Welcome, June! After weeks of Mother Nature flip-flopping between chilly mornings and surprise heatwaves, it seems she’s finally made up her mind. Summer is here in full force. A gentle, much-needed rain gave the gardens a break—thankfully, no wild weather this time.
But this week brought a personal challenge: on Sunday, my grandfather took a fall and fractured his left shoulder. Fortunately, it happened after his birthday—and after our big Memorial Day celebration, when we were all together.
It’s a strange kind of gratitude, but it made me pause and think—sometimes, finding a silver lining in a tough situation is the only way to stay grounded. It reminded me of a line from A Smoky Mountain Christmas, where Dolly Parton’s character comforts a wary orphan, “It could’ve been better, but it could’ve been a whole lot worse.” That line stuck with me.
Writing Prompt: Finding A Ray of Silver Lining
Write about a time you had to find the bright side of a bad situation—what helped you shift your perspective, and what did you learn?
Whether it’s a small inconvenience or a major life event, we all have moments where optimism feels like a stretch—but those are often the stories that stick with us the most.
Not ready to get too personal? That’s totally fine. Try reflecting on a recent news story—can you find a silver lining? Or write about a time when optimism felt impossible. What helped you cope?
Ready to keep writing? Scroll down to explore different submission opportunities where your voice and story might find a home.
Submission Opportunities: 56 Ways to Share Your Work
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🌱 New to submitting? Check out our Guide to Submission Opportunities for further details on these calls and contests.
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June 2025
- Poets in the Pines. Made from Midnight Anthology | Fiction, poetry, cross-genre | Free | Deadline: June 6, 2025
- L’Esprit Literary Review. Clarissa Dalloway Prize for Short Prose | Fiction, nonfiction, cross-genre | Fee: $10 ($15 expedited) | Prize: $500 + publication | Deadline: June 8, 2025
- Gold Man Review. Issue 15 | Fiction, nonfiction, poetry | Free | Deadline: June 15, 2025 (West Coast residents only)
- Nobody’s Home: Modern Southern Folklore. Nonfiction, interviews, reviews | Free | Deadline: June 15, 2025
- Philly Poetry Chapbook Review. Poetry | Free | Deadline: June 15, 2025
- Boudin. 2025 Flash Fiction Chapbook Contest | Fee: $15 | Prize: $1,000 + 25 copies + AWP signing + McNeese Review inclusion + 3-yr subscription | Judge: Roxane Gay | Deadline: June 15, 2025
- Catamaran Literary Reader. Poetry Prize for West Coast Poets | Fee: $45 | Prize: $1,000 + book publication | Judge: Mary Szybist | Deadline: June 15, 2025
- The MacGuffin. Poet Hunt 30 | Poetry | Fee: $15 | Prize: $500 + publication | Judge: Darrel Alejandro Holnes | Deadline: June 15, 2025
- Swan Scythe Press 2025 Poetry Chapbook Contest | Poetry | $18 fee | Prize: $200, publication, and 25 author copies | Deadline: June 15, 2025
- The Tusculum Review. Fiction Chapbook Prize | Fiction | Fee: $20 | Prize: $1,500 + publication | Judge: Jaime Cortez | Deadline: June 15, 2025
- Jerboa Lit. 500 Flash Fiction Contest | Fiction | Fee: $25 | Prize: $1,000 | June 27–29, 2025
- Barrow Street Press 2025 Poetry Book Prize | Poetry | $30 fee | Prize: $1,500 and book publication | Judge: John Murillo | Deadline: June 30, 2025
- Burnside Review Press. Chapbook Contest | Poetry | Fee: $15 | Prize: $200 + chapbook + 10 copies | Deadline: June 30, 2025
- HEART Poetry Award | Poetry | $10 fee | Prize: $500 and publication | Judge: Grey Held | Deadline: June 30, 2025.
- The Letter Review Letter Review Prize | Fiction, nonfiction, poetry | $15-$25 fee | Prize Pool: $4,000. 12-16 winners will share the prize pool and receive publication | Deadline: June 30, 2025.
- Sky Island Journal Issue 32 | Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, cross-genre, translations | $4.99 fee (waivers available) | Deadline: June 30, 2025.
- Slate Roof Press 2025 Elyse Wolf Prize | Poetry | $10 fee (sliding scale available) | Prize: $500 and publication (winner); $100 (runner up) | Deadline: June 30, 2025
*Must be able to make 3-year commitment to the press.*
July 2025
- Bellevue Literary Review.
