Call for Submissions: The War Cry

 

The War Cry represents the Army’s mission through news, profiles, commentaries and stories. It looks to bring people to Christ, help believers grow in faith and character, and promotes redemptive cultural practices from the perspective of Salvation Army programs, ministries and doctrines. Readership consists of those in and involved with The Salvation Army as well as the general public. It is distributed in bulk to Salvation Army locations for use in ministry, and to individual subscribers. Published 12 times per year, with special issues at Christmas and Easter. The average circulation is 185,000 copies monthly, 1.7 million at Christmas and 1 million at Easter.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Please use our online submission form.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

• Articles

• Reprints

• Photographs (600 dpi)

• Single Strip Comics

• News

• Non-Fiction

• Fiction (Limited)

• Use New Living Translation

PAYMENT

Payment made at time of acceptance • $0.35 per word for first rights, one-time use articles • $0.15 per word for reprints.

SUBJECTS OF INTEREST

• Christian Growth

• Evangelism

• Personal Witness

• Mental Health

• Salvation Army History

• Biblical Principles, such as grace, hope, faith, integrity, perseverance, etc.

• Personal Growth, such as authenticity, identity in Christ, leadership, service and volunteerism.

• Articles related to the Salvation Army’s mission of preaching the Gospel and helping people in need, and articles that portray Salvation Army personnel & programs.

• We look for submissions that address contemporary topics and concerns in ways that inspire people to grow in faith.

• We welcome well-researched articles that help individuals and families live victoriously within the context of modern life (marriage, parenting, stress, loss, personal growth).

• Profiles of people and programs that are making a positive impact for the gospel.

• Articles should show by example and by careful research why the given topic, profile, or feature is meaningful for readers and how it can improve their lives.

We welcome submissions on a variety of topics. We have listed some examples of subjects of interest, but submissions are not limited to these themes.

OTHER

• Submit articles for a particular theme 60 days prior to the issue date. Please limit these submissions to 800 – 1250 words.

• Special Christmas and Easter Holiday editions focus on the meaning of the seasons, and include riveting accounts of spiritual rebirth. Submit 6 months prior to the publication of these issues.

• Photos accompanying submissions, where appropriate, make submissions more compelling.

• Brief news items and sidebar pieces also accepted. Please limit these submissions to 100 – 400 words.

• Response time for approval 3 to 4 weeks

Writing Competition: American Poetry Journal's Micro E-Chapbook Series

The Submission Period for APJ's Micro E-Chapbook Series Will Run From September 1-30, 2025, for a 2026 Online Publication

APJ's first micro e-chapbook open reading period will seek manuscripts of 10 poems (not including front and back matter), if submitting poetry only, or 15 pages (not including front and back matter), if submitting hybrid work, which may include poetry, art (including full-color images), and audio, which may include mp3's of poems and/or music/sound. Individual work from the manuscript may have been published previously in magazines but not books or chapbooks. The collection as a whole must be unpublished.

Simultaneous submissions are permitted. Please let us know immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere. We do not accept translations, but we’d love to see collaborations. Please submit only one manuscript during the open reading period. All entries will be read by APJ staff. Manuscripts that do not adhere to these guidelines will not be read, and APJ cannot refund your submission fee. Please email:

apjpoetry2@gmail.com 

if you have any questions.

Submit no matter your race, color, religion, national origin/citizenship status, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or disability. Please no inappropriate or offensive work, and no generative AI. APJ understands that work using Natural Language Processing tools (like predictive or corrective AI found in Google Docs, MicroSoft Word, Grammarly etc.) to check for spelling/grammar is fine. However, we ask that all submissions do not use generative AI tools (like ChatGPT, Bard, GrammerlyGo or the likes) to draft or compose/create any pieces submitted to APJ.

All submissions should be through Duosuma; please click on the Duosuma button when ready to submit. You do not need to subscribe to Duotrope to submit, but you do need to sign up for a Duotrope account. It's free to sign up. Please include a 50-word third-person bio with a short cover note. Poetry manuscripts should be submitted in a single .doc, .docx, or PDF file—please do not submit using OneDrive or Google Docs. Hybrid work should be submitted as a full-manuscript pdf, including images. If your manuscript is chosen, you'll be asked to send us high res .jpeg (.jpg) or .png files. If your manuscript includes the reading of poems or other sounds or music, send the manuscript as stated above, and all audio submit through the Google Drive submission feature in Duosuma. Unfortunately, we are not open to email or post submissions for our micro e-chapbook series.

