Erica Verrillo's Blog, page 37

6 Agents Seeking Mysteries and Thrillers NOW

Here are six agents currently seeking mysteries and thrillers. All work with reputable literary agencies that have good track records.

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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Gail Fortune of The Talbot Fortune Agency

Gail Fortune is a former book editor with over 25 years of publishing experience. Prior to becoming an agent she spent 16 years at Putnam Berkley (now part of Penguin Random House), where she rose from Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief to Executive Editor. Her authors have won RITAs and Agathas and have been nominated for Edgar and Anthony Awards. She has edited and agented New York Times bestsellers and Publishers Weekly Books of the Year. She is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

How to submit: Send your query to: queries@talbotfortuneagency.com. Be sure to include the word "query" in the subject line, and specify whether the query is addressed to John Talbot or Gail Fortune. Below your query letter PLEASE PASTE IN THE FIRST FIVE PAGES of your manuscript (but do not attach those pages as a separate file).

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Bibi Lewis of The Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency

Bibi Lewis joined the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency in 2014 as an associate agent and subsidiary rights manager. In addition to her duties as an agent she sells foreign and audio rights for agency clients.

How to submit: Please send submissions to agent@ethanellenberg.com to the attention of Bibi Lewis. Send a brief query letter, followed by your synopsis, followed by the first 50 pages of your manuscript. Paste all materials into the body of the email in the above order.


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Peter Rubie of FinePrint Literary Management

Peter Rubie is a former BBC Radio and Fleet Street journalist and for several years was the director of the publishing section of the New York University Summer Publishing Institute. He was a member of the NYU faculty for 10 years, and taught the only university-level course in the country on how to become a literary agent. Prior to becoming an agent he was a publishing house editor for nearly six years, whose authors won prizes and critical acclaim. He has also been the editor-in-chief of a Manhattan local newspaper, and a freelance editor and book doctor for major publishers. He was a regular reviewer for the international trade magazine Publishers Weekly, and is a published author of both fiction and non-fiction. He is a member of AAR, and regularly lectures and writes on publishing and the craft of writing. He is the author of two published novels and close to ten non-fiction books ranging in subject matter from publishing and writing to music and Shakespeare.

How to submit: Send a query letter with a synopsis of your book, your bio, and the first two chapters (no more than 30 pages) embedded in the body of your email to peter@fineprintlit.com.

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Joseph Perry of Perry Literary, Inc.

Before founding Perry Literary, Joseph began his book publishing career when he attended the New York University Summer Publishing Institute in 2010. After interning at FinePrint Literary Management, Joseph enrolled at St. John’s University School of Law to learn about the legal aspects of publishing and graduated with a juris doctor in 2015. During law school, Joseph interned in the legal departments at Hachette Book Group; Rodale, Inc.; and William Morris Endeavor, as well as the subsidiary rights department at Columbia University Press. Joseph also holds a B.A. and M.A. in English from St. Bonaventure University.

What he is seeking: Legal thrillers.

How to submit: Queries should be sent to jperry@perryliterary.com with the words “QUERY (the title of the manuscript)” in the subject line. Please submit a query letter and the first ten pages of your manuscript within the body of the email (not as an attachment, please).

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Marlo Berliner of The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency

Marlo Berliner is an award-winning young adult author, freelance editor, and bookseller. She joined The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency in March 2018 as an editorial intern after having completed a previous internship with The Bent Agency. Now, she is actively building her list as an associate agent. She is a member of SCBWI, RWA, NJ-RWA, and YA-RWA. Prior to her career in the publishing world, Marlo was an accounting manager for a Fortune 500 company. She holds B.S. degrees in Economics and Industrial Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

How to submit:  Please submit your query and first 20 pages of your finished and polished manuscript to http://QueryMe.Online/marloberliner


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Claire Harris of Foundry Literary + Media

Claire received her B.A. in English from The University of Texas at Austin and attended the NYU Summer Publishing Institute before joining Foundry Literary + Media. She enjoys the creative process of working with writers and collaborating closely with them throughout all stages of their careers.

What she is seeking: Psychological and commercial thrillers, serial detective stories, works of fiction inspired by actual crimes, mystery, suspense, cozies, and anything involving serial killers.

How to submit: Please send your query letter; Synopsis; First Three Chapters of Manuscript; and Author Bio to chsubmissions@foundrymedia.com.

6 New Agents Actively Seeking Nonfiction, Speculative Fiction, Mainstream Fiction

Here are six new agents actively building their client lists. Jennifer Weis is looking for new voices and authors preferably with a platform. Areas of specialty include but are not limited to health, psychology, memoir, current events and narrative nonfiction of special interest to women. Max Sinsheimer represents a range of adult nonfiction, with a particular interest in food and culture. Ben Miller-Callihan's interests include humor, YA and middle grade novels, speculative fiction, cookbooks, mainstream-ish fiction a la David Mitchell and William Gibson, and anything food-related. Callie Deitrick is primarily interested in adult literary or upmarket-commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction.

Sam Farkas wants upmarket fiction of all stripes, but especially historical; fast-paced, high-concept speculative thrillers that make her heart race; lyrical and immersive fantasy; and single-title romance that simmers. Sam is also open to Young Adult and Middle Grade of all genres, but she has a special fondness for thoughtful contemporary, often with a speculative twist; historical with modern sensibilities; fantasy with morally gray protagonists and complicated character dynamics; the very strange, and the very funny. In all categories and genres, she is looking for diverse and underrepresented voices. Jamie Carr represents novelists, short story writers, journalists, activists, and food and culture writers.

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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Jennifer Weis of Ross Yoon Agency

Jennifer recently left St. Martin’s Press, where she was Executive Editor for 30 years, to move to the other side of the desk. She joined Ross Yoon this summer. Many things have changed for her but one thing has remained constant: her excitement when engaged in the hunt for page-turning fiction of all kinds as well as compelling nonfiction. Jennifer brings to the table an ability to offer editorial guidance and development as well as an advanced understanding and knowledge of the inner workings of publishing houses and the publishing landscape today.

What she is seeking: In nonfiction, she is looking for new voices and authors preferably with a platform. Areas of specialty include but are not limited to health, psychology, memoir, current events and narrative nonfiction of special interest to women.

How to submit: Please send the following: query letter briefly explaining your idea, media platform, and qualifications for writing on this topic or a complete book proposal featuring an overview of your idea, author bio, media and marketing strategy, chapter outline, and 1-3 sample chapters. Please send these as attachments in .doc or .docx format to submissions@rossyoon.com.

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Max Sinsheimer of Sinsheimer Literary

Max Sinsheimer founded Sinsheimer Literary in the Fall of 2016 after spending seven years as an editor at Oxford University Press. "I treasured the close editor-author relationships I formed, but wanted to represent my authors’ interests more completely. As an agent, I can!"

​What he is seeking: Max represents a range of adult nonfiction, with a particular interest in food and culture.

