Hello everyone,

Many thanks to those of you you have wished me well with my wrist operation. Sadly, it was postponed due to the junior doctor strikes. I’m not blaming them at all, by the way – rather I blame those who make the strikes necessary. Anyway! Onwards and upwards…

Here’s an issue that affects me directly and I’m sure some of you too. Recently I’ve had work accepted for two projects, both of which involved events for their authors. Unfortunately, neither of those events was disabled-accessible. I’ve heard organisers say that it can be really hard to find accessible venues – I know, but when I’ve organised events, I’ve always managed it by making it a priority and thinking creatively. So I feel excluded, and I’m saying to any of you who organise events: don’t exclude us. Just don’t. It’s a really bad thing to do. If your event requires a non-accessible space: could you change your event?

On a happier note, NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) is here! Could you write a poem every day in April? Why not have a go?

Huge love as always to my Patreon heroes, who help to keep this site going.

Good luck and love to all,

Cathy x

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Here are some writing competitions and calls for submission, all with free, electronic entry.

As usual 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.

There are three headings (click/tap to jump straight to them):

• Competitions
• Submissions With Deadlines
• Submissions Without Known Deadlines

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! The links are in the comments, and any dates at the start are deadlines.

Where possible, I have marked the relevant entries with ‘paying’, ‘contributor copy’ etc. However, you are best off checking the info for yourselves as I am not infallible and the info isn’t always available or clear. Please be aware that a contributor copy may be in print or digital format. Also, some publications offer several things, eg payment as well as a contributor copy. Where this is the case, I have assumed that payment is enough of an incentive, so I haven’t listed everything. It’s a rough guide and should be treated as such.

• Support Comps and Calls via Paypal or Patreon.

COMPETITIONS

• Support Comps and Calls via Paypal or Patreon.

5th Apr Spectator Competition No. 3294 ‘You are invited to provide the first 16 lines of an ode to a turnip or another similarly unglamorous vegetable. Email entries to lucyATspectatorDOTcoDOTuk by midday on 5 April.’ PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/spectator-competition-winners-shall-i-compare-thee-to-a-stilton/ (Cathy’s note: you have to scroll down the page to see the competition.)

7th Apr Up to 750 words of flash, nonfiction or prose poem on the theme of Levity. PAYING https://www.invisiblecitylit.com/contests/

12th Apr Spectator Competition No. 3295 ‘You are invited to submit a comically appalling final paragraph to the worst of all possible novels. Please email entries of up to 150 words to lucyATspectatorDOTcoDOTuk by midday on 12 April.’ PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/spectator-competition-winners-poems-for-betty-boothroyd/

14th Apr ‘Reality Show Madness! We are looking for flash in the vein of these reality shows with a heavy addition of the speculative. We are not looking for fan fiction.’ Theme: Amazing Race/Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. PAYING https://apparitionlit.com/submissions/

15th Apr ‘As part of the Green Stories Competition, this contest challenges you to create an uplifting short story of superheroes that respond to climate change. Imagine your target audience to be teens and young adults that enjoy watching superhero films. It is NOT enough to just raise awareness of environmental issues, you need to show how we might solve them.’ Up to 2000 words. PAYING https://www.greenstories.org.uk/upcoming-competitions/superhero-competition/ (thanks to www.prizemagic.co.uk for this one)

15th Apr Up to 3 flash fictions, each up to 500 words. Must be science/speculative fiction. PAYING https://www.iftheresanyoneleft.com/submission-guidelines

16th Apr Fiction, CNF, Humor, and three kinds of poetry. Please submit to one category only. PAYING https://writersalliance.org/bacopa-literary-review/

24th Apr Your Story #123 ‘Write a drabble—a short story of exactly 100 words—based on the photo prompt.’ https://www.writersdigest.com/wd-competitions/your-story-123 (Cathy’s note: there’s no prize except for publication, but I occasionally include these because they are fun or have an interesting prompt.)

30th Apr ‘We call on you—poets, writers, fellow human beings—help us expose the especially heinous crimes committed against a peaceful and law-abiding group of Chinese citizens: Falun Gong practitioners.’ PAYING  https://fofg.org/competitions/2023-poetry-competition/

30th Apr Write and submit a short story of no more than 8,000 words. It must be a work of fantasy, though all fantasy genres are open, e.g. epic fantasy, heroic fantasy, sword and sorcery, contemporary fantasy, etc.’ PAYING https://www.baen.com/contest-faa

1st May ‘Every year, QSF holds a flash fiction contest to create an amazing new anthology of queer speculative fiction stories. We ask authors to do the nearly-impossible – to submit a sci fi, fantasy, paranormal or horror LGBTIQA story that has no more than 300 words.’ Theme: Rise. PAYING https://www.queerscifi.com/flash-contest-rules/?cn-reloaded=1

1st May Speculative fiction up to 3500 words on the theme of Preserve or Purge. PAYING https://parsec-sff.org/short-story-contest/

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SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES

• Support Comps and Calls via Paypal or Patreon.

2nd Apr ‘The Sprawl Mag will accept submissions of speculative poetry, short fiction, and visual art from Volume 1.2. Whether it is utopic, dystopic, magical, or sci-fi, we look forward to seeing your work… Please, for the love of Mars, only send us work that is speculative (sci-fi & fantasy).’ PAYING https://www.thesprawlmag.ca/guidelines

2nd Apr The Micro issue. Up to five poems of up to ten lines each, polished fiction of up to 500 words, and more.PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS https://arkanamag.org/submit/ (Cathy’s note: re payment – there’s an Editor’s Choice Award in each genre, with a cash payment.)

3rd Apr ‘At Fathom we publish articles, personal essays, profiles, interviews, book reviews, Bible exposition, theological and/or historical analysis, poetry, and short stories. The work we prefer often utilizes personal narrative to communicate the deeper aspects of the Christian faith and to draw our readers into the nuance surrounding an idea. Our standard articles fall between 1,000 and 1,600 words. Short stories should be at least 3,000 words. Poems vary in length and style.’ Theme: Kindness. https://www.fathommag.com/writing-for-fathom

5th Apr Poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, and fake nonfiction: ‘Nonfiction includes what we call “fake” nonfiction. Think of it as fiction that reads like nonfiction. This can include anything from reviews of non-existent books, interviews with imaginary people, bogus letters to the editor, etc. Use your imagination. If you’re unsure whether your piece falls into this category, send it to us anyway. We’ll sort it out.’  http://www.defenestrationmag.net/submissions/

7th Apr Short science fiction. PAYING https://adamant.moksha.io/publication/lightspeed/guidelines

10th Apr ‘Wordpeace is featuring poems, fiction, essays and artwork for a special section of the spring/summer 2023 issue. We’d like to give space to the losses due to Roe being overturned the backing away of civil society from the extension of autonomy to trans people, medical rights for marginalized populations or other related issues… We want work which asks for positive change, critiques the status quo, is forward thinking, and takes a stand.’ https://wordpeace.co/about/

10th Apr Flash, short fiction and more on the subject of Disintegration. https://thewoolfx.com/submit/

10th Apr Poetry and prose on the theme of Cities and Borders. https://www.tabipopoetry.com/submit

10th Apr or until filled (this is the deadline for FREE submissions – for the rest of the month, a fee will be charged). Humorous steampunk stories and related poetry. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES (MAY BE PRINT OR DIGITAL) http://nat1publishing.com/get-involved/submit/

