Literary Awards Competition for 2021 Open!
First-place winners in each category will receive $1,000, second-place winners receive $500 and third-place winners $250. All winners will be awarded scholarships to the 2021 Tucson Festival of Books Masters Workshop in March on the Monday and Tuesday following the festival.
The top 50 entrants will be invited to attend the Masters Workshop ($300), the faculty for which is drawn from the festival's presenters. Past faculty include Ann Hood, Marilyn Chin, Andre Dubus III, and Luis Alberto Urrea.
For information on the literary awards and the workshop, contact Meg Files at:
masters@tucsonfestivalofbooks.org
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Authors retain all rights to submitted work.
Winning entries may be published in an anthology of winners.
Deadline: October 31, 2020
Winners and the top 50 will be notified by December 22, 2020.
First-, second-, and third-place winners in each category receive scholarships to the Masters Workshop, March, 2021. The top 50 finalists will be invited to attend the Masters Workshop ($300 fee).
Go here to make your submission.
Interim Accepting Manuscripts for Test Site Poetry Contest 2020
Deadline: December 15, 2020
Entry Fee: $25.00
Submit your manuscript to Interim’s 3rd annual Test Site Poetry Contest! As our series title suggests, we’re looking for manuscripts that engage the perilous conditions of life in the 21st century, as they pertain to issues of social justice and the earth. The winning book will demonstrate an ethos that considers the human condition in inclusive love and sympathy, while offering the same in consideration of the earth.
Because we believe the truth is always experimental, we’ll especially appreciate books with innovative approaches.
The winner will receive $1,000 and their book will be published by University of Nevada Press in 2021.
Sand Hills Literary Magazine Call for Submissions
Deadline: November 20, 2020
Sand Hills, in print since 1973, is opening up submissions for our very first online exclusive! We are accepting flash fiction and essays up to 1000 words, poetry up to 32 lines, photography, and, for the first time ever, short animation and comics. We are open for submissions until November 20th.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Garfield Lake Review 2021 Submission Period Open!
Deadline: October 12, 2020
The Garfield Lake Review prides itself on accepting a wide selection of fiction, poetry, and visual arts from the Olivet College community and beyond. No fee, payment in copies. This year’s Garf is looking for submissions that follow the theme of duality.
Send us your unexpected endings, your highs and lows. Send us anything juxtaposed between light and darkness. Living is a thrill—show us how it is for you. Visit us at our website to submit.
Call for Poetry, Prose & Art
Deadline: Year-round
Submissions for the Spring/Summer 2021 issue of Humana Obscura are open! We are an independent online and print literary magazine publishing nature-themed work from around the world. For complete submission guidelines and more info on what we’re looking for, visit our website.
Call for Prose Submissions: Sou'wester
Deadline: November 15, 2020
Sou'wester is now reading fiction and creative nonfiction for our annual print issue, forthcoming in spring 2021. We are committed to investing in and encouraging the words/stories/voices of all writers, prioritizing those belonging to marginalized communities. We want to read stories from writers belonging to the black diaspora, indigenous communities, Asian communities, Latin(x) communities, neurodivergent communities, those with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+.
We seek fiction that allows us to transcend the everyday, haunts our dreams, and feels fresh. We’re looking for work that will move, stun, and awe our readers. Submission is free through Submittable.
The Masters Review Chapbook Contest
Judged by Steve Almond!
$3000 Grand Prize
Deadline: Nov. 15, 2020
Entry Fee: $25.00
The Masters Review is proud to announce our first chapbook contest! The winning writer will be awarded $3000, manuscript publication, a subscription to Journal of the Month, and 50 contributor copies. The incredible Steve Almond is judging the inaugural contest!
We’re seeking to celebrate bold, original voices within a single, cohesive manuscript of 25 to 40 pages. We’re interested in collections of short fiction, essays, flash fiction, novellas/novelettes, longform fiction or essays, and any combination thereof, provided the manuscripts are complete (no excerpts, chapters, works-in-progress, or other incomplete work), and function cohesively.
The Masters Review staff will select a shortlist of 5-10 chapbooks to pass along to Steve Almond, who will select the winning manuscript. Steve Almond will provide a brief foreword/introduction for the manuscript upon publication. The published manuscript will be available for sale as a physical copy and distributed digitally through our newsletter.
For complete guidelines and to submit your work, go here.
The Interviews Editor organizes and edits a monthly interview feature for The Common Online. (Examples of recent interviews can be found here or here.) Additional interviews may be coordinated by TC’s central editorial team, in consultation with the Interviews Editor. A biannual honorarium is available for this position.
Job Description
Other responsibilities
The Common is committed to building a diverse and inclusive staff and strongly encourages candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.
