Of Unknown Authorship: The New Anonymous Accepting Submissions ~

The New Anonymous is an annual literary journal that not only publishes all works anonymously, they blindly screen and edit submissions as well. In fact, the entire process is anonymous from beginning to end, thus freeing writers from their own generative forms and creative dispositions, creating, in effect, a safehouse where writers can not only question their creative process, but, in the words of Freud, "Play." You may send as many submissions as you like, (but please: no more than 1 piece of prose/fiction or 7 poems per email) to: thenewanonmediator(at)gmail(dot)com. Do not include your name anywhere in the document. Please go to their website to see the rest of their "very unique" requirements for submission.

A Picture Worth Five-Hundred Words ~

Here's a picture to get you started on an entry to Tattoo Highway's current prose/poetry contest.Take a look at it, mull it over, (How do you really feel about whatever it is they're doing to those fish?) and write a 500-word-or-less short-short story, or a 15-lines-or-less poem, to send to them by "sometime in January '09." If you win, in addition to the glory, the first place winner in each category will receive a $30 bookstore gift certificate and publication in their 18th issue. Mark your entry clearly in the subject field of your email: "TH18 Contest," and send it to: submissions(at)tattoohighway(dot)org.

lunchhourbooks.com Seeks Short Stories

lunchhourbooks.com is searching for short stories for their upcoming online subscription-based publication. Also check out their Tips for Better Stories which gives some interesting insight into what they are and are not seeking.

According to their site:

"Lunch Hour Stories magazine is always seeking excellent short stories for publication. Stories should be previously unpublished, mainstream or literary in nature, 4000-8000 words in length, and formatted in common manuscript format... Genre writers: Mild suspense, mystery, fantasy, and sci-fi will be considered, as long as the story can appeal to a general audience. Please do not send children's, religious, romance or erotica, as they will not be considered... Submissions are accepted at any time of the year; however, the deadline for entry into our annual short story contest is June 30 of each year."

You Don't Have To Be Jewish ...

... but if you have insight into the Jewish culture, you might want to look into these no-fee contests sponsored by Lilith Magazine. Lilith is accepting submissions to two contests: one for fiction, one for poetry. They are looking for original, unpublished stories (3,000 words or less), with heart, soul, and chutzpah, that illuminate issues in the lives of Jewish women. FIRST PRIZE is $250 and publication of their story in Lilith Magazine. Mail your fiction submission by November 1, 2008 to:

Lilith Magazine, 250 West 57th Street, Suite 2432, New York, NY, 10107.
(They do not accept emailed submissions).

For their poetry contest, they are looking for edgy and exciting work that touches in any way on the Jewish women's experience. Winning poets will win a cash prize, publication in Lilith Magazine, and the possibility of a public reading. You may submit up to 3 poems that do not exceed 100 lines in length. Submit your poems to the same address as the fiction contest, but don't forget to put "Charlotte Newberger Poetry Prize Competition," above the name of the magazine. Poetry entries must be postmarked by November 30, 2008. Please go to their website to check out the rest of their Writer's Guideline's.

"Election Horror" Short Fiction Contest ~

This year's theme for the Annual Apex Halloween Contest is "Election Horror," something I think it's safe to say we can all relate to. (Just the idea of the political arena makes me shudder!) Submit your short story of 1000 words or less (and for which first rights are available), to halloween(at)apexdigest(dot)com by 11:59PM EST, October 15, 2008. Prizes? Yes!

• 1st place winner receives 10 cents a word and publication in Apex Digest Online.
• 2nd place winner receives 5 cents a word and publication in Apex Digest Online.
• 3rd place winner receives a free Apex Book Company hardcover.
• 4th place winner receives a free Apex Book Company trade paperback.

Winning and second place stories will be published on November 4th (election day!) There's no fee to enter this contest, and there's plenty of inspiration no matter where your political affinities lie!

"On The Premises" Wants To Read Your Revelation!

