december Magazine seeks submissions for our 2021 Curt Johnson Prose Awards in fiction and creative nonfiction. Prizes each genre: $1,500 & publication (winner); $500 & publication (honorable mention). $20 entry fee includes a copy of awards issue. Submit 1 story or essay up to 8,000 words from March 1 to May 1. For complete guidelines visit our website.
View the full March 2021 eLitPak Newsletter.
Shooter‘s annual story contest frees writers from thematic restrictions and welcomes short fiction up to 5,000 words long. The winner receives £400 and publication both in Shooter‘s summer issue and online; runner-up wins £100 and online publication. Discounted entry for multiple stories. All entrants receive an e-copy of the summer issue. Guidelines at our website. Deadline: May 9th.
View the full March 2021 eLitPak Newsletter.
Submit your book length manuscript to the Catamaran Poetry Prize for West Coast poets. This year’s judge is Pulitzer Prize finalist Dorianne Laux! The prize winner will receive $1,000 and book publication. Submission deadline is April 20th, 2021. This contest is only open to poets living in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii.
View the full March 2021 eLitPak Newsletter.
Deadline: June 15, 2021
Swan Scythe Press announces its 2021 poetry chapbook contest. Entry fee: $18. We are accepting submissions from March 1 to June 15 (postmark deadline). Winner receives $200 and 25 perfect-bound chapbooks. The 2020 winner is Lana Issam Ghannam for Evolution of Stone. For full submission guidelines, visit www.swanscythepress.com and swanscythepress.submittable.com/submit.
NOMADartx Review Seeks Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Art, Interviews, & ReviewsDeadline: Rolling
NOMADartx is an emerging global creative network dedicated to sharing and amplifying creative potential, regardless of genre. NOMADartx Review curates fresh voices that address creativity and creative process via visual art, fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, interviews, critiques, and reviews. Our “Industry Specials” column also provides a place for contemporary creatives to share wisdom about building success in their fields of practice. We currently consider work that addresses these themes in any way, and we have a special call currently for work that contemplates the idea of “maintenance.” More information at our submissions manager.
Fix the Future with Fiction and Win $8,700 in Prizes and PublicationDeadline: April 12, 2021
Fix, Grist’s solutions lab, is launching a new climate-fiction contest, Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors. Imagine calls for short stories envisioning the next 180 years of climate progress, judged by renowned authors Adrienne Maree Brown, Morgan Jerkins, and Kiese Laymon. The top contest winners will be awarded $3000, $2000, and $1000 respectively, and nine finalists will receive a $300 honorarium. Winners and finalists will be published in an immersive digital collection. We want to see—and share—stories that bring into focus what a truly just and regenerative future could look like. Submit your story by April 12 at grist.submittable.com/submit and contact us at [email protected].
New American Voices: Post-Publication Book Prize for Immigrant WritersDeadline: March 31, 2021
Fall for the Book and the Institute for Immigration Research’s New American Voices Award recognizes recently published books that illuminate the complexity of the human experience as told by immigrants, whose work is historically underrepresented in writing and publishing. The prize will be juried by Irina Reyn, Justin Torres, and 2019 New American Voices winner Melissa Rivero. All three finalists and the judges will appear at the Fall for the Book festival in October 2021 for the fourth annual award presentation. The winning writer will receive $5,000 and the two finalists each will receive $1,000. Full guidelines: fallforthebook.org/submitnav/.
Deadline: May 31, 2021
Oyster River Pages is a literary and artistic collective seeking submissions of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts that stretch creative and social boundaries. We believe in the power of art to connect people to their own and others’ humanity, something we see as especially important during these tumultuous times. Because of this, we seek to feature artists whose voices have been historically decentered or marginalized. Please see www.oysterriverpages.com for submission details.
