Erica Verrillo's Blog, page 45

2 Agents Actively Seeking YA, Romance, Mysteries & Suspense and more

Flickr by Cas Here are two agents actively expanding their client lists. Jessica Errera is looking for commercial women’s fiction with a fresh and fun hook, all genres of YA (especially diverse stories), contemporary romance, mysteries and suspense, the occasional historical fiction, and anything that might be read in a day on the beach. Kelli Martin is passionate about romance, focusing on contemporary romance and romantic suspense, and is also excited to discover new talent and shape content in commercial women’s fiction, including love stories, romantic comedies, suspense, family dramas, friendship dramas, beach reads, and women-coming-into-their-own stories.

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

If these agents don’t suit your needs, you can find a comprehensive list of new and established agents seeking clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.
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Jessica Errera of Jane Rotrosen Agency

Jessica has been with JRA since 2014. Jessica is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she spent four years cheering on the Tar Heels and a few fantastic months interning with Algonquin Books.

What she is seeking: She is looking for commercial women’s fiction with a fresh and fun hook, all genres of YA (especially diverse stories), contemporary romance, mysteries and suspense, the occasional historical fiction, and anything that might be read in a day on the beach.

How to submit: Submissions should be emailed to jerrera[at]janerotrosen[dot]com
Send a query letter that includes a synopsis of your work, any relevant biographical information/publishing history, and the first three chapters pasted into the body of the email.
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Kelli Martin of Wendy Sherman Associates

Kelli Martin began her book publishing career over twenty years ago. She started at Simon & Schuster and rose up the editorial ladder at HarperCollins, Harlequin, and Amazon Publishing. At Amazon Publishing, Kelli acquired and edited some of the house’s highest selling, breakout authors and books in romance and commercial fiction; in addition, she served as the launch editor and public face of Montlake Romance as well as Executive Editor at Lake Union.

What she is looking for: Kelli is passionate about building the agency’s romance program, focusing on contemporary romance and romantic suspense, and is also excited to discover new talent and shape content in commercial women’s fiction, including love stories, romantic comedies, suspense, family dramas, friendship dramas, beach reads, and women-coming-into-their-own stories.
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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. They will not open attachments unless they have been requested.

Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) visit Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity .

2019 New Year’s Resolution for Writers: To Thine Own Work Be True

Every year, at about this time, I make a special New Year’s writing resolution. To my credit, I have managed to carry most of them through. In 2017 I resolved to write what I feared. That resolution had to do with stretching my boundaries. I am a fiction writer, and I have terror of writing memoirs, so I began to write one. (And it has been every bit as frightening as I thought it would be.)

The following year, in the throes of memoir-phobia, I resolved to finish. Starting new projects is fun and exciting, but actually finishing them is another matter entirely. I promised myself I would finish writing my memoir in 2018. Sad to say, I failed. (In my defense, I did write more than 80,000 words of it. And I swear I will finish it before I die.)

This year, after giving much thought to the process of writing, I have resolved to ignore my potential audience, along with the requirements of agents and editors, and simply fulfill the potential of my work the best I can. 

For writers, who lately have been saddled with all sorts of marketing tasks (“Who will read your book?” “Give us three comps,” “Do you have an online platform?” “Do you know anybody famous who will endorse your book?” and so forth.), simply maintaining loyalty to your work can get short shrift. What you have to say can get overshadowed by considerations of whether it will have market appeal, and if your hypothetical audience will want to read your words. 

​The primary loyalty of any author should be to the work itself. You have something to say? Then say it to the best of your ability, shoving all other considerations aside until you have fully and completely expressed yourself. Once you have finished your book, it will take on a life of its own, much like giving birth to a baby. It will have its own personality, and it acquire new meaning, often independent of the one you have given it. But that will only happen if you devote yourself to putting the work first, leaving all other considerations second.
Now go tell your story, the way only you can.
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Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) take a look at Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity .

27 Calls for Submissions in January 2019 - Paying markets

Public Domain


There are more than two dozen calls for submissions in January 2019. 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 monthly calls for submissions on the last day of the previous 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.)
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Crystal Lake Publishing: Tales from The Lake. Genre: Horror. Payment: $0.03/word. Deadline: January 1, 2019.

Ellipsis Zine, Five: Love Pride. Genre: Fiction celebrating LGBTQ writers and writing. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 3, 2019.

The Stinging Fly. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Payment: Fiction and nonfiction: €25 per magazine page. Poetry: €40 for single poem/magazine page. Featured Poet: €200. Deadline: January 9, 2019.

Texas Home School Coalition Review. Genre: Nonfiction articles about home schooling. (See website for topics.) Payment: $40 for nonexclusive print and electronic rights to feature articles that have been published previously, or works to which the author wishes to retain the copyright. (Authors should confirm that agreements with previous publishers will not conflict with THSC’s nonexclusive rights.) $110 for the exclusive print and electronic copyright to previously unpublished works.Deadline: January 10, 2019.

Overland. Genre: Progressive fiction on theme of ‘future sex’. Payment: $150. Deadline: January 14, 2019.
Shifters United: Shifter Mix-ups. Genre: Paranormal romance/urban fantasy novellas featuring shape shifters. Length: 20,000 to 50,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 15, 2019.

Rattle: Instagram Poets. Genre: Poetry. The poems may be any style, length, or subject, but must have first appeared on Instagram and not yet appeared in print. Payment: $100. Deadline: January 15, 2019.

Ruminate. Ruminate welcomes submissions that both subtly and overtly engages faith from all the world religions. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $17/page of poetry (with a maximum of $60 per poem). Deadline: January 15, 2019.

Women Artists Datebook. Genre: Poetry, art. Payment: $70. Deadline: December 15, 2019.

Sanitarium Magazine. Genre: Horror. Payment: Token. Deadline: January 15, 2019.

Helios Magazine. Genres: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art. Payment:$0.03 USD per word for the first 1,500 words and $0.01 USD after for short stories, and $0.25 USD a line for poetry. Deadline: January 15, 2019.

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, 2019.

Wizards in Space. Genres: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: $30. Deadline: January 15, 2019. Reprints accepted.

Outlook Springs. Genre: “Weird, wobbly wordwork: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.” Payment: $10 for poems, $25 for prose. Deadline: January 15, 2019.

Prairie Fire: Work Matters. Genre: Fiction, creative non-fiction, essays, and poetry on the topic of work. Payment: Print — Prose: $0.10 per word. Poetry: $40 per poem. Deadline: January 18, 2019.