How to submit: Email Max at max@sinsheimerliterary.com. Write QUERY and the title of your book in the subject line.

In the body of your email include who you are, a short book pitch, and a plot synopsis/overview. Attach your proposal as a PDF file.

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Ben Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary Agency

Ben Miller-Callihan joined Handspun Literary Agency as an associate agent in 2019, after working behind the scenes since the agency's founding in tech support and bookkeeping roles. He spent more than a decade teaching high school English, and has begun taking on his own clients at the agency.

What he is seeking: His interests include humor, YA and middle grade novels, speculative fiction (especially decolonial sff), cookbooks, mainstream-ish fiction a la David Mitchell and William Gibson, and anything food-related.

How to submit: Queries should be sent to query@handspunlit.com.

For fiction: please send a query letter, short synopsis (ideally 5 pages or less), and the first three chapters or 50 pages of the novel, whichever is more.

For nonfiction: please send a query letter and proposal.

Attachments are okay; they prefer Word docs to PDFs.

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Callie Deitrick of Wendy Sherman Associates


Callie Deitrick graduated from Hamilton College in 2016 with a major in creative writing and a minor in art and completed the Columbia Publishing Course in 2017. Professionally, she has worked as a publicity and editorial intern at Europa Editions, as an editorial intern at Henry Holt, where she illustrated the cover of Number One Chinese Restaurant, and as a bookseller at Little Joe’s. She has been working as an assistant at Wendy Sherman Associates since the fall of 2018 and is currently looking to take on clients.

What she is seeking: Callie is interested in books that change the way we look at the world, whether that is through magical realism, investigative research, or unique perspectives. In whatever she reads, Callie is drawn to strong and unusual voices and thought-provoking and moving stories. She is primarily interested in adult literary or upmarket-commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction.

How to submit: Please send all e-mail submissions to submissions@wsherman.com.  Include your last name, title, and the name of the agent you are submitting to in the subject line.  For fiction, please include a query letter and your first 10 pages copied and pasted in the body of the email. For non-fiction, please include your query letter and author bio.

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Ms. Sam Farkas of Jill Grinberg Literary Management

Sam Farkas grew up in South Jersey and attended the College of William & Mary, where she received her B.A. in History and English. Upon graduation, she moved to New York to intern with Maria B. Campbell Associates, where she discovered her love for collaborating with agents and publishers around the world. She worked in the subsidiary rights department at Penguin before she joined the JGLM team in 2018. She handles foreign rights for all JGLM authors. An avid traveler, Sam has been to 14 countries spanning 4 continents, and dreams of visiting them all. She speaks Spanish, and can often be found on language-learning apps.

What she is seeking: In Adult, Sam is looking for upmarket fiction of all stripes, but especially historical; fast-paced, high-concept speculative thrillers that make her heart race; lyrical and immersive fantasy; and single-title romance that simmers. Sam is also open to Young Adult and Middle Grade of all genres, but she has a special fondness for thoughtful contemporary, often with a speculative twist; historical with modern sensibilities; fantasy with morally gray protagonists and complicated character dynamics; the very strange, and the very funny. In all categories and genres, she is looking for diverse and underrepresented voices.

How to submit: Please send your query to: info [at] jillgrinbergliterary [dot] com. Your subject line should follow this general format: QUERY: [Title of Project] by [Your Name] / [Age Category/Genre]. Please paste your query letter in the body of the text and attach your materials as a docx. file.  For all fiction submissions, please send a query letter and the first fifty (50) pages of your manuscript.


Jamie Carr of The Book Group

Jamie Carr joined The Book Group in January 2020 as an agent. Prior, she worked in the literary department of William Morris Endeavor for almost six years where she championed New York Times bestsellers, award winning titles, and groundbreaking debuts. Born and raised in Lower Manhattan, she has an MFA in fiction writing and began her career in the books department of Tin House.

What she is seeking: Jamie represents novelists, short story writers, journalists, activists, and food and culture writers. Most interested in adult literary and upmarket commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction, she is drawn to writing that is voice-driven, highly transporting, from unique perspectives and marginalized voices, and that seeks to disrupt or reframe what appears to be known.

How to submit: Send a query letter and ten sample pages to submissions@thebookgroup.com. Please include the first and last name of the agent you are querying in the subject line. All material must be in the body of the email.

Most Popular Publishing Posts of 2019

It's traditional for blogs to do a "most popular" retrospective at the beginning of the new year. Since I am a sucker for traditions, here goes.
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In 2019, I published 79 posts. (My total number of posts is 746. They just keep multiplying ... like triffids.) All of my posts have to do with publishing, of course, though I occasionally sneak something in about the craft of writing.

In 2019, my two most popular posts were:

30 Traditional Publishers Accepting Submissions - No agent required 17,863 views

24 Publishers Accepting Picture Books - No Agent Required 14,575 views

After those two posts came all of my posts listing monthly Calls for Submissions and Writing Contests. (There are too many to list here.) Following those were Agents Seeking Submissions.

In addition to my 2019 posts, I should mention my most popular posts of all time, since these were visited regularly over the past year. All of these posts have been recently updated.

20 Most Popular Posts - All Time


23 US Children's Book Publishers Accepting Manuscripts Directly From Writers 260,118 views

Agents Looking for Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers 134,526 views

3 Major Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishers Accepting Unagented Manuscripts 88,723 views

6 Publishers Accepting Unsolicited Manuscripts from Writers - No Agent Needed  71,032 views

Mega-List of Speculative Fiction Magazines Accepting Submissions 57,097 views

17 UK Children's Book Publishers Accepting Manuscripts Directly from Writers 55,923 views

325 Paying Markets for Short Stories, Poetry, Nonfiction 52,730 views

19 Poetry Publishers Accepting Unagented Manuscripts 33,968 views

Mega-List of Paying Markets for Horror, Dark Fiction and Poetry 33,116 views

82 UK Literary Agencies Seeking Clients  32,335 views

Mega-List of Online Reviewers Who Accept Self-Published Books 32,105 views

41 Paying Markets for Personal Essays 29,837 views

13 Paying Markets for Humor 26,044 views

5 Established Agents Looking for Writers - Literary fiction, Memoir, MG, YA, Fantasy, Romance and more 25,814 views

28 Paying Markets for Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction 23,350 views

14 Publishers Accepting Unagented Short Story Collections 20,832 views

251 Hashtags for Writers 20,050 views

27 LGBT Publishers Accepting Manuscripts - No agent required (Plus 8 paying journals) 19,963 views

10 Agents Representing Short Story Collections 19,229 views

DAW Books Opens Its Doors to Sci-Fi and Fantasy Writers - No agent needed 16,793 views

2020 New Year's Resolution for Writers: Begin

Pxfuel I rarely make personal New Year's resolutions. (The one time I did, in 2018, it backfired so spectacularly, I will never resolve something personal again. I now take "Be careful what you wish for" very seriously.) However, all failures aside, I always make writer's resolutions. Those I follow faithfully, and without mishap.

