August 10, 2026

26 Publishers Always Open to Submissions

Some publishers open and close their doors to submissions on a routine basis. It can be hard to determine if they are open or shut to submissions, and when you should submit. The following publishers, however, are always open to submissions from writers without agents or previous publishing experience. All of these publishers meet our…

August 6, 2026

Nine Publishers Open to Direct Submissions in August 2026

This list focuses on nine publishers 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 doesn’t have a specific submission…

Cabbage Patch Literary Magazine: Now Seeking Submissions

Cabbage Patch is a new online journal of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, fragments, photos, images, and “strange hybrid things.” “Think of this as a literary attic full of strange stuff.” They’re looking for emotionally resonant writing, and they “believe in warmth over prestige.” They love publishing new authors, and they welcome reprints. Cabbage Patch launched…

6 Mistakes and Lessons from a Decade of Submitting

Ratika Deshpande Ten years ago, at age 15, I made my first submission to a literary magazine, submitting what I realize now was a personal essay, or perhaps even autofiction, in the Short Fiction category. It was rejected; reading it for the first time in a decade, I know why; the form was the least…

August 3, 2026

35 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for August 2026

▾ Filter listings Fiction Poetry Contest Essay ✕ Showing all These are calls and contests from 35 outlets for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Some of the call themes are: cozy fantasy; anger management for pet peeves; of love forbidden; aliens & cryptids; food in fairy tales; bodies of work; poetry and polar science; not/feeling better;…