Erica Verrillo's Blog, page 46

32 Calls for Submissions in November 2018 - Paying Markets

There are nearly three dozen calls for submissions in November. As always, anything you can think of is wanted — flash fiction, speculative fiction and poetry, horror, creative nonfiction along with several themed issues and anthologies.

All of these literary magazines pay, and none charge submission fees. Make sure to follow submission requirements carefully. Editors get cranky when writers don’t follow their submission rules.

If you want to get a jump on next month’s calls for submissions, check the page Calls for Submissions, which is where I post new calls as they come up.
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THEMA. Genre: Short stories, flash fiction, poems, art on theme of “The Critter in the Attic.” Payment: short story, $25; short-short piece (up to 1000 words), $10; poem, $10; artwork, $25 for cover, $10 for interior page display. Deadline: November 1, 2018. Reprints accepted.

Kenyon Review. Genre: Short stories, poetry, plays, excerpts, translations. Payment: Pro rates. Deadline: November 1, 2018.

The First Line. Genre: Short story with the first line: “As she trudged down the alley, Cenessa saw a small _________________. [Fill in the blank.].” Also, critical essays about your favorite first line from a literary work. Length: 300–5,000 words for fiction, 500–800 words for nonfiction. Payment: $25–50 for fiction, $25 for nonfiction, $5–10 for poetry. Deadline: November 1, 2018.

Spring Song Press: Steam and Lace Anthology. Genre: Speculative fiction,fantasy. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: November 1, 2018.

Unlocking the Magic: A Fantasy Anthology. Genre: Fantasy. Payment: $300/story + royalties. Deadline: November 1, 2018.

The Puritan: What Does It Mean to Be a Muslim Writer? — Special Issue Poetry. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $20 — $100. Deadline: November 2, 2018.

Ninth Letter. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Online Edition on theme of “Haunting.” Payment: $25 per poem, $75 per story or essay. Deadline: November 4, 2018.

Winter Tangerine. Genre: Poetry, prose, and visual art on theme of Dispatches from the Stars. “DISPATCHES invites work that constructs alternate realities for aliens of color, particularly through the lens of Afrofuturism, magical realism, speculative poetry/prose, or other re-renderings of the imagination. This feature welcomes submissions by all undocumented, noncitizen, and/or 1st generation immigrants of color who have stories about struggling with obtaining documentation or have otherwise experienced violence under the U.S. immigration system.” Payment: $50. Deadline: November 5, 2018.

Shooter. Genre: Stories, essays, reported narratives and poetry on theme of Rivalry. Send anything to do with competition, antagonism, warring forces and individual foes. The context might be sports, business, romance, politics, survival; the characters might be students, frenemies, parents, current and former lovers, courtroom opponents. As ever, the theme is open to wide interpretation. Minimum 2000 words for stories. Payment: £25 per story and £5 per poem. Deadline: November 11, 2018.

Goal Publications: The Daily Grind — A Coffee Anthology. Stories involving coffee. Payment: $0.0075/word. Deadline: November 14, 2018.

One story. Genre: Short story. Payment: $500. Deadline: November 14, 2018.

Hinnom Magazine. Genres: Science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Payment: $0.005 cents per word with a minimum payment of $5.00 and a maximum cap of $25.00. Deadline: November 15, 2018.

The Lorelei Signal. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. Payment: $7.50 for short stories, $3.00 for poems and flash (Deadline: November 15, 2018. Accepts reprints.

Shifters United: Paranormal Romance. Genre: Paranormal romance novellas featuring shape shifters. Length: 20,000 to 50,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 15, 2018.

Fire Poetry. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $5. Deadline: November 15, 2018.

Vallum. Genre: Poetry. Theme: Connections. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: November 15, 2018.

Luna Station Quarterly. Genre: Speculative fiction by woman. Payment. $5. Deadline: November 15, 2018. Accepts reprints.

Lamplight. Genre: Dark fiction. Length: Up to 7,000 words. Payment: 3 cents per word. Deadline: November 15, 2018. Reprints accepted at 1 cent per word.

Human Noise Journal. Genre: Short stories, personal essays, poems. Payment: $30. Deadline: November 15, 2018.
 
Zyzzyva. Genre: Fiction, poetry, essays, and artwork. Payment: Token to semi-pro. Deadline: November 19, 2018. Snail mail submissions only.

Enchanted Conversation. Genre: Fairy tale. Theme: OF FROST AND FIRELIGHT: A Winter’s Rhapsody. Work can either be re-tellings of established stories or use original characters set within the fairy tale, folktale, or mythic templates. Payment: $10 US. Deadline: November 20, 2018.
 
Down & Out Books: Mickey Finn — 21st Century Noir. Genre: Hardboiled and noir crime fiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2018.
 
Martian Migraine Press: Monstrous Outlines. Genre: Speculative fiction, “an anthology of horror and weird fiction with a focus on the theme of camouflage: people, entities, monsters, gods, even concepts, that masquerade as things other than themselves.” Payment: .03CAD per word, via Paypal, as well as a contributor copy (paperback) of the anthology, and copies in all electronic formats (mobi, EPUB, and PDF). Deadline: November 30, 2018.

Twelfth Planet Press. Genre: Speculative fiction novellas. Payment: Advance of US$300 and royalties of 40% of all monies received by the publisher. Length: 17, 000–40,000 words. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

Haunted. Genre: Speculative romance about haunting and scorned women. Length: 4,000 words or more. Payment: $20. Deadline: November 30, 2018. Reprints accepted.
 
Villainous Press. Genre: Crime fiction. Length: 5,000 to 10,000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: November 30, 2018. (Note: I could not find a website for this publication)
 
The Bare Life Review: Immigrant and refugee authors. Genre: Fiction, non-fiction, and poetry by immigrant and refugee authors — from foreign-born authors living in the US, and writers living abroad who currently hold refugee and/or asylum-seeker status. They welcome translations. American-born translators may submit work by eligible writers, but in such cases payment must be issued to the author. Length: Fiction up to 8,000 words; non-fiction up to 6,000 words; 3–5 poems, up to 10 pages in total. Payment: $750 for full-length prose pieces, $300 for accepted poems or shorter prose. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

Crannog. Genre: Short stories, poetry. Payment: €50 per story, €30 per poem. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

Ninth Letter. Genre: Fiction. Payment: $25 per printed page. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons from the Cat. Genre: Nonfiction. “We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1,200 words. Tell us what your cat taught you. How he made you smile. How she “rescued” you after you “rescued” her. How she brought your family closer together, helped you find love, inspired you to change something in your human life. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. We can’t wait to read all the heartwarming, inspirational, and hysterical stories you have about your cats and what you learned from them!” Payment: $200. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

Third Point Press. Genre: Fiction, poetry. Payment: $10. Deadline: November 30, 2018.
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Apparition. Genre: Poetry and fiction on theme of Resistance. Payment: $0.01 per word, minimum of 10.00 dollars. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

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 .

30 Writing Contests in November 2018 - No entry fees

There are more than two dozen writing contests in November, none of which charge entry fees. This month there are contests for short stories, essays, poetry, and for both published and unpublished full-length works. Prizes range from a free class to $45,000. As always, read the guidelines carefully. Many contests have geographical and age restrictions.

If you want to get an idea of what kinds of contests are offered throughout the year, take a look at Free Contests. The majority of these contests are yearly events. When it comes to contests, it’s always a good idea to plan ahead.
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Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Restrictions: Open to citizens of the British Commonwealth. Genre: Unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words) in English. Short stories translated into English from other languages are also eligible. Prize: Regional winners receive £2,500 (US$3,835) and the overall winner will receive £5,000 (US$7,670). Deadline: November 1, 2018. 

 
Vermont Writers’ Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of Vermont. Genres: Short story, poem, play or essay on the theme of Vermont — its people, places, history or values. Entries must be unpublished and fewer than 1,500 words long. Writers may submit only one entry per year. Prize: $1,500 and publication in Vermont Magazine. Deadline: November 1, 2018.

 
Donald Murray Prize for Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Original, unpublished works of creative nonfiction with a preference for essays on writing, teaching, and teaching writing, but will consider quality entries on any subject, including topics related to social justice, civic action, and inequality. Prize: $300 in the form of an AMEX gift card and publication in the Spring 2018 issue of Writing on the Edge. All entries will be considered for publication in the journal. Length: 8,000 words maximum (2500–4500 preferred) Deadline: November 1, 2018.

 
William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grants Program for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: Writers must not have published a book, short story, or dramatic work in the mystery field, either in print, electronic, or audio form. Genre: Mystery stories of the Agatha Christie type — i.e., “traditional mysteries.” These works usually feature no excessive gore, gratuitous violence, or explicit sex. Prize: Each grant may be used to offset registration, travel, or other expenses related to attendance at a writers’ conference or workshop within a year of the date of the award (no later than May 2017). In the case of nonfiction, the grant may be used to offset research expenses. Each grant currently includes a $1,500 award plus a comprehensive registration for the following year’s convention and two nights’ lodging at the convention hotel, but does not include travel to the convention or meals. Deadline: November 1, 2018. Read details here.

