Space & Time Magazine: Prepare to Advance
Space & Time publishes speculative flash fiction and poetry. They have monthly themes, and you can submit during the first week of every month. During the current submission period, the theme is ‘Prepare to Advance’. “We also accept submissions in Portuguese, Spanish, French, and Italian for translation into English.”
Deadline: 7 July 2026
Length: Up to 1,000 words for fiction, up to 35 lines for poetry
Pay: $0.01/word for fiction, $5 for poetry
Details here and here.

Griffith Review: Out of Office
They are reading poetry only for this reading period; the theme is Out of Office. “Most of us will spend a dispiriting 90,000 hours of our lives at work. That’s a third of the average lifespan; no wonder so many of us want to stick it to the man. Love it or hate it, how we spend our working hours – whether for ourselves, for our families or for a faceless corporation – can have a profound influence on our self-worth, our social circles, and our sense of purpose and identity. But where did work come from? What rights should our employers have to circumscribe our speech? What’s the role of unions in the twenty-first century? Why don’t we have a universal basic income? How do we separate our jobs from our selves? And whatever happened to the four-hour work week?
This edition of Griffith Review clocks in for another day at the coalface.” They also accept unthemed submissions. They accept work from Australian authors and also international submissions.
Deadline: 12 July 2026 (11:59 pm AEST)
Length: Up to 4 poems
Pay: AUD200/poem
Details here.

Murderous Ink Press: Crimeucopia
They will read crime fiction. They’re open for a few calls – please send the work for a particular call only during its reading period:

• Shtigity-Boom? No, Mopity Mope! “This is our usual Free-4-All - Everything from Cozy through to Grindhouse Noir”. July 14 to 21
• The 10k Club: “for pieces that are 10,000 words (or a tad & a smit over)” July 21 to 28
• Storm Force 13: “we're looking for fast paced, action orientated pieces that will make the readers say "Now that was a hell of a read!"” July 28th to August 4^th
• Waikiki Beach Refugees: “Surf's Up, Dudes & Dudettes! We're looking for crime fiction that has a surfing/sailing/fishing/coastal connection - not necessarily set in or around O'ahu/Honolulu” August 4th to 11^th

Reading periods: See above
Length: 2,000 - 10,000 words (query first for longer)
Pay: £4 per 1,000 words
Details here and here.
(Submissions are also open for Interrobang Lit. The theme / prompt is, This Person Caught Your Eye – “The character must start the story in their prompted state, but how they evolve from there, if they do, is completely up to you.” They pay $3 for stories up to 3,000 words. They have a different prompt during the first week of every other month. They’re open until 8^th July or until they reach a cap; submission is via a form.)

Solarpunk
They accept solarpunk fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. “Our fiction editors are interested in works that stir readers with themes of defiance, change, and achievement. This effect isn’t likely to come via high concept utopias alone, but rather, from vibrant characters whose struggles affect the reader. Speculative elements should be apparent but not dominating, our disbelief suspended not by necessity, but by immersion. Any genre of science fiction, interstitial fiction, magic realism, or fantasy has potential as a solarpunk forum—we welcome robots and elves with equal excitement.” Writers can submit unthemed solarpunk stories, as well as stories for their Solarpunk Horror issue (to be published later in the year) during their July submission period. They also accept translations and art. Submission is via their Moksha portal.
Deadline: 14^th July 2026
Length: 1,500-7,500 words for fiction (prefer 1,500 and 4,000 words); up to 5 poems (see guidelines); 1,000-2,000 words for nonfiction
Pay: $0.10/word for fiction, $50/poem, $100 for essays / articles
Details here and here.

In a Flash: Courage
In a Flash is a Substack-based literary magazine and they publish one piece of themed flash nonfiction a month. For July 2026, the theme is Courage. Send a creative nonfiction piece of up to 500 words on this theme. The submission form for each month’s theme will be active from the 1^st to the 15^th of that month. And, “We’ll also spotlight the author with a Q&A section.”
Deadline: 15 July 2026
Length: Up to 500 words
Pay: $25
Details here (general guidelines) and here (theme for this and coming months).

