call for submissions: Issue I
Xenolithic Edges Literary
DEADLINE: None (Submissions cap at 150 per reading period)
INFO: Xenolithic Edges Literary is a journal by and for queer diaspora writers of color/the global majority who are living and writing on margins, against limits, over borders, in limbo, between lines, and with hybridity.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Queer diaspora writers of color/the global majority only.
Genre and form are irrelevant. (Genre of piece requested for purpose of award nominations only. We will nominate for Best of the Net, Genrepunk Editors' Choice Award, and Monarch Queer Literary Awards.)
Submit 1 piece at a time. Max. 2500 words.
No bigotry tolerated.
No use of AI permitted.
Submitted work must be previously unpublished. By publishing with XE Literary, you grant us First Serial Rights and agree to acknowledge us as the publication in which your piece first appeared. All rights revert back to you immediately following publication.
Simultaneous submissions allowed. If your piece is accepted elsewhere, please email us at xenolithicedges@gmail.com to withdraw your submission.
After submitting, please wait for a response before submitting again. If rejected, you may submit again during an open reading period as soon as you would like. If accepted, you must wait two more issues to submit again (i.e. if accepted into Issue I, you must wait until the open reading period for Issue III before submitting again).
We aim to respond to all submissions within 4 months.
xenolithicedgesliterary.com/submit
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2027 OPEN CALL
Creative Capital
DEADLINE: April 2, 2026 at 3:00pm ET
INFO: In celebration of 25 years of national artist support, the 2027 Open Call invites project proposals from individual artists for the Creative Capital Award and the new State of the Art Prize. All grants will be awarded via a national, open call, external review process.
The Creative Capital Award provides individual artists with unrestricted project grants for the creation of innovative, original, and imaginative new artistic works. The Award provides unrestricted project grants from $15,000 up to $50,000, plus professional development support, industry connections, and community-building opportunities.
The State of the Art Prize aims to recognize and support one artist from every U.S. state and inhabited territory, with an unrestricted artist grant of $10,000. Through the 2027 Open Call for the Creative Capital Award, Creative Capital will also select recipients for the new State of the Art Prize.
OVERVIEW:
Celebrating 25 years of national artist support, Creative Capital invites individual artists to apply for grants to create new works in the visual arts, performing arts (dance, theater, music/jazz), film, literature, technology, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged forms across all 50 states and territories. The 2027 Creative Capital Open Call will be the second year Creative Capital continues its goal to grant artists residing in all 50 states. See the complete list of 2026 Creative Capital Awards and 2026 Inaugural State of the Art Prize Artists in all 50 states, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. in the press release.
Founded in 1999, our mission as a national nonprofit organization is to champion artistic freedom by providing grants and services to individual artists creating new work. The new State of the Art Prize is designed to help support more regional and rural artists, to invest in grassroots creative economies, and to foster a vibrant cultural landscape across the U.S. Both the Creative Capital Award and the State of the Art Prize support artists of all backgrounds at all career stages working across a range of disciplines, themes, and ideas.
Creative Capital Award
For the 2027 grant cycle, Creative Capital invites professional artists to propose experimental, original, bold new works in Visual Arts, Performing Arts (Dance, Theater, Music/Jazz), Film, and Literature. Multidisciplinary, technology, and/or socially engaged projects are welcome in all disciplinary categories. Creative Capital seeks new project proposals for formally and/or conceptually innovative works in all disciplines.
Creative Capital welcomes a full range of artistic approaches and thematic inquiries, including boundary-pushing formal explorations, as well as projects that engage urgent social issues of our time. Creative Capital also seeks new projects or works addressing subjects that Creative Capital has not previously funded.
The Creative Capital Award aims to support approximately 50 new artistic works in the following areas:
Visual Arts: architecture & design, craft, drawing, ecological art, illustration, installation, painting, printmaking, performance art, photography, public art, sculpture, social practice, sound art, video art, technology, and socially-engaged visual art
Performing Arts: dance, jazz, multimedia performance, music, music theater, opera, theater, playwriting, technology, and socially-engaged performing arts
Film: animation, documentary film, experimental film, and narrative film
Literature: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays (playwrights please submit under Performing Arts/Theater)
Creative Capital’s transformative giving approach is built on the principle that artists need funding as well as networks and advisory services in order to realize ambitious projects and build thriving careers. Recipients of the Creative Capital Award will receive grant funding, professional development services, and community-building opportunities. Awardees will also have access to the Creative Capital Artist Lab—suite of online professional development courses.
The State of the Art Prize – NEW!
Through the 2027 Open Call process for the Creative Capital Award, Creative Capital will also select recipients of the State of the Art Prize. Now in its second year, this new national initiative aims to recognize one artist residing in each U.S. state and inhabited territory with a $10,000 unrestricted grant per artist. All applicants to the 2027 Open Call will be automatically considered for the Creative Capital Award and the State of the Art Prize. Both grants follow the same application, external review process, and evaluation criteria; there is no separate application process. State of the Art Prize recipients will also have access to the Creative Capital Artist Lab—a suite of online professional development courses.
State of the Art Prize recipients may apply again to future open calls for the Creative Capital Award. However, artists who have already received the Creative Capital Award may not apply for the State of the Art Prize. Both the State of the Art Prize and the Creative Capital Award are one-time awards.
ELIGIBILITY:
US citizen, permanent resident, Tribal ID holder, or O-1 visa holder at time of application
At least 25 years old at time of application
Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice within their chosen discipline
Applicant may not be enrolled in a degree-granting program at time of application
May not apply to the Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant program in the same year
May not have previously received a Creative Capital Award
May not be an applicant or collaborator on more than one proposed project per year
State of the Art Prize recipients must be a resident of the state they are awarded in through February 1, 2027. Prize recipients must verify their state or territory of residence in order to receive the grant.
Projects that are not eligible
Projects whose main purpose is promotional
Project is to fund ongoing operations of existing business or nonprofit organization
Curation or documentation of existing work
Journalism projects and podcasts
Educational projects intended for a student audience
Children’s and young adult literature, and graphic novels
Projects that will premiere or be completed before July 1, 2027
creative-capital.org/creative-capital-award/award-application
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2026 Home Double Issue: Call for pitches + Submissions
Oxford American
DEADLINE: April 3, 2026
SUBMISSION FEE: $3
INFO: What makes a place feel like home? Is it an inbuilt connection to the land? Fond memories of a childhood bedroom or family table? A sense of pride and shared community?
The Oxford American is now accepting pitches for our special Summer/Fall 2026 double issue dedicated to Home. It’s an idea as gloriously complicated as the South itself, and we’re interested in works across genres that tackle it from all angles. We think of home as our region, but also as our physical houses and apartments. Home can be our sanctuary, but also our cage. It can represent our connection to a community, and can be troubled by violence, displacement, and loss within that community. It’s deeply personal, but always political.
We want stories about how an idea of a home can change when you leave it, whether by choice or by force. We wonder how our domestic lives—our messy rooms, our packed closets, our dustless collections—reflect or inform the social life of the South. We welcome meditations on homesickness, personal histories of home-making, and polemics against a “home sweet home.” We would love to read critiques of domestic architecture, investigations of threatened ecological homelands, and reports from neighborhoods affected by ICE raids. Where are your second homes, your spiritual homes, and how do they thrive? No subject is too great or small, no setting too famous or too obscure, so long as the story is fresh. We learned long ago to follow our writers’ passions.
We’re seeking reported features, personal essays, short stories, short dispatches and meditations, poems, cultural criticism, and work that does not fit neatly into a specific genre or form. For fiction and poetry, full drafts may be submitted; for nonfiction work, please send us a pitch.
The ideal Oxford American pitch will be well-crafted and thoughtful, with a strong sense of the story’s setting, characters, and narrative possibilities. Enthusiasm, surprise, and originality are essential to an Oxford American essay; please pitch a story rather than a subject. In all pitches, we like to see high quality writing; passion for the subject and command of the idea; an explanation of the scope in the proposed piece; and familiarity with the Oxford American.
We will be accepting pitches through Submittable only for this project. Please submit by April 3rd. We will accept pitches on a rolling basis. Drafts will be due beginning in late April.
The Oxford American will not consider any work produced by generative AI. By submitting, you certify that no generative AI was used in the creation of the pitch and that none will be used in the drafting process.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
The editorial mission of the Oxford American is to explore the complexity and vitality of the American South. If your work does not somehow engage with the American South—however you choose to define it—it is probably not a good fit for the OA.
We will respond to all pitches and submissions by May 1st, 2026.
The Home Issue will be on newsstands nationwide August 11th, 2026.
Compensation will depend on the length and complexity of the story; all writers will be paid. Generally, fees will range from $300 for short dispatches to $1,500 for reported features.
oxfordamerican.submittable.com/submit/350327/2026-home-double-issue-call-for-submissions
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Call for submissions: 'Migrant Futures' Issue
Plantin Mag
DEADLINE: April 7, 2026
INFO: Now more than ever, as Black Immigrants are being targeted globally, we’re interested in how we imagine new possibilities. So we’re pleased to present the theme for our newest issue: Migrant Futures! Send us your best speculative poetry and short stories on your visions of the Black Migrants of tomorrow.
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EMERGING WRITER FELLOWSHIP
GrubStreet
DEADLINE: April 7, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
INFO: The Emerging Writer Fellowship aims to develop new, exciting voices by providing three writers per year tuition-free access to GrubStreet’s classes and several key publishing/industry events. Over the course of one year, each Emerging Writer Fellow will attend a combination of seminars and multi-week courses of their choosing, along with a wide selection of other topical programming, in order to enhance their understanding of craft and the publishing industry.
We hope that this year's fellows will be able to join us in-person for classes and events. Priority will be given to applicants who will be able to join us in Boston.
OVERVIEW: The Emerging Writer Fellowship will be awarded to three writers who demonstrate a passion for writing, a commitment to developing their writing abilities, and financial need. Any person 18 and older who demonstrates ability and passion for writing is eligible.
The Emerging Writer Fellowship will provide access to each of the following:
5 multi-week courses
5 three-hour seminars
Access to key annual industry events and other craft-related programs.
Access to GrubStreet's Director of Faculty & Fellowships and/or other program staff members for quarterly (or as-needed) office hours for personalized mentorship. (Optional)
At the end of the program, fellows will also receive a complimentary one-year GrubStreet membership so they can continue enjoying extra community perks even after their program year ends.
IMPOTANT DATES:
Notifications sent: end of May 2026
Fellowship duration: June 2026 to June 2027
WHO SHOULD APPLY:
This fellowship is open to anyone 18 and older with a passion for writing. The fellowship specifically aims to assist writers in need of financial assistance in reaching their writing goals. We particularly encourage writers of color, ethnic minorities, those who identify as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and other members of communities historically underrepresented by the literary community to apply.
