Erica Verrillo's Blog, page 6

67 Calls for Submissions in September 2024 - Paying markets

Pickpik This September there are more than five dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As always, every genre, style, and form is wanted, from short stories to poetry to essays.

I post upcoming calls for submissions shortly before the first day of every month. But as I am collecting them, I post them on my page, Calls for Submissions. You can get a jump on next month's calls for submissions by checking that page periodically throughout the month. (I only post paying markets.)

Also see Paying Markets for hundreds of paying markets arranged by form and genre.

Happy submitting!

Note: I update this list continually throughout the month, so check back frequently for new submission calls.​

____________________


Teach. Write. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, flash fiction, poetry, CNF. "I prefer writing that is either written by composition teachers and writing students or about teaching and learning." Payment: $15. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

The Bombay Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, poetry, translated fiction/poetry and graphic fiction. Payment: Indian rupees 5,000 (approx. $61) per contribution. Deadline: Opens September 1, 2024.

Parabola. Genre: Original essays and translations, poetry, reviews. See themes. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: September 1, 2024. 

Fraidy Cat Quarterly. Genre: Horror, dark fantasy. Payment: Flash fiction (400-1,500 words long, $10 per accepted piece); Short stories (1,501-8,000 words long, $20 per accepted piece); Black and white artwork ($10 per accepted piece). Deadline: Opens September 1, 2024. May close early if cap is reached.

Snake Bite Books: Creature Feature Classics #2. Genre: Fiction about vampires. Length: 3,000-8,000 words. Payment: £20. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Edge City. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art. Payment: $30. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Midnight and Indigo. Genre: Short Stories, Speculative Fiction, and Personal Essays written by Black women writers. Theme: Music. Payment: $50 - $100. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Talk Vomit. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Themes: American Gothic, Caregiving. Payment: Fiction and nonfiction - $10-30; poetry - $5-15. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Lucent Dreaming. Genre: Poetry, prose, art, and creative non-fiction. Payment: £30  - £80. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Orion's Belt. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Length: 1200 words max. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Book Worms. Genre: Horror: fiction, poetry, and essays. See theme. Length: Up to 1,500 words. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: September 1, 2024. See themes.

Seems a Little Crazy! Genre: Speculative Fiction. Packed full of Aliens, Deep State government, Reptilian Overlords, and more! Show us your freakiest Conspiracy Theory! Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Uncanny Magazine. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: September 2, 2024.

Island. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents only. Genre: Fiction Nonfiction. Payment: 40 cents per word for print fiction, with a minimum of $700 and a maximum of $1500. Fees for print are less the cost of a 4-issue subscription if you are not a current subscriber. Deadline: September 2, 2024.

Stone's Throw. Genre: Noir, dark fiction, crime short stories. Length: between 1,000 and 2,000 words. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: September 4, 2024. 

Bright Wall/Dark Room. Genre: Essays on film and TV. See theme. Payment: $100 per essay. Deadline: September 5, 2024.

Tales of Winter Shadows. Genre: Short stories and poetry. "Fictional stories of the dark and stillness and what light brings out of the shadows. Stories of transformation. Stories of cold forests, elves and magickal places. Stories of witch magick, the occult and ghosts." Payment: $20.00 for original fiction, $10.00 for poems, $5.00 for reprints. Deadline: September 6, 2024. Reprints accepted.

Cursed Morsels: Antifa Worlds. Genre: Antifascist speculative fiction. Word Count: 2,000 to 5,000 words. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: September 7, 2024. (Extended window for writers outseide the US, September 8 - 14)

Samjoko Magazine is devoted to publishing "exemplary work from content creators around the world. Focusing mainly upon the written word, we hope to create an immersive digital and print platform that stands out for its honesty and desire to take risks for the sake of artistic expression. We have no set aesthetic, though different themes will be focused upon periodically." Payment: $20. Deadline: September 10, 2024.

Orion's Beau. Genre: Gay fantasy: fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $3. See themes. Deadline: September 10, 2024.
​
Epic Echoes. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, mystery, crime, adventure, horror, and everything in between. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 14, 2024.

Dorothy. Genre: Full-length works of feminist fiction or near fiction or about fiction. "Each fall, we publish two new books simultaneously. We work to pair books that draw upon different aesthetic traditions, because a large part of our interest in literature lies in its possibilities, its endless stylistic and formal variety." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 14, 2024.

Philly Poetry Chapbook Review. Genre: Reviews of chapbooks coming soon or published in the past three years, essays on the crafts of poetry and chapbook making or publishing, and features about authors or publishers of chapbooks. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 15, 2024. 

Rainy Weather Days. Genre: "Cozy" genre fiction. Length: 1,500-15,000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: September 15, 2024. 

Fifth Wheel Press: light em up. Restrictions: Open to queer, trans, and gender-nonconforming writers. Genre: Poetry, prose poetry, short prose (<1500 words), and other experimental writing by queer, trans, and gender-nonconforming writers. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 15, 2024. 

Weird Horror Magazine. Genre: Horror. Payment: 2 cents a word. Deadline: September 15, 2024.

Eye to the Telescope: Outlaws. Genre: Speculative poetry. Theme: Outlaws. Payment: $0.04/word (up to $25). Deadline: September 15, 2024.

The Rumpus. Genre: Fiction. Payment: $400 divided among all contributors. Deadline: September 15, 2024.

Penumbric. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art, animation, and music. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 15, 2024.

Carte Blanche (Canada). Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF, translations. comics, photography. Payment: $75 CAD. Deadline: September 16, 2024.

Electric Literature. Genre: Personal essays. Length: Up to 6,500 words. Payment: $100. Deadline: September 17, 2024. Opens September 3, closes when cap is reached.

Acta Victoriana. Genre: Poetry, fiction, art. Payment: $20. Deadline: September 20, 2024.

Flame Tree Publishing: Myths, Gods, and Immortals. Genre: Fiction on theme Morgana le Fay. Length: 3,000-4,000 words. Payment: $0.08/word for originals. 6 cents for reprints. Deadline: September 22, 2024. Reprints accepted.

