Markets and contests for your short fiction, poetry and reviews

Quick Brown Fox Quick Brown Fox welcomes your short stories, poems, and essays about reading, writing, favourite books, and libraries. Read a few pieces on the blog to get a taste of what other writers have done (see here and scroll down). Quick Brown Fox also welcomes book reviews – or reviews of anything, of anywhere, or of anybody. If you want to review your favourite coffee shops or libraries, babysitters or lovers (no real names please), go for it. See examples of book reviews here (and scroll down); other reviews here (and scroll down).

Submit to: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Include a short bio at the end of your piece and attach a photo of yourself if you have one that’s okay.

Close to the Bone aims to bring you gritty and interesting short fiction across multiple genres from a range of talented writers. 

“We are looking for bank robberies gone bad, double-crossing bastards going at it, serial killers with a heart (maybe literally), redemption and revenge. We like it violent, thoughtful and well written. We will consider other genres such as western, science fiction and maybe fantasy, as long as they fit in with the grit theme we are looking for. Please take the time to edit— look over your story for spelling, grammar, and flow.  We want to publish you. If it’s good but needs work we’ll let you know, if you don’t like criticism and are happy to stay as you are, then don’t submit.  As we said, we like to publish you and will offer help with advice.”

Submit a well-written story of 3,000 words or less. Post the title of the story and the word count in the subject line. The story must be attached as a .doc or .docx — if submitted in any other fashion the story will not be considered. Also, please provide a short bio along with your submission.

Send your story to: close2thebone@hotmail.com

Always accepting submissions. Guidelines here.

Prime Number Magazine is a quarterly online journal that seeks to publish distinctive poetry and short fiction, regardless of theme, form, or style. Contributors will include both emerging and established writers as selected by our guest editors. Submissions for poetry and short fiction are always open. Guidelines here.

53-Word Story Contest: It's free, it's fun, and the winner gets published in Prime Number Magazine and receives a free book from Press 53. Stories must be exactly 53 words long. New theme announced at the start of each month {so put this in your “to do” list for Dec 1].} Entries are due by the 21^st of the month. Guidelines here.

The Prime Number Magazine Flash Fiction Contest runs quarterly . The reading fee for entry is a low $7 (a prime number) per submission, with the following payouts for winners:
First Prize: $353 (a prime number) and publication 
Second Prize: $151 (a prime number) and publication
Third Prize: $53 (a prime number dear to us) and publication
Winners will be announced no later than one month following the close of submissions and th e stories will appear in the quarterly issue of Prime Number Magazine. Guidelines here.

The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts is looking for, as you might guess, compressed creative arts. A  publication of Matters Press.

“We accept fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, mixed media, visual arts, and even kitchen sinks, if they are compressed in some way. Work is published weekly, without labels, and the labels here only exist to help us determine its best readers.” 

Pays $50. 

Deadline: December 15, 2019. Guidelines here.

Grey Borders Books is interested in works that confront and challenge contemporary social norms. 

“We are looking for works of poetry, fiction (all genres) and nonfiction. There are no length restrictions; however, we are looking for full manuscripts for trade publication as well as smaller works for chapbook publication. We encourage simultaneous submissions. Our reading period is year-round.

"We also accept submissions for Grey Borders Magazine and Daddy: a cultural anthology for which you may use the submission forms on this site, or email Grey Borders Books directly.

Guidelines for Grey Borders books here. 

For magazines, here. 

Arc Poetry Magazine accepts unso­licited sub­mis­sions of pre­vi­ously unpub­lished poetry in English, or translations of poetry into English, on any sub­ject and in any form. Pays $50 per page. 

Deadline: December 31, 2019. {Note: Arc does not accept general submissions from January 1 to March 31 and from August 1 to August 31.} Guidelines here.

See Brian Henry's schedule here, including Saturday writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, New Tecumseth, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor,  Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.