Erica Verrillo's Blog, page 23

54 Writing Contests in January 2022 - No entry fees

This January there are more than four dozen writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and short plays. Prizes range from $60,000 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 is past, you can prepare for next year.


Good luck!

(Image: Pixabay)


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Defenestration Lengthy Poem Contest. Genre: Lengthy poem (at least 3 pages). Prize: $300. Deadline: January 1, 2022.
The Reedsy Writing Prompts Contest. Genre: Short story. (See prompts) Prize: $50. Deadline: Every week in January.


Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award. Genre: Poem, 3-10 pages long, that demonstrates a "truly inventive spirit." Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: January 1, 2022.


Vermont Writers' Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of Vermont. Genres: Short story, poem, play or essay on the theme of Vermont - its people, places, history or values. Entries must be unpublished and fewer than 1,500 words long. Writers may submit only one entry per year. Prize: $1,250 and publication in Vermont Magazine. Deadline: January 1, 2022.

elements&flour//LOAFOFBREAD Contest. Genre: Translations in Poetry. You may submit three pieces maximum of translated works. Prize: $200. Deadline: January 1, 2022. (Extended)

Tony Hillerman Prize. Sponsored by St. Martin's Press. Genre: Debut mystery novel set in Southwest. Prize: $10,000 advance against royalties and publication, Deadline: January 1, 2022.

Texas Institute of Letters Literary Awards. Restrictions: Entrants must have resided in Texas for at least 2 consecutive years, or have been born in Texas. Genre: Book (published). 11 different categories. Prize: $6,000. Deadline: January 3, 2022.


BOA Editions — Blessing the Boats Selections. Genre: Poetry by Women of Color. Prize: $5,000 + Publication. Deadline: January 5, 2021.

Japan Center-Canon Essay Competition. The aim of the Japan Center Essay Competition is to promote awareness and understanding of Japan in the United States and to help young Americans broaden their international horizons. Genre: Essay. Contestants should write, in English, one or more aspects of Japan including art, culture, tradition, values, philosophy, history, society, politics, business, and technology in relation to their personal views, experiences, and/or future goals. (Contestants do not need to have any experience in visiting Japan or studying Japanese. Prize: Best Essay Award in the High School Division: 1st Place: $3,000 and a Canon camera, 2nd Place: $1,500 and a Canon camera, 3rd Place: $750 and a Canon camera; Best Essay Award in the College Division: $3,000 and a Canon camera; Uchida Memorial Award: $1,000 and a Canon camera; Merit Award: $200 (each) for up to five awards. Deadline: January 8, 2022.

The Prism Prize for Climate Literature. Restrictions: Open to USA and UK writers. Genre: Full-length book: fiction, poetry, and literary non-fiction writing in the emerging genre of climate literature. Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: January 8, 2022. 

Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) provides direct support to individual Bronx artists who create literary, media, visual, and performing works of art. Prize: 25 BRIO grants of $3,000 each are awarded to Bronx artists. BRIO award winners complete a one-time public service activity. Deadline: January 10, 2022.

Northern California Book Awards. Restrictions: Books written by authors based in northern California and published for the first time the previous calendar year are eligible for nomination. Genre: Published book. Prize: $100. Deadline: January 10, 2022.

Bethesda Urban Partnership Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of Washington, DC and select counties in Maryland and Virginia. Genre: Essays. Length: 500 words maximum. Prize: $500 in adult category (age 18+) and $250 in high school category (ages 14-17). Deadline: January 10, 2022.


Bethesda Magazine Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of Washington, DC and select counties in Maryland and Virginia. Genre: Short stories. Length: 4000 words maximum. Prize: $500 in adult category (age 18+) and $250 in high school category (ages 14-17). Deadline: January 10, 2022.

Novel Slices. Genre: Section of novel, 4,000 - 6,000 words. Prize: $175. Deadline: January 10, 2022.

Author Mentor Match. Genre: Completed YA or MG manuscript. Prize: Mentorship by published author. Deadline: January 12 - 14, 2022.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest is sponsored by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. Restrictions: The contest is open to United States high school students in grades nine through twelve attending public, private, parochial, or home schools; US students under the age of twenty enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program; and US citizens attending schools overseas. Genre: Essay on an act of political courage by a US elected official who served during or after 1956. Prize: The first-place winner receives $10,000 comprised of a $5,000 cash award and $5,000 from John Hancock. The second-place winner receives $1,000. Up to five finalists receive $500 each. Deadline: January 14, 2022.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Flash fiction up to 1000 words on theme. Prize: $30. Deadline: January 14, 2022. See themes.

French-American Foundation Translation Prizes. Genre: Book. Best English translation of French in both fiction and non-fiction. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: January 14, 2022.

Encore Award. Restrictions: Open to British or Commonwealth citizens. Genre: Second published novel. Book must have been first published in the UK. Prize: 10,000 pounds. Deadline: January 14, 2022.

Andres Montoya Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Latino authors who are residents of the US. Genre: First book of poetry published by a Latino author. Prize: $1,000 and publication by the University of Notre Dame Press. Deadline: January 15, 2022.

Moving Words Poetry Competition for Adults. Genre: Poems of 10 lines or less that will be displayed inside Arlington Transit buses. Prize: $250. Deadline: January 15, 2022.

Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize. Restrictions: Open to women, US citizens only. Genre: Novel. All entries must be submitted by publishers who wish to have the work of their authors that were published in the year 2018 considered. No self-published works or works from vanity presses will be accepted. Prize: $7,500. Deadline: January 15, 2022.

Walter Muir Whitehill Prize in Early American History. Genre: Essay on early American history (up to 1825), not previously published, with preference being given to New England subjects. Prize: $2,500.  Deadline: January 15, 2022.

The Levis Reading Prize is sponsored by the Department of English and its MFA in Creative Writing program at Virginia Commonwealth University. Restrictions: The prize is given annually for the best first or second book of poetry published in the previous calendar year. Genre: Poetry.  Prize: $5000.  Deadline: January 15, 2022.

Stephen A DiBiase Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 15, 2022.

Arnold Adoff Poetry Awards. Genre: Poetry books for children and young adults. Novels in verse, memoirs in verse, collections of original poetry, and edited collections are all acceptable formats for the awards. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 15, 2022.

WE Poetry Awards 2022. Restrictions: Open to poets residing in India. Genre: Poetry. There are four awards: WE Kamala Das Poetry Award 2022, WE Eunice de Souza Poetry Awards 2022, WE Trailblazer Poet Teacher Award 2022, WE Gifted Poet Award (Emerging Voices) 2022. Prize: ?  Deadline: January 15, 2022.

Novella-in-Flash Award. Genre: Flash fiction/Novella. 6000 to 18000 word limit – each flash should not be more than about 1000 words. Prize: £300 prize for the winner, two runner-up prizes of £100. Deadline: January 16, 2022.

Discoveries Prize. Restrictions: Open to female novelists of all ages and backgrounds, from across the UK and Ireland. Genre: Novel in progress. Prize: The winner will be offered representation by Curtis Brown Literary Agency and a cash prize of £5,000. Deadline: January 17, 2022.

Bethesda Poetry Contest. Genres: Poetry. Adult and high school student categories. Restrictions: Residents of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia are eligible. Prizes: First place: $350, published on The Writer's Center's blog and magazine, and a free class and membership to The Writer's Center. Second Place: $250. Third Place: $150. Honorable Mention: $75. Prize for high school students, $75. All winners will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership website and honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase. Deadline: January 17, 2022.

Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest. Restrictions: Registered undergraduate full-time Juniors or Seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States during the Fall 2015 Semester. Genre: Essay Topic: Articulate with clarity an ethical issue that you have encountered and analyze what it has taught you about ethics and yourself. 3,000 to 4,000 words. Prize: First Prize $5,000, 2nd Prize $2,500, 3rd Prize $1,500, two Honorable Mentions $500 each. Deadline: January 18, 2022. 

Poetry Society of Virginia - Student Contest. Restrictions: Open to students in Virginia, grades 3 - 12. Prize: $10 - $25. Deadline: January 19, 2022.

Washington State Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Washington State writers. Genre: Published book, all genres. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 20, 2022.

Western Australian Premier's Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to authors who either are citizens or permanent residents of Western Australia. Genre: Book published during the preceding calendar year in a variety of genres. Prize: Up to A$60,000. Deadline: January 21, 2022.

Zocalo Public Square Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to US poets only. Genre: Poetry that evokes a connection to place. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 22, 2022. Note: Winning author gives up all rights.

