Stop by the NewPages Blog every Friday to find writing contests and calls for submissions from literary magazines, independent publishers, creative writing programs, and more, to help you figure out where to submit your work.
Deadline: May 31, 2026 The Flying South contest is now open for submissions. Submit your unpublished work in fiction, creative nonfiction, and/or poetry for a chance to win cash prizes – $400 for first place, $200 for second, and $100 for third in each category. All finalists receive publication in the Flying South journal. See website for a list of guidelines.
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BOOK AWARD (poetry manuscripts: Deadline March 31, 2026): Judge: Annie Finch. Go to our website to learn more.
THERE IS ALSO THE GENERAL CALL FOR SUBMISSION TO ABLE MUSE: for the forthcoming ABLE MUSE, Print Edition, Winter 2026/27, #33. (And NO reading fees for our general submissions!) DEADLINE: Our yearly reading period runs from January 1 to July 15. DETAILS at our website.
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Deadline: February 28, 2026 Write your Flash Story in 300 words or less. That’s one page of a book. Sounds easy, but the best of these bite-sized pieces hit like a full meal. It’s challenging, yes. But totally doable. Have a go! Ten will be chosen by judge, Tania Heshman, to be published in the Fish Anthology 2026. So enter your Flash Story before the Feb 28th deadline. Learn more and submit here.
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Deadline: May 25, 2026 Livingston Press’s fourth annual Changing Light Prize for a novel-in-verse is accepting submissions. No entry fee. Send complete manuscript to [email protected] in a Word file. Include your bio in the file. View flyer or visit website for more information.
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The National Indie Excellence® Awards honor outstanding English-language books from self-published authors, indie presses, and university publishers. Now in its 20th year, NIEA celebrates excellence across all genres. Eligible books must be published within two years of the March 31 deadline. See flyer to learn more and submit at our website.
Want early access to our eLitPak flyers? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter! You can also support NewPages with a paid subscription and get early access to the majority submission opportunities, upcoming events, and more before they are posted to our site.
Happy Friday! Somehow we’re already staring down the last week of the month. The February eLitPak newsletter is out, and here in Michigan the warmer weather has arrived with its usual mix of rain and fog—but at least we’re getting a break from snow and ice.
With another major storm rolling across the country, I hope you’re staying safe and finding time to write. Here’s this week’s roundup of submission opportunities, plus a little spark to keep your creativity going.
Inspiration Prompt: Reading Between the Lines
Mark Twain once said, “A successful book is not made of what is in it, but what is left out of it.” He was talking about editing — but there’s a deeper implication worth sitting with. Omission isn’t just a tool for clarity. It’s where a story’s interior life lives.
Every piece of writing has an on-screen existence — the words the reader follows, the scenes they witness, the dialogue they hear. But surrounding that visible story is a larger, quieter one: the character history that never surfaces, the worldbuilding detail you wrote only for yourself, the emotional beat implied in a pause rather than stated in a speech, the off-screen choice that explains everything without ever being named.
The most resonant writing doesn’t fill in those gaps. It trusts them. It lets the unseen world press against the edges of the page — present, shaping, felt.
Happy Friday — or as happy as a Friday the thirteenth can be. If you’re feeling superstitious and would rather avoid today’s bad‑luck vibes by staying home with a mug of something warm, we’ve got you covered. NewPages is back with our weekly roundup of submission opportunities, plus a little spark of inspiration to get those creative juices flowing.
Inspiration Prompt: It Just Takes Time…or A Jug of Moonshine
While reading the inaugural issue of Poetry Midwest, Paul Hostovsky’s poem “Flents” stopped me in my tracks. Perhaps it’s because my own grandfather passed away this past December, but the poem’s shift in perspective felt especially resonant.
In the poem, Paul Hostovsky recalls being fascinated as a boy by his father’s “Flents”—waxy, bite-sized lumps molded to the shape of his father’s ear canals. At thirteen and a half, they were novelties, curious mementos of the man himself. It wasn’t until Hostovsky reached the age his father was when he passed away that Hostovsky’s perspective changed. He realized those Flents weren’t just objects, but shields his father used to endure the very rock music Hostovsky once blasted through the house while his father lay in bed dying.
Perspective is a living thing—rarely objective, and always subject to change.
Submissions open now until May for NONFICTION manuscripts and pitches!
The Beautiful Pause Prize held by Press Pause Press is a yearly prize of $1,000 and the print publication of a full-length manuscript awarded to a writer (18 years and older) of exceptional talent and heart.
One runner-up will receive $500 and publication of an excerpt in one of the Press Pause biannual print volumes.
Submissions are open for NONFICTION manuscripts and pitches through May 1, 2026.