In 2017, I resolved to write what I feared. In my case, it was a memoir. Fiction is easy to hide in. I can embed my quirks in a character or two, and write the truth without too much fear of exposure. A memoir was another matter entirely. All those secrets revealed, all that airing of linen, potentially quite dirty, all that risk. The very idea of writing a memoir terrified me.

So, I wrote one, because it was a resolution. And I am a woman of my word.

The following year, I resolved to finish, because my memoir was becoming a lengthy affair. At 120,000 words, and not even close to finishing, I was tempted to simply table the idea and get on with writing something more entertaining. But promises are promises, so I finished. The final product clocked in at 172,000 words, a length one agent characterized as "absurd."

Last year, I resolved to be true to my work. To thine own work be true is a piece of advice that is well taken for any writer. Writing for an audience, or for an agent, or a publisher, will only water down your work and turn it into something that says nothing. The only way your writing can achieve its full potential is if you say what you are compelled to say. Second guessing an audience will get a writer nowhere. So, I (mentally) told the agent who said my proposed memoir's length was "absurd" to go to hell, and added more.

This year, I am at an impasse. After spending two years spilling my guts out on paper, I feel emptied. Finishing a novel never has that effect on me; I only feel a sense of elation a "writer's high." But finishing my memoir about the two years I spent hitchhiking to Argentina has left me wondering what to do with myself. A novel? Another memoir? A screenplay? I don't know where to start.

I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter. The important thing is to begin, so that is my 2020 resolution: Begin.

Begin with a sentence, a phrase, a title. Begin with an image, song lyrics, something your mother told you when you were twelve. Begin with a phone conversation, an old letter, a shopping list. It doesn't matter how or what - just start. Inspiration will come after you begin to write. It always does.

So, dear writers, if you are staring at a blank screen ... write something on it. I promise it will take you somewhere you didn't expect to go. That is why we write, after all.

34 Calls for Submissions in January 2020 - Paying markets

Pixhere There are nearly three 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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Vernacular Books: The Way of the Laser – Future Crime Stories. Genre: Crime stories. "We want crime stories that take place in the future. Preferably these stories will go beyond simple murders or capers to reveal something about how technology and the powers that wield it have changed our world. Is poisoning the nanobots responsible for programming the ads in your neural feed a crime? Is organized crime society’s only hope or responsible for its downfall? Consider what will constitute a crime and what unique problems it poses for your characters." Payment: $0.05/word + royalties. Length: 4,000-8,000 words. Deadline: January 1, 2020.

Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge (Online). Genre: Poetry. There's a long tradition of poetry responding to art (and vice versa). Every month Rattle will post an image on their Ekphrastic Challenge page. Poets will then have one month to write a poem in response to that specific image. Payment: $50.  Deadline: January 1, 2020.

The Temz Review. Genres: Prose (fiction and creative non-fiction) up to 10,000 words long. Payment: $20. Deadline: January 1, 2020.

Full Bleed: Archives. Genre: Criticism, fiction, poetry, graphic essays, belles lettres, artwork, design, and illustration. "We are especially interested in submissions that critique, investigate, or rely on archives of various kinds. We seek new writing about artists working with, playing with, re-contextualizing, or elevating archival materials; art or design projects responsive to historical documents; and essays, fictions, and poetry related to the work of archiving." Payment: Modest honorarium. Deadline: January 1, 2020.

Griffith Review 69: The European Exchange (Australia). Genre: Essays and creative non-fiction, reportage, fiction, poetry, memoir and picture stories. "Griffith Review seeks new work that illuminates the evolving connections between Europe and Australia – work that asks not only how Europe speaks to the rest of the world, but how the rest of the world speaks back." Payment: Negotiated. Deadline: January 2, 2020.

Havok. Genre: Mystery, scifi, comedy, thriller, and fantasy on theme of Strange New Worlds.  Length: 300 to 1,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: January 5, 2020.

Crone Girls Press: Coppice and Brake. Genre: Fiction submissions of dark fantasy, supernatural, and eerie horror. Length: 500-1,500 words for flash fiction, 3,000-8,000 words for short stories, and 12,000-25,000 words for novellas. Payment: $0.02/word or $25/story, whichever is greater. (Seriously? $25 for a novella?) Deadline: January 6, 2020.

Crone Girls Press: Stories We Tell After Midnight. Genre: Chilling horror. Length: 500-1,500 words for flash fiction, 3,000-8,000 words for short stories, and 12,000-25,000 words for novellas. Payment: $0.02/word or $25/story, whichever is greater. (Again, seriously? $25 for a novella?) Deadline: January 6, 2020.

Nosetouch Press: Fiends in the Furrows II. Genre: Folk horror. "Folk Horror continues to stalk sunlit fields and shadowed groves with its grafting of the mundane and the sublime. The pervasive themes of isolation, paranoia, depravity, loss of individuality, and rustic madness captivate and terrify audiences." Length: 4,000-8,000 words. Payment: $0.04/word. Deadline: January 7, 2020.

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, 2020. Opens to submissions on January 1.

Prairie Fire. Genre: Fiction, creative non-fiction, essays, and poetry on the topic of walking.  General submissions (non-themed) also open. Payment: Prose: $0.10 per word. Poetry: $40 per poem. Deadline: January 10, 2020.

PodCastle. Genre: Speculative fiction: podcast. Payment: $0.06/word. Deadline: January 15, 2020. Accepts reprints.

Pixie Forest Publishing: Phobia! An Anthology of Fear. Genre: Short stories that feature a phobia. Stories should be between 1500 and 4000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: January 15, 2020.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Cats. Genre: True stories and poems. Payment: $200. Deadline: January 15, 2020.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Dogs. Genre: True stories and poems. Payment: $200. Deadline: January 15, 2020.

Women Artists Datebook. Genre: Poems and artwork by women on theme of social justice.  Payment: $70. Deadline: January 15, 2020.

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, 2020.

Carte Blanche. Genre: Fiction, CNF, art, and poetry. Payment: Modest honorarium. Deadline: January 15, 2020.

The Stinging Fly. Genre: Fiction and poetry. Payment: Token. Deadline: January 16, 2020.

Rattle Postcards. Genre: Poetry. "The poems may be any style or subject, but must have been written on and be accompanied by a related postcard. Homemade postcards, artists you know, or public domain/Creative Commons licensed art is preferred. Our goal is to support and encourage the act of writing poems on postcards and sharing them in this personal and intimate way." Payment: $100. Deadline: January 16, 2020.

Every Day Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction up to 1000 words. Suitable stories for February, including Groundhog Day, The Day the Music Died, The Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, getting tired of winter / cabin fever. Payment: $3. Deadline: January 27, 2020.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Stories about Christmas. Genre: Stories and poems about the holidays. "We are looking for stories about the entire December holiday season, including Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and New Year’s festivities too. We want to hear about your holiday memories and traditions. The rituals of the holiday season give a rhythm to the years and create a foundation for our lives, as we gather with family, with our communities at church, at school, and even at the mall, to share the special spirit of the season, brightening those long winter days. Please share your special stories about the holiday season with us." Payment: $200, publication, and 10 author copies.  Deadline: January 30, 2020.

