February 5, 2026

Nine Manuscript Publishers Open to Submissions in February 2026

This list focuses on nine publishers that we are excited about that are open to submissions this month. Some are only open for a short period of time, others will be open the whole month and beyond. At least four of these are presses we have not covered previously. Please note that if a publisher…

Shadowplay: Now Seeking Submissions

Shadowplay is an annual print journal of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, published by the University of Arkansas, Monticello. They are looking for writing that “dances in liminal spaces,” and “illuminates the pieces of our world which otherwise go unseen.” You can get a sense of what they publish by reading samples from the print…

Metaphor Fatigue: When Imagery Stops Working

When every emotion is a wildfire, even love starts to smell like smoke — and not the sexy campfire kind either, but that “oh god something’s burning in the kitchen” panic where you’re patting your pockets for a fire extinguisher you definitely don’t own. That’s what happens with metaphors when writers get too hyped. They…

February 2, 2026

40 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for February 2026

▾ Filter listings Fiction Poetry Contest Essay ✕ Showing all These are themed calls and contests for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Some of the call themes are: love; motherhood; aftermath; into the archive; vampires; coffee; heightened anxiety; obsidian (space horror); while the snowstorm was raging; illusion & confusion; fantastic voyages; doom scroll. THEMED CALLS Chortle:…