There are three headings:
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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 Aug The theme for our August haiku submissions is 'falling'. Submit yours to littlems@mslexia.co.uk
6th Aug ‘You are invited to submit a short ode (16 lines maximum) on the death of a pet in unusual circumstances. Please email entries to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 6 August.’ (Cathy’s advice: they like humour and use of form. Do not enter this unless you know what metre is and your grammar is impeccable! Scroll down past the results of the last comp to find the details of this one. The results of the lastone will also give you ahint as to the sort of thing they like.) http://www.spectator.co.uk/life/competition/9271061/spinning-jenny/
9th Aug Story 1000-2000 words. No ‘swearing’ or ‘profanity’. http://www.cwinst.com/
10th Aug ‘We want to hear your most amazing, moving, funny or dramatic real-life stories. Tell your story in no more than 250 words, and send it in the body of an email to experience@theguardian.com with the subject line 'THE MOTH'’ (Cathy’s note: you need to be able to get to London on 28th Aug or 1st Sept if you win).
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jul/16/the-moth-competition
11th August Equestrian short story up to 6000 words. http://www.hay-net.co.uk/equestrian-short-story-competition-2014
11th Aug Story up to 2500 words. http://library.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=705#LiveContent[faq]
15th Aug Full-length play. http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/drama.asp
15th Aug Theme: SOMETHING CRAZY Just write something completely out there? Any wacky ideas, any crazy completely mental worlds, characters that just don't make sense, talking i dunno biscuits, why not? Go wild http://theladyintheloft.webs.com/competition
18th Aug Enter your novel that was self-published after Dec 31st 2011. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/08/the-guardian-legend-self-published-book-of-the-month
29th Aug Blog (or email them) in an inspirational way about your bad habit. UK only. http://www.bobatoo.co.uk/blog/bobatoo-bad-habits-blog-competition/
30th Aug Story up to 5000 words featuring the East End of London. must mention Bow Bells. http://www.bricklanepublishing.com/story-contest
31st Aug Submit your story for children aged 1-3 years (up to 600 words) or 4-6 years (up to 900 words). The theme of the 2014 competition is “Grandad, grandma and I in our multicultural society”. http://www.inclusiveworks.eu/Our-expertise/Projects/Childrens-stories#.U0zkSfl_uSo
31st Aug Poetry by the under-18s on the theme of Conflict and Community. (Cathy’s note: there is a comp for adults too, but it isn’t free.) http://www.theportico.org.uk/prizes/poetry-prize/youngcategory
31st Aug Poetry by Canadians under the age of 23. http://waxpoetryart.com/axil/contests/poetrycontest1.html
Monthly: Travel writing up to 600 words. http://www.st-christophers.co.uk/live-your-life/write-for-a-night
31st Aug US, District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) residents only: 'We’re looking for short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, cartoons, and poems about ordinary gurus. Ordinary gurus teach us what we need to know in order to expand our view of ourselves and the world. These gurus aren’t just people— they can also be anything in nature that offers you an insight or life-lesson, perhaps a pet, a wild animal, or even a tree that helps you see yourself or life differently.' Up to 1200 words. http://ordinarygurus.com/contest/
1st Sept Love story 2500-3000 words by a writer aged 21 or older who is a legal resident of the United States, the District of Columbia or Canada (excluding Quebec). http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/blogs-books/all-about-love-writing-contest
SUBMISSION CALLS WITH DEADLINES
4th Aug Comic writing, suitable for audio performance and recording, written by a woman (or women), 90 seconds long or less http://www.crookedpieces.com/apps/blog/and-then-she-said-a-funny-thing
10th Aug ‘Our first goal is to publish diverse voices that may not have mainstream access or traditional access to publishing. This includes but is not limited to LGBTQIA, ethnic minorities, women, lower socio-economic status, those who are older or younger, religious minorities, and non-American persons. We are looking to build an inclusive online community and auidence for our voices.’ Poetry, short fiction and other stuff. https://eastjasminereview.submittable.com/submit
10th Aug Poetry, fiction and other stuff on the theme of American Empires. http://www.guernicamag.com/information/contact/
