CALYX, INC.

CALYX exists to nurture women’s creativity by publishing fine literature and art by women.

While CALYX has long existed to provide a platform for women’s work, it is an intersectional platform that serves to spotlight the voices of underrepresented communities in the literary world. We are dedicated to keeping that space open to cisgender women, transgender women, and nonbinary and genderfluid authors.

CALYX is committed to:

introducing a wide audience to high quality literature and art by women and nonbinary creators
providing a forum for diversity and underrepresented writers and viewpoints
discovering and publishing emerging and developing writers
preserving publications for future audiences

Curated by community member Caitlin Behrens and endorsed by Chill Subs. These mags actively seek stories of female rage and power.

Lit Mags That Publish Female Rage

Story-focused publications with works chosen for Pushcart Prize anthologies. Less than 5% of nominated fiction typically makes the anthology.

Fiction Magazines Featured in Pushcart Prize Anthologies

A targeted resource for short story placements with potential for Pushcart recognition.

Fiction Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Specialized publications that recognize exceptional brief fiction through Pushcart nominations.

Publications with pieces chosen for Pushcart Prize anthologies. Recognition of exceptional quality across poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

Lit Mags Featured in Pushcart Prize Anthologies

A comprehensive guide to journals that regularly nominate work for the Pushcart Prize.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Explore the most popular literary magazines of all time. These long-established publications are a staple in the literary world for writers of all genres.

Most Popular Literary Magazines of All Time

Essay-focused publications with works selected for Pushcart Prize anthologies. These journals have repeatedly identified nonfiction that resonates with Pushcart editors and readers.

Nonfiction Magazines Featured in Pushcart Prize Anthologies

Highlights publications that regularly put forward essays, memoirs, and other creative nonfiction for Pushcart consideration.

Nonfiction Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Verse-centered publications with poems chosen for Pushcart Prize anthologies. These journals have consistently identified poems that stand out in this intensely competitive field.

Poetry Magazines Featured in Pushcart Prize Anthologies

Focuses specifically on poetry journals with established histories of Pushcart nominations.

Poetry Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

CALYX Journal

General call

CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women+, accepts submissions of previously unpublished poetry annually from October 1 – December 31. Submissions are restricted to women and nonbinary writers (see our website or general guidelines for more information about CALYX's mission).
Poetry submissions are limited to 6 poems. When submitting, please put all poems into the same document.
Simultaneous submissions and multiple submissions are permitted. If you would like to withdraw select poems from your submission, please use the Messages function in your submission to notify us which poem(s) are withdrawn rather than withdrawing the entire submission. You may also email us at editor@calyxpress.org with any questions.
It may take up to six months to receive a response from us. We will accept or decline pieces on a rolling basis between October and April. At this time, we have done away with our holds notification system; if you do not receive a response from us by May 1, please email editor@calyxpress.org.
All submissions are read by at least two readers, and held submissions are discussed by the Poetry Editorial Collective. Material accepted by the Editorial Collective will be published in one of two upcoming issues. Material held and discussed but ultimately not accepted by the Editorial Collective will be offered personalized feedback.

2025 Poetry General Submissions

CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women+, accepts submissions of previously unpublished fiction, creative nonfiction, and interviews annually from October 1 – December 31. Submissions are restricted to women and nonbinary writers (see our website or general guidelines for more information about CALYX's mission).
Prose submissions are capped at 5,000 words.
Simultaneous submissions and multiple submissions are accepted. 
It may take up to six months to receive a response from us. We will accept or decline pieces on a rolling basis between October and April. At this time, we have done away with our holds notification system; if you do not receive a response from us by May 1, please email editor@calyxpress.org.
All submissions are read by at least two readers, and held submissions are discussed by the Prose Editorial Collective. Material accepted by the Editorial Collective will be published in one of two upcoming issues. Material held and discussed but ultimately not accepted by the Editorial Collective will be offered personalized feedback.

2025 Prose General Submissions

Please refer to calyxpress.org for submission guidelines. 


Lois Cranston Prize for Poetry

The 11th Annual Margarita Donnelly Prize for Prose Writing is now open! This year's final judge is Julia Alvarez! Submit up to 10,000 words of unpublished fiction or creative nonfiction. Simultaneous submissions are discouraged. Submissions are restricted to women and nonbinary writers (see our website or general guidelines for more information about CALYX's mission). The winner of the 11th Annual Margarita Donnelly Prize for Prose Writing will receive a $500 cash prize and publication in an upcoming issue of CALYX Journal. The winner and up to two runners-up will be published on our website (www.calyxpress.org) and receive a complimentary one-volume subscription (three issues) to CALYX Journal. See www.calyxpress.org for full details and to read previous winners of the prize.

Margarita Donnelly Prize for Prose Writing

All book reviews are published on our website: www.calyxpress.org/reviews.
Men are welcome to review books, but we request that the books themselves be written by women or nonbinary authors.
You may submit book reviews year-round, but they are considered for publication biannually in March and November. Multiple submissions and simultaneous submissions are welcome. 
Please limit your book reviews to books published in the last two years. Please read our guidelines and previous reviews on our website before submitting to see the type of review CALYX is interested in. Guidelines are also provided below:
We welcome reviews of books by women, especially those that would otherwise receive little critical attention. We like to be consistent, and we offer these guidelines so reviewers can approach the task of reviewing with these issues in mind. A sample review is available using the link above, and we encourage reviewers to consult it as a reference for our desired style and literary approach.

