PRISM international publishes exciting, original, literary material from established and emerging writers in Canada and around the world.

PRISM international is a quarterly magazine out of Vancouver, British Columbia, whose office is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm people. Our mandate is to publish the best in contemporary writing and translation from Canada and around the world. Writing from PRISM has been featured in Best American Stories, Best American Essays and The Journey Prize Stories, amongst other noted publications.

The mandate of the magazine’s website is to provide a supplement to the print edition that connects readers with the literary community through author interviews, book reviews, news about Canadian writing and publishing events, and other information of interest to our readers, many of whom are writers themselves.

Through both these avenues, PRISM strives to uplift and shine a light on emerging and established voices across Canada and internationally, and are especially committed to providing a platform for folks who have been systematically marginalized in the literary community, including but not limited to BIPOC groups, cis women, trans women and men, nonbinary people, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQQIP2SAA+ community.

Though best known for its fiction and poetry, PRISM does not neglect the other literary arts. Creative non-fiction, drama, and translation are regular features. We want work that pays attention to craft and includes a wide range of identities and experiences.

Who doesn't love getting paid? Who doesn't love Canadians? The literary magazines listed below were founded in Canada and pay for published work.

Canadian Lit Mags That Pay Writers

Top-tier magazines that specifically welcome first-time writers. No fancy bio required—these editors focus on the quality of your work, not your credentials.

Classy AF Lit Mags That Love & Support Emerging Writers

Mixed bag of competitive, accessible, and good-vibe magazines. All love publishing emerging writers and can be trusted with your work.

Lit Mags Every New Writer Should Know

The top nonfiction lit mags in our database, ranked by how many users have bookmarked them.

The Ultimate List of Places to Submit Your Nonfiction

They told us personally or put it in their guidelines. These magazines actively want to be the first to publish you.

These Lit Mags Want to Be Your First Publication

These mags specifically note in their guidelines that they publish established and emerging writers alike. Landing a piece in one of these would be a real nice bolster to the ol' (new) literary bio.

Top-Tier Lit Mags That Publish New Writers

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 nonfiction in BAE, the premier American essay anthology. These journals consistently publish thought-provoking, beautifully crafted nonfiction defining contemporary essay excellence.

Lit Mags Featured in Best American Essay Anthologies

Publications with ultra-short stories under 400 words selected for this anthology series. The definitive collection for the microfiction form.

Lit Mags Featured in Best Microfiction Anthologies

Publications with stories selected for America's oldest prestigious short fiction award, established in 1919. Editorial committee selections only.

Lit Mags Featured in O'Henry Award Anthologies

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

Lit Mags Featured in Pushcart Prize Anthologies

Journals that forward outstanding nonfiction to this respected anthology series founded in 1986. These publications identify exceptional essays that might reach the broader readership BAE provides.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for Best American Essays

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

Literary Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

BASS represents the most mainstream recognition for short fiction in America. These journals serve as the initial screening layer for potential inclusion in this widely-read collection.

Literary Mags That Nominate for Best American Short Stories

All-time most competitive literary magazines. Getting published in these is a significant achievement for any writer.

Most Competitive Literary Magazines of All Time

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

PRISM international

1-3 poems (100 lines maximum each) per entry.


Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize

Maximum word count: 300 words (including title). 

Please submit only one piece per submission. 

You may submit additional stories using the Additional Entry option for $5. 

Grouse Grind Lit Prize for V. Short Forms

PRISM international Magazine Artwork Submission Guidelines
Thank you for your interest in submitting your artwork to PRISM Magazine! We welcome submissions from artists of all backgrounds and levels of experience. Please carefully review the guidelines below before submitting:
1. Eligibility

  Submissions are open to artists worldwide.
  All submitted artwork must be original and created by the artist.

2. Submission Guidelines

  Format: Please submit high-resolution files in one of the following formats: JPEG, PNG, or PDF.
  Resolution: Minimum resolution of 300 DPI to ensure print quality.
  File Size: Maximum file size per upload is 10 MB.
  Number of Submissions: You may submit up to 10 pieces of artwork for consideration. Each piece must be uploaded as a separate file.
  File Naming: Name your files as follows: [YourName]_[TitleOfArtwork]. Example: JaneDoe_SunsetReflections.png.

3. Theme or Style (Optional)

  While we encourage all forms of creative expression, we are particularly interested in artwork that aligns with PRISM Magazine's values of showcasing diversity, storytelling, and bold, thought-provoking visuals.

