Erica Verrillo's Blog, page 28

Pitching Your Book on Twitter Fests

What are Twitter pitch fests?

Twitter pitch fests are limited periods of time (usually one day) during which you can post a 280-character pitch for your book.

Agents are on the alert at these times, and they have the option of "liking" your pitch, and then asking for a full or partial.

If you have a completed, agent-ready manuscript, tweet your pitch! It can't do you any harm, and it doesn't preclude querying agents.

Believe it or not, pitch fests actually do work. Busy agents are often more likely to read and respond to an interesting twitter pitch than they are to a query. It takes less time and a lot less effort.

However, it will not take less effort on your part. Boiling your novel down to a short sentence is loaded with pitfalls. It's surprisingly easy to turn your exciting novel into a one-sentence summary that would bore an elephant to tears. So, I would suggest that you read What's Your Book About? How to Make a Pitch before attempting one of these contests.

A good Twitter pitches will make you want to go out and BUY the book, which is precisely what the pitch is intended for. Contrary to what you may think, a pitch is not really about the meaning, theme, or inherent quality of your book. It is a sales tool. So, think about what would make you want to read a book, and convey that in your pitch. (A hint: Pitches, like queries, follow the story arc of your main character.)

Here is a list of 2021 pitch fests. Like Twitter itself, pitch fests are constantly changing and evolving. There are probably a few that I've missed. And, some of these may vanish by next year, but that is the nature of publishing. It's a volatile industry.

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#PitDark

May 20, 2021
#PitDark is the first and only Twitter pitch event to highlight literature of a “darker” nature. Importantly, this is not limited to horror works; however, any pitched manuscript must contain an element of horror or darker writing. Examples of such categories include pure horror novels, dark fantasy, murder mysteries, psychological horror stories, non-fiction works about darker subjects, etc. MG, YA, NA, and adult age categories are welcome.
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#MockPit

May 21, August 20, November 19, 2021

#MockPit is a Twitter event where writers can practice their Twitter pitches. Authors are invited to tweet the pitch for their manuscript and encouraged to give constructive feedback to other authors. #MockPit is not associated with any other Twitter pitch contests, but authors are welcome to practice pitches they intend to use for other events.

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#PitMad 

June 3, September 2, December 2, 2021, March 3, 2022


Brenda Drake has done more to popularize twitter pitch contests than anyone else. Her contests are well organized, and attract many industry professionals as well as published authors eager to help aspiring writers. Agents keep an eye on her contests, and have signed on writers through their initial pitches. Make sure to read the contest rules carefully.

Note: You may only tweet your pitch three times during #PitMad. Read all about it HERE.

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#PitchDis

June 22, 2021


#PitchDis was created to showcase pitches from the disabled community, which has been historically underrepresented in the publishing industry. The event is inspired by the Twitter pitch events #DVpit and #PitMad.

The first #PitchDis will take place on June 22, 2021 between 8am and 8pm EDT. During this time, unagented disabled authors may pitch their complete, polished fiction or nonfiction projects on Twitter. Agents and editors who are interested in seeing more will "like" the pitch. The author can then send the requested materials to the agent or editor.

The event is moderated by Despina Karras.
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#PBpit

Hosted by Mandy Yates

June 17, 2021

For picture books only.

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#SFFpit

Hosted by Dan Koboldt

Late Summer/Fall 2021 (Date to be announced)

This contest is for completed, unpublished novels of fantasy or science fiction. Complete means that it’s proofed, polished, and ready for submission. Unpublished means you haven’t self-published it online, on Amazon, or in print. Fantasy or science fiction means speculative fiction: epic fantasy, urban fantasy, post-apocalyptic, space opera.

The contest will happen on Twitter under the hashtag #SFFpit. During a 10-hour window on the chosen day, authors with completed manuscripts who are seeking representation or publication can tweet a pitch for their books (at most, once per hour).

7 New Agents Seeking Commercial Fiction, Nonfiction, Kidlit, YA, Women's Fiction and more

Emily Glenister Here are seven new literary agents actively seeking clients. Dan Milaschewski wants Action/Adventure, Commercial, Crime, Family Saga, Fantasy, General, Historical, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Literary, Military, Mystery, New Adult, Religious, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult; and in nonfiction History, Humor, LGBTQ, Pop Culture, True Crime. Emelie Burl represents Children's, YA, and Pop Culture. Bailey Tamayo is looking for middle grade, YA, and adult speculative fiction, fantasy, sci fi, horror, and anything in between. Kristin Ostby represents authors of middle grade and young adult fiction, as well as picture book author/illustrators and select adult fiction.
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Emily Glenister is seeking female-led reading group and commercial novels, as well as diverse/own voices, with an emphasis on crime/thriller (not political or environmental), upmarket commercial women's fiction with a unique hook, epic love stories, post-eighteenth century history, and gothic novels/ghost stories. Darlene Chan is interested in stories by and about BIPOC, women’s fiction, chick lit, crime fiction, YA, pop culture and books on film and the entertainment industry. Sera Rivers is currently accepting queries for middle grade and young adult fiction and graphic novels, as well as the occasional picture book.

Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change.

You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.
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Ms. Emily Glenister of DHH Literary (UK)

Emily Glenister trained to be an actress at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating in 2010 before working as an agent and agent's assistant in offices that represented the likes of Charlotte Rampling, Sir Roger Moore, Liv Ullmann and Max von Sydow. In 2020, after assisting David Headley for four years in all aspects of the agency, Emily was made an Associate Agent and is starting to build her client list. 
What she is seeing: Female-led reading group and commercial novels, as well as diverse / own voices, with an emphasis on crime / thriller (not political or environmental), upmarket commercial women's fiction with a unique hook, epic love stories, post-eighteenth century history, and gothic novels / ghost stories. Authors similar to what Emily is looking for would be: Abi Daré, Kiley Reid, Daisy Buchanan, Amy Engel, Greer Hendricks / Sarah Pekkanen and Celeste Ng. Emily is not looking for screenplays, short story / novellas, non-fiction, children's books / YA or Sci-Fi.
How to submit: Please email a one-page synopsis, and the first three chapters of your book, to eg.submission@dhhliteraryagency.com
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Dan Milaschewski of United Talent Agency

Dan majored in English at Harvard University. After graduation, Dan found a home in the publishing department at UTA and is now actively building his own list.
What he is seeking: Commercial Fiction: Action/Adventure, Commercial, Crime, Family Saga, Fantasy, General, Historical, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Literary, Military, Mystery, New Adult, Religious, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult. Non-Fiction: History, Humor, LGBTQ, Pop Culture, True Crime
How to submit: Submissions should be emailed to daniel.milaschewski@unitedtalent.com with the word "Query" in the subject line; A brief synopsis; Your bio; The first fifty (50) pages from your novel or book proposal.


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Ms. Emelie Burl of Susan Schulman Literary Agency

I've spent the last 15 years as a children's bookseller in indie bookshops,
What she is seeking: Children's, YA, and Pop Culture.
How to submit: Please send your query to: emelie@schulmanagency.com. Fiction: Query Letter with outline and three sample chapters, resume and SASE. Non-Fiction: Query Letter with complete description of subject, at least one chapter, resume and SASE. Please do not send attachments with email queries.


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Ms. Bailey Tamayo of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates

Bailey joined Greenburger Associates after internships with Writers House and the Carol Mann Agency. She is now an associate agent and the assistant to Matt Bialer, aiding him with his talented list of fantasy, sci-fi, thriller, literary, and nonfiction authors. She graduated from Emerson College with a degree in Writing, Literature & Publishing and Communication Sciences & Disorders. You can find Bailey on Twitter @baileymeitamayo
What she is seeking: Bailey is seeking middle grade, YA, and adult speculative fiction, fantasy, sci fi, horror, and anything in between—especially when the genre is a unique setting for the deeply human stories underneath. She is drawn to poignant coming of age narratives like The Graveyard Book, I Am Not Okay With This, and any given Ghibli film. Her favorite stories are those that are gently heartbreaking, hopeful, or (ideally) both. She enjoys sharp humor, lyrical prose, lovable and complex characters, and rich worldbuilding. She is eager to advocate for underrepresented authors, and especially to explore these viewpoints through horror, such as Welcome to Night Vale, The Magnus Archives, and Mexican Gothic. Some of her favorite authors/creators are Neil Gaiman, Emily St. John Mandel, Taika Waititi, Noelle Stevenson, Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples, and ONE.
How to submit: Query Bailey at btamayo@sjga.com under the subject line “Query: [PROJECT TITLE].” Please include a brief pitch and bio in your cover letter and your full manuscript as an attachment. If Bailey believes your work might be a good fit for her list, she will be in touch within 4-6 weeks. Due to the volume of queries she receives, she is unable to respond personally to each submission.
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Ms. Darlene Chan of Linda Chester Literary Agency

Darlene Chan is the newest member of the agency. A veteran of the film industry, she served as an executive for Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures (both times under Jeffrey Katzenberg), Davis Entertainment and as an independent producer. Among the titles she has been associated with are Grumpy Old Men, Beverly Hills Cop, Thing Called Love and Shattered. In 2009, Darlene established Darlene Chan PR, which specializes in web PR and social media for authors. Among her clients are Live Talks Los Angeles, Daniel H. Wilson, Joe Ide, Elizabeth Brundage, Tara Ison and Denise Hamilton. 
What she is seeing: Darlene is interested in stories by and about BIPOC, women’s fiction, chick lit, crime fiction, YA, pop culture and books on film and the entertainment industry.
How to submit: Please send queries to her at darlene@lindachester.com, including the first two chapters in the body of the email
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Ms. Sera Rivers of Martin Literary Management

