Erica Verrillo's Blog, page 10

4 Distinctive Writing Conferences and Workshops in December 2023

Granite Dells, Arizona: Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress collection. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel Because of the holidays, writing conferences are sparse in December. That doesn't mean there are none worth attending.
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For a month-by-month list of conferences throughout the year see: Writing Conferences. (You will also find links to resources that can help you find conferences in your area on that page.)
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The Fall 2023 Online Writing Workshop of Chicago. December 8 - 9, 2023. "This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” online writing workshop. In other words, it’s two days full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. And even though this is the Online Fall “San Diego” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually. Our WDW writers conferences have helped dozens of writers find literary agent representation." 

Larksong's 4th Annual Speedwriting & Reading Party. Saturday, December 9, 2023: Online. Workshop Leaders: Zedeka Poindexter, Steve Edwards, Tommy Dean, Kelly Madigan. Readers: Cliff Taylor, Mary Pipher, JV Brummels, Monica Joy, LeeAnn Roripaugh. "The format is simple. We alternate five-minute readings with 15-minute mini writing workshops that start with a craft talk and end with a writing prompt. Five readings, four workshops, so you’ll not only leave the event inspired but you’ll have some new writing too! After the presentations there’s time for a Q&A with writers and other participants." Free.

A(n) (Un)holy Alliance: Braiding the Sacred and the Profane. December 13, 2023, 6:00-7:30PM EST. "The word profane refers to the secular world, the parts of a life that are not directly related to spiritual or religious practice. However you may define the spiritual in your own life, what might happen in our writing if we blend the sacred and the profane to make a liminal world where these two things coexist?" Free.

The Mesa Book Festival. December 16, 2023: Mesa, Arizona. The festival features presentations, readings, visits with authors, and a poetry open mic. "Everyone! Authors, Publishers, and Book Sellers are invited to  register for space to showcase, promote, and sell their books. Readers are invited to come and buy their books direct. We're encouraging a wide variety of literary arts purveyors to share their work to create a bigger audience for everyone." All events are free and open to the public.

7 New Agents Actively Seeking Horror, Thrillers, Westerns, Military, Speculative Fiction, Nonfiction, Kidlit and more

Nour Sallam Here are seven new literary agents actively seeking clients. New agents are a boon to writers. They are actively building their lists, and will go the extra mile for their clients.

All of these agents work for established agencies with good track records. They are looking for all genres.
Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change. 

NOTE: Don't submit to several agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another. (Some small agencies share. Be alert to a notice that "a no from one is a no from all.")

You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients. 

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Ms. Nour Sallam of P.S. Literary Agency

Nour Sallam is an associate agent at PSLA representing adult fiction and non-fiction. She first joined the PSLA team as an intern in 2022 before becoming a literary assistant. Nour has previously worked in editing, podcasting, communications, and journalism. She got her start at the University of British Columbia where she studied English Literature and Political Science. She then completed her publishing certificate at Toronto Metropolitan University. 

What she is seeking: Nour is acquiring both fiction and non-fiction for adults. As an Arab woman and an immigrant, she particularly loves books of any genre that feature BIPOC characters, complex and nuanced histories, power dynamics, or social and political issues.

How to submit: Read submission guidelines HERE.
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Mr. Jake Lovell of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

Jake joined SDLA in 2023. He earned his MA in Literature and Writing Studies from CSU San Marcos in 2021. He is also a veteran, having joined the Army in 2008. During his time he was promoted to Sergeant and served on two deployments overseas. Born and raised in Southern California, Jake proudly comes from a mixed cultural background and is second generation Chicano on his mother’s side.

What he is seeking: He is actively looking for adult fiction and non-fiction. He is interested in upmarket fiction, with an emphasis on: Gothic, horror, thrillers, westerns, military, and speculative fiction (supernatural, paranormal, UFOs, etc…; think Jordan Peele or 10 Cloverfield Lane). When it comes to fiction, he loves dark stories that cause readers to question turning off the lights before bed. Dark stories permeate through all cultures, backgrounds, and histories, and he wants to hear them. His tastes lean more in the vein of The Hunger by Alma Katsu, The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones, Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, and works by Paul Tremblay, Mona Awad, and Colson Whitehead. In general, he’s especially drawn to character driven stories written in distinct and diverse voices.

On the non-fiction front, Jake is looking for captivating stories and perspectives that stay with readers and keep them coming back. He is especially interested in working with historians, up-and-coming scholars looking to transition to trade readership, journalists, doctors, veterans, and people with unique takes on important issues. Think: Freakonomics, Outliers, A Molecule Away From Madness, Columbine, American Sniper, Empire’s Workshop, and The Fact of a Body.

How to submit: Use his querymanager HERE.

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Ms. Paula Weiman of ASH Literary (UK)

Paula (they/them) joined the ASH Literary team in 2023 as an Agent after a career in literary scouting and educational publishing. Based in New York and with a background in foreign rights, they bring an international approach to selling their clients’ work. Their goal is to help as many children as possible to see their experiences represented on the page for the first time.

What they are seeking: Children's and YA literature.

How to submit: Send your query to submissions@ashliterary.com

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Mr. Noah Grey Rosenzweig of Triangle House

Noah Grey Rosenzweig grew up in New Jersey before moving to D.C. in 2017 and graduating from Georgetown University. He was previously a literary assistant at Ross Yoon Agency, and just completed the editorial fellowship with Grove Atlantic and Roxane Gay Books. 

What he is seeking: Noah is interested in representing both fiction and non-fiction. He is a reader of all fiction but has a particular love for literary, climate, and speculative fiction, as well as the occasional YA novel. He has an eye out for stories that hold up a mirror to our culture in new ways, and he's especially interested in queer and trans coming-of-age fiction.

They are also looking for narrative non-fiction that chronicles recent history, cultural trends, technology, and social rules that explain why and how we live in our current world. Above all, Noah is looking for work that is subversive — in prose, style, or subject. 

How to submit: Use his querymanager HERE.

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Ms. Erica McGrath of Writers House

Before joining Writers House, I studied Visual Arts and English at SUNY New Paltz and interned at not-for-profit art organizations like The Center for Photography at Woodstock and Musee Magazine. Now, combining my literary and artistic passions with my business sensibilities, I’m dying to read your work! As a Cancer sun, Virgo rising, and the eldest daughter of four siblings, I come well equipped as an intuitive, organized, and dedicated advocate. I am a passionate collaborator eager to support authors on this emotional journey to create lasting and inspiring projects.

What she is seeking: I’m looking to work with authors and illustrators across all age ranges, in genres ranging from picture books to middle grade and YA, to adult literary fiction and nonfiction.

How to submit: Please email your submission to emcgrath@writershouse.com. The email subject line should contain “query”, and please include a query letter, synopsis, and approximately 10-15 sample pages of your work (or sample artwork/manuscript for picture book and graphic novel submissions.)
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Mr. John Blase of The Bindery

John Blase spent over a decade as an editor and ghostwriter in traditional publishing working with such names as Eugene Peterson, Ann Voskamp, and Brian Zahnd. During that time, he penned two books with his name on the spine—one of them a self-published poetry endeavor titled The Jubilee. At the end of the day, he tries to live by writer George Saunders’ advice: “Stop trying to teach the world something and instead refuse to be boring.”

What he is seeking; John’s long been a culture junkie hooked on everything from the drama of “Hill Street Blues” (which dates him) to the wonder of Game of Thrones to the thoughts of Ta-Nehisi Coates to the poetry of Taylor Swift. And he still mourns the loss of Anthony Bourdain. While loving all genres of literature, he admits a weakness for fiction, short stories, and memoir. A good story, well-told, he simply finds hard to resist.

How to submit: Read submission guidelines HERE.
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Ms. Jenny Simpson of Paper Literary (UK)

Jenny began her publishing career at ICM Partners in New York in the subsidiary rights department. She was promoted to agent in 2021, handling all domestic subsidiary rights on behalf of the department, with a focus on audiobook and first serial rights. She has negotiated and sold rights at significant six-figure levels on behalf of prize-winning and bestselling authors and journalists. During her time at ICM (now CAA), Jenny worked across the Publishing and Podcasting departments, servicing clients in their ventures into the original audio and podcast marketplaces. 

What she is seeking: I am on the hunt for commercial fiction and select nonfiction titles on health and wellness-related topics. I always lean towards stories about domestic family dramas, adult and female friendships, and contemporary romances with a modern edge. I am constantly thinking about the various paths life can take you, so any story that incorporates a time loop (think OONA OUT OR ORDER by Margarita Monitmore), spans one’s lifetime on a specific anniversary or season (ONE DAY by David Nicholls) or has that Sliding Doors-esque quality (THE VERSIONS OF US by Laura Barnett).

I now reside in Belgium with my husband and dog, a Corgi named Olive! If you have a story that elaborates on the expat experience, particularly its impact on family life, marriages and friendships, please send my way! Similarly, I will always pick up a book set in a boarding school to take me back to my teenage self, a la Curtis Sittenfeld’s PREP and FOSTER DADE EXPLORES THE COSMOS by Nash Jenkins.

My nonfiction taste leans towards topics on self-improvement and self-discovery. I love approachable books with digestible scientific research that help improve everyday life for all. In other words, I always want to learn, but never want to feel too intimidated by the material. In a similar vein, I enjoy reading first-hand accounts from individuals navigating wellness obstacles on a path towards self-improvement, for example GROUP by Christie Tate.
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How to submit: Read submission requirements HERE. 

75 Calls for Submissions in November 2023 - Paying markets

Bill Dickinson: Flickr This November there are more than six dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As always, every genre, style, and form is wanted, from short stories to poetry to essays.I post upcoming calls for submissions shortly before the first day of every month. But as I am collecting them, I post them on my page, Calls for Submissions. You can get a jump on next month's calls for submissions by checking that page periodically throughout the month. (I only post paying markets.)

Also see Paying Markets for hundreds of paying markets arranged by form and genre.
Happy submitting!
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The First Line. Genres: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction using the first line provided. (See site.) Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry, and $25.00 for nonfiction. Deadline: November 1, 2023.


The Offing. Genre: Fiction. Length: 7,500 words max. Payment: $25 - $100. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Lost Boys Press: Insurgent. Genre: Speculative fiction. The setting must be a secondary world. The story must revolve around rebellion, insurgency, revolution, or resistance to established power in some form or another. Word count should be between 2,000 and 9,000 words. Payment: $40. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Ninth Letter. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. See theme. Payment: $25 per poem, $75 per story or essay. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

The Suburban Review. Genre: Prose, art, poetry. See theme. Payment: AUD150-275 for prose; AUD125-275 for poetry; comics and art AUD100-300. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Lammergeier. Genre: Poetry, fiction and nonfiction. "Have a piece you think doesn't quite fit into the previous three categories (or is a combination of said genres)? Feel free to send it in as hybrid. Submit either one piece of up to 5,000 words or less or up to three flash pieces of 1,000 words or less or equivalent audio/visual material. (Hybrids will be considered with nonfiction submissions for featured writer submissions until further notice)." Payment: $25. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Bad Day Book. Genre: Poetry and prose. See site for themes. Payment: $40 - $75, depending on length. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, micro-fiction. Length: Under 3,000 words preferred. Payment: $75. Deadline: They open to fee-free submissions on the first of each month and close when they reach their quota.

Iron Horse. Genre: "Send us your poems, stories, and essays that center around unlawful acts: misdemeanors to felonies, war crimes to white collar crimes, perpetrators in the home or at work.  We'll be especially happy to receive mss about breaking laws that shouldn't be laws in the first place." Payment: $100 per essay or story, and $50 per poem or flash piece. Deadline: November 1, 2023. Note: Open one day only for free submissions.

Kelp Journal. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Oceanic themes. Payment: $35. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

The Iowa Review. Genre: Nonfiction. Payment: $0.08 per word for prose ($100 minimum). Deadline: November 1, 2023. No fee for snail mail submissions. $4 fee for online submissions.

Adroit Journal. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $50. Deadline: November 1, 2023. Note: Open to high school students and up.

Cutleaf. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction prose, poetry. Payment: $100 to $400 for published nonfiction prose; $50 to $200 for published poetry; $100 to $400 for published fiction. Deadline: Opens November 1, 2023. Note: Submission window closes when their cap is reached.

Thema: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle. Payment: $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: November 1, 2023. Accepts reprints.

Olit. Restrictions: Strong preference for Orlando based writers/submissions about Orlando and surrounding areas. Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Hybrid, Artwork, Photography. "Send us all kinds of stuff. We love the artfully weird." Payment: $10. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Foglifter. Genre: Foglifter is a biannual compendium of  queer and trans writing. It’s a space where LGBTQ+ writers celebrate, mourn, rage, and embrace. "Foglifter welcomes daring and thoughtful work by queer and trans writers in all forms, and we are especially interested in cross-genre, intersectional, marginal, and transgressive work. We want the pieces that challenged you as a writer, what you poured yourself into and risked the most to make. But we also want your tenderest, gentlest work, what you hold closest to your heart. Whatever you're working on now that's keeping you alive and writing, Foglifter wants to read it." Payment: $25. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

The Blue Route. Restrictions: Only the work of current undergraduate writers will be considered. Genres: Fiction, or creative nonfiction totaling no more than 3000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Short Story-2,500 words or less. $0.01 USD per word/$25 USD and copy of magazine; Flash Fiction-less than a 1,000 words $0.01 USD per word/$10 USD; Poems-less than 200 words $10 upon acceptance and a PDF of the magazine. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Heathens and Heroes. Genre: Sword and Sorcery / Heroic Fantasy. Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories, poetry, nonfiction. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. $1 a line for poetry. 2 - 8 cents/word for nonfiction. Deadline: November 2, 2023. Accepts reprints.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: November 3, 2023.