18th Wall Productions: War of the Worlds — Absolute War. Genre: Short stories expanding on H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds. They’re seeking to show the entire world’s response to the Invasion. They have detailed guidelines about what they do and do not want in the stories. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 20, 2019.

Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine. Genre: Prose or poem fairy tale on theme “Love.” Payment: $30/story; $10/poem US dollars only. Deadline: January 20, 2019.

NonBinary Review. Genre: Art and literature that “tiptoes the tightrope between now and then. Art that makes us see our literary offerings in new ways. We want language that makes us reach for a dictionary, a tissue, or both. Words in combinations and patterns that leave the faint of heart a little dizzy. We want insight, deep diving, broad connections, literary conspiracies, personal revelations, or anything you want to tell us about the themes we’ve chosen.” Theme: Books of Blood. Payment: Semi-pro. Deadline: January 23, 2019.

EVENT. Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: $25/page. Deadline: January 31, 2019.

The Children of Clark Ashton Smith. Genre: Fantasy inspired by CAS. Payment: One penny Sterling per word, with a minimum payment of £10 Sterling for poems and very, very short stories. For illustrations, £30 for ‘header’ illustrations to a story, £100 for full page illustrations and £200 for the cover illustration. Deadline: January 31, 2019. Reprints accepted.

Room Magazine. Genre: Feminist fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, art, interviews, and book reviews. Next issue: “Sports.” Payment: $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, 2019.

Freeze Frame Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction; issues are themed. Payment: $10. Deadline: January 31, 2019.
Arc. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $50 per page. Deadline: January 31, 2019.

Less than Three Press: Bound By Nothing — LGBTQIA Collection Call. Genre: Stories of shape shifters with disabilities, from the physical to mental, visible to invisible. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 31, 2019.

To Seoul, from the World. Genre: Short stories set in and/or about the city of Seoul. Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: January 31, 2019.

Ashland Creek Press. Genre: Book-length fiction and nonfiction on the themes of the environment, animal protection, ecology, and wildlife. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 31, 2019.
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Nashville Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, 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, 2019.
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Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) take a look at Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity

43 Writing Contests in January 2019 - No entry fees

"Does this coat make me look fat?" - Pixabay

January is a great month for writing contests. This month there are 42 contests, and none charge entry fees. Prizes range from $40,000 to a camera. As always, read the restrictions to make sure you qualify.


If you want to get a jump on next month’s contests go to Free Contests. Most of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline has passed, you can prepare for next year.
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 On Teaching Poem Prize. Genre: Unpublished poem written about K–12 teaching and/or teachers. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: January 1, 2019.

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, 2019.

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 9, 2019 for Grades 6–10, January 16, 2019 for Grades 11–12.

The Mogford Prize for Food And Drink Writing. Genre: Short story which specifically includes the subjects of food and/or drink within the plot. 2500 words. Prize:£10,000 to be awarded during the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival in April 2016. Deadline: January 7, 2019.

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 7, 2019.

Leah Ryan’s FEWW Playwriting Prize. Restrictions: Open to women. Genre: Completed full-length work for theater. Prize: $2,500, a workshop at the Vassar Powerhouse Theater, and a reading in New York City. Deadline: January 7, 2019.

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, 2019.

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 11, 2019.

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 11, 2019.

Writing with the Stars. Genre: Picture book writers and illustrators. Prize: Free three-month mentorship with a published author or author/illustrator. Mentors will help mentees further develop their craft and share invaluable advice and insight into the publishing world. Deadline: January 13, 2019.

Orwell Prize. Genre: Political writing published between 1st January and 31st January 2018. All entries must have a clear British link. Journalism and ‘exposing Britain’s social evils’. Prize: £3,000.00. Deadline: January 14, 2019. (Their website is impossible to figure out, which is ironic.)

French-American Foundation Translation Prizes. Genre: Book — best English translation of French in both fiction and non-fiction. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: January 14, 2019.

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 15, 2019.

Beatrice Medicine Award for Scholarship in American Indian Studies. Genre: Essay and/or book about Native American studies published in 2018. Prize: $250. Deadline: January 15, 2019.

Rattle Instagram Poets. Genre: Poem that first appeared on Instagram. Prize: $100. Deadline: January 15, 2019.
Stephen A DiBiase Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 15, 2019.

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, 2019.

The Ellen Meloy Fund for Desert Writers was established in 2005 to honor the memory of Ellen Meloy. The Fund provides support to writers whose work reflects the spirit and passions embodied in Ellen’s writing and her commitment to a “deep map of place.” Ellen’s own map-in-progress was of the desert country she called home. Genre: Only literary or creative nonfiction proposals will be considered. No fiction or poetry proposals will be reviewed. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: January 15, 2019.

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, 2019.
Northern California Book Awards. Restrictions: Books written by authors based in northern California and published for the first time in 2018 are eligible for nomination. Genre: Published book. Prize: $100. Deadline: January 15, 2019.
The Page Street Kids Prize (USA). Genre: Picture books of typical length by any USA author. Prize: $1000 Visa gift card, text and art development feedback, and consideration for publication. Submit a book dummy aimed at ages 4–8 (or narrative nonfiction for ages 8–12). Deadline: January 15, 2019. More info here.

Ellipsis. Restrictions: Open to authors who have not had a collection/novel/novella published previously. Genre: Flash fiction collection. Prize: Publication and royalties. Deadline: January 17, 2019.

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 18, 2019.

Bethesda Literary Festival Essay and Short Story Contest. The Bethesda Urban Partnership & Bethesda Magazine have partnered to honor local writers at the Bethesda Literary Festival held April. Genres: Essays and short stories. Restrictions: Residents of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia are eligible. Prizes: First Place: $500 and published in Bethesda Magazine. Second Place: $250. Third Place: $150. Honorable Mention: $75. Deadline: January 18, 2019.

Poetry Society of Virginia — Student Contest. Restrictions: Open to students in Virginia, grades 3–12. Prize: $10 — $25. Deadline: January 19, 2019.

Nine Dots Prize. Restrictions: Open to authors age 18+. Genre: Summary response on topic “Is there still no place like home?” 3,000 words. Prize: $100,000. Winner will be asked to write a book on the topic. Deadline: January 21, 2019.

Sweekstars Competition. Genre: Poetry and prose. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: January 22, 2019.