Check out the contest guidelines for additional criteria and helpful information about pitching Press Pause Press. Submit when you’re ready but do not delay!
Press Pause is a quiet literary magazine avoiding social media, fostering reflection, publishing biannual volumes, annual prize manuscripts, and books.
Happy Friday and welcome to February! We’ve officially made it through the first week of a new month. Here in Michigan, February arrived with an unexpected warm spell (20s after negative temperatures definitely counts as a heat wave, right?) after January delivered its fair share of subarctic drama. Winter, of course, isn’t finished with us yet.
If the weather outside your window isn’t especially inviting, NewPages has plenty to keep you inspired indoors. This week’s roundup features dozens of new and ongoing submission opportunities, along with a creative writing prompt designed to help you shake loose any lingering writer’s block.
Inspiration Prompt: A Penny for Your Thoughts
Writing exercises aren’t about perfection. They’re about momentum.
Think of them as rough drafts of the mind: fragments, sparks, half-formed ideas that exist simply to get words moving. Sometimes, it’s those unpolished scraps that become the pieces we return to later and think, Ah. There’s something here.
(If you’re anything like us, that explains the notebooks, documents, and folders full of unfinished starts and fragments from who knows where.)
This week, we’re trying something a little different with a response-based writing prompt.
The Spark
Read the following lines from a work-in-progress and let them sit with you for a moment. Don’t worry about original context. Let the words become something new in your hands.
“Mercy, mercy,” quoth he. “Please have mercy on me!”
Why should I mercy show when you yourself have none?”
“Why, milady, to prove that you are the better one!”
“Aye and to prove that I am, a secret I shall let thee know…there is no mercy for the damned.”
And in one fell swoop she struck the killing blow.
And just like that, we’re already turning the final page on the first month of 2026. With January winding down, a flurry of deadlines is coming up fast—both at the end of this month and the very start of February. But no need to stress. As always, NewPages is here with a fresh roundup of currently open submission opportunities so you won’t miss a thing.
And of course, we can’t forget that little dash of inspiration.
Inspiration Prompt: To Become the Sky
Expectations can be a double‑edged sword, can’t they? From the pressures and demands you place on yourself to those others place, impose, and project on you. Expectations that can help drive you forward but can also mire you in a bog of what others desire—or make you feel like a failure if you know, in reality, you cannot possibly live up to them.
For this week’s prompt, step outside those expectations—every one of them. Imagine what might be possible if you loosened your grip on who you are supposed to be and opened your palms to who you could be. Let yourself become vast, borderless, atmospheric. What would your writing look like if you expanded instead of compressed? If you rose above the narrow corridors of obligation and drifted instead toward the wide blue of possibility?
Write from the perspective of someone—yourself, a character, a voice, a place, a creature—who has decided to become the sky. How do they shed the weight of expectation? What dissolves, what remains, and what becomes newly visible from this impossible altitude? Consider how the sky changes throughout a day, a season, a storm. How does transformation invite both clarity and opacity?
This is a weekend for bundling up in layers and staying indoors with a steady supply of hot drinks and soup. Here in the Midwest, we’re heading into subzero windchills—never fun when stepping outside means being instantly frozen. Take care of yourselves and stay safe if you’re in an area experiencing dramatic temperature dips or snowstorms.
NewPages has the perfect remedy to keep you cozy and creative. Enjoy a weekly dose of writing inspiration and more than 100 venues where you can submit your work. It’s more than enough to keep you active, busy, and out of the chill.
Inspiration Prompt: It’s All in the Breed
I share my life (and my blankets) with two dachshunds—stubborn, affectionate little tunneling machines who believe the universe revolves around snuggle time and whatever scent trail they’ve decided is more important than my plans for the day. Dachshunds were bred to hunt badgers underground… which explains both their determination and my yard.
For this week’s prompt, imagine a world where human emotions and habits are inherited directly from the animals we love or live with. Not shapeshifting, not fables—just a strange rule of the universe: your temperament comes from your household species or breed.
Upcoming Deadline: March 15 Four Deadlines for Poets! First up: the Washington Prize for a full-length collection. Submit January 15 – March 15. The Word Works then reads submissions for the Hilary Tham Capital Collection, the Tenth Gate Prize, International Editions, and our Open Reading Period. Each uses a different selection method, and our taste is omnivorous! View our flyer and visit our website for more information.
Want early access to our eLitPak flyers? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter! You can also support NewPages with a paid subscription and get early access to the majority submission opportunities, upcoming events, and more before they are posted to our site.
Deadline: March 1, 2026 Apple in the Dark is seeking fiction and creative nonfiction submissions for the Spring 2026 issue. Submission deadline: March 1. Word limit: 1,500 per piece (up to three pieces per submission). Visit duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/apple-dark-1504B to learn more.
