Happy Monday! Hopefully you were able to get out on Saturday to hop around your local bookstores to enjoy all the doings going on for Indie Bookstore Day. Saturday started with rain and chilly weather, but we did sneak some sunshine in before the day ended. . . along with some lovely cherry blossom tea cakes. It seems hard to believe, but this is the final newsletter for April! We get to enjoy some lovely and warm days before we crash 20 degrees later in the week.

Don’t forget that today is the last day to apply to attend a residency at the Kerouac House in Orlando! Plus, there are several submission opportunities ending this week. Don’t forget to read to the end of this newsletter to discover which journals and presses have deadlines this month and the beginning of May, like Winning Writers’ Tom Howard/ John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest.

Looking for a new journal issue to devour? Stop by the NewPages Magazine Stand to find out which journals have new issues to read. We have also released our full list of new journal issues today so you can catch up! Thorn & Bloom is a brand-new journal from redrosethorn that is devoted to reimagining self-care as an act of resistance, reclamation, and radical honestly. The debut issue features a diverse range of emerging and established voices offering grounded self-care practices, challenging internalized narratives, and illuminating the social conditioning that distances us from our authentic selves.

You can also enjoy an introduction to Silly Goose Press, a new online journal showcasing poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, art, and photography about every four months. The journal was inspired when the editors, a group of silly geese and best friends, attended their first AWP conference.

The Spring 2025 issue of THEMA prompted writers with “My Favorite Bookmark.” Enjoy works stemming from this shared premise into delightfully different works by Tytti Heikkinen, Cheryl Matthis, Casey Lawrence, Judy Penz Sheluk, Cezanne Waid, and more. Come back to the Magazine Stand later this week to enjoy more information on the latest issue of The Missouri Review and be introduced to Tween Magazine.

Looking for a new book to read? Check out our recently updated list of new and noted books and forthcoming titles. Then swing by the Book Stand to learn about Lee Upton’s upcoming literary mystery, Wrongful. When famous novelist Mira Wallacz goes missing at a festival devoted to celebrating her work, attendees assume the worst. 10 years later, Geneva Finch sets out on a journey to discover the truth.

If you need even more book recommendations, our reviewers are here to help. First, Eleanor J. Bader reviews You Only Get What You’re Organized to Take: Lessons from the Movement to End Poverty by longtime anti-poverty activist and Presbyterian pastor Liz Theoharis and writer-organizer Noam Sandweiss-Back. The book, part memoir, part polemic, part theological discussion, and part policy guide, zeroes in on wide-ranging organizing efforts and charts strategies, tactics, and goals used in grassroots campaigns as a way to detail how the poor have mobilized for decades on their own behalf.

Jami Macarty talks about Darius Atefat-Peckham’s debut, award-winning collection, Book of Kin. The poems explore the “haunting” intersections of his life as an “only child of grief” with a mother who will die many times over in reality and imagination. Macarty also reviews For Today by Carolyn Hembree which chronicles the life of a woman navigating the challenges of the sandwich generation.

Inspiration

Let’s have a fun little imagination time, sounds a bit like Shining Time Station, doesn’t it? What is a product you feel liked you desperately need in your life, but doesn’t yet exist or exists in a very inferior form? If you were to invent something to improve your writerly or everyday life, what would it be?

Imagine you are an entrepreneur getting ready to wade into the Shark Tank. Would you have a fully-fledged idea and a product at the ready or just a concept? Would you fly by the seat of your pants or painstakingly write out a full presentation script you stick to like glue? What would your personality be like? How would you feel? What kind of first impression do you think your wonder item would make?

Can you turn that into a poem or story? The greatest idea ever to be had or how about the product you regret not having invented, or maybe invested in? Can you write an essay on the nitty gritty you discovered in trying to launch a product or brand and all of the not fun success rates of businesses?

Not inspired by this topic? Have no idea what Shining Time Station is? Search it and see if it can inspire something in your work.

Calls, Contests, & More

Below is a small preview of this week’s 64 writing contests, calls for submissions, and literary and writing events.

Tremont Writers Conference in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Application Deadline: May 15, 2025
"Pairing a writing workshop with the mountains: I couldn’t have imagined anything more perfect." - Sarah, previous participant. "I was reminded to use ALL of my senses, to be observant, and then articulate the experience." - Kim, previous participant. “The thing that stands out to me about the Tremont conference is that the Great Smoky Mountains is not simply a setting for the program - it is an integrated feature." - Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet and conference leader Maurice Manning. Applications are now open for the third annual Tremont Writers Conference, taking place this October inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Join renowned authors Crystal Wilkinson, David Joy, Karen Spears Zacharias, and Maurice Manning for an intensive five-day retreat for writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Financial aid is available. Learn more and apply.

Creative Entrepreneurs Change the World > Learn more > Pepperdine MFA Screenwriting

Application Deadline: 30 April 2025
Creative entrepreneurs change the world. Learn more in Pepperdine's two-year MFA Screenwriting Program. We prepare students to pursue vocations as screenwriters as well as to become cultural leaders in the entertainment industry. Hollywood professionals nurture, train, and support students in writing workshops. Here at Pepperdine we take a values-centered approach to education and work to strengthen student lives in purpose, service, and leadership. Yes, you can be a cultural leader through your storytelling! Apply now!

