Where to Submit Your Work in April

Humor, Personal Stories, Art & More Presented in 27 Opportunities

Well, if we aren’t marching right into April.

The Guide Girl is turning six months old… they grow up so fast, don’t they?

I suppose that’s as good a time as any to announce that Twenty Hills Press signed two of my novels—one is an elementary-aged chapter book and the other is middle-grade—under the pen name “Ann Val.” These novels are due out in 2026 and 2027 respectively, so I will share more details as the dates draw nearer. In the meantime, please follow my pen name’s Instagram @annvalwrites if you’d like to do a pining author a favor.

I also have an essay about what it’s been like writing with my father-in-law as we explore his childhood in a semibiographical middle-grade novel that we’ve been working on/off for a few years now. The piece is published here in The Rhizo Mag. And I have two essays in Tyndale House Publisher’s newly released “So God Made a Grandma” that pays sweet tribute to all the grannies out there and a poem called “Desert Marriage” in Voice and Virtue’s latest issue.

Also, one of the Guide Girl’s followers reported she had her first publication of 2025, thanks to this newsletter. Woo hoo, congratulations

Rosa Gilbert

! Read her poem in MUTHA—it’s quite poignant.

If you’ve had success because of The Guide Girl, please shoot me a message. I’d love to share in your congratulations.

And, of course, share your disappointments, too. I recently had a “you were a finalist but—” email that was ultimately a rejection. Those ones always hurt more than a form rejection because they mean it was a close call! Ah, drowning in such sweet sorrow.

Anyway, enough of that.

The reason you really clicked on this post… but first, a warning. Some of these publications expire March 31st or early April, so don’t dawdle—consider it my poor taste of an April Fool’s joke.

Alrighty, here goes…

Humor

1). Chortle is always on the “lookout for sharp, focused humor pieces from new writers.” They pay $40 for each piece published.

2). Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest ($2,000, $500, $250, $100 prizes) accepts humor poetry (up to 250 lines). Due April 1, 2025.

Personal Essays

1). Gloria seeks essays and reported features (800-1200 words) for women in midlife. Send pitches to hi@hellogloria.com with “PITCH” in the subject line. Also, they pay $400. Check out their website first to make sure your story or essay idea is a good fit. Remember, a pitch is not a full story but just the idea. There’s no deadline on this one.

2). HRSTORY wants your motherhood stories. $3 submission fee and it doesn’t pay well, but it is good online exposure. Due April 1, 2025.

3). Leading Like a Lady Blog needs stories (max 500 words) highlighting Black/African women in social justice and mutual aid. ($0.25 per word). I believe this is ongoing and doesn’t have a deadline.

4). Her Stories Project features stories from women in midlife on friendship, coupling, uncoupling, and other life topics. Submit 750-2000 words. Not sure of a deadline. $75.

Narrative/Personal Story

1). Narratively is calling for pitches on "The Personals." They are accepting both pitches and submissions for these. Ideal length for full drafts is between 1,000 and 1,500 words. Please don’t send anything longer than 2,000 words — longer drafts will not be considered. Deadline: They’re considering stories and pitches on a rolling basis. Rate: $300.

2). Motley Bloom wants personal essay, reported stories, listicles, etc. on beauty, travel, etc. and how that connects with neuro-divergent living. Rolling basis. Rates start at $300 for short articles, $500 for longer pieces. *You only have to send a pitch, not a finished essay.

Children’s and Young Adult

1). Sally Port Magazine seeks fantasy fiction (mid-grade, YA) and nonfiction on the theme "Making the Choice." I don’t see a deadline but lots of good information on their submission page that I’d read if interested in submitting. (.05/word).

2). Cast of Wonders: They publish YA speculative fiction (up to 6,000 words). While their deadline may have past, I believe this one is good to have on your radar as a YA writer. (0.08/word)

Poetry + Prose

1). Ninth Letter’s theme is reversal. They welcome up to 3 poems and prose is also allowed. Deadline: April 1, 2025, or until filled. ($25 per poem)

2). 32 Poems wants your poems that fit on a single page. They respond usually within weeks, which is nice in this industry. It’s free to submit via snail mail or $3 via Duotrope. Deadline: April 30, 2025. ($25 per poem and 2 copies of the magazine).

3). Okey Dokey is about the cutest literary magazine I’ve seen. They publish poetry and flash fiction (but not non-fiction). A quirkier offering is wanted. Response time is 2-3 months. They seem to be open all month or longer. ($20).

Short Stories

1). MetaStellar pays for flash fiction (up to 1,200 words) in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. The deadline is March 31, 2025, so technically not April, meaning hurry on over. (.08/ word.)

2). Rustica accepts short stories and other writing. I can’t find a deadline on this one, but it’s for their Issue 4 released in the summer. ($50).

3). Hearth Stories publishes slice-of-life stories (1,000-10,000 words) focusing on nature and pre-industrial settings. This is another March 31, 2025 deadline (sorry!) so hurry on over. ($0.01/word)

4). Heroic Fantasy Quarterly seeks heroic fantasy short stories (up to 10k words, or longer can be serialized). They also want Tolkienesque poetry (c’mon now!) I believe they open up monthly for submissions, but if not, check back because it looks like a great place to submit your sorcery and stone type stories. ($25-100 for fiction)

5). Flame Tree Publishing wants Afrofuturism short stories. Open now, closes when filled. (.08/word).

6). Pure Slush wants your fiction and essays from 150 to 1000 words and poetry from 80 to 1000 words on the theme AGING. Printed in an anthology and the editor normally responds quickly. No fee to submit.

Faith

1). The Grit and Grace Project has an ongoing opportunity for writers to apply as one of their writers. If you’re accepted, they ask you submit content once a month to their website. Or, you can submit one story once. I do not believe this is paying, but I could be wrong.

Arts/Culture

1). The Curationist is accepting proposals for editorial features. This one is interesting if you have an “interest in the history and contemporary context of cultural objects and materials.” Some suggested topics for 2025 include film, animals and taxidermy, botany and plants, architecture, interior design and furniture, museum conservation, cookbooks, and the nonvisual senses. Deadline March 30th, 2025. They offer a $1500 flat rate for essays of around 1500 words, along with editorial and research support. Deadline: March 30, 2025.

Contests

1). Alpine Fellowship Prizes accepts writing on the theme "Fear." Deadline: April 1, 2025. (£3,000, £1,000 runners-up)

2). Eye Contact Prize in Genre Fiction: They like historical flash fiction (up to 1,000 words) on the theme "Experience." Deadline: April 4, 2025. ($250).

3). The Letter Review is accepting short fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and unpub’d novels. Every category splits a big ol’ cash prize of $1000 USD divided between 2 to 4 chosen winners. And around 20 writers are shortlisted. Winning entries are published in their anthology. No submission fee. Deadline April 30, 2025.

Motherhood and Womanhood

1). MER Literary…. to be honest, I thought I read somewhere that they have an open call in April for their literary journal but now I can’t find where I read that, so subscribe to their emails to wait for an announcement.

2). Wildscape Lit announced a mini issue on the topic of motherhood and womanhood. Subs open March 12th-May 1st. Publication end of May.

That’s all for this round. Keep writing, friends! There’s room for all of us at the table.

Sincerely,