To apply, write a letter of interest telling us about yourself and why you’d be a good fit for the position. Please send it with a current resume to:
infoATthecommononlineDOTorg (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )
JEANNE LEIBY ANNUAL CHAPBOOK AWARD by The Florida Review.
Winner receives chapbook publication plus $1,000. Accepts fiction, nonfiction, graphic narrative (flash collections or long-form).
Submit up to 45 pages with $25 entry fee. All entries considered for publication.
For guidelines, see our website.
Pinch Journal seeks Poetry Written in or Regarding Variety Englishes
Deadline: November 15, 2020
The Pinch Literary Journal seeks poetry written in or regarding Variety Englishes for a featured highlight in its Spring 2021 Issue (41.1). Poems in Singlish, Konglish, Spanglish, AAVE, and other English-derived emerging linguistic forms will be considered for publication.
No submission fee, accepted pieces will be awarded $150 for publication.
Deadline November 15th, 2020.
For inquiries, visit our website or contact:
editorATpinchjournalDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )
BreakBread Magazine Seeks Work From Young Creatives
Deadline: October 15
BreakBread Magazine is a magazine for all young creatives between the ages of 13 and 25. We are always looking for vivid, timely poetry, nonfiction, short stories, comics and visual arts (photography, illustrated narratives, and hybrid work) that explore new directions in arts and letters.
Submissions are always free.
Visit our Submittable page to send us your work. Check out our website for more information.
Call for Submissions for Walloon Writers Review
Deadline: September 30, 2020
Walloon Writers Review is an independent regional literary magazine that shares original creative writing and nature photography inspired by Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. We are accepting submissions for our upcoming Edition 6 to be published as an E-edition late 2020.
Pensive: A Global Journal of Spirituality and the Arts
Deadline: November 15; submissions reviewed and accepted on rolling basis
New online publication based at Center for Spirituality, Dialogue, and Service (CSDS) at Northeastern University in Boston. Seeking work that deepens the inward life; expresses range of religious/spiritual/humanist experiences and perspectives; envisions a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world; advances dialogue across difference; and challenges structural oppression in all its forms. Seeking work for feature section on Black Lives Matter.
Send unpublished poetry, prose, visual art, and translations. Especially interested in work from international and historically unrepresented communities.
No fee; currently non-paying. Submit 3-5 pieces via Submittable or via email to:
pensivejournalATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )
Questions? Contact Alexander Levering Kern, co-editor or visit our website.
Announcing THE BOILER PRIZE
Deadline: November 30
THE BOILER challenges you to submit flash/hybrid pieces under 800 words for this year’s prize. We welcome fragments, experiments, prose poems, flash essays/fiction. The only thing that matters is whether you can sustain our attention and craft a well-written, sleek, beautiful little thing.
The deadline for submission is November 30. One winner will be published in our winter issue. A runner-up will be awarded $250 and also be offered publication. Additional finalists will be considered for our winter issue.
Submission fee is $7. Close friends and colleagues should not submit.
Pangyrus LitMag Open for Submissions for New Education Column, Schooled
Deadline: October 15, 2020
Pangyrus is open for submissions in all areas and particularly for its new education column, Schooled. Pangyrus publishes well-crafted, thought-provoking writing and multimedia storytelling in every genre online and in two print editions per year. For Schooled, we’re looking for writing that addresses teaching and learning during COVID-19, teaching or revising curriculum that addresses the national reckoning regarding race in America, teaching students about the protests, or personal essays that reflect the unique experiences of both teachers and students.
Send us op-eds, personal essays, or think pieces of 800–1,500 words. We also accept longer reported features with a maximum 5,000 words.
Please submit here.
Anthology Publishers Seek Original Written Content about Madonna
Deadline: October 15, 2020
Are you a fan of pop-singer Madonna? We’re seeking original stories about the impact she’s had on individual lives. Submissions should be 1500-3500 words. Feel free to supplement with photos with Madonna, photos dressed like Madonna, or other related materials.
We pay $25 for selected submissions. Contributing authors will receive a free copy of the published book.
A portion of proceeds will go to the non-profit organization founded by Madonna “Raising Malawi”. Contributing authors will be required to sign a contract. Submissions must be in English. Work must not have previously appeared in print. We check for and report plagiarism.
Send your work to:
anthologysubmitATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )
I used to think that I should watch TV
I used to think that it was good for me
Wanted to know what folks were thinking
To understand the land I live in
And I would lose myself
And it would set me free -St. Vincent & David Byrne, "I Should Watch TV"
Witness is currently reading for our Spring 2021 print issue: As Seen on TV. As COVID-19 continues to impact our lives, many of us have turned to television as a source of comfort. Yet, these familiar shows are now populated by characters and situations that seem at odds with our current conditions of face-masks, social distancing, and the looming threat to our health. Our lives have become stranger than fiction. Therefore, we are interested in stories that capture this strangeness, and can speak to television as culture, as medium, as entertainment, as sales pitch, or maybe as a source for change... Consider us your captive audience.