Driftless Unsolicited Novella Contest. Genre: Novella. Prize: $250 and publication with Brain Mill Press. Deadline: January 22, 2019.

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships, awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period, are $7,000 cash awards made to individual originating artists living and working in the state of New York for unrestricted use. These fellowships are not project grants but are intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, regardless of the level of his or her artistic development. Deadline: January 23, 2019.

Roswell Award for Short Science Fiction. Genre: Science fiction, 1500 words max. Prize: $500. Finalists have their stories read by celebrities in Hollywood. Deadline: January 28, 2019.

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, 2019.

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, 2019.

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, 2019.

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, 2019.

Sunburst Awards. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Speculative fiction short stories published in 2018. Prize: ? Deadline: January 31, 2019.

Canute A. Brodhurst Prize for Short Fiction. Genre: Short story, maximum of 3,500 words or 10 pages, accepted by The Caribbean Writer. See theme. Prize: $400. Deadline: January 31, 2019.

Daily News Prize. Genre: Poem, of any length, written by a US or UK Virgin Islands resident accepted for publication by The Caribbean Writer during the deadline year. Prize: $300. Deadline: January 31, 2019.

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 31, 2019.

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, 2019.
 
Nelson Algren Literary Awards is a short story contest sponsored by the Chicago Tribune. This contest is open to residents of the United States. All entries must be: fiction, less than 8,000 words, double spaced, written in English. Prize: One grand prize winner will receive $3,500. Four finalists will each receive $1,000. Five runners-up will each receive $500. Total value of all prizes: $10,000. Deadline: January 31, 2019.
 
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, 2019.
 
16th 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, 2019. Note: Winners do not retain copyright.

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Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) take a look at Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity .

7 Notable Writing Conferences in January 2019

Like December, January is a slow month for writing conferences. Nonetheless, there are some excellent opportunities to network, pitch your work, and attend stimulating workshops this month. (Some are conveniently located in warm climates.)

I strongly urge you to plan ahead if you are thinking of attending a writing conference. Many offer scholarships that can significantly reduce the cost. And all of the intensive writing workshops have application deadlines.


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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Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Residency Writers Conference. January 10 - 20, 2019: 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.

Key West Literary Seminar. January 10 - 13, 2019 (seminar) and January 14 - 18, 2019 (workshop), Key West, Florida. The seminar offers readings, lectures, and conversations with poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers. 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.

TMW January Jumpstart XIX. Jan 11 - 13, 2019, 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. Susan Gregg Gilmore will lead Fiction and Connie Jordan Green will lead Poetry.

New Year's Writing Retreat. Jan 12 - 13, 2019, Atlantic City, NJ. Workshops on Creative Nonfiction, How to Begin Your Novel, Poetry Writing Bootcamp, and more. Each workshop will offer craft discussion, writing prompts, writing time, sharing and inspiration.

Eckerd College Writers’ Conference. January 19 - 26, 2019, St. Petersburg, FL. Workshops, roundtables, panel discussions, Q&As, readings book signings, and receptions. The faculty includes poets Richard Blanco, Denise Duhamel, Major Jackson, and Peter Meinke; fiction writers Lan Samantha Chang, Andre Dubus III, Laura Lippman, Stewart O’Nan, Cathie Pelletier, Les Standiford, Sterling Watson; creative nonfiction writers Ann Hood and Helen Wallace; editor Colleen Lawrie (PublicAffairs); and agent Alexis Hurley (InkWell Management).

Palm Beach Poetry Festival. January 21 - 26, 2019, Delray Beach, Florida. The festival features workshops, readings, craft talks, manuscript consultations, panel discussions, and social events for poets. The faculty includes poets Ellen Bass, Lorna Knowles Blake, Sally Bliumis-Dunn, Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Nickole Brown, Stuart Dischell, Stephen Gibson, Aracelis Girmay, Campbell McGrath, Gregory Pardlo, Matthew Olzmann, and Eleanor Wilner. The guest speakers are poets Tyehimba Jess and Sharon Olds. $895 includes all events, one gala seat; $495/auditor. Accepted participants may schedule a one-on-one conference at additional cost.

The 2019 Kaua’i Writers’ Retreat. January 27-February 2, 2019: Kaua'i, Hawaii. Live and write among the plumeria, hibiscus, and beauty of Po’ipū, Kaua’i. The Kaua’i Writers’ Retreat is designed to get you to a completed short-short story in one week in one of the most beautiful, inspirational places for writers in the world. Much discussion and freewriting will comprise the first half of the week. Then we’ll switch focus to our own writing: we’ll each write a short piece of up to 1,000 words (a complete piece or excerpt from a longer work) and do a full, one-hour discussion on your new, raw draft. FULL

15 Publishers Accepting Memoirs - No agent needed

I have often said that memoir is the highest form of fiction. By that, I’m not encouraging memoirists to make things up. I am simply reminding them that a good memoir must read like fiction, but it must also be honest. 

Honesty lies at the heart of every memoir. The author must adhere to the truth (allowing for the fact that there are different ways of interpreting it). Memoirists who lie to themselves, who sugarcoat, self-censor, exaggerate, or in any way compromise the integrity of their stories not only do a disservice to themselves but to us. The reason we enjoy reading memoirs is to gain insight, and to better understand the human condition. 

Do not be afraid to tell the truth if you are writing a memoir. Don’t hold back. And when you are finished writing your life, go get it published. Here are fifteen publishers who can help you do that — no agent required. ___________________
Academy Chicago Publishers is one of the oldest publishing houses in Chicago. They publish both fiction and nonfiction and have more than two hundred published titles on their list. Academy Chicago publishes about 60 new titles yearly under five imprints: Chicago Review Press, Lawrence Hill Books, Ball Publishing, Zephyr Press, and Academy Chicago. Seeking : Nonfiction, memoirs, mysteries, fiction, history, popular science, music, film, biography, autobiography, DIY, craft, and travel, as well as children’s activity books and young adult biographies. Read submission guidelines here .

Bellevue Literary Press publishes literary fiction and narrative nonfiction geared toward a general readership. They do not publish poetry, single short stories, plays, screenplays, memoir, or self-help/instructional books. Distributed to the trade by Consortium Book Sales & Distribution. Read submission guidelines here .

Black & White Publishing is an established Scottish press. They publish nonfiction and fiction in a variety of genres. Seeking: Commercial women’s fiction, especially chick lit, saga and romance, crime and psychological thrillers, contemporary YA and New Adult crossover books, children’s fiction. In nonfiction: memoirs, sport (UK and Ireland in particular), humour, food and drink, activity books. Read submission guidelines here.

