Erica Verrillo's Blog, page 30

51 Calls for Submissions in February 2021 - Paying markets

There are more than four dozen calls for submissions in February. 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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Volney Road Review. Genres: Fiction, poetry, CNF, art. Payment: $10. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Sexy Fantastic Magazine. Genre: Fantastic erotic stories on theme of Stars. (No porn) "Any type of story with fantastic elements is acceptable, such as a metaphysical or surreal modern tale, magic realism, a dark fantasy thriller, science fiction satire, historical legend, an imaginary world fantasy adventure, etc." Payment: $100. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

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: February 1, 2021.

Belmont Story Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, CNF. Payment: $50. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

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

The London Reader: Counterculture Creative Writing. Genre: Stories featuring parties, protest, and the revolutionary potential of today’s and yesteryear’s countercultures. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Abyss and Apex. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. No horror. Payment: USD $.06/word (six cents a word) up to 1,250 words, and a flat payment of $75.00 for longer stories. Deadline: February 7, 2021. Opens to submissions on February 1.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on Theme of Blue. Payment: $10 via PayPal for each story published in an Anthology. Deadline: February 7, 2021.

The Other Stories Podcast. Genre: Horror on theme of Newly Discovered Creatures. Payment: $5. Deadline: February 8, 2021.

Moonflake Press. Genre: Short stories and poems on theme of Affairs. Payment: £5 for each story/poem. Deadline: February 10, 2021.

Third Wednesday. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, art. Payment: $3. Deadline: February 14, 2021.

Qwerty. Genre: Poetry, art and prose about food. "We invite 2SQ+BIPOC artists to submit work that explores food(s) in relation to racial, queer, gendered, etc. identities and bodies." Payment: $10. Deadline: February 14, 2021.

Muse Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction articles for children on theme of Science of Fear. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

The Best New True Crime Stories. Genre: Nonfiction, true crime accounts featuring lawbreaking couples who have joined forces to commit crime. Payment: $130, and 2 print copies of the book. Deadline: February 15, 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: February 15, 2021.

WordWorks. Restrictions: Open to writers in British Columbia or Yukon, Canada. Genre: Nonfiction. Theme: Publishing. Payment: Twenty-five cents a word for articles ($50 for reprints). Deadline: February 15, 2021.
Third Wednesday. Genre: Poetry, fiction. Payment: $3. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Cid Pearlman: home(Body). Genre: Poetry. "(home)Body is an art installation with dance video, poetry, and live performance. This work is a collaboration between artistic director/choreographer Cid Pearlman, video artist Mara Milam, poet/dramaturge Denise Leto, and ten dance artists. The poems we commission will seek to represent a multiplicity of voices. They will inform the content we create and will function as scaffolding and inspiration for the dance and video." Payment: $500. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

EX/POST. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction. Payment: Modest honorarium. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

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

Crone Rising. Genre: Creative nonfiction by women over 40. "We want you to share the experiences that shaped you. We want to hear about your inner strength and how you learned to become who you are today." Length: 7,000 - 10,000 words. Payment: $45. Deadline: February 16, 2021.

Queer Gothic Short Stories. Genre: Queer Gothic short stories between 100 and 8,000 words. Payment: £40. Deadline: February 20, 2021.

Eastern Iowa Review. Genre: Lyric essays and prose poems, creative nonfiction and hybrid works. Theme: Winter. Payment: $10. Deadline: February 20, 2021.

Claw & Blossom. Genre: Flash fiction and poetry about the natural world on theme of Water. Payment: $25. Deadline: February 21, 2021.

Speculative City. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, and essays centered in cities. See themes. Payment: $20-$55. Deadline: February 24, 2021.

The Dread Machine Press: 1986: The Anthology. Genre: Horror. "We’re seeking dread-inspiring stories that take place in 1986—either the 1986 of our reality (Stranger Things) or an alternate version (Tales From the Loop). Bring us back to a simpler, scarier time." Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: February 25, 2021.

It Gets Even Better: Stories of Queer Possibility. Genre: Speculative stories about positive queer possibility, written in English. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: February 27, 2021.


The Rumpus. Genre: Essays. "We strive to be a platform for marginalized voices and writing that might not find a home elsewhere, and to lift up new voices alongside those of more established writers we love. We work to shine a light on stories that build bridges, tear down walls, and speak truth to power." Payment: $300 divided among all contributors. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Third Estate Art: Quaranzine. Genre: "Send us art with an underlying social justice theme in any discipline, or any kind of activist work that you’d like an eclectic audience for. We’ll take submissions of stories, essays, Bandcamp links, visual art, artist talks, performances, instructional videos, comics, poems, and anything else that we can reasonably put into this format." Payment: $20. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

JMS Books: LGBTQ Romance: Second Chances. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories. Stories about finding love the second time around. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Decoded Genre: "Everything from experimental comics to thinly-veiled fanfiction to good old formulaic genre is right up our alley, so don’t disqualify yourself – submit! Our only requirements are that you be a queer creator and that you bring your very best work to the page." See their open calls for submissions. Payment; Flash short story (up to 1499 words) – $25, Short story (1500 to 3499 words) – $100, Long form (3500 – 7500-ish words) – $200, Comics – $75 (no limit, but keep in mind your whole comic will run in one day) Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Southword. Genre: Poetry. Payment: €40 per poem. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry on theme of Chance. Payment: $30. Deadline: February 28, 2021. Opens February 15.

Blue Mesa Review. Genre: Fiction (up to 6,000 words), Nonfiction (up to 6,000 words), Poetry (up to 3 poems), and Visual Art. Payment: $25. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Down & Out Books: Mickey Finn – 21st Century Noir. Genre: Hardboiled and noir crime fiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 28, 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: February 28, 2021.

Dragon Soul Press: Organic Ink. Genre: Poetry. "All poetry pieces are welcome. There is no theme." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Spartan. Genre: Literary prose, 1500 words max. Payment: $20. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Air and Nothingness Press: The Wild Hunt. Genre: Stories may be of any genre as long as they fit within the idea of the Wild Hunt. "We are open to Grimdark, New Weird, Science Fiction, Fantasy and genre bending/breaking."  Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Air and Nothingness Press: Upon a Once Time. Genre: Choose two of your favorite fairy
tales, and a genre of your choice, and mash them up to make something new.  "We are open to Grimdark, New Weird, Science Fiction, Fantasy and genre bending/breaking."  Payment: $0.08/word.  Deadline: February 28, 2021.

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

Stonecrop Review. Genre: Creative Non-Fiction, Fiction, Reader’s Corner, Artwork, Photography on theme of Flora. "We are particularly keen to publish works that explore nature in cities that have not been as widely represented in the urban nature canon." Payment: $20. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Cosmic Horror Monthly. Genre: Horror and dark fantasy. Payment: 1 cent per word for original fiction. 10k words = $100; 0.5 cents per word for reprints; 50 cents per line for poetry; 20 dollars for artwork chosen as interior content; 50 dollars for cover art. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Good Southern Witches Anthology. Genre: Fantasy and horror fiction and occult nonfiction. Payment: $25. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

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Upstreet. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction pieces 5,000 words or less. Payment: $50 - $250 for short stories or essays. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Small Harbor Publishing: Marginalia Series. Genre: Chapbooks by  traditionally marginalized writers. Payment: 25 copies. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Thunderbird Studios: Decades of San Cicaro. Genre: Short stories that take place in the city of San Cicaro between the years of 1930 to 1989. Payment: $175. Deadline: February 28, 2021.
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Ghost Orchid Press: Dark Hearts Anthology. Genre: Stories exploring the twisted side of love.  Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Flypaper. Genre: Poems, book reviews of contemporary poetry collections, interviews with poets and essayists, essays on music, as well as short stories and CNF pieces with fewer than 3000 words Payment: $5. Deadline: February 28, 2021. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fees.

Trenchcoats, Towers, and Trolls: Cyberpunk Fairy Tales. Genre: Cyberpunk fairy tales. "We are excited to mash the world of cyberpunk together with fairy tales and see what sort of magic results. Embracing the high-tech/low-life aspect of cyberpunk will give these stories both the sleek coolness of futuristic technology and the grittiness of traditional fairy tales." Length: up to 7,500 words. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: February 28, 2021. Opens February 1.

Pseudopod. Genre: Horror. Audio format. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction, $100 flat rate for short story reprints, and $20 flat rate for flash fiction reprints (stories below 1500 words). Deadline: February 28, 2021.  Reprints accepted.

And a few more...

Thema: A Postcard from the Past. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: A Postcard from the Past. Payment: $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: March 1, 2021.  Accepts reprints.
The Blue Route. Restrictions: Only the work of current undergraduate writers will be considered.Genres: Fiction, or creative nonfiction totaling no more than 3000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

Canthius. Genres: Unpublished poetry and prose (both fiction and creative non-fiction – "we welcome experimental works and play excerpts). Please limit prose submissions to 3500 words and poetry submissions to five poems." Payment: $50 for one page, $75 for two pages, $100 for three, $125 for four pages, and $150 for five pages or more, regardless of genre. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

Carousel. Restrictions: Open to Canadians only. Genre: Poetry and fiction. Payment: Poetry: $20 per poem — Fiction: $40–$80 per story — Experimental Reviews: $20–$40 per review. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

OUT THERE: Into the Queer New Yonder! Restrictions: Open to queer YA authors. Genre: Speculative fiction about queer teen protagonists, set in the future. Payment: $900 (US) plus a pro-rated share of any royalties received on the sale of the anthology. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

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: March 1, 2021.

