We have lots of new submission opportunities to share this morning! This is also your reminder that the last research workshop, Research Workshop #4: “Making the Best of a Conference,” will be held TODAY, March 4 (11:30 AM – 1:00 PM) in JTR 103 of the Richardson Library. (Click here for details.) If you’ve been thinking about submitting your work to our Spring Conference this year (deadline: April 4), this is a great opportunity to develop your conference skills!

Scroll down for info on all of these new calls for submissions!

[A word in your ear: many of the entries below are for contests for advanced writing submissions, which usually always call for an entry fee to support the contest/publication/prize winner(s). If you’re looking for submission opportunities that have a lower reading fee (or none at all), many of these journals also have general calls for submissions for work published on a periodic or rolling basis. These can usually be found under the “Submissions” tab for each journal or have their own category on each journal’s Submittable page. Alternatively, some contest-holders offer fee waivers for a certain number of qualifying entries.]

(The information below has been copied from each journal’s website. Some info in the “About” section of each entry may sometimes have been copied from the Poets & Writers newsletter.)

1. Black Lawrence Press: The Hudson Prize (for poetry and prose collections)

Deadline: March 31, 2025

About:

A prize of $1,000, publication by Black Lawrence Press, and 10 author copies is given annually for a collection of poems, short stories, essays, or hybrid work. The editors will judge. Entry fee: $30.

Manuscripts containing individual stories, essays, or poems that have been previously published online or in print are absolutely eligible–please simply note previously published work on an acknowledgments page. On the other hand, if your manuscript has been previously published as a collection (including publication with a press, self-publication, online/digital publication, and publication in a small, limited-edition print run), then the manuscript is not eligible.

Guidelines:

Manuscripts should include a title page (listing only the title of the work), table of contents, and when appropriate, an acknowledgments page. Manuscripts should be paginated and formatted in an easy-to-read font such as Garamond or Times New Roman. Manuscripts should be 45-95 pages in length (poetry) or 120-280 pages in length (prose), not including front and back matter (table of contents, title page, etc.). Identifying information for the author should not be included anywhere on the manuscript itself. You are welcome to include a brief bio or something about yourself in your cover note on Submittable, which will only be made accessible to the editorial panel after the group of Semi-Finalist and Finalist manuscripts has been chosen.

Submission page: https://blacklawrencepress.submittable.com/submit

2. Fish Publishing: The Fish Poetry Prize

Deadline: March 31, 2025, 6:00 PM CT

About:

The Fish Poetry Prize was established in 2006 [by Fish Publishing, Co. Cork, Ireland]. Previous judges include Billy Collins, Brian Turner, Leanne O’Sullivan, Michael McCarthy, Peter Fallon, Matthew Sweeney, Paul Durcan, Ruth Padel, Nick Laird and Jo Shapcott.

A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,029) and publication in the Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a single poem. The winner is also invited to read at the anthology launch event at the West Cork Literary Festival in July, along with nine finalists whose work will also be published in the anthology. Billy Collins will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: €16 (approximately $16) for online entries or €19 (approximately $20) for postal entries.

Guidelines:

• No entry form is needed.
• Entry is online, or by post if required.
• You may enter as many times as you wish.
• The poetry competition is open to poets of any nationality writing in English.
• There is no restriction on theme or style.
• Poem length is restricted to 60 lines. The title is not included in the word limit.
• The winning poems must be available for the Fish Anthology and, therefore, must not have been published previously.
• Fish holds publishing rights for work published in the Fish Anthology for one year after publication, after which rights revert to the author. (Please acknowledge Fish in any subsequent publications.)
• Notification of receipt of entry will normally be by email.
• The judges’ verdict is final. No correspondence will be entered into.
• Poems cannot be altered or substituted once they have been entered.
• MAKE SURE YOUR NAME AND CONTACT DETAILS ARE NOT ON THE POEM (Judging is done anonymously.) Your poem and name are linked automatically when you enter.  Name and contact details must not appear on the poem, (in the box provided if entering online, on separate sheet if entering by post).
• In order to give opportunities to emerging writers: (a) Writers who have had two poems published in Fish Anthologies may not enter for three years after their second publication. They may enter other Fish competitions. (b) Previous first prize winners may enter again, but will not be eligible for the first prize.
• Entry fees will not be returned if poems are withdrawn after entering.
• Entry is taken to be acceptance of these rules.

Submission page: https://fish.skor.ie/

3. 2025 Four Way Books Levis Prize in Poetry

Deadline: March 31, 2025

About:

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Four Way Books is given annually for a book-length poetry collection. The winner is also invited to participate in a Four Way Books sponsored reading either virtually or in person in New York City. Kimiko Hahn will judge. Entry fee: $30.

