Updated 2 May 2014!
Here are this month's writing competitions and calls for submission, all with free, electronic entry. I'm passing these on in good faith but mistakes may be made, so do check all the submission guidelines carefully. Any info in quotes comes from the website itself and any dates at the start are deadlines. Also, I don't know the sources personally, so do check them out for yourselves.
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•Competitions
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•Submissions with Deadlines
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•Submissions With No Known Deadline.
If you aren't a submitter (why not? Nothing to lose! Rejection is something we all share!) then the themes can make great writing prompts/exercises.
Finally, although I mention only fiction or poetry, many publications accept non-fiction, art or other forms, so do check if interested. Good luck and do let me know of successes!
COMPETITIONS
4th May Adult residents of USA and Cananda (excluding Quebec) only: Essay 500-2000 words on the theme: Should Marijuana be Legal? http://www.wieldingpowerpublishing.com/submit/
5th May A new crime writing prize open to unagented, debut authors, born or resident in the UK and Ireland. Cash prize. Send the first 15,000 words of your novel, plus a synopsis. http://amheath.com/blog/criminal-lines/
16th May Essays up to 12,000 words on Love, Caring and Human Agency. http://www.loveandhumanagency.org/essay-prize-competition/
22nd May (Cathy's note: this one is a little faffy, and I was fifty-fifty whether or not to include it. Here it is - but you do have to sign in and create your own flash booklet using their thing.) Use bookimbo to create a flash fiction collection. http://www.bookimbo.com/competition
30th May Fiction 1000-5000 words on the theme of Decisions, Decisions. http://www.onthepremises.com/current_contest.html
31st May Poetry and short fiction loosely inspired by the Lonely Whale. https://chatsworthpress.submittable.com/submit/28354
31st May 'Touching the Tide is helping a group of local residents mark the decomissioning of Orford Ness Lighthouse after over 220 years' service with Trinity House. The lighthouse is no longer needed for navigation, but is still much loved locally.
At the moment attention is on the writing competiiton. The Competition is divided into two categories: fiction and non-fiction. Please note that there is no category for poetry – there are quite a few poetry competitions already running and we wanted to offer something different. Writings must be inspired by the Lighthouse.
There are three age groups, and specific word limits for each age group: 12 and under (up to 500 words); 13–18 (up to 1000 words); Adult (up to 1500 words).' http://www.touchingthetide.org.uk/our-projects/orford-ness-lighthouse-project/
31st May USA only: Christian MS over 10,000 words. http://www.westbowpress.com/Parable/ContestRules2014.aspx
31st May Story up to 2000 words on the theme of Spirit. http://jottersutd.wix.com/jotters-united#!competitions/cre
1st June Adult residents of USA and Cananda (excluding Quebec) only: Essay 500-2000 words on the theme: Is Secession Legitimate? http://www.wieldingpowerpublishing.com/submit/
SUBMISSION CALLS WITH DEADLINES
4th May Fiction 800-2000 words on the theme of Weird & Wonderful. http://www.liarsleague.com/liars_league/forthcoming-events-themes.html
4th May 'What happens if we make a conscious effort to go beyond the comforting fantasies of both endless progress and inevitable apocalypse, and take this grinding-down seriously? What if this is your future, and that of your children and theirs? How does your worldview change?
This is the question we are putting to you as we open submissions for Dark Mountain book 6. Imagine this future. Write about it. Create art about it. Use it as a jumping-off point for your creative response. If you are tempted by the twin daemons of Progress or Apocalypse, push them away, and watch the waters rising instead.