Plott Hound
This is a magazine of speculative fiction with anthropomorphized animals as viewpoint characters and protagonists. They also welcome translations. They publish one essay per issue, as well. Submission is via a portal.
Deadline: 15^th July 2026
Length: 1,000-5,000 words (prefer 3,000-4,000 words) for fiction, up to 5 poems, 1,000-2,500 words for essay
Pay: $0.08/word for stories, $50 for poetry, $100 for essay
Details here.

The Dancing Griffin Press Halloween Special
They want stories for their horror anthology, The Dancing Griffin Press Halloween Special. “All types of horror are welcome - extreme horror, young adult, spooky middle grade - monsters, body horror, torture, paranormal, we do not discriminate. The only requirement is that your story takes place during the month of October, and at least one character must die.”
Deadline: 15 July 2026
Length: 2,000-4,000 words
Pay: $20
Details here.

Eye to the Telescope: Aliens
They want speculative poetry on the ‘Aliens’ theme. “From close encounters to first contact to space operas to UFO Earth visits, stories about aliens or extraterrestrials proliferate in our diverse cultures and communities. Aliens can take on many forms: humanoid, animal-like, plant-like, virus-like or completely divergent from species on Earth. They can be hive-minded or individualistic, coming from other worlds or dimensions. Their presence can be metaphors for migrations, conflict, cooperation, friendship, anxieties, the unknown, the familiar or obstacles. They can live in egalitarian societies or hierarchies of power. They can be serious and scary, as well as whimsical, expressive, cute, cordial or funny. What do they look like? What do they do for fun, for work? What do they eat? What do they wear? What do they want? Why are they here? Why are we there—in their homeworlds or at some mutual location? Looking to weave a vibrant issue on ETs and their interactions with humans or species of various experiences and backgrounds! Open to free verse, scifaiku, humor, rhyme, concrete poetry and more!” They also accept translations.
Deadline: 15 July 2026
Length: Up to 3 poems
Pay: $0.05/word (up to $25)
Details here.

Black Hare Press: The Emerald City – Multigenre Anthology
This is a multi-genre anthology (horror, spec fic, science fiction). The theme is The Emerald City; “What’s in your verdant city?” They have several suggested topics that you can write on, including, but not limited to,

• In the aftermath of a toxic apocalypse, does the green fog that shrouds the city hide something worse than the air?
• Do dragons rule the skies, the streets, and the seas?
• A man on the edge of his sanity painting everything green? Why?
• Do zombies rot in the streets they rule?
• Why is the flora taking over the deserted city?”

Deadline: 19 July 2026
Length: 3,000-10,000 words
Pay: $20
Details here (theme details) and here (general guidelines).

Villainess Press: Cozy Fantasy Anthology
“Villainess Press publishes fantasy and speculative fiction centered around women and non-binary characters. We focus on print publications over ebooks or digital content.” You can read about them here. They’ll soon open a submission window for a cozy speculative fiction anthology. “We're looking for short stories for a small anthology of cozy fantasy. We will be selecting between 3 and 5 stories to be featured in a limited run of paperback books.
Cozy fantasy, to us, means gentle and heartwarming stories that still have meaningful stakes. Tea shops and cats are welcome, but it's also okay to forgo those tropes for an original speculative element.
Villainess is an indie publisher that prints sub-genres of fantasy and focuses on gender representation. Please make sure your submission prominently includes characters that are women or nonbinary.
Authors of all identities and backgrounds are welcome to submit their work.” They also accept reprints. Their submission form / portal will be active during the reading period.
Reading period: 21^st July to 6^th August 2026
Length: 1500-4500 words
Pay: $0.02/word
Details here.

Flash Fiction Online: Aftermath
This magazine publishes literary and speculative flash fiction. They are currently open for flash fiction on the Aftermath theme, and will close submissions when they reach their quota.
Deadline: 31 July 2026, or until filled
Length: 500-1,000 words
Pay: $100
Details here.

