A Novel Approach

PFN - Submissions Open for Splinter Journal's Issue: First Nations
2025-08-03 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Toronto) | Splinter Journal
Call out to First Nations writers!
Whether you’re Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori, Sámi or belong to another first peoples community, we want to hear your voice.
What we are looking for
We want writing that speaks to the weight and wonder of living as First Nations people — where past, present and future aren’t separate but walk together.
Give us the stories that sit in your body. The ones passed down. The ones that keep you up at night. The ones you’re still trying to understand.
We’re interested in the fractures and the fight, the moments of stillness, the ridiculous. What does it mean to carry culture, to carry knowledge in a world that wants us to forget? What does survival feel like today — and what does joy look like in the cracks?
We’re not looking for permission, politeness or performance. We want truth. Weirdness. Rage. Love. The absurdity of life in the colony.
Connect us to Country. To memory. To each other. Make us laugh, make us ache, make us pause.
What can I submit?
We accept up to 2 x submissions per writer for everything except poetry.
For poetry, we accept up to 3 x stand-alone poem submissions per writer, or submission of 1 x poetry collection.
Full pieces (finished work):
Poetry
Poems and poetry collections that crack things open with beauty and insight.
Publication payment of $250 per stand-alone poem or $450 per poetry collection.
Fiction
Up to 8,000 words long and any genre – just make it strong and moving.
Publication payment of $900.
Memoir
A personal story that teaches us something deeper.
Publication payment of $600.
Experimental work
Surprise us – break the mould.
Publication payment based on the nature of the work, but in line with the rates shown here.
When do I need to submit?
Submissions close at 11:59pm (Australian Central Standard Time) on August 3. The best place to track the progress of your submission is here on Submittable.
Good to Know
· Work must be original (your own work), no AI use.
· Work should not be previously published, including online.
· You keep copyright. We might ask for 3 months exclusivity.
· We accept simultaneous submissions – just let us know if it’s accepted elsewhere.
· We can’t offer individual feedback on submissions.
I have questions…
Send any questions to:
hello@splinterjournal.com
Splinter’s First Nations issue is being led by guest editor Jannali Jones.
Splinter is published by Writers SA with support from CreateSA, Flinders University, UniSA and the University of Adelaide.

PFN - Meat for Tea: The Valley Review Seeking Submissions. This Issue's Theme: Faux
2025-08-09 08:00 - 17:00 | Meat for Tea
We seek original submissions in multiple genres for the “Faux” issue. Do know that themes are not to be taken literally. We encourage submitters to simply have fun with the theme, or ignore it entirely.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES – PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY:

Writers: Writing submissions should be works of poetry and short prose no longer than 1500 words in length,
8000 words for short fiction and essays, 1200 words for flash and microfiction.
Please only send CLEAN COPY. We do not edit copy.
If a work is accepted for publication, it appears letter-for-letter as submitted.
Submissions with obvious typographic errors will be rejected.
We reserve the right to format copy to our layout standards.
Please also note that due to tight deadline and printing timelines,
revisions likely will not be even possible after a work is accepted.
Therefore, please only submit works you’re fully confident in having published.
All writing should be sent as an editable document, ideally Microsoft Word Format (.doc or .docx,) or RTF.
Be aware that any formatting you use in your document will be changed to fit our layout specifications.
Don’t get fancy unless you have something that is required for the piece (such as special formatting for a poem.)
We STRONGLY encourage very general formatting for most written work.
Your font will be changed, we don’t use indents for paragraph breaks, and we will re-format as needed.
Please keep the formatting simple.
See below, as well.
Embedded images in a text document might lead to rejection, due to difficulty in layout.
If you feel you must have embedded images, please email us before submitting.
IMPORTANT: PDF is NOT an acceptable file format, except for the rare case of a work depending strictly on physical formatting and font(s).
Please email us FIRST if you want to submit a PDF for a text piece.
(WHEN IN DOUBT, DON’T SEND PDF UNLESS YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY SURE THE TEXT MUST BE IN A STRICT FORMAT.
This basically means, if you’re using unusual fonts and/or formatting that is absolutely critical to the piece.)
SO:
DISCLAIMER: We shall still reserve the right to reformat PDF submissions to fit our layout standards.
Submitting as PDF is not an assurance that we will print the item as it looks in the PDF. Additionally, if we are forced to re-format from a PDF we will not be responsible for errors in the format conversion.
If you have questions about this policy regarding your work, please contact us via email before submitting.
Must include a third-person bio, 100 words maximum. Pronoun preferences are encouraged!
No submitting written work via email or a file transfer service unless requested. Please use Duosumo.
Due to time constraints, physical submissions via regular mail will NOT be considered for inclusion.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted as long as the submitter notifies us IMMEDIATELY upon their work being accepted elsewhere. The best way to notify us of a piece accepted elsewhere when submitting through Duosuma is to immeditely withdraw the piece. There is no assurance we will know it is withdrawn unless
you withdraw it directly through Duosuma. Email is inadaquate for withdrawls for Duosuma submissions.
If we accept a submission, it will be printed. Our timeline is so tight that there is no other option.
Please note: you are free to withdraw a piece for any reason via Duosuma unless we have accepted it for publication. We don’t “hold work hostage”.
Also note: due to the frequently large volume of submissions and our limited publication space, sometimes we may not get to accepting or rejecting a submission during the submission cycle in which it was presented.

Number of Pieces: Up to 5 pieces per submission.
Single File: Not required; may include a separate file/link for each piece.
Anonymous submissions are not required.
Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Reprints are not allowed.
Multiple entries are allowed.
AI-assisted works are not allowed.

Submission fee: $4.85

PFN - carte blanche magazine seeking Submissions for Issue 52 on the Theme of: Transformation
2025-08-11 08:00 - 17:00 | carte blanche magazine
This issue, we’re looking for works that expand beyond fixed identities and toward more expansive ways of being. How can we shift our perceptions, imaginations, and relationships to ideas of comfort to be better versions of ourselves? How can we recentre change as a necessary and gratifying intentional practice rather than something to push back against? We want to consider work that engages with the queer theory principles of accountability, fluidity, and innovation.
We acknowledge the intersectionality of individuals’ lived experiences and aim to provide a safe space for racialized and marginalized voices.
Individuals who identify as LGBTQIA2+, IBPOC, disabled, and those who live with mental health challenges or neurodivergence are encouraged and welcome to submit to us.
Please note that while Canadian and international creators are welcome to submit their work to us for consideration, as a result of our affiliation with the Quebec Writers’ Federation and Canada Council grant requirements, we may emphasize a focus on Quebec-based creators in a given issue.
Please read a recent issue and our general guidelines before sending in your work.

Poetry
We welcome poems in any form.
As of 2021, we have instated a submission cap. Please submit early–we will not accept late submissions by email. Maximum 3 poems per person per submission round.
Fiction
We accept all kinds of fiction. Maximum 3500 words (1 story can be up to 3500 words, 2+ stories must be 3500 words or under total).
Creative Nonfiction
We consider nonfiction narratives including memoir, personal essay, and literary journalism. Creative nonfiction submissions should be factual. Any changes to names to protect privacy should be indicated in an author’s note. Maximum 3500 words.

General Guidelines
Simultaneous submissions: We accept simultaneous submissions. Please indicate in your cover letter if you are sending your piece elsewhere and withdraw your submission via Submittable if it is accepted somewhere else.
Unpublished submissions: We do not accept submissions that have been previously published, including on personal websites and social media.
Frequency of submissions: We encourage you to submit to carte blanche no more than once a year unless solicited by an editor.
Rights: We ask for first world serial rights and the right to archive your work on the website. Copyright reverts to the author upon publication. In the case of translated pieces, you must already have received permission from the original French publisher to translate the piece prior to submitting your translation to us.
Payment: carte blanche pays an honorarium of $75 for each published piece. We hope to increase the amount in the future.

FN - Call for "Short Takes" Submissions to Persimmon Tree: An Online Magazine of the Arts by Women Over Sixty on the Theme: Putting It All Away
2025-08-15 08:00 - 17:00 | Persimmon Tree
Issue #76–Fall 2025–Putting It All Away

There comes a time when we must put away all the stuff that has grown around us, a time for clearing the decks. Often, that means cleaning out the closet or the so-called “guest” room, or putting away last season’s clothes. It can equally refer to our lives: to freeing ourselves from the overbearing or annoying people who just make us feel bad, or the surfeit of tasks and obligations we’ve taken on (“I’m just a gal who can’t say no”). Or it can refer to our inner selves: it can mean breaking old, bad habits, or silencing the squalling inner child. January is traditionally the moment for grand resolutions promising self-improvement, but fall is a season for new beginnings, too, with summer ending (in the northern hemisphere, at least) and school starting up again. What have you put away? What should you?
Projected publication date: Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Short Takes
Short Takes are usually short prose pieces, fiction or non-fiction (250-500 words), but can also be topical poetry, sometimes even drawings or photography. We’re especially interested in hearing about your experiences, but you can include your thoughts, dreams, ideas and opinions. Humor and irony are always appreciated!
Please read and follow these instructions carefully. We regret that we cannot accept any submission that does not follow these guidelines. In particular, make sure that the address on your email is correct.
Your submission must be under 500 words. Submit it to us as a Word document; be sure your name, address, phone number, and email address are all in the Word document. Send us the document by an email addressed to shorttakes@persimmontree.org, and type “Short Take” in the subject line of the email.
Include a headshot and short bio (no more than 50 words) in the email.
You must be subscribed to submit; click here to subscribe. Submissions and subscriptions are free.

PFN - South 85 Journal Seeking Submissions on the Theme: DELUGE | DROUGHT
2025-08-15 08:00 - 17:00 | South 85 Journal
THEME ISSUE: DELUGE | DROUGHT

Is less more? Is more too much? Can less be enough? Is more actually more? What has overwhelmed you? Underwhelmed you? When must we say, Stop? When do we beg, Keep going?
Where do we live? An environment of too much or not enough? Or both? Can we achieve balance or is our fate locked in the extremes?
Maximalist or minimalist…in possessions? Passions? Food? Drink? Love? Questions? Answers? Time? Flowers?
Inundate ~ overflow ~ drown ~ shortage ~ lack ~ parched. Rebirth. Destruction.
The possibilities are endless, and we want this theme to feel open to countless interpretation. As always, we’re eager to see what you come up with!