Flame Tree Publishing: Myths, Gods, and Immortals. Genre: Fiction on theme Achilles. Length: 3,000-4,000 words. Payment: $0.08/word for originals. 6 cents for reprints. Deadline: September 22, 2024. Reprints accepted.

Portals, Gateways, and Doors. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 23, 2024.

The Ex-Puritan. Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: $100 per nonfiction piece, $50 fiction, $15 per poem. Deadline: September 25, 2024.

Off Topic Publishing: Poetry Box. Genre: Poetry. Payment $40 CAD. Deadline: September 25, 2024. This is a monthly call. Submit by the 25th of each month.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: September 27, 2024.

Story Unlikely. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction up to 10,000 words. Payment: 8 cents a word for stories up to 2,500 words. Stories longer than this are capped at $200 payment. $75 max for reprints. Deadline: September 29, 2024. Accepts reprints.

Dragon Soul Press: A Winter Kiss. Genre: "All Christmas stories. As long as Christmas is involved, the story qualifies. All genres. Happily Ever After not required." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Aurealis. Restrictions: Australian and New Zealand writers. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy or horror short stories between 2000 and 8000 words. Payment: A$20 and A$60 per 1000 words. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Honeyguide Magazine is a bi-annual magazine that features fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art, and blog posts about animals and their human neighbors. Payment: $25 for the story, $5 for cartoons. Only pays for featured articles. Deadline: September 30, 2024. See themes.

Underdog Press. Genre: Novellas, science fiction or fantasy or any subgenre in those groups. Payment: $.03/word. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Tales of Folk Horror. Restrictions: Submissions are open to residents of the British Isles only, or those overseas who can demonstrate a strong link to the British Isles. Genre: Original British folk horror fiction between 4000 and 8000 words. Payment: £20. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. Genre: Short stories and poetry. See themes. Payment: $50.00 USD for featured authors, or $20.00 USD for stories published on their &More page and $10.00 USD for poems. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Bright Mirror Anthology. Genre: Utopian science fiction. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Rebel Satori Press. Restrictions: Open to LGBTQIA+ poets living in New Orleans. Genre: Book-length single-author collections of poetry. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Cat Stories. Genre: True stories and poems. "We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1200 words that highlight the unique personalities that dogs have. Celebrate your dog, or a dog you know, with a wonderful story about what he or she does. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both." Payment: $200. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Lethe Press: Witchcraft in Your Lips. Genre: Lesbian-themed folk magic and witchcraft novellas (20K - 30K words.) Payment: $750. Deadline: September 30, 2024. 

Trollbreath Magazine. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. Payment: 4 cents/word. 1/2 cent/word for reprints. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Accepts reprints.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories, 12,000 words minimum. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Heartlines. Restrictions: 50% of content is from writers identifying as being from Canada/Turtle Island. Genre: Speculative fiction and about relationships. "We're looking for short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial. We don't want the blaze of new love or the obsession of a new friend. We want pieces that show that comfort that develops when people know each other for years." Stories - 1,000 - 3,500 words. Payment: $0.08 CAD per word for short fiction (1,000-3,500 words) and $60 CAD flat per poem. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

The Cincinnati Review. Genre: Literary nonfiction (up to 20 pages), fiction (up to 40 pages), poetry, poetry translations, drama, and art. Payment: $25/page for prose in the journal, $30/page for poetry, $25 for miCRo posts or special features. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Note: Opens on the first day of the month and closes once they hit the submissions cap.

Hub City Press. Genre: Books of literary fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, regional nonfiction, nature, and art. "We are seeking new and extraordinary voices from the American South." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2024. BIPOC writers only.

Hearth Stories. Genre: Speculative fiction. "We publish fiction and poetry that explore connection, family, relationships, comfort, and the natural world. The stories often fall into a fantasy, science-fiction, or magical realism sort of “slice of life.” Payment: 1¢ per word for accepted stories (with a minimum of $20 regardless of length. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Freefall. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Fiction, poetry, prose, art. Payment: $10/page prose up to $100 and $25 per poem plus a copy of the issue the work is published in. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Chestnut Review. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, visual media (art/photography). Payment: $120. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee.

Haven Speculative. Restrictions: Open to submissions by authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Crimeucopia. Genre: Crime Fiction. Payment: Reprints - To a Maximum of - £7.00 at present - but negotiable. New Material - 1,000 - 5,000 - up to £10 .00 at present. New Material - 6.000 - 10,000 - up to £20.00 at present. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Small Harbor Publishing. Genre: Chapbooks. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2024. All fees are waived for BIPOC identifying writers.

Event Magazine. Restrictions: In August and September 2024, we are particularly seeking submissions from self-identified BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) writers, whose communities are historically underrepresented. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: CAD $40/page for poetry and $35/page for prose, up to a maximum of $500. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

The Deadlands. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction. "The Deadlands exists in liminal spaces between life, death, and elsewhere. We are looking for fiction that concerns itself with death—but also everything death may involve." Payment: $100 per essay, 10 cents/word for fiction. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Accepts reprints. 

Santa Rage: 12 Tales of Murder and Mayhem. Genre: Crime fiction. "This anthology is based on the idea that one night, while out making deliveries, Santa snaps thanks to the holiday stress and goes on a killing spree. Bonus points awarded for story elements involving meth or drug dealing, strippers, and the best dose of karma Santa ever dealt that did not involve coal." Payment: $25. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Split Lip Magazine. Genre: Fiction (flash and short stories), memoirs, and poetry. with a pop-culture twist. Payment: $75 for poems, memoirs, flash, fiction, and art, $50 for interviews/reviews, and $25 for mini-reviews web issues. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Closes when they reach capacity, so submit early. 

Hellbound Books. Genre: Horror. See themes. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

AND A FEW MORE...

