Calls for Submissions — May 2015
On the first Wednesday of each month, Literary Mama shares a list of current calls for submissions. Good luck sending your work out into the world!
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Uprising: In response to “the recent events in Baltimore, New York, Ferguson, and throughout the country, The Offing has put aside May 10-23 to publish works that speak to justice, resistance, and activism.”
When submitting, please specify in the cover letter which department your submission fits best: Fiction, Poetry, Essay | Memoir, Dead Letter Office, You Are Here, Wit’s End, Micro, or Enumerate. Click here to submit.
Deadline: May 10, 2015
The Offing has also issued a general call for essays. You can read more about what they’re looking for here, and find information on how to submit to them here.
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Synaesthesia Magazine is seeking fiction, poetry, and nonfiction submissions for its upcoming “Hush-Hush” summertime issue.
Submit between 1-3 of the following:
Short stories – up to 1,500 words
Poetry – up to 30 lines
Nonfiction essays – up to 2,000 words
For more detailed submission guidelines and an elaboration on the theme, please click here.
Deadline: May 13, 2015
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Ploughshares‘ 2015 Emerging Writer’s Contest is now open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have yet to publish or self-publish a book. The winner in each genre will be published in the Winter 2015-16 issue and awarded $1,000. Fiction and nonfiction: under 6000 words; poetry: 3-5 pages. The $24 fee for contest entry includes a one-year subscription and is waived if the submitter is a current subscriber. Find out more about eligibility and submission here.
Deadline: May 15, 2015 at noon EST
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Hippocampus Magazine announced its 2015 Theme Issue: Guilty Pleasures and Vices.
“What do you do when no one is looking? What do you have hidden in your desk drawer at work? What are you embarrassed to admit? What helps you through the tough times?”
Send your best piece of creative nonfiction that involves your guilty pleasure or vice to be considered for this issue, which goes live in July 2015. To find out more and submit, please click here.
Deadline: May 15, 2015
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The Montreal International Poetry Prize is a grassroots, non-profit organization with an aim to become an annual means of raising funds for promoting and supporting poetry around the world.
Entries accepted from around the globe.
Awards include a single cash prize of $20,000 CDN, 70 poems selected for publication, of which 50 will appear in the Montreal Prize Global Anthology.
Entry fees apply. Click here to submit.
Deadline: May 15, 2015
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If and Only If: A Journal of Body Image is currently seeking submissions related to body image, the body, and eating disorders for their Summer 2015 issue.
“The writing that is most likely to find a home in If and Only If is honest, engaging, and raw. We like risks, confessions, the unexpected. Expose yourself by giving us your truth, showing us your passion and making us feel alive.”
Submit poetry (up to 5 poems), artwork (up to 3 images), and fiction/creative nonfiction (up to 600 words) here.
Deadline: May 15, 2015
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Breakwater Review, a literary publication run by MFA students at the University of Massachusetts Boston, is proud to announce The Peseroff Prize: publication and $1,000 for a single poem.
Submit up to three poems and a $10 entry fee; no restrictions on length, content, or form: “it’s all poetry.” All submissions will be considered for publication; winners will be announced in September. Submissions can be sent through the submission manager here.
Deadline: May 15, 2015
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Best New Poets, “an annual anthology of 50 poems from emerging writers” will be accepting submissions from April 5 to May 25, 2015. Any poet meeting the eligibility requirements may submit up to two poems, anonymously, via Submittable. Guest edited by Tracy K. Smith.
Reading fee of $4.50, which helps pay the readers and award complimentary copies of the anthology to the 50 selected writers. For more information and the link to submit, please click here.
Deadline: May 25, 2015
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DatingTrenches seeks submissions (500-4000 words) for its collection, “Rendezvous in the Rough: Essays from the 21st Century Dating Trenches.”
“[W]e seek witty, wry, raw, insightful, and/or (yes, always) humorous essays (be they happy-ending, painful, regretful, or even tragic) about dating in the 21st century. Above all, they need to be real. We seek personal, but not solely anecdotal, writing. We want to know the affect and effect of putting yourself out there in a technological dating pool. Essays should be literary and creative in nature, rather than expository.”
Submit the essay and a brief bio in the body of an email and as an attachment to datingtrenches@gmail.com using the subject line: Rendezvous in the Rough — [Author First and Last Name]. For suggested topics and more submission information, see here.
