Writing Competitions: MAYDAY

MAYDAY is excited to announce our 2023 prizes in short fiction, creative nonfiction and micro-chapbook poetry!

These are all single work prizes, and submissions will be open from September 1st to November 1st, with an entry fee of $20.  

MAYDAY will award cash prizes: $500 for first place, $250 for second place, and $100 for a handful of runners up. 

Follow the links below each individual prize’s submission guidelines!

The Short Fiction Prize Guest Judge: Alissa Hatman

Theme: Endings The Creative Nonfiction Prize Judged by the MAYDAY nonfiction editors

Theme: Changing Your Mind The Micro-Chapbook Poetry Prize Guest Judge: Sophia Tarazawa

Writing Competition on Theme of "Love": Passionfruit Poetry Prize

Submissions for our first single-poem competition are open until 31st October 2023

1st Prize: £100
2nd Prize: £50

The theme is love – and it’s yours to interpret as broadly, as interestingly, and as tenuously as you wish.

Our judge (Amlanjyoti Goswami) will also select up to 20 commended entries to be published in a special issue of The Passionfruit Review.

About the Judge

Amlanjyoti Goswami’s new book of poetry, Vital Signs (Poetrywala) follows his widely reviewed collection, River Wedding (Poetrywala). Published in journals and anthologies across the world, including Poetry, The Poetry Review, Penguin Vintage, Rattle and Sahitya Akademi, he is also a Best of the Net and Pushcart nominee. His work has appeared on street walls of Christchurch, buses in Philadelphia, exhibitions in Johannesburg and an e-gallery in Brighton. He has reviewed poetry for Modern Poetry in Translation and Review 31. He also translates poetry from Assamese into English and has read at various places, including New York, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Boston and Delhi. He grew up in Guwahati, Assam and lives in Delhi.
You can read his poetry here.

Judge’s Note: 

“Keep love in mind, but it need not be so obvious. Look for something you haven’t heard before. What speaks to you while you are sleeping or when you are doing something else, like waiting for a bus, drinking coffee or reading a newspaper. Love makes no prior appointments. Something that makes you wonder, on a perfectly ordinary day. Don’t worry too much about how it will all turn out. It is love, after all.”

Guidelines Submissions are open to all poets writing in English.

• Please submit unpublished poems only.

• Simultaneous submissions are welcome – just let us know promptly if you need to withdraw any of your poems.

• Submit up to three poems.

• Poems up to 40 lines will be considered (we consider longer poems as general submissions!)

• Strong language is fine – abusive or discriminatory language is not.

• If the submission fee prevents you from entering the contest, get in touch at:

 editor@passionfruitreview.com

• Please note that the reviewing process will be anonymous. Do not include any identifying information in attached documents.

• Entry fee: £3

Enter here.

Call for Submissions: Invisible City

Submit work that encourages us to see the world from new perspectives and different angles, ones that we may not have previously considered or imagined.

We are accepting submissions in all genres from September 5, 2023 through October 5th, 2023. We will consider Nonfiction submissions from September 5, 2023 through December 5, 2023 and Visual Art submissions from September 5, 2023 through January 5, 2024.

Please acquaint yourself with our guidelines below. We are now a paying market and can offer our writers, poets, and artists a $20 honorarium per accepted work.

General Guidelines

• We only consider previously unpublished works. No exceptions. Thank you.

• We do not accept submissions via email or postal service. You can submit your work to us through our submission manager. If you run into any technical difficulties in uploading your submission, please contact us at:

invisiblecity@usfca.edu.

• We do accept simultaneous submissions. However, we ask that you notify us as soon as possible if your work is accepted elsewhere.

• We read prose pieces up to 5,000 words. Flash is welcome; for regular issue submissions you may submit up to three flash pieces (less than 1,000 words each) in a single document.

• If you’re submitting poetry, please submit to us no more than three poems. The best things come in threes: Olympic medals, wishes, Cerberus heads.

• At this time we do not accept novel excerpts, unless they function as standalone stories.

• We ask that if your work is accepted to please wait three reading cycles before submitting again. For example, if your work is accepted in the Spring 2020 cycle, you will be eligible for Spring 2022 submissions. This waiting period allows us to best honor our mission of giving space to new voices.

• For visual art: at the moment, there is no waiting period for visual art. We will consider submissions from artists who were published in recent issues. Please submit your art in either a .pdf or .jpg file format. If you would like to submit multiple pieces for consideration, you may upload a .zip file or include a link to a portfolio.

• We do not accept work (other than visual art) from current students at the University of San Francisco. Alumni may submit work.

• All honorariums associated with an international address will be made by wire transfer. If you are an international resident, to be paid an honorarium, you must have a bank account in your own name. The bank account cannot be in a family member’s, friend’s, or in any other person’s or entity’s name. Otherwise, the honorarium will not be processed. Also include the SWIFT or IBAN code associated with your country on the paperwork we require to complete the honorarium request.

• Please include content warnings when applicable.

Submit your work here.

Call for Submissions: The Hopkins Review

  

The Hopkins Review is open for general submissions (poetry, fiction, literary translation, and creative nonfiction) annually in October, but has opened early this year (September 1 – October 31, 2023).

We strive to celebrate our contributors’ work. To that end, we submit each issue of THR for consideration in Best American Poetry, Best American Essays, and Best American Short Stories. Subject to eligibility, we also nominate for Best Small Fictions, Best New Poets, the O. Henry Prize for Short Fiction, the PEN/Robert J. Dau Prize for Emerging Writers, Best Literary Translations, Best Spiritual Literature, the Nina Riggs Poetry Award, and the Pushcart Prize. We nominate work first published as a web feature for Best of the Net as well.

General Submission Guidelines:

The Hopkins Review is a literary quarterly committed to publishing the best contemporary fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art, and translation. The editors seek to publish emerging writers along with established writers.

Fiction: Submit only one story at a time (generally not exceeding 8,000 words) or up to three pieces of flash fiction. We also welcome fiction in translation; however, it is the translator's responsibility to have secured all necessary permissions.

Nonfiction: Submit one work at a time (generally not exceeding 10,000 words). We publish personal essays, memoir, and reviews of books, performances, and exhibits. We publish essays on culture, literature, drama, film, the visual arts, music, and dance. We also publish and welcome public-facing scholarship.

Poetry: Submit up to five poems (no more than 10 pages total). We also welcome poetry in translation (please include originals as well); however, it is the translator’s responsibility to have secured all necessary permissions.

Note that we do accept simultaneous submissions, but we ask that you let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere.

The Hopkins Review is a print publication that is also archived electronically in perpetuity through Project MUSE. The Hopkins Review’s standard rate is $1 per line for poetry and $10 per page for prose; a minimum payment of $40 per poetry acceptance and $100 per prose acceptance went into effect in 2022. We actively pursue grants and collaborations to enable additional payments for special and solicited projects when possible. (If you are interested in partnering with us on funding a special project, please email our editor in chief Dora Malech at:

 

doramalech@jhu.edu.)

Our three-dollar general submission fee is waived for subscribers, as is our contest fee. If you are interested in becoming a subscriber, click here. Subscribers can submit general submissions year round; if you are a subscriber, email:

 

thehopkinsreview@gmail.com 

 

to request a private fee-waived “Subscriber Submission” link. You can also write to us at that email address to request a fee waiver for financial hardship.

Thank you for your interest in The Hopkins Review.

 

Submit your work here.

Call for Submissions on Theme of "Soft": carte blanche

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Issue 47 - SOFT

The topic of resilience has been on our minds for the past few years of living through a global pandemic. The word evokes being strong and holding steadfast during difficult times. In fact, “Resilience” was our theme for issue 41. For our final issue of 2023, however, we invite creators to take a deep breath and mull over the word “Soft” as a theme for carte blanche 47. We want to consider works that touch on the soft, slow, open, and gentle. After collectively living through a challenging few years, what does softness mean to you?

