Take a break from the sun this July and submit to one of these twelve lit mags and contests. This list includes something for everyone: from a Fairy Tale Review contest to Virginia Quarterly’s open submissions to (ahem) our very own award for emerging writers. This list includes a bunch of mid-month deadlines, so don’t hesitate.
Matrix Magazine – The POP Montreal International Music Festival and Matrix Magazine have teamed up and are looking for stories and poems that pop. Winners (one in each category) will receive a round trip ticket to the festival (September 16 – 20, 2015), a VIP pass, free hotel stay, publication in Matrix Magazine (with full honorarium), as well as participate in a special presentation event at the festival. This year’s guest judges are George Saunders in fiction and Damian Rogers in poetry. Go for it! Entry fee: $25 Deadline: July 10
Virginia Quarterly Review – Virginia Quarterly Review’s submission window will be closing soon. They are looking for poetry of any kind as well as short fiction from 2,000-8,000 words and nonfiction from 3,500-9,000. Submit up to two prose pieces or five poems at a time. Details here. Reading fee: Completely free Deadline: July 12
The Masters Review – The Masters Review’s very own Short Story Award for New Writers contest will be ending soon. We are looking for your very best stories in under 6,000 words. The winner will receive $2,000 as well as publication. Second and third place will receive $200 and $100 respectively. All winners and any notable Honorable Mentions will be sent to Katherine Fausset at Curtis Brown for review. However, in order to be eligible to submit, you must not have published a novel. Enter here! Entry fee: $20 Deadline: July 15
Cincinnati Review – The Cincinnati Review is looking for submissions for their annual Robert and Adele Schiff Prizes in Poetry and Prose. One poem and one prose piece will be selected as the winners, earning publication in their 2016 prize issue as well as $1,000. All entries will be considered for publication. There is a $20 reading fee, but a year-long subscription to The Cincinnati Review is included. Check it out. Entry fee: $20 Deadline: July 15
Fairy Tale Review – The second annual Fairy Tale Review Awards in Poetry and Prose are open for submissions. Brian Evenson and Joyelle McSweeney will serve as this year’s judges in prose and poetry respectively. Fifteen finalists in each category will be read by the guest judges and the winners will be awarded with $1,000 and publication in The Ochre Issue, released in 2016. Guidelines here. Entry fee: $20 Deadline: July 15
Sixfold – This is an interesting one. Sixfold is entirely writer selected — which means everyone who submits is a part of the review process. Over a three round process: read, give feedback, and vote on six manuscripts per round. The highest ranked 1/3 of stories in each round will advance. And because giving feedback is part of the process, even if your piece is not selected for publication, you will still receive comments from anywhere between six and seventy-eight readers. Sixfold is looking for both short stories and poems. The top rated story and set of poems will win $1,000 each, while the top 15 stories and top 30 sets of poems will be published. Enter here. Entry fee: $5 Deadline: July 24
Synaesthesia – Synaesthesia is looking for submissions that correspond with their latest theme — Atlas. Short stories under 1,500 words and poems up to 30 lines qualify. They are also looking for creative nonfiction under 2,000 words that is about synaethesia or corresponds to the theme of atlas. Check it. Reading fee: Zero dollars Deadline: July 30
Crazyhorse – The Crazyhorse Crazyshorts! contest is now open for submissions. Submit up to three stories under 500 words to this contest for the chance to be published in Crazyhorse as well as win $1,000. Three runners up will be announced, and all entries will be considered for publication. The winners and runners up will be announced by November 1st. The $15 entry fee includes a year-long subscription to Crazyhorse. More information here. Entry fee: $15 Deadline: July 31
Glimmer Train – Glimmer Train’s Very Short Fiction Award is open to fiction under 3,000 words. The reading fee is $15 per story, up to four stories. The winner of this award will receive publication in Glimmer Train as well as $1,500 and 20 copies of the issue. Second and third place stories will earn $500 and $300 respectively, unless they are chosen for publication, in which case they will receive $700 and 10 copies of the issue. Go ahead, submit. Entry fee: $15 Deadline: July 31
Narrative – The Spring 2015 Story Contest for Narrative is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. As long as your prose is under 15,000 words and has not been previously published, it’s eligible. Entrance to this contest means your story is also eligible in the $4,000 Narrative prize as well as for acceptance in their Story of the Week category. First Prize in the Spring 2015 Story contest earns $2,500, second prize $1,000 and third prize $500. Up to ten finalists will receive $100 as well. Every entry is considered for publication. Entry fee: $23 Deadline: July 31
Apogee Journal – Submissions for Apogee Journal’s Issue 6 are now open. Apogee Journal is looking for poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Keep your prose under 6,000 words and only submit up to three poems at once. Issue 6 will be published in fall/winter 2015. More details here. Reading fee: Nothing Deadline: July 31
The Bohemyth – The Bohemyth is open for submissions in July, with responses coming in August. They are looking for short fiction, poetry, essays and photography. Submit up to two stories (under 2,000 words each), three to six poems, two essays (also under 2,000 words) and three to six photographs. These submissions will be considered for their September issue. Inquire within. Reading fee: Zip Deadline: July 31
by Cole Meyer