If you’d like to familiarize yourself with the magazine, we encourage you to check out our past issues, which are readily available online.
Submissions will be open until October 1st, or until we reach our maximum submissions.
Submit your work here.
Witness pays $25 for every 1,500 words of prose and $25 per poem, ($50 for long poems, 3+ pages) for both print and online work.
"Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America."
-John Lewis
Solstice Literary Magazine is seeking submissions to our new Features Blog on Good Trouble: Voter Rights to Voter Suppression
In a country still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, this is also an election year. Our vote is our voice. In this time of country-wide pain and rage, Solstice: A Magazine of Diverse Voices remains committed to featuring writers who push us to see injustices and move us to take action.
Let us use our ballots to speak out against structural racism and social inequities. Let us defend the sacredness of every human life by speaking out and getting in good trouble.
What we're looking for:
Guest blog submissions are ideally between 500 to up to 1,000 words. Shorter is always better for reading on the web, although longer pieces can be made more web-friendly by keeping the following tips in mind:
Use language that is short and concise.
Keep paragraphs to a maximum of four to five sentences.
Break up major points with headlines.
We request that blog submissions be accompanied by a brief bio, an author headshot if you want one included, and any images you would like to include in your blog. Images should belong to you; however, if you send an image from another website or from a Google images search, please include a link back to the page from which the image appeared so we can give credit. We prefer Jpeg images that are no larger than 2MB.
Deadline: September 30, 2020
Submit your work here.
We’re interested in previously unpublished writing on mental illness, neurodivergence, and suicide prevention. Send up to three poems or one prose piece in the body of the email.
Limit poetry to 20 lines and prose to under 500 words. Include a short, third person biography. If accepted, we’ll need an author photo to include in publication and use for promotion of your work on social media.
We usually respond to submissions in less than a week. Probably much sooner. Maybe even an hour. Depends on how much coffee is in house.
Serotonin acquires first publication rights which are released when the author is published. Authors are paid $5 per piece. We pay via PayPal.
Please send all submissions to:
serotoninpoetryATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )
The Racket Journal is a weekly online literary journal. We want to promote the work of up-and-coming, emerging, established and the never-before-seen writers from around the country. We like a little grit in our submissions, something that’ll stick in your teeth long after you’re done reading it. It is our ongoing mission to publish a wide-ranging selection of work from diverse writers and artists in an effort to expose more and more readers to amazing writing.
Please follow the very simple guidelines on our submission page. We aren’t looking for lengthy bios. Just a short, sweet encapsulation of what you’re submitting. Our submission page.
Disquiet Arts is a POC-led magazine, focusing on gothic literature and erotica. We seek poetry, flash fiction, photography, and art from authors and artists in all stages of their careers, especially those from the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ community.
Tips From the Editor
We think of ourselves as a home for those odd and beautiful poems and stories that just don't quite fit anywhere else. We love a good horror story, and many a sad love poems have found a home within our pages.
For more information and to submit, please visit our website.
Juniper Prize for Fiction
The Juniper Prize for Fiction is awarded annually to two original manuscripts of fiction: one short story collection and one novel. The University of Massachusetts Press publishes the winning manuscripts and the authors receive a $1,000 award upon publication.
Competition guidelines
Submissions will only be accepted each year between August 1 and September 30 (11:59pm EDT).
The entry fee is $30.
All manuscripts will be judged anonymously by a faculty-judge from the distinguished University of Massachusetts MFA program. The winners will be announced at the University of Massachusetts Press website in April, with publication slated for the following spring.
For full guidelines and to submit your work, please visit our website.
The Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction recognizes daring, original, and innovative novels. A $5,000 advance and publication by Dzanc Books will be awarded to the winner. Finalists will be compiled in-house and passed along for evaluation to this year’s judges: Anne Valente (Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down and By Light We Knew Our Names), Tina May Hall (The Snow Collectors and The Physics of Imaginary Objects), and Jessie van Eerden, author of Call It Horses, which was chosen as the winner of last year’s Prize for Fiction.
The contest is open to new, upcoming, and established writers alike. Agented submissions are also eligible, and we ask that you include all agency contact information with the application. All submitted works must be previously unpublished novel-length manuscripts and should include a brief synopsis, author bio, and contact information. The full work should be formatted as a Word .doc or .docx file.
We will accept submissions from April 13th, 2020 through midnight on September 30th, 2020. There is a $25 submission fee. (Note: we will not accept physical entries.) The winning submission and a short list of finalists will be announced on the Dzanc web page by January 2021.
Dzanc Books is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All contest fees will go toward funding the prize as well as supporting Dzanc’s commitment to producing quality literary works, providing creative writing instruction in public schools through the Dzanc Writers-in-Residence program, and offering low-cost workshops for aspiring authors. Active and former Dzanc authors and employees are not eligible for the prize.