We invite creators to submit previously unpublished pieces in the following genres: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, translations (French to English), photography, and comics.

carte blanche acknowledges the intersectionality of individuals’ lived experiences and aims to provide a welcoming and safe space for racialized and marginalized voices. We encourage and welcome submissions by individuals who identify as LGBTQ2S+, BIPOC, disabled, and those who live with mental health challenges or neurodivergence.

Please note that while Canadian and international creators are welcome to submit their work to us for consideration, as a result of our affiliation with the Quebec Writers’ Federation and Canada Council grant requirements, we may emphasize a focus on Quebec-based creators in a given issue.

Submissions open on September 5, 2023 and close on October 15, 2023.

General Guidelines

Simultaneous submissions: We accept simultaneous submissions. Please indicate in your cover letter if you are sending your piece elsewhere and withdraw your submission via Submittable if it is accepted somewhere else.

Unpublished submissions: We do not accept submissions that have been previously published, including on personal websites and social media.

Frequency of submissions: We encourage you to submit to carte blanche no more than once a year unless solicited by an editor.

Rights: We ask for first world serial rights and the right to archive your work on the website. Copyright reverts to the author upon publication. In the case of translated pieces, you must already have received permission from the original French publisher to translate the piece prior to submitting your translation to us.

Payment: carte blanche pays an honorarium of $75 for each published piece. We hope to increase the amount in the future. 

Section-Specific Guidelines

Comics: We’re looking for comics that have a story to tell, that explore the boundaries of narrative within the comics form. We’re open to all styles, subjects, shapes, and sizes, but keep in mind that your comic will be displayed on the web using a Squarespace image slideshow. Please submit your files at web resolution (72dpi) in one file (PDF or ZIP). If we choose to publish your piece, you will be asked to submit high-quality files for publication on our website and potentially in print-on-demand issues.

Creative Nonfiction: We consider nonfiction narratives including memoir, personal essay, and literary journalism. Creative nonfiction submissions should be factual. Any changes to names to protect privacy should be indicated in an author’s note. Maximum 3500 words.

Fiction: We accept all kinds of fiction. Maximum 3500 words (1 story can be up to 3500 words, 2+ stories must be 3500 words or under total).

Photography: Tell a story in 12 photos or less. Together, your photos should create a narrative–whether abstract or concrete. You may include a text-based artist's note that will accompany your piece. Keep in mind that your photos will be displayed on the web using a Squarespace image slideshow. Please submit your files at web resolution (72dpi) in one file (PDF or ZIP). If we choose to publish your piece, you will be asked to submit high-quality files for publication on our website and potentially in print-on-demand issues.

Poetry: We welcome poems in any form. As of 2021, we have instated a submission cap. Please submit early–we will not accept late submissions by email. Maximum 3 poems per submission.

Translation: We accept English translations of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction written originally in French. If possible, please include the original work on which the translation is based. If we choose to publish your piece, you will be required to provide proof of permission from the copyright holder of the original work to translate and publish the translation. Obtaining permission can take time, so please do so before you submit!

Submit your work here.

Writing Residency: Art Omi: Writers

Art Omi: Writers 2024 Residency

We are currently accepting applications for the 2024 residency sessions:

Spring Session 1: March 28 - April 23, 2024
Spring Session 2: May 8 - May 29, 2024
Fall Session 1: September 5 - October 2, 2024
Fall Session 2: October 10 - November 6, 2024 

Applications are accepted through 11:59 PM EST on October 15, 2023

About 

Art Omi: Writers hosts authors and translators from around the world for residencies throughout the spring and fall. The program’s strong international emphasis provides exposure for global literary voices and reflects the spirit of cultural exchange that is essential to Art Omi’s mission.

Guests may select a residency of one week to two months; about ten writers at a time gather to live and work in a rural setting overlooking the Catskill Mountains. Daytime is reserved for writing and quiet activities, while evenings are more communal. A program of weekly visits bring guests from the New York publishing community. Noted editors, agents and book scouts are invited to share dinner and conversation on both creative and practical subjects, offering insight into the workings of the publishing industry, and introductions to some of its key professionals. Readings throughout the year invite the public to experience finished and in-process work by writers and translators in residence.

Art Omi: Writers welcomes published writers and translators of every type of literature. All text-based projects -- fiction, nonfiction, theater, film, poetry, etc.—are eligible. International, cultural and creative exchange is a foundation of our mission, and a wide distribution of national background is an important part of our selection process.

All residencies are fully funded with accommodations, food, local transport and public programming provided. However, please note that Art Omi: Writers does not provide travel funds. Selected residents are responsible for funding their own travel or securing travel funds from a third party.

Translation Lab

In early November, Art Omi: Writers hosts an annual Translation Lab, in which four English language translators are invited to work alongside the writers whose work they translate. The focused residency provides an integral stage of refinement, allowing translators to dialogue with the writers about text-specific questions. The Translation Lab emphasizes translation as a means towards cultural exchange.

The focused residency provides an integral stage of refinement, allowing translators to dialogue with the writers about text-specific questions. Following in the tradition of the Art Omi: Writers residency as started by Heinrich Maria Ledig-Rowohlt, the Translation Lab emphasizes translation as a means towards cultural exchange. It serves as an essential community builder for English language translators who are working to increase the amount of international literature available to American readers, as it is currently estimated that less than three percent of all books published in the United States are translated works.

The residency is a rare and unique opportunity for writers and their translators to work together, considering that most writers never meet their translators in person. All text-based projects—fiction, nonfiction, theater, film, poetry, etc.—are eligible.

Translation Lab is fully funded, including travel, room and board, meals and workspaces.

Accommodations & Facilities

Art Omi is located two and a half hours north of New York City in the historic Hudson River Valley. Named for the hamlet of Omi, which is within the town of Ghent, New York, Art Omi is also near to Albany and Hudson, which offer train connections thirty or fifteen minutes' drive from campus, respectively.

The facilities, situated on three hundred acres of open land, include a large two-story barn with indoor studios; contemporary residence buildings designed with a vernacular reference to local barns, surrounded by abundant perennial beds, expansive lawns dotted with fruit trees, adjacent to The Sculpture and Architecture Park. Residents receive private bedroom accommodations with shared bathrooms and common areas.

A Federal Period farm house serves as a gathering center, providing a full kitchen and library; while the front porch overlooks rolling hills and the majestic outline of the Catskill Range. A swimming pool, bicycles, WiFi access and a computer with printing capability is available on the premises.

Columbia County, and the nearby Berkshire Mountains, are popular destinations because of their historical, natural and cultural riches. From bird sanctuaries to modern dance, presidential mansions to farmer’s markets, the environs offer a singular blend of rural quiet and cultural stimulation. Staff and friends in the neighborhood are often available for excursions of interest to residents. The local library has a modest collection, but is a member of the Mid-Hudson group, calling on the resources of libraries within much of eastern New York.

More information and application link here.

Call for Submissions: The Bryant Literary Review

Founded by Rhode Island poet laureate emeritus, Tom Chandler, The Bryant Literary Review is an international journal of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction housed in the Department of History, Literature, and the Arts at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI. Since our first issue in 2000, we have published original and thought-provoking creative work from a wide array of established authors and emerging voices. For samples of previously published work see https://digitalcommons.bryant.edu/blr/. Our mission is to cultivate an active and growing connection between the Bryant University campus community and the global literary community.