 
Patrick Henry Writing Fellowship. Genre: Nonfiction book in progress. The project should address the history and/or legacy — broadly defined — of the American Revolution and the nation’s founding ideas. It might focus on the founding era itself, or on the myriad ways the questions that preoccupied the nation’s founders have shaped America’s later history. Fellowship amount: $45,000 stipend, health benefits, faculty privileges, a book allowance, and a nine-month residency (during the academic year 2018–2019) in historic Chestertown, Md. Deadline: November 1, 2018. 

 
Lindenwood Chapter One Contest. Genre: First chapter of unpublished novel. Maximum submission length is 25 pages. Double-space and use a standard font size and style. Prize: $50, publication in issue 8 of The Lindenwood Review, and three contributor copies. Honorable mentions receive publication in issue 8 of The Lindenwood Review and three contributor copies. Deadline: November 1, 2018. 

 
Orwell Prize. Genre: Political writing published between 1st January and 31st January 2017. All entries must have a clear British link. Journalism and ‘exposing Britain’s social evils’. Prize: £3,000.00. Deadline: November 2, 2018. 

 
Dylan Thomas Prize. Restrictions: Authors must be aged 39 or under. Eligible books must have been commercially published for the first time in the English language between January 1 and December 31 of the year in which the deadline falls. Genre: Published books of poetry, fiction (novel, novella, or short story collection), radio scripts, or screenplays. Eligible books must have been commercially published for the first time in the English language between January 1 and December 31, 2017. Prize: 30,000 pounds, plus 1,000 pounds for shortlisted authors. Deadline: November 7, 2018. 

 
Women’s Prize for Fiction. Genre: Published book by a woman. Entrants must be writing in English and must be published in the UK. Novels must be published in the United Kingdom between 1 April 2017, and 31 March 2018. All subject matters and women of any age, from any nationality or country of residence are eligible. Prize: £30,000.00. Deadline: November 7, 2018.

 
RBC Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction. Restrictions: Canadian citizens only. Genre: Nonfiction book. Prize: C$25,000. Shortlisted authors receive $2,000. Deadline: November 7, 2018 for books published between October 1 and October 31, 2018.

 
The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. Genre: First published short story. Authors may not submit their own work. Prize: $2000 and publication in The PEN America Best Debut Short Stories. Deadline: November 10, 2018.

 
Paul Torday Memorial Prize. Restrictions: Authors must be over 60. Genre: First published novel. The novel must have been first published in the UK and Republic of Ireland between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2018. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: November 15, 2018.


Hajja Razia Sharif Sheikh Prizes in Nonfiction and Poetry. Restrictions: Undergraduates. Genre: Awards will be given to the best piece in each genre that addresses the experience of being Muslim in America. Winning pieces will speak to the experience — joys and challenges — of being Muslim in America today in ways that educate and inform our readers. Winning pieces may also demonstrate an understanding of Islamic history, culture, contributions, and / or its influence on society. Prize: $500 and publication in Oakland Arts Review. Deadline: November 15, 2018.


Arts & Letters Awards. Restrictions: Open to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Genres: poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, dramatic script, art, music, and French language. Entries must be unpublished and completed during the previous 12 months. Prizes: C$1,000 and C$250. Deadline: November 16, 2018.


Polar Expressions Publications Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadian students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Genre: poetry. Prize: $300, $200, $100. Deadline: November 16, 2018.


Polar Expressions Publications Short Story Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadian students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Genre: Short story. Prize: $300, $200, $100. Deadline: November 23, 2018.


Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize is sponsored by the Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival. Genre: Non-fiction essay between 4 to 10 pages, set in Brooklyn about Brooklyn and/or Brooklyn people/characters. (Up to 2500 words). Prize: $500. Deadline: November 23, 2018.


Write the Good Fight Contest. Genre: Story (in 50 words or fewer) about a person (or group) who fights to resist the forces threatening what they hold dear. The story can be personal, fictional, or even historic. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: November 26, 2018.


Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada. Self-published books are not eligible. Genre: A book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers and has the potential to shape or influence thinking on contemporary Canadian political life. Prize: Winner: $25,000; Finalists: $2,500. Deadline: November 28, 2018, for books published between January 1 and December 31, 2018.


Servicescape. Genre: Short story or nonfiction up to 5,000 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
McAndrews Poetry Award. Genre: Poetry. Poems must relate to human rights. Prize: $50–100. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
Everything With Words Urban YA (UK). Restrictions: Open to UK Residents. Genre: Debut novel for young adults/ adults, a book set in today’s multi-cultural Britain. Prize: £1000 and possible publication by Everything with Words. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
Betty Trask Prize. Restrictions: Author must be a Commonwealth citizen. Genre: First novels, published or unpublished, written by authors under the age of 35 in a “traditional or romantic, but not experimental, style.” Prize: Awards totaling 20,000 pounds. Top prize 10,000 pounds. The prize money must be used for foreign travel. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
Frontier New Voices Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to indigenous writers. Prize: $500 grant meant to be used toward covering industry submission costs, multiple publications (original poetry and prose) in Frontier, participation in their editorial community, and introductions to agents and presses. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers. Restrictions: Open to writers aged 16–18. Genre: Poem (1). Prize: Full scholarship to The Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop, an intensive two-week summer seminar for writers aged 16–18. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
Somerset Maugham Awards. Restrictions: Open to writers under the age of 35. Genre: Published work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry. Prize: 2,500 pounds apiece to four winners. Prize money must be used for travel. Deadline: November 30, 2018. 

 
UNT Rilke Prize. Restrictions: US citizens or residents. Open to authors with at least two prior published books of poetry. Genre: Book of poetry published between November 1, 2017 and October 31, 2018. Prize: $10,000.00. Deadline: November 30, 2018. 

 
Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School Students. Restrictions: Student writers in the 11th grade. Prizes: First Prize — $500, Second Prize — $250, Third Prize — $100. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
AVBOB Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to any citizen of South Africa. Genre: Poetry. Prize: R10,000. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
The Ghosts in the Bookshop Contest. Genre: Short ghost stories set in a bookshop of typical short length by any author. Prize: £100 or £100 in books for the runners-up. Deadline: November 30, 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 .

23 Writing Conferences in November 2018

Pixabay There are nearly two dozen conferences, retreats, and festivals in November, spanning the country. Genre-specific conferences include medical writing, science fiction, fantasy, nonfiction, poetry, and more. And there are many opportunities to pitch your work to agents. 

I can’t recommend attending a conference enough. There is nothing like making personal contacts with agents, editors, and writers to advance your career as a writer.

If you can’t make your ideal conference this year, plan ahead for next year. Many conferences are yearly events. Planning ahead also gives you an opportunity to apply for the scholarships offered by some of these conferences. You can find a comprehensive list of conferences throughout the year here: Writing Conferences.
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Medical Writing and Communication Conference. Nov 1–3, 2018: Washington, DC. Workshops in medical writing, designing materials for patients, analysis, clinical reports, and more.

Sag Harbor Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference. November 1–4, 2018, Sag Harbor, NY. Spark your creativity and take your writing to the next level at the nonfiction writing conference in Sag Harbor — the heart of the east end of Long Island. The only small and focused conference in nonfiction in the country. Faculty: Donna Kaz, Roger Rosenblatt, Patricia McCormick, Terri Muuss, Matt Pasca, Judson Merrill, Sandra Yin, Michelle Blankenship, Roohi Choudhry, Jisu Kim.

Historical Writers of America. November 1–4, 2018: Providence, RI. Workshops for fiction and nonfiction, research, the submission process, the road to publication, and the life of a historical writer; networking opportunities including keynote luncheon and dinner, theme receptions, and collaboration and brain-storming sessions.

Clearwater Writers 2018 Women’s Writing Retreat. November 1–6, 2018: Clearwater, Idaho. Retreats are facilitated by the Inn’s writer-in-residence, Paula Coomer, poet and author of such books as Jagged Edge of the Sky, Dove Creek, Nurses Who Love English, and Blue Moon Vegetarian. With more than 20 years of experience as a teacher of creative writing, Ms. Coomer offers creative inspiration and support for writers at all levels of achievement and ability.

Writeful Places Black Writers Retreat. November 1–8, — 16, 2018: Aruba.

Atlanta Writers Conference. Nov 2–3, 2018: Atlanta, Georgia. The conference features publishing panels, pitch sessions, manuscript and query letter critiques, and a workshop on creating or improving author websites. Participating publishing professionals include editors Emma Caruso (Penguin Random House), Alicia Clancy (Lake Union Publishing/Amazon Publishing), Chelsey Emmelhainz (Crooked Lane Books), Erica Gonzalez (Penguin Random House), Melanie Iglesias (Atria Books), and Vedika Khanna (William Morrow), and agents Whitley Abell (The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency), Elizabeth Copps (Maria Carvainis Agency), Sara Megibow (KT Literary), John Rudolph (Dystel, Goderich & Bourret), Lauren Spieller (TriadaUS Literary Agency), and Brian Tibbetts (MacGregor Literary). The cost of a single session ranges from $50 to $170 depending on the activity; the cost of the discounted “All-Activities Package,” which includes two manuscript critiques, one query letter critique, two pitch sessions, the author website workshop, and two Q&A panels, is $620.

