The Blue Mountain Review launched from Athens, Georgia in 2015 with the mantra, “We’re all south of somewhere.” As a journal of culture the BMR strives to represent life through its stories. Stories are vital to our survival. Songs save the soul. Our goal is to preserve and promote lives told well through prose, poetry, music, and the visual arts. Our editors read year-round with an eye out for work with homespun and international appeal. Check out the August 2020 Issue featuring the Roots of Michael Flhor, Growing Pains of an Adolescent American with DL Yancy II, James Ricks of the Quill Theater, Ilya Kaminsky’s road to poetry, and more.
Calls & Contests
Call :: The CHILLFILTR Review Open to Submissions of Essays, Poems, & Shorts Year-round
The CHILLFILTR Review strives to bring the best new art to a worldwide audience by leveraging best-in-class technology to create a seamless and immersive web experience. We welcome submissions from all walks of life, and all perspectives. We are committed to inclusivity and kindly welcome work from marginalized voices. All featured works will receive an honorarium of $20 per 1000 words and will be published online at The CHILLFILTR Review as well as on our Apple News Channel. Readers can vote for their favorites, and year-end “Best Of” winners will receive an additional $100 cash prize. Recent works include short stories by Charlotte A Wynn and Steven R. Southard’ an essay by Lisa del Rosso, and poetry by Ava Lansley.
Call :: Humana Obscura Spring/Summer 2021 Issue Open to Submissions
Submissions for the Spring/Summer 2021 issue of Humana Obscura are open! We are an independent online and print literary magazine publishing nature-themed work from around the world. For complete submission guidelines and more info on what we’re looking for, visit www.humanaobscura.com.
Call :: Sou’wester Seeks Prose for Spring 2021 Issue
Deadline: November 15, 2020
Sou’wester is now reading fiction and creative nonfiction for our annual print issue, forthcoming in spring 2021. We are committed to investing in and encouraging the words/stories/voices of all writers, prioritizing those belonging to marginalized communities. We want to read stories from writers belonging to the black diaspora, indigenous communities, Asian communities, Latin(x) communities, neurodivergent communities, those with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+. We seek fiction that allows us to transcend the everyday, haunts our dreams, and feels fresh. We’re looking for work that will move, stun, and awe our readers. Submission is free through Submittable.
Call :: Sand Hills Literary Magazine Open for First Online Feature
Deadline: November 20, 2020
Sand Hills, in print since 1973, is opening up submissions for our very first online exclusive! We are accepting flash fiction and essays up to 1000 words, poetry up to 32 lines, photography, and, for the first time ever, short animation and comics. We are open for submissions until November 20th. sandhillslitmag.com/submit/. We look forward to hearing from you.
Contest :: 2022 Miller Williams Poetry Prize Deadline is September 30
Deadline: Rolling
Every year, the University of Arkansas Press accepts submissions for the Miller Williams Poetry Series and from the books selected awards the $5,000 Miller Williams Poetry Prize in the following summer. For almost a quarter century the press has made this series the cornerstone of its work as a publisher of some of the country’s best poetry. The series is edited by Patricia Smith. The deadline for the 2022 Prize is September 30, 2020. For more information visit uapress.com. Michael McGriff was named 2021 Miller Williams Poetry Prize Winner.
Call :: Garfield Lake Review 2021 Submission Period Open!
Deadline: October 12, 2020
The Garfield Lake Review prides itself on accepting a wide selection of fiction, poetry, and visual arts from the Olivet College community and beyond. No fee, payment in copies. This year’s Garf is looking for submissions that follow the theme of duality. Send us your unexpected endings, your highs and lows. Send us anything juxtaposed between light and darkness. Living is a thrill—show us how it is for you. Visit us at www.garfieldlakereview.com/submit.
Contest :: Interim’s 2020 Test Site Poetry Prize
Deadline: December 15, 2020
Submit your manuscript to Interim’s 3rd annual Test Site Poetry Contest! As our series title suggests, we’re looking for manuscripts that engage the perilous conditions of life in the 21st century, as they pertain to issues of social justice and the earth. The winning book will demonstrate an ethos that considers the human condition in inclusive love and sympathy, while offering the same in consideration of the earth. Because we believe the truth is always experimental, we’ll especially appreciate books with innovative approaches. The winning book will be chosen by the series editor and advisory board, which includes poets Sherwin Bitsui, Donald Revell, Sasha Steensen and Ronaldo Wilson. The winner will receive $1,000 and their book will be published by University of Nevada Press in 2021.
Call :: Palooka Seeks Short Works for Magazine Publication & Chapbook-length Manuscripts
Palooka is an international literary magazine. For a decade we’ve featured up-and-coming, established, and brand-new writers, artists, and photographers from all around the world. We’re open to diverse forms and styles and are always seeking unique chapbooks, fiction, poetry, nonfiction, artwork, photography, graphic narratives, and comic strips. Give us your best shot! Submissions open year-round. palookamag.com
Call :: The American Journal of Poetry Volume 10, Winter/Spring 2021
Deadline: Rolling
Now reading for Volume Ten, our Winter/Spring 2021 issue to be publishing in January 2021. Please visit us to read our previous volumes filled with poems from poets the world over, from the first-published to the most acclaimed in literature. A unique voice is highly prized. Be bold, uncensored, take risks. Our hallmark is “STRONG Rx MEDICINE.” We are the home of the long poem! No restrictions as to subject matter, style, or length. Published biannually online. Submissions accepted through our online submission manager, Submittable; a submission fee is charged. theamericanjournalofpoetry.com
Call :: Grand Little Things Open to Formal Verse
Deadline: Rolling
Grand Little Things is open for submissions! Visit us at grand-little-things.com/submission-information/ for more info! GLT is looking for formal poetry (think sonnets, villanelles, etc.) or blank/free verse that uses traditional poetic techniques. Open to never-been-published-writers and up and comers, as well as established writers. No fee required.