The Quarterly Contest

Poems and Short Stories

Current Theme: Rebirth (Spring 2026)
Prize: $50 Gift Card to The Neverending Story Bookstore
Submissions Open January 7, 2026
Deadline: March 21, 2026

Winners of the prize will be announced on or before the end of the season on the Summer Solstice, June 21, 2026.

Are you the same person you were a decade ago? As we go through life, we constantly change as we are exposed to different points of view and the challenges that are in our path. Mad Woman Publishing invites you to write a short story or poem exploring the interplay between yourself as you are now and the self that is no longer.

To participate in the contest, make your submission via the below form.

All submissions will be reviewed anonymously, so please be sure to follow the directions laid out in the form to preserve the integrity of this process.

Please only submit one piece to the contest. If you want to submit a larger collection of poetry for review, please do so via our direct manuscript submissions link. If multiple items are submitted, we will randomly select one of your pieces and treat that as your sole submission.