​We aim to reply within 2 months of receipt. Please query us if it’s been longer than 2 months.

As the creator of the work, you retain copyright upon publication, you agree to grant APJ first serial/electronic rights as well as electronic archival rights. You also agree that if the work is published subsequently (online or in print), APJ will be credited.

​​​The submission fee is $4 to cover submission management and poet staff honoraria. This fee will also pay $75 to the selected poet/collaborators (if more than one, to be split equally). The submission cap will be 150 submissions. ​One or Two manuscripts will be selected to be published online at APJ in beginning-to-mid-2026.

Entry link here. 

Call for Submissions: Ploughshares

The Regular Reading Period is open!

We welcome unsolicited submissions of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction during our Regular Reading Period, open from June 1 to January 15 at 12:00pm EST. Ploughshares is published four times a year: blended poetry and prose issues in the winter and spring, a prose issue in the summer, and a special longform issue in the fall. Our spring and summer issues are guest-edited by different writers of prominence.

Guest editors are invited to solicit up to half of their issues, with the other half selected from manuscripts submitted to the journal and screened for them by staff editors. This guest editor policy, which we have used since our founding in 1971, is designed to introduce readers to different literary circles and tastes, and to offer a fuller representation of the range and diversity of contemporary letters than would be possible with a single editorship.

Manuscript Guidelines

For our regular submission period, please submit up to 6,500 words of prose, and 3-5 pages of poetry, with each poem starting on a new page. Excerpts of longer works are welcome if self-contained and within the word limit. The editors are particularly interested in translation submissions, as long as permission has been granted by the original author, or, in the case of deceased poets and writers, from the copyright holder or estate.

If you are submitting to our Fall Longform issue, we accept prose submissions up to 15,000 words and poetry submissions between 6-10 pages. We define longform poetry as a single long poem, variations on the epic poem, or a sequential poem such as a crown of sonnets or numbered series. Longform poetry does not include a series of poems with related themes or titles; rather, we are looking for cohesive sequences that do not stand alone. We welcome narrative, lyric, formally inventive, and hybrid work. Please note that we cannot print in color at this time.

Authors should wait one year after their most recent publication in Ploughshares before they submit again. Please note that past Longform issue contributors may not be published again in a future Longform issue.

When formatting your manuscript, we prefer the following:

• Typed, double-spaced pages (single-spacing is welcome for poetry).

• Numbered pages with the author’s name and email address at the top of each page.

• If in hard copy, submit with text on one side of the page.

• We do not consider: Unsolicited book reviews and criticism.

• Previously published work. If your submission is part of a forthcoming book, let us know in your cover letter and the expected publication date.

• Work written by individuals currently affiliated with Ploughshares or Emerson College as a volunteer screener, intern, student, staff member, or faculty member.

• AI-generated manuscripts.

We cannot accommodate revisions after a manuscript has been submitted. If your work is accepted, you will have the opportunity to provide a revision before it is published.

Payment is upon publication:

• $45/printed page, $90 minimum per title, $450 maximum per author.

• Two contributor copies of the issue.

• A discounted rate for additional contributor copies.

• A one-year subscription.

Simultaneous vs. Multiple Submissions

We do not consider multiple submissions, so please send only one manuscript in one genre at a time. Simultaneous submissions to other journals are welcome as long as they are identified as such and we are notified immediately upon acceptance elsewhere.

Submit your work here. 