• Fiction submissions should be between 800 and 4000ish words. Please include word count. Flash fiction should be under 750ish words, submitted to the flash category. One story per submission.
• Nonfiction submissions should be no longer than 4000ish words. Please include the word count on your submission.
• Poetry submissions should contain no more than 3 poems, up to 6 total pages, one poem per page.
• Please send only one submission per category (Poetry, Fiction, Flash, and Non-Fiction) during each reading period. You are welcome to submit to multiple categories. We suggest including the title of your work in your file name.
• Submission fee = $3
• We will publish novel excerpts, provided they can stand on their own. We do not publish genre fiction or children’s stories. We encourage you to read archives of South 85 Journal and acquaint yourself with the material we publish before submitting your work. We encourage the use of a content warning if necessary, in consideration of our manuscript readers.
• Type should be no smaller than 12-pt. font. Please use a standard font such as Times New Roman or Arial, and refrain from script or “flowery” lettering.
• All work will be considered for our Editor’s Choice Award of $100, which be given to ONE piece in the issue.
• Submissions should be saved in Word or Rich Text format.
• Number pages consecutively, double space, and use margins of at least one inch.
• Place your name, email address, and word count in an upper corner of the first page.
• We do not solicIt work; each published piece comes to us through Submittable.
• Converse MFA students, grads, and faculty are not permitted to submit work to South 85 Journal.
• Writers whose work has been published in the journal are asked to wait one issue before submitting to the journal again (i.e. your poem appeared in Spring/Summer 2025, so you’re cleared to submit again for the Spring/Summer 2026 issue and any after).
• We accept simultaneous submissions. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please promptly withdraw your piece via Submittable or email to withdraw individual poems: south85journal AT gmail DOT com.
Please include a professional bio of 50ish words written in the third person with your cover letter.
South 85 Journal does not publish work which has been previously published, either in print or online. Our reply time is typically eight weeks or so. If AI has been used in the creation of the work, please indicate so.
We acquire exclusive first-time Internet rights only. All other rights revert to the author at publication, but we offer formal, written reassignments upon request. Works are also archived online. We are unable to pay for submissions, however thanks to an anonymous donor, ONE piece in the issue will be awarded the Editor’s Choice Award of $100. We ask that whenever an author reprints the work that first appeared in our pages, South 85 Journal be given acknowledgment for the specific work(s) involved.

Submission fee: $3

F - Fiction Potluck Contest Theme for July 2025: Siblings
2025-08-15 08:00 - 17:00 | Fiction Potluck Contest
FICTION POTLUCK

July Challenge:
Sibling Relationships

up to 5,000 words
Deadline: August 15
Find submission links below the rules

A Tip from our guest judge, Will Kelly:
I’m looking for plot driven narratives with strong characters. I enjoy reading slice-of-life pieces, where the characters feel three-dimensional and relatable. I want personality to take center stage, but that can come in a variety of ways: siblings banding together great, sibling rivalries awesome, siblings coming-of-age and learning about their true-selves amazing, siblings looking back on mistakes they’ve made works for me. Whatever genre you write best is what I want to read.
Prizes!
This quarter is officially sponsored by Duotrope; the first place winner of this quarter’s challenge receives Duotrope service for free for two years (valued at $100)!
The Basics
Fiction Potluck is free to enter and open to fiction writers of all ages around the world. One entry per person per challenge.
Submissions are accepted through Dropbox, Duosuma, and email (submissions [at] writersworkout.net).
Submissions are accepted six weeks at a time, starting in January, April, July, and October. The challenge and guest judge will change each open period. The guest judge picks the challenge—we never know what we’ll get!
The selection team reads all entries that follow the submissions guidelines as explained below. Entries are read blind. The team chooses the finalists and contacts everyone.
Finalist author names and bios are posted on this page and announced in our monthly mailer.
The guest judge reads the finalist pieces and chooses three winners. Each of the three winning pieces is published on our blog and linked through this page. Winning entries will be published as received.
General Rules

All entries must be in English and original works of fiction.

One entry per person per challenge.

The competition runs on UTC time, beginning and ending at midnight.

You must keep your entry private until after we post the top three winning stories.

The judges’ decisions are final.

The judges will contact everyone who includes the Title Information listed below.

The judges cannot provide feedback for every piece submitted.

Winning entries will be published as received.

The following are not accepted:​

Simultaneous submissions (sorry, it’s for anonymity. You’ll know within 15 days of closure if you can sub somewhere else!)

Previously published works (see above)

AI-generated content

Fanfiction, erotica, religious, or political content

Pieces longer than the word count limit

Pieces submitted outside the competition month

Pieces submitted in .pdf or pasted into the body of the email

Pieces without the correct Title Information (below) will be rejected unread.

​
Submissions
July: up to 5,000 words
Keep formatting professional. You can find recommended settings on the submissions page.
Entries must include this Title Information in this order at the top of the document body, aligned left:
Name or Pseudonym, email
Entry Title
Fiction Potluck
Word Count
Accepted file types: .doc, .docx, .odt
Live, unlocked Google Docs or Microsoft Word links are accepted via email (submissions [at] writersworkout.net). We must be able to download your file. We will not request access and we are not responsible for locked docs.

PN - Canadian Literature: A Quarterly of Criticism and Review Seeking Submissions on: Suburb Nation
2025-08-15 08:00 - 17:00 | Canadian Literature: A Quarterly of Criticism and Review
Call For Papers

Call for Papers — Suburb Nation

Deadline: August 15, 2025 (Pacific Time)
Submission length: 7,000-8,000 words (including works cited and notes) in either English or French

Canadian fiction, film, and television increasingly abound with representations of suburban life, such as Sort Of, co-created by and starring playwright Bilal Baig; Run the Burbs, co-created by and starring Andrew Phung; the film adaptations of Catherine Hernandez’s novel Scarborough and David Chariandy’s novel Brother; Larissa Lai’s speculative post-Greater Vancouver novels Salt Fish Girl and Tiger Flu; and Mona Awad’s 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, a collection of linked stories mostly set in “Misery Saga, which is what you’re allowed to call Mississauga if you live there” (1). Foregrounding the lives of people of colour, often first- and second-generation immigrants, these recent depictions centre the suburbs in Canadian experience, offering more varied representations than the stifling, empty periphery of earlier treatments, such as Margaret Atwood’s Cat’s Eye, Barbara Gowdy’s Falling Angels, or even Dionne Brand’s What We All Long For. In her monograph Canadian Suburban, Cheryl Cowdy quotes the speaker in Brand’s long poem Thirsty to describe how Canadian suburban imaginaries are marginalized by the assumption that the suburbs are “prefabricated from no great narrative” (xii). They seemingly lack culture and are rarely associated with “dissident artistic or poetic expression,” Cowdy points out; more often, suburbs serve as the butt of jokes and are seen as fertile ground for comedians, such as Mike Myers, Jim Carrey, and the pop band The Barenaked Ladies (xii).
This special journal issue will examine literary approaches to suburban life in Canada across a range of mediums, genres, and periods, paying attention to the suburbs as both an imaginative and a material form. We are especially interested in considering how the mid-twentieth-century popular representation of the suburb as a white, middle-class, automobiled enclave has been written otherwise across varied experiences of racialization, diaspora, and generation—and in the era of fossil-fueled climate change. What dreams and diasporas land immigrants and Indigenous people in suburbs? What histories are disrupted and which are forged in suburban lives and spaces? How do queer and trans people find and write themselves through suburbia? What other places and social lives are relationally entangled in the suburbs—in social connections, in memory, in colonial displacements, and in material economies of labour, production, consumption, waste, and emissions? How are suburban arrivals and departures—and pasts and futures—narrated? What poetic practices engage suburban form and its social relations?
We invite papers of 7,000-8,000 words, in English or in French, that join us in asking: If Canada is a suburban nation, what are its suburban stories?

Submission Guidelines
All submissions to Canadian Literature must be original, unpublished work. Essays should follow current MLA bibliographic format (MLA Handbook, 9th ed.). Word length for articles is 4,000-8,000 words, which includes endnotes and works cited.
Poetry
We accept submissions of original poems from Canadian citizens and permanent residents. All poetry submissions must include a short biography that lists previous publications or, for as yet unpublished poets, a few lines that give context for your work.
Due to space considerations, poems of 1-2 pages in length are preferred. Please do not include more than 5 poems per submission. Files must also be in Portable Document Format (.pdf) to ensure proper spacing and formatting.
Accepted poems will be published in the journal and on the website. Note that your Social Insurance Number will be required for a small honorarium. Separate arrangements for payment will be made if your poem has been accepted for publication.
Articles
Include the following information in your submission:

Author bio (50-100 words)
Abstract (maximum 150 words)
For special/themed issue submissions: (1) Specify which call for papers you are responding to, and (2) indicate whether you would like your paper to be considered for a future general issue if it is not accepted into the special/themed issue

Submission length

Word count: Between 7,000-8,000 words (including endnotes and references)
Shorter works between 2,000-3,000 words may be submitted for consideration for the Opinions & Notes section (specify upon submission). These are not peer reviewed so they are also not considered scholarly articles.

Document formatting

Font: 12 pt., Times New Roman (or another default font such as Calibri or Arial)
Spacing: Double-spaced
Page layout: Standard, with 1-inch margins on each side and 8.5 x 11-inch dimensions
File format: Word document (.doc or .docx)
Citations: Formatted according to the latest edition of MLA style

Anonymize your paper
If necessary, submit an original version of your paper and an anonymized version with identifiable information removed, such as acknowledgments sections.
In Microsoft Word documents, author information must be removed from the file.

On Windows:

Go to “Options” under the Tools menu.
Go to “Security.”
Under “Privacy Options,” select the box “Remove personal information from the file on save,” then click “OK.”
Save the file.