Scylla: The Monstrous & The Divine Sapphic Anthology
Authors must be female identifying or non-binary; and the main character/s must be sapphic/wlw. They want short and flash fiction as well as poetry for this anthology. They have detailed guidelines, including, “Submissions should focus on Sapphic goddesses and monsters as you’ve not seen them before. Bring them down from the heavens and out of the caves. While goddesses and monsters aren’t like us, they do still crave the company of ones who love, fear and worship them. Not necessarily in that order.” And, “Sapphic urban fantasy, political fantasy, magical realism, sci-fi of ALL kinds, contemporary fantasy, weird fiction, and/or gender-bent takes are all welcome. Just make it speculative! Special consideration will be given to mythologies outside Greek and Roman (though interesting takes on these are still welcome).
We are interested in goddesses and mythic monsters hailing from all cultures and backgrounds.” They also accept reprints. Submission is via a form.
Deadline: 31 July 2026 (5 PM AEDT)
Length: Up to 1,000 words for flash fiction and poetry; 2,500-5,000 words for short fiction
Pay: AUD0.10/word up to AUD400 for original fiction; up to AUD100 for reprints
Details here.
(Submissions are also open for Mysterion; they publish science fiction, fantasy and horror stories that engage meaningfully with Christian themes, characters or cosmology. The stories need not teach a moral, or be close to an approved theological position, or be pro-Christian. They are especially interested in stories that show Christians from cultures beyond those of the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. They also accept translations and reprints. They have two annual reading periods for fiction, January and July. Art is accepted through the year. They accept up to 10,000 words for fiction, and pay $0.10/word. The deadline is 31 July 2026; details here.)

Flash Frog: Ghost Stories
They publish flash fiction. They are accepting only ghost stories through July: “We want your GHOST STORIES for what will be our 6_th annual FLASH FROGTOBER! We want traditional ghost stories that scare and haunt. We want those unconventional ghost stories that make us reconsider what’s possible in the “ghost story” genre. Explore and redefine what it is that haunts us…”
They will resume accepting unthemed submissions from August onwards.
Deadline: 31 July 2026 (for ghost stories)
Length: Up to 1,000 words
Pay: $25
Details here.
(Submissions are also open for The Orange & Bee; they want fiction, poetry, and nonfiction “that engage in a significant way with the long history of fairy tales.” They have detailed guidelines. Length guidelines are: up to 1,000 words for flash fiction/nonfiction, up to 4,000 words for short fiction/nonfiction, poetry up to 50 lines; pay is $80 for flash, $0.08/word for short fiction, $50 for poetry (USD); deadline: 14^th July 2026 (11.59 AEST); details here.)

Oddity Prodigy Productions: Exquisite Engines
This is a steampunk anthology. “A high-pitched whistle sounds, followed quickly by the sound of gears beginning to turn. Soon, there is a deep rumble, the sounds of an engine coming to life. This engine, powered by steam and pure imagination, grows louder and louder until the brass casing begins to rattle, and you can feel that this vast machine is ready to explore a new era, filled with high adventure, deep mystery, and so much more. The industrial, magical sky is the limit!
Oddity Prodigy Productions is ready to explore that shiniest of genres: Steampunk! Our next anthology, Exquisite Engines, is ready to come alive with your stories. From stories inspired by Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, to Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis, to Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, we are open for anything in the wide open genre. If you need more inspiration, think of things like Bryan Talbot’s The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist, or Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials.” Please note, production will be funded by Kickstarter.
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Length: 2,000-5,000 words
Pay: $20
Details here.

Saros Speculative Fiction: Terminally Online
They want speculative fiction on the Terminally Online theme. “Starting in the late 50s, researchers associated with militaries and academic institutions around the world focused their energies on developing the very technology you’re using right this second: the Internet. For this issue of Saros, we’re interested in stories that examine the ramifications—personal, social, psychological, political—of the Internet and Internet culture. This is broad on purpose; online existence is too subjective to be anything but. Dark web urban legends, livestream parasociality, keyboard warfare, dark nights of the soul on Club Penguin, revolutionaries posting short-form content, coltan mining, consoling chatroom denizens twice your age when you should’ve been doing your homework, listservs, cryptocurrency high-control groups. Any era, any niche, as long as it’s Terminally Online.” Submission is via a form.
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Length: 500-5,000 words
Pay: CAD25
Details here.