Deadline: May 30, 2015
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Tin House is accepting submissions for their Winter 2015 and Spring 2016 issues through May 31, 2015.
“Winter, 2015: Open, non-themed. Pub date December 1, 2015.
Spring, 2016: FAITH. We are looking for fiction, poems, essays, and interviews dealing with the faith in not only religions, but faith in knowledge, math, science, people, animals, places, institutions, food, color—anything that could possibly be a receptacle for one’s faith, questioned or unquestioned. Pub date March 1, 2016.”
For complete submission guidelines, please click here.
Deadline: May 31, 2015
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The HerStories Project is still accepting submissions for their next anthology, So Glad They Told Me: Women On Getting Real About Motherhood.
They are looking for “well-crafted, true accounts” of 500-3500 words “that explore and examine the reality of motherhood, including struggles with the transition to new motherhood and other ‘growing pains’ that occurred with subsequent transitions, such as the birth or adoption of additional children, the start of school, a special needs diagnosis, or even the onset of an empty nest.” The compilation will aim “to provide readers with a real, honest glimpse at what modern motherhood is like, with an emphasis on sharing our truths and supporting one another.”
You can find more information about the project, submission guidelines, as well as the link to submit your work here.
Deadline: May 31, 2015
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WOW! Women On Writing invites entries of short fiction (any genre, between 250-750 words) to its Spring 2015 Flash Fiction Contest, sponsored by BookBaby. “The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity, good storytelling, and provide well-rewarded recognition to writers of all levels.”
Email submissions only; reprints are okay; multiple submissions are okay as long as they are submitted in their own individual email. Writers retain all copyright to their stories. Open internationally. $10 entry fee. Critique option also available.
See here for more details on guest judges, prize packages, and submissions.
Deadline: May 31, 2015
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Mamalode announced a June theme of “Kindness.” This online magazine pays for publications. Find more information on how to submit here. Submissions are ongoing, including topical pieces not related to the theme.
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Monkey Star Press is looking for content for two mom lit anthologies:
1. My Mom Body: Reflections on Body Image and Motherhood: Personal essay/creative nonfiction/flash memoir/stories of 700-2000 words; and non-essay content of any length including poems, lists, top ten, dos and don’ts about body image and motherhood; must be told in the POV of a mom. We will consider some stories told by the POV of the husband or partner.
2. My Special Needs Child: Reflections on Raising a Child With Special Needs: Personal essay/creative nonfiction/flash memoir/poems/stories of 700-2000 words about raising a special needs child; must be told in the POV of a mom or a dad.
Previously published work welcome. Compensation ranges from $25 to $200 (after publication) and one free paperback copy of the anthology. Find more information on how to submit here.
Deadline: June 1, 2015
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Two Sylvias Press, an independent press dedicated to publishing the exceptional voices of writers, is holding its 2015 Chapbook Prize competition. Submit your manuscript of 17-24 pages of poetry (not including title page, table of contents, end notes) to twosylviaschapbookprize@gmail.com to enter. Simultaneous submissions accepted. Individual poems may be previously published. Your name should not appear anywhere in or on the manuscript. Email subject line should include: your last name, chapbook title, and the year, 2015.
Reading Fee: $15.00. Winner receives $300, 20 author copies of print chapbook, 1930’s depression glass trophy, and book published as an eBook as well.
For more complete submission information, please click here.
Deadline: June 15, 2015
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Mash Stories has announced new keywords for its seventh flash fiction competition: “congress,” “art” and “jealousy.” Learn more about how to submit your original fiction creation here.
Deadline: July 15, 2015
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Room is Canada’s oldest literary journal by and about women. Its Poetry & Fiction Contest is now open for your best short stories and poems–now with even more prize money.
Fiction Judge: Shani Mootoo
Poetry Judge: Jen Currin
1st Prize: $1,000 + publication
2nd Prize: $250 + publication
Honourable mention: $50 + publication on Room’s website
All shortlisted pieces, including the honourable mentions, will be considered for publication in subsequent issues of Room at regular rates ($50-$120 depending on page count).
Review full contest guidelines on the website.
Deadline: July 15, 2015
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Helen : A Literary Magazine announced an open call for submissions.