Who hasn't believed something that turned out to be false? Web-based fiction magazine On the Premises is giving all of us to whom that's happened a chance to turn our sadder-but-wiser (or maybe happier-and-wiser ... it could happen), stories to our advantage in their current contest: Revelation. They publish winning stories in no-fee contests held every four months. Send them between 1,000 and 5,000 words of fiction in which one or more characters believes something that turns out to be false, by 11:59 pm EST, Tuesday, September 30th, for a chance to be published and win prizes:

• 1st prize: $140
• 2nd prize: $100
• 3rd prize: $70
• Honorable mention: $25 (Between 0 to 3 of these)

They're interested in compelling, well-crafted, creative stories that clearly use the premise, and all the stories they publish are the contest-winning entries. Send your submissions to entries(at)onthepremises(dot)com. If the premises of On the Premises intrigues you, please go to their website and check them out!

WritersWeekly.com's 24-Hour Short Story Contest!

This Writer's Weekly contest charges $5 in order to enter, but the premise is so intriguing I couldn't resist posting it here. You must enter the contest before the topic is posted; you cannot write your story first, and then enter. The start time is September 27, 2008 at 12:00 pm (noon) central time, and your story must be IN their inbox within 24 hours in order to qualify. This contest is held quarterly and limited to 500 entrants. Once you pay the 5-spot, you can download a pdf file of the contest guidelines. There are more than 85 prizes, including door prizes given at random, so there's many ways to come out a winner in this contest! Originality and good, strong endings are a priority. Please go to the contest webpage to check out the rules and guidelines (as well as all the prizes!), and then get ready to enjoy the creative stress you'll be in for ... perfect for those of you who work best under pressure!

Thema Literary Journal: Many Plots, One Premise ~

Do you have a flair for writing cleverly-constructed plots? Good character delineation? Clever plot twists? Or if poetry's your thing, are your poems thoughtfully constructed and carefully distilled? In either case, Thema Literary Journal might be interested in accepting your submissions for publication. They are also kind enough to provide themes for your inspiration. Upcoming themes and deadlines are:

• In Kay's kitchen -- November 1, 2008
• Put it in your pocket, Lillian -- March 1, 2009
• The dean's cat -- July 1, 2009

The premise must be an integral part of your story or poem, not merely incidental to it. They prefer fewer than 20 double-spaced pages of short fiction, and no more than three poems. On acceptance for publication, they will pay:

• Short Story: $25
• Short-Short Piece (up to 1000 words): $10
• Poem: $10

There is no reading/submission fee and both traditional and experimental short stories and all types of poetic forms are welcome. Send your short stories to Virgina Howard, editor, (poems to Gail Howard, poetry editor), Box 8747, Metairie, LA, 70011-8747. Be sure to include SASE and indicate premise! If you are submitting for more than one premise, be sure to include a separate SASE for each premise. Do not put the author's name on any page beyond the title page, and indicate the target theme in your cover letter or first page of your manuscript. Please go to their website for additional info.

What's In That Drawer?

Ya gotta love a contest that gives you a theme and lots of ideas with which to flush it out. (At least, I always do!) Here's one that especially intriguing: The Muse Marquee's Mother Hen Contest has it all: a cash prize of $25, no entry fee, and a link to an article with an amazing plethora of suggestions on what to write about and how to finesse it into your short story of 1,000 words or less (less is better). The deadline isn't until October 10th 2008, so you have plenty of time to be inspired, write and then submit your story to museitupeditor(at)yahoo(dot)ca. The winning story will also be published in their November 2008 issue!

Barn Owl Review Accepting Submissions ~

Barn Owl Review, a handsomely-designed print journal of poetry, literary fiction and critical prose, offers several options for submissions to it's upcoming 2009 issue. They are looking for high-quality work that takes risks while connecting to its readers. You may submit 3 to 5 poems to the attention of their poetry editors, (nothing of a greeting card or inspirational verse nature, please), 1 to 3 short shorts of 1,000 words or less OR one short story (5,000-word maximum), to the attention of fiction editors, or critical prose (also up to 5,000 words), to the attention of Adam Deutsch. Barn Owl Review 2 will be released February, 2009, so be sure to have your submissions in by November 1st, 2008. They will pay two copies of the issue that your work appears in, and offer half off for additional copies. Please go to their website to check out the rest of their submission guidelines.

Queer, Here, and Accepting Submissions!