In the program's first year, we were able to offer one fellowship to one student. As of the 2018-2019 cycle, we were able to begin offering a second fellowship in memory of novelist Anita Shreve, longtime board member and dear friend of GrubStreet. Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we now offer three fellowships each year.
HOW TO APPLY:
The Emerging Writer Fellowship Application Form will require the following:
A sample of your writing that demonstrates your artistic style and voice. 5-10 pages for prose, screenwriting, or playwriting. 3-7 pages for poetry.
A personal statement—no more than 500 words please!—which should include the following:
How you envision using the fellowship.
A description of your relationship to writing. By this we mean: what excites you about it? What does it mean to you personally?
How the fellowship will help you in your growth and success as a writer.
Your writing and workshop history (Note: Prior workshop experience at GrubStreet is not required).
QUESTIONS? If you have specific questions about the Emerging Writer Fellowship, email programs@grubstreet.org or call the office anytime at 617.695.0075.
grubstreet.org/write/emerging-writer-fellowship
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2026 Editors-in-Chief: Community Anthologies
Seventh Wave
DEADLINE: April 10, 2026
APPLICATION FEE: $5
INFO: We are excited to open up applications for our 2026 cohort of editors-in-chief, who will be curating our next round of Community Anthologies. For more information about this program, please read our announcement post, visit the FAQ section of our Submit page here (scroll down to "Anthologies"), and check out our latest Community Anthologies here.
We have summarized some of the information below:
Four editors-in-chief: We will be selecting four individuals to be our 2026 EICs. Each EIC will curate and publish a "Community Anthology," which is a digital anthology that publishes 6-8 writers or artists on Seventh Wave's website here.
Budget + stipends: Each EIC will receive a $1,000 stipend for curating their issue. Each anthology has a budget of up to $2,050: $1,000 of that goes to the EIC, $600-800 goes to contributors (each contributor is paid $100 for their work), and there is a $250 stipend that an EIC can use to work with a featured artist for the issue. If two individuals want to apply as co-EICs, they would split the EIC stipend, with the understanding that they would most likely be divvying up the work as well.
Overview of work: Seventh Wave will guide the four EICs through five phases of work together: call curation, submission/selection, editing, staging, and publication. EICs are required to attend a monthly meeting, each of which focuses on one of the five phases of the work. For example, our first monthly meeting will focus on the call curation process, and during that month, EICs will work to produce their own 1-paragraph prompt for their anthology, which will serve as their call for submissions.
Application materials: As you'll see in the form, we're asking folks to submit a bio, your topic of interest, intended submission method, and a statement of interest that addresses a few simple questions. Please note: your topic and submission method can change once selected; however, we want to get an idea of what topic you are thinking of curating to ensure that we are bringing in a diverse set of potential topics. There is a $5 application fee, which honors the time it takes our team to read and respond to every submission. If the $5 fee is cost prohibitive, you can submit your full application to submit@seventhwavemag.com for free by April 10.
seventhwavemag.submittable.com/submit
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FUTUREPOEM OPEN READING PERIOD 2026
Futurepoem
DEADLINE: April 10, 2026 at 11:59pm ET (or until 350 submissions have been received)
INFO: Each year, we invite a rotating panel of distinguished guest editors to read and select two new books for publication. Our 2026 Guest Editors are Cole Swensen, Brandon Brown, and Cristina Pérez Diaz. Futurepoem welcomes unpublished, full-length manuscripts of poetry, prose, and multi-genre work that challenge and expand on the potential for poetic form, language, and process. Work by underrepresented and emerging writers is especially welcome.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Our reading period is an open process. Our group of initial readers and guest editors will have access to your cover letter and know your name when reading your work. Each year, we invite a rotating panel of distinguished guest editors to read submitted work and, in collaboration with our core editors, select two books for publication. All submissions are read by initial readers who then recommend a limited group of manuscripts to the guest editors. The guest editors also have input into the group of final manuscripts that are considered. Manuscripts must be unpublished book-length works of poetry, prose, or multi-genre work.
We welcome international submissions originally written in English. However, we cannot currently accept work translated into English from other languages. We are open to unpublished work that incorporates other languages, or self-translated work. We welcome unpublished book-length collaborative writing but we do not currently accept anthology submissions. Work previously published in chapbook form is fine, as long as the manuscript in its entirety has not been published in its current form. And though we are open to books with visuals, books that are heavily image-based may be better served by a different publisher. Authors of books Futurepoem has published and previous winners of Futurepoem's Other Futures Award are ineligible. If your work engages with AI, please disclose its use in your submission cover letter or notes, just as you would cite any other source. If your work or process does involve AI, we are particularly interested in work that engages with it critically. Any undisclosed use of AI to generate or substantially alter your work will result in disqualification.
You may submit work previously submitted to Futurepoem, as our guest editors shift every year. Our 2026 guest editors are Cole Swensen, Brandon Brown, and Cristina Pérez Diaz. You may only submit one manuscript to this call. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but we do ask that you notify us or withdraw your manuscript via our online submissions system if your book is accepted elsewhere. This year, we are instituting a submission cap of 350 submissions — we're a small team, and we want to make sure that each submission gets careful attention. Submission length: 50 – 200 pages. There is a sliding scale administrative/processing fee for each submission.*
* Our $10 fee supports a higher honorarium for our guest editors, the rising administrative costs of our review process, and our continued use of Submittable. Our goal is to maintain our open submissions period as an accessible opportunity for writers. In case this fee represents a hardship to you, we've instituted an option for a reduced fee of $7. Additionally, there is an option to submit and sponsor someone else's submission for $15.
HOW TO SUBMIT + DEADLINE: We will accept manuscripts via our online submissions system from March 10 to April 10, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. E.S.T. We are only able to accept online submissions, so please do not send hard copy submissions via regular mail. We may request hard copies of your manuscript for further consideration, so please include your email, phone number and address so that we can contact you. In order to keep this opportunity open to the maximum number of writers, we are only accepting one submission per writer.
SELECTED MANUSCRIPTS: We will select two books for publication as part of the Futurepoem book series. The intended publication year for these books is 2028. Our goal is to try to announce selections for publication by the end of July 2026. Because we are a small organization with limited resources we are not able to provide feedback on submissions.
futurepoem.submittable.com/submit
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2026 Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Fellowships
Tupelo Press
DEADLINE: April 12, 2026
APPLICATION FEE: $0
INFO: BIPOC writers are invited to apply for a fellowship on the stunning Olympic Peninsula!
This is an opportunity for a BIPOC writer to focus entirely on their work. The accepted BIPOC writing fellow may choose a two-week residency in (your preference of) July or September 2026. The fellowship includes the cost of round-trip transportation, daily breakfast and dinner, as well as a small weekly stipend.
Applications will be evaluated by readers proficient in evaluating poetry, literary fiction and nonfiction, including hybrid work.
Tupelo Press strives to give the writing fellow the creative space and time to work without the distractions of daily life. We offer a private room in “Gentle House,” a 130 year-old farmhouse with peekaboo views over the Salish Sea and full views of Olympic National Park, Hurricane Ridge, and the Pacific Ocean. The writing fellow’s room will also serve as a studio with desk, chair, lighting, bookcase and other writing-related amenities. A downstairs living room offers a common area with additional writing spaces with a view of the stunning Olympic National Park. Please note that Gentle House is not yet fully accessible. (We hope to have Gentle House fully accessible in the future.)
Port Angeles features a pier with a variety of shops, restaurants, galleries and coffee shops. The Black Ball Ferry takes you from Port Angeles to Victoria. Cycling trails are available by bike from Gentle House. Salt Creek features tide pools and local deer. The house is an 8-minute drive from the entrance to Olympic National Park, and about a two-and-a-half hour drive to Cape Flattery, Neah Bay and the justly famous Hoh Rainforest.
tupelopress.subfolios.com/submit/493/merrill-family-charitable-foundation-fellowship-at-gentle-house
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The Margins Residency
Asian American Writers’ Workshop (AAWW)
DEADLINE: April 13, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
INFO: Building on the foundation of the Workshop's flagship Margins Fellowship, which has incubated writers since 2014 and produced National Book Award winners, screen adaptations, and celebrated debuts, the Margins Residency expands our reach beyond New York City to writers across the United States.
Four residents will be selected to participate in a residency at Writing Downtown Las Vegas, an independent bookstore and literary hub offering dedicated writing space, workshops, and community. Residents receive access to AAWW's broader network of editors, agents, and publishing professionals, the same professional scaffolding that has made the Margins Fellowship a launchpad for some of the most vital voices in contemporary Asian American literature.
The Margins Residency exists because talent is everywhere, but institutional support is not. Asian and Asian diasporic writers across the country deserve the time and resources to write the books that will shape how our stories are told, and who gets to tell them.
WINNERS WILL RECEIVE:
2-4 week residency with Writing Downtown in Las Vegas, Nevada, including airfare;
One-hour virtual consultation with an AAPI literary agent;
One complimentary seat to an AAWW workshop;
One full-day pass to the AAWW’s 2026 Publishing Conference.
Networking and mentorship through the AAWW Fellowship communities.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Applicants with previously published books are ineligible.
All genres of work will be considered.
All submissions should include a one-page synopsis or overview of the work
Our ideal manuscript is a nearly-complete draft of 50,000-100,000 words – let us help you get your book over the finish line!
Please attach all materials in either Word .doc, .docx, or PDF format
All work must be original; translations will not be accepted
Please note all applicants must attach a statement of purpose, a CV/resumé, and a writing sample. There is no application fee. We do not accept handwritten documents, letters of recommendation, or support materials.
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Accent Sisters Work-Study Fellowship Program
Accent Sisters (New York, NY)
DEADLINE: April 13, 2026
INFO: Accent Sisters is excited to offer a fellowship program for individuals passionate about literature, visual arts, and community engagement. The fellowship provides hands-on experience in a bookstore and a hybrid event space, where exhibitions, book launches, film screenings, educational programs, and other forms of public programming take place.
This work-study fellowship is ideal for someone looking to build a career in cultural institutions, independent bookstores, or art galleries. Fellows will work closely with both the bookstore and gallery teams, gaining skills in book curation, exhibit planning, marketing, and community outreach, while developing a personal project that merges these disciplines.
ELIGIBILITY: *Open to upcoming senior, upcoming second year graduate students, and recent graduates of undergraduate/graduate programs.
WHAT YOU WILL GET:
Opportunities to work closely with some of the best writers, artists, and creators;
A chance to pitch projects, events, and develop programs for a thriving and diverse community;
Be part of the most exciting happenings in New York’s art and cultural scene;
Free passes to attend all in-person events and classes held at Accent Sisters;
Fellow discounts to purchase products at Accent Sisters;
Towards the end of the fellowship, we will work with you to develop a special showcase of your personal project and/or your work at Accent Sisters.
