Poetry Week this year will take place from May 11 - 15. Submission deadline is end of day (EDT) Monday, April 27. The first-place winner will receive CA$100 and be posted on Monday, May 11. The second-place winner will receive CA$50 and the three runner ups CA$25 each. Prizes will be paid through PayPal. Max. word count per entry 1000. You can enter more than once; but only one poem (or thematically related series of poems) per entry. The small fee of CA$4 per entry is to cover admin costs.
Drabbles are exactly 100-words long (not counting your title). They are mini stories with a beginning, middle & end. It is a test of how to write concisely.
Every month we will choose among the entries the "Drabble of the Month". The winning work will be posted on CommuterLit.com the first Friday of each month (September through June) and the winning author will receive a cash prize of CAD$25.
The first contest will be in May 2026.
This is an on-going contest. Submissions will always be open and those not picked one month will be in contention for future monthly contests (unless you withdraw your submission). Enter as many times as you like — but please only one drabble per entry. Original drabbles only (no previously published work this time around). Simultaneous submissions are okay, but please if your drabble is published elsewhere, withdraw your entry from the contest.
If your entry is over the 100-word limit, it will be disqualified. Entry fees are kept as low as possible, but are necessary to keep the contest running. Good luck.
There is no charge to submit a short story or poetry to CommuterLit.com. If, however, you would like feedback on your story, we urge you to take advantage of CommuterLit.com's Editorial Critique service.
Acceptance for online publication is not dependent on whether or not you have paid for an editorial critique.
Maximum word count: 4,000. Please note that we no longer accept work longer than 4,000 words.
Poets: Please submit one poem at a time.
And please don't send us any AI-generated work. What's the point, really, if you are just getting AI to write for you? Where's the fun in that?
As well as original, not-yet-published work, we also welcome excerpts from upcoming books or stories already published. Just let us know in your cover letter the publication details.
We have a very small staff, it's easier for us—and we guarantee that we'll get back to you faster—if you format your stories according to these specifications:
1. Single space between sentences — get rid of double spaces!
2. No paragraph indents
3. For our U.K. friends: Use double-quotation marks — not single
4. For our American & U.K. friends: Our spelling is based on the Canadian Oxford Dictionary. That means: centre, neighbour, colour, defence etc . . . , but realize, etc . . . Set your SpellCheck to Canadian English.
5. We follow Canadian Press style for numbers: spell out one to nine, use numbers for the rest.
6. Leave a single space on both sides of a long dash.
Submit your story (4000 word max.) and you will receive a two-page critique on your prose manuscript for just $65. Sorry, we are not able to evaluate poetry at this time.
The critique will include comments on Theme, Voice & Tone, Plot/Narrative Arc, Pacing, Dialogue, Character Development, Readability and any Logic Problems within the text.
Expect your critique to be emailed to you within three weeks.
Let us know in your cover letter whether or not you are also submitting your manuscript for online publication on CommuterLit.com.
For a nominal fee of $100, you will receive a two-page critique on your prose manuscript. Sorry, we are not able to evaluate poetry at this time.
The critique will include comments on Theme, Voice & Tone, Plot/Narrative Arc, Pacing, Dialogue, Character Development, Readability and any Logic Problems within the text.
The fee includes all applicable taxes and covers the cost of the editor's time. Expect your critique to be emailed to you within three weeks.
Please note: CommuterLit does not post stories longer than a maximum of 4,000 words.
For a nominal fee of $165, you will receive a two-page critique on your prose manuscript. Sorry, we are not able to evaluate poetry at this time.
The critique will include comments on Theme, Voice & Tone, Plot/Narrative Arc, Pacing, Dialogue, Character Development, Readability and any Logic Problems within the text.
The fee includes all applicable taxes and covers the cost of the editor's time. Expect your critique to be emailed to you within three weeks.
Please note: CommuterLit does not post stories longer than a maximum of 4,000 words.