Authors can submit poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction below. Limit one submission per author: one fiction or creative nonfiction piece and up to three poems, respectively. Fiction and creative nonfiction pieces should be no longer than 5,000 words (approximately).

We do not accept previously published work. Copyright reverts to author upon publication.

Questions can be directed to Professor Tom Roach at:

troach@bryant.edu

The reading period for BLR Volume 25 (to be published April 2024) is September 1 to December 1, 2023.

Submit your work here.

Call for Submissions: Cutbank Literary Journal

Electronic submissions open from September 15 to February 1

For the print editions of CutBank, we accept poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and visual art submissions. Please only submit online; paper submissions will be recycled. We now charge a $5 reading fee, which goes toward paying our contributors for their work. Rates will be decided at the close of the submission period.

We encourage you to read CutBank before submitting. Sample issues are available here for $10, one-year subscriptions for $17.

Submit unpublished, original work, and include a cover letter (in the designated space) with a brief biography and contact information. Please do not include your contact information or biography in the document.

Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but ask that you withdraw your work immediately via Submittable if it is accepted elsewhere. Poets please email us if an individual poem in your submission becomes unavailable, and add a note in Submittable detailing the change.

Response time is typically 3 to 5 months. We appreciate the opportunity to read your work, however please do not submit again until you hear back from us, and please submit no more than twice per reading period.

FICTION should be double-spaced, in a conventional, readable font such as 12 point Times New Roman. We are unable to read unsolicited submissions of more than 8,500 words.

NONFICTION should be double-spaced, in a conventional, readable font such as 12 point Times New Roman. We are unable to read unsolicited submissions of more than 8,500 words.

POEMS should be uploaded as one file, with page breaks between poems. We accept up to five poems per submission. To withdraw your entire submission, use Submittable. To withdraw part of your submission, add a note in Submittable detailing which poems are no longer available.

VISUAL ART should be uploaded as JPEG, TIFF, or PDF files of at least 300 dpi. CutBank welcomes submissions of all types of visual art for publication in our upcoming print edition. If your work is 3D, we recommend uploading multiple images to feature rotational perspective. Please submit no more than five high quality files and include an artist biography. Artist statements are appreciated but not required. If your piece is accepted, it may be used in the print edition, online features, or as cover art. We will contact you with updates regarding selection and where we would like to display your work. You can submit through Submittable with the button below or send work directly to:

cutbankarts@gmail.com.

Every piece will be read first by an editor, and then by an enthusiastic, trained pool of readers. Reading your work is the most exciting part of our jobs, and we’re happy to say the majority of our content for CutBank comes from unsolicited submissions. We’re all writers here, and we appreciate the opportunity to read your work. Keep writing and we’ll see you on the flip side!

More information and submission link here.

Call for Submissions: Humana Obscura

 

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

Poetry that is accessible, prose that is poetic, and artwork of the natural world that will wow us.

We’re looking for work that is nuanced, raw, and imagistic with strong elements of the natural world or hints to the human-nature relationship. We tend to favor work that is unexpected, evocative, yet subtle, with a strong sense of place and strong imagery.

We prefer shorter works that use brevity to its advantage, with simple formatting and uncomplicated language.

Please keep in mind the seasonal nature of the issue you’re submitting to. We do not publish spring/summer works in the fall/winter issue, and vice-versa.

Poetry & Prose

We prefer free-verse poetry and prose that is accessible to readers, is straightforward, and avoids fancy language.

We opt for the less traditional, Westernized style of haiku and tanka that does not follow strict syllable structures, while honoring the haiku aesthetic and characteristics.

We do not publish experimental work, and very rarely do we publish poems longer than one page.

Please edit your work before submitting. While typos aren’t enough to automatically reject your work, it is important to submit your final, edited piece(s). Upon acceptance, we may suggest minor edits to your work.

Visual Art

When it comes to art, we like both the realistic and the abstract—think out-of-focus photography, minimalism, intentional camera movement, and impressionistic smears of colors on a canvas. We love photographs of nature, be it landscapes, animals, or otherwise.

What We’re NOT Looking For

We like contemporary, but we shy away from human elements, like work that references technology—like your iPhone or Tinder or TikTok. We will not publish profanity, discriminatory work of any kind, political pieces, or work that is fantastical in nature or of the horror genre. We steer away from work that is entirely anthropocentric. We don’t like personification, unless done subtly and skillfully.

We will not accept works created by robots, such as those created using AI technology like ChatGPT or similar means. Your work must be wholly created by you.

Surprise us. Delight us. Haunt us. Make us keep thinking about your piece long after we’ve read it or viewed it.

More information and submission link here.

Writing Residency for BIPOC Writers: Outpost

 The Outpost Foundation is an advocacy organization for creative writers of color from the United States and Latin America. Its flagship program is a residency that awards two writers a $2,000 stipend as well as complimentary travel, lodging, and meals to spend the month of September cultivating a generative writing community in the mountains of Southern Vermont. In addition to the time spent in residence, Outpost Fellows will engage in organized interactions with the community of local universities and bookstores, allowing space to share their work and expand their networks.

Applications will be reviewed by the BIPOC members of the Board of Directors and, blindly, by a rotating committee of Vermont BIPOC writers. A list of finalists will be publicized at the end of February and our 2024 Outpost Fellows will be announced in March.  

Applications are due by December 15th.

Las solicitudes serán revisadas por los miembros de la Junta Directiva de BIPOC y, a ciegas, por un comité rotativo de redactores de BIPOC de Vermont. Se publicará una lista de finalistas a finales de febrero y nuestros becarios Outpost 2024 se anunciarán en marzo. Las solicitudes deben presentarse antes del 15 de diciembre.

As inscrições serão analisadas pelos membros do Conselho de Administração do BIPOC e, cegamente, por um comitê rotativo de redatores do BIPOC de Vermont. Uma lista dos finalistas será divulgada no final de fevereiro e nossos Outpost Fellows de 2024 serão anunciados em março. As inscrições vão até 15 de dezembro.

Submit your application here.

Call for Submissions: The Dawn Review

Deadline: Oct. 31, 2023

We accept all written work, so long as it is literary in nature! We also publish visual work. There are no restrictions on who can submit, and our issues are not themed. We want you to send us something new– a new form, a new combination of words, a new perspective. We love work that is striking and honest– that creates the truth by refracting it. Send us your best!

We welcome pieces that deal with difficult subjects, but please make sure that your message is not hurtful.

Please submit up to 10 pages of written work and up to 10 pieces of visual work per reading period. We have no spacing or formatting requirements.

To submit, please fill out the form on our website. Please submit written and visual work separately. As long as you've submitted the form, your submission will go through– we don't send confirmation emails. If you are unable to link your pieces using the form below, you may attach them in an email to:

thedawnreviewsubmissions@gmail.com 

along with any feedback requests and a short third-person biography.

If you have previously been published in the Dawn Review, we ask that you wait for two full reading periods before sending us your work again.

We provide free feedback (~300 words) to all submissions upon request.

We accept simultaneous submissions, but we would prefer if your pieces have not been previously published. Please let us know if your piece is accepted elsewhere before we have a chance to get back to you.

The Dawn Review receives first electronic serial rights to your piece upon publication. After publication, all rights revert back to the author. If your work appears elsewhere later, please acknowledge The Dawn Review as the first place of publication. We nominate published pieces for The Pushcart Prizes and Best of the Net. 

 

Writing Competition: Larry Brown Short Story Award

We’re pleased to announce the eighth annual Larry Brown Short Story Award.

The winners will receive the following prizes: 1st $500 USD, 2nd $50 USD, 3rd $50 USD, and 4th and 5th will receive a copy of the book Tiny Love: The Complete Stories by Larry Brown. Each prize winner will be published in the January 2024 issue of Pithead Chapel.