Heron Tree Call for Submissions

Deadline: May 15, 2025
Until 15 May 2025, Heron Tree is accepting found poems composed from sources published in or before 1929. We are interested in any and all approaches to found poetry construction and erased or remixed texts. Accepted poems will be published weekly on the Heron Tree website starting later in 2025 and will be collected in a free, downloadable PDF volume. For detailed submission guidelines, visit us at our website. No fee, no payment.

Kerouac Project Writers Residency Open for Submissions

Deadline: April 28, 2025
The Kerouac Project of Orlando is looking for six writers to each spend two months living and working in the same house where Beat writer Jack Kerouac lived in 1957–58 when he wrote The Dharma Bums. The Project is accepting applications for its residency program between February 7 and April 28, 2025. The selected writers will be announced in May. Selection is based on the quality of their submitted work. Each writer stays free with their utilities covered and a $600 food and supplies stipend to use during their residency. Visit our website for more information.

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

Deadline: May 1, 2025
33rd year, sponsored by Winning Writers, co-sponsored by Duotrope, and recommended by Reedsy. Submit published or unpublished work online to win $3,500 for the best story and $3,500 for the best essay. Ten Honorable Mentions will receive $500 each. Length limit: 6,000 words. Entry fee: $25. Top 12 entries published online. Final judge: Mina Manchester. Deadline: May 1. Learn more at our website.

LIGHT Magazine Open Call - Art, Letters, Stories, & Poetry

Deadline: May 1, 2025
Leaders Igniting Generational Healing and Transformation (LIGHT) is calling for submissions for Issue 5 of LIGHT Magazine. Building healthier communities, working for a better tomorrow, and ensuring the well-being for all begins with trust. What builds and restores trust? Is it empathy, love, accountability, and genuine communication? What fosters mistrust in public health? Is it a lack of transparency, failure to communicate well, limited diverse voices? Let creativity lead the way—Using art, letters, stories, and poetry, tell us: how might we build public health systems that are trustworthy? Prize money (1st: $500, 2nd: $375, 3rd: $125) will be given to the top three contestants of each category. Visit our website to learn more and to submit via Submittable.

Submissions Open for Housatonic Book Awards

Deadline: July 18, 2025
The Housatonic Book Awards are now accepting submissions of all books published in 2024. Authors or agents are welcome to submit poetry, fiction, and nonfiction manuscripts for consideration in the HBAs. All manuscripts will be reviewed by a committee and the winners will be notified in October 2025. Each award carries a $1,000 honorarium and $500 travel stipend in exchange for the author appearing at either WCSU's fall or summer writing residency. Entering a title implies the author’s willingness to attend the WCSU MFA residency to host a 2-hour workshop. We look forward to considering your work! Learn more here.

Darrel Alejandro Holnes judges Poet Hunt 30!

Deadline: June 15, 2025
The MacGuffin’s Poet Hunt 30 awards a $500 grand prize and publication! Up to two Honorable Mentions also published. Guest Judge Darrel Alejandro Holnes will make the final selections. Entrants receive one copy of the issue containing the selected poems. Send five poems per $15 entry fee. Include your contact info and poem titles in a cover letter or via the Submittable form. Personally identifiable information should not be included on the poems themselves to preserve the anonymous review process. Enter via Submittable; or to enter by post, see full rules at our website.

2025 Cow Creek Chapbook Prize

Deadline: May 15, 2025
Have a small poetry collection that you're ready to get out into the world? We're currently accepting submissions for this year's chapbook contest! The Cow Creek Chapbook Prize is a poetry chapbook contest brought to you by Pittsburg State University. We're open to all styles and subjects. As long as the poems challenge and capture the imagination, we want to see them. The winning poet will receive $1,000 and 25 author copies. This year's judge is Rebecca Gayle Howell. Deadline: May 15, 2025. More guidelines and submission portal can be found at our website.

$7,500 in Awards + Publication in New Letters

Deadline: May 19, 2025
New Letters invites you to submit fiction, essays, or poetry to the New Letters Literary Awards. Winners receive $2,500 for best essay, $2,500 for best poetry, and $2,500 for best fiction, and publication in New Letters. All entries are considered for publication and must be unpublished. Winners will be announced mid-September 2025. Essay and fiction entries may not exceed 8,000 words; poetry entries may contain one to six poems. For complete guidelines, visit our website.

Swan Scythe Press Announces its 2025 Poetry Chapbook Contest!

Deadline: June 15, 2025
Swan Scythe Press announces its 2025 poetry chapbook contest. Entry fee: $18. We are accepting submissions from March 1 to June 15 (postmark deadline). Winner receives $200 and 25 perfect-bound chapbooks. The 2024 winner is Aida Zilelian for Dissonance. For full guidelines, visit our website and submissions manager.

Please note: only paying subscribers get access to all 64 submission opportunities! You can become a paying subscriber for only $5 a month and get early access to submission opportunities and events before they go live on our site.

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