On Mac:

Go to “Preferences” under the Word menu.
Go to “Security.”
Under “Privacy Options,” select the box “Remove personal information from the file on save,” then click “OK.”
Save the file.To ensure the integrity of the anonymous peer-review process, every effort should be made to anonymize the identities of authors and reviewers.

Feel free to contact us if you have questions about what is considered identifiable information or want support anonymizing your document.

Submission Checklistcles

P - Wales Haiku Journal Summer Competition 2025. The Theme is Summer
2025-08-15 08:00 - 17:00 | Wales Haiku Journal Summer Competition
☀️ Wales Haiku Journal Summer Competition 2025
​
We are delighted to invite haiku writers from around the world to take part in the Wales Haiku Journal 2025 Summer Competition. As a journal for all, we welcome you to join us in celebrating the season, wherever you are, through the meditative form of haiku. This competition is a space to share your reflections on summer — its warmth, transience, quiet wonder, and wild edges — through haiku that capture not only beautiful moments in natural world, but the many resonances with human nature to be found within it. We look forward to receiving your unique evocations of the season and to publishing a global chorus of haiku that illuminate summer in all its forms.​​

Competition Rules and How to Enter
Traditional, experimental, monoku, or senryu — all haiku forms are welcome.There is no 5-7-5 requirement. Surprise us with your creativity.
​
📅 Deadline
15th August 2025 at midnight (GMT)Winners announced: 1st September 2025
​
💌 How to Enter

Pay your fee (see details below) via the donate button.

Email entries to waleshaikujournal@gmail.com

Subject line: Summer Competition 2025

Include:

Your haiku(s)

Your payment reference number

Your name and country

Whether you’re a 🔵 Non-Member or 🟢 Member​

​
💷 Entry Fees
Please select the appropriate pricing tier when entering:
🔵 Non-Members’ Price

£1 for 1 haiku

£3 for up to 5 haiku

£5 for up to 10 haiku

You may submit multiple bundles; each bundle must be accompanied by a matching payment.

🟢 Members’ Price (For Wales Haiku Journal supporters and contributors)

£1 for up to 3 haiku

£3 for up to 7 haiku

£5 for unlimited haiku (sent in one submission)

​
How to Pay:
Use the donate button above. Include your payment reference number with your email submission.

🏆 Prizes

🥇 1st Prize: £100 + Publication

🥈 2nd Prize: £50 + Publication

🥉 3rd Prize: £25 + Publication

Plus: 12 additional haiku will be featured in a Special Wales Haiku Journal Competition Edition

Note: All prize money will be sent via PayPal only. Winners must be able to receive PayPal payments.
​
📣 Judging
Entries will be reviewed by the Wales Haiku Journal editorial team and invited guest poets.Judging will focus on originality, depth, imagery, and thoughtful engagement with the haiku form.
​
🌐 Results
Winners will be contacted by 25th August 2025.Results will be shared on the Wales Haiku Journal website and across our social media platforms.
​
🧾 Legal & Rights

All submissions must be original and unpublished.

AI-generated content and plagiarism will result in disqualification.

By entering, you grant non-exclusive publication rights to Wales Haiku Journal, with full attribution.

​
Questions?📧 Email us at waleshaikujournal@gmail.com

P - Submission Call for Enchanted Garden Haiku Journal Issue 13. Theme: Tea, coffee
2025-08-15 08:00 - 17:00 | Enchanted Garden Haiku Journal
Issue 13: Tea Time
Submission call
Theme: tea / coffee
How is the world inside your tea or coffee cup?
The coffee is not just a coffee, is a moment. Your moment. Silence, recreation or inspiration, there is you and yourself with your deep feelings and thoughts. That moment before the morning rush when dawn has not yet broken… Also, tea is something some people drink only when sick, but other people have an entire ceremony and cult for it. Think about London 5 o’clock or Japanese ocha, the wonderful world of Japanese Tea. Do you like coffee or tea? What do you think about when you drink your coffee or tea and what is your perfect moment, in the morning, at lunch or later?

Submission Rules :

You may submit: 1 haikuor1 tanka. In addition, you may submit 1 haiga. Only unpublished works. Please don’t submit your work simultaneosly on multiples journals, I found several times works published or even featured in Editor Choice section in my journal and in a couple days published on other journals, without specify they were first appeared in EG, so they were submitted in the same time to many journals, randomly.

Also, if you later publish a work appearing in Enchanted Garden, please cite it as first-publication.

Send your works in Englishof the different categoriestogether in one single e-mail (haiku/tanka only in the body of the e-mail, as attachments will not be open. Send haiga as attachment .jpg please, but if you can`t attach it, paste it into the body). Images should be your own work or in collaboration with an artist. No images from internet or AI images please! The names of the authors (poet and photographer/artist) must be included in the haiga photograph/artwork.
Includeyour name and country.
Subject line:submission.

The e-mail for submissions and questions is haikuenchanted@gmail.com .
Response time: by the end of September
Publication date: mid October.

PN - RFD Magazine Seeking Submissions about: The Closet
2025-08-15 08:00 - 17:00 | RFD Magazine

PFN - Thorn & Bloom Seeking Submissions for Issue 3 on: The Splinters We Carry
2025-08-15 08:00 - 17:00 | Thorn & Bloom Magazine
Thorn & Bloom seeks work that examines the thorns embedded in societal conditioning—how they puncture autonomy, distort self-perception, and perpetuate cycles of harm.
​
We welcome submissions in any genre and any style, and are particularly interested in stories that:​​

Expose systemic thorns: How do politics, capitalism, racism, sexism, or other structures wound us?

Unmask psychological thorns: Shame, guilt, fear, or inherited trauma—how do they shape identity?

Trace the scars of compliance: Childhood lessons on obedience, silence, or self-sacrifice—what did they cost you?

Reveal moments of resistance: When did you first feel the thorn? How did you try to pull it out?

Interrogate repression: What truths have you been forced to swallow? What happens when they claw their way back up?

​
We want stories that draw blood, not for shock, but for honesty. This issue is a space for rage, grief, defiance, and the quiet acts of survival that keep us going. As the name reflects, we believe that growth often comes through puncture wounds and acknowledging the thorns is the first step toward healing.
With a focus on inclusivity, radical reflection, and unapologetic truth, this issue will confront the spines we’ve been forced to swallow—and the strength it takes to spit them out.​​
PUBLICATION: September 2025
Please read the guidelines before submitting your work. Any work that does not meet our guidelines will automatically be disqualified.

Guidelines

redrosethorns publishes original short stories, creative non-fiction, fiction, poems, prose, memoirs, academia and more.

Please submit your work through our secure online forms found on the right side of this page. You may submit your work either by uploading documents in PDF or Word format. (If you experience any issues with uploading your document, please reach out to us at contact@redrosethorns.com.)

All submissions must be uploaded to the forms portal on the right side of this page. To comply with GDPR and CCPA requirements regarding the secure handling of personal data, we can only consider work submitted through our official submission portal. Please do not email your manuscript to our email address.

Only submit work that has not previously been published, in print or online.

You retain all copyrights of your work, and full license to use your work after Thorn & Bloom publication.

All written work needs to be 2500 words max.

You can submit as many pieces as you wish, though only submit one piece at a time. Please note that not all pieces submitted may be selected.

We do not charge for submissions, however, donations are always appreciated.

Please note that we do not offer compensation for pieces published in our publications. Nor do we offer complimentary print publications.

DEADLINE for all submissions: 15 August 2025

We encourage folks of marginalised communities, including but not limited to women – both cisgender and transgender women, transgender men, non-binary, gender neutral, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour to contribute their work.​
​Please get in touch with us with any questions, concerns, or compliments at contact@redrosethorns.com

PFN - Open Call for Submissions to Wild Greens Magazine. The Theme: Time
2025-08-15 08:00 - 17:00 | Wild Greens Magazine
The pendulums of a grandfather clock; the alarm on your iPhone; the light and shadows on a sundial; the seeping sand in an hourglass. We all keep the same time, though it passes at different speeds. Smooth sailing. Stutter step. Slow as molasses.
However you’re feeling time, however you keep it, we want to hear about it.
Wild Greens accepts personal essays, poetry, short stories, and cultural commentary.
Personal essay: Submit one essay, up to 2000 words. Written in a lively first-person voice about anything you are excited to tell readers. All essays should have an overall point or main idea that you want to get across.
Poetry: Submit up to 5 poems per issue. We adore poetry of any type or variety! Please submit poems in a single document, and name the document with the title of the first poem and the author’s name.
Short fiction: Submit one piece of short fiction. Please keep fiction under 1000 words (or let us know if you have a longer work that you’d like serialized across several issues). Short fiction can be of any genre, though it should in some way fit the theme of the issue for which you are submitting.
Cultural commentary: Do you have an urgent or timely piece, like a response to a cultural event? What about an untimely piece, like a review of a TV show that you just binged but that technically came out 10 years ago? Whatever culture you’re consuming, we want to hear about it. Commentary is welcome; please keep it under 2,000 words.
All writing is reviewed by our editorial staff, and we will request revisions before publishing your writing. We’re happy to work with you from whatever stage your writing is in, but please proofread before hitting submit!

PFN - WayWords Literary Journal Seeking Submissions on Issue 20's Theme: Messy
2025-08-20 08:00 - 17:00 | WayWords Literary Journal
Issue 20: Messy
Editors’ advice: life is messy; how you respond is what makes you human.

Submissions
Submissions must be in English and include the required Title Information (below).
Limits:
up to 5,000 words of fiction
two poems up to 15 lines each
Formatting:
Keep formatting professional, please: readable font, empty lines for scene breaks, empty margins, etc. You can find recommended settings on the Submissions page.
Title Information
Please add the following to the top left of your document body (not in the header margin):
Name or Pseudonym, email
Piece Title
WayWords
Word or Line Count
If your submission was previously published, please credit your publisher below your word/line count.
If submitting multiple poems in one document, please list all titles on the second line in your Title Information. Adding Title Information to each piece is appreciated but not necessary.
Accepted file types: .doc, .docx, .odt
Submissions accepted via email (submissions [at] writersworkout.net) OR Dropbox OR Duosuma.
Live, unlocked Google Docs or Microsoft Word links are accepted via email.
We must be able to download your file. We will not request access and we are not responsible for locked docs.

