The Awakenings Review is an annual lit mag committed to publishing poetry, short story, nonfiction, photography, and art by writers, poets and artists who have a relationship with mental illness: either self, family member, or friend. Our striking hardcopy publication is one of the nation’s leading journals of this genre. Creative endeavors and mental illness have long had a close association. The Awakenings Review publishes works derived from artists’, writers’, and poets’ experiences with mental illness, though mental illness need not be the subject of your work. Visit www.AwakeningsProject.org for submission guidelines. Check out our latest issue featuring work from Lora Keller, Cornelia A. Blair, Jennifer Fulco, Judith Levison, Jacalyn Shelley, Janet Garber, Aden Ross, Shao Wei, Fred Yannantuono, Jean Tucker, Alan Sugar, and more.
Calls and Contests 2020
Reminder :: Anthology of Writing on Domestic Verbal, Emotional, and Physical Abuse Seeks Submissions
We are seeking work by survivors of domestic abuse. Creative nonfiction, memoir, letters, flash nonfiction. Maximum word count 4,500. Please note that we are no longer reading poetry. Deadline: October 15, 2020. This book will be published by McFarland & Company; contributors will receive a complimentary copy. Please send your submission in Word, with a brief cover letter and 50 word bio to Judith Skillman, jskillman54@gmail.com and Linera Lucas; lineralucas@alumni.reed.edu. This text is dedicated to all those who dared to break the silence.
Call :: Rockvale Review Issue 7
Deadline: September 30, 2020
We love image-driven poetry that is both bold and vulnerable. Send us 1-3 poems in a single document through Submittable. Every submission is given careful consideration and is read by multiple editors. We care about your work! We also love blending poetry with art and music. All accepted poems are paired with an original piece of art and 5 are chosen for a musical response. Please read all guidelines carefully. We read blind, so no names on the uploaded poems please. To submit, visit: rockvalereview.com/submissions/.
Call :: Nzuri Seeks Work for Fall 2020 & Spring 2021 Issues
The objective of Nzuri (meaning Beautiful/Fine in Swahili) is to promote the artistic, aesthetic, creative, and scholarly work consistent with the values and ideals of Umoja community. African American and Other Writers and Artists are urged to submit their best written or artistic work for consideration. Check out open submission opportunities for Nzuri Journal of Coastline College at nzuriumojacommunity.submittable.com/submit. We are now accepting submissions in all categories for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 issues. Essays and fictional pieces should be a maximum of 4,000 words. Website: nzuriJournal.com.
Reminder :: Chestnut Review Invites Submissions Year Round
CHESTNUT REVIEW (“for stubborn artists”) invites submissions year round of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art, and photography. We offer free submissions for poetry (3 poems), flash fiction (<1000 words), and art/photography (20 images); $5 submissions for fiction/nonfiction (<5k words), or 4-6 poems. Published artists receive $100 and a copy of the annual anthology of four issues (released each summer). Notification in <30 days or submission fee refunded. We appreciate stories in every genre we publish. All issues free online which illustrates what we have liked, but we are always ready to be surprised by the new! Check out the Summer 2020 issue featuring work by Victoria Nordlund, Juliana Chang, James Owens, Wolff Bowden, Steven Ostrowski, Rick Rohdenburg, Richard Newman, Elisabeth Sharber, Carrie Albert, Angelica Esquivel, Adriana Morgan, Jamie Tews, Erin Little, and William Crawford. chestnutreview.com
Weekly Roundup for Calls & Contests :: August 7, 2020
Happy August! How is it the end of summer already? Missed out on the new calls or contests posted to NewPages this week? Check them out below.
Calls for Submissions
View all calls for submissions in our online Classifieds. Have a young writer? Check out our Young Writers Guide to Publications to help them find a market for their work, too.
August Submission Deadlines
Haunted Waters Press now seeking submissions for consideration in Tin Can Literary Review—our upcoming fiction anthology celebrating the works of new, emerging, and seasoned authors. We seek stories told in as little as 500 words and as many as 12,000. Contributors to be paid $250 per published story. Also seeking works of fiction, poetry, and flash for paid print publication in the 18th issue of From the Depths and for 2020 HWP Awards. Details: www.hauntedwaterspress.com. Visit the HWP Contributor Showcase to learn more about our published authors and poets: www.hauntedwaterspress.com/contributor-showcase. Deadline: August 31.
Otis Nebula. Fall 2020 Issue. Theme: They said it couldn’t be done! Poetry, prose. No fee. Extended Deadline: August 31. [Read more…] about Weekly Roundup for Calls & Contests :: August 7, 2020
Contest :: Gemini $1,000 Flash Fiction Prize
Deadline: August 31
Got a great short-short story? Win $1,000 for a story of 1,000 words or less in the 12th annual Gemini Magazine Flash Fiction Contest. Second prize: $100. Four honorable mentions: $25 each. Entry fee: $6. Any subject or style. Except for the word limit, we have no rules and are open to your most creative work, whether literary, noir, historical, sci-fi or any other category. All six finalists will be published online in the October 2020 issue of Gemini. Read any of the dozens of previous winners/finalists online to see the wide variety of flash fiction we have published. www.gemini-magazine.com/flashcomp.html
Reminder :: Fiction Southeast Seeks to Highlight Writers with Story of the Month Contest
Each month, the editors of Fiction Southeast will select one short-short story (under 1,000 words). The winning story will grace the front page of the website for the entire month and will be listed on the Stories of the Month Page, as well as the Fiction Page. The reading fee is $10, and the winner receives $50. Submit here: fictionsoutheast.submittable.com/submit/163713/story-of-the-month. Read the first Story of the Month winner. Serena Ferrari’s “Zp, Signed with Love.”
Contest :: Minds on Fire Open Book Prize—$1500 and Publication
Deadline: October 31, 2020
Our third annual open book prize is accepting manuscripts. If you have a manuscript or know someone who does, please give us a shot. Open to any poet writing in English regardless of previous publication record, the prize seeks to represent the best contemporary writing in high quality editions of enduring value. Prospective entrants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Conduit, which champions originality, intelligence, irreverence, and humanity. Previously unpublished manuscripts of 48-90 pages should be submitted through our Submittable page or via the USPS. Please visit www.conduit.org/book-prizes for details.
Contest :: The Hunger Press Tiny Fork Chapbook Series Open through September 1
Deadline: September 1, 2020
There is under one month left to submit to the Tiny Fork Chapbook Series. The Hunger Journal has expanded to include The Hunger Press, starting with the Tiny Fork Chapbook Series. We believe art and literature is eternally important, and we want to use this opportunity to welcome new writers and readers into The Hunger community by producing well-designed, dynamic, hand-bound chapbooks. We welcome poetry, prose, and hybrid manuscripts of 15–40 pages. For more details on the Tiny Fork Chapbook Series and submission process, please go to www.thehungerjournal.com/tiny-fork-chapbooks.
Reminder :: Bending Genres Accepts Submissions Year-round
Send us your zany, innovative best fiction, poetry, and CNF. We publish bimonthly, and year round. We at Bending Genres also host monthly weekend workshops and retreats. Visit www.bendinggenres.com to check out Issue 15 which features work by Gary Fincke, Ilse Griffin, Max Heinegg, and more.