PTMN.TEAU. Genre: Fiction & creative non-fiction; Poetry & prose; Short & long-form writing. Submissions may be no longer than 5,000 words. Payment: Unspecified. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

The Wire’s Dream Magazine. Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Art, Photography, Combined Work from underprivileged individuals. Payment: $5. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

B Cubed Press. Genre: Fiction, essays, and poetry on three themes: Protest Diaries: “Stories from the front lines of revolutions throughout history.” Alternative War: “War shapes the world through technology, boarders, and norms. What will come next?” Stories can take place anywhere in time and space. Alternative Deathliness: “Death brings so many options” – this anthology will be a “fun filled romp into the concept and nature of Death.” Payment: 2 cents/word plus royalties. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

54 Writing Contests in February 2021 - No entry fees

Huddington: Geograph (UK) This February there are more than four 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.
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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: Geograph (UK)

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The Tomorrow Prize. Restrictions: Open to high school students in Los Angeles. Genre: Science fiction, 1500 words max. Prize: $250. Deadline: February 1, 2021.
Myong Cha Son Haiku Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Haiku. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500.  Deadline: February 1, 2021.

The Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award. Genre: Short story of no more than 8,000 words that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration. Prize: Publication as the featured story on the Baen Books main website paid at the normal paying rates for professional story submissions. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Rhina P. Espaillat Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Original poems written in Spanish and translations of English poems to Spanish. Prize: $500. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Iris N. Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Poetry composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme and received forms. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Wil Mills Award. Restrictions: Open to poets who have published chap books but have no full-linked collections. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $200 Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards. Genre: Poetry, up to five poems per person. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 1, 2021.  

Sonnet Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Sonnet. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Villanelle Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Villanelle. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Paterson Prize for Books for Young People. Genre: Most outstanding book for young people published in 2016. There is a $500 award in each category: Pre-K - Grade 3;  Grades 4 - 6;  Grades 7 - 12. Prize: $500. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Paterson Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry book published in 2018. Prize: $1000. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

The Levis Reading Prize is sponsored by the Department of English and its MFA in Creative Writing program at Virginia Commonwealth University. Restrictions: The prize is given annually for the best first or second book of poetry published in the previous calendar year. Genre: Poetry.  Prize: $5000.  Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Gannon University Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Entrants must be a US high school student or a home-schooled student in grades nine through twelve. Genre: Poetry. Each student may enter 1 or 2 poems; each poem may be no longer than 50 lines. Prize: First Place: $100.00 Second Place: $75.00 Third Place: $50.00. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

$1000 for 1000 Words Creative Writing Contest is sponsored by the Leyla Beban Young Authors Foundation. Restrictions: Students enrolled in grades 6-12. Genre: Short fiction of exactly 1000 words. Prize: Two $1,000 scholarship prizes will be awarded, one for grades 6-8 and one for grades 9-12. Seven $100 cash prizes will also be awarded for winning entries, one per grade level.  Deadline: February 1, 2021.  

North Carolina Student Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to student poets from 3rd grade to university undergraduates attending schools in North Carolina. Genres: Unpublished poems (submit one poem). Prizes: 1st Place winners will receive a $60 check, an NCPS award certificate, and a free copy of Pinesong. 2nd Place winners receive $40, an NCPS award certificate, and a free copy of Pinesong. 3rd Place winners receive $25, an NCPS award certificate, and a free copy of Pinesong. Deadline: February 1, 2021. Snail mail entries only.

Wednesday Club Junior Poetry Prize. Restrictions: High School Students in Grades 9 through 12 in the St. Louis Area. Genre: Poetry. Two individual poems. Prizes: $200,  $150,  $100, $80, $50, and up to five $25 honorable mentions TEACHER AWARDS: $200, $150, $100. (Applies to teachers of first three student winners.) Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada. Self-published books are not eligible. Genre: A 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. Prize: Winner: $25,000; Finalists: $2,500. Deadline: February 2, 2021 for books published between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. They have an unreadable website.

Wednesday Club Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Adults over 18; living within a 50-mile radius of St. Louis. Genre: Poetry. Two individual poems. Prizes: $500, $300, $150. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Life Writing Prize. Restrictions: Open to UK residents. Genre: Life writing. The Prize defines life writing as ‘intended to be true’, reflects someone’s own life journey or experiences and is not fiction. Prize: Winner will receive £1,500, publication on Spread the Word’s website, an Arvon course, two years’ membership to the Royal Society of Literature and a development meeting with an editor and an agent. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Narrative Magazine "Tell Me a Story" High School Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students aged 15-18. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: February 4, 2021.

The University of Chester Flash (Youth). Restrictions: Open to Scottish students aged 16-19 who are studying in the UK. Genre: flash fiction of up to 360 words. Prize: Up to £100. Deadline: February 5, 2021.

Luminarts Creative Writing Fellowship. The Creative Writing Fellowship awards two $7,500 grant Fellowships for excellence in creative writing in the categories of prose and poetry, in fiction and nonfiction. Applicants submit a two-page written piece (either a stand-alone piece or an excerpt of a larger piece such as a novel or short story). Open to writers between the ages of 18 and 30 years old at the time of application; be enrolled in, or have graduated from, a degree program; and live within 150 miles of the Union League Club of Chicago. Genre: Poetry or prose, fiction and nonfiction. Prize: $7,500. Deadline: February 5, 2021.

Bethesda Poetry Contest. Genres: Poetry. Adult and high school student categories. Restrictions: Residents of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia are eligible. Prizes: First place: $350, published on The Writer's Center's blog and magazine, and a free class and membership to The Writer's Center. Second Place: $250. Third Place: $150. Honorable Mention: $75. All winners will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership website and honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase. Deadline: February 5, 2021 for adults, February 12, 2021 for high school students.

Bath Flash Fiction Award. Genre: Flash fiction (300 words max). Prize: £1000 prize for the winner, £300 second and £100 third. Two commendations £30 each. Deadline: February 7, 2021.

Charles Crupi Memorial Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students in Michigan. Genre: Poetry. Prize: 1st place - $250 and publication in The Albion Review, 2nd place - $150 and publication in The Albion Review; 3rd place - $100 and publication in The Albion Review. Deadline: February 7, 2021.

Western Australian Premier's Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to authors who either are citizens or permanent residents of Western Australia. Genre: Book published during the preceding calendar year in a variety of genres. Prize: Up to A$60,000. Deadline: February 8, 2021.

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships are awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period. Prize: $7,000 cash awards are made to individual originating artists living and working in the state of New York for unrestricted use. These fellowships are not project grants but are intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, regardless of the level of his or her artistic development. Deadline: February 10, 2021.

Library of Virginia Literary Awards. Restrictions: Open to writers who were born in or are residents of Virginia or, in the case of nonfiction, books with a Virginia theme, are eligible. Genre: Books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction published in the previous year. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: February 10, 2021.

Writers' & Artists' Yearbook Short Story Competition. Genre: Short story. All entries must be original unpublished prose of 2,000 words or fewer. Prize: £500 and publication. Deadline: February 12, 2021.

Scotiabank Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English. Books must be published in Canada in English between October 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021 to be eligible for the 2020 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: February 12, 2021.

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

Randall Kenan Prize for Black LGBTQ Fiction. Restrictions: Open to a Black LGBTQ writer whose fiction explores themes of Black LGBTQ life, culture, and/or history. To be eligible, the winner of the prize must have published at least one book and show promise in continuing to produce groundbreaking work. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Jeanne Córdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction. Restrictions: Open to a writer committed to nonfiction work that captures the depth and complexity of lesbian/queer life, culture, and/or history. The winner of the prize will have published at least one book and show promise in continuing to produce groundbreaking and challenging work. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Award. Genre: Poetry - translation into English of a significant work of modern Italian poetry. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Ballard Spahr Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of MN, IA, ND, SD, WI, or MI. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $10,000 & book publication with Milkweed Editions. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

CAAPP Book Prize. Restrictions: Open to writers of African descent. Genre: First or second book by a writer of African descent and is open to the full range of writers embodying African and African diasporic experience. The book can be of any genre that is, or intersects with, poetry, including poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation. Prize: $3000 and publication. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Syracuse University's Veterans Writing Award. Restrictions: Open to U.S. veterans and active duty personnel in any branch of the U.S. military and their immediate family members. This includes spouses, domestic partners, and children. Women veteran writers and veterans of color are encouraged to submit. Genre: Unpublished, full-length novels or short story collections. Prize: $1000. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Ambroggio Prize. Restrictions: Poet must be a U.S. Citizen; Resident of the United States for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Legal Permanent Status (LPS), or any subsequent categories designated by the U.S. authorities as conferring similar enhanced status upon non-citizens living in the United States. Genre: Book-length poetry manuscript originally written in Spanish and with an English translation. Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Judith A. Markowitz Award for Emerging LGBTQ Writers. Restrictions: The nominee must self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. The nominee must have written and published at least one but no more than two books of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Haiku Society of America Merit Book Awards for Excellence in Published Haiku, Translation, and Criticism. Genre: Published book. Books must have been published in 2019 and must clearly contain a printed 2019 copyright. A member, author, or publisher may submit or nominate more than one title. At least 50 percent of the book must be haiku, senryu, or haibun, or prose about these subjects (books mostly of tanka, for example, are not eligible). Prize: $500. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Dr. Jim Duggins Outstanding LGBTQ Mid-Career Novelist Prize. Restrictions: Open to LGBTQ mid-career novelists who have published at least three novels. or two novels and substantial additional literary work (including poems, stories, or essays). Genre: Published book. Prize: $5000. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Harold Morton Landon Translation Award. Genre: Poetry collection translated from any language into English and published in the previous calendar year. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

The Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award supports the work of a promising early-career nonfiction writer on a story that uncovers truths about the human condition. Genres: Nonfiction journalism works in progress with “strong, character-driven narratives with detailed scene writing and lyrical description.” Restrictions: The award will not fund proposals to report on armed conflicts where journalists are already imperiled, nor projects that are mainly investigatory. Prize: $12,500 grant and use of the NYU library. Deadline: February 16, 2021.

