
Quarter After Eight’s annual Robert J. DeMott Short Prose Contest, with a prize of $1008.15 plus publication, is currently open for submissions, and they invited our graduate students to submit. Submissions consist of up to 3 pieces of 500 or less words, with a submission fee of $15. Writers may submit via this link: https://bit.ly/kvq_flash. The winner, runners up, and finalists will be invited to read at QAE's offsite AWP reading at the Jewel Box Theater's Grotto performance space on March 9. Kirstin Valdez Quade, this year's judge, is the author of The Five Wounds, which won the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize and the Rosenthal Family Foundation Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award and the Lambda Literary Award. Her story collection, Night at the Fiestas, won the John Leonard Prize from the National Book Critics Circle, the Sue Kaufman.
Deep Wild Journal is open for submissions of poems, essays, and stories for their 2023 issue, to be published next June. No fees to submit. Previously published work is welcome.
Also, they will begin accepting work for their annual Student Writing Contest on November 1. For this year’s contest, they will be seeking poetry by graduate students. Guidelines will be available in early October. The mission of Deep Wild journal is to publish the best work they can find in celebration of, and in defense of, places where there are no roads. Check out their website, archive, and blog, or purchase a back issue of the journal, to get a feel for who they are and what they favor. See deepwildjournal.com.
Deadline: Nov. 30th
Glassworks, the literary magazine of Rowan University’s Master of Arts in Writing graduate program, invites our students and colleagues to submit work to be considered for publication. Glassworks publishes nonfiction, fiction, poetry, hybrid pieces, and artwork both digitally and in print. We are currently reading for our 2023 print issues. We also publish flash fiction, prose poetry, and micro essays monthly in our online edition Flash Glass. More information about our magazine, sample issues, and a link to submit via Submittable can be found at www.rowanglassworks.org.
Deadline for all submissions: December 15th
The Poetry Society of America has several contests open for submissions. Members do not have to pay the entry fees. See their website and sign up for a membership here. Submit and see the contest individual guidelines here.
Deadline for all submissions: Dec. 31st
The 2022 WaterSedge Poetry Chapbook Contest: At Writer’s Relief, we know how challenging it is for poets to get their poetry manuscripts published. So we’re very happy to sponsor this contest and support the work of a talented poet. Contest Judge: Luisa A. Igloria, Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Virginia and author of 14 poetry books; co-winner of the 2019 Crab Orchard Open Poetry Prize; inaugural recipient of the 2015 Resurgence Poetry Prize (UK); awarded a Poet Laureate Fellowship from the Academy of American Poets; and a member of the board of The Muse Writers Center in Norfolk. The winner will receive: $500 cash prize; publication of the poetry chapbook in both print and e-book formats; Amazon distribution for Kindle and print; and 25 free print copies. COMPLETED POETRY CHAPBOOK MANUSCRIPTS ONLY. More information here.
Deadline: Friday, December 16
Epiphany’s5th Annual Breakout! Prize:Submissions are open in the categories of poetry and prose. This year's guest judges will be Safiya Sinclair and Meredith Westgate. Each winner will receive a $1000 cash prize, publication in the next issue of Epiphany, and a print subscription to the magazine. All contest entrants will also receive a free digital subscription with the code included in our initial response letter.
Deadline: Jan. 1st
The Spring/Summer 2023 Issue of Epiphany is open for submissionsin the categories of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art. We are offering everyone who sends us work a free digital subscription to Epiphany. If you submit work to us, the code for a free digital subscription will be included in our initial response letter.
Deadline: Jan. 1st, 2023
Bridge returns with long-running Poetry and Fiction categories in a new round of open calls. Submissions are read by their respective Bridge section editors and, in the case of editors at-large, by the Editor-in-Chief. See more Bridge on their website.
Deadline: Jan. 15th, 2023
Honey Literary Inc., a BIPOC-focused 501(c)(3) literary arts organization and journal, is open for submissions for their 5th issue, which will be out on Valentine’s Day. Here is more info on submissions. They are especially looking for more submissions in the following categories: Essays, Hybrid, Animals, Interviews, Rants & Raves, and Valentines. Potential submitters can email them questions at editor@honeyliterary.com
Deadline: Dec. 15th
Jesmyn Ward Prize: The Michigan Quarterly Review has established this prize for fiction in honor of Helen Zell Writers’ Program alumna Jesmyn Ward and her significant contributions to the literary arts. One short story submitted for this prize will be awarded $2,000 and publication in MQR. All submissions for the prize will be considered for publication. The fee for submission is $25. This year’s judge is Desiree Cooper.
Deadline: Dec. 31st
Goldstein Prize Open for Submissions: The Goldstein Prize is awarded annually to a poem of exemplary quality submitted for consideration. One poem submitted for this prize will be awarded $1,000 and publication in MQR. All submissions will be considered for publication. The fee for submission is $20. This year’s judge is Ruth Behar.
Deadline: Dec. 31st
New Limestone Review, the literary journal of the University of Kentucky’s MFA in Creative Writing program, is open for submissions. New Limestone Review considers submissions of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art in the fall and spring for publication in their online literary review. They also consider work that defies, bends, and hybridizes genre. See their detailed submission guidelines and access our Submittable page here. Feel free to reach out to them at limestone.uky@gmail.com with any questions.
Deadline: Dec. 31st
The Poetry Society of America has a list of annual awards they present. See the list, guidelines for each award, and submit here.
Deadline for all: Dec. 31st.
The PSA's Chapbook Program publishes each winner's work as a chapbook, allowing new voices to reach new audiences and awarding each winner $1,000. It is open to any U.S. citizen or anyone currently living within the U.S. who has not published a full-length poetry collection. See the full guidelines and how to submit here.
Deadline: Dec. 31st
The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets is seeking submissions. The winner will receive USD $1000 and publication through the University of Nebraska Press. For full details, click here to visit the APBF Submittable page.
Deadline: Dec. 1st
Spectrum Literary Journal is an annual publication of art and literature based out of UC Santa Barbara’s College of Creative Studies. For the past 65 years, the magazine has celebrated a spectrum of voices, genres, and topics reflective of the wide range of human experiences, from both new and established writers. They are passionate about work that defies, bends, or manipulates genre, and we welcome submissions of prose, poetry, visual art, and hybrid literary forms. Volume 66 will be published in June 2023. Visit here for more information and to submit your work
Deadline: Dec. 31st
The Nervous Ghost Press Book Prize: All genres except work in translation are considered and the prize recipient will receive a $1000 dollar advance on royalties. For writers submitting poetry, individual poems may have been published in chapbooks, journals, anthologies, and should be credited appropriately. See the full guidelines and submit here.
Deadline: March, 31st