Sera worked in educational publishing for seven years and launched Avenue A Books, a children’s graphic novel imprint at Center for Responsive Schools. As Avenue A’s acquiring and managing editor, she worked with new and established children’s book writers and illustrators to create picture books and middle grade graphic novels. She loved helping writers and illustrators hone their craft to produce their best work. Now, as an agent, Sera provides editorial feedback to help clients get their manuscripts submission ready.
What she is seeking: Sera is currently accepting queries for middle grade and young adult fiction and graphic novels, as well as the occasional picture book.
How to submit: Please send your queries  via email at Sera@MartinLit.com with the following format of the subject line: “Query: [GENRE, e.g., YA Graphic Novel], [FIRST LAST NAME],” or use this link via Query Manager. She’ll do her very best to reply to queries within thirty days. For novel submissions, please include your query letter and the first ten pages of your manuscript in the body of your email. For graphic novel submissions, please include your query letter and the first ten pages of your script in the body of your email. Please attach any sample pages of art or character designs that you have, or send a link of sample pages; please also send a link to your portfolio.
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Ms. Kristin Ostby of Greenhouse Literary Agency

Kristin moved from Michigan to New York to begin her life in publishing at Penguin Random House, and after sixteen years as a children’s book editor (and freelance writer on the side), she rose to become a senior editor at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Kristin has had the joy and pleasure of editing children’s book legend Tomie dePaola; New York Times bestselling authors like Stuart Gibbs (Spy School) and US soccer star Alex Morgan (The Kicks); and award-winning creators including Daniel Miyares (Float), Jessica Lawson (Nooks & Crannies), and Heather Vogel Frederick (The Mother-Daughter Book Club). She also edited the mainstay bestseller I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy and Elizabeth Baddeley. Kristin loves guiding authors and illustrators toward their best work and advocating for them in service of building successful, sustainable artistic careers.
What she is seeking: Kristin Ostby represents authors of middle grade and young adult fiction, as well as picture book author/illustrators and select adult fiction. She is primarily seeking tightly written, tightly plotted, fast-paced commercial middle-grade and young adult fiction—adventure, mystery, and contemporary humor—as well as young adult romance.
How to submit: Use her form HERE.

80 Calls for Submissions in May 2021 - Paying markets

Pixabay This May there are nearly 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.
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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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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: May 1, 2021.
Witness. Restrictions: Black writers only. Genre: Poetry, nonfiction. Payment: $50. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

Hybrid Ink: Future//Tense: Love. Genre: Transfuturistic science-fiction. "The stories within will explore the way love, relationship, and identity issues may change over time, from the near future to far, on Earth or other planets, in humans or those from the stars." Payment: 2½¢ per word (maximum $100 per story.) Deadline: May 1, 2021.


Urhi Publishing: The Needle Drops. Genre: Horror: Fiction and poetry. Payment: £15 per poem. £50 - £100 for fiction. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

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

The Hungry Ghost Project. Genre: Fiction and creative non-fiction up to 1000 words on the topics of food, hauntings, memory and consumption, both independently and combined. Payment: £5. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

Mythulu Magazine. Genre: Short stories that feature wildly original biomes or bizarre weather.  Payment: $0.06/word or $15/page. Non-fiction pays 0.08/word. Creative works earn 0.04/word, with short stories capped at $75. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

Mud Season Review. Genre: Nonfiction up to 6,000 words, art, fiction. Payment: $50. Deadline: May 1, 2021.


Hidden Timber Books. Genre: Literary fiction or narrative nonfiction in the form of a novel, a memoir, or a collection (short stories, essays, or hybrid). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

Mudroom. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and essays in translation. Payment: $15. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

Boulevard. Genre: Poems up to 200 lines. Send up to five poems. Also fiction and nonfiction.  Payment: $25-250 for poetry, and $100-300 for prose. Deadline: May 1, 2021. No submission fee for mailed submissions.
Cryptids Emerging: Tales of Dark Cheer. Genre: "Contemporary supernatural or historical fantasy about cryptids living with humans, or just at the edge of our vision, stories of what the world would look like if cryptids were real." Payment: 0.05¢ American per word for stories up to 5,000 words. Deadline: May 1, 2021.


Foglifter. Genres: Poetry, prose, cross-genre work. "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." Payment: $25. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

Nonbinary Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and flash, up to 3000 words on theme of Industrial Revolution. Payment: For prose, 1¢ US per word, and $10 US per poem. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

Bear Creek Gazette. Genre: Anyhing you might find in a regular newspaper, keeping in mind the fact that Bear Creek does not exist. "The B.C.G is here to document the weird, scary and beautiful things that take place in the town." Payment: $30. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

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

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction 300 - 1,000 words on theme of RULER / REBEL. Payment: Pays for anthologies only. Deadline: May 2, 2021. See accepted genres.
Midnight and Indigo. Genre: Short Stories, Speculative Fiction, and Personal Essays written by Black women writers. Payment: $50 - $100. Deadline: May 2, 2021.


Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine. Genre: Fairy tales, and essays on theme of “Healers, Midwives and Cunning Folk.” Payment: $100. US dollars only. Essays: $50. Deadline: May 3, 2021.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on theme of Space. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: May 3, 2021.

Black Cat Magazine. Genre: Speculative fiction, art, and poetry. Payment: $30. Deadline: May 3, 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: May 7, 2021.  Opens to submissions on May 1.

Sciencefictionery. Genre: Science fiction short stories and poems. Payment: 3 pence per word for fiction and £30 per poem. (Approx 4 cents per word / $40 US) Deadline: May 7, 2021. 
Bennington Review. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, film writing, and cross-genre work. Payment: $100 for prose of six typeset pages and under, $200 for prose of over six typeset pages, and $20 per poem, in addition to two copies of the issue in which the piece is published and a copy of the subsequent issue. Deadline: May 8, 2021.

Kingdoms in the Wild. Restrictions: Open to Black writers. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $125. Deadline: May 10, 2021.

Shoreline of Infinity. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy. LGBTQ writers only. Payment: £10/1000 words. Deadline: May 13, 2021.

Georgia Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, non-fiction. Payment: $50 per printed page for prose and $4 per line for poetry. Essay-reviews and standard reviews earn honoraria of $50/printed page. Deadline: May 14, 2021. Fee to submit online; no fee for postal submissions.

Newfound. Genre: Fiction, Flash, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Translation, and Visual Arts. Payment: $25. Deadline: May 15, 2021. Submit early in the month.

Orca. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $25. Deadline: May 15, 2021. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee.


Grain Literary Magazine is a Canadian publication. Genres: Individual poems, sequences, or suites up to a maximum of 6 pages, fiction, literary nonfiction. Payment: CAD $50 per page up to CAD $250. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

Witness. Restrictions: Black writers only. Genre: Fiction. Payment: $50. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

Honeyguide Magazine is a bi-annual magazine that features fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art, and blog posts about animals and their human neighbors. Payment: $50. Only pays for features. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

Dose of Dread. Genre: General horror flash fiction. Preference for dread-inducing stories. Length: 500 - 1,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

Outlook Springs. Genre: "Send us your weird, wobbly wordwork: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry." Payment: $10 per poem, $10 per flash piece (under 1,000 words), $25 for short fiction and essays (over 1,000 words). Payment via PayPal or Venmo. Deadline: May 15, 2021.


Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas Stories. Genre: True stories and poems. "The rituals of the holiday season give a rhythm to the years and create a foundation for our lives. Were your traditions and celebrations different this year? Were you able to gather with family, go to church, attend holiday parties and share the special spirit of the season, brightening those long winter days. Please share your special stories about the holiday season with us." Payment: $200. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

Please See Me. Genre: Poetry, creative nonfiction/essays, fiction/short stories/flash fiction, scripts and digital media (photography, drawings, podcasts, and short films). "Patients, students, family members, caregivers, nurses, physicians, healthcare consumers, artists, mental health providers, physical therapists, writers, clergy—all of us will be patients one day and all are welcome to submit work. We are especially looking for content from vulnerable populations and those who care for them; content that connects us with every community, makes us feel something, helps us see illness, wellness, health, or the healthcare environment differently, and inspires equality in healthcare and the world." Theme: Rest & Recovery. Payment: Unspecified. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

Luna Station Quarterly. Genre: Speculative fiction by woman. Payment: $5. Deadline: May 15, 2021. Accepts reprints.

Songs of Eretz. Genre: Poetry, cover art on theme of Love. Payment: $5. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

Time Capsules. Genre: Stories about opening time capsules. Payment: $15.00 plus equal share of 50% of the anthology’s royalties for stories. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

Lamplight. Genre: Dark fiction, both short stories and flash fiction. Payment: Unpublished Fiction: 3¢ per word, $150.00 max. Reprints: 1¢ per word up to 7,000 words. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

Queer monsters anthology. Genre: Poems and short stories that "subvert the horror gaze, allowing writers and readers to celebrate monsters that have once been feared, and even question who the real monsters are and what makes something horrific or monstrous." Contributors must be LGBTQIA2S+.  Payment: Honorarium. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on theme of Post-Apocalypse. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: May 17, 2021.

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

Claw & Blossom. Genre: Poetry and prose. Payment: $25. Deadline: May 23, 2021. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fees.

Story Seed Vault. Genre: Fiction based on science. Up to 200 characters. Payment: Up to $3AUD per story. Deadline: May 24, 2021.

Night Shift Radio. Genre: Fiction, non-fiction, memoir - 7,000-10,000 words. Payment: $50 or $25. Deadline: May 28, 2021. Opens May 21.

“WHAT ONE WOULDN’T DO” Genre: Short stories. "I’m looking for sacrifices, risky wagers, high stakes, and especially—if you’re familiar with my own writing—the unintended consequences and fallout of said things. I’m interested in the lengths characters would go to “fill-in-the-blank-here.” I’m open to anything in the dark speculative fiction realm. I think blending genres/sub-genres around this theme could make for something special." Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: May 29, 2021.

