Here are 34 upcoming deadlines for submitting fiction, article pitches, and entering contests. All of these are paid opportunities. The deadlines are through January 3rd, 2022.
Most of these were previously listed in Freedom With Writing, or Authors Publish Magazine.
Thanks to S. Kalekar for most of the listings in this article.
Worlds Enough: Fantastic Detectives anthology is open for submissions. This is a fiction anthology about fantasy detectives. Their guidelines say, “This new anthology is targeted at those stubborn individuals who just won’t let crimes go unsolved. They could be members of the City Guard, soldiers, magicians, or anything else…but they all have one thing in common. They’ll do whatever it takes to find the answers they need.” They want stories about crimes in fantasy settings, ranging from “second world” settings to urban fantasies. Stories can have other elements such as romance, humor, action…but should primarily be about dealing with a crime (a theft, kidnapping, murder, etc.). Since these are fantasy stories, magic should be featured in some fashion. It can be: used in committing the crime, used in solving the crime, the reason for the crime, an intrinsic capability of a character, or something else.
Length: 5,000-15,000 words
Pay: $20
Details here and here.
Deadline: December 30th, 2021
Zombies Need Brains wants submissions for three anthologies.
They are reading submissions for three science fiction and fantasy anthologies – Noir, Shattering the Glass Slipper, and Brave New Worlds. They want a range of stories, from humorous to dark.
— Noir “is to feature science fiction, fantasy, or urban fantasy stories with a detective/private investigator set-up and a noir atmosphere. We would like a wide variety of genre settings for this anthology, specifically SF and second world fantasy settings.”
— Shattering the Glass Slipper “is to feature stories of known fairy tales that have been upended, gender-bent, or twisted around in some way. Stories featuring less famous fairy tales, especially those from non-European cultures, will have a better chance of catching our eye.” See guidelines for which stories the anchor authors will use; they’re unlikely to use two stories featuring the same fairy tale.
— Brave New Worlds “is to feature science fiction stories set along the pathway of us leaving Earth for the stars. Stories can be set during our departure from Earth, on the long journey to reach a new planet, or upon arrival at said planet. Generation ship or colony ship stories are allowed, as well as terraforming stories once the new planet is reached. Stories featuring the human element to these types of journeys will receive more attention than strictly plot-based stories.”
Length: Up to 7,500 words
Pay: At least $0.08/word + royalties
Details here.
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
New York Times wants submissions for Modern Love and Solver Stories columns
They are open to unsolicited submissions of personal essays about love, and about puzzles.
— Modern Love: They accept submissions for their Modern Love column; one of their reading periods is from September to December. Modern Love publishes honest personal essays about contemporary relationships – see guidelines for further details and examples of past published essays. They especially encourage Black and Indigenous people and other people of color to submit, as well as writers outside of the United States and those who identify as members of LGBTQ communities. (They also publish Tiny Love Stories of exactly 100 words, for which there is no monetary payment. However, here’s an article on how one of these was turned into an episode for a TV series, along with some other Modern Love stories).
Deadline: 31 December 2021
Length: 1,500-1,700 words
Pay: Unspecified
Details here.
— Solver Stories: These are personal essays about your relationship with puzzles. Their guidelines say, “Solver Stories, a feature of Wordplay, welcomes submissions of personal essays on a variety of topics, such as: An issue the writer has faced in life, and how solving puzzles (of any kind) has helped them resolve that issue; A feel-good story or good news from the worlds of puzzles and games…; How solving puzzles has affected a relationship in the writer’s life; How puzzles, games or use of language have been agents of cultural change.
The most important thing is that the writing be emotionally honest and for the story to be freshly and compellingly told.” They have examples of Solver Stories essays within the guidelines.
Deadline: Ongoing
Length: 800-1,200 words
Pay: $200
Details here.
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
It’s Freezing in LA! #9 wants pitches on climate & health. This is a magazine of environmental slow journalism. They are looking for pitches for Spring 2022. A recent Tweet from the magazine says, “We are looking for features, interviews and essays that explore climate and health. Pay £150/1,200 words. Deadline for pitches 31st December.” See the pitch guidelines here.
