Call for Submissions: Abbey Review

Our mission statement is simple: get writers paid.

We believe that there is a gap between what a writer is worth and what they are getting, and we aim to fill that gap the best we can.

Never has there been a time with this much creative force, and this much ability to reward and champion it.

We strongly encourage new writers to submit here –– we are very, very happy to look at your work and potentially publish it. 

We publish short stories, screenplays, and poetry –– every three months. Our submissions for a particular issue are open for two months prior to publication date.

Our first publication date is January 2022. Submissions for the first issue will run from July 1st to December 1st.

The genre doesn't matter, only the quality of the piece. We pay $30 per short story, poem, and screenplay, and the best piece of writing gets paid an additional $70, for a total of $100!

GUIDELINES

Short Stories (300 word minimum, 30 page maximum)

Screenplays (15 page maximum)

Poetry (1 minimum, 10 maximum) 

 

Submit your work here.

Writing Competition: Stockholm Writers Festival First 5 Pages Prize 2022

 

Deadline: Jan. 31, 2022

 

Entry Fee: $20.00

Competition Rules: SWF First 5 Pages Prize 2022

 

The name of the author and any other identifying information about the author must not appear on the story pages i.e. not on the word or pdf submission.

Entries must be in English, typed and must be your original work.

No corrections, or refunds, can be made upon payment and receipt of your entry. All entries will be considered for the Grand Prize.

If you wish to also be in the running for a genre prize, choose a genre for your submission. You can choose not to assign a genre in which case you will be eligible to win the Grand Prize but not to win a genre category. You can enter as many times as you like.

Eligibility

The SWF First 5 Pages Prize is open to anyone over 16 years of age.

Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been published, self published, published online or broadcast.

You can enter as many times as you like.

You cannot enter if you are a writer with agented representation. Writers who are not currently agented may enter (even if previously represented by an agent).

You cannot enter if you are related to - or in a personal relationship with - a member of the SWF board or any of the judges.

Formatting

Entries must be the first 5 pages of your book, novel or novella.

Entries should be doubled-spaced, in Baskerville or Times New Roman, 12 pt font, with numbered pages. Entries should be 5 pages. We will not accept entries over 1700 words.

The title of your book should appear as a header or footer on each page of your entry. No name, address or identifying information should appear on the word/pdf submission – this includes the way you name the document, e.g. TheGrapesofWrathJSteinbeck.doc or HarryPotterRowling.pdf will be automatically disqualified.

Documents must be in word or pdf format.

Prizes

All entries will be considered for the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize Winner will get:
 

A cash prize of USD $1000,
A SWF ticket to the 2022 festival*,
A meeting with an agent to pitch their book (that will be conducted over Zoom),
A room at a boutique hotel in the heart of Stockholm for two nights to attend SWF 2022*, and
A full developmental edit of their book donated by Reedsy.

There will be one winner for each of four genre groups:
Fantasy & Sci Fi
Crime & Thriller
Romance
Historical Fiction

If your book does not fall under any of the above genres it will still be considered for the Grand Prize.

Genre Prize Winners will get:
 

A meeting with an agent over zoom to pitch their book, and
A ticket to the SWF 2022 festival*.
$100 in Reedsy credits

All entries will be considered for the Grand Prize. If you wish to also be in the running for a genre prize, choose a genre for your submission.

You can choose not to assign a genre in which case you will be eligible to win the Grand Prize but not to win a genre category.

If a genre winner is chosen as the winner of the Grand Prize, the second place in that genre will win that genre prize.

Prizes are not transferable or redeemable.

*Travel cost to the festival is not included.

Judging

First round judging will be done by Stockholm Writers Festival staff. Winners and final judging will be done by faculty from the Stockholm Writers Festival 2022 program. Their decision is final and no individual correspondence can be entered into.

Prize Winner Notification

Longlist and Shortlist entries will be notified and announced on the SWF website no later than the end of May, 2022.

Prize winners will be notified and announced no later than the end of June, 2022.

Entry implies acceptance of all the rules. Failure to comply with the entry requirements will result in disqualification.

Copyright

Worldwide copyright of each entry remains with the author, but the Stockholm Writers Festival will have the unrestricted right to publish the winning entries on their website and use extracts in any relevant promotional material.

 

Enter here.

 

Good Luck!

Writing Competition: inaugural Emma Howell Rising Poet Prize

Submit to the Inaugural Emma Howell Rising Poet Prize

Deadline: January 15, 2022

Background: The contest is in honor of Emma Howell who was born in Portland, Oregon, and died in 2001, at the age of twenty. She left behind a single volume of poetry: Slim Night of Recognition. This prize is an effort to promote the publication of young poets, to honor Emma’s memory, as well as honor the time and effort her father, Christopher Howell, former Director of Willow Springs Books, has put into our press.

Prize: $2000 + manuscript publication.

Entry Fee: $25.00

Eligibility: Poets 35 years old and younger who have not yet published a book-length poetry manuscript.

Submit here.

Writing Competition: 2022 Press 53 Award for Short Fiction

2022 Press 53 Award for Short Fiction

Deadline: December 31, 2021

Press 53 Award for Short Fiction: First Prize $1,000, publication, and 50 copies (ten hardcover and 40 softcover) awarded to an unpublished collection of short stories. Press 53 Short Fiction Editor, Claire V. Foxx, will judge. Enter online through Submittable.