The Overcast. Genre: Speculative fiction podcast. Payment: $20 minimum. Deadline: January 30, 2020. Accepts reprints.

The Genre Hustle: Murder Park After Dark Volume 3. Genre: Horror dark fantasy stories of no more than 2000 words. Sci-fi is also welcome so long as it’s scary. Payment: $0.02/word up to 1,500 words; $30 for comics and visual stories. Deadline: January 30, 2020.

The Rumpus. Genre: Fiction, poetry. Payment: $300 divided among all contributors (?). Deadline: January 31, 2020.

Hashtag Queer, Vol 4. Genre: Fiction, creative non-fiction and memoir, poetry, and scripts by or about LGBTQ+ Payment: $5/page. Deadline: January 31, 2020.

The Best New True Crime Stories: Small Towns. Genre: Nonfiction. "Known, lesser known and obscure cases are welcome. Add something new to the discussion, a different viewpoint or angle. First-person accounts are especially welcome from writers with some connection to the crimes. Stories can take place anywhere in the world and during any time frame. Material must be meticulously fact-checked before submission, including dates, names, locations etc." No reprints.  Payment: $130. Deadline: January 31, 2020.

Dragon Soul Press: Reign of Queens. Genre: Speculative short stories: "In these stories, women rule and worlds governed by men are a thing of the past. Whether righteous or downright sadistic, these authoritative female figures shape their worlds for better or worse despite the trials thrown their way." Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 31, 2020.

Room. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art by women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit and nonbinary people. Theme: Neurodivergence. 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, 2020.

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, 2020. Note: Submit early in January to avoid submission fees.

Gallery of Curiosities. Genre: Retropunk fiction: "steampunk, dieselpunk, dreadpunk, bronzepunk, others that haven’t even been invented yet punk … but not atompunk." Payment: 4 cents a word USD for original fiction and a penny a word for reprints, with a minimum of $30 USD for stories less than 1000 words. Deadline: January 31, 2020. Opens January 1.

Planet Scumm. Genre: Hard sci-fi, soft sci-fi, speculative fiction, weird fiction, slipstream. Payment: $30. Deadline: January 31, 2020.

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, 2020.

Aether&Ichor. Genre: Fantasy. Payment: £5 (or equivalent currency) per 1,000 words, at a minimum of £5. Deadline: January 31, 2020.

43 Writing Contests in January 2020 - No entry fees

January is a wonderful month for writing contests. This month there are more than three dozen contests calling for every genre and form, from poetry, to creative nonfiction, to completed novels. Prizes range from $10,000 to publication by a publishing house. None charge entry fees.

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


Good luck!


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The Reedsy Writing Prompts Contest. Genre: Short story. (See prompts) Prize: $50. Deadline: January 1, 2020.

Nature of Cities. Genre: Flash fiction: The theme of this year’s contest is 'City in a Wild Garden'. The work must:
- be 750 words or less;
- be of any style or genre of fiction;
- be set in a city (the notion of “city” may be liberally interpreted);
- include as significant plot elements both nature and people;
- be submitted in English.
Prize: One 1st place story receives $2,000; Two 2nd place stories receive $1,000 each; Three third prize stories receive $500 each. Deadline: January 1, 2020.

Northern New England Review Raven Prize in Creative Nonfiction. Restrictions: Open to US residents. Genre: Previously unpublished piece of creative nonfiction, maximum 3,000 words. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: January 1, 2020.

Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award. Genre: Poem, 3-10 pages long, that demonstrates a "truly inventive spirit." Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: January 1, 2020.

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, 2020.

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 3, 2020.

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, 2020.

The Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award introduces emerging writers to the New York City literary community. The prestigious award aims to provide promising writers a network for professional advancement. Since Poets & Writers began the Writers Exchange in 1984, 85 writers from 33 states and the District of Columbia have been selected to participate. Restrictions: Open to Arkansas residents. Genre: Poetry and Fiction. Prize: A $500 honorarium; A trip to New York City to meet with editors, agents, publishers, and other writers. All related travel/lodgings expenses and a per diem stipend are covered by Poets & Writers. Winners will also give a public reading of their work; and One-month residency at the Jentel Artist Residency Program in Wyoming. Deadline: January 6, 2020.

New York Times 'Win a Trip with Nick Kristof' Contest. Restrictions: US college and graduate students. Genre: Essay. Prize: Trip with Nick Kristof. Deadline: January 7, 2020.

Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out Essay Contest Grades 6 - 12. Stop the Hate® is designed to create an appreciation and understanding among people of differing religions, races, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. Genre: Essay, 500 words. Restrictions: Northeast Ohio 6-12th Graders. Prize: $40,000. Deadline: January 8, 2020 for Grades 6-10, January 20, 2020 for Grades 11-12.

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, 2020.

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 10, 2020 for works published between January 1 and April 30, 2020.

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, 2020.

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 12, 2020.

Orwell Prize. Genre: Political writing published between 1st January and 31st January 2019. All entries must have a clear British link. Journalism and ‘exposing Britain’s social evils’.  Prize:  £3,000.00. Deadline: January 13, 2020.

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, 2020.

Andres Montoya Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Latino authors who are residents of the US. Genre: First book of poetry published by a Latino author. Prize: $1,000 and publication by the University of Notre Dame Press. Deadline: January 15, 2020.

The Cosmos Prize. Genre: Re-write the final chapter of the 1930s sci-fi serial novel, Cosmos. Prize: $300. Deadline: January 15, 2020.

Beatrice Medicine Award for Scholarship in American Indian Studies. Genre: Essay and/or book about Native American studies published in 2019. Prize: $250. Deadline: January 15, 2020.

French-American Foundation Translation Prizes. Genre: Book - best English translation of French in both fiction and non-fiction. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: January 15, 2020.

Stephen A DiBiase Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 15, 2020.

Electa Quinney Award for Published American Indian Stories. Genre: Story. "This award seeks to highlight the work of story creators who continue the tradition of teaching through narratives often crossing the boundaries of genres, formats and disciplines. To celebrate the dissemination of stories into spaces where they can be shared all published stories qualify including small press and fine arts printing." Prize: $250. Deadline: January 15, 2020.

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, 2020.

Letras Latinas/Red Hen Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Latinx authors residing in the US. Applicants must be living poets who have published one or two full-length books of poetry and are not under contract for a third. Prize: $1000 and publication by Red Hen Press for a second or third poetry collection by a Latinx author. Deadline: January 15, 2020.

Pegasus Award for Poetry Criticism. Genre: This prize seeks to honor the best book-length works of criticism published in the US in the prior calendar year, including biographies, essay collections, and critical editions that consider the subject of poetry or poets. Prize: $7,500. Deadline: January 16, 2020.

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 17, 2020.

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 17, 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 17, 2020.