Bethesda Essay Contest. Genre: Essays. Adult and high school student categories. Restrictions: Residents of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia are eligible. Prizes: First place: $350, published on The Writer's Center's blog and magazine, and a free class and membership to The Writer's Center. Second Place: $250. Third Place: $150. Honorable Mention: $75. All winners will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership website and honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase. Deadline: February 18, 2021.

Gaithersburg Book Festival Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students (grades 9-12) from across the Washington Metropolitan Area (Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC). Genre: Poetry. Prize: First, 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $250, $100 and $50 gift certificates.  Deadline: February 18, 2021.

RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Candidates must be: A Canadian citizen or permanent resident; Under the age of 35; Unpublished in book form and without a book contract. Genre: Poetry and fiction. Prizes: Up to C$10,000. Deadline: February 22, 2021.

Wiley-Silver Prize in Civil War History. Genre: First book or monograph in Civil War history published in the previous year. Books or monographs published by scholarly or popular presses are eligible. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: February 26, 2021.

The Lakefly Writers Conference. Restrictions: Open to residents of Wisconsin. Genres: Short story fiction: 1500 words or less. Any genre. Flash fiction: 500 words or fewer. Any genre. No theme. Poetry:  All poems, free verse to formal and everything in between—75 lines max. Teen short story: Open to 18 years old and younger. Maximum 1,500 words. Any genre. See theme. Prize: First place winners will receive a cash prize of $100; second place winners will receive $75; and third place winners will receive $50. Winners must be able to attend an awards ceremony. Deadline: February 26, 2021.

Make A Way Book Award. Restrictions: “American Editions invites progressive American authors to apply. Authors must have a strong, regular social media presence that is free of trolling or bias against marginalized groups.” Genre: Nonfiction book-length essay about changing the United States for the better. Prize: $700. Deadline: February 26, 2021. (Extended deadline)

The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multi-Lingual Texts. Genre: Literary translations and multi-lingual texts. Prize: $200. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, maximum 5,000 words. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Creative Capital Award. Restrictions: Entrants must be US citizens or permanent residents, aged 25+, with 5+ years' professional writing experience, and not be full-time students. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels. Grant: Up to $50,000. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Black Caucus of the American Library Association Self-Published E-Book Literary Award.   Restrictions: Open to African-Americans. Genre: Self-Published E-Book in fiction and poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Imagine Little Tokyo. Little Tokyo Historical Society (LTHS) seeks fictional short stories in Japanese or English for its “Imagine Little Tokyo” writing contest. The setting of the story should be in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, CA– either past, present or future. Prize: $500. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Invent a Word. Genre: "We invite you to invent a word. Not just any word. A word you think will greatly enhance the English language. Give us your word, a one-sentence definition, and use the word in a sentence." Prize: Free Gotham class of your choosing. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

55 Writing Contests in February 2021 - No entry fees

Huddington: Geograph (UK) This February there are more than four 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.
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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: Geograph (UK)

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The Tomorrow Prize. Restrictions: Open to high school students in Los Angeles. Genre: Science fiction, 1500 words max. Prize: $250. Deadline: February 1, 2021.
Myong Cha Son Haiku Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Haiku. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500.  Deadline: February 1, 2021.

The Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award. Genre: Short story of no more than 8,000 words that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration. Prize: Publication as the featured story on the Baen Books main website paid at the normal paying rates for professional story submissions. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Rhina P. Espaillat Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Original poems written in Spanish and translations of English poems to Spanish. Prize: $500. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Iris N. Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Poetry composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme and received forms. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Wil Mills Award. Restrictions: Open to poets who have published chap books but have no full-linked collections. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $200 Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards. Genre: Poetry, up to five poems per person. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 1, 2021.  

Sonnet Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Sonnet. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Villanelle Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Villanelle. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Paterson Prize for Books for Young People. Genre: Most outstanding book for young people published in 2016. There is a $500 award in each category: Pre-K - Grade 3;  Grades 4 - 6;  Grades 7 - 12. Prize: $500. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Paterson Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry book published in 2018. Prize: $1000. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

The Levis Reading Prize is sponsored by the Department of English and its MFA in Creative Writing program at Virginia Commonwealth University. Restrictions: The prize is given annually for the best first or second book of poetry published in the previous calendar year. Genre: Poetry.  Prize: $5000.  Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Gannon University Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Entrants must be a US high school student or a home-schooled student in grades nine through twelve. Genre: Poetry. Each student may enter 1 or 2 poems; each poem may be no longer than 50 lines. Prize: First Place: $100.00 Second Place: $75.00 Third Place: $50.00. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

$1000 for 1000 Words Creative Writing Contest is sponsored by the Leyla Beban Young Authors Foundation. Restrictions: Students enrolled in grades 6-12. Genre: Short fiction of exactly 1000 words. Prize: Two $1,000 scholarship prizes will be awarded, one for grades 6-8 and one for grades 9-12. Seven $100 cash prizes will also be awarded for winning entries, one per grade level.  Deadline: February 1, 2021.  

North Carolina Student Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to student poets from 3rd grade to university undergraduates attending schools in North Carolina. Genres: Unpublished poems (submit one poem). Prizes: 1st Place winners will receive a $60 check, an NCPS award certificate, and a free copy of Pinesong. 2nd Place winners receive $40, an NCPS award certificate, and a free copy of Pinesong. 3rd Place winners receive $25, an NCPS award certificate, and a free copy of Pinesong. Deadline: February 1, 2021. Snail mail entries only.

Wednesday Club Junior Poetry Prize. Restrictions: High School Students in Grades 9 through 12 in the St. Louis Area. Genre: Poetry. Two individual poems. Prizes: $200,  $150,  $100, $80, $50, and up to five $25 honorable mentions TEACHER AWARDS: $200, $150, $100. (Applies to teachers of first three student winners.) Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada. Self-published books are not eligible. Genre: A 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. Prize: Winner: $25,000; Finalists: $2,500. Deadline: February 2, 2021 for books published between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. They have an unreadable website.

Wednesday Club Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Adults over 18; living within a 50-mile radius of St. Louis. Genre: Poetry. Two individual poems. Prizes: $500, $300, $150. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Life Writing Prize. Restrictions: Open to UK residents. Genre: Life writing. The Prize defines life writing as ‘intended to be true’, reflects someone’s own life journey or experiences and is not fiction. Prize: Winner will receive £1,500, publication on Spread the Word’s website, an Arvon course, two years’ membership to the Royal Society of Literature and a development meeting with an editor and an agent. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Narrative Magazine "Tell Me a Story" High School Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students aged 15-18. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: February 4, 2021.

The University of Chester Flash (Youth). Restrictions: Open to Scottish students aged 16-19 who are studying in the UK. Genre: flash fiction of up to 360 words. Prize: Up to £100. Deadline: February 5, 2021.

Luminarts Creative Writing Fellowship. The Creative Writing Fellowship awards two $7,500 grant Fellowships for excellence in creative writing in the categories of prose and poetry, in fiction and nonfiction. Applicants submit a two-page written piece (either a stand-alone piece or an excerpt of a larger piece such as a novel or short story). Open to writers between the ages of 18 and 30 years old at the time of application; be enrolled in, or have graduated from, a degree program; and live within 150 miles of the Union League Club of Chicago. Genre: Poetry or prose, fiction and nonfiction. Prize: $7,500. Deadline: February 5, 2021.

Bethesda Poetry Contest. Genres: Poetry. Adult and high school student categories. Restrictions: Residents of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia are eligible. Prizes: First place: $350, published on The Writer's Center's blog and magazine, and a free class and membership to The Writer's Center. Second Place: $250. Third Place: $150. Honorable Mention: $75. All winners will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership website and honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase. Deadline: February 5, 2021 for adults, February 12, 2021 for high school students.

Bath Flash Fiction Award. Genre: Flash fiction (300 words max). Prize: £1000 prize for the winner, £300 second and £100 third. Two commendations £30 each. Deadline: February 7, 2021.

Charles Crupi Memorial Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students in Michigan. Genre: Poetry. Prize: 1st place - $250 and publication in The Albion Review, 2nd place - $150 and publication in The Albion Review; 3rd place - $100 and publication in The Albion Review. Deadline: February 7, 2021.

Western Australian Premier's Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to authors who either are citizens or permanent residents of Western Australia. Genre: Book published during the preceding calendar year in a variety of genres. Prize: Up to A$60,000. Deadline: February 8, 2021.

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships are awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period. Prize: $7,000 cash awards are made to individual originating artists living and working in the state of New York for unrestricted use. These fellowships are not project grants but are intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, regardless of the level of his or her artistic development. Deadline: February 10, 2021.

Library of Virginia Literary Awards. Restrictions: Open to writers who were born in or are residents of Virginia or, in the case of nonfiction, books with a Virginia theme, are eligible. Genre: Books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction published in the previous year. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: February 10, 2021.

Writers' & Artists' Yearbook Short Story Competition. Genre: Short story. All entries must be original unpublished prose of 2,000 words or fewer. Prize: £500 and publication. Deadline: February 12, 2021.

Scotiabank Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English. Books must be published in Canada in English between October 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021 to be eligible for the 2020 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: February 12, 2021.