Guidelines:

• Submit a previously unpublished, full-length poetry manuscript, in English.
• Material in your manuscript may have been published previously in a chapbook, magazines, journals or anthologies, but the work as a whole must be unpublished.
• You may include a list of acknowledgments if you wish.
• Please use a legible 12-point font.
• Do not include artwork.
• Translations and previously self-published books are not eligible.
• There are no length requirements save that book-length collections of poetry usually run between 48 and 80 pages of text.
• You may submit multiple manuscripts, but each must be treated as an individual submission, submitted separately, and each requires an entry fee of $30.00 per submission. Each must have complete contact info, etc.
• If you pay the entry fee but fail to submit your manuscript by the deadline, your fee will not be returned.
• Please let us know immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
• Your work will be disqualified if your name or contact info appears on the manuscript. Our online form via Submission Manager will capture your contact information.
• We consider using AI to generate your manuscript, in whole or in part, disqualifying. Such manuscripts will be rejected outright and no refund will be offered.  
• In the event of a condition beyond our control (website down, internet down, power outage,  or other extreme circumstances), the deadline will be extended and notice will be given along with the reason for the extension.

Submission page: https://fourwaybooks.com/submissions/index.php

4. Gemini Magazine Short Story Contest

Deadline: March 31, 2025

About:

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gemini Magazine is given annually for a short story. [Second Prize = $100, three Honorable Mentions = $25 each.] The editors will judge. Entry fee: $10.

Guidelines:

• Any Subject, Style or Length
• Entries Must Be Unpublished
• Multiple Entries Are Allowed
• Stories from Blogs Allowed
• All Entries Are Read Blind

Submission page: https://gemini-magazine.com/short-story-contest-2025/

5. Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature Paul Engle Prize

Deadline: March 31, 2025

About:

A prize of $25,000 and a one-of-a-kind work of art is given annually to a writer “who, like Paul Engle, represents a pioneering spirit in the world of literature through writing, editing, publishing, or teaching, and whose active participation in the larger issues of the day has contributed to the betterment of the world through the literary arts.” Poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers are eligible. Self-nominations are not accepted [so find someone who can nominate you]. Entry fee: None.

Guidelines:

Nominations may be submitted to info@iowacityofliterature.org, and should include the authors name, a list of work highlights, and a statement about why the author meets the unique criteria for this award. Self-nominations are not accepted. Please note: The prize is not awarded for a specific work, nor does the prize involve publication. Winners are selected by a panel assembled by the City of Literature board of directors and are recognized at a ceremony in Iowa City, typically during the Iowa City Book Festival.

Submission page: https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/paul-engle-day/#1655230881973-dc276dbb-7391

6. Lascaux Review: The Lascaux Prize in Poetry

Deadline: March 31, 2025, 11:00 PM CT

About:

Winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review for a single poem. Previously published and unpublished poems are accepted. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $15.

Guidelines:

Poets may enter more than once, and as many as five poems may be submitted per entry (all pasted into one document). There are no length restrictions. All genres and styles are welcome. Judges are the journal’s editors. Poets retain all rights to their work at all times.

Submission page: https://lascauxreview.submittable.com/submit

7. Laura Boss Poetry Foundation: The Laura Boss Narrative Poetry Award

Deadline: March 31, 2025, 11:00 PM CT

About:

A prize of $5,000, publication by New York Quarterly Books, and 25 author copies is given annually for a collection of narrative poetry. The winner is also invited to give a reading in Paterson, New Jersey, in partnership with the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College. Joe Weil will judge. Entry fee: $25 (fee may be waived for those experiencing financial hardship).

Guidelines:

• Submit up to 10 poems from the manuscript, not to exceed 10 pages total, with each poem starting on a new page. Do not include any identifying information on the submitted poems. Your work will be disqualified if your name or contact info appears on the manuscript. Our online form via Submission Manager will capture your contact information.
• Provide a cover letter with your name, contact information, and a brief bio in the designated spaces on the Submittable form. The cover letter will be hidden from the readers and the final judge.
• Manuscripts can include individual poems that were previously published as long as the manuscript itself has not been published in chapbook or book form.
• Revision of sample submissions is not allowed during the submission period. You are welcome to withdraw and resubmit your sample, but the new submission will require an additional $25 entry fee.

Semi-finalists will be notified by June 1, and invited to submit their full manuscripts (70-90 pages) by June 30.

Five finalists and the winner will be selected from the semi-finalist manuscripts and notifications will be announced in September 2024.

The winner of the Laura Boss Narrative Poetry Book Award receives the following:

• Publication by New York Quarterly Books
• 25 author copies
• $5,000 prize (not treated as an advance toward royalties)
• A reading in 2025 at The Poetry Center at PCCC in Paterson, NJ to coincide with their book’s publication.