Queer Collection is accepting submissions for the June 2009 publication of The Queer Collection: Prose and Poetry 2009. They are looking for original prose and poetry by and for a gay, lesbian, bi, transgender and queer audience. Poems may be up to 40 lines, the prose word-count limit is 3000 words, and you may submit up to 5 pieces for consideration. Authors whose work is selected for publication will receive $25; there is no entry or reading fee. Mail your submissions, along with a cover letter and bio to Gregory A. Kompes, Editor, Queer Collection, Fabulist Flash Publishing, P.O. Box 570368, Las Vegas, NV 89157. Please go to their website for the rest of the submission guidelines.

Cat Short Story Contest ~ Got Feline Fiction?

For all of the kitty-loving writers, Fireside Publications of Florida is sponsoring a Cat Short Story Contest. If you have 3,000 words or less dedicated to the furry feline(s) in your life, you may get the chance to see your four-pawed friend immortalized in print. Twenty to twenty-five winning stories will be published after all the stories have been selected, and the winners will receive a complimentary copy of the book. Submit your story, (fiction or non-fiction), and a $2 registration fee, as soon as possible to: Cat Short Story Contest, Fireside Publications, 1004 San Felipe Lane, Suite 200, The Villages, Florida, 32159. The deadline is June 30, 2008. Please go to their website for the rest of the contest guidelines.

WordClay Short Story Contest ~

If you have a short story, up to 5,000 words, why not enter it in the Wordclay Short Story Contest? All you need to do is register at www.wordclay.com, and then email your entry and a cover letter to contests(at)wordclay(dot)com before June 1, 2008. Fifteen of the finalists stories will be published in an anthology and the finalists whose work is published will receive a printed, bound copy at no cost. In addition to bound copies, the Grand Prize Winner will receive a check for $500, and the Runner Up will receive one for $250. There's something for everyone at Wordclay: even if you're not a runner up, all non-finalist participants will receive an electronic copy (e-book) of the anthology. You may enter up to three short stories; just be sure they are double-spaced and written in Times New Roman. Go to their website for the rest of the contest guidelines.

Narrative Prize

Narrative Magazine is holding a fabulous writing competition. According to their site:

"The $4,000 Narrative Prize will be awarded annually for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem, or work of literary nonfiction published by a new or emerging writer in Narrative.

The deadline for entries for each year’s award is June 15.

The winner is announced each September, and the prize is awarded in October.

Notices of the award, citing the winner’s name and the title and genre of the winning piece, will be placed in prominent literary periodicals. Each winner will also be cited in an ongoing listing in Narrative. The prize will be given to the best work published each year in Narrative by a new or emerging writer, as judged by the magazine’s editors. In some years, the prize may be divided between winners, when more than one work merits the award.

All submissions are carefully considered for publication. To submit your work for the Narrative Prize, please see the submission form below or visit our Submission Guidelines page.

Submissions by new and emerging writers are eligible for the prize, and we accept submissions year-round. For further information, please read our Submission Guidelines."

"I Love Cats" Magazine Accepting Submissions

For those of us with delightful furry companions, Lisa Allmendinger, editer of I Love Cats is now looking at stories for 2009 and beyond. They seldom publish poetry, but are interested in feature stories about cats and their owners, (no talking cats, please), interesting or odd happenings with cats, tips for cat owners, health issues, non-fiction, behavior problems, etc. They ask that you not send pieces about cats that go or live outdoors. She prefers stories with with photos or drawing that are between 500 - 800 words (1,000 words max). Payment upon publication is $50, ($25 for short fillers, which are also welcome). Please send your queries and/or completed stories to ilovecatseditor(at)sbcglobal.net. Check out the I Love Cats website for sample copies and further submission guidelines.

Finding Something "On the Premises"

Nothing beats a contest that provides a writing prompt, and On the Premises has one going on now with a delightful theme: "Found." If words are indeed like suitcases, how much can be packed inside this one, yes? The challenge is to write a creative, compelling, and well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words that clearly uses the premise, to wit: "One or more characters unexpectedly finds one or more physical objects somewhere. Something about the object(s) raises questions the character(s) want answered." Send your entry before midnight, Eastern Time, Saturday, May 31st, 2008, to entries(at)onthepremises(dot)com. Prizes are as follows:

• 1st Prize: $140
• 2nd Prize: $100
• 3rd Prize: $70
• Honorable Mention: $25

On the Premises is published every four months, and the stories published are the winning entries. They also occasionally run mini-contests with smaller prizes. To be eligible to enter these, all that is necessary is to sign up for their free, short, monthly newsletter.
Also delightful: there are no entry fees for any of their contests! Please go to their website to read the current issue and check out the rest of the contest guidelines.