Call for Submissions: The MacGuffin

The MacGuffin is a triannually-published, print lit mag based out of Schoolcraft College. Here are our general submission guidelines. You can find genre specific guidelines in each form. We do not accept work that has been previously published in print or online. Do not send revisions unless our editors have requested them. If there's a mistake with your submission, please send us a message or email macguffin@schoolcraft.edu instead of withdrawing. Authors who include material under copyright in their work are responsible for receiving permission to use that copyrighted material before the magazine goes to print. No cover letters are required. The information you include in the Submittable form will suffice. We accept simultaneous submissions if informed. We expect prompt notification if the work is accepted elsewhere. Manuscripts may be withdrawn until we send an acceptance notification to you. All withdrawals must come through Submittable, not email. We do not consider translations. All files must be sent as a .docx. We will not make any edits to your submission without informing you first. Authors whose work is accepted will receive galley proofs before publication. Please use Times New Roman 12 pt. For work that requires specific spacing/formatting, use Palatino or Book Antiqua. The MacGuffin is published by Schoolcraft College. Upon publication, all publishing rights revert back to the author. Contributors receive two copies. Submit your work here.   Deadline: June 30, 2026

Call for Submissions on Theme of "Better Together": Little Thoughts Press

 

For this issue, we want to showcase the ways we make the world better by working together. We want to read about historical movements that changed the world, but also everyday actions that help your community. Send us poetry about protests and boycotts, as well as stories of bringing food to neighbors in need, or creating a community garden. We want real-life stories of collective action and community engagement, as well as your imagined tales of tackling the climate crisis, supporting friends in need, and creating a future that is safe and loving for people of all backgrounds and identities. From famous activists fighting for civil rights, to children organizing book drives and bake sales, give us writing and artwork that highlight all the ways, big and small, that people work to build a better world.

Submissions for Issue 12: Better Together will be open from August 18th - September 22nd.

Little Thoughts Press publishes stories, poetry, and artwork for young readers ages ten and under. All submitted material should be aimed at this audience. While writing for children does not need to be explicitly childlike in style and can address complex emotions and experiences, any work featuring adult themes and language will not be accepted.

Please send previously unpublished work only—for our purposes, a piece is considered published if it has appeared online or in print in an existing journal, magazine, anthology, or other books. Work that has appeared on personal blogs, social media, or as part of a class assignment is okay.

We are only interested in your original creations. Please do not send us AI-created work.

We will happily accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know if your submission is accepted elsewhere by emailing us at:

littlethoughtspress@gmail.com 

to withdraw your piece.

You are welcome to submit multiple pieces at a time and can send any combination of poetry, stories, and artwork as outlined below. All written pieces should be submitted in a single document with the titles of each piece clearly marked (.doc/.docx, or pdf preferred).

All submissions should be sent using our submission forms. Please do not email submissions. A thank you message should pop up upon successful completion of your submission. If you do not see this message, or if you have any difficulty with the submission form, please contact Claire at:

littlethoughtspress@gmail.com 

We welcome submissions from writers and artists of all ages. A number of spots per issue will be reserved for our youngest submitters ages 12 and under.

FOR WRITING SUBMISSIONS:

Poetry: please submit up to 3 poems of any style.

Stories: please submit up to 2 stories (600 words or less per story—please note that this is a change from past submission periods. Stories over 600 words will not be considered for publication.)

FOR ARTWORK SUBMISSIONS:

Please submit up to 2 illustrations (in .jpg or .png format).

We accept artwork submissions of any size or orientation, and a photograph of a child's artwork sent in .jpg or .png formatting is fine. Some general guidelines to keep in mind, though, are that a portrait layout over a landscape layout is generally preferred, as well as a minimum file size 1000 x 1200 pixels.

YOUTH WRITERS & ARTISTS (ages 12 and under) please note:

All submissions should be your original creations. If you need a parent, teacher, or caregiver's help with writing, spelling, or completing the submission form, that is fine, but submitted stories, poetry, and artwork should be the creations of your own mind. Please be sure to select the 12 and under box on the submission form.

ALL SUBMITTERS, if you are ready to submit your work, please COMPLETE OUR SUBMISSION FORM (You should see a message thanking you for your submission after hitting submit. This message confirms that your submission was received.)

RIGHTS & PAYMENT

Little Thoughts Press requests first publication rights to publish your work in print and digital formats, as well as the right to share images of your printed work in our newsletters and on our blog unless you request otherwise. If your piece is published elsewhere in the future, it would be great if you could credit Little Thoughts Press as its initial publication. If your work is accepted for publication, you will receive the option of either a complimentary copy of the issue or a small payment for your work. All contributors will receive a discount on the purchase of additional copies.

