The Lemonwood Quarterly operates as a seasonal anthology, selecting ten stories or plays every three months for publication in that season's issue. This contest, tied to the Fall 2026 cycle, is part of a structured annual program that culminates in the Charlotte Ann Porter Prize for Fiction, awarded each December. The journal's commitment to anonymous reading and a thirty-day response window reflects a professional respect for contributors' time and a focus on the work itself. The contest is explicitly open to writers from communities historically underrepresented in literary publishing, including women, non-binary, LGBTQ+, queer, BIPOC, and writers of color. This curatorial framing suggests an editorial vision attentive to voices and perspectives that have often been marginalized, though the primary criterion remains the quality of the writing. The quarterly's scope is deliberately narrow: it seeks only short stories and plays, excluding poetry, flash fiction, nonfiction, reviews, and interviews. Authors selected for publication receive $200 and their work advances to the final round for the $1000 Charlotte Ann Porter Prize for Fiction. The submission fee is $4.00, and writers may submit up to four short stories annually, with one submission per quarterly issue. The journal accepts simultaneous submissions but requires immediate notification upon acceptance elsewhere. All submissions are read anonymously, ensuring that evaluation is based solely on the manuscript.