One-on-one mentorship with Accent team;
A stipend of $600 dollars (paid in two installments)
IMPORTANT DETAILS:
Hybrid; Part-time; 3 days/week; on-site work required
Location: 89 5th Ave Suite 702, New York, NY 10003
Duration: April 20 - August 20
GENERAL EXPECTATIONS:
The ideal candidate will be highly organized, proactive, and passionate about literature and the arts. They should have strong communication skills and be comfortable working independently and in a team environment.
Professional proficiency in English, fluency in Mandarin or other foreign languages is desirable and varies depending on fellowship position.
Demonstrated interest in literature, visual arts, or the organization of cultural events.
Excellent people skills: friendly and professional in communicating with customers and visitors.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace; knowledge of social media management tools is a plus.
Experience in event planning or marketing is a plus.
Familiarity with local literary or art communities is desirable.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
Store Opening Hours:
Thursday: 4-9PM
Friday, Saturday: 2-9PM
Sunday: 2-6PM
on-site shifts will be assigned during these times
Flexible Work Hours*:
Tuesday-Friday: 1-4PM
This is the time when you might be contacted/needed regarding remote work, as well as any work requiring on-site engagement (such as exhibition installation, special event planning, outreach activities, in-person meeting, etc.)
accentaccent.com/FellowshipSummer2026
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ‘QUEER MYTHOLOGIES’
Foglifter
DEADLINE: April 15, 2026
INFO: As Foglifter revitalizes our website and digital production, we are interested in creating and holding space for works that may not fit within the constraints of our print edition. We are now accepting submissions for our new Online Exclusive Issue dedicated to showcasing queer voices across a wide spectrum of creative forms.
As always, we are seeking art that aligns with our mission of promoting queer, transgressive, and original work. The themes will change from issue to issue. For 1.2, our theme is Queer Mythologies: a celebration of spirituality, folklore, and queer cosmologies. This open call seeks dreamlike, symbolic, and otherworldly explorations that reimagine mythology through a queer lens—queering gods and monsters, rewriting origin stories, and uncovering hidden lineages of desire, transformation, and devotion.
We welcome interpretations of tarot, astrology, ritual, and divination that challenge binaries and expand spiritual narratives beyond the normative, embracing fluidity, mysticism, and personal myth-making. Submissions may be visual, textual, or hybrid, and should evoke a sense of the uncanny, the sacred, and the speculative—worlds where queerness is ancestral, cosmic, and divine.
Pieces must be original, unpublished work in genres including, but not limited to: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, comics, visual art, scripts, and multimedia (video, audio, music, interactive pieces, experimental work, etc.) that align with the current issue’s theme.
This online exclusive issue will be published as a summer issue on our website. We’re especially interested in pieces that experiment with form, push boundaries, and reflect the complexity, joy, rage, beauty, and multiplicity of the queer experience.
WHY ONLINE EXCLUSIVE?
Our print publication has limits—page counts, dimensions, ink. This digital issue is a space without borders. We want to uplift work that can’t—or won’t—fit in print: multimedia projects, audio pieces, visual art, and performance pieces that demand to be seen and heard in digital space.
General Submission Guidelines:
We accept only first rights to publication.
We do accept simultaneous submissions, however please withdraw pieces that have been accepted elsewhere.
Please include a short bio, description of your work, any past publications, and applicable trigger warnings in your cover letter.
Visual and [multi]media work must be web-viewable—please include links or uploads through Submittable and include content warnings if applicable
Genre Specific Guidelines
Please submit up to 5 pieces
For video and audio submissions, please limit to 5 minutes
We accept art created via all mediums (except AI — if a submission is suspected or found to be AI generated, it will be declined and we will not consider your work in the future). This includes, but is not limited to, photography, painting, digital, ink, pencil, collage, etc.
Acceptable file types: .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .tif, .tiff, .png, .svg, .pdf, .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .odt, .mp3, .m4a, .wav, .mp4, .mov, .avi, .mpg, .3gp, .wmv
All applicable artworks submitted will be considered for cover art for the online exclusive issue
We love experimental work, feel free to submit hybrid forms that blend genres
For grant purposes, we cannot consider submissions that do not include a completed demographic survey with their submission
Foglifter aims to reflect the vibrant diversity of the LGBTQ+ literary community in our award-winning journal. Fill out our anonymized Demographics Survey to be considered for publication—then take a screenshot of the thank-you screen at the end and attach it along with your submission.
foglifter.submittable.com/submit
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OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: POETRY, FICTION + CRITICISM
Lampblack Lit
DEADLINE: April 15, 2026
INFO: For the past 6 years we have been publishing work from established and up-and-coming black authors in our magazine. We usually have a theme for folks to follow, but last year we decided to start accepting any and all works of prose and poetry from writers who are Black, African, members of the African Diaspora, or any other term respectfully used to describe black people. This year we are continuing on in that tradition. Please send us your favorite unpublished works before the deadline and we will try to make space for you in our magazine.
GUIDELINES: From March 1st until April 15th, Lampblack is accepting submissions of previously unpublished poetry, prose and criticism for Volume VI.
Please submit no more than 5 pages of poetry or 15 pages of prose via email to magazine@lampblacklit.com. Please include your name, the title of your submission, and the genre you are submitting to in the subject line of your submission.
COMPENSATION: We will pay $300 for accepted submissions in any genre. If your work is accepted, please be aware that Lampblack will likely ask you to take part in promotional readings and events.
*We encourage you to read our past issues to gain a sense of our aesthetic. They are available on our website and in local independent bookstores. If you cannot afford to purchase one of our magazines and would like to read it before submitting, please reach out to us at magazine@lampblacklit.com and we will ensure you are provided with a digital copy of the magazine free of charge.
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The Breakout Prize
Epiphany
DEADLINE: April 15, 2026 (or when they reach 300 submissions per genre)
INFO: Formerly a student writing contest, the Breakout Prize now brings visibility and support to outstanding early-career writers who have not yet published a full-length book.
Previous winners have gone on to sign with literary agents, publish at esteemed presses, win prizes, receive fellowships, and develop rich and rewarding literary careers. Previous judges include Victoria Chang, Hilary Leichter, Manuel Munoz, Shane McCrae, Marcus Wicker, Safiya Sinclair, Alexander Chee, Tracy O'Neill, and Nadia Owusu.
This year’s judges are Cynthia Cruz in poetry and Alexandra Kleeman in prose.
PRIZE:
Two writers — one in prose and one in poetry — each receive:
$1000 cash prize
Publication in a print issue of Epiphany
One-year print subscription to Epiphany
epiphanymagazine.org/opportunities
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Sun and Zhang Family Distinguished Fellowship for AAPI Social Practice Artists of the American South
Hambidge Center
DEADLINE: April 15, 2026
APPLICATION FEE: $30 (If this represents a barrier to submitting an application, please contact our Office Manager at office@hambidge.org to discuss a waiver. The DEADLINE to request a fee waiver is four days before the application deadline.)
INFO: The Hambidge Center is pleased to announce the new Sun and Zhang Family Distinguished Fellowship for AAPI Social Practice Artists of the American South.
This merit-based award supports an Asian American Pacific Islander social practice artist working in the South or deeply rooted in the region, recognizing work that blends creative practice with meaningful community engagement. The selected Fellow will receive a two-week residency and a $700 stipend during the fall 2026 session.
RESIDENCY DATES: Fall (September - December)
ABOUT THE HAMBIDGE CENTER:
The Hambidge Center is situated on 600 forested acres in the mountains of north Georgia and offers miles of nature trails, meadows, waterfalls, a swimming hole and an abundance of wildflowers.
The oldest residency program in the Southeast, Hambidge provides a self-directed program that honors the creative process and trusts individuals to know what they need to cultivate their talent, whether it’s to work and produce, to think, to experiment or to rejuvenate. Residents’ time is their own; there are no workshops, critiques, nor required activities.
Each resident is given their own private studio which provides work and living space with a bathroom and full kitchen. The studios are designed to protect residents’ time, space and solitude.
Resident groups are intentionally kept small enough (8-10 people) to gather around the dinner table each evening, Tuesday through Friday, for delicious vegetarian meals prepared by our chef. These communal meals are an essential part of the Hambidge residency experience. Serious topics are discussed (and light-hearted ones, too), experiences are shared, and encouragement is given. Many a collaboration and life-long friendship have begun at the Hambidge dinner table.
Members of each resident group come from different walks of life and work in different creative disciplines; from musicians, culinary artisans and scientists, to visual artists, writers, dancers and arts & culture administrators. Each year, residents of all ages come to Hambidge from over 30 states across the U.S., as well as internationally.
Specialized equipment and facilities include the Antinori Pottery Studio, and a beautifully rebuilt turn-of-the-century Steinway grand piano housed in Garden Studio.
ACCESSIBILITY: Hambidge offers two ADA-compliant studios: Brena Studio and Cove Studio. Our dining and common areas can be navigated, but are not yet fully compliant. There are no sidewalks or paved areas; the connecting driveways are gravel and uneven. If you come to Hambidge without a car, the on-campus studios will require a walk to get to Lucinda’s Rock House. On average, the studios are 0.3 miles from the Rock House with a 157-elevation gain, walking on a gravel road with uneven terrain. For more information, please contact our Office Manager at 706-746-7324.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU APPLY:
The studios are comfortable, but rustic and secluded. They are purposely simple, and most are out of sight of each other and somewhat isolated.
We are located in a forested environment. Residents should expect to occasionally encounter wildlife and insects – and sometimes the insects are inside the studios.
It is very dark at night. There are no street lights or ambient light, other than the moon and stars.
Due to our remote location, there is no cell service at Hambidge. Each studio has a phone for emergency, local and incoming calls.
To encourage focused creativity, there is no internet in the studios. WiFi is available 24 hours a day in the communal space of Lucinda's Rock House.
Please thoroughly read the Guidelines, Application Instructions, and our FAQs before submitting your application.
ELIGIBILITY: Qualified applicants must feel they have achieved a level of excellence within their discipline. We are looking for applicants whose creative practice is a professional practice and not a hobby. It is not required that your creative career is your only career, or that you make your livelihood doing it. We seek applications from emerging and mid-career creatives, as well as from those who are established with national and/or international reputations.
Applications for residency are judged primarily on the quality of submitted work samples and professional promise. Hambidge accepts approximately 170 artists each year. There are no publication, exhibition, or performance requirements contingent on a Hambidge residency.
The Hambidge Center encourages creative professionals of all backgrounds to apply for admission. We celebrate varied ideas, world views, and personal characteristics, and are committed to being an organization that welcomes and respects everyone regardless of age, ability, ethnicity, race, religion, philosophical or political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, nationality, geographic origin, and socioeconomic status.