14th Aug Speculative fiction (preferably SF) over 4500 words. http://keithstevenson.com/CDLblog/submissions/
15th Aug Tanka, or a tanka sequence. http://undertowtankareview.blogspot.co.uk/
15th Aug Poetry. http://www.cannonpoets.org.uk/publications.php?panel=cannonsmouth.html
15th Aug Motorcycle stories 1000-5000 words. http://www.elektrikmilkbathpress.com/submissions
15th Aug Poetry, art and photography by women on the theme of Survival Through Art. http://wickedbanshee.wordpress.com/submissions/
15th August YA fiction 2000-7000 words on the theme of 'Schoolbooks and Sorcery'. http://www.michaelmjones.com/call-for-submissions-schoolbooks-sorcery/
15th Aug ' The title is The Female Complaint, and you can take that any way you can think of. Stories of fierceness, hunger, resistance. Tales of uppity women who buck the tide, shake off their chains, tell the emperor he has no clothes. Word count: up to 10,000 words. Previously published work is welcome, as long as you own the copyright.' http://www.shademountainpress.com/contact.php
15th Aug Positive, uplifting poetry and flash on the theme of Discover. http://www.sproutonlinemagazine.com/p/guidelines.html
15th Aug Speculative fiction 500-7000 words by women. http://lunastationquarterly.com/submissions/
15th Aug YA fiction 2000-5000 words on the theme of Monsters. http://inaccuraterealities.com/submissions/
15th Aug Poetry and fiction on the theme of Literary Heroes. http://www.bohemia-journal.com/guidelines
15th Aug Poetry and fiction on the theme of Home is Not a Place. http://www.desiwriterslounge.net/papercuts/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=37:submission-guidelines&Itemid=54]here.%3C/a
20th Aug Short fiction, comics, poetry and other stuff on the theme of Machine. http://riverlit.com/submit/
25th Aug Prose up to 1500 words and poetry on the theme of either Beneficial Exercises for Heart Disturbances or Facts You Should Know About Digestion: A Trip Through the Alimentary Canal and What Happened There. https://osedaxpress.submittable.com/submit
25th Aug Poetry and fiction on the theme of Myth and Magic. https://sugaredwatermagazine.wordpress.com/2014/07/07/mythmagic/
26th Aug Poetry and fiction on the theme of The Soul of the World: Wild Intelligence. http://moonmagazine.org/submission-guideline/
29th Aug Flash and short fiction on the theme of Discovering your parents’ secret stash. http://infectiveink.com/guidelines.html
30th Aug 'Our holiday books are very popular. We do a new edition every other year and so we are now collecting stories for our Christmas 2015 book. Share your special stories about the holiday season - including Chanukah and Kwanzaa - from inspirational and joyous, to heartwarming and humorous. Remember all of the stories in our Christmas books are "Santa Safe" - we don't want to spoil the magic for children. The deadline for story and poem submissions is August 30, 2014.' http://www.chickensoup.com/form.asp?cid=possible_books
30th Aug Short story on the theme of Joy. http://overtheredline.com/submission-form/
30th August True paranormal experiences up to 1000 words. http://www.firbolgpublishing.com/submissions-now-open-the-book-of-the-dead/
30th Aug Poetry and fiction on the theme of Distractions. http://www.constellations-lit.com/
31st Aug Poetry by women. http://www.secondlightlive.co.uk/artemis.shtml#submit
31st Aug 'Lovely, Dark, and Deep — An Anthology Call — Wolves, fairies, ghosts, errant campers, and witches … fiction is rife with tales of what happens when people dare to enter, or leave, the woods. A classic setting from the oldest fairytale to the newest thriller, the adventure and danger that comes from wandering around a forest, or a jungle, provides endless opportunity for new stories.' 10,000-20,000 words. http://www.lessthanthreepress.com/anthology-submissions/
31st Aug Poetry on the theme of Ordinary Epiphanies. http://www.spillway.org/submit.html
31st Aug ‘We’re looking for stories that:
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• Have a main character a middle grade reader (ages 9-12) can identify with;
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• Show a diverse set of real characters;
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• Are well written, fun to read and encourage a love of reading science fiction;
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• Tell of adventure, space, science. Give us rockets, robots and alien encounters, and we’re pretty happy. Steampunk, time travel, weird west and alternate history are all fine;
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• Are between 3,000 and 6,000 words.
