Calls for Submissions — February 2016
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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CONTESTS
THRESHOLDS International Short Fiction Feature Writing Competition seeks non-fiction submissions (750-2,000 words) exploring the life of a single short story writer or personal recommendations of a particular collection or short story. 1st Prize of £500; 2 x Runner-up Prize of £100. Free to enter. The winning and runner-up feature essays and shortlist will be published on the THRESHOLDS Forum during 2016. Submit by email to thresholds@chi.ac.uk. Full contest details can be found here.
Deadline: March 6, 2016
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The Fourth Genre Steinberg Nonfiction Contest seeks submissions of essays up to 6,000 words. $22 entry fee. Prize: $1,000 and publication in Fourth Genre. All entries are considered for publication.
Deadline: March 15, 2016
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The Newfound Prose Prize is open for submissions of chapbook-length work (15-60 pages) of exceptional fiction or creative nonfiction. Guest judge: Chelsea Martin. $15 reading fee. First place is publication, a $500 prize, and 25 contributor copies of the winning chapbook. Up to five finalists announced, all work considered for publication as a general submission.
Deadline: March 15, 2016
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The Willow Springs Fiction Prize is open to submissions. Every entrant receives a one year subscription. $15 fee, no word limit. Prize is $2,000 plus publication.
Deadline: March 15, 2016
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The 2016 New South writing contest is now open to submissions. Judges: Anya Silver (poetry) and Matthew Salesses (prose). Poetry: up to 3 poems in a document; Prose: one short story or nonfiction piece up to 9,000 words. First place winners in each category will be awarded $1,000 prizes; second place winners, $250 prizes; and third place winners, a three-year subscription to New South. Your $15 entry fee also includes a one-year subscription to New South. To submit, please click here.
Deadline: April 15, 2016
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Solstice Literary Magazine‘s Annual Literary Contests are as follows:
$500 Stephen Dunn Prize in Poetry, final judge: Richard Blanco.
$1,000 Fiction Prize, final judge: Celeste Ng.
$500 Nonfiction Prize, final judge: Michael Sternberg.
Winners as well as finalists will be published in the Summer Awards Issue due out in early August. All winners and finalists will be cited in future advertisements and announcements. $18 entry fee for all genres. More information here.
Deadline: April 20, 2016
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American Fiction Short Story Award: New Rivers Press will publish approximately twenty short stories (max 10,000 words per story) in American Fiction Volume 16: The Best Unpublished Stories by Emerging Writers. “We seek well crafted, character driven literary fiction in any genre.” $16 entry fee. $1,000 1st Place, $500 2nd, $250 3rd; each of the selected story authors will receive national publication and distribution, author discount, and two complimentary copies. You can submit here.
Deadline: June 15, 2016
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ANTHOLOGIES
In Fact Books is seeking true stories (previously unpublished, up to 4,500 words) that capture the complexities and comforts of sibling relationships for a new anthology.
“Chronicle life as the only brother in a house full of sisters. Recount wisdom dispensed by a much older sibling (Did you follow it? Was it any good?). Enlighten us about birth order or genetics. Confess: as a kid, did you ever wish for a different sibling altogether? As an adult, do you still? We want to read about moments of familial revelation, too. Tell us about the day you realized you loved your sibling, but didn’t like them very much, or when you figured out that perhaps you hadn’t been doing a bang-up job in the sibling department yourself.” No reading fee. For more detailed submission information, please click here.
Deadline: March 7, 2016
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This Bridge Called Language is currently seeking submissions for an upcoming anthology of real-life stories, each inspired by an “untranslatable” word from around the world–“that capture the essence and experience of the word more than any attempt at a direct translation could. We seek true tales that convey both the unique and the universal in the magic of real life.”
Submissions are open to writers of all genders, races, sexualities and ethnicities, and the editors are committed to bringing together a collection of demographically and stylistically diverse voices. For more information, please click here or contact bridgecalledlanguageATgmailDOTcom with questions.
Deadline: March 31, 2016
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The Masters Review Emerging Writers Anthology Volume V is open to submissions of fiction and narrative nonfiction up to 7,000 words. The anthology is a collection of ten stories written by the best emerging authors. The ten winning writers will be awarded $500, publication, and distribution to over 50 editors and agents. Guest judge: Amy Hempel. $20 reading fee. For more details, please click here.