Deadline: midnight, December 31, Eastern Time. Winner and finalists announced before May 1, 2022.

Reading fee: $30.

Complete information, plus a list of past winners here.

Questions should be directed to Kevin Morgan Watson, Publisher and Editor in Chief:

kevinATpress53DOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )

or 336-770-5353.

Call for Submissions: MUSE

MUSE is especially looking to publish work from under- or misrepresented groups, such as people of color, disabled people, LGBTQ+, present/formerly incarcerated people, and others from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.

 

Through Dec. 15: submit one short story or CNF 1500 words max; up to three poems.

 

Mail to:

 

RCC MUSE, Riverside City College

4800 Magnolia Avenue

Riverside, CA 92506

 

Or Email:

 

museATrccDOTedu (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )

 

If email, send as attachment with “Last Name – Genre – Title of Submission” in the subject line (e.g., Smith – Prose – “In Summer”). Please include contact information.

 

See full submission guidelines at our site.

 

Deadline: December 15, 2021.

Call for Submissions on Theme of History: Clerestory Magazine

Clerestory Magazine provides space for writers, artists, and activists to explore subjects at the intersection of action and contemplation through storytelling. Our contributors, through their deep reflection, evoke the most essential parts of the human experience, while engaging larger questions on social healing, human flourishing, and justice. This work serves the greater good because the stories we tell and hold together shape who we become together. Each season, Clerestory contributors respond to a seasonal theme, intentionally broad to leave room for expression.

Most accepted pieces fall between 1,000 and 3,000 words, but this is simply a guide, not a requirement. We have a strong preference for previously unpublished work. We pay $50 per accepted submission. Since we are a small literary magazine, this is the most we're able to offer, and all writers are paid equally for their work.

We ask our writers to grant Clerestory exclusive rights to their published piece for four months following the date of publication. Should the work eventually be re-published, we expect writers to include a note that the work first appeared in Clerestory and a link to the original piece.

To submit your work, please send your submission or pitch pasted in the body of an email. Due to high volume, we will only respond if your work is a good fit for the series.
Issue No. 5: History

These two questions are linked: Where do we come from? And where are we going? Understanding history is vital to understanding ourselves, our relationships, the texture of our social fabric, and the urgency of justice and to imagining new possibilities for our collective life.

Relevant topics include:

Personal experiences with anything from heartbreak to joy to embodiment which has shaped who you are today

Ancestral or family history

Relationship history

Land history or the history of place

Profiles of dynamic but lesser-known figures in history

Art history

Archival history

History of medicine

Cultural history of the body

Social or political history, particularly interested in subjects related to Black history, indigenous history, and women’s history

The intersection of history and religion

The intersection of history and education

Critical essays or photo stories on vital social movements

Interviews with historians, activists, or authors

Oral history

Essays will run from early January through the end of March, released two per week for the duration of the issue. The deadline to submit pitches is November 30th. As space on the editorial calendar is limited, we encourage you to get in touch with our editors as soon as possible.

Again, to submit, please paste your pitch or full draft in the body of an email and send to:

submissions@clerestorymag.com 

Due to high volume, we will not have the capacity to respond to everyone. If your idea is a good fit, we will be in touch.

Call for Submissions on Theme of Nature: BLUELINE

BLUELINE Seeks Exceptional Nature Writing

Deadline: November 30, 2021

BLUELINE: A Literary Magazine Dedicated to the Spirit of the Adirondacks seeks poems, stories, and essays about the Adirondacks and regions similar in geography and spirit, focusing on nature’s shaping influence.

Submissions window open until November 30. Decisions mid-February. Payment in copies. Simultaneous submissions accepted if identified as such. Please notify if your submission is placed elsewhere.

Electronic submissions encouraged, as Word files, to:

bluelineATpotsdamDOTedu (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )

Please identify the genre in the subject line.

Further information on our website.

Writing Competition: 3rd Annual Story Foundation Prize

We are proud to announce our 3nd annual Story Foundation Prize is now open! The winner will receive $1500 and publication in our summer 2022 issue for a single short story. Submissions for the Story Foundation Prize opened on August 15th and will close on December 15th.

Submit one short story of up to 10,000 words via our Submission Manager.

Our entry fee is $25. Each entrant receives a one-year subscription (three issues) to Story.

Please double-space your manuscript.

Multiple submissions and simultaneous submissions are welcome, but you must pay a separate fee for each entry and withdraw the piece immediately if accepted elsewhere.

Entries must be previously unpublished. All entries will be considered for publication at our regular rate. Previous winners of the Story Foundation Prize are not eligible.

All entries will be judged by the editors of Story.

Winners will be announced in March 2022.

Questions? Please contact us via email at contact@storymagazine.org

Writing Competition: Quarterly West Poetry and Prose Contests

Poetry and Prose Contests

This fall, Quarterly West will open for its poetry and prose contests from October 15 to November 15.

The winners will each receive $500 and publication in a forthcoming issue of Quarterly West. Runners-up in poetry and prose will each receive $200 and all entries will be considered for publication.

