April Calls for Submissions + Opportunities + Resources

NCLR Jaki Shelton Green Poetry Performance Prize

The 2023 Final Judge is Glenis Redmond.

1st prize is $250 and dissemination through NCLR.

Finalists will also be considered for sharing via NCLR Online, and poets will receive $25–$100.

Read more about this contest, est. 2022, here.

AFTER reading the guidelines below, SUBMIT HERE.

To honor its mission to promote and support writers who are a part of our state’s rich literary tradition, NCLR acknowledges the contribution of Spoken Word artists and poetic performances. Traditional rhythms and storytelling in prose and verse are woven into the emotional and cultural history of North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast. The Spoken Word tradition in North Carolina was built on the legacy of musical greats such as Thaddeus Monk, George Clinton, Shirley Cesar, and Nina Simone and has been fueled by the cultural heritage of storytelling and musicality embedded within the African American experience. It is broader, deeper, more diverse, and more fluid than all these influences. Through this contest, NCLR and the North Carolina Poetry Society will showcase what we hope will be some of the best work by emerging and preeminent performance poets in North Carolina.

Craft

Craft is currently offering a fast response option for free to BIPOC writers and other historically mis- and underrepresented writers.

This form is for both short fiction and longform creative nonfiction (short stories, standalone excerpts, and creative nonfiction essays) between 1,001 and 6,000 words, and for flash and micros (both fiction and creative nonfiction) up to 1,000 words.

Crafts pays $200 for accepted short stories or longform creative nonfiction, and we pay $100 for accepted flash or micro pieces. To serve our aim of exploring the art of prose, each published piece includes an editor’s introduction as well as a craft essay (author’s note) by the writer. This essay will be requested upon acceptance.

Responses within four weeks of submission.

Making Waves

Making Waves: a West Michigan Literary Review is a product of Ludington Writers, a diverse group of wordsmith enthusiasts and practitioners. Inspired by each other and the beauty of the lakeshore and landscapes around us, our mission is to engender creativity within our local community and beyond.

DEADLINE

Submissions will open from January 1st through April 30th for September print and electronic publication. We are open to both poetry, short prose (under 1,000 words in length), and visual art. Our response time is up to three months.

Poetry and prose submissions require a fee of $3 per attachment.

Each attachment may include up to two (2) pieces of either poetry, prose, or one (1) of each with a maximum of five (5) pages per attachment.

Full Bread

We ask poets to submit one to five poems in a single Word document or PDF, and prose writers to submit one or two pieces in a single document totaling no more than 3,000 words. All works should be shared through our Submittable page by midnight, April 12, 2023. Selections will be made by the end of April in advance of the issue’s release in early May. (Writers in Maryland, Virginia, and DC who have previously submitted work for the issue may submit again in response to this additional call.)

Ruth Lily and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships

The Poetry Foundation awards five Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships annually. Among the largest awards offered to young poets in the US, the $27,000 prize is intended to support exceptional US poets between 21 and 31 years of age.

The fellowships were established in 1989 by the Indianapolis philanthropist Ruth Lilly and expanded in 2013 with a gift from the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Memorial Fund.

In 2023, the prize amount was increased from $25,800 to $27,000 for each recipient.

Applications for the 2023 fellowships will be accepted March 2–April 14, 2023 via the Poetry Foundation’s Grants and Awards Online Portal. Please register for the online portal by April 10, 2023 if you intend to apply.

Contemporary Verse

Contemporary Verse 2 is a quarterly literary journal that publishes poetry and critical writing about poetry, including interviews, articles, essays, and reviews. It is our policy to publish new writing by both emerging and established poets

• Poetry submissions: no more than 6 pages.

• Interviews: no more than 6-8 pages in length, double-spaced.

• Articles: no more than 3-4 pages, double-spaced.

• Essays: no more than 2-4 pages, double-spaced.

• Reviews should be 600-1000 words, double-spaced. (Between ½ and 2 pages long.

• Poetry: $30 per poem

• Interviews: $50-$100, depending upon length

• Articles: $50-$100, depending upon length

• Essays: $40-$150, depending upon length

• Reviews: $50-$80, depending upon length

  ( Open to international writers)

New England Review

We welcome and encourage submissions from writers of every nationality, race, religion, and gender, including writers who have never been affiliated with an MFA program and whose perspectives are often underrepresented in the literary world.

• Fiction: We are looking for short stories, short shorts, novellas, novel excerpts (if they can stand alone), and translations. The word limit is 20,000, though most of what we publish is shorter than 10,000 words. Please send only one piece at a time, unless the pieces are very short (under 1,000 words), in which case send up to three.

  Poetry: We publish long and short poems, including translations. Please send no more than six poems at once, and upload them as a single file.

  Nonfiction: We publish a broad range of nonfiction, including interpretive and personal essays, critical reassessments, cultural criticism (art, film, etc.), travel writing, environmental writing, and works in translation. The word limit is 20,000, though most of what we publish is shorter than 10,000 words. Please double-space and include word count on the front page or cover letter.