The Writer’s Workout will not review fanfiction, religious, political, erotic, or AI-generated content.
Rights
​The Writer’s Workout requests one-time, non-exclusive serial rights with worldwide distribution. We will not retain the right to republish the work in an additional collection.
We accept simultaneous submissions, previously published works, and you retain the right to submit your work elsewhere after we publish it.
AI Statement
AI-generated content is theft.
Works published by The Writer’s Workout are for entertainment purposes. These publications should not be used in whole or part for content mills, reproduced without written approval, or for training Artificial Intelligence. Humans work very hard to produce the creative works featured in our publications; they deserve our respect.
If you need to withdraw, please let us know.
This literary journal is published in digital and print. Contributors receive a digital contributor copy. The Writer’s Workout is a registered nonprofit organization run by volunteers.

PFN - Submissions are Open for Viridine Literary. Theme: Contagion
2025-08-24 08:00 - 17:00 | Viridine Literary
Submission Guidelines:

Poetry
1-3 pieces, up to 40 lines each. No minimum.
12pt. any standard legible font, .doc or .docx (.pdf only if absolutely necessary for layout purposes), all pieces within a single document.
​
Fiction
1-2 pieces, up to a total of 2000 words (self-contained, not excerpts). No minimum.
12pt. any standard legible font, .doc or .docx, all pieces within a single document.
​
Script
1-2 pieces, up to 15 pages each (self-contained, not excerpts). No minimum.
12pt. Courier, double spaced, file format Final Draft or equivalent (for screenplays)/.doc/.docx. Separate files for each piece.
​
Essays
1-2 pieces, 500-1000 words.
12pt, any standard legible font, .doc or .docx, each piece submitted as a separate document.
We are only seeking essays on film and theatre theory, including work relating to: directors; actors; writers; cinematographers; production design; set design; theatre lighting; and scores/composers. We also accept film/theatre reviews.
We are not seeking general CNF at this time.
​
General guidelines:
​
Submissions must be made through our Google form. We won’t take email submissions without prior agreement. This helps us to stay organised.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please email us to withdraw (and so we can offer our congratulations!)
All work must be your own. Pieces created created wholly or in part by A.I. are not accepted. A.I. has no place in the literary and creative arts.
We do not accept work glorifying bigotry or discrimination in any form.
All written work must be in English.
We do not accept previously published pieces.
You may submit across multiple categories, but please only once each per submission call.
We ask for first publishing rights if we accept your work. All rights revert back to you, the author/artist, upon publication. If you go on to publish the piece elsewhere, please credit Viridine Literary as the first publisher.
​
What we like to see:
Innovative, character-led work.
Pieces that dip into the bizarre, surreal, or absurd.
Diverse representation that subverts stereotypes and offers fresh perspectives.​
Precise, deliberate, and consistent mastery of language.
Make us laugh. Make us fume. Make us grateful. Make us cry. Make us feel.

F - Not Quite Write Prize for FLESH Fiction. The Theme: Making the unsexy irresistible
2025-08-24 08:00 - 17:00 | Not Quite Write Prize for FLESH Fiction
FLESH Fiction Competition Rules
These Competition Rules set out the agreement between Not Quite Write (“we”) and entrants (“you”) regarding entry into a round of the erotic flash fiction competition, the Not Quite Write Prize for FLESH Fiction (“the competition”). The Competition Rules constitute the terms and conditions for entry.
Anyone in the world over the age of 18 can enter the competition.
The competition is run from New South Wales, Australia. All times, dates and monetary amounts are of that region unless otherwise specified.
By entering the competition, you declare that your entry is a work of original fiction composed by you specifically for the competition, and that it was not written wholly or in substantial part prior to commencement of the competition, or for another purpose.
Key dates
Late entries will not be accepted except in the event of a catastrophic technological or other failure on our part, or otherwise at our sole discretion.
The judging process will begin the next day and continue for approximately 3 months (“judging window”). We will announce the prize winners on our website and podcast alongside each author’s full name (or pen name, if provided) on or before the final Sunday of the judging window (“announcement”). We may also announce longlisted entries prior to this date at our discretion.
We reserve the right to modify the judging window and/or advance or delay the announcements at our discretion.
How to enter
You must submit your entry using the form located at https://notquitewritepodcast.com/fleshfiction/submit (“entry form”). Email entries will not be accepted.
Each participant is allowed just one entry. If you make an error, you may resubmit your entry within the competition window using the word RESUBMITTING before the title in the Title field. We will take your most recent entry for judging.
We reserve the right to make reasonable accommodations to allow entrants with relevant disabilities to participate in the competition. What is “reasonable” in this case will be at our sole discretion, however must, at a minimum, allow the judges to consider the entry without being able to identify the entrant.
It is your sole responsibility to ensure we receive your entry via the entry form by the deadline.
Required entry format
Your entry must be a piece of erotic flash fiction written in response to the theme: “Making the unsexy irresistible.” You may interpret this theme in whatever creative way you see fit.
The only limitations to your creativity are the following rules around permissible content:

All characters must be consenting adults.
Stories featuring paedophilia, zoophilia or any other unconsented sexual content, imagined or otherwise, are expressly prohibited.
Stories featuring supernatural and fantasy characters are permitted, provided any parties to sexual activity could reasonably be classed as consenting adults.
Stories featuring “sentient object” erotica or other creative concepts are also permitted, provided any parties to sexual activity could reasonably be classed as consenting adults.
All characters must be fictional.
Stories featuring real people as characters, whether by name or direct implication, are expressly prohibited.
In limited circumstances, it may be acceptable to make a passing mention of a public figure – for example to help describe a character’s appearance by comparison – however the public figure must not feature as a character in the story.

Your entry must be strictly no longer than 1,500 words. The title is not included in this count. Hyphenated words count as one word. Some forms of punctuation may be counted as words. Ultimately, the word count is determined by the entry form.
Your entry must be written substantially in the English language. You may use some words and phrases from other languages provided the meaning is clear in the context of your entry.
It is your sole responsibility to ensure you submit a complete and compliant entry.
The prizes
The competition offers a cash prize pool of AU$1,000.
Stories will be split into six Categories for judging, and the judges will select a winner for each. The Overall Winner will be selected from the six Category Winners at the sole and subjective discretion of Not Quite Write (in consultation with the judging panel).
Prize monies will be distributed as follows:

Overall Winner
Category Winners (x5)

AU$500 and a trophy
AU$100 (excludes the Overall Winner)

In the unlikely event of a tie, prize monies will be split evenly between the relevant entries at our sole discretion.
Cash prizes are calculated based on their Australian Dollar value and will be distributed by bank transfer (if in Australia) or PayPal (if international). Any applicable currency conversion will be determined by the relevant financial institution at the time of transfer. All applicable fees and taxes are the sole responsibility of the prize winners.
In addition to the prize money, a range of sponsored non-cash prizes is available. The prize list will be published at https://notquitewritepodcast.com/fleshfiction and is subject to change without notice. Sponsored non-cash prizes may be awarded for any reason at our sole and subjective discretion (in consultation with the judging panel). We make no warranties or guarantees relating to the sponsored non-cash prizes.
How we determine the winners
The competition is a game of skill. The judges will award all cash prizes and sponsored non-cash prizes on the basis of merit, and merit will be determined at their sole and subjective discretion.
The entry form facilitates blind judging by allowing us to de-identify entries before judging begins. During judging, the judges will only see information entered in the ‘Title’, ‘Entry’, and ‘Content Warning’ fields. For this reason, you must not include any information in these fields which could reasonably identify you as the entrant. This includes characters, themes and settings that may identify you. We may exclude identifiable entries from consideration for monetary prizes if we believe it will impact fairness.
When submitting your story, you will be asked to select the one Category in which you prefer your story to be judged. The judges will determine a Category Winner for each of the Categories. The Overall Winner will then be selected from the six Category Winners at the sole and subjective discretion of Not Quite Write (in consultation with the judging panel).
The Categories, including broad definitions, are as follows:

Erotic Comedy
Stories where sexual activity plays a central role, but the primary aim is to entertain and amuse rather than arouse. These narratives often incorporate humour, satire, or absurdity to explore erotic themes in a light-hearted or playful manner.

Erotic Romance
Stories that blend eroticism with romance, where sexual activity is integral to the narrative, but the focus remains on the development, continuation, or dissolution of a loving relationship. The tone is emotionally driven, emphasising intimacy, connection, and character growth.

Fantasy & Supernatural Erotica
Stories in which sexual activity is central to the narrative, featuring fantasy or supernatural elements such as mythical creatures, magic, or otherworldly settings. This Category includes a broad spectrum, from romantic paranormal encounters to more extreme “monster sex” and myth-inspired erotic fantasies.

Literary Erotica
Erotic stories that prioritise artistic expression, experimentation, or non-traditional narrative structures. This includes works that explore sexuality through poetic forms, stream-of-consciousness writing, abstract storytelling, or avant-garde techniques, often emphasising style and thematic depth as much as arousal.

Kink & Taboo
Stories that explore unconventional or socially controversial aspects of sexuality, such as BDSM, power dynamics, or age-gap relationships. While these narratives may push boundaries, in accordance with the Competition Rules, all parties to any sexual activity must be consenting adults.

Other Erotic Subgenres
Erotic stories that don’t fit neatly into the Categories above but still place sexual activity at the core of the narrative. This includes erotic horror, historical erotica, science fiction erotica, and other niche subgenres that explore sexuality through distinct stylistic or thematic lenses.