“We’re looking for short stories, poems, essays, personal narratives, artwork, graphic narratives, and photography for our upcoming animal issue… a collection of various work that awakens our inner beasts.”
“Show us your beasts, your friendly creatures, your creatures of habit. Make us love your pets and the animal in each other. Let us hear the song of your people in your words. Reveal your inner animal in pictures that will take our breath away. Make us laugh, make us cry, but most importantly … send work in that makes us roar.”
They will pay $10 for short stories and essays, $2 for poems. Click here to submit.
Deadline: August 1, 2015
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The New Guard Literary Review is seeking submissions for fiction and poetry contests:
Machigonne Fiction Contest: $1,500 and publication for an exceptional work of fiction in any genre. Submit up to 5,000 words: anything from flash to the long story. Novel excerpts are welcome if the excerpt functions as a stand-alone story. Judge: Adam Braver.
Knightville Poetry Contest: $1,500 and publication for an exceptional poem in any form. Three poems per entry. Up to 150 lines per poem. Please submit all three poems in a single document. Judge: Roger Bonair-Agard.
$20 to submit. Deadline: August 20, 2015.
There is also a running call for submissions to the BANG! page, where they showcase a single author online for one month.
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Creative Nonfiction has a new call for submissions on the theme of Marriage, seeking well-crafted essays (under 4,000 words) that “truthfully portray what married life is all about.”
“Send us your true stories of arranged marriages or shotgun weddings; walking down the aisle or running from the altar; mail-order brides or stay-at-home dads. We’re looking for a variety of perspectives—from fiancés to florists; ministers to marriage counselors; divorce attorneys to wedding planners.”
$20 reading fee; $25 to include a 4-issue subscription to Creative Nonfiction (US only)
$1,000 award for Best Essay; $500 for runner-up
For submission specifics and to learn more, please visit the site.
Deadline: August 31, 2015
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RHINO, an annual high-quality print journal featuring well-crafted, diverse poetry, flash fiction, and translations, is open for general submissions to the 2016 issue.
“Our editors look for the very best in contemporary poetry, poetry in translation and flash-fiction. We welcome all styles of poems, and value work that is well-crafted, reflects passion, originality, engagement with contemporary culture, and a love affair with language.”
Online submissions preferred. Please visit the website for more details, and to read and listen to poems!
Deadline: August 31, 2015
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Ashland Creek Press is receiving submissions for the second annual Siskiyou Prize for New Environmental Literature.
“The contest is open to unpublished, full-length prose manuscripts, including novels, memoirs, short story collections, and essay collections. The winner will receive a cash award of $1,000, a four-week residency at PLAYA, and an offer of publication by Ashland Creek Press.”
“New environmental literature” refers to literary works that focus on the environment, animal protection, ecology, and wildlife. For complete writers’ guidelines, see here.
Deadline: September 1, 2015
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Isthmus, a biannual print journal based in Seattle, is seeking creative nonfiction submissions.
“We read year-round and are looking for memoir, personal essay, hybrid essay, experimental or traditional in form. We seek engaging writing and thought-provoking work.” Stories and essays should not exceed 8,000 words.
Please visit the website for more information or submit through the submission manager.
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Sequestrum is accepting submissions for their Summer and Fall/Winter Issues. They accept short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. To learn more about submitting and the journal, click here.
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Brain, Child Magazine is looking for exceptional flash fiction (up to 800 words) related to being a parent or having been parented.
“We look for strongly developed characters, vivid scenes and authentic dialogue. Since much of Brain, Child is made up of personal essays, we prefer stories that aren’t written from a first-person point of view.”
Please submit complete stories to editorial@brainchildmag.com. These are paid pieces.
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Booktrope offers an innovative approach to publishing in which a “creative team work[s] together to refine and rework the story so readers can enjoy the best books possible.” You can learn more about their speciality imprints, designed to “best promote and market specific book genres,” here — examples include Gravity (trauma and recovery stories), updraft (“chapter books that go against the grain”), and uprush (nonfiction books about parenting and motherhood that show “we don’t have to think the same way to shine under the same sun”). You can learn more about the manuscript submissions process here.
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Sweatpants & Coffee, “an online magazine dedicated to comfort, creativity, inspiration, and fun” is seeking personal essays (2000 words max), fiction (2500 words max), and poetry (up to 3 poems). Please submit authentic, well-crafted writing with “lyrical turns of phrase, stories about transformation and redemption, of traveling into dark places and emerging in the light.” More specific submission information for each genre can be found here.