2023 Guest Judge: Sequoia Nagamatsu

Contest Guidelines

Please read the guidelines carefully before submitting.

• The contest is open from August 1st to October 31st of each year

• The submitted story must be less than 4,000 words

• No previously published work will be considered

• The writer’s name and contact information should only appear within the cover letter box in Submittable; submissions will be judged blindly by our guest judge

• Again, no identifying information should appear on the submitted manuscript pages

• There’s a $10 entry fee for each story submission. A discounted submission category is open to BIPOC writers.

• Writers can submit multiple entries; however, each entry must be submitted separately and each entry requires an entry fee and cover letter with an address and phone number

• Simultaneous submissions are fine; however, please withdraw the story immediately if it’s accepted elsewhere

• The winners and honorable mentions will be notified by December 15th, 2023, and the prize money will be awarded the day after publication on January 2nd, 2024

• Those selected as honorable mentions will have the chance to be published alongside the winning selections in the January 2024 issue of Pithead Chapel

Submit your entry here.

Writing Competition: Jessie Bryce Niles Chapbook Contest

COMSTOCK REVIEW, Inc. is proud to accept submissions for the 2023 JESSIE BRYCE NILES CHAPBOOK CONTEST from August 1, 2023 through October 31, 2023.

 The finalists will be read anonymously and judged by Kathleen Bryce Niles Overton

Sponsored by Comstock Review, Inc.

Guidelines for the Jessie Bryce Niles Chapbook Contest

Prize: $1000 plus publication and 50 author’s copies.

Accepting submission from Aug 1st to Oct. 31st (postmark or online submission date).

Judge: Kathleen Bryce Niles-Overton (editor)

Entry Fee: $30/chapbook (includes copy of winning chapbook)

 SEND TO:

The Comstock Review Chapbook Contest

4956 St. John Drive

Syracuse, NY 13215

OR

Submit Online

All contestants will receive a copy of one winning chapbook upon publication (contestant’s choice). Submissions accepted August 1—October 31, 2021.

Note: The poet must NOT have already WON a previous chapbook contest in The Comstock Review.

The Rules:

1. Submissions must be unpublished as a collection, but individual poems may have been previously published in journals.

2. Will consider simultaneous submissions as long as the poet notifies us immediately upon acceptance elsewhere.

3. Submit 25-34 pages of poetry, single-spaced (1 page=38 lines maximum, including spacing between lines; poems may run longer than 1 page). Manuscripts either too short or too long will be disqualified.

4. Do not count title page, table of contents, acknowledgments, dedication, or bio in the page length.

5. Do not send illustrations, photos, or any other graphics attached to the poems.

6. Judging is done without any reference to the poet’s name. All entries are screened by the editors of The Comstock Review before going to the final judge.

7. Poet’s name should not appear on poems. List acknowledgments on a separate, removable page.

For Online Submissions:

8. go to https://comstockreview.submittable.com Online submissions should start with a cover page with the Title ONLY. Poet’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address may be included in submission notes. Do NOT place the author’s name on any pages of the chapbook.

Call for Submissions: The Fiddlehead

The Fiddlehead publishes excellent writing in English, or translations into English, from all over the world and in a variety of styles, including experimental genres. Our editors are always happy to see new unsolicited works in fiction (including excerpts from novels), creative nonfiction, and poetry. We also publish reviews and occasionally other creative work, such as excerpts from plays. Our acceptance rate is around 1-2% (we are, however, famous for our rejection notes!).

We particularly welcome submissions from BIPOC writers, writers with disabilities, LGBTQQIA+ writers, and writers from other intersectional and underrepresented communities. If you are comfortable identifying yourself as one or more of the above, please feel free to mention this in your cover letter. 

The Fiddlehead does not publish work that is ableist, misogynistic, queer-phobic, or racist. Strong writing treats identity categories with nuance.

If you are serious about submitting to The Fiddlehead, you should read an issue or two to get a sense of the journal. Consider subscribing or contact us to order back issues ($15-$20 plus postage).

Our two Submittable submission periods are January 1 - March 31 (Canadian only) and September 15 - November 30. If you don’t already have a Submittable account, you will be prompted to sign up for one before you submit. It is free and it only takes a few minutes. 

For those who prefer snail mail and handwritten responses, we accept mailed submissions in any category all year round.

General Guidelines for Unsolicited Submissions
We strongly encourage online submission through the Submittable platform, but as stated above, we are still open to mailed submissions. Many of the guidelines apply to both methods. 

•    No faxed or emailed submissions are accepted. Please do not send CDs, DVDs, USB drives, etc.
•    Pay is $60 CAD per published page, plus two complimentary copies of the issue with your work. Contributors may purchase additional copies of an issue at a discount.
•    The Fiddlehead buys first serial world rights; copyright is retained by the author at all times, and authors are free to resell the work, though we do ask for a 90-day exclusive from our first publication of the work.
•    Writers may only submit once per calendar year per genre. (This does not include our contests. See complete contest guidelines here) 
•    Please wait for an editorial response before submitting again. We try our best to respond in a timely matter, but due to volume of submissions, a response may take 6 months or more. Please wait 6 months before querying. 
•    We only consider unpublished work. Please do not submit work that has been previously published or accepted for publication, including in anthologies, chapbooks, blogs, Facebook pages, or online journals.
•    For online submissions, please submit one file containing your creative work (.doc, .docx, .or .pdf). Log back in any time to check the status of your submission.
•    For hard copy, mailed submissions, all submissions should be typed/word-processed, spell-checked, and paginated. Please use white paper, print on one side only, and put your name on every page of your submission.
•    Due to overwhelming submission volume, once your work has been submitted, we cannot process substitutions or modifications.
•    For online and mailed submissions, a cover letter should be included with contact information (especially your email address, if you have one), the title(s) and genre of the work(s) you are submitting, and a 50-word biographical statement. In Submittable, please copy and paste your cover letter and biographical statement in the appropriate fields. 
•    Tell us in your cover letter whether your submission is exclusive to The Fiddlehead or whether you have submitted it to other magazines simultaneously. If another magazine accepts your work for publication that you have also submitted to us, then please advise us immediately.
•    All responses to mailed submissions will be sent via email. If you do not include an email address, you will not receive a response unless your submission is accepted for publication. Please do not include a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) with your submission.

Please send mailed submission to:

  The Fiddlehead
  Campus House
  11 Garland Ct
  University of New Brunswick
  PO Box 4400   
  Fredericton NB  
  E3B 5A3  
  Canada

 

Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction
• A short fiction submission should be one story, double spaced and maximum 6,000 words. Unless a story is flash fiction (under 1000 words), please send only one story per submission. Please specify at the top of the first page the number of words in the story submitted. For flash fiction, we accept up to two stories per submission. If submitting two, please include both stories in the same word document and ensure that the second story begins on a new page with the title included to mark the beginning of the new story. 
• A poetry submission may be single-spaced. Please submit no more than 6 poems per submission, and no more than 12 pages total. No more than one poem on a page. If a poem runs more than one page, please put the poem’s title in the headers of the additional page(s) and make sure the pages are numbered. The Fiddlehead prefers to accept several poems by the same author; please do not limit your submission to a single poem.
• Creative nonfiction (CNF) is construed widely and can include personal essays, narrative non-fiction, think pieces, etc. Check out the Creative Nonfiction Collective Society’s definition here.  Submissions in this genre should be double-spaced and maximum 6,000 words. Unless a CNF work is very, very short (under 1000 words), please send only one work per submission. Accompanying images may be considered, but permissions for the images are responsibility of the author and must be arranged beforehand.
• Excerpts from novels and scenes from plays are occasionally accepted, but short fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction are the preferred genres. Excerpts from novels should be double spaced, while play excerpts may be single spaced. Novel excerpts should be no more than 6,000 words, while play excerpts should be 10 pages max.
• Translations of creative work are also considered and occasionally published. With these submissions we need a copy of the text in its original language and a copy of a permissions letter from the copyright holder (usually the author or the original-language publisher).