Sundog. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art. Payment: $50. Deadline: October 1, 2024, and closes when they reach capacity.

Toronto Journal. Genre: Short stories from anywhere in the world. "We will also consider non-fiction pieces about local history (Toronto, GTA, and surrounding)." No word limit. Payment: $50 CAD per piece. All published writers will also receive two printed copies of the issue in which they appear. Deadline: October 1, 2024.

The Paris Review. Genres: Fiction, poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2024, and closes when they reach capacity.

Gordon Square Review. Genre: Poetry, short stories, personal essays, and hybrid prose works.  Payment: $25 per prose piece and $10 per poem. Deadline: October 1, 2024.

Cutleaf. Genre: Literary nonfiction. Length: Less than 6,000 words. Payment: $100 to $400. Deadline: October 1, 2024.

Bright Wall/Dark Room. Genre: Essays on film and TV. See theme. Payment: $100 per essay. Deadline: October 1, 2024.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: October 1, 2024. See themes.

Cogs and Cutlasses. Genre: Steampunk Adventure Fiction. Theme: A collection of piracy themed stories, set in a steampunk environment. Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 1, 2024. 

Science Fiction Is a Drag! Genre: Science fiction stories that are, first and foremost, drag. Payment: $50. Deadline: October 1, 2024. 

The Last Line. Genre: Fiction that ends with the last line provided. Payment: $20-$40. Deadline: October 1, 2024. 

41 Writing Contests in September 2024 - No entry fees

Pickpik This September there are more than three dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes this month range from $70,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.

Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.

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

Good luck! 

Note: I update this list continually throughout the month, so check back frequently for new contests.

________________________

American-Scandinavian Foundation Translation Prizes. Genre: English translations of poetry, fiction, drama, or literary prose originally written in Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, or Swedish by a Scandinavian author born after 1800. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: Sept 1, 2024.

Stories Out of School. Genre: Flash fiction. The story’s protagonist, or its narrator, must be a K-12 teacher. Stories must be between 6 and 749 words and previously unpublished. Prize: First-prize winners receive $1000; second-prize winners, $500. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

AILACT Essay Prize. Genre: Papers related to the teaching or theory of informal logic or critical thinking, and papers on argumentation theory. Prize: $700 top prize. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

International Booker Prize. The International Booker 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. The work must be published by a UK or Ireland publishing house. Authors are not permitted to enter their own works. 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: September 6, 2024.

Debra E. Bernhardt Labor Journalism Prize. Genre: Article that furthers the understanding of the history of working people. Articles focused on historical events AND articles about current issues (work, housing, organizing, health, education) that include historical context are both welcome. The work must be published in print or online between August 31, 2022 and August 30, 2023. Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 6, 2024.

Literature Matters. Restrictions: UK residents. Genre: "Awards will be given to individual writers or other literary creators, recognising their past achievements and providing them with financial support to undertake a proposed new piece of writing or literary project. Launched as part of the RSL’s new Literature Matters programme, priority will be given to proposals which (a) will help connect with audiences or topics outside the usual reach of literature, and/or (b) will help generate public discussion about why literature matters." Award: £20,000. Deadline:  September 6, 2024.

KSP Short Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Open to Australian residents and citizens. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $100 first place prize for youth. Deadline: September 6, 2024. (Free entry for youth only)

Young Lions Fiction Award. Restrictions: Open to US citizens 35 years of age or younger. Genre: Novel or a collection of short stories. Each year, five young fiction writers are selected as finalists by a reading committee of Young Lions members, writers, editors, and librarians. Submissions by publisher only. Authors may not submit their own work. Prize: $10,000.00. Deadline: September 6, 2024.

Mavis Batey Essay Prize. Restrictions: Open to any student, worldwide, registered in a bona-fide university or institute of higher education, or who has recently graduated from such an institution. Genre: Nonfiction. Scholarly essay on gardening history. Prize:  £250, free membership of the Gardens Trust for a year and consideration for publication. Deadline: September 8, 2024.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. "On each competition weekend, we’ll reveal a set of story prompts and you’ll have 55 hours to submit your best story of 500-words (or fewer)." Prize: $500AUD. Deadline: September 8, 2024. Opens September 6.

DC Reid Poets’ Grant. Restrictions: Open to poets of "modest means." Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, living in Canada, who have published at least two books of poetry with a traditional publishing house. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $5000. Deadline: September 9, 2024.

Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award. Restrictions: Open to authors aged 18-35 as of December 31 of the deadline year. Books must have been first published in the UK and/or the Republic of Ireland, in the English language. Authors must be UK or Irish citizens, or residents for the three years preceding the award. Genre: Published or self-published book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. Prize: £10,000. Deadline: September 13, 2024.

Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award. Restrictions: Open to writers who have not previously published any works of fiction for young readers. This includes self-published as well as commercially published work. Genre: Full-length work of fiction in English with universal appeal of Jewish content for readers aged 8-13 years, both Jewish and non-Jewish. It should reveal positive aspects of Jewish life. Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 13, 2024.

The Garden Party Poetry Contest. Genre: Poetry on theme: Mental health. Prize: $100. Deadline: September 14, 2024.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative fiction; under 1,000 words based on prompt. Prize: $30. Deadline: September 14, 2024. See theme.

Washington State Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Washington State writers. Genre: Published book, fiction, nonfiction, poetry: adults or children. Prize: Recognition (?) Deadline: September 15, 2024. (For books published June 1-Aug.15, 2024.)

Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund. Restrictions: Australian citizens or residents. Applicants must be emerging, midcareer or established Australian writers and literary sector workers (not beginners) with a demonstrated publication and/or career history. Prize: $10,000 for travel expenses. Deadline: September 15, 2024.

53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: September 15, 2024. 

Ambroggio Prize. Restrictions: Poet must be a U.S. Citizen; Resident of the United States for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Legal Permanent Status (LPS), or any subsequent categories designated by the U.S. authorities as conferring similar enhanced status upon non-citizens living in the United States. Genre: Book-length poetry manuscript originally written in Spanish and with an English translation. Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: September 15, 2024.