Ossabaw Weekend Writer’s Retreat. Nov 2 -4, 2018: Ossabaw Island, GA. Workshops and seminars led by nationally recognized faculty, and evening readings (special emphasis on ghost stories) by faculty and participants. Application deadline: September 25.

The BookBaby Independent Authors Conference. November 2–4, 2018: Philadelphia, PA. The Independent Authors Conference is the only conference that educates independent authors on how to cultivate a successful career in the self-publishing industry. Over three exciting days in historic Philadelphia, you’ll engage in workshops concentrated on learning and improving the skills you need to succeed, including effective writing techniques and strengthening your book marketing and promotion tactics.
 
North Carolina Writers’ Network Fall Conference. November 2–4, 2018: Charlotte, North Carolina. The conference features workshops and master classes in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as lectures and panel discussions on editing, publishing, and pitching. The faculty includes poets Morri Creech, Julie Funderburk, and Maureen Ryan Griffin; fiction writers Bryn Chancellor and Susan Rivers; and creative nonfiction writers Georgann Eubanks, Judy Goldman, and Cynthia Lewis. Fiction writer Randall Kenan will deliver the keynote. The cost for the full conference is $260 (including meals) or $200 (not including meals) for NCWN members, and $375 (including meals) or $300 (not including meals) for nonmembers until October 26. Onsite registration is $450 for the full conference, $350 for Saturday-only attendance, and $250 for Sunday-only attendance.

Colrain Intensive. November 2–5, 2018: Leicester, MA. The Colrain Manuscript Intensive is a small, select, highly focused, 3-day conference designed for the evaluation and discussion of book-length manuscripts by editors and publishers. The intensive is open only to those who have attended a previous Colrain conference and/or those whose manuscript is close to publication (semi-finalist, finalist or publisher feedback), and/or those with previous book publication.

Autumn Writing Getaway. November 3, 2018: Galloway, NJ. “Our retreats are centered on the belief that when writers leave behind the distractions of their busy lives to gather in an encouraging community, they are able to make important breakthroughs in their writing. Each workshop will meet for 6 hours and will offer craft discussion, writing prompts, writing time, sharing and inspiration.”

2018 Nebraska Writers Guild Poetry Retreat/Workshops. November 3, 2018: Nebraska City, NE. Focus: Poetry. A day full of workshops and writing sessions followed by evening readings and a wine tasting. Faculty: Laura Madeline Wiseman, Charlene Neely, Brad Anderson, Kristin Burnett, Janet Sobczyk, and editors from Backwaters Press.

Free Expressions Seminars-Emotional Craft of Fiction. November 4–8, 2018: Philadelphia, PA. Featuring Donald Maass. Based on psychological research and extensive study of what makes novels emotionally gripping, workshop participants will discover how to go beyond showing or telling to create an emotional journey for readers — one unseen but nevertheless deeply felt and ultimately unforgettable.

2018 Kauai Writers Festival. November 5–11, 2018: Kalapaki Bay, Lihue, Kauai, HI. Join bestselling authors and agents in an intimate, oceanfront setting, with an emphasis on fiction, memoir, thrillers, and screenwriting. Includes in-depth sessions on craft, publishing, and the writing life, with opportunities for agent/editor feedback.

The Monterey Writer Retreat in California. November 7–11, 2018: Monterey, CA. Participants in the Monterey Writer Retreat will work one-on-one with two of the best literary “closers” in the business: Gina Panettieri and Michael Neff combine 38 years of working with aspiring authors and ushering them to publication. They will be available for multiple private consultations from 9 AM to noon and 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM each day of the retreat. Choice of sessions and focus will be up to each individual writer. Additionally, as circumstances permit, Gina and Michael will also join retreaters in their quest for superb dining and festivity opportunities in the Monterey and Carmel area.

Fall Nonfiction Writers Conference. November 8–9, 2018. ONLINE EVENT. Online conference devoted to writing, publishing and promoting non-fiction books. Participation is live via phone or Skype, and recordings can be downloaded. Features 15 speakers over three days. Private Facebook group for attendees!

Sanibel Island Writers Conference. November 8–11, 2018: Sanibel Island, Florida. The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as manuscript consultations, readings, panels, concerts, and book signings. Faculty and visiting writers include poets Major Jackson, Annemarie Ní Churreáin, and January Gill O’Neil; fiction writers Julianna Baggott, Lynne Barrett, Brock Clarke, John Dufresne, Tod Goldberg, Steve Kistulentz, Tom McAllister, and Darin Strauss; creative nonfiction writers Steve Almond, Andrea Askowitz, Emily Black, Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Joyce Maynard, Jane Roper, and Michael Ruhlman; screenwriter Mark Evan Schwartz; and agent Christopher Schelling (Selectric Artists). The keynote speaker is fiction writer Ann Hood. The cost of the conference is $550 ($440 for BIG ARTS members and $300 for full-time students).

Writing by Writers Manuscript Boot Camp. November 9–12, 2018: Tahoe City, California. Workshops for book-length manuscripts, as well as craft talks, readings, and agent panels, and individual meetings with agents. “The Writing By Writers Manuscript Boot Camp is for the writer who has a full book-length manuscript (novel, memoir, short story or poetry collection) and would like to engage with a small group for a serious and productive response. The long weekend will include an intimate full manuscript workshop, craft talks, readings, an agent panel and individual agent meetings — the perfect pre-publication boot camp for any manuscript.” Classes are limited to 5 participants. The cost of tuition, which includes a manuscript review of up to 300 pages with a faculty member, an individual meeting with an agent, lodging at the Granlibakken Resort, and all meals, is $3,250.

Red Clay Writers Conference. November 10, 2018: Kennesaw GA. The Red Clay Writers Conference is the annual conference of the Georgia Writers Association. Red Clay encourages and inspires writers across Georgia through a full day of literary events that focus on the art and craft of writing.

New Worlds, New Voices SFF Workshops. November 14–18, 2018: Morro Bay, CA. During the course of the conference, writers will hone and improve their writer voice and style by studying and applying an array of narrative, scene, and structure technique, thus enabling them to begin, enhance, and/or reconstruct their work in more powerful and innovative ways. Writing exercises are derived from analysis of a select group of works by both dramatists and authors.

Learn and Network. November 16–17, 2018: Branson, MO. The Ozarks Writers League is a group of like-minded individuals dedicated to promoting writing, literacy, photography, and art. Since 1983, OWL has welcomed individuals at all stages of their development.

ShowMe Writers Masterclass. November 17, 2018: Columbia, MO. This workshop offers a theory for and direct practice in a mindful approach to writing. This approach draws inspiration from Robert Boice’s book, How Writers Journey to Comfort and Fluency, which will be highlighted during the workshop.
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WriteAngles. November 17, 2018: South Hadley, Massachusetts. Panels and workshops, with two keynoters, a limited number of agent meetings. Continental breakfast, and buffet lunch included. Agents: TBA

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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 .

October 18th, 2018

Note: When Donald Trump took the oath of office, he swore to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

His actions have proven otherwise. To attack the free press, journalists, and writers from a position of presidential authority is not only a violation of the oath of office, it is unlawful. The Constitution is not a suggestion, it is the law of the land.

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NEW YORK, October 16, 2018—PEN America, the leading national organization representing writers and literary professionals and defending free expression, filed a lawsuit today against President Donald J. Trump for using the powers of the federal government to retaliate against journalists and media outlets he finds objectionable, in violation of the First Amendment. PEN America is represented in the case by the nonpartisan nonprofit Protect Democracy and the Yale Law School Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic.

The filing asserts that, while President Trump is free to express his own views critical of journalists and media outlets, his use of the regulatory and enforcement powers of government to punish the press for criticism of him is unconstitutional. The complaint, filed in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, asks the court to enter a declaratory judgment that the President’s retaliatory actions violate the First Amendment and enjoin the President from directing any employee or agency of the federal government to take any action against the press in retaliation for coverage the President views as hostile.

The complaint makes reference to incidents that it argues were intended to make clear to writers, reporters, and commentators that if they criticize the President, they or the media entities they represent could face reprisals by the government. These incidents include:

The Department of Justice’s antitrust enforcement action against the merger of CNN’s parent company, Time Warner, with AT&T, coming in the wake of credible threats by the President to retaliate against CNN’s coverage of him and his Administration;The President’s Executive Order to the U.S. Postal Service to examine raising postal rates on Amazon, founded and run by Jeff Bezos, following the President’s threats to retaliate against coverage that the President disapproved of by the Washington Post, which Jeff Bezos owns. A retaliatory action that led, on October 11, 2018, to the U.S. Postal Service announcing proposed rate increases, including a proposed 12-percent increase for the Parcel Select service used by Amazon;The President’s threats to revoke White House press credentials, which were followed by directing the removal of a White House correspondent from a press event covering the President, in retaliation for editorial decisions that reporter had made; andThe President’s threats to revoke broadcast licenses of television stations whose coverage he disapproves of.The complaint argues that these and other similar actions intentionally place a sword of Damocles over the heads of all journalists and writers covering the President, including PEN America members.

