Writers' Deadline Database

What it is

The datasets behind this site's deadline pages, as spreadsheets and calendar files you keep. Each row links to the organiser, and rows we have checked against the organiser's own page carry the date of that check. Sort by deadline, fee, prize or genre, filter out what you cannot enter, and plan a season of submissions in one sitting.

What is in the download

• csv/all-deadlines.csv: every deadline you can still enter from the four datasets in one sheet, soonest first. Start here to plan a season of entries.
• csv/contests.csv: contests and grants, with genres, deadline, fee, prize, eligibility, region and entry link.
• csv/magazines.csv: paying magazines and journals, with pay rate, fees, response time and submission windows.
• csv/residencies.csv: writing residencies, with location, duration, stipend, cost, application fee and deadline.
• csv/conferences.csv: writing conferences, with dates, location, cost, scholarships and pitch sessions.
• calendar/: all.ics plus one .ics file per genre, to import into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook.
• README.md: what each file and column means, including how each date was verified.

A look inside

Five rows from all-deadlines.csv, as on the day this page was built.

Why I plan around deadlines

A few years ago I set out to write a series of short stories. I spent my free nights after work rewriting every sentence. Months went by and I did not finish a single story.

So I picked the submission date for a short-story competition and wrote towards it. The deadline forced me to send a story even though it was not perfect. I did not win, but a judge told me what to improve. I learned more from that than from months of rewriting alone.

Later, freelancing for newspapers and magazines, I put every deadline in my calendar, then added a second date a few days earlier. If I got sick or procrastinated, I still had a buffer.

This database is built for that habit. Pick the entries you want, import the calendar files, and set your own earlier date for each one.

Who it is for

Writers who submit to contests, magazines and residencies and want to plan their entries weeks ahead, not find each deadline the week it closes.

Before you buy

The listings on this site are free. Why pay?

They are free and they stay free. The free pages show you what is open now. The download gives you the full datasets in files you own: every column, offline, in a spreadsheet you can sort and filter your way. The calendar files match the free feeds at /calendar/, so if reminders are all you want, subscribe to those instead.

Will the dates stay current?

No. The download is a dated snapshot with past deadlines stripped out at build time. Organisers move deadlines, so the files flag projected dates and show when a row was last checked. Confirm on the organiser's page before you enter. The free pages on this site keep updating.

Do I need special software?

No. The spreadsheets open in Excel, Numbers, Google Sheets or a text editor. The calendar files import into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook.

Does it cover my genre?

The calendar files are split by genre, including fiction, short story, flash fiction, novel, poetry, nonfiction, memoir, essay and children's writing, so you can import only the ones you write.

Who should not buy it

The listings on this site are free and stay free. If checking the open-now page each week covers your submission habit, or you only want deadline reminders, use the free pages and the free calendar feeds instead.