 To enter, please submit up to three poems or a prose piece (i.e., fiction, non-fiction, or any hybridization therein) through our Submittable link.

There is no fee to submit to the contests, and please submit no more than one entry per genre. Additional entries will go unread.

This year, the poetry judge is Douglas Kearney and the prose judge is Cristina Rivera Garza.

Call for Submissions to Anthologies: Word Balloon Books

Word Balloon Books sells print editions at comic cons, Ren Fairs, and book festivals. We've noticed that most books at these event target adult readers, so in 2022 we're launching a line of anthologies appropriate for readers 10 and up. We're open to challenging themes and subject matter, but language, graphic violence, and sexual content should be rated G. Child or teen protagonists preferred.

Pay for all anthologies is $.01 per word advanced against royalties, with a possible bonus based on crowdfunding. Publication is NOT dependent on crowdfunding, however. Contributor copies will be provided as well. 

No firm word count limit, but under 3k is preferred. REPRINTS WELCOME! Email submission in standard manuscript format to:

submissions@inorbit.com

Please specify the anthology you're submitting to, and if the story has been previously published.

Deadline for all February 11. 2022, though check our site for changes.

We have three anthologies planned. Descriptions of our needs for each are listed below:

Rockets and Robots is looking for science fiction adventure stories set on alien worlds, space ships, or the post-21st century future. NO FANTASY!

Beware the Bugs is open to stories about giant bugs (or, perhaps, normal sized bugs and tiny humans). Fantasy or science fiction are welcome.

Paradoxical Pets is open to stories about wondrous pets, be they alien, magical, artificial, or common pets with some special power. Fantasy or science fiction are welcome.  

Employment Opportunity: Excecutive Director for Narrative

Narrative Seeks Executive Director

Narrative, the leading nonprofit digital publisher of fiction, poetry, essays, and art, is looking for an experienced, entrepreneurial leader with a proven track record for growing an organization through fundraising, development, and strategic partnerships and who shares our belief that excellence, equality, and inclusivity go hand in hand, to join our team as Executive Director (ED).

ABOUT NARRATIVE:

Founded in 2003 in San Francisco, Narrative is dedicated to advancing the literary arts in the digital age by supporting the finest writing talent and encouraging readership across generations, in schools, and around the globe.

As the premier digital publisher of first-rank fiction, poetry, essays, and art, each year Narrative publishes hundreds of well-known and emerging writers. The Narrative Prize, awarded annually, has helped launch the careers of authors Min Jin Lee, Maud Newton, Natalie Diaz, Ocean Vuong, Anthony Marra, Javier Zamora, and Gbenga Adesina, among others. The Narrative in the Schools program supports teachers and students around the world by providing a free library of literature, video writing tutorials, and other resources, including mentorship and publication of a new generation of readers and writers with our annual Narrative “Tell Me a Story” High School Writing Contest. Narrative was founded on the conviction that there should be no socioeconomic barriers to accessing great literature. Our ever-expanding, modern library of thousands of stories, poems, and essays is always open and always free.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Building on eighteen years of continuous growth and impact that has garnered more than 280,000 dedicated subscribers, Narrative seeks a talented ED with a proven track record to take our mission-driven organization to the next level. The position presents a unique opportunity for an innovative, hands-on director with a strong and proven entrepreneurial mindset who will join our esteemed leadership team, which includes cofounders and editors Tom Jenks and Carol Edgarian, Creative Director John Miller, and Poetry Editor Michael Wiegers (editor of Copper Canyon Press) as a key contributing member.

The ED position requires a proven record of fundraising and development success, as well as demonstrated creativity, organizational expertise, and entrepreneurial instincts. Leading the founders and the board on all noneditorial efforts, the ED will develop new strategic partnerships, lead all fundraising activities, and direct and execute new program initiatives, with particular emphasis on growing the Narrative in the Schools programs to reach more students and teachers in underserved communities. The ED will assess the range of revenue opportunities within Narrative and shape the messaging and presentation of those opportunities with new and existing donors, foundations, partners, advertisers, and sponsors. Love of words, a deep personal interest in literature and education, and a commitment to inclusivity will be important attributes in engaging the readers and supporters of Narrative.

Deadline to apply: Dec. 3, 2021

More information and application link here.

Call for Submissions by Men to Anthology: Heart of a Man: Men's Stories

“MEN & WORK,” a section in the second edition of Heart of a Man: Men’s Stories, an anthology of men’s writings, needs men’s works of fiction, nonfiction, memoir, narrative essay, and narrative poem. The submission should be male-unique and male-revealing.

Submissions by men of fiction, non-fiction, memoir, narrative essay, and narrative poetry are encouraged.

Stories about men at work, men dealing with work, men dying at work, men dying from work, men loving work, men hating work, men having to do work, men wanting to do work, work that isn’t work, work that is very much work, and more, are welcome.

The story should be male-unique, one that by and large could only have happened to a man, and that shows who men are.

Published submissions will be paid $0.05/published word. Paperback publication is planned for 2022.

More information and submission portal here.

Artist's Residency: Nawat Fes

Nawat Fes offers funded residencies in the eighth-century medina of Fes, Morocco to U.S. and international creators in multiple disciplines.