14th Apr ‘The world of STEM doesn’t just open up a lot of possibilities in life; it can also open up possibilities in love. So for this issue, we want stories of scientists whose relationship goes from professional to personal, two crime-scene techs who connect on the job, or a math teacher who falls for someone who hates arithmetic. As long as the stories show off great chemistry, we’re bound to fall in love.’ Flash fiction 700-1000 words. https://sparkflashfiction.com/submission-guidelines/

14th Apr ‘On this occasion, submissions are open to women writers only, inclusive of those who identify as non-binary and trans women…We are looking for short stories (fiction) to join our upcoming title, “All Women are Werewolves: An Anthology of Womanhood.” This anthology is a collection of stories about the transformative experiences that shape womanhood; dark, uncanny, curious and captured by vivid, varied feminine voices… We are looking for exceptional writing; think Literary fiction and magical realism. ‘ 1500-6000 words. PAYING https://www.erropress.com/submissions

15th Apr  ‘Send us your best unpublished stories of approximately 50 words about  “Waiting for a Friend.” Tapping your toe, or daydream drifting. Is this an old friendwho is always late, or a new one you don’t know a thing about. Waiting. Does it come easy, or does it infuriate. What’s your take? So many stray thoughts, and all we can do is wait and wonder. No attachments, poetry, bios, or AI generated content please.’ http://www.blink-ink.org/current-submissions/

15th Apr  ‘FlowerSong Press is currently seeking outstanding and unique manuscripts from Latinx authors in the area of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. We are seeking already finished, full-length novels from Latinx authors ranging from 75,000 to 150,000 words. We are not currently accepting short stories, novellas, or short story collections.’ https://www.flowersongpress.com/call-for-submissions

15th Apr Poetry, fiction and much more on the theme of Sex Magic. PAYING https://ev0kepublication.com/contributors/

15th Apr ‘Please submit first-person essays anytime before the deadline prior to publication date. We also consider art and photography from women and gender non-conforming writers.  Although the essay holds the central role at DPA, we are open to other genres, including experimental, poetry and flash non-fiction, as long as there is a first-person point of view.’ Theme: Endings. https://www.dorothyparkersashes.com/submit

15th Apr ‘Our Fall 2023 issue will be dedicated to poems written in response to prompts. The poems may be any subject, style, or length, but must have been generated by a writing prompt. Include a note beneath each poem briefly explaining what the prompt was and where it came from.’ PAYING https://rattle.submittable.com/submit/245590/tribute-to-prompt-poems

15th Apr Poetry and prose on the theme of Wholeness. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES (MAY BE PRINT OR DIGITAL) http://universaltable.org/wisingup.html

15th Apr Poetry, prose and more on the theme of Rivers. https://aboutplacejournal.org/submissions/

15th Apr Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Perseverance. https://arborealmag.com/submissions/

16th Apr ‘Our theme for this issue is “in conversation.” We are looking for submissions directly inspired by other creative works or other artists. Some thoughts on how to approach this theme: considering the same subject matter as your favorite writer through your own eyes; using a color palette similar to that of a film that you like; representing a great song through sculpture; musing on a poet’s influence on your life; a comic inspired by your favorite painting.’ https://orangepeelmag.wordpress.com/submit/

17th Apr ‘We’re thrilled to announce the call for submissions for the Summer 2023 Edition of the Creatopia® Collection Magazine. This issue is all about embracing the theme of “Ready,” and we’re looking for your modern, vibrant, edgy, bold, and energetic contributions that evoke the spirit of adventure, vigor, strength, and expansion.’ https://creatopia.studio/creatopia-call-for-contributions-summer-2023-ready-theme/

23rd Apr ‘HOAX offers artists and writers a unique framework within which to show creative work that incorporates text. We present work online, in print, and through events and exhibitions. This also forms a wider, ongoing collection or survey of work existing at the intersection of art and creative writing.’ PAYING https://hoaxpublication.org/submissions (Cathy’s note: despite the name, I can’t find any evidence that this is actually a hoax! But I could always be wrong!)

24th Apr Poetry, flash and more on the theme of Buds & Blooms. https://cosmic-daffodil.squarespace.com/submissionguidelines

25th Apr Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, book reviews, literature analysis, art, interviews and hybrid works on the theme of A Focus on Feminism. https://sites.google.com/creationmag.org/creationmag/submit

28th Apr Nonfiction poetry on the theme of Archive. ‘How can we, as poets, return to the archive and reanimate voices and lives silenced through time and the resolve of official record-makers? How else might we think of, approach and (re)imagine archives, as cosmologies, as expansive structures for comprehending larger, wider dimensions, like the past, time, universes? For this issue, we are interested in poems that explore, engage with, test and challenge ‘the archive’ as place, space, repository and/or concept.’ PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS https://rabbitpoetry.com/contribute-to-rabbit (Cathy’s note: Australian contributors are paid, whereas international contributors receive copies of the journal.)

30th Apr ‘We invite you to submit if you identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms… khōréō is a quarterly publication of stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Flash fiction only for this particular call.’ https://www.khoreomag.com/submissions-fiction/

30th Apr Stories 1200-7000 words on the theme of Ill Winds and Wild Weather. PAYING http://smokingpenpress.com/submissions-2

30th Apr Pirate Gold: ‘ stories featuring pirates are welcome. From Pirates of the Caribbean to Treasure Planet and everything in between.’ 3000-15,000 words. ROYALTIES  https://dragonsoulpress.com/shortstorycalls/

30th Apr Soul Ink: ‘All poetry pieces are welcome. There is no theme.’ ROYALTIES https://dragonsoulpress.com/poetrycalls/

30th Apr Short stories by young authors. https://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/schedule/

30th Apr ‘Inter et Inter from the Latin means Between and Between. Inter et Inter Magazine aspires to showcase speculative writing. We plan on publishing online issues biannually (May and December) and to compose a print version featuring work from both issues annually. We invite writing that—on the spectrum of genre—falls somewhere in-between.’ https://movingwordsart.wordpress.com/

30th Apr ‘We are looking to solve murders, investigate disappearances, and find clues, but with a twist. Send us your stories of cyborg sleuths, goblin gumshoes, and enchanted investigators. We want tales of fantasy, sci fi and horror with a strong mystery or investigation theme. Stories should be around 5,000 words, but that’s not a hard limit.’ PAYING http://www.inklingspress.com/submissions.html

30th Apr Fiction and nonfiction. ‘You must include some information about your relationship to fandom in your cover letter. This is a magazine for publishing the original work of fans. If you don’t identify as a fan, we can’t accept your work.’ PAYING https://www.oficmag.com/submit

30th Apr To Live Here – a haiku anthology. ‘The theme of the anthology is ´home´. We encourage writers to think about earth as our shared home, our connection with nature and the urban environment, and how climate change is affecting us and our habitat (think outside the box!).’ CHARITY/GOOD CAUSE https://www.theweesparrowpoetrypress.com/to-live-here-a-haiku-anthology

30th Apr Nonfiction, fiction and poetry ‘… related to the concept of the city, whatever that means to you. we’re looking for your stories about city life, your odes to your favorite subway lines, your portraits of a skyscraper on fire. we’re also looking for works set in cities, real or fictional, that engage with the general concept of city life and all it entails.’ https://www.underscoremag.com/submit

30th Apr ‘We are looking for your darkest, strangest microfiction in the form of user manuals, FAQs, and how-to guides for the use of (or by) robots!’ Up to 250 words. PAYING https://apex-magazine.com/blog/strange-machines-an-anthology-of-dark-user-manualsstrange-machines/

30th Apr Poetry, flash, and CNF on the theme of Transformation. https://www.3centsmagazine.com/submit