GreenPrints. Genre: Personal essays about gardening. “Calling all experienced gardening writers—we seek gardening stories that are true and personal, expressive and thoughtful, and humorous and witty. We focus on the human, not the how-to, side of gardening, so your story should be entertaining, moving, unexpected, touching, and funny—a heartfelt story you would tell a friend or family member.” Payment: $100. Deadline: November 3, 2023.

Planet Scumm. Genre: Hard sci-fi, soft sci-fi, speculative fiction, weird fiction, slipstream. Payment: $30. Deadline: November 5, 2023.

Hexagon. Genre: Speculative fiction short stories, flash fiction, poetry, graphic stories, and visual art, in English or French. Payment: 0.01$ CAD/ word for all short stories up to 10,000 words, and $100 CAD/page for comics. Deadline: November 7, 2023.

Book XI. Genre: Personal essays, memoir, fiction, science fiction, humor, and poetry with philosophical themes. Payment: $200 for prose; $50 for poetry. Deadline: November 11, 2023. Closes after 200 submissions.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: November 11, 2023. See themes.

Empyreal Tree Magazine. Genre: Speculative Fiction. Payment $25. Deadline: November 12, 2023. See themes.

The Fabulist. Genre: Fantastical flash fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: November 12, 2023. 

Ornithopter Press. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 12, 2023. 

Songs of Eretz Poetry Review. Genre: Poetry and art. Payment: $7 per poem, $12 for cover art and $7 for inside art. Deadline: November 15, 2023. See themes.

swim meet lit mag. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction (think memoir and personal essay), visual art and photography. "Send us hybrids, work that pushes the boundaries of creativity, that you’d be proud to see published!" Payment: $30 AUD per poem and visual art piece, $50 AUD for prose and cover art. Only pays Australian writers. Deadline: November 15, 2023. See themes.

Bad Day Book. Genre: Poetry and prose. See site for themes. Payment: $40 - $75, depending on length. Deadline: November 15, 2023.

Luna Station Quarterly. Restrictions: Open to women writers only. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $5. Deadline: November 15, 2023. Some reprints accepted.


Rattle: Young Poets Anthology. Restrictions: Open to poets age 15 or younger when the poem was written, and 18 or younger when submitted. Genre: Poetry. Payment:  Contributors receive ten complimentary copies of the anthology as payment. Deadline: November 15, 2023.

Severn River. Genre: Full-length Crime Fiction, Legal Thriller, Mystery, Military Thriller, Historical Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Thriller, Science Fiction, Dystopian and Young Adult works in any of their accepted genres. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 15, 2023. 

Two For the Show. Restrictions: Open to writers in the US. Genre: Short fiction. See theme. Payment: 1.5 cents/word. Deadline: November 15, 2023.

The Lorelei Signal. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, and poetry with strong female characters. Payment: $15 for short stories, $5 for poems and flash (<1000 wds) fiction pieces, $5 for reprints. Deadline: November 15, 2023. Accepts reprints.

ellipsis… literature & art. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, drama, and creative non-fiction. Payment: $3 per page for prose. $10 for poetry. Deadline: November 16, 2023. (Only pays American writers.)
Flora  & Fungi. Genre: Horror. Length 4000 words, max. Payment: $20. Deadline: November 18, 2023.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Funny Stories. Genre: True stories and poems. "We are looking for stories about something that happened to you in your life - in your relationship with a partner or spouse, a parent or child, a family member or friend, at work or at home – that made you and the people around you laugh out loud." Payment: $200. Deadline: November 20, 2023.

Farmer-ish: Winter Solstice 2023 Special Online Issue: Farmer-ish Kids. Genre: Creative and engaging content on farming, homesteading, raising animals, cooking, making, and raising a family. We want creative nonfiction, personal essays, memoir, how-to pieces, informational and instructional essays, poetry, and more. Payment: $25. Deadline: November 20, 2023.

Stanchion. Genre: Writing (prose, poetry, etc) & visual art. Payment: $15. Deadline: November 20, 2023. Writing and art posted on social media and personal blogs are considered.

Solarpunk Magazine. Genre: Solarpunk microfiction. Length: 250 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: November 21, 2023.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. Deadline: November 21, 2023. Opens November 1.

The Stinging Fly. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: Fiction and nonfiction: €30 per magazine page; Poetry: €50 per poem; Featured Poet: €250. Deadline: November 28, 2023.

Dragon Soul Press: Digital Love. Genre: "All romance stories evolved from the internet, social media, dating apps, etc. Happily Ever After not required. All genres accepted." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Space is the Place. Genre: Young adult (YA) science fiction. Stories should take place OFF Earth. Other planets, starships, space stations, the moon, all ok. Word count is between 6,000 and 10,000 words. Payment: 1/2 cent per word to a max of $50 paid via PayPal. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

The Theatre Phantasmagoria. Genre: Horror flash fiction up to 2,000 words. Payment: £10. Deadline: November 30, 2023. This is a monthly call. See themes.

Nine Pens. Restrictions: Open to poets in UK and Ireland. Genre: Poetry pamphlets. Payment: Royalties? Deadline: November 30, 2023.

The Hudson Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, essays, book reviews; criticism of literature, art, theatre, dance, film, and music; and articles on contemporary cultural developments. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: November 30th, 2023. (Fiction only)

The Sprawl Mag. Genre: Speculative poetry, short fiction, and visual art. "Whether it is utopic, dystopic, magical, or sci-fi, we look forward to seeing your work." Payment: $20 CAD. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Lamar University Literary Press. Genre: Literary fiction—novels and short story collections, poetry. "While our focus is upon original literary work, we will consider books on or about the following if written to our standards: graphic art, biography, regional interest for East Texas." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Mirror World. Genre: Full-length speculative fiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Detectives, Sleuths, and Nosy Neighbors Anthology. Genre: Murder mysteries, detectives noir, cozy, and humorous. Payment: Royalties (some) Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Typehouse. Restrictions: In honor of Native American Heritage Month, no-fee submissions are open for all Native/Indigenous/First Nations creators, not limited to those from the US. Genre: Prose, poetry, art. Payment: $25. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

The Worcester Review. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $20. Deadline: November 30, 2023. (No submission fee for BIPOC writers)

Variant Lit. Genre: Poetry, art. Payment: $10. Deadline: November 30, 2023.
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Otoroshi Journal. Genre: Horrorku, horror tanka, and horror haibun, art. Payment: Poetry, $1. Art, $10. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Flash Point Science Fiction. Genre: Speculative fiction stories from 100 to 1,000 words in length. "Send us your science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and everything in between, so long as it’s short." Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Podcastle. Genre: Fantasy podcast. Length: Up to 6,000 words. Payment: $0.08/word for original; $100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction reprints. Deadline: November 30, 2023. 

Cricket Media: ASK Magazine. Genre: Science articles for children 7–10 years old. Theme: Secrets of Lunch. Payment: Unspecified. Deadline: November 30, 2023. Queries only.

Black Fox Literary Magazine. Genre: Blog posts, fiction, poetry, CNF, and art. Payment: $20. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Poetry Ireland Review. Genre: Poetry. Payment: €50 for poetry, €100 for articles. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Baltimore Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, videos (including poetry), and cross-genre work. Payment: $40. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Abyss and Apex. Genre: Speculative poetry. No horror. Payment: $5.50 per poem. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Poet Lore. Genre: Poetry translations. Payment: $50. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

The Wire’s Dream Magazine. Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Art, Photography, Combined Work from underprivileged individuals. Payment: $5. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Chestnut Review. Genre: Chapbooks: Prose, poetry or hybrid. Payment: $120 plus royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Broken Sleep Books. (UK) Genre: Poetry pamphlets (up to 40 pages). Payment: Royalties. Deadline:  November 30, 2023.

parABnormal. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry on the paranormal. "For us, this includes ghosts, spectres, haunts, various whisperers, and so forth. It also includes shapeshifters and creatures from various folklores." Payment: $25.00 for original stories, $7.00 for reprints.$6.00 for each poem. $20.00 for original articles, $6.00 for reprints. $7.00 for reviews and interviews. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Red Cape Publishing: A - Z of Horror: V is for Voodoo. Genre: Horror on theme. Payment: £10. Deadline: November 30, 2023. Or until full.

Tales of the Gothic. Restrictions: Submissions are open to residents of the British Isles only, or those overseas who can demonstrate a strong link to the British Isles. Genre: British Gothic stories. Length: Between 4000 and 8000 words. Payment: £20. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Haven Speculative. Restrictions: Open to authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 1 cent/word for fiction and $5 - $10 for poetry. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

The Fiddlehead. Genre: Fiction, including excerpts from novels, creative nonfiction, art, poetry. Payment: $60 CAD per published page. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Split Lip Magazine. Genre: Fiction (flash and short stories), memoirs, and poetry. with a pop-culture twist. Payment: $50 - $75 per author (via PayPal) for our web issues. Payment for print is $5 per page, minimum of $20, plus 2 contributor copies and a 1-year subscription. Deadline: November 30, 2023. Note: Submit early to avoid submission fees.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. See theme. Payment: $30. Deadline: November 30, 2023. Opens November 15. Submission periods are extended by a week for BIPOC creators only.

DECEMBER

Eternal Haunted Summer. Genre: Poetry, short fiction. Theme: Horror. Payment: $5. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

Big Wing. Genre: Poetry, prose, spoken word, and visual art works. Theme: Nature. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

Parabola. Genre: Original essays and translations, poetry, reviews. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: December 1, 2023. See themes.

december magazine. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction (essays, memoirs, biography, literary journalism, social or cultural commentary or analysis) and visual art that can be reproduced in our print format. Payment: $10.00 per page with a minimum of $40.00 and a maximum of $200.00. Deadline: December 1, 2023. Charges for online submission. No charge via snail mail.

Assault Team Anthology. Genre: Military Science Fiction. Payment: "a percentage of sales divided equally between the contributing authors." Deadline: December 1, 2023.

Cincinnati Review. Genre: Prose, poetry, art. Payment: $25/page for prose in journal. $30/page for poetry in journal. Deadline: Opens on December 1, closes when cap is reached.

Northern Lights Anthology. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Horror and horror-adjacent dark weird fiction, ideally set in Canada and incorporating a motif of night / nighttime/ dusk/ darkness. Stories should be between 500 and 5,000 words. Payment: 10 cents CAD/word. Deadline: December 1, 2023. 

What If...Walls Could Talk. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

Air/Light. Genre: New and innovative works of literary arts across all mediums and genres including cross genre work. Length: Up to 4,000 words for prose, and up to 10 pages for poetry. Payment: Poetry: $50; Responses and department pieces: $100; Fiction and essays/nonfiction: $200; Visual art, music, and multimedia: $200. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

47 Writing Contests in November 2023 - No entry fees

Wikimedia This November there are nearly four dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $50,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.

Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.

If you want to get a jump on next month's contests go to Free Contests. Most of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline has passed, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck! 

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Evaristo Prize for African Poetry. Restrictions: The Prize is open to poets who were born in Africa, or who are nationals of an African country, or whose parents are African. It is for ten poems exactly in order to encourage serious poets. These poems may, however, have already been published. Only poets who have not yet had a full-length poetry book published are eligible. Poets who have self-published poetry books or had chapbooks and pamphlets published are allowed to submit for this prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1500. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Quarterly West.  Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: November 1, 2023. Closes when cap is reached.

ILA Children’s and Young Adults’ Book Award. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction English-language books for children in grades pre-K to 12 and published for the first time during the year preceding the deadline year. Must be the author's first or second book. Prize: $800. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grants Program for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: Writers must not have published a book, short story, or dramatic work in the mystery field, either in print, electronic, or audio form. Genre: Mystery stories of the Agatha Christie type—i.e., “traditional mysteries.” These works usually feature no excessive gore, gratuitous violence, or explicit sex. Prize: Each grant may be used to offset registration, travel, or other expenses related to attendance at a writers' conference or workshop within a year of the date of the award. In the case of nonfiction, the grant may be used to offset research expenses. Each grant currently includes a $1,500 award plus a comprehensive registration for the following year's convention and two nights' lodging at the convention hotel, but does not include travel to the convention or meals. Deadline: November 1, 2023. 

The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: PEN America will only accept submissions from editors of eligible publications. Authors may not submit their own short story for this award. Genre: First published short story. Prize: $2000 and publication in The PEN America Best Debut Short Stories. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Leaders Igniting Generational Healing And Transformation(Light) Prizes. Genre: Poetry, art, letters, and stories that can be used to reimagine, transform, and process one’s experience with cancer. Prize:  1st: $500, 2nd: $375, 3rd: $125 will be given to the top three contestants of each category. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Gotham Book Prize. Genre: Book. "The Gotham Book Prize is awarded once a year to the best book (works of fiction and nonfiction are eligible) published that calendar year that either is about New York City or takes place in New York City." Prize: $50,000. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Restrictions: Open to citizens of the British Commonwealth. Genre: Unpublished short fiction (2,000-5,000 words) in English. Short stories translated into English from other languages are also eligible. Prize: Regional winners receive £2,500 (US$3,835) and the overall winner will receive £5,000 (US$7,670). Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Bennington Young Writers Awards. Restrictions: Open to students in the 9th-12th grades. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Prize: First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $1,000; second-place winners receive $500; third-place winners receive $250. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Changes Book Prize. Genre: First or second collection of poems. Prize: $10,000 and publication, Deadline: November 1, 2023.

