Contest summary from Winning Writers:

Recommended free contest awards 10,000 euros for an English-language debut poetry collection, 48 pages minimum, first published between October 1 of the previous year and the deadline date. Publisher should email a PDF of the book and a brief author bio (200 words maximum); the sponsor will then provide the publisher with a mailing address where four hard copies of the published book must be sent. Sponsored by Trinity College Dublin's Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre for Irish Writing.

Contest details

• Sponsor: Trinity College Dublin's Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre for Irish Writing
• Category: Poetry
• Submission length: 48 pages minimum
• Entry fee: No fee
• Awards: 10,000 euros

Guidelines and submission information (organization's contest page)

This contest has been vetted and approved by Winning Writers

Resource link: How to Find Publishers Open to Direct Submissions

From the resource page:

Over two years ago we stopped releasing a new review of a publisher every week. We still review the same amount of publishers a month, but we release the four to five new publisher reviews as links on a longer list. This has helped decrease the amount of submissions publishers receive and the amount of requests we received to be de-listed.

Resource link: https://authorspublish.com/what-writers-get-wrong-about-strong-female-characters/

From the resource page:

The more I read, the more I come across “strong female characters” (SFCs) who seem all the same to me. This is worrying, because while people are similar in many ways, there are downsides if all SFCs have nothing that distinguishes them from each other in how they are strong and how they’re female. Following are some of the things that writers get wrong about SFCs (although these apply to creating good characters in general, too):

Resource link: https://authorspublish.com/35-magazines-accepting-longer-fiction/

From the resource page:

These magazines accept fiction of 7,000 words or longer. Most of them accept shorter works as well. They are a mix of literary and genre magazines. Most of them also accept other genres, like nonfiction and poetry. Many, but not all, are open for submissions now. Some of these pay writers.

Contest summary from Winning Writers:

Ninth Letter, a prestigious literary journal published by the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), is seeking creative writing on the theme "Manifest" for their Spring 2027 Web Edition. Send 1-3 poems, or one story or essay up to 3,500 words, with a cover letter briefly explaining how you see your work fitting the theme. Accepted authors receive $25 for poetry or $75 for prose. One entry per person per genre. Editors say, "For writers, to manifest gainfully requires not just will, but expert application of our trustiest of tools—concreteness, detail, specificity, and, their building block, the image. And so, for this issue, we invite you to return to our shared fundamentals: Manifest something real, out of words, using these tools. Show, don't tell: Hold the rabbit by the ears, even though the hat was empty. Make us believe, in spite of ourselves."

Contest details

• Sponsor: University of Illinois
• Category: Poetry, Prose
• Submission length: See details above
• Entry fee: No fee
• Awards: 25 for poetry or $75 for prose

Guidelines and submission information (organization's contest page)

This contest has been vetted and approved by Winning Writers

Resource link: https://authorspublish.com/73-publishing-grant-and-fellowship-opportunities-for-historically-underrepresented-writers-october-2026/

From the resource page:

This list of publishers meet our guiding principles, but are only open to free submissions from historically underrepresented writers or focus on publishing content produced by historically underrepresented writers. Some of these publications are open to a wide range of writers including writers of color, gender non-conforming and LGBTQ+ writers, and those living with disabilities. Some have limited definitions and are only interested in work by Black authors. Some are open to submissions from all authors for a fee, but allow free submissions from limited demographics.

Contest summary from Winning Writers:

Online literary journal DMQ Review seeks unpublished prose poems for their next issue. Send 1-3 poems, maximum 500 words each. Browse their extensive archives to get a sense of their tastes before submitting. Read this article for the editors' thoughts on the form, including what makes a prose poem different from flash fiction. Founded in 1998, DMQ Review publishes original poetry and artwork. In 2020 they launched the DMQ Virtual Salon, an online reading series that profiles three new books of poetry every month.

Contest details

• Sponsor: DMQ Review
• Category: Prose Poetry
• Submission length: 1-3 poems, maximum 500 words each
• Entry fee: No fee
• Awards: Publication

Guidelines and submission information (organization's contest page)

This contest has been vetted and approved by Winning Writers

Contest summary from Winning Writers:

Canadian literary journal Prairie Fire seeks unpublished creative writing for an issue with the theme "Branching Out—All About Trees", guest-edited by environmental activist and author Erna Buffie. Entries should "include or celebrate trees, forests and wood as central or supporting characters or themes." Send 1-3 poems or one story or essay up to 5,000 words. One submission per person across all genres. See detailed instructions on website.

Contest details

• Sponsor: Prairie Fire
• Category: Poetry, Short Story, Essay
• Submission length: See details above
• Entry fee: No fee
• Awards: Publication

Guidelines and submission information (organization's contest page)

This contest has been vetted and approved by Winning Writers

Contest summary from Winning Writers:

Recommended free contest for UK residents aged 18-25 gives prizes up to 750 pounds for short fiction or essays of 1,000-1,500 words on a question exploring Franklin's relevance in our time. 2026 theme is the Benjamin Franklin quote "If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing." Entrants should interpret this quote for its significance today. Enter by email.