Poetry Society of Virginia - Student Contest. Restrictions: Open to students in Virginia, grades 3 - 12. Prize: $10 - $25. Deadline: January 19, 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 21, 2020. Read details here.

. 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, 2020.

Imagine Little Tokyo. Little Tokyo Historical Society (LTHS) seeks fictional short stories in Japanese or English for its second annual “Imagine Little Tokyo” writing contest. The setting of the story should be in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, CA– either past, present or future. Prize: $600. The winner of the youth division (18 or younger) will receive $400. Deadline: January 31, 2020.

Jack London Fiction Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to U.S. students in grades 9-12. Genre: Unpublished stories. Length: 2,000 words maximum Prize: $2,000, $1,000, and $500. Deadline: January 31, 2020.

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, 2020. Note: Winners do not retain copyright.

Sunburst Awards. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Speculative fiction short stories published in 2019. Prize: ? Deadline: January 31, 2020.

New York City Emerging Writers Fellowship. Restrictions: "Applicants must be current residents of one of the five boroughs, and must remain in New York City for the entire year of the fellowship. Students in degree-granting programs are not eligible to apply, even if the focus of study is not directly related to writing. This program supports emerging writers whose work shows promise of excellence. Applicants can be of any age, but must be in the early stages of their careers as fiction writers and will not have had the support needed to achieve major recognition for their work. We define “emerging writer” as someone who has not yet had a novel or short story collection published by either a major or independent publisher and who is also not currently under contract to a publisher for a work of fiction. Eligible applicants may have had stories or novel excerpts published in magazines, literary journals or online, but this is not a requirement." Genre: Fiction. Grant: $5,000. Deadline: January 31, 2020.

10 (Warm) Writing Conferences in January 2020

Pexels Baby, it's cold outside! Wouldn't you rather be on a beach? Luckily, writing conferences in January tend to be held in warm places - like Key West, Palm Beach, Tampa, and Hawaii. Even if you can't make it to one of these conferences, you can dream!

I can't stress enough that conferences are the best way to find an agent, hobnob with editors and other industry professionals, and meet fellow writers. Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, conferences are career starters.

For a month-by-month list of conferences throughout the year see: Writing Conferences. (You will also find links to resources that can help you find conferences in your area on that page.)

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Key West Literary Seminar. January 9 - 12, 2020 (seminar) and January 13 - 17, 2020 (workshop), Key West, Florida. The seminar offers readings, lectures, and conversations with poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers on the topic of "Sports in Literature." The island nations of the Caribbean have produced some of the most powerful and exciting writers of our time. For the 36th annual Key West Literary Seminar, we look across the waves to the vital literature that has emerged from this region. In bringing these writers together in Key West, we seek to both celebrate and transcend geography, in pursuit of the stories that hold us together.

Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference. January 9 - 12, 2020: Southampton, Long Island. "Join award-winning authors, editors, agents and marketing experts for a three day intensive writing conference focused on both the craft and the business of writing essays, biography, memoir, and narrative nonfiction. Develop both your skills and your creative marketing savvy in this focused and small conference, the only one of its kind in the country. The Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference accepts just 16 writers." CLOSED BUT CHECK FOR CANCELLATIONS.

Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Residency Writers Conference. January 9 - 19, 2020: 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.

TMW January Jumpstart XX. Jan 10 - 12, 2020, Oak Ridge, TN. Parallel sessions of workshops on fiction, poetry, nonfiction, writing for young people, editing, storytelling, self publishing, oral history, keeping series books fresh; panel discussions/readings; Saturday banquet. Charles Dodd White will lead Fiction; Bill Brown will lead Poetry.

Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway. January 17 - 20, 2020, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as craft talks, one-on-one tutorials, featured readings, and open mics. Tuition, which includes some meals, ranges from $490 to $690, depending on the workshop; lodging is not included.

Eckerd College Writers’ Conference. January 18 - 25, 2020, 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.

Palm Beach Poetry Festival. January 20 - 25, 2020, Delray Beach, Florida. The festival features workshops, readings, craft talks, manuscript consultations, panel discussions, and social events for poets. The faculty includes poets Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Nickole Brown, Reginald Gibbons, Jessica Jacobs, Major Jackson, Ilya Kaminsky, Dana Levin, Adrian Matejka, and Maggie Smith. The special poetry guests are Joy Harjo and Patricia Smith. The cost of tuition is $950 for workshop participants and $550 for auditors. One-on-one manuscript consultations with Lorna Knowles Blake, Sally Bliumis-Dunn, or Angela Narciso Torres are available for an additional $99. Using only the online application system, submit three poems of up to six pages with a $25 application fee by November 10.

Kaua’i Writers’ Retreat. January 26 - February 1, 2020: Kaua'i, Hawaii. Live and write among the plumeria, hibiscus, and beauty of Po’ipū, Kaua’i. Once you arrive on-island, each day is designed to provide inspirational, intensive craft instruction in the morning, followed by afternoons to read, write, explore, and enjoy the island, and evening gatherings to attend as you see fit. All residency events are optional: your time is your own, to read, write, revise, and be.

Breakout Novel Boni Graduate Learning Retreat. January 27 - February 2, 2020: Tampa, Florida. An intensive week of critiques, one-on-one sessions, query clinics, brainstorming and writing. Limited to 16 students. Sold out, but check waiting list.

10 Podcasts Accepting (Mostly) Speculative Short Stories - Paying markets

Pixabay People enjoy listening to stories - whether it's in person through author readings, on the radio, or on the net. Podcasts are especially popular because they are accessible on phones, and can be heard any time or place.

There is nothing quite so exciting as hearing your own story read aloud. The words you have only imagined come to life. They achieve substance, form, color. It's a thrill like none other.

On a practical level, podcasts are a wonderful way of keeping your stories in circulation. Almost all podcasts accept reprints, and quite a few of them pay. The podcasts below accept mostly speculative fiction - science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Some have submission periods, but most accept stories year-round.

Happy submitting!

Note: For hundreds of paying markets, broken down by genre, see: Paying Markets.

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Drabblecast. Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror short fiction — 500- 4,000 words. Podcast. Payment:  $.03/word, with a cap of $300.00. Accepts reprints.

Gallery of Curiosities. Genre: Speculative fiction up to 7,500 words. See themes. Payment:1 cent/word. Magazine and podcast. See submission periods. Accepts reprints.

Manawaker Studio’s Flash Fiction Podcast. Genre: Flash fiction. Payment: $3 minimum. Accepts reprints.

No Sleep Podcast. Genre: Horror. Stories between 1200 and 2499 words. "They have to be really scary. Any perspective or tense is fine for these. Single character stories are fine. Prose or script format is fine. For the most part, these stories will be appearing on the regular show, so cool soundscapes and attention to how they’ll sound in production is helpful." Payment: $100, made via Paypal or Amazon gift card.