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• We’re especially looking for stories:
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• Where the main character is of a population that has traditionally been under-represented in science fiction, e.g. girls, people of color, differently abled people;
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• Where the main character has agency, exercises it, and isn’t just along for the ride.’ http://dreamingrobotpress.com/2014-young-explorers-adventure-guide/
31st Aug Story 800-3000 words suitable for a live reading, on the theme of Body & Mind http://www.liarsleaguenyc.com/blog/submitting-to-liars-league-nyc.html
31st Aug Modern version of a Grimm’s Fairy Tale, 1500-5000 words. http://www.tacituspublishing.com/anthologies.html
31st Aug Short fiction and visual art. http://www.sonderreview.com/#!submit/c1wbb
31st Aug QUILTBAG horror up to 10,000 words. http://michaelmatheson.wordpress.com/this-patchwork-flesh/
31st Aug SF&F short fiction 1500-3000 words. 'Abbreviated Epics - Short stories with epic themes: Swashbuckles and sorcery, alternate history (e.g., Napoleonic era magic, steampunk), megalomania, Frankenstein-type tales, creation myths.' http://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/
31st Aug Stories and poetry on the theme of While the Moon Shines. ‘ The stories and poems that take place after sunset and before sunrise can be some of the most interesting. When the lights are out, there are no boundaries. When the sun goes down, it takes with it humanity’s inhibitions. What happens then? Tell us a story about it. Write us a poem. Your only guideline (other than all our standard guidelines) is that the story must take place at night.’ http://eabpublishing.com/submissions/
31st Aug Startling Sci-Fi stories 1000-3000 words. http://newlitsalonpress.com/open-call-startling-sci-fi/
31st Aug Speculative poetry, 10 lines and under. http://inkscrawl.net/guidelines.html
31st Aug SF/F fiction 1000-6000 words on the theme of Destruction. http://crossedgenres.com/submissions/magazine/#current
31st Aug Poetry and fiction on the theme of Crossroads. Also poetry collections and chapbooks, and novels and novellae. https://fishcreekpress.submittable.com/submit
31st Aug Poetry and fiction (1000-6000 words)on the theme of Songs of the Earth. http://solarwyrm.com/latchkey-tales/
31st Aug Poetry, stories and plays on the theme of Ubu. ‘I guess the theme might be a bit obscure for some English-speaking readers/contributors. So please, read about Alfred Jarry's play King Ubu and Ubu Cuckolded. Inform yourself about "pataphysics": the science beyond metaphysics, of imaginary solutions, the theatre of the Absurd, Surrealism.’ http://mgversion2datura.blogspot.fr/
31st Aug Literary fiction 1000-3000 words. http://newlitsalonpress.com/open-call-startling-sci-fi/
31st Aug Poetry and fiction on the theme of Plastic. http://www.voiceworksmag.com.au/contribute/#sthash.T64wAK8I.dpbs
1st Sept 'Editor Kelly Ann Jacobson, the author of Cairo in White and The Zaniyah Trilogy, is looking for pieces of exceptional magical fiction written in a literary style that are as entertaining and spellbinding as stories for children but are written at an adult level.' 500-3000 words. http://www.kellyannjacobson.com/magical#sthash.fJhCjCxz.dpbs
1st Sept Short spec fic on the theme of Aliens. http://penumbraezine.blogspot.co.uk/p/submissions.html
1st Sept Poetry Microchapbooks – 8-10 pages of poetry. http://porkbellypress.wordpress.com/2014/07/07/microchap/
1st Sept Poetry, fiction and other stuff inspired by The Great Gatsby. http://silverbirchpress.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/call-for-submissions-the-great-gatsby-anthology/
1st Sept 'Imagine an alternate history in which the west was never won or was won by someone or something other than Americans (i.e. aliens, interdimensional beings, robots from the future, Japanese Samurais, French poodles etc.). How would this have changed the national landscape or cultural milieu? What would a Western-less, 2014 America look like?' Short stories. http://thewolfskin.com/the-wolf-skin-quarterly.html
