The Offing/ How to Submit (Payment: $100)
The Offing Opens Free 2026 Submissions for Science Writing, Cultural Essays, and Poetry Translation
The Offing is currently accepting fee-free submissions for 2026, with open calls across select departments including Back of the Envelope, Insight, and Translation: Poetry.
The magazine notes that there are no submission fees this year thanks to donor support, making this an excellent opportunity for emerging and established writers alike.
Benefits of Submitting to the Offing
- The genre and the length or number of published pieces will determine the payment range, from $25 to $100, for accepted contributors.
Open Departments and Deadlines
Back of the Envelope
Deadline: May 1, 2026
This section seeks writing of any length or genre related to science and the natural world. The editors are interested in work that explores scientific wonder, discovery, environmental anxieties, and everyday curiosities.
Writers developing narrative-driven pieces may benefit from revisiting successful writing ideas before shaping their angle or approach.
Insight
Deadline: June 1, 2026
The Insight department accepts creative nonfiction and personal essays that blend lived experience with art, literature, culture, or criticism.
Essays typically examine how culture intersects with memory, identity, or ideology, often combining seemingly unrelated subjects into one reflective narrative.
- Genre: Creative nonfiction / personal essay
- Word limit: 5,000 words
For writers working in narrative prose, this guide on how to write a great short story offers useful lessons on structure, tension, and storytelling clarity that can also strengthen essay writing.
Translation: Poetry
Deadline: June 1, 2026
The Offing is also accepting translated poetry submissions.
Writers may submit:
- Up to 6 poems
- Larger sets with explanation
- Brief bios for both author and translator
- Original language and publication history
- Relevant context notes
The magazine emphasizes that permission from the original author or rights holder must be secured before submission.
Important Guidelines for the Offing
- Submit only through Submittable
- No email submissions
- Work must be original and unpublished in English
- Simultaneous submissions are allowed
- Only one submission per department at a time
- Response time may take up to six months
With free submissions, contributor payment, and genre-specific editorial calls, The Offing remains one of the strongest literary magazine opportunities currently open in 2026.