Want early access to our eLitPak flyers? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter! You can also support NewPages with a paid subscription and get early access to the majority submission opportunities, upcoming events, and more before they are posted to our site.
Can you believe January is already halfway gone? This week we sent out our eLitPak newsletter—if you missed it, you can catch up online here.
The weather’s still doing its 2026 flip-flop—50s one day, teens the next. Some things never change! One thing you can count on, though, is NewPages bringing you a fresh roundup of submission opportunities and inspiration every week. Happy writing and submitting!
Inspiration Prompt: Negativity is All in the Head
We talk about “negative” temperatures, but what does that really mean? For some, cold means the 40s or 50s. For others, it’s subzero, where the air bites and the world freezes solid. Did you know that when it gets extremely cold, the atmosphere can become too dry for snow? The colder it gets, the less likely you’ll see those flakes…and the more likely you should be slathering yourself in moisturizer.
This week, imagine life in a world below zero. What would change for you? What new skills would you need to survive? Now take it further: what if your attitude controlled the temperature? The more negative your thoughts, the colder your surroundings become. Could your mindset freeze rivers, frost windows, or plunge a city into an endless winter?
Write, sketch, or create around the idea of negativity—how it shapes environments, relationships, and survival.
Now that you are perfectly inspired, and perfectly frigid, keep going to find a home for your work.
Welcome to the first submissions roundup of 2026! We hope you enjoyed a fun and relaxing winter holiday season. We’re back to help you keep your writing and submission goals going strong—and to spark your creativity with a weekly dose of inspiration.
Inspiration Prompt: What is a Living Wage?
“There is an apple in the world for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed.” — Rock My World
Minimum wage and living wage are not the same thing—and rarely even close. In the early 2000s, economists estimated that a true living wage for the average American would hover around $22 an hour. Two decades later, the gap between what people earn and what it costs to live has only widened.
We know the arguments: raise wages, cut jobs, hike prices. It feels like an endless cycle. But what does “enough” really look like?
Using your own experiences or observations, what do you think a true living wage is—and what would it take to achieve it?
Explore what happens when the concept of “living wage” becomes literal: what if wages determined how long you live?
Imagine a world where wages are tied to something other than money—time, health, happiness, or even art.
Visualize the symbols of “need” versus “greed”: apples, scales, empty wallets, overflowing vaults.
Tell the story of a character who earns their living in an unconventional way—or who fights for fairness in a system stacked against them.
Once you have finished your creation, keep going to find a home for your work.
Welcome to the final submissions roundup of 2025—say it isn’t so! With December wrapping up next week, now’s the moment to catch all those end‑of‑year deadlines before they slip away.
A quick scheduling note: NewPages will be on our annual winter break from December 24 through January 5. That means there will be no submissions roundup for the New Year. We’ll return with the first roundup of 2026 on January 9.
We hope you’ve had a wonderful, restful, and safe holiday season. Here’s wishing you all the best in the New Year—may your writing, reading, and submitting goals not only be met, but exceeded.
Inspiration Prompt: Resolutely Magic
New Year’s resolutions are made just to be broken… right? Carrying your best intentions forward for an entire year can feel like both a monumental effort and a monstrous challenge.
But imagine living in a world where your resolutions weren’t just hopeful lists—they were official contracts.
What happens if you break one? What does that cost you?
Or picture a year when something unexpected happens: your resolutions are blessed with magic, guaranteeing that you’ll meet every expectation you set for yourself. How would that change you? Would the meaning of your accomplishments shift if you didn’t have to struggle for them? Would you create new resolutions? Bigger ones? Stranger ones? Would you use the power of “your” resolutions to reshape your community—or the world?
Write, draw, collage, sketch… create a world where resolutions carry power, consequence, and possibility. Let your imagination decide what becomes resolute—and what becomes magical.
Yes, we’re back. I wish I could say our submission roundups took a two‑week break for something joyful or restorative, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case. A sudden death in my family meant stepping away for the funeral and all the difficult, unglamorous business that comes with losing someone you love.
But the weekly roundup has returned to help you close out your 2025 submission goals strong. Next week’s edition will be the final one of the year—already! Hard to believe we’re here again. Where has this year gone?
Inspiration Prompt: Miracles All Year
December likes to claim miracles for itself. Between the Hallmark plots, the snow‑globe aesthetics, and the songs on repeat everywhere you go, it’s easy to start believing that wonder is seasonal—that it shows up only when the calendar says it should.
But miracles don’t follow a schedule. They arrive in the ordinary months, the off‑season hours, the messy stretches when no one is expecting anything luminous at all.