RETURNING FELLOWS: Returning Fellows must submit a new application with recent work samples in the appropriate category of their discipline. After attending a Hambidge residency, Fellows must wait 2 years before returning. For instance, if you were in residence during the 2022 Summer Session, you may apply to return for the 2024 Summer Session.
RESIDENCY FEE:
The residency fee is $300 per week.
Note: the actual cost of a residency is $2250/wk. Every year, the Hambidge Center raises funds to supplement $1950 for every residency week, leaving each resident with only the $300/wk fee.
Funding
Hambidge offers several merit-based Distinguished Fellowships which remove the fees for a two-week residency and provide a $700 stipend. Available Distinguished Fellowships vary from session to session and are listed in each session's application. Unless otherwise noted, they are reserved for first-time residents. The list of previously awarded Distinguished Fellowships can be seen here.
Financial Aid
Hambidge offers limited financial aid scholarships to accepted residents. The average award amount is $250, with a maximum award of $500. In an average year, aid is awarded to 35% of those who requst it; resulting in 8% of all residents receiving some financial aid.
Upon acceptance to the program, applicants requesting financial aid will have five days to complete the required forms and may be asked to submit last year's tax return or other confirmation. International applicants will be asked to complete a questionnaire instead of providing a tax return.
ADMISSION PANELS: Applications in each discipline are reviewed by panels of three esteemed peers within that discipline. Panel membership is rotated frequently.
LENGTH OF STAY: Applicants may request stays between two weeks and eight weeks. Residents arrive on Tuesday and depart on Sunday. Residencies of one week are available to Arts & Culture Administrator applicants and Culinary applicants ONLY. Eight-week residencies will only be scheduled in the Fall and Spring Sessions. The maximum length of residencies awarded in Summer Session is four weeks. Because of differing lengths of individual stays, residents will arrive and depart on varying schedules.
CREATIVE DISCILPLINES:
Hambidge accepts applications in the following disciplines:
ARTS & CULTURE ADMINISTRATION - including proposals for professional projects and/or personal creative projects by administrators working for arts, culture or environmental organizations, or independently (a freelance curator, for example). It is not a requirement that the organization be a non-profit, however it must be an organization that works with or assists other people or produces public projects.
CERAMICS - including functional and sculptural
CULINARY ARTS - including recipe development, cookbook writing, food writing, food styling, food photography, and food preservation
DANCE - including choreography, performance, and theory
MUSIC - including composition, performance, vocal, and theory, in all genres of music
SCIENCE - this residency offers scientists in any branch of science a place to write and/or organize research
VISUAL ARTS - including book arts, conceptual art, design, drawing, environmental art, fiber arts, film & video, installation arts, metalworking, mixed media, multimedia art, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and woodworking
Note: We do not have darkroom, sculpture/woodworking, or printmaking facilities, but provide exploration space for artists working in those disciplines. Those working in wood or metal must bring their own tools and machinery.
WRITING - including academic scholarship, criticism, fiction, history, poetry, journalism, nonfiction, philosophy, playwriting, screenwriting, storytelling
Multidisciplinary
If your proposal combines PROFESSIONAL expertise in more than one discipline, you will be asked to indicate the other discipline(s) that should be considered in the JUDGING of your proposal. Make sure your proficiency in each discipline is demonstrated in your submitted work samples. Expert jurors from all the indicated disciplines will be asked to judge your submission at an expert level.
Examples: a journalist creating both written and photographic content; a graphic novelist; a ceramicist writing a guide to glazes. NOT, for example, a visual artist exploring scientific themes in their work.
NOTE: Don't weaken your application by including secondary, less expert work samples. If, for example, you are a dancer who intends to dance during your residency, but also enjoys painting, you may dance and paint if you're accepted at Hambidge without saying you are Multidisciplinary and without including paintings in your work samples.
REFERENCES - Hambidge no longer requires letters of recommendation as part of the application materials.
COLLABORATIONS - Collaborative couples and groups must submit the Slideroom application specific to Collaborations. EACH MEMBER of the collaboration must ALSO complete this form before the deadline in order for your application to be complete.
COUPLES - Non-collaborating couples who wish to be in residence together must submit individual applications. They may request concurrent residency dates and choose whether or not to share studio/living space. The acceptance of one partner does NOT guarantee the acceptance of the other. No other provisions are made for partners.
CHILDREN - Hambidge has hosted several residents accompanied by their children. We are still developing our parental program, but we are quite willing to work with applicants to find the best timing and to recommend part-time childcare for their stay. Before you submit an application, read more about our Parental Residencies.
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Pen Parentis Writing Fellowship
Pen Parentis
DEADLINE: April 17, 2026
SUBMISSION FEE: $20
INFO: Submissions are open for the Pen Parentis Writing Fellowship for New Parents.
This Fellowship was established to encourage and inspire new, high-quality writing by parents of children under 10. The word count is intentionally low (there are CHALLENGES inherent in being a parent!) and the count changes every year, to incentivize the creation of new work.
PRIZE: One talented writer who is the parent of at least one child under 10 years old will receive $2000 to further their writing career, a year of mentorship as a All-Access Member of Pen Parentis (including access to the accountability group of your choice), and will be offered the opportunity to read their winning story online at the Pen Parentis Literary Salon on the second Tuesday of November. The winner will be reading alongside three established writers who are also parents with the opportunity to interact personally with these authors. The confirmed readers will be available by September.
Second and Third Place winners will receive $500 and $250 and each place-winner will become part of our exclusive (and lovely) Fellowship Ring which includes a year of Pen Parentis All-Access Membership (with the accountability group of your choosing) -- we zoom twice per year.
(Gratitude to The deGroot Foundation for doubling the prizes!)
The winning story will be published in Dreamers Creative Writing Magazine (both online and in print) as well as included in the annual Dreamers Writing Anthology.
The winner will reign as the Pen Parentis Fellow from November 2026 through November 2027, and will gain full access to Pen Parentis Member perks during that time period. (It's a lot, so knock our socks off with your writing!) From time to time, as career opportunities arise, they will be presented to the Fellow.
GUIDELINES:
Word Count/FORMAT: Submissions call for a new, never-published fiction story—any genre, on any subject—of up to 440 words, double-spaced in Times New Roman 12 point or similar font, with one inch margins. (This word count is intentionally small so that you can write something new - be brilliant!)
DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME OR ANY SORT OF CONTACT INFO ON THE STORY ITSELF--ONLY THE TITLE OF THE STORY AND WORD COUNT. Please number your pages.
We no longer accept mail-in submissions.
PEN PARENTIS MEMBERS:
If you are a Pen Parentis Intro, Pro, or All-Access Member, your first entry is free (at higher levels, your second and third entry are also free, see website for details.)
Put only the title of the story and its word count on the manuscript. Please number your pages!
IMPORTANT FOR ALL ENTRANTS:
One dependent child MUST still be under ten on November 12, 2026 for a writer to be eligible to win this Fellowship.
Please do NOT add any additional information in your cover note, even if you have published a thousand novels and won the Pulitzer. Just give us the information we request. We judge blind and prefer to be surprised by your extensive credentials.
Entry Fees will not be refunded. Simultaneous submissions are okay, please let us know if it is accepted elsewhere (we are thrilled for a writer when this happens! Acceptance is always good news!) Multiple submissions are fine: simply submit as if you were submitting for the first time.
Cover letters are not necessary. If you would like to tell us how you felt when you heard of our Fellowship and/or how you heard of us, we may use that as a testimonial on our website.
JUDGING:
Judging is blind and based only on the following 5 criteria:
adherence to contest rules
creativity
narrative arc
emotional truth
elements of surprise, humor, writing skill, and/or layers of depth.
FAQ:
Q: Can I send my [insert genre/style/language]?
All genres and styles of unpublished fiction are welcome. English must be the primary language and if we don't speak the secondary one, you better be pretty convincing. No plays or poetry (we love them, but sorry, no. If your narrative poem "can work" as fiction, please submit it as fiction. We love experimental fiction!) Novel excerpts are acceptable if they can stand alone as a story - don't tell us it is a novel excerpt until you win, we are judging stand-alone narratives.
Q: How do you feel about simultaneous or multiple subs?
Simultaneous submissions ok, but notify if published elsewhere.
Multiple submissions welcome, but separate entry fee for each submission (see above).
Q: How do I know if I am a Member or not?
Intro, Pro, and All-Access Members support Pen Parentis by monthly donations. If you are not making a monthly donation to Pen Parentis, you are either a Basic Member or you have just heard about us. Hi! Feel free to upgrade your Membership if you like! (find out more at Penparentis.org).
Thanks for your support. It helps offset costs like this Submittable subscription.
Q: I made a mistake, can I send you an edit?
No. Please proof your work before you send it.
Q: I have a very good reason you should refund my entry fee, will you please consider it?
No. Entry fees will not be refunded.
Q: What if I won before?
Previous CASH winners of this fellowship are not eligible. Finalists, long listed & honorable mentions are absolutely encouraged to try again. Second or Third place winners who did not win cash awards are also fine to try again!
Winner: please list our Fellowship in your writing bio for the 12 months following your reading!
See our website at penparentis.org for past winners.
Help my form isn't working!
For any technical questions related to filling out the online form, contact support@submittable.com.
penparentis.submittable.com/submit
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2027 Writers-in-residence program
Hedgebrook
DEADLINE: April 17, 2026
APPLICATION FEE: $45
INFO: Hedgebrook’s Writer-in-Residence Program supports women-identified writers,18 and older, from all over the world for residencies of two or three weeks. The cottage, all meals, and the entire residency experience at Hedgebrook are free to selected writers. Travel is not included and is the responsibility of the writer to arrange and pay for. Up to 6 writers can be in residence at a time, each housed in their own handcrafted cottage. Days are spent in solitude – writing, reading, taking walks in the woods on the property or on nearby Double Bluff beach. In the evenings, “The Gathering” is a social time for residents to connect and share over their freshly prepared meals.
GENRES:
Fiction
Non-Fiction
Playwriting
Poetry
Screenwriting/TV
hedgebrook.org/writers-in-residence
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Open call: 2026 Critics-in-Residence
The Luminary x Sixty Inches From Center | St. Louis, MO
DEADLINE: April 17, 2026 at 11:59pm
INFO: The Luminary, in partnership with Sixty Inches From Center, is pleased to announce an open call for a Local Critic-in-Residence to participate in a week-long paid residency in St. Louis, MO, alongside a traveling writer selected by Sixty.