“While PEN America members, and many media outlets and journalists, have been unflinching in their coverage of the Administration, the First Amendment protects the press from having to brave government retaliation and threats in order to do their work,” said PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel. “We have grown sadly accustomed to near daily attacks by President Trump on the media, but when his speech crosses the line into retaliatory actions or credible threats of reprisal against critics, the President’s actions are not only egregious, but also unconstitutional. At a time when hostility toward the press has fostered a climate of threats and even violence, it is essential for courts to step in and affirm the role of the First Amendment and free press in our democracy. There is a natural tension between leaders and the press corps charged with holding him accountable, but here in the U.S. we have constitutional safeguards that prevent the use of the power of government to punish and intimidate the media.”

“As an organization of working writers united in defense of free expression, we are alarmed at the climate of hostility and threat in which those who offer political reportage and commentary must now operate,” said PEN America President, journalist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Jennifer Egan. “PEN America has long risen to the defense of writers around the world who face peril for expressing themselves. With journalism under unprecedented attack from the White House, we feel compelled to fight back.”

The complaint reaffirms that the First Amendment prohibits government actors from using their power in ways that punish the content of reporting or that are intended to stoke intimidation through threats of government action. It notes that individual writers, including freelancers and especially those who may be vulnerable for other reasons—by virtue of their immigration status, for example—may understandably think twice before publishing pieces or commentary that could put them in the White House’s crosshairs. 

“The governing law is clear: President Trump has the right to express views about the press, loudly and often. He does not have the right to use the powers of his office to punish those who disagree with him and criticize him,” said David Schulz of the Yale Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic.

President Trump has already faced a number of First Amendment challenges. In one case, a federal district judge, presiding in the same district in which this case has been filed, declared that President Trump’s practice of blocking critics on his Twitter account violated the First Amendment. The remedy sought in PEN America’s complaint is similar. In another case, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an allegation from protesters who were roughed up during a campaign rally that then-candidate Trump’s calls from the podium incited a violent riot.

This suit comes at a worldwide moment of reckoning for the relationship between governments and the journalists who criticize them. As respect for the role of the press erodes, illustrated most egregiously in recent days with the crisis over the fate of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, it is vital to underscore and enforce the First Amendment protections that have always set the U.S. apart as a standard bearer for press freedom. That’s what this suit aims to do.

“President Trump’s anti-press actions are taking place at a time when autocrats around the world, including in Hungary, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, have been ramping up their attacks on a free press,” said Kristy Parker, Counsel to Protect Democracy. “The difference between the United States and those countries is that the United States has a long-standing constitutional tradition that prevents such behavior and an independent court system designed to step in when violations occur.”

Protect Democracy has highlighted the myriad ways in which President Trump appears to be following a playbook used by other autocratic rulers around the world. While democracy was ascendant around the globe in the latter half of the twentieth century, that trend has come to an alarming halt. According to data from Freedom House, an independent watchdog that tracks free expression globally, the spread of democratic regimes peaked around 2005 and has been in retreat ever since. The new breed of autocratic-style leaders does not vanquish democracy overnight. Rather, modern autocrats pull at the threads of democracy incrementally, finding vulnerabilities in democratic systems that can be exploited. Using the power of the government to deliberately intimidate dissenting voices, including those of writers and journalists, is one such strategy. In some of the aforementioned countries, their leadership has succeeded in eroding democracy as the direct result of a lack of a truly independent judicial check. It is against this backdrop that today’s lawsuit has been filed.

Since the 2016 presidential campaign, PEN America has decried efforts to foment hostility and distrust toward the media. Through research reports, petitions, and campaigns, PEN America has mobilized to defend the role of the press as a cornerstone of our democracy. In 2018, PEN America initiated a national outreach effort to activate its members through public forums on media freedom, advocacy for local news outlets, and media literacy workshops. A cornerstone of this effort is the Press Freedom Incentive Fund, which supports initiatives that build new local constituencies ready to defend press freedom. PEN America has fought against encroachments on free speech by United States presidential administrations for decades, including through advocacy for whistleblowers and journalists targeted for their reporting. The organization also has a long history of litigation challenging government encroachments on freedom of expression, including the blocking of prominent writers and scholars from visiting the United States due to their critical speech pursuant to the USA PATRIOT Act, and the mass warrantless wiretapping of international electronic communications.

Read quotes on today’s filing from experts here.

The full complaint can be read here. 

More information about this case can be found at pen.org/pen-america-v-trump

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PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.

Protect Democracy is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing American democracy from declining into a more authoritarian form of government.

The Yale Law School Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic is a legal services clinic dedicated to increasing government transparency, defending the essential work of news gatherers, and protecting freedom of expression through impact litigation, direct legal services, and policy work. The clinic is an initiative of the Information Society Project at Yale Law School and is funded by the Floyd Abrams Institute for Freedom of Expression.

3 New Literary Agents Seeking Literary Fiction, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Memoir, Women's Fiction & more

Here are three new agents expanding their client lists. Kristin van Ogtrop represents memoir, commercial women’s fiction, biography, lifestyle and big idea books driven by counterintuitive thinking. Lisa Leshne is most interested in narrative and prescriptive non-fiction, especially on social justice, sports, health, wellness, business, political and parenting topics. She loves memoirs that transport the reader into another person’s head and give a voyeuristic view of someone else’s extraordinary experiences. Lisa also enjoys literary and commercial fiction and some young adult and middle-grade books that take the reader on a journey and are just plain fun to read. Ryan Eichenwald is looking for Fantasy, Science Fiction, Paranormal, and Adventure, set in any time period and for any age group.

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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Kristin van Ogtrop of Inkwell Management

Kristin van Ogtrop, the former editor-in-chief of Real Simple, has joined InkWell Management as a literary agent. Under her stewardship, Real Simple became the #1 American women’s lifestyle magazine brand with a print and digital reach of 25 million and was nominated for 15 National Magazine Awards. Kristin’s blog, “Adventures in Chaos,” was nominated for a Media Industry Newsletter “Best of the Web” award, and in 2014, she was named by Fortune magazine as one of the “55 Most Influential Women on Twitter.” She is a contributor to the New York Times bestseller, The Bitch in the House and the author of Just Let Me Lie Down, published by Little, Brown.

What she is seeking: Kristin represents memoir, commercial women’s fiction, biography, lifestyle and big idea books driven by counterintuitive thinking.

How to submit: Queries should be emailed to: submissions@inkwellmanagement.com
In the body of your email, please include a query letter and a short writing sample (1-2 chapters). Emails with large attachments will be discarded.

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Lisa Leshne of The Lisa Leshne Agency

Originally from the cornfields of Champaign, Illinois, Lisa has a BA in Sociology from the University of California at Santa Barbara and an MBA from Harvard. She has been profiled for entrepreneurial activities on 60 Minutes, Prime Time Live, the BBC, and featured in Fortune, Money, The New York Times, Washington Post, London Times, Advertising Age, Smithsonian and other publications. Lisa is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study on The Prague Post, and has been an invited speaker and panelist at Harvard and Columbia Business Schools.

What she is seeking: Lisa is most interested in narrative and prescriptive non-fiction, especially on social justice, sports, health, wellness, business, political and parenting topics. She loves memoirs that transport the reader into another person’s head and give a voyeuristic view of someone else’s extraordinary experiences. Lisa also enjoys literary and commercial fiction and some young adult and middle-grade books that take the reader on a journey and are just plain fun to read.

How to submit: This agency uses author.me for submissions. Click HERE.

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Ryan Eichenwald of Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency

Ryan Eichenwald started with the agency in August of 2018. Ryan attended college at Duke University, where he taught himself guitar, founded an a capella group (that quickly collapsed), and worked as an editor for The Archive, the Duke literary magazine. He graduated with high distinction in English and philosophy, and wrote a gaslamp fantasy novella for his thesis project. Ryan is a graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course, and can frequently be found singing, writing, or attempting not to set his kitchen on fire. He tends to read instead of sleep.

What he is seeking: Ryan is looking for Fantasy, Science Fiction, Paranormal, and Adventure, set in any time period and for any age group. (He longs to see fantasy fiction set in space. SPACE WIZARDS.) He is interested in fiction of any kind except erotic, and will be willing to review narrative nonfiction pieces as well. His preference is for Adult or Young Adult, but is interested in Middle Grade as well. Ryan is particularly partial to richly developed characters and settings, especially realistic or unusual magic systems. If you can make a fantasy world work in a rational manner, then he would DEFINITELY love to talk to you.

​How to submit: Please submit send a query, a 1-2 page synopsis, and the first 25 pages of your project to Ryan's Query Manager at http://QueryMe.Online/ryaneichenwald. You will receive an automatic response from Query Manager which lets you know your submission is in his inbox, and you can track your query’s progress. He’ll respond within 6 weeks, but only to projects that interest him.

3 Agents Seeking YA, Fantasy & Sci-fi, Literary fiction, Commercial Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Romance, Crime, Mystery & Thrillers, Memoir & More

Here are three agents actively expanding their client lists.

Jennifer Grimaldi is building a list of historicals, romance, horror, and YA & adult sci-fi and fantasy.

​Weronika Janczuk is looking for: Young adult, fantasy & sci-fi, literary fiction, commercial fiction, women’s fiction. romance, crime, mystery & thrillers, memoir, non-fiction (innovative ideas & research; projects with a potential for social & cultural impact, etc.).