Dragon Soul Press: Glitch. Genre: LitRPG genre. "Playing Virtual Reality games is a favorite pastime, but getting trapped in them due to a glitch is another story. It’s a true fight for survival now and the only way out is to finish the game." Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: May 30, 2021.

Sanitarium Magazine. Genre: Dark verse, flash fiction and short horror stories. Payment: $5 - $10. Deadline: May 30, 2021.

Classic Monsters Unleashed. Genre: Dark, scary stories featuring a classic monster or monsters (think famous creatures from pre-1960 horror movies). Length: 1500 to 5000 words. Payment: 6 cents/word. Deadline: May 30, 2021.

Madness Heart: Trigger Warning. Genre: Horror. "Give us your stories of grave robbing, necrophilia, necrocannibalism, necromancy, necrophobia, desecration, deification. Bring out your dead and paint the streets in the blood of the living and the rot of the disrespected dead... We want stomach-churning, the ultra-violent, the painful to read." Payment: $10. Deadline: May 30, 2021.

Kweli Journal. "Kweli is the first online journal of its kind to celebrate community and cultural kinships. In this shared space, you will hear the lived experience of people of color. Our many stories. Our shared histories. Our creative play with language. Here our memories are wrapped inside the music of the Muscogee, the blues songs of the South, the clipped patois of the Caribbean." Genre: Self-contained novel excerpt, short story, or creative non-fiction piece, poetry. Length: No more than 7,000 words. Payment: "upon publication." Deadline: May 30, 2021.

Spartan. Genre: Literary prose, 1500 words max. Payment: $20. Deadline: May 30, 2021.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry on theme of Contamination. Payment: $30.  Deadline: May 31, 2021. Opens May 15.

Crunchy With Ketchup. Genre: Speculative stories that feature really badass dragons. Payment: $15.00 plus equal share of 50% of the anthology’s royalties for stories. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

Blood & Bone: An Anthology of Body Horror by Women. Genre: Horror. "We’re looking for body horror stories by women writers that explore, celebrate and dissect (perhaps literally!) femininity and the female experience." Length: Anything between 1,000 – 6,000 words. Payment: 0.01 USD per word, plus an electronic contributor’s copy. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

Antioch Review. Genre: Nonfiction articles and fiction geared to an educated audience. Payment: $20/page. Deadline: May 31, 2021. Snail mail submissions only.
Tinderbox Poetry Journal. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $15. Deadline: May 31, 2021.


Nectar. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $10. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

Nashville Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art, and nonfiction. Payment: $25 per poem & song selection; $100 per selection for all other categories, including featured artwork. Translators receive $25 per poem & $100 for prose selections. Deadline: May 31, 2021. Note: Submit early in the month.


University Press of Kentucky New Poetry & Prose Series. Genre: Books of poetry or fiction (novels, short story collections, etc.). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: May 31, 2021.


Pole to Pole Publishing: Re-Enlist. Genre: Dark science fiction stories related to the military and war. "Send us military science fiction stories, ones you’ve had published before, for which full rights have already reverted back to you. We have open minds about what constitutes “military” and “science fiction” but we’re insisting on good stories told well." Payment: $10. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

Die Laughing: An Anthology of Humorous Mysteries. Genre: Mystery/crime stories with off-beat characters, bungling detectives, or funny premises. Length: 1k-8k words. Payment: 2 cents USD per word, B&W comics $25 USD. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

University Press of Kentucky. Genre: Books of poetry, fiction, and short stories. Payment: Royalties (?) Deadline: May 31, 2021. Opens May 1. 
 
Crimeucopia. Genre: Crime Fiction. Payment: Reprints - To a Maximum of - £7.00 at present - but negotiable. New Material - 1,000 - 5,000 - up to £10 .00 at present. New Material - 6.000 - 10,000 - up to £20.00 at present. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

Darkness Blooms. Genre: Dark fiction on themes of Identity, Security, and Community. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

Split Lip Magazine. Genre: Fiction (flash and short stories), memoirs, and poetry. with a pop-culture twist. Payment: $50 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: May 31, 2021. Note: Submit early in the month.

Alien Dimensions. Genre: Science Fiction. Payment: $10. Minimum 3500 words, maximum 4,500 words. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

Madness Heart Press. Genre: Horror. "Give us your stories of grave robbing, necrophilia, necrocannibalism, necromancy, necrophobia, desecration, deification. Bring out your dead and paint the streets in the blood of the living and the rot of the disrespected dead." Payment: $10. Deadline: May 31, 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: May 31, 2021.

Re-Enlist Anthology. Genre: Dark science fiction stories related to the military and war. Payment: $10. Deadline: May 31, 2021. Reprints accepted.

Baltimore Review. Genre: Poetry; send up to three poems, fiction, creative nonfiction, videos (including poetry), and cross-genre work. Payment: $40. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

Red Cape Anthologies: J is for Jack-o’-Lantern. Genre: Horror. "Halloween is the theme for these stories but the Jack-o’-Lantern must play a key role." Payment: £10. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

Contemporary Verse 2. Genre: Poetry and critical writing about poetry, including interviews, articles, essays, and reviews. Payment: $30 - $150. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on theme of Mythology. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

Coastal Shelf. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: $20 - $30. Deadline: May 31, 2021. Opens May 15.

Agni. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays. Payment: $10 per printed (or printed-out) page for accepted prose, and $20 per page for accepted poetry, up to a maximum of $150. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

One Story. Genre: Short story. Payment: $500. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

The Gettysburg Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays. Payment: $2.50 per line for poetry, with a maximum of $300.00 for an individual poem, and $25.00 per printed page for prose. Deadline: May 31, 2021. Fee to submit online; no fee for postal submissions.

Cast of Wonders. Genre: YA Speculative fiction on Seasonal Holidays. 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: May 31, 2021.

AND MORE...


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: June 1, 2021.

The Zodiac Killers Series. Genre: Thriller. Length: 5000-10,000 words, excluding title. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Strange Orbits Sci-fi Series. Genre: Space Opera. Length: 5000-10,000 words, excluding title.  Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Eternal Haunted Summer. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, essays about The Written Word. Payment: $5. Deadline: June 1, 2021.


Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels. Genre: True stories and poems. "We are looking for true personal stories about how an angel has touched your life – stories of true wonder and awe from people who have directly encountered or received help from angels. We’re looking for amazing stories that will make people say “wow” or give our readers chills. Have you experienced something otherworldly or celestial? Or had a personal experience with an angel or divine being? How did your angel manifest himself or herself to you? Were you the only person who saw your angel? How did your angel protect or guide you?" Payment: $200. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Bodies Full of Burning: An Anthology of Menopause-Themed Horror. Genre: Menopause-Themed Horror. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: June 1, 2021. (Or until filled) 

Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers, Vol. 6. Genre: Horror by Texas writers. Payment: 10,000 words - $200; 7,500 words - $150; 5,000 words - $100; 2,500 words - $50; 1,500 words - $30.00. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Parabola: Fire. Genre: Retellings of traditional stories: 500-1500 words, original essays and translations, poetry, reviews. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Cemetery Gates: Generation Dread. Restrictions: Open to writers 15-19 years of age. Genre: Horror. Payment: $100 scholarship. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

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35 Writing Contests in May 2021 - No entry fees

This May there are nearly three dozen writing contests calling for every genre and form, from poetry, to creative nonfiction, to completed novels. 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! 

(Photo credit: Anguskirk: Flickr)

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Spider’s Web Flash Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Open to female-identified writers. Genre: Microfiction on the theme of Metamorphosis. Word Count: 20 to 100 words. Prize: $150. Deadline: May 1, 2021.


The CookOut. Restrictions: Open to black writers. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

Message to the World Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to persons up to the age of 25. Genre: Poem about Freedom. Prize: £350. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

West Virginia Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Open to West Virginia residents or students. Genre: Short fiction, 5,000 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

The Waterston Desert Writing Prize. Genre: Literary nonfiction, desert theme. Prize: $1,500.   Deadline: May 1, 2021.

Questions Writing Prize. Restrictions: Open to authors aged 18-30. Genre: Short stories of any genre or nonfiction between 1500 and 2000 words. Prize: First place winners (or prize pool for a tie) is $2000. The work will also be published in a book. Deadline: May 1, 2021. 

CINTAS Creative Writing Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to any Cuban author (including those of direct Cuban lineage; need not reside in Cuba). Genre: Novel excerpts, short stories, plays, or poems of up to 25 pages. Prize: $20,000 fellowship. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

Remastered Words Short Story Competition. Genre: Fantasy short story up to 5,000 words. Prize: £75, £50, £25. The winning stories will be produced as audio shorts by voiceover artists. Deadline: May 1, 2021. Accepts reprints.

Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors. Created by the Missouri Humanities Council, the Warrior Arts Alliance, and Southeast Missouri State University Press, this series of anthologies preserves and shares military service perspectives of our soldiers and veterans of all conflicts and of their families. It is not only an outlet for artistic expression but also a document of the unique aspects of wartime in our nation's history. Genres: Poetry, Short Fiction, Essay, Photography, Interview with a Warrior. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: May 2, 2021 (postmarked).

Mavis Batey Essay Prize. Restrictions: Open to any student, worldwide, registered in a bona-fide university or institute of higher education, or who has recently graduated from such an institution. Genre: Nonfiction. Scholarly essay on gardening history. Prize:  £250, free membership of the Gardens Trust for a year and consideration for publication. Deadline: May 2, 2021.