TCU Texas Book Award. Genre: Book of fiction, nonfiction, art or photography about Texas, published in the past three years. Prize: $5000. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Dylan Thomas Prize. Restrictions: Authors must be aged 39 or under. Eligible books must have been commercially published for the first time in the English language between January 1 and December 31 of the year in which the deadline falls. Genre: Published books of poetry, fiction (novel, novella, or short story collection), radio scripts, or screenplays. Prize: 30,000 pounds, plus 1,000 pounds for shortlisted authors. Deadline: November 3, 2023.

On The Premises Mini-Contest. "For this mini-contest, tell, show, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long in which a ringing bell is an important story element." Prize: First place pays $35, second pays $25, and third pays $15, all in US dollars. Honorable mentions get published, but make no money. Deadline: November 3, 2023.

The Bird in Your Hands Prize: a Contest that Centers and Celebrates BIPOC Voices. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC writers. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction in any form under 500 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: November 5, 2023. 

Stephen Fraser Encouragement Fund. “The Impact and Legacy Fund of SCBWI is thrilled to announce the establishment of a brand new grant program, the Stephen Fraser Encouragement Fund. Genre: Children's book. Prize: A $2,000 grant will be awarded to three children’s book authors, artists or translators who have traditionally published at least one book. Deadline: November 5, 2023.

The Russell Freedman Award for Nonfiction for a Better World. Genre: Any nonfiction book published for children or young adults, released between January 1 and December 31, 2023, is eligible. If both an author and illustrator are listed on the book cover, the prize will be split between them. Prize: $2500 plus $1000 to purchase copies of the winning book for distribution to schools and libraries. Deadline: November 5, 2023.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. "On each competition weekend, we’ll reveal a set of story prompts and you’ll have 55 hours to submit your best story of 500-words (or fewer)." Prize: $500 AUD. Deadline: November 5, 2023.

Weird Christmas Flash Contest. Genre: Weird flash fiction. 350 words max. Prize: $50 first prize, $25 second prize. Deadline: November 6, 2023.

Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize. Restrictions: Open to Black poets. Genre: Chapbook-length poetry manuscript. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: November 6, 2023.

Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize is sponsored by the Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival. Genre: Non-fiction essay between 4 to 10 pages, set in Brooklyn about Brooklyn and/or Brooklyn people/characters. (Up to 2500 words). Prize: $500. Deadline: November 15, 2023.

Patrick Henry Writing Fellowship. Genre: Nonfiction book in progress. The project should address the history and/or legacy – broadly defined – of the American Revolution and the nation’s founding ideas. It might focus on the founding era itself, or on the myriad ways the questions that preoccupied the nation’s founders have shaped America’s later history. Fellowship amount: $45,000 stipend, health benefits, faculty privileges, a book allowance, and a nine-month residency (during the academic year) in historic Chestertown, MD. Deadline: November 15, 2023.

Perugia Press Prize. Restrictions: Poets must be women with more than one previously published full-length book. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Book publication and $1,000. Deadline: November 15, 2023. No fee for poets who are Black, Indigenous, and women of color.

Commonwealth Club of California Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to residents of California. Genre: Book of poetry, fiction or nonfiction. Prize: Gold medal. Deadline: November 15, 2023.

Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize. Restrictions: Open to US poets for previously unpublished poems of any length that "help make real for readers the gravity of the vulnerable state of our environment at present." Genre: Poetry. Prize: Up to $1,000. Deadline: November 15, 2023.

The Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize. Restrictions: Entrants must be aged 18-25 years and living in the UK. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. Each year a question or quote exploring Franklin’s relevance in our time is open for interpretation in 1000-1500 words. Prize: First prize of £750, second prize of £500. Winning entries will be posted on the website and also published online by The Telegraph. Deadline: November 15, 2023.

Washington State Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Washington State writers. Genre: Published book, fiction, nonfiction, poetry: adults or children. Prize: Recognition (?) Deadline: November 15, 2023. (For books published Aug. 16-Oct. 15, 2023.)

Renee Duke Youth Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to young poets age 17 and under. Genre: Poem relating to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Prize: $100. Deadline: November 20, 2023.

Arts & Letters Awards. Restrictions: Open to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Genres: poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, dramatic script, art, music, and French language. Entries must be unpublished and completed during the previous 12 months. Prizes: C$1,000 and C$250. Deadline: November 22, 2023.

Polar Expressions Publications Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadian students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Genre: Short Story. Prize: $300, $200, $100. Deadline: November 24, 2023.

Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Student writers in the 11th grade. Prizes: First Prize – $500, Second Prize – $250, Third Prize – $100. Deadline: November 26, 2023.

One Teen Story. Restrictions: Open to writers age 13 -19. Genre: Short story between 2,000 to 4,500 words. Prize: $500 upon publication and 25 copies of the magazine. Deadline: November 27, 2023.

Six Word Wonder. Genre: Stories, memoirs, poems, and jokes that are exactly 6 words. (You can enter up to 4) Prize: $100. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Servicescape. Genre: Short story or nonfiction up to 5,000 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Polar Expressions Publications Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadian students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $300, $200, $100. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Paul Torday Memorial Prize. Restrictions: Authors must be over 60. Genre: First published novel. The novel must have been first published in the UK and Republic of Ireland between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Betty Trask Prize. Restrictions: Author must be a Commonwealth citizen. Genre: First novels, published or unpublished, written by authors under the age of 35 in a "traditional or romantic, but not experimental, style." Prize: Awards totaling 20,000 pounds. Top prize 10,000 pounds. The prize money must be used for foreign travel. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers. Restrictions: Open to writers aged 16-18. Genre: Poem. Prize: Full scholarship to The Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop, an intensive two-week summer seminar for writers aged 16-18. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Somerset Maugham Awards. Restrictions: Open to UK writers under the age of 35. Genre: Published work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry. Prize: 2,500 pounds apiece to four winners. Prize money must be used for travel. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

The Queen’s Knickers Award. Genre: Children’s illustrated book for ages 0-7. "It will recognise books that strike a quirky, new note and grab the attention of a child, whether this be in the form of curiosity, amusement, horror or excitement." Prize:  £5,000, as well as a golden Queen’s Knickers badge. The runner-up will receive £1,000 and a silver badge. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

UNT Rilke Prize. Restrictions: US citizens or residents. Open to authors with at least two prior published books of poetry. Genre: Book of poetry published between November 2022 and October 2023. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

AVBOB Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to any citizen of South Africa. Genre: Poetry. Prize: R10,000. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Six Word Wonder. Genre: Story, memoir, poem, or joke, told in only six words. Prize: $100. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Hudson Review Short Story Contest. Genre: Short story up to 10,000 words. Prize: First prize is $500. Second and third prizes are $250. Winning stories will be published in The Hudson Review. All entries will be considered for publication. Payment at regular rates. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

J. F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: November 30, 2023. 

Moniack Mhor Emerging Writer Award. Restrictions: Open to unpublished prose writers (fiction) living and working in the UK with a collection of short stories or novel in development. Writers can be writing for any age group (including children and young adults) and may have had excerpts or articles published in the past, but have not yet published any major body of work. Genre: Fiction. Prize: “a tailor-made package worth up to £2,000 including tuition via open courses, retreat time and/or mentoring at Moniack Mhor. One highly commended applicant will also receive a course or retreat.” Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Spark Award: Held by SCBWI. Restrictions: Open to members of SCBWI who have self-published. Genres: Fiction and nonfiction. Prize: Envy. The SCBWI is our most prestigious national organization (US) for children's book and YA writers. Deadline: November 30, 2023.

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to "revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful." Genre: Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize: $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: November 30, 2023. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

16 Notable Writing Workshops and Conferences in November 2023

Lily Tang: Kauai This November there are more than a dozen writing conferences. Many conferences and workshops will be held online, but some will be held in person or use a hybrid format.

These writing events offer everything a writer might want: intensive workshops, pitch sessions with agents, to how to market yourself and your books, discussions - there is something for everyone.

For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences. If you miss an application deadline, put it on your calendar for next year. Quite a few conferences offer scholarships, so apply early. Plan ahead!

Be sure to check out Highlights list of workshops. They offer many throughout the year.

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Clearwater Writers Women's Writing Retreat. November 2 - 12, 2023: Clearwater, Idaho. Retreats are facilitated by the Inn’s writer-in-residence, Paula Coomer, poet and author of such books as Jagged Edge of the Sky, Dove Creek, Nurses Who Love English, and Blue Moon Vegetarian. With more than 20 years of experience as a teacher of creative writing, Ms. Coomer offers creative inspiration and support for writers at all levels of achievement and ability.

Creative Hybrid Online Writing Workshop With Sarah Giragosian. November 2 - December 7, 2023. Creative Writing in the Anthropocene. "Creative writing within the framework of the Anthropocene is relatively undertheorized, yet critical in a time when our current geological era is being shaped by humans. In this hybrid course, we will demystify approaches to poetry and creative non-fiction that address the sixth mass extinction, climate change, and the ecological crisis, as well as explore how to narrate and represent the Anthropocene. Since climate change is a byproduct of human interventions in the natural world, we will consider the nuanced entanglements of nature and culture, as well as how the environmental crisis is in many ways a crisis of language and literacy, exploring how writers can develop readers’ ecological literacy and help them to develop a more sustainable relationship to the creatures and world around them. Integral to our study will be an engagement with writing that reckons with the more-than-human-world, with the systems and creatures that help us to think beyond an anthropocentric frame. Of value to the creative writer seeking new ways to address the Anthropocene in their writing, we will read work by such authors as Lia Purpura, Rebecca Giggs, Rebecca Solnit, Daisy Hildyard, Elizabeth Bishop, Patricia Smith, Camille Dungy, Anne Haven McDonnell, and Charlotte Pence, among others. We will be reading and writing each week with the goal of generating new work in a supportive environment. This is a virtual course to be held on Zoom." Apply by September 15. 

Wright Women Writers Conference. November 3- 4, 2023: University of Central Arkansas. "The C.D. Wright Women Writers Conference focuses on women-identifying writers from all genres and all experience levels, from journalism to mass market books to literary endeavors, and beyond. Our goal is to provide a space for camaraderie, connection-making, and inspiration, and while women-identifying writers are the only presenters at the conference, we welcome all of our male and male-identifying colleagues to attend. We believe that much of what we have to offer, including the specific, female perspective, is valuable for all audiences, and that male allies are necessary to changing the current gender imbalance in publishing."

Sanibel Island Writers Conference. November 3 - 4, 2023: Sanibel Island, Florida. Participants at all stages of development — from notebook scribblers to published novelists — are invited to view a variety of discussions and panels on fiction, poetry, songwriting, YA literature, screenwriting, creative nonfiction, and publishing and editing. 

Atlanta Writers Conference. November 3 - 4, 2023: Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE: You must be an Atlanta Writers Club (AWC) member to participate in the conference. The conference features pitch sessions, a workshop on emotional survival skills for writers, a bookfair, and manuscript and query letter critiques for poets, fiction writers, nonfiction writers, and graphic novelists. Virtual meetings and preconference editing consultations via e-mail will also be offered. Participating publishing professionals include editors Kurt Brackob (Histria Books), Cindy Bryan (Literary Wanderlust), Sydney Collins (Ballantine/Bantam), Elizabeth Ford (Blackwater Press), Kate Gale (Red Hen Press), Georgia Hughes (New World Library), Melissa McArthur (Falstaff Books), Ariana Sinclair (HarperCollins), and Melissa Valentine (Lake Union Publishing); and agents Lori Colvin (Birch Literary), Dawn Dowdle (Blue Ridge Literary Agency), La Sheera Lee (SBR Media Literary Agency), Taj McCoy (Rees Literary Agency), Gina Panettieri (Talcott Notch Literary Services), Sarah Phair (Sanford J. Greenburger Associates), Jonathan Rosen (Seymour Agency), Laura Usselman (Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency), and Jade Wong-Baxter (Frances Goldin Literary Agency). The cost of a single session or event ranges from $50 to $180; the cost of the All-Activities Package, which includes two manuscript critiques, one query letter critique, two pitch sessions, one workshop, two Q&A panels, and an optional preconference manuscript edit, is $670. Writers who are not members of the Atlanta Writers Club must purchase a yearlong membership for an additional $60 in order to register. The deadline to register for a manuscript critique is October 2. Space is limited; registration is first come, first served. The general registration deadline is November 3. Lodging is available at the conference hotel for a discounted rate of $159 per night until October 12. Visit the website for more information. 

North Carolina Writers’ Network Fall Conference. November 3 - 5, 2023: Charlotte, NC. The WSOC will feature classes and conversations on the craft and business of writing, as well as a keynote address by Jason Mott, a Pre-Conference Tailgate and a Prompt Party to get creative juices flowing, online Open Mic readings and Happy Hour virtual gatherings, and an Agents & Editors panel discussion. 

The Fall 2023 Online San Diego Writing Workshop. November 10 - 11, 2023. "This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” online writing workshop on November 10-11, 2023. In other words, it’s two days full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. And even though this is the Online Fall “San Diego” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually. Our WDW writers conferences have helped dozens of writers find literary agent representation." 