Deadline: March 31, 2016
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Sandwiched: Voices from the Middle is a forthcoming anthology seeking submissions (1,000-3,500 words) “that will give voice to the various perspectives of those who are living in the full middle years of life.” “Often times, these are the years when we are pulled in multiple directions, with the demands of our career, children, aging parents, and friendships all taking a toll on our time and energy. But it can also be a time filled with simple pleasures, deeper connections, and a settling into our own skin.” Co-edited by Christine Organ and Julie Jo Severson. $25 per accepted story, plus a contributor’s copy of the book. Send submissions to VoicesfromtheMiddleSubmissions@gmail.com. For complete guidelines and possible topic ideas, please click here.
Deadline: April 15, 2016
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Writespace is opening submissions (max 2,000 words – fiction, flash fiction, prose poetry) for their second anthology, In Medias Res: Stories from the In-Between: An Anthology of Boundary-Breaking Fiction.
“We are looking for stories about characters who are thrown into or stuck between different cultures, communities, families, races, genders, self-images, dimensions, continents, etc. We want the gray area—the uncomfortable, the undefined. Give us characters in the middle of it all: middle children, mediators, people in the middle of their lives, in the middle of a mess—’in-between.'” Please click here for more information.
Deadline: April 28, 2016 (opens February 28, 2016)
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Magic of Memoir asks writers to share their stories (max 3,000 words) of hard-earned wisdom during the process of writing memoir–from wrestling with the inner critic to practical tips and strategies, mistakes made and overcome, sources of inspiration, as well as dark times conjured by writing. Editors: Linda Joy Myers, President of the National Association of Memoir Writers, and Brooke Warner, Publisher of She Writes Press. $20 submission fee; prizes: 1st place: $400, 2nd place: $200, 3rd place: $100. For more information and the link to submit, please click here.
Deadline: May 1, 2016
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FEBRUARY DEADLINES
The New Territory is a new magazine “committed to cultivating regional identity and serving the land and its people by publishing narrative journalism, provocative commentary, fresh literature and meaningful art by emerging and established voices in the south-central US.” Their literature section seeks “fiction, poetry, nonfiction, drama, comics, and genre-benders with teeth, a heart, and a roving intelligence trained on and emerging from this region.” Prose and drama: up to 25 pages; poetry: up to 10 pages or 5-8 poems. Submit to lit@newterritorymag.com with your name and genre in the subject line. Paying market. For more submission details, please click here.
Deadline: February 7, 2016
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Catapult is seeking pitches for an essay series on adoption. Send pitches to nicole.soojung at gmail dot com.
Deadline: February 14, 2016
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In honor of Valentine’s Day, Barrelhouse Blog “wants stories, essays and poems of real or imagined Weird Love, Bad Love, Awkward Love, Dress Up in Your Date’s Mother’s Wedding Dress Love. Make us cringe, make us squirm, make us laugh. Make us pity your poor prom date.” 5 poems or 3,000 words. Submit here.
Deadline: February 14, 2016
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The Found Poetry Review invites submissions of poems sourced from and inspired by David Bowie for a special tribute issue. Details can be found here.
Deadline: February 14, 2016
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Matchbook seeks Ad Story submissions: “very tiny stories in the form of Google Ads found next to search results and on websites in an attempt to use the advertising system to work for art rather than against it.” 70 total characters. Ad stories will also be simultaneously published at matchbook in Volume 4. $10 per accepted ad story. For more detailed submission guidelines and the link to submit, please click here.
Deadline: February 15, 2016
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The Collapsar is now accepting submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Book reviews and pop culture essays (up to 2,000 words) or reviews (up to 1,000 words) of albums, movies, shows, etc. are also welcome. For detailed guidelines and the link to submit, please click here.
Deadline: February 15, 2016
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The Essay Review, a Journal for Literary Criticism of the Essay, welcomes submissions of original pieces of criticism on the history, development, and future of the essay; essays on essaying; reflections from instructors of nonfiction; and other work that fits a broad definition of nonfiction criticism in any length and form. Detailed submission info can be found here.
Deadline: February 19, 2016
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Okey-Panky is open for submissions of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction manuscripts of 1,500 words or fewer. Also open to graphic narrative. No submission fee. They pay contributors $100. You can submit here.
Deadline: February 29, 2016
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Midwestern Gothic is open to fiction (up to 8,000 words) and poetry (up to 3 poems) submissions featuring or inspired by your time in the Midwest. For detailed guidelines and the link to submit, please click here.