Deadline: June 13, 2021
The Housatonic Book Awards at Western Connecticut State University’s MFA in Creative and Professional Writing are now open for 2021 submissions. The Awards are open to all books published in 2020 in the genres of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young adult/middle grade. Winners of the Housatonic Book Awards receive $1,500 and present a masterclass and reading at one of WCSU MFA’s residencies. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, June 13, 2021. To enter, click here.
Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry Manuscript ContestDeadline: April 15, 2021
“The world is full of paper. Write to me.”—Agha Shahid Ali, “Stationery.” Submit your poetry manuscript to the Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry, judged this year by Matthew Olzmann. The winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize, publication by The University of Utah Press, plus a $500 honorarium for reading in the University of Utah’s Guest Writers Series. Deadline: April 15, 2021. Entry fee: $25. We are on Submittable. Read about our guidelines Here: www.uofupress.com/ali-poetry-prize.php. Email Hannah New with any questions [email protected].
Deadlines: March 15 & March 31, 2021
2021 ABLE MUSE CONTESTS :: SUBMIT NOW. WRITE PRIZE (poetry & fiction): $500 each + publication. Final Judges: Jehanne Dubrow (poetry), William Baer (fiction); $15 entry; deadline: March 15, 2021. BOOK AWARD (poetry): $1000 + book publication. Final Judge: Mark Jarman; $25 entry; deadline: March 31, 2021. ENTER NOW—go to www.ablemusepress.com for details.
CHESTNUT REVIEW (“for stubborn artists”) invites submissions year round of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art, and photography. We offer free submissions for poetry (3 poems), flash fiction (<1000 words), and art/photography (20 images); $5 submissions for fiction/nonfiction (<5k words), or 4-6 poems. Published artists receive $100 and a copy of the annual anthology of four issues (released each summer). Notification in <30 days or submission fee refunded. We appreciate stories in every genre we publish. All issues free online which illustrates what we have liked, but we are always ready to be surprised by the new! chestnutreview.com
Deadline: Rolling
50 Give or Take daily delivers micro-fiction of fifty words or less straight into your inbox. Please subscribe (it’s free!) to get an idea of what is published, before submitting your work. All accepted 50 Give or Take pieces will be published in a print collection at the end of every year, starting in 2021. All you have to do is submit your: 50-word story, one-line bio, website or social media URL, and a vertical photo of yourself to [email protected]. Good luck!
Paul Nemser Book Prize from Lily Poetry Review BooksDeadline: March 31, 2021
Submission Dates: January 1 – March 31, 2021. Eligibility: Open to any poet writing in English regardless of publication history. Must not have studied with Tom Daley (the judge) within past ten years. Awards a standard book contract and virtual or in-person launch. Member of CLMP. lilypoetryreview.submittable.com/submit
We Pay Contributors: Driftwood Press Submissions OpenDeadline: Year-round
John Updike once said, “Creativity is merely a plus name for regular activity. Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or better.” At Driftwood Press, we are actively searching for artists who care about doing it right, or better. We are excited to receive your submissions and will diligently work to bring you the best in full poetry collections, novellas, graphic novels, short fiction, poetry, graphic narrative, photography, art, interviews, and contests. We also offer our submitters a premium option to receive an acceptance or rejection letter within one week of submission; many authors are offered editorships and interviews. To polish your fiction, note our editing services and seminars, too.
Deadline: March 31, 2021
We are open to any subject, style, or genre. All five winners will be published online in the June/July 2021 issue of Gemini. Both new and experienced writers have won our contests. All entries are read blind so everyone gets an equal chance. Maximum length: 6,000 words. First prize: $1,000. Second: $100. Three honorable mentions: $25 each. Entry fee: $8. All winning stories may be read online. Advice from Ray Bradbury: “I’ve had a sign over my typewriter for over 25 years now, which reads ‘DON’T THINK!’ You must never think at the typewriter—you must feel.” Enter at our website.
Deadline: April 1, 2021
20th year. Top prize: $2,000. Total prizes: $3,500. Sponsored by Winning Writers, co-sponsored by Duotrope, and recommended by Reedsy. Winning entries published online. Submit one humor poem online, up to 250 lines long. Both published and unpublished work accepted. Final judge: Jendi Reiter. Enter for free at winningwriters.com/werglenp21.