Invisible City

Invisible City is an online publication of the MFA in Writing Program at the University of San Francisco. We publish fiction, poetry, and nonfiction in the fall and spring. Sometimes, we have contests. As of Issue 5, we pay a $20 honorarium to our contributors.

Invisible City seeks work that makes the unseen seen, examining the world through previously unconsidered perspectives and angles. We like work that is specific, whether that means reveling in weirdness or adhering to tradition. Emerging writers and writers from underrepresented communities are encouraged to submit.

We read prose pieces up to 5,000 words. Flash is welcome; for regular issue submissions you may submit up to three flash pieces (less than 1,000 words each) in a single document. If you’re submitting poetry, please submit to us no more than three poems. The best things come in threes: Olympic medals, wishes, Cerberus heads. We read prose pieces up to 5,000 words. Flash is always welcome; for issue (not contest) submissions you may submit up to three flash pieces in a single document. Email: invisiblecity@usfca.edu. We do accept simultaneous submissions. However, we ask that you notify us as soon as possible if your work is accepted elsewhere.

Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize

ELIGIBILITY

The award is open to any poet writing in English who has not had a full-length book of poetry published previously. We define “full-length book” as a volume of 48 or more pages published in an edition of 500 or more copies. Books whose publication costs have been borne by their authors are excluded from this definition. University of Pittsburgh employees, former employees, current students, and those who have been students within the last three years are not eligible for the award.

SUBMISSIONS

Submit your Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize manuscript online! During the submission period (March 1 – April 30), simply go to our Submittable page, where you’ll find easy-to-follow instructions.Manuscripts should be between 48 and 100 pages. Please also include your curriculum vitae.

SUBMISSION FEE

Each manuscript must be accompanied by a $25.00 entry fee, paid through Submittable at the time of your submission.

Italian Prose in Translation

The Italian Prose in Translation Award (IPTA), which was inaugurated in 2015, recognizes the importance of contemporary Italian prose (fiction and literary non-fiction) and promotes the translation of Italian works into English.

This $5,000 prize will be awarded annually to a translator of a recent work of Italian prose (fiction or literary non-fiction). The winning translators and books are featured at the annual ALTA conference.

Both translators and publishers are invited to submit titles. 

Eligibility for the Italian Prose in Translation Award: 

• book-length translations into English of prose (fiction or literary non-fiction) 

• translated from Italian into English

• published in the previous calendar year

Submissions will be judged according to the literary significance of the original and the success of the translation in recreating the literary artistry of the original.

Submissions are accepted beginning in January each year. Submissions for the 2023 awards cycle are open and will close April 17, 2023 at 11:59pm PT. 

Palette Poetry

We warmly invite all new and emerging poets to submit to The Rising Poet Prize! We will only accept submissions from poets who have not yet published a full-length collection at the time of submission. The winning poet will be awarded $3000, publication, and a brief interview in Palette Poetry. Second and third place will receive $300 & $200, respectively, as well as publication. The top ten finalists will be selected by Palette editors, and Guest Judge Maggie Smith will then select the winner and two runners-up from among the ten finalists.

For this prize, we are only accepting unpublished work from new and emerging poets: poets without a full-length collection published at the time of submission. Poets with no publication history are especially encouraged to submit. Poets with only chapbooks published are eligible. Poets with self-published full-length collections are ineligible. We do accept multiple submissions, but each submission will include the $20 reading fee.

Chestnut Review

Poetry: Submit up to six poems (three for free submissions). Length and format are open. Poems should be single-spaced. Begin each poem on a new page, and clearly indicate when a poem extends beyond one page. There are no absolute length limits, but remember that the longer a poem, the better it has to be. We strongly dislike submissions that consist of only one poem.

Flash: Submit one piece of no more than 1000 words. We do accept micros, and we publish both fiction and creative nonfiction. Please only send one piece at a time regardless of length. Flash submissions are free. 

Prose: Submit one piece of between 1000 and 5000 words. Prose submissions can be works of fiction or nonfiction. We do not accept excerpts of longer works.

Ekphrastic Writing Contest

-short fiction including microfiction and flash fiction
-poetry, all kinds- we love prose poetry- please note, experimental spacing is tough to replicate online
-creative nonfiction 
-translations of ekphrastic work from other languages (with permission of original author or public domain)
-ekphrastic book reviews (please query)
-author interviews (please query)
-sequences of poetry, CNF, or fiction (about one artist, one style, one artwork, or other link)

Submit to the editors at theekphrasticreview@gmail.com.

New Michigan Press

The New Michigan Press / DIAGRAM chapbook contest announces our guidelines for 2022! We select the majority of our chapbook list each year from the ranks of the chapbook contest finalists, so this is the best way to get your work read. And what's more, it's all read blind. Plus you get a free chapbook just for entering and you get to know that your entry helps us do what we do.

The Prize

 $1000 plus 25 author copies AND of course publication; finalist chapbooks also considered for publication (we typically published 3-6). The Entry Fee:$24

Plentitude

The Plentitudes is a quarterly international literary journal showcasing captivating short stories, personal essays, and poetry from diverse voices. We believe in the power of writing—in its plentitudes of forms, styles, and modes of exploration—to move the spirit, shift the gaze, and offer new perspectives.