1st Sept Sexy poetry and fiction on the theme of Breakfast in Bed. http://www.inmybedmagazine.com/html/submissions.html
1st Sept Poetry, fiction, plays and loads of other stuff on the theme of Apollo. http://neosalexandria.org/bibliotheca-alexandrina/calls-for-submissions/with-lyre-and-bow-a-devotional-anthology-for-apollo/
1st Sept ‘We are looking for stories based around the theme of exploring a foreign place and comparing it to a previous and familiar environment…The story has to be written at a cultural, semantic and sentence level that is accessible to an adult English language learner.’ 3000-5000 words. http://www.stickcapepublishing.com/submissions
1st Sept Pulp fiction 2000-5000 words. http://darkcornersmagazine.blogspot.co.uk/p/submission-guidlines.html
1st Sept ‘We publish work by mothers about everything, and by everyone about mothers or motherhood. If you are a mother, you may submit work on any topic; if you are not a mother, the piece must have some aspect of mothering or motherhood as a central element (not just a minor mother character). This is a general (non-themed) issue, however it will contain a special themed folio for poetry, “Compassionate Action,” curated by contributing editor Jennifer Jean. Both experimental and traditional works are welcome.’ http://www.momeggreview.com/themomegg/Submit.html
1st Sept Poetry, flash and short fiction. http://kudzureview.com/submit.html
1st Sept Fiction up to 500 words and poetry for kids on the theme of Flying to the Moon. http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/submissions.htm
1st Sept Flash, short fiction and poetry on the theme of Desire. https://thequotablelit.submittable.com/submit
1st Sept Poetry, fiction and other stuff on the theme of Emergence. http://lanternjournal.org/category/submissions/
1st Sept Fiction up to 2500 words on the theme of either ‘Things that go Bump in the Night’ or ‘School Daze’. http://bwgwritersroundtable.com/
1st Sept Poetry and other stuff on the theme of Voices of the Human Spirit. http://aboutplacejournal.org/submissions/
1st Sept Flash, short fiction or flash on the theme of Hallowe’en. http://www.ridinglightreview.com/special-issue-guidelines.html
SUBMISSION CALLS WITH NO KNOWN DEADLINE
Writing by working class queers. http://stillblueproject.wordpress.com/submissions/
Dark speculative short fiction, novellas and novels. (Cathy’s note: As the standard of their English isn’t very high – note ‘zombie hoards’ on the subs page – this might be a good place to submit if you have similar issues). http://baddreamentertainment.com/submissions/
‘We are open to submissions of poems in many styles, with a general theme of political issues, social justice, equality and diversity. You might want to send poems about current affairs, our culture, media, or political system. As well as poems about political problems and the occasional out-and-out rant, we would like to encourage positive poems about hope, inclusivity, lessons from the past and visions of a better future. Above all the poem should be relevant to both poets and non-poets (thank you, Mr Paxman).’ http://thestaresnest.com/submissions/
Innovative prose and hybrids up to 1000 words; also poetry. https://posit.submittable.com/submit
Poetry and flash. (Cathy’s note: in the Duotrope interview, the editor says that the mistake that submitters most commonly make is not providing the author bio.) http://peekingcatpoetrymagazine.blogspot.co.uk/p/submissions.html
‘The Novel Fox is currently accepting submissions from authors and agents in the following genres: action/adventure, fantasy, military/espionage, science fiction, thrillers/suspense, and young adult. The preferred word count for novels is generally in the range of 70-110 thousand words, or 50-75 thousand words for young adult.’