Whose Fawlt Is It?

Nobody's perfect, and now there is a magazine based on that premise: Fawlt Magazine is dedicating each of it's quarterly issues to human flaws. Guess I'll stop procrastinating long enough to tell you about it. ;) They are now taking submissions for their next issue, which will focus on Perfectionism. You have until August 1, 2008 to submit previously unpublished prose, poetry, art and photographs that will examine such issues as: who is affected by it, its impact on individuals, in which circumstances it can be especially bad (or actually good!), and any other aspect of the flaw that may be worth investigating. Please send your submissions to fiction(at)fawltmag.com, poetry(at)fawltmag.com, or artandphoto(at)fawltmag.com, depending on the category (don't forget to attach a cover letter). The Perfectionism issue will be launched online on September 15, 2008. They are also taking submissions for upcoming issues, Apathy and Arrogance. They ask that you do not send more than three prose pieces or five poems at a time, and if you are submitting to more than one issue, please send your submissions separately.

A Cappella Zoo Short-Story Contest ~

If you can think of a beginning, a start, a famous first step, this new magazine may be perfect for you. A Cappella Zoo is looking for short stories with the theme, "origins," to celebrate their first issue. For a mere $5 entry fee, you may submit stories between 1,000 and 10,000 words via email to contest(at)acappellazoo(dot)com, or via snail mail to A Cappella Zoo, 635 1/2 E. Benton, Pocatello, ID, 83201. The first place prize is $250 dollars, publication in their first issue, as well as a complimentary copy of said first issue. The rest of their contest guidelines may be found at this link.
They are also accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, plays, bi-lingual works, translations, photography, art, and "genre-bending" works, up to 10,000 words for prose, or up to 3 poems or visual works of art. They are currently paying $5 per printed page, up to $50. Submissions may be sent via email to submissions(at)acappellazoo(dot)com, or snail mail. For the rest of the submission guidelines, please go to their website.
They are especially looking for work that is unique and experimental in technique, form, language and thought, so if you are a "square peg," who knows better than to try to fit into "round holes," you may find your work very welcome here.

Global Short Story Competition

Globalshortstories.net runs a monthly short story competition open to writers from any country, and possibly even every planet? galaxy? Here's what they say on their site:

"We’re up and running - and the monthly Global Short Story Competition is proving a success. The competition is designed to appeal to writers everywhere, from the arid outback of Australia to the baking deserts of Africa, the towering skyscrapers of the United States to the humid cities of Asia, the bustling capitals of Europe to the steamy villages of South America.
What makes this competition different? Well, for a start we will be marketing it in every country in the world and it will happen every month.
Each month, we will select a winning story and a highly commended work to receive a cash prize. Winning stories will also be posted on our website. At the end of twelve months, each winning story will be considered for an annual cash prize."

Cezanne's Carrot Literary Journal ~

Paul Cezanne said, "The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution." At Cezanne's Carrrot, they believe that day has arrived! Published quarterly (on each Solstice and Equinox), they accept submissions of short fiction, creative non-fiction, and visual art that "celebrates the universe and the human experience in uplifting revolutionary ways." They are looking for work that:

• Creates a sense of possibilities
• Looks at the more expansive aspects of human nature, our interactions with the natural world, or our relationships with each other. The prefer works that highlights the connections between us, rather than what divides us.
• Explores the range and depth of our experiences with what lies beyond the five senses. Call it the Universe, God, a different dimension, or simply the great mysterious unknown, but show them how our common reality blends with the next.

The deadline for their Summer Solstice issue (6-21-08), is May 21, 2008. Two $25 Editor's Prizes will be awarded each issue; all fiction and creative non-fiction will be considered. Please check out their website for the rest of their submission guidelines and addresses to send your work.