Rooted in The Luminary’s commitment to art, thought , and action, this residency supports arts writers and cultural critics who are not only invested in interpretation and analysis, but in how ideas move, circulate, and take form in the world. We encourage applicants who think expansively about criticism as a creative, public, and material practice – whether through essays, print ephemera, DIY publishing, zines, and experimental forms, or other modes of distribution beyond traditional platforms.
The program invites writers who are curious, rigorous, community-minded, and invested in building critical dialogue with and beyond St. Louis as a site of inquiry and exchange.
RESIDENCY DATES: July 1-7, 2026
The residency will coincide with The Luminary’s summer exhibition, featuring a large-scale sound work engaging collective voice, ecological futures, and non-human entities.
RESIDENCY FOCUS + GUIDING THEMES:
Applicants are encouraged to consider how their writing and research connect with:
Art as a site of thought, critique, and public engagement
Ecological Futures, non-human narratives, and collective imagination
Free Speech, democratic prints, and new modes of independent publishing
The relationship between analog and digital processes and spaces
Being present in place and translating local experience into writing
The role of arts criticism in regional and diasporic communities
WHAT THE RESIDENCY INCLUDES:
$1000 paid honorarium
Paid travel
Local housing for the residency period (a staycation)
Access to The Luminary’s programs, archives, and publications
Introductions to artists, organizers, and cultural workers in St. Louis
A hosted community share-out dinner with invited guests
Access to a risograph printer, with optional demo and print support
Publication opportunities with Sixty Inches From Center
Publication opportunities in a print zine produced with Melon Press
Writers may produce essays, criticism, interviews, field notes, experimental writing, or hybrid forms.
WHO SHOULD APPLY:
This open call is for local writers based in or connected to St. Louis who are:
Emerging or established arts writers, critics, journalists, or cultural thinkers
Engaged with local or regional arts ecosystems
Interested in expanding or deepening their writing practice
Aligned with values of equity, accessibility, and community accountability
We especially encourage applicants connected to Indigenous, diasporic, and queer communities, folks living with disabilities, and those historically underrepresented in arts publishing.
ACCESSIBILITY:
The Luminary’s residency apartment is located on the second floor of the building and is only accessible via one flight of stairs. For additional questions about the space and accessibility, please contact us at info@theluminaryarts.com
SELECTION PROCESS:
The Luminary will review applications and nominate three finalists, who will then be reviewed in collaboration with Sixty Inches From Center. One local writer will be selected to participate alongside Sixty’s traveling critic.
Selection will consider:
Relationship to arts communities
Writing voice, perspective, and critical approach
Experience level, access, and growth potential
Alignment with the values of The Luminary and Sixty
Capacity to contribute meaningfully to local and national discourse
RESIDENCY TIMELINE:
Application deadline: April 17
Panel deliberations and final decisions made: May 1, 2026
Participants notified: May 15, 2026
Residency begins: July 1, 2026
This residency is a part of a shared commitment to expand arts writing in St. Louis, support regional cultural criticism, connect local and national writers, and build platforms for critical, community-rooted dialogue.
theluminaryarts.submittable.com/submit/349795/2026-critics-in-residence-open-call
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2026-2027 Baldwin Fellowship Program
Baldwin for the Arts
DEADLINE: April 18, 2026
APPLICATION FEE: $15
INFO: The mission of Baldwin For The Arts is to support the creation of art reflecting the lived experiences of African, Asian, Caribbean, Indigenous, Hispanic/ Latino/a/x, and dual-heritage backgrounds at no cost to the artists.
Exclusively devoted to people of the Global Majority, Baldwin For The Arts is committed to cultivating creative liberation for literary, visual, performing, and interdisciplinary artists. Baldwin Fellowships cover all residency costs for accepted artists including transportation, living accommodations, a private workspace, and daily meals prepared by a local chef.
The term “Global Majority” is a positive (re)framing of diverse and historically marginalized communities. Rather than view people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Indigenous, Hispanic/Latino/a/x, and dual-heritage backgrounds as minorities, the term recognizes that ‘Globally’ these populations are the Majority.
At this time, we are not accepting international applications. We encourage you to frequent our Instagram account and subscribe to our website to receive newsletters and stay informed about future updates and opportunities.
Emerging and established artists of the Global Majority who specialize in the following disciplines are encouraged to apply:
Literature: All genres.
Performance: All disciplines which are performed in front of a live audience, including theater, music composition, and dance.
Visual: All art forms that use paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects including painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, and filmmaking (includes documentary, narrative, and experimental projects).
Interdisciplinary: All projects that use multiple disciplines, such as science, technology, literature, philosophy, to create new and unique artistic experiences.
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The Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction
The de Groot Foundation / Desperate Literature
DEADLINE: April 19, 2026
INFO: The de Groot Foundation is delighted to partner with The Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction to support emerging writers. The prize offers financial support, residency, publication opportunities, and more.
The aim of the Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize is both to celebrate the best of new short fiction under 2000 words and to give winners the most visibility possible for their writing. That’s why we’ve teamed up with sixteen different literary and artistic institutions to not only offer cash prizes and writing retreats but also to ensure that all our shortlisters have the opportunity to be published in multiple print and online journals, have their work put in front of literary agents, and present their stories at an event.
PRIZES:
First Prize:
€2000
A week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation.
A consultation with Literary Agent Charlotte Seymour from Johnson & Alcock.
A manuscript assessment with The Literary Consultancy.
Runner-up Prizes:
€1000 (two prizes available).
desperateliterature.com/prize/
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Inkluded Academy
Inkluded
DEADLINE: April 19, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
INFO: Inkluded Academy is a tuition-free publishing course taught by industry professionals that aims to educate and help place BIPoC publishing aspirants in the book business.
Held over the course of eight Saturdays in the summer, the Academy includes a rigorous curriculum, invested mentoring, and a commitment to job placement. The curriculum covers the foundational aspects of agenting, editorial, managing editorial, production, contracts, royalties, publicity, marketing, sales, scouting, and subsidiary rights. In addition to lectures, discussions, Q&A, practical instruction, and assignment review, each participant will receive career counseling, one-on-one sessions, and guidance from a mentor.
Inkluded Academy aims to be a much-needed pipeline between aspiring professionals from the BIPoC space and publishing. Matriculants who successfully complete the Academy in full, which includes attending all sessions and submitting all assignments, will receive a stipend from Inkluded.
ELIGIBILITY:
You must be at least 18 years old to apply.
You must identify as BIPoC.
You must reside in the tri-state area (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut) and be able to commute into New York City. Applicants that do not currently reside in the tri-state area but are planning to relocate and are able to commute into NYC for the Academy’s in-person sessions may be considered.
DURATION:
The academy takes place between June 25-September 12, 2026.
Saturday classes take place virtually 10am-4pm EST. Thursday sessions take place virtually from 7pm to 9:30pm EST. Orientation and Capstone are conducted in-person.
All dates are mandatory, and participants are required to be present for the duration.
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call for maNuscripts
Screen Door Press
DEADLINE: April 20, 20026
INFO: Dedicated to discovering unique, exceptional, and varied voices within Black literary traditions, the Screen Door Press imprint will celebrate the very best in fiction across a broad range of categories. Its goal is to publish thought-provoking books that use relatable characters, strong narratives, and beautiful language to champion diverse views from throughout the Black diaspora. Submissions are open to writers of all backgrounds.
GUIDELINES:
Submission materials must include:
Full manuscript
Cover letter
Author bio OR resume/CV
Contact information
PRIZE: Authors will each receive a publishing contract and a $5,000 prize.
EDITOR: Crystal Wilkinson, a recent fellowship recipient of the Academy of American Poets, is the award-winning author of Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts, a culinary memoir; Perfect Black, a collection of poems; and three works of fiction—The Birds of Opulence, Water Street and Blackberries, Blackberries. She is the recipient of an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Poetry, an O. Henry Prize, a USA Artists Fellowship, and an Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence. She has received recognition from the Yaddo Foundation, Hedgebrook, The Vermont Studio Center for the Arts, The Hermitage Foundation and others. Her short stories, poems and essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including most recently in The Atlantic, The Kenyon Review, STORY, Agni Literary Journal, Emergence, Oxford American and Southern Cultures. She was Poet Laureate of Kentucky from 2021 to 2023. Wilkinson currently teaches creative writing at the University of Kentucky where she is a Bush-Holbrook Endowed Professor.
kentuckypress.com/screen-door-press/
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Critical Writing Open Call 2026
Recess |📍Brooklyn, NY
DEADLINE: April 30, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
INFO: Recess invites applications for the 2026–2027 Critical Writing cohort.
Critical Writing at Recess initiates meaningful exchange between artists and writers and supports the mutual production of new work. Through a practice-led approach, the program brings together a cohort of writers to engage artists in the Recess community, develop new texts, and collectively produce a digital reader of contemporary art writing.
Throughout the program, each writer commits to publishing two texts while collaborating with the cohort to develop and edit a digital reader that places the Recess archive in conversation with texts from across the field.
DATES: The program runs August 2026 through June 2027, with monthly gatherings that alternate between virtual and in-person sessions.
Each participant receives a $4,000 stipend—distributed in three equal payments across the program year—that includes compensation for the writing, collaborative work, and participation in cohort sessions.
OPEN CALL TIMELINE:
Virtual Info Session: Monday, April 13 at 6:00pm EST
Application Deadline: Thursday, April 30 at 11:59pm EST
Applicant Interviews: Early June
Decisions Announced: July
PROGRAM STRUCTURE:
The Critical Writing program centers dialogue between writers and artists while fostering new forms of critical engagement with contemporary art.
The cohort will:
Meet monthly in facilitated sessions with invited artists, editors, and cultural workers
Develop new writing in a 8-10 week editorial timeline through peer exchange and editorial workshops
Publish two original texts in reflection of Session projects during the program year
Collaboratively produce a digital reader connecting the Recess textual archive with art writing from across the field
PROGRAM SCHEDULE:
The Critical Writing program will run from August 2026 through June 2027. The cohort will meet monthly in the evenings, tentatively every third Wednesday between 6-8pm EST. Review the program schedule below with the understanding that dates and timing may flux based on the shared calendars of the participants.
2026
Saturday, Aug 1 Half-Day Orientation: Writing Toward Abolition 11:00am–4:00pm — In person at Recess
Wednesday, Sept 16 Open Desk with an Artist-Writer 6:30–8:00pm — Recess
Wednesday, Oct 21 Reading Room: The Artist Interview 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom
Wednesday, Nov 18 Reading Room: Publishing Textual Art 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom
December Cohort publishes the Digital Reader
2027
Wednesday, Jan 20 Reading Room: The Editor’s Voice 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom
Wednesday, Feb 17 Open Desk with an Artbook Publisher 6:30–8:00pm — Recess
Wednesday, Mar 17 Reading Room: Writing Across Marginality 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom
Wednesday, Apr 21 Open Desk with a Curator-Editor 6:30–8:00pm — Recess
Wednesday, May 19 Reading Room: The Writer as Public Artist 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom
June Cohort curates a public program
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
The Critical Writing program is open to writers at any stage of their practice. We are selecting three writers for this year's Critical Writing cohort and reserving one spot for an alum of the Assembly program
We welcome applicants working across genres and forms, including:
essays
criticism
poetry
fiction
experimental writing
hybrid or interdisciplinary practices
Applicants may be emerging writers, mid-career writers, or those with extensive publication histories.