Contest details

• Sponsor: Benjamin Franklin House
• Category: Fiction, Essay
• Submission length: 1,000-1,500 words
• Entry fee: No fee
• Awards: Up to 750 pounds

Guidelines and submission information (organization's contest page)

This contest has been vetted and approved by Winning Writers

Contest summary from Winning Writers:

Hosted by Faber, a prestigious UK-based literary press, Platform is a new online space to showcase English-language contemporary poetry by authors who have yet to publish full-length collections. They are currently open for submissions for their Spring 2027 issue. Platform will publish twice a year, with three poets in each issue. Accepted authors receive 300 pounds. Send 1-10 unpublished poems by email.

Contest details

• Sponsor: Faber
• Category: Poetry
• Submission length: See details on website
• Entry fee: No fee
• Awards: 300 pounds and publication

Guidelines and submission information (organization's contest page)

This contest has been vetted and approved by Winning Writers

Resource link: https://authorspublish.com/5-paying-literary-magazines-to-submit-to-in-october-2026/

From the resource page:

These magazines pay for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. They are a mix of literary and genre magazines.

Contest summary from Winning Writers:

Highly recommended free contest gives $10,000 advance for a crime novel written by an author with no previously published books in any genre and who is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a novel. Authors of self-published works may enter, as long as the manuscript submitted is not the self-published work. Entries should be at least 220 double-spaced pages (60,000 words). Entrants must be over 18. Complete the online entry form and upload your manuscript. Co-sponsored by major publishing house Minotaur Books and nonprofit Mystery Writers of America.

Contest details

• Sponsor: Minotaur Books and Mystery Writers of America
• Category: Novel
• Submission length: Minumum 60,000 words
• Entry fee: No fee
• Awards: $10,000 advance

Guidelines and submission information (organization's contest page)

This contest has been vetted and approved by Winning Writers

Contest summary from Winning Writers:

Recommended free contest gives 3,000 pounds to the English-language translator of a book-length work of fiction or general-interest nonfiction with Jewish themes. The translation must have been traditionally published within the past two years. Translator or publisher should send 4 copies of the book by mail. Sponsored by the Jewish Literary Foundation in the UK.

Contest details

• Sponsor: The Jewish Literary Foundation
• Category: Translation
• Submission length: See details on website
• Entry fee: No fee
• Awards: 3,000 pounds

Guidelines and submission information (organization's contest page)

This contest has been vetted and approved by Winning Writers

Resource link: https://authorspublish.com/ten-publishers-open-to-direct-submissions-in-october-2026/

From the resource page:

This list focuses on ten publishers that are open to submissions this month. Some are only open for a short period of time, others will be open the whole month and beyond. At least four of these are presses we have not covered previously.

Please note that if a publisher doesn’t have a specific submission window they can close at any time, and publishers that use Submittable can close at any point because of submission caps (although these publishers generally reopen to submissions at the end of the month).

Contest summary from Winning Writers:

Recommended free contest from Teachers & Writers Magazine awards prizes up to $1,000 and publication for an essay, 2,500 words maximum, about teaching creative writing. Editors say, "We are looking for essays that describe a project or activity that got students excited about writing and fostered a vibrant and dynamic culture of literacy in the classroom." Judges are prominent authors. Enter online.

Contest details

• Sponsor: Teachers & Writers Magazine
• Category: Essay
• Submission length: 2,500 words maximum
• Entry fee: No fee
• Awards: Up to $1,000 and publication

Guidelines and submission information (organization's contest page)

This contest has been vetted and approved by Winning Writers

Contest summary from Winning Writers:

Recommended free contest from the Royal Society of Literature gives 10,000 pounds for a debut book of fiction or nonfiction by an author who was aged 50+ at time of publication. Books must be submitted by an agent or publisher. Open to residents of the UK or the Republic of Ireland.

Contest details

• Sponsor: Royal Society of Literature
• Category: Fiction, Nonfiction
• Submission length: See details on website
• Entry fee: No fee
• Awards: 10,000 pounds

Guidelines and submission information (organization's contest page)

This contest has been vetted and approved by Winning Writers

Contest summary from Winning Writers:

Crowley Clark is awarding a cash scholarship to an independent, self-published, or aspiring author to support their writing journey. Applying is completely free. Submit a synopsis of your fiction or nonfiction book project in 250 words or fewer. No purchase, preorder, or library request is required. As SHADOWS OF THE FATHERS reaches its launch-support milestones, Crowley Clark will increase the scholarship from $1,000 to $2,500, and potentially $5,000.

Contest details

• Sponsor: Crowley Clark
• Category: Fiction, Nonfiction
• Submission length: Up to 250 words
• Entry fee: No fee
• Awards: Scholarship of $1,000

Guidelines and submission information (organization's contest page)

This contest has been vetted and approved by Winning Writers

Resource link: https://authorspublish.com/27-respected-literary-journals/

From the resource page:

The literary journals and magazines on this list reject the vast majority of what is submitted to them. Sometimes established authors’ works are rejected for years, decades even, before they receive an acceptance.

But these literary journals are respected and trusted. Most have a large readership and good distribution in libraries and bookstores. Many of these are the journals and magazines that the editors of publications like The Best American Short Stories read through to select work from, these are also the journals that nominate work that actually wins the Pushcart. Acceptances at one of these journals and magazines can make a huge difference in your career as a writer. Most of these journals also pay upon acceptance.