The initiative engages art to cultivate understanding among multifaceted cultures through the exchange of ideas. Hosted by the American Language Center / Arabic Language Institute in Fez, a member of the American Cultural Association, Nawat Fes is a new program that will host its first residencies in May 2022.

Artist residents will live and work in the ancient medina of Fes, which is considered one of the most extensive and best conserved historic cities of the Arab-Muslim world.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Fes medina is one of the world’s largest pedestrian zones, containing narrow alleyways leading to ancient architectural treasures, traditional houses, artisan workshops and open-air markets.

Within this unique setting, Nawat Fes provides a supportive environment for research, reflection and artistic practice, allowing artists from around the world to experience and learn from Moroccan culture, and to contribute to the local cultural conversation.

Nawat Fes offers four residency periods each year of roughly two months each. Artists are expected to arrive at the beginning of each residency period and to stay through the end of the residency period.

The residency periods are:

• SUMMER 2022: Mid-May through Mid-July 2022

• FALL 2022: Mid-September through Mid-November 2022 (Optional extension through Mid-December)

• WINTER 2023: Mid-January through Mid-March 2023

• SPRING 2023: Mid-March through Mid-May 2023 

Deadline: Nov. 15, 2021

Application Fee: $27.00

More information and application portal here. 

Writing Competition: Carve Magazine Prose & Poetry Contest

 

• Submission Dates: October 1 - November 15, 2021.

• Prizes: $1000 each for one winner in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

• Winners announced by February 1, 2022 and published online and in print in Spring 2022.

• Honorable mentions and semi-finalists will be listed online for up to 6 months.

• All work submitted will also be considered for non-contest publication.

 

• Entry Fees: $17 for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

• One poem, essay, or short story per entry. No limit to number of entries.

• Story, essay, or poem must be previously unpublished (including online).

• 10,000 maximum word count for fiction and nonfiction; 2,000 maximum for poetry.

• We accept entries from anywhere in the world.

• No genre works (romance, horror, sci-fi, etc.); literary prose and poetry only.

• Winners of the past two Raymond Carver and Prose & Poetry contests are ineligible.

 

• No cover page or author info in document. All identifying information in Submittable is concealed for the contest.

• No mailed submissions accepted for this contest.

  Submit your work here. 

Writing Competition: Fractured Lit

We invite writers to submit to the Fractured Lit monsters, mystery, and mayhem prize from October 15 to December 19, 2021. Guest judge Amber Sparks will choose three prize winners from a shortlist.

We're excited to offer the winner of this prize $2000 and publication, while the 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive publication and $300 and $200, respectively. All entries will be considered for publication.

Entry Fee: $20.00 for up to two stories of 1000 words or less

Fractured Lit is looking for stories of monsters, mystery, and mayhem in 1,000 words or less. Using these genre themes please remember that we're searching for flash that investigates the mysteries of being human, the sorrow, and the joy of connecting to the diverse population around us. We want something new. Something that scares as much as it resonates; stories that help us discover the roots of desire and conflict, that shimmer on the page, that keep us reading, and wondering long after the last period on the page. Transport us from the here and now to a new land of discovery, a new way of being terrified, a new way of embracing all of the ways we show our humanness. Fractured Lit is a flash fiction–centered place for all writers of any background and experience.

AMBER SPARKS is the author of four collections of short fiction, including And I Do Not Forgive You: Revenges and other Stories and The Unfinished World, and her fiction and essays have appeared in American Short Fiction, the Paris Review, Tin House, Granta, The Cut and elsewhere. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband, daughter, and two cats.

We can't wait to read your work!

Submit your work here.

Call for Submissions: Sand Hills Literary Magazine

Submit to Sand Hills Literary Magazine

Deadline: January 15, 2022

Sand Hills is a national literary magazine that invites both emerging and established writers to contribute to our literary community. We want writers to submit their truths, their fictions, their poetry, their art—to share their humanity. We are currently open for submissions for our Spring 2022 issue and for our online Spotlight Series!

Learn more about us at our website. We are excited to see your work.

Writing Competition: Apex Magazine Holiday Horrors Flash Fiction Contest

We are delighted to announce that our annual holiday horrors flash fiction contest is back!

This year we're getting in touch with our horrific roots with the theme of Halloween. Tell us tales of trick-or-treating gone wrong, monsters lurking in the darkness to grab kiddies on their way home, or teens who accidentally raise the dead.

Halloween is the scariest holiday of them all, so finding a way to twist it into something new and exciting will be a trick, and will definitely give us all a treat!

GUIDELINES AND INFORMATION

• Your story must be 250 words or less. That is a hard limit. It does not include your title or byline. Our guide will be the Microsoft Word word count tool.

• Your story must feature the holiday horrors theme and be filled with frights.

• Entry is free to all.

• Contest opens on October 1st, 2021.

• Contest closes at 11:59pm EST, November 15th, 2021.

• Please submit your story in doc, docx, or rtf format. Use a sensible font that is large enough for us to read (12 pt.).

• Only one entry per person.

• Contest is open to everyone. If you’re under 18, you’ll need to obtain permission from a parent or legal guardian.

• You can have a submission in consideration at Apex Magazine and enter the flash fiction contest separately.

• Lesley Conner and a team of first readers will read all submissions. Lesley Conner will select the winner and runner-ups.