What matters most is a deep engagement with writing as a form of artistic and cultural inquiry.
Applicants will be asked to provide personal information, short written responses, writing samples, and literary references.
recessart.org/critical-writing-open-call-2026
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2026-2027 Rooted + Relational Community Micro-Grant Program
The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at Hunter College
DEADLINE: April 30, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
INFO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at Hunter College has announced that it is now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 Rooted + Relational Community Micro-Grant program. CENTRO will award up to 12 grants, each up to $5,000, to non-institutionally affiliated and non-academic community organizations, individuals, or projects for community-based programs. We invite community organizers, artists, creatives, writers, agricultural workers, activists, and cultural workers who reside in Puerto Rico and/or the United States and its territories to apply.
The 2026-2027 the Rooted + Relational theme is Black Cuerpas: Race, Body Politics & Culture. CENTRO seeks to fund projects that examine
How do race, gender, sexuality, and body politics shape the everyday lives and histories of Boricuas across the archipelago and diaspora?
What happens when we center race and Blackness in a field of study that has too often championed color-blindness and the myth of racial democracy to avoid the hard questions about racism, anti-Blackness, complicity, and erasure?
During the 2026-2027 academic year, grantees will implement their funded projects within their chosen communities. They will also present their work at a CENTRO event, attend three virtual meetings, and have their work highlighted through CENTRO’s communications and media channels.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicants must be community-based individuals, groups, or organizations engaged in artistic, community-driven, agricultural, activist, or cultural projects
Applicants must not be affiliated with a college or university (professors, graduate students, and academic staff are not eligible).
Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
Past Rooted & Relational Grant Recipients are not eligible.
To learn more about the “Rooted + Relational” initiative, please click here. For questions or assistance with the application process, please contact: Rosa Cruz, Partnerships and Outreach Manager, at centrofl@hunter.cuny.edu.
centropr.submittable.com/submit
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2027 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship
International Women’s Media Foundation
DEADLINE: April 30, 2026 at 11:59pm EST
INFO: The Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship gives academic and professional opportunities to women journalists committed to human rights and social justice reporting.
During this fellowship, the selected journalist will have the chance to complete research and coursework at MIT’s Center for International Studies and to participate in an internship with The Boston Globe. In the past, fellows have spent time in New York City at The New York Times as writing fellows. As of 2027, the fellows will no longer be writers at the Times. The IWMF and fellowship organizers are currently arranging the fellow's placement for June - July 2027.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
The Neuffer Fellowship is open to women, nonbinary and gender non-conforming journalists whose work focuses on human rights and social justice issues.
All applicants for the Neuffer Fellowship must be working journalists with at least three years of full-time, professional journalism experience. Internships and journalism-related work completed as a university student do not count as professional experience. Applicants may be affiliated or freelance journalists.
Journalists from any country around the world are eligible to apply. However, applicants must speak, read, and write English fluently in order to fully participate in and benefit from the Fellowship.
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS:
The application for the 2027 Fellowship is now open March 8th to April 19th 2026. The winner will be announced around August 2026.
FELLOWSHIP SCHEDULE:
June 2026: Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow will be selected
February - May 2027: Fellowship begins in Boston with an internship at the Boston Globe and research/coursework at MIT’s Center for International Studies
June - July 2027: TBD
July 2027: Fellowship ends
QUESTIONS:
Please review the Frequently Asked Questions page for the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship before starting your application or contacting the IWMF.
For any inquiries related to the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship, or if you are experiencing accessibility/connectivity issues, please contact IWMF Programs at programs@iwmf.org.
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call for submissions Creative Nonfiction
The Margins (Asian American Writers’ Workshop)
DEADLINE: April 30, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
INFO: The Margins is open for creative nonfiction submissions, with a particular interest in lyric essays and pieces that incorporate historical and/or cultural analysis. We’re also interested in essays that play with genre, such as zuihitsu and flash essays.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Submit either: a single piece of up to 3,500 words OR up to three flash essays of no more than 1,000 words each (please submit the pieces in a single document).
All work must be previously unpublished.
We accept submissions in translation; please confirm you have secured the rights to translate the original piece before submitting.
We accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us immediately if the work has been accepted elsewhere by messaging us through Submittable and indicating which pieces are no longer available.
Pieces must be your original work, authored or written solely by you, and may not include material generated by AI.
We welcome submissions from Asian and Asian diasporic writers, including those that identify as South, Southeast, East, North, and Central Asian; SWANA; Pacific Islander; and Indo-Caribbean.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR PIECES LIKE:
Nina Li Coomes’s essay on breastfeeding during a heatwave;
Sarah Aziza’s lyric investigation into language and her family history in Palestine;
Maddie Mori’s piece on wine;
Daphne Palasi Andreades’s hybrid essay featuring Filipino nurses during the pandemic;
Tina Chang’s zuihitsu considering violence against Asian women.
COMPENSATION: We pay for all published pieces. Rates for writers are here.
TIMELINE: Writers can expect to hear back on their submissions within four to six months.
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call for submissions: ‘futures - a science fiction series’
Radix Co-op
DEADLINE: April 30, 2026
SUBMISSION FEE: $5
INFO: We’re thrilled to announce the return of our beloved chapbook series. Futures: A Science Fiction Series, invites submissions from writers speculating about the future in inventive, fascinating, and yes, political short fiction. Six stories will be selected which will be published and made available as individual chapbooks and as part of a combined box set.
The title Futures is a call-in; we seek fiction that considers the audacious possibilities of the coming times: in the fearful uncertainty of tech-feudalism, the escalation of digital colonies, the blurring lines between reality and imagined constructs, and radical reimagination of our social and political structures. We want stories tackling both dystopian and utopian possibilities, located in the many subgenres that categorize sci-fi: afrofuturism, climate fiction, cyberpunk, time travel, and more, that stir the boundaries of imagination, but always stories that are political, speak for the marginalized against autocratic structures of money, military might, racial and ethnic superiority, and colonialism.
By using science fiction as a means to unpack these issues, we hope that the stories will allow for a better understanding of our world and give us more tools in our struggle to make it better.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: We are looking for unpublished short stories that could be described as “literary science-fiction.” The work should be about more than just rayguns and spaceships. (But there’s nothing wrong with those things!) They should explore the human element of science fiction, ask tough questions, and examine what it would mean to be alive in a future that is yet unwritten. We believe that good science fiction reflects the dreams and nightmares of the present day.
Pieces submitted should adhere to the following guidelines:
Cover Letter
Please submit a cover letter with your submission, listing:
Your contact information
The title, word count, and a summary of the submission
An author bio under 150 words listing any major publications or awards
Manuscript Guidelines
Between 5,000 and 15,000 words
Your manuscript must be a single Word or PDF document. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, OR ANY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION IN THE MANUSCRIPT.
We require documents typed in a neutral font, 12.0 size, and double-spaced pages. Ensure your document is numbered.
One story per entry, but multiple individual entries by a writer are allowed. Any submission with more than one story will be immediately disqualified.
A nominal fee of $5 is required with every entry to cover facilitation costs. If this fee is a barrier for you, please email meher@radix.coop for a fee-waiver. A minimum number of fee-waivers are available to claim.
CONTRIBUTORS & PAYMENT:
Contributors will be paid a $500 flat fee for their selected story. Each author will also receive ten author copies at the time of publication, and two box sets at the time of publication.
If you are a person of color, queer, trans, disabled writer, or find your identity on the margins of the mainstream, we would especially love to hear from you.
radix.coop/publishing/submissions
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2026 Gwen Ifill Award
International Women’s Media Foundation
DEADLINE: April 30, 2026 at 11:59pm EST
INFO: The Gwen Ifill Award was established to honor the memory of the legendary co-anchor of the PBS NewsHour, who passed away in November 2016. Gwen Ifill was among the most respected journalists of our time, a trailblazer and an incredible role model and mentor for young journalists. The award is given annually to a trailblazing journalist who reflects and carries forward Gwen’s professional legacy and personal lived experience.
The award is open to journalists working in the United States. Candidates for the award will be evaluated on criteria including their record of outstanding achievement in journalism, and the extent to which they represent the values Ifill embodied, including in the areas of mentorship, leadership and commitment to a diversity of perspectives in journalism. Beginning in 2024, each Gwen Ifill awardee will receive a cash prize, courtesy of The UTA Foundation.
If you are experiencing any accessibility/connectivity issues with the application process, please contact programs@iwmf.org.
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2026 Nonfiction Prize
Autumn House Press
DEADLINE: April 30, 2026
INFO: For the 2026 prize, the Autumn House staff, as well as select outsider readers, serve as the preliminary readers, and the final judge is Ira Sukrungruang. The winner receives publication of their full-length manuscript and $2,500.
We will announce the finalists and the winner of the prize in August 2026.
GUIDELiNES:
The winner will receive book publication, a $1,000 honorarium, and a $1,500 travel/publicity grant to promote their book
All finalists will be considered for publication
Nonfiction submissions should be approximately 150-300 double-spaced pages (37,500-75,000 words)
The reading fee is $35. (We will waive the submission fee for those undergoing financial hardship or living with limited means. Before you reach out to request a waived fee, please read our full statement and instructions here. If the guidelines are not followed, we will not be able to offer a waived fee.)
Autumn House is looking for personal essay collections and memoirs; we do not accept self-help books
The book must be previously unpublished as a whole. However, individual pieces may have been published in journals, magazines, or anthologies.
We only accept original manuscripts; AI-generated or AI-supported works are not accepted
Do not include your name anywhere on the actual manuscript; if your name appears within the body of the text, please omit it or black it out (first name is fine, but last name must be omitted)
Do not include a bio or an acknowledgments page in the manuscript
Feel free to include a table of contents (This does not count as part of your final page count)
Simultaneous submissions permitted
Friends, family members, and former students of judges or Autumn House editors may not submit to the prize. Students do not include interactions at short-term residencies or fellowships.
Former employees of Autumn House, including interns, may not submit to the prize.