2023 Kauai Writers Festival. November 6 – 9, 2023, Master class. November 10 - 12, 2023. Conference: Kalapaki Bay, Lihue, Kauai, HI. Join bestselling authors and agents in an intimate, oceanfront setting, with an emphasis on fiction, memoir, thrillers, and screenwriting. Includes in-depth sessions on craft, publishing, and the writing life, with opportunities for agent/editor feedback. 

American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) Conference. November 8 - 11, 2023: Tucson, AZ. Panels, workshops, readings, a book fair, and opportunities to meet with editors for translators. "The ALTA Annual Conference is a refreshingly collegial gathering of amateurs and professionals alike, both within the profession and outside it, all wholeheartedly committed to fostering, furthering, and supporting the practice of literary translation." Will be held in person.

Writing By Writers Manuscript Boot Camp. November 8 - 12, 2023: Stone Creek Village, Soquel, California. (In the event it is unsafe to meet in person due to COVID they will bring the workshop fully online at a reduced cost.) The Writing By Writers Manuscript Boot Camp is for the writer who has a full, book-length manuscript (novel, memoir, short story or essay collection) and would like to engage with a small group for a serious and productive response. The extended weekend will include an intimate manuscript workshop, craft panels, readings, and individual meetings – the perfect pre-publication boot camp for any manuscript. Classes are limited to 5 participants.

Futurescapes. November 9 - 12, 2023. Futurescapes is an intensive, exclusive workshop, offering writers an unparalleled chance to work with top authors and agents in speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror, paranormal). It has been almost five years since we last held a 200-page (50,000 word) workshop and we’re excited to do it once more. APPLY EARLY.

TLA Power of Words Conference. November 11, 2023: Online. "We welcome you to our 18th Power of Words conference, a special celebration of how we can build and sustain community, forge enduring individual and social change, and discover pathways to greater healing, meaning, and joy through writing, storytelling, theater, music, spoken word, and other word arts. Come connect with over two dozen musicians, storytellers, spoken word artists, teachers, community leaders, educators, and health professionals to celebrate and investigate how the arts can promote justice, healing, community-building, and social change." Online.

Travel & Words: Northwest Travel Writers Conference. November 12 - 14, 2023: Missoula, Montana. Workshops, panels, networking and Writer Matchmaking: Writers attending Travel & Words are looking for story ideas and possibly press trips. These “speed dating” sessions connect destination marketers with freelance writers and bloggers on the “Experienced” track. 

Red Clay Writers Conference. November 15 - 16, 2023: Kennesaw GA. Red Clay Writers Conference is the annual conference of Georgia Writers Association. Red Clay has been hosted since 2009 to encourage and inspire writers through literary events that focus on the art and craft of writing. Will be held online and in person.

Gotham Writers Conference. November 18 - 19, 2023: NY, NY. A writing conference built by agents, for writers, with a faculty of some of the top agents in New York City. Receive focused attention within your genre from some of the best in the business. Will be held on Zoom.

All Write, Columbia – Writers Conference. November 2023: Spencertown, NY. A five day intensive writing conference focused fiction. The conference is open to all levels of writers, from beginners to more advanced writers with a manuscript or publications. Open to writers who are at least 18 years old. Just 20 writers will be accepted.

11 New Agents Seeking Kidlit, Women's Fiction, Memoir, Genre Fiction, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels and more

Jenniea Carter Here are eleven new literary agents actively seeking clients. New agents are a boon to writers. They are actively building their lists, and will go the extra mile for their clients.

All of these agents work for established agencies with good track records. They are looking for all genres.
Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change. 

NOTE: Don't submit to several agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another. (Some small agencies share. Be alert to a notice that "a no from one is a no from all.")

You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients. 
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Ms. Kathleen Foxx of The Rights Factory (CANADA)


Kathleen joined The Rights Factory as an editorial assistant in early 2023 and was promoted to Assistant Agent in the fall of the same year. She has an editorial background, running a freelance fiction editing company. Kat is also a writer and is heavily involved in the online writing community. She also produces/hosts the #badasswriters podcast, edits audio for The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast, and is a founder/host of #MoodPitch.
Outside of creative work, Kat enjoys travelling, photography, creative cooking, hiking, and spending time in Ontario’s beautiful cottage country. She’s a proud mom of five kids. She *loves* cats, coffee, chocolate, cheese, Argentinian wine. Outlander, This Is Us, You’ve Got Mail, John Krasinski, Ryan Reynolds, and Tom Hanks are favourites!

What she is seeking: In fiction, she’s looking for Adult and YA thriller/mystery/suspense, gothic and supernatural horror, historical fiction (preferably pre-20th century), historical fantasy (witches, ghosts, time travel, past lives, etc.), and romcom and romance (light spice). She also enjoys fairytale/folklore retellings and some speculative fiction, anything nostalgic, anything to do with past lives and soul connections, haunted houses, ancestry, and midwifery/natural childbirth. Kat *loves* creepy, scary stories that makes her eyes water and gives her goosebumps! For Upper MG, she’s pretty much open to genres provided it’s cute and has a good message. Across ages and genres, stories that normalize blended, single-parent, adoptive, racially and/or culturally diverse, and same-sex families are high on her list.

For nonfiction, Kat is seeking memoirs that read like fiction, motherhood/natural pregnancy and childbirth/midwifery/planned unassisted births, single parenthood (especially if paired with overcoming an abusive relationship with the other parent), past life/reincarnation, the “brotherhood” mentality of law enforcement, narcissistic abuse recovery, true crime, wine/food/travel, a history of witches and witchcraft, and ancient locations/civilizations.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.
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Ms. Rosie Pierce of Curtis Brown Group, Ltd. (UK)

I joined Curtis Brown in 2018, after a couple of years in editorial at an independent publisher in Edinburgh. I now work alongside Felicity Blunt on her list of talented authors, and I am building my own list. I love working editorially with writers on their manuscripts - it is one of my favourite parts of my job.

What she is seeking: I read widely and across genres, and I am looking for both literary and commercial fiction. I love family dramas, ghost and horror stories, psychological suspense, murder mysteries, gripping thrillers, and big-hearted romantic comedies. 

How to submit: Please email the first three chapters/10,000 words and short synopsis (for fiction) or proposal (for non-fiction) to rosie.pierce@curtisbrown.co.uk.

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Ms. Trinica Sampson-Vera of New Leaf Literary & Media

Trinica graduated from Antioch College with a degree in Creative Writing and French. After several editorial internships during college, she moved to Austin and found an unexpected home in social services, where she worked for five years as a case manager to those experiencing chronic homelessness. Prior to beginning at New Leaf, she worked as an independent editor with Salt & Sage Books and Writing Diversely.

What she is seeking: Children's, YA and adult fiction and nonfiction, graphic novels. Trinica Sampson-Vera is passionate about championing diverse voices and particularly loves speculative fiction; adventurous, character-driven stories with largely emotional stakes; stories featuring Caribbean characters/settings; and stories where queer characters find happy endings.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.
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Jenniea Carter of New Leaf Literary & Media

Harlem born and raised, Jenniea graduated from City College of New York with a B.A in Creative Writing and Asian Studies. With haste, she moved to Japan to explore the world outside the concrete jungle. After years of exploration, she returned home with a revitalized zeal for the literary world. Her first endeavor led her to Kinokuniya Bookstore where she honed her knowledge of book buying, merchandising, and selling. Soon after; Jenniea found herself home at New Leaf on Joanna’s team, eager to uplift and amplify marginalized voices. When she is not between the pages of a book, Jenniea can be found bingeing mystery documentaries and animation.

What she is seeking: Children's and adult fiction and nonfiction, graphic novels. She is eager to uplift and amplify marginalized voices.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.
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Ms. Sophia Ramos of New Leaf Literary & Media

Hailing from South Florida, Sophia has always had a passion for books, earning a Masters of Science in Publishing from NYU. Prior to joining New Leaf, Sophia worked as a literary scout sourcing projects for international clients, and later moved into foreign rights and international sales where she rounded out her understanding of publishing as a global industry. You can usually find Sophia and her dachshund Sunny in the kitchen or the craftroom making something Instagram-worthy. She is a Diet Coke enthusiast and champion axe thrower.

What she is seeking: Genre fiction, Picture Books, Kidlit, SFF, Short Stories. She loves to read stories that were written for the kids who had to grow up too fast and books that redefine family, love, and madness.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE. 

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Ms. Jes Trudel of The Rights Factory (CANADA)

Jes Trudel (she/her/mx) has been devouring stories longer than she can remember. Her favourite childhood books were Jack London adventures (which she never really outgrew). Jes' experience includes working as a freelance editor for 15+ years, teaching creative writing to people around the globe, and founding WritingCommunity.ca in 2020 when the whole world went digital. She's been a guest presenter with SCBWI, the 12x12 Picture Book Challenge, Write For Kids, and TSNOTYAW podcast, and has contributed to BoldFace, Children's Book Insider, and the SCBWI blog. She joined The Rights Factory in 2023 as an editorial assistant. As an editorial agent, Jes works with her clients to develop their manuscripts into the best version they can be.

What she is seeking: Children's Literature

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.
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Ms. Rebecca Williamson of Sheldon Fogelman Agency

Rebecca Williamson enthusiastically joined Sheldon Fogelman Agency in 2023 after working with St. Martin's Publishing Group at Macmillan and Triada US Literary Agency. Rebecca began her agenting journey at the Columbia Publishing Course. She graduated from the State University of New York at Geneseo with a double major in English (creative writing) and Communication (journalism & media).

What she is seeking: Rebecca Williamson is passionate about all children's books, from picture books through young adult.

How to submit: Follow the agency's guidelines HERE.
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Ms. Valentina Sainato of JABberwocky Literary Agency

Valentina (she/they) is an agency assistant at JABberwocky assisting Eddie Schneider. She also handles all merchandise and third-party licensing proposals.

She graduated from Cal Poly SLO with a B.A. in English and has lived in New York City ever since. Outside of their literary interests, Valentina is a dancer of many different styles, a video game lover, and a ~very~ amateur digital artist.
Before joining JABberwocky, Valentina worked as an Events Manager with Barnes & Noble on the Upper West Side, where they hosted a huge variety of author events, book clubs, children’s activities, and more. She has also interned at Foundry Literary + Media, Folio Literary Management, and the Feminist Press at CUNY.

What she is seeking: Horror is my favorite genre to read, and I’m looking for lots of different flavors here. If it’s spooky, eerie, disorienting, thrilling, existential, or even horror-lite, I want to read it. Blends with sci-fi/fantasy are also welcome!

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.

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Mr. Beniamino Ambrosi of The Cheney Agency

Beniamino Ambrosi is from Bari, southern Italy, and has a master’s degree in Languages and Literature from the University of Florence. He graduated from the PhD program in English Language Literature at the University of Florence. During and after graduate school, he worked as a literary translator, translating Paul Murray and Salvatore Scibona into Italian, among others. He moved to New York in 2009, and worked as a literary scout at Maria B. Campbell Associates for over a decade, advising international book publishers in over 20 countries, as well as film/TV clients such as Warner Bros. and Netflix. He made the switch to agenting at the end of 2021, joining The Cheney Agency as foreign rights director, and starting his list as agent. A Zev Birger Jerusalem Fellow, Beniamino currently serves on the Young Professional’s Committee of Words Without Borders.

What he is seeking: Beniamino Ambrosi represents English-language nonfiction and literary fiction, and authors in translation.

How to submit: Please send a query letter briefly describing your project and professional background, along with up to three chapters of sample material. Queries may be sent by email to submissions@cheneyagency.com.
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Ms. Bridgette Kam of Westwood Creative Artists (CANADA)

My career in publishing began when I interned at McClelland & Stewart while pursuing Ryerson’s publishing program. Before entering the publishing world, I worked in the arts, communications, education, and legal industries in Toronto and Hong Kong. I earned my BA in English and Art History in Hong Kong and an MA in Medieval and Renaissance literature in Durham, UK. I grew up watching TVB dramas and immersed in Cantopop culture, and I’m proud to be fluent in Cantonese and to be able to speak Mandarin conversationally.

What she is seeking: In narrative non-fiction, I’m drawn to fresh, unique, diverse, and well-informed voices, especially pop culture, social issues, popular history, big ideas, current affairs, and popular science. I’m also interested in practical non-fiction: self-improvement, health, and lifestyle.

In fiction, I’d love to see submissions in the vein of Nancy Jooyoun Kim’s The Last Story of Mina Lee and Asha Lemmie’s Fifty Words for Rain.

In children’s literature, I’m especially interested in fiction and non-fiction picture book texts, middle grade fiction, and illustration.

How to submit: Please read submission guidelines HERE.
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Amy Nielsen of The Purcell Agency, LLC

Amy Nielsen spent nearly twenty years sharing her love of books with young readers on the other side of the writing aisle as a youth librarian. Daily immersion in story took root, and she started penning her 2024 YA debut, Worth It, behind her checkout desk. Amy also has a background in television production and creates book trailers for authors to use as a marketing tool. She started Mayflower Media where she works collaboratively with writers to bring the heart of their stories from the page to the screen.