• Winner and runner-up stories will be announced by December 15th, 2021.

Submit your entry here.

RIGHTS AND PAYMENTS

• We will choose a winner and two runner-ups.

• The winner will receive $25 and publication in issue 129 of Apex Magazine.

• The two runner-up entries will receive $10 and publication on the Apex Magazine blog.

Apex will request that the winner and runner-up entries agree to our standard short fiction contract that can be found here. Clause 3 (rights fee) will be modified to reflect the offered payment terms of the holiday horrors flash fiction contest.

Call for Submissions: Hobart, Another Literary Journal

Hobart, Another Literary Journal

Fiction

Submit only one story at time, not more than 2,000 words (but shorter than this has a better chance, to be honest). If you're submitting short shorts (around 400 words or less), you can submit up to three stories in a single file. Multiple submissions will be deleted unread.

Nonfiction

Note that we tend to like our nonfiction to be more about something and less "short memoir"-y pieces, if that makes any sense. If we think of a better way to explain that, we'll update this description.

Word count limit isn't super strict but is somewhere around 2500, with 500-2k being our real website sweet spot.

Poetry

We want poetry from the margins, words that open new space without closing off recurring possibilities. There's no one type of poem that we prefer of the other, although we're often interested in poetry that doesn't necessarily know it's poetry. We are looking to be moved by the beauty in what is common.

Send us 3 to 5ish previously unpublished poems in a single document along with a brief cover letter.  

Photo Essays

We're seeking submissions of photo portfolios for online publication. We aim to showcase work by both emerging and established photographers. Our aesthetic preferences range from documentary/fine art/street photography to surrealist work, but we are open to any genre so long as the pictures reflect the unique voices of their creators.

Submissions should include the following:

• project title
• 12-20 images on any theme from a single body of work
• a 100-word project/work statement (written in the third person) 
• a 50-word bio
• a link to your website

Upload 72dpi JPEGs, sized a maximum of 1200 pixels on the longest side. Label the images: 01_LastNameFirstName.jpg. 

Submissions will be accepted on an ongoing basis.

 

 

Call for Submissions: Anti-Heroin Chic

Submissions are open.

 

All Submissions can be sent in a word doc attachment or pasted into the body of the email.

 

We do like cover letters, as we are a very warm and personable publication. Don't be afraid to say hello (there's no right or wrong way to say hello.) We are all about authenticity, kindness and vulnerability here. We strive to make this space a welcoming, safe and friendly environment.

 

Poetry: Send 3 to 6 poems, along with a third person bio and your author photo, to our poetry editors Jenny Robbins and James Diaz:

ahcpoetrysubs@gmail.com

Fiction: Send up to 2 pieces, maximum of 20 pages, double spaced, to Dylan Brie Ducey at:

antichicfiction@gmail.com

 

(Please make sure to double space your fiction submissions.)

CNF/Essay: Send up to 2 pieces, maximum of 20 pages, to our Non-Fiction Editor Jenny Robbins:

 

ahcnonfiction@gmail.com

Art/Photography: 4 to 6 images in jpeg attachment to Roy Duffield at:

 

ahc.art.editor@gmail.com

Please include an author photo and a third person bio with all submissions. All work should be in a word document (please no PDF's) or pasted into the body of the email.

Please include an author photo and a third person bio with all submissions.

More information here.

Call for Submissions from Non-Native English Writers: Tint Journal

 

Calling ESL (Non-Native English) Writers for Prose and Poetry

Deadline: November 30, 2021

Tint Journal, the literary magazine for non-native English creative writing, publishes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry by writers who compose their work in English as their second or foreign language. We are also open for visual art submissions.

See our homepage for our submission guidelines, and submit by November 30, 2021 to be considered for publication in our upcoming Spring '22 issue.

No fee!

For year-round book review and interview submissions contact:

infoATtintjournalDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )

Call for Submissions: Club Plum

Club Plum Seeks Lyric Essays (& Fiction & Prose Poems)

Deadline: January 1, 2022

Send your beautiful nonfiction flash, segmented and braided essays for Volume 3, Issue 1, coming out January 2022. Send also the usual flash fiction, prose poetry, other hybrid works, and art.

See our website for guidelines.

Call for Submissions: Abandon Journal

 

Abandon Journal Issue #3 (Abandon Time) Open For Submissions

Deadline: November 30, 2021 Issue #3 of Abandon Journal is open for submissions until 11/30/21. The theme is "Abandon Time" (interpret that as you wish).

No fees for general subs. Accepting just about anything, as long as it is created with abandon, and we pay our contributors.

See our website for full guidelines

Call for Poetry Submissions: Heron Tree

Heron Tree: Call for Submissions

Deadline: January 15, 2022

Heron Tree is open for submissions through January 15, 2022. We will read submissions and make decisions on a rolling basis. Accepted poems will be published individually online (one poem a week beginning in February 2022) and then collected in Heron Tree volume 9, which will be available as a free downloadable ebook. This special issue will be devoted to found poetry.

See our detailed submission guidelines here.