Rhea Lyons is looking for literary/commercial crossover (especially those with a speculative bend), plot-driven commercial fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and romance. She is also interested in narrative nonfiction, health & wellness, pop culture, and true crime — particularly books that blend history, science, and pop culture. For children’s books and young adult, Rhea is especially interested in novels about girls who play sports for the sake of sports, and in nonfiction books that hint at being educational / empowering but are primarily entertaining. 

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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Jennifer Grimaldi of Chalberg & Sussman

Now an agent with Chalberg & Sussman, where she first started her publishing career in 2012, Jennifer is building a list of historicals, romance, horror, and YA & adult sci-fi and fantasy.

What she is seeking: Across all genres, Jennifer loves strong, voice-driven novels, dark and romantic themes, and books that make her think — and learn. She is particularly excited by books that explore gender and sexuality, especially those with diverse, LGBTA+ leads, and own-voice writers.

Aspects sure to delight her include: cities and urban-planning, anecdotal histories, that trope where there were supposed to be two rooms at the hotel but they’re all booked up so the leads have to share, spies, thieves, mythological retellings, witches just trying to get by, weird obsessions, and puns.

How to submit: To query Jennifer, please email jennifer@chalbergsussman.com and include the first five pages of your manuscript in the body of an email. Jennifer accepts queries by email only.
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Weronika Janczuk of D4EO 

Weronika broke into publishing in 2009, through a high school workshop that placed her with former young adult editor Brian Farrey at Flux (now North Star), a small imprint in Minnesota, where she pulled, from the slush pile, the lovely Out of the Blue by Holly Schindler, which received a starred review in Booklist. She then moved on to intern with Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency. From 2010–2011, she worked with Bob Diforio and sold an array of projects.

What she is looking for: Young adult, fantasy & sci-fi, literary fiction, commercial fiction, women’s fiction. romance, crime, mystery & thrillers, memoir, non-fiction (innovative ideas & research; projects with a potential for social & cultural impact, etc.).

How to submit: You can submit a query directly via the QueryTracker form linked here. No account is necessary. If you prefer to query over email, paste your query letter and the first ten pages of your manuscript to weronika(at)d4eo(dot)com, and include the word QUERY in your subject line. She will respond personally only if she requests your manuscript.
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Rhea Lyons of Hannigan Salky Getzler Agency 
Rhea began her publishing career while studying at the University of Rochester and interning at Open Letter, a press which exclusively publishes literature in translation. She then joined the Random House Publishing Group, which includes the imprints of Random House, Spiegel & Grau, Ballantine, Bantam Dell, and Del Rey, working in Subrights. In 2011, she became a scout at Franklin and Siegal Associates, and spent the next few years working to help international publishers discover and acquire new and upcoming works of fiction and nonfiction. Most recently, Rhea was the Subsidiary Rights Director at Rodale, where she also acquired books for their adult list as well as for their newly launched children’s imprint, Rodale Kids.

What she is looking for: For fiction, Rhea is looking for literary/commercial crossover (especially those with a speculative bend), plot-driven commercial fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and romance. She is also interested in narrative nonfiction, health & wellness, pop culture, and true crime — particularly books that blend history, science, and pop culture. For children’s books and young adult, Rhea is especially interested in novels about girls who play sports for the sake of sports, and in nonfiction books that hint at being educational / empowering but are primarily entertaining.
​
How to submit: Please send a query letter and the first five pages of your manuscript (within the email–no attachments please!) to rlyons@hsgagency.com

3 Agents Seeking YA, Fantasy & Sci-fi, Literary fiction, Commercial Fiction, Women���s Fiction, Romance, Crime, Mystery & Thrillers, Memoir &��More

Here are three agents actively expanding their client lists.

Jennifer Grimaldi is building a list of historicals, romance, horror, and YA & adult sci-fi and fantasy.

​Weronika Janczuk is looking for: Young adult, fantasy & sci-fi, literary fiction, commercial fiction, women’s fiction. romance, crime, mystery & thrillers, memoir, non-fiction (innovative ideas & research; projects with a potential for social & cultural impact, etc.).

Rhea Lyons is looking for literary/commercial crossover (especially those with a speculative bend), plot-driven commercial fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and romance. She is also interested in narrative nonfiction, health & wellness, pop culture, and true crime — particularly books that blend history, science, and pop culture. For children’s books and young adult, Rhea is especially interested in novels about girls who play sports for the sake of sports, and in nonfiction books that hint at being educational / empowering but are primarily entertaining. 

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.
______________________
Jennifer Grimaldi of Chalberg & Sussman

Now an agent with Chalberg & Sussman, where she first started her publishing career in 2012, Jennifer is building a list of historicals, romance, horror, and YA & adult sci-fi and fantasy.

What she is seeking: Across all genres, Jennifer loves strong, voice-driven novels, dark and romantic themes, and books that make her think — and learn. She is particularly excited by books that explore gender and sexuality, especially those with diverse, LGBTA+ leads, and own-voice writers.

Aspects sure to delight her include: cities and urban-planning, anecdotal histories, that trope where there were supposed to be two rooms at the hotel but they’re all booked up so the leads have to share, spies, thieves, mythological retellings, witches just trying to get by, weird obsessions, and puns.

How to submit: To query Jennifer, please email jennifer@chalbergsussman.com and include the first five pages of your manuscript in the body of an email. Jennifer accepts queries by email only.
_____________________

Weronika Janczuk of D4EO 

Weronika broke into publishing in 2009, through a high school workshop that placed her with former young adult editor Brian Farrey at Flux (now North Star), a small imprint in Minnesota, where she pulled, from the slush pile, the lovely Out of the Blue by Holly Schindler, which received a starred review in Booklist. She then moved on to intern with Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency. From 2010–2011, she worked with Bob Diforio and sold an array of projects.

What she is looking for: Young adult, fantasy & sci-fi, literary fiction, commercial fiction, women’s fiction. romance, crime, mystery & thrillers, memoir, non-fiction (innovative ideas & research; projects with a potential for social & cultural impact, etc.).

How to submit: You can submit a query directly via the QueryTracker form linked here. No account is necessary. If you prefer to query over email, paste your query letter and the first ten pages of your manuscript to weronika(at)d4eo(dot)com, and include the word QUERY in your subject line. She will respond personally only if she requests your manuscript.
_________________________

Rhea Lyons of Hannigan Salky Getzler Agency 
Rhea began her publishing career while studying at the University of Rochester and interning at Open Letter, a press which exclusively publishes literature in translation. She then joined the Random House Publishing Group, which includes the imprints of Random House, Spiegel & Grau, Ballantine, Bantam Dell, and Del Rey, working in Subrights. In 2011, she became a scout at Franklin and Siegal Associates, and spent the next few years working to help international publishers discover and acquire new and upcoming works of fiction and nonfiction. Most recently, Rhea was the Subsidiary Rights Director at Rodale, where she also acquired books for their adult list as well as for their newly launched children’s imprint, Rodale Kids.

What she is looking for: For fiction, Rhea is looking for literary/commercial crossover (especially those with a speculative bend), plot-driven commercial fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and romance. She is also interested in narrative nonfiction, health & wellness, pop culture, and true crime — particularly books that blend history, science, and pop culture. For children’s books and young adult, Rhea is especially interested in novels about girls who play sports for the sake of sports, and in nonfiction books that hint at being educational / empowering but are primarily entertaining.
​
How to submit: Please send a query letter and the first five pages of your manuscript (within the email–no attachments please!) to rlyons@hsgagency.com

32 Calls for Submissions in October 2018 - Paying Markets

There are nearly three dozen calls for submissions in October. As always, anything you can think of is wanted — flash fiction, speculative fiction and poetry, horror, creative nonfiction along with several themed issues and anthologies.All of these literary magazines pay, and none charge submission fees. Make sure to follow submission requirements carefully. (Editors get cranky when writers don’t follow their submission rules.)
​
If you want to get a jump on next month’s calls for submissions, check the page Calls for Submissions, which is where I post new calls as they come up.
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American Psychos. Genre: Dark crime, thriller, brutal horror. (This series is about serial killers.) Length: 3500–5500 words. (Word count is somewhat flexible). Payment: $100. Deadline: October 1, 2018.
 
The Blue Route. Restrictions: Only the work of current undergraduate writers will be considered. Genres: Fiction, or creative nonfiction totaling no more than 3000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: October 1, 2018.

Blood Bound Books: Crash Code. Genre: Speculative fiction. “This anthology is going to focus on just how far human kind is willing to fall in pursuit of the next innovation, whether it’s paying for bionic sex in bitcoins, five-year-olds browsing the Dark Web, bar code tattoos, mainstream holographic snuff films, or corrupted neural implants driving their users mad.” Payment: $0.03/word. Deadline: October 1, 2018.
 
The Last Line. Genre: Short stories. All stories must end with the last line “I will visit again if I am ever back this way.” Length: 300–5,000 words. Payment: $20-$40. Deadline: October 1, 2018.

Cherry Tree. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and literary shade. Payment: $20. Deadline: October 1, 2018.

Griffith Review: The New Disruptors. Genre: Essays, reportage, creative non-fiction or non-fiction on the “upheavals that have come with our increasingly technological world.” Payment: Negotiated. Deadline: October 2, 2018.