StarShipSofa. Genre: Science Fiction. "From the soft, social science fiction to the weird pulpy stuff to the vigorous hard SF and YA adventure. We welcome all sub-genres and all variety of punks in all their colours. From high-octane action to quiet philosophical stories, we’re after it all.Science fiction is a rich and diverse genre, push it’s boundaries as far as you can go. We welcome translations and are very interested in stories that take place/written by authors outside the US/Anglo-sphere, as well as as alternative movements and styles. These include (but not limited to) “non-Western” science fiction, Chinese SF, Soviet speculative fiction, Afro-futurism, etc." Payment: $50 USD flat rate per story for nonexclusive, one time audio rights. Authors are paid for their stories on the 7th of the proceeding month. Accepts reprints.

The Overcast. Genre: Speculative fiction: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Steampunk, Magical Realism, Slipstream, or an as-yet-unnamed genre. No horror. The sweet spot for submissions is 2,000-3,000 words. Payment: $0.01 per word, but not less than $20 for any story. Flat rate of $20 for all stories under 2,000 words. Accepts reprints.

Escape Pod. Genre: Science fiction. "If your story isn’t centered on science, technology, future projections, alternate history, and how any or all of these things intersect with people, we’re probably not the right market for it." Payment: USD $0.08 per word for original fiction. USD $100 per story for reprint fiction. Accepts reprints.

PodCastle. Genre: Fantasy. Word count: up to 6,000 words. Payment: $.08/word USD for original fiction 6,000 words or less, $100 flat rate for reprints over 1,500 words, and $20 flat rate for flash fiction reprints (stories below 1,500 words). Accepts reprints.

Pseudopod. Genre: Horror. 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). Accepts reprints.

Cast of Wonders. Genre: Young adult short fiction, open to stories up to 6,000 words in length. Payment: $.08/word USD for original fiction 6,000 words or less, $100 flat rate for reprints over 1,500 words, and $20 flat rate for flash fiction reprints (stories below 1,500 words). Accepts reprints.

22 Magazines that Publish Book Reviews - Paying markets

Public Domain - Piqsels ​The best tip anyone can give a writer is to read. Much of the craft of writing is absorbed unconsciously by reading great authors. Don't limit yourself to your own genre. Read fiction, nonfiction, poetry, personal essays, anything you can lay your hands on - especially authors whose style is wildly different from your own. Reading is the fuel that will light your creative fire.

The analytical process of reading is also important for writers. Pay attention to what the author is saying and how she or he is saying it. How is the plot structured? How are the characters developed? What are the themes and motifs? Is the use of language vivid and imaginative? Are you moved? And when you are done thinking and analyzing, consider writing about what you have read.

Here are 22 magazines that want to hear your thoughts about fiction, poetry, music, movies, art. They will even pay for your considered opinion. If you are in the process of publishing a book, or have recently been published, some of these publications also accept book recommendations for review by their editorial staff. You or your publisher can submit these recommendations. To that end, I have also included seven publications that don't pay reviewers.

In addition to reviews and interviews, the majority of these journals also publish - and pay for -  fiction, poetry, CNF, and essays.

NOTE: For hundreds of paying literary magazines in every genre see: Paying Markets.

Happy submitting!

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Polu Texni

Polu Texni is a web magazine about mixed-media arts and speculative or weird fiction. "We’re interested in the intersection where different media, styles, crafts, and genres meet to create something more interesting than what they would be alone." They would like reviews of books pertaining to speculative fiction books, art books, illustrated books or graphic novels. Pays 3 cents a word.

The Georgia Review

Most of this journal's reviews are solicited by the editors, but they welcome submissions from outside reviewers. They publish standard reviews (typically 3–5 double-spaced pages), which focus on only one book, and essay-reviews (typically 10-20 double-spaced pages), each of which develops a strong thesis through an engagement with multiple books in order to comment on literature and/or culture beyond the texts at hand. No simultaneous submissions. They charge a fee for online submissions. No fee for postal submissions. Payment is $50. See submission periods.

West Branch

West Branch reviews poetry books. Book reviews are typically arranged by assignment, but if you are interested in writing reviews, please query with a sample. They currently pay $200 per assigned review.

Strange Horizons 

Strange Horizons publishes in-depth reviews of science fiction and fantasy, especially books, films, and television. "Reviews normally cover new works, although we do occasional features on older works, and will not reject a review because its subject has been available for a while. We're especially interested in reviews of worthy material that might not otherwise get the exposure it deserves; similarly, we are interested in reviews of works that push traditional genre boundaries." Pays $40 for reviews of at least 1000 words. They prefer reviews of 1500 to 2000 words.

Samovar

Samovar is a quarterly magazine of and about speculative fiction in translation published by Strange Horizons. They are looking for in-depth critical review-essays of 2,000 to 3,000 words. These may cover: Works recently translated into English; Works that have not been translated but that will be of interest to an English-language audience; Critical works focusing on speculative fiction in translation; Some combination of the above. Pays US$40 regardless of final word count.

New Letters

New Letters is primarily interested in reviewing excellent books, movies, and visual art otherwise not receiving much attention in the national media (which means most literary titles). Book reviews should be concise, detailed, vivid, and free of theoretical and academic jargon. Length is 300-800 words for single and double book reviews. Essay-reviews of groups of books could be longer. Potential reviewers should query first. If you want to review a particular book that you already possess, feel free to suggest it. Payment for single-book reviews is $35.

The New Haven Review 

The New Haven Review was founded to be a venue for writers associated with the Greater New Haven area and to resuscitate the art of the book review. They like to see submissions from writers who can claim some connection to Greater New Haven, no matter how spurious, though it's not mandatory. They prefer book reviews that are better than the book reviews you usually see. They pay at least $500 for prose pieces, fiction or nonfiction.

The Rumpus

The Rumpus is interested in thoughtful, engaging book reviews between 1200-2500 words. Please submit a finished draft of your review rather than a review pitch. Reviews should be single-spaced and paginated. Provide the following information in your cover letter and at the top of your review: Title of book, author's name, name of press, publication date, and your name and email address. In your cover letter, please also include your contact information and a brief bio that we would use should your review be accepted. They prefer not to publish negative reviews, but it’s fine to discuss a specific weakness, lack, or question you have related to the book. Please disclose any relationship you have to the author of the book you’re reviewing if one exists. They do not accept reviews where a conflict of interest exists. All work must be previously unpublished—this includes personal blogs, websites, and social media. A monthly pool of $300 is split between writers whose work is published. See submission periods.

Barrelhouse

Barrelhouse is a print and online journal featuring fiction, poetry, interviews, and essays. They are currently open for online book reviews. “We prefer reviews that focus on recent(last two years) small press titles—especially debuts—or upcoming titles. We  are especially keen on books that do not get reviewed in US outlets as  often as others—translated works, international releases etc. … We’re interested in full-length or chapbook-length collections of poetry & prose. We’d be open to memoirs, story or essay collections, even academic works. We’re most tentative with academic titles—not because we’re not open to them—but because they would need to be accessible to the same readership as for any text.” Payment is $50 to contributors of both print and online issues.