Five finalists will receive:

• $100 prize
• An invitation to participate in the publication reading in Paterson, NJ

All entries will be read anonymously. The semifinalists will be chosen by a committee selected by the Laura Boss Poetry Foundation and the final judge will be Jan Beatty who will select a winner and five finalists from that group.

Any questions about your submission should be made through Submittable to maintain anonymity.

Submission page: https://laurabosspoetryfoundation.submittable.com/submit

8. Narrative Magazine Winter 2025 Story Contest

Deadline: March 31, 2025, 11:59 PM PST

About:

A prize of $2,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a short story, a work of flash fiction, an essay, a memoir, or an excerpt from a longer work of fiction or creative nonfiction. A second-place prize of $1,000 is also awarded. The editors will judge. All entries are considered for publication [including potential acceptance as a Story of the Week or a winner of the $5,000 Narrative Prize]. Entry fee: $27.

Guidelines:

Our winter contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. We’re looking for short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest.

As always, we are looking for works with a strong narrative drive, with characters we can respond to, and with effects of language, situation, and insight that are intense and total. We look for works that have the ambition of enlarging our view of ourselves and the world.

• How to Send Us Your Work: We accept submissions only through our electronic submission system. We do not accept submissions through postal services or email. You may send us manuscripts for the following submission categories: General Submissions, Story of the Week, Readers’ Narrative, or a specific Contest. Your manuscript must be in one of the following file forms: .doc, .docx, .rtf, .pdf, .txt, .odf, .mp3, .mp4, .mov, and .flv.
• Formatting Your Manuscript: All manuscripts should be in 12-point type, with at least one-inch margins, and sequentially numbered pages. Fiction and nonfiction should be double-spaced. The author’s name, address, telephone number, and email address should be typed at the top of the first page. Contributors are asked to include a brief biographical note with their submissions.
• Simultaneous Submissions: We accept simultaneous submissions, since we feel that it’s unreasonable to expect writers to give a magazine an exclusive look at a work unless the magazine can respond within two to three weeks. We want writers to have every possible opportunity for success, so we’re willing to risk losing a story we want when someone at another magazine may have done their reading before we have, and in that case we’ll be sorry to lose the piece but happy for the writer.
• Word Count Guidelines:
  • SHORT SHORT STORY manuscripts must be at least 500 and no more than 2,000 words in length.

  • MANUSCRIPTS OF 2,000 to 15,000 WORDS can include short stories, essays, one-act plays, and other complete short works of nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of fiction and nonfiction.

  • PHOTO ESSAYS should contain between five and twenty images, each photo with a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Captions or text must be included within the file that contains the images. Photographs must be contained in a single .doc or .pdf, and the entire file must be no bigger than 50mb.
  • READERS’ NARRATIVES may run up to 1,500 words.

Submission page: https://www.narrativemagazine.com/submission

9. Texas Review Press: The Robert Phillips Poetry Chapbook Prize

Deadline: March 31, 2025

About:

A prize of $1,000, publication by Texas Review Press: The University Press of Sam Houston State University (includes a standard royalty contract), and 10 author copies will be given for a poetry chapbook. Entry fee: $20.

Guidelines:

• Manuscripts may be no longer than 40 pages.
• Please include a table of contents, title page, and page numbers.
• Do not include an acknowledgments page.
• No more than one poem per page.
• Submissions are judged on an anonymous basis. Please remove any identifying information from the manuscript.
• Submit as a .pdf, .docx, or .doc file format.
• No revisions will be accepted once the manuscript is uploaded.
• Open to any poet writing in English. Translations are not eligible.
• Poems may have been published individually in magazines or anthologies, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished.
• Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Please notify TRP immediately by withdrawing the manuscript via Submittable if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
• Current and former students and faculty of Sam Houston State University are not eligible.
• Family and current or former students* of the final judge or TRP staff are not eligible.
• Current and former TRP authors are not eligible.
• Submitters must be 18+ years of age.

Submission page: https://texasreview.submittable.com/submit/1490/the-robert-phillips-poetry-chapbook-prize

10. Texas Review Press: The Clay Reynolds Novella Prize

Deadline: March 31, 2025

About:

A prize of $1,000, publication by Texas Review Press: The University Press of Sam Houston State University (includes a standard royalty contract), and 10 author copies will be given for a novella. Entry fee: $20.

Guidelines:

• Novella manuscripts should have a total word count of between 15,000 and 40,000 words.
• Please include a table of contents, title page, and page numbers.
• Please double-space and use a 12pt. font.
• Do not include an acknowledgments page.
• Submissions are judged on an anonymous basis. Please remove any identifying information from the manuscript.
• Submit as a .pdf, .docx, or .doc file format.
• No revisions will be accepted once the manuscript is uploaded.
• Open to anyone writing in English. Translations are not eligible.
• Excerpts may have been published individually in magazines or anthologies, but the work as a whole must be unpublished.
• Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, please notify TRP immediately by withdrawing the manuscript via Submittable if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
• Current and former students and faculty of Sam Houston State University are not eligible.
• Family and current or former students* of the final judge or TRP staff are not eligible.
• Current and former TRP authors are not eligible.
• Submitters must be 18+ years of age.
• Submissions are accepted through Submittable only.