http://www.thenovelfox.com/author/
Open until filled: ‘We, at Harren Press, are hosting a steampunk anthology! Well, not just steampunk. Blend it with another genre and amaze us with your imagination. Use nuts and bolts to build a story and etch a place for yourselves in the annals of Harren Press’s history. Thank you to those who help us fulfill this mission.’ 2500-7500 word stories. http://www.harrenpress.com/gears-gadgets-and-steam
Flash fiction, poetry and short fiction. http://pithypages.com/submissions.html
‘We publish work in all forms: poetry, prose, fiction, video, photography, and stuff we haven’t thought of yet. We are looking for think-y work. Surprise and delight is good. Brilliant is good. Experimental is good. Challenging is good. Weird is good. Funny is nice. We are starting to publish books. We are open to all forms but are particularly interested in nonfiction, political, and philosophical work. We also love poetry. If you have a manuscript you would like us to consider please email a synopsis of the work in the body of the email and either attach the manuscript to the email or send a dropbox/other link.’Email to: amy@ohioedit.com http://ohioedit.com/submit/
Prose, poetry and cross-genre. http://remarkabledoorways.com/submissions/
Scroll down for open submission calls: two anthologies, one of hardboiled crime/noir and one of glimpses into heaven or hell. http://jthompson612.wix.com/dead-guns-press#!beers/cqnr
Prose, poetry and other stuff. http://blacksunlit.com/submit/
The next theme os MEMORY. All Creative writing is to be presented in a Word document in Arial 12pt. If you are submitting more than one piece, please place all pieces on the same document. DON'T FORGET TO PUT YOUR NAME AT THE BOTTOM SO WE KNOW IT'S YOU! The following limits apply:
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•Flash fiction - 250 words and 3 submissions
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•Short stories - 1000 words and 1 submission
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•Poems - 40 lines and 3 submissions
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•Articles - 1500 words and a 200 word synopsis of chosen subject. 1 submission
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•Reviews - 500 words 2 submissions.
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•Submit to bunburymagazine@gmail.com
(Cathy’s note: I’ve been unable to find a deadline for this so I’d send sooner rather than later, if possible.)
Poetry and prose. http://www.tulane.edu/~litsoc/treview.html
Short fiction and poetry. http://www.mountisland.com/submissions.html
Genre (SF, F and H) fiction. http://www.fortresspublishinginc.com/index_files/guidelines.html
‘CECILE'S WRITERS MAGAZINE is a digital publication focused on intercultural writers. Writers with a mixed heritage or who have lived abroad or write in English as a second language are all welcome. Whether previously unpublished or veterans, we work with writers closely and offer them a home on our platform. We currently have open submissions. We accept flash fiction, short stories, novel excerpts and personal essays.’ http://www.cecileswriters.com/mag/submission-guidelines/
Short fiction, poetry and novels. http://www.wordpoolpress.com/submit.html
Feminist crime fiction. http://bettyfedora.com/wp/?page_id=24
Flash, poetry and short fiction. http://www.mountisland.com/submissions.html
Poetry, fiction, plays etc by writers aged 13-18. http://canvasliteraryjournal.com/submit/
LGBTQ poetry, fiction and other stuff. http://www.provocateurlitmagazine.org/submit.html
RomCom Poetry. http://romcompom.wordpress.com/submissions/
Poetry, short fiction and nonfiction. They lean towards writers from Northern California, but do accept writing from anywhere. http://theeastbayreview.com/submit/
‘Barking Sycamores publishes poetry, short fiction (1,000 words or less), and artwork. We also welcome and publish essays about neurodivergence and the creation of literature.While anyone may submit to Barking Sycamores, preference is given to submissions from neurodivergent writers. Such neurodivergence includes autism, the state of being currently known as Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (AD(H)D), Bipolar, and synesthesia, as well as other neurominority or related states of being. http://barkingsycamores.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines/general-submission-guidelines/