BLF Press is open to various types of literary work. They are especially interested in work that centers women of color and same gender loving women. Their preferred genres are short fiction, literary fiction, memoir, and creative non-fiction. Prose (fiction and non-fiction) manuscripts should be from 40,000–80,000 words; poetry collections should be at least 50 pages. If your work is under serious consideration elsewhere, please wait until you’ve received a decision before submitting it here. They ask for limited print and electronic rights. Read submission guidelines HERE.

Bywater Books is looking for well-written commercial fiction targeted to lesbian readers. They are especially interested the following fiction and non-fiction categories: Romance, Mystery, Action/Thriller, Science-fiction/Fantasy, Eco-fiction, Young Adult/New Adult, General Fiction, Cross-genre, Memoir, Essay, and Autobiography/Biography. They do not publish poetry or erotica. Read submission guidelines HERE. No simultaneous submissions.

City Lights Publishers has launched several famous poets, including Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Allen Ginsberg, but this press also specializes in literary fiction and nonfiction. City Lights publishes 12 books a year. Seeking : Fiction, essays, memoirs, translations, poetry, and books on social and political issues. They do not publish New Age, self-help, children’s literature, how-to guides, or genre works such as romance, westerns, or science fiction. Read their submission guidelines here .

Cleis Press publishes provocative, intelligent books across multiple genres, including literary fiction, human rights, mystery, romance, erotica, LGBTQ studies, sex guides, pulp fiction, and memoirs. Read submission guidelines HERE.
 
Fig Tree Books accepts completed manuscripts from authors of novels (adult, YA and graphic) or memoirs that deal with the American Jewish Experience. Read their submission guidelines here .
 
Honno publishes Welsh women writers — for the purposes of submission to Honno this means that you must be a woman born in Wales or resident in Wales at the time of submission. Honno also publishes titles of exceptional interest to women within Wales from writers who may not meet the first two criteria i.e. that they are female and that they are of Welsh birth or residence. They publish full length works of fiction and non-fiction for adults (manuscripts of between 60,000 and 120,000 words). Honno is open to all genres of fiction and is particularly interested in increasing the number of literary fiction, crime/thriller, commercial women’s fiction, science fiction and fantasy titles it publishes. Honno is also building a list of non-fiction works to include biography (untold tales of remarkable Welsh women, places and industries), memoir, nature and travel writing. Read guidelines HERE .
 
Kaya Press is a publisher of Asian and Pacific Islander diasporic writers in the United States. Their diverse list of titles includes experimental poetry, noir fiction, film memoir, avant-garde art, performance pieces, and “lost” novels. How to submit: Send your manuscript in electronic format. Files must be sent in a Word document or as a PDF. They will only accept works related to the Asian diaspora. Read full guidelines HERE.

Polis Books is an independent publishing company actively seeking new and established authors. They are currently acquiring titles in a wide variety of genres. While Polis primarily publishes books for adults, they also publish young adult novels. Submissions: Novel-length submissions should be a minimum of 60,000 words. In nonfiction they are seeking: Humor/Essays; Memoir/biography; Sports; Pop Culture. See their submission guidelines here.
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Persea Books is an independent, literary publishing house founded in 1975 by Michael Braziller and Karen Braziller, who still own and direct the company. Genres: Poetry, fiction, essays, memoir, biography, titles of Jewish and Middle Eastern interest, women’s studies, American Indian folklore, and YA. Response time: Eight weeks for proposals and 12 weeks for requested manuscript. Submissions: Queries should include a cover letter, author background and publication history, a synopsis of the proposed work, and a sample chapter. Send queries and manuscripts to info@perseabooks.com or to the appropriate editor (Fiction or Nonfiction), Persea Books, 277 Broadway, Suite 708, New York, NY 10007. Read their submission guidelines here .
 
Rio Nuevo Publishers focuses exclusively on the American West. Their list of publications includes 69 back titles and 13 new titles. Seeking: American West arts and crafts, cooking, history, gardening, memoir, Native America, nature, spirituality, and travel. Read their submission guidelines .
 
Riverdale/Magnus is the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) imprint of Riverdale Avenue Books. They are actively looking for titles, both fiction and nonfiction, in a wide variety of areas, including popular culture, entertainment, biography/memoir, self-help, spirituality, and current affairs, among others. Read submission guidelines HERE.
 
Square One specializes in books on cooking, parenting, business/personal finance, self-help, history, and memoir among others. Square One has been named one of the top ten fastest-growing indie book publishers in North America by Publishers Weekly for six years in a row. Submissions: When submitting your manuscript proposal, please include the following items: a cover letter explaining the concept of your book, why you wrote it, and its intended audience, a detailed table of contents, a brief overview of the book, biographical information about you and any coauthors or illustrators, a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). Snail mail only. Read full guidelines here.

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Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) take a look at Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity .

2 Agents Seeking Nonfiction, Romance, Kidlit, Mystery, Thrillers and more

These two agents are seeking to expand their client lists. John Butman  is looking for big, preferably contrarian, ideas and authors who seek to influence thinking, motivate action, and reveal new truths through analysis, storytelling, research, data, and personal narratives—in business, history, technology, psychology, and politics. Marlo Berliner is interested in all genres of MG and YA fiction, with particular emphasis on adventure, psychological thriller, suspense, mystery, paranormal, urban fantasy, horror, speculative, and romance. She also wants all genres of Romance, except inspirational, historical and erotic. She is also open to women’s fiction, mystery, thriller, and suspense.

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

If these agents don't suit your needs, you can find a comprehensive list of new and established agents seeking clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.

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John Butman of Kneerim & Williams

John Butman has been engaged in the creative aspects of publishing for more than thirty years. He specializes in idea-driven, nonfiction books about business, the social sciences, and current affairs, and has worked with leading figures in for-profit and not-for-profit organizations throughout the United States and around the world. John has been involved in the creation of more than fifty titles including Real Boys by Harvard psychologist Dr. William Pollack, a New York Times bestseller; Trading Up by Boston Consulting Group partners Michael J. Silverstein and Neil Fiske, a BusinessWeek bestseller and Berry-AMA Award winner; The Resilience Dividend by Judith Rodin, former president of The Rockefeller Foundation and the University of Pennsylvania; and Employees First, Customers Second by Vineet Nayar, former CEO of HCL Technologies and a member of the Thinkers50 global ranking. John is the author of Breaking Out (Harvard Business Review Press) and co-author, with Simon Targett, of New World, Inc. (Little, Brown).