30th Apr ‘The Writers’ Co-op invites submissions of short stories (and poems) for the sixth edition of our yearly anthology, The Rabbit Hole, scheduled for release in October 2023. Following this year’s fifth edition, we continue to explore how ‘weird’ fits into numerous genres or themes with a new theme, “Destination: Journey.”’ Up to 5000 words. ROYALTIES  https://writercoop.wordpress.com/the-co-op-anthology-submission-guidelines/

30th Apr ‘MIDLVLMAG publishes short/flash fiction, poetry, prose, and CNF/essays.’ Theme: Supply Chain. https://midlvlmag.com/submission-guidelines/

30th Apr Stories on the theme of Stella’s Secret Sonata. https://pureslush.com/submissions/current-submissions/stellas-secret-sonata-music-folio-2/

30th Apr ‘The PRIDE issue (submission window 4/10-4/30, pub date 6/7) – an issue dedicated entirely to queer love, just in time for PRIDE! (please please send us more work exploring aro/ace love … please??)’ https://miniskirtmagazine.com/main-pages/submissions/

30th Apr Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of On the Move. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES (MAY BE PRINT OR DIGITAL) https://www.amsterdamquarterly.org/submissions/

30th Apr ‘We accept pieces from the perspective of animals who are as present and authoritative as human characters, the reciprocal bond between human and animal that bewildered, challenged, and changed the human, and discoveries that reveal how close in space and mind the animal and human kingdoms are.’ Theme: Ocean Animals. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES (MAY BE PRINT OR DIGITAL); PAYS ONE CONTRIBUTOR https://www.honeyguidemag.com/submit (Cathy’s note: if you are chosen as a featured writer, then you will be paid.)

31st Apr (sic). Poetry, flash, short fiction and more on the theme of Light. https://www.outtherelitmag.com/submissions

1st May Poetry, fiction and CNF. SOME CONTRIBUTORS GET CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES  https://www.theheartlandreview.com/the-heartland-review (Cathy’s note: this is presented as a contest, but as there’s no prize except publication, and only US contributors get a contributor copy, this doesn’t qualify as a comp for Comps and Calls.)

1st May Fiction, nonfiction and poetry all starting with the same first line: ‘All the lawns on Mentone Avenue are mowed on Wednesdays.’ PAYING  http://www.thefirstline.com/submission.htm

1st May Poetry on the theme of Titration. ‘Interpret that theme any way you’d like. Teach us how to add just enoughwater to dry flour before baking the bread. Tell us about your high school chemistry class. That livestream of the waterfall slowly but surely collapsing stone. All the liminal spaces & everything else. The state lines & the 12:01am’s, one pipette droplet at a time.’ https://vilasavenue.com/submissions-2/

1st May ‘Please submit first-person essays anytime before the deadline prior to publication date. We also consider art and photography from women and gender non-conforming writers.  Although the essay holds the central role at DPA, we are open to other genres, including experimental, poetry and flash non-fiction, as long as there is a first-person point of view.’ Theme: Rock ‘n’ Roll. https://www.dorothyparkersashes.com/submit

1st May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Resistance. https://halfwaydownthestairs.net/submissions/

1st May Tales of the Apocalypse. 5000-10,000 words. PROFIT/REVENUE SHARING MODEL https://threeravenspublishing.com/tales-of-the-apocalypse/

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SUBMISSIONS WITH NO KNOWN DEADLINES

(Publishers might not give out their pay rates on their submission pages, so make sure to find them out before signing a contract!)

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‘Haunted Doll House is an imprint of Agape Editions that publishes full-length books in print.  As our name suggests, we aren’t afraid of the dark: we live there. We want your horror stories, your mystery novels, your dark sf/f, your genre-resistant writing about the ecstasies, traumas, and terrors that took you to the very edges of yourself.’ https://agape-editions.com/submission-guidelines/

Poetry, fiction, and more. PAYING https://gavialidae.com/submissions/

Speculative poetry, flash, short fiction, and CNF on the theme of Into the Forest. PAYING https://spacecatpress.co.uk/submission/

Poetry and prose. https://www.parislitup.com/submissions

‘We accept all types of writing in (Cathy wonders: ‘and’ instead of ‘in’?) art in the categories poetry, fiction, nonfiction, dramatic script, general art, and cover art.’ https://mollusklit.com/submissions

Horror stories and poems on the theme of Monsters. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES (MAY BE PRINT OR DIGITAL) https://horrorstorymagazine.com/2023/03/06/taking-submissions-for-edition-1/

‘Harbor Review is an online space for poetry, audio, and art. We are a feminist journal: we believe women’s rights are human rights, abortion is essential healthcare and an essential human right, and all people deserve equal protection under the law. Our goal is to address gender parity and marginalization in publishing. We are committed to giving diverse voices a home and amplifying the reach of our contributors by providing a forum for conversations between the work of both new and experienced artists and poets.’ https://www.harbor-review.com/about

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Hello Everyone,

The year marches on — yes, it’s March! I have some news — this month I’ll be having my wrist fused. The wrist of my dominant hand, of course. My surgeon has promised that she’ll arrange the cast so that I can still write and type — but I’m not allowed to put any pressure on the wrist at all. Hmmm… anyway, if next month’s listings are late, that’s why. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

I’ve been making mistakes all month. I entered a competition, and misread the rules. I found this out because the judge contacted me, and I had time to resend my entry. This is rare, and very kind. Usually I just think that my entry wasn’t right, and move on – but maybe I’d have done better if I’d just read the rules one more time. Another day I was rushing to meet a deadline, hacking off bits of a story to meet the submission requirements. I submitted that piece with about ten seconds to spare — I hope… Anyway – have a go. We all make mistakes. Apologise if it’s appropriate, and then get on with it. But do have a go!

There’s no spoof comp or call this month — I couldn’t come up with anything suitable.

Huge love as always to my Patreon heroes, who help to keep this site going.

Much love,

Cathy x

• Support Comps and Calls via Paypal or Patreon.

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Here are some writing competitions and calls for submission, all with free, electronic entry.

As usual 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.

There are three headings (click/tap to jump straight to them):

• Competitions
• Submissions With Deadlines
• Submissions Without Known Deadlines

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! The links are in the comments, and any dates at the start are deadlines.

Where possible, I have marked the relevant entries with ‘paying’, ‘contributor copy’ etc. However, you are best off checking the info for yourselves as I am not infallible and the info isn’t always available or clear. Please be aware that a contributor copy may be in print or digital format. Also, some publications offer several things, eg payment as well as a contributor copy. Where this is the case, I have assumed that payment is enough of an incentive, so I haven’t listed everything. It’s a rough guide and should be treated as such.

• Support Comps and Calls via Paypal or Patreon.

COMPETITIONS

• Support Comps and Calls via Paypal or Patreon.