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
Fiyah is open for submissions. This magazine publishes work by and about Black people of the African Diaspora. “This definition is globally inclusive (Black anywhere in the world) and also applies to mixed/biracial and Afro-appended people regardless of gender identity or orientation.” They are reading speculative fiction (short fiction to novella length) and poetry submissions for an unthemed issue; non-fiction is closed. They also accept reviews.
Length: 2,000-15,000 words for fiction; up to 1,000 words for poetry
Pay: $0.08/word for fiction, $50 for poems
Details here.
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
The Cincinnati Review is open for submission. The Cincinnati Review is open for submissions of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and translations – pay is $25/page of prose and $30/page of poetry. The deadline is 31 December 2021, or until filled – and submissions usually fill up quickly. MiCRo submissions, for which there is no cash payment, will reopen on 1st January 2022. Details here.
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
Poetry Society of America: The Four Quartets Prize is open for submissions.
This is for a unified and complete sequence of poems published in America in a print or online journal, chapbook, or book in 2021. Poems in the sequence may have been published in different journals provided that they were published in 2019 and that brought together, they form a complete sequence. The minimum requirement is 14 pages of published poems unified by subject, form, and style. Entire books composed of a unified sequence, however long, are also welcome. Submissions will have to be mailed. Self-published work is not eligible. They have other upcoming awards also, though these have an entry fee.
Value: $20,000; $1,000 to finalists
Deadline: 31 December 2021 (postmarked)
Open for: Unspecified
Details here
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
Center Field of Gravity Award is open for submissions.
They want previously unpublished science-fiction, fantasy, and horror short stories or long-form poems up to 17,000 words.
Value: $200; $25 for runners-up
Open for: All writers
Details here
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
Lilith Magazine Fiction Contest is open for submission.
This magazine publishes work of interest to Jewish women. They like work with both feminist and Jewish content. Submit up to 3,000 words.
Value: $250
Open for: All writers
Details here
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
Blue Mountain Arts: Poetry Card Contest is open for submissions.
This biannual contest is for poetry for the greeting card company. Poems can be rhyming or non-rhyming, though they find non-rhyming poetry reads better. Poets can enter the contest as often as they like.
Value: $350, $200, $100
Open for: All poets
Details here
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
Story Unlikely Short Story Contest is open for submissions
This is for short stories, and also other genres, of up to 2,250 words – “There are no restrictions on genre: fantasy, sci fi, memoir, fiction/nonfiction, etc – we don’t care as long as it’s a good story.” Read the terms carefully – writers have to subscribe to their newsletter, otherwise they will be disqualified.
Value: $500; $25 for runners-up
Open for: All writers
Details here
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
The Society of Classical Poets: 2022 Poetry Translation Competition is open for submissions.
This is for poetry translations, which should not exceed 108 lines. Translated poetry should be from the Romantic period or earlier. Translations should be metered. Include the poem in its original language. Rhyme and other traditional techniques are encouraged as well, but not required. They have other classical poetry contests, including one for students, which have entry fees.
Value: $100
Open for: Unspecified
Details here
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
The Tratt Fiction Award is open for submissions.
This is for US-based writers, for a debut short story manuscript – it must be the writer’s first collection of short fiction. Manuscript length has to be 160-275 pages. Apart from the cash prize, there is a standard royalty contract.
Value: $1,000
Open for: US-based writers
Details here
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
The Lyric Magazine: College Poetry Contest is open for submissions.
This is a contest open to undergraduates enrolled full time in an American or Canadian college or university. Poems must be original and unpublished, 39 lines or less, written in English in traditional forms, preferably with regular scansion and rhyme. Students can send up to three poems.
Value: $500, $150, $100
Open for: Undergraduates in an American or Canadian college or university
Details here
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
U.S. Naval Institute General Prize Essay is open for submissions
This prize is for an essay of up to 3,000 words on US defence (see guidelines for details on the theme). The contest is open to “all contributors – active-duty military, reservists, veterans, and civilians”, according to their guidelines.