FIYAH: Conjuring Academies & Spellbound Scholars
They only accept Black speculative fiction and poetry. They feature stories by and about Black people of the African Diaspora. This definition is globally inclusive (Black anywhere in the world) and also applies to mixed/biracial and Afro-appended people. For our 40^th issue, we’re enthusiastically accepting submissions featuring magical schools. … Take us for a journey through your Pan-African University for Gifted Mages. Give us the trials of alchemy professors positioning themselves for tenure. The boredom of a TA stuck monitoring the dragon eggs over holiday. Or the angst of conjuring gone wrong in the group project (there’s always that ONE person) while the clock is ticking toward deadline. A sorority that sends their new line of pledges to a nether dimension for, ahem, “orientation.” A time-traveling brass section in search of the perfect instrument for their next battle of the bands. … Stories that examine and challenge hierarchical relationships in school will pique our interest. Non-Western settings for instruction (or means of education that subverts that structure) are welcome.”
Also their notes on preferred genre and story length for this issue.
Length: Short fiction 2,000 – 7,000 words and novelettes up to 15,000 words; up to 1,000 words for poetry
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Pay: $0.08/word for fiction, $50 for poetry
Details here.
(Submissions are also open for Thyme Travelers 2: An anthology of speculative fiction by Palestinian writers; “This anthology is open to writers who identify as Palestinian. This includes all Palestinians living anywhere in the world, and of any race. Authors from marginalized groups are encouraged to submit.” Payment is $0.08/word for stories up to 5,000 words. The deadline is 31 August 2026.)

Brink: Invitation
Brink is a journal of cross-genre writing; they publish fiction, nonfiction, poetry (also video essays and cinepoetry), hybrid work, and translations. “We are interested in writing that presses boundaries by using more than one medium to tell a story; work that looks and feels different on the page. Additionally, we look for submissions that engage the issue's theme and the notion of being on the brink.” They want submissions on the Invitation theme and have detailed guidelines, including, “From the Latin invitationem (nominative invitatio) "an invitation, incitement, challenge," invitation suggests excitement as well as effort, difficulty as well as delight. For our 13th issue, On the Brink of Invitation, we're interested in pieces where plans are thwarted, changed, or outright ignored, where a reader's expectations are inverted in the very first scene. When does being welcomed in feel both dangerous and desirable? When does an invitation feel like both a beginning and an end?”
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Length: 3-5 poems, up to 3,000 words for prose
Pay: $25-100
Details here.

Whitaker Lyon Press: Meet Virginia – A Romance Anthology
This is a fiction anthology. “Calling all meet-cute enthusiasts! We’re looking for short romance stories that hook you in and refuse to let you go. We’re talking red wine spilled on your ex-boss’s new (and very attractive) fiancé, rival pickleball players getting stuck in a haunted elevator, estranged lovers who reunite for the first time in ten years—at their wedding on national TV. One catch: your story has to have a Virginia element, whether that’s a main character who plays for the Flying Squirrels, a best friend who’s determined to move to Chincoteague, or a beloved family pet named Ol’ Dominion. We’re looking for a wide range of meet-cutes with variable levels of spice, ranging from short and sweet to spicy and sweeping.” Stories can be in any romantic subgenre (contemporary, rom-com, fantasy/romantasy, western, historical, paranormal, sports, etc). And, “While stories must have a Virginia element, writers from anywhere in the world are welcome.”
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Length: 1,500-7,500 words
Pay: $20
Details here.

A Midnight Kind of Place Anthologies
They want horror fiction for their themed anthologies. Three of the anthology themes, which invite submissions from all writers, are:

• Rats (“Who doesn’t love a good rattish tale? Stories can be around any topic or theme, but must include rats as a key part of the story.”);
• Wasps (“Don’t you just hate wasps? Aren’t they the devil’s own minions? Stories can be around any topic or theme, but must include wasps as a key part of the story.”);
• Spiders (“Creep us out with your best spider stories. Stories can be around any topic or theme, but must include at least one spider as a key part of the story.”); and they have a limited-demographic anthology as well,
• The Best of Scottish Horror (where they invite horror fiction from Scots only – see guidelines).

They also accept reprints for all of the anthologies.
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Length: 1,000-10,000 words
Pay: £30 for originals
Details here.