The Maya Angelou Book Award was founded in 2020 to honor the legacy of Missouri-born author Maya Angelou by celebrating contemporary authors whose work has demonstrated a commitment to social justice in America and/or the world. Restrictions: Entrants must be U.S. Citizens and reside within the United States. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: May 3, 2021.

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: May 4, 2021.

Harper-Wood Creative Writing & Travel Award for English Poetry and Literature. Restrictions:   Open to any student who has graduated from any university in the UK, Ireland, the Commonwealth or the USA. Genre: The Award Holder is expected to engage in a course of study or research, and produce a piece of original fiction, drama or poetry. Prize: £15,000 is provided to cover accommodation and living expenses during the course of the year. Deadline: May 5, 2020.

On The Premises Mini Contest. "QUESTION EVERYTHING. For this mini-contest, show, tell, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long in which every sentence is a question (and ends with a question mark). It’s okay if technically, the sentence ends in quotation marks, because dialogue that asks a question is fine. For the purposes of this contest, “Hello?” ends in a question mark." Prize: $40. Deadline: May 7, 2021.

RTÉ Radio Short Story Competition. Restrictions: Open to Irish writers and residents of Ireland.  Genre: Short story. Prize: Up to 3,000 euros. Deadline: May 7, 2021.


All Our Various Voices. Montpelier Arts Center is seeking original and unpublished submissions for All Our Various Voices, an anthology celebrating the rich diversity of personal or family stories of immigration from writers who are 18 years of age and older and reside in Maryland, Virginia, or the District of Columbia. Prize: First Place ($200), Second Place ($150), Third Place ($100) and two Honorable Mentions ($50 each). First Place ($200), Second Place ($150), Third Place ($100) and two Honorable Mentions ($50 each). Deadline: May 7, 2021.

Governor General's Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. They do not need to be residing in Canada. Genre: The Governor General’s Literary Awards are given annually to the best English-language and French-Language book in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People’s Literature (Text), Young People’s Literature (Illustrated Books). Prize: $25,000. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

Leeway Foundation: Transformation Award. Restrictions: Women and transgender poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers in the Philadelphia area who have been creating art for social change for five or more years. Writers who have lived for at least two years in Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia counties, who are at least 18 years of age, and who are not full-time students in a degree-granting arts program are eligible. Award: $15,000. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

The Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award. Sponsored by Sisters in Crime. Restrictions: Open to emerging writers of color. An unpublished writer is preferred, although publication of one work of short fiction or academic work will not disqualify an applicant. Prize: $1,500. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

The James Laughlin Award is sponsored by the Academy of American Poets. Genre: A second book of poetry forthcoming in the next calendar year. Must be under contract with US publisher. Restrictions: Open to US citizens and residents only. Prize: $5,000, an all-expenses-paid week long residency in Florida, and the Academy will purchase approximately 1,000 copies of the book for distribution to its members. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

Sunlight Press. Genre: Flash fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: May 15, 2021.

The Roadrunner Review: High School Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to high school students. Genre: Poetry, prose. Prize: $100. Deadline: May 16, 2021.

Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Non-Fiction. Genre: Literary non-fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to a literary nonfiction book published between March 10, 2021 and May 18, 2021. Deadline: May 19, 2021.

Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Genre: Fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Prize: $25,000 will be awarded to a novel or short-story collection published between March 11, 2021 and May 18, 2021. Prizes of $2,500 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline: May 19, 2021.

Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Genre: Literary fiction, novel or short story collection. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. Prize: $50,000 will be awarded to a literary fiction book or short story collection published between March 10, 2021 and May 18, 2021. Deadline: May 19, 2021.


Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. Genre: Unpublished fiction approximately 1,000 - 5,000 words. Story should pertain to music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Prize: $100 and publication in Jerry Jazz Musician. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

Storytwigs micro-writing competition. Restrictions: Open to citizens/residents of United States or Canada. You must be 18 years or older to enter. Genre: Short prose 100 words or fewer on prompt of String. Prize: From $10 to $100. Deadline:May 31, 2021.

Speculative Literature Foundation Older Writers Grant. Restrictions: Open to writers who are fifty years of age or older at the time of grant application. Genre: Speculative fiction. Prize: $500.  Deadline: May 31, 2021.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Poetry and short fiction between 1k – 5k words based on the theme CONTAMINATION. Prize: $30. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

The Wolfe Pack Black Orchid Award. Genre: Mystery novellas in the style of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe novellas. Manuscript length: 15K-20K words. Prize: $1,000, plus recognition and publication in a forthcoming issue of AAMM. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

bpNichol Poetry Chapbook Award. Genre: Published poetry chapbook. Restrictions: Canadian publishers only. Prize: The author receives $4,000 and the publisher receives $500. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

James Bartleman Aboriginal Youth Creative Writing Awards. Restrictions: Open to aboriginal youth, 18 years or younger, residing in Ontario, Canada. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

CNO Naval History Essay Contest. Genre: Essay: Naval history.  Prize: First Prize: $5,000. Second Prize:$2,500. Third Prize: $1,500. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

Sapiens Plurum. Genre: Short stories that personalize the consequences of climate change. "This year’s short-fiction contest challenges authors to ask: How can technology increase empathy and connection? The news today is full of examples of technology creating dissension and amplifying differences. We ask authors to imagine ways that technology can improve how we relate to each other and bring us closer, even across species. We welcome stories that view life from another species’ point of view and/or explore empathy between different forms of life."  Prize: 1ST PRIZE: $1000; 2ND PRIZE: $500; 3RD PRIZE: $300. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

Bacopa Literary Review. Genres: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry. Prizes: First ($200) and Runner-Up ($160) prizes in each genre. All published will receive $20 and a copy of the print journal. After publication, Bacopa will be promoted online. Deadline: May 31, 2021.

22 Great Writing Conferences in May 2021

Wikimedia Despite the pandemic, spring writing conferences and workshops are going ahead! This May most writing conferences will be held online. 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. During the pandemic most of these are being held virtually at reduced rates. Quite a few offer scholarships, so apply early.


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Austin SCBWI 2020 Writers & Illustrators Working Conference. May 1 - 2, 2021: Austin, TX. Conference on children's books with keynotes; general sessions; breakout sessions for writing, professional development and illustration; intensives for novels, picture books and illustration; critiques; pitches and more. Will be held online.


The Loft's Wordplay Conference. May 2 - 8, 2021, Minneapolis MN. "The Loft’s Wordplay aims to be Minnesota's largest celebration of readers, writers, and great books. Imagine a weekend full of famous authors and celebrated books; a weekend of readings, conversations, workshops, kids’ activities, demonstrations, and one-of-a-kind happenings with outdoor stages, cooking stages, book signings, quiet reading corners, boisterous parties, food trucks, beer tents, and books, books, books." Will be held online.

Washington Writers Conference. May 4 & 6, 2021: Bethesda, MD. Register by April 1. "Expert sessions with authors and publishing pros on the many paths to publishing — from writing killer query letters and landing an agent to going your own way and utilizing a self/hybrid model — and publicizing your book once it exists!" Will be held online.

Annual Nonfiction Writers Conference. May 5 - 7, 2021: Conducted online.

Atlanta Writers Conference. May 7 - 9, 2021, Atlanta, GA. The conference features publishing panels, pitch sessions, manuscript and query letter critiques, and a workshop on author branding for fiction writers, nonfiction writers, and graphic novelists. Previous participating publishing professionals have included editors Lashanda Anakwah (Simon & Schuster), Sean deLone (Atria Books), Sarah Grill (St. Martin’s Press), Carolina Ortiz (HarperCollins), and Melissa Ann Singer (Tor), and agents Lisa Abellera (Kimberley Cameron & Associates), Ashley Lopez (Waxman Literary Agency), Ann Rose (Prospect Agency), Eva Scalzo (Speilburg Literary Agency), and Saba Sulaiman (Talcott Notch Literary Services). NOTE: You must be a 2021 Atlanta Writers Club (AWC) member to participate in the conference (i.e., your dues need to be current through May 9, 2021). If you are not a current member or need to renew your membership, the registration process will add $50 in nonrefundable annual dues for the Atlanta Writers Club (AWC)–with membership valid for 365 days–to the total amount for the conference activities you select. Conducted via phone.

The Spring Writers' Conference. May 8, 2021: 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.

Expand Your Imagination: An Online Poetry Workshop. May 9 - June 13. "Join us for this five-week online poetry workshop to expand the geography of your imagination and create new poems that will surprise you. Write to inspiring prompts, get insightful feedback and connect with a supportive community of writers."

Longleaf Writers Conference. May 10 - 17, 2021: Seaside, Florida. "Formerly the Seaside Writers Conference, Longleaf Writers Conference is an annual gathering of creative writers from all over the nation, featuring award-winning writers in poetry and fiction and screenwriting who will offer a full week of intensive writing workshops, one day seminars, school outreach programs, and social events. This event occurs every year in May, and offers the opportunity for beginning, intermediate and advanced writers to celebrate writing, to network with other writers, and to hone their craft. There will also be seminars hosted by professional editors and literary agents who will offer one-on-one consultations. All participants who pay the full conference tuition fee will be able to take part in all daily activities, while those paying a la carte pricing will have the pick of which classes and workshops they would like to attend. The Longleaf Writers Conference is one of the only conferences in the nation to take place on one of the most beautiful beaches in the US, and every year will feature notable guest writers, literary agents, and professional editors."

The Massachusetts Poetry Festival. May 13 - 16, 2021, Salem, Massachusetts. The Mass Poetry Festival offers nearly 100 poetry readings and workshops, a small press and literary fair, panels, poetry slams, and open-air readings. More than 150 poets will engage with thousands of New Englanders. 