Artwork
The Fiddlehead pays $200 plus two copies of the issue for use of artwork on our cover . We do not consider unsolicited artwork for the cover or interior unless the artist is a current resident of Atlantic Canada. Please query by email with a link to your online portfolio.

Call for Submissions: Exposition Review

Exposition Review is open for submissions for our annual issue. Our submission period runs September 15 –December 31.

Looking for our Flash 405 short-form writing contest? Click here.

Wondering what to submit to us? We like to be surprised; we like writing that’s razor sharp, immediately transporting us with a strong voice and sense of place. We like work that is thoughtful and cathartic, that embraces conflict, and isn’t afraid to take risks. We love pieces that blur the boundaries of genre. To get an even better idea of what we look for in submissions, please read our previous issues. 

Annual Issue Submissions:

Every issue has a theme from which writers and artists can draw inspiration. We encourage those who submit to think outside the box; we look for stories that fit the theme yet make us think about it in different ways; we want work that satisfies and challenges traditional forms of storytelling.

The theme for our eighth annual issue is “POP!”

All work is read and given fair consideration by our editorial staff. Guidelines for individual genres are as follows:

• Fiction. Short stories and stand-alone novel excerpts up to 5,000 words.

• Flash Fiction. Up to three pieces of flash or microfiction. Each piece should be no more than 1,000 words; there is no minimum word count. The shorter, the better!

• Nonfiction. Memoir, personal essays, and creative nonfiction up to 5,000 words.

• Poetry. Up to three poems of any form and in traditional or experimental styles. Translations are accepted as well.

• Stage & Screen. One-act plays, scenes, or short film and screenplay excerpts up to 15 pages. Please format according to the standard unpublished playwriting or screenwriting format.

• Experimental Narratives. We love narratives in all forms. Whether it’s digital poetics, a video, or a genre-bending transmedia piece, if it tells a good story, creates compelling characters, and/or tickles our literary senses, we want it. Consider the limits of other categories and our online platform for length guidelines.

• Visual Art. Up to five pieces of art and/or photography per submission. If submitting more than one piece of art, please compile into one file (PDF or otherwise). Please include a brief artist’s statement or statement about the work (1–3 paragraphs), and include appropriate credit lines for all pieces (Artist Name, Title of Work, Year. Medium, Dimensions.)

• Comics. Comics should be self-contained, up to three pages per piece, with no more than three pieces per submission.

• Film. Short films in live-action narrative, documentary, or animation up to 15 minutes in length. Please include a brief summary and credits list in the cover letter of your submission.

Additional information: Exposition Review accepts ONLY online submissions through Submittable.

Please submit ONLY previously unpublished work. Previously published work will not be considered, including work that has been published online.

Pieces that exceed our specified word limits will NOT be read.

Cover letters should contain all relevant contact information and a brief bio.

Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but make note of this in your cover letter and notify us immediately if your submission is accepted elsewhere.

Do not send more than one piece of any genre at one time.

Please wait until we have responded to your first piece before sending another.

Author receives $50.00 USD for accepted work. Author retains copyright, but is asked to cite appearance in Exposition Review if the work is republished elsewhere.

Call for Submissions: Cutbank Literary Magazine

In addition to the interviews and book reviews we already publish on our blog, we also welcome submissions for The Woodshop, Long Way From, Long Time Since, our weekly Burn Pile, and Visual Art.

Visual Art

Submissions should be uploaded as JPEG, TIFF, or PDF files of at least 300 dpi. CutBank welcomes submissions of all types of visual art for online publication. If your work is 3D, we recommend uploading multiple images to feature rotational perspective. Please submit no more than five high quality files and include an artist biography. Artist statements are appreciated but not required. If your piece is accepted, it will likely appear alongside other content. We will contact you with updates regarding selection and where we would like to display your work. You can submit through Submittable or send work directly to:

 cutbankarts@gmail.com.

The Woodshop

Joan Didion spent the night in the same room as her work when it was almost finished. Don DeLillo kept a picture of Borges close by. Where, and how, do you do your work?

CutBank is looking for photos of writers’ workspaces, and some thoughts about their practice. Take a few moments to respond to the following:

Where do you do your work?

What do you keep on your desk?

What's your view like?

What do you eat/drink while you work?

Do you have any superstitions about your work?

Share a recent line/sentence written in this space.

Then, along with your responses, send us a well-lit, high-resolution photo of your workspace. [Note: Please keep files smaller than 1MB.]

Submissions should also include your name, e-mail address, a brief bio, and a link to your website. Please email your submissions and use “Woodshop” as your subject. If we plan to publish your piece, you’ll hear from us. If you haven’t heard back within several months, we wish you our best of luck in placing your submission elsewhere.

Long Way From, Long Time Since

Dear aspiring literary pen pals: CutBank wants your letters to other writers, living or dead, for a new web series. We don’t mean your actual correspondence; rather, we want your queries and inquiries, your best wishes and arguments, short pieces that explore correspondence as a creative form.

In turn, we’ll post select letters—“To Gary Shteyngart, from Boise,” say, or “To Virginia Woolf, from Miami”—on CutBankOnline.org.

Submissions should be double-spaced, and should include your name, e-mail address and a brief bio, as well as a link to your website. Please email your submissions and use “Long Way From” as your subject.

If we plan to publish your piece, you’ll hear from us. If you haven’t heard back within several months, we wish you the best of luck in placing your work elsewhere.

Burn Pile

CutBank is always looking for material for Burn Pile, our regular menagerie of interviews, essays, reviews, and other recommended readings you've discovered on the Web. Have something our readers should know about? Email us a link and a brief note and use “Burn Pile” as your subject. We appreciate your contribution and make every effort to use submitted material. However, we cannot guarantee a response if your recommendation does not suit our current needs.

Book Reviews

CutBank wants your contribution to our oldest digital feature – original reviews of contemporary poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. There are no word limits or media constraints, though we do prefer books published within the last two years.

If you are interested in writing a review, if you have a review you would like us to consider, or if you have a book that you would like reviewed, please email our Online Managing Editor at:

cutbankonline@gmail.com 

We make every attempt to respond to all inquiries. However, please allow at least two months before checking back in.

If you have a book that you would like reviewed, please send a review copy to the following address:

CutBank / English Department

University of Montana

Missoula, MT 59812

Interviews

CutBank features interviews with writers, publishers and editors who have influenced the way our world reads, writes and thinks. We welcome you to submit interview project ideas, as well as completed interviews, with intriguing literary figures for consideration. Please send an email to our Interviews Editor with "Interview" in the subject line.

Call for Submissions: Crab Creek Review

The reading period is open from September 15 through November 15, or when our 300 Submittable Cap is hit. The editors seek original, unpublished poetry and creative nonfiction via Submittable. Submissions are free, and payment is in contributor copies. We look forward to reading your work, and encourage early submissions.

General Submission Guidelines:

• Only original, previously unpublished work will be considered.

• Title your document with your name and the genre. (i.e.: GwendolynBrooks_Poetry; Adrienne Rich_Nonfiction.)

• Include a cover letter in the provided space in the Submittable form (not in the document). Include your mailing address, email and phone number, a 50-word bio, and the titles of the pieces you are submitting.

• Should you submit something that is under simultaneous consideration, please indicate this in your cover letter and notify us immediately by adding a note to your Submittable account if the piece is accepted elsewhere.