4. Artist Information

  Please include the following in your submission form:          
    
      Name: Your full name (or preferred artist name for publication).
      Email Address: For communication purposes.
      Artist Bio: A brief bio highlighting your background and artistic journey.
      Artwork Description (Optional): A short description of each piece, including its title, medium, and any relevant details.
    
  

5. Permissions

  By submitting your artwork, you confirm that:          
    
      You own the rights to the submitted work.
      You grant PRISM Magazine permission to publish your artwork in both print and digital formats, if selected.
    
  

6. Review Process

  Our editorial team will review all submissions on a rolling basis. Selected artists will be notified via email.
  Due to the high volume of submissions, we regret that we may not be able to provide individual feedback on your submission.

7. Agreement

  By submitting your artwork, you confirm that you have read and agreed to the guidelines above, including permissions and submission requirements.

GENERAL (Rolling) Artwork Submissions

Deadline: February 15th, 2026
$1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up, $400 2nd runner-up 
Winning submissions may be published on the PRISM International website or in our physical journal, at the discretion of the editors
Judge: TBA
Maximum word count: 4,000 words. Please submit only one piece per submission.
Note: once an entry is received, no revisions will be allowed. Entry fees are non-refundable. Please ensure your entry meets the following guidelines before submitting.
PRISM international offers free entries for self-identifying Indigenous and Black writers for all our contests. Indigenous and Black writers are invited to submit using the appropriate fee options from the dropdown list in the form.
We also have a number of free entries to offer to low-income writers, and we encourage writers for whom the contest entry fee is prohibitive to contact us at prism.promos@ubc.ca to arrange contest entry. We do not require any information or reasoning regarding eligibility.
As always, we encourage submissions from writers of colour, writers with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ writers, and writers from other intersectional and marginalized groups.
Rules & Regulations (please read carefully) 

  The author’s name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript, the title or in the title that the file is saved under.
  Entries must be original, previously unpublished in print or online. PRISM will purchase First North American Serial Rights for all work accepted for publication.
  Entries should be formatted with size 12pt serif font (Times New Roman, Garamond, Georgia) and regular margins. Prose must be double spaced.
  Not open to students or faculty of the University of British Columbia’s creative writing program (this includes the UBC optional residency MFA program). This also includes incoming students that have accepted a place in UBC’s creative writing program. In order to enter, UBC alumni cannot have taken a UBC creative writing program course during the previous two years.
  Winners of last year’s contest (grand prize, first runner-up, and second runner-up) must wait a year before entering the contest in the category for which they won, but are welcome to enter either of our other categories. Other writers who made the longlist and/or the shortlist are still eligible to enter any category.
  Entrants must submit their entry under their real name, although they may publish under a pseudonym if they wish. Contestants who do not submit under their real name may be subject to disqualification. No images or photos should be included.
  No refunds will be made if an entry has been submitted to the incorrect category. Once an entry is received, no revisions will be allowed, and entry fees become non-refundable.
  PRISM international may contact you in future to inform you of future writing contests. We do not share information with any third parties. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Mailing entries: PRISM International will not be reading mailed submissions for contests until further notice.
Subscriptions: Contest entry fees no longer include an annual subscription.

2026 Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction

Grouse Grind Lit Prize for V. Short Forms for Flash  2025

“This land absorbs the skins of martyrs.
This land promises wheat and stars.
Worship it!
We are its salt and its water.
We are its wound, but a wound that fights.” 
― Mahmoud Darwish, Diary of a Palestinian Wound
PRISM International invites submissions for its upcoming EARTHKEEPER issue 64.3, edited by Ayda Niknami and Zahra Mayeesha.
We invite you to think of your own positionality in relation to the corners of earth you live and die in. What does it mean to be the land’s “salt and its water”? What is your relationship to the land you are on? What brought you there and what could take you away? What land do you see as your kin? How do you honour the land in which you live? Do you take part in its resistance and protection? In which ways do you find yourself complicit in its destruction? If we are both the land’s wound, but also “a wound that fights,” how do you understand that duality? How do you, in individuality and collective, inhabit being both an earthkeeper… and a threat to our earth? 
We are looking for submissions that confront posterity in all its possibilities. We ask you to look into your troubled connection to any land that has homed you, in your loss, longing, euphoria and love of it.
You might look forwards towards imagined futures of earthkeeping, their possibilities and impossibilities. You might draw on memory and the past as a touchstone for such futures. You might ground your present moment in the great continuity of the land and the people it nurtures. We highly encourage embodied writing about the land, lived experiences of Indigeneity in relation to land, and generational storytelling. Send us poetry, prose, or hybrid pieces that ground “earthkeeper” in the vividness of sensation, perception and reflection. Send us home.