We note that stories featuring characters across the spectrum of gender and sexual identities will be accepted in all genres.
Due to the nature of erotic fiction, we expect some of these Categories to attract significantly more entries than others. We reserve the right to merge any Category or Categories that receive fewer than twenty-five entries and redistribute the prize monies accordingly.
We reserve the right to make all decisions necessary to facilitate the competition, including determining the specific judging methods and processes of elimination, which may vary. Our decision on all matters is final.
Privacy and Intellectual Property rights
By entering the competition, you agree to allow us to publicly discuss your entry on the podcast using your full name (or pen name, if provided).
You further agree to assign to us Non-Exclusive Worldwide English Language rights including print, electronic and audio rights, for all editions, and in all media for full use of your entry in perpetuity including, but not limited to, the following formats:

Not Quite Write Prize collection (print)
Not Quite Write Prize collection (eBook)
Not Quite Write Prize collection (audio book)
All Not Quite Write platforms including podcast, website and social media accounts
Other print, electronic or audio works not listed above including future anthologies and collections

You also agree to assign us the right to use your full name (or pen name, if provided) and your entry in part or whole for advertising, promoting, or other publicity for Not Quite Write and its products and services.
The decision as to whether to publish your entry, and on which platforms (if any), remains at our sole discretion.
If we elect to publish your entry, we may ask you to provide an accompanying image or likeness and biographical information. We will only use personal information expressly provided and approved by you.
As the assigned rights are non-exclusive, you retain the right to publish your entry elsewhere, including paid markets. You agree however to use best efforts to ensure all publications of your story bear the indication that the work was originally written for the Not Quite Write Prize for FLESH Fiction. You further agree not to sell or publish your entry until after the announcement to preserve anonymity in the judging process.
Refer to our Privacy Policy for more information about how we collect, store, and use your personal information.
Responsibility for notices
It is your sole responsibility to mark relevant dates and times in your calendar, noting the relevant time zone, and ensure that you have all the information necessary to enter the competition before the deadline.
We strongly recommend you add the notquitewrite.com and notquitewritepodcast.com domains to your email safe senders list to ensure timely communication about the competition. We also recommend you periodically check our website and social media for updates.
Plagiarism and bad faith
Plagiarism has no place in the competition. Entrants found to have plagiarised any part of their entry will be disqualified.
Further, any entrants found to have otherwise acted in bad faith may be disqualified at our sole discretion.
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)
By entering the competition, you agree that your work is your own creation and not generated in whole or part by A.I. or similar means.
We recognise that A.I. tools have a place in researching and workshopping ideas and editing grammar and basic syntax, so you may use technology in this way.
Entrants found to have generated any part of their entry using A.I. or similar means will be disqualified.
Costs and indemnity
You agree to accept full responsibility for any costs you incur in connection with entering the competition.
You also agree to indemnify us from any liability associated with your entry to the competition including, but not limited to, claims of any violation or personal or proprietary rights associated with your entry or the publication of your entry by us.
We are not responsible for any entries lost, misdirected or otherwise mishandled. It is your sole responsibility to maintain a backup of your entry.
Contact
If you have any questions about these rules, please consult the F.A.Q. before emailing us at contact@notquitewrite.com

P - Free the Verse: Poetry Magazine Seeking Poetry for Issue 15 on the Theme: Signal
2025-08-25 08:00 - 17:00 | Free the Verse Poetry Magazine
We are now accepting submissions for our Autumn issue. While the theme and title of this issue is ‘Signal’ we encourage you to interpret it creatively.
Our favourite poems are the unexpected kind. We love free verse poems that take familiar situations and turn them on their head, using unusual metaphors and drawing parallels no one else would see. Poems with a sense of place and story are always welcome, as are experimental pieces. You can read our latest issue, Here again, to get a sense of the poetry we publish.
The deadline for this issue is August 25th, 2025. Please read our general submission guidelines below before sending us your work:

Please submit one poem per issue. If you wish to submit more, our poetry competition (prize $100) allows unlimited entries.

‘Signal’ is the title of the issue, and therefore should not be the title of your poem.

Your work must be original and unpublished, either in print on online. We will accept work that has appeared on your personal website or equivalent.

Please include a brief third-person bio with your submission, up to a maximum of 50 words. You are welcome to include details of previous publications, but this will have no impact on whether your poems will be selected for our magazine.

At this time, we only accept poems written in English. You are welcome to include words and phrases from other languages.

It is free to submit your work. At present we do not offer compensation to our authors. If your work is accepted for publication, it will be published in our digital magazine.

We accept simultaneous submissions. If one of your poems is accepted for publication elsewhere, please let us know immediately via our withdrawal form.

You must be over 18 years old to submit.

P - Call for Submissions from Neurodivergent, Cognitively Diverse, and Non-Visibly Disabled Writers to Aprosexia Lit
2025-08-26 08:00 - 17:00 | Aprosexia Lit
SUBMISSIONS

Submissions are now open, and will remain open through 27 Aug 2025. There is a small chance that the number of submissions we receive will reach a point of critical mass, and force us to cap our numbers for the sake of preserving our own mental health. (You understand—after all, this is a journal dedicated to the work of bad-luck brains—and that includes us.)
This does seem unlikely. Should numbers become overwhelming, a updated deadline will be provided, in advance. Checking back here periodically, will be the best way to ensure you’re up to date on developments—though we do make every effort to keep our Chill Subs listing up to date.
APROSEXIA LIT is an International online poetry journal dedicated to writing of unusual creativity by neurodivergent, cognitively diverse, and non-visibly disabled writers. The journal’s overarching goal is to impress its readership with first-rate work, that emphasizes the unique nature of divergent life experience, and what makes it genuinely different from what’s assumed to be “the norm.” We want to showcase the best our community has to offer, without assuming that neurodivergent art and forms of expression need to be accessible to a neurotypical or more generally abled audience, before we look to speak to and inspire one another. We publish in English, but welcome submissions from anywhere in the world.
This means that APROSEXIA is inherently biased, but has no desire to be exclusionary. While a number of publications invite marginalized voices to stand near the “front-of-the-line,” and feel free to self-identify when submitting work, APROSEXIA’s mission is to stay focused on publishing those voices who are marginalized under the broad umbrella of “mental health.” We ask that those who submit to the journal respect that mission.
APROSEXIA LIT publishes poetry & poetry adjacent work, biannually in the spring and fall. Response time varies, but all decisions are finalized shortly after the submission window closes.

CONTENT

Send your strange and wonderful, offbeat and disturbing [within reason—APROSEXIA LIT isn’t about horror or the experience of abuse for the sake of it]; your dream logic; the stuff you write, and love, but no one seems to get; the inexplicable difficulties you experience in a difficult world; your awkward misinterpretations of neurotypical expectations. Most especially, you are invited to share your joy—even if it is bittersweet—and wherever and however you happen to find it. The latter is overlooked so frequently, and poorly acknowledged in the representation of our community. Whether manic, abstract, or mundane—this isn’t the place you need to mask what makes your work strange; unusual; wonderful.
My hope is that APROSEXIA LIT represents a chance for you to send work out into the world that comes from an origin of neurodivergent and invisibly challenged perspective, but isn’t required to address the trauma of mental health or disability explicitly—although, if it does, APROSEXIA is a place where it may find a home, as well. If you would like to send something in to be considered, please do.
​​​​It should go without saying, but any work that advocates or glorifies hurt or harm will be obliterated from the APROSEXIA inbox.​​​

INSTRUCTIONS

Send 2–5 poems; on no more than five pages. Each poem should begin a new page. We take the term poetry as broadly defined—but the journal can only accommodate text, for the time being. Formatting that is unusually demanding will be a harder sell, as the our capacity to reproduce faithfully, within accessible standards, is limited.

​In your submission email, include the name you would like to see your work published under, if it is selected for the issue; your preferred pronouns; and a short bio [50–150 words], written in any style you wish. A cover letter isn’t necessary—though knowing a little bit about who’s submitting to APROSEXIA is always welcome.
​​As mentioned above, APROSEXIA LIT is here to elevate the voices and work of a specific, and marginalized, community. There’s no good way police this mission in practice, and the honor system can become tricky to navigate—but so are requests to self-identify. If you feel comfortable with the latter, you are invited to do so. You’re also welcome to include a few words in your email, sharing some example of a time you encountered neurotypical behavior and found it personally bewildering, absurd, or incomprehensible. Neither of these options are required, per se—but it is the type of information that will have a bearing on the way your submission is received.
.It’s not perfect, but it’s the best, non-intrusive way we can think of to establish that our contributors fall within the constraints of our overall mission, without getting pushy or demanding about specifics. None of the above information will be shared beyond our small group of editors.
.✬ Please send your work to:​ submissions@aprosexia.org
​​✬ APROSEXIA asks for first serial rights, and acknowledgement in the case of future publication. All rights return to the author immediately upon publication.
✬ Because APROSEXIA LIT is published as a complete digital issue that follows specific layout and graphic design, contributors’ work is archived indefinitely—as long as the issue can be maintained online.
​​✬ Copyright always remains with the author.
​​​​​✬ APROSEXIA LIT is open for submissions now. Our current reading period is for the upcoming issue, [case #2] will close 28 May 2025. The issue [case #2] is expected to go live during the autumn of 2025.
​The important points:
​​​​​✬ Previously unpublished work only, please. Simultaneous submissions are encouraged—but, be courteous and withdraw any piece if it finds a home elsewhere.
✬ We are not a paying market, but are actively looking to change that in the future.
​​​​​✬ Only one submission per open call. If your work isn’t right for the upcoming issue, you’re welcome to submit new material once submissions open for the next. Material that arrives outside these guidelines will net be considered.
​​​​​​✬ “SUBMISSION” should appear somewhere in your email’s subject line. Attach your work in a single .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .txt file. At this time, we’re unable to accepts .pdf files.
✬ If your submission happens to involve especially demanding formatting, feel free to reach out so we discuss potential solutions.
.✬ Please send your work to:​ submissions@aprosexia.org
​​✬ APROSEXIA asks for first serial rights, and acknowledgement in the case of future publication. All rights return to the author immediately upon publication.
✬ Because APROSEXIA LIT is published as a complete digital issue that follows specific layout and graphic design, contributors’ work is archived indefinitely—as long as the issue can be maintained online.
​​✬ Copyright always remains with the author.
​​​​​✬ APROSEXIA LIT is open for submissions now. Our current reading period is for the upcoming issue, [case #2] will close 28 May 2025. The issue [case #2] is expected to go live during the autumn of 2025.

