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.
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
(Cathy’s note: The deadline for the following contest is 31st August, but it says that free entry is ‘conditional, so get your poems in now!’ So I suggest entering ASAP) ‘We are searching for ten poets for one cause--to bring awareness to injustice around the globe. From Cambodian work factories to the forgotten orphans in Uganda, we are aiming to shed light and compassion through the poetic voice.’ http://www.rewardpublishing.info/2015-poetry-competition-.html
4th May UK and Ireland only: The first 15,000 words of your crime novel. http://www.amheath.com/blog/criminal-lines-2015/
6th May ' You are invited to submit a job application (for a position of your choosing) by a well-known writer, living or dead. Email entries of up to 150 words or 16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 6 May.' http://www.spectator.co.uk/life/competition/9506352/verses-on-horses/
8th May Complete the first chapter of the story. UK residents only. http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/2015/04/calling-all-new-writers-it-s-the-baileys-first-chapter-competition#.VTgJkZOX8dW
8th May Fiction up to 5000 words, suitable for 8-12 year olds, on the theme of “Once I began to read, I began to exist.”, by someone who hasn’t had a chapbook or book-length work published. http://weneeddiversebooks.org/short-story-contest/
12th May UK only: 'If you could have afternoon tea with anyone famous (alive or dead) who would it be and why?' Win champagne afternoon tea at a London hotel. http://thesecret.secretsales.com/2015/04/afternoon-tea-competition/
13th May ‘With your child, get them to tell us in no more than 100 words what they are saving for, how they are saving for it and give us their top savings tip.’ http://www.mirror.co.uk/features/win-1230-santander-childrens-savings-5447898
13th May 'Not all the errant children in Hilaire -Belloc’s Cautionary Tales met a grisly end. You are invited to submit an update on one of the characters who lived to tell the tale. Email entries of up to 16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 13 May.' http://www.spectator.co.uk/life/competition/9514242/eating-poetry/
13th May UK only: have your child create a story using the link provided, and submit the title. http://www.mumsnet.com/competitions/2015/apr-2015/win-a-family-trip-to-harry-potter-studio-tour
25th May ‘Create and write your postcard from the First World War. Choose or design your own image and then write your accompanying message. You are writing the postcard as a friend or family member on the homefront and you can address it to whomever you choose. Perhaps your son or brother is in the trenches about to go ‘over the top’? Perhaps your daughter is a nurse by the battlefields? What news do you have from home? How can you help them through their wartime ordeals? http://theatrecloud.com/get-involved/creative-projects/send-postcards-to-the-oh-what-a-lovely-war-frontline
25th May Choose words to describe the community ‘pack’ and explain your choice. http://www.divinedictionary.org/writing-contest.html
29th May 800-1200 words on the theme of Everyday people who are making a difference for Jesus. http://todayschristianliving.org/uncategorized/2015-writing-contest-tips/
30th May Write a poem showing why your intended is the love of your life. UK only. http://www.angelicabotanicaltherapy.co.uk/wedding-day-favours-competitio/4588794962
31st May This contest awards seven top prizes of $200 to poems that "evoke humankind's awareness of the natural world." Submit only one poem per person, no length limit. Open to high school students from across the globe who are in 11th and 12th grades (or the equivalent). https://sites.google.com/site/savetheearthpoems/
31st May '(The) contest is a call for the most vivid stories of your life! Stories which are just a casual moment of your life, but stay with you for a lifetime.' (Cathy's note: the prize is a stay at a Himalayan abode. I can't find anything about exactly what the winner gets - whether it includes travel, for instance - so I'd make further enquiries if that matters.) http://www.indiabnb.com/story-contest/#tab-3
31st May Fantasy story 1500-3000 words on one of the three provided themes. http://blog.caladria.com/post/115197583382/enter-caladrias-free-fantasy-short-story
31st May Full length MSS by Christian residents of the USA. http://www.westbowpress.com/Parable2015/
1st June Poetry and prose from writers who have not yet published a chapbook, novel, or collection of any type. http://www.wintertangerine.com/wtawards-guidelines
1st Jun 'A peculiar thing is happening… Children are preparing their entry for this year's award. This year’s theme: Strange Events and Peculiar Happenings. The story could be based on anything from strange dreams to peculiar things that have happened! Young authors aged 5-14 should aim to submit a story of no more than 500 words. You can submit your entry to leedssouth@explorelearning.co.uk Please ask your parent/guardian to send their name and contact number with your entry so that we can contact you if you win!'
SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES
4th May Flash and short fiction on the theme of Cult. http://www.rickysbackyard.com/submission-guidelines/
4th May Poetry and more on the theme of The Effects of War for this Quaker publication. http://www.friendsjournal.org/submissions/
5th May 'The Poeteer seeks to be a new voice for poets of the 21st century. We seek poetry that is relevant to today's world.' http://www.localgemspoetrypress.com/the-poeteer1.html
6th May Writing on the theme of The Dark Side. http://www.original-writer.com/submissionwritershaven.html#.VSG4kZOX8dU
8th May Speculative flash fiction 300-1000 words on the theme of Sci-Fi vs. Fantasy. http://splicketypubgroup.com/imprints/havok-magazine/
10th May Writing on the theme of Orgasm for this journal devoted to women’s sexuality. http://www.cliteraturejournal.com/submissionguidelines.html
11th May Flash and short fiction on the theme of Transgender. https://litro.submittable.com/submit/35372
11th May Fiction, poetry and more on the theme of The Value of Currency for this publication at the intersection of psychology and art. http://www.psychologytomorrowmagazine.com/submission-guidelines/
13th May Poetry fiction and more on the theme of Hush Hush. http://www.synaesthesiamagazine.com/#!submissions/ck0q
15th May Spoken word poems. https://arcpoetry.submittable.com/submit
15th May ‘Please submit poems, letters, essays, or short stories in response to the following themes: My Coming Out Story; From the Closet; Being Gay, Lesbian, Trans, Bi, and/or Cross-dressing Me; Behind Closed Doors.’ http://ashandbones.com/submissions/
15th May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Fables and Folklore. http://desiwriterslounge.net/papercuts/submissions/
15th May Poetry, fiction and more on the themes of Body Image and Eating Disorders. http://www.ifandonlyifjournal.com/
15th May ‘Rozlyn Press is seeking short fiction for a printed anthology of women (female-identified) writers to be published in August 2015. We accept submissions up to 6000 words.’ http://rozlynpress.com/submissions/
15th May ‘JONAHmagazine is comprised of stories. Stories of journeys, in space, in time, in the heart, or in the mind. Beginnings, endings, triumphs and frustrations, odysseys of the spirit. Poetry, prose, true stories, memoir. Tales humorous or not. Fish stories, big fish stories. Lies. Stories that come from the soul, or that steal it. Stories that derive from the sky or the deep blue sea, or from nothing and nowhere.’ http://jonahmagazine.com/contact-jonahmagazine/
15th May Poetry pamphlets. http://littlelanternpress.com/submissions/
15th May Sword and sorcery story up to 9000 words with a strong female protagonist. http://www.mzbworks.com/guidelines.htm
15th May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Tenacity. http://www.thephoenixsoul.com/submit/
15th May Short fiction on the theme of Madame Morte’s burlesque. http://knightwatch.greatbritishhorror.com/submissions/
15th May Poetry, fiction, drama, art and loads more by writers under 40. http://windowcatpress.weebly.com/submissions.html
15th May ‘Therianthropy: the ability of a creature to change form from man to beast and/or vice versa. While the most common examples are werewolves, many other cases exist – from selkies to cat people, snake women to Manimal. This is your opportunity to create a brand new creature, to breathe new life into an old idea, or to tell a tale of true lunacy. While stories can be fantastical or comedic, the main emphasis should be on horror.’ 4000-5000 words. http://knightwatch.greatbritishhorror.com/submissions/