Deadline: May 31, 2021
$2,000 in prizes. From March 1 to May 31, Flying South 2021, a publication of Winston Salem Writers, will be accepting entries for prizes in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. Best in Category winners will be published and receive $500 each. One of the three winners will receive The WSW President’s Favorite award and win an additional $500. All entries will be considered for publication. For full details, please visit our website: www.wswriters.org/flying-south.
Deadline: March 31, 2021
The National Indie Excellence® Awards (NIEA) are open to all English language printed books available for sale, including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors. NIEA is proud to be a champion of self-publishing and small independent presses going the extra mile to produce books of excellence in every aspect. All entries for the 15th Annual NIEA contest must be postmarked by March 31st, 2021. www.indieexcellence.com
Discovering, bringing new poets from obscurity, is why Prospectus exists. We seek the work of emerging poets. Our magazine is published twice a year, in June and December. If you are unpublished or little-published, we invite you to submit your best poems for consideration. We also publish short prose pieces as well as fine-art images and reviews. Deadline: February 28, 2021.
They will be exhibiting during the virtual 2021 AWP Bookfair & Conference.
View the entire February eLitPak here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get first access to future eLitPaks.
Gival Press has the following contests for authors and poets which carry a cash prize and for which a reading fee is required: Oscar Wilde Award (deadline June 27); Short Story Award (deadline August 8); Poetry Award (deadline December 15). Visit our website for full details.
Gival Press is participating in the virtual AWP 2021 Bookfair & Conference. Don’t forget to stop by their exhibitor booth.
View the entire February eLitPak here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get first access to future eLitPaks.
Submit your book length manuscript to the Catamaran Poetry Prize for West Coast poets. This year’s judge is Pulitzer Prize finalist Dorianne Laux! The prize winner will receive $1,000 and book publication. Submission deadline is April 20th, 2021. This contest is only open to poets living in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii.
View the entire February eLitPak here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get first access to future eLitPaks.
Deadline: March 15, 2021
Winning short story collection will be published by Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama, in simultaneous hardcover and trade paper editions, also in e-book and Kindle formats. Winner will receive $1000, plus our standard royalty contract, which includes 50 copies of the book. Author must not have had
a book of short fiction published at time of entry, though novels or poetry are okay.
View the entire February eLitPak here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get first access to future eLitPaks.
Deadline: May 15, 2021
Founded in 2020, Nobody’s Home: Modern Southern Folklore is a work-in-progress online anthology of creative nonfiction works about the prevailing beliefs, myths, and narratives that have driven Southern culture over the last fifty years, in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The anthology is collecting personal essays, memoirs, short articles, opinion pieces, and contemplative works about the ideas, experiences, and assumptions that have shaped life below the old Mason-Dixon Line since 1970. www.modernsouthernfolklore.com
Deadline: March 14, 2021
This project reflects current times: it is a political act, and bold voices in new forms will ignite it. We are most interested in: What does America mean now — and what forms can our voices take today? Show us experimental writing that confronts the hard truths of America across identities, generations, communities, cultures, borders. Literary experiments from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented communities hold particular power in making this anthology relevant. We will challenge the traditional anthology form too, experimenting with how the book can be (un)bound, (re)ordered, (re)read, and (co)shared. Authors selected will be paid for their work. www.unboundedition.com
Deadline: Rolling
NOMADartx is an emerging global creative network dedicated to sharing and amplifying creative potential, regardless of genre. Our new NOMADartx Review curates fresh voices that address creativity and creative process via fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, interviews, critiques, and reviews. Our “Industry Specials” column also provides a place for contemporary creatives to share wisdom (individual or collective) toward building success in their fields of practice. We currently consider work that addresses these themes in any way. More information is here: nomadartx.submittable.com/submit. Recent work includes “Knit Beyond” by Chelsey Clammer and “Popsicle” by Nina Schuyler.