PFN - Limit Experience Journal Seeking submissions on the Theme: Ageless Sexuality: Libidinal Innocence & Wisdom
2025-08-30 08:00 - 17:00 | Limit Experience Journal
“We cannot Change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it Oppresses.” – Carl Jung
LEJ Magazine explores culturally impacting libidinal beliefs and practices across borders, ages, and unmentionable social mores. We are excited to publish exploratory, highly imaginative, views, opinions, and journalism.
Be bold and run free with your creative expression. Our mission for the magazine is to inspire our audience to expand their notion of creativity by emboldening both the logical and ephemeral definitions of cultural innovation, ingenuity, and inventiveness.
Have fun! Be playful and most importantly, submit well thought out multilayered work that speaks to your deepest libidinal human drive in Jungian terms, the desire to express oneself beyond the pale!
” – the only kind of curiosity, in any case, that is worth acting upon with a degree of obstinacy: not the curiosity that seeks to assimilate what it is proper for one to know, but that which enables one to get free of oneself. – Michel Foucault
And, as always, Limit Experience Magazine is all about the hair-pin curves that change requires we navigate as experimenters in the libidinal realm. Therefore, your submission should include a subconscious alteration of the protagonist’s narrative state; when the reader metabolizes your submission should shift them from one state to the next.
In other words, a level of CHANGE is required for the Limit Experience to be validated. To provide the reader with a catalyst for growth whether they decide to embrace it or not is key to the LE project.
Submissions fee: USD $11.11

P - Stripes Literary Magazine Seeking Poetry on the Theme of Blank Spaces
2025-08-30 08:00 - 17:00 | Stripes Literary Magazine
Submissions Guidelines
– Please submit three – five poems per issue. We look out for poetry that makes us feel. Poems that are human and can breathe. We are moved by poetry that breaks conventions and employs new technique or style.
– Poems should be uploaded as doc/docx files (we do not accept PDF). All Poems submitted must be previously unpublished on any platform.
– Begin every new poem on a new page. Pages must not exceed 5.
– Send along a cover letter and a short bio of 100 words, with your social media handles.

Send your submissions to thestripesmag@yahoo.com with Subject: Submission/Genre
​Eg: Submission/Poetry

Response
We respond to submissions between 2-3 weeks. Send a notice if your submissions does not receive a response after that period.
We try to offer feedback whenever possible but it is not as often as we like. When this is not possible, we recommend a sister magazine that will be more suited for your work.
We accept simultaneous submissions but request that we be informed if another magazine picks up your work before us.

PFN - Open Call to F(r)iction. The Theme: Censored!
2025-08-30 08:00 - 17:00 | F(r)iction
For this issue, F(r)iction seeks to uncover the redacted with Censored! Let’s investigate the burning of books, witches, and bridges as we delve into all things sanitized. What are the secrets a family withholds about their past? What histories do we bury, whitewash, or blackout? What voices are lost to time, imprisoned, and expunged? Bring us stories, poetry and creative nonfiction that wants to hide truths, or protect others from them. Join us as we contemplate blacklists, consider authoritarianism, and debate the trade off between freedom and safety. Imagine an microchip in a person’s brain that keeps them from talking about certain things… and how it might go wrong. Ponder a dress code that erases identity completely. Or maybe the part of yourself you obscure to fit in. Question a person scouring their socials to delete their younger self for a job. Send us your writing that interrogates obfuscation, from without, and within.
Form:

Short stories: 1,001 – 7,500 words
Creative nonfiction: up to 6,500 words
Flash fiction: (up to three pieces in the same document) up to 1,000 words per piece
Poetry: (up to five poems in the same document) up the three pages per poem

Submission fee: $2.50

PFN - The Inquisitive Eater: New School Food Seeking Submissions for the Fall Issue on the Theme: Eat the Rich
2025-08-30 08:00 - 17:00 | The Inquisitive Eater
Submissions

The theme of the Fall 2025 issue of The Inquisitive Eater, is EAT THE RICH. Dismantle the recipes of social dynamics.
This issue is centered on the relationship between food and capital. We are looking for submissions that complicate and subvert conventional understandings of food and class. Submissions may inspect consumption, excess, cannibalism, accessibility, privilege. We encourage all artists to interpret and play with the theme as they see fit.

Poetry: Up to four poems may be submitted for consideration. Please send as a .doc,.docx, or .pdf file.
Fiction: Please submit one fiction piece at a time. Ideally each fiction submission will fall under 4,000 words. Please send as a .doc,.docx, or .pdf file.
Nonfiction/Essay: Please submit one nonfiction piece at a time. Ideally each nonfiction submission will fall under 4,000 words. Please send as a .doc,.docx, or .pdf file.

Deadline for Submissions: August 30th.
Only previously unpublished work will be considered for publication. Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but let us know if your work gets picked up elsewhere. Please wait for a response on your current submission’s status before submitting again. Submissions are accepted and managed through our Submittable page: inquisitiveeater.submittable.com

PFN - Call for Submissions to époque press é-zine. Theme: Freedom
2025-08-30 08:00 - 17:00 | époque press é-zine
our é-thos: époque press was founded in October 2017 with the aim of publishing great literary titles by authors from diverse backgrounds who may have been overlooked by the large global publishing houses. As part of this we also set up an online arts magazine, our é-zine, with the aim of connecting artists working in different mediums, in the hope it would stir the wider pot of creativity.
Submissions are now open for the upcoming é-zine on the theme of Freedom – what does Freedom mean to you? Submissions will close on 30th August 2025.
written wordWe are open for submissions of poetry, short stories and short essays. Please submit your work in an attachment to the email as a MS Word Document. Please accompany your submission with a short bio of no more than 100 words telling us a little bit about yourself, the motivation behind your work and how it aligns to the theme. This can be attached as a separate MS Word Document or within the text of the email. Please email submissions@epoquepress.com and in the subject header state ‘ezine submission’, name of theme and your name.

N - Estudios de Filosofía Seeking Submissions on: The open borders of pragmatism
2025-08-30 08:00 - 17:00 | Estudios de Filosofía
CFP: The open borders of pragmatism
Three figures of classical pragmatism are usually recognized: Charles S. Peirce, William James and John Dewey; however, pragmatism is not restricted to them or to that period and place (late nineteenth century in the United States of North America). Thanks to the impulse given by these three classic pragmatists, among whom it would also be necessary to include thinkers such as Jane Addams, this philosophical tradition has spread to other parts of the world thanks to its great plurality and valuation of experience. This is why pragmatism has not been limited to the discussion of the issues raised by its founders, but has managed to articulate itself with different philosophical aspects and branches of knowledge, such as education, art, semiotics, biology, ethics, politics, logic, ecology or mathematics, among others, and promises to offer us more possibilities of conversation to illuminate our present and future. This issue aims to make visible all these possible conversations and encounters from philosophy with other inter- and transdisciplinary perspectives. Proposals may be related, but not limited, to the following topics:
● Under-recognized pragmatist authors
● Applications of pragmatism in different fields such as logic, mathematics, epistemology, ethics, politics, gender studies, feminism, education, ecology, theories of cognition, sports, etc.
● Contemporary critiques and debates on pragmatism
● New interpretations, challenges and perspectives of pragmatism.
● Conversations of pragmatism with other philosophical trends or traditions.
Deadline: August 30th, 2025. Publication date: June 30th, 2026

Submission Preparation Checklist
As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission’s compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.

The submission has not been previously published or sent to another journal. Otherwise an explanation has been provided in the “Comments to the Editor”.
The file is sent in Microsoft Word 2003-2010 format or docx.
The author/s has/have provided web addresses (URLs) for references consulted from the internet.
The text has spacing 1.5 points, the font size is between 11 and 12 points, italics are used instead underlined (except internet sites URL), and all figures and tables are within the text and not at the end of the manuscript.
The text accords with stylistic and bibliographic requirements specified in the Author Guidelines. In particular, the references follow the APA style.
The author’s name and affiliation, and any other information that could reveal her/his identity, should be removed from the manuscript.
The author has a PhD or a Master degree.
In the OJS system: the author must submit a file with a brief intellectual biography, with the following information: name and surname; completed institutional affiliation (university, faculty, research group); studies (degrees obtained, institution); recently published books and articles; areas of expertise; e-mail and ORCID.
The text was not generated exclusively by an artificial intelligence. The journal accepts the use of AIs for editing and improving submitted texts, but they must not be exclusively generated by an AI.

Author Guidelines
Authors are required to register on the Estudios de Filosofía website before beginning the submission process. If you are already registered as an author, just log in to submit your paper through five steps. Be sure to comply with the manuscript preparation guide as shown below, and also read the copyright notice.

Estudios de Filosofía has adopted the APA Style (Seventh Edition) as the standard citation system for our papers. Helpful information may be found in APA Reference Style.

There is no publishing or article processing charge (APC).

The journal cannot consider more than one paper at a time from any one author, whether as the author or as co-author. So, until a final decision to publish or reject has been made on one paper, its author(s) will not be eligible to submit another paper for consideration.

The journal only accepts manuscripts from authors who have a Ph.D. or master degree.

Introduction
All manuscripts will undergo an initial review with an anti-plagiarism tool. Once confirmed with the anti-plagiarism report that the text meets the originality requirements, it will be submitted for initial review by the Journal Editor and the Editorial Committee to determine that it is appropriate to the journal’s theme, scope, objective, and editorial guidelines. If the anti-plagiarism percentage reaches 30% self-reference, the text will be rejected.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in order to improve the readability of the texts, but in no case to produce manuscripts. AI can produce content that is incorrect, false, biased, or even appropriate original work from another author without proper citation. Without pretending to ignore technological advances, this journal reiterates its commitment to the production of new knowledge, the authenticity of documents submitted to editorial processes, academic curatorship, integrity, and ethics in research and publication. Thus, Estudios de Filosofía will reject articles in which the indiscriminate use of AI is detected.
Once the manuscript is accepted for editorial consideration by the journal, it will undergo double-blind peer review to determine its potential publication. The author might be required to review the manuscript before publication, yet the right to refuse publication of articles is restricted to the editor or the director. All manuscripts must be submitted in MS Word 2003-2010 or .docx. The following information is suggested as a guide for organizing your submission.

