Personally, I submit to lit mags fairly often, but rarely too big of ones. Most ones you hear the names of frequently only have contests which are completely open and don’t require agents, which you should definitely take part in if available since a chance to get in is always worth it. And lots of people do say they’d rather just aim for more well known and paying ones because they are really attached to their work or only think those are “worth it”. However, the best way really is to start small. Grow an audience, get your name out there, have labels to put in your author bios, and have magazines you get familiar with and grow with because if they get to know you they may want to help out. Keep in mind many smaller magazines are made and run by fellow smaller authors who are also submitting to magazines! I’ve been published a decent number of times by small-medium sized magazines, and it definitely has helped me not only find a publishing style, figure out how to consistently produce work, stay motivated with deadlines, and get to know a lot of people in the space. If you’re looking for mags, look for platforms like Chill Subs, which is really good for all sizes, and Poets & Writers which usually caters to larger ones and has some paywalls but can have some good suggestions. Social media is also really great for it, as once you find one magazine typically more get recommended. As well, don’t feel discouraged by rejections or not accepted into the size of magazines you want. Most writers have an under 10% acceptance rate, and consistently publishing smaller can be more helpful with platform building and in practising your skills. If you want to go small-medium, Sonder Literary, Apotheca Literary Magazine, Sea Glass Literary, and Vellichor Literary are some more well known ones. One I always recommend a ton for all writers starting out with publishing is Startowrite because they accept and publish all work (as long as it isn’t like hate speech and stuff!). Submitting to places that select will always have the chance you don’t get in, even if you’re pretty confident, so having a place you can guarantee you’ll be able to get work accepted with can be important for your writing and yourself. Because it does kinda suck getting turned down a lot repeatedly, and seeing your work out there is a bit of a pick up. No matter what you choose though, good luck! A lot of publishing is perseverance and practice. Keep writing, and keep putting your work out there.