We are looking for pieces that are well-written, captivating, and from the heart. We especially love writing from new voices and fresh perspectives for the now. Marginalized voices, including LGBTQ, BIPOC and Disability writers, are particularly encouraged to submit.

Submission guidelines:

• Word count limit: 1,500 - 5,000 words.

• Must be an original, unpublished work, written by the submitter.

• Authors of works selected for publication will receive an honorarium of US$50 per piece.

Latino Literatures

Established in the summer of 2016, Latin@ Literatures is an online source for contemporary discussion on Latinx literature and culture. The journal’s principal objective is to provide an avenue for the publication and dissemination of new writing by Latinx authors and a space for philosophical engagement in topics dealing with Latinx culture.

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.

Unless they exceed e-mail server capacity, all materials must be submitted electronically via e-mail attachment to: info@latinoliteratures.org.  Written texts must be submitted in Microsoft Word format (.doc), plain text (.txt), and/or appropriate html file.

Huizache

Welcome to Huizache's Submittable page! Before you can submit your work, you'll need to put it into a PDF or a .doc (Microsoft Word) file. If you're submitting multiple poems, please put them all into one file. Then just click the appropriate "Submit" button below, next to "Poetry" or "Prose," and send it in. Be sure to include your contact information and a brief bio when they are asked for--we do use that stuff.

Our reading period for Huizache 10 opens January 1, 2023 and will close June 1, 2023. Acceptances are on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to submit early.

Acentos General Submissions

Submissions sent outside of that window will be read but not acted on until the next scheduled reading period. 

All submissions are read by The Acentos Review staff before decisions are made. We do not consider previously published material. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable with immediate notification of publication. 

All submissions (art, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, translation and cross-genre) should be submitted via SUBMITTABLE.  No submissions will be read outside of the submission manager. Interview submissions:  Please query first at acentosreview@gmail.com. 

Waxwing

Waxwing is published tri-annually in February, June, and October. Each issue features approximately fifteen poets, ten to twelve writers of fiction and nonfiction, and five to eight authors in translation, along with a music column, book reviews, and interviews. We strive to promote the tremendous cultural diversity of contemporary American literature, alongside international voices both in English and in translation. Our mission is to include writers from all cultural identities, in terms of race, ethnicity, indigenous tribe, gender, class, sexuality, age, education, ability, language, religion, and region.

GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Our normal fiction submission period runs from September 1 through April 30. We will remain open each month until we hit our 300 submission cap. Please send one story, novella, or novel chapter at a time. s. Please note that novel chapters or excerpts should read well as stand alone pieces. We also love flash fictions (<1,000 words)—send up to three flash fictions in one document. Double-space your manuscript and include page numbers.

NONFICTION 

Our normal nonfiction submission period runs from September 1 through April 30. We will remain open each month until we hit our 300 submission cap. Please send one essay, memoir, or nonfiction excerpt at a time. While we're open to longer work, we typically publish essays under 6,000 words. Please note that book chapters or excerpts should read well as stand alone pieces. We also love flash nonfictions (<1,000 words)—send up to three flash nonfictions in one document. Double-space your manuscript and include page numbers.

POETRY 

Waxwing is open to poetry submissions during the months of August, September, November, January, and March, but will close once we hit our monthly 300 submissions cap. Please send one to five poems and place them all in one document. Use spacing and formats appropriate for your poems—that is, submit them the way you wish them to loo

Black Lawrence General Sub + Contest

Black Lawrence Press accepts submissions and payment of the entry fee ($17) exclusively through our online submission manager, Submittable. We are not able to accept submissions via email or postal mail.

During our June and November open reading periods, we accept submissions in the following categories: novel, novella, short story collection (full-length and chapbook), poetry (full-length and chapbook), biography & cultural studies, translation (from the German), and creative nonfiction.  We also enthusiastically accept hybrid submissions. 

All entries are read without identifying information by our panel of judges and editors. All manuscripts should include a title page (listing only the title of the work), table of contents (if applicable), and when appropriate, an acknowledgments page. Manuscripts should be paginated and formatted in an easy-to-read font such as Garamond or Times New Roman. Manuscripts should be 16-36 pages in length (double-spaced for fiction and creative non-fiction), not including front and back matter (table of contents, title page, etc.)

Poetry Northwest BIPOC SUBS

Poetry Northwest is published semi-annually in June and December. We also publish new work (poetry, reviews, interviews, and essays) on our website. We make no distinction between the work selected for print edition or website publication. All work submitted to us during our reading period will be considered for the print edition, the website, or both.

• Please submit no more than four poems at a time. Combine all poems into a single document and upload as a Word file. If you wish to submit a PDF, please include it as a second file.

• translations in the general poetry submissions category. We require that translators obtain permission from the copyright holders for the translation. Note: translations submissions are open April 2023.

• If you are an emerging writer, please consider submitting poems to Presenting, an annual feature published in the Winter & Spring issue of the magazine in which Senior Editor Xavier Cavazos introduces readers to a poet whose work has never before been featured in a nationally distributed print journal.

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