Writers' Conference: Looking Glass Rock Writers' Conference

Looking Glass Rock Writers' Conference

Application Deadline: December 15, 2021

Event Dates:May 19 - 22, 2022

Location: Brevard, North Carolina

Located in the mountains of western North Carolina, the May 19-22, 2022 Looking Glass Rock Writers’ Conference will explore the theme “A Sense of Place” with faculty Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Alison Hawthorne Deming, and Crystal Wilkinson leading workshops on poetry, nonfiction, and fiction writing. A partnership between the Transylvania County Library and Brevard College, the annual conference consists of writing workshops for select participants and community readings by the workshop leaders.

Workshops are limited to 12 participants and scholarships are available. Acceptance is competitive and based on manuscript evaluation.

There is no charge to apply.

For more information visit our website.

Call for Submissions: table//FEAST Literary Magazine

A feast is something held by humans for millennia; throughout our terms of evolution, even. A feast Façade. Gladness. Celebration. Even silence that’s a measure of closeness or distance. Mourning.

Food is the first gift we receive. The first reward we receive for our cries. And at feasts, stories are told. Songs recited. Prayers said. Family tensions spewed. Admittances of infidelity. Demands for divorce. Coming outs. And more.

Since our ancestors roamed the world hunting for new horizons; we have always gathered around a hearth to share a meal. Sometimes we’d run into strangers. And share.

We are not a food magazine or recipe outlet. We are about stories that have been shared throughout time that have transformed through modern details. Maybe some new ones, too. We are a humble, paying market.We do not have fees. Yet. When we do contests and contributor pay outs, we match a percent of the winnings and donate it to a charity or non profit somehow tied to food or nourishment.

Deadline for regular Submissions: Oct. 31, 2021

GENERAL SUB PAY RATE

Each poem is awarded $15.00 USD and each writer may submit up to 4 poems.

Each short story is awarded $30.00 USD; only 1 is accepted per writer.

Each piece of creative non fiction is awarded $30.00 USD; only 1 is accepted per writer.

Each image of artwork is awarded $20.00 USD and artists may submit up to 3 works.

• We are an online magazine that publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

• We are currently in the process of filing paperwork to become an official non profit literary magazine.

• We only use PayPal and Venmo for contributor payouts at this time

Submit your work here.

Call for Submissions on Theme of "Recovery": Bellevue Literary Review

BELLEVUE LITERARY REVIEW seeks poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for a special issue devoted to recovery, which has become even more dimensional as we grapple with the fallout of medical disasters, environmental catastrophe, economic devastation, and political upheaval.

 

Submissions accepted September 1–December 31.

 

Please visit our website for more information.

Call for Poetry Submissions from Children: Rattle Young Poets Anthology

Rattle Young Poets Anthology Guidelines

1) Poems may be submitted by the poet, or by the poet’s parent/legal guardian, or teacher. Teachers may select at most five students per year and submit on their behalf (in a single submission), with the assurance to us that you will be able to help us get a parent’s signed permission prior to publication. Please remember that we will be choosing up to 20 poems from thousands submitted—try not to get anyone’s hopes up prematurely.

2) The author of the poem must have been age 15 or younger when the poem was written, and 18 or younger when submitted.

3) The poets may use their whole name, first name, or a pseudonym at their parents’ discretion. We will not publish any contact information.

4) Submit up to four poems at a time, in one file through the Submittable button below.

5) Upon acceptance, a parent or legal guardian must sign a release allowing us to publish the poem.

6) All contributors receive ten complimentary copies of the print anthology, which will also be shipped to all Rattle subscribers. Parents and family members may purchase additional copies at our cost to print/ship.

7) Only submissions through Submittable will be accepted. Include the parent/guardian’s name and mailing address, and the child’s age when the poems were written somewhere within the document.

Deadline: Nov. 16, 2021

Submit your work here.

Writing Competition: december's 2022 Jeff Marks Memorial Poetry Prize

The entry period for the 2022 Jeff Marks Memorial Poetry Prize is OPEN. We are open for contest submissions through December 1.

THIS YEAR’S JUDGE IS Grace Cavalieri.

1st Prize: $1,500 and publication
Honorable Mention: $500 and publication
All finalists published in Spring/Summer 2022 Awards issue. Finalists will be paid at regular contributor rates.

Guidelines:

Submissions are open between October 1, 2021, and December 1, 2021. You may enter as many times as you like, but each entry should include no more than three poems. Name and address on cover letter only. No identifying information on poems.

$20 fee per entry includes copy of Awards issue.

Each submission is carefully considered for publication. Please submit previously unpublished work only. Any size print run or online publication (including blogs and/or social networking) disqualify an entry.

AUTHOR NAME OR OTHER IDENTIFYING INFORMATION SHOULD NOT APPEAR IN YOUR TITLE OR ANYWHERE ON YOUR UPLOADED OR HARD COPY DOCUMENT. ENTRIES THAT IDENTIFY THE SUBMITTER/AUTHOR IN ANY WAY WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED WITHOUT A REFUND.

december accepts submissions online through Submittable.

december does not accept simultaneous submissions. We respond as quickly as possible (contest submissions may not be responded to until after the close of the contest when all submissions have been considered.)

december also accepts submissions through the U.S. mail. If submitting by mail, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with sufficient postage, your $20.00 entry fee (check or cash — NO MONEY ORDERS), and indicate if you would like your manuscript returned.

december assumes no responsibility for delayed, lost, or damaged manuscripts.