These are the questions we offer to you as we ask for submissions for our sixth collection of uncivilised writing and art. Take them, do with them what you will, and send us the results.We look forward to seeing your responses to the rising of the waters.' Poetry and short fiction. http://dark-mountain.net/get-involved/write-for-us/submissions-guidelines/
5th May LGBT Fantasy fiction and poetry. http://www.britishfantasysociety.co.uk/bfs-journal-submission-guidelines/
6th May Fiction on the theme of Trouble: 'Do you always get into trouble or help friends getting out of trouble? Whatever mess you have been in, we would love to read about it.' They also take unthemed poetry. http://www.original-writer.com/submissionwritershaven.html
7th May Haiku by a woman on the theme of Egg. Submit your haiku to littlems@mslexia.co.uk
10th May or when filled - flash, poetry and short fiction in the sword-and-planet genre. http://horrifiedpress.wordpress.com/2014/02/22/barbarians-of-the-red-planet-open-for-submissions/
10th May Poetry, prose and short fiction for this literary journal devoted to women's sexuality, on the theme of Climax. http://www.cliteraturejournal.com/submissionguidelines.html
15th May Poetry and fiction on the theme of Gypsy Soul. http://www.bohemia-journal.com/guidelines
15th May Poetry, fiction and hybrid prose. https://duende.submittable.com/submit
15th May Genre fiction 3000-7000 words on the theme of Fire. http://www.npuniverse.com/open-calls/
15th May Stories of forbidden lesbian passion, 2500-5000 words. http://www.ladylit.com/submissions/
15th May Funny communist stories. http://peppeppublications.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/now-open-50-comrades-of-red.html
15th May Poetry, drama and short fiction on the theme of Truth. http://www.masonsroad.com/about-2/submission-guidelines/
15th May 'The theme for this collection is about lost love, second chances, reunion stories and lovers reunited through chance or determination. Does love and lust stand the test of time? In this anthology it does! Whether it’s bumping into each other on the street or reconnecting on Facebook, these lovers find that the memories are still sweet and a shared history makes for some very erotic reconnections.' http://www.cleispress.com/features/theOneWhoGotAwaycallforsubmissions
15th May YA short fiction 2000-5000 words on the theme of Superpowers. http://inaccuraterealities.com/submissions/
15th May Fiction and poetry, in particular from those with a connection to India, on the theme of The Personal is Political, 1500-3000 words. http://www.earthenlampjournal.com/submissions.php
15th May Positive poetry, fiction and art on the theme of Dare. http://www.sproutonlinemagazine.com/p/guidelines.html
15th May Genre fiction 3000-7000 words on the theme of Fire. http://www.npuniverse.com/open-calls/
15th May Zombie poetry and short fiction. http://skywarriorbooks.blogspot.ca/2013/08/zombie-anthology-submissions-open.html
16th May Poetry, short fiction and performance writing. https://regime.submittable.com/submit
16th May Stories 1000-5000 words on the theme of Motorcycles. http://www.elektrikmilkbathpress.com/submissions
19th May Poetry on the theme of Collaboration (Cathy's note: although anyone may submit, please be aware that only Australian citizens can be paid). http://cordite.org.au/submissions/
21st May Short stories and photography. http://origamijournal.com/submit/
24th May Speculative fiction (preferably SF) over 4500 words. http://keithstevenson.com/CDLblog/submissions/
27th May Poetry and fiction on the theme of Dreams of Awakening. http://moonmagazine.org/submission-guideline/
28th May Poetry, flash and short fiction on the theme of It's Complicated. http://zestlit.com/submissions/
29th May Short fiction on the theme of The Future of Dating. http://infectiveink.com/guidelines.html
30th May 'Christmas in Canada is a special time. The nights are long but our hearts are warm and the lights are bright. We want your true stories that took place at Christmas time - specifically in Canada - whether you are Canadian, a resident of Canada, or a visitor to Canada. We want to hear about your celebrations and special times but please remember to keep your stories "Santa safe" so we keep the magic alive for our younger readers. And keep that Canadian spelling in your computer, eh? We are defining Christmas as the entire December holiday season and the New Year festivities too.' http://www.chickensoup.com/form.asp?cid=possible_books
30th May Poetry. http://www.radarpoetry.com/guidelines/
30th May Speculative flash, poetry and art. Also single author collections of speculative fiction or poetry. http://www.loyalstonepress.com/
30th May or when filled: Found poetry sourced from Joyce's Ulysses. See the website to check which chapters still need doing. http://www.foundpoetryreview.com/submission-guidelines/
31st May ' "Silenced voices, altered history, sanitized truth. The marginalized, disregarded by common wisdom or pithy labels... Prejudice, censorship, racism, genocide... In the torn away pages we find the words of the Other."
