Read before submitting
Read recent work from the publication. A technically eligible submission can still be a poor editorial fit.
Opportunities
Give the work somewhere to go.
Deadlines can turn intention into finished work. Use these live databases for literary magazines, contests, grants, fellowships, residencies, and calls for submissions.
Submission & opportunity databases
📬
Duotrope
Large database of literary publications and agents, with submission tracking, deadlines, statistics, and search tools.
🧊Chill Subs
Searchable literary magazine database with filters for genre, fees, deadlines, and publication characteristics.
📤Submittable Discover
Browse open calls from publications, organizations, competitions, fellowships, and creative programs using Submittable.
🏆Poets & Writers Grants & Awards
Search grants, contests, fellowships, and awards for poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers.
📰Literary Magazines Database
Poets & Writers database of magazines with editorial focus and submission information.
🌊Fine Arts Work Center Fellowship
Provincetown’s renowned fellowship program for emerging writers and visual artists; check current application dates.
Submission habits that help
Track rights
Know whether a market asks for first rights, exclusivity, reprint rights, audio rights, or other permissions — and for how long.
Budget fees consciously
Many legitimate contests charge entry fees, but fees are not proof of legitimacy. Research the sponsor, judges, past winners, terms, and prize history.
Protect your work and your wallet.
Before paying a contest, publisher, or service, search Writer Beware and confirm the organization independently. Be cautious when praise arrives unsolicited and is immediately followed by a request for money.