Fractured Lit Elsewhere Prize. Restrictions: Free entry for marginalized groups. Genre: Micro, flash, and sudden fiction stories from 100-1,500 words. "For this contest, we want writers to show us the forgotten, the hidden, the otherworldly. We want your stories to take us on journeys and adventures in the worlds only you can create; whether you make the familiar strange or the strange familiar, we know you will take us elsewhere." Prize: $3,000. Deadline: September 15, 2024. 

Society of Classical Poets Haiku Competition. Genre: Haiku. Prize: $100. Deadline: September 15, 2024.

Canning Dock Flash Fiction Competition (UK). Genre: 500-word stories about the history of the Canning Graving Docks. Age categories: under 11, 11 - 17, 18+  Prize: National Museums Liverpool membership for a year, a book bundle from Writing on the Wall and a voucher to spend at NML shops and cafes. Deadline: September 22, 2024.

Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to residents of UK. Genre: Short stories between 2000-6000 words on the theme ‘The Unspoken’. Prize: £500 and 10 shortlisted authors will be published in an ebook anthology. Deadline: September 22, 2024.

Savage Science Fiction/Fantasy Writing Contest. Genre: Science fiction or fantasy short story. Prize: Winning stories are published in Toasted Cheese. If 50 or fewer eligible entries are received, first place receives a $35 Amazon gift card & second a $10 Amazon gift card. If 51 or more eligible entries are received, first place receives a $50 Amazon gift card, second a $15 Amazon gift card & third a $10 Amazon gift card. Deadline: September 22, 2024. Opens September 20, 2024.

Palette Poetry Rising Poet Prize. Restrictions: Open to poets without a full-length collection published at the time of submission. Prize: $3000 and publication. Deadline: September 22, 2024. No entry fee for BIPOC and historically marginalized poets. 

The Michael Marks Environmental Poet of the Year will be given to a poet whose previously unpublished series of poems brings most powerfully, to a wide readership, the subject of the environment and the place of the human within it. Prize: The Environmental Poet of the Year will have their short portfolio of poems published in a pamphlet that will be sold by Wordsworth Grasmere and the British Library. They will also receive £1,000, and be invited to read at a winner’s event at Wordsworth Grasmere. Deadline: September 27, 2024.

Cullman Center Fellowships. Fellowship. The Cullman Center’s Selection Committee awards up to 15 fellowships a year to outstanding scholars and writers—academics, independent scholars, journalists, and creative writers. Foreign nationals conversant in English are welcome to apply. Award: A stipend of up to $70,000, an office, a computer, and full access to the Library's physical and electronic resources. Deadline: September 27, 2024.

50 Word Halloween Horror Story Contest. Genre: Horror: 50 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: September 29, 2024.

Writers College Short Story Competition. Restrictions: Open to any writer who is unpublished, or has been published fewer than four times. Genre: Short story. Theme: It Didn't Have to Be This Way. Prize: First prize NZ $1000 and publication; second prize NZ $500 and publication. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Rhonda Gail Williford Award for Poetry. Genre: Poetry that incorporates themes of justice, dignity, and resistance. Prize: First Prize: $150; Second Prize: $100; Third Prize: $50. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Don't Text and Drive Scholarship. Restrictions: You must be a high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior or a current or entering college or graduate school student of any level. Home schooled students are also eligible. There is no age limit. You must also be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. Genre: 500- to 1,000-word essay about texting while driving. Prize: $1000 scholarship. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is held four times a year. Restrictions: The Contest is open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment of at least six cents per word, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits. Genre: Short stories or novelettes of science fiction or fantasy. Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500, Annual Grand Prize: $5,000. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Iowa Short Fiction and John Simmons Short Fiction Awards. Restrictions: Any writer who has not previously published a volume of prose fiction is eligible to enter the competition. Genre: Short story collection. The manuscript must be a collection of short stories in English of at least 150 word-processed, double-spaced pages. Prize: Publication by the University of Iowa Press, royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $150. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Sejong International Sijo Competition. Genre: Sijo poem. Prize: $500. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

The Willie Morris Awards for Southern Fiction and Nonfiction. Genre: Novels and nonfiction books published in 2022. Book has to be set in one of the original eleven states in the Confederacy. (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.) Prize: $2,500.00. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Willie Morris Award for Southern Poetry. Genre: Poem that evokes the South. Prize: $2,500 and expenses-paid trip to award ceremony in Oxford, Mississippi. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

SLF Working Class Writers Grant. Genre: Speculative fiction. "These grants are awarded annually, since 2013, to assist writers of speculative literature to working class, blue-collar, poor, and homeless writers who have been historically underrepresented in speculative fiction, due to the financial barriers which have made it much harder for them to have access to the writing world. Such lack of access might include an inability to attend conventions, to purchase a computer, to buy books, to attend college or high school, to have the time to write (if, for example, you must work two jobs simply to pay rent and feed a family, or if you must spend all your waking hours job-hunting for months on end). " Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Last Stanza Poetry Journal. Genre: Poetry on theme: Oops! Prize: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poem inspired by artwork. (See site for image.) Prize: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2024. This is a monthly contest.

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to "revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful." Genre: Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize: $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

33 Splendid Writing Conferences and Workshops in September 2024

Lake Arrowhead: Thomas Hawk: Flickr This September there are more than two dozen writing conferences and workshops. Some conferences and workshops will be held online, but most will be held in person or use a hybrid format.

These writing events offer everything a writer might want: intensive workshops, pitch sessions with agents, to how to market yourself and your books, discussions - there is something for everyone.

For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences. If you miss an application deadline, put it on your calendar for next year. Quite a few conferences offer scholarships, so apply early. Plan ahead!
Be sure to check out Highlights list of workshops. They offer many throughout the year. 

