The Offing, an online literary magazine, is open for submissions in several categories, including fiction, science writing, humor, culture essays, and more. Fiction closes July 16, 2020. There is currently no fee to submit. The magazine “actively seeks out and supports work by and about those often marginalized in literary spaces, including Black and Indigenous people, and people of color; trans people, cis women, agender, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, two-spirit, and non-binary people; intersex people; LGBQA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, asexual/aromantic) people; people with disabilities; and especially people living at the intersections of these identities.”
Ploughshares – Reading Period Opening Soon
Reading Period: June 1 – January 15, 2019
Entry: via online submission manager or by mail; $3 fee
Guidelines:
Simultaneous vs. Multiple Submissions
- Ploughshares does not consider multiple submissions. Do not send a second submission until you have heard about the first. Simultaneous submissions to other journals are fine as long as they are identified as such and they are withdrawn immediately upon acceptance elsewhere.
- If you are working on submissions with an agent, or are an agent submitting work on behalf of an author, please read the note on simultaneous submissions with an agent.
Cover Letters
- You are encouraged to include a short cover letter with your submission. It should reference:
- Major publications and awards
- Any association or past correspondence with a guest or staff editor
- Past publication in Ploughshares
- Please note that cover letters are to be included as the first page of your submission document. There are no additional comment boxes for adding a cover letter.
Manuscripts
- Typed, double-spaced (poetry may be single-spaced) pages.
- Numbered pages.
- If in hard copy, submit with text on one side of the page.
- Fiction and nonfiction: Less than 6,000 words. Excerpts of longer works are welcome if self-contained. Significantly longer work (7,500–20,000 words) can be submitted to the Ploughshares Solos series.
- Poetry: Submit 1-5 pages at a time with each poem beginning on a new page.
- Translations are welcome if permission has been granted.
- Unsolicited book reviews and criticism are not considered.
- Queries to the Look2 Critical Essay series are welcome (see guidelines here).
Black Warrior Review: General Submissions
Deadline: March 1, 2019
Entry: via Submittable; $3 fee
Submission Guidelines:
Fiction:
- 5,000-7,000 words
- One piece at a time
Flash Fiction:
- <1,000 words
- Up to three pieces in a single document
Nonfiction:
- <7,000 words
- No academic articles
Poetry:
- Up to five poems in a single document
- No more than 10 pages total
- Write the title or abbreviated title of each poem, separated by commas, in the “Submissions Title” field
Graphic Writing:
- Submit in .jpg, .tiff, or .pdf format
- Published in grayscale
Translation:
- Completed, self-sufficient works only
- Max 10 pages
- Work that has already been published in its original language is highly preferred
Pen America Emerging Voices Fellowship
Prize: $1000; professional mentorship; courses at UCLA Extension Writers’ Program; master classes with Alex Espinoza (prose) and F. Douglas Brown (poetry)
Entry: Submittable only; $10 fee
Eligibility: Writers who do not have significant publication credits, are not enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate writing program, do not hold an undergraduate or graduate writing degree, and have clear ideas of what they hope to accomplish through their writing.
Submission Guidelines:
Interlochen Review Call for Submissions
The Interlochen Review
An online literary journal edited by creative writing students of Interlochen Arts Academy
Deadline: March 1, 2018
Eligibility: Grades 9-12 or high school postgraduate year.
Judges: Students of the Interlochen Arts Academy
Guidelines:
Submit up to 6 pieces total. See full guidelines here: interlochenreview.org/submit/
Website: interlochenreview.org/
- Fiction— 5,000 word max
- Poetry— Long form poems are welcome
- Nonfiction— 5,000 word max
- Hybrid Genre— Flash fiction, prose poetry, lyric essay, film essay/poem, photo essay, new media writing, performance documentation, mixed-media experiments, singer-songwriter compositions or any other hybrid work.
- Scripts/Screenplays— 40 page max. Standard format.
BIO: All submissions must be accompanied by a brief author bio. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME anywhere on the submission EXCEPT for in the bio statement. The Interlochen Review accepts work recognized by Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and YoungARTS. They DO NOT accept previously published work from other journals, online or in print.
Scholastic Writing Awards
Regional Deadlines: Click for deadlines.
NJ Writing Deadline: Extended to December 7, 2017
NJ Art Deadline: January 3, 2018
Eligibility: Public, private, or home-school students in the U.S., Canada, or American schools abroad enrolled in grades 7–12
Entry Fee: $5/regular submission. $20/ Senior Writing Portfolio
Award: Regional, National Awards and Scholarship Opportunities
Categories: For a full list of category descriptions, click HERE.
Signup: Create an account
Previous Winners: Scholastic online galleries
Original work only: See website for copyright and plagiarism FAQ
Blind Judging: Submissions may not contain your name or personal information.