Starship Blunder Anthology 3: Mission Hospitality
This is a shared-world anthology, the third one in this universe. They have detailed guidelines, including, “It’s no secret that the Starship Wonder and her blundering crew are losing the Conglomeracy an embarrassing amount of money. With a long track record of failed missions, crash landings, and general incompetence, the underperforming starship was destined for the junkyard. But instead of scrapping the Wonder, the Conglomeracy has a bold new plan: retrofit the unlucky military vessel into a luxury cruise starship and charge passengers for the pleasure of staying aboard.
After all, what could possibly go wrong?
Trusting a starship that couldn’t even deliver an unimportant package to safely entertain paying guests—while also flying through outer space without crashing—may be more than the vessel and her crew can handle. With Commander Sarah Hawkins reluctantly promoted to cruise director, the crew does their best to put on a good show. But mishaps are inevitable, guests may get left behind, and carefully planned vacations unravel at an alarming speed.” Also, “This is a shared universe anthology. Stories should be set in the Starship Blunder universe. Embrace humor, delve into deeper themes, or spin a romantic tale under the stars. Include some diverse characters and a mix of genres.” Submission is via a form. Please see their note about contributor copies.
Deadline: 1 August 2026
Length: 2,000-6,000 words
Pay: $35
Details here

The First Line Journal
They want fiction (any genre) and poetry that begins with pre-set first lines, one for each quarterly issue. For non-fiction, they want critical articles about your favorite first line from a literary work. For fiction and poetry, the first line for the Fall issue is:
‘The line of people stretched all the way around the block.’
Deadline: 1 August 2026 for the Fall issue
Length: 300-5,000 words for fiction; 500-800 words for nonfiction
Pay: $25-50 for fiction, $25 for non-fiction, $10 for poetry (less postage fee for international contributors – see guidelines)
Details here.

Sans. Press: AGAIN
This is a fiction anthology. “Doomed by fate or driven by never-ending hope, following destiny or refusing to follow the signs, stories & characters are often shaped by cycles and patterns. Sometimes by being unknowingly framed by them, or by being unable to fully escape the traps laid by fate.
For anthology #12, we want to read stories that deal with time, cycles and patterns, and how characters respond to and are shaped by them. We are looking for broad responses to the theme AGAIN, and what that prompt may mean to different people in different contexts. As always, these patterns may take any shape or form – the generational struggles of magical realism, the self-fulfilling prophecies of fantasy, or the contemporary fight against destructive behaviours – as long as they are a sincere exploration of the theme.… We are looking for stories inspired by our title – AGAIN – and/or the cover artworks below (see guidelines)… Exclusively for this issue, this call will select stories for both issue #12 (Again) and our following issue, #13. All genres of writing are welcome; more than any specific story or style, we want the emotional response the title and artwork evokes in you.” Please note, submissions will close earlier than the deadline if they hit their submission cap. Submission is via a form. Please see their note about contributor copies.
Deadline: 4 August 2026, or until filled
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: €200
Details here.

Cult Publishing: Manuscrypt Magazine – Aliens & Cryptids
“We are looking for horror stories meant to entice the reader and leave lasting impressions. Submissions can be poetry, short stories, etc., but there must be an element of horror. … Each issue will revolve around a certain binding theme. Though it is not mandatory that entries fit this theme, stories and art that connect to the theme will be favoured for submissions.” They want work on the Aliens & Cryptids theme for their next issue. Submission is via a form. Work has to be submitted in the Docx format. Art submissions have a September deadline (see guidelines).
Deadline: 14 August 2026
Length: Up to 3,500 words
Pay: $50
Details here.

Beyond the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
This is a fiction anthology; send a Sherlock Holmes story which is a sequel to one of the stories in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. “Our next Sequels book. This time, the collection will feature sequels to the 12 stories in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes:

• "The Adventure of Silver Blaze"
• "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box"
• "The Adventure of the Yellow Face"
• "The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk"
• "The Adventure of the Gloria Scott"
• "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual"
• "The Adventure of the Reigate Squire"
• "The Adventure of the Crooked Man"
• "The Adventure of the Resident Patient"
• "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter"
• "The Adventure of the Naval Treaty"
• "The Adventure of the Final Problem"

The book will be set up to include the original adventure by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle followed by the sequel(s) to that adventure.” They also say, “No need to claim a story! We plan on publishing multiple sequels to stories (i.e. the anthology could include three sequels to The Musgrave, two sequels to the Naval Treaty, four sequels to the Greek interpreter, etc…).”
Deadline: 15 August 2026
Length: 5,000-10,000 words (see guidelines)
Pay: $100
Details here (scroll down).
(They have other projects listed as well, with later deadlines.)