_____________________

Star Island Writing Retreat. September 2 - 6, 2024: Star Island, Portsmouth, NH. During our four and one-half days together, we write from prompts designed to awaken creativity you didn’t even know you had. We write by candlelight in a stone chapel. We write in rattan rockers on a wraparound porch. We write with a view of the ocean in all directions. We gather on the porch for magnificent sunsets. We write with the sound of waves and gulls. We pick up writing techniques from other writers, from the collection of articles prepared by the presenter, and from the presenter’s personal experience.

Creative Hybrid Online Writing Workshop With Sarah Giragosian. September 4 - October 9, 2024. Creative Writing in the Anthropocene. "Creative writing within the framework of the Anthropocene is relatively undertheorized, yet critical in a time when our current geological era is being shaped by humans. In this hybrid course, we will demystify approaches to poetry and creative non-fiction that address the sixth mass extinction, climate change, and the ecological crisis, as well as explore how to narrate and represent the Anthropocene. Since climate change is a byproduct of human interventions in the natural world, we will consider the nuanced entanglements of nature and culture, as well as how the environmental crisis is in many ways a crisis of language and literacy, exploring how writers can develop readers’ ecological literacy and help them to develop a more sustainable relationship to the creatures and world around them. Integral to our study will be an engagement with writing that reckons with the more-than-human-world, with the systems and creatures that help us to think beyond an anthropocentric frame. Of value to the creative writer seeking new ways to address the Anthropocene in their writing, we will read work by such authors as Lia Purpura, Rebecca Giggs, Rebecca Solnit, Daisy Hildyard, Elizabeth Bishop, Patricia Smith, Camille Dungy, Anne Haven McDonnell, and Charlotte Pence, among others. We will be reading and writing each week with the goal of generating new work in a supportive environment. This is a virtual course to be held on Zoom." Application deadline: July 30, 2024. (Put this on your calendar for next year)

The Alabama Writers' Conclave. September 6 - 8, 2024: Orange Beach, Alabama. The Conclave is today one of the oldest continuing writers' organization in the United States. Writers, aspiring writers and supporters of the writing arts may join. Sharing information, developing ideas, honing skills, and receiving practical advice are hallmarks of the annual meeting. 

Cinematic Storytelling: An Introduction to Screenwriting. September 9 - October 7, 2024: Online. Led by Jennifer D. Grunin. Explore the art of visual storytelling! In just five weeks, this workshop will demystify the screenwriting process. You will develop an understanding of the foundations of screenwriting—from the conception stage of drafting compelling characters and visual stories, to the execution stage through plot development and three-act structure. You will have the opportunity to write, workshop and revise the basic building blocks of screenwriting, including character bios, loglines, mini treatments and scene breakdowns. Whether you’ve never once thought about the logistics behind screenplay development or are looking for a refresher on the fundamentals, this workshop will inspire you to create something new or adapt a current project. Limited to 12 participants.

Radical Revisions: One Poem, Infinite Possibilities. September 11, 2024. Online. Is a poem ever truly finished? In this generative workshop, participants will start with a single poem and leave with endless revision possibilities. Though that may sound overwhelming, experimenting with radical revisions can uncover what the poem truly wants to say. Drawing from contemporary poets such as torrin a. greathouse, Vanessa Angélica Villarreal, and Safia Elhillo, we will discuss and dissect the different ways a poem can be presented on the page. Participants will practice and play with erasure, line breaks, footnotes, prose poetry, formal constraints, hybrid elements, and more. Beginning writers will learn the possibilities of poetry, while experienced writers will have a chance to see their work in a new light. Participants of all levels will leave the workshop empowered to play on the page, take the skills practiced in this workshop to other writing projects, or even begin a sequence of poems based on these revisions. While there is no fee to participate in this workshop, those who are able and appreciative may make donations directly to SG Huerta.

Working Retreat: Experienced Storytellers In-Company. September 11 - 15, 2024. Boyds Mills, PA. This retreat for experienced authors and illustrators has been thoughtfully crafted to share, grow, and cultivate creativity when you've been working in the industry for a long time. Come in-company with your peers about your career, challenges, deadlines, upcoming projects, and new dreams.

The 2024 Online Carolina Writing Workshop. September 13-14, 2024: Online. This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop, September 13-14, 2024. In other words, it’s two days full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. And even though this is the “Carolina” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually. Our WDW writers conferences have helped dozens of writers find literary agent representation.

Creatures, Crimes & Creativity. September 13 - 15, 2024: Columbia, MD. A writer's and fan's conference for genre fiction covering mystery, suspense, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk & horror.

Line Editing Your MG or YA Novel: An Online Course. September 17 - October 22, 2024: Online. Work with author/editor Jennifer Gennari to learn how line editing can help you find the balance between description and action, strengthen your character’s emotional arc, and support your word and dialogue choices. Then, put your knowledge about line editing and other revision strategies to work on your project in real time.

Furious Flower IV: Celebrating the Worlds of Black Poetry. September 18-21, 2024: Harrisonburg, VA. "Through open mics, interviews, roundtable scholarly discussions, and, of course, readings by the most renowned names in poetry, the Furious Flower Poetry Conference continues to stage contemporary trends in Black literature, culture, and thought from a range of creative outlooks, as well as provide a platform for new scholarship, critical approaches, and performance strategies." 

Writing By Writers Monterey Bay Workshop. September 18 - 22, 2024: Pacific Grove, CA. The Writing By Writers Monterey Bay Workshop brings emerging writers into close community with nationally known poets and writers. Classes are limited to 12 participants for manuscript critique workshops and 15 for generative workshops to ensure an intimate setting. 

Just Do It! Your Collaborative Support Group for Finishing Your Draft (Fall). September 18 - November 13, 2024: Online. This supportive program takes all creatives (nonfiction or fiction, picture books, novels, essays, and more) from goal-stating to finished drafts. Together, we’ll move through live sessions, writing prompts, studio dates, daily inspirations, check-ins, feedback, and more.

