For emerging and established writers alike, September is one of the best months to submit your work. Many prestigious journals open their reading periods this month, and the best part is—you don’t have to pay a submission fee. Whether you’re polishing a new poem, revising a short story, or preparing an essay, this is your chance to send your work into the world without worrying about extra costs.

Here are 10 respected literary journals currently open for free submissions this September:

1) The Kenyon Review
Widely recognized as one of America’s most prestigious journals, Kenyon Review opens submissions only in September. They accept fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, and translations. Because the window is brief, competition is fierce—but the visibility is unmatched.
2) The Penn Review
This student-run but long-standing journal reopens its submission window in mid-September. They welcome poetry, prose, and art, always without a reading fee. Their editors encourage simultaneous submissions, which makes it easier for you to send work to multiple places at once.
3) The Offing
Known for championing diverse voices and experimental forms, The Offing runs multiple departments, each with its own call. The best part? They’ve committed to keeping submissions free in 2025. September is a particularly active month for sections like Wit Tea, which highlights short, witty pieces.
4) The Baltimore Review
Founded in 1996, The Baltimore Review accepts poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction on a rolling basis. Unlike contests that require fees, their general submission categories are always free. They especially appreciate strong settings and grounded storytelling.
5) Chestnut Review
Calling itself the “journal of sustained work,” Chestnut Review publishes four times a year. Poetry and flash submissions are always free, while longer prose may require a small fee. If you want a quick response, their flash category is ideal.
6) CRAFT Literary
As its name suggests, CRAFT places a strong emphasis on the art of storytelling at the sentence level. They accept fiction, flash, and creative nonfiction year-round, and never charge a fee. Their editors also pay contributors, which makes them a standout opportunity for writers seeking both exposure and compensation.
7) Rattle
Rattle has built a reputation for publishing accessible, powerful poetry. Submissions are always free, and they read year-round. In September, you can also send to their Poets Respond feature, which highlights poems written in response to current events.
8) The Louisville Review
Published by the University of Louisville, this long-running journal accepts poetry and prose with no submission fee. They value emotionally resonant work, often favoring narrative poems and realist fiction with a strong human focus.
9) BULL (Men’s Fiction)
Despite the name, BULL is not limited to male writers. Instead, it explores the many angles of masculinity in contemporary life. They publish fiction and essays and have promised to keep submissions free. If your work challenges or reimagines traditional tropes of masculinity, this is the place for you.
10) AGNI
AGNI has a long history of publishing work that later appears in Best American Short Stories, The O. Henry Prize Stories, and other major anthologies. Their reading period opens each September and runs through May. While their online portal requires a small fee, postal submissions remain completely free—an old-school option that still works.

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to submit your work, September is your month. From heavyweights like Kenyon Review and AGNI to innovative voices like The Offing and Chestnut Review, there’s something here for every writer.

Don’t just send to one journal. Spread your submissions out—try a mix of highly competitive, big-name journals and smaller, newer ones. And above all, polish your piece, write a simple cover letter, and hit submit.

This could be the month your words find a new home.