‘Prose up to 4,000 words. Up to three poems. Submissions must be at least 75 percent factual.’ http://threequarterreview.com/2014/06/23/contact-us/
Fiction of 100 words or fewer. http://microfictionmondaymagazine.com/submissions/
‘Prose ‘n Cons™ is a quarterly magazine presenting quality content in the mystery, suspense and crime genres. Fiction needs include whodunnit, traditional detective, non-traditional investigator, police procedurals, locked room, impossible crime stories, and tales of suspense. Desired non-fiction content includes people profiles, discussions of new or unusual methodologies, and stories offering historical perspective. Poetry, cartoons, other illustrations and news bites (compatible with the editorial mission) will be considered.’ http://www.prose-n-cons.com/ProsenConsWritersGuidelines_June2014.pdf
‘We publish quality poetry, short stories, other literature and artwork that is edgy, offers new perspectives, challenges traditional genres and modes of expression and moves or excites us in some way.’ https://carbonculturereview.submittable.com/submit
Poetry chapbooks. https://osedaxpress.submittable.com/submit
Poetry, flash (they take fiction up to 1500, so most of that will be flash) and short memoir. http://walleahpress.com.au/communion-guidelines.html
Poetry and short fiction. Also ‘literary lines’ – those sentences/phrases that you really like but that haven’t fitted into a poem or story yet. http://ifwhen.us/
Poetry and fiction from and about Africa and the diaspora. https://transition.submittable.com/submit
Short fiction and poetry by people with disabilities. http://www.abilitymaine.org/breath/write.html
Writing for children. http://www.xiaoduo.com.cn/news/index.php?action-viewnews-itemid-18882-php-1
Flash and short fiction and poetry. http://www.carrierpigeonmag.com/submissions
Poetry, prose and chapbooks. http://cutglasspress.tumblr.com/submittttt
Fiction, poetry and other stuff that may (but doesn’t have to) be on one of these themes: The Hustle, Vows and Commitments, Displacement, Gray Area https://theintentional.submittable.com/submit
Flash fiction up to 750 words. http://newflashfiction.com/submissions/
Short fiction, poetry, screenplays, music, art and all kinds of stuff. http://www.wordofthedayradio.org/
Poems up to 9 lines. http://nutshellsandnuggets.tumblr.com/post/91369527277/submissions
Fiction, poetry and lots of other stuff. ‘Munyori Literary Journal is a Zimbabwean-American literary platform that features works from global writers and artists. Consistent with its identity, the journal now receives the bulk of its submissions from Zimbabwe and the United States, but we have also featured works from other countries, Nigeria, India, China, the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Ghana, Canada, and others; we want to read more from all corners of the globe.’ http://munyori.org/guidelines/
Poetry and prose. http://seasonseast.wordpress.com/submit/
‘Silences, deep dark places, unanswerable torments. Emotions that never surface. Generations long forgotten. Children never born. A message that slipped the bottle. Sometimes the written word captures these ineffable contours, and this is precisely what our journal is about. We want to create a space for other crooked-smile clowns wandering away from the path of courtiers and kings, burning the midnight oil to tell a story. Send poetry, short fiction, art work and essays that are thematically and/or stylistically dark, displaced, deconstructed.’ http://sleipnir.us/submissions.html
Fiction 1000-10,000 words. http://midnightbreakfast.com/submissions/
‘We’re looking for everything. Any genre. Any length.’ http://www.electriccereal.com/submissions/
Flash fiction and novellas. https://straylight.submittable.com/submit
Poetry, flash, short fiction and other stuff. http://ottermagazine.com/about-2/