Check out the guidelines below and submit here.

 
PRISM international Magazine Artwork Submission Guidelines
Thank you for your interest in submitting your artwork to PRISM Magazine! We welcome submissions from artists of all backgrounds and levels of experience. Please carefully review the guidelines below before submitting:
1. Eligibility

  Submissions are open to artists worldwide.
  All submitted artwork must be original and created by the artist.

2. Submission Guidelines

  Format: Please submit high-resolution files in one of the following formats: JPEG, PNG, or PDF.
  Resolution: Minimum resolution of 300 DPI to ensure print quality.
  File Size: Maximum file size per upload is 10 MB.
  Number of Submissions: You may submit up to 10 pieces of artwork for consideration. Each piece must be uploaded as a separate file.
  File Naming: Name your files as follows: [YourName]_[TitleOfArtwork]. Example: JaneDoe_SunsetReflections.png.

3. Artist Information

  Please include the following in your submission form:              
  Name: Your full name (or preferred artist name for publication).
  Email Address: For communication purposes.
  Artist Bio: A brief bio highlighting your background and artistic journey.
  Artwork Description (Optional): A short description of each piece, including its title, medium, and any relevant details.

4. Permissions

  By submitting your artwork, you confirm that:              
  You own the rights to the submitted work.
  You grant PRISM Magazine permission to publish your artwork in both print and digital formats, if selected.

5. Review Process

  Our editorial team will review themed submissions within 2-4 months. Selected artists will be notified via Submittable.
  Due to the high volume of submissions, we regret that we may not be able to provide individual feedback on your submission.

6. Agreement

  By submitting your artwork, you confirm that you have read and agreed to the guidelines above, including permissions and submission requirements.

7. Payment Rates

  We pay a flat rate of $300 CAD for cover art and $50/page for interior art.

64.3 EARTHKEEPER Artwork Submissions

PRISM international offers free entries for self-identifying Indigenous and Black writers for all our contests. Indigenous and Black writers are invited to submit using the appropriate fee options from the dropdown list in the form.

We also have a number of free entries to offer to low-income writers, and we encourage writers for whom the contest entry fee is prohibitive to contact us at prism.promos@ubc.ca to arrange contest entry. We do not require any information or reasoning regarding eligibility.

---

Deadline: February 15th, 2026
$1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up, $400 2nd runner-up 
Winning submissions may be published on the PRISM International website or in our physical journal, at the discretion of the editors
Judge: TBA
Maximum word count: 4,000 words. Please submit only one piece per submission.
Note: once an entry is received, no revisions will be allowed. Entry fees are non-refundable. Please ensure your entry meets the following guidelines before submitting.
PRISM international offers free entries for self-identifying Indigenous and Black writers for all our contests. Indigenous and Black writers are invited to submit using the appropriate fee options from the dropdown list in the form.
We also have a number of free entries to offer to low-income writers, and we encourage writers for whom the contest entry fee is prohibitive to contact us at prism.promos@ubc.ca to arrange contest entry. We do not require any information or reasoning regarding eligibility.
As always, we encourage submissions from writers of colour, writers with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ writers, and writers from other intersectional and marginalized groups.
Rules & Regulations (please read carefully) 

  The author’s name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript, the title or in the title that the file is saved under.
  Entries must be original, previously unpublished in print or online. PRISM will purchase First North American Serial Rights for all work accepted for publication.
  Entries should be formatted with size 12pt serif font (Times New Roman, Garamond, Georgia) and regular margins. Prose must be double spaced.
  Not open to students or faculty of the University of British Columbia’s creative writing program (this includes the UBC optional residency MFA program). This also includes incoming students that have accepted a place in UBC’s creative writing program. In order to enter, UBC alumni cannot have taken a UBC creative writing program course during the previous two years.
  Winners of last year’s contest (grand prize, first runner-up, and second runner-up) must wait a year before entering the contest in the category for which they won, but are welcome to enter either of our other categories. Other writers who made the longlist and/or the shortlist are still eligible to enter any category.
  Entrants must submit their entry under their real name, although they may publish under a pseudonym if they wish. Contestants who do not submit under their real name may be subject to disqualification. No images or photos should be included.
  No refunds will be made if an entry has been submitted to the incorrect category. Once an entry is received, no revisions will be allowed, and entry fees become non-refundable.
  PRISM international may contact you in future to inform you of future writing contests. We do not share information with any third parties. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Mailing entries: PRISM International will not be reading mailed submissions for contests until further notice.
Subscriptions: Contest entry fees no longer include an annual subscription.

