These Monthly Roundups are to help you submit your work without information overload. Let’s keep progressing your story.
Below is a carefully curated selection a few great vetted opportunities to keep you writing and submitting without analysis paralysis. Every month, I post 1-2 strategic opportunities, in the following categories, that are worth your time and $ to submit.
Poetry
Fiction
Nonfiction/Essay
Grants, Fellowships, or Residencies.
Workshops (online) & Retreats or Conferences (in-person).
POETRY
1. Raleigh Review Laux & Millar Poetry Book Prize
Final Judge: Tyree Daye
An even-year poetry book prize for unpublished first or second poetry manuscripts (48–60 pages). The winning book is featured with the Fall issue, then published as a standalone (print + e-book).
Details
Prize: $500 USD + publication inside the prize issue (print & online). Finalists/Honorable Mentions may have individual poems selected for the magazine at $15 per poem; all Finalists/HMs receive a 2-year subscription. International winners receive payment in copies. No royalties beyond the $500 prize.
Publication: Featured with the Fall magazine issue (even years), then full book via Fernwood Press with target standalone release February 21, 2027.
Entry Fee: $15 USD per manuscript
Eligibility: Open to poets residing in the USA (any immigration status)
Deadlines: Open from Nov 1–Dec 31, 2025.
2. 2025 Chad Walsh Chapbook Series
Hosted by: Beloit Poetry Journal
Beloit Poetry Journal invites submissions to the Chad Walsh Chapbook Series. Open to any poet writing in English. The winning chapbook receives publication and wide distribution to BPJ subscribers (approx. 1,500 print run).
DEADLINE: November 30 (closes at midnight ET).
Award Details
Prize: $2,500 + 50 author copies (perfect bound, full-color cover) + in-depth editorial consultation. Results: Announced late winter/spring; publication spring/early summer.
Eligibility & Guidelines
Manuscript length: 20–35 pages of poetry (include table of contents and acknowledgments page).
Format: Each poem begins on its own page.
Publication status: Individual poems may be previously published; the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished.
Simultaneous submissions welcome; withdraw via Submittable if accepted elsewhere. Not eligible: Translations or multi-author chapbooks.
Revisions: No changes during the contest period; editing occurs after selection.
Ethics: BPJ follows CLMP guidelines. Close friends/family/students/consulting clients of BPJ editors, and current/former interns or staff should not submit.
Entry Fees
Fee: $20 per entry; additional manuscripts allowed with additional fees.
Fee waivers: Limited number available for hardship (email bpj@bpj.org).
FICTION
1. 2025 Novel Excerpt Contest — Judged by Nick Fuller Googins | $3,000 Prize!
Hosted by: The Masters Review
Each fall, The Masters Review opens submissions for novel excerpts that can stand alone, with strong characters, vivid settings, and memorable arcs. All genres welcome (primarily literary).
Submissions open September 10 and close November 9, 2025.
Award Details
Prizes: 1st—$3,000 + online publication + 1-hr consultation with agent Marin Takikawa; 2nd—$300 + online publication + agent feedback; 3rd—$200 + online publication + agent feedback.
Eligibility & Guidelines:
Excerpts must be under 6,000 words.
Unpublished work only: previously published excerpts are disqualified.
Simultaneous and multiple submissions allowed; each submission requires a $20 fee.
Free submissions for historically marginalized writers were available until 50 entries.
AI-generated or AI-assisted submissions will be disqualified.
Friends, family, and associates of the guest judge, and past winners, are ineligible.
International submissions allowed; work must be primarily in English; no translations.
Withdraw promptly if accepted elsewhere.
Notes: Not anonymous at submission; judge reads the shortlist blind.
Emerging writers only: authors with a single-author book under contract or published with a major press are ineligible; indie-press and self-published authors may submit unpublished work.
Format: double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-pt Times New Roman or Garamond.
Excerpts under contract for 2025–2026 are ineligible; contracts from 2027+ are eligible.
All entries considered for New Voices.
NON-FICTION / ESSAY
1. The Maine Review — Creative Nonfiction
The Maine Review publishes outstanding contemporary nonfiction—supporting representation, innovation, and literary artistry—and welcomes new, emerging, and established writers.
Details
Payment: $25 honorarium.
Deadline: November 20, 2025.
Submission Guidelines
No multiple submissions; wait for a response before submitting again.
We will not publish work that normalizes hatred of any marginalized group or individual (thoughtful examinations of discrimination are welcome).
Formatting: 12-pt Times New Roman; double-spaced; 1” margins.
Include word count in your cover letter.
Send one piece of ≤3,000 words (longer works of exceptional merit may be considered) or three flash pieces of ≤1,000 words each.
CONFERENCE / WORKSHOP / RETREAT
AWP Conference & Bookfair — #AWP26
Hosted by: Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP)
Location: Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD (in-person) OR AWP Anywhere Pass (virtual)
The premier annual gathering for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers. Hundreds of panels, readings, and the largest literary bookfair in North America. Event dates: March 4–7, 2026.
Event Details
Dates: March 4–7, 2026 (Baltimore & virtual).
Venue: Baltimore Convention Center.
Registration periods & sample rates:
Early Bird (Aug 11–Nov 24, 2025): Member $210 / Nonmember $330; Anywhere Pass member $110, nonmember $190.
Preregistration (Nov 25, 2025–Mar 3, 2026): Member $260 / Nonmember $380; Anywhere Pass member $120, nonmember $200.
On-site (Mar 4–7, 2026): Member $435 / Nonmember $540; Anywhere Pass member $130, nonmember $210.
Student & Senior rates available; Saturday-only pass $25 (on-site).
Participation Guidelines
Who should attend: Writers at any stage, educators, students, editors, publishers, and literary organizations.
Presenters: Discounted presenter rates; presenters must be linked to an accepted event.
Accessibility: On-site and virtual accessibility services; ADA-compliant.
Policies: Terms & Conditions and Anti-Harassment Policy apply to all attendees.
I know we can get lost in long lists, so hopefully these quality monthly sub-samplers will be helpful. If you apply, let me know in the comments—I’d love to cheer you on and post your success in the newsletter.
Happy Submitting!
♥ NJ
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For those of us who live in words, edit with caffeine, and revise until our eyelids stick to our scleras. POEtic Threads focuses on comfortable, wearable pieces, that nod to the writing life: for when you’re deep in the draft trenches, heading to a reading/book club, or just want to be cozy.
