Theme & Deadline Calendar Calendar of upcoming themes, openings, and deadlines for publications, contests, and anthologies, including themes (where applicable). Check the publisher's guidelines for full details before submitting. Filter Themes & Deadlines Category: Category: Fiction Category: Nonfiction Category: Poetry Category: Visual Art Listing Type: Any Listing Type Anthologies Only Contests Only Journals Only Literary Agents Only Genre: Any Genre Genre: General Genre: Action-Adventure Genre: Erotica Genre: Fantasy Genre: Horror Genre: Mystery/Crime Genre: Romance Genre: Science Fiction Genre: Suspense/Thriller Genre: Western Genre: Open to All/Most Genres Publication Medium: Any Publication Medium Publication Medium: Electronic Publication Medium: Print Publication Medium: Audio Publication Medium: Video Minimum Payscale: Any Min. Pay Min. Pay: Token Min. Pay: Semi-pro Min. Pay: Pro Include unthemed deadlines Only show results in my Favorites List Include deadlines with associated fees Include results in my Ignore List Exclude listings with MATURE content Only show New and Updated deadlines (past 7 days) Exclude TEMP CLOSED listings 199 deadlines found. Project & ThemeOpeningDeadlineDays Left Dark Moments Drabble Monthly Challenge [Dark Moments] Theme: Decades 01 Oct 202631 Oct 20260.2 2 Christmas of the Dead Anthology Series [Wicked Shadow Press] Theme: Christmas Horror 01 Nov 20260* 2 Flame Tree Publishing Beyond & Within Anthology Series [Flame Tree Publishing] Updated in the past 7 days Theme: Mythos & Meaning: Human Accounts of Beastly Encounters 01 Nov 20260* 6 Liars' League Theme: Christmas: Grit & Glitter 01 Nov 20260.7 6 The First Line [Blue Cubicle Press] Theme: First line: "Lawrence was the last to arrive." 01 Nov 20260* 5 Santa Fe Literary Review Theme: Connection: Networks, Relationships, and Alienation 15 Jul 202601 Nov 20260* 4 Syncopation Literary Journal Theme: Women in Music 01 Nov 20260* 0 Tendon Magazine [Johns Hopkins Center for Medical Humanities and Social Medicine] Theme: Witness 01 Nov 20260* 0 THEMA Theme: Sent by Mistake 01 Nov 20260* 5 The Words Faire Quarterly [The Words Faire Press] Theme: Incertitude 01 Nov 20260* 0 Bloodletter Magazine Charges fees for some submissions Theme: Omen 03 Nov 20263.1 1 foofaraw Theme: Monstrously Massive March- reprints only 08 Nov 20267* 4 Hot Flash Literary Theme: Burning the candle at both ends 01 Oct 202612 Nov 202611* 1 Raconteur Press Anthology Series [Raconteur Press] Theme: Deep Blue 12 Nov 202611* 1 PodCastle [Escape Artists] Added in the past 7 days Theme: Undercity Magic 13 Nov 202612.7 1 The Toe Rag Theme: Signs & Symbols 26 Oct 202613 Nov 202612* 0 The Chimes Theme: The Labyrinth of Suffering 13 Nov 202612* 3 PHIL LIT Journal [PHIL LIT] Theme: Impressions & Inheritance 01 Sep 202613 Nov 202612* 0 Dorveille Literary Magazine FLEDGLING Theme: Eternal 15 Nov 202614* 1 Apofenie Magazine Theme: Absence 15 Nov 202614* 0 Fiction Potluck Contest [The Writer's Workout] Theme: A Special Place 01 Oct 202615 Nov 202614.7 0 Flame Tree Book of Horror Anthology Series [Flame Tree Publishing] Added in the past 7 days Theme: Hungry Spirits 15 Nov 202614* 0 Flame Tree Publishing Beyond & Within Anthology Series [Flame Tree Publishing] Theme: Art is Horror 15 Nov 202614* 5 Litro Magazine Theme: Breaking Borders II 15 Nov 202614* 0 Alaska Women Speak Theme: Narrowing Runway of Winter 15 Nov 202614* 0 Anomaly Poetry Rituals & Tidings Anthology Series [Anomaly Poetry] Theme: Tidings 01 Sep 202615 Nov 202614* 1 Boudin [The McNeese Review] Added in the past 7 days Theme: Hope/solar/punk 15 Nov 202614* 0 Hidden Villains Anthology Series [Inkd Publishing] Added in the past 7 days Theme: Enigma 01 Aug 202615 Nov 202614* 0 Hushmarrow Press FLEDGLING Theme: What we hide, what we lose, what we refuse to confront, and what refuses to stay buried 15 Nov 202614.9 2 My Galvanized Friend Theme: The Immoral of the Story 01 Jul 202615 Nov 202614* 1 Phosphorescent Lit Theme: Fever 15 Nov 202614.9 0 Sinister Wisdom Theme: On Our Backs 15 Nov 202614* 0 Timeless Reflections Anthology [Diamante Lavender Blog] Theme: The Depths of Desire 15 Nov 202614* 1 Ugly People Literary Magazine FLEDGLING Theme: Body 01 Sep 202615 Nov 202614* 2 Empyrean Literary Magazine Theme: Annihilation 15 Nov 202615 0 Agita Magazine [Agita Publishing] Theme: Ekphrasis 18 Nov 202617* 3 The Markaz Review Theme: Mis/Translation 20 Nov 202619.7 0 WayWords Literary Journal [The Writer's Workout] Theme: City 01 Oct 202620 Nov 202619.7 1 Emerald City Ghosts Theme: Christmas Ghost Stories 20 Nov 202619* 2 Rosetta Literary Theme: Constellation 20 Nov 202619* 1 Shared Grief Journal Updated in the past 7 days Theme: Grief and the Holidays 20 Nov 202619* 1 Sinking City Theme: Re-Imaginings 20 Nov 202619.9 0 Moonflake Press Online [Moonflake Press] Theme: After Midnight 25 Nov 202624* 0 Agita Magazine [Agita Publishing] Limited Demographic Theme: Ehphrasis- submissions restricted to LGBTQIA+, disabled, or BIPOC authors 17 Oct 202625 Nov 202624* 2 Quotidian Bagatelle [foofaraw Press] Has Restrictions Theme: Drabbles relating to events in 2026 15 Oct 202625 Nov 202624* 2 Pure Slush Great Cities Anthology Series [Pure Slush] Theme: Rome 01 Oct 202630 Nov 202629* 1 GossamerWight Literary Magazine Theme: Deep Roots 01 Oct 202630 Nov 202629.7 0 3Elements Literary Review Theme: Black hole, duct tape, stream 30 Nov 202629* 1 Catalogue Zine Theme: People, Places, Things! 30 Nov 202629* 0 Cola Literary Review Charges fees for some submissions Limited Demographic BIPOC Writers only 01 Nov 202630 Nov 202629* 0 CrayfishMag [Furnace Run Press] Theme: Creatures 01 Sep 202630 Nov 202629.9 0 Dragon Soul Press Short Story Anthologies [Dragon Soul Press] Theme: Next Door 30 Nov 202629* 1 The Haiku Shack Magazine Theme: Night 30 Nov 202629.9 1 Hobbyhorse Magazine FLEDGLING Theme: Obsession 30 Nov 202629* 9 Interrobang Lit Theme: An animal can hear human thoughts 01 Nov 202630 Nov 202629* 2 Polyphony Lit Contests [Polyphony Lit] Charges fees for some submissions Theme: Nostalgia 30 Nov 202629* 0 NonBinary Review [Zoetic Press] TEMP CLOSED Theme: Redemption 01 Nov 202630 Nov 202630.1 3 The Broken City Magazine Theme: Down the rabbit hole 01 Dec 202630* 0 diaCRITICS Limited Demographic Theme: What does it mean to be Vietnamese or Southeast Asian in the South? 01 Dec 202630* 0 Eternal Haunted Summer Has Restrictions Science Fiction 01 Nov 202601 Dec 202630* 3 The Heart of Fear [Cross the Teas Publishing] Theme: Love-themed horror 01 Dec 202630* 2 Infrarrealista Review [Plancha Press] Theme: I Got Issues: The Heavy-Handed Mental Health Issue 01 Dec 202630* 2 MSU Libraries Short Édition [Michigan State University (MSU) Libraries] Theme: Epiphany 01 Dec 202630* 0 The Reprise [Inésmeow Creative Studios] Theme: Vigil 01 Dec 202630* 0 Saddlebag Dispatches [Roan & Weatherford] Added in the past 7 days Theme: Kansas City, Missouri 01 Dec 202630* 1 Sterncastle Magazine [Sterncastle Publishing] Theme: Neighbors 01 Dec 202630* 0 Utopia Science Fiction Magazine Theme: Mystery 01 Dec 202630* 5 inScribe Theme: Music 05 Oct 202605 Dec 202634* 0 Forevermore Theme: Poison 06 Dec 202635* 2 Trembling With Fear [The Horror Tree] Theme: Christmas 07 Dec 202636* 1 Statement Magazine Theme: Wilderness & Cultivation 07 Dec 202636* 0 Water Your Cellphone Theme: Flowers 08 Dec 202637* 0 Wild Greens Magazine Added in the past 7 days Theme: Plenty 08 Dec 202637* 0 The Dream Shard Grimoire [Cinnabar Press] FLEDGLING NEW! Added in the past 7 days Theme: Death as a precursor to rebirth 09 Dec 202638* 1 Superpresent Magazine Theme: Noir 10 Dec 202639* 1 123 * An asterisk indicates that we do not know the time/zone for the deadline, so we cannot be precise. The actual deadline could be up to a day before or after that date in your time zone. We recommend submitting early to avoid disappointment. indicates the theme/deadline was added in the past 7 days, while indicates it was updated in the past 7 days. indicates a theme. indicates a limited demographic. indicates other restrictions may apply. Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy. Accept All Cookies Allow Essential Cookies Only