What he is looking for: John is looking for big, preferably contrarian, ideas and authors who seek to influence thinking, motivate action, and reveal new truths through analysis, storytelling, research, data, and personal narratives—in business, history, technology, psychology, and politics.

How to submit: Please send a polished query letter to submissions@kwlit.com, and include a synopsis, a brief bio, and ten to twenty pages of initial sample material in the body of the email (no attachments will be opened). Include name of the agent you are querying in the subject line of the email, along with the title of your project.

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Marlo Berliner of 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.


What she is seeking: "Middle Grade and Young Adult: I am interested in all genres of MG and YA fiction, with particular emphasis on adventure, psychological thriller, suspense, mystery, paranormal, urban fantasy, horror, speculative, and romance. I enjoy magic, magical realism, unusual settings, pirates, dark elements, gothic tone, secrets or secretive characters, treasure hunts, and unreliable narrators. Also, if you can take a story or intellectual property (in TV or books) that is popular with the adult crowd and give me it’s MG or YA version, then I will give it a look because I believe these types of stories may have strong potential for the market. Stories told by #ownvoices, and stories with diverse characters of all kinds, including neuro-diverse and LGBTQIA+ are all welcomed. I am also open to coming-of-age stories set in college that walk the line between upper YA and NA. While I do like contemporary tales, I may not be the best fit for ‘issue’ books where the central conflict revolves primarily around rape/rape-culture, drugs, or illness. I will also consider some select non-fiction projects in MG and YA, particularly if they involve pop-culture or current events.


Adult: I am interested in all genres of Romance, except inspirational, historical and erotic. I am also open to women’s fiction, mystery, thriller, and suspense."
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How to submit: Please submit your query and first 20 pages of your finished and polished manuscript Marlo's Query Manager: http://QueryMe.Online/marloberliner

2 New Agents Actively Seeking YA, Nonfiction, Memoir, Romance Sci-fi and more

Pixabay Here are two new literary agents actively building their client lists. Savannah Brooks is interested in nonfiction, memoir, young adult, and contemporary fiction. In both adult and YA, Katelyn Uplinger represents Nonfiction (historical and cultural topics); Fantasy & science fiction (and all speculative fiction); Horror; Historical fiction (in all sub-genres); Thriller; Women’s fiction; Romance (especially historical romance). 

Always check the agency website before submitting. Agents may switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change.
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If these agents don’t suit your needs, you can find a comprehensive list of new and established agents seeking clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.
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Savannah Brooks of Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency

Savannah Brooks joined the Jennifer De Chiara team in 2018, after interning for a year and a half. She’s an MFA candidate at Hamline University focusing in creative nonfiction as well as an editor at Red Bird Chapbooks, a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center, and a reader for multiple literary magazines. Her own creative work has been publishing in Hobart, Lime Hawk, and Every Writer’s Resource, among others. When not immersed in the world of words, she can be found on her bike, at a dive bar, or lounging at one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. She lives in the most beautiful literary capital: Saint Paul.

What she is looking for: “I’d love to bring more nonfiction into this world, especially topic-driven books/essays such as those written by the likes of Mary Roach, Leslie Jamison, Michelle McNamara, Malcolm Gladwell, and Bill Bryson — anything that keeps my curious mind engaged and wanting more. I’m also interested in memoir that will inspire generations to come.

For fiction, I’m interested in contemporary/literary novels/stories that are relevant to culture and focus on themes and issues that impact our daily lives. I would love to hear more from marginalized voices, regardless of whether or not marginalization is a central theme.

For YA, I’m especially interested in books that focus on friendship, conflicting identity, and the theme of truth. Show me variations in race, sexuality, gender, dis/ability, and ethnicity without that difference being a point of contention, and I’ll be thrilled.”

How to submit: Submit your query and the first 20 pages of your manuscript via QueryMe.Online/SavannahBrooks.
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Katelyn Uplinger of D4EO Literary Agency After several years of editorial work and positions at multiple literary agencies including Folio Literary Management and Inklings Literary, Katelyn joined D4EO Literary as an agent in 2018.

What she is seeking: In both adult and YA: Nonfiction (historical and cultural topics); Fantasy & science fiction (and all speculative fiction); Horror; Historical fiction (in all sub-genres); Thriller; Women’s fiction; Romance (especially historical romance).

How to submit: Send your query and first three chapters via Query Manager here: QueryManager.
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For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) visit Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity .

38 Calls for Submissions in December 2018 - Paying markets

There are more than three dozen calls for submissions in December. 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.)
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Eternal Haunted Summer: The Dark Spirits of Winter. Genre: Original poetry and short fiction about the Gods and Goddesses and heroes of the world’s many Pagan traditions. Also reviews, interviews, and essays. "We’re looking for poems about Father Frost, Jack Frost, the Snow Queen, and Old Man Winter. We want short stories about Boreas the Northern Wind, Cailleach Bheur, and Frau Holle. We want essays about Khione, Krampus, and Saturn. Alternatively, send us a piece about the “shadow side” of Deities and spirits associated with the holiday, such as Ganesh (Pancha Ganapati), Mithras, and Sol Invictus (Dies Natalis Sol Invictus)." Payment: $5. Deadline: December 1, 2018.

Galli Books: Rosalind’s Siblings. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry about "people of marginalized genders/sexes who are scientists: scientists doing good, changing the world, or just getting on with their work of expanding human knowledge in a speculative context, presented in a positive light."  Length: 500-7,500 words. Payment: £0.08/word. Flat rate  of £50 for poetry.  Deadline: December 1, 2018.

Contrary Magazine. Genre: Original commentary, fiction, and poetry. Payment: $20. Deadline: December 1, 2018.

Psycho Holiday. Genre: Short stories and flash fiction. Theme: Horror and dark fiction about demented psychopathic killers with a winter holiday setting. Payment: $10. Deadline: December 1, 2018.