What she is seeking: Picture Books: I’ll be looking for hyperbolic, zany storylines that teach a life lesson (even subtle) or ones with laugh-out-loud moments written simply to entertain.
Middle Grade: I’ll be looking for fast-paced stories mostly set in a contemporary setting that feature characters that think, act, and talk like real middle graders.
 
Young Adult: I’ll gravitate toward contemporary issue-driven plots where teens find themselves in situations they aren’t equipped to handle, but eventually figure it out.
 
Adult Fiction: I’ll lean into contemporary women’s fiction where the main characters are shattering glass ceilings despite obstacles, and defying stereotypes.
 
General Wishes: As the mother of an autistic child, I’d appreciate any story that features characters across the autism spectrum written authentically and free from stereotypes. I’m also always game for any fairy-tale retelling or re-imagining, especially if pulled into a contemporary setting. I would love any age range where a dystopian plot mirrors a current social issue. Think Handmaid’s Tale versus the current political landscape of abortion. Or how the political landscape is impacting marginalized communities such as the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.   

92 Calls for Submissions in October 2023 - Paying markets

Autumn Beauty: Flickr This October there are more than seven dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As always, every genre, style, and form is wanted, from short stories to poetry to essays.

I post upcoming calls for submissions shortly before the first day of every month. But as I am collecting them, I post them on my page, Calls for Submissions. You can get a jump on next month's calls for submissions by checking that page periodically throughout the month. (I only post paying markets.)

Also see Paying Markets for hundreds of paying markets arranged by form and genre.
Happy submitting!

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Reservoir Road Literary Review. Genre: Literary short stories, lyrical creative non-fiction, photography. Payment: $5. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2023. Note: Submission window closes when their cap is reached.

Cutleaf. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction prose, poetry. Payment: $100 to $400 for published nonfiction prose; $50 to $200 for published poetry; $100 to $400 for published fiction. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2023. Note: Submission window closes when their cap is reached.

Polar Borealis. Restrictions: Canadians only. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 1 cent per word. $10 for one thousand words or less. $20 for two thousand words or less (but reasonably above one thousand). $30 for three thousand words or less (but reasonably above two thousand). Deadline: Opens October 1, 2023.

Nimrod. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction. Payment: $10 per page, with a $200 maximum. Deadline: October 1, 2023. Fee to submit online; no fee for postal submissions.

The Iowa Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry. Payment: $1.50 per line for poetry ($100 minimum) and $0.08 per word for prose ($100 minimum). Deadline: October 1, 2023. No fee for snail mail submissions. $4 fee for online submissions.

Cybearpunk. Genre: Science fiction stories that feature and empower large gay/bi/queer men. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: October 1, 2023.

The Last Line. Genre: Fiction that ends with the last line provided. Payment: $20-$40. Deadline: October 1, 2023.

Gordon Square Review. Genre: Poetry, short stories, personal essays, and hybrid prose works.  Payment: $25 per prose piece and $10 per poem. Deadline: October 1, 2023.

little somethings. Genre: Flash fiction, flash memoir, poetry, art. Payment: "Small honorarium." Deadline: October 1, 2023.

Unsettling Reads. Genre: Short story. Theme: Horror vs Thriller. Payment: $10. Deadline: October 1, 2023.

Negative Creep. Genre: Horror inspired by Nirvana songs. Payment: $50. Deadline: October 1, 2023.

Coffee House Press is an independent book publisher and arts nonprofit based in Minneapolis, MN. Genre: Full-length fiction and nonfiction manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2023. Closes when cap is reached.

Sundog. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art. Payment: $25. Deadline: Opens October1, 2023, and closes when they reach capacity. 

Toronto Journal. Genre: Short stories from anywhere in the world. "We will also consider non-fiction pieces about local history (Toronto, GTA, and surrounding)." No word limit. Payment: $50 CAD per piece. All published writers will also receive two printed copies of the issue in which they appear. Deadline: October 1, 2023.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories, poetry, nonfiction. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. $1 a line for poetry. 2 - 8 cents/word for nonfiction. Deadline: October 2, 2023. Accepts reprints.


Invisible City. Genre: All genres. Payment: $20. Deadline: October 5, 2023.

Tales from the Moonlit Path. Genre: Dark, eerie speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: $10 for fiction. Deadline: October 6, 2023.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: October 6, 2023.

Cursed Morsels. Genre: Single-author horror collections with an emphasis on the Weird, queer, splattery, anti-capitalist, and/or anti-fascist. Payment: Advance: $300 + royalties. Deadline: October 7, 2023.

Hauntings and Hoarfrost. Genre: Gothic fiction. See theme, Payment: $50 CDN flat fee and a paperback copy of the anthology for stories. $20 CDN flat fee and a paperback copy of the anthology for poems. Deadline: October 7, 2023. 

Stone’s Throw. Genre: "We're looking for dark fiction, crime and noir, length between 1,000 and 2,000 words." Payment: $25. Deadline: October 7, 2023. Open to submissions the first week of every month.

Little Bastards: Too-Short Horror Stories Nobody Wants. Genre: Horror. Length: Anywhere between 1000 and 2000 words. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: October 7, 2023. Extended deadline for  LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and marginalized writers.

Luna Press. Genre: Speculative fiction novels and collections. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 8, 2023.

Luna Press: The Utopia of Us. Genre: Speculative fiction, 2000-6000 words. Payment: £75 for the story. Given Russia’s current war with Ukraine, royalties from the book will be donated to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Deadline: October 8, 2023.

Cossmass Infinities. Genre: Science fiction and fantasy short stories. Payment: $0.08/word for original fiction. Deadline: October 14, 2023. Note: Open during the first week of February and October for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and other under-represented authors then opening to general submission for the second week.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: October 14, 2023. See themes.

DreamForge. Genre: Science fiction and fantasy short fiction up to 7000 words. Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: October 14, 2023. 

Daikaijuzine. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $10.00 for each short story, and $5.00 for each poem and flash fiction piece. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

A Public Space. Genre: Fiction, essays, poetry, as well as graphic and hybrid work. Payment: Honorarium. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Carte Blanche (Canada). Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, translations. comics, photography. Payment: "Modest" Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Sasee. Genre: First-person, non-fiction material that is for or about women. Essays, humor, satire, personal experience, and features on topics relating to women are their primary editorial focus. Payment: Varies. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Consequence Magazine: The Culture of War. Genre: Short fiction, poetry, nonfiction, interviews, reviews, and visual art mainly focused on the culture of war. Payment: $20 - $60 for prose and poetry, $150 for art. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Tule Publishing. Genre: Romance and mystery ebooks. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Conium Press. Genre: Magical realist, surrealist, and experimental fiction: Chapbooks. Payment: 
Ten copies and a small honorarium. Deadline: October 15, 2023. 

Feisty Felines. Genre: Fantasy, science fiction, horror, suspense, humor, and romance, appropriate for up to a PG-13 audience. Felines and or familiars (of other types) must be central to the work. Payment: 6 cents/word. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Beyond the Bounds of Infinity. Restrictions: Submissions are restricted to marginalized peoples. Genre: Horror. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Jane Nightshade's Serial Encounters Anthology. Genre: Short stories about casual encounters of fictional people with serial killers, that turned creepy or deadly. Stories can be straight crime/thriller stories or ones with a supernatural bent. Payment: $5. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Griffith Review: Counterfeit Culture. Genre: Non-fiction, fiction on theme: Past Perfect. "No matter the relentless pace of technological innovation and the digitisation of everything from money to media – our appetites for retro design and aesthetics, for cultural products that reimagine technicolour-dream versions of decades gone by, or for fantasies of a past golden political age are ever on the rise." Payment: Negotiated. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Embodied Exegesis: Transfeminine Speculative Futures. Restrictions: Submissions are restricted to people who are transfem: trans women, transfems, nonbinary trans women, etc. Genre: Cyberpunk stories written by transfem authors. Payment: $0.08/word for originals, $0.01/word for reprints. Deadline: October 15, 2023. Accepts reprints. 

Hansen House. Genre: Hansen House is looking for anything with queer protagonists or by queer authors so long as the story does not fall into the “bury your gays” trope. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Fat Coyote. Restrictions: Writers must be neurodivergent. Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF, Art, Photography, Comics. Payment: 3 cents/word for prose. $1 line for poetry. $30 - $40 for art. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Seaside Gothic. Genre: Seaside gothic fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or a collection of photographs or illustrations. Payment: £0.01 per word. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Rattle: Tribute to Collaboration. Genre: Poetry. The poems may be any subject, style, or length, but must have been written by two or more co-authors. Payment: $200. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Translunar Travelers Lounge. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $0.03 per word with a minimum of $20. Deadline: October 15, 2023. (Note: September 15-21 is reserved for writers of color)

Dose of Dread. Genre: Horror flash fiction. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: 2c/word. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

New Orleans Review. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: $300 for prose, $100 for poetry. Deadline: In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, there are no submission fees for Latinx writers from September 15th to October 15th.

Electric Spec. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $20 per piece. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Amplitudes Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity Anthology. Genre: Short fiction. "During a time of rising threat against queer and trans people's flourishing, this anthology project aims to imagine other, better worlds as an act of literary resistance. Inspired by the words of José Esteban Muñoz, “the future is queerness’s domain," these stories explore what might happen if the oppressive status quo of the here and now is rejected—instead asking, but what if things were different?" Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Muse Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction articles for children. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: October 16, 2023. See themes. Queries only.

Uncanny Magazine. Genre: Speculative short stories. Length: 750 to 10,000 words. Payment: $.10 per word. Deadline: October 16, 2023.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. Deadline: October 21, 2023. Opens October 1.

Astrolabe. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and photography & art. Payment: $50. Deadline: October 22, 2023.

Off Topic Publishing: Poetry Box. Genre: Poetry. Payment $40 CAD. Deadline: October 25, 2023. This is a monthly call. Submit by the 25th of each month.

Mudroom. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and essays in translation. Payment: $15. Deadline: October 25, 2023.


Black Ocean. Restrictions: BIPOC writers only. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts. Payment: Royalties? Deadline: October 27, 2023.

Every Day Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction on theme: November. Length: 1000 words max. Payment: $3. Deadline: October 27, 2023.

Embrace the Silence Anthology. Restrictions: Submissions are restricted to Australian and New Zealand authors who identify as neurodivergent. Genre: Apocalyptic stories featuring neurodivergent characters. Payment: $20-$50. Deadline: October 30, 2023.

Mythaxis. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $20. Deadline: October 30, 2023.

Ofic. Genre: Short fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction, art. "Send us your dead doves, your blorbos, your plinkos, your wretched meow meows yearning to be free; that thing you wrote that made you think, “I don’t know where this belongs”; the stuff you’d never show anyone you know IRL. Give us your shameless, self-indulgent smut; the manuscript to the video essay you dictated to your YouTube subscribers in your head; your thoughtful explorations of trauma and identity; your Pepe Silvia wall; your sci-fi, your fantasy, your romance, your realism. We want anything and everything. As long as you identify as a fan, we want to read your work." (Up to 12,000 words). Payment: Small honorarium. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Black Lawrence Press: Immigrant Writing Series. Restrictions: Open to any individual living in the U.S. who identifies as an immigrant and who either (i) was born in another country, (ii) has at least one parent who was born in another country (iii) is a refugee, or (iv) lives in the United States under Asylum or a Protection Program, such as TPS or DACA. Genre: books of poetry, prose (fiction or nonfiction), and hybrid texts of poetry and prose. Payment: “In addition to publication, marketing, and a standard royalties contract from Black Lawrence Press, authors chosen for the Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series will receive a travel stipend of $500, which can be used for book tours or in any manner chosen by the authors.” Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Engen Books: Cryptids from the Rock. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: "Short fiction under 7000 words that focus on cryptids, animals whose existence permeate urban myths but are not recognized within the scientific community. The From the Rock collections are intended to highlight the fantastic, varied writers Newfoundland and Labrador has fostered." Payment: $0.01 CAD per word to an upper limit of 7,000 words. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Diet Milk: ‘In The Bleak Midwinter.' Genre: Gothic micro/flash fiction. Payment: $3 for micro fiction, $5 for flash fiction. Deadline: October 31, 2022. (Runs from October 1 - 31)

bath magg. Genre: Poetry. Payment: £20. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

JMS Books: Your Favorite Trope. Genre: LGBT romance. "A trope is a familiar plot device an author uses to bring two characters together. There are dozens of them -- friends to lovers, second chances, arranged marriages, forbidden love, celebrity falls for fan, love triangle, secret admirer ..." Length: 12,000 words or higher. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Silver Blade. Genre: Science Fiction, Slipstream, Classic and Modern Fantasy; short fiction, flash fiction, novellas, and poetry. Payment: $15 for novellas, $3 for flash fiction, $8 for short stories, $8 for single poems and $15 for Featured Poets (by invitation only). Silver Pen will pay half of these rates for previously published works. Deadline: October 31, 2023. Reprints accepted.

