Nonfiction and Fiction Submissions
Accepted January 1 – April 30
Poetry Submissions
Closed for 2026, Will Open January 1, 2027
Words, Woods, and Wellness Submissions
Accepted April 22 – December 31, 2026
Contest Submissions
Accepted May 1 – September 7, 2026 (Labor Day)
Sowell Emerging Writers Prize Submissions
Accepted September 15 – November 15, 2026
Letter to America Submissions
Accepted Year-Round
ARTerrain Submissions
Accepted Year-Round
Reviews Submissions
Currently Not Open for Submissions
Terrain.org welcomes submissions from new and experienced authors and artists alike. Our online journal accepts only the finest poetry, essays, fiction, articles, artwork, videos, and other contributions—material that reaches deep into the earth’s fiery core, or humanity’s incalculable core, and brings forth new insights and wisdom. We are seeking work in English (or translation) from around the world, and particularly Indigenous, Native, Black, Brown, and other historically marginalized and underrepresented voices. Please expect a response time of at least 16 weeks on general submissions, and please submit no more than once every six months. We pay $50 for all contributions.
We do not accept previously published submissions except as excerpts of published books with a press page. In that case, please query us at [email protected]. Do not send your submission via email—send only a query.
We do not accept submissions created by or with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
We are currently not accepting submissions for Reviews.
The Terrain.org submission period is open from:
- January 1, 2026 – April 30, 2026 for nonfiction and fiction general submissions (no fee; $50 payment per accepted submission); due to our lengthy queue, we are not accepting poetry submissions in 2026
- April 22 (Earth Day) – December 31, 2026 for Words, Woods, and Wellness: Poetry by Washington State Youth (no fee; $100 payment per accepted submission; must have Washington State affiliation and be under 21)
- May 1 – September 7, 2026 (Labor Day) for poetry, nonfiction, and fiction contest submissions ($20 fee for $1,000 prize in each genre, $200 to finalists)
- September 15 – November 15, 2026 for the Sowell Emerging Writers Prize for a book of poetry ($25 fee for $1,000 prize plus publication by Texas Tech University Press and a residency of up to two weeks at the Lopez Cottage on the Mackenzie plus $1,000 in travel assistance for the residency)
- Year-round for Letter to America submissions + ARTerrain submissions (no fee, 12-week review period)
- Please query [email protected] for interviews, non-literary videos, and Unsprawl case studies.
If you need to withdraw all or part of your submission, please do so directly in Submittable.
Terrain.org Editor’s Prize
All contributions by writers of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, women, and/or other marginalized communities whose contributions explore place particularly in the context of social, environmental, or climate justice are considered for our annual Editor’s Prize of $500 in Poetry, Nonfiction, and Fiction. Announcements are made in summer.
