Ninth Letter: Reaction
The theme for their web edition is Reaction. At the time of writing, they were open for nonfiction only. “We find ourselves in a moment of American Reaction. But what sparks that reaction, and what is born out of it?  Send us your stories, poems and essays that react without or before forethought, or deal with its spurious repercussions. Render reactivity in digital and material and spiritual spaces in all its spectacle and earnestness. Show us poignant moments of unexpected emotion, or sudden bodily reflexes or the mind's recoil. We want characters caught in unforeseeable moments and narrators that drop their guard, or poems that embody one action’s equal and opposed reaction. We welcome writing that spans the spectrum of reactions – chemical, physical, biological, psychological and political – and pieces that capture reaction in all its possibility and detriment.” They pay $75 for creative non-fiction of up to 3,500 words. Please note, they have a submission cap, and could close earlier than the deadline of 1st April 2026. Details here.
(Ninth Letter is also open for literary awards in various genres, for which there is a submission fee.)

Deadline: April 1st, 2026