Address postal submissions and correspondence to:

december
P.O. Box 16130
St. Louis, MO 63105

Submission link here.

Writing Competition for Nebraska Writers: Poets & Writers Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award

Established in 1984, the Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award introduces emerging writers to the New York City literary community. The prestigious award, which aims to provide promising writers a network for professional advancement, has helped to launch the careers of Sue Monk Kidd (The Invention of Wings, The Secret Life of Bees), Lidia Yuknavitch (The Book of Joan), Bryn Chancellor (Sycamore: A Novel), David Mura (Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei), and others.

Since Poets & Writers began the Writers Exchange in 1984, one-hundred-and-eight writers from forty-two states and the District of Columbia have been selected to participate.

The award is generously supported by Maureen Mahon Egen, a member of the Poets & Writers Board of Directors.

This year, Nebraska has been selected for Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award

Writers from the state of Nebraska are invited to apply for the 2022 Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award. One fiction writer and one poet will be selected. Winners receive an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to meet with top literary professionals, including editors, agents, publishers, and prominent writers. This year’s judges are Ru Freeman for fiction and Sandra Lim for poetry.

Entries must be postmarked by March 1, 2022.

More information here.

Call for Submissions: Oyster River Pages

 

Oyster River Pages Special Issue

We think about it. We live in it. A world that both explores and hides the sensuality and sexuality hidden within us and what’s around us. We all have our stories, experiences, and thoughts on what it means to teeter the lines of sexuality in ourselves.

Now through November 15, ORP’s special issue is seeking to accept poetry, fiction, and visual art that centers your experiences in love and life. Although we are looking to accept work from many creatives, we are looking to center the work of individuals who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled people.

Call for Submissions: Book of Matches

Book of Matches seeks Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Translation

Deadline: December 8, 2021

Submissions are officially reopened. We welcome your best poems, short fiction/nonfiction, and translation. That is, your most meaningful lies, your real lives, and the poetry of both. Please refrain from sending overtly political or Covid-centered work.

All submissions due in by no later than December 8, 2021.

Book of Matches is currently an online flipbook and pdf formatted journal, but will transition to print when feasible. Book of Matches nominates for both major and minor prizes.

Call for Submissions on Theme of "Intimacy and Estrangement": Superpresent

Intimacy and Estrangement

Deadline: December 1, 2021

Superpresent is seeking submissions of poetry, essays, short stories, visual art, films, and experimental art for its anniversary issue. The theme for the issue is Intimacy and Estrangement. Details here.

Call for Submissions: Typehouse Literary Magazine

Typehouse Literary Magazine...

...is looking for submissions of poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction and visual art. Writing that grabs us conveys a unique perspective and honest insight into our world. We are especially interested in underrepresented voices of all kinds, and we want to see submissions from writers and artists of all races, sexualities, nationalities, religions, and genders, as well as disabled and neurodivergent creators.

Genre fiction submissions are welcome, particularly speculative fiction. We are all writers and artists, so simultaneous submissions are encouraged, but please let us know immediately if it has been accepted elsewhere. Previously published work will not be considered, and this includes work published on social media and personal websites. If it is available publicly online, that means it is published.

Please submit to either one prose or poetry category at a time (artwork may be submitted simultaneously with a written submission). Once you have received a response to a submission, please wait two months before sending us any new work. If we have accepted your work please wait until the next submission period to submit again. Submitting is free, but please consider the feedback option – you’ll receive personalized feedback on your submission!

We are closed to regular poetry and fiction submissions during the months of January, May, and September as we put together the new issue, although normally feedback, tip, nonfiction and visual arts submissions will remain open.

Submit your work here.

Call for Submissions: Grain Magazine

Submissions are OPEN!

Published four times per year, Grain Magazine is an internationally acclaimed literary journal that publishes engaging, surprising, eclectic, and challenging writing and art by Canadian and international writers and artists.

Before submitting your work to Grain, we recommend you read a recent issue of the magazine.

Please adhere to the following guidelines and do not submit more than twice in one submission period (third and subsequent submissions will neither be read nor returned). If you have work currently under consideration by Grain, please do not submit again until you have received a response to that submission.

Grain has a nine-month submission period that runs from September 15th to June 15th. Manuscripts received outside of this window will be automatically rejected.

Types of Work We Consider

Send typed, unpublished material only (we consider work published online to be previously published). If work is submitted simultaneously, please let us know as soon as possible if it is accepted elsewhere. Please only submit work in one genre at one time.

Poetry: Individual poems, sequences, or suites up to a maximum of six pages.

Fiction: To a maximum of 3,500 words.

Literary Nonfiction: To a maximum of 3,500 words.

For fiction and nonfiction submissions, PLEASE PROVIDE A WORD COUNT.

Other writing: Queries for submissions of work in other forms (i.e. short plays, comics, etc.) are welcome. You may submit such queries through Submittable or by mail.

Visual work: Mainly by invitation, though queries are welcome. 

Contributor Payments

All contributors, regardless of genre, are paid $50 per page to a maximum of $250, plus two copies of the issue in which their work appears. Visual work published inside the magazine (in black and white) and on the cover (in colour) is paid at the same page rate as text contributions to a maximum of $500.