Inherent in this project is an interest in stories from under-represented points of view, be they ethnic, gender, cultural, sexual orientation, or others we have not considered. The person who comes from what they perceive as a mundane background may have an equally important story to tell.' 1000-9000 words.
http://www.weirdbard.com/p/page-one.html
31st May (online deadline - 1st June is postmark deadline) Poetry on the theme of Rust/Dust/Lust. http://www.slipstreampress.org/guide.html
31st May Poetry manuscripts. http://www.flarestackpoets.co.uk/page23.htm
31st May Poems and stories on the theme of Children of Water. http://solarwyrm.com/latchkey-tales/
31st May Alternative history short fiction. http://www.e-bshop.co.uk/write-alternate-history/
31st May 19th century-style ghost stories 2000-3000 words. http://www.chuffedbuffbooks.com/submissions/talesomst/
31st May SF horror and Dark Fantasy novels. http://bloodboundbooks.net/bloodboundbooks/submissions/
31st May Poetry, flash and short fiction. ' Divergent Voices publishes fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and photo essays from writers who experiment with the English language, who infuse their writing with their native tongue and make us feel that their traditions are our own; they introduce us to foreign cultures and speak for a variety of ethnicities that are often underrepresented in the world of contemporary literature. DV focuses on the full variety of marginalized voices and publishes writers with unique backgrounds and life experiences. Our mission is to focus on: Racial, ethnic, or cultural identity, Immigrant experiences, LGBTQIA issues, Perspectives on living with disability or chronic pain or illness, Experimentation with language, art, and photography.' http://www.divergentvoices.com/submit/
31st May SF/F fiction 1000-6000 words on the theme of Typical. http://crossedgenres.com/submissions/magazine/
31st May Poetry and fiction. http://baltimorereview.org/index.php/submit
31st May Fiction on the theme of Ouroboros. http://www.bodypartsmagazine.com/themes.html
31st May Flash, poetry and short fiction on the theme of Pen is Envy. http://mgversion2datura.blogspot.co.uk/p/submit-contribuer.html
31st May Speculative fiction 1000-30,000 words, though 4000-70000 is their ideal length. http://betwixtmagazine.com/submissions/
31st May Poetry and fiction by high school/college students on the theme of Being Human. http://www.siblinijournal.com/#!specific-guidelines/ctt9
31st May SF over 1500 words on the theme of Zombies, Ghouls, Ghosts and/or the Deadly Departed. http://www.martinus.us/subs.html
31st May Poems and flash on the theme of Candy. http://www.kindofahurricanepress.com/p/anthology-just-touch-of-saccharine.html
31st May Poetry and fiction. http://baltimorereview.org/index.php/submit
31st May 'We are looking for “creative responses” to the work of Gilbert Adair for our Festschrift. These responses can be stories inspired by his works, pastiches, essays (scholarly or reflective), memoirs, poems—any form is welcomed providing the piece demonstrates a knowledge and appreciation of any one aspect of Gilbert’s work. Since we’re concerned more with his literary output, we’d prefer the responses to concern his literary works (the exception being memoirs or personal reflections), although we also welcome contributions on his cinematic writings.' http://www.verbivoraciouspress.org/submissions/
31st May Prose up to 800 words, and poetry up to 40 lines. http://www.vineleavesliteraryjournal.com/guidelines.html
31st May Poetry and short fiction on the theme of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. http://www.thepathmagazine.com/submission-guidelines.php
31st May Poetry on the theme of Weather. http://www.switched-ongutenberg.org/guidelines.htm
31st May Hybrid/multi-genre work, and speculative poetry. http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/submitguidelines.php
1st Jun Poetry, fiction and commentary. http://contrarymagazine.com/submissions-2/