Contemporary Poetry Review

Contemporary Poetry Review bills itself as the largest online archive of poetry criticism in the world. They invite interested critics to submit their work. Contributors are accepted on a permanent basis, and asked to contribute regularly. Contributors are never assigned any work to review; they choose their assignments and their deadlines. Reviews have no maximum word count or length restrictions. Reviewers are encouraged to write leisurely and quote amply. All editorial revisions are submitted to the contributor before a contribution is published, and all revisions are discussed. Review copies are made available to contributors free of charge, and need not be returned. Reviewers are paid for each contribution. Payment is not specified.

The Gettysburg Review

The Gettysburg Review publishes fiction, essays, essay reviews, poetry, and visual art. They don’t publish short reviews of recently published books. They are interested in "more extensive assessments of new publications, reviews that offer insights both broader and deeper than whether a given book is good, bad, or mediocre.” They welcome unsolicited reviews so long as they are essay-reviews (15-20 pages). Payment is $25/page. See submission periods. Charges for online submissions. No charge for snail mail.

Tough


Tough is a crime fiction journal publishing short stories and self-contained novel excerpts of between 1500 words and 7500 words, and occasional book reviews of 1500 words or fewer. Query the editor at toughcrime@gmail.com before submitting reviews. Payment is $25.

The Puritan

This Canadian literary magazine publishes fiction, interviews, essays, reviews and poetry from all over the world. For reviews they are looking for pitches for 1500 to 5000-word reviews of recently released writing in any genre, including nonfiction. They generally publish reviews of books from small Canadian publishers, but are open to other works, as well. They do not publish reviews of chapbooks. Payment is $100 CAD per interview or review.

The Georgia Review

Most of this journal's reviews are solicited by the editors, but they welcome submissions from outside reviewers. They publish standard reviews (typically 3–5 double-spaced pages), which focus on only one book, and essay-reviews (typically 10-20 double-spaced pages), each of which develops a strong thesis through an engagement with multiple books in order to comment on literature and/or culture beyond the texts at hand. Essay-reviews and standard reviews earn honoraria of $50/printed page. In addition, all contributors receive a one-year subscription to The Georgia Review. No simultaneous submissions. See submission periods. Charges fee for online submissions. No fee for snail mail.

The Sunlight Press

The Sunlight Press is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, digital literary. They welcome creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, reviews, photography, and reflections by artists on their craft. "We want to hear the ways people turn toward light and hope, whether it is through the arts, culture, spirituality, or humor, and also how they respond to the darkness and navigate unknown spaces. Epiphanies are born from the ordinary and the extraordinary; whether it’s a reflection unfolding during a morning walk, after the loss of a loved one, or in the middle of unexpected laughter, we want to know about these moments." The Sunlight Press considers reviews of books, short story collections, and essay collections. Length: 750-1,000 words. Payment is not specified.

87 Bedford

This new online literary magazine publishes fiction, poetry, art, photography, spoken-word, interviews, reviews, and other creative media. Payment is $0.01 USD per word for each short story, installments of serial fiction, or book review.

The Fiddlehead
The Fiddlehead is a Canadian magazine open to writing in English or translations into English from all over the world and in a variety of styles, including experimental genres. "Our editors are always happy to see new unsolicited works in fiction, including excerpts from novels, creative nonfiction, and poetry. We also publish reviews, and occasionally other selected creative work such as excerpts from plays." Payment is $60 CAD per published page, plus two complimentary copies of the issue with your work. No charge for snail mail submissions. See submission periods.

Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope is a journal that focuses on disability. (Writers do not have to be disabled to contribute, as long as their work is about disability.) They want “reviews that are substantive, timely, powerful works about publications in the field of disability and/or the arts. The writer’s opinion of the work being reviewed should be clear. The review should be literary work in its own right." Length: 5,000 words maximum each; two reviews maximum. They also publish poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, articles, and visual art. Payment is $10-100.

Slightly Foxed

Slightly Foxed bills itself as "the independent-minded literary magazine that combines good looks, good writing and a personal approach. Slightly Foxed introduces its readers to books that are no longer new and fashionable but have lasting appeal. Good-humoured, unpretentious and a bit eccentric, it’s more like a well-read friend than a literary review." Articles are 1,000-2,000 words. Payment is not specified.

The Copperfield Review

The Copperfield Review is a journal of historical fiction. They publish book reviews, poetry, short stories, interviews with historical novelists, and nonfiction about tips for writing historical fiction or essays about writing historical fiction. Payment is $15 for reviews and poems, $20 for fiction and interviews, and $25 for tips on writing historical fiction. Accepts submissions all year.

Newfound

Newfound publishes work that explores how place shapes identity, imagination, and understanding. They publish reviews of books, film, television, music, art, and more. “We like reviews that are critical, complex, creative, and culturally-minded. Reviews should consider at least one object of culture that has been recently published (within the last year) or is forthcoming. Please send work that is double-spaced, 500-5000 words in length, and includes a short author bio. If you would like to review a work listed on our reviews page or something we’ve yet to discover, send a query along with a CV and writing sample.” There is no deadline given for reviews. They also publish fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, translation, and art. Contributors are paid $25.


Tor.com

Tor, a highly regarded science fiction and fantasy publisher, is an imprint of Macmillan. Their blog, Tor.com, accepts pitches for reviews, as well as essays, think pieces, list posts, and reaction pieces in the 1,000-2,000 word range. Suggested areas of interest are: author appreciations, essays on classic or overlooked works of SF/F, SF/Fantasy in translation (international SF/F), nostalgia-driven looks at older film/TV, Manga and Anime, Internet/Geek culture, and science and technology. If possible, please include 2-3 writing samples and links to your published work on other sites. Payment is not specified.
Non-Paying Magazines

Prairie Schooner

"We are particularly interested in reviews of books that can fairly be called diverse--we aim to publish a range of reviewers on a range of authors in each issue--and in reviews of authors' first books or recent translations. Books should be no more than eighteen months old by the time of publication (note that with our publication cycle, we are often reading to fill issues for two-three seasons from the time of submission). Reviews may consider a single book or take up two or three books together." Reviews should be no longer than 1,000 words, double-spaced, and formatted using a standard font. Payment is a complimentary copy. See submission periods.

Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review

Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review is a literary journal based in Austin, Texas that publishes poetry along with art series, reviews and essays. All reviews must be germane to poetry. Reviewers must include a cover letter with a brief bio. Reviews should be no longer than 1500 words, though longer reviews are acceptable when several books are under consideration. Please submit your review in Times or Times New Roman font. Include date of publication, price, and publisher for all works considered. Poets may send books for review consideration. Payment is a complimentary copy. See submission periods.

Mid-American Review

This journal seeks book reviews of around 400 words, following the MLA style sheet, of works of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction published within six months of their publication dates (April & November). Please query before sending a book review. They also accept works of fiction, poetry, translations, and nonfiction, including personal essays and essays on writing. Contributing authors will receive two complimentary copies of MAR as payment.

