I’ve decided to introduce a new segment to my blog featuring literary magazines with a call for submissions or contests with either no fees or low fees. Right now, low in my opinion is any fee under $15. That’s a personal call, so keep that in mind.
I’m trying to keep things as simple as possible while giving you a brief look at what to expect when submitting to these magazines. Unless I say otherwise, expect that these lit mags and contests only accept unpublished work. My listings include a mix of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and art listings.
For the ultimate success in gaining publication, and from my personal experience, I recommend:
- Read the literary magazine’s published work in advance of submission
- Review any guidelines they have for story requirements
- Read your own work out loud to yourself to ensure it’s in the best possible condition
- Share with a trusted friend, family member, or fellow writer to gain their feedback
Know of any good contests? Have any requests for future listings? Let me know by sending me an email at npyles86@gmail.com. Just make sure to put in the subject line Literary Magazine Listings Request, so I know to look out for it.
- WB Yeats Society of NY (Poetry)
The WB Yeats Society of NY is accepting poetry entries for its Yeats Poetry Prize. Submit poetry up to 60 lines in length. Fee: $15 for first poem, $12 for second. Prizes or Payment: First prize is $1,000, second prize is $500. Submission Deadline: February 1
- Slippery Elm Literary Journal (Poetry or Prose)
Submit your poetry and prose for their 2025 print issue. Submit up to 3 poems (no line/length limit) or one essay or story (5000 words maximum). Fee: $15. Prizes or Payment: $1000 prizes in Poetry & Prose. Submission Deadline: February 1
- Claire Keyes Poetry Award (Poetry)
Submit 8 to 10 pages of poetry (no more than one poem per page). Fee: $10 (entry fee only); $15 (entry fee and copy of the magazine for US addresses); $20 (entry fee and copy of the magazine for international addresses) Prizes or Payment: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Soundings East will be given annually for a group of previously unpublished poems. Submission Deadline: February 1
- Libre Lit (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Art)
Libre wants to publish writing about mental health. Submit prose submissions (both fiction and CNF) within their max word limit of 1,500 words. Poetry submissions have no word count, but five poems per submission is their sweet spot. For art submissions, while they don’t require it, they would love to read a paragraph about the inspiration behind your work. Fee: $2.00 Prizes or Payment: $5 per story, essay, artwork, and photograph. Submission Deadline: February 7
- Bath Flash Fiction Award (Flash Fiction)
Submit flash fiction up to 300 words. Fee: £9.00 Prizes or Payment: £1000 prize for the winner, £300 second and £100 third. Two commendations £30 each. Submission Deadline: February 15
- Beaver Magazine (Flash Fiction, Nonfiction, Hybrid, Poetry, and Art)
Submit your flash fiction, nonfiction, or hybrid pieces under 1,000 words, up to 3 to 5 poems, and up to 10 pieces of art. Fee: None. Prizes or Payment: None. Submission Deadline: February 15
- Furious Flower Poetry Center (Poetry)
Submit up to 3 poems that do NOT exceed 6 total pages. Fee: $15 Prizes or Payment: Winner: $1,500. Honorable mention: $750. Both the winner and honorable mention will be invited to read as part of the Furious Flower Poetry Reading Series in September 2025. The winner, honorable mention, and select finalists will also be published in Obsidian. Submission Deadline: February 15
- The Raven Review (Short Fiction & Poetry)
Submit poetry and short fiction centered around the deep, dark, and emotional. For poetry, include one poem per submission. They consider most forms of structured poetry, including rhyming couplets, haikus, sonnets, odes, etc. For short fiction, do not surpass 2,000 words. Fee: $3 Prizes or Payment: No payment. Submission Deadline: February 15
- Permafrost (Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry)
Fiction submissions may include one piece of up to 8,000 words or up to three flash pieces (less than 1,000 words each) in each submission. They welcome novel excerpts (also up to 8,000 words), so long as they stand alone. Hybrid submissions (including stories in verse, speculative nonfiction, graphic essays, excerpts from your comic book or graphic novel, sound play, and any other experimental or multimodal texts) may be up to 8,000 words. Nonfiction submissions may include one piece of up to 8,000 words or up to three flash or micro pieces (up to roughly 1,000 words each) in each submission. Excerpts (also up to 8,000 words) from book-length works are welcome, so long as they stand alone. For poetry, only submit up to five poems at a time. Fee: None Prizes or Payment: No payment. Submission Deadline: February 15
- Dead Mule (Fiction & Creative Nonfiction)
Your Cover Letter MUST contain your Southern Legitimacy Statement. If you don’t know what that is, then you need to read The Dead Mule. Each bit of writing on the Mule (fiction, poetry, essay, creative non-fiction) begins with a few words about the author’s Southern Legitimacy Statement. Everyone is south of somewhere, read the Dead Mule for examples. Submit fiction, flash fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, essay. Fee: $3 Prizes or Payment: No payment. Submission Deadline: February 15
- The Applause Journal (Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Art)
Submit up to five poems for consideration. Submit poetry and nonfiction up to 5,000 words. Submit up to five pieces of art or photography. Fee: None Prizes or Payment: No payment. Submission Deadline: February 15
- Wild Roof Journal (Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Art)
If you feel like you do things a bit differently than “the norm” (whatever that means to you), then you’re probably in the right place. Send your best visual art (painting, drawing, photography, digital), writing (poetry, short fiction, flash fiction, essay), or hybrid forms. Submit 1-8 visual art pieces (keep file size under 10mb; they will ask for higher resolution images if needed for publication; .jpeg file type preferred), 1-6 poems (submit multiple poems in a single file), 1-3 pieces of short fiction (approx. 1,000-3,000 words) or flash fiction (under 1,000 words), 1-3 pieces of creative non-fiction/essay (total length approx. 3,000 words max.). Fee: $4.50 (Expedited response fee: $6.50) Prizes or Payment: No payment listed. Submission Deadline: February 16 (Expedited submissions deadline: February 28)
- Subnivean (Fiction)
Please submit an original, unpublished story up to 6,000 words or up to six original, unpublished poems. Fee: $7 Prizes or Payment: Five finalists’ work will b forwarded on to the final judges in poetry and fiction, published in the May issue. Two winners (one in poetry, one in fiction) will also receive a blurb by the appropriate final judge, a $150 prize, and a publication in Issue 12, to be promoted to thousands at SUNY and beyond. Submission Deadline: February 21
- L’Esprit Literary Review (Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Artwork, Photography)
L’Esprit Literary Review accepts short fiction, creative non-fiction, novel extracts, drama, literary criticism, book reviews, artwork, and photography. Fee: $3 Prizes or Payment: None but they do nominate for prizes, such as Pushcart other literary awards. Submission Deadline: February 23
Submit three previously unpublished poems of any style and subject matter. There is no limit on length. Fee: $6 Prizes or Payment: Three Prizes of $100.00 and publication in Third Wednesday’s Spring Contest issue. Winners and honorable mentions will receive a print copy of the magazine. Submission Deadline: February 28