Helios Magazine. Theme: “Songs of Yesteryear.” 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: October 15, 2018.
 
The Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook. Genre: “The Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook, the latest in Belt’s series of idiosyncratic city guides (after Cleveland and Detroit), aims to explore community history and identity in a global city through essays articulating the lived experience of its residents.” Payment: Not specified. Deadline: October 15, 2018.

SunLit Story Time November Podcasts. Genre: Short story. Length: Minimum of 1250 words. Maximum of 2500 words. Payment: $100. Deadline: October 15, 2018.

American Chordata. Genre: Short works of original fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and translation. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: October 15, 2018.

Rattle. Genre: Persona Poems. (A persona poem is one where the speaker of the poem is a dramatic character other than the poet.) Payment: $100. Deadline: October 15, 2018.

Aqueduct Press: Ursula K. Le Guin Tribute Poetry Anthology. Genre: Poetry that pays tribute to Ursula Le Guin. Payment: $20/poem. Deadline: October 15, 2018.

Shifters United: Urban Fantasy. Genre: Urban fantasy novellas featuring shape shifters. Length: 20,000 to 50,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 15, 2018.

The Worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Vol IV. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: AUD$75. Deadline: October 15, 2018.

Gordon Square Review. Genre: Poetry, short stories, personal essays, and hybrid prose works. Payment: $25 for prose, $10 for poetry. Deadline: October 15, 2018.

Subprimal Poetry Art. Genres: Flash fiction and poetry. “We’re looking for work that enables the reader / listener to experience something that they might not otherwise in their regular life and causes them to think. We like pieces that use language in new ways. We have a special fondness for prose poems. Voices outside of the status quo keep us awake at night.” Payment: $20. Reprints $10. Deadline: October 16, 2018.
 
Star Maps & Planets’ Paths: An Anthology of Astrology & Celestial Myths. Genre: Poetry and fiction. Payment: Revenue sharing. Deadline: October 19, 2018.
 
Nonbinary Review. Genre: Fiction, CNF, poetry, and art on the theme of “Dante’s Inferno. Payment: 1 cent per word for fiction and nonfiction, and a flat fee of $10 for poetry (singular poems or a suite) and $25 per piece of visual art. Deadline: October 24, 2018.

Gorse. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, reviews, translation. Payment: Small. Deadline: October 28, 2018.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: “Life Lessons from my Cat”. Genre: True stories about cats. “We are working on another wonderful and entertaining collection of stories about cats the lessons that we have learned from our feline family members. We know that our cats can teach us things about life and we know that you have many great stories to share with us. Those stories can be serious or humorous… or both. If you submitted a story for a previous Cat book title and we DID NOT publish it, please do submit it again if you think it will fit in this title.” Payment: $200. Deadline: October 31, 2018.
 
Pseudopod. Genre: Horror. Audio format. Payment: 6 cents per word. Deadline: October 31, 2018. Reprints accepted.

Wolfpack Press. Genre: Short stories. “We crave the wild, weird, wonderful, and witty.” Length: Fiction, up to 6000 words, nonfiction up to 5,000 words, also accepts poetry (up to 3 poems per submission). Payment: $15. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Tech Horror: Kill Switch. Genre: Horror. Length: 2,000–7,000 words. Payment: $10 + digital contributor copy. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Robbed of Sleep. Genre: Horror. Length: 100–4,000 words. Payment: $10 short story, $5 flash fiction. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: “Life Lessons from my Dog”. Genre: True stories about dog. “We are working on another wonderful and entertaining collection of stories about dogs the lessons that we have learned from our canine family members. We know that our dogs can teach us things about life and we know that you have many great stories to share with us. Those stories can be serious or humorous… or both. If you submitted a story for a previous Dog book title and we DID NOT publish it, please do submit it again if you think it will fit in this title.” Payment: $200. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

The Realm of British Folklore. Genre: Stories and poems for a new anthology that involves British Folklore. 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: October 31, 2018. Reprints accepted.

Barking Sycamores is a literary journal entirely edited and operated by queer, neurodivergent people of color. Genres: Creative nonfiction. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Write Naked. Genre: Blog posts about writing. Payment: $50. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Spectre Press: The Realm of British Folklore. Genre: Stories that evoke British folklore. Payment: £0.01/word. Deadline: October 31, 2018.
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Horror Addicts. Genre: Horror. Your story must involve technology in some way. Payment: $10. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Ellipsis. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction, drama, and art. Payment: $10 per poem and page of visual art, and $3 per page of prose (sometimes more, depending on our budget), plus two free copies of the issue. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Our Loss Anthology. Genre: Stories, poetry on theme of Loss/Pain. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

25 Writing Contests in October 2018 - No entry fees

There are more than two dozen writing contests in October, none of which charge entry fees. This month there are contests for short stories, essays, poetry, and for both published and unpublished full-length works. Prizes range from publication to $25,000. As always, read the guidelines carefully. Many contests have geographical and age restrictions.

If you want to get an idea of what kinds of contests are offered throughout the year, take a look at Free Contests. The majority of these contests are yearly events. When it comes to contests, it’s always a good idea to plan ahead.
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The Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry, sponsored by the African Poetry Book Fund and in partnership with the literary journal, Prairie Schooner, is the only one of its kind in the world and was established to promote African poetry written in English or in translation and to recognize a significant book published each year by an African poet. A standard edition is 48 pages or more in length. Genre: Open to any book of original poetry, in English, published during 2015 in a standard edition by a full-length collection of poetry. Restrictions: African nationals, African residents, or poet of African parentage with roots from any country, living anywhere in the world. Prize: USD $5,000. Deadline: October 1, 2018.

Royal Institute of Philosophy Essay Prize. Topic: Philosophy and International Relations. Prize: £2,500 top prize. Deadline: October 1, 2018.

Victoria Literary Festival Writing Competition. Genre: Short story: 1500 words, taking into consideration the theme of the 2018 VLF festival: Surrender to the Mystery. Prize: First prize will receive 350 CDN$ with four runners up receiving 50 CDN$ each. Deadline: October 1, 2018.

American Antiquarian Society Fellowships for Creative Writers is calling for applications for visiting fellowships for historical research by creative and performing artists, writers, film makers, journalists, and other persons whose goals are to produce imaginative, non-formulaic works dealing with pre-twentieth-century American history. Successful applicants are those whose work is for the general public rather than for academic or educational audiences. The Society’s goal in sponsoring this program is to multiply and improve the ways in which an understanding of history is communicated to the American people. Prize: A stipend of $1,150 to $1,350 and on-campus housing is provided; fellows residing off-campus receive $1,850. Deadline: October 5, 2018.

RBC Taylor Prize for Literary Nonfiction. Restrictions: Open to published Canadian authors. Genre: Nonfiction book. Prize: CAN$25,000.00. Deadline: October 5, 2018 for books published between August 21 and September 30, 2018.

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: October 6, 2018.

The NC State Short Story Contests. Restrictions: Open to all North Carolina residents except 1) tenured/tenure-track professors in the University of North Carolina system or 2) writers with a published book, 3) previous winners. Genres: An unpublished SHORT STORY of no more than 20 double-spaced pages; limit 5000 words OR an unpublished SHORT-SHORT FICTION story of no more than 5 double-spaced typed pages; limit 1200 words. Prizes: James Hurst Fiction Prize for the winning story is $500. There will also be some Honorable Mention awards. Prize for short-short is $250. Deadline: October 8, 2018.

READ Foundation Competition. Restrictions: Open to writers 18 years or older living in the UK. (Younger people preferred.) Genre: Poem, short story or first person essay on the theme of “My education helped me….”. Prize: Publication. Deadline: October 10, 2018.

NUHA Blogging Prize. Genre: Article on specific topic. (See website) Prize: $150 — $2400. Deadline: October 13, 2018.

Wax Poetry and Art Poetry Contest. Genre: Poem. (Enter 1 poem for free. There is a charge for additional poems.) Prize: 1st place, $70 CAD. 2nd place, $20 CAD. 3rd place, $10 CAD. Deadline: October 15, 2018.

Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship. Restrictions: Poet must be born in the United States. Genre: Poetry. The sample must not exceed either (1) 40 typed pages or (2) one printed volume plus no more than 20 typed pages of your most recent work. There is no minimum page requirement. Prize: $54,000 for a year of travel and study abroad. Deadline: October 15, 2018.

The Marfield Prize, also known as the National Award for Arts Writing, is given annually by the Arts Club of Washington to nonfiction books about the arts written for a broad audience. Genre: Non-fiction book. Self-published books not accepted. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: October 15, 2018.

Bobbing Around Book Contest. Genre: Manuscripts currently seeking an editor. Submit the first 1000 words and a 200-word synopsis for consideration. The editor will provide feedback for all 1000-word entries and post the top ten entries on his website. These will be voted upon, and the final winner will receive a “Christmas present” from the editor. Deadline: October 15–21, 2018.

Author Mentor Match. Genre: Completed YA or MG manuscript. Prize: Mentorship by published author. Deadline: October 15–21, 2018.

Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to residents of UK. Genre: Short stories between 2000–6000 words on the theme “Café Stories.” Prize: £500 and 10 shortlisted authors will be published in an ebook anthology. Deadline: October 26, 2018.

The Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest is sponsored by Hollins University. Restrictions: Open to young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Up to $5,000 renewable annual Creative Talent Scholarship in creative writing if winner enrolls at Hollins. Free tuition and housing for the university’s Hollins summer creative writing program. $200 cash prize. Publication in Cargoes, Hollins’ award-winning student literary magazine. Ten copies of Cargoes. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is the most prestigious literary award in the US. Restrictions: Authors must be living American citizens. Self-published works not accepted. Genres: Novels, novellas, and collections of short stories. Prize: $15,000. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

The Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize. Restrictions: Entrants must be aged 18–25 years and living in the UK. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. Each year a question or quote exploring Franklin’s relevance in our time is open for interpretation in 1000–1500 words. Prize: First prize of £750, second prize of £500. Winning entries will be posted on the website and also published online by The Telegraph. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

The Eric Gregory Awards. Restrictions: Applicants must be under 30 and a British subject by birth and must ordinarily be resident in the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland. Genre: Poetry collection. Previously published work accepted. Prize: £4,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Burt Award for Caribbean Literature. Restrictions: Caribbean authors age 12 through 18. Genres: Published books, previously self-published books, and unpublished manuscripts are eligible for the Award. Prize: First Prize of $10,000 CAD, a Second Prize of $7,000 CAD and a Third Prize of $5,000 CAD. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

The Young Walter Scott Prize. Restrictions: Open to UK authors aged 11–19. Genre: Historical fiction between 800 and 2000 words. Prizes: £500 travel and research grant to further explore historical places in the UK, and an invitation to the Borders Book Festival in Melrose, Scotland. Two runners-up in each category receive a £100 book token, and all four winning stories are published in a special YWSP anthology book. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

McKitterick Prize. Restrictions: Open to authors over age 40 on December 31, 2018. Genre: First novel. The work must have been first published in the UK in the year in which the deadline falls (and not first published abroad), or be unpublished. Prize: £4,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Tom-Gallon Trust Award. Restrictions: Open to citizens of the United Kingdom, Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland with at least one short story published or accepted for publication. Genre: Short story, maximum 5,000 words. May be unpublished. Prize: £1,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Creative Writing Institute’s Flash Fiction Award. Genre: Flash Fiction. Prize: $25 — $100. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Lex:lead Essay Competition. Restrictions: Candidates must show citizenship in an eligible country and be enrolled in studies with at least one law class in an eligible country at the time of the award. Genre: Essay: How can laws affecting the free movement of people reduce poverty and support economic development? Prize: $500 scholarship. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

38 Writing Conferences in October 2018

October offers writers a bumper crop of writing conferences. There are no fewer than 38 conferences, retreats, expositions, and fairs this month, spanning the country. Genre-specific conferences include romance, science fiction, fantasy, children's literature, poetry, mystery, thrillers, horror and more. There is something for everyone!

I can't recommend attending a conference enough. There is nothing like making personal contacts with agents, editors, and writers to advance your career as a writer.

If you can't make your ideal conference this year, plan ahead for next year. Many conferences are yearly events. Planning ahead also gives you an opportunity to apply for the scholarships offered by some of these conferences. You can find a comprehensive list of conferences throughout the year here: Writing Conferences.
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Digital Book World Conference + Expo, Nashville, TN, October 2 - 4, 2018. This is the premier event for digital publishers and content providers of all sizes and business models.

Georgia Romance Writers: Moonlight and Magnolias. October 4 – October 7, 2018: Atlanta, Georgia. Includes keynote speakers, workshops, editor/agent appointments, autographing & bookfair, awards banquet.

Beginner’sClass In World Building And World Conjuring 2018. October 4 – October 7, 2018: Honesdale, PA. If you are in the beginning stages of creating a speculative, science fiction, magical realism, or fantasy novel, this workshop will teach you the techniques of worldbuilding, the process of constructing an imaginary world. Workshop leader Cori McCarthy is well versed in the challenges of the craft and will guide you to create depth in your world and characters with techniques that lend themselves to fantastical worlds: ways to establish rules and meaning, build relationships, and structure governments. Special guest authors Amy Rose Capetta, Sage Blackwood and Kristen Simmons will help Cori immerse you in the process of building compelling and believable worlds in your fiction and help you develop new ideas for your work-in-progress. Along with daily lectures and writing, Cori will host one-on-one consultations on the first 10 pages of your work-in-progress and facilitate writer’s roundtables on additional pages.

New York Comicon. October 4 - 7, 2018: New York, New York. New York Comic Con is the East Coast's biggest popular culture convention: Show Floor plays host to the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies and television; Panels and Autograph Sessions give Fans a chance to interact with their favorite Creators; Screening rooms feature sneak peeks at films and television shows months before they hit big and small screens.

2018 Creative Retreat for writers, photographers. October 5 - 7, 2018: Mountain View, Missouri. Relax & refuel your creativity along a scenic river, while picking up tips from professionals in writing & photography. There will be time to learn & time to create. Participants stay in rustic cabins & enjoy family-style meals in dining hall.

Colrain Classic. October 5-8, 2018: Leicester, Massachusetts. The conference will be held at the beautiful Barred Owl Retreat, a 15-room, 1920′s colonial home located just outside the city of Worcester, Massachusetts. The retreat’s lovingly landscaped acreage hosts an orchard, a brook, two ponds and an abundance of wildlife including herons, beavers, otters, deer, and of course, barred owls. The property abuts a secluded 114-acre nature preserve so on the grounds one might feel away from it all, yet Barred Owl Retreat is just four miles from downtown Worcester. Here, you will work with poet-editor-educators Joan Houlihan, Rusty Morrison, and Ellen Dore Watson.

PictureBook Illustration: From Conception To Birth 2018. October 5 – October 7, 2018: Honesdale, PA. A down-to-earth, hands-on workshop for the illustrator who’s looking for the inside track, packed with valuable pointers and solid advice. Picture book illustration is a highly competitive field. Art directors and editors are not only looking for the illustrator with the right style for a particular book. The edge goes to the professional who’s confident in the craft of making picture books. This workshop is designed to give you that competitive edge by providing practical tips and direction from an art director with many years of experience working in the trenches.

Creatures, Crimes & Creativity. October 5 - 7, 2018: Columbia, MD. A writer's and fan's conference for genre fiction covering mystery, suspense, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk & horror.

State Writing Conference & Convention, sponsored by The Kansas Authors Club, Oct 5 - 7, 2018, Salina, Kansas. Writing workshops, panels, and presentations by Kevin Rabas, Jeff Broome and more.

Write on the Sound Writers' Conference and Pre-Conference. Oct 5 - 7, 2018: Edmonds, WA. WOTS offers the opportunity to explore various writing craft techniques with nationally recognized industry professionals in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. SOLD OUT.

Imaginarium. Oct 5 - 7, 2018: Louisville KY. A three day annual event held in Louisville, Kentucky centered entirely around creative writing, including the worlds of books, movies, gaming, music, and comics/graphic novels. Imaginarium Convention features extensive programming content, with panels and workshops presented by over 150 professional guests covering everything from the craft of writing to various genres, industry-specific topics, publishing, and social media/publicity. The convention features a film festival with a full array of awards, a masquerade/costume contest, live music, gaming, an expo open to the general public, an awards banquet, a series of literary awards called the Imadjinns, and many more activities, creating a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere that is content-rich and ideal for networking, promotion and personal development.

Picture Book Summit. Oct 6, 2018, Online. An online, one day live event for picture book writers including author keynotes, interviews, workshops and agent & editor panels. Recordings provided for attendees for four months post-conference.

WritingFor All Young Readers: Board Books Through Mg Series 2018. October 7 – October 9, 2018: Honesdale, PA. This workshop is for anyone looking for ways to break in or expand upon a career in writing for children, from board books to middle grade series. Crystal Allen, Kelly Starling Lyons, Kristy Dempsey, and Gwendolyn Hooks met at the Highlights Foundation’s Chautauqua Workshop over a decade ago. Their friendship was forged over works-in-progress, critiques, and the drive to publish great books for all children. Fast forward to now, and between the four women, they have over 30 books published for readers of all ages. They’ve designed a workshop to share with you all that they have gathered over years of their journeys.

Ozark Creative Writers Conference. Oct 11 - 13, 2018: Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Workshops by published authors, editors and agents; Publishers Row, independent publishers available to hear about your next project; Writing contests available to all participants.

Other Words Literary Conference. Oct 11 -13, 2018: University of Tampa, Florida. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as panels and readings. Their goal is "to bring together writers, editors, agents, publishers, book sellers, grant administrators, directors of writers' colonies and retreats, and other interested folk in one place. We'll be talking about the how to of the literary arts: how to write it, make it, sell it, fund it, and nurture it."

2018 Greater Nebraska Writers Conference. Oct 12 -13, 2018: Aurora, Nebraska. Hear Keynote Speaker: Alex Kava and attend 22 great classes! New this year: Boot Camp! Split into groups with a facilitator at each table. Read your first chapter or 2,000 words. Get personal feedback and give others feedback.

