Thank you for considering Room for the publication of your original short stories, poems, creative non-fiction, or art. Room publishes work by people of all marginalized genders, including cis and trans women, trans men, nonbinary and Two-Spirit people. Visit https://roommagazine.com for more!
Submission Periods
Unsolicited submissions to Room are free, and make up over 90% of our published submissions. We open for submissions four times a year.
48.4, February 2025: OPEN as of February 28, 2025
49.1, May 2025: closed
49.2, August 2025: closed
49.3, November 2025: closed
Submissions are open to both Canadian and international writers for periods of approximately 4-6 weeks, depending on when the submissions limits for any given genre are reached. Once the cap has been hit, our submissions close even if it's before our submission deadline, and will not open again until the following submission period.
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Before submitting please see here for our genre submissions guidelines.
We also strongly suggest you get a sense of our tastes by reviewing material we've published in recent issues—buy newsstand copies, subscribe, borrow from a library, or visit our latest edition online. Alternatively, you can order single copies of specific issues, including soldout digital exclusives for just $10.
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Contests
Our Fiction Contest is currently open!
Visit our contests page for more information about our contests.
CONTEST DEADLINE: JUNE 1
FIRST PRIZE: $1,000 + potential publication in Room
SECOND PRIZE: $250 + potential publication in Room
THIRD PLACE: $100 + publication on Room's website
ENTRY FEES AND PRICING
All submissions include a one-year subscription to Room and our contest fees are the same as our regular subscription prices (your fees go right into making our magazine; we source our prize money and judge honorariums from other sources)
Entry fees include shipping and are based on the address associated with your Submittable account, as this is where your subscription will be shipped:
- If you reside in Canada: $39 CAD
- If you reside in the US: $49 CAD
- If you reside outside North America: $59 CAD
- Additional entries are $7 CAD and do not come with another subscription. You must submit an initial entry before submitting an additional entry. If you submit an additional entry without first submitting an initial entry, your additional entry may be disqualified without refund.
- Under "Fee," select the correct payment amount from the drop-down menu. You must choose the appropriate submission fee option, or your piece may be disqualified. No refunds are provided for selecting the incorrect fee option.
CONTEST RULES & GUIDELINES
- We accept entries up to 3500 words. Please double-space all submissions.
- Please submit in 12 point font. Times New Roman preferred but not required.
- You can only upload ONE document (.pdf, .doc, or .docx preferred; can also accept .rtf) per submission on Submittable, so you must submit your entire submission in one file.
- Submissions must be anonymous—please do not include your name or personal details anywhere in your document, including the file name. You will have a chance to include your contact information on the Submittable form. Cover letters and bios are not necessary and will not be forwarded to the judge.
- Each entry must be original and unpublished.
- We accept simultaneous submissions, but if your submission is accepted elsewhere, please notify us and withdraw your submission immediately.
- Room's contests are open to women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit and nonbinary people. We specifically encourage writers with overlapping under-represented identities to submit their work.
- Previously commissioned Room writers are disqualified from entering the contest.
- Any submission that does not meet these guidelines will be disqualified. The submission fee is non-refundable.
- Please direct any questions or concerns to contests@roommagazine.com.