2nd Mar ‘The Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award is a grant of $12,500 to support the work of a promising early-career nonfiction writer on a story that uncovers truths about the human condition.’ PAYING https://journalism.nyu.edu/about-us/awards-and-fellowships/matthew-power-literary-reporting-award/

3rd Mar ‘WHERE IS…? For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which one or more characters have a problem because something (someone?) important is missing. Whether whatever is missing is ever found is up to you. Choose the answer that makes the story work better.’ PAYING https://onthepremises.com/current-contest/

8th Mar Spectator Competition No. 3290: let us pray. You are invited to recast the Lord’s Prayer as a sonnet. Please email entries of up to lucy AT spectator DOT co DOT uk PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/spectator-competition-winners-shakespeare-reviews-west-side-story/

8th Mar US only: ‘The National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowships program offers $25,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry to published creative writers that enable the recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. This program operates on a two-year cycle with fellowships in prose and poetry available in alternating years. In 2023 we will be accepting applications in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction).’ PAYING https://www.arts.gov/grants/creative-writing-fellowships

10th Mar Various age categories ranging from 9-19: poetry and more on the theme of What Does War Mean to You? NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.neversuchinnocence.com/2022-23-competition (thanks to http://www.prizemagic.co.uk/ for this one)

13th Mar ‘…the prize awards £3,000 to the best proposal for a book-length essay (minimum 25,000 words) by a writer resident in the UK & Ireland who has yet to secure a publishing deal. In addition to the £3,000 prize the winner has the opportunity to go on residency at the Mahler & LeWitt Studios in Spoleto, Italy, to work on their book. The book will then be published by Fitzcarraldo Editions.’ PAYING https://fitzcarraldoeditions.com/prizes/essay-prize

13th Mar Short story by a writer with a history of publication in the UK. PAYING (LOTS) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2XmClPLpVPQb822td6DKR5S/2023-bbc-short-story-awards-open-for-entries

17th Mar UK residents 18-30: up to two poems. PAYING https://www.girton.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2023-01/2023%20JMPflyer.pdf

20th Mar Age 14-18 Story up to 1000 words. NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/25ZXBZtCqNjmJKrmRvHkcL1/heres-everything-you-need-to-know-about-entering-the-bbcs-young-writers-award-2023

15th Mar Poetry on the theme of School. PAYING https://www.facebook.com/groups/497220742553565 (Cathy’s note: I’m a member of this group, though I don’t run it. It’s free to join, and you can find entry details there.)

31st Mar ‘The Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award is an annual grant of $2,000 for an emerging writer of color. This grant is intended to support the recipient in crime fiction writing and career development activities.’ PAYING https://www.sistersincrime.org/page/EleanorTaylorBland

31st Mar ‘An award of £10,000 will be presented to a first-time prose writer whose submission demonstrates literary talent and who would benefit from financial support to complete their work.’ PAYING https://www.deborahrogersfoundation.org/writers-award

31st Mar Short story, 6-10,000 words. PAYING https://shortstory.substack.com/p/coming-soon

31st Mar High School juniors and seniors: Poetry, fiction or nonfiction. PAYING https://wiwrite.org/2023-Student-Writing-Contest/

31st Mar ‘The Foley Poetry Contest: America Media is sponsor of the annual Foley Poetry Award. Each entrant is asked to submit one poem of 45 lines or fewer. Poems should not be under consideration elsewhere. Poems may address any topic.’ PAYING https://americamedia.submittable.com/submit

31st Mar ‘Only writers who have not yet published or been contracted to write a book-length work with a U.S. publisher are eligible. Writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book are invited to apply. Submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and—this year, for this first time—poetry are welcome.’ PAYING https://apublicspace.org/news/detail/the-2023-a-public-space-writing-fellowships

1st Apr One humor poem. PAYING https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free

• Support Comps and Calls via Paypal or Patreon.

SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES

• Support Comps and Calls via Paypal or Patreon.

From March 1st to 31st Aug (the first 250 submissions are free, but there’s a fee after that – so submit quickly! – Cathy) ‘Editors are interested in works that have the courage to acknowledge, challenge, and celebrate modern Jewish life beyond distinctions of secular and sacred. We like accessible poems that find fresh-new meaning in old traditions that recognize the challenges of our generation. We evaluate works on several levels, including their skillful use of craft, ability to hold interest, and layers of meaning.’ https://www.poeticamagazine.com/2023-submit

3rd Mar ((am UK time) Poetry, flash, short fiction and more on the theme of Solar. https://www.popshotpopshot.com/submit/

5th Mar Poetry. PAYS AUSTRALIAN CONTRIBUTORS http://cordite.org.au/submissions/

5th Mar Food writing in English and German. http://amaranthjournal.com/submission-guidelines/

5th Mar ‘Call for science fiction stories, poems, essays, and art featuring optimistic visions of the future and why we must fight to get there.’ http://londonreader.uk/

5th Mar 800-2000 word story on the theme of Royalty & Revolution. https://www.liarsleague.com/liars_league/writers.html

6th Mar Women writers: Fiction and poetry on the theme of Ghosts. ‘For Issue 98 we’re looking for pieces about hauntings, and welcome or unwelcome visitations from beyond the grave.’ PAYING  https://mslexia.co.uk/submit-your-work/fiction/

6th Mar Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Animals and Healing. https://pleaseseeme.com/submissions/

6th Mar  ‘In this quarter’s issue, we want to explore a creative, compelling, mysterious, and unorthodox side of literary experimentalism…This quarter’s theme is the “Psychedelic 60’s and Surrealism” which is often defined through absurd, erratic, changes to one’s perception of reality, elaborate and vivid colors, music, and periods which were plagued with war and often political struggles.’  https://birdhousemagazine.com/submissions

6th Mar ‘At Fathom we publish articles, personal essays, profiles, interviews, book reviews, Bible exposition, theological and/or historical analysis, poetry, and short stories. The work we prefer often utilizes personal narrative to communicate the deeper aspects of the Christian faith and to draw our readers into the nuance surrounding an idea. Our standard articles fall between 1,000 and 1,600 words. Short stories should be at least 3,000 words. Poems vary in length and style.’ Theme: Peace. https://www.fathommag.com/writing-for-fathom

10th Mar ‘carte blanche publishes 3 issues a year and accepts poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, photography, translation, and comics from Canadian and international artists with a focus on Quebec-based artists.’ PAYING https://carteblanchemagazine.com/submissions

15th Mar ‘ “Summer of Speculation” will be a themed anthology containing stories from Fantasy and Science Fiction. All Sub genres are welcome (with a few exceptions noted in the submissions guidelines). We are seeking fresh faces as well as seasoned scifi/fantasy pros for this yearly anthology to be released in the summer every year. Our 2023 theme will be “Sidekicks”.’ 3500-10,000 words. PAYING https://www.cloakedpress.com/summerspec/

15th Mar ‘Mid/South Sonnets will be a shorter collection that brings together writers and themes from our eclectic region. We welcome both traditional and experimental approaches to the sonnet form.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES (MAY BE PRINT OR DIGITAL) https://bellepointpress.com/pages/submissions

15th Mar – poetry deadline. ‘The mission of the Loch Raven Review is to showcase the poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays and translations of both well-known and emerging writers who demonstrate excellence in their work.’ https://thelochravenreview.net/submission-guidelines/

15th Mar but extended submission period for writers of marginalized backgrounds (broadly defined) March 16th — March 22nd. ‘Polite horror is all around us. Think about how power works. How those without it are expected to smile and accept injustice for fear of retribution. How those with power dress up ugly realities and make suffering palatable to prevent resistance. Polite horrors come from both sides of the weapon—the wielder and the wounded.’ 2000-4500 words. PAYING (SUBJECT TO FUNDRAISER/FUNDING) https://ericraglin.com/cursed-morsels/

16th Mar Poetry and fiction. https://descant.tcu.edu/submit/

16th Mar Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Voices. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES (MAY BE PRINT OR DIGITAL) https://blog.yorksj.ac.uk/creativewriting/2023/02/13/york-literary-review-2023-submissions-guidelines/

20th Mar Articles and Poetry on the theme of Leadership. ‘We have some funds available to pay authors and artistic contributors for accepted work, upon request.’ PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS https://www.friendsjournal.org/submissions/

25th Mar Fiction, Poetry, Reviews, Essays and Interviews. PAYING https://ex-puritan.ca/submissions