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

Randall Kenan Prize for Black LGBTQ Fiction. Restrictions: Open to a Black LGBTQ writer whose fiction explores themes of Black LGBTQ life, culture, and/or history. To be eligible, the winner of the prize must have published at least one book and show promise in continuing to produce groundbreaking work. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Jeanne Córdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction. Restrictions: Open to a writer committed to nonfiction work that captures the depth and complexity of lesbian/queer life, culture, and/or history. The winner of the prize will have published at least one book and show promise in continuing to produce groundbreaking and challenging work. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Award. Genre: Poetry - translation into English of a significant work of modern Italian poetry. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Ballard Spahr Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of MN, IA, ND, SD, WI, or MI. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $10,000 & book publication with Milkweed Editions. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

CAAPP Book Prize. Restrictions: Open to writers of African descent. Genre: First or second book by a writer of African descent and is open to the full range of writers embodying African and African diasporic experience. The book can be of any genre that is, or intersects with, poetry, including poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation. Prize: $3000 and publication. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Syracuse University's Veterans Writing Award. Restrictions: Open to U.S. veterans and active duty personnel in any branch of the U.S. military and their immediate family members. This includes spouses, domestic partners, and children. Women veteran writers and veterans of color are encouraged to submit. Genre: Unpublished, full-length novels or short story collections. Prize: $1000. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Ambroggio Prize. Restrictions: Poet must be a U.S. Citizen; Resident of the United States for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Legal Permanent Status (LPS), or any subsequent categories designated by the U.S. authorities as conferring similar enhanced status upon non-citizens living in the United States. Genre: Book-length poetry manuscript originally written in Spanish and with an English translation. Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Judith A. Markowitz Award for Emerging LGBTQ Writers. Restrictions: The nominee must self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. The nominee must have written and published at least one but no more than two books of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Haiku Society of America Merit Book Awards for Excellence in Published Haiku, Translation, and Criticism. Genre: Published book. Books must have been published in 2019 and must clearly contain a printed 2019 copyright. A member, author, or publisher may submit or nominate more than one title. At least 50 percent of the book must be haiku, senryu, or haibun, or prose about these subjects (books mostly of tanka, for example, are not eligible). Prize: $500. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Dr. Jim Duggins Outstanding LGBTQ Mid-Career Novelist Prize. Restrictions: Open to LGBTQ mid-career novelists who have published at least three novels. or two novels and substantial additional literary work (including poems, stories, or essays). Genre: Published book. Prize: $5000. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Harold Morton Landon Translation Award. Genre: Poetry collection translated from any language into English and published in the previous calendar year. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

The Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award supports the work of a promising early-career nonfiction writer on a story that uncovers truths about the human condition. Genres: Nonfiction journalism works in progress with “strong, character-driven narratives with detailed scene writing and lyrical description.” Restrictions: The award will not fund proposals to report on armed conflicts where journalists are already imperiled, nor projects that are mainly investigatory. Prize: $12,500 grant and use of the NYU library. Deadline: February 16, 2021.

Bethesda Essay Contest. Genre: Essays. Adult and high school student categories. Restrictions: Residents of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia are eligible. Prizes: First place: $350, published on The Writer's Center's blog and magazine, and a free class and membership to The Writer's Center. Second Place: $250. Third Place: $150. Honorable Mention: $75. All winners will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership website and honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase. Deadline: February 18, 2021.

Gaithersburg Book Festival Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students (grades 9-12) from across the Washington Metropolitan Area (Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC). Genre: Poetry. Prize: First, 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $250, $100 and $50 gift certificates.  Deadline: February 18, 2021.

RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Candidates must be: A Canadian citizen or permanent resident; Under the age of 35; Unpublished in book form and without a book contract. Genre: Poetry and fiction. Prizes: Up to C$10,000. Deadline: February 22, 2021.

Wiley-Silver Prize in Civil War History. Genre: First book or monograph in Civil War history published in the previous year. Books or monographs published by scholarly or popular presses are eligible. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: February 26, 2021.

The Lakefly Writers Conference. Restrictions: Open to residents of Wisconsin. Genres: Short story fiction: 1500 words or less. Any genre. Flash fiction: 500 words or fewer. Any genre. No theme. Poetry:  All poems, free verse to formal and everything in between—75 lines max. Teen short story: Open to 18 years old and younger. Maximum 1,500 words. Any genre. See theme. Prize: First place winners will receive a cash prize of $100; second place winners will receive $75; and third place winners will receive $50. Winners must be able to attend an awards ceremony. Deadline: February 26, 2021.

Make A Way Book Award. Restrictions: “American Editions invites progressive American authors to apply. Authors must have a strong, regular social media presence that is free of trolling or bias against marginalized groups.” Genre: Nonfiction book-length essay about changing the United States for the better. Prize: $700. Deadline: February 26, 2021. (Extended deadline)

The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multi-Lingual Texts. Genre: Literary translations and multi-lingual texts. Prize: $200. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, maximum 5,000 words. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Creative Capital Award. Restrictions: Entrants must be US citizens or permanent residents, aged 25+, with 5+ years' professional writing experience, and not be full-time students. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels. Grant: Up to $50,000. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Black Caucus of the American Library Association Self-Published E-Book Literary Award.   Restrictions: Open to African-Americans. Genre: Self-Published E-Book in fiction and poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Imagine Little Tokyo. Little Tokyo Historical Society (LTHS) seeks fictional short stories in Japanese or English for its “Imagine Little Tokyo” writing contest. The setting of the story should be in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, CA– either past, present or future. Prize: $500. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Invent a Word. Genre: "We invite you to invent a word. Not just any word. A word you think will greatly enhance the English language. Give us your word, a one-sentence definition, and use the word in a sentence." Prize: Free Gotham class of your choosing. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

9 Great Writing Conferences in February 2021

Shutterstock February might be "nasty, brutish and short" but it features nine great conferences for writers. These conferences offer everything from intensive workshops and panels, to pitch sessions with agents, to how to market yourself and your books. This month there is something for everyone.
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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.

(Photo credit: Shutterstock)

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Kaz Conference Keep Writing: Playwriting Intensive for Women Writers. Feb 7 - March 15, 2021. Workshops include developmental workshops as well as talks on the practical training of writers with input from editors, publicists, agents, social media experts and productivity coaches. Because reading and reviewing other work helps to strengthen ones own writing, peer review is a requirement of all sessions. Just 10 to 16 writers are accepted for each cohort. Will be held online.
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Keep Writing Virtual Nonfiction Writers Conference. February 10 - March 17, 2021. "The Kaz Conference offers two to four intensive seminars for writers each spring and fall: Advanced Manuscript Boot Camp (fiction/nonfiction); Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference; Comedy Writing for Women Intensive (all genres) and Script Lab (Plays/Screenplays). All workshops include developmental workshops as well as talks on the practical training of writers with input from editors, publicists, agents, social media experts and productivity coaches. Because reading and reviewing other work helps to strengthen ones own writing, peer review is a requirement of all sessions. Just 10 to 16 writers are accepted for each cohort. The Kaz Conference Writing Workshop is committed to diversity and our faculty reflect an all-encompassing and equal world. Our goal is to challenge, inspire and foster a writers community that continues beyond the workshops." Will be held online.

Southern California Writers’ Conference (and Retreat). February 12 - 14, 2021: San Diego, CA. Faculty: 60+ working, professional authors of fiction, nonfiction & screen, editors & agents. "Founded and run by professional writers the SCWC provides veteran and emerging talent with authoritative guidance to help distinguish those manuscripts that are ready for market consideration." Cost: $350-$425. Manuscript critique & one-on-one consultation additional. Limited to 125 conferees.

San Francisco Writers Conference, February 11 -14, 2021, San Francisco, CA. Attendees will join with 100+ presenters and fellow writers from across the country and around the world at this year’s event. The SFWC events are consistently rated among the top writer’s conferences anywhere. "Our goal is to help writers become published authors as we help them become better at the craft and business of writing. The SFWC is also one of the friendliest conferences. Presenters this year will include bestselling authors, literary agents, editors, and publishers from major publishing houses. There will be experts on self-publishing, book promotion, platform building, social media, and author websites. The San Francisco Writers Conference has one of the largest faculties of any writer’s conference to ensure the best networking with the people who can help you get published." Will return in 2022.

Minnesota Writers Workshop. February 12 - 13, 2021: St. Paul, MN. This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, March 2, 2019, at the Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront. In other words, it’s one day 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. Will be held online.

Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference. February 18 - 20, 2021: Tempe, AZ. "The Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference creates a unique and intimate creative writing experience where writers of all backgrounds, genres, and skill levels gather together and connect through the celebration and study of literary craft, culture, and community. Featuring over 25 faculty members teaching more than 50 sessions, we seek to create a warm and welcoming environment that meets people wherever they are, where writers can learn from and support each other as they work toward their goals. Beyond regular programming, we also feature advanced pre-conference workshops, an exhibitor fair, scholarships, and fellowships. We also offer opportunities to advertise with or sponsor the conference as well." Will be held online.

The Writers Studio, sponsored by the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, February 18 - 21, 2021, Los Angeles, CA. The conference offers workshops in fiction and creative nonfiction, as well as writing for television and film. Offered by the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, the Writers Studio brings together a community of writing students to workshop with some of Southern California’s most accomplished writers and teachers. From among the 10 offered, participants choose one workshop in which they work closely with a professional writer in classes limited to no more than 15 people. Will be held online.