ABOUT THE JUDGE:
Ira Sukrungruang is the author of four nonfiction books This Jade World (2021), Buddha’s Dog & Other Meditations (2018), Southside Buddhist (2014), and Talk Thai: The Adventures of Buddhist Boy (2010), the short story collection The Melting Season (2016), and the poetry collection In Thailand It Is Night (2013). With friend Donna Jarrell, he co-edited two anthologies that examine the fat experience through a literary lens—What Are You Looking At? The First Fat Fiction Anthology (2003) and Scoot Over, Skinny: The Fat Nonfiction Anthology (2005). He is a former member of the Board of Trustees for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP), and is currently on the Advisory Board of Machete, an imprint of The Ohio State University Press dedicated to publishing innovative nonfiction by authors who have been historically marginalized.
autumnhouse.org/submissions/nonfiction/
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2026-28 Generations in Dialogue Literary Mentoring Program
Generations in Dialogue Program (GID) x Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at USC |📍 Los Angeles, CA
DEADLINE: April 30, 2026
INFO: The Fr. James L. Heft, SM Generations in Dialogue Program (GID), part of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at USC, is a two-year, funded program, which will bring together emerging writers and well-established writers—together comprising a group of poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and essayists of varying cultural and religious backgrounds.
Program components include semi-annual retreats (honoraria & travel expenses provided), a supportive community offering encouragement and feedback on participant’s work, and consideration of important issues facing writers in the age of A.I.
Led by poet Laura Reece Hogan, the cohort will focus on the role of human thought and creativity and consider questions such as: What is it about literature that demands fresh human thought? Why does the evolving literary tradition need contributions from the lived, diverse experience of writers to move forward? How do we sustain human-based literary traditions, protect literary works from unauthorized A.I. infringement, and intentionally cultivate human-created literature? We are moving forward into a new world of A.I. assistance in every quadrant—how best can we do that as creators of the written word?
A Catholic approach to these topics prioritizes the human being. As we see in the work of authors as varied as Dante and Joyce, the Catholic literary tradition values the human experience, from moments of suffering and loss to moments of transcendence and joy. This tradition fosters an approach that is grounded in the daily reality of our lives and yet reaches for the sublime and otherworldly.
The Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies will advance and promote the creative work and public profile of participants, as well as elevate their perspectives and voices in a world where they are increasingly needed.
Questions? Email iacs@usc.edu.
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2026 DAY OF TRANSLATION: CALL FOR PANELS
Center for the Art of Translation x The Center for Fiction | 📍Brooklyn, NY
DEADLINE: May 1, 2026
INFO: On Thursday, September 24, 2026, Center for the Art of Translation will present our seventh annual Day of Translation, held at The Center for Fiction in Brooklyn and livestreamed worldwide. The Day of Translation connects readers of literary translation; literary translators at every stage of their careers; and anyone interested in the movement of ideas among languages, cultures, people, and places. This day of conversations about language and literature features provocative panels on translation, broadly defined.
In an effort to invite more of our community’s interests and curiosities, the Center for the Art of Translation welcomes panel proposals for the 2026 Day of Translation.
PROPOSAL GUIDELINES:
Proposals that expand or complicate the idea of translation are often the most engaging for our audience.
We are explicitly seeking proposals that illuminate a wide range of perspectives, both in terms of participants and subject matter.
Multilingual panels are welcome.
The most successful panels are generally limited to 4 or 5 participants, including a moderator; our emphasis is on making sure every voice is heard.
Proposed panels should aim to be an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes in duration, including a brief audience Q&A.
Staff from the Center for the Art of Translation and The Center for Fiction will review all panel proposals, and accepted panels will be determined by late May 2026. The Center for the Art of Translation will offer round-trip transportation to New York, lodging, and honoraria to accepted panelists.
For examples of 2025 Day of Translation panels visit: catranslation.org/event/day-of-translation-2025-2/
airtable.com/appYFAcM7lbDL4kRT/pagjJvzE9s9ysty7g/form
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Call for submissions: Back of the Envelope
The Offing
DEADLINE: May 1, 2026
INFO: Back of the Envelope seeks writing of any length and genre which relates to, or draws on, science and the natural world. Sharing its wonder or its horrors, relating the untold stories of discovery, or toying with everyday curiosities, we're interested in hearing from those inside and outside the scientific community.
theoffingmag.submittable.com/submit
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Waterston Desert Writing Prize
DEADLINE: May 1, 2026 at 11:59pm PST
INFO: The Waterston Desert Writing Prize (the Prize) was established in 2014 and inspired by author and poet Ellen Waterston’s love of the High Desert, a region that has been her muse for more than 40 years. Waterston was named Oregon Poet Laureate in August 2024 for a two-year term. The Prize provides financial and other support to writers whose work reflects a similar connection to the desert, recognizing the vital role deserts play worldwide in the ecosystem and the human narrative.
The Prize will recognize the winner with a $3,000 cash award, residency at PLAYA in Summer Lake, Oregon, and a reading and reception at the High Desert Museum on September 17, 2026. Proposals will be reviewed by the Waterston Desert Writing Prize Advisory Committee and the 2026 guest judge.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY: Nonfiction writers who illustrate artistic excellence, sensitivity to place and desert literacy with the desert as both subject and setting. The award supports literary nonfiction writers who are completing, proposing, or considering the creation of a book-length manuscript. It is recommended the writing sample submitted is part of the proposed project or closely represents it in content and style.
HOW TO APPLY:
Step 1. Fill out the online application form on Submittable. This form is the ONLY location identifying information (your name, address, email) should appear.
Step 2. Upload ONE Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF file. Combine the three parts of the application described below into one document and do not place your name or other identifying information on any page of the document.
a. Biographical Statement: One double-spaced page in 12-point type and one-inch margins. Do not disclose your identity in this information. A resumé or curriculum vitae will not be accepted. Provide a brief narrative that summarizes:
Your educational, professional, publication, and writing experience
How the Waterston Desert Writing Prize award will benefit your work
Your commitment to making a meaningful contribution to the body of desert literature
b. Proposal Title and Description: No more than one double-spaced page in 12-point type and one-inch margins. The description should include:
Proposal title
Brief description of the project
Desert locations included in the project’s research
Brief description of how the project will contribute to desert literature and expand knowledge of the deserts
NOTE: A budget is not required
c. Writing Sample: No more than 10 double-spaced pages in 12-point type and one-inch margins. Please keep in mind:
Writing samples that are in other genres such as poetry, fiction or juvenile literature will be disqualified.
Writing samples can be published material or unpublished drafts.
You must be the sole author and have full ownership of the work.
Any extra materials included with the proposal, and not requested in these guidelines, will not be reviewed.
d. No use of generative AI tools permitted: The High Desert Museum assumes that all applications and writing samples are generated by the author themselves. The use of generative AI tools are not permitted and are in violation of the Prize submission guidelines.
Step 3. Submit materials. All applications must be submitted via Submittable. Please note that incomplete and late applications will not be reviewed.
thewaterstondesertwritingprize.submittable.com/submit
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Native Writing Intensive
We Need Diverse Books
DEADLINE: May 4, 2026
INFO: This multi-day retreat offers an opportunity for reflection, conversation, and manuscript and career development for Native writers focusing on children’s literature.
Less than two percent of children’s books published in the United States depict characters from American Indian and First Nation populations. This is why we launched the Native Writing Intensive — to provide a nurturing and instructive meeting place for Native writers to help them hone their craft and publish their stories.
Since 2020, we’ve hosted the intensive every summer and we’ve welcomed dozens of participants from all over the US and Canada. Over four days, our participants attend keynotes and workshops, receive critiques on their work, and connect with other writers to build community.
The Native Writing Intensive offers an opportunity for reflection, conversation, celebration, and manuscript and career development. The 2026 intensive will be a reinvention of previous programs with a deeper writing-craft focus.
The 2026 We Need Diverse Books Native Children’s-YA Writing Intensive will take place from Thursday, July 23 to Sunday, July 26 at at the Texican Court Hotel in Irving, Texas.
Applications open March 9 and close May 4. Acceptance letters sent by May 15. Limited travel scholarships are available; find scholarship essay prompts in the application. More intensive details regarding housing and meals may be found in the application, too.
OUR WRITING INTENSIVE INCLUDES:
Presentations and Q&A sessions with agent, author, and editor faculty members.
A manuscript workshop where your work (or project proposal) will be celebrated as a springboard to discuss craft elements. Participants will be required to read manuscript partials of all fellow attendees prior to arrival and be prepared to discuss.
A 10-page critique (one long project or two picture books) in standard manuscript format or a career consultation with faculty. You’ll chat one-on-one with one of the faculty authors and editor. For assignment purposes, you’ll indicate on the application whether you’re already agented, etc.
ELIGIBILITY:
Who should apply for the Native Children’s and YA Writing Intensive?
Native/First Nations/Indigenous writers seeking a weekend devoted to deep study, craft and conversation, manuscript feedback, and career mentorship.
Apprentice/beginner, agented, and/or published children’s and YA writers who are Native/First Nations/tribal citizens/members or recent descendants who are connected to their respective cultural communities. (Priority will be given to those still in their pre-publishing apprenticeship and new voices with three or fewer books published.)
Native/FN/Indigenous writers, including those who are Elders, 2SLGBT+, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Métis, Black Natives, Five SE Tribes Freedmen, Indigenous folks who’re from urban/rez/’burbs/rural/small-town, Native veterans, etc.
Native/First Nations/Indigenous writer-illustrators are welcome to apply and will receive feedback on both aspects of their work, though the program emphasis will be on writing rather than illustration.
It is not required that your children’s or YA writing be centered on Native characters or topics. Please feel free to bring your mainstream nonfiction about, say, the history of roller skates or fiction about, say, rebellious robot rock stars from outer space.
diversebooks.org/programs/nativewritingintensive
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Arts Writers Grant
Andy Warhol Foundation
DEADLINE: May 6, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
INFO: The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant supports emerging and established writers who write about contemporary visual art. Ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 in four categories—articles, books, short-form writing, and translation—the grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from short reviews for magazines and newspapers to in-depth scholarly studies. The program also supports art writing that engages criticism through interdisciplinary methods and experiments with literary styles. As long as a writer meets the eligibility and publishing requirements, they can apply.
Writers are invited to apply in one of the following categories:
Article
Book
Short-Form Writing
Translation
PROJECT ELIGIBILITY:
To be eligible for a translation grant, your proposed project must:
be a translation of a book into English;
be primarily about contemporary art;
include evidence of the ongoing or completed process to secure rights for the translation.
APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY:
To be eligible for the translation grant, you must meet one of the following requirements:
Be a translator who has published at least
one translation of a work into English in the broader artistic or cultural fields of at least 3,000 words.
Be an arts writer who has published at least
two articles about contemporary visual art of at least 2,000 words each; or
four articles about contemporary visual art of at least 500 words each; or
one book about contemporary visual art or a related subject
In addition, you must be:
a US citizen, permanent resident of the United States, or a holder of an O-1 visa (if your application advances to the final round, you will need to submit current documentation);
at least twenty-five years of age.