30th Mar ‘ Our first season of mind-rattling speculations, our volume one, is a menagerie of original monsters. To qualify, your story must feature, meaningfully, a never-before-seen monster (however you define the word) and must contain a speculative element. 1000-5000 words, with a sweet spot of 3k. All land, sea, space, time, earth, wind, and fire monsters welcome.’ PAYING https://thedragonsroost.biz/submissions-2/

30th Mar Follow the website instructions to write a story using ChatGPT. ‘All submissions must contain speculative elements, and we prefer stories with a dark and contemplative tone. For this anthology, we’re particularly interested in exploring the relationships that humans form with those different from themselves–be it AI, aliens, or even their own kind.’ PAYING https://starwardshadows.com/submissions-open-beauty-in-blood-drenched-circuits-an-ai-only-anthology/

31st Mar Honor: ‘All stories featuring East Asian warriors are welcome.’ 3000-15,000 words. ROYALTIES  https://dragonsoulpress.com/shortstorycalls/

31st Mar ‘We are currently accepting original submissions for an anthology of words and images of Christian motherhood!’ Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and art. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES (MAY BE PRINT OR DIGITAL) https://www.messymagnificat.com/

31st Mar ‘Expanding on our catalog of risk-taking work, this fiction series will challenge writers to explore themes of climate change, freshly. We are searching for stories that anchor spaciousness within the emotional intensity of this crisis, helping readers to confront and process its magnitude.’ full length fiction ms.  Paying https://1111press.com/nothing-exists-alone

31st Mar – fiction and CNF deadline. ‘The mission of the Loch Raven Review is to showcase the poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays and translations of both well-known and emerging writers who demonstrate excellence in their work.’ https://thelochravenreview.net/submission-guidelines/

31st Mar Your true stories of animal courage. PAYING https://www.everyanimalproject.com/contact/

31st Mar (or when submission cap is reached) Poetry, fiction and art. PAYING https://www.maskslitmag.com/guidelines.html (Cathy’s note: submit as soon as possible – they close to submissions when their cap is reached.)

31st Mar Poetry, fiction and CNF on the theme of Animal, Vegetable, Mineral. http://www.kissthewitch.co.uk/seinundwerden/submissions.html

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SUBMISSIONS WITH NO KNOWN DEADLINES

(Publishers might not give out their pay rates on their submission pages, so make sure to find them out before signing a contract!)

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‘Latin@ Literatures is currently accepting essays, reviews, short prose fiction (up to 5,000 words), poetry (no more than 3 poems per contribution), and plastic art in visual format. Submission windows are generally open, but the review of texts is conducted during announced reading periods. All fiction, poetry, and art must be representative of Latinx artistic production. All other submissions must engage in topics in Latinx culture and/or be of relevance to the Latinx community.’ https://www.latinoliteratures.org/call-for-submissions

‘Lit Shark is a literary magazine open to all poetry and creative works and artwork, written by emerging and established writers. Shark-, ocean-, and conservation-themed works are fun and will absolutely be considered for publication here, but we do not require a particular theme for our works.’ https://litshark.com/lit-shark-submissions/

‘Fire and Ice acquires for most genres of UPPER YA (teen-15 years and above) and New Adult novels and novellas.’ ROYALTIES https://www.fireandiceya.com/subs.html

‘Lit Pup is a literary magazine open to all poetry, creative works, and artwork, written by budding creative writers under the age of 18. Whether they are in elementary school just learning about poetry and rhyme, or they’re 17 and reading their first poems by Edgar Allan Poe and interested in writing poems and stories of their own, we want to read them! Shark-, ocean-, and conservation-themed works are fun and will absolutely be considered for publication here, but we do not require a particular theme for our works. Whatever themes fall on a young writer’s heart are welcome here.’ https://litshark.com/litpup-submissions/

‘Shrapnel publishes experimental writing from emerging writers in the genres of fiction, creative non-fiction, essays, and poetry. We also converse with the Canadian literary community through book reviews, interviews, and columns. We are also keen to publish graphic narratives and comics, as well as transgenre work that is not easily categorized. Please note that Shrapnel is not currently publishing stories centred around trauma or grief.’ PAYING https://www.shrapnelmagazine.com/submit

‘Founded by two immigrants in Chile, Copihue Poetry is a biannual literary magazine named for the national flower of our chosen home. We seek to publish exciting new work that moves beyond the imaginary borders of language, state, and culture. As a multilingual journal, we present poetry written in English, poetry written in Spanish, and poetry translated into English alongside the original language.’  https://www.copihuepoetry.com/poetry-submissions

‘We’re looking for well-considered and elegant writing that wrestles with the thorns and petals of the American spirit.’ Essays only. PAYING https://www.lastamericanmag.com/submit

‘We welcome submissions of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and art that is erotically focused and speaks to the human condition.’ https://pinkdiscomagazine.com/

(thanks to www.authorspublish.com for this one)

‘Moot Point magazine is a literary journal that publishes fiction and poetry and maybe some other kinds of stuff soon. We like writing where the seemingly inconsequential, dust-accumulating moments of life become magnified and catch fire.’ https://www.mootpointmagazine.com/about (Cathy’s note: free submissions are capped, so submit quickly!)

‘Welcome to Stanza Cannon, the first-of-its-kind, quarterly zine dedicated solely to spoken poetry. Interested in having your voice heard (literally)? Head over to the Submissions page to find out where your talent and our interests overlap.’ https://stanzacannon.com/

‘We are a biannual online literary publication for imaginative fiction, poetry, essays, art, and comics. We publish writers at all stages of their careers, but are especially interested in new and emerging voices.’ https://www.twinbirdreview.com/submissions.html

‘We accept poetry, prose, short play, hybrid, and art submissions. . . Please do not send us work that contains excessive sexual content or gore. Also, please do not send us work that promotes discrimination, drug use, or self harm. We welcome pieces that deal with difficult subjects, but please make sure your message is not hurtful.’  https://www.thedawnreview.com/submit-issue-2 (Cathy’s note: they offer free feedback, which is very kind of them!)

‘We accept poetry, flash fiction (up to 1000 words), fiction (1000-10000 words), nonfiction (personal essays, interviews, literary criticism), hybrid genres and visual arts.’ https://globereview3.wordpress.com/2023/01/31/submit/

‘The University of Tampa Press, with its strengths in the study of history, drama, and literature, seeks submissions of previously unpublished novellas for standalone publication. We are interested in submissions of all kinds, including the fantastic, the speculative, as well as so-called literary fiction.’ ‘Manuscripts must be between 15,000 and 40,000 words in length.’ https://utampapress.org/pomme

‘Welcome to The Sciku Project – the latest scientific and mathematical discoveries, thoughts and ideas as scientific haiku.’ https://thescikuproject.com/submit/

‘Submissions should feature an artist or an artist’s tool, creation or environment in some way.  We very much welcome  unique and innovative approaches to this theme! Artists include, but are not limited to: writers, painters, musicians, dancers, performing artists, actors, filmmakers, fashion designers,  sculptors, photographers.’ Poetry, flash, short fiction and more. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES (MAY BE PRINT OR DIGITAL) https://thepomegranatelondon.com/writing-submissions

Age 13-18, poetry: ‘We are looking for pieces that represents (sic) yourself. Something that CHANGES what has already been said or adds something new.’ https://poetryforchange2022.wixsite.com/poetryforchange/literary-magazine-submissions

‘The magazine seeks poetry submissions for inclusion in its Poetry at Arts Fuse feature. If you wish to have your work considered —  and are confident that it will meet our high standards — please submit up to five poems.’ PAYING https://artsfuse.org/submitting-poetry-to-the-arts-fuse/

‘Any genre, including hard science fiction, though PLEASE no fantasy, erotica, or sappy romance. Humor is good… Please DO NOT SUBMIT anything erotic, sexual, pornographic, or portraying gratuitous violence. Think PG-13, maybe PG-18.’ Flash, short fiction, and poetry. https://www.spankthecarp.com/submissions.html

Children’s picture books. https://www.crestonbooks.co/submissions

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Hello everyone,

Apologies for my absence for the first half of last month. I just wasn’t well enough, I’m afraid. Not an ideal start to the year, but that’s life and writing. Things are going pretty well as regards the latter – already this year I’ve had a couple of acceptances and one piece has been shortlisted in a competition. – I’ve just heard that I’ve won a competition! I won the Crystal Ox Nature Poetry Contest and I’m thrilled! Especially as the prize is books!