Goal Publications: The Thrill of the Hunt. Genre: Stories involving the hunt. "Few things in nature are more fundamental than one animal hunting another. Yet in most anthropomorphic fiction, that aspect is ancient history, as far removed as humans being apes living in trees. Those innate mechanisms aren’t so easily forgotten, however. While the topic has been touched on in the past, this book will focus on the predator/prey dynamic, how it interacts with adult stories, and stories should make those elements a focal point. Avoid treating the predator and prey roles as simply being pure analogs to differing social groups—there needs to be a clear biological or psychological difference when those roles come into play." Payment: $0.0075/word. Deadline: December 1, 2018.

Compelling Science Fiction. Genre: Science fiction. Payment: 6 cents/word. 1 cent/word for reprints. Deadline: December 1, 2018.

The Pedestal Magazine. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $40. Deadline: December 2, 2018.

Copper Nickel. Genres: poetry, fiction, essays, and translation. Payment: $30 per printed page. Deadline: December 15, 2018.

Eye to the Telescope. Genre: Speculative poetry. Theme: Crossroads. Payment: US 3¢/word rounded to nearest dollar; minimum US $3, maximum $25. Deadline: December 15, 2018.

Selene Quarterly. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art. Payment: $0.01-0.03/word for fiction, $35 for nonfiction, $15 for reviews $0.25/line for poetry. Deadline: December 15, 2018.

Arsenika. Genre: All; flash fiction and poetry. Payment: $60 USD for fiction and $30 USD for poetry. Deadline: December 15, 2018.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Running for Good. Genre: Nonfiction. "We are looking for true stories or poems of 1,200 words or less, about all aspects of running and stories about running to raise awareness of and funds for a cause. Stories can be funny and quirky, or they can be serious and heartwarming." Payment: $200. Deadline: December 15, 2018.

Dreaming Robot Press: Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide. Genre: Science fiction. The main protagonist should be someone a middle-grade reader (aged 8-12) can identify with. “Tell us of adventure, space, science. Give us rockets, robots and alien encounters… Steampunk, time travel, weird west and alternate history are all fine.”  Payment: $0.06/word. Deadline: December 15, 2018.

Barrelhouse. Genre: Essays that deal with pop culture. Payment: $50. Deadline: December 16, 2018.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: December 28, 2018.

Sigil House E-Shorts. Genre: Short stories, all genres. Length: between 2,000 and 15,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: December 30, 2018. Reprints accepted.

Year's Best Hardcore Horror. Genre: Horror. Length: Up to 6,000 words. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: December 30, 2018. Reprints accepted.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Golden Years or Second Wind. Genre: Nonfiction. "We are looking for stories about the humorous or serious sides of life after 60." Payment: $200. Deadline: December 30, 2018.

Allegory. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $15. Deadline: December 31, 2018. Accepts reprints.

Red Room Press: Year's Best Hardcore Horror. Genre: Horror. Payment: 1 cent a word for reprint rights ($60 max). Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Don't Cry to Mama. Genre: Horror short stories. Length: Between 2,500 and 6,000 words. Payment: $25.  Deadline: December 31, 2018.

The Cantabrigian. Genre: Literary fiction, cover art. Payment: Between $20 and $50 per contributor. Deadline: December 31, 2018. Submit early to avoid submission fees.

3288 Review. Restrictions: Open to current or former residents of West Michigan, or people who have some significant connection to the West Michigan region. Genres: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: $25 - $50. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Pink Triangle Rhapsody. This is an anthology open to gay male writers only. The Pink Triangle Rhapsody series is a non-themed anthology series, with the exception of the required genre and inclusion of one or more of Lycan Valley’s required elements. The series is intended to be a collection of stories written with “effusively rapturous or emotional expression. Each story must include a supernatural, paranormal or occult element (horror may include psychological horror with or without one of the other elements).” Payment: $0.04 per word based on final published word count. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Workers Write! More Tales from the Classroom. Genre: Stories and poems from educational settings. "We're looking for fiction about teachers, counselors, admins, school librarians, principals, janitors - anyone who works in a school or classroom setting." Length: 500-5,000 words. Payment: $5-50. Deadline: December 31, 2018, or until filled.

Fireside. Genre: Short stories. Payment: 12.5 cents per word for accepted stories.   Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Stories about Angels. Genre: Nonfiction. "We are looking for true personal stories about how an angel has touched your life – stories of true wonder and awe from people who have directly encountered or received help from angels. Amazing stories that will make people say “wow” or give our readers chills. Have you experienced something otherworldly or celestial? Or had a personal experience with an angel or divine being? How did your angel manifest himself or herself to you? How did your angel protect or guide you? Do you have a guardian angel?" Payment: $200. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Stories about Miracles. Genre: Nonfiction. "We are looking for true stories of no more than 1,200 words for this multi-faith book that will awe you with examples of amazing events and unexplained happenings. Share your inspirational stories with us to remind us that each day holds hope and to never give up. A miracle can happen at any time." Payment: $200. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Zizzle. Genre: Flash fiction for children. They want “new perspectives to the nuanced joys and tensions in children’s daily lives and imaginations.” And stories that will speak to children as young as 10 (grade 5), and also to grown-ups. Length: 500-1,200 words.  Payment: $100. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Nothing Without Us. Genre: Fiction by and about disabled people. The lead character must be disabled, blind, Deaf, Autistic, neurodiverse, and/or live with mental illness. Canadian writers preferred. Payment: $0.03/word; will try to increase this amount via Kickstarter. Length: 1,000-3,500 words. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Zombies Need Brains: Portals. Genre: Science fiction or fantasy stories that contain a portal opening up between two different worlds and the consequences that come from that portal. Payment: $0.06/word minimum. Length: Up to 7,500 words. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Zombies Need Brains: Temporally Deactivated. Genre: Stories where the author explores what the phrase “temporally deactivated” could mean with regards to a person, place, or thing. Payment: $0.06/word minimum. Length: Up to 7,500 words. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Zombies Need Brains:Alternate Peace. Genre: Alternate history stories where the divergence from our timeline comes from some kind of peaceful change to our past. Payment: $0.06/word minimum. Length: Up to 7,500 words. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Underbelly. Genre: Horror. "Dark, twisted, and disturbing stories that push the envelope and explore the far reaching limits of the unnerving side of humanity." Length: 1,000 to 7,500 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Carte Blanche (Canada). Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, translations. comics, photography. Payment: "Modest" Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Existere (Canada). Genre: Poetry, short plays, short stories, creative nonfiction, postcard/flash fiction, art and literature reviews, critical essays, interviews, sketches, photos. Payment: "Modest" Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Space Opera Libretti. Genre: Speculative fiction. "Dramatic, large-scale stories of the distant future, focused on optimism and inclusion and blowing things up. Weird mashups. Actual arias. Fat ladies singing on funeral pyres. Watery tarts distributing swords optional. Play fast and loose. No holds barred as long as it’s a tasteful treatment written with respect." Payment: "Payment depends on how much we earn with the Kickstarter, but we're aiming for a minimum of 6 cents a word." Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. Genre: Science Fiction and Fantasy short stories published in the calendar year 2017 by a nationally distributed magazine in the US or Canada. Payment: Not specified, but I am including this entry anyhow. The "Best of SFF" series is published by Mariner Books, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Deadline: December 31, 2018.
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​Erica Verrillo has published five books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on how to get an agent, lists agents who are looking for clients as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers, explains how to market and promote your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews, how to self-publish, and where to find markets for your work on Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity.