Deadline: February 29, 2016
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MARCH DEADLINES
Slice is seeking submissions of poetry and prose (up to 5,000 words) for Issue 19, for which the theme is “Distraction.” Contributors are paid $250 for stories and essays and $75 for poems. Click here to submit.
Deadline: March 1, 2016
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Origins, a literary journal that explores narrative arts through the lens of identity, is now open to submissions for its Spring 2016 issue on the theme of BORDERS. It accepts fiction, nonfiction, flash fiction, poetry, and more. For more detailed submission information and the link to submit, please click here.
Deadline: March 1, 2016
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Weirderary is looking for flash fiction, poetry, flash creative nonfiction, hybrid pieces, comics, creative nonfiction that experiments with form, and more. “Send us your weirdest stuff, whether in content or form. We want the unusual. We want to be surprised. We appreciate humor, but that doesn’t only mean light-hearted and goofy. Feel free to go dark. Get serious, just do it in a form or from a perspective we don’t see very often. Cross genre lines and experiment. Send us the work you don’t know how to define.” Submit by emailing submit@weirderary.com with title and genre in subject line. For word limits and other submission information, please click here.
Deadline: March 1, 2016
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The Vignette Review is collecting fiction submissions (300-900 words) for their spring issue. “We’re looking for evocative vignettes that use the season of spring as background or character in whatever story you wish to tell.” Click here to submit.
Deadline: March 8, 2016
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The James Franco Review is open to submissions of prose (fiction or nonfiction, max 8,000 words) and poetry (3-5 poems at a time). Detailed guidelines and the link to submit are here.
Deadline: March 31, 2016
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Halo Literary Magazine, home to illuminating writing by women, is seeking flash fiction submissions (under 1,000 words). “We’re looking for beautifully crafted flash fiction with a contemporary, literary flavor.” Submit your best, unpublished work to submissions@halolitmag.co.uk. For more information, please click here.
Deadline: March 31, 2016
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KiCam Projects is accepting submissions for nonfiction books that tell stories of recovery, whether from illness, addiction, abuse or other major obstacles. KiCam’s mission is to change the world one great story at a time. The company donates proceeds from its books and films to the nonprofit organizations chosen by its authors and collaborators. Please send a 1- to 2-page summary and sample chapter to submissions@kicamprojects.com.
Deadline: March 31, 2016
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APRIL DEADLINES
Granta is now accepting submissions. “Fiction, non-fiction, poetry and art will be considered for both our print and online editions, unless you specifically state otherwise in your cover letter. We remain open to submissions of photography and art year-round.” Only original material; most submissions are between 3,000-6,000 words. Please click here for more information and the link to submit.
Deadline: April 1, 2016
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Hippocampus has announced its 2016 theme issue: Firsts. Submit works of creative nonfiction, up to 3,500 words, that explore “firsts.”
“We’ll leave the interpretation up to you. While we know we’ll see first kiss and ‘first time’ stories, don’t be afraid to get creative with the ‘firsts’ theme. We’re looking for variety!” A dozen stories that fit the theme will be featured in the July 2016 issue. Click here to submit.
Deadline: April 15, 2016
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The Timberline Review welcomes new work from established and emerging writers. Short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, poetry — tell us about life! Tell us a story! Prose submissions should aim for under 5,000 words; up to five poems per submission. Each published contributor will receive a payment of $25 and one copy of the journal. Click here for more detailed guidelines and the link to submit.
Deadline: April 15, 2016
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Third Point Press is open to submissions of art/fiction/poetry. “We want you to send us the stuff you know is good. We want to see the not-quite-genre and not-quite-literary. We like experiments and minimalism and conceptual writing. We like magical realism and absurdism and underrepresented perspectives.” $10 payment per contributor. Submission guidelines are here; submit here.
Deadline: April 30, 2016
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1966 is currently open to submissions of creative nonfiction with a research component. Please send submissions to 1966journal@gmail.com. For more information, please click here.
Deadline: April 30, 2016
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No Resemblance seeks submissions for a brand new podcast “that brings you stories of lives lived and paths taken that in no way bear any resemblance to your everyday life.” It will be a 12-episode limited run in its first season, and is seeking out authors who want to hear their pieces read aloud in some combination of audiobook and podcast form.