No luck yet? Get writing and submitting!

Many thanks to those who sent kind words about my problematic health. Huge thanks also to my Patreon donors – you are heroes!

My tip this month: don’t neglect the third section of these listings: Submissions Without Known Deadlines. There are some really good opportunities there, and you probably don’t have to rush to finish your piece in a few days.

Good luck to you all!

Much love and happy writing,

Cathy x

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---

Here are some writing competitions and calls for submission, all with free, electronic entry.

As usual 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.

There are three headings (click/tap to jump straight to them):

• Competitions
• Submissions With Deadlines
• Submissions Without Known Deadlines

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! The links are in the comments, and any dates at the start are deadlines.

Where possible, I have marked the relevant entries with ‘paying’, ‘contributor copy’ etc. However, you are best off checking the info for yourselves as I am not infallible and the info isn’t always available or clear. Please be aware that a contributor copy may be in print or digital format. Also, some publications offer several things, eg payment as well as a contributor copy. Where this is the case, I have assumed that payment is enough of an incentive, so I haven’t listed everything. It’s a rough guide and should be treated as such.

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COMPETITIONS

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‘7 DAY STORY WRITING CHALLENGES take place throughout the year.’ PAYING https://www.globesoup.net/7-day-story-writing-challenges

5th Feb Up to 2 haiku on the theme of Notes to Nature. PAYING https://goldentriangledc.com/event/golden-haiku/

8th Feb Spectator Competition No. 3286: That’s amore. ‘Harry’s memoir tells of a love poem that Meghan wrote him (described by Rachel Cooke in the Guardian as ‘pure vomit emoji’). You are invited to submit a suitably toe-curling Valentine poem to Harry, or to the love object of your choice. Please email entries of up to 16 lines to lucyATspectatorDOTcoDOTuk by midday on 8 February.’ PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/spectator-competition-winners-a-peers-lament/

14th Feb Fiction in one of the provided categories. A synopsis must be sent.  NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.indienovella.co.uk/writing-prize (Cathy’s note: I found the entry rules rather confusing, and although it’s clear that you have to send the first 5000 words and a synopsis, then 20,000 words, there’s no clarification on how long the finished piece needs to be. Anyway, you know my motto: Have a go!)

(thanks to www.prizemagic.co.uk for this one)

14th Feb (midday) ‘The annual Tree2mydoor Valentines Day Poetry competition is back once again in 2023. Write your very own Valentines poem for your Valentine and send it to us. We want to attract hopeful romantics to create their own very special Valentines Day poems to be published online. We want UK citizens to write witty or soppy, romantic or silly Valentines Day poems to be published here on the Tree2mydoor website on or before Valentines Day.’ VOUCHER/OTHER https://tree2mydoor.com/pages/offers-competitions-valentines-day-poetry

(thanks to www.prizemagic.co.uk for this one)

14th Feb Writing on the theme of ‘Environmental Engagement’ for Staffordshire’s There is No Planet B Green Arts Festival and the forthcoming 2023 book. Poetry, flash fiction, articles up to 1500 words, recipes up to 30 lines, black and white sketches. Up to 3 pieces per person. Please state which category you are entering: children’s (age 8-11), young people (age 12-15) or adult (16+). Prizes for each category. Send your entries to mel dreamwellwriting@gmail.com

14th Feb Story up to 2000 words on the theme of Love. NON-CASH PRIZE

https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/competitions/writers-artists-short-story-competition-2023 (Cathy’s note: the prize is an Arvon course, so make sure you’d be able to go if you won, before you enter!)

15th Feb Write a 53-word story about Grit. NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.press53.com/53word-story-contest

20th Feb Age 13-18 Poetry, fiction and CNF. UNKNOWN IF ANY PRIZE https://www.thetrailblazerreview.org/annual-writing-contest (Cathy’s note: I don’t usually include prizeless ‘competitions’, but I’ve included this one because it’s not certain whether the children get something – and at a young age, just being picked might be encouraging enough. I hope they at least get certificates!)

26th Feb ‘We invite published and non-published authors to submit an original story of up to 2,200 words on the theme of ‘Notes’.’ NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/culture-news/a36157/harpers-bazaar-short-story-competition/

28th Feb Poem up to 16 lines on the theme of Kindness. PAYING https://www.candlestickpress.co.uk/competitions/

28th Feb Narrative prose up to 400 words. PAYING https://www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize

1st Mar Poetry on the theme of Flourishing. PAYING https://alpinefellowship.com/poetry-prize

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SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES

• Support Comps and Calls via Paypal or Patreon.

3rd Feb ‘This is a call for poetry that is willing to reach transformatively towards cultural change, drawing ‘ecopoetry’ out of its box and towards a capacity to reimagine or re-view our falsely (excessively, inimically) human-centric experiences.’ PAYING https://plumwoodmountain.com/submissions/

3rd Feb ‘It’s easy to say all the love stories have all been told, all the love poems written. But no real love story is alike. And the mystics, malcontents, misfits, and maligned must find the ringing bells and illuminate the room.’ Fiction 4000-6000 words, and poetry. https://apocalypse-confidential.com/contact/

4th Feb ‘We welcome short prose poems on the theme “behind the mirror”’. https://osirispoetry.com/submissions/

5th Feb ‘Tales from the Moonlit Path will be publishing dark, eerie, speculative stories. Horror is not a necessary element, although fiction should contain some aspect of the weak, frail, changeable human condition.’ Fiction up to 2000 words, or 3-5 poems. PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS https://talesmoonlitpath.com/submissions/ (Cathy’s note: accepted pieces will only be paid for if they are fiction.)

5th Feb ‘Barrelhouse is looking for our next nonfiction book! We’re interested in full-length memoirs and essay collections that combine personal narrative with… something else. That could be reportage, criticism, history, etc. We’re especially interested in projects where the external element has something to do with pop culture, and projects that do something unexpected and original with form and structure.’ https://barrelhouse.submittable.com/submit/247037/books-nonfiction

5th Feb ‘This anthology is for tales that feature decidedly inhuman monsters that have been sought out and challenged, befriended, protected, or stolen from their own grounds, roots exposed like naked bone. I want writers to spawn a nightmare with sharp claws.’ 2000-4000 words. PAYING https://darkmattermagazine.shop/pages/monster-lairs-submission-guidelines

10th Feb ‘STRIPES LITERARY MAGAZINE is open for submission. We are accepting original poetry, prose (fiction and creative non-fiction), art and photography for our Issue 3: Volume 1. This issue is themed BREATHLESS.’ https://medium.com/thestripesmag/submissions-guidelines-6958a7547c92

10th Feb Writing on the theme of Flip. PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS

 https://swimmeetlitmag.com/submit/ (Cathy’s note: Australian contributors are paid.)