Value: $6,000, $3,000, $2,000
Open for: “All contributors – active-duty military, reservists, veterans, and civilians”
Details here
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
The Kenyon Review is open for submissions
This magazine usually publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and plays. For the current submission call, their guest editors will edit a portfolio of literature in translation, to be published in one of their issues in 2023. Their guidelines say, “If translation is about transcending boundaries, what are the boundaries we can transcend through translation other than that of language and culture? What false binaries can we interrogate through experimental approaches, and what new permutations can we include under the umbrella of “translation”? What if we inverted the adjectives usually allocated to translations in reviews and attempted translations that are not smooth but rough, not seamless but seamful, not bold but timorous, not nimble but ungainly? We are interested in experiments that undermine traditional hierarchies of original and translation, behind-the-scenes accounts of translation, hybrid translations, fiction and poetry about translation and translators, and fungal translations—a breaking-down and reconstituting of the source in an entirely new form, as opposed to the translation-as-reproduction paradigm. We would be particularly delighted by translations from literatures, both in terms of source languages and forms, that are traditionally underrepresented in white Anglophone publishing.” They’re also reading submissions for a non-fiction contest, and that has an entry fee.
Length: Up to 7,500 words for prose; up to 6 poems, according to general submission guidelines
Pay: For translators, $120 per poem or $300 for a work of prose; and $75 honorarium to the author of the original work
Details here and here.
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
Channel is open for submissions.
This Ireland-based journal was born out of the climate crisis, publishing poetry and prose with an environmentalist perspective.
They publish fiction, non-fiction, and poetry – they want work that engages with the natural world, and have a particular interest in work which encourages reflection on human interaction with plant and animal life, landscape and the self. They also accept translations.
Length: Up to 6,000 words for prose, up to 4 poems
Pay: €50/poem, and €50/page of prose up to €150
Details here.
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
Manawaker Studios wants submissions for Felis Futura – An Anthology of Future Cats (+ another call)
This anthology will have fiction (including graphic narrative), poetry, and art about the future which features cats. “Submitted works should be of any genre, as long as the work depicts a world that is noticeably in the future. Hard and Soft Sci-fi, (Post-)apocalyptic, Solarpunk, Slipstream, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Alternate (future) History, Supernatural, Retro-futurism etc. are all fine names for genres that often take place in the future, but your story doesn’t have to fit into one of those. … All works must also prominently feature at least one cat. It does not have to be a cat of the genus Felis. Other members of the cat family are also acceptable, as are non-biological cats, metaphorical cats, robots with the acronym K.A.A.T., and so on.” No gore horror or erotic romance. They also accept unthemed stories for their flash fiction podcast (no deadline).
Deadline: 31 December 2021
Length: Unspecified for fiction, up to five poems
Pay: $10/poem, $0.01/word for fiction, $15/page for graphic narrative
Details here.
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
Black Spot Books wants submissions for ‘Into the Forest’ anthology
This is a dark fiction and horror publisher – they want horror fiction from writers who identify as women for this Baba Yaga anthology. “Deep in the dark forest, in a cottage that moves through the forest on birds’ legs behind a fence topped with human skulls, lives the baba yaga. A guardian of the water of life, she lives with her sisters and takes to the skies in a giant mortar and pestle, creating tempests as she goes. Those who come across the baba yaga may find help, or hinderance, or horror. She is wild, she is woman, she is witch—and these are her tales.
We are looking for stories inspired by and featuring the BABA YAGA.”
Deadline: 31 December 2021
Length: 1,000-5,000 words
Pay: $0.06/word
Details here.
Critical Read is open for pitches
This is a nonprofit organization supporting the promotion of the arts (nonprofit arts including but not limited to ballet, drama, classical music, opera, jazz, performance, installation, visual art) and culture in the US. “We have a particular interest in deserving works of art that are not (yet) considered canonical. Our priority is works of art by American artists. We are very interested in pitches about works of art by American artists whose legacies have not been adequately protected.” They are accepting pitches for two series: Artwork Biographies (for which there is a pitch deadline), and artist profiles for their Open Canon series (for which no pitch deadline is given).