For this week’s prompt, look beyond the holiday glow and write into a moment of unexpected grace from any point in your life. It can be grand or quiet, explainable or not:
A job you got against all odds—after you’d already rehearsed the rejection.
A scholarship that appeared exactly when the math said it shouldn’t.
A near miss, a narrow escape, an outcome that still makes people tilt their heads and say, “How did that happen?”
Or even something small: the right person showing up at the right moment, a door opening you didn’t know you were allowed to try.
Let the “miracle” be whatever you define it to be—an event, an insight, a turn, a survival, a shift. Then translate that moment into any medium you choose: a poem that holds its breath, a story that doesn’t fully explain itself, a lyric essay threading disbelief with gratitude, a comic, a collage, a script, a scene, a song.
Where did your miracle begin? What did it change? What trace of it remains?
Happy Friday! If you celebrated Thanksgiving, I hope it was full of good food, family, and gratitude. Hard to believe this is already the last Friday in November! That means some submission opportunities are closing soon—but don’t worry, NewPages has you covered with our weekly roundup. And because creativity deserves a little seasonal spice, we’ve got an inspiration prompt to shake off any writer’s block. This week? Think ghosts…on Black Friday.
Inspiration Prompt: Tis the Season…for Haunting You
Love it or hate it, Christmas promotions seem to creep in earlier every year, culminating in the greatest retail frenzy of all—Black Friday. I don’t hate Christmas, but let’s be honest: its haunting consumer presence can feel relentless.
Black Friday is here—and so are the ghosts. Is it a mother trampled in the chaos, clutching the toy she died to buy? Or the spirits of Christmases past, present, and yet to come? Christmas may celebrate life, but its shadows brim with ghosts and dark folklore—Krampus among them.
What haunts your holiday? A bargain gone wrong? A tradition that won’t let go? Christmas music that won’t stop playing long after the holiday is gone? Or something stranger still? Write the story, poem, or essay—or create art, collages, comics—that answers the question: What happens when the ghosts of consumerism collide with the ghosts of tradition?
Once you have your answer, scroll down to find the perfect home for your haunting in this week’s submission roundup.
Happy Friday! Time marches on and before you know it, it will be Thanksgiving already. Here’s hoping the good news garnered this week keeps things on a positive note for the remainder of 2025.
What are you thankful for? Have your writing and submission goals been getting met like you hoped? NewPages is back with our weekly roundup of submission opportunities along with our weekly dose of inspiration to keep your writing fueled.
Inspiration Prompt: Talking Past Each Other
This past week, I finished a Korean drama where two male leads were having what seemed like a normal conversation about their relationship. But the deeper and longer the exchange went, the less sense it made. Were they really talking about the same thing? Were they truly listening to each other? Or were they locked in parallel monologues, each hearing only what they wanted to hear?
For this week’s prompt, explore that fascinating space where meaning fractures:
Writers: Craft a scene where two characters believe they’re having the same conversation—but they’re actually talking about completely different things. Let the misunderstanding grow until it leads to an unexpected twist, a humorous reveal, or a dramatic fallout. Bonus challenge: keep the dialogue natural and let subtext do the heavy lifting.
Poets: Play with double meanings, misheard phrases, or layered interpretations. How does language betray us—or save us—when we’re not truly listening?
Artists: Create a collage, illustration, or mixed-media piece where what’s said and what’s heard are visually at odds. Pair text with imagery that suggests a completely different interpretation, or layer contrasting elements to show the gap between intention and perception.
Tip: Miscommunication can be funny, tense, or heartbreaking. Think about tone shifts, clues that hint at the disconnect, and how the reveal changes everything.
And once you are done crafting your pieces, keep going to find them a home.
Happy Friday! After a week of blustery winds and chilly temps, a little sunshine in the high 40s feels like a gift. As the cold settles in, why not warm up your creativity?
We’ve rounded up plenty of submission opportunities—some closing as soon as tomorrow, November 15—so you don’t miss a chance. Plus, we’ve included a fresh inspiration prompt to jump-start your next piece.
Happy Friday! The first week of November is officially behind us. I say it all the time, but time flies when you’re an adult—more so than you ever think possible. With Halloween, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), and All Saints Day behind us, there’s a lot of food for thought. I admittedly watch a lot of Asian dramas, so seeing how other cultures honor the memory of loved ones is fascinating—rituals full of color, music, and offerings that turn grief into celebration.
Do you get random bursts of inspiration from the media you consume or from simply observing the world around you? If your creative well feels a little dry, NewPages is here to help you find a home for your work—and maybe spark an idea or two along the way.
