May 2021 Deadlines: 12 Contests and Magazines With Deadlines This Month
New month, new courage: submit yourself to these fellowships, magazines, awards and internships. Remember, too, acceptances and rejections are by-products of this journey—crafting your authentic art is the goal. And as always, submit poetry for free to our New Voices. This list is powered by the deadline service Literistic!
Our Frontier Digital Chapbook Contest // $2k + Publication
Chapbooks are a huge milestone for emerging poets, and we’re always looking forward to the Frontier Digital Chapbook Contest—where we get to find that one electric bundle of poems that rocks our world in less than 30 pages. The winner of the FDCC will receive $2000 and publication of the free, downloadable chapbook on Frontier. The contest is open for international poets, but the poems must be in English. The manuscript should be 10-30 pages and should be on the whole unpublished, although individual poems can be previously published. Judged this year by Kazim Ali.
Deadline: May 17 // Fee
All submissions must be previously unpublished work. You may submit up to two poems per entry, no longer than 40 lines each.$1500 and publication will be awarded to the winner. $300 and publication will be awarded to the second-place winner. All submissions will be considered for publication.
Deadline: May 1 // Fee
This prize is offered annually to a poet who has not previously published a full-length collection of poems. The competition is open to poets writing in English who have not yet published a full-length collection of poems (a volume of 50 or more pages published in an edition of 500 or more copies). Submissions must consist of 50 to 70 pages of poetry, with no more than one poem included on a page. The prize awards the winner with $2,500 and publication of his or her first full-length book of poetry by the Kent State University Press.
Deadline: May 1 // Fee
At its foundation, The Adroit Journal has its eyes focused ahead, seeking to showcase what its global staff of emerging writers sees as the future of poetry, prose, and art. We’re ready for your best work. Prose – up to 3 pieces at a time, 3,000 words maximum (per piece). Poetry – up to 6 poems at a time, no length limits.
Deadline: May 1 // Free
Prairie Schooner publishes short stories, poems, imaginative essays of general interest, and reviews of current books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. For poetry, send a selection of 5-7 poems contained within a single document. For fiction, essays, and reviews, send only one selection at a time (though book reviews may consider two or three books in conversation).
Deadline: May 2 // Free
We aim to stake out a distinctive space for innovative, intelligent, and moving fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, film writing, and cross-genre work. We are particularly taken with writing that is simultaneously graceful and reckless. We welcome submissions from established and emerging writers alike. For poetry, please send between three and five poems per submission.
Deadline: May 8 // Free
Each year, AWP offers three annual scholarships to emerging writers who wish to attend a writers’ conference, center, festival, retreat, or residency. The scholarships are applied to the event or workshop fees of the winners’ chosen program. Winners and six finalists also receive a one-year individual membership in AWP. For fiction and nonfiction, up to 25 pages will be considered. For poetry, up to 10 pages will be considered.
Deadline: May 14 // Fee
Need a close read and expert advice about your flash and/or micro fiction? This lab is open to all writers and is an excellent way to get your flash or micros ready to submit and find readers! Please keep submissions to no more than 3 flashes or 5 micros and include a cover letter describing your piece. Participants Receive: an editorial letter from your instructor with specific suggestions and developmental edits that will help elevate your story to the next level PDF of materials including craft essays from our Editor in Chief, advice and inspiration from editors across the community, editorial notes on what we see from the slush pile, information on submission strategies, and additional advice on submitting free submission in a forthcoming Fractured Lit contest suggestions on literary magazines and contests that would be a good fit for your work, along with reading recommendations from your instructor.
Deadline: May 15 // Fee
This contest will give one writer publication, a significant cash prize, and an amazing mentorship opportunity to have their novel coached into the best version of itself. We’re proud to announce that Voyage will partner with an industry professional to provide one writer with the opportunity to receive 25 hours of direct, one-on-one book coaching (a $2500 value)! In addition to the coaching, the winner will also receive publication of a chapter/excerpt of their choice and $2000 in payment.
Deadline: May 17 // Fee
We are interested in both short and long poems of nearly any length or aesthetic bent. Poetry submissions should consist of one to five poems, depending on length. Send no more than five short poems, two longer ones, or one really long one in any one submission.
Deadline: May 31 // Fee
We invite writers with disabilities, perceived or hidden, to submit their poetry, prose, and hybrid works for this issue. We especially encourage writers with disabilities who also identify as writers of color and/or as part of the LGBTQ++ community.(At SFWP, we believe that a disability doesn’t have to be obvious or documented to exist. Whether you receive academic accommodations or government assistance for your disability, or simply live life differently due to its presence in your life, your experience is valid and it matters.) Poetry — no more than 3 poems, any length, form, style, written in (mostly) English. We love comics (graphic essays/short stories, poem comics, works that use illustration, etc.), choreopoems, and even ten-minute plays. If you’re unsure if your submission follows these guidelines, submit anyway.
Deadline: May 31 // Fee
Submissions open May 1. We welcome flash fiction, short stories, and novel excerpts of up to 8,000 words. We’re excited to read all types of poetry. We’re entirely open to publishing tight formalism alongside sprawling, experimental work. Send us up to 3 poems per reading period. We welcome creative nonfiction across the spectrum. We’re open to anything: memoir excerpts, essays, imaginative meditations. Send us up to 8,000 words. We also accept translations that have been published in their original language, but are previously unpublished in English. Please send prose up to 8000 words or a maximum of two poems from the same author. Please also ensure you have permission from the rights holder to translate before you submit.
Deadline: May 31 // Free