Publishing Workshop. February 20 - 21, 2021: Hammonton, NJ. "Do you want to publish your writing but struggle with a lack of know-how and fear of rejection? Join us for this hands-on workshop where we will guide you through the process from blank page to published piece. If you are an aspiring author you will learn how and where to submit your work. If you are experienced you will discover new markets and resources to expand your readership. Whether you are working on a novel, memoir, short stories, personal essays or poetry, you will go home with an action plan and the tools to carry it out." Will be held online.

California Creative Writers Conference. February 26 - March 6, 2021: Los Angeles, CA.  Educational and inspirational guidance from more than 40 literary agents, veteran educators, industry professionals, professional editors, and publishers in the craft and business of writing fiction, nonfiction, and screenwriting taught by Hollywood veterans. Over three days, you can learn how to take your writing to the next level and what it takes get published. Will be held online.

6 Agents Seeking Women's Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Memoirs, Kidlit, YA, SF/F and more

Eve MacSweeney Here are six literary agents actively seeking writers. Eve MacSweeney is interested in narrative non-fiction and literary fiction titles that speak to her interest in emotionally driven stories, singular voices, and compelling social issues, particularly as they concern the lives of women. Susana Alvarez is looking for narrative nonfiction and memoirs. Amy Flynn wants picture books, middle-grade, or YA fiction or non-fiction. Michaela Whatnall is seeking fantasy and science fiction. She is also interested in nonfiction for both children and adults, especially narrative nonfiction in the areas of history, the creative arts, and lifestyle. Jackie Ashton looks to represent writers in the categories of popular science, business, narrative nonfiction, memoir, and upmarket fiction. She is also interested in memoir and essay collections from accomplished writers. Kemi Ogunsanwo is primarily looking for literary & commercial fiction as well as YA fiction of all kinds. Note: Kemi only accepts UK writers.
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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. Eve MacSweeney of Fletcher & Company

Eve MacSweeney began agenting in Fall 2018 after working as a writer and editor in her native London and in New York, most recently as Features Director of Vogue, where she worked for 17 years.

What she is seeking: Narrative non-fiction and literary fiction titles that speak to her interest in emotionally driven stories, singular voices, and compelling social issues, particularly as they concern the lives of women.

How to submit: To query, please send a letter, brief synopsis, and the first 5-10 pages of the manuscript/proposal pasted into the body of the email to info@fletcherandco.com. You should indicate the agent you are addressing the query to in the subject line. Please do not include email attachments with your initial query, as they will be deleted.

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Susana Alvarez of Park & Fine Literary and Media

Susana Alvarez works alongside Celeste Fine and the nonfiction team, working closely to ensure that author’s needs and success are met throughout the publishing process, from ideation to proposal to execution stage. 

What she is seeking: Her interests range from narrative nonfiction, where she has a penchant for memoirs, to voice-driven journalism, big idea society-changing books, cultural commentary, to the wellness industry; particularly among women and first-generation communities. Outside of nonfiction, her love of the literary world was first introduced through the great American novel, which evolved into a passion for fiction rooted in themes of: the self, coming of age, complex human relationships, and multi-generational stories against the backdrop of multiple nations and cultures.

How to submit: Please specify the first and last name of the agent to whom you are submitting, as well as the category and genre of your submission in the subject line of the email. For adult fiction please include a query letter and approximately the first 25 pages of your work in the body of the email. For non-fiction submissions, please send a query letter only. Send your query to.queries@parkfine.com

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Michaela Whatnall of Dystel Goderich & Bourret LLC

Michaela Whatnall joined Dystel, Goderich & Bourret in 2019 as the assistant to Michael Bourret in the West Coast office. After graduating from Emory University with a degree in English and linguistics, Michaela completed the Columbia Publishing Course. Her background in school and library marketing accounts for her strong interest in children’s literature, from picture books up through middle grade and young adult novels and graphic novels. 

What she is seeking: In adult fiction, she is particularly seeking character-driven fantasy and science fiction. She is also interested in nonfiction for both children and adults, especially narrative nonfiction in the areas of history, the creative arts, and lifestyle. 

How to submit: Send your query to mwhatnall@dystel.com Include a writing sample of the first 25 pages of your manuscript (fiction) or your proposal with sample chapter (nonfiction) in the body of the email below your query letter.

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Ms. Jackie Ashton of Lucinda Literary

Jackie is a seasoned media professional with over a decade of experience in journalism, copywriting, editing, and editorial direction. Her writing on health, lifestyle, and parenting in the digital age has appeared in publications like the New York Times, the Washington Post, Salon, Real Simple, Parents, and Redbook, among others. She has provided editorial consulting for leading brands such as Airbnb, Athleta, and Omada Health.

What she is seeking: Jackie looks to represent writers in the categories of popular science, business, narrative nonfiction, memoir, and upmarket fiction. She is also interested in memoir and essay collections from accomplished writers. In fiction, she looks for characters that jump off the page, immersive storytelling that hooks from the opening line, and unexpected forays into little-known worlds.

How to submit: Use their form HERE.

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Kemi Ogunsanwo of The Good Literary Agency (UK)

Having acquired a BA in English Literature at UEA and an MA in Publishing at UCL, Kemi spent her formative years gaining experience at publishers including Bloomsbury, Simon & Schuster and Penguin Books. Kemi made the transition into Marketing & audience insight in 2014, gaining invaluable experience at organisations such as ITV Broadcast Media, Amazon subsidiary The Book Depository and Time Out Magazine, before settling at leading talent agency, Identity Agency Group (IAG).

What she is seeking: Kemi is primarily looking for literary & commercial fiction as well as YA fiction of all kinds. Note: She only accepts UK writers.

How to submit: Please read their submission guidelines HERE. (UK writers only)

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Ms. Amy Flynn of Rubin Pfeffer Content

Amy is a picture book author and associate agent.

What she is seeking: Picture books, middle-grade, or YA fiction or non-fiction.

How to submit: Send your query and the first 50 pages as a DOC or PDF file to amy@rpcontent.com

5 New Literary Agents Seeking Historical, Commercial, Literary Fiction, YA, Kidlit, Narrative Nonfiction and Translations

Lisa Amstutz Here are five new agents actively building their client lists. Olivia Maidment is seeking historical, commercial, crime, and reading group fiction, along with narrative non-fiction. Sandra Pareja is looking for authentic, unconventional literary voices in fiction, non-fiction and sometimes poetry. She reads and edits in English, Spanish and Italian at a native level, and could tackle manuscripts in French, Portuguese and Catalan. She would consider works from other languages if they are attached to an English translator. 

Laura Cameron is interested in plot-driven literary, upmarket and women’s fiction and research-based narrative non-fiction. She is also open to memoir with a strong voice and perspective. For children’s and YA, Laura looks for unique characters and imaginative stories that reflect contemporary culture. Chelsea Hensley is seeking Middle grade and young adult fiction as well as select adult projects. Lisa Amstutz is seeking nonfiction for all ages (preschool–adult), picture book and middle grade fiction, and picture book author/illustrators.

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. Olivia Maidment of The Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency (UK) 



After graduating with a degree in English Literature and Classical Civilisation from the University of Birmingham, Liv’s first experience of publishing was with an internship at the Madeleine Milburn Agency. She then went on to roles at The Blair Partnership and United Agents. Liv was very excited to come full circle when joining the agency in 2020 and she now works closely with Madeleine across her roster of authors.

What she is seeking: Historical, commercial, crime, and reading group fiction, along with narrative non-fiction.

How to submit: Please follow their long, complicated instructions HERE.

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Ms. Sandra Pareja of Massie & McQuilkin Literary Agents 

Sandra worked as head of foreign rights at Casanovas & Lynch Literary Agency for eight years. She was part of many international success stories, such as Mariana Enriquez, Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Maria Gainza and Mercè Rodoreda. Her own client list includes bestselling literary authors, as well as winners and finalists for the National Book Award in Translation, the Premio Strega and the Premio Biblioteca de Narrativa Colombiana. Several of her authors have been translated into more than twenty languages. She was born in Toronto, was raised in Detroit too, and has spent much of her adulthood in Europe. She has degrees in Hispanic Literature from the University of Toronto and the University of Buenos Aires, and a Masters in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory from the University of Barcelona. She has worked as a teacher, translator and an assistant editor at Granta en Español and Duomo Ediciones, though her first gig was managing an indie singer-songwriter when she was a teenager. She runs a Barcelona reading series called Albor, which mixes authors from different cities and languages. 

What she is seeking: Sandra Pareja is looking for authentic, unconventional literary voices in fiction, non-fiction and sometimes poetry. She reads and edits in English, Spanish and Italian at a native level, and could tackle manuscripts in French, Portuguese and Catalan. She would consider works from other languages if they are attached to an English translator.

How to submit: Please query Sandra directly at sandra@mmqlit.com and strive to include as much reading material as possible. If you haven’t heard from her in 4-6 weeks, your project is not a good fit for her.
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Ms. Laura Cameron of Transatlantic Literary Agency

Laura Cameron joined the Transatlantic Agency after six years at Penguin Random House Canada, where she worked in editorial, sales and publicity. Before her career in publishing, Laura did a Master’s in Journalism at Columbia University, interned with the Economist Group, and worked for Canadian Business magazine. During her time as a freelance reporter, she wrote for the Economist Intelligence Unit and contributed stories to various publications including the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail.

What she is seeking: Laura is interested in plot-driven literary, upmarket and women’s fiction and research-based narrative non-fiction. She is also open to memoir with a strong voice and perspective. For children’s and YA, Laura looks for unique characters and imaginative stories that reflect contemporary culture.

How to submit: Query Laura at: lcameron@transatlanticagency.com  
Attach a synopsis, author bio and the first 20 pages in a double-spaced word doc or PDF. If it's an author/illustrator submitting a picture book or graphic novel, she’d like to see finished artwork samples and a link to the artist's portfolio. 