15th May Fairy tales set in winter. http://www.worldweaverpress.com/newsblog/frozen-fairy-tales-anthology-open-to-submissions
15th May ‘...we will be considering submissions of unpublished, suspenseful literary novellas by women writers. Novellas should be 9,000- 13,000 words long (40-60 pages). We seek well-crafted fiction in which the plot strengthens the characterization. Novellas featuring protagonists from traditionally under-represented communities are particularly encouraged. One submission per writer allowed. No horror, science fiction, young adult fiction, fantasy, erotica, traditional romance or fan fiction will be considered.’ https://spiderroadpress.submittable.com/submit/39224
15th May Poetry and prose on the theme of Questions of Travel. https://elohigadugi.submittable.com/submit
15th May ‘Submissions are open now through May 15, 2015 for LGBTQIA and two-spirit writers. Please send up to 10 pages of poetry, fiction and/or creative nonfiction to submissions.gtkjournal@gmail.com. Include a brief bio (50 words or less) in the body of the email and your name and “SPECIAL ISSUE 4” as the subject header.’ http://guidetokulchurcleveland.com/2015/03/16/guide-to-kulchur-creative-journal-special-issue-4-open-for-submissions/
15th May Steampunk up to 11,500 words. http://www.zimbellhousepublishing.com/contest-submissions/
15th May Speculative poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Gods and Monsters. http://www.holdfastmagazine.com/submission-guidelines/4582814806
15th May ‘Issue Three seeks poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and visual art that explore the psychological, physical, spiritual, and mythical underpinnings of “home” in the American South.’ http://redtruckreview.com/submissions.shtml
20th May ‘We are looking for writing and artwork about Vietnam or writing and art work by people who have a connection to Vietnam.’ http://masqueandspectacle.com/submission-guidelines/
20th May Poetry and fiction. http://www.houndlit.com/submit/
25th May Poems informed by Buddhism in some way. http://www.buddhistpoetryreview.com/submit
26th May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Making the shift: Economics for a small planet . http://moonmagazine.org/submission-guideline/
28th May Short fiction, including flash, on the theme of Modern Spins on Common Fairy Tales. http://infectiveink.com/guidelines.html
30th May Lovecraft-inspired flash and short fiction. http://01publishing.com/submissions/open-call-whispers-from-the-abyss-vol-2/
30th May Stories up to 2500 of erotic food play. http://www.literarywanderlust.com/submissions/
30th May Poetry on the theme of Conversation. http://magmapoetry.com/call-for-contributions-magma-63-on-the-theme-of-conversation/
30th May Prose and poetry by writers of colour. http://www.kwelijournal.org/submit/
31st May Fiction 3000-8000 words. http://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=submit
31st May Poetry on the theme of My Cruel Invention. http://meerkatpress.com/my-cruel-invention-poetry-anthology/
31st May ‘What could possibly lurking in the woods? It’s up to you to find out! Craft the scariest, most diabolical story you can.’ Flash and short fiction. http://www.christinaescamilla.com/open-the-deep-dark-woods-anthology/
31st May Poetry. http://arcpoetry.ca/?page_id=5595
31st May or when filled: ‘Call for Submissions for the Hides the Dark Tower anthology. Tower. What comes to mind when you hear the word? Pole to Pole Publishing is seeking original science fiction, fantasy and horror stories of 500-5000 words to be published in the Hides the Dark Tower anthology.’ http://poletopolepublishing.com/submissions/
31st May Speculative fiction. http://betwixtmagazine.com/submissions/