— Artwork Biography: These are their deep dives. “These stories are fact-based and narrative-driven. They balance opinion with research and reporting, but their emphasis is on storytelling. You can think of them as non-academic criticism aimed at the general interest reader … For these stories we are particularly interested in non-canonical American artists whose legacies have not been adequately protected. We will consider pitches for stories that touch on works of obscure or vintage pop culture and Americana.” These are typically assigned at 4,000-5,000 words. The pitch deadline is 31 December 2021.
— Artist Profiles for Open Canon: They want stories of underappreciated American artists. “We are particularly interested in those writers, artists, and performers whose work has been unfairly overlooked or forgotten because of their race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.
We want short, informative profiles of these American artists whose work hasn’t historically been considered canonical but maybe should be. What was their most important contribution to American art history? Was it a particular way of working, an idea, a style?” They do not want pitches on contemporary artists for this column. Details here.
Folkloric wants submissions for ‘Lovecraftian Inspired Tales of Folklore & Horror’ anthology.
This is a fiction anthology. They want a “dark fantasy and horror collection of stories inspired by history, folklore, cults, religion, myth, and legend—with just a touch of Cosmic Horror. We want to read about traditional beasties that lurk within the dark places of the world and the slithering tentacles that follow them! While Lovecraftian themes are encouraged, we would prefer it if these submissions were more ‘loosely inspired’ by his works than if they took place within the Cthulhu Mythos, Dream Cycle etc. … We’re looking for stories that blend traditional folklore with themes of cosmic horror. We are not looking for modern tales of horror. We’d prefer it if these submissions took place within an historical setting (preferably before the 20th century).” They are reading submissions until 1 January 2022. The projects below have later deadlines.
Length: Prefer stories of 5,000-9,000 words
Pay: $100-150
Details here.
Deadline: January 1st, 2022
Minotaur Books’ The Tony Hillerman Prize for Best First Mystery Set in the Southwest is open for submissions
This is for US and Canadian writers, for a first novel (manuscript) of mystery – in which a serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story, and the emphasis is on the solution rather than the details of the crime – of approximately 60,000 words. The story’s primary setting must be one or more of the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and/or Utah. Each manuscript will be assessed based on the following criteria, weighted as indicated: publishable quality of manuscript (60%); creativity (20%); and originality (20%). In the event of a tie, the tie will be broken based on the higher score in the “publishable quality of manuscript” category. Minotaur is an imprint of St Martin’s Press, which is part of Macmillan.
Value: $10,000 advance against royalties
Open for: US and Canadian writers
Details here
Deadline: January 1st, 2022
The Victorian Writer wants pitches for Flicker- and Dusk-themed issues
The Victorian Writer is a magazine by Australia-based Writers Victoria. They are accepting pitches for their 2022 editions. They publish poems (AUD70), and articles of 600 words (AUD100) and 1200 words (AUD200) in the print edition with particular interest in the craft of writing and the writing life. Pitches for articles have to be submitted by the issue’s deadline date. For the Flicker theme the deadline is 1 January 2022, and for the Dusk theme, it is 4 February 2022. They have other themes listed, as well. Details here and here.
Deadline: January 1st, 2022
Fourteen Hills’ Stacey Doris Memorial Poetry Award is accepting submissions
This is a poetry contest – send one poem of 3 to 10 pages. Their guidelines say, “Stacy Doris was a poet, translator, and an Associate Professor in San Francisco State University’s Department of Creative Writing, where she taught for ten years. … Doris created new worlds with her unexpected poetics. Following upon her spirit of creative invention, engaging wit and ingenious playfulness, discovery in construction, and radical appropriations based on classical forms, pastiche, etc., and love, the Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award is given to a poet with a truly inventive spirit.” Works that don’t win will be considered for publication in Fourteen Hills.
Value: $500
Open for: Unspecified
Details here.
Deadline: January 1st, 2022
Defenestration.net Lengthy Poem Contest is open for submissions
They are reading entries for a lengthy poem, of at least three 120 lines, or roughly chapbook-length (see guidelines). Poem cycles are accepted. They do not want prose poems. It is best to divide it into parts or sections, though this is not a strict requirement.
