Open Reading Period: June 1 – November 15

Ploughshares welcomes unsolicited submissions of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction during our reading period, open from June 1 to November 15 at 5:00pm EST. Please note that, due to the volume of submissions we receive, writers may submit only once per reading period. To submit to the journal, please review our guidelines.

Emerging Writers’ Contest: February 1 – March 31

In the spirit of the journal’s founding mission, the Ploughshares Emerging Writers’ Contest recognizes work by an emerging writer in each of three genres: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. We consider authors “emerging” if they haven’t published or self-published a book.

One winner in each genre per year will receive $2,000 and publication in the literary journal.  The 2026 contest—judged by Crystal Hana Kim in fiction, T Bambrick in poetry, and Melissa Febos in nonfiction—is open from February 1-March 31 at 5:00pm EST.