All authors must attach, in addition to the paper, a message for the editor with a brief biography, including their studies, their institutional affiliation, and their lines of work and research.

PFN - Call or Submissions to DOG TEETH lit mag Issue #5. Theme: Vessel
2025-08-30 08:00 - 17:00 | DOG TEETH lit mag
SUBMIT YOUR STRANGE HERE! Our theme for this issue is VESSEL, so send us your form, your function, your container, your contained; body and constraints and sacred objects and holdings-of-things. EIC likes overspilling, the meeting of human and animal, objects that are precious to you, and general creaturely vibes. We are currently accepting poetry, creative non-fiction, short essays, and micro fiction. We are unfortunately unable to pay contributors, but know we are as excited as you are to publish your art! Expect to hear back within two weeks after the deadline closing; if you haven’t heard back within this time frame, give us a nudge via email at dogteethlitmag@gmail.com. DEADLINE: AUGUST 30TH.

GUIDELINES
We do accept simultaneous submissions, but be sure to let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere and that publication does not allow simultaneous publication, so we can send you congratulations and withdraw it from DOG TEETH! We accept previously published works ONLY if the place of previous publication was on a personal blog/site/social media. Please submit as a Word Document, PDF, or Google Doc. Please only submit once per issue (as in, if your submission(s) is rejected, please wait until the following issue to submit). Submissions will only be accepted if they adhere to the theme and guidelines provided here. DO NOT SEND US A.I.-GENERATED WORKS: any piece(s) created using generative A.I. will be automatically rejected and will result in the sender being definitively blacklisted from this publication. This policy is not negotiable.
POETRY Submit no more than three poems, each poem not to exceed 60 lines in length. Submit all poems in the same document, with each poem on a separate page, and each poem titled.CREATIVE NON-FICTION Submit no more than two original pieces, each piece not to exceed 1500 words in length. Submit all pieces in the same document, with each piece on a separate page, and each piece titled.

SHORT ESSAYS Submit no more than one original work, each piece not to exceed 1500 words in length. Submit all pieces in the same document, with each piece on a separate page, and each piece titled.
MICRO FICTION Submit no more than two original works, each piece not to exceed 800 words in length. Submit all pieces in the same document, with each piece on a separate page, and each piece titled.

INCLUSIVITY
DOG TEETH loves the visceral and fucked-up parts of this life, but as a queer-led and inclusive mag dedicated to uplifting marginalised voices we have a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY for transphobia, homophobia, racism, antisemitism, misogyny, ableism or other violence against marginalised communities. We welcome sensitive topics and adult material, but please be mindful and include content warnings. No graphic depictions of sexual assault will be accepted.

RIGHTS
If accepted by DOG TEETH, you grant us first electronic rights and non-exclusive archival rights. All submissions remain the intellectual property of the artist. Rights revert back to the author upon publication. Authors retain copyright and will always be credited.

GOOD LUCK!

F - Timeless Reflections Magazine Seeking Short Stories on the Theme: A Valued Inheritance
2025-08-31 08:00 - 17:00 | Timeless Reflections Magazine
What do you consider a valued inheritance? It could be an object of sentimental value, a lesson from a loved one, a characteristic passed down through generations, a spiritual blessing or gift, or even something else you consider valuable.
We are looking for short stories about anything that has had a meaningful impact on you, which a valued person or relationship has passed down. Be creative and thoughtful. Please send us your best work!

Timeless Reflections is published semiannually, in spring and fall, online and in print. We accept most genres except erotica and horror. Simultaneous submissions are considered if we are notified of the work being accepted by another publication. Reprints are considered with disclosure of previous publications.
By submitting, the author who has his or her written work selected for the magazine agrees that he/she is the original creator of the work and that he/she holds the copyright to the work. The author agrees that Timeless Reflections/Diamante Lavendar is granted usage of the work for display, promotion, marketing, email newsletters, press releases, and for use in Timeless Reflections Magazine and on the Timeless Reflections/Diamante Lavendar website and social media accounts. The author’s name will be displayed with the written work. The work and author’s name will also be archived on this site and will be available for public view. The author maintains all copyrights of the work. The work will not be resold, copied, exchanged or downloaded from this site.

PFN - Submit to 3Elements Literary Review using the Elements: Cherry Tree, Surveillance, Menu
2025-08-31 08:00 - 17:00 | 3Elements Literary Review
The three elements for the current submission period are: Cherry Tree, Surveillance, Menu.
Due August 31, 2025, for our fall issue, no. 48.

What does 3Elements enjoy reading?
We appreciate good writing in any genre. We especially like edgy writing that offers insight into darkness. We prefer character-driven stories as opposed to plot-driven ones. We relish a piece with a great deal of heart and more than a little bit of Truth (note the capital “T”). We want to read a story that makes us feel edified or philosophical or amused or creeped out or angry or melancholy or inspired or, best yet, all of these things together.

We find stories that include gratuitous violence distasteful. Sexism, racism, or other forms of intolerance are intolerable to us. That said, you can certainly reveal a character through his/her prejudices; just don’t use a story to perpetuate negative stereotypes or ignorance. The world is already bursting with both.

Using the elements
3Elements Literary Review is a themed literary journal, and all THREE elements (the specific words, Cherry Tree, Surveillance, Menu) given for the submission period must be included in your story or poem for your work to be considered for publication. NO EXCEPTIONS WHATSOEVER.

Your story or poem doesn’t have to be about the three elements or even revolve around them; simply use your imagination to create whatever you want. You can use any form of the words/elements for the given submission period. For example, if the elements are: Flash, Whimsy, and Seizure; we would accept the usage of Flashed, Whimsical, and Seizures.

How to submit your work
We will only accept previously unpublished (including digital/online content) work submitted to us through Submittable. You can easily submit material to us from our Submit page. Any work that is sent to us as an attachment, or in the body of an email, through our ‘Contact’ page, or any other way outside of Submittable will automatically be declined.

Length
There is no minimum word count, but please keep your fiction and nonfiction submissions under 3,500 words. Poetry must be under two typed pages.

Bio
If you’re accepted for publication in 3Elements Literary Review, we, as well as the readers of our publication will naturally want to know a little more about you, as well as your writing background, so providing us with a bio is very helpful!

PFN - Ivo Review Seeking Submissions on the Theme of: Connections
2025-08-31 08:00 - 17:00 | Ivo Review
How to Submit
For poetry and flash or micro-fiction, please submit up to five (5) pieces of up to 100 lines for poetry. We consider micro-fiction to be up to 350 words, and flash to be 351 – 1000 words.
For longer works of fiction, non-fiction, or dramatic works please send up to two (2) pieces of up to 3000 words.
For dramatic works, we consider works that would be able to produced as a 10 minute play or shorter. We love long dramatic monologues, but will also consider ensemble pieces.
Send submissions to editorivoreview@gmail.com. The subject line should be the THEME of the issue for which you are submitting work and the CATEGORY of the submission. (Example: LOST – POETRY) Please include a short cover letter with a short author’s bio in the body of the e-mail and attach submissions in a single .docx attachment.
Submissions that do not follow these simple guidelines will not be read.
Currently we are reading for Issue One: CONNECTIONS until August 31st, 2025.

What We Look For
We are looking for prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, hybrid works, and dramatic works from emerging and established writers from around the world, particularly writers from historically underrepresented communities. We love the concept of narrative – we want to read storytellers telling stories in whatever form that takes for you.
Works should be primarily in English.
We consider simultaneous submissions but if a work is accepted elsewhere please let us know. We will be thrilled for you! We consider reprints but please indicate the original publication so that it can be credited – with a link to the work if possible so that we can also link to that publication.
We will not consider AI generated work. At this time we are also not considering translations.

Rights and Expectations
You retain all rights to your work. By submitting work to Ivo Review you are granting us the non-exclusive rights to publish your work in our online issues and to continue the display of that work on the online site. You are confirming that you are the author of the submitted work and that you retain the rights to submit it for publication. Works published online in Ivo Review will be considered for future anthologies, and authors will be contacted for permission and with information about payment if we are interested in using your work again in that way. We will promote your work, but we will never attempt to sell your work or to include it in any publication other than the issue in which it was originally published without your permission.
If a piece has not been previously published before Ivo Review, please credit us in any future publications.
At this time, we are not a paying market – though we do hope to be able to correct that soon. We do have every intention of nominating for Pushcart and other prizes including Best Small Fictions, Best Microfiction, and Best of the Net.
Our anticipated response time is currently four weeks or less, but we are a very small operation and so cannot promise that it will not take us a bit longer. If you have not heard from us after six weeks, please feel free to contact us for an update. We will not take it personally!