Happy Friday and Happy Halloween! Whether you’re venturing out to watch ghosts, goblins, and witches on the hunt for treats—or hiding indoors with the lights off, hoarding candy for yourself—tonight is full of stories waiting to happen.
If you’re dodging the mayhem, let the sugar rush fuel your writing. If you’re out among the revelers, soak up the atmosphere for your next piece.
Either way, NewPages has you covered with this week’s roundup of submission opportunities. Heads up: several deadlines hit TODAY—don’t miss your chance!
Happy Friday! It’s hard to believe next week starts the final week of October. If life has felt like a holding pattern lately, I get it—and I hope things are starting to shift, even if only by the smallest inch.
When stress and exhaustion make it hard to find inspiration or research submission opportunities, NewPages is here to lighten the load with your Friday roundup: a spark for your creativity and a curated list of places to send your work.
The Dolomite Review is currently accepting submissions for its debut issue to be published January 2026.
Rooted in Michigan and steeped in the spirit of the Midwest, The Dolomite Review features writing that captures the subtle tensions of place and people — the rust belt cities, the wind-battered shorelines, the endless fields and small towns where stillness speaks volumes. It’s about the unsaid, the nearly forgotten, the moment just before everything changes.
The theme of The Dolomite Review inaugural issue is “new beginnings and firsts” — first steps, first frost, first love, first loss. The first time you left home. The first time you came back. The editors are interested in beginnings that don’t announce themselves. They want the quiet moments before or after the turning point — the kind that only feel like a “first” when you look back.
This theme is a guide, not a rule. The Dolomite Review is looking for great storytelling and voices readers will want to come back to. If that might be you, learn more about how to submit to The Dolomite Reviewhere.
Happy Friday! The week started tired and sluggish and seems determined to end there. If you’ve had an unbelievably exhausting week, we hope you have a restorative weekend ahead. If you want to work on writing, editing, and submitting, NewPages is here for you with our weekly roundup of submission opportunities.
Inspiration Prompt: What I Thought It Meant
Language is slippery. Sometimes we mishear a word or twist a phrase into something entirely new—like pronouncing Beloit as “bell-oh-it” (our publisher enjoyed that slip) or thinking someone was “like a Russian racehorse” instead of “rushing.” These mistakes can be funny, poignant, or even profound.
Happy Friday—and happy October! Fall is in full swing… but summer isn’t giving up without a fight. Here in Michigan, we’re expecting record highs near 90 degrees this weekend. Honestly, it feels like the perfect metaphor for this year: a continuum of highs and lows.
So, get out and enjoy the last burst of warm weather before sweater season settles in for good. Give your eyes and your brain a little rest. And when you’re ready to dive back in, NewPages is here with fresh inspiration and submission opportunities to keep your creativity flowing.
Happy Friday! This has been a week that felt both inexplicably long and, somehow, quite short — a perfect reflection of September itself. The month stretched and compressed in strange ways, and now here we are at its end, with a wave of opportunities and deadlines coming next week.
But before diving into submissions, take a pause for an anime break. I highly recommend The Vision of Escaflowne, a series full of fantastical elements and one burning question: Was it a dream, or just a vision—or was it real?
Happy Friday! Just like that, another week has flown by. With September nearly halfway over, many submission deadlines are fast approaching—don’t miss your chance to share your work! And keep an eye out for our monthly eLitPak newsletter, arriving next Wednesday afternoon—packed with extra literary goodies and submission calls.
Remember to take a break, stay hydrated, and indulge in that movie marathon or back-to-back album binge while catching up on your reading list. When you’re ready, NewPages is here with our weekly roundup of submission opportunities and inspiration to help keep your writing flowing and your submission goals going strong.
The final week of August was personally very stressful, and that carried over into the first week of September. Hopefully, you’ve been having a better week. Remember not to beat yourself up over those goals and ambitions. Taking a break—or taking it slow and easy for a while—is a necessity to recharge and come back with renewed energy for your writing and submitting goals.
NewPages is always here with our weekly roundup of submission opportunities and an inspiration prompt—ready whenever you are.
Hopefully you’ll get a chance to rest and relax this weekend—or head out for some fun festivities. Let your mind take a break so you can come back refreshed and ready to tackle those submission goals. Just remember, with August ending and September beginning, many submission windows are closing soon—don’t miss out!
To help, NewPages is here with our weekly roundup of opportunities and a dose of inspiration to keep you going.
This week’s inspiration takes a cue from Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana singing “If We Were a Movie”—but with a twist: What if your life were a musical? Imagine the opening number, the show-stopping finale, and all the harmonies in between. Would it be a glittering Broadway spectacle, a gritty rock opera, or something entirely unexpected?