• Send your work as a SINGLE attachment (.doc; .docx; .rtf; PDF); docx preferred.

• Please submit no more than one batch of poems or one prose piece per reading period.

• We aim for a response time of 8 weeks, but please do not query your submission status unless 3 months have passed.

• If you need to update us on the status of your simultaneous submission, please do so by adding a note to your submission, in Submittable.​

Poetry:

Send up to four poems, no more than eight pages total. We welcome your best work, and have no restrictions on form or content, except that we will not consider work that is defamatory, discriminatory, or that promotes hatred. 12pt standard font. One batch of submissions per reading period. Revisions may be made upon acceptance; please do not withdraw and resubmit your work due to revisions concerns.

Creative Nonfiction:

Send one piece up to 1,000 words per submission period. We’re looking to publish fresh perspectives from diverse voices—essays where race, ethnicity, pop culture, class, identity, gender, humor, sexuality, diasporas, and language intersect. We want to read exceptional narratives that illuminate the range of bitter and sweet that is human existence. Regardless of topic, we’re looking for well-crafted prose that exhibits depth and nuance, a clear voice, personal reflection, and vivid scenes. Experimental and non-traditional forms welcome. We do not publish literary criticism, scholarly articles, or straight reportage. Double-spaced, 12-point standard font. Revisions may be made upon acceptance; do not withdraw and resubmit your work due to revision concerns.

Call for Submissions: Winged Penny Review

We gladly welcome you to be a part of our debut issue that will be published fall/winter of 2023. Send us your best work: your proudest pieces, your late-night musings, your boldest exclamations, your hidden thoughts. We look for pieces that beautifully mingle passion and voice; those that leave an ache long after we read them; your most authentic creations; the depths of your imagination; a spontaneous experiment; words that dance — or none of those, just the pieces that carry themselves so brightly we can't help but stare.

Submissions are open from now until October 31, 2023. Please read the submission guidelines carefully!

• Poetry: send us 3-6 poems at a time. No line requirements. We are open to all forms of poetry, including prose poetry and experimental poetry. One poem per page, please.

• Short stories: send us up to 2 short stories, each not exceeding 3000 words. Send stories in separate documents.

• Simultaneous submissions are absolutely allowed, but please let us know if your work is selected elsewhere (we'd like to congratulate you!)

• Previously published pieces are accepted; please follow the guidelines of the original publication and provide us with details.

• Please send us your work in the following formats only: .pdf, .doc, .docx. Do not include any identifying information in the document.

• No racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, or otherwise discriminatory work. These will be instantly rejected.

• Send your submission with the subject "Submission." Include a cover letter and a short biography. Include content warnings in your cover letter as you see fit.

• Please only send up to three submissions at a time. We kindly ask you to wait for our response before sending more.

• Our reading time is between 3-6 weeks. If we have responded to your submission in 90 days, please send us a query on the status of your work.

Send us your work at:

wingedpennyreview@gmail.com 

We can't wait to read it!

Fellowship: The First Ten Pages Fellowship for Rockdale Writers' Colony

Please read the following requirements and guidelines carefully and in their entirety before applying. If you have questions, email Sandy at:

sandy.rockvale@gmail.com

The Writing: 

• “The First Ten Pages Fellowship” is open to writers of fiction.

• Writers may submit the first ten pages of a novella or novel. The work will be evaluated for movement and action, tone, theme, introduction of characters, description of the setting, the voice of the narrator, the introduction of conflict, the inciting incident, and originality. We want to be enticed to continue reading.

• The work should not be previously published.

• The work will be read “blind.” Do not put your name on your writing sample or in the title of the file.

The Application:

• The Application Fee is $25. This is non-refundable.

• Applications will be read through Submittable. Emailed applications will not be accepted.

• The application requires a paragraph detailing how the fellowship would aid the writer.

• The uploaded 10 pages should be presented in one document, either pdf, dox, or docx. It should also be in 12-point font and be double-spaced.

• Fellowship applications are accepted between August 15 and December 31, 2023

• The recipient of the fellowship will be announced by the end of January 2024

The Prize: 

• The recipient of this fellowship will receive a 1-week writer’s residency at Rockvale Writers’ Colony in College Grove, TN. The residency must be completed by December 31, 2024.

• A small stipend of $100 will be given to the fellowship recipient upon arrival at the colony to compensate for travel and food. Expenses beyond $100 are the responsibility of the writer.

The Details:

• All rules and policies of Rockvale Writers’ Colony are in effect during this fellowship. The recipient will be expected to sign the writer’s contract before arrival. The recipient should familiarize themselves with RWC (our setting, our mission, and the way residencies work) by carefully reading our website. We strongly advise reading everything under the “Residencies” tab, especially “Information” and “FAQ’s”.

More information and application form here.

Call for Submissions: The Penn Review

Deadlines
Our Reading Period is now open! We are accepting submissions for poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and art from September 15th to November 5th.

The Penn Review only accepts submissions during our biannual reading periods: the Fall Reading Period (September – November) and the Spring Reading Period (February – March). Please submit your work to us using our Submittable platform. Submissions received outside of these reading periods or through e-mail will not be read.

Response Time
We aim to respond to all general submissions within two weeks, and usually reply within 1-2 days. Currently, we are listed as one of the 25 Fastest Poetry and Fiction Markets on Duotrope. Our editorial team works hard to fully deliberate over each work while ensuring that our submitters are not left waiting for months on end without a reply. We respond to every single submission, so an extended delay in response time means your work is still under consideration by our editorial team. If you haven’t heard from us within 30 days, you may query.

Please help us by reporting our response time on Duotrope.

Submission Guidelines
We accept submissions in the categories of Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Art. Individual submission guidelines for each category can be found on our General Submissions Form. Submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines will not be considered. Submissions that are not received through our Submittable platform will also not be considered. Please do not e-mail us your submissions, as they will not be read.

Submissions are always open to the general public, there is no minimum age requirement or fee to submit. All submissions are read blind by our editorial team. For more information about the kind of work that we are looking for, you can refer to this interview.

Simultaneous Submissions
We accept simultaneous submissions, but please specify them in your cover letter and notify us immediately if your submission is accepted by another magazine.

Multiple Submissions
Please submit up to 5 poems, 3 short stories or nonfiction pieces, or 10 works of visual art at one time. As a general rule, fiction and nonfiction pieces should not exceed 2500 words in length. In addition, if you have received a rejection letter, please wait a week before submitting again.

Reprints
We don’t accept work reprinted from other magazines. Unfortunately, this includes submissions that have been published on a personal website or blog.

Rights
We require First North American Serial Rights. Following publication, all rights revert to the author, but we ask that The Penn Review is credited in subsequent reprints. In addition, we reserve the right to edit submissions in accordance with the rules of our style guide.

For updates on reading periods and issue publications, you can follow us on Facebook. 

Access our online submission form here.

Call for Submissions: Fahmidan Journal

Fahmidan comes out four times a year online. Send us your thought-provoking existentialism, your phobias, your darkest moments. Entrance us with your whimsical fantasy. Move us to tears with your truth in a world of suffering. Captivate and intrigue us with your hopes and dreams. A broad range of styles, forms and voices make any journal truly representative in the 21st century and we are no different! Check out a few of our previous issues to understand more about our style.

We publish quarterly & are open year round for submissions:

December 16th-March 15th: reading for Summer Issue (June 10th release)

March 16th-June 15th: reading for Autumn Issue (September 10th release)

June 16th-September 14th: reading for Winter Issue (December 10th release)

September 15th-December 15th: reading for Spring Issue (March 10th release)

General Information

• Rights and payment. We purchase First British Serial Rights, First Anthology and First Audio rights, as well as the right to archive your work on our open-access platforms post publication. Payment is $25 per piece, delivered on publication. We issue payments via bank transfer and Paypal.

