Contest
Lavender Rising Monthly Contest
Every month, Once Upon A Queer Publishing celebrates queer creativity through the Lavender Rising magazine, whose contest has four catagories:
short stories, poetry, essays, and artwork.
Submissions are due by the 15th of each month, and late entries will roll over to the following month.
Each category has its own winners, and the top entries are published in Lavender Rising, our monthly magazine. Among those winners, one piece is chosen as the Grand Prize Winner, receiving $200 and special recognition in the magazine.
The top 5 short stories
(stories under 1,000 words appear in full; longer works feature a teaser with a link to the rest, and nothing over 5,000 words)
The top 5 poems
The top 5 essays
The top 5 pieces of artwork,
with the first-place artist featured on the cover
These contests are open exclusively to queer writers and artists. Our goal is to provide a platform where LGBTQ+ voices can shine, thrive, and share their creativity with a welcoming audience.
Submit your work, share your story, and become part of a growing community of queer creators.
Why Publish with Lavender Rising
1) A welcoming platform dedicated to queer voices and stories.
2) For artists: a chance to see your work featured on a professional magazine cover.
3) The chance to win $200 and be featured as the best work of the month.
4) Build your readership through a growing LGBTQ+ community that values creativity and representation.
5) Monthly opportunities for publication mean you don’t have to wait a year to submit.
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Submission Guidelines
Contests run monthly for short stories, poems, essays, and artwork.
ALL entries must include a title, preferred name, and email to contact the artist by. There will be options to attach socials to your work, as well.
Submissions are due by the 15th of each month; late entries roll into the next month’s contest.
Grand Prize: $200 awarded to the best overall work across all categories.
Cover Feature: The first-place artwork becomes the cover image of the issue.
The top 5 winners in each category are featured in the magazine.
Unlimited entries, and submissions can be sent again the next month if they were not previously published in Lavender Rising.
Short Stories
Length: up to ~5,000 words (flash fiction under 1,000 words will be published in full; longer works get a teaser + link).
Any genre is welcome—sci-fi, fantasy, contemporary, romance, horror—as long as it centers queer characters or themes.
Poetry
Up to 3 poems per submission, each under ~100 lines.
All forms and styles welcome, from free verse to sonnets to experimental.
Essays
Up to ~3,000 words.
Can be personal essays, reflections, or critical/creative explorations of queer life, art, or community.
Artwork
High-resolution files preferred (PNG, JPG, TIFF).
Digital or traditional mediums welcome.
First-place artwork is featured on the cover of the issue.
General Notes
Submissions must be the creator’s original work.
Collaborative projects are welcome (please list all contributors).
Previously published work is fine if you hold the rights.
Content should be appropriate for a wide audience—no gratuitous hate, bigotry, or non-consensual violence.
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