They seek short fiction (all genres) of new or previously published work, under 4,000 words, that is gripping, exciting, and adventurous. Literary aspirations are not required, but a taut plotline and compelling, active characters are very much appreciated. Please send all submissions to submissions@noresemblancepodcast.com. More information can be found here.
Deadline: April 30, 2016
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MAY DEADLINES
Understorey Magazine Call for Submissions: Women & Justice. Understorey seeks submissions on all aspects of social and legal justice related to women’s lives in Canada. Personal essays, fiction, poetry, spoken word, and visual art by new or established writers and artists who self-identify as women are welcome.
Deadline: May 1, 2016
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Boulevard is now open to submissions. It strives “to publish only the finest in fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. While we frequently publish writers with previous credits, we are very interested in less experienced or unpublished writers with exceptional promise. If you have practiced your craft and your work is the best it can be, send it to Boulevard.” Simultaneous submissions are fine, but work must be previously unpublished. Please click here for more detailed guidelines and to submit.
Deadline: May 1, 2016
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Creative Nonfiction is seeking new essays (up to 4,000 words) about JOY: “Too often the moments that move us to write are bleak ones—stories of loss, hardship, or learning through painful interactions. For this issue we’re looking for well-crafted narratives that explore the brighter moments in life, those that teach and enlighten us through their beauty or humor.” $20 reading fee. $1,000 for Best Essay and $500 for runner-up. All essays considered for publication in a special “Joy” issue to be published in winter 2017. Click here for specific submission information.
Deadline: May 16, 2016
Note: Creative Nonfiction is also seeking Instagram micro essays of “true stories, well told.” Simply follow them on Instagram (@creativenonfiction). Post an original photo. Write a CNF-worthy caption (note: IG limits captions to 2,200 characters). Add the hashtags #cnfgram and #tinytruth and they’ll take care of the rest. Find more information here.
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r.kv.r.y. quarterly literary journal seeks submissions of poetry (no more than 3 poems at a time) and prose (up to 3,000 words) that address recovery in all its forms: “grief, war, exile, divorce, abuse, bigotry, illness, injury, addiction, loss of innocence, and any other topic where recovery presents itself. Recovery may be early stage, middle stage, late stage, or no stage. Failure and doubt are also part of recovery. We will not define recovery as necessarily requiring success.” You can submit here.
Deadline: May 31, 2016
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JUNE DEADLINES
Helen: A Literary Magazine is open for submissions.
“We appreciate polished work in all genres and actively seek pieces that explore themes such as hope and perseverance. Our issues include poetry, flash fiction, short stories, essays, personal narratives, art, and photography. We also feature video exclusives from our print issues as well as in our ongoing blog series Friday Night Specials.”
Short Stories: 1,500-4,000 words
Flash Fiction: 50-1,500 words
Poetry: 4 poems (12 page limit)
Essays & Personal Narratives: 1,500 – 4,000 words
No theme or genre restrictions. Send in your best! We offer token payment. Please click here to submit.
Deadline: June 1, 2016
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OCTOBER DEADLINES
NANO Fiction seeks flash fiction submissions (max 300 words) particularly on the topics of milestones and transitions for Issue 10.1. “What happens when you reach a significant milestone? What challenges and joys await people or systems undergoing a kind of transition? What surprises emerge as things reach an anniversary or come to an end? How have different characters commemorated anniversaries or accomplishments, and how have those commemorations unfolded in unexpected ways? What happens after the big milestone? We’re thinking about cyclical events, rites of passage, death, rebirth, return. Send us your work on transitions, on endings, on anniversaries or apocalypse. Regardless of subject matter, we are looking for work that experiments with form while still balancing narrative.” You can submit here.
Deadline: October 1, 2016
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ROLLING SUBMISSIONS
Assay: A Journal of Nonfiction Studies is open to submissions in all disciplines. Assay “publishes the best peer-reviewed critical scholarship of creative nonfiction to provide a space for work that elevates the genre in an academic setting.” For more information on what they are looking for and how to submit, please click here.
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Electric Literature is now open to submissions of personal and critical essays, as well as humor, that reflect on the world of reading, writing, literature, and storytelling in all its forms. “We’re particularly interested in pieces that examine the intersection of the literary world and other creative disciplines: film, fine art, music, video games, architecture–you name it.” Payment for essays & humor pieces is $40. Typical length is between 1,500-5,000 words. Click here to submit.
