LitPDX seeks to amplify marginalized voices, and welcomes all, their ideas, their events, and their words.

For details regarding specific events please contact the organizers or venues. If you are an organizer or venue and would like to reach out to us please feel free to contact us or submit an event using our submission form. We’d love to hear from you!

Submission Deadline: The Gravity of the Thing: Spring 2021

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

Our Spring 2021 reading period is open from March 1st to April 30th. We accept defamiliarized works in the following general categories: Short: tell us a story in 3,000 words or less; we are interested in fiction, creative nonfiction, self-contained excerpts, and genre-bending forms. Flash: a fiction, creative nonfiction, or genre-bending story under 500 words. Poetry: share one or more poems, prose poems, or multimedia works for a combined count of 500 words or less. Six Words: a story in six words; you may share up to five stories per submission, but only one will be chosen. Baring the Device: essays about defamiliarization—or defamiliarized essays about storytelling, literary craft, or publishing—for our Baring the Device column and resources; click here to learn more. The Gravity of the Thing publishes work on a rolling basis throughout its quarterly reading periods. A…

Free

HOCUS: Submissions Open!

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

HOCUS is now accepting submissions of prose and poetry of up to 2000 words for our next (hopefully) live event at the Rose City Book Pub in NE Portland. This event will take place on Tuesday, August 3rd from approximately 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. The theme is Talismans. Send us your poems, fiction, and creative nonfiction which deals either directly or obliquely with this theme. HOCUS is looking for work in the literary genre. If your work flirts with other genres like sci-fi or fantasy, it may be in our wheelhouse, but the term "literary" should come first. No hard sci-fi or sword-and-sandals gladiators or the like, please. To submit, go to our website and click on the Submit tab. Submissions close July 11th.

Free

This House of Mine Zine

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

Hello PDX, This House of Mine is excited to announce that a second edition of the zine has been funded by the Regional Arts and Culture Council! The theme for this edition is ‘our emotional connection to our physical body’. We are holding virtual workshops in June and July where contributors are encouraged to share experiences related to the theme and are then invited to make a submission. For information about how to sign up for a workshop, how to submit your work, or anything else, head to www.houseofminezine.com. You can also email us @ houseofminezine@gmail.com.

Free

HOCUS: Submissions Deadline

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

HOCUS is now accepting submissions of prose and poetry of up to 2000 words for our next (hopefully) live event at the Rose City Book Pub in NE Portland. This event will take place on Tuesday, August 3rd from approximately 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. The theme is Talismans. Send us your poems, fiction, and creative nonfiction which deals either directly or obliquely with this theme. HOCUS is looking for work in the literary genre. If your work flirts with other genres like sci-fi or fantasy, it may be in our wheelhouse, but the term "literary" should come first. No hard sci-fi or sword-and-sandals gladiators or the like, please. To submit, go to our website and click on the Submit tab. Submissions close July 11th.

Free

Submission Roulette II, an Electric Literature virtual salon presented by Mount Saint Mary’s University

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

What goes through an editor’s mind when they read the first lines of your story? What can you do right away to hook them and keep them turning pages? Which tired moves make them groan and lose interest fast? One of our most exciting salon events is back by popular demand! Recommended Reading editors Halimah Marcus and Brandon Taylor return to edit your anonymous first pages, submitted just for this event. They will read each page for the first time live on screen, sharing their immediate reactions as they go. Here’s what previous attendees said about this event: “Immediately planning to rewrite all my first pages.” “Live impressions are true-to-life and that's why this session has been so uniquely valuable.” “10/10 would pay for more of…

$10

Submission Deadline: Airlie Press Summer Reading Period

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

Airlie Press is a nonprofit poetry collective based in and around Portland, Oregon. We seek manuscripts from Pacific Northwest poets who are willing and able to commit to a three-year term of doing the shared work of running a collective press. As a press, we commit to participate in the ongoing conversation and practice regarding inclusion and equity. To this end, we encourage submissions from underrepresented voices and poets from marginalized communities. Most important editorial decisions are made by consensus. Airlie Press now accepts submissions from poets previously published by Airlie. In 2021, poets published before 2018 are encouraged to submit a manuscript during our summer submission period. All submissions will be judged alongside those from new poets. Returning poets must commit to a standard…

Free

Submission Deadline: The Gravity of the Thing: Summer 2021

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

Our Summer 2021 reading period is open until July 31st. We accept defamiliarized works in the following general categories: Short: tell us a story in 3,000 words or less; we are interested in fiction, creative nonfiction, self-contained excerpts, and genre-bending forms. Flash: a fiction, creative nonfiction, or genre-bending story under 500 words. Poetry: share one or more poems, prose poems, or multimedia works for a combined count of 500 words or less. Six Words: a story in six words; you may share up to five stories per submission, but only one will be chosen. Baring the Device: essays about defamiliarization—or defamiliarized essays about storytelling, literary craft, or publishing—for our Baring the Device column and resources; click here to learn more. The Gravity of the Thing publishes work on a rolling basis throughout its quarterly reading periods. A majority of submissions…

Free

Submission Deadline: Attic Institute: Poets Studio 2021-2022

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

Poets Studio is based on the idea that focusing on goals is the key to lasting growth as a poet. Poets Studio is a weekly workshop that will run from Sep - Mar for 24 weeks. It is designed to give form and focus to your poetry writing. The Poets Studio is open to applications from all poets. Poets join the Poets Studio as members and attend for the entire session. This creates the Poets Studio's special experience: a steady, supportive, and comprehensive study of your poetry among other poets. Read more about the Poets Studio. Deadline to apply is Sep 1 To Apply: Please send ten (10) pages of poems and a 250 words "Statement of Goals" to the Attic Institute. APPLY NOW NOTE: To protect everyone during the…

$1380

Submission Deadline: Tin House: Nonfiction (including Memoirs and Graphic nonfiction)

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

Three times per year, Tin House offers a two-day submission period for writers to submit their work. Eligible writers must not currently have an agent, and must not have previously published a book (chapbooks okay). Per our schedule below, we accept works of fiction, literary nonfiction, and poetry, both originally in English and in translation (please only submit translation projects which the translator has already been granted formal permission to translate), and ask that you do not send us a project unless you have a completed draft. In particular, we are looking to engage with work by writers from historically underrepresented communities, including—but not limited to—those who are Black, Indigenous, POC, disabled, neurodivergent, trans and LGBTQIA+, debuting after 40, and without an MFA. SUBMIT: From…

Free

Band of Submitting Writers & Artists

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

WHAT: A two week online creative lab on sending work to literary publications WHEN: Wednesdays, September 22nd, & September 29th @4:30-6:30pm PT ACCESS: $100 :: Payment plans always available—contact Daniel at registration@corporealwriting.com Where: The Corporeal Writing Zoom Room :: A Zoom link will be provided. SCHOLARSHIPS: Scholarships are available please click here to apply. So, you’ve written something and/or created some visual art and want to get it out into the world of literary publications, now what? The process of sending out work can be overwhelming, whether you’re just beginning to think about it, or returning to the process, and doing it alone can seem even more daunting. Where do we begin? Who do we submit to? What if you have questions along the way?…

$100