Scottish Book Trust: Monthly Competition. Restrictions: Open to four categories: adult writers, all-age Gaelic writers, young writers 5-11 and young writers 12-18. Genre: Short story based on prompts. (See site for prompt) Prize: Various items. Deadline: January 25, 2022.

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships are awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period. Prize: $7,000 cash awards are made to individual originating artists living and working in the state of New York for unrestricted use. These fellowships are not project grants but are intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, regardless of the level of his or her artistic development. Deadline: January 26, 2022.

Afro-Solarpunk Futures. Restrictions: Open to black authors only. Genre: Speculative micro-fiction. Length: 250 words max. Prize: $25. Deadline: January 27, 2022.

Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship. Restrictions: Open to a high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior or a current or entering college or graduate school student of any level. Home schooled students are also eligible. There is no age limit. You must also be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. Genre: 500- to 1,000-word essay about technology addiction. Prize: $1000 scholarship.  Deadline: January 30, 2022.

The Hillman Prize for Journalism. Genre: Journalism. "Since 1950, the Sidney Hillman Foundation has honored journalists, writers and public figures that pursue investigative journalism and public policy in service of the common good." Prize: $5,000. Deadline: January 30, 2022.

The 2022 Stratford Literary Festival/Salariya Books Children's Picture Book Competition.  Restrictions: Open to residents of the UK and Ireland. Writers must be unpublished by a mainstream publisher. Genre: Children's picture book, unpublished. Prize: First prize: £1000.   Deadline: January 30, 2022.

Papatango New Writing Prize. Restrictions: Open to anyone resident in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Genre: Script of roughly 25 – 50 pages. Prize: £2000. Their scripts will be produced as audio plays and tour the UK in free listening stations. The scripts will also be published digitally by Nick Hern Books. Deadline: January 30, 2022.

William Saroyan Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to students in 1st grade through college.  Genre: Short story, 2 pages. Prize: $50 - $100. Deadline: January 31, 2022.

The John Byrne Award. Restrictions: Open to residents of Scotland. Genre: A piece of creative work on a chosen theme or value (written work must be no more than 15,000 words in length). Prize:  £7500. Deadline: January 31, 2022.

Cheshire Prize for Literature. Restrictions: The writer must have been born, live or have lived, study or have studied, work or have worked, in Cheshire, UK. Age ranges from 4 to adult. Genre: Short story, piece of poetry, script or children’s literature piece (this can be a script, story or poem, for children ages seven to 14) on the theme of Sustainability. Prize: Cash prizes. Deadline: January 31, 2022.

Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. "The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America." Genre: previously unpublished work of short fiction. Prize: $100.  Deadline: January 31, 2022.

Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize. The annual Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize is awarded each spring to honor an outstanding literary translation from German into English published in the USA the previous year.  Genre: Published fiction or non-fiction, may include: novels, novellas, short stories, plays, poetry, biographies, essays and correspondence. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: January 31, 2022.

The Lumiere Review Writing Contest. Genre: Poetry, prose. Prize: $100. Deadline: January 31, 2022.

The Danuta Gleed Literary Award for best first collection of short fiction in the English language was initiated by John Gleed in honour of his late wife to promote and celebrate the genre of short fiction, which she loved. Restrictions: Canadian residents only. Prize: A $10,000 prize will be awarded for the best first collection of published short fiction in the English language. Two finalist will also be awarded $500 each. Deadline: January 31, 2022.
Michael E. DeBakey Medical Student Poetry Awards. Restrictions: Only undergraduates currently enrolled in accredited United States medical schools are eligible. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000 top prize. Deadline: January 31, 2022. Note: Winners do not retain copyright.

Caine Prize for African Writing. Restrictions: Open to writers born in Africa, or nationals of an African country, or with a parent who is African by birth or nationality, Genre: Short fiction (published). Prize: £10,000. Deadline: January 31, 2022.

Storytwigs. Genre: Microfiction up to 100 words. Prize: 1st Place: $100; 2nd Place: $25; 3rd Place: $20; 4th Place: $15; 5th Place: $10. Deadline: January 31, 2022. See prompt.

Victor Howes Prize in Poetry. Restrictions: Undergraduate English majors currently enrolled at a New England college (2-year or 4-year). Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: January 31, 2022.
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12 (Warm) Writing Conferences in January 2022

Flickr It's no accident that so many writing conferences are held in warm places during the coldest month of the year. We all dream of sunshine during those chilly, dark days. And wouldn't it be nice to spend those dark days doing what we like best - writing?Fortunately for us, there are a dozen delightful conferences this January held in places we would rather be. 

If you miss your ideal conference this year, don't worry. Many of these are annual events, and quite a few offer scholarships. (Apply early!) 
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You can find a full list of conferences here: Writing Conferences.

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Kaz Conference Keep Writing Nonfiction and Memoir Cohort – JANUARY/FEB 2022 (5 weeks) meeting Wednesdays Jan 5 - Feb 2 from 2 to 4PM EST. Are you a nonfiction writer working on a memoir? For 5 weeks beginning 2022 just 6-8 writers will gather via ZOOM -- at each workshop two writers will workshop 10 to 16 pages of a work of creative nonfiction/memoir. Virtual workshop tuition: $375 for 5 weeks - includes at least two reviews of your writing samples from Donna Kaz and your cohort. Apply by December 4, 2021.

Key West Literary Seminar. January 6–9, 2022 (seminar) and  January 10–14, 2022 (workshop), Key West, Florida. The seminar offers readings, lectures, and conversations with poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers on the topic of “A Seminar Named Desire.” For “A Seminar Named Desire” we’re interested in literary explorations of the profane and the profound, the inventive, the graphic, and the deeply felt. This will be a unique gathering of some of today’s most acclaimed writers in conversation about the elemental urge at the center of human activity: desire.

Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Residency Writers Conference. January 6 - 16, 2022: Seaside, OR. January 16 - 26, 2022: Forest Grove, Oregon. Writers seeking to deepen their craft and expand their professional community are invited to attend the Residency Writers Conference together with MFA students, faculty and guest speakers. Join us for 10 full days of craft talks, workshops, panels, classes, readings and more featuring some of the best minds of the literary world. This residency is a rare opportunity to engage in sustained and meaningful conversation with others who share your passion for the art of writing.

Kaz Conference Writing Workshop is a 5-week playwriting / screenwriting intensive for women writers. The intensive takes place via ZOOM. Each week we will read and discuss two to three submitted plays/screenplays using the Liz Lerman Critical Response Process as a base for our critique. Writers receive two critiques of 10 to 30 pages from Kaz and the rest of the cohort. COST: $375.00. For women writers only. DATES: The Intensive will meet from 1-3PM on Thursdays beginning January 6, 2022.  To APPLY - GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION: 1) Submit 5 to 10 pages of your best piece of playwriting. Apply by November 30, 2021. 

Palm Beach Poetry Festival. January 10 - 15, 2022: Delray Beach, Florida. Workshop Faculty Poets: Kim Addonizio, Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Chard deNiord, Mark Doty, Yona Harvey, John Murillo, Matthew Olzmann, and Diane Seuss. Will be held online.

TMW January Jumpstart. January 14 - 15, 2022. “We will have a “Meet and Greet” session Friday from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Eastern. On Saturday there will be concurrent Poetry and Fiction morning sessions from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Eastern, and afternoon sessions from 1:30 – 4:30 Eastern. Zoom access will be made available in January after registration fees are paid." Registration $60.

Colrain Classic. January 14 - 17, 2022: 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.

Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway. January 14 - 17, 2022, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as craft talks, one-on-one tutorials, featured readings, and open mics. Tuition, which includes some meals, ranges from $490 to $690, depending on the workshop; lodging is not included. 

Eckerd College Writers in Paradise Conference. January 15 - 22, 2022, St. Petersburg, FL. Workshops, roundtables, panel discussions, Q&As, readings book signings, and receptions. The faculty includes Emily Bernard, Laura Lippman, Ann Hood,  Andre Dubus III, Michael Koryta, Stewart O’Nan, Ana Menéndez, and many more. Required mask wearing while indoors.  All faculty, staff, and volunteers must show proof of vaccination, while students must either show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result. Application period runs from August 1 to November 1.

Breakout Novel Graduate Learning Retreat. January 17 - January 23, 2022: Tampa, Florida. An intensive week of critiques, one-on-one sessions, query clinics, brainstorming and writing. Limited to 16 students. Will be held virtually.