Deadline: March 31, 2021
Fall for the Book and the Institute for Immigration Research’s New American Voices Award recognizes recently published books that illuminate the complexity of the human experience as told by immigrants, whose work is historically underrepresented in writing and publishing. The prize will be juried by Irina Reyn, Justin Torres, and 2019 New American Voices winner Melissa Rivero. All three finalists and the judges will appear at the Fall for the Book festival in October 2021 for the fourth annual award presentation. The winning writer will receive $5,000 and the two finalists each will receive $1,000. Full guidelines: fallforthebook.org/submitnav/.
Deadline: April 12, 2021
Fix, Grist’s solutions lab, is launching a new climate-fiction contest, Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors. Imagine calls for short stories envisioning the next 180 years of climate progress, judged by renowned authors Adrienne Maree Brown, Morgan Jerkins, and Kiese Laymon. The top contest winners will be awarded $3000, $2000, and $1000 respectively, and nine finalists will receive a $300 honorarium. Winners and finalists will be published in an immersive digital collection. We want to see—and share—stories that bring into focus what a truly just and regenerative future could look like. Submit your story by April 12 at grist.submittable.com/submit and contact us at [email protected].
Deadline: May 31, 2021
Oyster River Pages is a literary and artistic collective seeking submissions of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts that stretch creative and social boundaries. We believe in the power of art to connect people to their own and others’ humanity, something we see as especially important during these tumultuous times. Because of this, we seek to feature artists whose voices have been historically decentered or marginalized. Please see our website for submission details and check out Issue 4.2 “Composite Dreams” – a special issue devoted to the work of black writers and artists.
Deadline: April 15, 2021
“The world is full of paper. Write to me.”—Agha Shahid Ali, “Stationery.” Submit your poetry manuscript to the Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry, judged this year by Matthew Olzmann. The winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize, publication by The University of Utah Press, plus a $500 honorarium for reading in the University of Utah’s Guest Writers Series. Deadline: April 15, 2021. Entry fee: $25. We are on Submittable. Read about our guidelines Here: www.uofupress.com/ali-poetry-prize.php. Email Hannah New with any questions [email protected].
Deadline: March 21, 2021
Submission Dates: February 1 – March 21, 2021. The Non/Fiction Collection Prize is awarded annually to a book-length collection of short stories, essays, or a combination of the two. This year’s judge is Nick White, author of How to Survive a Summer and Sweet and Low. A $1,500 prize and publication with The Ohio State University Press is awarded for a collection of short stories, essays, or a combo. $23 entry fee (reduced fee for BIPOC writers). Visit thejournalmag.org/book-prizes/prose-prize for guidelines.
Chestnut Review (“for stubborn artists”) invites submissions year round of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art, and photography. We offer free submissions for poetry (3 poems), flash fiction (<1000 words), and art/photography (20 images); $5 submissions for fiction/nonfiction (<5k words), or 4-6 poems. Published artists receive $100 and a copy of the annual anthology of four issues (released each summer). Notification in <30 days or submission fee refunded. We appreciate stories in every genre we publish. All issues free online which illustrates what we have liked, but we are always ready to be surprised by the new! Check out our Winter 2021 issue for a taste of what we like. chestnutreview.com
Deadline: After 80 submissions received
The Headlight Review’s Annual Chapbook Prize in Prose is still open and seeking submissions! Send us your very best literary fiction, between 6k and 10k words, and you will be considered by our expert panel of judges for a $500 cash prize and publication of your manuscript. Submissions are $20 each, and all finalists will also be considered for publication. Publication in THR’s regular genres (Poetry, Nonfiction, Fiction, Book Reviews, & Interviews) is also year-round, and it is free to submit. Submission Guidelines for The Chapbook Prize, and for our year-round submissions, can be found on our website. We look forward to reading your work!