TGIF! Happy Friday, everyone! It’s been a long week of coding nightmares and endless link-checking—such is life when you run an online portal for recommended literary magazines, presses, creative writing programs, and submission opportunities.
If your week felt underproductive a well, NewPages is here to help you reclaim a sense of momentum. Whether you’re writing, submitting, or just seeking inspiration, we’ve got you covered. This week’s prompt draws from the real world—and a shared frustration with scientific jargon. Plus, we’ve rounded up over 80 submission opportunities to help you share your work!
Let the good times roll.
🧪 Inspiration Prompt: The Chemistry of Words
From causation and correlation to chaos and confusion, what makes people dig in their heels in the modern age? What sparks outrage, blind allegiance, or misunderstanding?
Submission/Registration Deadline: August 31, 2025 Submit your fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction to Black Fox Literary Magazine’s Summer Fox Tales Prize with theme: Feast! Deadline: August 31, 2025! Registration is also open for our September Lunch Break Writing Sessions. View our flyer for more information and links to our website.
Want early access to our eLitPak flyers? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter! You can also support NewPages with a paid subscription and get early access to the majority submission opportunities, upcoming events, and more before they are posted to our site.
Livingston Press will be reading through September. We are looking for novels, linked story collections, and narrative poetry. Send complete work, along with a bio to [email protected]. Check out our flyer for upcoming fall releases.
Want early access to our eLitPak flyers? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter! You can also support NewPages with a paid subscription and get early access to the majority submission opportunities, upcoming events, and more before they are posted to our site.
Whether you’re stepping away from your desk for one last summer hurrah or leaning into the cooler weather with a fresh burst of creative energy (indoors or out—laptops travel well!), NewPages has you covered with this week’s submission opportunities for August 15, 2025 (featuring ways to share your work)—plus a creative writing prompt to help spark new ideas if you’re feeling stuck.
📅 Heads up: It’s the 15th, which means some deadlines close today. Don’t miss your chance to submit!
📬 ICYMI: Our August eLitPak went out Wednesday to newsletter subscribers, packed with even more submission calls, fall book releases, and upcoming events for readers and writers alike.
This week’s prompt, Don’t Stop the Music, was inspired by the Japanese drama Glass Heart and the magic of collaboration. Whether you’re imagining your own fictional band or turning your words into lyrics, let the music move your creativity.
Sadly, the rain seems to be avoiding my area like the plague, and my vegetable garden could really use some TLC to help its struggling plants along. If your area is also bracing for yet another awful heat wave, NewPages has plenty to keep you cool and help you meet your submission goals. Take a break, watch a movie, go to the beach, get recharged to write, edit, submit, and repeat!
🎤 This Week’s Inspiration: K-pop Demon Hunters
I’m late to the trend, but thanks to its explosive popularity, I finally caved and watched K-pop Demon Hunters on Netflix—even my non-K-pop-loving family members loved it! Now its characters, plot, and of course music are living rent-free in my head. And while it’s an animated movie, it’s packed with deep themes—perfect for nudging your creative juices.
Instead of one singular prompt, here are three creative prompts inspired by this trending film. Whether you write fiction, poetry, nonfiction, scripts, or songs—or work in visual mediums like graphic narratives, collage, or mixed media—these themes are ripe for exploration:
Happy August! With the start of a new month comes fresh submission opportunities and approaching deadlines. NewPages is here to help you keep your writing and submission goals going strong with our weekly roundup of submissions and a fresh writing prompt to help get your creative energy flowing again.
As July winds down, we’re gearing up for our next Friday Inspiration Prompt and Where to Submit Roundup—arriving August 1st. Time flies, doesn’t it? Even when it’s not all sunshine and creativity.
Aside from doing the normal routines, NewPages has been kicking around some innovations for our Bookstore Guide. These indie bookstores are hubs of inspiration and community. Check out our guide to find one near you—you might discover a cozy spot to work, read, and connect with kindred spirits. Who knows? They might just become part of your chosen family.
Inspiration Prompt: The Family We Choose
Family isn’t always inherited. Sometimes, it’s built—through love, loyalty, and the quiet decision to show up when no one had to.
Think about the people who stepped in, stood by, or shaped your life in unexpected ways. Maybe it was a step-parent, a mentor, a friend who became a sibling, or a partner who helped you feel seen. Maybe it’s a community that redefined what home means.
This week, write about the people who became family by choice.
Deadline: August 15, 2025 Inverted Syntax is where the margins take center stage. Now accepting submissions for our annual poetry book contests: the Sublingua Prize (for debut collections by female-identifying writers) and the Aggrey & Tabbikha Prize (for first or second books by Black and/or S.W.A.N.A writers). Winners receive $500, publication, a retreat, and more. Fissured Tongue Vol. VII also open. View flyer for more information and submit here.