Writing By Writers GET THE LEAD OUT! January 21 - 23, 2022, Online. This workshop brings all levels of writers together for a weekend of inspiration, craft and the generation of new work. Faculty: Gina Frangello, Pam Houston & J. Drew Lanham. Tuition: $750 includes one three-day workshop, admittance to all craft talks and readings.

Kaua’i Writers’ Retreat. January 23 - 29, 2022: Kaua'i, Hawaii. Live and write among the plumeria, hibiscus, and beauty of Po’ipū, Kaua’i. Once you arrive on-island, each day is designed to provide inspirational, intensive craft instruction in the morning, followed by afternoons to read, write, explore, and enjoy the island, and evening gatherings to attend as you see fit. All residency events are optional: your time is your own, to read, write, revise, and be.

3 New Literary Agents Seeking Commercial Fiction, Thrillers, Memoirs, YA, Essay Collections and more

Lauren Bittrich Here are three new literary agents seeking clients. New agents are a boon to writers. They are building their lists and will go the extra mile for their clients.

Sian Ellis-Martin is looking for contemporary book club and commercial fiction from a wide range of authors and experiences. Lauren Bittrich wants upmarket and literary fiction, psychological thrillers, voicey memoirs and essay collections, and select YA with a focus on underrepresented voices. Hannah Lehmkuhl is most drawn to upmarket fiction, but she’ll read anything she can get her hands on.

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 two agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another.
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You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.
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Ms. Sian Ellis-Martin of Blake Friedmann Literary (UK)

I have the pleasure of assisting agents Isobel Dixon and Kate Burke with their wonderful authors, and alongside this I am starting to build my own list of books across both fiction and non-fiction.  I enjoy reading books with a broad range of themes, such as mental health, sexuality, coming-of-age, race, class and gender. I’m particularly keen to read books by authors from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, especially LGBTQIA+ authors, or stories with LGBTQIA+ characters and themes.  

What she is seeking: In fiction, I’m looking for contemporary book club and commercial fiction from a wide range of authors and experiences and I’m drawn to complicated and flawed protagonists who you can’t help but root for. I’m not afraid of, and often search for, expressions of darker themes and feelings, but I’m also a sucker for a good love story. I’d also like to find an upmarket crime series with a female at the forefront. ’d like to read a sweeping family saga in the style of ‘This is Us’, a heart-warming and heart-breaking story like ‘It’s a Sin’, and a punky portrayal of female fearlessness and friendship à la ‘We Are Lady Parts’.

In non-fiction, I’m open to reading anything exploring the themes and ideas above especially from perspectives we may not have heard from before or accessible ways to learn about complicated or niche topics. I’m also keen to find cookery and food books and am open to lots of ideas there. 

How to submit: Please read their submission instructions HERE.
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Ms. Lauren Bittrich of Lucinda Literary 

Prior to joining Lucinda Literary, Lauren was an associate editor at Pen and Press, a writing and consultancy company, and a member of the editorial team at Flatiron Books, where she acquired THE UNSEEN BODY by Dr. Jonathan Reisman and edited WHAT IS A DOG? by Chloe Shaw, EL JEFE by Alan Feuer, and New York Times bestseller THE LINCOLN CONSPIRACY by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch. Lauren received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Kenyon College before attending Columbia University’s Publishing Course in 2017. Originally from the Boston area, she’s currently based in New York City.

What she is seeking: Lauren is looking for upmarket and literary fiction, psychological thrillers, voicey memoirs and essay collections, and select YA with a focus on underrepresented voices. She’s drawn to family sagas, stories with dark themes, and powerful narratives that encourage readers to confront difficult topics and realities.

How to submit: Use their form HERE.
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Hannah Lehmkuhl of InkWell Management 

A Columbus native and forever Buckeye, Hannah Lehmkuhl graduated in 2020 from The Ohio State University with an English major and a Business minor. She joined InkWell in September as a member of the foreign rights team. Prior to InkWell, Hannah interned with Writers House, Folio, and Liza Dawson Associates. 

What she is seeking: Hannah is most drawn to upmarket fiction, but she’ll read anything she can get her hands on.

How to submit: Send your query to submissions [at] inkwellmanagement [dot] com. You may specify the name of the agent to whom you are submitting in the subject line of your query or address your query to the agency at large. In the body of your email, please include a query letter and a short writing sample (1-2 chapters). Emails with large attachments will be discarded.

16 Literary Magazines Accepting New Writers - Paying markets

For emerging writers, establishing a publications resume can be quite a challenge, especially if you have never published any of your work. But there always has to be a first - your intital short story, poem or personal essay published by a literary magazine. 

Take heart, new writers! There are magazines that want your work, and will even pay you for it. 

Also see: Mega-List of Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazines - Paying markets - Many speculative fiction magazines are happy to publish emerging writers.

Note: If you have missed a magazine's open submission period, you can always submit during their next submission period.
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Albion Review, based in Albion College, publishes fiction, nonfiction and poetry.  All submissions are elegible for a prize of $200. Undergraduates only.

Apparition Lit is a speculative fiction magazine that publishes themed issues four times a year. They accept new and established writers. They publish poems and stories between 1k-5k words in January, April, July, and October. They also hold monthly flash fiction contests between the 1st and 15th of each month. Flash stories must be under a 1000 words and be inspired or based on the chosen theme. Payment: $0.03 per word, minimum of $30.00 dollars for short stories and a flat fee of $30 per poem.

Baltimore Review. Genre: Poetry; send up to three poems, fiction, creative nonfiction, videos (including poetry), and cross-genre work. Payment: $40. See deadlines.

The Bellevue Literary Review accepts work related to their themes of health, healing, illness, the mind, and the body. "We welcome submissions of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. We are looking for essays that reach beyond the standard ‘illness narrative’ to develop a topic in an engaging and original manner. Incorporate anecdotes that feel alive, and dazzle us with thoughtful and creative analysis that allows these anecdotes to serve a larger purpose." Length: Maximum 5,000 words. Payment: Honorarium.

The Blue Route. Genre: Fiction or creative nonfiction totaling no more than 3000 words. Submit up to 3 poems. Payment: $25. Undergraduates only.

The Dark is an online horror and dark fantasy magazine published monthly. They publish fiction between 2,000 and 6,000 words. Payment: 6 cents/word.

LampLight Magazine is a quarterly journal of dark fiction and horror. They prefer literary fiction with a bizarre, Twilight Zone-style twist. Payment: Unpublished Fiction: 3¢ per word, $150.00 max. Reprints: 1¢ per word up to 7,000 words. See submission periods.

Longleaf Review has a "particular interest in outsider perspectives." Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Payment: $20. See submission periods.

Masters Review New Voices. New Voices is open year round to any new or emerging author who has not published a work of fiction or narrative nonfiction of novel length with a wide distribution. Authors with short story collections are free to submit, as are writers with books published by indie presses. Payment: $200 for short fiction and narrative non-fiction, and $100 for flash-length narratives (up to 1,000 words)

New Reader Magazine wants stories "about humans and about being human." Investigative stories are welcome, as are memoirs and profiles, interviews, etc. of people who are doing interesting things and changing perspectives in big cities or small, secret towns. They are also looking for fiction and poetry of all kinds, and especially welcome experimental fiction and poetry and work that defies genre conventions. Payment: $5-$20 per published piece.

New Writing Scotland is an annual volume publishing poetry and prose from both emerging and established writers. Restrictions: Open to writers resident in Scotland or Scots by birth, upbringing or inclination. Genre: All forms of writing. Payment: £20 per published page. See submission periods.

SAND is a Berlin publication that "looks for submissions that push the boundaries of form, message, and voice in fresh and unpredictable ways—work that is haunting for its soul, edge, and truth." Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, art, poetry, translations. Payment: Professional rates. See submission periods.

SmokeLong Quarterly publishes flash narratives--fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid--up to 1000 words. They like stories with surprising language and have emotionally resonant narratives. They are always open for submissions. Payment: $50.

Susquehanna Review offers the Gary Fincke Creative Writing Prize for the best piece of poetry ($100) and the best piece of prose ($100) in the issue. There is no entry fee. All undergraduate submissions to Susquehanna Review will automatically be under consideration for the contest, with the exception of students of Susquehanna University. Undergraduates only.
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Triangle House Review publishes fiction and nonfiction. "We are ALWAYS looking to consider pieces by writers who have never been published in any capacity before." Payment: $50.

Write City Magazine is published by the Chicago Writers Association. They accept fiction, nonfiction and quality poetry. Payment: $50/CWA members, $25/nonmembers per prose piece and $35/members, $10/nonmembers per poem. See submission periods.