PFN - Call for Submissions to NonBinary Review Issue #42: Erased from history
2025-08-31 08:00 - 17:00 | NonBinary Review
History, as the old saying goes, is written by the winners. This means that in most histories, the stories are about discovery and conquest rather than plunder and genocide. It also means that some of those losers of history have been forgotten – erased by the cultures that overran them. Historical erasure isn’t limited to countries or cultures. Underrepresented societal groups – those denigrated by the dominant culture – are often left out of histories, their contributions to society, including their arts, inventions, and scientific discoveries, are either attributed to others, or left out entirely.
We are looking for stories of people or things that have been erased from history, the mechanism by which that erasure is effected, or the consequence of erasure. We want the story of the lizard people that originally colonized earth, leading to the widespread theory that many world leaders are lizard people. The reason why Atlantis was erased from history and relegated to myth. The fact that gravity was invented by an illiterate Burmese restaurant owner in 1146CE.
We are NOT looking for dry factual histories (no term papers, please), personal screeds or jeremiads, or the life and personal stories of individuals from an erased group (for instance, the story of your grandfather who was killed in the Holocaust). These stories are important, but not the focus of this issue.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Zoetic Press does not accept AI generated content. If our editors judge that your content is AI-generated, it will be declined.
All submissions must have a clear relationship to our theme and be submitted in 12pt Times New Roman, or they will be rejected. Submitters may include up to THREE poems per submission, but each must be a separate file. NonBinary Review pays a $10 flat fee for poetry.
If your work was accepted for Issue #38: Rituals or Issue #39: Mistaken Identity, we’re sorry, but we cannot accept your work at this time (see our general guidelines.)
We have different teams evaluating poetry, prose, and art. If you submit to the wrong genre, your submission will be declined.
Poetry
All submissions must have a clear relationship to our theme and be submitted in 12pt Times New Roman, or they will be rejected. Submitters may include up to THREE poems per submission, but each must be a separate file. NonBinary Review pays a $10 flat fee for poetry.
Prose
All submissions must have a clear relationship to our theme, and be double-spaced in 12pt Times New Roman or they will be rejected. NonBinary Review pays 1¢ per word for prose with a limit of 3000 words.

P - Contemporary Verse 2 (CV2) Seeking Works for their 50th Anniversary from Previously Unpublished Poets Only
2025-08-31 08:00 - 17:00 | Contemporary Verse 2 (CV2)
*Update: Aug 1st, 2025*
Due to the overwhelming response to this special submissions form, we’ve now filled all the available space we had in our 2025 issues for poems submitted to this form. Any poems submitted after August 1st, or submitted before August 1st but still awaiting a response, will now be considered for our winter 2026 issue, which will come out in January 2026.
Thank you for your understanding, and for your submissions!
—
As part of CV2’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, we’re pleased to offer this special submissions form, open exclusively to those whose poetry has never before been published in print, and whose poetry (at the time of submission) has not been accepted for publication in any other print formats.
Over its 50-year history, CV2 has had the privilege of providing dozens of writers with their first print publications, and this year, as we celebrate this milestone anniversary for the magazine, we hope to support a fresh wave of emerging poets in the same way.
Submissions to this exclusive portal are free of charge (for both Canadians and non-Canadians), and the poems submitted will be treated like any other submission to the magazine, in that each one will be read and carefully considered by our editorial team. Submitters to this exclusive portal will receive a response to their submissions within three months of submission, and, if accepted, their work will appear in a 2025 issue of CV2 Magazine, so as to be part of our 50th Anniversary celebrations this year.
If your poetry has previously been published online, but never in print, you are welcome to submit (bearing in mind that the specific poem(s) you submit must not previously have been published in any format). While those who have previously published in print writing in genres other than poetry are welcome to submit, priority will be given to those who are entirely unpublished, depending on the number of submissions received and the space available in our 2025 issues.
Submitters must confirm in their cover letter that they A) Have never had their poetry published in print, and B) That, at the time of submission, their work has not been accepted for publication by any other print outlets. See below for full submission guidelines.
NB: This submission portal is for writers whose poetry has never before been published in print, and whose poetry (at the time of submission) has not been accepted for publication in any other print formats, only. All submitters who do not qualify under these terms are invited to submit to our General Submissions forms, also open now.
Submissions to this exclusive portal are free of charge (for both Canadians and non-Canadians), and the poems submitted will be treated like any other submission to the magazine, in that each one will be read and carefully considered by our editorial team.
Submitters to this exclusive portal will receive a response to their submissions within three months of submission, and, if accepted, their work will appear in a 2025 issue of CV2 Magazine, so as to be part of our 50th Anniversary celebrations this year.
While those who have previously published writing in genres other than poetry are welcome to submit, priority will be given to those who are entirely unpublished, depending on the number of submissions received and the space available in our 2025 issues.
See below for full submission guidelines. We look forward to reading your work!

Full Submission Guidelines:
Contemporary Verse 2 only accepts one submission per submitter at a time (submissions to our two annual contests, the 2-Day Poem Contest and the Foster Poetry Prize, do not count).
Any submissions that do not follow correct guidelines or do not include full contact information will not be considered for publication and will not receive a reply.
CV2 welcomes submissions of original, previously-unpublished work. By submitting to this portal you are confirming that the work submitted is entirely your own (not including translations) and has not previously been published in any format.
You may submit no more than 5 poems, to a maximum of 6 pages.
CV2 welcomes poetry submissions in French, as well as translation projects, including both French to English and English to French.
CV2 accepts translations of works in any language.
If submitting a translation, please include in your cover letter permissions and a bio from the original artist, and a citation of the original source of the work.
eg: “Title of Poem.” Title of Collection. Publisher, Year of Publication.
Please upload your submission as a single attachment of a Microsoft Word, TXT or RTF (rich text format) document.

P - The Monthly Tricycle Haiku Challenge: Perseids
2025-08-31 08:00 - 17:00 | The Monthly Tricycle Haiku Challenge
Illustrations by Jing Li
At seventeen syllables, haiku is the shortest poem in world literature. It is now also the most popular form of poetry in the world, written in nearly every language. And yet, as haiku has spread internationally, one of the most important aspects of the tradition has largely been lost—the community of poets.
In Europe and the United States, haiku is often regarded as the domain of literary elites, but this is not the case in Japan, where haiku is deeply rooted in communal activity. Millions of amateur Japanese poets belong to haiku groups (clubs, really), which are sponsored by different “schools” of haiku, each with its own magazine. Most daily and weekly newspapers carry a haiku column featuring poems submitted by their subscribers, sometimes on the front page.
To help bring back this social dimension, we are inviting our readers to participate in the monthly Tricycle Haiku Challenge. Each month, moderator Clark Strand will select three poems to be published online, one of which will appear with a brief commentary. Each quarter, one of these poems also will appear in the print magazine alongside an extended commentary. In this way, we can begin to follow the seasons together—spring, summer, fall, and winter—and share the joy of haiku together as a community.
Requirements:
Anyone can submit haiku to the monthly challenge using the form below. To be considered for publication, your haiku must:

Be written in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables:
Getting the syllables of a haiku to sit naturally inside of its seventeen-syllable form is the primary challenge. Each haiku is a word problem in search of a satisfying seventeen-syllable solution.
Contain the “season word” assigned for that month:
A haiku isn’t only a word problem. To the seventeen syllables the poet must add a turn of thought that results in more than seventeen syllables of meaning—along with a word that refers to one of the four seasons. How the poet uses “season words” like autumn sun or dew will typically determine the effectiveness of the poem.

Part of the reason haiku appeals to so many people is that its rules are simple and easy to follow, yet it can take a lifetime to master them. Ten million people currently write haiku in Japanese. There is no reason why millions can’t write haiku in English, too, provided they agree on the basics. The turn of thought you add to that simple formula of 5-7-5 syllables with a season word is entirely up to you.
Submissions close on the last day of the month at 11:59 pm ET, and the results will be posted the week after. Monthly submissions are anonymized and the winning poems are selected in a blind process.
To learn more about the history and principles of haiku, check out Clark Strand’s online course with Tricycle, “Learn to Write Haiku: Mastering the Ancient Art of Serious Play.”

This Month’s Season Word:
Submit as many haiku as you please using the submission form at the bottom of our home page. Just be sure to include this month’s season word.
Summer season word: “Perseids”
perseid shower
maybe the dark does require
an extra dipper
Submit as many haiku as you please on the season word “Perseids.” Your poems must be written in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables, respectively, and should focus on a single moment of time happening now.
Be straightforward in your description and try to limit your subject matter. Haiku are nearly always better when they don’t have too many ideas or images. So make your focus the season word* and try to stay close to that.
*REMEMBER: To qualify for the challenge, your haiku must be written in 5-7-5 syllables and include the word “Perseids.”
Haiku Tip: Learn What to Say When Someone Tells You, “That’s Not a Haiku!”
Those who submit Formal Haiku to the English language specialty magazines (i.e., those devoted to haiku and related forms) are often told by the editors of those magazines, “That’s not a haiku!” Sometimes an editor will suggest a revision, removing up to half of the poem’s 17 syllables to get something shorter. In the process, they will often also remove the season word.
How did it come to this? The answer could fill a book. But the long and short of it (pun intended) is this: If you regard haiku as a poetic form, you can agree with others about what a haiku is and turn your attention to writing good poetry in that form. If you regard haiku as a free verse poem, the spirit or techniques of which are its defining feature, you will be stuck arguing endlessly about what a haiku “is” or “is not.” English language haiku poets have wasted over a century doing exactly that. Like the sonnet, the haiku form is a vessel to be filled with whatever the poet has to say. That is how it functions in Japanese literature and how Japanese poets have always understood it. If we render our thoughts in 5-7-5 syllables and manage to include a season word, we have written a haiku. What remains to decide is whether what we have said is worth saying and how well we have said it—not whether our poem is a haiku or not.
And so, the next time a haiku specialist tells you that your poem is “not a haiku,” ask them to tell you what a haiku is. But don’t let them go on and on. If they can’t explain it simply, in a way that a six-year-old could understand, they will never get there. You’d be better off starting a magazine of your own.
A note on the Perseids: About this spectacular annual event, season word editor Becka Chester writes: “Considered the best meteor show of the year by NASA, the Perseids begin in mid-July and peak in mid-August. Prime time for their viewing is just before dawn, with scattered sightings occurring from 10 pm onward. It is best to view them far from bright city lights.
“The showers occur yearly as the Earth passes through a cloud of dust particles from a comet called 109P/Swift-Tuttle. The comet’s particles become heated as they hit our atmosphere and appear as bright streaks across the heavens.
“The Perseid shower was named because the meteors seemed to originate from the constellation Perseus.”
Note that this year the Perseids will peak just before dawn on Wednesday, August 13th , when you can view up to 100 meteors per hour under optimal conditions.

June’s Winning Poem:
Summer season word: “Summer Lake”
the heads of swimmers
the only things not swallowed
by the summer lake
— Marcia Burton
Illustration by Jing Li
You can find the honorable mentions, additional commentary, and June’s haiku tips here.