Writing On The Door: Washington Island Literary Festival. September 19 - 21, 2024: Washington Island, Wisconsin. "The Washington Island Literary Festival is a moveable feast of writing, reading, discussion, and thought about the written word. Writers’ workshops, author panels and presentations, readings and parties are scheduled at various quaint, historic and beautiful venues around the Island. Participants have a unique opportunity to share time with prominent authors and dedicated readers in the intimate, friendly setting of Washington Island, a half-hour by ferry from the Door County mainland, in September’s color and warmth." 

Hedgebrook Writers Conference 2024. September 19 - 22, 2024: Seattle, WA. "Hedgebrook is a community of visionary women writers whose stories and ideas have shaped our culture in the past, now, and for generations to come. We have tapped into this community to collectively build Hedgebrook’s Writers Conference – a three-day intensive for writers across the globe. If you aspire to improve your craft, come learn from seasoned writers that are equipped to challenge, engage, and inform.  Our illustrious alumnae instructors craft and guide participants through interconnected lessons over the course of three days, proving “No Writer Is An Island.” Will be held in person.

Algonkian Writer Conference–New York City Pitch. September 19 - 22, 2024: Ripley-Grier Studios in New York City. The New York Pitch Conference and writers workshop is held four times a year and features publishing house editors from major houses such as Penguin, Random House, St. Martins, Harper Collins, Tor and Del Rey, Kensington Books and many more who are looking for new novels in a variety of genres, as well as narrative non-fiction. The event focuses on the art of the novel pitch as the best method not only for communicating your work, but for having you and your work taken seriously by industry professionals.

PNWA Conference. September 19 - 22, 2024: Seattle, Washington. Sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. More than 50 seminars, editor/agent forums & appointments, practice pitching, keynote and featured speakers, reception, awards ceremony. Many agents and editors attending. Will be held in person.

Inkubator Writing Conference. September 20 - 21, 2024: Cleveland, OH. Literary Cleveland's Inkubator Writing Conference is one of the largest free writing conferences in the country, providing workshops, craft talks, panel discussions, readings, and more to empower writers, celebrate literary excellence, and amplify diverse voices. 

49 Writers Tutka Bay Retreat. September 20 - 23, 2024: Tutka Bay, Alaska. Guest Instructor: Mieke Eerkens.

9th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference. September 21 - 22, 2024: Decatur, Georgia. "With one of the strongest list of authors you will ever find at a conference, we’ve added even more agents, editors and publisher representatives than ever before! Combined with educational sessions and workshops, the 8th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference will offer you all that you need to refine and improve your craft." 

Okoboji Writers' in-person Retreat. September 22 - 25, 2024: West Lake, IA. The annual Okoboji Writers’ Retreat, founded in 2021, is open to all skill levels. Columnist Julie Gammack is the producer. Over 30 faculty resources will be on hand to work with participants in small-group settings. Whether you come to find out how to get started or land a book deal, this retreat is a welcoming event for all.

UCLA Extension Writing Retreat at Lake Arrowhead. Sept 22 - 27, 2024: Lake Arrowhead, CA. Join a small group of committed writers for four full days of uninterrupted writing time at UCLA’s beautiful conference center at Lake Arrowhead. Participants will enjoy private bedrooms, private baths, and three gourmet meals each day, along with complimentary beverages all day long. The Writers’ Program will coordinate some structured activities, including pre-dinner social hours and nightly open mic events, but your time will ultimately be yours to accomplish your writing goals at your own pace. 

Brooklyn Book Festival. September 22 - 30, 2024: Brooklyn, NY. The mission of the Brooklyn Book Festival (BKBF) is to celebrate published literature and nurture a literary cultural community through programming that cultivates and connects readers of diverse ages and backgrounds with local, national and international authors, publishers and booksellers. To this end the Brooklyn Book Festival develops original programming that is hip, smart, diverse, and inclusive and presents free, literary, cultural events at the Brooklyn Book Festival Day & Literary Marketplace, Virtual Festival Day, and the family friendly Children’s Day. Additionally, BKBF presents Bookend events in venues across NYC and on-line, which are overwhelmingly presented free to the public.

Six Bridges Book Festival. September 23 - 29, 2024: Little Rock, Arkansas. "Prestigious award-winners, screenwriters, comedians, an expert witness, artists, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet are among the diverse roster of presenters who will be providing sessions." Free. 

ASJA (American Society of Journalists and Authors) Writers Conference. September 24  - 26, 2024: Online. "Our fall 2024 virtual conference will emphasize national markets and content that lends itself to a screen-based format. We’ll have the same informal Snack Chats and networking opportunities featured in past virtual conferences, including an online version of Client Connections.​​​​​​​"

From Idea & Sketch to Dummy & Submission: An Author/Illustrator Online Course. September 24 - October 29, 2024: Online. If you are illustrating AND writing your own book, and wondering how to prepare your submission, this is the course for you. You will focus on the craft of writing and illustrating a picture book with an intense level of feedback from faculty.

The Crash Course in Children’s Book Publishing (Fall). September 24 - November 26, 2024: Online. Join lead faculty Harold Underdown and special guests for a Crash Course in Children's Publishing. At the end of the course, you will understand how the children’s book publishing industry works, including submitting, publishing, marketing a book for children, teens, or young adults, and beginning ideas about craft and critique. 

The Algonkian Writer Retreat and Novel Workshop. September 25 - 29, 2024: Algonkian Park, Virginia. "You can show us your manuscript, improve your skills, clear your head, have your work read by our writer mentors, whatever works for you, whatever helps you grow and discover your vision as a writer. You discuss with us ahead of time via the Algonkian Writer Retreat Application the goals you wish to accomplish, and we'll work with you to make it happen. Do you desire a review? A line edit? Do you wish to discuss the reality of the current fiction market, your novel project, plot and characters, or perhaps get feedback on the opening hook or a few sample chapters? Or would you simply like a relaxed and productive dialogue about your goals as a writer?"