Deadline: March 7, 2021
Print & online literary magazine Into the Void is open to submissions of fiction, flash, creative nonfiction, poetry, & visual art to Issue #19 through March 7. Payment is $10 per poem/flash/art or $20 per long-from prose piece, a contributor copy, & a one-year online subscription. No theme & no reading fees until Submittable monthly limits reached (free submissions become available again from 12 a.m. PT March 1). Send us something that makes us feel alive. Details: intothevoidmagazine.com/submissions/.
Deadline: Rolling
50 Give or Take daily delivers micro-fiction of fifty words or less straight into your inbox. Please subscribe (it’s free!) to get an idea of what is published, before submitting your work. All accepted 50 Give or Take pieces will be published in a print collection at the end of every year, starting in 2021. All you have to do is submit your: 50-word story, one-line bio, website or social media URL, and a vertical photo of yourself to [email protected]. Good luck!
Deadline: March 31, 2021
Submission Dates: January 1 – March 31, 2021. Eligibility: Open to any poet writing in English regardless of publication history. Must not have studied with Tom Daley (the judge) within past ten years. Awards a standard book contract and virtual or in-person launch. Member of CLMP. lilypoetryreview.submittable.com/submit
Literary magazine The Malahat Review has announced they have extended the deadline for its biennial Long Poem Prize. If you missed yesterday’s deadline, you’re in luck! There is still time to submit. The new deadline is February 5 at 11:59 PM PST.
The Long Poem Prize awards two cash prizes of $1,250 CAD and is open to both Canadian and international writers across the globe. The two winning poems will appear in the the Summer 2021 issue. This year’s judges are Meredith Quartermain, Armand Garnet Ruffo, and John Elizabeth Stintzi.
This year, in addition to the cash prizes and publication, The Malahat Review is giving away poetry books to one lucky contest entrant. All submissions to the contest are entered into this giveaway. Books being given away are Salt and Ashes by Adrienne Drobnies, Re-Origin of Species by Alessandra Naccarato, Visual Inspection by Matt Rader, and Pockets by Stuart Ross.
Deadlines: March 15 & March 31, 2021
2021 ABLE MUSE CONTESTS :: SUBMIT NOW. WRITE PRIZE (poetry & fiction): $500 each + publication. Final Judges: Jehanne Dubrow (poetry), William Baer (fiction); $15 entry; deadline: March 15, 2021. BOOK AWARD (poetry): $1000 + book publication. Final Judge: Mark Jarman; $25 entry; deadline: March 31, 2021. ENTER NOW—go to www.ablemusepress.com for details.
Deadline: March 1, 2021
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 1, 2021. The Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize is awarded for an outstanding first chapter of an unpublished novel. First prize is $1,000; 2nd is $500; and 3rd is $250. The prize is open to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers. gutsygreatnovelist.com/chapter-one-prize/
Submissions accepted year-round
John Updike once said, “Creativity is merely a plus name for regular activity. Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or better.” At Driftwood Press, we are actively searching for artists who care about doing it right, or better. We are excited to receive your submissions and will diligently work to bring you the best in full poetry collections, novellas, graphic novels, short fiction, poetry, graphic narrative, photography, art, interviews, and contests. We also offer our submitters a premium option to receive an acceptance or rejection letter within one week of submission; many authors are offered editorships and interviews. To polish your fiction, note our editing services and seminars, too. www.driftwoodpress.net
Extended Deadline: February 21, 2021
First Pages Prize 2021 invites un-agented writers worldwide to enter your first pages (1,250 words maximum) of a fiction or creative nonfiction manuscript. FIVE winners receive a total of $5,000 USD, a developmental edit, and agent consultation. Lan Samantha Chang, director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, will judge. Deadline is February 7; extended deadline February 21, 2021. For guidelines, terms & conditions, visit www.firstpagesprize.com. Happy writing and we cannot wait to read your pages!
Sisters in Crime, an organization dedicated to promoting the ongoing advancement, recognition, and professional development of women crime writers, has announced it’s inaugural Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers. This award will provide a $2,000 grant to a crime fiction writer at the beginning of their career.