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Ms. Chelsea Hensley of KT Literary

Before joining kt literary, Chelsea was a freelance editor and perpetual publishing intern. In 2018 she mentored in Pitch Wars and most recently was an editorial intern at Page Street Publishing where she assisted on titles from Addie Thorley and Breanna Shields. She has a BA in English from the University of Missouri and lives and works as a bookseller in St. Louis, MO. She likes fresh and imaginative SFF, dark and twisty mysteries/thrillers, and whipsmart protagonists. She is interested in working with authors belonging to groups traditionally underrepresented in publishing, especially Black authors. When she isn’t working, she can be found playing Dungeons & Dragons, watching The Golden Girls, or playing with her dog.

What she is seeking: Middle grade and young adult fiction as well as select adult projects. She's looking for the whimsical and adventurous in Middle Grade, especially fantasy (and select contemporary MG).In Young Adult, she's looking for genre fiction, twisty mystery, and wants thrillers that are character-driven, dark, and edgy. She also is looking at select adult fantasy that's atmospheric, lush, bold, and female-driven.

How to submit: Please email your query letter and the first three pages of your manuscript in the body of the email to Chelsea at chelseaquery@ktliterary.com


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Ms. Lisa Amstutz of Storm Literary Agency

Lisa fell in love with reading at an early age, devouring stacks of books from the library each week. While she never stopped reading, she earned degrees in Biology and Environmental Science and worked as a lab technician, outdoor educator, and small-scale farmer before returning to her first love: books.

With sixteen years of experience as an author and freelance editor, Lisa comes to Storm Literary Agency as an Associate Literary Agent. She has written more than 140 books for the educational and trade markets as well as numerous magazine and newspaper articles. As an editor and mentor, she worked with writers to shape and polish their manuscripts, many of which went on to land agents or book contracts. She also edited materials for several publishing companies.

From 2011–2020, Lisa served on the board of SCBWI: Ohio North in various roles, including Assistant Regional Advisor. She also volunteered as a judge at Rate Your Story and was one of the founders of the annual NF Fest challenge. Now, she looks forward to helping clients achieve success as an agent. Lisa lives with her family on a small farm. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, nature photography, scrapbooking and, of course, reading.

What she is seeking: She is seeking nonfiction for all ages (preschool–adult), picture book and middle grade fiction, and picture book author/illustrators. Lisa loves books with heart; science, agricultural, and environmental topics; new insights on history, culture, or the arts; strong characters and settings; humor; lyrical texts; and multicultural themes. She enjoys a good rhyming story, but please be sure the meter is strong and consistent.  

How to submit: Query Lisa via her submission manager HERE.

2021 New Year's Resolution for Writers: Read

Pixabay Every new year I make a writing resolution. In past years, I have resolved to begin projects and to finish them. I've resolved to write what I most feared and to get more rejections than C. S. Lewis. (He got 800 before he was published.) To my credit, I have managed to fulfill all my resolutions - even C. S. Lewis' stunning number of rejections. (I've gotten well over a thousand, but that's counting rejections for everything I've written. So I've fudged that resolution a bit.) And I have resolved to stick to my guns in the face of those rejections, and be true to my work.This year, I am resolving to read. Sometimes writers forget that reading is how we nourish ourselves. It's true that we need to observe to world around us, to think, to ponder. But in order to write we must tackle the task of reading - not just for pleasure, but with the critical eye of a writer.
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Who are your favorite authors? If you had to give someone your personal list of the top ten best writers, who would they be? More to the point, why? Did they touch your heart and then break it? Did they write such vivid descriptions that you saw, heard, felt what they were describing? Did they make observations so profound that you viewed the world in a whole new light? Did they give you "aha!" moments? Were some of their phrases so beautiful that you could not continue, but had to stop to read them again and again? Did their beauty make you catch your breath?

Read those books once more. Analyze them. How did those writers create those emotions in you? How exactly? You won't be able to accomplish what those authors managed to do precisely the way they did it, but reading them with a microscope will give you ideas. You will look at words and sentence structure differently. You will begin to sense the rhythm and melody in dialogue. Like music, those cadences will open you up. You will explore language through someone else's inner voice.

What books will I re-read?

The Music Room by Dennis McFarland. I couldn't stop reading this book. McFarland kept my eyes glued to the page. He really gets inside his characters. How does he do it?

Anthony Doerr's Memory Wall. Actually, anything by Anthony Doerr will do. He is a poetic writer. Every word is evaluated, weighed, considered, and reconsidered before it is finally chosen.
 
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeline Thien. I'm cheating with this one, because I've already started reading it for the first time. But I know I will have to read it again. Her writing style is thoroughly engaging, and she has insightful observations which stop me dead in my tracks.

Martin Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko series, starting with Gorky Park. Martin Cruz Smith has the ability to deftly establish a character with a stroke of the pen. He never overstates, which means he is a master of economical language.

David Foster Wallace, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. I don't have Wallace on my "top ten" list, but I will re-read him because his writing style is the exact opposite of mine. I find Wallace's incredibly long sentences liberating. It feels like swimming.

Torch  by Cheryl Strayed is an example of crystal clear writing. You don't feel as if you are reading.

William Gibson's Pattern Recognition is well-worth re-reading. He has the ability to create a world which is familiar, yet isn't. He keeps readers slightly off-balance and then he sucks them right in.

The Ground Beneath Her Feet is Salman Rushdie's best novel. (Don't argue with me.)

 I will re-read Ursula Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven. Le Guin grabs her readers by their collars and throws them into a story. She creates worlds that are entirely believable.
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White Noise by Don DeLillo. This is my favorite 20th-century novel. Honestly, I can't figure out how he did it, but I am going to try.

49 Calls for Submissions in January 2021 — Paying Markets

There are more than four dozen calls for submissions in January. 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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​Cast of Wonders Podcast. Genre: Speculative fiction for teens. Length: 3,000 words max. Payment: 6 cents/word. Deadline: January 1, 2021.
The Temz Review. Genres: Prose (fiction and creative non-fiction) up to 10,000 words long. Payment: $20. Deadline: January 1, 2021.

Bluestem. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction. Payment: $20/poem and $75/prose piece. Deadline: January 1, 2021.

Constelación Magazine: Myths and Monsters. Genre: Bilingual Spanish/English speculative fiction. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: January 1, 2021.

Dorothy. Genre: Books. "Fiction or near fiction or about fiction, mostly by women." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 1, 2021.

Aphotic Realm: Lycanthropy. Genre: Speculative stories about animorphs with a bloody twist.   Payment: $10. Deadline: January 1, 2021.

Circumference. Genre: New translations of poetry, essays, long-form writing, and drama. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: January 2, 2021.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on Theme of Green. Payment: $10 via PayPal for each story published in an Anthology. Deadline: January 3, 2021.

Rialto. Genre: Poetry. Payment: £20. Deadline: January 3, 2021.

Dark Dispatch: Redemption. Genre: Sci fi, fantasy, horror, and crime on theme of Redemption.   Payment: $50. Deadline: January 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: January 7, 2021.  Opens to submissions on January 1.

Jazz House: Twisted Love Anthology. Genre: Romanic gothic horror. "Jazz House wants to read your twisted, dark, and despairing stories about romantic and gothic horror and the people who find love to have a bitter aftertaste." Payment: $75. Deadline: January 8, 2021.

The Stinging Fly. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: Fiction and nonfiction: €30 per magazine page; Poetry: €50 per poem; Featured Poet: €250. Deadline: January 8, 2021.

Mermaids Monthly. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art on topic of merfolk. Payment: $0.10/word for fiction, $50 – $100 for poems, Comics (up to 5 pages) $75-$100 per page, micro art and word submissions $25, $50 for spot illustrations, $25 – $50 licensing fee for interior and $100 – $150 for cover art licensing reprints, $0.10 per word for non-fiction, $0.01 per word for these with a minimum of $20 if the piece is shorter than 2,000 words for reprints. Deadline: January 9, 2021.

Planet Scumm: Snake Eyes. Restrictions: Open to cisgender women, transgender women, transgender men, non-binary people, and genderqueer people. Genre: Hard sci-fi, soft sci-fi, speculative fiction, weird fiction, and slipstream on theme of Snake Eyes. Payment: $0.02/word. Deadline: January 10, 2021.

Full Bleed: Archives. Genre: Criticism, fiction, poetry, graphic essays, belles lettres, artwork, design, and illustration. "We are especially interested in submissions on the theme of adaptation. In this time of accelerating change, we invite artists, designers, and writers to reflect on the various ways that ecological, technological, and social conditions have necessitated and will necessitate reinvention, hard resets, or new modes of coping, working, living, and thinking." Payment: Modest honorarium.  Deadline: January 10, 2021.

Midnight & Indigo. Restrictions: Open to black women. Genre: Fiction, personal essays.  Payment: $50 for essays, and $50-$75 for fiction. Deadline: January 10, 2021.

The Other Stories Podcast. Genre: Horror on theme of Lost Civilizations. Payment: $5. Deadline: January 11, 2021.

Wyldblood. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: £0.01 per word. Deadline: January 14, 2021.
Muse Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction articles for children on theme of Layers of Meaning.  Payment: Not specified. Deadline: January 15, 2021. 

Great Weather for MEDIA: Annual Print Anthology. Genres: Poetry, flash fiction, short stories, dramatic monologues, and creative nonfiction. "Our focus is on the fearless, the unpredictable, and experimental but we do not have a set theme for our anthologies." Payment: $10. Deadline: January 15, 2021.