• ​ We only accept submissions on Submittable. Email Submissions will be ignored.

• We will not publish work that is offensive or presents hatred or prejudice directed towards a particular race, sexuality, gender, ethnicity, ability, socioeconomic class, or other social identity or status. If we decline to consider a piece, we will refund in full any submission or feedback fees paid.

• We will never solicit written submissions nor will our staff solicit beyond encouraging submission. All submissions, unless stated otherwise, come through Submittable. Please do not email us submissions; they will go unread.

• Staff submissions. Present and past staff members of Fahmidan Journal/Publishing & Co are prohibited from submitting to us.

• We only accept unpublished work that has not appeared in any publicly-accessible forum or otherwise. If in doubt, send us a query:

fahmidanjournal@gmail.com 

This is an English language journal. However, submissions partially containing other languages are very much welcome! As a multilingual staff we adore all language inclusion! We do not publish translations in any form.

All those who submit to Fahmidan Journal must be at least 18 years of age.

We welcome submissions from across the globe.

Simultaneous submissions are encouraged! Just message us on Submittable if you need to withdraw a piece at any point! P.S. We’ll be beyond happy for you!

Please only submit once per submission category at a time. Once you have received a reply to your previous submission you can submit again and again! We admire the tenacious nature of writers and want to encourage you to keep trying and submitting!

Please do not resubmit pieces that we have already declined unless we directly communicate otherwise.

We ask that you wait 1 year from acceptance to submit to us again provided that acceptance came after September 1st 2023.

Errors in Submission: Mistakes happen! We’re all human. Please do not withdraw and resubmit your submission to us. Instead, please send us an updated document in the messages field of your submission on submittable. If paid feedback has already begun, this change may not be possible.

We do not accept submissions of AI-generated work. If a submission is sent to us claiming to be the work of the author but then is discovered or identified as AI-generated, it will be automatically rejected and the author no longer welcome to submit in the future. We reserve the right to withdraw acceptances from any work found to be AI-generated. Including post publication.

​How We Work

• 25-day turnaround. We will notify all writers of their submission’s status within 25 days. If it takes longer, we will refund your submission fee/donation (excluding paid feedback) and will still consider your writing with a revised deadline. All feedback fees are non-refundable.

• You may get a response in as little as 24 hours. We value your time immensely. Rest assured all submissions are considered vigorously before we decide.

Issue Shortlists: we will shortlist pieces while we make final decisions on an issue’s composition.

All shortlist requests will be made within our 25-day response time.

If a writer whose writing has been shortlisted and has paid for feedback, they will still receive this within the 25-day response time period.

Feedback Options: Writers have the option to pay staff Readers and Editors for their feedback.

Prices can be found on our Submittable submission pages for both poetry, and all forms of prose.

For reader feedback on both prose and poetry, writers will receive a paragraph of commentary on up to three poems. Feedback may include. But is not limited to; narrative, structure, device usage and readability as well as feedback on grammatical and syntax improvements. This feedback will be focused on areas of improvement whilst highlighting the pieces’ strengths.

For Editorial Feedback writers can expect line comments as well as a 3-paragraph full document markup on 3, 6 or 9 poems.

At Fahmidan we have always valued transparency and that is no different today than it was when we started in July 2020. The majority of all feedback fees goes to the staff reader/editor reviewing and commenting on your writing. Submittable takes a fee (learn more about Submittable fees) and we keep what is left to pay staff, maintain the journal and cover any expenses.

Genre Guidelines

Poetry: Submit up to seven poems (three for free submissions). Poems should be no longer than 3 A4 pages but we’re open to diverse formats as. Poems should be single-spaced and each begin on a new page. Please clearly indicate when a poem goes beyond one page. We prefer submissions that consist of more than one poem to better understand your style and the influence of your authorial intent even if your poems are on different topics.

Prose: Submit one piece of between 1000 and 2500 words. We accept both fiction and nonfiction prose submissions. Unfortunately, we do not accept excerpts of longer works.

Flash: Submit up to five pieces (two for free submissions) of no more than 800 words. We publish both fiction and nonfiction flash submissions.

Submit here.

Writing Competition: Sowell Emerging Writers Prize

The Sowell Collection at Texas Tech University, in partnership with Terrain.org and Texas Tech University Press, invites book-length manuscript submissions of poetry in English on themes about and related to the natural world by writers who have published no more than one book in any genre.

We are especially interested in submissions that explore the relationship between human communities and nature and may be informed by scientific inquiry and/or personal experience.

The Sowell Emerging Writers Prize will accept submissions in nonfiction, poetry, and fiction on a rotational basis and in that order: poetry in 2023, fiction in 2024, nonfiction in 2025, and so on.

The Sowell Family Collection in Literature, Community, and the Natural World at Texas Tech University holds the personal and professional papers of prominent American writers on the natural world. The Sowell Collection was established in 2001 when it acquired the papers of National Book Award–winning writer Barry Lopez. Since then, the Collection has acquired the papers of some 30 American writers including Rick Bass, David James Duncan, Gretel Ehrlich, William Kittredge, J. Drew Lanham, Bill McKibben, Susan Brind Morrow, Gary Nabhan, Robert Michael Pyle, David Quammen, Pattiann Rogers, and others.

Submission Guidelines 

• Submissions open September 15

• Submission deadline: November 15

• Manuscripts should be at least 48 pages (i.e., book length and not a chapbook)

• The winner will receive book publication by Texas Tech University Press and a $1,000 honorarium.

• The reading fee is $25.

• Five finalists will be announced in January 2024, and the winner will be announced by the end of February

• Submissions must be previously unpublished (publication of excerpts or individual poems in literary journals and magazines is acceptable, as are portions that contain previously published chapbooks up to 28 pages). All forms of poetry are eligible, as are hybrid forms and work with images.

• Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Please withdraw your manuscript promptly if it is accepted elsewhere for publication.

• Include a bio of fewer than 100 words in your cover letter. Do not include your name on the title page or in the header or footer of the manuscript. The Sowell Emerging Writers Prize encourages underrepresented voices to submit their work for consideration.

• Submittable is now requiring email validation. If you have difficulty validating your email, you may complete the form at www.submittable.com/help/submitter.

Submit your entry here.

Call for Submissions: SWING

SWING is home for the emerging writer to the renowned, the discovered to the too-long neglected. We are creating a magazine with the energy and verve of its home city, Nashville, a town of vagabonds and roots, where new influences course through the old.

So make your mark with us! SWING wants the poetry, fiction (auto-, hybrid, very short, or regular but extraordinary), nonfiction (creative, travel, personal, hybrid, surely there are other variations), and comics that could only have been written by you. Because, even though art is not confession (and we firmly believe this), reading is intimate. We want to hear your voice, your complex, messy human voice, in our ears as we lean back. Then we want to be pushed. We read for that moment of flight, where we have no idea where we are going, but trust the hand on our backs pushing higher. This is hard to explain, most important things are, but don’t send us anything as-good-as—send us your best.

Like the thriving organization it’s rooted in, SWING will have regional identity and national sway. The Porch in Nashville is a gathering place for writers all over the country to read together, write together, share resources, find help, and revel in the joy of the made thing. The Porch provides an ecosystem for writers at any stage in their practice; publication is a natural progression. If you are a Porch poet, story-writer, essayist, or graphic storyteller (student or teacher) Swing wants to hear from you. If you are from a marginalized or underrepresented community, we want to hear your voice. We are committed to being responsive to issues of equity and inclusion on all fronts.