2026 Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction (Free Entry)

Living amid late-stage capitalism, forever wars, and the collapse of society can make celebration feel impossible. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

That’s why for our next issue, we’re throwing a party 🎉

We want submissions from party girls and party boys. Tell us about cultural festivals, family gatherings, and moments of queer joy that feel endless. We want excess, glitter, neon, and nights that go on forever.

But we also can’t forget about the morning after. The flip side. 

The higher the moment takes you, the harder the crash can feel. And the come-down isn’t always peaceful.

We want to hear your tales of revelry that end in joy, but also the ones that don’t: an essay about your best night out and worst morning after; a story of excess that leads to destitution; a poem about getting lost in the Danse Macabre.

Submit now, and let’s party.

REVELRY

Deadline: July 15, 2026
$1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up, $400 2nd runner-up
Winning submissions may be published on the PRISM International website or in our physical journal, at the discretion of the editors
Judge: TBA
Maximum word count: 4,000 words. Please submit only one piece per submission.
Note: once an entry is received, no revisions will be allowed. Entry fees are non-refundable. Please ensure your entry meets the following guidelines before submitting.
PRISM international offers free entries for self-identifying Indigenous and Black writers for all our contests. Indigenous and Black writers are invited to submit using the appropriate fee options from the dropdown list in the form.
We also have a number of free entries to offer to low-income writers, and we encourage writers for whom the contest entry fee is prohibitive to contact us at prism.promos@ubc.ca to arrange contest entry. We do not require any information or reasoning regarding eligibility.
As always, we encourage submissions from writers of colour, writers with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ writers, and writers from other intersectional and marginalized groups.
Rules & Regulations (please read carefully)
Mailing entries: PRISM International will not be reading mailed submissions for contests until further notice.
Subscriptions: Contest entry fees no longer include an annual subscription.   Deadline: July 15, 2026
$1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up, $400 2nd runner-up
Judge: TBA
Maximum word count: 6,000 words. Please submit only one piece per submission. You may submit additional stories using the Additional Entry option for $5.
Note: once an entry is received, no revisions will be allowed. Entry fees are non-refundable. Please ensure your entry meets the following guidelines before submitting.
PRISM international offers free entries for self-identifying Indigenous and Black writers for all our contests. Indigenous and Black writers are invited to submit using the appropriate fee options from the dropdown list in the form.
We also have a number of free entries to offer to low-income writers, and we encourage writers for whom the contest entry fee is prohibitive to contact us at prism.promos@ubc.ca to arrange contest entry. We do not require any information or reasoning regarding eligibility.
As always, we encourage submissions from writers of colour, writers with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ writers, and writers from other intersectional and marginalized groups.
Rules & Regulations (please read carefully)
Mailing entries: PRISM International will not be reading mailed submissions for contests until further notice.
Subscriptions: Contest entry fees no longer include an annual subscription.

