Contest Submissions

Submissions for contests require a small submission fee ($5), and each contest will have a paid winner and runner-up, unless otherwise specified. All general guidelines for submissions apply to contest submissions. Guidelines specific to each contest will be explained on this page.

To read the work from winners in previous contests, visit our Contests page:

Previous Contests

Current Contest: Scented Candle

This contest opens November 1st and closes November 28th.

From “fresh linen” to “babbling brook” to “faded fall memories,” autumnal fragrances offer a plethora of writing potential. With fall in full swing, Inscape Journal invites you to ask: if you could make a scented candle of any memory, what would it be? The focus of your story can exist anywhere along the spectrum: as concrete as rain on wet pavement, or as intangible as what you imagine regret to smell like. Explore what scent preserves, what it awakens, and why it lingers. Paint a memory so vividly that we can’t help but inhabit it with you. 

CNF

Word Count: 500 to 2,500 words

1st Place – $50

2nd Place – $25

The Dos

  • Submission fee: $5 for each submission, and only one piece per submission.
  • Genre: Creative Nonfiction
  • Submission length: 500 to 2,500 words.
  • Format: Please submit written works as a DOC, DOCX, or PDF file. 
  • Language: Literary submissions must be written in English and may not exceed specified word limits.
  • Who can submit: Anyone!

The Don’ts

  • Don’t include your name in any of the attachments.
  • Don’t submit previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please let us know if your piece has been accepted somewhere else.
  • Current Inscape staff members may not enter or be considered for publication.
  • We do not accept pieces that invoke the name of deity as an expletive. We also ask that you refrain from submitting anything depicting gratuitous sexual, violent, or otherwise morally objectionable content.
  • Inscape celebrates original human creativity; in that spirit, submissions must be created by the author and/or artist and may not include any material generated by artificial intelligence.

Any submission that does not follow these guidelines will not be considered. Visit our contests page and get a feel for what we publish.

Button for submittable to submit writing.