Judging Criteria: Originality, technical skill and personal voice.
Website: ArtandWriting.org
Writing Categories:
POETRY: Set of 1-5 poems with combined line count of 20 – 200 lines
FICTION: 1,000 – 3,000 words
FLASH FICTION: 1,000 words max.
PERSONAL ESSAY/MEMOIR: 500 – 3,000 words
CRITICAL or PERSUASIVE ESSAY: 500 – 3,000 words (cite sources)
JOURNALISM: 500 – 3,000 words
DRAMATIC SCRIPT: 500 – 3,000 words.
NOVEL WRITING: Excerpt up to 3,000 words plus 250 word summary.
SCI/FI or FANTASY: 500 – 3,000 words
HUMOR: 500 – 3,000 words.
SENIOR PORTFOLIO: Seniors only: 8 distinct works that demonstrate versatility as a writer and diversity in writing technique and styles, plus writer’s statement. See website for further details.
Manuscript Details:
- No names on manuscripts or work will be disqualified
- Put the title at the top of the first page only
- No names of real people
- Parent, teacher & student signatures required on entry form
- Do not double submit to different categories unless the 2nd submission is for the senior portfolio
Steps to Submit Work for NJ Region Only:
- Work must be uploaded before December 7, 2017 in order to obtain your teacher’s signature on the entry form (Ms. James, Ms. Gabb or your English teacher).
- Once your work has been uploaded, download your entry form and print it out.
- Have the form signed by your parent, your teacher and yourself.
- Mail the form via the U.S. Post Office (see address below). You may enclose a check or pay online. The fee is $5 per individual submission and $20 per Senior Writing Portfolio.
- Make the check payable to: NEWARK PUBLIC LIBRARY. (Checks made payable to the Scholastic Awards or Scholastic cannot be cashed and the student’s application will not be accepted. One check may be written for multiple submissions). Scholastic also accepts payment via Either form of payment is acceptable, but entry forms must be physically mailed.
- DEADLINE – Forms and fees must be POSTMARKED by December 7, 2017.
- DO NOT mail your manuscripts. Those are uploaded electronically. DO mail signed entry forms and checks to:
Attn: Maisy Card
Newark Public Library
O. Box 630
Newark, NJ 07101-0630
Bennington Young Writers Awards
The Bennington Young Writers Awards are offered annually by Bennington College—whose literary legacy includes seven Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, the youngest Man Booker Prize winner, a MacArthur “Genius,” countless New York Times bestsellers, and one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people.
DEADLINE: November 1.
WHO CAN SUBMIT: Students in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades.
WHAT TO SUBMIT: Students may enter in ONE of the following categories: poetry (a group of three poems), fiction (a short story or one-act play), or nonfiction (a personal or academic essay). All entries must be original work and sponsored by a high school teacher. Short stories and nonfiction must be fewer than 1500 words.
JUDGES: Judges include Bennington College faculty and students.
AWARDS: First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $500; second-place winners receive $250. The annual competition runs from early September to November 1 with winning entries posted after April 15.
HOW TO SUBMIT: You may submit online or by mail (mailed entries must be accompanied by a submission form, available from your English teacher or by downloading here.) We welcome entries from international students—in order to submit online, please enter N/A in place of the CEEB code for your high school if it doesn’t have one.
DEADLINE: Submission deadline: November 1.
Last year, more than 2,300 students submitted poetry, fiction, and nonfiction to the Young Writers Awards competition. We congratulate all entrants on their extraordinary submissions, and are pleased to share past winning entries.
MORE INFORMATION: For more information about the Young Writers and other programs at Bennington College, please contact us by email at admissions@bennington.edu or phone at 800-833-6845. Visit the website to see past winners.
LA Review Awards
LA Review Bi-annual Awards: Summer 2017
Deadline: June 30, 2017
Entry Fee: $20
Prize: $1,000 & publication
E-mail: editor@losangelesreview.org
Website: http://losangelesreview.org/awards/
Short Fiction Award:
- 2,500 word max
- Judge: Bryan Hurt
Flash Fiction Award:
- 500 word max
- Judge: Siel Ju
Creative Nonfiction Award:
- 1500 word max
- Judge Chelsey Clammer
Poetry Award:
- 50 line max
- Judge: t’ai freedom ford
Guidelines:
- Prizes include a $1000 honorarium and publication via LAR Online and in the best-of annual print edition of The Los Angeles Review, issue no. 22, set to be released in spring 2018.
- Submissions for each contest are accepted via Submittable only. Entry fee is $20 USD.
- Contests close for entries on June 30, 2017.
- Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us immediately via Submittable if the work is accepted elsewhere.
- Only previously unpublished writing will be considered. Entries are not considered for general inclusion in The Los Angeles Review.
- In the cover letter field of each submission, include author’s name, mailing address, email address, and telephone number. Do NOT include this information in the submitted file.
