times a year
Website: https://www.photoed.ca/
Pitch / Contact: https://www.photoed.ca/callforphotography
Instagram: @photoedmagazine
About:
With origins in classrooms well before the dawn of virtual learning, photoED magazine started as a grassroots resource publication to feature local content, by and for Canadian educators. An inspiration for the past 23+ years to professionals, students, educators, and enthusiasts alike, photoED is now the leading creative content publisher in the editorial photography space in Canada spanning print, digital, and social media.
Rebelle Zine
Focus: Community
Format: Print / Digital
Frequency: Annual
Website: https://www.rebellezine.com
Pitch / Contact: Rebelle Community Submission Form
Instagram: @rebellezine
About:
Rebelle Zine is an independent multi-platform publication based in Toronto fostering a community centred around promoting the success of women and queer folks in creative and business avenues.
Serviette
Focus: Food
Format: Print
Frequency: Twice a year
Website: serviettemag.com
Pitch / Contact: serviettemag.com/contact
Instagram: @serviettemagazine
About:
Serviette is a magazine about food: the people who grow and produce it, the distances we travel to eat it, and all the ways it’s tangled up with culture, science, history, and design. It brings together irresistible storytelling, eye-catching design, and thoughtful contributors to explore food’s journey from seed to stomach (and even out into space). Serviette captures the best sort of dinner-party conversation — wide-reaching, digressive, and wildly informative and entertaining.
Shadow and Sax
Focus: Art and Literature
Format: Print
Frequency: Quarterly
Website: https://www.shadowandsax.com/
Pitch / Contact: https://www.shadowandsax.com/submissions
Instagram: @shadowandsax
About:
Shadow and Sax is a continuous stream for the arts. Our print editions follow a more traditional magazine format, featuring selected artists from this space.
UPPERCASE
Focus: Art and Design
Format: Print
Frequency: Quarterly
Website: https://uppercasemagazine.com/
Pitch / Contact: https://uppercasemag.notion.site/UPPERCASE-Submissions
Instagram: @uppercasemag
About:
UPPERCASE is a quarterly magazine for the creative and curious inspired by craft, design, typography and illustration. Published since 2009, the magazine has an enthusiastic and loyal readership of designers, illustrators, craftspeople, creative entrepreneurs and paper lovers around the world. Ads-free, with high-quality production values and a unique design aesthetic, the content of each issue is eclectic and inspiring.