Submission page: https://texasreview.submittable.com/submit/1488/the-clay-reynolds-novella-prize

11. Trio House Press Trio Award for First or Second Book

Deadline: March 31, 2025

About:

A prize of $1,000, publication by Trio House Press, and 20 author copies is given annually for a first or second poetry collection by a poet living in the United States. Sierra DeMulder will judge. Entry fee: $25.

Guidelines:

Please do not include any identifying information in the uploaded manuscript. Your title page should only display your title and not your name and contact information. Place your name and contact information in your cover letter only.

• The Trio Award for First or Second Book is only open to poets with fewer than two poetry books published. Poetry books and chapbooks with ISBN’s are considered “books”
• Poetry manuscripts must be under 120 pages of poetry (excluding title page, table of contents, and all front matter), written in English by a poet residing within the U.S.; prose manuscripts must be 80,000 words or fewer.
• No color illustrations or photographs should appear in the manuscript.
• No submissions from those living outside of the United States. Our marketing strategy depends upon authors living in the United States and actively assisting us in promoting their work.
• Poets and writers must submit their own work; no agented submissions are accepted for contests
• Submissions generated using AI are prohibited.
• Translations are not eligible for publication, nor are previously published or self-published books
• Manuscripts must be sent in a single Word or PDF file with no identifying information in the file name.
• Include and upload your cover letter with your bio and contact information in the cover letter option area.
• Do not include any identifying material, including your name, bio, or contact information on your manuscript. 
• No edits can be made to manuscripts after you submit your manuscript.  However, if chosen for award or publication, edits can be made prior to final proofs.
• Include an acknowledgement page of individual poems published within the manuscript.  The manuscript as a whole must not be previously published.
• Multiple award submissions are accepted as long as a $25 fee accompanies each award submission.
• Simultaneous submissions are accepted as long as we are notified immediately if your manuscript is chosen elsewhere.
• Relatives and current or former students of judges are not eligible for awards or publication during our contest submissions period.
• In the unlikely event that, due to unexpected illness or life events, that a judge is unable to select an award winner, a member of the Trio House Press Editorial staff will select the award winner.
• Your submission acknowledges that you understand and agree to all guidelines.
• Notifications about finalists and winners will be sent via Submittable.

Submission page: https://triohousepress.submittable.com/submit

12. Frost Farm Poetry 2025 Frost Farm Prize for Metrical Poetry

Deadline: March 31, 2025, 10:59 PM CT

About:

A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a poem written in metrical verse. The winner also receives a scholarship to attend and give a reading at the Frost Farm Poetry Conference in Derry, New Hampshire, in August. Maryann Corbett will judge. Entry fee: $8 per poem.

Guidelines:

• Poems must be original, unpublished and metrical (any metrical form). No translations. There is no limit to the number of poems entered by an individual, but an entry fee of $8 U.S. perpoem must accompany the submission. You are welcome to submit a poem sequence (a crown of sonnets for example) but each poem must be entered as a separate file and will be judged individually.
• Do not put your name on individual poems as poems are judged anonymously.  Your Submittable account links you to the poem. Each individual poem must be a separate .pdf, .doc, or .docx file that should resemble the following format: poemtitle.pdf, poemtitle.doc or poemtitle.docx. “Poemtitle” in the file name should exactly match the title typed at the top of the poem. PLEASE USE A SINGLE SUBMITTABLE SUBMISSION TO ATTACH UP TO TEN POEMS IN SEPARATE DOCUMENTS. The online form supports 1-10 attachments in .pdf, .doc, or .docx formats. If you are submitting more than 10 poems, simply complete an additional Submittable submission and attach up to 10 additional poems. You are free to submit as many poems as you wish in this manner. Click the button below to enter our Submittable site.
• The results will be posted in May 2025 on FrostFarmPoetry.org and Facebook.com/HylaBrookPoets as well as twitter.com/HylaBrookPoets. Winner and honorable mentions (if any) will be notified by email or phone. Please DO NOT send a SASE for contest results. These are the complete guidelines.

Submission page: https://hylabrookpoets.submittable.com/submit

In case you missed it . . .

This Friday, March 7, two calls for submissions will be closing: applications to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s 2025 Eudora Welty Research Fellowship and submissions to the 2025 Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize. Click here for more details on the two-week summer research fellowship for grad students, and click here for more details on the contest (whose winning work will be performed and recorded live by an actor at Symphony Space and published on Electric Literature).