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Write like it matters. Because it does.
If it feels like “I had to write this now,” we want to read it.

Featured Works

June 2026

History Repeating Finalists

Join us in celebrating the three finalists from our May writing challenge,...
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June 2026

History Repeating Shortlist

Join us in celebrating our History Repeating shortlist!
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May 2026

All This Is My Cradle: An Interview With Danielle Janess

An interview with first-place winner Danielle Janess on paying attention to the...
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May 2026

Caddis

Our Silent Spring finalist, "Caddis,” navigates the way our natural world is...
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May 2026

Shine Early, Spring Salmon

"Shine Early, Spring Salmon" is as reflective as it is somber, illustrating...
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May 2026

Countdown

"Countdown" follows the last few days of an astronaut’s time on Earth...
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Current Challenge

Gender Trouble June 2026 writing challenge image
Current Theme

Gender Trouble

Judith Butler argued that gender isn’t something we are, but something we do. It’s a performance—one that either meets the status quo or subverts it. What happens when we refuse to perform? We’re seeking writing that pulls apart the categories: gender and sex, heteronormativity and transgression, the body we were assigned and the one we […]

Start Date

June 1, 2026

Word Count

up to 1,000 words of prose / 2 pages of poetry

Fee

$10

About Us

Glossy Planet is a lit mag that responds to the world in real time. Every month, we drop a new challenge tied to what’s happening in the headlines, the culture, and the moment. Think: the literary version of a group chat, if your group chat included a bunch of writers trying to make sense of it all.

We want your flash experiments, microessays, poems, weird little lists—anything that makes us stop and feel something. We’re here for impact and heat, not polish or perfection. If you’re writing in response to the world, not hiding from it, we want to hear from you.

What do you publish?

Flash prose, lists, microessays, flash prose, poetry, and other short, genre-defying forms.

What’s the word limit?

Up to 1,000 words for prose and two pages for poetry.

Is there a prize?

$1,000 for 1st place, $200 for 2nd, and $100 for 3rd.

When should I submit?

Each challenge opens on the 1st of the month and closes on the 15th.

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Submit to GENDER TROUBLE until June 15!

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