Rights

Grain purchases first Canadian serial rights and digital rights. Copyright remains with the writer or artist.

Submit your work here. 

Call for Submissions: Synthetic Reality

Fiction Story Content

We are looking for a wide range of stories. And, although we mainly deal in Science Fiction, Fantasy, SHTF, Slipstream, Horror, Sword and Sorcery and surreal fiction, we are also open to other stories. As a bonus, we love the humorous tales as well! We are NOT interested in explicit sex. A good way to look at at how we judge what comes our way is that everyone has a story to tell, but does that story hold our attention? We accept unpublished authors as well as published authors. We also accept reprints and simultaneous submissions.

Poetry Content

For poetry, we are looking for very similar genres as our story topics. We deal in the surreal. We do allow bundles of poems to be sent and there is no limit to the number of poems that can be sent within the bundle provided that is stays within the 5,000 word limit.

Article Content

When submitting an article, we are looking for articles pertaining to, and about, the writing process and helpful tips for writers (i.e. writer’s block, selecting topics, grammar, publishing, etc.). We also except articles on topics that will help writers such as:

Poisonous plants of the Old West
Unique sailing ships of ancient Egypt
Tools of the trade for Ghost Hunters.

These types of articles should be couched in terms of how they can be used in ways to help authors.

Book Reviews

When submitting a book review, please be aware that we are looking for our main interests for Synthetic Reality: Science Fiction, Fantasy, SHTF, Slipstream, Horror, Sword and Sorcery and surreal fiction. Books outside this scope will have to be approved by our Editor-in-Chief and are very rare indeed. So please keep that in mind when submitting a book review.

Submission guidelines and portal here.

Writing Competition on Theme of "Reasons": Baltimore Review

Baltimore Review Winter Contest - Theme: "Reasons"

Deadline: November 30, 2021

Baltimore Review Winter Contest – Theme: “Reasons.” We want to understand why. We want reasons. We may not always like the reasons. We may not always understand the reasons. But we still want reasons. Interpret this any way you’d like. We do want to see the word reason or reasons (or explanation or rationale or justification—or some similar word) somewhere in the title or the work.

All entries considered for publication.

$300 prize for each category (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction)

Entry Fee: $8.00

Final judge: Tara Lynn Masih.

Deadline: November 30.

For more details, go here.

Call for Submissions from Indigenous Voices: Jelly Bucket

 
Jelly Bucket seeks Indigenous Voices

Deadline: December 1, 2021

For issue 12's special section, we're looking for poetry, prose, and art from and about Native American cultures and communities, past and present. Jelly Bucket is the print annual of Bluegrass Writer Studio, the low-res MFA program at Eastern Kentucky University. Work from Jelly Bucket has been shortlisted in the Best American anthology series, and we nominate for The Pushcart Prize and PEN America Literary Awards. First-time and emerging authors have appeared alongside Eileen Casey, Ted Cooser, Stuart Dybek, Rigoberto Gonzalez, Sonja Livingston, Frank X. Walker, and Kevin Wilson.

Submit via Submittable by December 1st.

Call for Submissions: Storm Cellar

 

Storm Cellar Call for Submissions

Deadline: Rolling

Storm Cellar, a print-and-ebook journal of safety and danger since 2011, seeks amazing new work for volume 10! Send emotionally, aesthetically, technically, and linguistically ambitious writing, photos, and art. We're especially listening for Indigenous, Black, POC, LGBTQIA+, enby, fat, disabled, neuroatypical, poor, border-straddling, and other marginalized voices. Our roots are in the American Midwest. Surprise us!

Full guidelines here and submission portal here.

Writing Competition: Etched Onyx Magazine and Story Discovery Podcast

Winter Contest Open! Etched Onyx Magazine and Story Discovery Podcast

Deadline: November 26, 2021

We are accepting short stories, poetry, and flash fiction for our Winter Edition Contest with guest judges Chris Clancy and Becky Hinshaw. All works are narrated and include an author interview in our bimonthly Story Discovery Podcast. There is no theme. We welcome all styles, genres, and types of writing as long as the piece is engaging.

The early bird deadline with reduced entry fee of $7.50 is October 8, 2021.

The regular contest fee is $11.

Awards: 1st - $350; 2nd - $150; 3rd - $50; Three Honorable Mentions of $25 each. Enter via submittable.

More info here.

Writing Competition: Carve 2021 Prose and Poetry Contest

Submission Dates: October 1 - November 15, 2021

Prizes: $1000 each for one winner in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Winners announced by February 1, 2022 and published online and in print in Spring 2022. Honorable mentions and semi-finalists will be listed online for up to 6 months.

All work submitted will also be considered for non-contest publication.

Entry Fees: $17 for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

One poem, essay, or short story per entry. No limit to number of entries.

Story, essay, or poem must be previously unpublished (including online).

10,000 maximum word count for fiction and nonfiction; 2,000 maximum for poetry.

We accept entries from anywhere in the world.

No genre works (romance, horror, sci-fi, etc.); literary prose and poetry only.

Winners of the past two Raymond Carver and Prose & Poetry contests are ineligible.

No cover page or author info in document. All identifying information in Submittable is concealed for the contest.

No mailed submissions accepted for this contest.

Submit your entry here.