VORTEXT Returning to Indigenous Wisdom for a New Time. May 14, 2021. "Chenoa will share excerpts from The Whale Child; stories and traditions of her Lummi and S’Klallam people, and wisdom from other indigenous peoples she has come to know on her travels. Participants will be guided to connect again to their own life experiences with the Natural world and their families of origin as a way to remember how to return to harmony and balance with all beings." Conducted online.

Washington Writers Conference. May 14 - 15, 2021: Bethesda, MD. Register by April 1. "As always, the centerpiece of our annual conference is one-on-one pitch sessions (six minutes apiece) with literary agents from across the country, and this year is no exception! The only difference? You’ll be pitching your book or idea via Zoom." Will be held online.

San Diego Writing Workshop. May 14 - 15, 2021. "This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on May 14-15, 2021. 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 “San Diego” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually."

Pennwriters Conference. May 14 - 16, 2021: Pittsburgh, PA. The 32nd Annual Pennwriters Conference features three days of workshops, panels, networking and learning to help you learn, grow, soar! Friday, Saturday and Sunday feature an open attendance slate of one-hour workshops on all things writing. The schedule is structured with open attendance, so you can take whichever classes appeal to you. Attendees will have 40+ hours of sessions to choose from. Our faculty is comprised of published authors, literary agents and editors, and other writing industry professionals. Pitch appointments are available at no additional fee. Conducted online.

Biographers International Organization Conference. May 14 - 16, 2021. The conference features panels on current issues in biography and the craft of biography, including discussion of the topics of interviewing, writing about writers, and obituary writing. The faculty includes biographers Blake Bailey, Kai Bird, David W. Blight, and Claudia Dreifus. Biographer David Levering Lewis will deliver the keynote address. The cost of the conference is $99 ($49 for BIO members). Registration is rolling through May 16. Conducted online.

VORTEXT Stars & Scars: A Poetic Constellating of the Things that Broke Us. May 15, 2021. "In this generative writing workshop, we will explore our scars—the text of healing inscribed upon the skin and within the body; and our stars—the points of brilliance and insight gathered from the movement from wound to healing. We will create a constellation of personal metaphors from which you can recognize your own distinct patterns and form your own unique narratives and mythologies." Conducted online.

Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference. May 15 - 18, 2021. The faculty for the 2021 conference will be: Francisco Cantú, Victoria Chang, Brandon Hobson, Anis Mojgani, Marie Mutsuki Mockett, and Vera Starbard. The closing speaker will be Ernestine Hayes. There will be other panels and guest speakers that will be announced as they are finalized. Conducted online.

Annual PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature. May 18 - 22, 2021 at various locations in New York City and Los Angeles. "Join more than 125 writers and artists representing over 50 nationalities in New York City for the 2019 PEN World Voices Festival: Open Secrets. In 60+ events in venues across New York City, the 15th anniversary of New York’s first international literary festival will gather nonfiction and fiction writers, thinkers, and activists to discuss what we reveal and what we withhold, and the opportunities and dangers inherent in the rapid reconfiguring of the public and the private in the literary, cultural, social, and political realms." 

Bear River Writers’ Conference. May 20 - 23, 2021: Camp Michigania on Walloon Lake, near Petoskey, Michigan. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, discussions, nature walks, and time to write.

The Writer’s Hotel Virtual Fiction Weekend. May 20 - 24, 2021. Application Deadline: April 19, 2021. "The conference features workshops, lectures on craft and publishing, one-on-one pitch sessions with agents, and readings by faculty and as well as conference attendees. The faculty includes fiction writers Chris Abani, Dan Chaon, Kwame Dawes, Elyssa East, Jeffrey Ford, Mary Gaitskill, Christina García, Tod Goldberg, Isabella Hammad, Elizabeth Hand, Pam Houston, Marie Myung-Ok Lee, Rick Moody, Nami Mun, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Justin Torres, and Lidia Yuknavitch and conference directors Shanna McNair and Scott Wolven. Participating publishing professionals include editor Kevin Larimer (Poets & Writers, Inc.). The cost of the conference is $2,000."

Big Sur on Cape Cod. May 21 - 23, 2021, North Falmouth MA. Focus on children's writing. Faculty: Andrea Brown and four of her agents, four editors and four authors. 

Boldface Conference for Emerging Writers. May 24 - 28, 2021: Houston, Texas. Daily workshops, readings, craft talks, social events and professionalism panels in an intimate and supportive environment designed specifically with the needs of emerging writers in mind.

Balticon 55. May 28 - 31, 2021: Baltimore, MD. Balticon is sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS). BSFS presents the Compton Crook Award, the Robert A. Heinlein Award, and the winner of the annual Jack L. Chalker Young Writer's Contest annually at this event. Faculty: Guest of Honor: Catherine Asaro. Multiple tracks of Programming over the four day weekend, featuring authors, artists, scientists, musicians, podcasters, publishers, editors, costumers and other creative SF luminaries. Will be held online.

Bringing Pulp Fiction Back to Life

Pulp fiction was quite popular through the 1940s, when pulp magazines generated millions of sales. Unlike literary works, pulp fiction was considered "cheap," both literally and figuratively. Pulp magazines were printed on less expensive pulp paper and the topics were often racy, characterized by a lot of action. The stories were appealing to an audience eager for adventure.

Pulp magazines, which had been the nation's single largest outlet for short stories, collapsed in the 1950s on the heels of post-WWII paper shortages. Lately there has been a resurgence of interest in pulp. But, with those magazines out of print, the stories are no longer accessible to readers. 

Enter Michael Tierney and Robert Allen Lupton, two pulp historians who have launched an impressive kickstarter campaign to resuscitate The Cosmic Courtship, a work of pulp fiction. The book is notable because it was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne's son, Julian. 

Tierney and Lupton hope to bring Hawthorne's  swashbuckling space adventure back into print. If there is enough interest and support to turn this into an ongoing project, they will work with pulp archivists to rescue these nearly lost works and make them available both in print and digitally so that they can be preserved and enjoyed by future generations.

From the website:

Julian Hawthorne was an incredibly prolific writer in his own right. Julian wrote on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from literary analysis of his father's works to poetry to period romances and adventures. Late in his career, Julian even dabbled in the emerging genre of Science Fiction [Hugo Gernsback had only recently coined the awkward term "Scientifiction" when this story was first published.]

The Cosmic Courtship was serialized in Frank A. Munsey's All-Story Weekly across four issues, beginning with the November 24, 1917 issue and running through the December 15, 1917 issue. While this story has been in the public domain for some time, it has never been collected or published elsewhere until now.

The foremost goal of this project is to get an exciting, essentially lost, classic pulp story back into print and into the hands of scifi fans, pulp aficionados, and readers in general! What do we mean by "essentially lost"? While The Cosmic Courtship is a work in the Public Domain and part of the world's common literary heritage, there's virtually no way for anyone to read it! It has only ever been printed in now very expensive and hard to find pulp magazines. Even if cost were not an object, availability often is. 


Read more about this worthy project here>>

12 Mystery and Thriller Publishers Open to Submissions - No Agent Required

Pixabay Whodunnits never go out of style, and neither do pulse-pounding thrillers, so if you write mysteries or thrillers, you are in luck. 

Here are a dozen mystery and thriller publishers that don't require an agent. All are traditional publishers. (No vanity presses) Make sure your manuscript is complete before you submit. None of these publishers accept proposals or partially completed work.
Happy submitting!

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Camel Press is the genre imprint of Coffeetown Press. (Coffeetown Press publishes memoir, nonfiction, some literary mysteries, and literary fiction). "Camel Press is a feisty little publisher with a mission: to be your trusted purveyor of popular literature—the stuff that makes you lie in the sun too long and read in bed until the cock crows, the urban chickens start clucking, or your neighbor leaves for her 6 am shift." Seeking: Genre fiction: mystery/suspense, cozy mystery, mystery thrillers, romantic suspense and romance (contemporary and historical). They also consider general fiction, historical fiction and westerns. Read their guidelines here.
Crooked Lane publishes mysteries, thrillers, and suspense. titles in both print and electronic editions. Crooked Lane Books is distributed through Legato Publishers Group, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Crooked Lane is also represented by Biagi Literary Management for subsidiary rights licensing in foreign and domestic markets, and their business relationships include Bookspan, home of the country’s largest book clubs, and Blackstone Audio, one of the nation’s largest independent audiobook publishers.  Read submission guidelines here.

Dark Edge Press is the crime imprint of Usk River Publishing (UK). They are a digital first publisher. Dark Edge accepts Psychological, Crime, Legal, Medical, Techno, and Hard-boiled Action-packed Thrillers. Procedurals, Chillers, Grip-lit, and Domestic noir.  Read submission guidelines here.

Fahrenheit Press exclusively publishes mysteries and thrillers. They accept self-published and previously published work, provided the author has all the rights. They offer a generous royalty rate of 50% on both eBooks & paperback editions for a 5 year contract.  Read submission guidelines  here.

Felony and Mayhem was launched in 2005, and now has more than 100 titles in print. Their focus is on literary mystery fiction. "We love wit, we love elegance, we love distinctive narrative voices. And while we may sound a little snotty, the truth is that we would love nothing more than to find your witty, elegant, distinctive manuscript in our inbox." The minimum length is roughly 75,000 words.  Read submission guidelines  here.

Hard Case Crime publishes old-fashioned, hard-boiled crime novels with "bare-knuckled" prose. They are unabashedly dedicated to "reviving the vigor and excitement, the suspense and thrills—the sheer entertainment—of the golden age of paperback crime novels, both by bringing back into print the best work of the pulp era and by introducing readers to new work by some of today's most powerful writers and artists. Determined detectives and dangerous women...fortune hunters and vengeance seekers...ingenious criminals and men on the run..."  Read submission guidelines  here.