Working Retreat: Lyrical Picture Books and Poetry. September 26 - 29, 2024: Boys Mills, PA. Sudipta Bardhan-Quallan, Georgia Heard, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, and Leeza Hernandez will create and connect with you during this Working Retreat, with sessions on lyrical word choice, to rhyme (or not), leaving room for your illustrator, poetry and more.

Sleuthfest. September 26 - 29, 2024: Boca Raton, FL. Sponsored by the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America a conference for writers and fans. Features writing workshops, social events, and pitch sessions, including:
* Agent Appointments to pitch your finished work
* Critiques of your 10 page manuscript submission
* Forensic track with current forensic techniques & hands-on workshops
* Social events to mingle with agents, editors and your favorite authors
* Auction to purchase critiques of your work by bestselling authors
* Sessions on the craft of writing
* Sessions on marketing and promoting your work
* Practice your Pitch sessions with experienced authors

TLA Power of Words Conference. September 26 - 29, 2024: Unity Village, MO. "Network with writers, storytellers, performers, musicians, health professionals, educators, and change-makers to connect with those who share your passion of making a difference with words. Discover diversity and experience visionary voices at keynote sessions. Get inspired with workshops in five areas:  Social Transformation, Right Livelihood, Engaged Spirituality, Narrative Healing and Ecological TLA.

Colorado Gold Writers Conference. September 27 - 29, 2024: Aurora, CO. An intensive three days of workshops, presenters, agents, master classes, intensives, and more!

Letters & Lines Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Conference. September 28 - 29, 2024: Arvada, CO. This conference offers you opportunities to learn your craft, boost your career, and get feedback on your work. The schedule includes three keynotes; a industry professionals panel; 33 breakout sessions on writing, illustrating and professional development; intensives on picture books, novels and illustration; as well as critiques, portfolio reviews and showcase, a virtual bookstore of faculty titles hosted by BookBar, and more. 

Gotham Writers Children's Lit Conference. September 28 - 29, 2024: NY, NY. Panels and Presentations (Day 1) — Take a peek behind the publishing curtain with eye-opening panels and presentations. You can see the full breakdown on the conference schedule. These days are for people who are ready for publication or just gearing up to enter the publishing process. Pitching Roundtables (Day 2) — Each roundtable will have two agents and a group of pre-selected writers with book projects. You spend the session with your roundtable, with each writer reading pages, discussing their work, and receiving feedback from the agents. There will be tables specializing in middle grade/young adult novels and picture books, with room for graphic novels as well. Anyone can attend the Panels and Presentations, but you must apply and be selected to participate in the Pitching Roundtables.

Conferences with application deadlines in September

Bookgardan: A Year's Sustenance for Women Writers. October 2024 to October 2025. "Bring your book project and your literary practice to full fruition in Bookgardan, a year-long program of sustained, one-on-one mentorship and advanced craft curriculum created by an acclaimed writer, seasoned editor, and devoted & inspiring literary mentor, shared with an intimate cohort of like-minded literary artists. Hone your work-in-progress, develop your technical expertise, and refine your inimitable artistic process over twelve months bookended by two full retreat weeks as fall writers-in-residence at Craigardan, an interdisciplinary mountainside residency program for artists in the majestic Adirondacks of upstate New York. Now enrolling its fifth cohort, Bookgardan is unlike any other writing program, book incubator, or literary mentorship. Designed for women writers with book-length, literary fiction and creative nonfiction projects, created in partnership with a residential artists’ program that fosters collaboration and cross-fertilization among artists, and intentional in its goal of building a lasting, mutually supportive community of women writers, at Bookgardan’s heart is Kate Moses’ passionate dedication to helping other women writers realize their vision for their work, made manifest in the unstinting one-on-one mentorships she forges with each writer and their book." Applications due September 1, 2024. 

James River Writers Conference. October 4 - 6, 2024: Richmond, Virginia. James River Writers is excited to offer both in-person and online elements for our conference this year. Join us for Master Classes online, on Friday, October 4. Then, join us at the Greater Richmond Convention Center (in Richmond, Virginia) for a full slate of programs focusing on the craft and business of writing. Look forward to lively panel discussions, live critique sessions with literary agents, fun and engaging plenary sessions, and agent one-on-one meetings (standard with your ticket). In addition, we’ve included opportunities for networking and socializing, because community is at the heart of everything we do. Since 2003, this multi-day event  has been known for its inspiring, collegial atmosphere and hospitality. Whether you’re just starting out on your writing journey, or a seasoned professional, there’s something for everyone. Application Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Ossabaw Weekend Writer’s Retreat. October 25 - 27, 2024: 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 30.

Futurescapes. October 10 – 13, 2024. Workshop the first 6,500 words of your Novel;  7:1 Student-Faculty Ratio; Polish Your Query Package (Query & Synopsis); Work with Top Agents & Authors in Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror. APPLY EARLY.

5 New Agents Seeking Literary and Genre Fiction, Short Story Collections, Kidlit, Memoirs, Narrative Nonfiction and more

Courtney Donovan Here are five new literary agents actively seeking clients. New agents are a boon to writers. They are actively building their lists, and will go the extra mile for their clients.

All of these agents work for established agencies with good track records. They are looking for all genres.
Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change. 

NOTE: Don't submit to several agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another. (Some small agencies share. Be alert to a notice that "a no from one is a no from all.")
​
You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients. 
______________________


Courtney Donovan of Writers House

I’m a Junior Agent actively building my list at Writers House. I’ve had the privilege of working with Steven Malk and his wonderful list of authors and illustrators over the past four years, and with his support and mentorship I am excited to start building my own list. 

What she is seeking: I’m primarily looking for authors and illustrators of picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and graphic novels. I am open to select adult projects. I'm actively seeking stories that reflect diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, as well as underrepresented voices and perspectives.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.

