Writing Prompt: A Thousand Years

In Schild’s Ladder, a science fiction novel by Greg Egan, most of the characters live far longer than normal human lifespans. They are immortal, more or less. Some are incorporeal and others have bodies but not necessarily the same ones they were born with. Most of the characters in the book are scientists of some…

The Six Word Short Story Contest

Congratulations to the winners of this week’s writing contest! They are listed below. But first, a bit about our contest series. Every week we have a contest on our Facebook Page. The contests change from week to week, but the winners are always published in the magazine. The contest winner and the runners up are…

Isthmus: Now Accepting Submissions

Isthmus is an print literary magazine based in Seattle, Washington, publishing poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.They publish a wide range of forms and aesthetics, seeking to allow each author’s authentic voice to resound.They are edited by the former managing editor of Third Coast. Isthmus publishes ­­­­two annual editions, each with work from about 20 writers. They…

10 Literary Journals that Pay Their Writers

Last Updated August 20th, 2017 “It is a sad fact about our culture that a poet can earn much more money writing or talking about his art than he can by practicing it.” W.H. Auden As someone who makes their living writing about writing and publishing, I can attest to how truthful Auden’s quote is….

Finishing Line Press: Accepting Manuscripts

Updated 2024: Mark Danowsky wrote a great Substack on the state of FLP now. I’d very much encourage anyone to read it here. Finishing Line Press is a publisher of poetry chapbooks (a chapbook is a small book, generally of poetry, generally containing between 15-30 pages of writing). Finishing Line Press runs a number of…

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We’re Taking a Stand Against Literary Journals that Charge Submission Fees

I have submitted my work to well over 300 different journals in the past two years, and many more before that. When I first started submitting four years ago, one or two journals charged writers a couple of bucks to submit their work for consideration. This fee did not cover anything else. It did not…

Writing Prompt: One Last Wish

Imagine a character sitting in a room. There are a lot of cords and tubes. It looks like they are in a hospital. The person next to them is on a bed. It could be the main character’s mother, father, spouse, or someone else entirely. Before this person dies, they tell the main character, the…

Birdfeast: Now Accepting Submissions

Birdfeast is an online poetry magazine, created in 2011 at a Thanksgiving feast. This young magazine has become a gathering place where emerging poets place their poems alongside established voices like Bob Hickock, Daniela Olszewska, Zachary Schomburg, and others. Each issue is intended to be a poetry feast, a free place to savor the best…

Announcing The Winners of Best First Line Contest

Congratulations to the winners of this week’s writing contest! They are listed below. But first, a bit about our contest series. Every week we are going to have a contest on our Facebook Page. The contests will change from week to week but the winners will always be published in the magazine. The contest winner…

Chronicle Books: Now Accepting Book Submissions

Updated March 6th: Please note, they are not open to Children’s book at this time, but plan to reopen in summer 2025. Chronicle is an established and respected publisher of children’s books, cookbooks, gift books,  anthologies, and various other books, most containing a strong visual element. They are based out of San Francisco. Their books…

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6 Literary Award Competitions

The big debate ranging right now is whether or not book awards and award contests actually do what they promise – give you added publicity and help you sell your books. The short answer is it depends. Just like anything else in the writing and publishing industry, if you’re considering submitting your book for a…

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Fifth Wednesday: Now Accepting Submissions

Fifth Wednesday is a print journal of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and black-and-white photography. It is published by Fifth Wednesday Books, Inc., a nonprofit press based in Lisle, Illinois. Their goal is to make contemporary literary and photographic arts available to the public through publications, readings, and workshops, in an effort to sustain the vibrancy of…