- The winners will be announced in fall 2017.
- Please direct questions to editor@losangelesreview.org
Hidden River Arts Awards
Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $17
Deadline: Extended to 7/31/17
Genre: Fiction and Drama
Email: hiddenriverarts@gmail.com
Website: http://hiddenriverarts.wordpress.com
Hidden River Arts Awards 2017 — GUIDELINES
PLEASE NOTE: DEADLINES FOR BOTH THE WILLIAM VAN WERT FICTION AWARD AND THE HIDDEN RIVER PLAYWRIGHTING AWARD ARE EXTENDED TO JULY 31, 2017.
An annual prize of $1,000 from Hidden River Arts, a literary arts organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will be given in the following categories: (1) to the best unpublished short story or novel excerpt (2) the best unproduced full-length play
Guidelines (Please read FULLY): Continue reading “Hidden River Arts Awards”
NJCTE High School Writing Contest
NJCTE High School Writing Contest invites New Jersey students in grades 9-12 to submit ONE entry in each category:
- Poetry (one poem, 50-line max.) –FREE CHOICE (no theme)
- Short story (5-page max. double-spaced) – FREE CHOICE (no theme)
- Personal essay* (5-page max., double-spaced) – RESPOND TO PROMPT BELOW
See website for details. Click here to register for the contest.
Have the following items ready to submit:
- Your sponsoring teacher’s name – Make sure to ask the teacher’s permission to use his/her name since each teacher can only sponsor 10 students per genre.
- Your teacher’s email address
- Your poem, short story or essay in pdf or MS Word format – The name of the file must match your title.
- Make sure your name and personal information do NOT appear on the document you are submitting.
- Please refer to the writing contest flyer for length limitations.
2017 Personal Essay Writing Prompt — STICKS and STONES:
“Sometimes one or two words have a tremendous impact. This may be true of words we have uttered or words that have been spoken or written to us. We may have observed someone close to us afflicted or strengthened by words directed at them. Write about a time when a word or a set of words had a powerful effect. (See, for example, Countee Cullen’s “Incident”.) Did this word/these words have a long-term effect on your life or the life of someone close to you? If the words inflicted pain, how and why? Did an insult ever make you stronger? Did a word haunt you for days or weeks later? Did a word of praise ever come to your rescue? Were you motivated to act decisively or change your ways by something someone said to you? Bring readers into your story and help them think about the power of words. Make us understand your thoughts, feel your pain, or share your joy.”
How to enter:
- Visit our web-site at njcte.com and follow the instructions provided. You must be a New Jersey high school student to enter.
You must complete a registration form for each genre you plan to submit.
Tips to Avoid Disqualification:
- The file submitted must be anonymous. Files with student name, school or class on them will be disqualified.
- Each student may submit a maximum of one entry in each category (i.e. only one poem, one short story and one essay).
- Each teacher may submit up to ten entries for their students in each genre. Surplus entries will be disqualified in order of submission date.
Awards:
- Genre Winners (poetry, short story, personal essay): Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals.
- Gold medalists are eligible for the Governor’s Awards in Arts Education (GAAE).
- Gold, silver, and bronze poets read at the Dodge Poetry Festival in 2014 and 2016.
- School/District Winners:
- Honorable Mention: Top scoring students
- From schools with qualifying entries from at least 10 different students sponsored by at least three different teachers
- Certificates of Merit – Top scoring students
- From schools which submit qualifying entries from at least three different students.
- Honorable Mention: Top scoring students
DEADLINE: December 16, 2016. Questions: njctewritingcontest@outlook.com.
Rider University High School Writing Contest
37th Annual High School Writing Contest
Prizes in Each Category
- 1st-$100
- 2nd-$50
- 3rd-$25
All Finalists of this high school writing contest will receive a Certificate of Honorable Mention. All Winners will be considered for publication in Venture, Rider’s literary magazine.
Categories
- ESSAY: Write a personal essay, labeled ESSAY, on a topic of your choice of no more than five double-spaced, typed pages.
- FICTION: Write a short story, labeled FICTION, of no more than five double-spaced, typed pages.
- POETRY: Write a poem of no more than 50 lines.
Rules
- Type on the entry:
Your Name and address
Grade
Teacher’s Name
School Name and address - Include a letter from a teacher stating that the work is original and by you.
- Entries must be typed. Handwritten entries will not be read. Stories and essays must be double-spaced. Single-spaced prose will not be read. Please give your story, essay and or poem a title.
- Only one entry per category will be considered. Choose your best writing and send only one.
- Mail your entry postmarked no later than December 11, 2016 to:
Dr. Roberta Clipper
English Department
Rider University
2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Entries cannot be returned. Winners will be announced by May 2017. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you wish to receive a list of winners.
GOOD LUCK!