Little Thoughts Press is dedicated to promoting access to reading for all children. We are happy to provide complimentary copies of our issues to schools or local libraries. If you'd like a copy sent to a library in your community, please reach out to Claire at:

littlethoughtspress@gmail.com 

to discuss that process. If you'd like to help support this initiative, please consider making a donation. All donations will be used toward the cost of production and providing complimentary issues to libraries and schools.

Little Thoughts Press is a safe, open, and inclusive creative space. We will not tolerate racism, bigotry, hatred, or abuse of any kind. We welcome creators of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities. If you have questions, concerns, or difficulties with our submission process, please email Claire at:

littlethoughtspress@gmail.com​

Writing Competition: Vern Rutsala Book Prize

 

Vern Rutsala Book Prize
Submissions are accepted through October 31, 2025.

A prize of $1,000 is awarded, plus publication of the manuscript and 50 free books. The judge is Robert Morgan.

Submit 70 to 90 pages of poetry and/or flash fiction, including a Table of Contents and Acknowledgments page. 

Reading fee is $25.

• Submissions are accepted from around the world with no citizenship limitations.

• The first 50 writers submitting to the contest receive a Cloudbank book or journal.

• To submit electronically through our submissions manager click here.

• Individual poems or flash fictions may have been previously published.

• Submissions should include two title pages, one with title only, one with title and author name.

• Cloudbank editors appreciate a wide range of styles, approaches, forms, and aesthetics; we welcome prose poems and flash fiction.

Call for Submissions: The Lindenwood Review

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose is an annual online literary journal, produced with the support of the MFA in Writing program at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. We accept submissions of original, previously unpublished work from June 1 through October 1 via Submittable (no fee). We publish fiction (short stories and flash fiction), creative nonfiction (personal essays, lyric essays, and flash nonfiction), and prose poems (paragraph format; no line breaks or stanzas). Submissions are welcome from both emerging and established writers. We are looking for fiction with believable characters and a vivid story; creative nonfiction that is well-crafted and fiercely honest; prose poems with a distinctive atmosphere and interesting use of language; and mostly, work that moves us as readers and inspires us as writers.

Guidelines:

• Work may be submitted via Submittable from June 1 through October 1 (no fee).

• Submissions must be the writer’s original work and cannot be previously published in print or online.

• Writers may submit one piece per category each year. Categories include Fiction (short story or flash fiction), Creative Nonfiction (personal essay, lyric essay, or flash nonfiction), and Prose Poems (paragraph format; no line breaks or stanzas). NOTE: Please be sure to choose the correct category when submitting your work.

• Simultaneous submissions to other journals are allowed, but we ask to be notified immediately via Submittable if a piece is accepted elsewhere.

• Maximum length for each submission is 10 pages. Minimum length is one paragraph.

• Double-space submissions. Use a standard font size and style.

• Include your name and the title of your submission on the first page of your submission document. List your name exactly as you would like it to appear in our journal if accepted for publication.

• In your Submittable entry form, include a brief third-person bio (no more than 100 words) and your email address.

• All publication decisions will be made by March 31. Please check Submittable for your submission status.

• Writers accepted for publication receive a pdf of the full book, a book-formatted pdf of their accepted work, and a link for sharing their work. The journal will be published online at www.lindenwood.edu/lindenwoodReview by the end of April.

Restrictions:

• Current students and faculty of Lindenwood University are not eligible to submit their work. (Alumni may submit.)

• Do not submit work that has been previously published elsewhere, whether online or in print.

• Do not submit multiple pieces in the same category.

• Do not submit multiple poems or poetry with stanzas/line breaks; only prose poems in paragraph format will be considered for publication.

• Submissions will not be considered for publication if they are sent via email/mail or if they do not follow the posted guidelines.

Please note that response times are extended as our journal's selection period aligns with the academic semester schedules of our editorial assistants. We appreciate your patience and ask that you please withdraw your work in Submittable if it is accepted elsewhere. Contact us with any questions at TheLindenwoodReview@lindenwood.edu and visit us on Facebook.

NOTE: The number of submissions we can receive each month is limited; during our submission period of June 1 through October 1, if our Submittable page indicates that we are not currently accepting work, that means the month's maximum has been met, so please wait until the beginning of the next month to submit your work (final submission date is October 1). 

Submit your work here.