February 2026 Deadlines: 10 Contests and Magazines With Deadlines This Month
With plenty of opportunities to submit your work this month, many of which are prestigious poetry awards, it’s prime time to share your work with the world. Don’t forget that acceptances and rejections are by-products of your publishing journey—crafting your authentic art is the ultimatte goal. We want to see your poems in the world, wherever they emerge; and as always, submit poetry for free to our New Voices. This list is powered by the deadline service Literistic!
Poet Laureate of Lucas County, Ohio, Jonie McIntire will judge the Slippery Elm Prize, which offers $1,000 to a winning poet. Slippery Elm is a journal committed to promoting the best fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and visual art being created today. The journal provides educational experiences for students in editing and publishing, and represents The University of Findlay as a supporter of the arts. All contest entrants will receive a copy of the winning issue and be considered for publication. Please send three original, previously unpublished poems per entry, as a single document.
Deadline: February 1 // Fee
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Soundings East will be given for a group of previously unpublished poems. Submit 8 to 10 pages of poetry. Soundings East, the literary journal of Salem State University, is published annually with support from the Center for Creative and Performing Arts. This award is judged by poet, essayist, and co-founder of the National Poetry Month Committee Susan Rich.
Deadline: February 1 // Fee
Should you require more incentive to write poetry or enter poetry or writing competitions, remember what W.B. Yeats is alleged to have said: “Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking.” People of any age from anywhere in the world may enter for this prize, and first prize is $1,000, second prize is $500, and there are honorable mentions. Winners also receive a commemorative wall plaque, a two-year membership in the WB Yeats Society of NY, and their winning poems are published in the judge’s report, which is posted on the society’s website along with the reports from prior years. Submit a poem no more than 60 lines in length.
Deadline: February 1 // Fee
The Madison Review is an independent literary arts journal published through the University of Wisconsin–Madison Creative Writing Department. The finest triad of poems will be awarded the $1,000 Phyllis-Smart Young Prize in poetry and publication the spring issue of The Madison Review. Submissions should be double-spaced, with standard 1″ margins and should not exceed 15 pages. Poems should also be previously unpublished. Only one submission is allowed per person per contest.
Deadline: February 1 // Fee
Southern Indiana Review will award a prize of $6,000 and publication for a full-length poetry manuscript written in English. Manuscripts must consist of at least 40 and no more than 120 pages of poetry in 12-point font (no more than one poem per page) per each individual submission. All contest submissions will be considered for book publication. All themes and/or subject matters are eligible. Award-winning poet Carl Phillips will judge this prize.
Deadline: February 2 // Fee
MacDowell Fellowship
MacDowell provides time, space, and an inspiring residential environment to artists of exceptional talent. The MacDowell Fellowship, or residency, consists of exclusive use of a studio, accommodations, and three prepared meals a day for up to eight weeks. There are no residency fees, and MacDowell offers financial assistance to reimburse the costs of attending the residency. MacDowell accepts applications from artists working in literature at all stages. Applicants should provide work samples and references along with other application materials.
Deadline: February 10 // Fee
Applause is an annual online (and soon to be physical!) journal staffed by undergraduate students at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith. Their mission is twofold: to showcase the best undergraduate writing and art from across the country, while offering valuable experience to students wishing to enter the publishing world. A picture is worth a thousand words; they ask you to create a tapestry in a few stanzas. They want poetry that thrives on the senses, surprises through form, and leaves a lingering voice. Submit 1-5 poems in a single PDF or Word document
Deadline: February 15 // No Fee
The Furious Flower Poetry Center at James Madison University, the nation’s first academic center devoted to Black poetry, offers a $1,500 prize for a group of three poems through its annual prize. The Furious Flower Poetry Center is committed to ensuring the visibility, inclusion, and critical consideration of Black poets in American letters, as well as in the whole range of educational curricula. The Center seeks to support and promote Black poets at all stages of their careers and to preserve the history of Black poets for future generations. Submissions that support this mission are welcome. Poets with no more than one published book are invited to submit up to three poems for consideration. Prize judge Major Jackson will select one winner and one honorable mention.
Deadline: February 15th // Fee
Winner of the AWP National Program Directors’ Prize, Furrow is an annual literary journal that showcases outstanding writing and art from undergraduates across the U.S. Furrow‘s team of undergraduate editors at UW-Milwaukee publishes a beautiful, full-color print issue each spring, and features new work throughout the year on their website. They accept poetry from undergraduate students at any U.S. college or university. Please submit up to 5 unpublished poems. Please leave your name off the pages and file name.
Deadline: February 27th // No Fee
Levitate is committed to creating a high-quality literary magazine filled with unique and thought provoking works. Poetry submissions should include no more than 2 poems, with no poem longer than 2 pages (no more than 4 pages in total). Levitate seeks poetry that models a fresh use of emotion, imagery, and language. Good poetry comes from the heart and aspires to reflect life from a new viewpoint. They are interested in authors who are well-detailed, observant, and who can convey a message through lines, metaphors, and stanzas, and accept various forms of poetry, including songs, spoken word, and traditional and experimental pieces.
Deadline: February 28th // No Fee
