I’ve noticed a lot of journals I’ve been published in are currently open for submissions, so I put together a little list of open calls for journals in which I’ve been published and highly recommend submitting to.

Happy submitting!

*Note that while this list focuses on poetry submissions, most of these journals publish other genres. See individual submission guidelines for more.

Open Submission Calls

Philly Chapbook Review

• Submit 3-5 poems
• Payment: $10 + all contributors get a “Meet Our Contributor” post
• NO FEE
• DEADLINE: June 15
• What they look for: “We’re looking for serious poetry that has something important to say. This can mean poems about topics important to you, poems telling us about who you are or what you think, or an unusual or clever creative style. Poems don’t need to deal with weighty subjects, but should be meaningful.”

Exposition Review’s Multi-Genre Flash 405 Contest

• Current Theme: Loop
• Submit 1 poem (up to 5 lines) per entry (see guidelines for other genre limits)
• Prizes: 1st - online publication + 40% of all entry fees; 2nd - online publication + 20% of all entry fees; honorable mentions - online publication
• FEE: $5 per entry (multiple entries allowed)
• DEADLINE: July 5
• Judge Chelsea Sutton on the theme: “Loops of string and rope. Loops on belts and shoelaces. Loops on a DJ track, repeated notes and beats and chorus lines. Loops of thoughts, memories, ghosts, that argument in our head we can’t turn off. Loops of time, the days and months and years we repeat sometimes without ever noticing. Write a story or a memoir or a poem or a word art that feels never-ending. Tell me about the time loop you’re stuck in or about that delicate swirl in the pattern of your grandma’s couch, or the repeated phrases that have never left your heart. Don’t be afraid of being too spooky or gruesome or magical or sentimental. In fact, break that loop you’re in and get weird with it.”

Wild Greens

• August Theme: Ekphrasis, using past Wild Greens published work for inspiration (check their submission page on or after June 20 for details)
• Submit 1 poem
• Payment: Small tip (about $3-$5)
• NO FEE
• DEADLINE: July 8
• NOTE: They list themes for upcoming months on their “Submissions” page. Description of theme is added once subs open for that issue.

The Good Life Review

• Submit up to 5 poems (up to 10 pgs total)
• Payment: $60 per accepted piece
• FEE: $4
• DEADLINE (for August issue): July 20
• What they look for: “We are interested in work that pushes boundaries, both in content and form. Poems should emanate from textured, evocative images, use language with an awareness of how words sound and mean, and have a definite sense of voice. Each line should help carry the poem from the first line to the last. We are open to experimentation, traditional form, and free verse. Whatever shape it takes, we want exciting work that thinks through or challenges poetic traditions.”

Nettle Literary Journal

• Submit up to 3 pieces (up to 500 words each)
• Payment: None
• NO FEE
• DEADLINE: August 1
• What they look for: “We want the work that peels back the surface and speaks to the core of the contemporary experience, especially pieces exploring identity, mental health, healing from trauma, complex relationships, and the nuanced realities of womanhood. We are also incredibly passionate about nature writing, cultural commentary and works focused on empowering marginalized communities.”

wildscape.

• Submit up to 5 poems (up to 2 pgs each)
• Payment: None
• NO FEE (or $5/$8 for expedited response)
• DEADLINE: August 15
• What they look/don’t look for: “We tend to lean away from rhyming poetry, and we tend to prefer experimental, contemporary, and free verse work. Prose poetry, as well as hybrid forms such as blackout/erasure poetry, are more than welcome."

Quill of the Goddess

• Current Theme: Voices of the Ancestors
• Submit up to 5 poems
• Payment: None
• NO FEE
• DEADLINE: September 1
• What they look for: “We’re looking for experiential, evocative work that illustrates Z. Budapest’s famous quote: ‘The Goddess is alive. Magic is afoot.’ We want to know how the Goddess shows up in your daily life. How is She part of your sacred rituals and practices? Your work? Your activism? What does She mean to you in a world overshadowed by patriarchy? How does the Goddess inspire you? What has changed in you as a result of your relationship wtih Her? Any style of poetry is welcome. We are more interested in pieces that are accessible to the reader, rather than those that use overly abstract and obscure imagery.”