31st May Lesbian Historical Romance, 3000-9000 words. http://www.thelizmcmullenshow.com/throughthehourglass/
31st May ‘We consider original, unpublished novels and novellas within the confines of dark fantasy and horror—mystery, suspense, supernatural, morbid humor, fantasy, etc. Please note that novellas must be at least 17,500 words in length. Anything less will be deleted.’ http://www.shocktotem.com/guidelines/
31st May Poetry and flash fiction on the theme of The Four Seasons. http://www.kindofahurricanepress.com/p/anthology-four-seasons.html
31st May Poetry and fiction. http://www.bu.edu/agni/submit.html
31st May ‘Poetry Kanto is interested in the individuating, awakening impulse which the language of lyric poetry taps into. As a poetry magazine, we are seeking not only to fill a niche but also to make for unknown destinations.’ http://poetrykanto.com/submit-3
31st May Poetry and fiction, either for the unthemed winter issue or the Faith-themed Spring issue. http://www.tinhouse.com/magazine/submission-guidelines.html
31st May Lesbian historical romance, 3000-5000 words. http://womenwords.org/2015/01/04/calls-for-submissions-2/
31st May ‘We’re looking for well-crafted, true accounts 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. We want to hear about the aspects of motherhood that surprised you, took your breath away, or even knocked you down.’ http://www.herstoriesproject.com/call-submissions-glad-told/
31st May Poetry, flash, short fiction and more on the theme of Afar. http://loveliestmag.com/submit/
31st May Vignettes. http://www.vineleavesliteraryjournal.com/submission-guidelines.html
31st May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of: ‘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.’ http://www.tinhouse.com/magazine/submission-guidelines.html
31st May Poetry on the theme of Poem Pairs/Unformed (see guidelines). http://home.earthlink.net/~tinyviolet/thecentrifugaleyepoetryjournal/id5.html#Themed
31st May Poetry on the theme of A New Home. http://eabpublishing.com/submissions/
31st May Speculative fiction 1000-6000 words on the theme of 2065 (the year). http://crossedgenres.com/submissions/magazine/
31st May poetry on the theme of Excuses. http://www.switched-ongutenberg.org/guidelines.htm
31st May Literary speculative fiction on the theme of Hidden Things. http://www.whatwonderfulthings.net/main/submissions/
1st Jun Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of 1001 Arabian Nights. https://nonbinaryreview.submittable.com/submit/
1st June Novellas 10,000-20,000 words. http://paperroadpress.co.nz/shortcuts/shortcuts-track-2/
1st June Poetry, creative nonfiction, art and more on the theme of Music and the impact it has on people's lives. http://www.storiesofmusic.com/submit-a-story.html
1st June Poetry and prose on the theme of Fracking in America. http://www.icecubepress.com/upcoming-books/fracture-essays-poems-and-stories-on-fracking-in-america
1st June Poetry and short prose. http://www.meniscus.org.au/
1st June Poetry, flash and more suitable for Christian children on the theme of BFF Pets. http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/submissions.htm
1st June ‘HOW TO BE A GOOD (IMPERFECT) PERSON is a quarterly online anthology for humans that identify as artists. It features poetry, prose, essays, and visual art and is run by University of Washington students. We are looking for works that express the frailty of humanity, and the difficulty that comes with navigating a good life. Please submit your work (under 5 pages) to imprfctprsn@gmail.com with your name and contact information. The deadline for the first issue is June 1st, 2015.’
