Since 1971, Ploughshares has discovered and cultivated the freshest voices in contemporary American literature, and provides readers with thoughtful, entertaining, and urgent literature.

Ploughshares, one of the country’s most prestigious literary magazines, has been based at Emerson College in downtown Boston since 1989. Founded in 1971, the publication features poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, and has published essays by literary greats including Robert Pinsky, Sam Cornish, Ann Hood, and Toi Derricotte. Essays published in Ploughshares have received awards and recognition from numerous prizes and anthologies, including the Best American Essays series and the Pushcart Prize. 

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Ploughshares Literary Journal

Since 1971, Ploughshares has been committed to promoting the work of up-and-coming writers. Over the years, Ploughshares has helped launch the careers of great writers like Edward P. Jones, Sue Miller, Mona Simpson, Tim O’Brien, and many more. 

In the spirit of the journal’s founding mission, the Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest recognizes work by an emerging writer in each of three genres: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. We consider authors “emerging” if they haven’t published or self-published a book in any of the contest genres.

One winner in each genre per year will receive $2,000 and publication in the literary journal. The winners will also receive a conversation with our partnering literary agency, Aevitas Creative Management, regarding their work and writing careers. 

Emerging Writers' Contest

Ploughshares welcomes unsolicited submissions of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction during our regular reading period, open from June 1 to November 15 at 5 pm EST. The literary journal is published four times a year: blended poetry and prose issues in the Winter and Spring, a prose issue in the Summer, and a special longform poetry issue in the Fall. Our Spring and Summer issues are guest-edited by different writers of prominence.<br>

Reading Period

Ploughshares welcomes unsolicited submissions of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction during our regular reading period, open from June 1 to November 15 at 5 pm EST. The literary journal is published four times a year: blended poetry and prose issues in the Winter and Spring, a prose issue in the Summer, and a special longform prose issue in the Fall. Our Spring and Summer issues are guest-edited by different writers of prominence.

Ploughshares Literary Journal

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