Submit your work here.
Full Remember in November Contest for Creative Nonfiction Writers Rules
Submission Info
Enter here.
The New Plains Review seeks quality creative works ranging from poetry and prose to plays/screenplays and music and short films.
Established in 1986, New Plains Review is a student-run literary journal published in spring and fall through the University of Central Oklahoma’s New Plains Student Publishing. Keeping with the university’s goals of both excellence and diversity, it is our mission to share with our readers thought-provoking, quality work from a diverse number of authors and artists. We receive hundreds of submissions from all over the world, and the authors and artists we publish range from well-known to the soon-to-be-discovered.
While we do not have any specific guidelines for style or subject matter, we look for written works that are thoughtful and compelling. We also accept audio and video submissions for online exclusive publication only. Contributors can submit multiple submissions, but we will not accept previously published work. By submitting, contributors give NPSP permission to publish works in print and online. Authors and artists with accepted submissions to our print journals receive two free copies upon publication.
For deadlines and additional information, please visit us at our website.
We are currently accepting submissions for our Fall 2020 issue.
Ends on September 15, 2020
Entry Fee: $15.00 USD
The winning poem will receive $500 and be published in an upcoming issue of The Midnight Oil. Up to two additional pieces will be awarded "Honorable Mention" status and $50. All submissions will be considered for publication.
Each submission should consist of between one and five poems, and each individual poem should be three pages in length or less. The best way to get a feel for our editorial tastes are to read the back issues of our journal, which available on our website. We are also fans of most of the literary journals which regularly appear in the Pushcart Prize and Best American Poetry anthologies.
In order to be eligible, poems must not have been previously published in any form -- including appearances on blogs or the author's personal website. An entry fee applies to all submissions. Any entries which do not adhere to the word limits or other contest guidelines may be subject to disqualification. All entry fees are non-refundable. No further edits will be accepted to manuscripts once they have been submitted.
The contest winners will be announced on or before 11:00 pm Pacific Time on December 31, 2020. We reserve the right to adjust the contest deadlines as necessary, as long as the winners are still announced by this date.
Submit here.
Issue #4: Dwelling
Reading Period: July 15, 2020 – September 15, 2020
We are curious about your dwellings, both in physical space and in speculative space. (Is there a difference?) We are curious about your abodes, your forests, your deserts, your virtual landscapes, your hidden depths, your lingerings, your ponderings, your obsessions. How do we dwell with others, with silence, with discomfort, with new ideas, with change, with ourselves? The editors humbly seek your views.
Although we do not have a word limit, we tend to publish essays under 2500 words.
Note: Speculative Nonfiction donated all submission fees collected from issue #3 to the NAACP and The Movement for Black Lives. For the remainder of 2020, we will waive the submission fee for any writer who makes a financial contribution to one of these organizations working for racial justice.
Please send donation receipts to:
speculativenonfictionATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )
If, for reasons of financial hardship, you are unable to pay the $3 submission fee, please contact us directly to request a fee waiver.
We will be accepting submissions during the reading period only through Submittable.
Feminist Literary Magazine About Female Leadership Submissions Open
Deadline: November 1, 2020
They Call Us magazine, an art and literature feminist magazine devoted to using media as a way to discuss everyday gender discrimination, is currently accepting poetry, prose, art, and photography submissions for our new edition They Call Us Bossy. This edition deals with gender stereotypes of womxn in positions of power.
Submit your pieces to:
theycalluszineATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )
by November 1st. All rights belong to the writers and all submissions will receive a personal response. Word count is 1200 words for prose and there is no fee.
Hole In The Head Now Accepting Submissions
Deadline: October 1, 2020
Now accepting submissions of poetry and art. The Hole in the Head Review is a vibrant new online journal of poetry and art that is already attracting an international audience and submissions from new and established poets and authors, including Richard Blanco, Kimberly Cloutier Green, Marie Harris, Michael Hettich, Marilyn A. Johnson, Maurya Kerr, Kenneth Rosen, Betsy Sholl, Charles Simic, David Weiss, and Baron Wormser, plus a host of photographers, painters, collagists, textile and tattoo artists...even lure makers.
For more information and to submit, visit our website.
Looking for Editors/Cover Artist
Deadline: September 15
Hey, I’m Alive Magazine is a literary magazine that aims to collect each and every unique experience of being alive. The experiences and stories of Black people have been consistently ignored and erased when they should be amplified and celebrated. Hey, I’m Alive Magazine is proud to accept and share the work of Black artists, and would like to provide issue 4, the Black August edition, as a space for Black creators exclusively. For this issue, we are also looking for editors and a cover artist from the Black community.
Editors will be paid for their work.
Submissions close September 15, reach out for more information before then!