Grimalkin Press: Sweet Screams – A Taste of Darkness
This is a fiction anthology, and submissions are only open to women and gender diverse people. “For Sweet Screams, we're looking for horror stories centered around themes of sweetness, baking, cooking, desserts, and the unsettling things that can exist beneath comfort, nostalgia, celebration, or indulgence.
This can include baked goods, bake sales, bakeries, candies, pastries, recipes, cafés, diners, holiday treats, cooking competitions, trad wife aesthetics (when meaningfully tied to cooking or baking), strange ingredients, hospitality, obsession, family traditions, celebrations, or anything else that fits within the thread of sweetness colliding with horror.
We're especially interested in stories that approach these themes in creative, unexpected, emotional, unsettling, atmospheric, or deeply human ways. The horror can be literary, psychological, gothic, folk, surreal, quiet, darkly comedic, or grotesque, but this anthology is not a fit for extreme horror, splatterpunk, or stories that rely heavily on exploitative shock value.” They offer a digital contributor copy to those outside the US, and a physical copy to those with a US address.
Deadline: 15 August 2026
Length: 1,000-5,000 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here.

Tyche Books: Slapshots in Space and Magical Marathons: A Speculative Sports Anthology
This anthology “invites contributors to re-examine sports through space opera, near- or far-future science fiction, alternative worlds, time travel, magical realism, fantasy, or other lenses that fall under the umbrella of speculative fiction. Steampunk, hopepunk, science gone bad, social commentary, or just plain laugh-out-loud fun—all of these and more are fair game.
Writers can (but are not required to) explore questions such as: Will future athletes be forced to accept invasive technologies in the name of better performance? In a dystopian world, how might sport be a beacon of hope? How might fantasy elements change the way we engage in, and with, sport?
Sports can be recreational or competitive, solo or teams, but for the purposes of this anthology we aren’t looking for stories and poems about board games, video games, etc. Any perspective (fan, athlete, coach, game official, broadcaster, etc.) is welcome.” They also say, “Humour is a bonus. Light or psychological horror will be an easier sell than blood-and-gore or outright violence. We will not accept pieces that promote or support racism, sexism, homophobia, or other forms of intolerance.” Please note, they may give preference to Canadian authors.
Deadline: 31 August 2026
Length: 1,000-5,000 words for fiction, up to 60 lines for poetry (more for prose poems)
Pay: $50/story, $20 per poem
Details here.

Room Magazine: Belonging
This Canadian magazine accepts work by persons of marginalized genders only, including but not limited to women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit and nonbinary people. “Send us your takes on belonging, not belonging, longing to belong, otherness, belonging on the fringe, belonging to the future, the past, the now. We welcome your imaginings, experiences, dreams, and fears of belonging in all their manifestations and intersections: poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction as always, but we're also eager to read your comics, hybrids, graphic essays, and other forms that resist and defy the boundaries of belonging in the art world.” They have different submission categories for US and Canadian writers. Submissions will close by categories when they fill.
Deadline: Until filled
Length: Up to 3,500 words for prose, up to 5 poems
Pay: CAD50-200 for writing
Details here and here.

Cryptic Frog Quarterly: Endless Archives, Entrancing Tomes
They want speculative fiction for their first anthology. “We are seeking speculative short stories with some kind of supernatural or futuristic library or book as a central component of the narrative. Speculative fiction consists of fantasy, science fiction, and horror, in all of their various subgenres. … All pieces (including horror pieces) must include speculative elements that are integral to the story.” Please read their detailed guidelines, including hard sells.
Deadline: Open now
Length: 2,000-7,500 words
Pay: $10
Details here.
(Unthemed submissions for speculative fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for their magazine, Cryptic Frog Quarterly, will reopen on 1^st September 2026.)