- Felice Buckvar Prize (Nonfiction) | Fee: $20 | Prize: $1,000 + publication | Judge: Nicole Chung | Deadline: July 1, 2025
- Goldenberg Prize (Fiction) | Fee: $20 | Prize: $1,000 + publication | Judge: Joan Silber | Deadline: July 1, 2025
- John & Eileen Allman Prize (Poetry) | Fee: $20 | Prize: $1,000 + publication | Judge: Joan Silber | Deadline: July 1, 2025
- Embracing Our Differences 2026 Exhibition | Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, cross-genre, art, photography | Free | Deadline: July 1, 2025
- Orison Books. Orison Chapbook Prize | Fee: $15 | Prize: $300 + chapbook | Deadline: July 1, 2025
- Vine Leaves Press 2026 International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition | Nonfiction | $25 fee | Prize: $1,000 and book publication | Deadline: July 1, 2025
- Winning Writers North Street Book Prize | Mainstream/literary fiction, genre fiction, creative nonfiction & memoir, poetry, children’s picture book, middle grade, graphic novel & memoir, art book | $85 fee | Prizes: $10,000 (grand prize); $1,000 (top prize/genre); $500 (honorable mentions) | Deadline July 1, 2025
- #Ranger. Issue 11 | All genres + multimedia | Free | Deadline: July 15, 2025
- Driftwood Press.
- Adrift Chapbook Contest (Poetry) | Fee: $25 | Prize: $750 + publication + 20 copies | Judge: Matthew Olzmann | Deadline: July 15, 2025
- Adrift Short Story Contest (Fiction) | Fee: $30 | Prize: $500 + print copies | Judge: Kelly Link | Deadline: July 15, 2025
- WCSU MFA: Housatonic Book Awards. All genres | Fee: $25 + processing | Prize: $1,000 honorarium + $500 travel stipend | Deadline: July 18, 2025
- Press 53 2026 Press 53 Award for Poetry | Poetry | $30 fee | Prizes: $1,000 advance, publication, 53 author copies (winner); $500 advance, publication, 25 copies (runner-up) | Judge: Tom Lombardo | Deadline: July 31, 2025.
- Wordrunner eChapbooks Prose Collections | Fiction, nonfiction | $8 fee | Payment: $125 + royalties for kindles | Deadline: July 31, 2025.
August 2025
- Orison Books. Best Spiritual Literature Awards | Fee: $12 | Prize: $500 + publication | Deadline: August 1, 2025
- Radar Poetry 12 Annual Coniston Prize | Poetry | $20 fee | Prize: $1,000 and publication | Deadline: August 1, 2025
September 2025
- The Main Street Rag: North Coast Voices. Poetry Anthology | Fee: $3 | Payment: copies | Deadline: September 1, 2025
- Last Syllable. Book Awards in Poetry & Prose | Fee: $25 | Prize: $1,000 + travel + Visiting Writer Series feature | Deadline: September 1, 2025
- The Branches Fall 2025 Issue: VOICE | Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, screenplays, graphic narratives, graphic novels, reviews, art, photography, audio, video | Free | Deadline: September 13, 2025.
October 2025
- DuFrank Lit. Fiction | Free | Submissions reopen July 1 | Deadline: September 30, 2025
- Willow Springs Books. Spokane Prize for Short Fiction | Entry fee | Prize: $2,000 + publication | Deadline: October 1, 2025
- Kings River Review. Fall 2025 Issue (all genres + art) | Free | Must be a 2-year college student | Deadline: October 15, 2025
November 2025
- Black Fox Literary Magazine. Winter Issue | Fiction, nonfiction, poetry | Free | Deadline: July 1 – November 30, 2025
Year-Round Opportunities
- Blue Mountain Review | Prose, poetry, music, visual art | Fee: $5
- The Capra Review | All genres + multimedia | Free
- Changing Skies | Creative nonfiction, poetry, art | Free
- Decolonial Passage | Fiction, nonfiction, poetry | Free
- Driftwood Press | All genres + graphic works | Fees vary
- Fahmidan Journal | All genres | Free | Payment: $15
- Feels Blind Literary | All genres + comics | Fee: $3 (free on Mondays)
- Gambling the Aisle | Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, cross-genre | Free
- Hindsight Journal | Art, photography, nonfiction, poetry | Free
- Jewish Fiction | Fiction, translation | Free
- Kaleidoscope | Articles, fiction, poetry, reviews, visual art | Free | Payment: $10–$100
- New Verse News | Current-events poetry | Free
- Palooka | Magazine & chapbook submissions | Fee: $3 (magazine), $8 (chapbook) | Payment: copies
- Philly Poetry Chapbook Review | Excerpts, interviews, reviews | Free
- Pictura Journal | August 2025 Issue (all genres + art) | Free (tip jar) | Payment: $5
- Plant-Human Quarterly | Poetry, essays | Free
- Stone Circle Review | Poetry | Free
Ready to submit? Bookmark your favorites, mark your calendar, and good luck sharing your work!
Where to Submit Roundup: May 30, 2025
Where to Submit Roundup: May 23, 2025
Where to Submit Roundup: May 16, 2025