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The Fem, a literary journal that publishes feminist, diverse, and inclusive creative works, is now open to feminist poetry, fiction, and nonfiction submissions. For detailed submission guidelines, please click here.
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Front Porch is now accepting flash fiction, short stories, poetry, and creative nonfiction. “Please submit only one piece of fiction and nonfiction at a time (up to or around 5,500 words), and no more than five poems at a time as DOC or RTF files only. Make sure your name and the page number appear on each page of the document.” For more information and the link to submit, please click here.
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KERNPUNKT Press is currently reading manuscripts of literary fiction, art & architecture, science fiction, historical fiction, and children’s books. For more information and the link to submit, please click here.
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Mothers Always Write, an online literary magazine for mothers by mother writers, is seeking submissions of poetry (up to 3 poems) and essays (up to 2,000 words) about the parenting experience. Tell us your beautiful story about motherhood. Please see their writer’s guidelines for specific requirements and suggested monthly themes at the site.
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Pithead Chapel, an online journal of gutsy narratives, seeks essays (personal, memoir, lyric, experimental, etc.) under 4,000 words. For detailed submission guidelines and to submit, please see here.
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The Prairie Schooner blog is looking for “sports shorts” (100-500 words)–1st person micro-essays only you could write. For generative ideas and the link to submit, click here.
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Tell Us a Story publishes stories (less than 2,000 words) that are true and happened to the author. One new story every Wednesday, occasionally with original art. Also interested in very short stories (flash [non]fiction), experimental stories, poems, or plays as long as they are true. You can find submission details here.
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Vela has launched a new column on motherhood, Milestones, curated by Sarah Menkedick. The column “wants to encourage more women to explore the depths and possibilities of this fundamental subject, exploring motherhood as milestone; as consciousness; as daily routine; as radical or gradual shift; as feminist awakening; as voyage; as challenge; as corporeal and spiritual and intellectual condition.” Milestones will publish essays between 1,000 and 3,000 words, as well as occasional interviews and reviews. Please see Vela’s submission guidelines for more information.
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YARN, an award-winning YA literary journal, is open for submissions for the Spring-Summer 2016 edition. YARN welcomes submissions of short stories, essays, and poetry written for a YA audience. Please read some of the journal, and their submission guidelines, before sending.
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Youshare is seeking true, personal stories about life-shaping events or experiences – in the form of written essays, audio and video essays, and photo essays – from storytellers of all skill levels. Around 1,000 words recommended for print submissions; a 2-minute minimum is recommended for audio and video essays; a 5-photo minimum is recommended for photo essays. Please click here to learn more and submit.
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LITERARY MAMA OPPORTUNITIES
The Blog seeks submissions for its After Page One series. We’re looking for 300- to 500-word guest posts that motivate, inspire, and encourage other mama writers about getting started, returning to a writing project, integrating writing with motherhood, reading, or having a positive attitude. Here are some questions to get you started and a sample After Page One post. Please send submissions to LMblogcontact (at) literarymama (dot) com in the text of an email and include “After Page One” in the subject heading.
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The Profiles department seeks “profiles of writers who are mothers, or writers who write about motherhood (who may or may not be mothers themselves), or writers who have something to say to mothers.” Submissions should range from 750 to 2,500 words and may be Interview (Q&A) or narrative format. More information can be found here.
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The Columns department seeks columns contracted for 11 installments (1,000-1,600 words) that are published either monthly or bimonthly.
This blog post from our senior columns editor provides details about the three essential ingredients to a successful column pitch: hook, roadmap, samples. You can review our current and retired columns to make sure your idea is one that covers new ground in new ways. Most of all, we want a story that is uniquely yours–one that you can’t wait to tell, and that we can’t wait to read.
Please send queries and submissions to lmcolumns (at) literarymama (dot) com in the text of an email. Include the word “Submission” in the subject line, and allow one to three weeks for a response.
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The Literary Reflections department 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 3,500 words, and more information can be found here.
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Literary Mama seeks photography submissions to pair with the posts on our site. We are looking for photos that offer unique perspectives on motherhood, and we like photos that are artful, versus those that appear staged, and that encourage us to reflect.
If you would like to feature your evocative, creative photography on Literary Mama, you can review complete submission guidelines here and send .jpg images to: lmphotos (at) literarymama (dot) com. We always give photo credits and provide a link back to the photographer’s website.
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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.