1st June ‘Twelve Winters Press is seeking submissions for an anthology of paradigm-defying print work with a publication target of October 2015. Submissions must work on or with the two-dimensional printed page and should be narrative in the broad sense – any account of fictional or nonfictional connected events – but otherwise we are hoping to see work so innovative that we couldn’t know how to request it prior to seeing it.’ http://twelvewinters.com/submissions/
1st June ‘The anthology takes inspiration from a series of game guides Nintendo published in the 1980s and 90s, The Official Nintendo Player’s Guide, providing strategies, tips, cheats, etc. for video games. We prefer to see stories between 1,000 words and 3000 words and offer the same kind of info on strategy, tips and so forth for video games of your own invention that don’t exist.’ http://www.ravenwarren.com/submissions/
1st Jun Poetry and fiction on the theme of Into the Dark. http://mpapublishing.co.za/issue.html
1st June ' David Nickle and Madeline Ashby are co-editing Licence Expired: the Unauthorized James Bond for ChiZine Publications, seeking stories based on the character of James Bond as described in Ian Fleming's fourteen published works. The anthology will be published by ChiZine Publications in Canada only, as Fleming's work has entered the public domain only in Canada and a few other countries. Because of those legal restrictions, stories must only reference elements from Fleming's stories, and not elements introduced exclusively in the films, new novels and stories, games or other media.' http://chizinepub.com/guidelines/licence-expired
1st Jun Fiction, poetry and more on the theme of A Haunting. http://sedimentslit.com/submit/
1st June Poetry, flash, short fiction and more on the theme of Accommodation. https://thequotablelit.submittable.com/submit
1st Jun Poetry and short fiction on the theme of Loss. https://sites.google.com/site/bethlehemwritersroundtable/submissions
1st Jun Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Laugh. Laugh? Laugh! Also raven jokes (Cathy's note: if you live outside the USA then you can submit by email). http://ravenchronicles.org/raven/rvsubm.html
1st Jun Exciting genre fiction on the theme of Dangerous Women. http://www.pulp-modern.blogspot.co.uk/
1st Jun Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of The Truth is Out There. http://www.thebrokencitymag.com/submissions.html
1st Jun Poetry and more on the theme of Reproduction and Family Planning for this Quaker publication. http://www.friendsjournal.org/submissions/
1st June Poetry and fiction. http://bayoumagazine.org/submission-guidelines/
SUBMISSION CALLS WITH NO KNOWN DEADLINE
4-6 poems. https://clearpoetry.wordpress.com/submit/
Satirical site Apple Noos (http://applenoos.com) seeks writers to create funny and original stories parodying Apple products or the Apple blogosphere. Payment via an ad of your choice embedded within your piece. Send to applenooos@gmail.com (not a typo!)
‘The Fem is a combo literary magazine and safe space. People with disabilities, people of color, women of color, members of the LGBTQIA community, trans people, and all members of oppressed groups are welcome here and encouraged to submit.’ https://thefemlitmagazine.wordpress.com/submissions/
Poetry and fiction. http://www.criticalpassreview.com/submit/magazine-submissions/
Full-length books of various types. http://www.wednesdaypost.com.au/
Poems that reflect the themes of workers' lives, rights, insights, and social justice. http://ourtimes.ca/Write/article_31.php
‘Art, music, literature and compelling societal views that live outside of the box: these are the four pillars of culture that create the world we live in. Fourculture seeks to bring to the light artists of all mediums. Fourculture Magazine is now accepting literary submissions for publication. Accepted submissions will either be published on our website or included in an upcoming issue of our magazine.’ http://fourculture.com/submissions-2/
Horror and dark fantasy stories of 1500-7500 words. http://www.nightmare-magazine.com/about/guidelines/
Ghazals. http://contemporaryghazals.webs.com/contact
Speculative novels and novellas. http://strigidaepublishing.com/for-authors-2/novel-submissions/
Flash fiction. http://spelkfiction.com/submit-2/
'Lucky Bastard Press publishes underdogs & long shots. We'll read anything, but we're especially partial to poetry, with leanings towards slam, stage poetry & performance poetry.' http://www.luckybastardpress.com/queries---submissions.html
Poetry. http://www.damfinopress.com/WP/journal/submission-guidelines/
Poetry and more. http://cargoliterary.com/submit/