If Found, Return…
“If Found, Return... is a lit mag for experimental^*, ergodic, hypertext, epistolary, interactive, "found," and un- fiction. We are also seeking nonfiction in similarly weird forms, and trailheads. We want small engines, kinetic novels, gamebooks, baby's first ARG, incoherent rants on the state of analogue horror, fake emails, hypercard, and your house of leaves clone.” They also accept reprints under certain conditions (see guidelines). This is a new magazine, they’re reading submissions for Issue 1.
Deadline: Open now
Length: Up to 1,200 words
Pay: CAD10
Details here.

-- Polar Expressions Publishing: Annual National Poetry and Short Story Competitions: For Canadian residents and citizens. Poems must be up to 48 lines and short stories, up to 750 words. Translations are accepted. Prizes: CAD600, CAD300, CAD150 each in poetry and short story for those aged 16 or over; CAD250, CAD125 and CAD50 each in poetry and short stories for those 15 and under; Deadline: 31 July 2026; Details here.

-- Granum Foundation Prizes: Submissions are open for the Granum Foundation Prize and the Granum Foundation Translation Prize. These are for works in progress, to help US-based writers complete substantive literary projects, including novels, memoirs, books of poetry, short story collections, and works in translation. Please note, applications will be capped once their submission quota is met, even if it is before the deadline; application is via a form. The Granum Foundation Prize is $5,000, with up to three finalist prizes of with $500 or more each; and the Translation Prize is $1,500 or more; Deadline: 1 August 2026, or when filled; Details here.

The H G Wells Short Story Competition
This is an international short story contest; they want short fiction of 1,500-5,000 words on this year’s theme, The Cheat (see FAQ). There is no fee for The Margaret and Reg Turnill Competition for young writers, i.e. for those under 21 years, and the prize for that is £1,000.
Value: See above
Deadline: 7 July 2026
Open for: Writers under 21
Details here.

The Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest
For this contest, they have two categories: a traditional sonnet, which can be Shakespearean or Petrarchan, and a modern sonnet. Poets can enter work in one or both categories (see guidelines).
Value: $50, $30, $20
Deadline: 15 July 2026
Open for: All poets
Details here.

The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize
This is a prize for an art exhibit review. “To enter the prize, entrants should submit one unpublished review of a contemporary art exhibition by the specified deadline. ‘Contemporary’ is defined as art produced since 2000. The exhibition under review can be staged anywhere in the world, but it should be current or have closed within the last six months at the date of submission.” And, “The review must be between 800 and 1,000 words in length and accompanied by up to three low-resolution images.” Regarding eligibility, they say, “Entrants must have published no more than six pieces of writing in print or online, in any language or country, prior to their submission. This does not include personal blogs and websites.” Before entering, applicants are encouraged to read reviews recently published on Burlington Contemporary.
Value: $1,000
Deadline: 20 July 2026 (10 am BST)
Open for: Emerging writers
Details here.

Speculative Literature Foundation Grants: Diverse Writers and Diverse World Grants
These are international grants for writers of speculative literature, and they have various grants in through the year. There are two upcoming grants. The Diverse Writers Grant is for writers from an underrepresented and underprivileged backgrounds – “intended to support speculative fiction writers from underrepresented and underprivileged groups — such as writers of color, women, queer writers, disabled writers, etc. — whose marginalized identities may present additional obstacles in the writing and publishing process” – the grant pays $500, and is open 1-31 July.
The Diverse Worlds Grant, for work that best represents diversity, regardless of the writer’s background, pays $500, is also open 1-31 July. The grants have various eligibility and submission guidelines, please read them carefully before applying. The submission portal will open during the grant application period.
Value: See above
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Open for: Writers of speculative literature
Details here.

The Protopian Prize
This is a fiction contest. “To create a better world, we need to first imagine it-and the work required to get there. The Protopian Prize is a fiction contest inviting you to share your vision of people working toward liberatory futures, meeting obstacles, and making real change. "Protopian" — a word coined by Kevin Kelly, one of our contest's judges—means an achievable, optimistic future characterized by continuous, incremental progress rather than revolutionary leaps or a static, perfect state. Protopian stories imagine a future that is neither flawless nor catastrophic, but instead workably better than today. It's about plausible progress rather than perfection or collapse.”
They have two themes/contests, and they want fiction of 500 to 6,000 words: Public AI Prize (“short fiction imagining a positive future for humanity that foregrounds the potential of AI designed to serve the public good—and actionable steps to get us there”) and the Democratic Futures Prize (“short fiction imagining a positive future for humanity that foregrounds the potential of democratic governance —and actionable steps to get us there”); please see the guidelines for details of each. Winners will be published in an anthology by MIT Press.
Value: $5,000 each
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here, here, here and here.