The New York Times Wants Your Personal Essays - Paying market

Every once in a while a major publisher opens up to writers, offering professional payment. But the payment, while much appreciated, pales in comparison to having your work read by millions of people. 


In this instance the New York Times is looking for personal essays. Don't be disappointed, fiction writers and poets. You can write a personal essay! There is a millimeter thick line that separates fiction from a personal essay.

Read on!

(Image: Flickr)

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New York Times: Solver Stories

Have a story that needs to be told about puzzles, games or language? Wordplay wants to hear from you. Wordplay is interested in exploring how puzzles, games and language connect us to each other, how they fit into our daily lives and what we can learn about ourselves from them.

Solver Stories, a feature of Wordplay, welcomes submissions of personal essays on a variety of topics, such as:
An issue the writer has faced in life, and how solving puzzles (of any kind) has helped them resolve that issue.A feel-good story or good news from the worlds of puzzles and games, such as Nancy Pfeffer’s “Flight of the Spelling Bee Player.”How solving puzzles has affected a relationship in the writer’s life.How puzzles, games or use of language have been agents of cultural change.
The most important thing is that the writing be emotionally honest and for the story to be freshly and compellingly told. An example of the kind of essay we are looking for is Jessica Wolf’s Solver Story, “The Language of Letting Go.”

Wordplay will pay $200 for each essay that is published. Solver Stories will be published every month, and payment will be issued when the story runs. Preferred length: 800 to 1,300 words. Please attach your essay as a Word-compatible document AND paste the text into the body of the email.


Read Solver Stories guidelines HERE.

Read freelance pitch guidelines HERE.

87 Calls for Submissions in December 2021 - Paying markets

Pixabay This December 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 calls for submissions on 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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Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. Genre: Short stories and poetry. See themes. Payment: 20.00 USD for featured authors, or $10.00 USD for stories published on their &More page and $5.00 USD for poems. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

Podcastle. Genre: Fantasy podcast. Length: Up to 6,000 words. Payment: $0.06/word for original; $100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction reprints. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

Mukana Press. Genre: Short stories by African authors to be included in its inaugural Anthology of African Writing. Stories previously published only on online literary platforms are welcome if rights were reverted to the author upon publication. Stories must range between 1000 - 8000 words. Payment: $500 and royalties. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

Kaleidotrope. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry—science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but also compelling work that blurs the lines between these and falls outside of neat genre categories.   Payment: For fiction, $0.01/word (1 cent a word) USD. For poetry, a flat rate of $5 USD per accepted piece. For artwork, a flat rat of $60 for cover art. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

Catapult. Genre: Essays and articles that discuss education and writing. Payment: Not specified.  Deadline: December 1, 2021.

United Faedom. Genre: Romantic Fantasy. Theme: Adult rated, mild erotica. Length: 8k-10k. Payment: $20. Deadline: December 1, 2021. Some reprints accepted.

United Faedom. Genre: Cozy Romance. Theme: Young Adult/Clean Adult. Length: 8k-10k. Payment: $20. Deadline: December 1, 2021. Some reprints accepted.

Abbey Review. Genre: Short stories, poems, and screenplays. Payment: $30 per short story, poem, and screenplay, and the best piece of writing gets paid an additional $70, for a total of $100. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

Archive of the Odd. Genre: Speculative fiction, horror preferred. “Archive of the Odd is a zine of uncanny occurrences, told in even stranger ways.” They’d like a variety of time periods. Stories can be in any format, except traditional prose. Some of the suggested formats are: academic papers; technical writing; medication warning sheets; sales papers; newspaper articles; recipes; knitting/crochet/weaving/what-have-you guides; care guides (plant, animal, rock garden, etc); or any other unusual format. Submissions do not have to be entirely in text. Payment: $15-25 for fiction of 500-5,000+ words. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

The Antihumanist. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, art - all genres. "We seek to publish the most challenging and thought provoking flash fiction and essays. We believe only by confronting the bare bones of reality we understand our place in the world." Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

Parabola. Genre: Original essays and translations, poetry, reviews. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: December 1, 2021. See themes.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on theme of Surgery. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

United Faedom. Genre: LGBTQ+ Romance. Theme: Adult, mild erotica if desired. Length: 8k-10k. Payment: $20. Deadline: December 1, 2021. Some reprints accepted.

Scary Dairy Press: Bloody Rock Anthology. Genre: Horror. "Does the rock of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s take you back to the nightmares of yore? If you can brew a scary tale that Alice Cooper and the Dead would love, we just might love it too!" Payment: $.03 per word. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

Eternal Haunted Summer. Genre: Poetry, short fiction about Night. Payment: $5. Deadline: December 1, 2021.


Sundog Lit. Genre: Poetry, nonfiction, and fiction. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

Markaz Review. Genre: Video clips, interviews, caricatures, political cartoons, artwork, photography, short story, essay, or review proposal on theme: Laughter. Payment: Small honorarium. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: December 2, 2021.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on Theme of SWIMMERS & SOARERS. Payment: $10 via PayPal for each story published in an Anthology. Deadline: December 5, 2021.

Augur Magazine: Joyful Imaginations. Restrictions: Creators who are Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, Disabled, and/or Trans, who are also Canadian citizens/permanent residents and/or who are living within the settler-defined borders of the land colonially known as Canada. Genre: Dream-touched realism, slipstream, fabulism, magical realism (note: educate yourself before you claim this term) and, for lack of a better descriptor, “literary” speculative fiction. Payment: $0.11 cents (CAD) per word for short fiction (1000+ words), and a flat fee of $110.00 per flash fiction piece (1000 words and under).  Deadline: December 5, 2021.

Scum. Genre: Feminist-friendly work of any variety, but as a general rule your piece should be under 2000 words (50 lines for poetry, max. 3 poems) and able to be classified as “fiction”, “culture”, “memoir”, “column”, “poetry”, and/or “review”. Payment: $60 AUD. Deadline: December 7, 2021.  Opens to submissions on December 1.

Fantasy Magazine. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, poetry. Payment: 8 cents per word for original short stories and flash fiction. $40 per poem. Deadline: December 7, 2021.  Opens to submissions on December 1.

Island. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents. Genre: Fiction.  Payment: 10 - 20 cents per word. Deadline: December 8, 2021.

Revolute. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 8, 2021.

Three Time Travelers Walk Into ... Genre: Fiction. “Take any three famous people from history, toss them together, and have an adventure." Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: December 9, 2021.

Colp. Genre: Short fiction, all genres. "We would like stories that in some way involve feet (whether they be human, animal or otherwise). Be creative." Length: 1000 - 5500 words. Payment: AU$5.00 for stories under 2500 words / AU$10.00 for anything above 2500 words. Deadline: December 10, 2021.

Exposition. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction, poetry, scripts for stage & screen, film, experimental narratives, visual art, and comics on the theme of “Flux.” Payment: $35.   Deadline: December 10, 2021. Open for one day only.

Inked in Gray. Genre: Short stories on theme: For Those Who Deserve to Exist. "This anthology is about marginalized folk, for marginalized folk. We are looking for passionate, visceral stories about rising up, overcoming, and righting (and re-writing) transgressions." Payment: $30. Deadline: December 11, 2021.

Short Fiction. Restrictions: Submissions are restricted to those not from the USA. Genre: Short fiction. Payment: 2p (£0.02) per word, to the nearest 100 words, with a minimum of £30 and maximum £100. Deadline: December 12, 2021.

Faces. Genre: Nonfiction, activities for children 9 - 14 on theme: Spring (celebrations/folktales/cultural events). Payment: Not specified. Deadline: December 13, 2021. Queries only.

Cobblestone. Genre: Fiction, poetry and nonfiction articles of historical accuracy and lively, original approaches to the themes for children from ages 9–14. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: December 15, 2021. See themes. Queries only.

Copper Nickel. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and translation folios. Payment: $30 per printed page + two copies of the issue in which the author’s work appears + a one-year subscription. Deadline: December 15, 2021. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fees.
Dose of Dread. Genre: General horror flash fiction. Preference for dread-inducing stories. Length: 500 - 1,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: December 15, 2021.

SHARKPACK Poetry Review Annual 2021. Genre: Poetry. Publication is in paperbook, with selections featured online.  Payment: Not specified. Deadline: December 15, 2021.

The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, mixed media, visual arts, "and even kitchen sinks, if they are compressed in some way.” Payment: $50. Deadline: December 15, 2021.

Muse Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction articles for children on theme of Extinction. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: December 15, 2021.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on theme of Superheroes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: December 15, 2021.