Rain Taxi

Rain Taxi publishes work by writers in all stages of their careers. "Our quarterly magazine provides a place for the spirited exchange of ideas about books, particularly those overlooked by mainstream review media. While Rain Taxi focuses on current releases, it also devotes space to the discussion of older works that continue to resonate. Interviews, essays, and "Widely Unavailable" (reviews of out-of-print books) are also regular features of the magazine." Rain Taxi considers books in the categories of poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, art, and graphic novels. Editorial reviews only.

Terrain.org

Terrrain “searches for the interface—the integration—among the built and natural environments that might be called the soul of place. It is not definitely about urban form, nor solely about natural landscapes. It is not precisely about human culture, nor necessarily about ecology. It is, rather, a celebration of the symbiosis between the built and natural environments where it exists, and an examination and discourse where it does not.” They accept poetry, essays, fiction, articles, artwork, videos, and other contributions—"material that reaches deep into the earth’s fiery core, or humanity’s incalculable core, and brings forth new insights and wisdom." They publish reviews of published or forthcoming books, CDs, magazines, community planning resource kits, websites, movies, and other items, as well as “Recommended Reads”, in which authors provide a list and narrative description of the books that have most influenced their own work. No maximum word length.

Literary Mama

This is a monthly online magazine featuring creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, columns, essays about writing and/or reading as anyone who identifies as a mother, as well as book reviews, and profiles of mother writers and artists. “We seek reviews exploring literary work that reflects a wide-ranging understanding of motherhood as experienced through multiple lenses and bodies. We review both newly-released work and older books that we consider to be important to the genre." They want "a reasoned, fair, well-balanced and supported critique of the work, offered in a positive tone. If you include a summary, please be sure it serves a purpose in illustrating a point or reinforcing a thesis rather than giving away the plot. Do not attack the author; please restrict your critique to the author’s craft, ideas, execution, arguments, etc. We publish reviews that help us understand how a book adds to the conversation about motherhood. If you cannot recommend a book, we prefer not to review it. We’d like to see reviews that consider craft as well as content.” Reviews are 800-1500 words. Genres accepted are fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Please send a query first.

The New York Review of Science Fiction

They want reviews of science fiction, fantasy, and horror books. “Our credo is that we publish reviews which reveal the strengths and weaknesses of good books. We tend not to publish negative reviews, though we do publish reviews that examine with precision the unsuccessful elements of worthwhile books. Contrawise, we do not publish reviews which are simply gushes of unexamined praise even of the best books; we want thoughtful reviews. We are not interested in reviewing every book published — nor even the majority of books published; please query us beforehand if you are interested in reviewing a specific title. We will consider well-written and substantial reviews of books by any author, from any publisher. Reviews need not be limited solely to one book; we encourage reviewers to compare books with similar themes and to place individual works in context within an author’s oeuvre and/or within the context of the field of speculative fiction as a whole.” They also seek popular articles, essays, parodies, studies, and thought-pieces on topics related to science fiction, fantasy, and horror literature. For a submission to be considered for any specific issue, they must receive the submission by the first Wednesday of the month before the issue is to be published; they publish monthly. Payment is in copies.

4 UK Agents Actively Seeking Writers

Here are four UK agents expanding their client lists. Veronique Baxter represents a wide range of authors, but is particularly interested in literary fiction, children’s writing and thought-provoking non-fiction of all kinds. Georgia Garrett represents writers of fiction, narrative non-fiction and children’s books. Jo Bell is seeking crime, thrillers & suspense, contemporary romance, women’s fiction spanning commercial, literary & historical, and humor. Max Edwards accepts both fiction and non-fiction. He represents genre fiction and YA novelists.

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

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

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Georgia Garrett of Rogers, Coleridge & White

Georgia Garrett joined Rogers, Coleridge and White as a director in 2011, having been a director of AP Watt and an agent at the Wylie Agency. Prior to that she was editorial director at Picador and an editor at Victor Gollancz.

What she is seeking: She represents writers of fiction, narrative non-fiction and children’s books.

How to submit: "Submissions should include a covering letter telling us about yourself and the background to the book. In the case of fiction they should consist of the first three chapters or approximately the first fifty pages of the work to a natural break, and a brief synopsis. Non-fiction submissions should take the form of a proposal up to twenty pages in length explaining what the work is about and why you are best placed to write it." Send your submission to: honor@rcwlitagency.com

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Ms. Veronique Baxter of David Higham Associates Ltd

Veronique joined David Higham in 1999 after studying Law at Bristol University. She was made a director of the company in 2007.

What she is seeking: She represents a wide range of authors, including many award-winners, but is particularly interested in literary fiction, children’s writing and thought-provoking non-fiction of all kinds.

How to submit: Please send a one-page synopsis that gives a full explanation of the plot, and the first three chapters or up to fifty pages (double spaced). Read submission details HERE.
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Jo Bell of Bell Lomax Moreton Agency

Jo began merchandising books on family holidays at the age of 6, showing that publishing runs in the family!  Now with nearly 18 years of working in the industry, Jo joins the team with a wealth of experience. She has worked for HarperCollins as Children’s Sales Director and also Parragon Books as the UK Sales Director dealing with editorial teams, licensors and major retailers across the UK.

What she is seeking: Jo is building her list and really enjoys reading a strong voice in a story packed with passion & intrigue. Currently Jo is seeking crime, thrillers & suspense, contemporary romance, women’s fiction spanning commercial, literary & historical, and humor.

How to submit: All submissions can be emailed to agency@bell-lomax.co.uk Please do not send submissions addressed for the attention of more than one agent within the agency.

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Max Edwards of Apple Tree Literary

Max Edwards worked as a bookseller at Blackwell’s in Oxford and for Sports Interactive, developers of the computer game Football Manager, before moving into publishing. After 5 years working at the likes of United Agents, Rogers, Coleridge and White and Mulcahy Associates, he set-up Apple Tree Literary in 2019.

What he is seeking: Max works across both fiction and non-fiction. He represents a number of brilliant journalists and academics writing for a trade audience, as well as genre-fiction and YA novelists. "He's got a thing for SFF, police procedurals, and is also a fan of clever YA fiction that never dumbs down."

How to submit: Please send submisssions by email to max@appletreeliterary.co.uk, with the subject line "SUBMISSION: Title by Author"

For fiction: Please send a cover letter, synopsis and first three chapters of your novel. If your book has very short or long chapters, please send the first 7,500 words or so as a sample of your writing.

For non-fiction: Please send a cover letter, 1-2 page summary of the book, an outline of a couple of sentences on each chapter, a sample of your writing (either directly on this book, or, in some rare cases related to subject and written elsewhere) and some observations on why your book might work in a trade market. If you feel ready to send a full proposal, please do - though as non-fiction tends to be sold a proposal I'm happy to work with potential authors at an earlier stage than a novel, especially as the shaping of a non-fiction proposal is often best-served by working closely on how the structure and approach will work with its intended market.