Stellium is a literary magazine centering Black queer and trans prose writers. (Other Black and QTPOC writers accepted.) Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. Payment: $50. Deadline: January 15, 2021.


The Periodical, Forlorn. Genre: Dark and creepy stories that give us an unusual spin on vampiric items or people. Payment: $15. Deadline: January 15, 2021.

Unfettered Hexes: Queer Tales of Insatiable Darkness. Genre: Speculative stories about queer witches, "the knife edge between the sacred and the profane, and infinite darkness." Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: January 15, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: I’m Speaking Now: Black Women Share Their Truth in 101 Stories of Love, Courage and Hope. Genre: True stories and poems. “We’re looking for everything from the serious to the silly. There will be 101 stories, so we can go wide and deep, and we’d like to share stories from Black women of all ages, from late teens to women in their nineties.” Payment: $200. Deadline: January 15, 2021.

Channel. Genre: Short stories, poetry, and essays that engage with the natural world. Payment: €40 per poem and €40 per page of prose up to a total maximum fee of €120. Contributors will also receive a copy of whichever issue their work appears within. Deadline: January 15, 2021.

Women Artists Datebook. Genre: Poems and artwork by women on theme of social justice. Payment: $70. Deadline: January 15, 2021.

Rattle. Genre: Poetry. Theme: Tribute to Appalachian Poets. Payment: $200. Deadline: January 16, 2021.

Gypsum Sound Tales: COLP: Underground. Genre: Short stories, all genres on theme of Underground. Payment: AU$5.00 for stories under 2500 words / AU$10.00 for anything above 2500 words.  Deadline: January 17, 2021.

Ruminate. Genre: Short nonfiction (See themes). Payment: $20/400 words for prose, and $20/image for visual art. Deadline: January 20, 2021.

Electric Literature: The Commuter. Genre: Poetry, short fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: January 24, 2021. Opens January 18.

Electric Literature: Recommended Reading. Genre: Short fiction between 2,000 and 10,000 words. Payment: $300. Deadline: January 24, 2021. Opens January 18.

The Other Stories Podcast. Genre: Horror on theme of Government Experiments. Payment: $5. Deadline: January 25, 2021.

Luna Novella for Speculative Scotland. Restrictions: Open to all writers who call Scotland their home, irrespective of place of birth or ethnicity. All levels welcome (unpublished, published, solo or agented). Genre: Speculative fiction novellas. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 26, 2021.

Every Day Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction up to 1000 words. Payment: $3. Deadline: January 27, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Eldercare. Genre: True stories and poems. "Eldercare on an ongoing basis is a very difficult task, whether the care is in your home, the person’s home, or an outside facility. Eldercare requires the caregiver to be patient, kind, compassionate and giving. And having a little humor doesn’t hurt! Are you providing eldercare for a spouse, partner, or sibling due to dementia, chronic illness, permanent physical or mental disabilities, or just plain old age? Did you move in with an older family member to care for him or her? Are you part of the “sandwich” generation—caring for a parent and a child at the same time?" Payment: $200. Deadline: January 30, 2021.

Dragon Soul Press: Valiance. Genre: Fiction on theme of Valiance. "Female samurai are rarely written in books and are shrouded in mystery. With no limitation on genre, the only special requirement for this anthology is that a female samurai be the main character in each of these stories." Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 31st, 2021.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems on theme of Strange Births. Payment: Short Story-$20 upon acceptance and copy of magazine; Art-$15 for full page; Poems-$15 less than 200 words. Deadline: January 31st, 2021.

The Great Void. Genre: Speculative fiction. Length: 4000 - 15,000 words. See themes. Payment: 30% of profits shared equally among contributors. Deadline: January 31st, 2021.

Shenandoah. Genre: Novel excerpts, short stories, and essays. Payment: $100 per 1000 words of prose up to $500. Deadline: January 31st, 2021. Opens January 15.

The Rumpus. Genre: Fiction, Poetry. "We strive to be a platform for marginalized voices and writing that might not find a home elsewhere, and to lift up new voices alongside those of more established writers we love. We work to shine a light on stories that build bridges, tear down walls, and speak truth to power." Payment: $300 divided among all contributors. Deadline: January 31st, 2021.

Muswell Press: Queer Life, Queer Love. Genre: Non-fiction pieces, short stories, flash fiction and poetry. "What do we mean by Queer? We are looking for writing that explores characters and experiences beyond mainstream society. Celebrating the fascinating, the forbidden, the alien, the subversive, the view of the outsider." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 31, 2021.  

Please See Me. Genre: Poetry, creative nonfiction/essays, fiction/short stories/flash fiction, and digital media (photography, drawings, podcasts, and short films) on theme of Hope. "We are especially looking for content that connects us, make us feel something, or helps us see illness, wellness, health, or the healthcare environment differently." Payment: Not specified. Deadline: January 31, 2021.  

The New Gothic Review. Genre: Gothic fiction. Payment: $30. Deadline: January 31, 2021.

Room. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art. "We invite creatives to submit work that centres storytelling from Indigenous perspectives, methods, and forms. We envision this special issue to encompass different communities coming together with a shared vision of Indigenous resurgence: one that exists through the act of making space for ourselves and each other, through community building, and through the radical act of living and loving. This issue encourages writing and visual art, as well as diverse non-literary art forms to be submitted." Payment: All contributors will be paid upon publication: $50 CAD for one page, $60 for two pages, $90 for three pages, $120 for four pages, $150 for five or more pages. Deadline: January 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: January 31, 2021.

Quommunicate Publishing: Hashtag Queer – LGBTQ+ Creative Anthology, Vol 4. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and scripts on LGBTQ+ themes. Payment: $5/page. Deadline: January 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: January 31, 2021. Note: Submit early in January to avoid submission fees. Free submissions for black writers all year.

Orca. Genre: Literary fiction. Payment: $25. Deadline: January 31st, 2021. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fees. 

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Volney Road Review. Genres: Fiction, poetry, CNF, art. Payment: $10. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

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: February 1, 2021.

The Southampton Review. Genre: Poetry, prose, art. Payment: Prose: $100+, Poetry: $75 per poem. Illustration: $100 per page. Art Portfolios: $200 for up to 12 images Deadline: February 1, 2021. Submit early in the month to avoid fees.

42 Writing Contests in January 2021 - No entry fees

This January 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! 
(Photo credit: Pixabay)

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The Reedsy Writing Prompts Contest. Genre: Short story. (See prompts) Prize: $50. Deadline: January 1, 2021.

Vermont Writers' Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of Vermont. Genres: Short story, poem, play or essay on the theme of Vermont - its people, places, history or values. Entries must be unpublished and fewer than 1,500 words long. Writers may submit only one entry per year. Prize: $1,250 and publication in Vermont Magazine. Deadline: January 1, 2021.

Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award. Genre: Poem, 3-10 pages long, that demonstrates a "truly inventive spirit." Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: January 1, 2021.

Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Best First Crime Novel Competition. Restrictions: The Competition is open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any published novel (except that authors of self-published works only may enter, as long as the manuscript submitted is not the self-published work) and is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a novel. Genre: Murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: January 1, 2021.

Tony Hillerman Prize. Sponsored by St. Martin's Press. Genre: Debut mystery novel set in Southwest.  Prize: $10,000 advance against royalties and publication, Deadline: January 2, 2021.


Texas Institute of Letters Literary Awards. Restrictions: Entrants must have resided in Texas for at least 2 consecutive years, or have been born in Texas. Genre: Book (published). 11 different categories.  Prize: $6,000. Deadline: January 4, 2021.

Japan Center-Canon Essay Competition. The aim of the Japan Center Essay Competition is to promote awareness and understanding of Japan in the United States and to help young Americans broaden their international horizons. Genre: Essay. Contestants should write, in English, one or more aspects of Japan including art, culture, tradition, values, philosophy, history, society, politics, business, and technology in relation to their personal views, experiences, and/or future goals. (Contestants do not need to have any experience in visiting Japan or studying Japanese. Prize: Best Essay Award in the High School Division: 1st Place: $3,000 and a Canon camera, 2nd Place: $1,500 and a Canon camera, 3rd Place: $750 and a Canon camera; Best Essay Award in the College Division: $3,000 and a Canon camera; Uchida Memorial Award: $1,000 and a Canon camera; Merit Award: $200 (each) for up to five awards. Deadline: January 8, 2021.

Man Booker International Prize. The Man Booker International Prize for fiction translated into English is awarded annually by the Booker Prize Foundation to the author of the best (in the opinion of the judges) eligible novel or collection of short stories. Prize: £50,000 divided equally between the author and the translator. There will be a prize of £2,000 each of the shortlisted titles divided equally between the author and the translator. Deadline: January 8, 2021 for works published between January 1 and April 30, 2021.

The Prism Prize for Climate Literature. Restrictions: Open to USA and UK writers. Genre: Full-length book: fiction, poetry, and literary non-fiction writing in the emerging genre of climate literature. Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: January 8, 2021. 

Northern California Book Awards. Restrictions: Books written by authors based in northern California and published for the first time the previous calendar year are eligible for nomination. Genre: Published book. Prize: $100. Deadline: January 10, 2021.


Orwell Prize. Genre: Political writing published between 1st January and 31st December 2020. All entries must have a clear British link. Journalism and ‘exposing Britain’s social evils’. Prize:  £3,000.00. Deadline: January 11, 2021.

In the Mood for Love. Genre: Romantic short stories, CNF or nonfiction. Prize: 1st Place:$100 and Publication; 2nd Place: $50 and Publication; 3rd Place: $25 and Publication. Deadline: January 11, 2021.

