Submission Sunday 1.25.26
Harper’s Bazaar, PEN Emerging Voices, Lullaby Machine, Made in L.A. Writers, Fodor’s, Spellbinder Magazine, The Fiction Desk/Uncertain Stories, and the McCormack Writing Center
Happy Sunday, writers! Thank you for subscribing. Every other Sunday, you’ll receive eight literary submission opportunities, varying in audience and genre, that have been selected for quality and relevance.
Submission Sunday relies on the support of paying subscribers. If you enjoy this newsletter, please consider an upgrade! I’m planning some additional online events available to paid subscribers as well as the usual benefits: craft essays by writers, interviews with published authors about their submission process, interviews with editors about what they’re looking for, round-ups of articles about submitting and writing in general, and full access to the archives.
This edition of Submission Sunday has calls and contests from Harper’s Bazaar, PEN Emerging Voices, Lullaby Machine, Made in L.A. Writers, Fodor’s, Spellbinder Magazine, The Fiction Desk/Uncertain Stories, and the McCormack Writing Center. More details below.
2026 Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Competition (Deadline February 22)
The author Ali Smith once said: “With the short story, you are up against mortality. I know how tough they are, but they’re also a total joy.” This year, we are inviting published and non-published writers to tackle this most challenging of forms with the launch of our annual short-story competition, previously won by acclaimed novelists including by the acclaimed novelists Kaliane Bradley and Daisy Johnson.
Entrants should submit an original story of up to 2,000 words to shortstory@harpersbazaar.co.uk on the theme of “The conversation” by midnight on 22 February. The star entry will be chosen by a judging panel comprising the author Ruth Ozeki, the Fourth Estate editor Michelle Kane and the literary super-agent Caroline Michel, who join Bazaar’s editor-in-chief Lydia Slater, features director Helena Lee and literary editor Erica Wagner. The winner will receive a stay at the iconic Art Deco hotel Burgh Island in Devon—the setting that inspired Agatha Christie’s 1939 crime caper And Then There Were None—and the chance to have their story published in the magazine.
PEN Emerging Voices Fellowship (Deadline February 2)
The Emerging Voices Fellowship provides a virtual five-month immersive mentorship program for early-career writers from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the publishing world. The program is committed to cultivating the careers of Black writers, and serves writers who identify as Indigenous, persons of color, LGBTQ+, immigrants, writers with disabilities, and those living outside of urban centers. Through curated one-on-one mentorship and introductions to editors, agents, and publishers, in addition to workshops on editing, marketing, and creating a platform, the five-month fellowship nurtures creative community, provides a professional skill-set, and demystifies the path to publication—with the ultimate goal of diversifying the publishing and media industries.
Lullaby Machine Call for Recorded Lullabies
Lullaby Machine is a digital rest-stop dedicated to sharing lullabies in a world where it can be hard to fall asleep. Growing from the idea of lullabies as portals into dream and potential tools for collective care, the site hosts a library of .mp3 lullabies and an e-magazine featuring meditations on lullaby, rest, dreams, grief, capitalism, ecology, and the internet.
We are currently accepting submissions of .mp3/.m4a lullabies on a rolling basis. We like to think of “the lullaby” as a form with an expansive and subjective definition. We are excited about contributions that span languages, geographies, genres, and production methods. A recorded soundscape, a rendition of a folk song, and an abstract collage of sound, for example, are all equally welcome.
Made in L.A. Writers Call for Anthology Submissions
The Made in L.A. indie author co-op is a Los Angeles-based group of writers dedicated to the support and appreciation of independent authors. We publish work by new, emerging, and established writers, including those who have been underrepresented or historically misrepresented, with a preference for writers who currently live in and around Los Angeles. Previously published and unpublished fiction will both be considered. Submissions are free.
Made in L.A. Writers is accepting submissions for future volumes of short stories. We seek stories that evoke nuanced feelings and leave a lasting impression. We want to meet vibrant characters, hear their distinct voices, and—as always—see the action unfold in a strong Los Angeles setting. To date, our novel-length anthologies, published roughly every two years, have featured stories in a range of genres around loosely defined themes. Going forward, we’re also exploring more frequent publication of shorter, more tightly focused, genre-specific volumes.