Forms of flight:

*Poetry (up to 5 poems, all types and length)

*Fiction (up to 8000 words; see above for various types; in general, we are not looking for sci-fi or fantasy)

*Nonfiction (up to 8000 words; see above for the various types)

*Comics (For our first few issues we’re looking for comics in black and white. We are hoping to move into more developed graphic storytelling. And remember, we come out only twice a year; the political is ephemeral—thank heavens—and comics that only work on a political level might not land three months after the reference.)

The guy-wires:

*We only consider unpublished work. If it has been in an online zine, in an anthology, book or chapbook we will not consider it for SWING.

*We do not receive submissions through email or post, only through Submittable.

*Per reading period, we will consider only one prose piece and one poetry submission per author. Please group all poems (up to 5) in one submission. Multiple submissions in one genre will be returned.

*All files must be saved in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx), Rich Text Format (.rtf), or Plain Text (.txt) formats. Please don’t get fancy with fonts or otherwise gild the lily.

*Simultaneous submissions are fine.

*We want, as much as possible, a direct, unchoreographed experience with your writing. Please do not include your name on the manuscript, in the title of the manuscript (that you enter on Submittable), or in the name of the saved file.

*If you have work submitted to us that has been accepted for publication elsewhere, please let us know immediately by adding a note to your poetry submission on Submittable (if one poem out of the batch needs to be withdrawn) or by withdrawing the submission through Submittable.

*We cannot respond personally to every submission.

* We will try our best to respond within three months, but please be patient. If we have to respond to queries about the progress of the manuscript, that takes us away from the reading. All responses will be through Submittable.

*Trust the system (I know, I know—until it breaks down). If Submittable sends a confirmation, don’t double back and email us to make sure.

Submit your work here.

Call for Submissions: Blackbird

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submissions for Blackbird 2.0 are now open until November 15th, 2023 under the direction of new editors Kathleen Graber and Jessica Hendry Nelson.

Unsolicited emailed submissions will not be read.

Kathleen Graber is the author of The River Twice (Princeton University Press, 2019), The Eternal City (2010), chosen for the Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets and a finalist for the National Book Award, and Correspondence (2006), winner of the Saturnalia Books Poetry Prize. She teaches creative writing and literature at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Jessica Hendry Nelson is the author of the memoir If Only You People Could Follow Directions (2014), finalist for the Vermont Book Award. She is also coauthor of the textbook and anthology Advanced Creative Nonfiction: A Writers’ Guide and Anthology (Bloomsbury, 2021). She is assistant professor in the MFA program and English Department at Virginia Commonwealth University and on faculty in the MFA program at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. 

~

Please read the following guidelines before you submit.

General Guidelines 

• Blackbird does not accept previously published work.

• Simultaneous submissions are acceptable so long as they are indicated as such and we are immediately notified upon acceptance elsewhere. To withdraw individual poems from a submission, please send a message in Submittable notifying us of the poems that are no longer available.

• Translations are welcome so long as permissions have been obtained from the author.

• We are able to publish long works in all genres, but query Blackbird before you send a prose piece over 8,000 words, a poem exceeding 10 pages, or a full-length play.

• Please submit a cover letter, either in the Submittable box provided or as the first page of your submission; if you have previously published with Blackbird or received encouragement on a previous submission, please include that information as well.

• Online submissions are strongly preferred, though Blackbird will accept submissions by regular mail; mailed submissions may take longer to process.

• We reserve the right to close submissions prior to our stated closure date, should we reach the maximum number of submissions that our fluctuating staff size can accommodate at that time.

Poetry: Send up to six poems at a time, but no less than two poems. Set your poem as you want it to appear on the printed page. Submit all poems as a single document.

Fiction: Double-space, please. We primarily look for short stories, but novel excerpts are acceptable if self-contained.

Nonfiction: Double-space, please. We primarily look for personal essays, but memoir excerpts are acceptable if self-contained. Unsolicited book reviews and criticism are not considered.

Gallery: Plays are accepted. We do not accept unsolicited visual art work, but if you produce video essays, please query us about your work.

Submitting Online 

• Send your submission by using https://blackbird.submittable.com/submit.

• Upload only one file. Submissions may be uploaded in the following formats: .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .pdf

• File title should read last name_first name_genre

e.g., joyce_james_fiction.doc

Submitting via Regular Mail 

• Mail your manuscripts in a page-size manila envelope, your full name and address on the outside, to “Editor, Poetry” or “Editor, Fiction” or “Editor, Nonfiction” or “Editor, Plays.”

• Include a cover letter, which should include: your name, mailing address, email address, phone number, and the title(s) of submitted work.

• All manuscripts and correspondence regarding submissions should be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) for a response.

Mail submissions to:

Blackbird
VCU Department of English
Box 842005
Richmond, VA 23284-2005

Note: Except in special cases, we will read online submissions first, thus your work will move through our process more quickly if you have submitted online.

Expect six months for a decision, longer if you submit just before the summer break. Do not query until at least six months have passed.

If work is accepted for publication, you must provide an electronic copy as a .doc (Word) or .rtf (rich text format) if you have not already done so. Payment is after publication.

All published work will be archived online.

Direct all queries to:

blackbird@vcu.edu

Call for Submissions to Anthology on Theme of "The Body's Experience of Religion": Flipped Mittens

Poetry Collection

We’re seeking individual poems on The Body’s Experience of Religion. In what ways do we experience religion, or the loss of religion, in our bodies?

We consider poetry to be almost anything, so if you have something weird (like a word search that blasts purity culture), we’d love to see it.

We’re willing to consider previously published work as long as you retain the rights. Just let us know where your work was previously published.

We do not charge a reading fee.

Poets will be paid $10 for each poem selected for publication.

Email up to 5 poems and a short bio to:

 

submissions@flippedmittenpress.com

 

Put “Submission: Poetry” in the subject of your email.

Deadline for submissions is January 1, 2024.

Call for Submissions: NOVUS Literary Arts Journal

 

 

  

  

 

Deadline: Sep. 26, 2023

Novus means “new” in Latin…
fresh, extraordinary, novel, unheard, revived…

NOVUS seeks work that embodies the spirit of any work that is “new and novel” — this is interpreted broadly, but writing that exudes a fresh and innovative approach is welcomed (and often adored!). See Christine Friedlander’s “Light Guard” in the 2019 archives for just one example. We focus on pieces that move us through the unique use of language, and we are especially interested in works that exhibit new, modern perspectives on life and the environment around us. We also love a traditional story well told and with a compelling voice. We love voice-driven pieces and are open to any literary (no genre writing) work in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. We will also consider plays for our digital editions only.

Submissions open each February for our Spring Digital Editions (see Submittable) which are published in early May each year. Submissions for our Fall Print Edition will open each year in September, with a publication date of late November. For any questions or more precise information, please email:

novus@cumberland.edu 

Formatting and Length:

All work should be in Times New Roman with 12 point font, double-spaced.

We accept Poetry, Prose (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction/Memoir), and Plays. We also accept visual art of all forms. Submit up to six poems; all poems should be in one Word document. Please include a brief bio with your submission.

As of right now, there are no restrictions on the amount of prose one can submit. 4000-6000 maximum words. There is some flexibility with word count in the digital editions. Your work may also be considered for an annual Fall Print Edition. If accepted for this additional printing, we would notify you, and you may accept or decline.

We only consider unpublished work, but we do accept simultaneous submissions. If the work is accepted elsewhere after you submit to us, please email us immediately to let us know, and congratulations!

Lastly, NOVUS reserves the right to make minor grammatical adjustments to your piece, but larger revisions (if accepted) are the responsibility of the author.

Thank you, and we look forward to reviewing your work!

Submit your work here.