11th Feb ‘Blood & Bourbon is here to showcase all things hard, gritty, and raw. The theme of this issue is going to be Companionship. With people feeling more lonely with every passing year, it’s good to remind ourselves of the bonds we can, and do, make with our partners, families, friends, neighbours, pets, plants. Pillows? Imaginary friends? Siri?’ Poetry, fiction and more. https://blood-and-bourbon.com/2022/12/01/open-for-submissions-for-spring-2023/

14th Feb YA-suitable story on the theme of Seasonal Holidays (e.g. Christmas, Valentine’s, etc). PAYING https://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/

15th Feb ‘Rowayat seeks original writing for upcoming online publications. We accept unsolicited simultaneous submissions and aim to respond within 3 months. Submission categories are fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, flash fiction, comics, art, reviews, and interviews — in English, French, or Arabic in translation. Contributors do not need to identify as of Arab/SWANA descent, provided their work is in dialogue with the transnational social realities of the Afro/Arab regions and its diaspora communities.’ theme: Faith. ‘All shades and shadows of faith are welcome. All sizes too. Feel free to have faith in a tub of ice cream carrying you through the night, in as much as a rocket landing you safely on the moon.’ https://rowayat.org/submit/

15th Feb Pagan, polytheist, and witchy fiction, poetry and more. Theme: Cats. ‘Why do you think cats have historically been the most popular familiar for Western witches?’ PAYING https://ev0kepublication.com/contributors/

15th Feb Poetry and art on the theme of Growth. PAYING http://www.songsoferetz.com/p/guidelines.html

15th Feb Fiction and more on the theme of Refugee. https://fictioninternational.sdsu.edu/wordpress/submit/

15th Feb ‘Delicate Friend is an adult (18+) space for erotic and intimate art and literature that you enjoyed creating. Art is work, so enjoyment does not exclude difficulty. Difficulty can be exciting! At the same time, we want this journal to be a fun experience for our contributors and readers.’ Theme: Bodylove. Poetry, prose, and more. PAYING https://delicatefriend.com/submissions/

15th Feb Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, audio, and art. https://rappahannockreview.com/submit/

15th Feb ‘This issue has a sub-theme of Flora vs. Fauna. If nature decided to go on the attack, what would the average person do to survive, adapt, or overcome? Likewise, if humanity began destroying more of the nature that surrounds us, how would it maintain, thrive, conquer, or succumb?’ Horror/dark. Fiction, flash, poetry, and drabbles. http://www.sirenscallpublications.com/ezine.htm

15th Feb Flash fiction on the theme of Time. PAYS ONE CONTRIBUTOR https://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/index.php/anthology/anthology-submission-guidelines/ (Cathy’s note: one free submission per writer, though you can submit up to three. There is a suggested donation, but you might be able to submit three pieces without paying a fee.)

15th Feb ‘What we are after: short stories that fit our personal definition of the word GHOULISH, which is “fun horror that aims to celebrate all things spooky.” Note that we said fun, not funny. Comedic stories are definitely allowed, but it’s not all we’re looking to receive. We want stories that remind us why we love the horror genre.’ Fiction and essays. PAYING https://perpetualpublishing.com/submissions/

15th Feb ‘Heron Tree volume 10 will be dedicated to found poems composed from sources published in or before 1927.’ https://herontree.com/how/

15th Feb ‘Plum Tree Tavern invites the submission of works for a special Winter Haiku edition.’ https://theplumtreetavern.blogspot.com/

15th Feb North America only: ‘Haiku North America, in conjunction with Ohio State Parks, is sponsoring the permanent installation of a haiku walk at Hueston Woods State Park in College Corner, Ohio (near Cincinnati). Poems will be selected for their excellence as haiku and their suitability to specific locations on the proposed trail, with no more than one poem selected per person.’ http://www.haikunorthamerica.com/hueston-woods-haiku-walk.html

16th Feb SF/F 1000-5000 words on the theme of Autonomy. PAYING https://funemployment.xyz/submissions/

17th Feb Women over 60: ‘Topic for the Spring issue: WTF Is It With This Weather? Short Takes are usually short pieces, fiction or non-fiction (250-500 words), but can also be topical poetry, sometimes even drawings or photography. We’re especially interested in hearing about your experiences, but you can include your thoughts, dreams, ideas and opinions. Humor and irony are always appreciated!’  https://persimmontree.org/submissions/

18th Feb Women over 60: ‘Persimmon Tree invites brief (no more than 200 words) comments from our readers on important topics of the moment. The Spring 2023 issue will be published on March 15. The topic for the Spring issue will be “Race, Class, Gender and Climate Change.” We want you to think intersectionally.’ https://persimmontree.org/submissions/

20th Feb Articles and Poetry on the theme of Farming and Food. ‘We have some funds available to pay authors and artistic contributors for accepted work, upon request.’ PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS https://www.friendsjournal.org/submissions/

20th Feb Poetry and fiction on the theme of Sandbox. Also CNF tributes. https://www.writersworkout.net/waywords

21st Feb Fiction, nonfiction, flash, and prose. https://locustcandy.com/subs/

24th Feb ‘Take 5ive is a new journal from the Bamboo Hut featuring only 5 line tanka, gogyohka and gogyoshi. If you have been reading/writing these verse forms you will already be acquainted with their format.’ Theme: Love and Loss. https://take5ive.weebly.com/submissions.html

28th Feb Trickster: ‘All Fae stories are welcome. All genres are accepted.’ 3000-15,000 words. ROYALTIES https://dragonsoulpress.com/shortstorycalls/

28th Feb Poetry on the theme of Home in the World. PROFIT/REVENUE SHARING MODEL, CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES (MAY BE PRINT OR DIGITAL), CHARITY/GOOD CAUSE https://propertiuspress.submittable.com/submit

28th Feb Haibun, tanka prose and haiga on the theme of Children. https://drifting-sands-haibun.org/submissions/

28th Feb 8-12 poems (previously published considered). http://www.glasslyrepress.com/publications.html

28th Feb ‘Konsensus Network is accepting story submissions for the world’s first bitcoin short-fiction anthology, 21 Futures: Tales from the Timechain. The book will contain 21 short fiction stories from various authors, one of whom could be you! We want to present a broad spectrum of possible worlds all told through the lens of bitcoin. Stories must be fiction and must feature bitcoin in a meaningful way. The idea is not to predict the future of bitcoin, but to expose the situations it may uncover. We are keen to publish a variety of visions, not just sci-fi dystopias and stories of crime and fraud.’ 1500-3000 words. PAYING   https://konsensus.network/21-futures

28th Feb Poetry and fiction. SOME CONTRIBUTORS GET CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://www.press53.com/submissions-1 (Cathy’s note: if you submit from the UK, USA or Australia then you get a contributor copy, should your work be accepted.)

28th Feb ‘Poetic Sexploration is a celebration of sex and intimacy and we invite submissions from everyone who wants to take part.’  CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES (MAY BE PRINT OR DIGITAL) https://www.beyondformcreativewriting.com/poeticsexploration

28th Feb ‘annie is open to submissions of personal essays, creative nonfiction and poetry.’ https://www.anniejournal.com/submissions

28th Feb ‘We are most interested in dark genre-bending works in the realms of horror, sci-fi, the weird, the macabre, fantasy, and magical realism. We want stories that grab us by the throat and ask questions about what it means to be human. Make us feel something long after we are done reading.’ Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. PAYING https://www.pyremagazine.com/submissions

28th Feb Poetry, stories and more on the theme of Burn This Fucker Down. ‘We Want: Works with fantastical elements: scary, happy, creepy, heartbreaking, bizarre, hilarious, whatever.’  PAYING https://quarterpress.com/the-quarterly-journal

1st Mar Poetry and fiction on the theme of Help from a Stranger. PAYING http://themaliterarysociety.com/submissions.html (Cathy’s note: readers from outside the USA may submit electronically.)