Value: $300
Open for: Unspecified
Details here.
Deadline: January 1st, 2022
Mumber Mag is open for submissions
They want fiction, nonfiction, translations, and poetry. Their guidelines say, “We want stuff suited to the internet. That could mean short. It could mean it makes use of hyperlinks. Whatever. Surprise us. Make us laugh. Something between WS Merwin and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. Or between Werewolf Bar Mitzvah and Lorrie Moore. That’s the sweet spot. We want something so good you’d forward it to your mom, your brother, your colleagues at work.”
Length: Up to 2,000 words for prose
Pay: $25 per poem or short, $50 for prose
Details here.
Deadline: January 1st, 2022
Crimes of the Famous & Infamous anthology is open for pitches
The editor of ‘The Best New True Crime Stories’ series is accepting pitches a true crime anthology: “Nonfiction, true crime accounts of the “famous and infamous.” Criminal subjects can be from the performing and literary arts (including actors, musicians and composers, radio and TV personalities, authors, journalists, artists, etc.), politicians, sports figures, members of royalty, business entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and so forth. Criminal subjects must already be in the public eye when committing their crimes, not made famous after the fact. Stories can take place anywhere in the world and can cover a wide range of criminal activity/historical time frames. First-person accounts are especially welcome from writers with a connection to their cases. Add something new to the story, a different viewpoint or angle, particularly if your chosen case has received extensive coverage.” The final word count has to be 4,000-7,000 words. Pay is $130 for submissions. The final submission deadline is 1 January 2022 (or until filled) for Crimes of the Famous & Infamous. It is best to pitch early, as these are accepted on a rolling basis, and submissions may close early if the anthology is filled. Details here.
Deadline: January 1st, 2022
Soft Skull Press wants submissions for ‘Black Punk Now’ anthology
Soft Skull Press is an imprint of Catapult and they want submissions for a Black Punk anthology. Their guidelines say, “Looking for Black punk artists and writers to submit nonfiction, fiction or comics to an anthology that’s defining Black punk today–submit to Black Punk Now! …. (the anthology) is our chance to create a new reference point for music-lovers, readers, and historians, capturing the present and looking to the future, canonizing the transgressive and raw literature being created by the current generation of Black punks. We want to go beyond Bad Brains, and show what has sprung up after Afro-Punk.
If you’re drawing a comic about the nuances of Black, queer sex in an anarchist collective house; if you’re working on an essay that digs into how the “twice as hard for half as much” ethos leads to success (and frustration) in a DIY scene; if you’ve created dystopian fiction about black crust punk scavengers; or you’ve thought of anything else that that is black, punk, exciting and personal–we want to hear from you.”
Length: Up to 3,000 words for prose; up to 16 pages for comics
Pay: Unspecified
Details here.
Deadline: January 1st, 2022
Briarpatch wants pitches for May/June 2022 issue
Briarpatch is a Canadian publication and they are looking for pitches. “We are looking for investigative journalism, interviews, feature articles, narrative reporting, project profiles, comics and graphic texts, book reviews, and photo essays that are rooted in anti-colonial, anti-capitalist, feminist struggle.” Pay is CAD150 for profiles, short essays, book reviews, and parting shots (generally 1,500 words or less), CAD250 for feature stories (generally 1,500-2,000 words) and photo essays, and CAD350 for research-based articles and investigative reporting (generally 2,000-2,500 words). The pitch deadline is 3 January 2022. Details here.
Deadline: January 3rd, 2022
Steinbeck Fellowships are accepting submissions
These fellowships, from Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies, are to help writers complete a book project. Up to six Steinbeck Fellows are selected each year from disciplines including fiction, creative non-fiction, biography, drama, and Steinbeck studies (no poetry). Also, “In awarding fellowships, the selection committee considers the quality of the candidate’s proposal and any factors that would lead to expectations of future publication and other achievement. The creative writing fellowship does not require that there be any direct connection between Steinbeck’s works and that of the applicant.“
Value: $15,000, residency at San José State University
Open for: Unspecified
Details here
Deadline: January 3rd, 2022
