Submission Sunday 2.22.26
The Center for Fiction, VOLTA, Palette Poetry, Outskirts, Atmo, Wine Enthusiast, Version Originale, and The Unter Agency
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 The Center for Fiction, VOLTA, Palette Poetry, Outskirts, Atmo, Wine Enthusiast, Version Originale, and The Unter Agency. More details below.
The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize (Deadline March 13)
The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, first awarded in 2006, recognizes the best debut novel of the year, and supports emerging voices in fiction. The winner receives a $15,000 prize and each shortlisted author receives $1,000.
The First Novel Prize is given to a debut novel published in the United States between January 1st and December 31st of the competing year. The longlist is announced in the summer, followed by the shortlist in the fall. In December, the shortlisted authors are celebrated at the First Novel Fête and the winner is announced at our Annual Awards Benefit.
The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize is supported in part by Hawthornden Foundation.
VOLTA Call for Submissions (Deadline March 2)
Literature that leads us to feel something we don’t understand – empathy for a character who is different from us, admiration for an action we’d in real life condemn – is at best uncomfortable and at worst profoundly threatening. But at VOLTA, we believe that it’s precisely this quality of good literature that makes it matter: art pushes us towards encounters we shrink from. Like the shadow-boxer, fighting air, we train our feelings through fictional experience. We become emotionally stronger and more agile, so that in our real lives, we can feel more powerfully and honestly.
We’re looking for pieces that constantly confront readers with images that startle them into looking at the world in new ways. Our ambition is to reinvigorate the written word for our generation and encourage writers of all ages to keep engaging with and challenging literary convention. VOLTA publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and visual art. We welcome submissions from both emerging and established writers and artists.
Palette Poetry 2026 Rising Poet Prize (Deadline April 12)
Back by popular demand, the Rising Poet Prize is returning this spring! Palette Poetry invites all poets who have not yet published a full-length collection to send us your best poems. We are looking to celebrate new and exciting work, and we hope to shine a light on up-and-coming poets. The judge for this prize is Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo.
Palette’s editors will choose the ten finalists and any honorable mentions that warrant extra attention. Our judge will then select the winner and runners-up for publication. The winner will be awarded $3,000, publication, and a brief interview in Palette Poetry. Second and third place will receive $300 and $200, respectively, as well as publication. Finalists may also be considered for publication in our Featured Poetry category.
Outskirts Literary Journal Call for Submissions (Deadline April 18)
Outskirts (n) — The fringes of a place, existing with and pushing against imposed boundaries.
Outskirts publishes poetry, short stories, essays, hybrid works, and visual art. We seek to amplify a wide range of voices from emerging and established artists. In fact, we’d love to be your first publication!
We want to read work that, like rural spaces, challenges the constructs of what’s interesting, valuable, or sacred. While we’re interested in place-based writing, we have a broad understanding of what “place” can be — a body, a mind, a cookie jar, a mountain range — and care more about a piece’s connection to the world than anything else. For a better sense of our aesthetic and mission, please read our first issue.
Tales of The Weller House: A Mendocino Coast Horror Writing Retreat (February 26 – March 1)
In this immersive weekend, you will have the chance to sink into your writing with Kate Maruyama and M.M. Olivas in a Victorian mansion. With fellow horror writers, push your work into the professional realm with tools that you'll carry into your writing in the years to come.
Note from Chris:
I recently put together this video showing a website update I did for one of my design clients, journalist Miranda Spivack, to better showcase her latest publication Backroom Deals in Our Backyards: How Government Secrecy Harms Our Communities—and the Local Heroes Fighting Back. I originally designed her website in Squarespace version 7.0 and we upgraded her to version 7.1. This behind-the-scenes look will demonstrate some of the excellent features you can get with Squarespace.
But before you watch, I wanted to let you know about a February offer.
Some mentors in the web design space have persuaded me that it’s time for my rates to better reflect the market, so while the cost of a standard website design will be going up, as a subscriber to this newsletter, you can schedule a website design to take place anytime in 2026 at the 2025 price (a $400 discount) before the end of February.
Please feel free to visit my website for more information or email me at the button above with questions.
📚 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. 📚
Atmo: A Literary Journal Call for Submissions
Atmo: A Literary Journal is a thoughtfully curated, limited-edition digital literary journal dedicated to the elevation and celebration of short-form writing. Designed with a discerning and thoughtful reader and writer in mind, Atmo: A Literary Journal serves as a vibrant platform for contemporary literary expression, bridging the aesthetic rigor of fine publishing with the intimacy of carefully selected prose and poetry.
In keeping with the journal’s limited-edition format, each issue is released with intention, designed not for mass consumption but for reflective engagement. We invite readers, educators, and creative practitioners to experience Atmo: A Literary Journal as both a literary artifact and a living document of voices shaping the future of short-form literature.
Wine Enthusiast Call for Pitches
At Wine Enthusiast, we’re enthusiastic about wine. Shocking, we know. But we’re also deeply committed to telling stories that span the beverage landscape, from spirits and cocktails to beer and beyond.
On Digital, we craft content that appeals to both the still-learning drinker and the seasoned aficionado. We cover basics, pop culture, travel, behind-the-bottle stories, industry news with takeaways for consumers, and more. Digital rates begin at $0.50/word. See our list of monthly themes and recurring series here.
In Print, we entertain and empower readers with a mix of reported features, travel stories, and recipes. We also publish wine and spirits recommendations, which are selected in-house. From freelancers, we’re looking for previously unreported, meaty stories that go untold in other media outlets, such as profiles of innovative winemakers and other industry pros, colorful peeks into subcultures, opinionated essays, and more. We’re drawn to pitches with compelling narratives and human-interest angles. Review the 2026 print issue themes here.
Version Originale Call for Submissions (“Hunger” – Deadline March 15)
Version Originale is now open for submissions for our fourth issue, with the theme of Hunger. As always, we welcome a wide range of interpretations of this theme, whether it’s a strictly food-driven approach or a more metaphorical desire. Let your creativity be your guide!
We’re looking for:
Short stories
Memoirs
Literary essays
Poems
Texts are accepted in English or French. The sporadic use of words or phrases in other languages is accepted. This issue is guest edited by Emily Monaco, a culinary journalist, professor of French food and culture, and food tour guide in Paris.
The Unter Agency Open for Queries
The Unter Agency is a full-service boutique agency specializing in quality fiction and nonfiction, with a particular interest in memoir, food/cooking, nature/environment, pop culture, travel/adventure, true crime, sports, politics and health/fitness. The Unter Agency also represents all types of children’s literature (picture books, middle grade and young adult).
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.
2026 Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Competition (Deadline February 22)
The Faber Action! Prize (Deadline February 27)
Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing 2026 (Deadline February 28)
The Edinburgh Writing Awards: Short Story, Novel, Young Adult Novel, and Essay (Deadline February 28)
Syncopation Literary Journal Call for Submissions (“Dreams & Fantasy” – Deadline March 5)
The Coachella Review Call for Submissions (Deadline March 7)
Stillhouse Press Call for Nonfiction Manuscripts (Deadline March 10)
The Other Almanac Call for Submissions (Deadline March 20)
Ploughshares Emerging Writers’ Contest (Deadline March 31)
The Masters Review Prize for New Narratives (Deadline March 31)
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.
as always, courage mon ami!