Gift of Deep Song: A Short Course on the Poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca (Tuesdays, March 10–April 7)
Federico Garcia Lorca (1898-1936) is a touchstone of 20th century poetry. His concepts of duende and deep song, and his theories about imagination and creativity and poetry…have had an immense and lasting influence on poets around the world. In this short course with Victoria Chang and Matthew Zapruder, we will combat indifference, by engaging energetically with Lorca’s poetry and prose.
📚 Every other week, I’ll be making space for up to three online writing classes or programs (and the occasional retreat or conference). Learn more about getting your own classified ad. 📚
Fodor’s tells travel stories that excite, inspire, and make our readers want to get out there. Whether you’re planning a trip, want to know more about the world around you, or just craving a little adventure from the comfort of your couch, we’re the go-to destination for unique, timely, and global travel writing.
Fodor’s is always looking for stories to publish! And we rely on an amazing team of freelance writers to connect our readership with the world. But we’re also always looking for new writers—so if you haven’t written for us before, we invite you to pitch.
Some general things to consider: There are no destinations that are off limits, no topics we will not consider, and no specific way a story must be told. However, we want to be fascinated and inspired, learn something we didn’t already know, and find ourselves riveted by your writing and angle.
Spellbinder Magazine Call for Submissions (Deadline February 1)
Spellbinder is an independent, self-sustained quarterly literary and art magazine that celebrates and provides a platform for artists, dramatists, poets, and writers of both fiction and nonfiction.
Spellbinder was founded in 2020 by a group of students in Durham, England. Since then, our team has grown to include editors from around the world, all generously contributing their time to maintain this literary and artistic platform.
The Fiction Desk/Uncertain Stories Call for Ghost Stories (Deadline January 30)
We’re changing the rules a little for the 2025-2026 edition of our annual ghost story call. In the past, we’ve used the term “ghost story” loosely, the way a well-meaning aunt might use it when shopping for a Christmas present in a bookshop: as a catch-all term for any kind of supernatural, strange, or weird fiction.
This year, we’d really like you to send in stories specifically featuring ghosts. That is, the unquiet spirit of a dead person (or animal). Other than that, feel free to experiment.
The Tin House Summer Writers Workshop Is Back as the MWC Oregon Summer Workshop (Portland, Oregon – Deadline February 9)
The McCormack Writing Center Oregon Summer Workshop is a weeklong intensive featuring curated workshops, one-on-one meetings with faculty, craft lectures, author conversations, generative exercises, affinity group meetings, and student/faculty readings. There will be plenty of opportunities for mingling, happy hours, and, of course, our world-famous karaoke.
The Workshop will take place at Reed College, located on 100 acres of rolling lawns, winding lanes, and magnificent old trees in southeast Portland, Oregon, just minutes from downtown and twelve miles from the airport.
Here’s a reminder of the deadlines coming up from previous posts. Hot tips:
If you go into the archives and revisit posts from this time of year during previous years, you’ll find additional calls that are open annually.
If you submit to any of the Submission Sunday calls and publish or win, let me know and I’ll broadcast your success in a future post.
Salt Hill Call for Submissions (Deadline January 31)
Ink in Thirds Call for Submissions (Deadline January 31)
The Bombay Literary Magazine Call for Submissions (Deadline January 31)
Elegant Literature Call for Submissions (“Ink & Iron” – Deadline January 31)
César Egido Serrano Foundation VIII International Microfiction Contest (Deadline January 31)
The Masters Review Winter Short Story Award for New Writers (Deadline February 1)
Palette Poetry 2025-26 Rejected Poetry Prize (Deadline February 9)
The Journal Call for Submissions (Deadline February 15)
The Edinburgh Writing Awards: Short Story, Novel, Young Adult Novel, and Essay (Deadline February 28)
Stillhouse Press Call for Nonfiction Manuscripts (Deadline March 10)
The Other Almanac Call for Submissions (Deadline March 20)
Redivider Call for Submissions (Opens January 1 through April 30)
Kweli Call for Submissions (Deadline May 30)
AGNI Call for Submissions (Deadline May 31)
*This newsletter does not guarantee the unimpeachable behavior of all venues shared here but the odds are good.