Hachette UK: The Future Bookshelf – New Voices Award
This award is “to help discover unpublished psychology writers from Black, Asian, Mixed Heritage and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, as well as those who are disabled, gender diverse, part of the LGBTQIA+ community or from cultural or religious minorities.
For 2026, the prize will be hosted by Robinson, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, and we are looking for works of commercial non-fiction, aimed at general readers, on any topic within any branch of psychology. … Entry requirements are a brief description and overview of the proposed book of up to 500 words, a detailed chapter overview and a sample chapter of between 4000 and 5000 words”.
Value: £5,000 advance, offer to publish
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Open for: Underrepresented writers in the UK
Details here.
(See all of The Future Bookshelf’s opportunities here.)

Journey’s End Publishing: Fantasy Novel Writing Contest
This is for writers in the US who have never been traditionally published (self-published is ok), and who are unagenged. Send a fiction manuscript in the fantasy genre, of 40,000 to 100,000 words. Please see their note about author involvement in marketing. Submission is via a form.
Value: $500 and publication; non-cash prizes for runners-up
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Open for: Unpublished, unagented writers in the US
Details here.

Sisters in Crime: Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers
This is a grant for an emerging writer in the LGBTQIA+ community. It is for an unpublished work of crime fiction, aimed at readers from children’s chapter books through adults. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress of 2,500 to 5,000 words. An unpublished writer is preferred, but writers with publication of not more than 10 pieces of short fiction and/or up to 2 self-published or traditionally published books are also eligible. Please note, you have to register/log in to access the submission portal.
Value: $2,000
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Open for: Emerging writer in the LGBTQIA+ community
Details here and here.

-- Amazon: Kindle Storyteller Award: This is an international award for those who publish their work through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing in English in any genre. Entrants must make the book available for sale in both digital and print versions through KDP between 1^st May and 31^st August 2026. The book must be at least 24 pages long, and can have a maximum of 2 co-authors. Please note, the books must be published through their KDP Select program (be only available on Amazon), and readers play a significant role in winner selection (see Terms & Conditions – which also lists ineligible countries/nationalities – and General Competition Questions / FAQ). The book can have up to two co-authors. The prize is £20,000, and the deadline is 31 August 2026. Details here.

-- Faber: The FAB Prize: This is for undiscovered BAME writers and illustrators, for books aimed at children. Entrants must be of black, Asian or minority ethnic background and UK- or Ireland-based. For writers, they want a maximum of 5,000 words of text (no minimum word count). Also, “There is no minimum word count and the maximum 5,000 words can be a sample of a longer work – it does not have to be a short story (though those are welcome too!)
We strongly advise you to complete your work as much as you can, even if you do not enter the whole manuscript: after the ceremony agents will request the full manuscript, so in order to get the most out of the prize, it is best to have the whole manuscript ready to go.
Please send in the complete story if the text is for a picture book. (Picture books should not be longer than 5000 words).” Entries must be text or artwork for children. The prize is £1,500 for the winner, £500 for the second place winner, and other non-cash prizes; the deadline is 21 August 2026. Details here.

-- The Iowa Short Fiction Award & John Simmons Short Fiction Award: These awards offer publication for two short story collections. Manuscripts must be at least 150 pages. They offer a standard publishing contract. Both winning manuscripts get publication under a standard University of Iowa Press contract. The prize is open for writers who have not published a volume of prose fiction. Submissions are open till 31 August 2026. Submission is via a form. Details here.

-- The Academy for Teachers – Stories Out of School Flash Fiction Contest: They want honest, unsentimental stories, of 6-499 words, about teachers and schools. The contest is open to all writers, whether or not they are a teacher. The story’s protagonist or narrator must be a K-12 teacher. Sentimentality is discouraged and education jargon is forbidden. The prize is $1,000, and publication. The contest opened for entries on 1^st July and the deadline is 6^th September. Submission is via a form. Details here.)