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xoJane.com is looking for new writers with distinct voices to write original articles on topics such as love and relationships, sex, entertainment, fashion, beauty, home, DIY, tech, family, or health. “We’re especially interested in personal stories told from a raw, honest perspective.”
xoJane.com seeks submissions for various columns: “It Happened to Me,” which is a first-person story about something unusual, interesting, or downright amazing that happened in your life; experiential “I’ll Try Anything Once” stories; Worst Roommate Ever; Cheaters (stories of cheating or being cheated on); and Gross Out Fridays (personal essays about something gross that’s happened to you).
Send all story ideas to pitches@xojane.com.
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Vela is an online magazine committed to helping close the byline gender gap that publishes longform nonfiction written by women.
“We are particularly interested in narrative nonfiction, essays with a research and/or reporting component, and literary journalism with a unique, compelling voice.”
They also run a series of columns that accept short-form submissions, including Placed; Body of Work; On Repeat; and The Writing Life. You can learn more about each, and how to submit to them, here.
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The editors of Mothers Always Write, a new online literary magazine for mothers by mother writers, are seeking submissions of poetry (up to 3 poems) and essays (up to 2000 words) as well as micro nonfiction (<300 words) about the parenting experience. Also newly seeking unpublished blog posts about parenting for our blog. Please see writers’ guidelines for specific requirements at the website.
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LitroNY, a US seedling of London-based Litro Magazine, is accepting poetry, art, nonfiction, and fiction submissions for their online journal.
“We want stories that find new ways to view the world: the compelling and controversial, the funny and the fantastic, the sad and the strange.”
You can find out more about who they are and what they’re looking for here. Any questions or pitch ideas can be sent to onlineeditor@litrony.com.
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The Literary Reflections department at Literary Mama seeks “writing by mother writers, both established and emerging, focused on the creative process. We’re looking for first-person reflections with an intellectual as well as personal focus.” You may choose to write about your reading, writing, or professional life. Submissions should range from 700 to 3500 words, and more information can be found here.
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The Mid celebrates life in “the messy middle.” They seek essays about “parenting, relationships, work, wellness, and fun,” and feature content on raising tweens and teens, caring for aging parents, 1980s and 1990s pop culture—”and coming to terms with the way that we both love and hate having reached this age.” They pay for original content, but will also republish older work to give it a wider audience. You can submit here, and be sure to mention “Literary Mama” in the referral box!
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STIR Journal publishes provocative essays (1500-3500+ words), interviews, and videos that tackle controversial issues. They’re looking for pieces that “combine a strong personal narrative with a layer of well-researched reportage.”
“Talk about issues that make you passionate. We prefer compassion to judgment, hope to cynicism, strength to anger. Be persuasive yet open-minded, thorough but concise. Avoid polarizing rhetoric that shuts people down. Pose questions. Make room for discussion. Share your vision for change.”
Submit previously unpublished, completed work during the first week of the month to submit@stirjournal.com. STIR pays $250 upon publication. For suggested topics and detailed submission information, see here.
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Full Grown People seeks personal essays “that explore what it means to be an adult.” Topics can run the gamut from romance, family, health, career, aging loved ones, and more. But the common theme is “the sense that we’re all feeling our way along.”
Submissions should be 800-4000 words, have a literary quality, and be sent in the body of an email to submissions (at) fullgrownpeople (dot) com. Essays may be considered for publication in future anthologies. You can read more about FGP’s mission here and its submission process here.
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Role Reboot seeks “essay-style, first-person narrative storytelling and cultural critique about current events from folks who are rethinking ‘tradition,’ breaking through stereotypes, and bucking expectations about their roles.”
Send submissions (600-1200 words) as a Word document along with a short author bio (2-3 sentences) to managing editor, Meredith Landry, at meredith@rolereboot.org. More information can be found here.
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Literary Mama is seeking photo submissions to pair with our blog posts. If you would like to feature your evocative, creative photography on Literary Mama, please send jpeg images to: lmblogcontact (at) literarymama (dot) com. Photo credits always given.
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If you have information on calls for submissions not listed here that you think Literary Mama readers would appreciate, please e-mail us at lmblogcontact (at) literarymama (dot) com.