1st June Short stories over 2000 words set in a futuristic world after a Plague has struck. This is a shared-world anthology, so read the submission guidelines (as always) carefully. http://ephiroll.com/PlagueAftermath.html
1st June Surreal stories. http://bizarropulppress.com/blog/2014/1/5/new-anthology-on-the-horizon
1st June Poetry, flash and short fiction featuring a legendary or extinct creature. http://www.jerseydevilpress.com/?p=5846
1st June Multi-cultural romantic fiction and articles on the theme of Creating the Book. http://www.sormag.com/guidelines.htm
1st June Fiction 800-2000 words on the theme of Sons & Daughters. http://www.liarsleague.com/liars_league/forthcoming-events-themes.html
1st June 'Blotterature accepts a wide variety of prose, poetry, and artwork. We seek the nontraditional mixed with craft, detail, and process. Well-developed with an edge. Experimental but not aimless. Something with political intentions or just there to entertain. Thought-out. Thrilling. Intelligent.' http://blotterature.com/submissions/
1st June 'Bibliotheca Alexandrina is seeking submissions for Daughter of the Sun: A Devotional Anthology in Honor of Sekhmet. This anthology opens for submissions on 1st January 2014 and closes on 1st June 2014, with a projected release date of August 2014. Suggestions for possible contributions include, but are not limited to: prayers, heka, poetry, hymns, ritual, essays, short fiction, recipes and artwork.' http://neosalexandria.org/bibliotheca-alexandrina/future-projects/daughter-of-the-sun-a-devotional-anthology-in-honor-of-sekhmet/
1st June Sexy flash and poetry on the theme of Underwear. http://www.inmybedmagazine.com/html/submissions.html
1st June Nautical poetry and short fiction. http://www.thebrokencitymag.com/submissions.html
1st June Flash, poetry and short fiction on the theme of Danger. https://thequotablelit.submittable.com/submit
1st June Poetry and fiction on the theme of Creation. http://lanternjournal.org/category/submissions/
1st June Fantasy and horror short fiction on the theme of Rituals. http://lincolncrisler.info/?page_id=1870
1st June Many kinds of books. http://scarlettapress.com/submissions/
1st June Fiction (and loads of other stuff) by girls and women on the theme of Shhh…Secrets! http://www.newmoon.com/content/?id=1006&type=1
1st June Poetry, fiction and nonfiction in the following genres: science fiction, fantasy, dystopian, and speculative literature and art. http://dreammonocle.com/submission-guidelines/
SUBMISSION CALLS WITH NO KNOWN DEADLINE
'Repurposed is an online magazine committed to discovering and showcasing art forms whose aesthetic is creating something beautiful out of existing materials, literature and art that addresses the spectre of waste culture through repurposing, be it physical gadgets or more thematic ephemera.' Poetry, fiction, art. http://www.repurposedmag.com/submission-guidelines-2/
Loads of horror anthologies, open until filled. Poetry and short fiction. http://horrifiedpress.wordpress.com/open-for-submissions/
Short stories, plays, poems and essays. http://www.thecromagnon.com/contact/contributions/
City Kids With Feelings is a poetry project based on collecting thought provoking lines that have been overheard on the streets, the metro, at work, or in your head. Send in your contribution to the project by sending an e-mail to submissions@cloudcitypress.com with [CKWF] in the subject line. For an idea of what we’re looking for, take a look at the examples on the main page. Video submissions are strongly encouraged. All selections are published anonymously.
Each chapbook we publish highlights the work of a single author; to that end, we accept written work between 60 and 80 (Fiction, Creative Non-fiction) or 20 and 40 (Poetry) pages in length. These page counts should be considered guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Send submissions of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and multimedia work to editors@cloudcitypress.com. Excerpted sections of all work submitted will also be considered for online publication with author permission. At this time we ask that writers seeking publication only submit one full length manuscript every six months.