Joffe Books is one of the UK’s leading independent publishers of crime and mystery novels. Many of their authors have topped the best-seller lists. They accept submissions from published authors and new writers, as well as authors who wish to relaunch their back-list titles. They are seeking mysteries, crime fiction, psychological thrillers, detective, thrillers, and suspense.  Read submission guidelines  here.

Level Best, a publisher of anthologies, has recently opened its doors to full-length manuscript submissions. They are seeking crime fiction novels in the following categories: mystery, thriller, suspense, historical, traditional, and contemporary. No works of erotica or science fiction at this time.  Read submission guidelines  here.

Lyrical Press, an imprint of Kensington, publishes suspense fiction, thrillers, and cozy mysteries. They have a penchant for romance. Submit to one editor only. (The list of editors includes the genres they are receiving.) Response time is three months.  Read submission guidelines  here.

Oceanview Press is an independent publisher of original mystery, thriller, and suspense titles.  Oceanview Publishing’s titles have received many awards and award nominations.  Read submission guidelines  here.

Seventh Street Books—where fiction is a crime—is devoted to publishing quality mystery, thriller, and crime fiction. It is an imprint of Prometheus Books, an independent publisher of progressive nonfiction. A number of their debut titles have won prestigious awards, including the Edgar Award, the Mary Higgins Clark Award, and the Anthony Award.  Read submission guidelines  here.

Tule Publishing specializes in romance and mystery ebooks. In mysteries they are looking for Domestic suspense, Cozy mysteries, Private Investigators, Mystery stories with diverse characters, Detective mysteries with women sleuths, Police Procedural, Thrillers.  Read submission guidelines  here.

6 New Agents Seeking Memoirs, Literary Fiction, SF/F, Romance, Horror and more

Here are six new literary agents actively building their client lists. Lee O'Brien is looking for books with clear stakes and an immersive world, as well as anything with lots of atmosphere, magic, monsters, intrigue, or a plot full of twists and turns across all age categories. Meridith Viguet is looking to represent adult “sweet spot” fiction that straddles the commercial and literary line as well as popular nonfiction, especially titles that examine life in rural areas in the US and around the world, and current, too-wild-to-be-true memoirs. 
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Paige Terlip is actively building her list of illustrators and is especially looking for author-illustrators and graphic novel illustrators. Isabel Kaufman is seeking young adult fiction (all genres), science fiction/fantasy, romance, historical fiction, literary fiction, thrillers, horror, and graphic novels as well as narratives focused on travel, food, and the science of beauty. Lindsay Guzzardo represents adult fiction. Rukhsana Yasmin is focusing on non-fiction but she is also building a select fiction list, in particular, genre, literary and speculative fiction.

Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change.

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

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Rukhsana Yasmin of The Good Literary Agency (UK)

Most recently deputy editor at Wasafiri, Yasmin entered the industry through an Arts Council England (ACE) diversity in publishing scheme after completing a degree in Physics from the University of Surrey and went on to work at award-winning publishers Saqi Books, Profile Books and Jacaranda. In 2012 she was awarded The Kim Scott Walwyn Prize for Women in Publishing and was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2014. She is a trustee of the Centre for Learning in Primary Education (CLPE), with particular interest in the representation of children of colour in books. In recent years she has been working with writers from predominantly under-represented communities, offering mentorship through workshops with Spread the Word, as well as one-to-one editorial care and development in narrative nonfiction and fiction in her role as Project Officer at Commonwealth Writers, part of the Commonwealth Foundation.

What she is seeking: Yasmin is focusing on non-fiction but she is also building a select fiction list, in particular, genre, literary and speculative fiction.

How to submit: Please read their submission guidelines HERE. Note: Yasmin only accepts submissions from UK residents.

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Lee O'Brien of Irene Goodman Literary Agency

Originally from Long Island, Lee returned to New York to join IGLA after completing an MA in English literature from UC Davis. Since starting at IGLA in 2019, Lee has worked first as an intern, then as a junior agent and assistant. 

What they are seeking: Across all age categories, they’re looking for books with clear stakes and an immersive world, as well as anything with lots of atmosphere, magic, monsters, intrigue, or a plot full of twists and turns. They’re actively seeking underrepresented voices, and they have a particular soft spot for queer romance (whether it’s an epic love story or a first crush), ace rep, and trans kids with swords.

How to submit: See submission instructions HERE.

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Ms. Meridith Viguet of Writers House 

"I joined Writers House in 2019 after beginning my career at the renowned scouting agency, Maria B. Campbell Associates, where I worked under a talented senior team to scout books for the general adult trade and children’s markets for clients in 22 countries, in addition to working in the agency's capacity as the exclusive inbound licensing literary representative for Netflix Films and Series. Once at Writers House, I spent two years working closely with longtime senior agent and company chair Amy Berkower."

What she is seeking: On the fiction side, I’ll be looking to represent adult “sweet spot” fiction that straddles the commercial and literary line and would fit beautifully on a book club list; speculative literary fiction in the vein of Catherine Lacey's THE ANSWERS, Melissa Broder's THE PISCES, or Otessa Moshfegh's MY YEAR OF REST AND RELAXATION; and fresh, funny YA of all stripes, particularly titles that feature male protagonists and appeal to male and female readers alike. Across the board, I would love to represent own-voice stories that feature historically marginalized cultures.

I’m also looking to represent popular nonfiction, especially titles that examine life in rural areas in the US and around the world, and current, too-wild-to-be-true memoirs, especially those from younger authors. I’m drawn to works that dive into unique subcultures, an irresistible voice, and, above all, a sense of humor.

How to submit: Please send your query to mviguet@writershouse.com as an e-mail, along with the first 10-15 pages of your manuscript pasted into the body of the message. 

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Paige Terlip of Andrea Brown Literary Agency

Prior to becoming an Associate Agent, Paige was a Senior Assistant for Executive Agent Laura Rennert, and has been with ABLA for over three years. She comes to agenting with a background in marketing, design, and freelance editorial. She’s worked at Charlesbridge Publishing, The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and a ranch in the Rockies. She has an MA in Children's Literature and an MFA in Writing for Children from Simmons University. If she’s not reading, you'll find her practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, re-watching the Great British Baking Show, or hiking with her Husky-Shepherd mix.

What she is seeking: Paige Terlip is actively building her list of illustrators and is especially looking for author-illustrators and graphic novel illustrators.

How to submit: Use her submission form HERE.


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Ms. Isabel Kaufman of Fox Literary

Fox Literary is a boutique agency which represents commercial and literary fiction, along with select works of nonfiction that have broad commercial appeal.

What she is seeking: Young adult fiction (all genres), science fiction/fantasy, romance, historical fiction, literary fiction, thrillers, horror, and graphic novels. "We're always interested in books that cross genres and reinvent popular concepts with an engaging new twist (especially when there’s a historical and/or speculative element involved). On the nonfiction side: narratives focused on travel, food, and the science of beauty, as well as microhistories of all things decadent and frivolous."

How to submit: Email a query letter and the first 5 pages of your manuscript IN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL to submissions@foxliterary.com. Please include the name of the agent to whom the submission is directed in the salutation of your email.

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Ms. Lindsay Guzzardo of Martin Literary Management

Through tenures at Amazon Publishing, Guideposts Books, and Penguin/Signet, Lindsay Guzzardo acquired and edited numerous bestselling titles to fantastic customer and trade reviews, particularly in commercial fiction, women's fiction, and romance. She edited Guideposts Books’ first New York Times-bestseller, "A Sweethaven Summer," and was one of the original editors brought onboard at Amazon Publishing, where she was pivotal in launching Montlake Romance. At Amazon, she acquired debut romantic suspense author Kendra Elliot, whose titles have sold eight million+ copies, and Marina Adair's bestselling Vineyard Series, which was turned into a hit movie trilogy for the Hallmark Channel. She was also nominated for three RITA Awards, the romance industry’s highest honor.

What she is seeking: Adult genre fiction.

How to submit: Please send a query letter and the first three chapters to: Lindsay@MartinLit.com

62 Calls for Submissions in April 2021 - Paying markets

Pixabay This April there are more than five 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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West Branch. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and translation. Payment: $50 per submission of poetry, and $.05/word for prose with a maximum payment of $100. Deadline: April 1, 2021.
Constelación is a quarterly speculative fiction bilingual magazine, publishing stories in both Spanish and English. Writers can submit their stories in either language. Fifty percent of the stories we publish in every issue will be from authors from the Caribbean, Latin America, and their diaspora. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: April 1, 2021. See themes.

Temz Review. Genre: Fiction and creative non-fiction up to 10,000 words long. Payment: $20. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Inklings: Tales From Alternate Earths. Genre: Alternative history. Payment: $50. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Tales From the Magician’s Skull. Genre: Sword-and-sorcery fantasy. Payment: 4 cents per word.  Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Iron Horse Literary Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: $100 per essay or story, and $50 per poem or flash piece. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Timeless Tales: Arabian Nights. Genre: Poetry, fiction on theme of Arabian Nights. Payment: $30 per piece. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Salamander. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Gordon Square Review. Genre: Poetry, short stories, personal essays, and hybrid prose works. Payment: $25 per prose piece and $10 per poem. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Zone3 Press. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC authors. Genre: Poetry, short stories, personal essays. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

The HerStories Project. Restrictions: Open to Gen-X women at midlife. Genre: "Our next anthology will be about how midlife women have fared during this pandemic. We want to publish stories of how women's lives have changed — their work lives, their family lives, their marriage and partnerships, their friendships, their relationships with their community." Payment: $50. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

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

Playing With Reality. Genre: Proposals for pieces of 1200–1500 words that "critically and imaginatively probe the influence of game engines, tools, infrastructure, and logics on immersive nonfiction storytelling projects. We are also interested in how immersive and emerging forms of nonfiction interact with and in turn affect gaming platforms, spaces, narratives, and notions of audiences." Payment: $250. Deadline: April 2, 2021.

Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine. Genre: Fairy tales, and essays on theme of “Healers, Midwives and Cunning Folk.” Payment: $100. US dollars only. Essays: $50. Deadline: April 3, 2021.

Space and Time. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: April 3, 2021.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on Theme of Orange. Payment: $10 via PayPal for each story published in an Anthology. Deadline: April 4, 2021.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on theme of Time Travel. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: April 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: April 7, 2021.  Opens to submissions on April 1.

Luna Novella. Genre: Speculative fiction novellas. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 10, 2021.

SAND. Genre: Poetry, fiction, flash fiction, art. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: April 10, 2021.

Voiceworks, Restrictions: Open to Australians under the age of 25. Genre: Fiction and poetry on theme of Pickle. Pitches only. Payment: $100. Deadline: April 11, 2021.

Shoreline of Infinity. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy. Payment: £10/1000 words. Deadline: April 13, 2021.

Black Hare Press: Dystopia. Genre: Dystopian novellas, 20,000 - 40,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 14, 2021.

Wyldblood Press. Genre: Speculative short stories. Payment: £0.01 per word for print and digital rights, for stories up to 7,500 words with a 180 day exclusivity period. Deadline: April 14, 2021.

Narrative. Genre: Short story, novel excerpt, novella, poem, or literary nonfiction. Payment: Up to $1000. Deadline: April 14, 2021. (Narrative does not charge submission fees during the first two weeks of April.)

Epoch. Genre: Fiction, poetry, essays, cartoons, screenplays, graphic art, and graphic fiction. Payment: $50 per poem, maximum of $150 per story. Deadline: April 15, 2021.

Translunar Travelers Lounge. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $0.03 per word with a minimum of $20. Deadline: April 15, 2021. Opens March 21, 2021. 

Midnight Breakfast. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. Payment: $50. Deadline: April 15, 2021.

House of Zolo’s Journal of Speculative Literature, Volume 3 – The Climate Change Edition. Genre: Speculative poetry, fiction  that examines the future of our planet as it relates to Climate Change.  Payment: $25 per poem, and $50-$75 per story. Deadline: April 15, 2021.

Liquid Imagination. Genre: Fiction and poetry. 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: Mid-April, 2021.

Mad Creek Books: 21st Century Essays series. Genre: Essays. Payment: Royalties? Deadline: April 15, 2021.

Lethe Press: Blood on Your Hands. Genre: Previously published homo-erotic stories about male vampires. Payment: Up to $75. Deadline: April 15, 2021.

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: April 15, 2021.

Acre is an imprint of the Cincinnati Review. Genre: Novels, poetry, and short story collections. Read submission guidelines here. Deadline: April 15, 2021.

Dose of Dread. Genre: General horror flash fiction. Preference for dread-inducing stories. Length: 500 - 1,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: April 15, 2021.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on theme of Alternative Realities. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: April 19, 2021.
Cloaked Press: Summer of Speculation. Genre: Speculative short stories. Payment: $15. Deadline: April 20, 2021.

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

Story Seed Vault. Genre: Fiction based on science. Up to 200 characters. Payment: Up to $3AUD per story. Deadline: April 24, 2021.

Lemonspouting, Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF, art. Payment: $10 per poem; $15 per short fiction; $15 per creative non-fiction; $15 art/photography and $20 for cover art. Deadline: April 24, 2021.

Shooter. Genre: Fiction, poetry, CNF, art on theme of Escape. Payment: £25 per story and £5 per poem. Deadline: April 25, 2021.

Voiceworks, Restrictions: Open to Australians under the age of 25. Genre: Art, comics and comic pitches on theme of Pickle. Pitches only. Payment: $100 - $150. Deadline: April 25, 2021.
Handmade Horror Stories. Genre; Horror stories that incorporate some element of art or craft. Payment: $25.00 CAD. Deadline: April 28, 2021.

Consequence Magazine: The Culture of War. Genre: Short fiction, poetry, nonfiction, interviews, reviews, and visual art mainly focused on the culture of war. Payment: $10/page for prose (up to $250), $25/page for poetry, $15/page for translations (up to $250). Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Gaslamp Fantasy Anthology. Genre: Gaslamp fantasy. "Generally speaking, this particular realm of fantasy employs either a Victorian or Edwardian setting. The gaslamp fantasy genre is not to be confused with steampunk, which usually has more of a super-science edge and uchronic tone." Payment: .015 cents/word. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Devil's Party Press. Genre: Full-length literary fiction. Payment: Royalties? Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Nightlight. Restrictions: Open to Black writers. Genre: Horror. 10,000 words max. Audio format. Payment: $75 - $200 depending on length. $50 for reprints. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

The Fiddlehead. Restrictions: Canadians only. Genre: Fiction, including excerpts from novels, creative nonfiction, art, and poetry. Payment: $60 CAD per published page. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Colorado Review. Genre: Poetry of any style. Submit no more than five poems with a maximum of 15 pages. Also fiction and nonfiction. Payment: $10 per page ($30 minimum) for poetry and $200 for short stories and essays. Deadline: April 30, 2021; nonfiction manuscripts are read year-round. No submission fee for mailed submissions.

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: April 30, 2021. See themes.

Midnight From Beyond the Stars. Genre: Alien horror stories. Payment: 6 cents/word. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Propertius Press: Draw Down the Moon. Genre: Short fiction on theme of romantic love. Payment: Revenue sharing. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

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: April 30, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Counting Your Blessings. Genre: True stories and poems. "Please share your stories about handling challenges in your life, finding the silver linings, and counting your blessings, whether the challenges you are facing are COVID-19 related or other kinds. Stories can be serious or funny, but definitely should be inspirational and heartwarming. Attitude adjustments, finding contentment and gratitude, a new way of handling your daily life, and other great ideas to inspire readers to find their own paths to happiness and to remember to count their blessings every day are what we are looking for." Payment: $200. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Massachusetts Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, hybrid, translations. Payment: $100. Deadline: April 30, 2021. Fee for online submissions. No fee for USPS.

Harbor Review. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $10. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Dragon Soul Press: Murder and Mayhem. Genre: Mystery. "A murder needs to be solved by these main characters as the stakes rise higher. Any branch of investigators can be included, even vigilantes." Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Extraordinary Visions: Stories Inspired by Jules Verne. Genre: Short stories inspired by the writings of Jules Verne. Payment: 2¢ per word for original stories ($30 flat rate for reprints). $100 for art.  Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Draw Down the Moon. Genre: Romantic fiction. Payment: Share of net proceeds. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Eerie River Publishing: It Calls from the Doors. Genre: Horror on theme of Doorways. May have elements of Dark Fantasy, Dark Fiction and Cosmic horror. But must have the intention to scare the readers. Payment: Up to 3000 words $10.00; Up to 5000 words $15.00; Above 5001 words $20.00. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Typehouse. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction and visual art. Payment: $10 - $18. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

The Arkansas International. Genre: Fiction, poetry, essays, comics, and works in translation.   Payment: $20 a printed page (capped at $250). Deadline: April 30, 2021. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee. 

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: May 1, 2021.

Mythulu Magazine. Genre: Short stories that feature wildly original biomes or bizarre weather.  Payment: $0.06/word or $15/page. Non-fiction pays 0.08/word. Creative works earn 0.04/word, with short stories capped at $75. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

Hidden Timber Books. Genre: Literary fiction or narrative nonfiction in the form of a novel, a memoir, or a collection (short stories, essays, or hybrid). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

Mudroom. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and essays in translation. Payment: $15. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

Boulevard. Genre: Poems up to 200 lines. Send up to five poems. Also fiction and nonfiction.  Payment: $25-250 for poetry, and $100-300 for prose. Deadline: May 1, 2021. No submission fee for mailed submissions.

Cryptids Emerging: Tales of Dark Cheer. Genre: "Contemporary supernatural or historical fantasy about cryptids living with humans, or just at the edge of our vision, stories of what the world would look like if cryptids were real." Payment: 0.05¢ American per word for stories up to 5,000 words. Deadline: May 1, 2021.


Foglifter. Genres: Poetry, prose, cross-genre work. "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." Payment: $25. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

Nonbinary Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and flash, up to 3000 words on theme of Industrial Revolution. Payment: For prose, 1¢ US per word, and $10 US per poem. Deadline: May 1, 2021.

40 Writing Contests in April 2021 - No entry fees

Pxhere This April there are more than three dozen writing contests calling for every genre and form, from poetry, to creative nonfiction, to completed novels. Prizes range from $100,000 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! 
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Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest. Genre: This contest seeks today's best humor poems, published and unpublished. Please enter one poem only, 250 lines max. Prize: $3,500 in prizes, including a top prize of $2,000, and publication on Winning Writers. Deadline: April 1, 2021.
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Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize. Genre: Pieces of any genre up to 2500 words on the theme of “On Wilderness and Civilization.” Prize: The winner receives a £10,000 cash prize and is presented with the award by the poet John Burnside. A £3,000 cash prize will go to the second place, and £2,000 to the third place runner up. The winner and two runners up are invited to attend the Fjällnäs symposium.   Deadline: April 1, 2021.

The Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for Writers. Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians awards fellowships for writers to spend time in McCullers' childhood home in Columbus, Georgia. The fellowships are intended to afford the writers in residence uninterrupted time to dedicate to their work, free from the distractions of daily life and other professional responsibilities. Award: Stipend of $5000 to cover costs of transportation, food and other incidentals. Fellowship recipients will be required to introduce or advance their work through reading or workshop/forum presentations. The Fellow will work with the McCullers Center Director to plan a presentation near the end of the residency. Deadline: April 1, 2021.  