28th Feb ‘The way we do things now as a society is unsustainable. Garbage is piling up in our landfills and oceans, income inequality is getting worse, and our governments are often paralyzed when it comes to seeking solutions. For the third anthology in the Writers Save the World series, “Transform the World,” we’re focusing on new ways of living and of structuring societies. Stories should be near future (in the next 100 years or so) science fiction with a hopeful tone.’ 2500-15,000 words. PAYING https://www.otherworldsink.com/transform-the-world/?cn-reloaded=1

1st Mar ‘Block Party Press accepts chapbook manuscript submissions from October 1st – March 1st each year. We accept poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction chapbook manuscripts formatted as PDFs or Word documents.’ ROYALTIES, CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://blockpartymagazine.com/submit

1st Mar Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Reversals. PAYS ONE CONTRIBUTOR https://thefieldstonereview.ca/submit

1st Mar Women and gender non-conforming writers: ‘Please submit first-person essays anytime before the deadline prior to publication date. We also consider art and photography from women and gender non-conforming writers. Although the essay holds the central role at DPA, we are open to other genres, including experimental, poetry and flash non-fiction, as long as there is a first-person point of view.’ Theme: Libido. https://www.dorothyparkersashes.com/submit

1st Mar ‘Submissions are open to those who identify as women. We are inclusive of transgender women and nonbinary individuals who are comfortable in a women-centered environment. This is in line with our mission to support and uplift the voices of women.’ Poetry, fiction and more. Theme: I Dissent. https://hlwomenwriters.wordpress.com/subs/

1st Mar ‘Osiris is an International Poetry Journal founded in 1972. We publish poetry in numerous languages, including English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and German.’ https://osirispoetry.com/submissions/

1st Mar Poetry, fiction, articles and more on the theme of Retro. PAYING https://www.curiouscorvidpublishing.com/submissions

1st Mar Writers aged 40 or over: theme: Wake Up. Poetry, fiction and more. https://devilspartypress.com/instantnoodles/

1st Mar Poetry, short fiction and more on the theme of Summer Witch. https://enchantedlivingmag.com/pages/submit

1st Mar ‘The theme for the Spring 2023 issue is Speculation and Spectacle. We are are seeking poetry, short stories, essays, experimental art, video, sound art, all forms of visual art as well as asemic writing and textual arts of all kinds.’ https://superpresentmag.com/call/

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SUBMISSIONS WITH NO KNOWN DEADLINES

(Publishers might not give out their pay rates on their submission pages, so make sure to find them out before signing a contract!)

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Poetry, fiction, and more. https://www.twinbirdreview.com/submissions.html

Chapbook, novella, and novelette MSS. https://nat1publishing.submittable.com/submit (Cathy’s note: these categories appear to be always free for submission, but some categories are only free for the first ten days of the month. After that there is a submission fee of $2.)

‘On our Web site, we publish daily news, analysis and opinion “briefings” concerning issues of current importance. We especially seek articles that would be of interest and importance for policymakers, both in the U.S. and abroad.’ PAYING https://help.worldpoliticsreview.com/en/articles/1723157-contributor-guidelines

‘Infinity Wanderers is a new magazine dedicated to promoting alternate history and the associated genres of Science Fiction, Steampunk, Historical Fiction and Fantasy. In addition we aim for between 1/3 and 1/2 real history, genealogy and biography, and writers of Historical features are welcome to submit.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES (MAY BE PRINT OR DIGITAL) http://www.infinitywanderers.com/

‘Open call for poetry, short stories, nonfiction, critical essays, reviews, interviews, comics, visual art. We are currently accepting submissions for our online publication.’ https://www.rednoisecollective.com/submissions (Cathy’s note: this is under the ‘Weekly Contests’ subheadline – I don’t know why.)

‘We are currently seeking long-form bodies of work for our 2023 publishing season.  No length or formatting parameters apply, but collections should be holistic and thematic. We welcome hybrid genre, mixed media, and graphic works including, but not limited to: poetry, short stories, nonfiction, plays, critical essays, comics, novellas, biography, photobooks, artist books, and graphic novels.’ PAYING https://www.rednoisecollective.com/submissions

‘Open call for poetry, short stories, nonfiction, critical essays, reviews, interviews, comics, visual art, soundscapes, videography, and more.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES (MAY BE PRINT OR DIGITAL) https://www.rednoisecollective.com/submissions

Women: ‘We publish novels, novellas and short story collections. We are looking for General Fiction – we are not a genre publisher, however this doesn’t mean we won’t accept work with elements of horror, romance, fantasy, etc. If you feel you have a well written story, send it our way.’ https://www.ficklepress.com/submissions.html

Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. PAYING http://salamandermag.org/how-to-submit/

‘SUFI is a biannual app and online journal devoted to the study of mysticism through literature, history, poetry and art. The editors of SUFI invite submissions on all topics relating to mystical philosophy and practice, irrespective of cultural and/or religious denomination… SUFI welcomes submissions in the form of articles, interviews, creative writing, poetry, reviews and visual art and photographic work for the print journal and digital online website.’ PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS https://www.sufijournal.org/contact-information/ (Cathy’s note: although there’s no mention of payment on their website, SUFI Journal sent me an email that says accepted fiction and CNF will be paid for. Apologies for bad grammar – it’s very late at night!)

‘Mirror Dance is currently open to fiction and poetry submissions on the theme ‘Revival and Resurrections.’ Loose and creative interpretations of the theme are welcome!’ PAYING http://www.mirrordancefantasy.com/2008/01/submissions.html

‘The Worlds Within is committed to promoting great stories. We are looking for fantasy and science fiction of 10,000 words or less. We are not looking for erotica or gratuitous violence. What do we mean by gratuitous? If violence is for the sake of shocking the audience rather than forwarding the larger themes of your story, it’s probably not for us.’ https://theworldswithin.net/welcome-to-the-worlds-within-a-place-where-the-human-experience-is-explored-through-the-fantastical/guest-blog/

‘We publish selected poetry by established poets most months, and you can submit all year round. We also consider submissions of music writing; again you can submit all year round.’ https://poeticjusticemagazine.com/about/

Up to 6 poems. ‘Priority is given to work previously unpublished in English, English translation, or Spanish. We will consider previously published pieces from outside of the United States that have received limited international exposure. If you do send something like this, please note the original venue in your cover letter.’ https://www.copihuepoetry.com/poetry-submissions

Poetry, flash, short fiction and more. https://jakethemag.com/guidelines/

‘aswirl publishes poems with 10 lines or fewer in which every letter counts. Please submit no more than four. Since aswirl is quarterly, seasonal poems are encouraged but not always prioritised. The editor likes poems that slip, shift, laugh, list, sigh, mourn, sing, smile and above all play. He likes the kaleidoscopic concrete. He likes the emotional pastoral. Make him feel aswirl.’ https://www.aswirlzine.com/submit

‘Founded in 2022, The Trailblazer is an international high school literary magazine and nonprofit organization. Dedicated to supporting emerging and aspiring writers worldwide, it accepts submissions of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and visual art from students under 18 years old.’ https://www.thetrailblazerreview.org/submit

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