Southern Indiana Review. Genres: Fiction, CNF, poetry. Payment: $50-$100 per piece. Deadline: December 15, 2021.

Plainsongs. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $50. Deadline: December 15, 2021.

Eye to the Telescope. Genre: Speculative poetry. Theme: Light. Payment: US 3¢/word rounded up to nearest dollar; minimum US $3, maximum $25. Deadline: December 15, 2021.

Walled City Journal. Genre: Poetry and prose. Payment: $10. Deadline: December 15, 2021. 

Brink. Genre: Hybrid, cross-genre fiction, nonfiction poetry. Payment: $25 Poem; $50 Work (less than 1500 words); $50 Art (1-3 Images); $100 Art (4+ Images); $100 Work (more than 1501 words). Deadline: December 15, 2021. See themes.

Exposition. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction, poetry, scripts for stage & screen, film, experimental narratives, visual art, and comics on the theme of “Flux.” Payment: $35.   Deadline: December 16, 2021. Open for one day only.

Black Ocean. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts in translation. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 17, 2021.

Augur Magazine: Joyful Imaginations. Genre: Dream-touched realism, slipstream, fabulism, magical realism (note: educate yourself before you claim this term) and, for lack of a better descriptor, “literary” speculative fiction. Payment: $0.11 cents (CAD) per word for short fiction (1000+ words), and a flat fee of $110.00 per flash fiction piece (1000 words and under).  Deadline: December 19, 2021.

Collective Chaos: An Apocalyptic Anthology. Genre: Short fiction (short stories, poetry, flash fiction) within the cosmic horror or apocalyptic genres Payment: $15. Deadline: December 20, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Preteens. Genre: True stories and poems. "Adolescence is a great time to learn about the power of gratitude, practice thankfulness, and to appreciate the blessings in your life, including your friends and family. These are skills that preteens and teenagers need to develop as part of social and emotional learning." Payment: $200. Deadline: December 20, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens. Genre: True stories and poems. "Adolescence is a great time to learn about the power of gratitude, practice thankfulness, and to appreciate the blessings in your life, including your friends and family. These are skills that preteens and teenagers need to develop as part of social and emotional learning." (Check Preteens for topics.) Payment: $200. Deadline: December 20, 2021.

Cast of Wonders. Genre: YA Speculative fiction. Podcast. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction of any length (yes, including flash!). For reprints, a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction. Deadline: December 20, 2021.


Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. Deadline: December 21, 2021.

JOURN-E: The Journal of Imaginative Literature. Genre: Adventure, Detection & Mystery, Fantasy, Horror & the Supernatural, and Science Fiction. Payment: One (1) cent per word for prose fiction and non-fiction, BUT with the following maximums: Up to $50.00 maximum for short stories; up to $35 maximum for scholarly articles; up to $15 maximum for reviews. Poetry from 3-13 lines--$7.50. Poetry from 14-50 lines--$15.00. Poetry over 50 lines--$15.00 plus 25 cents per line over 50 lines up to a maximum of $35.00. Interior Illustrations--$25-$50.00 (half-page to full-page). Cover Art in Full RGB Color--$100 [will be commissioned, or the illustrator should contact the editor with a concept before finished work and submission]. Deadline: December 21, 2021.

" letters i'll never send " Genre: First-person accounts including letters, prosaic poems, diary entries, postcard letters, very short personal essays, and other genre-bending experimental pieces. 1000 words max. Payment: $50. Deadline: December 21, 2021.


Hippocampus Magazine. Genre: Memoir Excerpts, Personal Essays, and Flash Nonfiction. Payment: $40. Deadline: December 23, 2021.

Story Seed Vault. Genre: Microfiction tweets based on science. Payment: Short Fiction (<150CH) $3AUD per story; Long Fiction (>150CH/<200CH) $2AUD per story. Deadline: December 24, 2021. Opens on the 10th.

The Puritan. Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: $100 per nonfiction piece, $50 fiction, $15 per poem. Deadline: December 25, 2021.

Every Day Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction on new year themes. Length: 1000 words max. Payment: $3. Deadline: December 26, 2021.

Worlds Enough: Fantastic Detectives. Genre: Fantasy stories about crimes in fantasy settings, ranging from “second world” settings to urban fantasies. Length: Up to 15,000 words. Payment: $20. Deadline: December 30, 2021.

Cincinnati Review. Genre: Prose, poetry, art. Payment: $25/page for prose in journal. $30/page for poetry in journal. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

JMS Books: LGBTQ Romance: Opposites Attract. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories. "Stories about characters who are complete opposites, but who fall in love anyway. Think people from different walks of life, different careers, even different colleges or opposing sports teams. Whatever it is that opens a gulf between them ultimately turns out to be what attracts them to each other." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

WE’RE HERE: THE BEST QUEER SPECULATIVE FICTION 2021. Genre: Queer speculative fiction. Submissions are open for all speculative work published in 2021 under 17,500 words that deals either implicitly or explicitly with queerness. Payment: $0.01/word. Deadline: December 31, 2021.


Books by Hippocampus. Genre: Book-length works: Memoirs (query, proposal + first three chapters or equivalent); Essay collections (query + three essays); Craft of writing books (proposal). Payment: Royalties? Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Bouchercon. Genre: Crime fiction, less than 5000 words, not previously published. "We would like the stories to be set in Minnesota or Minnesota adjacent (Wisconsin, Iowa, Canada, the Dakotas). Payment: $75. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Zombies Need Brains. Genre: Science fiction and fantasy. Three anthologies: Noir, Shattering the Glass Slipper, and Brave New Worlds. They want a range of stories, from humorous to dark. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Chestnut Review. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, visual media (art/photography). Payment: $120. Deadline: December 31, 2021. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee.

Monstroddities. Genre: Horror. "Terrify us with your best story or poem about monsters or unexplained occurrences that are rarely used in horror." Payment: $50 flat rate per story, $25 flat rate per poem. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Workers Write! Tales from the Key of C. Genre: Fiction and poetry from the music industry – “about music teachers, singer/band members, band managers, roadies, conductors, DJs, studio musicians, anyone who makes money making music.” Payment: $5 - $50. Deadline: December 31, 2021. (Or until full.)

Critical Read. Genre: True stories of the fine, literary and performing arts: artwork biographies, reported stories, profiles, cultural history, essay, interviews and first person stories.  Payment: Varies. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology. Genre: Horror. Haunted houses, ghost stories, creature features, splatterpunk, serial killers, witches, monsters, you name it. Just make sure your story features at least one fat protagonist. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Dancing Star Press. Genre: Speculative fiction novellas. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Cloud Lake Literary. Restrictions: Canadian writers. Genre: Fiction, art. creative nonfiction, poetry, and children’s literature (up to and including YA). Payment: $50 CAD/per page to a maximum of $150 CAD. Visual Art Submission: $50 CAD/per submission. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Dragon Soul Press: Rogue Tales. Genre: Fairytale. "Fairytales will never be the same in this reverse harem anthology. All versions of bedtime stories, folklore, etc are welcome." Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2021. (Deadline extended)

Allegory. Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Payment: $15. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

We’re Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2021. Genre: Queer speculative short fiction reprints from 2021. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Crow Toes Quarterly. Genre: Playfully dark fiction, poetry and art for children. See themes. Payment: $20 - $50. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Auroras & Blossoms: PoArtMo Anthology. Restrictions: Open to 13-16 Year-Olds. Genre: Poetry and art. "We created PoArtMo as an invitation to artists in every discipline to create positive art every June (Positive Art Month) and throughout the year (Positive Art Moves)." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Ninth Letter. Genre: Prose and poetry. Payment: $25 per printed page, with a maximum payment of $150, as well as two complimentary copies of the issue in which the work appears. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Felis Futura: An Anthology of Future Cats. Genre: Stories, poetry, and visual art about the future which feature cats. Payment: $10 per accepted poem, 1c/word ($5 minimum) for accepted fiction ($15 per page for graphic narrative fiction), $20 per accepted piece of non-narrative internal visual art $100 (negotiable) for the cover illustration. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Hardboiled and Loaded with Sin. Genre: Crime short stories 1500-7,500 words. Payment: $10.  Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Stormdance Publications: Grumpy Old Fairy Tales. Genre: Grumpy retellings of classic Fairytales. "We’re looking for fun new twists on classic Grimm fairytales and well-known folklore.  Is your tale of little Red Riding Hood told from Granny’s perspective?  Maybe she’s a werewolf?" Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Newfound. Genre: Fiction, Flash, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, and Visual Arts. Theme: Communities of Care. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Arc. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $50. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

FIYAH. 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: December 31st, 2021. 