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58 Fabulous Writing Contests in December 2018 — No entry fees!

Wikimedia December is a great month for writing contests. This month there are no fewer that 58 contests, and none charge entry fees. Prizes range from $40,000 to envy. (If you win a Pushcart, envy is quite enough.) As always, read the restrictions to make sure you qualify.

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.

You have nothing to lose, so have at it! 
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Washington State Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Washington State writers. Genre: Published book, all genres. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 1, 2018.

Flo Gault Student Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Full-time undergraduate college students in Kentucky. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 1, 2018.
 
Owl Canyon Press Short Story Hackathon #2. Genre: Short story consisting of 50 paragraphs. The contest provides the 1st and 25th paragraphs, and the short story writer composes the rest. Prize: First prize is $3000, 2nd prize is $2000, and 3rd prize is $1000 with the winning short stories published in a short story anthology, as well as an invitation to give a public reading at Inkberry Books in Niwot, CO. Deadline: December 1, 2018.
 
Headway Quarterly Writing Contest. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Theme is mutants and mutation. Prize: $100. Deadline: December 1, 2018.
 
The Real Be Yourself Blog. Genre: A fiction or non-fiction story or non-fiction article directly or closely related to pets, animals, wildlife or livestock. Length: Submission must be at least 250 words and no more than 1000 words. Prize: Publication on the RealBeYourself Blog, $25 Amazon gift card and free gifts. Deadline: December 1, 2018. (Deadline appears to be flexible.)

Better Than Starbucks. Genre: Metrical poetry. Your sonnet can be shakespearean, petrarchan, spenserian, rhymed, or slant-rhymed. Blank verse is fine, as long as the sonnet form is clearly identifiable. They’ll consider tetrameter, hexameter, etc. as well as pentameter. Prize: $100. Deadline: December 1, 2018. Previously published work accepted.

The David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction is offered annually to the best book in American historical fiction that is both excellent fiction and excellent history. Prize: $1.000. Deadline: December 1, 2018.

The Schneider Family Book Award is sponsored by the American Library Association. The award honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Prize: Three annual awards each consisting of $5000 and a framed plaque, will be given annually in each of the following categories: birth through grade school (age 0–10), middle school (age 11–13) and teens (age 13–18). (Age groupings are approximations). Genre: May be fiction, biography, or other form of nonfiction. Deadline: December 1, 2018.

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry. Restrictions: Open to African poets who have not yet published a collection of poetry. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion Press in Senegal. Deadline: December 1, 2018.

Poetry Center at Smith College Prize. Restrictions: Open to sophomore or junior high school girls in New England. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 1, 2018.

Thomas and Lillie D. Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing. Restrictions: Open to published writers who are writing from the region. Genres: All. Prize: $1000. Deadline: December 1, 2018.

The W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction honors the best fiction set in a period when the United States was at war. It recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel and encourages the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction. Genre: Military fiction. Prize: $5000. Deadline: December 1, 2018.
The Pushcart Prize honors the best “poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot” published in small presses and literary magazines. Magazine and small press editors may nominate up to six works. Pushcart Press publishes yearly anthologies of the winning submissions. Prize: Publication. Deadline: December 1, 2018.

New York Encounter Poetry Contest. Genre: Poetry on the theme “Something to Start From.” Prize: Cash prizes of $300, $200 and $100 will be awarded to first, second and third place poems. Deadline: December 2, 2018.

Betty Berzon Emerging Writer Award. Restrictions: Open to an LGBTQ writer who has shown exceptional talent and the potential for continued literary success and significance in the future. The nominee must have published at least one but no more than two books, written in the discipline of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Works must be in the English language. Prize: $1,500. Deadline: December 4, 2018.

Literature Matters. Restrictions: UK residents. Genre: “Awards will be given to individual writers or other literary creators, recognising their past achievements and providing them with financial support to undertake a proposed new piece of writing or literary project. Launched as part of the RSL’s new Literature Matters programme, priority will be given to proposals which (a) will help connect with audiences or topics outside the usual reach of literature, and/or (b) will help generate public discussion about why literature matters.” Award: £20,000. Deadline: December 5, 2018.

Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) provides direct support to individual Bronx artists who create literary, media, visual, and performing works of art. Prize: 25 BRIO grants of $3,000 each are awarded to Bronx artists. BRIO award winners complete a one-time public service activity. Deadline: December 10, 2018.

Friends of American Writers. Restrictions: The author must be a resident (or previously have been a resident for approximately five years) of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin; or the locale of the book must be in a region identified above. The author must not have published more than three books under his/her own pen name. Genres: Books can be fiction or creative non-fiction and published in 2017. Self-published and e-Books are not eligible. Prize: $4000. Deadline: December 10, 2018.

J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award. Genre: Uncompleted work of nonfiction on a topic of American political or social concern. Prize: $30,000 fellowship. Deadline: December 10, 2018.

Unified Caring Association Student Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to US High School Juniors and Seniors. Genre: Essay on topic: “If you were the ‘Caring Ambassador’ at your school, what would you do to inspire other students to be more caring?” Word count: 500–550 words. Prize: 10 first prizes of $333 scholarship; 10 second place essays will each receive a $100 scholarship. Deadline: December 10, 2018.

Weird Christmas Flash Contest. Genre: Weird flash fiction. 350 words max. Prize: $50 first prize, $25 second prize. Deadline: December 10, 2018.

Brunel International African Poetry Prize. Restrictions: The Prize is open to poets who were born in Africa, or who are nationals of an African country, or whose parents are African. It is for ten poems exactly in order to encourage serious poets. These poems may, however, have already been published. Only poets who have not yet had a full-length poetry book published are eligible. Poets who have self-published poetry books or had chapbooks and pamphlets published are allowed to submit for this prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: £3000. Deadline: December 12, 2018.