MetaStellar. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy or horror. 1000 words max. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

How2Conquer. Genre: Nonfiction books. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Hub City Press publishes books of literary fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, regional nonfiction, nature, and art. "We are seeking new and extraordinary voices from the American South." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Dragon Soul Press: A Winter Promise. Genre: "All Christmas stories. As long as Christmas is involved, the story qualifies. All genres. Happily Ever After not required." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Orison Books. Genre: Novels, short story or flash fiction collections, novellas, personal or lyric essays and memoir. Payment: Small advance and royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Kissing Dynamite. Genre: Poetry microchap manuscripts. Payment: $50. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

FIYAH. Restrictions: Submissions are restricted to people of the African Diaspora. Genre: Speculative fiction, art, and poetry about African Diaspora. Length: Short fiction 2,000 – 7,000 words and novelettes up to 15,000 words. Payment: $150 per story. $50 per poem. $300 per novelette. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

The Temz Review. Genre: Prose (fiction and creative non-fiction) up to 10,000 words long. Payment: $20. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Crimson Quill Quarterly. Genre: Sword & sorcery, dark fantasy, and grimdark subgenres of fantasy fiction. Length: Up to 10,000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Manawaker Studio’s Flash Fiction Podcast. Genre: Flash fiction. Payment: $3 minimum. Deadline: October 31, 2023. Accepts reprints.

Infrarrealista Restrictions: They prioritize writers from Texas, especially those from the central Texas area. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, comics, reviews, and interviews. Payment: 15 cents/word up to 300 words and 5 cents/word after that. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Open Minds Quarterly. Genre: Writing and art from people with lived experience of what is variously called mental health challenges, mental illness, madness, and neurodiversity. Payment: $25 CAD. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Malahat Review. Genre: Fiction. Payment: CAD $70/page. Deadline: October 31, 2023. Submissions by Canadian writers are accepted for consideration all year.

Dragon Soul Press: Dragons & Heroes. Genre: "All dragon stories with a male main character. All genres accepted." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Hearth Stories. Genre: Speculative fiction. "We publish fiction and poetry that explore connection, family, relationships, comfort, and the natural world. The stories often fall into a fantasy, science-fiction, or magical realism sort of “slice of life.” Payment: 1¢ per word for accepted stories (with a minimum of $20 regardless of length. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

New Writing Scotland. Restrictions: Open to writers resident in Scotland or Scots by birth, upbringing or inclination. Genre: All forms of writing. Payment: £25 per published page. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Nonbinary Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and art on theme: Lies for Children. Payment: 1 cent per word for prose, and a flat fee of $10 for poetry. Deadline: October 31, 2023. Closes when cap is reached, so submit early.

Brick. Genre: Nonfiction. Payment: $55–685, depending on the length of accepted work, plus two copies of the issue the work appears in and a one-year subscription to the magazine. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

From the Yonder. Genre: Horror. The stories must be based upon a regional/cultural legend or tall-tale from any location or culture in the World. “Regional” can be a specific place (Loch Ness) or a larger region (Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest). Payment: $5. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

The Theatre Phantasmagoria. Genre: Horrror flash fiction up to 2,000 words. Payment: £10. Deadline: October 31, 2023. This is a monthly call. See themes.

Nightlight (Podcast). Restrictions: At least one of your birth parents must be Black. Genre: Horror. Flash fiction (750-1,500 words) Payment: 5 cents per word. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

khōréō. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. "This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, transnational/transracial adoptees, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. We especially encourage BIPOC creators who identify as the above to submit their work." Genre: Stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Payment: 0.08/word for fiction, $100 for nonfiction, and $40-300 for art. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Nine Arches. Genre: Poetry collections. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Hub City Press. Genre: Books of literary fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, regional nonfiction, nature, and art. "We are seeking new and extraordinary voices from the American South." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2023. Note: Submit nonfiction only.

Harbor Review. Genre: Poetry, art. Payment: $10. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 1 cent/word for fiction and $5 - $10 for poetry. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

The Rumpus. Genre: Essays. "We strive to be a platform for marginalized voices and writing that might not find a home elsewhere, and to lift up new voices alongside those of more established writers we love. We work to shine a light on stories that build bridges, tear down walls, and speak truth to power." Payment: $300 divided among all contributors. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

The Worcester Review. Genre: Fiction. Payment: $20. Deadline: November 30, 2023. (No submission fee for BIPOC writers)

And a few more...

The First Line. Genres: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction using the first line provided. (See site.) Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry, and $25.00 for nonfiction. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Kelp Journal. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Oceanic themes. Payment: $35. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

The Iowa Review. Genre: Nonfiction. Payment: $0.08 per word for prose ($100 minimum). Deadline: November 1, 2023. No fee for snail mail submissions. $4 fee for online submissions.

Adroit Journal. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $50. Deadline: November 1, 2023. Note: Open to high school students and up.

Cutleaf. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction prose, poetry. Payment: $100 to $400 for published nonfiction prose; $50 to $200 for published poetry; $100 to $400 for published fiction. Deadline: Opens November 1, 2023. Note: Submission window closes when their cap is reached.

Thema: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle. Payment:  $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: November 1, 2023. Accepts reprints.

Olit. Restrictions: Strong preference for Orlando based writers/submissions about Orlando and surrounding areas. Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Hybrid, Artwork, Photography. "Send us all kinds of stuff. We love the artfully weird." Payment: $10. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Foglifter. Genre: Foglifter is a biannual compendium of  queer and trans writing. It’s a space where LGBTQ+ writers celebrate, mourn, rage, and embrace. "Foglifter welcomes daring and thoughtful work by queer and trans writers in all forms, and we are especially interested in cross-genre, intersectional, marginal, and transgressive work. We want the pieces that challenged you as a writer, what you poured yourself into and risked the most to make. But we also want your tenderest, gentlest work, what you hold closest to your heart. Whatever you're working on now that's keeping you alive and writing, Foglifter wants to read it." Payment: $25. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

The Blue Route. Restrictions: Only the work of current undergraduate writers will be considered. Genres: Fiction, or creative nonfiction totaling no more than 3000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Short Story-2,500 words or less. $0.01 USD per word/$25 USD and copy of magazine; Flash Fiction-less than a 1,000 words $0.01 USD per word/$10 USD; Poems-less than 200 words $10 upon acceptance and a PDF of the magazine. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

Heathens and Heroes. Genre: Sword and Sorcery / Heroic Fantasy. Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 1, 2023.

46 Writing Contests in October 2023 - No entry fees

Wikimedia Commons This October there are more than three dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $150,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.

Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.

If you want to get a jump on next month's contests go to Free Contests. Most of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline has passed, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck! 

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PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative. Restrictions: Applicants must be professional writers based in the United States, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping address a short-term emergency situation. Prize: Grant amount not specified. Deadline: October 1, 2023.

New-York Historical Society Children's History Book Prize. Genre: Nonfiction history or historical fiction for middle-grade readers that was published in the US in the current calendar year. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: October 1, 2023.

Footnote x Counterpoints Writing Prize. Restrictions: Anyone from a refugee or migrant background is eligible to submit an entry for the prize if they are resident in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland, whether they have previously been published or not. You do not need to have finished writing your book in order to enter. Genre: Narrative non-fiction centred around themes of displacement, identity and/or resistance. Prize: £15,000 award, which includes an advance of £5,000 and a publication agreement with Footnote Press. Deadline: October 1, 2023.

Quarterly West.  Genre: Poetry and prose. Prize: $500. Deadline: No fee days: October 1 -2, 2023. (May or may not be running in 2023)

The Kenan Ince Memorial Prizes in Poetry & Prose. Restrictions: Open to LGBTQIA2S+ writers. Genre: Poetry and prose. Prize: $250. Deadline: October 1, 2023.

The 50 & Up Writer Award. Restrictions: Open to writers aged 50 and up. Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF. Prize: $50.00 USD, and for any and each year of age past that mark, one additional dollar. Deadline: October 1, 2023.

T Paulo Urcanse Prize For Literary Excellence. Genre: Poetry and prose. " Whether you be a lonely writer looking for community and wanting to make your literary debut, or a similarly eggheaded and celebrated writer in the vein of the namesake of this prize, we welcome your submissions with open arms, without fees or prerequisites, without ever having known you or met you at a cocktail party where we discussed the terror of contemporary history and post-structuralist theory or the pitfalls of the first person perspective in a short story or weird childhood stories that involve stray cats and the throwing of tennis balls at moving vehicles from behind bushes at night in the summer on the Main Street of the provincial town where we were raised." Prize: $50 - $250. Deadline: October 1, 2023.

Mallorqueta Inaugural Short Story Contest. Genre: Short story. The narrative must have a connection to Mallorca, either in setting or relevance to Mallorcan culture. Submissions may be in English, Catalan or Spanish. If chosen, stories not in English will be published along with an English translation. Prize: EUR€300. Deadline: October 1, 2023.

The Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry, sponsored by the African Poetry Book Fund and in partnership with the literary journal, Prairie Schooner, is the only one of its kind in the world and was established to promote African poetry written in English or in translation and to recognize a significant book published each year by an African poet. A standard edition is 48 pages or more in length. Genre: Open to any book of original poetry, in English, published during 2015 in a standard edition by a full-length collection of poetry. Restrictions: African nationals, African residents, or poet of African parentage with roots from any country, living anywhere in the world. Prize: USD $5,000. Deadline: October 1, 2023.

Natan Notable Books Award. Genre: Recen­t­­ly pub­­lished or soon to be pub­lished nonfic­­tion book on Jew­ish themes. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: October 2, 2023.

Writers & Artists Working-Class Writers' Prize. Restrictions: Open to unagented and uncontracted UK or Republic of Ireland residents age 18+ who self-identify as a writer from a working-class background. Genre: Unpublished workp-in-progress. Prize: 200 pounds prize, mentoring sessions, networking event opportunities, a complimentary one-year membership to The Society of Authors, and various Bloomsbury books. Deadline: October 2, 2023.

Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Genre: Book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers and has the potential to shape or influence thinking on contemporary Canadian political life. Book must be published in Canada. Prize: CAN $25,000.  Deadline: October 4, 2023. (For books published between April 1, 2023 and October 3, 2023)

American Antiquarian Society Fellowships for Creative Writers is calling for applications for visiting fellowships for historical research by creative and performing artists, writers, film makers, journalists, and other persons whose goals are to produce imaginative, non-formulaic works dealing with pre-twentieth-century American history. Successful applicants are those whose work is for the general public rather than for academic or educational audiences. The Society's goal in sponsoring this program is to multiply and improve the ways in which an understanding of history is communicated to the American people. Prize: A stipend of $1,150 to $1,350 and on-campus housing is provided; fellows residing off-campus receive $1,850. Deadline: October 5, 2023.

Embracing Our Differences Quotation Contest. Genre: An original quotation to accompany a piece of artwork. Length: 20 words max. Prize: $1000. Deadline: October 5, 2023.

The Furious Gazelle’s Halloween Writing Contest. Genre: Halloween-themed poetry, fiction, short plays and creative non-fiction. Prize: $50. Deadline: October 6, 2023.

Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to fiction writers aged 21+ who have not yet published a book and have never been enrolled in an MFA program. Writer must not have a book under contract with an agent and/or publisher at time of application, and writer cannot have been published by One Story (or have a forthcoming publication with One Story). Genre: Short fiction that "speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference." Prize: Free tuition for all of One Story's online classes and programming, a travel stipend of $2,000 and tuition to attend week-long summer writers' conference in Brooklyn, and a full manuscript review/consultation of a story collection or novel in progress with an executive editor. Deadline: October 11, 2023. 

Defenestration Flash Suite Contest. Genre: Flash suite. "A series of at least three flash fiction works that correlate, and build to something greater. Recurring characters, extended motifs, harmonious subject matters, and/or sustained narrative are such correlations– but we encourage innovation and new ideas.” Prize: $75. Deadline: October 11, 2023.

Books Like Us. Genre: First novel. "Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, is pleased to announce the launch of the third annual BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest. The aim of the contest is to facilitate access to the publishing process for writers from underrepresented groups, and to celebrate the diversity of readers across the United States. As the nation strives for progress, Atria Books and Simon & Schuster aim to help catalyze that change by amplifying voices that represent us, by publishing books like us. A two-week entry period will begin on Friday, September 29, 2023. At that time, writers are invited and encouraged to submit twenty-five pages of an original adult novel using the online form below. The publisher welcomes inclusive, entertaining, and groundbreaking reads with expert pacing, depth as well as heart, and irresistible characters who leap from the page. At the end of the submission period, the editorial, marketing, and publicity team at Atria Books, will review all submissions for originality, relevance to today’s publishing climate, and writing quality. In March 2024, the author of the selected novel will be awarded the opportunity to enter into a $50,000 book deal with Atria Books.." Prize: The author of the selected novel will be awarded the opportunity to enter into a $50,000 book deal with Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster." Deadline: October 12, 2023.

Mindfood. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand residents only. Genre: Short story 2000 words in length and previously unpublished. Prize: U$1000 for the Australian winner and one (1) prize money of NZ$1000 for the New Zealand winner. Deadline: October 13, 2023.

Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. Restrictions: Books must be first edition English-language books written by a Canadian or American citizen or permanent resident of either country. Works written by women or non-binary authors are eligible for submission. The Prize welcomes and encourages submissions by transgender woman authors. Genre: Published novel, short story collection or graphic novel. Prize: $150,000 Canadian dollars. Deadline: Entries for books published between August 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023, must be received on or before October 13, 2023.

North Carolina State Fiction Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of North Carolina with no published fiction books. Genre: Short stories. Prize: $500 for fiction (up to 5,000 words) and $250 for shorter fiction (up to 1,200 words). Deadline: October 14, 2023.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative fiction; under 1,000 words. Prize: $30. Deadline: October 14, 2023. Opens October 1.