Hiraeth Publishing: Cosmic Crime Stories. Genre: Tales of future crimes and future detectives. Payment: Pay rates for original stories: $25.00. Pay rate for reprinted stories: $10.00. Pay rate for original illustrations: $6.00 per illustration. Deadline: December 31st, 2021. 

Book XI: Be Careful What You Wish For. Genre: Philosophically informed stories, essays, or poetry that address the theme: Be Careful What You Wish For. Payment: $50/poem, $200/prose. Deadline: December 31st, 2021. Or until filled.

Manawaker Studios: Felis Futura – An Anthology of Future Cats. Genre: Fiction (including graphic narrative), poetry, and art about the future which features cats. “Submitted works should be of any genre, as long as the work depicts a world that is noticeably in the future. All works must also prominently feature at least one cat. It does not have to be a cat of the genus Felis. Other members of the cat family are also acceptable, as are non-biological cats, metaphorical cats, robots with the acronym K.A.A.T., and so on.” Payment: $10/poem, $0.01/word for fiction, $15/page for graphic narrative. Deadline: December 31st, 2021. 

Modern Poetry in Translation. Genre: Translations of poetry. Send up to six poems. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Meadowlark Reader. Genre: CNF. “True stories about Kansas written by Kansans." Payment: $10 plus one contributor copy. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

And a few more...

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on theme of Victorian England. Payment: 15 GBT.  Deadline: January 1, 2022.

Liquid Imagination. Genre: Modern fantasy, science fiction, slipstream, or literary ficiton and poetry up to 6,000 words. "We want awe and intensity, maybe tinged with the ominous side of life." Payment: $8 for short stories (1001 words up to 6000 words) and poems, and $3 for flash stories (up to 1000 words). A $2 bonus will be added for authors who accept payment via Paypal. Deadline: January 1, 2022. 

Slice. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poems. Payment: $400 for long stories and essays, $150 for flash fiction, and $100 for poems. Deadline: January 1, 2022.

Particular Passages. Genre: Poetry, fiction, art on theme: Particular Passages. "The theme is: you just don’t know what’s behind that door until you open it." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 1, 2022. Reprints accepted.


The Quiet Ones. Genre: Queer-centered horror and dystopian fiction for adults and young adults. Theme: True Love Never Dies. Payment: $25. Deadline: January 1, 2022.

The Best New True Crime Stories. Genre: Nonfiction, true crime accounts on theme of Crimes of the Famous and Infamous. Payment: $130, and 2 print copies of the book. Deadline: January 1, 2022.

61 Writing Contests in December 2021 - No entry fees

Pixabay This December there are more than five dozen writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and short plays. Prizes range from a gold medal to $25,000. 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 is past, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck!

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Short Short Writing Contest 2022. Genre: Fiction, non fiction, memoir or poetry but it must contain the name of a continent, a horse's gait, the title or a lyric of a song from the 90's, a food you would want to eat for your last meal, the name of a gemstone, and a zodiac sign. Word Limit: 250 words.  Prize: Winners will choose either free tuition to the Get The Lead Out generative workshop online January 21 - 23, 2022, or discounted tuition to the Boulder Generative Workshop in-person, March 18-20, 2022 (does not include travel to/from the event or lodging). Deadline: December 1, 2021.


Tony Quagliano Poetry Fund, International Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to poets who have a published body of work over a period of years. Poems must be in English. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 1, 2021. (Biennial award)


Thomas and Lillie D. Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing. Restrictions: Open to published writers who are writing from the region. Genres: All. Prize: $1000. Deadline: December 1, 2021. 

The Association of Jewish Libraries Jewish Fiction Award. Genre: All works of fiction with significant Jewish thematic content written in English–novels, short story and flash fiction collections–by a single author published and available for purchase in the United States during 2021 are eligible for the 2022 award. Jewish thematic content means an extended grappling with Jewish themes throughout the book, including Judaism, Jewish history and culture, Jewish identity, etc. Prize: The award will include a $1,000 cash prize as well as support to attend the AJL conference to receive the award. Deadline: December 1, 2021. 

The David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction is offered annually to the best book in American historical fiction that is both excellent fiction and excellent history. Prize: $1,000.      Deadline: December 1, 2021.

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: December 1, 2021.

Poetry Center at Smith College Prize. Restrictions: Open to sophomore or junior high school girls in New England. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

The Pushcart Prize honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in small presses and literary magazines. Magazine and small press editors may nominate up to six works. Pushcart Press publishes yearly anthologies of the winning submissions. Prize: Publication. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

Royal Institute of Philosophy Essay Prize. Topic: Essay on Self and Society. Prize: £2,500 top prize. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry. Restrictions: Open to African poets who have not yet published a collection of poetry. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion Press in Senegal. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

The W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction honors the best fiction set in a period when the United States was at war. It recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel and encourages the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction. Genre: Military fiction. Prize: $5000. Deadline: December 1, 2021.

Polar Expressions Publications Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadian students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Genre: Short Story. Prize: $300, $200, $100. Deadline: December 3, 2021.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 5, 2021. Opens December 3.

Invisible City Nonfiction Flash Contest 2021. Genre: Flash nonfiction, 750 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 5, 2021. 
J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award. Genre: Nonfiction book. Applicants for the award must already have a contract with a U.S.-based publisher to write a nonfiction book. Award: $25,000.  Deadline: December 9, 2021.

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: December 10, 2021.

Friends of American Writers. Restrictions: The author must be a resident (or previously have been a resident for approximately five years) of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin; or the locale of the book must be in a region identified above. The author must not have published more than three books under his/her own pen name. Genres: Books can be fiction or creative non-fiction and published in 2021. Self-published and e-Books are not eligible. Prize: $500 - $2000. Deadline: December 10, 2021.

Flo Gault Student Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Full-time undergraduate college students in Kentucky. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: December 11, 2021.  

Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award in Poetry (Kansas Book Award). Restrictions: Author must establish a connection to Kansas by birth, education, employment, residence or other significant claim. Genre: Poetry book. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 15, 2021.

sweettooth//HONEY Contest. Genre: Flash fiction, mini poetry. Prize: $40. Deadline: December 15, 2021.

elements&flour//LOAFOFBREAD Contest. Genre: Translations in Poetry. Prize: $200. Deadline: December 15, 2021.

Commonwealth Club of California Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to residents of California. Genre: Book of poetry, fiction or nonfiction. Prize: Gold medal. Deadline: December 15, 2021.

Quantum Shorts Competition. Genre: Fiction stories, under 1,000 words, that are "clearly inspired by some aspect of quantum physics." For 2020, entries also must contain the phrase "It's a lot to think about." Prize: $1,500 and online publication. Deadline: December 16, 2021.

Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Best First Crime Novel Competition. Restrictions: The Competition is open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any published novel (except that authors of self-published works only may enter, as long as the manuscript submitted is not the self-published work) and is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a novel. Genre: Murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: December 17, 2021.

Spark Award: Held by SCBWI , open to members of SCBWI who are 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: December 19, 2021.

International Young Theatre Playwriting Contest. Genre: Plays for young audiences (no plays for children or adult audiences, or musicals), written in any official European language Prize: €2,400 for Category A, €1,000 for Category B and other prizes. Deadline: December 20, 2021.

Beatrice Medicine Award for Scholarship in American Indian Studies. Genre: Essay and/or book about Native American studies published in 2021. Prize: $250. Deadline: December 20, 2021.

Secret Attic. Genre: Short story up to 1500 words. Prize: £20.00 Amazon Voucher. Deadline: December 20, 2021. 

Rider University Annual High School Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students. Genres: Essays, poetry, fiction. Prizes: 1st-$100, 2nd-$50, 3rd-$25. Deadline: December 20, 2021.

Roswell Award for Short Science Fiction. Genre: Science fiction, 1500 words max. Prize: $500. Finalists have their stories read by celebrities in Hollywood. Deadline: December 21, 2021.

The Wallace Stegner Prize in Environmental Humanities. Genre: Monograph. "Manuscripts must emphasize interdisciplinary investigations of the natural and human environments and their fundamental interconnectedness, research in primary and secondary sources, and high quality writing in the tradition of Wallace Stegner. Preference will be given to projects that discuss issues related to the American West. We welcome book-length manuscripts that emphasize narrative form and draw on the humanities, as well as the particular methods and perspectives of history, geography, natural history, environmental science, creative nonfiction, or related disciplines to consider environmental subjects, broadly defined." Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 30, 2021.

VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Genre: First novel published in 2021. No self-published books.  Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 30, 2021.

Green Stories Writing Prize. Genre: Novel about building a sustainable society. Prize: £1000 for the winner and £500 for runner up, plus the following: Half price manuscript appraisal (worth £300-400) for top three entries by established literary consultancy Daniel Goldsmith. Deadline: December 30, 2021.

Story Unlikely Short Story Contest. Genre: Short story. Length: 2,250 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Tratt Fiction Award. Restrictions: US-based writers. Genre: Debut short story manuscript – it must be the writer’s first collection of short fiction. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

The Drabble Harvest Contest. Genre: Drabble on theme of "Marcia's Murder Myteries." A "drabble" is defined as a short story containing exactly precisely no more and no fewer than 100 words. It has a title, which can be from 1 to 15 words-- but no more than 15. Prize: $5. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Ezra Jack Keats Children's Book Award. Genre: Published or self-published picture books that portray the universal qualities of childhood, a strong and supportive family, and the multicultural nature of our world. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Hooks Institute National Book Award. Genre: Nonfiction book that best furthers understanding of the American Civil Rights Movement and its legacy. Prize: $1000. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognizes outstanding works that contribute to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of the rich diversity of human cultures. Awards are given for both fiction and nonfiction. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry, Griffin Poetry Prize. Restrictions: One prize goes to a living Canadian poet or translator, the other to a living poet or translator from any country, which may include Canada. Genre: Poetry. Books must have been published in English during the calendar year preceding the year of the award. Prize: C$200,000, is awarded annually in two categories – International and Canadian. Each prize is worth C$65,000. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction prose, up to 17,000 words. Prize: $1,000 with $5,000 grand prize. Deadline: December 31, 2021. Read details HERE.

The Lyric College Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to undergraduates enrolled full time in an American or Canadian college or university. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

William Carlos Williams Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to students enrolled in programs leading to the Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy degree. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $300.  Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Neil Postman Award for Metaphor. Sponsored by Rattle. Genre: Poetry. All published submissions during the year are considered for the prize. Follow their regular submission guidelines. Prize: $2,000.  Deadline: December 31, 2021.

The Four Quartets Prize. Genre: unified and complete sequence of poems published in America in a print or online journal, chapbook. Poems in the sequence may have been published in different journals provided that they were brought together and they form a complete sequence. Prize: Three finalists will receive $1,000 each. The winner will receive an additional $20,000. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award.  Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter free of charge. Others must pay a $10 - $15 entry fee. Genre: Poetry, unpublished and published. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Cecil Hemley Memorial Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter free of charge. Others must pay a $10 - $15 entry fee. Genre: Poetry, unpublished and published. Lyric poem that addresses a philosophical or epistemological concern. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Lucille Medwick Memorial Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter free of charge. Others must pay a $10 - $15 entry fee. Genre: Poetry, unpublished and published. Original poem in any form on a humanitarian theme. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Lyric Poetry Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter free of charge. Others must pay a $10 - $15 entry fee. Genre: A lyric poem on any subject. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

The Writer Magazine/Emily Dickinson Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter for free. Others must pay a $10 - $15 entry fee. Genre: A poem inspired by Dickinson though not necessarily in her style. Prize: $250. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

George Bogin Memorial Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter for free. Others must pay a $10 - $15 entry fee. Genre: Poetry that takes a stand against oppression. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Robert H. Winner Memorial Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter for free. There is a charge of $10 - $15 for non-members. Open to mid-career poets who have not had substantial recognition, and is over forty, and who have published no more than one book. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Blue Mountain Arts Poetry Card Contest. Genre: Poem. Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Natan Notable Books Award. Genre: Recen­t­­ly pub­­lished or soon to be pub­lished nonfic­­tion book on Jew­ish themes. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Society of Classical Poets, Poetry Translation Competition. Genre: Metered translation of a poem from the Romantic period or earlier. Prize: $100. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

USNI General Prize Essay Contest. Restrictions: Authors must be USNI members or those eligible for membership. Genre: Essay "to advance the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of sea power and other issues critical to national defense.” Prize: $6,000. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

The Caribbean Writer Prize. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays or one act plays which explore the ideas resonating within the region and its diaspora, written by a US or UK Virgin Islands resident accepted for publication by The Caribbean Writer during the deadline year. 2021 theme: "Disruption, Disguise and Illuminations.” Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Black Caucus of the American Library Association. BCALA presents four awards to an African American writer published in the United States during the previous year: one for adult fiction, one for nonfiction, one for a first novelist and one for poetry. These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. Prize: Four $500.00 awards. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Lilith Magazine Fiction Competition. Genre: Story of interest to Jewish women. Prize: $250.  Deadline: December 31, 2021.

Center Field of Gravity Award. Genre: Science-fiction, fantasy, and horror short stories or long-form poems up to but not exceeding 17,000 words. Prize: $200. Deadline: December 31, 2021.

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: December 31, 2021. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

3 Distinctive Writing Conferences in December 2021

PxHere Because of the holidays, writing conferences are sparse in December. That doesn't mean there are none worth attending.

The New York Pitch Conference is well worth attending if you are ready to publish a book. This conference draws editors from all the major publishing houses, as well as agents who want to hear your pitch. If you write commercial fiction or nonfiction, this conference is a career starter.

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.)


(Image credit: vincent desjardins: PxHere)

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New York Pitch Conference. Dec 2 - 5, 2021 (Live conference) December 16 - 19, 2021 ( Video Conference): NY, NY. The New York Pitch Conference and writers workshop is held four times a year and features publishing house editors from major houses such as Penguin, Random House, St. Martins, Harper Collins, Tor and Del Rey, Kensington Books and many more who are looking for new novels in a variety of genres, as well as narrative non-fiction. The event focuses on the art of the novel pitch as the best method not only for communicating your work, but for having you and your work taken seriously by industry professionals. 

The Mesa Book Festival. December 4, 2021, 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.

The Algonkian Writer Retreat and Novel Workshop. December 8 - 12, 2021: Algonkian Park, Virginia. "You can show us your manuscript, improve your skills, clear your head, have your work read by our writer mentors, whatever works for you, whatever helps you grow and discover your vision as a writer. You discuss with us ahead of time via the Algonkian Writer Retreat Application the goals you wish to accomplish, and we'll work with you to make it happen. Do you desire a review? A line edit? Do you wish to discuss the reality of the current fiction market, your novel project, plot and characters, or perhaps get feedback on the opening hook or a few sample chapters? Or would you simply like a relaxed and productive dialogue about your goals as a writer?"

Note: These Kaz Conferences have application deadlines from December 1 to December 4.

Kaz Conference Keep Writing Nonfiction and Memoir Cohort – JANUARY/FEB 2022 (5 weeks) meeting Wednesdays Jan 5 - Feb 2 from 2 to 4PM EST. Are you a nonfiction writer working on a memoir? For 5 weeks beginning 2022 just 6-8 writers will gather via ZOOM -- at each workshop two writers will workshop 10 to 16 pages of a work of creative nonfiction/memoir. Virtual workshop tuition: $375 for 5 weeks - includes at least two reviews of your writing samples from Donna Kaz and your cohort. 

4 Agents Seeking Literary Fiction, Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Feminist Fiction, Healing/Health, Historical, Humor

Jaclyn Gilbert Here are four agents actively seeking clients. Rebecca Rodd is seeking adult and adult-leaning YA literary fiction that centers people of color in all genres. In the non-fiction space, Rebecca is interested in millennial experiences and perspectives. She’s also interested in pop culture and social commentary, especially from underrepresented voices. Margaret Riley King wants Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Feminist, Fiction, Healing/Health, Historical, Humor, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Pop Culture, Regional, Religious/Spiritual. Jaclyn Gilbert is looking to represent voice-driven, emotionally compelling literary fiction and upmarket nonfiction with an experimental bent. John Baker is looking for anything under the broad church of SFF as well as horror.

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 two agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another.

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

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Ms. Jaclyn Gilbert of Cullen Stanley International

Jaclyn Gilbert began her career in 2007 as an assistant in online marketing and special sales at Workman Publishing. In 2011, she joined Janklow & Nesbit Associates' foreign rights team. She has taught writing at the Sarah Lawrence Writing Institute, Curious on Hudson in Dobbs Ferry, and Pace University, as well as contributed to the Bread Loaf, Colgate, and Tin House Writers' Conferences. In 2018, Jaclyn joined Cullen Stanley International as a literary agent. She is passionate about working with writers to prepare their manuscripts for submission in the U.S. and abroad. 