‘Exohelion seeks thought-provoking, character-driven science fiction stories that engage with the experiences of people of color, women, and those who identify as LGBTQA+. This is a space for stories that challenge stereotypes, old tropes, and cliché in all elements. We crave stories that show us the universe from new perspectives.’ http://www.exohelion.com/#!submissions/clp5
Flash, short fiction and more. http://www.peardrop.net/submit.html
Poetry, flash, short fiction and more. http://lotus-eatermagazine.com/submissions/
‘Smart fiction with weird elements.’ http://kafkareview.com/submissions/
‘wu-wei fashion mag is an online arts and literature publication. we share a love of reading, writing and art making with the artists whom we present in our issues. our goal is shared discovery through the thoughtful transmission and consumption of rewarding content.’ http://wuweifashion.com/submit
‘We are looking for stories about the everyday human experience. This can be in the form of first person narratives or short fiction.’ http://talkingsoup.com/submissions
Poetry and art about the body. http://www.rogueagentjournal.com/
‘No more than 5 poems, 2 reviews/articles of up to 2 pages each or 1 piece of prose up to 1,000 words please. We are not adherent followers of any styles or trends, your verse can be free or structured, it doesn't matter. We look for thoughtful, intelligent verse and work.’ http://thescreechowl.com/submissions.html
Books for children 0-10 years old. http://www.nppublications.com/fox-tots-publishing/
Poetry, art, music and more. https://vacpoetry.submittable.com/submit
‘Our publication is inherently radical, but we are not afraid to publish contrasting ideas. As Jettison stands first for compassion and empathy, it will not adhere to the prejudice of any corner on the political spectrum. We accept all forms of writing and visual art.’ http://www.jettisonmag.com/contact--submit.html
‘HER MIND ROCKS MAGAZINE is a literary journal featuring young, black, female writers and artists. Our goal is to empower young black women and strengthen the black female voice in both the mainstream and independent markets.’ Fiction, poetry and more. https://hermindrocks.submittable.com/submit
‘We are a fledgling surrealist journal. Send us your drunken musings and automatic writings. Send us your mental diarrhea and your incoherent late-night scribblings. Disturb us with your collages and poems. Send us the grotesque, the original, the nonsensical, and the inspirational. Give us revelations and force us to view the world in a new way. We currently accept a multitude of Surrealist and experimental writings, sketches, collages, and essays.’ http://peculiarmormyrid.weebly.com/submissions.html
Poetry and microfiction up to 100 words. https://aquietcourage.wordpress.com/submissions/
Fiction up to 5000 words. http://www.thricefiction.com/submissions.html
Novels. http://halebooks.com/buriedriver/submissions/
Video-game themed chapbooks of poetry and/or fiction. http://cartridgelit.com/chapbooks/
MSS of poetry, fiction or narrative nonfiction. http://www.stillhousepress.org/submissions/
Novellas 20,000-30,000 words on the theme of Coming of Age. http://www.punkswritepoems.com/split-7/
Poetry and short stories (Cathy's note: they say that they will always comment on rejected work, so you may get useful feedback). http://www.thejawlinereview.com/submit.html
Science fiction or fantasy short stories on the theme of either Origins, Need for Speed or The Heat is On. http://geekylibrary.com/ink-cursor-submission-guidelines/
Fiction, poetry and more. http://catchandrelease.columbiajournal.org/submit/
Poetry, flash, short fiction and more. http://www.ragelitmag.com/submit
Poems. http://vilasavenue.com/submissions-2/
'Send us your work that can’t get the attention it deserves in print: longer prose pieces, photo-essays or stories or poems with visual accompaniment, videopoems, and multimedia or hypertext narratives are all great.' http://slipperyelm.findlay.edu/submit/
Flash fiction 200-700 words (Cathy's note: the publication date is July, but no submissions deadline is given. I suggest getting your submissions in as early as possible). https://postcardpoemsandprose.submittable.com/submit/34303
Christian fiction MSS of various kinds. http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=page&id=57
Fiction, poetry and more, preferably on social justice/mental health themes. http://kristikingmorgan.weebly.com/call-for-submissions.html
Stories, poems and more. http://www.805lit.org/submissions.html
Writing on the theme of Self. http://www.indigoreview.com/submit/
Found poems and collage art. http://unlostjournal.com/submit/
'Suburban Diaspora is an independent online literary journal. We publish two issues a year online with a focus on placeless writing: fiction and poetry without strong ties to place or setting in their pages.' https://suburbandiaspora.submittable.com/submit