Wick Poetry Center Undergraduate Poetry Competition. Restrictions: The competition is open to any undergraduate currently enrolled at Kent State University. Genre: Poem, maximum 100 lines long. Prize: One-time $1,500 scholarship to Kent State University. Second and third prize: $1,000 and $500 one-time scholarships. Deadline: April 1, 2021. 

The Great American Think-Off. Genre: Essay on the theme: “Which is more important:
to win or to play by the rules?” Entrants should take a strong stand agreeing or disagreeing with this topic, basing their arguments on personal experience and observations rather than philosophical abstraction. Essay should be no more than 750 words. Prize: One of four $500 cash prizes. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Cymera-Scotland’s Futures Forum-Shoreline of Infinity Prize for Speculative Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to unpublished writers living in Scotland. Genre: Speculative short stories. "What could life in a world, any world, after a global life-changing event be like? How will we be living, young, adult, mature – what are the possibilities?" Prize: Awards are in 2 categories: 14 to 17 year old and 18+. The winning writers in each age-range category will be awarded £75. Deadline: April 4, 2021.

The American Prospect Writing Fellows Program. The American Prospect’s Writing Fellows Program offers journalists the opportunity to spend two years developing their skills with the magazine at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. (or working remotely, in pandemic times). Each fellow benefits from an intensive mentoring program with the experts on our editorial team, and is expected to contribute regularly. Two fellowships are available starting Summer 2021, running through Summer 2023. Deadline: April 5, 2021.

“You Will Be Found” Essay Challenge. Restrictions: Open to residents of the United States and its territories. Genre: Essay. "We invite 11th-grade and 12th-grade students to write a college-application style essay (no longer than 650-words) that describes how you have managed to ensure those around you were a little less alone in recent months – or, alternatively, a moment where you yourself have found comfort in connection." Prize: $10,000 college scholarship. Deadline: April 5, 2021.

Gordon Burn Prize. Restrictions: Open to permanent US or UK residents. Genre: Fiction or nonfiction book first published in the US or UK between July 1 of the preceding year and July 1 of the deadline year. Prize: 5,000 pounds and 3-month writing retreat at Gordon Burn's cottage in Berwickshire.  Deadline: April 7, 2021.
Sunken Garden Poetry Festival's Fresh Voices Competition. Restrictions: New England high school students. Prize: Reading at the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival and publication. Deadline: April 9, 2021.

Grist: Imagine 2200. Genre: Short stories. "What we’re seeking: short stories that envision the next 180 years of equitable climate progress. Our mission is to make the story of a better world so irresistible, you want it right now." Prize: First, second, and third-prize winners will be awarded $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000 respectively, and nine additional finalists will each receive a $300 honorarium. Deadline: April 12, 2021.

Descant. Each year, descant offers four awards:the $500 Frank O’Connor Award for fiction (for the best short story in a issue)the $250 Gary Wilson Award (for an outstanding story in an issue)the $500 Betsy Colquitt Award for poetry (for the best poem or series of poems by a single author in an issue)the $250 Baskerville Publishers Award (for an outstanding poem or poems by a single author in an issueThere is no application process or reading fee. All published submissions are eligible for prize consideration. Simply submit your work. Deadline: April 15, 2021.

Jersey Pines Ink. Genre: Fantasy flash fiction. 500 words max. Prize: $5. Deadline: April 15, 2021.

Parsec Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to non-professional writers. Genre: Speculative fiction. The theme for the contest is: Still Waters, Deep Thoughts. This can be conveyed in the setting, plot, characters, dialogue…the only limit is your imagination. The theme must be integral to the story in some way and not just mentioned in passing. Prize: $200 and publication. Deadline: April 15, 2020.

Scotiabank Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English. Books must be published in Canada in English between March 1, 2021, and April 30, 2021 to be eligible for the 2019 Prize. Must  be nominated by publisher. Genre: Fiction. Full-length novel or collection of short stories published in English, either originally, or in translation. Prize: $100,000 to the winner and $10,000 to each of the finalists. Deadline: April 16, 2021.

Science Me A Story. Genre: Scientific stories for children (ages 6-12) of up to four pages by authors over age 18. Stories can be in English or Spanish. Prize: £150, £100 or £50. Deadline: April 18, 2021.

The Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize. Genre: Book-length translation of Asian poetry into English. Both translators and publishers are invited to submit titles. Book must have been published in previous year. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: April 19, 2021.

American Literary Translators Association Italian Prose in Translation Award. Genre: Translation of a recent work of Italian prose (fiction or literary non-fiction). Both translators and publishers are invited to submit titles. Book must have been published in previous year. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: April 19, 2021.

Whiting Foundation Creative Nonfiction Grant. Restrictions: Open to US citizens and residents only. Genre: Creative nonfiction. Whiting welcomes submissions for works of history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, the sciences, philosophy, criticism, food or travel writing, and personal essays, among other categories. Writers must be completing a book of creative nonfiction that is currently under contract with a publisher. Prize: $40,000. Deadline: April 26, 2021. 

The Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction. Genre: Novel published in 2020 (50,000 words minimum). Book has to be set in one of the original eleven states in the Confederacy. (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.) Prize: $2,500.00, and an expense paid trip to New York City. (The winner must come to NY to receive the award, attend a luncheon with the contest judges and a reception in his/her honor.) Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Principia Perspectives Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to middle school and high school students. Genre: Essay on theme of Family. Prize: $200. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $750 in any single year. Genre: Animal Nonfiction. Prize: First prize is $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Finalists will receive $50. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Mike Resnick Memorial Award: Best Unpublished Science Fiction Short Story by a New Author. Restrictions: Open to an author who has not had any work published (including short stories, novelettes, novellas, and novels in paper, digital or audio form) that has been paid a per-word rate of 6 cents a word or more or received a payment for any single work of fiction totaling more than $50. Genre: Science fiction short story, up to 7,499 words. Prize: $250.00 and publication. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Willie Morris Award for Southern Poetry. Genre: Poetry that evokes the South. Prize: $2,500 and expenses-paid trip to award ceremony in NYC. Deadline: April 30, 2021.
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Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Contest for Canadian Youth. Restrictions: Open to Canadian citizens or residents attending junior high or high school. Genre: Poetry. Prize: C$400 in each of two age categories: Junior (grades 7-9) and Senior (grades 10-12). Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Queer Scifi Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Fantasy, paranormal or horror LGBTIQA stories of no more than 300 words on the theme of Ink. Prize: The top three winners will receive cash prizes of $75, $50, and $25 respectively. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Toronto Book Awards. Genres: All genres accepted. Restrictions: Submission "must evoke the city itself, that is, contain some clear Toronto content (this may be reflected in the themes, settings, subjects, etc.). Authors do not necessarily have to reside in Toronto. Ebooks, textbooks and self-published works are not eligible. Prize: A total of $15,000 CD will be awarded. Each shortlisted author (usually 4-6) receives C$1,000 and the winning author is awarded the remainder. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Irene Adler Prize for Women Writers. Restrictions: Open to Canadian women. Genre: Creative nonfiction. Prize: $1,000 scholarship. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Al Blanchard Crime Award. Restrictions: New England residents only. Genre: Crime short story.  Prize: $100. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Daisy Utemorrah Award for Indigenous Authors. Restrictions: Open to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writer currently residing in Australia. Genre:  Junior/YA full-length fiction manuscript intended for readers aged 8-18. Length: 40,000 and 100,000 words. Prize: A$15,000 and possible publication.  Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Author of Tomorrow. Restrictions: Open to children and youth up to age 21. Genre: Adventure writing. Prize: 11 and Under | 500 words | Prize: £100 plus £150 book tokens for your school; 12-15 years | 1,500 - 5,000 words | Prize: £100 plus £150 book tokens for your school; 16-21 years | 1,500 - 5,000 words. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

A Voice for Animals Teen Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to students between the ages of 14-18. Genre: Essays on an animal rights topic.  In the 16-18 year olds category, essays must be 800-1,000 words long and be accompanied by a photograph; in the 14-15 year olds category, essays should be between 1,400-1,500 words. One climate change prize (both age categories compete) will be awarded for an essay on how climate change affects a particular animal species. Prize: $500. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Claudia Ann Seaman Awards For Young Writers. Restrictions: High school students. Genre: Stories and poems. Prize: $200. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

E-waste Scholarship. Restrictions: You must be 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 e-waste. Prize: $1000 scholarship. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Erbacce-prize for Poetry (UK) Genre: Poetry collection. Prize: Winner will be given a publishing contract with erbacce press who will publish a perfect-bound collection of the winner's book. "We will pay all costs including the legal registering of the book and supplying copies to the major libraries. The book will be sold through our sales/shop pages and the poet will be paid 20% royalties." Deadline: April 30, 2021.

SA Writer’s College Short Story Award. Restrictions: Open to unpublished writers in South Africa. Genre: Short stories. Theme: You Only Live Once. Prizes: 1st – R 10 000; 2nd – R 5 000; 3rd – R 2 000. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships. Restrictions: Applicants must reside in the U.S. or be U.S. citizens. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and no older than 31 years of age as of April 30, 2021. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $25,800.  Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Friends of Falun Gong, Poetry Contest. Genre: Poem Submit one or two poems of no more than 50 lines each. Poems must encompass at least one of the following themes: Advocate for Falun Gong practitioner’s fundamental human rights. Expose the crimes against Falun Gong perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party. Share in the beauty, peacefulness and good nature of Falun Gong. Prizes: $500, $250, $100. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $750 in any single year. Genre: Animal Nonfiction. Stories must be between 1000--10,000 words in length. Prize: First prize in each category will be $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Finalists will receive $50. Deadline: April 30, 2021. See themes.

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: April 30, 2021.