The Marfield Prize, also known as the National Award for Arts Writing, is given annually by the Arts Club of Washington to nonfiction books about the arts written for a broad audience. Genre: Non-fiction book. Self-published books not accepted. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship. Restrictions: Poet must be born in the United States.  Genre: Poetry. The sample must not exceed either (1) 40 typed pages or (2) one printed volume plus no more than 20 typed pages of your most recent work. There is no minimum page requirement.  Prize: $60,500 for a year of travel and study abroad. Deadline: October 15, 2023.

Neal Peirce Foundation Journalism Travel Grants. Genre: Journalism. "Grants are intended to support journalists in covering undertold stories about ways to make cities and their metro regions work better for all their people. Grants will cover travel expenses necessary for on-the-ground reporting. Full-time freelancers as well as journalists currently employed by a news organization are eligible to apply. The grants are for journalists to travel to cities within the U.S. to produce one or more stories for publication." Prize: Up to $1500. Deadline: October 16, 20

Zocalo Book Prize. Genre: US-published nonfiction book that best enhances our understanding of community and the forces that strengthen or undermine human connectedness and social cohesion. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: October 20, 2023.

Storyhouse. Genre: Travel nonfiction. Stories must be true, not semi-fictional accounts. 1000 - 10,000 words in length. Stories must be suitable for children. Prize: $200. Deadline: October 30, 2023.

Storyhouse: Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $500 in any single year. First prize winners of previous contests, while ineligible for prizes in regular contests, can compete in this one.  Genre: Nonfiction. Prize: First prize is $100. Runners-up will receive $50. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Queer Adventurers LGBTQIA Writing Contest. Restrictions; Open to any writer 18+ from anywhere in the world who identifies as LGBTQ+. Genre: 1,000 to 1,500 word personal essays on the theme of Firsts. Prize: $150. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Diann Blakely National Poetry Competition. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500 and 25 broadsides of their poem, which will also be archived on the University of Georgia English Department website. Deadline: October 31, 2023. 

The Barbellion Prize. Genre: Fiction, memoir, biography, poetry, or critical non-fiction. “The Barbellion Prize is dedicated to the furtherance of ill and disabled voices in writing. The prize is awarded annually to an author whose work has best spoken of the experience of chronic illness and/or disability." Prize: £600. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

The Young Walter Scott Prize. Restrictions: Open to UK authors aged 11-19. Genre: Historical fiction between 800 and 2000 words. Prizes: £500 travel and research grant to further explore historical places in the UK, and an invitation to the Borders Book Festival in Melrose, Scotland. Two runners-up in each category receive a £100 book token, and all four winning stories are published in a special YWSP anthology book. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Lex:lead Essay Competition. Restrictions: Candidates must show citizenship in an eligible country and be enrolled in studies with at least one law class in an eligible country at the time of the award. Genre: Essay: How effective have laws protecting the rights of children been to reduce poverty and support economic development?  How could they be improved? Prize: $500 scholarship. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

The Solstice Prize. Restrictions: Open to 7-17 year olds. Genre: Short stories, blog posts, and poems. Nature writing. Prize: Publication and cash prizes for winners in three age groups: 7-11, 12-14, and 15-17. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

The Young Writers Initiative Manuscript / Chapbook Contest. Genre: Fiction in any genre, book length. Poetry. Prize: One winner in each category $225 each. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

McKitterick Prize. Restrictions: Open to authors over age 40. Genre: First novel. The work must have been first published in the UK in the year in which the deadline falls (and not first published abroad), or be unpublished. Prize: £4,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Bronx Council on the Arts Community Engagement Grants. Restrictions: Open to residents of Bronx County. Genre: All art forms, including writing. Grant: $1000 - $5000. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Tom-Gallon Trust Award. Restrictions: Open to citizens of the United Kingdom, Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland with at least one short story published or accepted for publication. Genre: Short story, maximum 5,000 words. May be unpublished. Prize: £1,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Disabled Poets Prize. Restrictions: Open to deaf and disabled poets aged 18+ currently living full-time in the UK. Genre: Poetry. Deaf and disabled poets will be able to submit to three categories – best single poem, best unpublished pamphlet, and best poem performed in British Sign Language. Prize: In each category, there will be a first place prize (£500), second prize (£250), third place prize (£100), and three highly commended entries, (£50). Deadline: October 31, 2023.

The Eric Gregory Awards. Restrictions: Applicants must be under 30 and a British subject by birth and must ordinarily be resident in the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland. Genre: Poetry collection. Previously published work accepted. Prize: £4,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Volcano Prize Restrictions: Open to a UK or Irish writer, or a writer currently resident in those countries. Genre: A novel focusing on the experience of travel away from home. Inspired by Malcolm Lowry’s novel, Under the Volcano and in celebration of its author, the prize aims to inspire literary excellence and encourage writers to travel and to write from the resulting experience. Publishers must enter the work. Prize: The winner will receive £2,000 and the runner-up £750. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

ACDI Literary Prize. Restrictions: Open to authors with a disability and/or chronic illness. Authors must be a British national OR resident in Great Britain and Northern Ireland for three years prior to the date of submission for the award, and writing in English and submissions must have been published or self-published in the UK. Genre: Novel which includes a disabled or chronically ill character or characters. Prize: Winner will receive £1,000 and two runners-up £500 each. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

USNI General Prize Essay Contest. Genre: Essay may be on any topic."We are living in an era of intense global competition. Renewed great power competition will require the Sea Services to rethink how to address national, strategic, and operational challenges and the way they will have to fight. Authors may address any topic." Prize: $6,000. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Graybeal-Gowen Prize for Virginia Poets. Restrictions: Poets living in or born in Virginia, as well as those who have lived in Virginia for two or more years in the past, are eligible. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: October 31, 2023. (Closes after 500 submissions)

The Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest is sponsored by Hollins University. Restrictions: Open to young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Up to $5,000 renewable annual Creative Talent Scholarship in creative writing if winner enrolls at Hollins. Free tuition and housing for the university’s Hollins summer creative writing program. $200 cash prize. Publication in Cargoes, Hollins’ award-winning student literary magazine. Ten copies of Cargoes. Deadline: October 31, 2023.

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to "revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful." Genre: Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize: $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: October 31, 2023. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

32 Outstanding Writing Conferences and Workshops in October 2023

Martha's Vineyard: Flickr This October there are more than two dozen writing conferences and workshops. Some conferences and workshops will be held online, but many will be in-person or hybrid as pandemic restrictions ease. Virtual events still offer everything a writer might want: intensive workshops, pitch sessions with agents, to how to market yourself and your books, discussions - there is something for everyone.For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences. Quite a few offer scholarships, so apply early.  

I've included conferences that have early application dates on my list. So, if you have missed a conference that is ideal for you, put the application deadline on your calendar for next year. (Many conferences are annual events.)
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(Image: Martha's Vineyard, Flickr)
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Bookgardan: A Year's Sustenance for Women Writers. October 2023 to October 2024. "Bring your book project and your literary practice to full fruition in Bookgardan, a year-long program of sustained, one-on-one mentorship and advanced craft curriculum created by an acclaimed writer, seasoned editor, and devoted & inspiring literary mentor, shared with an intimate cohort of like-minded literary artists. Hone your work-in-progress, develop your technical expertise, and refine your inimitable artistic process over twelve months bookended by two full retreat weeks as fall writers-in-residence at Craigardan, an interdisciplinary mountainside residency program for artists in the majestic Adirondacks of upstate New York. Now enrolling its fifth cohort, Bookgardan is unlike any other writing program, book incubator, or literary mentorship. Designed for women writers with book-length, literary fiction and creative nonfiction projects, created in partnership with a residential artists’ program that fosters collaboration and cross-fertilization among artists, and intentional in its goal of building a lasting, mutually supportive community of women writers, at Bookgardan’s heart is Kate Moses’ passionate dedication to helping other women writers realize their vision for their work, made manifest in the unstinting one-on-one mentorships she forges with each writer and their book." Applications due September 1, 2023. 

Middle Grade Writers: A Generative Retreat Experience. October 1 - 4, 2023: Boyds Mills, PA. OVERVIEW: In-person 4-Day/3-Night Workshop and Retreat To write for children, we need to reconnect with the clever, imaginative, and curious core of our childhood selves. Join celebrated middle-grade authors Erin Entrada Kelly and Laurel Snyder for a four-day retreat focused on generative writing inspired by the sleepaway camps of our youths. 

Crash Course in Children's Publishing. October 4 - December 6, 2023: Boyds Mills, PA. OVERVIEW: Join lead faculty Harold Underdown and special guests for a Crash Course in Children's Publishing. At the end of the course, you will understand how the children’s book publishing industry works, including submitting, publishing, marketing a book for children, teens, or young adults, and beginning ideas about craft and critique. Multi-Week Online Course 10 weeks.

Write on the Sound Writers' Conference and Pre-Conference. Oct 6- 8, 2023: Edmonds, WA. Founded in 1985, Write on the Sound writers’ conference (WOTS) is a small, affordable conference focused on the craft of writing. A variety of sessions, workshops and panel discussions are available for all levels and interests, including valuable information regarding today’s writing and publishing industry. 

James River Writers Conference. October 6 - 8, 2023: Richmond, Virginia. James River Writers is excited to offer both in-person and online elements for our conference this year. Join us for Master Classes online and in-person, on Friday, October 6. Then, join us at the Greater Richmond Convention Center (in Richmond, Virginia) for a full slate of programs focusing on the craft and business of writing. Look forward to lively panel discussions, live critique sessions with literary agents, fun and engaging plenary sessions, and agent one-on-one meetings (standard with your ticket). In addition, we’ve included opportunities for networking and socializing, because community is at the heart of everything we do.

Picture Book Summit. Oct 7, 2023, Online. A one day live event for picture book writers including author keynotes, interviews, workshops and agent & editor panels. Recordings provided for attendees for four months post-conference.

DFW Writers Conference. October 7 - 8, 2023: Fort Worth TX. Featuring pitch sessions with literary agents, advanced classes, engaging panels, interactive workshops.

Larksong's Bootcamp for Poets with Matt Mason. October 7, 14, 21, 28, 2023: Online. "Are you looking to “level up” on your writing? Maybe you’re looking for a workshop of like-minded writers who want to be the best they can be and you want to join them? Maybe you want just enough instruction and guidance on a particular piece of writing to prepare it for the submittal process. If any of that is true, a Larksong Bootcamp workshop is for you. This limited-enrollment workshop is open to a maximum of 10 writers who are committed to improving their own writing and are willing to read and respond to the work of the other writers in the workshop."

Viable Paradise Science Fiction Writers' Workshop. Oct 8 - 13, 2023: Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Viable Paradise is a unique one-week residential workshop in writing and selling commercial science fiction and fantasy. The workshop is intimate, intense, and features extensive time spent with best-selling and award-winning authors and professional editors currently working in the field. VP concentrates on the art of writing fiction people want to read, and this concentration is reflected in post-workshop professional sales by our alumni. Closed. Applications will re-open in January 2024.

Larksong's Bootcamp for Prose Writers. October 9, 16,  30, & November 6, 2023: Lincoln, NE. This Larksong Bootcamp for Prose Writers will be led by Lucy Adkins. It is a limited-enrollment workshop open to a maximum of 6 writers who are committed to improving their own writing and are willing to read and respond to the work of the other writers in the workshop.

Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference. October 12 - 14, 2023: Tempe, AZ. "The Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference creates a unique and intimate creative writing experience where writers of all backgrounds, genres, and skill levels gather together and connect through the celebration and study of literary craft, culture, and community. Featuring over 25 faculty members teaching more than 50 sessions, we seek to create a warm and welcoming environment that meets people wherever they are, where writers can learn from and support each other as they work toward their goals. Beyond regular programming, we also feature advanced pre-conference workshops, an exhibitor fair, scholarships, and fellowships. We also offer opportunities to advertise with or sponsor the conference as well."

Storymakers & Indie Author Hub Writing Conference. October 12 - 14, 2023: Blue Springs, MO. "The SMIAH Writers Conference is a writing event sponsored by both the Storymakers Author Guild and Indie Author Hub Guild. This conference is on it's tenth year of inspiring authors from across the country and around the world, giving them the tools they need to take their writing to the next level. The 2021 will continue to bring a unique spin to the traditional writers conference, offering both in-person and virtual attendance options. With a distinctly Indie flavor and all the traditional building blocks, this is the conference you need to step out of the ruts and see your writing and career clearly." 

Ozark Creative Writers Conference. October 12 - 14, 2023: Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Workshops by published authors, editors and agents; Publishers Row, independent publishers available to hear about your next project.

Women Writing the West 2023 Conference. October 12 – 14, 2023: Online. "This Virtual Conference will feature all the Awards, Workshops, Panels, Book Store, Silent Auction and camaraderie that WWW Members and Guests expect." Will be held virtually.

Georgia Romance Writers: Moonlight and Magnolias. October 12 – 14, 2023: Atlanta, Georgia. Includes keynote speakers, workshops, editor/agent appointments, autographing & bookfair, awards banquet.

New York Comicon. October 12 - 15, 2023. "New York Comic Con is your event. Where you can feel unafraid to geek out. Where you’re accepted and embraced for being yourself. Where you can experience the best in pop culture because no matter what fandom you’re passionate about, we have it waiting here for you. Be inspired by award-winning comic artists and Japanese anime creators. Get star struck over your favorite TV and film idols. Treat yourself to exclusive fandom gear and unique artwork. But most importantly, create all of those memories with the people you care about the most. Because this event is for you. To embrace your inner hero or root for the villain. To geek out as a family. To celebrate a weekend together you’ll never forget."

Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference. October 13 - 14, 2023: Dallas, Texas. The Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference is a forum for journalists, writers, readers, students, educators and the general public to listen to, be inspired by and practice their craft at the highest possible level. Every year, the Mayborn Conference gathers some of the most talented storytellers in the country to share their stories, life-changing experiences and expertise with aspiring writers through three days of lectures, panels, one-on-one sessions, and student classes. In addition, the conference includes a variety of writing contests for anyone from high school students to Pulitzer prize winning professionals, who receive hand-made trophies, more than $26,000 in cash awards and have their work published in Mayborn's journal, Ten Spurs, or anthology, Best American Newspaper Narratives.

Central Coast Writers' Conference. October 14, 2023: San Luis Obispo, CA. "Unlike other Writers' conferences, this year's conference has been expanded to encompass the wider 'Content Creator Community.' Our goal is to amplify the connection of content creators on the Central Coast and beyond including bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, influencers, authors, narrators, journalists, artists, screenwriters, musicians, and of course - writers of all genres! As the medium for literary work has expanded beyond the book, content creators from all walks of life are encouraged to attend. There will be 16+ expert panels, featuring 50+ experts & thought leaders." 

Green River Writers Workshops: Memoir Writing Workshop. October 13 - 15, 2023: Santa Fe, New Mexico. Using memory as a starting point, Green River Writers Workshops focus on the craft of storytelling through memoir, fiction, historical writing, and poetry. Both experienced and beginning writers are welcome.

Annual Maryland Writer’s Conference. October 14 - 15, 2023: Baltimore, MD. The Brain to Bookshelf Annual Conference offers over 20 workshops and agent panels. Agent pitches and critiques are available, but agent slots are limited, so register early. New York Times Best Selling Author and Educator Maria V. Snyder will begin with keynote craft workshops each day. Day 1: Emotion is NOT a Dirty Word and Day 2: Writing: The Basics and Not so Basics.

Writing By Writers Workshop Tomales Bay. October 18 - 22, 2023: Tomales Bay, California. Manuscript and poetry workshops are limited to 12 participants and generative workshops are limited to 15 to ensure an intimate setting. 

Colrain Classic. October 20 - 23, 2023: Arlington, Vermont. "The Colrain Manuscript Classic is a highly focused, 3.5 day conference designed for poets with manuscripts in progress. The Classic features in-depth pre-conference work and candid, realistic evaluation and feedback from nationally-known poets, editors and publishers. In preparation, participants work at home on pre-conference assignments and then, in the workshop, review, arrange, and winnow their work based on the pre-conference work. In addition to the manuscript preparation workshop and editor sessions, there will be an editorial Q&A, and an after-conference strategy session." Will be conducted online.

Craft of Writing Conference. October 21, 2023: Glenpool, Oklahoma. The Craft of Writing Conference is focused on learning the skills needed to be an excellent writer. This includes topics such as plot & story structure, character development, conflict & motivation, point of view, editing—facets of the craft. Keynote Speaker; William Bernhardt. 

Annual Florida Writers Conference. October 20 - 22, 2023: Altamonte Springs, Florida. Over 75 workshops, major speakers, agent interviews, professional manuscript critiques, lively social events, and much more.

Youngstown Fall Literary Festival. October 20 - 21, 2023: Youngstown, Ohio. Nearly 150 presenters from throughout the U.S. will present on a wide array of literary topics of interest to readers, writers, translators, educators, editors and publishers.  Saturday, there will be a special track for K-12 language arts educators. The bookfair will include nearly two dozen small presses, booksellers and programs.

Making Magic: Writing and Refining Fantastical and Otherworldly Stories. October 23 - 26, 2023: Boyds Mills, PA. Deepen the magic in your middle grade or young adult novel with novelists Anna-Marie McLemore and Nova Ren Suma.  In this generative writing workshop, you’ll enjoy in-depth craft lectures from experienced faculty authors, small group workshopping, 1:1 faculty consultations, and ample private time to retreat so that you can write, wander, and connect with fellow magic makers.

Medical Writing and Communication Conference. October 25 - 28, 2023: Baltimore, MD. Workshops in medical writing, designing materials for patients, analysis, clinical reports, and more.

REVISION BOOTCAMP: All-Genre Intensive with Elmaz Abinader and Faith Adiele. October 27 - 28, 2023: Fish Creek, WI. Let’s put your writing through the workout it needs! Elmaz Abinader and Faith Adiele will coach you through editing and revising work of any genre. As multi-genre authors and master teachers, they will take your work through tried-and-true exercises to sculpt and refine your writing. They will help you understand what style of writer you are and which of the five stages of creative work your draft is in. Then they will show you revision strategies for every mode–developmental, stylistic, and structural. Plan to bring a draft manuscript that needs a workout (limited to 10 pages of poetry or 3,000 words of prose) and a laptop. The process will help you explore perspective and point of view, develop and deepen characters, and create contexts and build worlds. You will identify the work’s central questions and emotions, flush out scenes/forms, and harden the structure of your story or poems. You will pump up beginnings and endings and polish your language and metaphors to make your writing more powerful. The two days will be broken into team-taught craft lectures, writing exercises led by each teaching artist, lively Q&A, in-class writing, small group work and shares.

Ossabaw Weekend Writer’s Retreat. October 27 - 29, 2023: Ossabaw Island, GA. Workshops and seminars led by nationally recognized faculty, and evening readings (special emphasis on ghost stories) by faculty and participants. Application deadline: September 15.

The Rochester Writers Fall Conference. October 28, 2023: Rochester, MI. Lectures, Workshops, and Panel Discussions with a focus on nonfiction. Open to new writers, working journalists, and published authors. Professional development to move writers to the next level. 

Craft & Heart of Writing Poetry for Children. October 23 - 26, 2023: Boyds Mills, PA. OVERVIEW: In-person 5-Day/4-Night Workshop and Retreat If writing poetry for children is your passion, join celebrated poets Georgia Heard and Rebecca Kai Dotlich for this 5-day/4-night retreat to work on your own poetry through guided writing exercises, peer workshopping and sharing, lectures, and a private consultation.

Kentucky State Poetry Society. October 28 - 29, 2023: Online. Readings, workshops, panels, and keynote. "The Kentucky State Poetry Society seeks to inspire, encourage, and develop Kentucky’s poets through a wide variety of workshops, lectures, and publishing opportunities. The Kentucky State Poetry Society publishes the biannual literary journal Pegasus, offers a student and adult poetry contest, and hosts an annual poetry conference." Note: Membership not limited to Kentucky residents. Registration: $15. Will be conducted via Zoom.

8 New Agents Seeking Cookbooks, Kidlit, Horror, LGBTQ, Women's Fiction, SFF, and more

Laura Gruszka Here are eight new literary agents actively seeking clients. New agents are a boon to writers. They are actively building their lists, and will go the extra mile for their clients.

All of these agents work for established agencies with good track records. They are looking for all genres.
Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change. 

NOTE: Don't submit to several agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another. (Some small agencies share. Be alert to a notice that "a no from one is a no from all.")
You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients. 
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Ms. Laura Gruszka of Writers House

Laura Gruszka is a junior agent at Writer's House.

What she is seeking: Juvenile fiction, Picture books, Middle grade, Young adult, Graphic novel, Graphic memoir, Literary horror, Literary weird, Literary genre. I’m looking for authors and illustrators of children’s books for all ages—picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels. I’m also open to adult graphic novels and adult literary fiction.

My priority as a junior agent is uplifting traditionally underrepresented voices and stories in publishing. This applies to every category of books I am looking for. If you are a creator who is part of a marginalized community—regardless of whether you are specifically writing about identity—please send your work my way!

How to submit: Read query guidelines HERE.
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Ms. Kara Rota of Thompson Literary Agency

Kara Rota has joined Thompson Literary Agency as a senior agent. Previously Kara worked at Macmillan, acquiring and editing cookbooks, mind/body/spirit projects and other nonfiction for multiple Macmillan imprints including Flatiron and St. Martin’s Press.  Most recently, she worked as an Executive Editor at Chicago Review Press, acquiring narrative nonfiction, music, and pop culture titles.

What she is seeking: Kara is excited to represent nonfiction authors including activists, artists, witches, and revolutionaries; cookbooks about more than food, parenting books that see care work as central to social change, illustrated projects that inspire delight, and other nonfiction books that seek to change the world. 

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE
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Ms. Leah Moss of Steven Literary

Leah Moss graduated from Lake Forest College in 2020, where she studied Creative Writing, Publishing, and Digital Media Design. A lifelong reader, she's spent the past few years working at libraries and has always dreamed of working in the book publishing industry. When she isn't being a professional bookworm, Leah can probably be found playing her harp or tending to her Stardew Valley farm.

What she is seeking: Picture books, YA, new adult, romance, fantasy. Stories from marginalized writers. I’m particularly interested in uplifting BIPOC voices, but I also really want to see work from LGBTQ+. 

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.
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Ms. Mara Cobb of Martin Literary Management

After earning my master's degree in English, achieving over fifty publications, and serving as the editor-in-chief for a small literary journal, I completed a year-long publishing internship learning the ins and outs of Martin Literary Management. I am thrilled to become part of the MLM family and am most excited about coming alongside fresh and seasoned writers to help them reach their full potential.

What she is seeking: Currently, I am looking for Adult Nonfiction and Women's Driven Fiction. For Women's Driven Fiction, I am particularly interested in books with strong female heroines who are in their 20s. The gap between YA Fiction and Adult Fiction is one that I am passionate about continuing to bridge. 

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.
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Aiden Siobhan of Laura Dail Literary Agency, Inc.

Aiden Siobhan graduated from UNC School of the Arts in 2023 with a Filmmaking BFA specializing in Screenwriting and Animation. Before becoming an agent, they interned at LDLA and were an Author Mentor Match mentee in 2022. When they’re not binge reading an LGBTQ+ YA novel, they work as the Art Director for two alternative newspapers, attend film festivals for their documentary projects, and go on road trips with their fiancé and dog.

What they are seeking: MG and YA fiction: all genres, all fantasy subgenres. Diverse ensemble casts, clever voicey protagonists, action-packed, fast paced, ALL the tropes, high personal stakes, and compelling villains. Not the best fit for multiple POVs or stories about war. NO talking animals. Adult Horror: psychological, cerebral. Contemporary, historical, and/or with speculative/paranormal elements. NO visceral horror/slashers. Adult Romance: LGBTQ+ romances only. All genres. Enemies or friends to lovers, meet-cutes, strong independent women, fresh stories with strong hooks, and genre blending. Graphic Novels: Author-Illustrators only. MG, YA, and Adult in all genres, fiction & nonfiction. Anything that fits categories above.

How to submit: Use their querymanager HERE.
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Mr. Jack Mozley of Perez Literary & Entertainment

The son of a mining engineer and a poet, Jack naturally ended up with a doctorate in quantum physics and a love of Science Fiction, each using, as they do, a little of the extraordinary to understand the everyday.

When not squinting at a spreadsheet, Jack can be found with his nose in a book or graphic novel. He is a huge fan of classic SF, especially Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov, as well as Iain M. Banks and China Miéville. Growing up, he devoured every issue of 2000 AD and remains an Alan Moore devotee.

Jack holds a PhD in Quantum Physics from École Normale Supérieure in Paris, France and an MPhys from the University of Oxford. He is fluent in French, speaks basic Spanish, and has lived in four countries.

What he is seeking: Jack is currently open to Science Fiction queries only.

How to submit: Use his querymanager HERE. 
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Ms. Andie Smith of The Booker Albert Literary Agency

​Andie Smith is a Junior Agent at The Booker Albert Literary Agency where she started out as a Literary Intern in 2022. She is also a writer and editor of multiple genres. Andie has previously served as an writer and editor for several local newspapers and magazines in Central Florida and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Administration. When she’s not agenting, she’s spending time with her husband and two kitties or hanging out at Disney World.

​What she is seeking: Andie is currently looking for Young Adult or Adult genres including but not limited to contemporary, romance, thriller, speculative, dystopian, issue-driven, fantasy, eco-fiction, and sci-fi. 

​She loves anything that can transport her into a new world and has a habit of getting emotionally attached to strong characters. Her favorite tropes are enemies-to-lovers and fake-to-real relationships. As an autoimmune advocate, Andie would love to see stories with MC’s embracing life through all disabilities, from those that are more obvious to invisible ones.

Andie is not accepting picture books, middle grade, or nonfiction at this time. She is not the best fit for any genres of religion, horror, poetry/prose, or historical fiction. While not a total dealbreaker, Andie tends to shy away from stories with on-the-page cheating, abuse, rape, and reference to self-harm and/or suicide (off-page references ok)

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.
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Ms. Jacklyn Saferstein-Hansen of Renaissance Literary & Talent

Jacklyn Saferstein-Hansen hails from Omaha, Nebraska, and came to Los Angeles by way of Boston University. 

What she is seeking: She's on the hunt for fresh nonfiction in the following areas: wellness/nutrition/food, mental health, history, science, pop culture, and Jewish issues. She's interested in helping academics make the jump to the trade market. In fiction, she's partial to novels with a distinct voice (the weirder the better) and quirky characters in the genres of women's fiction, historical fiction, thriller/mystery, and fantasy.

How to submit: Send your query to query@renaissancemgmt.net