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Matched Submission List Builder

Pick your genre, piece length, entry-fee cap and AI policy preference to match your work against 338 active writing contests, grants, literary magazines and paying markets. Preview your top 3 ranked markets free, log them straight into the Submission Tracker, or unlock the full ranked list with a custom .ics deadline calendar and CSV export.

Runs deterministically in your browser across 338 active contests, grants, literary magazines and paying markets. When a market has no word limit recorded in our database, it is flagged explicitly so you can check the organiser page before sending.

88 markets match your piece

35 contests & grants · 52 literary magazines · 1 paying markets · 39 upcoming calendar deadlines

Free preview: Top 3 of 88 ranked matchesSorted by match score & deadline
#1 · Literary MagazineVerified 2026-10-29No stated AI rule

This Magazine

$125 per accepted short story up to 2500 words
Fee: Free · Always open
Matches Short story / FictionNo entry feePays / cash prize: $125 per accepted short story up to 2500 wordsFits stated limit (Max 2,500 words (stated))
Genres: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry
#3 · Literary MagazineVerified 2026-07-13AI banned

The Wild Umbrella

€10 per poem
Fee: Free · Deadline: 2027-05-31
Matches Short story / FictionNo entry feePays / cash prize: €10 per poemWord limit not recorded - check organiser page
Genres: poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction

Unlock all 88 matched markets + your custom .ics calendar & CSV sheet

You are viewing the top 3 matches for free. There are 85 more matched markets (including 39 dated deadlines ready to import into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook).

Option 1 · Best for active submitters

Writer's Toolkit Pro ($4/month or $29/year)

Unlocks the full matched list, custom .ics calendar export and CSV download right here, plus cross-device sync for your submission tracker and voice profile, and weekly deadline alerts in your genres.

Option 2 · One-time download pack

Writers' Deadline Database ($29 one-off)

Prefer offline spreadsheets with no subscription? Download the complete verified dataset ZIP (contests, magazines, residencies and conferences as CSV sheets plus genre .ics calendar files).

Runs deterministically in your browser. We never guess unrecorded word limits: every match shows its verification date, AI rule badge and exact matching reasons.

How to build a submission list for a finished piece

When you finish a short story, poem or personal essay, the hardest part of submitting is rarely the cover letter. It is sorting through hundreds of closed reading windows, expired contest deadlines, surprise entry fees and unstated AI bans to find ten markets that actually want what you wrote right now.

Instead of sending a piece out one market at a time and waiting four months for a rejection before picking the next magazine, build a ranked list of five to ten targets in one sitting. Start with confirmed deadlines closing in the next 30 days so you do not miss the current cycle, then pair those with always-open literary magazines and paying pitch markets.

As soon as you send a piece out, click + Track this on the match card to log the market, entry fee and deadline in the Submission Tracker. When a market replies and you record the outcome, your log helps build community response-time and acceptance stats for other writers.

Frequently asked questions

How does the submission matcher rank contests and magazines?

Every match is scored deterministically in your browser using five checks: whether the deadline or reading window was verified directly on the organiser's page, whether the market matches your specific genre rather than a general all-genres call, whether your piece fits a stated word or line limit, whether the market pays or awards a cash prize, and whether entry is free. Confirmed upcoming deadlines sort soonest-first.

Why do some matches say 'Word limit not recorded - check organiser page'?

Most literary magazines and contests change their word-count caps between seasonal reading windows or state different limits per category on their submission page. Rather than guessing a word limit when our database does not record an explicit number, the matcher flags those rows clearly so you can verify the cap on the organiser's guidelines before submitting.

Is anything I enter sent to a server or AI model?

No. The matcher runs entirely in your browser against our verified datasets of active writing contests, grants, literary magazines and paying markets. Nothing you select is sent anywhere.

How do I unlock the full matched list and custom .ics calendar?

The top 3 ranked matches are free on every search. To unlock the full ranked list, download your matched deadlines as an .ics calendar file for Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook, and export your matched list as a CSV spreadsheet, sign in with Writer's Toolkit Pro ($4/month or $29/year). If you prefer a one-off purchase with no subscription, you can also buy the complete Writers' Deadline Database ZIP ($29).

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