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: December 14, 2018. Read details here .

Commonwealth Club of California Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to residents of California. Genre: Book of poetry, fiction or nonfiction. Prize: Gold medal. Deadline: December 15, 2018.

Ezra Jack Keats Children’s Book Award. Genre: Published or self-published picture books that portray the universal qualities of childhood, a strong and supportive family, and the multicultural nature of our world. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: December 15, 2018.

Rider University Annual High School Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students. Genres: Essays, poetry, fiction. Prizes: 1st-$100, 2nd-$50, 3rd-$25. Deadline: December 15, 2018.

Magical Mail Writing Contest. Genre: Letter. Prize: One First Place winner will receive $500, one Second Place winner will receive $250, and one Third Place winner will receive $100. Deadline: December 15, 2018.

Spark Award: Held by SCBWI , open to members of SCBWI who are self-published. Genres: Fiction and nonfiction. Prize: Envy. The SCBWI is our most prestigious national organization (US) for children’s book and YA writers. Deadline: December 15, 2018.

Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter. Genre: Poetry, unpublished and published. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 22, 2018.

Cecil Hemley Memorial Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter. Genre: Poetry, unpublished and published. Lyric poem that addresses a philosophical or epistemological concern. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 22, 2018.

Lucille Medwick Memorial Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter. Genre: Poetry, unpublished and published. Original poem in any form on a humanitarian theme. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 22, 2018.

Lyric Poetry Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter. Genre: A lyric poem on any subject. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 22, 2018.

The Writer Magazine/Emily Dickinson Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter for free. Genre: A poem inspired by Dickinson though not necessarily in her style. Prize: $250. Deadline: December 22, 2018.

George Bogin Memorial Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter for free. Other must pay a $15 entry fee. Genre: Poetry that takes a stand against oppression. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 22, 2018.

Robert H. Winner Memorial Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter for free. There is a charge of $15 for non-members. Open to mid-career poets who have not had substantial recognition, and is over forty, and who have published no more than one book. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: December 22, 2018.

The Four Quartets Prize. Genre: unified and complete sequence of poems published in America in a print or online journal, chapbook, or book in 2018. Poems in the sequence may have been published in different journals provided that they were published in 2018 and that brought together, they form a complete sequence. Prize: Three finalists will receive $1,000 each. The winner will receive an additional $20,000. Deadline: December 22, 2018.
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Emerging Poets Fellowship at Poets House. Restrictions: Applicants to the Emerging Poets Fellowship at Poets House must reside in one of the five boroughs of New York City. Students who are or will be enrolled in any degree granting program during Spring 2018 are ineligible. Deadline: December 29, 2018. There is no application fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Posen Society of Fellows Awards. Genre: Jewish-themed dissertation. Prize: $40,000 fellowship. Deadline: December 30, 2018.

The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognizes outstanding works that contribute to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of the rich diversity of human cultures. Awards are given for both fiction and nonfiction. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry, Griffin Poetry Prize. Restrictions: One prize goes to a living Canadian poet or translator, the other to a living poet or translator from any country, which may include Canada. Genre: Poetry. Books must have been published in English during the calendar year preceding the year of the award. Prize: C$200,000, is awarded annually in two categories — International and Canadian. Each prize is worth C$65,000. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award in Literary Nonfiction (Kansas Book Award). Restrictions: Author must establish a connection to Kansas by birth, education, employment, residence or other significant claim. Genre: Book of literary nonfiction. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction prose, up to 17,000 words. Prize: $1,000 with $5,000 grand prize. Deadline: December 31, 2018. Read details HERE.

Blue Mountain Arts Poetry Card Contest. Genre: Poem. Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2018. Read details HERE.

Best Translated Book Awards for Fiction. Genre: All original translations published between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017 are eligible. Reprints and retranslation are ineligible. Prize: $5,000.00. Two awards of $5,000: one apiece for the author and translator of the winning book in fiction. Deadline: December 31, 2018.
 
Best Translated Book Awards for Poetry. Genre: All original translations published between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017 are eligible. Reprints and retranslation are ineligible. Prize: $5,000.00. Two awards of $5,000: one apiece for the author and translator of the winning book in fiction. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Black Caucus of the American Library Association. BCALA presents four awards to an African American writer published in the United States during the previous year: one for adult fiction, one for nonfiction, one for a first novelist and one for poetry. These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. Prize: Four $500.00 awards. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Brexit in Poetry Competition. Genre: Poem up to 50 lines about Brexit, by a poet age 18+. Prize: £200. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

FutureScapes Writing Contest. Genre: Short fiction on theme of “Cities of Promise.” “We’re seeking stories set in a near-future city where significant strides have been made toward addressing the complex intersection of homelessness, mental health, and drug and sex trafficking.” Prize: Up to $2000. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Lex:lead Essay Competition. Genre: Essay on topic: How can laws affecting the free movement of people reduce poverty and support economic development? Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2018. You must register by October 31 .

Neil Postman Award for Metaphor. Sponsored by Rattle. Genre: Poetry. All published submissions during the year are considered for the prize. Follow their regular submission guidelines. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Society of Classical Poets, Poetry Competition. Genre: Poetry. Three to five poems, each of which does not exceed 50 lines. The poems must be within the four themes used by the Society. Prize: First Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

The Lyric College Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to undergraduates enrolled full time in an American or Canadian college or university. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

William Carlos Williams Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to students enrolled in programs leading to the Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy degree. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

HQC Victorian SciFi Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction. “We are seeking stories set in the Hive, Queen, and Country (HQC) Universe — an alternate history Victorian Era setting with a hard science fiction flavor.” Prize: Four $50 (USD) prizes will be awarded Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Viva la Novella. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand writers. Genre: Novella. Prize: $1,000 and publication in Seizure. Deadline: December 31, 2018.

Dapim: Studies on the Holocaust Article Prize Competition. Genre: Nonfiction of 7,000–10,000 words about the Holocaust. Prize: $1,000 top prize. Deadline: December 31, 2018. Questions/submissions: dapim_h@univ.haifa.ac.il

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Erica Verrillo has published five books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on how to get an agent, lists agents who are looking for clients as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers, explains how to market and promote your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews, how to self-publish, and where to find markets for your work on Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity .