July 20, 2026
This list focuses on a wide variety of journals that are seeking specific kinds of writers, including older writers, younger writers, writers attending university, working class writers, the incarcerated, veterans and their families, and women writers. Some publications have stricter guidelines than others. Not all are currently open to submissions but most are. If you…
July 16, 2026
Bending Genres describes itself by saying it is “committed to publishing the best fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction, from dedicated writers.” It’s easy to get a feel for what they publish by reading their most recent issue here. They nominate for the Best Small Fictions, Best Microfictions, Best of the Net, and Pushcart Prizes. They…
This list of publishers meet our guiding principles, but are only open to free submissions from historically underrepresented writers or focus on publishing content produced by historically underrepresented writers. Some of these publications are open to a wide range of writers including writers of color, gender non-conforming and LGBTQ+ writers, and those living with disabilities….
It’s our responsibility as writers to give readers a good experience when they pick up our books and stories. If we don’t respect their time and intelligence, they’re not very likely to listen to what we have to say in its entirety, let alone take a look at our other work. But how do we…
July 13, 2026
We review a lot of wonderful small presses here, and we also list even more here, here, and here (although some of these lists include large presses also). We also feature a lot of these presses in our biannually updated guide, which you can download here. This list doesn’t include all of our favorites, but…
July 8, 2026
These magazines accept fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. They are a mix of literary and genre magazines. They are open now, or will soon open for submissions. Not all of them are open through the month. Ragaire Literary JournalThis journal welcomes submissions of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry from Ireland and abroad. They are reading submissions…
streetcake is a UK-based literary journal that is focused on publishing experimental writing. They do not have a stated deadline but they are currently reading for their August issue. They were founded in 2022. Please note that they do seem to use multiple approaches to their title. It is called STREET CAKE and street cake…
By Abdulraheem Jameel Ango The last mile may be the longest, but many stories never survive the first mile. This isn’t always because the writer lacks effort or the ideas are weak. Sometimes, it’s due to the spark of motivation dying out too early. Finishing the first mile determines whether we’ll ever reach the end….
July 5, 2026
▾ Filter listings Fiction Poetry Contest Essay ✕ Showing all These are calls and contests for themed submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Some call themes are: prepare to advance; out of office; Halloween special; aliens; aftermath; ghost stories; exquisite engines (steampunk); terminally online; Solarpunk; cozy fantasy; invitation; and beyond the memoirs of Sherlock Holmes…
July 1, 2026
This list focuses on ten 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…
Gnome & Bone Magazine is a literary magazine that is “cultivating an ever-growing forest of fantasy and folklore.” They describe themselves as “Rooted in myth, magic, and the gothic imagination, we publish stories, poetry, and artwork online and in print.” They have published one electronic issue so far, which you can read here. The masthead…
Before writing a story, there’s usually a strange larval phase where you technically produce nothing while behaving like somebody haunted by decorative ghosts. Outsiders call this procrastination. Writers call this “process” because otherwise we’d have to admit we spent four hours researching 1997 vending machine designs instead of finishing Chapter Three. The draft before the…
By Jane Garba A good writing community will support you through rejection, bad drafts, and the long lonely hours. A bad one will leave you second guessing your voice and worth. For Black writers, the difference is more stark. Here’s how to find communities that actually show up for you. Know What You’re Looking For…