This June is packed with several open calls for submissions for writers of all genres. If you’re a writer looking for places to get paid for your creative work, scroll down and pick the opportunity that best fits your interests. All the submission calls listed here are free and are paying markets. While some seek only fiction or poetry, others accept all genres. Every first week of the month, we post competitions and magazines open for submissions for both emerging and established writers to showcase their skills.
1) The Unserious Collective Fellowship
The Unserious Collective has opened submissions for the 2026 Unserious Collective Fellowship, marking the return of its annual prize after a one-year hiatus. The fellowship recognizes outstanding poetry by emerging Nigerian poets.
Submissions are open from April 1 to June 30, 2026. Writers may submit up to ten published or unpublished poems. The organizers note that submissions may be a mixture of both published and unpublished poems, but not exclusively published work.
Four fellows will be selected, each receiving ₦150,000, for a total prize fund of ₦600,000. The fellowship does not prefer any particular theme, style, or approach—just quality writing that is bold and exciting.
https://unseriouscollective.com/programs/fellowship/submit
2) Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
The Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize, one of the most internationally minded literary prizes for emerging writers anywhere in the world, is now open for entries for its 2026 edition.
The prize accepts work in three categories: fiction, poetry, and life writing. This year, for the first time across all three categories, it also welcomes entries in translation, with the cash prize split equally between the author and translator if a translated work wins.
There are no restrictions on age, gender, nationality, or background. The only condition is that entrants must not have published a book-length work.
Winners in each category receive £1,000 and publication in Wasafiri magazine. All winners and shortlisted writers are also offered a mentoring scheme in partnership with The Literary Consultancy, along with a one-year print subscription to the magazine.
Deadline: 11:59 p.m. BST, June 30, 2026.
https://www.wasafiri.org/writing-prizes/queen-mary-wasafiri-new-writing-prize/enter-the-2026-queen-mary-wasafiri-new-writing-prize/entry-form
3) The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts
They are open to fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, mixed media, and visual arts, as long as the work is compressed in some way. They accept no more than three works per genre.
Payment: $50
Deadline: June 15, 2026.
Click the link below to read their guidelines:
https://matter.submittable.com/submit
4) Poetry Magazine
They accept only poetry of any style and length.
Payment: $500 per text or visual poem, $600 per video poem, and $400 for essays about poetry.
Deadline: June 15, 2026.
https://poetry.submittable.com/submit
5) beestung
beestung is a quarterly online micro-magazine for non-binary and Two-Spirit writers and readers, with an emphasis on intracommunity sensibilities. The magazine resists the canon and all forms of bigotry.
beestung considers poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, hybrid works, and art by creators who fall under the non-binary umbrella or who are Two-Spirit. Multilingual work and work in translation are welcome.
Payment: $20
Deadline: June 20, 2026.
There is an extended deadline for BIPOC writers.
https://beestungmag.com/about/
6) The Ex-Puritan
The magazine is accepting poetry, fiction, reviews, interviews, essays, and experimental work. It is committed to publishing the best writing in all forms.
Payment: CAD $100–$200
Deadline: June 25, 2026.
https://puritan-magazine.submittable.com/submit
7) Mertails Anthology
The anthology does not impose a word limit but states that stories may be of any genre, provided the primary characters are merfolk in some form. Stories may be urban fantasy, high fantasy, or, for those bold enough, science fiction.
Payment: AU$0.01 per word plus one contributor’s copy for every accepted work.
Deadline: June 30, 2026.
https://www.tfpublishing.com.au/anthology-calls
8) Modern Love
The editors state on their website that they are seeking true stories about finding love, losing love, and trying to keep love alive.
They welcome essays that explore subjects such as adoption, polyamory, technology, race, and friendship—anything that could reasonably fit under the heading Modern Love. Ideally, essays should arise from a central dilemma you have faced. It is helpful, though not essential, for the situation to reflect what is happening in the world today.
For this section, they are focusing on personal essays.
Payment: $300–$500
Deadline: June 30, 2026.
https://www.nytimes.com/article/how-to-submit-a-modern-love-essay.html
9) The Truth We Carry: An Anthology of Survivor Voices
This anthology is open to creative works documenting the experiences of survivors of domestic abuse and trafficking.
The editors specify that submissions do not have to be autobiographical; they may also be fictional. They aim for 75% of the published work to come from Maine survivors.
They will accept submissions until June 30, 2026, or until they reach their submission cap.
Payment: $100 for stories of up to 3,000 words.
https://duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/the-truth-we-carry-nG2Z9
10) Arts Lounge Literary Magazine
We are open every month for unsolicited submissions. Send us works of all genres. Visit our submission page to check out our submission guidelines.
See you next month.
