The January 2026 edition of "Get Submitting" is a monthly hand-curated list of the top five contests, grants, scholarships, submission calls, and awards. We try to prioritize opportunities that are at least one of the following: open to all genres, local, free to apply, and/or committed to celebrating and supporting writers from historically marginalized communities. We do the research, so you have more time for what matters: the writing.

Submissions

American Literary Review

Fee: $3; Award: Publication; Deadline: May 1st (only accepting up to 300 submissions)

American Literary Review welcomes submissions of previously unpublished essays for online publication only. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Acre Books

Fee: $0; Award: Publication; Deadline: January 31st

Acre Books is reading queries and submissions for poetry manuscripts during the month of January. They will consider books of poetry from writers of any background, at any point in their literary careers, and are especially interested in the work of debut writers. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Spellbinder - A Quarterly Literary and Art Magazine

Fee: $0; Award: Publication; Deadline: February 1st

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. They accept submissions via their online submission form and publish a quarterly paperback available for purchase via Amazon. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Contests & Prizes

Prizes in Fiction and Poetry | Orison Books

Fee: $25; Award: $1,500 and publication; Deadline: April 1st

The 2026 Orison Prizes are open for submissions. Margot Livesey will judge in fiction and Leila Chatti will judge in poetry; the winner in each genre will receive $1,500 and publication of their book. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Residency

Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing

Fee: $0; Award: Four Month Residency and $5000 Stipend Deadline: February 1st

Named for Bucknell's renowned literary alumnus and initiated in the fall of 1993, the Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing offers up to four months of unfettered writing time for a writer working on a first or second book in any literary genre. Visit the website for complete guidelines.