Author Mentor Match. Genre: Completed YA or MG manuscript. Prize: Mentorship by published author. Deadline: January 11 - 14, 2021.


Arnold Adoff Poetry Awards. Genre: Poetry books for children and young adults. Novels in verse, memoirs in verse, collections of original poetry, and edited collections are all acceptable formats for the awards. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 15, 2021.

The Lumiere Review Writing Contest. Genre: Poetry, prose. Prize: $100. Deadline: January 15, 2021.

The Hillman Prize for Journalism. Genre: Journalism. "Since 1950, the Sidney Hillman Foundation has honored journalists, writers and public figures that pursue investigative journalism and public policy in service of the common good." Prize: $5,000. Deadline: January 15, 2021 for Canadian entries, January 30, 2021 for US.


Washington State Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Washington State writers. Genre: Published book, all genres. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 15, 2021.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest is sponsored by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. Restrictions: The contest is open to United States high school students in grades nine through twelve attending public, private, parochial, or home schools; US students under the age of twenty enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program; and US citizens attending schools overseas. Genre: Essay on an act of political courage by a US elected official who served during or after 1956. Prize: The first-place winner receives $10,000 comprised of a $5,000 cash award and $5,000 from John Hancock. The second-place winner receives $1,000. Up to five finalists receive $500 each. Deadline: January 15, 2021.

French-American Foundation Translation Prizes. Genre: Book - best English translation of French in both fiction and non-fiction. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: January 15, 2021.

Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize. Restrictions: Open to women, US citizens only. Genre: Novel. All entries must be submitted by publishers who wish to have the work of their authors that were published in the year 2018 considered. No self-published works or works from vanity presses will be accepted. Prize: $7,500. Deadline: January 15, 2021.

Walter Muir Whitehill Prize in Early American History. Genre: Essay on early American history (up to 1825), not previously published, with preference being given to New England subjects. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: January 15, 2021.

Novella-in-Flash Award. Genre: Flash fiction/Novella. 6000 to 18000 word limit – each flash should not be more than about 1000 words. Prize: £300 prize for the winner, two runner-up prizes of £100. Deadline: January 17, 2021.

Pink Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: January 17, 2021.

Bethesda Urban Partnership Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of Washington, DC and select counties in Maryland and Virginia. Genre: Essays. Length: 500 words maximum. Prize: $500 in adult category (age 18+) and $250 in high school category (ages 14-17). Deadline: January 18, 2020.

Bethesda Magazine Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of Washington, DC and select counties in Maryland and Virginia. Genre: Short stories. Length: 4000 words maximum. Prize: $500 in adult category (age 18+) and $250 in high school category (ages 14-17). Deadline: January 18, 2020.

Nine Dots Prize. Restrictions: Open to authors age 18+. Genre: Summary response to "What does it mean to be young in an ageing world?" The winner will expand on the ideas expressed in their summary response by participating in a seminar at the University of Cambridge and by writing a short book (25,000-40,000 words) to be published by Cambridge University Press. Prize: $100,000. Deadline: January 18, 2020.

Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest. Restrictions: Registered undergraduate full-time Juniors or Seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States during the Fall 2015 Semester. Genre: Essay Topic: Articulate with clarity an ethical issue that you have encountered and analyze what it has taught you about ethics and yourself. 3,000 to 4,000 words. Prize: First Prize $5,000, 2nd Prize $2,500, 3rd Prize $1,500, two Honorable Mentions $500 each. Deadline: January 19, 2021. Read details here.

Poetry Society of Virginia - Student Contest. Restrictions: Open to students in Virginia, grades 3 - 12. Prize: $10 - $25. Deadline: January 19, 2021.

Encore Award. Restrictions: Open to British or Commonwealth citizens. Genre: Second published novel. Book must have been first published in the UK. Prize: 10,000 pounds. Deadline: January 22, 2021.

The Roadrunner Review. Restrictions: Open to students, graduate and undergraduate. Genre: Fiction, CNF, Poetry. Prize: $100. Deadline: January 21, 2021.

Lex Allen Literary Festival Prizes. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate college students. Genres: Poetry and fiction. Prize: $100. Deadline: January 22, 2021.


Zocalo Public Square Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to US poets only. Genre: Poetry that evokes a connection to place. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 29, 2021. Note: Winning author gives up all rights.

Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship. Restrictions: Open to a high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior or a current or entering college or graduate school student of any level. Home schooled students are also eligible. There is no age limit. You must also be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. Genre: 500- to 1,000-word essay about technology addiction. Prize: $1000 scholarship.  Deadline: January 30, 2021.

Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant. Restrictions: Open to authors under 30 years of age who have not had a book published. Applicant must have been born in Ohio or have lived in Ohio for a minimum of five years. Genre: Short fiction and creative non-fiction. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: January 31, 2021.

A Public Space Emerging Writer Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book. Prize: $1000 and six months of editorial support from A Public Space editors to prepare a piece of prose for publication in the magazine. Deadline: January 31, 2021.

Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. "The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America." Genre: previously unpublished work of short fiction. Prize: $100.00.  Deadline: January 31, 2021.
The Danuta Gleed Literary Award for best first collection of short fiction in the English language was initiated by John Gleed in honour of his late wife to promote and celebrate the genre of short fiction, which she loved. Restrictions: Canadian residents only. Prize: A $10,000 prize will be awarded for the best first collection of published short fiction in the English language. Two finalist will also be awarded $500 each. Deadline: January 31, 2020.

The 2021 Stratford Literary Festival/Salariya Books Children's Picture Book Competition.  Restrictions: Open to residents of the UK and Ireland. Writers must be unpublished by a mainstream publisher. Genre: Children's picture book, unpublished. Prize: First prize: £1000.  Deadline: January 31, 2021.

Caine Prize for African Writing. Restrictions: Open to writers born in Africa, or nationals of an African country, or with a parent who is African by birth or nationality, Genre: Short fiction (published). Prize: £10,000. Deadline: January 31, 2021.

Stephen A DiBiase Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 31, 2021.

Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize. The annual Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize is awarded each spring to honor an outstanding literary translation from German into English published in the USA the previous year.  Genre: Published fiction or non-fiction, may include: novels, novellas, short stories, plays, poetry, biographies, essays and correspondence. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: January 31, 2021.

Michael E. DeBakey Medical Student Poetry Awards. Restrictions: Only undergraduates currently enrolled in accredited United States medical schools are eligible. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000 top prize. Deadline: January 31, 2021. Note: Winners do not retain copyright.

7 Great Writing Conferences in January 2021

Pixabay The new year kicks off with seven great conferences for writers. These conferences offer everything from intensive workshops and panels, to pitch sessions with agents and one-on-one tutorials. 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.

(Photo credit: Pixabay)

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Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Residency Writers Conference. January 7-17, 2021: Forest Grove, Oregon. Writers seeking to deepen their craft and expand their professional community are invited to attend the Residency Writers Conference together with MFA students, faculty and guest speakers. Join us for 10 full days of craft talks, workshops, panels, classes, readings and more featuring some of the best minds of the literary world. This residency is a rare opportunity to engage in sustained and meaningful conversation with others who share your passion for the art of writing.  Because of ongoing concerns due to COVID-19, this will be a virtual residency.

TMW January Jumpstart. January 9, 2021. “Fresh Slate/Fresh Page in 2021: This Zoom workshop will address the writer as beginner, even when we are experienced, even when we’ve already started or written most of a project. We will explore tools and exercises to help begin a project or begin a project again, generate or develop a new idea, or return to an old idea that for some reason stalled and see that project with new eyes. These tools and exercises can be used for fiction or nonfiction, prose or poetry, and be beneficial to writers of all levels from novice to seasoned author."

Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway. January 14-18, 2021, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as craft talks, one-on-one tutorials, featured readings, and open mics. Tuition, which includes some meals, ranges from $490 to $690, depending on the workshop. Will be held online.

Writing By Writers DRAFT. Application deadline: January 15, 2021: Lake Tahoe and Boulder, CO. DRAFT is an intensive program for 15 writers who are committed to completing a novel, memoir, short story, or essay collection over the course of two years. Whether starting a first draft, or working through a new revision, this program is appropriate for writers who want a rigorous and supportive community throughout their process.

Eckerd College Writers’ Conference. January 16-23, 2021, St. Petersburg, FL. Workshops, roundtables, panel discussions, Q&As, readings book signings, and receptions. The faculty includes poets Billy Collins, Gregory Pardlo; fiction writers Michael Koryta, John Dufresne; creative nonfiction writers Stephanie Elizondo Griest and Dani Shapiro; editor George Gibson (Grove/Atlantic); and agent Ann Rittenberg (Ann Rittenberg Lit Agency) and many more. Canceled for 2020, but a 2-day virtual event for applicants, will take place on Sunday and Monday, January 17 and 18.

Palm Beach Poetry Festival. January 18-23, 2021 , Delray Beach, Florida. Workshop Faculty Poets: David Baker, Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Traci Brimhall, Eduardo C. Corral, Vievee Francis, Kevin Prufer, Martha Rhodes, and Tim Seibles. Special Guest is Gregory Orr accompanied by The Parkington Sisters; Poet-at-Large Brian Turner; and Conference Faculty: Lorna Knowles Blake, Sally Bliumis-Dunn, Nickole Brown, Jessica Jacobs, and Angela Narciso Torres. Will be held online.

Breakout Novel Graduate Learning Retreat. January 25 - February 31, 2021: Tampa, Florida. An intensive week of critiques, one-on-one sessions, query clinics, brainstorming and writing. Limited to 16 students. Will be held virtually.
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