Poetry, prose and art. http://www.prolebooks.co.uk/page3.html
Deadline: when filled - Fantasy story 1000-7500 words. http://purplesunpress.com/submissions/
'Our Mission: To provide an outlet for the work of short fiction writers, poets, and artists who focus on the Young Adult reader, with an emphasis on unbounded imagination, sense of place, strong-voiced characters, and the exploration of parts of the world others may not readily see. Our Philosophy: The deep-thinking and imaginative young protagonist always deserves a new story, a new voice, an outlet. The concept of youth challenging realistic and/or the fantastic world around them is, to us, exciting and worth exploring.' Poetry and fiction. http://www.stonecrowns.com/submissions/
Speculative novels, novellas, short story collections and anthologies. http://www.darkregions.com/pages/Submit.html
Poetry. http://tammyjournal.com/submission
'We are: the someones and the no ones. We are: The magazine for anyone who isn’t anything. We are: For the dreamer in a nightmare. We are: The poem you never meant to finish. We are: The people who wash(ed) your dishes. We are: People with mental illness We are: Photographers with broken lens that still create something beautiful. We are: All and we are: one. We are: Oddball Magazine.' http://oddballmagazine.com/submission-guidelines/
'Ghostwoods Books would like to see new and interesting dark fiction novels or cleverly interlinked short stories. Dark fantasy, gothic fiction, dark historical, creepy (but not mindless) horror. No slasher novels, no zombies, probably no YA. Let it be sinister and clever or enchanting yet creepy. Lengths mostly between 70,000 and 100,000 words. We'll know it when we see it.
Also, Ghostwoods Books is planning a new romance imprint.' http://www.gwdbooks.com/calls-for-submissions.html
'We are looking for poems inspired by video games or video game culture. For legal reasons, poems should be somewhat abstract. Specific characters and situations can be mentioned, but it's better if they are only alluded to. A poetic retelling of the plot of a game likely will not fly. We feel that poetry is pretty well protected by fair use in this case, but keep in mind that the more specific IP is used in a poem, the more likely that it might get rejected simply for being risky.' http://manawaker.com/DtgA.html
Flash fiction up to 500 words. http://greensubmissions.com/130/emeraldbolts/terms.php
'Teesta Rangeet is a poetry journal published bi-monthly.We hope to come up with an anthology in print after every five issues. The editors in the journal are dedicated to nurturing poets and fostering an environment for poetry to thrive. Founded by Dweep Mustang, this is an initiative to reach out to both the established and the emerging writers, with an emphasis to review the current trends in Nepali writing both in the Nepali community of India and other diasporic places from where Nepali poets write.
However we also dearly welcome writers from around the world to contribute and engage in this dialogic dream of commingling voices and narratives.' http://teestarangeet.yolasite.com/submissions.php
Poems and short stories. http://jottersutd.wix.com/jotters-united#!submit/c24cc
'Sukoon is an Arab-themed, English language, online literary magazine reflecting the diversity and richness of the Arab world.' Poetry, short stories, personal essays. http://www.sukoonmag.com/responsive/sample-page/
'We think literary fiction often includes elements of genre, but we know genre when we see it. So, we’re looking for character-driven work that could be considered mainstream. We want serious fiction that we would compare to Haruki Murakami or Jonathan Franzen. If your science fiction is more Aldous Huxley or H.G. Wells than Orson Scott Card, then we’ll read it. If your horror reminds us of Bram Stoker or Mary Shelley, then we might like it. Your fantasy shouldn’t be fantasy at all. It should be magical realism if it’s going to hold up under scrutiny.' http://scrutinyjournal.com/submit/
Full-length MSS. 'We are partial to the writer who possesses a gift for compassionate, sharp-eyed truth-telling, rendering fully formed characters and stories that get under our skin. Ones that push hard to discover the kind of truth that exposes the reality of our deepest humanity.' http://twistedroadpublications.com/about/
Poetry and short prose. http://www.themanchesterreview.co.uk/?page_id=231