Northern Woodlands Writers & Readers Conference. Oct 12 - 14, 2018: Fairlee, Vermont. Sponsored by The Trust for Public Land, the conference explores how writers, artists and educators express the rich forest heritage of the Northeast: both the natural history of our region, and the interactions of people and place. The event will include writing workshops, readings, a nature illustration class, special workshops for educators, woods walks, fun talks on forest topics, and plenty of time for informal conversations over meals and around the campfire. Register by Oct 1.

TLA Power of Words Conference. Oct 12 - 14, 2018: Plainfield, Vermont. Conference that explores the use of expressive language arts, including written, spoken, and sung words. Special tracks in Narrative Medicine, Right Livelihood, and Social Change.

When the Personal Becomes Political. October 13, 2018: Galloway NJ. "Are you eager to contribute to the political conversation? Take advantage of our supportive atmosphere as a safe space to write a provocative personal essay worthy of submitting to the Op-Ed editors of major publications. Whether you lean left or right—or stand smack dab in the middle—this invigorating workshop will help you transform your fiery arguments into an eloquent and persuasive, thought-provoking piece."

James River Writers Conference. October 13 - 14, 2018: Richmond, Virginia. Participants include poets Tyree Daye and Pavana Reddy; fiction writers Xhenet Aliu and Mackenzi Lee; nonfiction writers David Coogan and Laurie Gwen Shapiro; literary agents Moe Ferrara (BookEnds Literary), Jessica Felleman (Foundry), Dara Kaye (Ross Yoon Agency), Chad Luibl (Janklow & Nesbit Associates), Beth Phelan (Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency), and Rebecca Scherer ( Jane Rotrosen Agency); and editor Latoya C. Smith (LCS Literary Services). The cost of the conference, which includes some meals and a one-on-one meeting with an agent, is $335, or $195 for a single day. The cost of a master class is an additional $65.

The Craft And Heart Of Writing Poetry For Children 2018. October 14 – October 18, 2018: Honesdale, PA. If you have a passion for writing children’s poetry, then please join us. Beginning poets, seasoned writers, teachers, and dreamers are all welcome. Would you love to work in an intimate setting with published poets, make new friends, and immerse yourself in writing poetry and working on the craft? Then this workshop is for you. Our goal is to bring poets together to delve into the heart, joy, and craft of poetry. We will be discussing, learning, writing, revising, and working on the craft of writing poetry for children. This workshop will offer plenty of interaction, direction, and free creative writing time. We’ll focus on all elements of poetry, from the importance of word choice to surprising metaphors. There will be plenty of writing exercises to inspire new poems followed by group discussions. As a group, we’ll brainstorm ideas, share our writing process, and generate original poems. You’ll be inspired to create new poems or bring works in progress to polish.

Writing By Writers Workshop @ Tomales Bay. October 17 - 21, 2018: Tomales Bay, California. Manuscript and poetry workshops are limited to 12 participants and generative workshops are limited to 15 to ensure an intimate setting.

TellingIt True: The Art Of Storytelling In Picture Book Biography AndNarrative Nonfiction 2018. October 18 – October 21, 2018: Honesdale, PA. Engage children in the lives of others through captivating events and compelling narrative threads. Unfamiliar names may not hook your readers, but a well-told true story can inspire, delight, teach, and enthrall. It’s an exciting time for nonfiction in the children’s book world. Teachers are craving more of it. Authors are experimenting with structure and story-telling technique. And kids are realizing that nonfiction can read with the same page-turning momentum as great fiction. Join Leda Schubert and Tod Olson as they explore the art of writing nonfiction for children and teens in both long and short forms. The process, for both picture books and narrative nonfiction, starts with the idea and research—lots of it. From there, the art of storytelling takes over.

Cagibi Hudson Valley Writing Retreat. October 18 - 21, 2018, Rhinebeck, NY. "Join a small group of writers for a long weekend of dedicated writing time and workshops co-led by teachers and editors under the spell of Hudson Valley’s spectacular autumn. Tuition includes gorgeous accommodations on-site in a stunning renovated farm house, three scrumptious meals a day, and one-on-one consultations. The retreat leaders will be Matt Pasca (author of A Thousand Doors and Raven Wire) and Terri Muuss (author of Over Exposed, co-editor of Grabbing the Apple), along with Cagibi founding editors."

Annual Florida Writers Conference, October 18 - 21, 2018: Altamonte Springs, Florida. Four workshops and panels dedicated to help you learn how to pitch your story, and more than fifty acclaimed authors, poets, and publishing industry experts for three days of networking opportunities.

Nimrod Conference for Readers and Writers. October 19 - 20, 2018: University of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, master classes, panel discussions, and individual manuscript consultations with faculty. Participants include poets Kaveh Bassiri and Patricia Smith; fiction writers Rilla Askew, Erin Bow, Sarah MacLean, and Julia White; poet and creative nonfiction writer Jill Bialosky; editor Carl Engle-Laird (Tor); and recent winners of the Nimrod Literary Awards. The cost of the conference is $60, which includes lunch. Scholarships are available. The deadline to register for a one-on-one manuscript consultation with an editor is October 13.

Magna cum Murder XXIII. Oct 19  - 21, 2018: Indianapolis, IN. 45+ authors of crime writing fiction Guest of Honor: Terence Faherty; International Guest of Honor: Reavis Wortham.

Annual Rochester Writers’ Conference, October 20, 2018: Rochester, Michigan. Lectures, Workshops and Panel Discussions in fiction, non-fiction and business of writing presentations. Open to new, working and published writers of all genres. Attendees select four presentations from a dozen to tailor fit their needs.

DAWG Writing Workshop, Write to Publish: Climbing Toward Success!  Oct 20, 2018: DeSoto, TX. Faculty: Stephen Fraser, Sarah LaPolla, Brian Smith and more.

ElementsOf Plot With Grace Lin And Padma Venkatraman 2018. October 21 – October 24, 2018: Honesdale, PA. Find your way through your novel, from point to point and place to place. Crafting engaging characters and an interesting concept are only part of what makes a novel successful. For all stories, plot is a crucial element. It provides the energy to move your story from beginning to end. Plot must be responsive in its point of view, dialogue, and characterization. Join Newbery winner Grace Lin and critically acclaimed author Padma Venkatraman in a hands-on experience designed to help you understand the analytical nature of plot and uncover ways to plan your novel. You’ll examine the internal and external conflicts of your story and whether or not an emotional arc is achieved. Grace and Padma will offer feedback on pacing, tension, and stakes, as well as guide you in planning the journey of your story. Whether plot comes to you intuitively or you struggle to bring structure to your concepts, this workshop is designed to help you strengthen your novel under the support and guidance of Grace and Padma. Writers will be asked to submit 10 pages from the beginning of their work-in-progress, along with a chapter-by-chapter summary of the entire manuscript. Picture book writers are also welcome to attend and may send a single manuscript in its entirety.

Viable Paradise Science Fiction Writers' Workshop. Oct 21 - 26, 2018: Martha’s Vineyard, MA. One-on-one & workshop critiques, participation in student group critiques, writing sessions, daily readings. Instructors include Scott Lynch, Debra Doyle, Patrick & Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Sherwood Smith, James D. Macdonald and Daryl Gregory, with Elizabeth Bear and Laura Mixon as writers in residence. Applications close June 1.

John R. Milton Writers' Conference. Oct 25 - 27, 2018: Vermillion, South Dakota. The 2018 conference theme is “This Lonely Frontier: Exploring Boundaries of Space, Identity, and Genre." Percival Everett, Ellen Forney, Karen Salyer McElmurray and Erika T. Wurth are keynote and featured authors. In addition, Ellen Forney will deliver a workshop on creating comics.

Emerald City Writers' Conference. Oct 26 -28, 2018, Bellevue, WA. Local Romance Writers of America conference, featuring film and television scouts, who will be taking pitches along with editors and agents, keynote speakers, workshops, and a master class. 

Retreat to the Springs! Oct 26 -28, 2018: Yellow Springs, OH. Includes instruction and one-on-one manuscript critique. Faculty: Ann Hagedorn (creative nonfiction), Donna MacMeans (romance), Jason Sanford (scifi/fantasy), and Valerie Coleman (self-publishing).

Writer's Digest Novel Writing Conference, Oct. 26 - 28, 2018: Pasadena, CA. Experienced authors, editors, agents and publishing experts will be on hand, ready to help you develop your own craft and position yourself for success.

Steel Pen Conference. October 27, 2018: Fair Oaks, IN. Featured speakers and experts in the field provide workshops, and authors can showcase books, or receive direct critiques on their work from experienced writers and network with fellow writers. This is an annual conference.

FundamentalSteps To Writing Historical Fiction 2018. October 28 – October 31, 2018: Honesdale, PA. Give your historical fiction a strong start by learning the fundamentals of this popular genre. Are you writing a novel where a historical event or historical figure plays a main role? This workshop is designed to help you finish or revise your historical novel with five thoughtful steps. Using the acronym STEPS, award-winning historical fiction author Joyce Moyer Hostetter will introduce the basics of writing historical fiction.

American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) Conference. October 31 - November 3, 2018, Bloomington, IN. Panels, workshops, readings, a book fair, and opportunities to meet with editors for translators. "The ALTA Annual Conference is a refreshingly collegial gathering of amateurs and professionals alike, both within the profession and outside it, all wholeheartedly committed to fostering, furthering, and supporting the practice of literary translation."