Want early access to our eLitPak flyers? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter! You can also support NewPages with a paid subscription and get early access to the majority submission opportunities, upcoming events, and more before they are posted to our site.
Livingston Press will be reading through September. We are looking for novels, linked story collections, and narrative poetry. Send complete work, along with a bio to [email protected]. Check out our flyer for new summer releases.
Want early access to our eLitPak flyers? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter! You can also support NewPages with a paid subscription and get early access to the majority submission opportunities, upcoming events, and more before they are posted to our site.
What is it that makes a region unique? That’s the question we want to answer. America’s North Coast, defined for this anthology as adjacent to Lake Erie from Toledo to Buffalo and even Michigan. In their voices, we want to hear the poetic stories of those who have lived, worked, vacationed or just passed through this region. Deadline: September 1.See flyer and visit website for more information.
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Things aren’t always as they seem and in issue 91 of Kaleidoscope several contributors share stories that require a shift in perspective to see things differently. Each issue of the magazine explores the experience of disability through the lens of literature and fine art. Submit your best work to us today! View flyer and visit our website for more information.
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With the rain comes a cool, windy break from the heat—but don’t worry, the 80s will be back soon enough. If you’re enjoying a brief respite from summer’s swelter, we hope you’re able to spend some time outdoors without the usual bug battalion.
Too chilly for your taste? It’s the perfect excuse to cozy up with your laptop and dive into your writing and submission goals. And if you’re not sure where to begin, NewPages has you covered with this week’s creative writing prompt and a fresh roundup of literary submission opportunities.
Inspiration Prompt: The Rusty Years
We often hear that life after 65 is the beginning of the “golden years”—a time of rest, reward, and reflection. A period when retirement brings freedom, joy, and the chance to finally enjoy the fruits of a life well-lived.
But what if that sheen is just a myth?
What if, instead of golden, these years are rusty?
Happy Friday! Can you believe the month is already halfway over next week? Time really flies! With so much to do and so little time, I hope you’re finding moments to enjoy nature this summer with the people you love.
Don’t forget the essentials: sunscreen, bug spray, and plenty of water. Not a fan of plain water? Try flavored hydration drops—they’re especially helpful for those stubborn folks who resist staying hydrated. Cucumbers are also a great, refreshing option!
But I digress…
If you’re not able to get away just yet, NewPages is here to keep your creativity flowing. We’ve got fun writing and art prompts and submission opportunities to help you stay on track with your writing goals until you can shift to vacation mode.
🧠Inspiration Prompt: Face Pareidolia
Sounds intense, right? Face Pareidolia—is it a condition? A disease? A new form of body dysmorphia? Actually, it’s nothing scary at all.
Face pareidolia is the brain’s quirky tendency to see faces in everyday objects. Ever looked up at a cloud and seen not just a bunny or a dragon, but the face of a wise old wizard? Or maybe your pet rock “Bob” reminded you of Bob Ross, thanks to its spongey-looking “afro” and facial features?
Let your imagination run wild—what faces do you see in the world around you?
Happy Friday and Happy Independence Day! Today is July 4, the day Americans celebrate Independence Day. Whether you’re staying cool at home or heading out to celebrate, NewPages has something for you. If you’re relaxing indoors, check out our fun writing prompt and submission opportunities to keep your creativity flowing. If you’re traveling or celebrating, no worries—our weekly roundup will be here when you’re ready.
Inspiration Prompt: Independence Day
Rather than focusing on traditional national independence celebrations, let’s explore a different angle. In 1994, country music artist Martina McBride released the powerful song “Independence Day,” written by Gretchen Peters. The song tells the story of a young girl whose mother, a victim of domestic abuse, takes a stand—marking a deeply personal and transformative “independence day” for them both.
This week, we invite you to reflect and soul search on the idea of personal independence.
What does your own “independence day” look like?
Maybe you finally left a toxic workplace or relationship.
Maybe you stepped into adulthood, fully independent from your family.
Maybe you overcame cancer or took control of your health after a pre-diabetes diagnosis.
Maybe you broke free from an addiction—whether to drugs, alcohol, or even something that seemed harmless but consumed you, like collecting rocks or scraps of paper.
Or, if you’d prefer to keep it fictional, imagine a world where independence is celebrated in a unique or unconventional way—or create a character who is desperately seeking freedom from something, anything—serious or seemingly silly, but deeply meaningful to them.
What would that journey look like?
Wishing you a safe, joyful, and creatively inspired holiday! When you’re ready, keep scrolling for this week’s roundup of submission opportunities.
Welcome to our June 27, 2025 writing prompt and submission opportunities roundup—your weekly dose of inspiration and places to share your work.
It’s the final full week of June—hard to believe the year is already half over, isn’t it? If you’re lucky enough to be getting a break from the heat vortex that’s been smothering much of the country in sweaty malaise and creative inertia, maybe now’s the time to hit the pool. Or, if it’s still too hot to think, stay inside and focus on your writing, editing, and submission goals.
This week, I was torn between which writing prompt to include in the newsletter versus our weekly roundup of submission opportunities—but in the end, I went with my gut.
Since the end of 2023, I’ve been dealing with a new gut issue: acid reflux. It’s amazing what stress (and the bad eating habits that come with it) can do to your stomach on top of some newly discovered FODMAP issues. That got me thinking…
Writing Prompt: Gut Instinct
When the world is too loud, sometimes the only voice we can trust is the one rumbling in our gut. Whether it’s intuition, indigestion, or something in between, this week we invite you to write about your gut—literally or metaphorically.
What if your gut had a voice?
What if it was a character, a symbiote, a weather vane for your emotional climate?
As Ebenezer Scrooge once said in The Muppet Christmas Carol, “You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato.”
Sometimes our ghosts—and our stories—start in the stomach.
And in the immortal words of Little Giants: “I use these for acid indigestion.” “What are we going to use them for?” “Intimidation.”
If you know, you know. If you don’t…go watch Little Giants now.
Gut health is a serious topic, but maybe getting creative about our woes and maladies can bring some relief—if not physical, then at least mental or spiritual.
After going with your gut, keep scrolling to find a submission opportunity that speaks to it.
Submissions deadline for the 2025 New American Fiction Prize has been extended! Winner will receive a contract including a $1500, publication, twenty-five copies, and promotional support. EXTENDED DEADLINE: JULY 15, 2025.All full-length fiction manuscripts are welcome, including novels, novellas, collections of stories and/or novellas, novels in verse, linked collections, as well as full-length collections of flash fiction and short-shorts. Full-length fiction manuscripts tend to be at least 100 pages. There is no maximum length. To submit, please access our convenient online submission manager, which saves paper and helps keep things organized. Entry fee is $25.
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Deadline: August 1, 2025 About Place Journal, the arts publication of Black Earth Institute, seeks submissions for its Fall 2025 issue On Freedom from June 1–August 1. We publish poetry, prose, visual art, music, and more that explore spirit, earth, and society. Join us in building a just, interconnected world. View flyer to see theme details and guidelines or visit our website.
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The HEART Poetry Award 2025 is open to entries of unpublished reflective modern prose poems through June 30! $10 fee to enter up to 3 poems. Winner of the HEART Poetry Award will be awarded $500 and publication in HEART 20 (Fall/Winter 2025). This year’s judge is Grey Held. View flyer to view more information and visit Nostalgia Press to view judge bio and submit.
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Today marks the first day of summer—the summer solstice. And in honor of both the season’s arrival and the oppressive heat that’s rolled in this week, what better way to get your creative juices flowing than by exploring one of summer’s more dramatic downsides?
We’re also back with a fresh roundup of submission opportunities to help you find a home for your work. So grab your laptop, a cold matcha latte, and head to your local library, bookstore, or that blessedly air-conditioned coffee shop—and dive in.
Writing Prompt: Stormy Weather
There comes a time in every life when the air turns thick and stale—when the heat presses down like a weight, and even the hum of a fan feels like a cruel joke. The energy to move, to think, to cook, evaporates. You sit, sweat pooling, praying for something—anything—to break the spell.
Then, it comes. A low rumble. A flicker of light. The sky cracks open and the storm rolls in—thunder shaking the windows, lightning slicing the sky, and finally, finally, a breath of cool air. Relief, wrapped in chaos.
Have you lived through days like these? When your clothes felt like damp rags and your mood was as volatile as the weather? When the phrase “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” became a personal mantra—or a punchline?
Or maybe you’ve never known that kind of oppressive summer. But can you imagine it? A world where the very air turns against you, where you long for the violence of a storm just to feel alive again. In our house, it was tradition to throw the curtains wide and marvel at the storm, even as the radio warned us to take shelter in the basement.
This week, we invite you to write about stormy weather—literal or metaphorical. Maybe your character is trapped in a sweltering city, waiting for the sky to break. Maybe the storm is emotional, a long-awaited release after a period of tension. Or maybe you want to explore a sci-fi world where humidity is weaponized and storms are currency. Perhaps you’ll craft a poem where the pacing mirrors that bated breath and sweet release.
Whatever your take, let the pressure build—and then let it pour. Then see below for places to submit your work.