You are not eligible for this grant if you are:
applying on behalf of an organization;
applying for a project in which your primary involvement will be as an editor;
applying for a project to translate your own writing;
applying to translate a project that is primarily fiction or poetry;
applying to translate a project that is primarily about Andy Warhol;
applying for a project that will be published by a commercial gallery;
applying for a Creative Capital Award for any project in the same grant year (including as a collaborator);
a former grantee of The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant;
a current employee, consultant, board member, or funder of Creative Capital or the Andy Warhol Foundation, or an immediate family member of such a person.
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WRITINGS ON DIASPORICAN VISUAL ARTISTS
The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO)
DEADLINE: May 10, 2026
INFO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO), the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States, invites art critics, curators, art historians, and art or art history students to submit their original writing focusing on contemporary diasporic Puerto Rican visual artists to be included in our Diasporican Art in Motion initiative and RicanWritings online magazine.
As a research center focused on the Diasporic Puerto Rican experience, we are committed to promote the creation of knowledge of our cultural heritage and expressions. Diasporic Puerto Rican artists have been at the forefront of identity issues, and their work often examines and expands the national representation boundaries. The production of knowledge based on Diasporic Puerto Rican Artists will not only help the understanding and promotion of their work, but will enlighten the understanding of ourselves and of our diasporic journeys.
In alignment with Centro’s Rooted + Relational research initiatives themes for 2026 (Boricuas in Relation and Black Cuerpas: Race, Body Politics & Culture), we are particularly interested in artists with more than one heritage and artists who self identify as afrodescendants.
Up to 10 selected writings will be published on CENTRO’s digital magazine RicanWritings, social media, and appear in the Diasporican Art in Motion database.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Essays should be no more than 1,500 words and focus on one of the artists in the Diasporican Art in Motion database.
Essays can take the form of an artist profile, exhibition review or response, short interview with commentary, or a response to a specific artwork.
Submissions should follow the same standard requirements of our Centro Journal Style Guide with the exception that submissions won’t be sent by email but through a digital form instead.
Any writer can submit more than one writing for different artists. Manuscripts can be submitted either in English or Spanish.
Writings should be original and not previously published.
We encourage writings on artists whose work has not been widely studied.
SUBMISSION PROCESS:
Complete the form in Submittable, ensure all mandatory fields are completed, and review and confirm your submission.
You will receive email confirmation of your form.
Your manuscript undergoes a rigorous internal review process where your submission is evaluated on its quality, originality, and relevance.
We will email you with our decision and, if applicable, further steps.
COMPENSATION FOR SELECTED ESSAYS: $300
CONTACT INFO: If you encounter any issues or have questions about the submission process, please don’t hesitate to contact our team at DiasporicanArts@hunter.cuny.edu.
ABOUT DIASPORICAN ART IN MOTION (DAM)
DAM is a digital repository and research catalyst seeking to document the impact of migration on Puerto Rican visual culture and community-building through in-depth profiles of contemporary diasporic Puerto Rican visual artists. This community of artists is understudied and as a result, they are underrepresented in the Arts field. Their underrepresentation stems from the fact that diasporic Puerto Rican visual artists often fall outside the boundaries of American, Latin American, and Caribbean art. Moreover, their uniqueness and singular contributions to the arts are overshadowed and diluted by their lack of exposure in sanctioning academic fields and institutions.
centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/opportunities/writings-on-diasporican-visual-artists/
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book publicity grant for underepresented authors
Page One Media
DEADLINE: May 15, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
INFO: Last year we launched our first fully pro bono book publicity campaign for an underrepresented writer in publishing. Out of all of the submissions, we chose, as a team, Malavika Kannan and her forthcoming debut novel, Unprecedented Times, which publishes on August 18. We are thrilled to be able to support Malavika, her book, and her career in this way. Tune in to our social media to hear more about what’s happening for Unprecedented Times as that campaign gets underway.
We’re getting an earlier start on the process this year, so we have more time to read the submissions and also to give a longer submission period for authors. The submission requirements are the same as last year and listed below and on the Grant submission page on our website.
BACKGROUND ON THE PAGE ONE MEDIA GRANT PROJECT:
The Page One Media Grant Project began in 2021. You can learn more about it here in this blog post. It was one way that we felt we could help support authors who have, over the decades, been less likely to have their books acquired and less likely to have them resourced through sales, marketing and publicity support. I had worked in publishing for 20 years when I decided to leave my in-house job in 2019. We know that diversity benefits businesses and it is also true that it benefits people and learners. Page One wants to be a part of aiding that change in publishing. Without an equal chance at high level publicity, authors are at a disadvantage for publishing their next book and the cycle of underrepresentation continues.
WHO QUALIFIES?
We take an intentionally broad view of diversity. If you come from a traditionally underrepresented group in publishing and this includes women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, disabled people, and more, you should submit your project.
There are only two circumstances that disqualify an author from consideration for the Page One Media book publicity grant. First, we don’t currently work with books that are being self-published or published by hybrid presses. This is not unique to the grant project, and it is not a statement on the quality of these books, but we have worked on them in the past and we have found that we can’t make enough of an impact because media still use publishers and imprints as a qualifier for book review and other types of coverage. Why do they do this? Because we publish a preposterous number of books annually in the United States. Nearly 400,000 books are traditionally published and another million are self and hybrid published. We have also found that in the instances where we have worked on these books, they don’t have enough distribution or large enough print runs to feel the impact of our work and to therefore benefit through sales.
Second, the 2027 grant round will only consider books being published by U.S.-based publishing houses, by U.S.-based authors, and publishing in the 2027 calendar year.
All the other requirements are ones that we require of all books we work on:
We, the Page One team, must love the book. We best represent stories, research and ideas that truly resonate with us.
The publisher must be aware that the author is considering working with us.
Galleys must be available in both print and e-formats.
Underrepresented is an intentionally broad term and includes any group that has had less access to being published. Don’t count yourself out. Tell us about yourself: who you are, what is important to you, and how you are trying to be a force for good in our world through your book. We want to hear from you.
We are asking for some additional materials during the submission process. Those are:
The full manuscript of the book. We will keep it completely confidential and will destroy it after the grant process ends.
Complete our grant questionnaire.
Provide the Publisher Affidavit form to your publisher representative (this needs to be an in-house employee of your publisher) to confirm the publication date of your book. Please submit it with your materials.
Provide your publisher author questionnaire if you have one. If you don’t, please fill out ours.
Submit all requested materials by May 15, 2026, at 11:59pm EDT. Any materials received after 11:59 pm EDT on May 15, 2026, will not be considered.
Do not delay in submitting your materials. The more we can get a head start on reading submissions; the sooner we can announce the grant recipient.
NEXT STEPS + INSTRUCTIONS:
Carefully review the submission requirements in this post and in our terms and conditions. We will not notify you if required materials are missing. If materials are missing, you won’t be considered.
Download the Publisher Affidavit form and have your publisher fill it out, sign and return it with the rest of your materials.
Fill out our P1M Grant Project questionnaire form.
Submit all your materials together; this will be done through the P1M Grant Project questionnaire form. Do not submit anything via email. It will not be considered.
Sign up for our newsletter and follow our social media accounts (not required but this is where we will announce the grant recipient).
You can get started with the submissions process here.
Note: Do not submit yourself twice. If you are publishing two books in 2027 choose only one to be considered for the P1M Grant. If you submit two, we will only consider the first book submitted.
Please direct any questions to hello@page1m.com. We can’t wait to read your book and learn more about you!
page1m.com/page-one-medias-pro-bono-book-publicity-campaign-for-publishing-year-2027/
ROLLING SUBMISSIONS
CALL FOR HORROR WRITERS
Harriet’s House
INFO: Harriet's House invites submissions from horror writers of the African diaspora for its 2026/2027 issue. Harriet’s House is an online magazine that publishes one literary horror story a month by a writer of the African diaspora. Harriet’s House is an ode to Harriet Jacobs, a formerly enslaved Black woman and one of the first Black authors to write in the gothic genre, horror’s fraternal sister, noted as the well from which modern horror writing sprang.
During Harriet’s lifetime, she hid in the crawl space of her grandmother’s house for seven years to escape a menacing slave owner who threatened to sell her children. For a long time, home was a precarious concept for Harriet. The magazine is an ode to her and the house she built for those who have followed in her literary footsteps. Send us your supernatural, haunting, and terrifying stories.
GUIDELINES: We are looking for short stories between 1,200 and 5,000 words. We are interested in but not limited to: gothic horror, speculative horror, supernatural horror, body horror, psychological drama and survival horror.
Writers can send their stories to harrietshousemag@gmail.com
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: “NOTES, COMMENTARY AND REFLECTIONS”
Small Axe Journal
INFO: The Small Axe Journal is getting a new section. Named “Notes, Commentary and Reflections,” this section will feature pieces that address urgent contemporary issues in the Caribbean.
GUIDELINES: Submissions should have a maximum of 2,500 and should be uploaded to our submissions portal, which can be found on our website.
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call for submissions
The Amp
INFO: Want to write for The Amp? We welcome you to pitch us! We publish stories that are by and for the AAPI community, showcasing visual art, theater, dance, film, music, and everything in between.
GUIDELINES:
Essays: 800-1,000 words that identify a cultural zeitgeist and important, prescient themes within the AAPI cultural community.
Reviews: 300-500 words on recent or current events, exhibitions, publications, etc. These should have an angle or specific point of view and be overall celebratory while still remaining critical.
Profiles: 500-800 word profiles that spotlight AAPI who are shaping the cultural landscape in NYC, from artists to arts administrators, organizers, and collectors. These profiles are a testament to the fact that culture cannot exist without community.
Interviews: A conversation between cultural figures around a specific theme or a direct interview with a single subject.
To pitch, email theamp@aaartsalliance.org with the article category in the subject line (ie: Review, Profile, Essay, Interview, etc.) followed by a pithy working title. It should look something like this:
“Essay Pitch: Writing the Story of AAPI Art and Culture”
From there, describe what and why you are pitching in 3-5 sentences; what is the story and why is it important that it’s covered in The Amp? Please include any relevant time pegs as well as an estimated word count.
Finally, introduce yourself. Previous bylines or writing samples are always appreciated.
The Amp offers flat fees at a rate of $.40 per word, rounded down to the nearest hundred words (e.g. $240 for 600 words).
PLEASE NOTE: Due to limited bandwidth, The Amp can only cover events and artists that are based in the NYC area. We also do not publish features by artists writing about their own work, however we welcome you to share upcoming events for potential coverage, or submit the event to A4’s community calendar.