  Include in your review both a judgment of the quality of the writing and an analysis of the content of the work, together in an overall statement of why the book is worth reading.
  Quotations from the text are REQUIRED. Weave them into the analysis of the book rather than stacking them one after the other. Don’t quote more than you need to make your point, but enough to give the flavor of the book. CALYX Journal style in reviews is to put all direct quotations in italics. The title of a poem should always be given with each quotation from that poem. Please include page numbers when quoting from the source. It will not be included in the final version, but it makes our proofing process infinitely easier.
  AVOID MERE SUMMARY. Reviews that provide only summary without text quotation and analysis will not be accepted.
  The review should be appropriate to the work being reviewed, e.g., a review of a book of poems will probably concentrate on the language while a review of an autobiography might give some background about the subject’s life.
  Put the book in context as appropriate—in the context of women’s writing, Black writing, this author’s writing, etc.
  Where appropriate, you may comment on the publisher and/or format and physical appearance of the book.

We believe that a good review excites one to read the book, contains conjecture, emotional response, and tells the reader something that is not already obvious.

Book Reviews

Artwork by women and nonbinary artists may be submitted year-round, but it is considered for publication only in May and December, so response times will vary.

 All art pieces submitted should meet the following requirements:

  At least 300 dpi
  Size for width at least 5 inches at 300 dpi (14 inches at 72 dpi only ends up being 2.5 inches at 300 dpi)
  JPG file
  Send in RGB or CMYK. 

Please have electronic images cropped and colors adjusted to best represent the artwork; our production staff will only make the slight adjustments needed to accommodate printing requirements.

Art Submissions

The inaugural Marni Jenkins Visual Art Prize is now open! This year's final judge is Betty LaDuke!
Submit up to six pieces of visual art. Simultaneous submissions are discouraged. Submissions are restricted to women and nonbinary artists (see our website or general guidelines for more information about CALYX's mission).
The winner of the First Annual Marni Jenkins Visual Art Prize will receive a $400 cash prize and publication in an upcoming issue of CALYX Journal. The winner and up to two runners-up will be published on our website (www.calyxpress.org) and receive a complimentary one-volume subscription (three issues) to CALYX Journal.
CALYX has a strict anti-AI policy. Please do not submit any work that has been generated using AI tools.
All art pieces submitted should meet the following requirements:
At least 300 dpi
Size for width at least 5 inches at 300 dpi (14 inches at 72 dpi only ends up being 2.5 inches at 300 dpi)
JPG or PNG file
Send in RGB or CMYK.
Photographs of three-dimensional art pieces such as sculpture and textile work are welcome. Simultaneous submissions are discouraged. Winners will be announced in January 2027.
See www.calyxpress.org for full details.

Marni Jenkins Visual Art Prize

CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women+, accepts submissions of previously unpublished fiction, creative nonfiction, and interviews annually from October 1 – December 31. Submissions are restricted to women and nonbinary writers (see our website or general guidelines for more information about CALYX's mission).
Prose submissions are capped at 5,000 words.
CALYX has a strict anti-AI policy. Please do not submit any work that has been generated using AI tools (spellcheck and grammar-check tools are okay).
Simultaneous submissions and multiple submissions are accepted.
It may take up to six months to receive a response from us. We will accept or decline pieces on a rolling basis between October and April. At this time, we have done away with our holds notification system; if you do not receive a response from us by May 1, please email editor@calyxpress.org.
All submissions are read by at least two readers, and held submissions are discussed by the Prose Editorial Collective. Material accepted by the Editorial Collective will be published in one of two upcoming issues. Material held and discussed but ultimately not accepted by the Editorial Collective will be offered personalized feedback.

Prose General Submissions - Fiction

Prose General Submissions - Nonfiction

CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women+, accepts submissions of previously unpublished poetry annually from October 1 – December 31. Submissions are restricted to women and nonbinary writers (see our website or general guidelines for more information about CALYX's mission).
Poetry submissions are limited to 6 poems. When submitting, please put all poems into the same document.
CALYX has a strict anti-AI policy. Please do not submit any work that has been generated using AI tools (spellcheck and grammar-check tools are okay).
Simultaneous submissions and multiple submissions are permitted. If you would like to withdraw select poems from your submission, please use the Messages function in your submission to notify us which poem(s) are withdrawn rather than withdrawing the entire submission. You may also email us at editor@calyxpress.org with any questions.
It may take up to six months to receive a response from us. We will accept or decline pieces on a rolling basis between October and April. At this time, we have done away with our holds notification system; if you do not receive a response from us by May 1, please email editor@calyxpress.org.
All submissions are read by at least two readers, and held submissions are discussed by the Poetry Editorial Collective. Material accepted by the Editorial Collective will be published in one of two upcoming issues. Material held and discussed but ultimately not accepted by the Editorial Collective will be offered personalized feedback.

CALYX Journal

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Marni Jenkins Visual Art Prize

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