Creative Non-Fiction Contest

PRISM international publishes exciting, original material from established and emerging writers in Canada and around the world. We accept submissions year-round. Due to the high volume of submissions we receive each month, reply times range between 2 to 6 months, depending on the time of year. Submissions will be open until November 15th, 2026.
Please note: PRISM does not accept submissions from current and incoming students and faculty of the University of British Columbia’s Creative Writing Program (this includes the UBC Optional-Residency MFA Program). Work submitted by incoming students prior to their acceptance to the UBC Creative Writing Program, if still under consideration, must be withdrawn. In order to submit, UBC alumni cannot have taken a UBC Creative Writing Program course during the previous two years. PRISM does not publish the same writer twice in a publication year.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
For contest entries, please refer to our contest page.
We only accept online submissions via Submittable unless you are an incarcerated writer. We do not accept email submissions. We charge a $3.00 reading fee per submission. We have an Inclusive Access option under the 'Submission Fee' category for those unable to pay the regular $3.00 fee.
We strongly encourage submissions from Indigenous writers, Black writers, writers of colour, writers with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ writers, and writers from other intersectional and marginalized groups, including low-income earners. If you identify as one or more of the above and would like to let us know, please mention it in your cover letter.
Send original and unpublished fiction, creative non-fiction, hybrid works, comics, and literary essays. Please note that we do not publish rhetorical, academic, or strictly journalistic non-fiction. We are especially interested in pieces focused on labour (in all its forms) and work produced outside the literary/academic milieu. Please specify the genre of your submission in your cover letter.
We prefer subs that are 4,000 words or less so that we can showcase as many voices as possible. Only exceptional pieces longer than this will receive publication.
Submit only one piece at a time, unless you are submitting flash fiction or non-fiction (under 1,000 words), in which case you may submit up to three pieces in a single document. In your cover letter, please specify the number of pieces you are submitting and list the titles.
Your document MUST be labelled with your first and last name. Example: FirstNameLastName-Title.doc
Include in your cover letter your contact information (including email address) and a short bio.
All submissions should be set in Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, and paginated.
We accept simultaneous submissions. If your piece is accepted elsewhere, please let us know immediately and withdraw your submission.
Submissions must be previously unpublished, in print and online.
We do not accept submissions that used AI assistance at any stage in the creation process.
We purchase first North American serial rights, and pay $40/printed page for prose. Contributors will receive two copies of the issue in which their work appears.
CONTENT BAN:
Submissions containing the following content are strongly discouraged and will not be considered unless these elements are essential to the narrative and handled with care and intention:
Gratuitous violence, including sexual violence
Casual or overt misogyny and/or racism
The use of sexual trauma—or any form of trauma—as a mere plot device
Stories centered on male protagonists in which female characters are underdeveloped, one-dimensional, or exist solely to advance the male character’s arc
If your submission includes any of the above elements in a way that is essential to the narrative and handled with care, you must include a clear content warning at the top of the document. We reserve the right to decline work that does not align with these standards.

GENERAL Prose Submissions — Fiction

GENERAL Prose Submissions — Nonfiction

POETRY
PRISM international publishes exciting, original material from established and emerging writers in Canada and around the world. We accept submissions year-round. Due to the high volume of submissions we receive each month, reply times range between 3 and 6 months, depending on the time of year.
Please note: PRISM does not accept submissions from current and incoming students and faculty of the University of British Columbia’s Creative Writing Program (this includes the UBC Optional-Residency MFA Program). Work submitted by incoming students prior to their acceptance to the UBC Creative Writing Program, if still under consideration, must be withdrawn. In order to submit, UBC alumni cannot have taken a UBC Creative Writing Program course during the previous two years. PRISM does not publish the same writer twice in a publication year. Submissions will be open until November 15th, 2026.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
For contest entries, please refer to our contest page.
Your document MUST be labelled with your first and last name. Example: FirstNameLastName.doc.
Submit up to five poems, maximum of seven pages.
Submissions must be previously unpublished, in print and online.
We do not accept submissions that use AI assistance at any stage in the creation process.
We accept simultaneous submissions. If your piece is accepted elsewhere, please let us know immediately.
If you need to withdraw individual pieces from your submission, please notify us via a Submittable message with the names of the pieces you would like to withdraw. The rest of your submission will still be considered.
We welcome cross-genre, hybrid, interdisciplinary, and speculative poetry and poetics.
Poetry submissions should be typed, preferably in Times New Roman, 12-point font. If you would like to submit poems with alternate spacing, please submit a PDF instead of a Word document.
Include in your cover letter your full contact information (including email address) and a short bio.
We only accept online submissions via Submittable unless you are an incarcerated writer. We do not accept email submissions. We charge a $3.00 reading fee per submission. We have an Inclusive Access option under the 'Submission Fee' category for those unable to pay the regular $3.00 fee.
We purchase first North American serial rights and pay $45/printed page for poetry. Contributors will receive two copies of the issue in which their work appears.
We encourage submissions from Black and Indigenous writers, writers of colour, disabled writers, queer and trans writers, low-income writers, refugee writers, and writers from other intersectional and marginalized groups. If you identify as one or more of the above and would like to let us know, please mention it in your cover letter.
****CONTENT BAN****:
Submissions containing the following content are strongly discouraged and will not be considered unless these elements are essential to the narrative and handled with care and intention:
Gratuitous violence, including sexual violence
Casual or overt misogyny and/or racism
The use of sexual trauma—or any form of trauma—as a plot device
Narratives centered on male protagonists in which female characters are underdeveloped, one-dimensional, or exist solely to advance the male character’s arc
If your submission includes any of the above elements in a way that is essential to the narrative and handled with care, you must include a clear content warning at the top of the document. We reserve the right to decline work that does not align with these standards.

PRISM international

Highlights

About

Featured Call

GENERAL Prose Submissions — Fiction

Appears in collections