Terrain.org welcomes submissions on place, climate, and justice from new and experienced authors and artists alike.
General submissions of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction will open on October 1, 2023.
Submissions for the 2nd Annual Sowell Emerging Writers Prize (a full manuscript in poetry published by Texas Tech University Press, with a prize of $1,000) are open September 15 - November 15, 2023.
ARTerrain and Letter to America submissions are open and are accepted year-round.
15th Annual Contests in Poetry, Nonfiction, and Fiction submissions will open on May 1, 2024.
Our online, place-based 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 as we expand contributions relating to social, environmental, and climate justice. All accepted submissions 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 per genre.
Terrain.org pays all regular contributors a minimum of $50 for each submission published.
We do our best to respond to general submissions within 16 weeks and ARTerrain submissions within six weeks. Please do not submit regular submissions more than once every six months unless invited to do so. Do not submit non-ARTerrain submissions in the ARTerrain category. They will be withdrawn without comment.
If you are a former Terrain.org contributor, or we have spoken with you at an event such as AWP, please remind us in your cover letter.
View our full submission guidelines at www.terrain.org/submit.
The Sowell Collection at Texas Tech University, in partnership with Terrain.org and Texas Tech University Press, invites book-length manuscript submissions of poetry in English on themes about and related to the natural world by writers who have published no more than one book in any genre.
We are especially interested in submissions that explore the relationship between human communities and nature and may be informed by scientific inquiry and/or personal experience.
The Sowell Emerging Writers Prize will accept submissions in nonfiction, poetry, and fiction on a rotational basis and in that order: poetry in 2023, fiction in 2024, nonfiction in 2025, and so on.
The Sowell Family Collection in Literature, Community, and the Natural World at Texas Tech University holds the personal and professional papers of prominent American writers on the natural world. The Sowell Collection was established in 2001 when it acquired the papers of National Book Award–winning writer Barry Lopez. Since then, the Collection has acquired the papers of some 30 American writers including Rick Bass, David James Duncan, Gretel Ehrlich, William Kittredge, J. Drew Lanham, Bill McKibben, Susan Brind Morrow, Gary Nabhan, Robert Michael Pyle, David Quammen, Pattiann Rogers, and others.
Submission Guidelines
- Submissions open September 15
- Submission deadline: November 15
- Manuscripts should be at least 48 pages (i.e., book length and not a chapbook)
- Please include an Acknowledgements page if poems have been previously published elsewhere
- The winner will receive book publication by Texas Tech University Press and a $1,000 honorarium.
- The reading fee is $25.
- Five finalists will be announced in January 2024, and the winner will be announced by the end of February
Submissions must be previously unpublished (publication of excerpts or individual poems in literary journals and magazines is acceptable, as are portions that contain previously published chapbooks up to 28 pages). All forms of poetry are eligible, as are hybrid forms and work with images.
Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Please withdraw your manuscript promptly if it is accepted elsewhere for publication.
Include a bio of fewer than 100 words in your cover letter. Do not include your name on the title page or in the header or footer of the manuscript. The Sowell Emerging Writers Prize encourages underrepresented voices to submit their work for consideration.
Submittable is now requiring email validation. If you have difficulty validating your email, you may complete the form at www.submittable.com/help/submitter.
Thank you for your interest in submitting a Letter to America to Terrain.org, open once again for submissions.
Please submit your prose, poetry, visual art-based, video, or other Letter to America (generally up to 1,500 words) in a single document. Photos or other graphics may be inserted into the document, but if accepted will be requested as separate files.
View our recent Letters to America at www.terrain.org/category/letter-to-america. And learn more about our Dear America project, plus find an amazing array of Letter to America teaching resources, at www.terrain.org/dear-america.
Thank you for your interest in submitting to Terrain.org's ARTerrain gallery and artist feature.
Please submit your ARTerrain narrative or query in a single document, which may included embedded images or links to images (as well as links to video/audio). Up to 20 images may also be uploaded with your document. The images should be no less than 1600 pixels wide, when possible.
View our recent ARTerrain features at www.terrain.org/category/arterrain.
Submittable is now requiring email validation. If you have difficulty validating your email, you may complete the form at www.submittable.com/help/submitter.