What she is seeking: Jaclyn is looking to represent voice-driven, emotionally compelling literary fiction and upmarket nonfiction with an experimental bent.
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How to submit: See submission requirements HERE.


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Margaret Riley King of William Morris Endeavor

Margaret Riley King has been a literary agent at WME since 2007, where she began her career after graduating from Princeton University.

What she is seeking: Autobiography/Memoir, Commercial Fiction, Feminist, Fiction, Healing/Health, Historical, Humor, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Pop Culture, Regional, Religious/Spiritual.

How to submit: Please send an e-mail to MRK@wmeagency.com with a query letter and the first three chapters.


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Ms. Rebecca Rodd of Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency


Rebecca received her Bachelor’s degree in English from (the illustrious) Spelman College and holds a Master’s degree in Library Science from CUNY Queens College. Before joining the agency, she was a Library Information Supervisor at Brooklyn Public Library. As a former Children’s Librarian, Rebecca still maintains a soft spot for picture books perfect for Storytime, that either make kids laugh or encourage literacy development, all while offering diverse representation. Today she still serves as an active member of the New York Black Librarians Caucus.

What she is seeking: Rebecca’s interests cover a wide range of genres, but most of all, she loves to read adult and adult-leaning YA literary fiction that centers people of color full of nuance and dimension. Whether she’s reading literary fiction, science fiction, magical realism, or suspense, she loves to get wrapped up in a story with thoughtful world-building, where the setting is just as significant to the book as the characters. And while she will always argue that “the book was better,” she is intrigued by stories she can imagine watching on the big screen, or preferably, or on the small screen from the comfort of her couch. In particular she wants:

- anything set on an HBCU campus
- all of the magical realism
- mythological retellings
- romance/love stories (deep and profound and HARD or light and feel good)
- all the millennial joy and adulting hardships
In the non-fiction space, Rebecca is interested in millennial experiences and perspectives. She’s also interested in pop culture and social commentary, especially from underrepresented voices.

How to submit: Use their form HERE.

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Mr. John Baker of Bell Lomax Moreton Agency (UK)

Alongside reading every book containing a jaded space captain, an in-over-his-head supernatural detective, or a past-their-prime mercenary crew on one last mission and all possible adventures in between, John has been building a small but unique list of authors, who all share a passion for subverting expectations and creating rich new worlds of adventure.

What he is seeking: John is looking for anything under the broad church of SFF, from literary to pulpy, high fantasy to gritty urban, but he would especially love to hear from anyone under-represented in the genre, particularly neurodiverse writers. John is also keen to grow his horror list, but definitely in the vein of psychological terror more than straight gore-fest

How to submit: See submission instructions HERE.

5 New Literary Agents Seeking Romance, Sci-fi, Horror, Nonfiction, Memoir, YA, MG, Fantasy and more

Saint Gibson
Here are five new agents actively expanding their client lists. New agents are a boon to writers. They are actively building their lists, and will go the extra mile for their clients. Emma Bal is actively looking for nonfiction and memoir. Clara Chuiton is seeking romance. Saint Gibson is interested in representing adult romance, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Becca Langton is looking for new stories in all shapes and sizes, from middle grade and graphic novel to teen and YA fiction. Naomi Eisenbeiss is interested in literary fiction, and narrative nonfiction.

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 two agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another.
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You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.

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Saint Gibson of Speilburg Literary Agency 


Saint Gibson was born in California and raised in the deep South before moving up to moody New England. Prior to joining Speilburg, she worked as an assistant acquisitions editor at Tantor Media and as a ghostwriter of contemporary romance novels. She holds a bachelor's degree in Creative Writing from The University of North Carolina at Asheville, and a master's degree in Theological Studies from Princeton Theological Seminary. She currently lives in Boston with her fiance and spoiled Persian cat, and spends her free time hunting for vintage clothes in thrift stores and reading tarot cards. Saint is also an author of romantic fantasy books. 

What she is seeking: Saint is interested in representing adult romance, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. In romance, she's most interested in representing queer and polyamorous love stories of all kinds, especially historicals that read like KJ Charles or Cat Sebastian, or high heat, high angst contemporary romances that feel like Sierra Simone or Tiffany Reisz books. She loves a hard-won HEA no matter the circumstances, and some of her favorite romance tropes include forbidden love, marriage in trouble, exes to lovers, and second chance romance. She's not a good fit for sports romances or secret babies.

Saint is also interested in representing select titles in religious and metaphysical nonfiction, particularly titles with a progressive bent or interfaith appeal. She's interested in memoirs of faith lost or found, accessible theology that engages with current events and pop culture, and stories of syncretism. 

How to submit: Use her query manager HERE. 

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Ms. Clara Chuiton of Olswanger Literary 

Clara Chuiton is a new agent at Olswanger Literary. "I am a big musical theater fan, so manuscripts with this element are bound to get my attention. I'm also a former gymnast, so send me your sport and competition romances!"

What she is seeking: "I love all categories of adult romance, with an emphasis on rom-coms and contemporary. I especially love storylines that focus on identity and non-traditional careers, and I am always looking for fresh twists on well-loved tropes (enemies-to-lovers, unlikable heroines, road trip novels…). I also love historical romances that take place in unusual settings and in rarely-written-about time periods. I'm also looking for science-fiction and horror novels, and manuscripts that blend the two genres. Stories set in space, stories that pose ethical dilemmas, and stories with strong intersectional feminist themes are very likely to interest me."

How to submit: Submit a query letter and the first three chapters of your manuscript here.
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Ms. Emma Bal of The Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency (UK)

After graduating from the University of Bristol with a Master’s in Classics, Emma Bal has spent several years championing authors as an award-winning publicist at Penguin and then as Head of Publicity at Bloomsbury. From debuts to high-profile, award-winning experts in their fields, she has launched and cultivated the careers of historians, poets, activists, polemicists, Nobel prize-winning economists, memoirists, journalists and novelists. Authors she has worked with include: Reni Eddo-Lodge, Peter Frankopan, Claudia Rankine, Pankaj Mishra, David Kynaston, Richard Thaler, and Patricia Lockwood. Emma has handled the campaigns for many Sunday Times bestsellers such as Three Women by Lisa Taddeo, Humankind by Rutger Bregman, The Establishment by Owen Jones, Happiness by Design by Paul Dolan, Mudlarking by Lara Maiklem and The Anarchy by William Dalrymple.

What she is seeking: Nonfiction. Emma is actively looking for new perspectives in history, arts & culture, politics, economics, philosophy, psychology, nature and science; unusual illustrated projects; dynamic cookery and food writing; and atypical narrative non-fiction and memoir.
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How to submit: Read submission guidelines HERE. 

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Ms. Becca Langton of Darley Anderson Literary (UK) 

Becca studied History at Cambridge and loved studying (and student life) so much that she went on to add a PGCE, a masters in Children’s literature and a second masters in Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University to her CV. Whilst chasing that ‘back to school’ high, Becca has gained experience in almost every part of the publishing industry. She started out as an editorial assistant at Hot Key Books before joining the licensing world to work as a magazine editor and publishing manager for Moshi Monsters. After a spell developing original ideas for Pottermore she became a literary scout (the super sleuth of the publishing world) where she learned the importance of the foreign rights market. Becca joined Darley Anderson as a literary agent in October 2021 and is now building a list with a particular focus on the US market.

What she is seeking: Becca is looking for new stories in all shapes and sizes, from middle grade and graphic novel to teen and YA fiction. Becca reads widely but loves books with compelling voices, twists and brave new ideas. In YA she would love to see some Queer fantasy, rom-coms with plenty of ‘com’ and contemporary stories told from a new perspective. For younger readers she love/hates the books that make her cry and is on the search for characters that stay with her long after the final page. High-stakes adventure stories are welcome as are graphic novels and books that make you want to read just one more chapter…

How to submit: Use her form HERE.

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Ms. Naomi Eisenbeiss of InkWell Management 

Naomi Eisenbeiss graduated with a dual degree in Political Science from Sciences Po in Nancy, France and Freie University in Berlin, Germany. Prior to InkWell, she spent three years as Manager of the Shanghai International Literary Festival in China. She speaks English, Japanese, German and conversational French and Mandarin. 

What she is seeking: Her interests include literary fiction, and narrative nonfiction.

How to submit: Send your query to submissions [at] inkwellmanagement [dot] com. You may specify the name of the agent to whom you are submitting in the subject line of your query or address your query to the agency at large. In the body of your email, please include a query letter and a short writing sample (1-2 chapters). Emails with large attachments will be discarded.