They want fiction (any genre) and poetry that begins with pre-set first lines, one for each quarterly issue. For non-fiction, they want critical articles about your favorite first line from a literary work. For fiction and poetry, the first line for the Summer issue is:
‘The summer between [his/her/their] junior and senior years, Alex worked as a server at Wharf Mountain.’
Deadline: 1 May 2026
Length: 300-5,000 words for fiction; 500-800 words for non-fiction
Pay: $25-50 for fiction, $25 for non-fiction, $10 for poetry (less postage fee for international contributors – see guidelines)
Details here.

Deadline: May 1st, 2026