The judges of the inaugural award are Sisters in Crime members John Copenhaver, Cheryl Head, and Kristen Lepionka who have written award-winning LGBTQIA+ crime fiction.
Submissions are open through March 15. There is no fee.
Deadline: March 31, 2021
The National Indie Excellence® Awards (NIEA) are open to all English language printed books available for sale, including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors. NIEA is proud to be a champion of self-publishing and small independent presses going the extra mile to produce books of excellence in every aspect. All entries for the 15th Annual NIEA contest must be postmarked by March 31, 2021. www.indieexcellence.com
Submissions accepted year-round.
The Blue Mountain Review launched from Athens, Georgia in 2015 with the mantra, “We’re all south of somewhere.” As a journal of culture the BMR strives to represent life through its stories. Stories are vital to our survival. Songs save the soul. Our goal is to preserve and promote lives told well through prose, poetry, music, and the visual arts. Our editors read year-round with an eye out for work with homespun and international appeal. We’ve published work by and interviews with Jericho Brown, Kelli Russell Agodon, Robert Pinsky, Rising Appalachia, Nahko, Michel Stone, Genesis Greykid, Cassandra King, Melissa Studdard, and A.E. Stallings.
Deadline: January 31, 2021
Nervous Ghost Press is currently accepting manuscript submissions for the 2021 Nervous Ghost Press Prizes for Poetry and Prose. $1000, publication, author copies, and a California reading tour to each winner (virtual tour depending on Covid-19 travel restrictions). $24 entry fee via Submittable – discounts and fee waivers are available. All genres are accepted except for work in translation. Open to those with a valid US mailing address. Deadline: January 31, 2021. Judges are Debra Moore Munoz (prose) & Michale Graves (poetry). For more information and complete guidelines, please visit: www.nervousghostpress.com/prizes or contact [email protected].
Submit to the $5,000 Miller Williams Poetry Prize, selected by Patricia Smith! Submission deadline: September 30, 2021.
View the full January 2021 eLitPak Newsletter. Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on our weekly newsletter and monthly eLitPaks.
Ezra invites submissions in all genres—from any era, style, or language. 1,000-word excerpts for prose. Special features in the Archives. Books are reviewed at Ezra as well. Residencies: Competitive (solitary) residencies are offered in the summer. A quiet cottage in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Apply by May 31—visit our website for complete details.
View the full January 2021 eLitPak Newsletter. Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on our weekly newsletter and monthly eLitPaks.
Winning short story collection will be published by Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama, in simultaneous hardcover and trade paper editions, also in e-book and Kindle formats. Winner will receive $1000, plus our standard royalty contract, which includes 50 copies of the book. Author must not have had book of short fiction published at time of entry, though novels or poetry are okay. Deadline: March 15, 2021.
View the full January 2021 eLitPak Newsletter. Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on our weekly newsletter and monthly eLitPaks.
Deadline: March 14, 2021
This project reflects current times: it is a political act, and bold voices in new forms will ignite it. We are most interested in: What does America mean now — and what forms can our voices take today? Show us experimental writing that confronts the hard truths of America across identities, generations, communities, cultures, borders. Literary experiments from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented communities hold particular power in making this anthology relevant. We will challenge the traditional anthology form too, experimenting with how the book can be (un)bound, (re)ordered, (re)read, and (co)shared. Authors selected will be paid for their work. www.unboundedition.com
Deadline: Rolling
NOMADartx is an emerging global creative network dedicated to sharing and amplifying creative potential, regardless of genre. NOMADartx Review curates fresh voices that address creativity and creative process via visual art, fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, interviews, critiques, and reviews. Our “Industry Specials” column also provides a place for contemporary creatives to share wisdom (individual or collective) toward building success in their fields of practice. We currently consider work that addresses these themes in any way, and we have a special call currently for visual art! More information is here: nomadartx.submittable.com/submit.