______________________




Ms. Alex Levenberg of William Morris Endeavor

Alex Levenberg joined WME's International Rights team as an Agent in 2024, after serving as the Global Rights Director at Amazon Publishing, where she worked for nearly 11 years building and running its rights business, covering fiction, nonfiction, YA, and children's books. Prior to joining Amazon, Alex worked at HiT Entertainment, a subsidiary of Mattel, and at the Wylie Agency. Originally from California, Alex moved to New York to embark on a career in publishing and is a graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, daughter, and mini dachshund. 

What she is seeking: Fiction and nonfiction. 

How to submit: For fiction and nonfiction projects, please send your query and the first 10 pages of your manuscript to ALEVQuery@WMEAgency.com

______________________



Amanda Carbonell of Belcastro Agency

Amanda Carbonell is a Puerto Rican MG & YA writer who also dabbles in NA. She is a New York native with a passion for writing most things paranormal, thanks to her mother for introducing her to Buffy at the ripe age of five. Her stories are typically centered around a butt-kicking main character (usually a heroine) who embraces their strength, individuality, and their heritage to serve as an inspiration to readers everywhere.

She currently resides in New York with her husband, son, and two dogs. When she’s not reading, writing, or taking care of an infant, she can usually be found on the couch watching endless reruns of the Real Housewives of New York, among other various reality shows.

What she is seeking: Middle Grade, Young Adult, New Adult,  Commercal Fiction (Adult)., Thrillers, Rom-Coms, Horror. 
​
How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE. Will be open to queries in September 2024.
______________________

Ms. Daniel Niv of Olswanger Literary

I majored in Literature and Creative Writing and have worked as a librarian and a manuscript reader for numerous publishing houses. I am the co-founder and editor of Spell Jar Press, which publishes print anthologies.

What she is seeking: Fiction: I am particularly interested in reading more New Adult fiction, especially fantasy with an emphasis on romantasy. I love magical realism, gothic and dark academia, as well as historical novels and retellings. In romance, I prefer stories that have an emotional impact and complexities. Some of my favorite tropes are slow burn, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and forbidden love.
​
I also seek upmarket fiction, contemporary, family saga, commercial, and women’s fiction.
Non-Fiction: I am interested in historical narratives with compelling storytelling, memoirs or biographies (preferably related to wartime), and works on spirituality and esoteric topics.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE. Will be open to queries in September 2024.

______________________



Mackenzie Williams of Janklow & Nesbit Associates

Mackenzie began her publishing career at 19, when she worked with Jia Tolentino on her acclaimed essay collection TRICK MIRROR (Random House, 2019). She has also collaborated with children’s and YA author Nora Neus on several graphic novels that are forthcoming from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. She attended the University of Virginia as a Jefferson Scholar and earned distinguished degrees in Political & Social Thought and English Literature. She joined Janklow & Nesbit six months after graduation. Originally from Seattle, she lives in Manhattan with too many books.

What she is seeking: She is interested in building her own list of literary fiction, short story collections, memoirs, and narrative nonfiction.

How to submit: Follow the agency guidelines HERE.

73 Calls for Submissions in August 2024 - Paying markets

PxHere This August there are more than six dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As always, every genre, style, and form is wanted, from short stories to poetry to essays.

I post upcoming calls for submissions shortly before the first day of every month. But as I am collecting them, I post them on my page, Calls for Submissions. You can get a jump on next month's calls for submissions by checking that page periodically throughout the month. (I only post paying markets.)

Also see Paying Markets for hundreds of paying markets arranged by form and genre.

Happy submitting!
​
Note: I update this list continually throughout the month, so check back frequently for new submission calls.

______________________
​
The Icarus Writing Collective. Genre: Stories that retell, adapt, or transcend literary classics and mythology. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: Opens August 1, 2024.

The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, micro-fiction. Length: Under 3,000 words preferred. Payment: $75. Deadline: Opens August 1, 2024. They open to fee-free submissions on the first of each month and close when they reach their quota.

The Rumpus. Genre: Essays. Payment: $400 divided among all contributors. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Quill and Crow. Genre: Dark speculative fiction novels (45k - 110k words). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

ryga. Genre: Poetry, prose and short plays. Payment: $50. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

The Quiet Ones. Genre: Quiet Horror and Intimate-Scale Dystopian Fiction. "We primarily seek creative work from those who identify as LGBTQIAP+, women, and allies. We’re especially fond of (though do not require) stories that center LGBTQIAP+ and female characters. That said, we welcome work from anyone and everyone, and we do not automatically disqualify any submissions based on the author’s identity, nor do we require our contributors to share their sexual or gender identities." Payment: $25. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

DarkLit Press: In the Gallows Wake – A Pirate Horror Anthology. Genre: Pirate-themed horror. Payment: $0.01/word. Deadline: August 1, 2024. Reprints accepted.

The Offing: Back of the Envelope. Genre: Back of the Envelope seeks writing of any length and genre which relates to, or draws on, science and the natural world. Sharing its wonder or its horrors, relating the untold stories of discovery, or toying with everyday curiosities, we're interested in hearing from those inside and outside the scientific community. Payment: $25–$100. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: August 1, 2024. See themes.

Zombies in the New Normal. Genre: Zombie stories. Payment: $100. Deadline: August 1, 2024.


Broken Highways. Genre: Car Wars GameLit Fiction. "Theme: Have you ever looked at someone, and just know that they have one hell of a tale to tell? First-hand accounts from the road, told by the bounty hunters, highwaymen, and Federal Marshals out there in the mix." Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000.  Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Steamworks. Charlesbridge has partnered with Count Play Explore, an initiative led by the Office of Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, Early Care and Education Department, to develop a series of fiction picture books and board books about science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) in both English and Spanish. Genre: Realistic, contemporary fiction manuscripts. Target audiences are children ages 0–3 (board books) and 4–7 (picture books) and their caregivers. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Face the Storm. Genre: Speculative Fiction. Theme: A collection of stories dealing with Space Coasties! Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Fiction, 15 cents/word. Poetry, $10. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

From Beyond Press. Genre: Nonfiction book proposals about fantasy, horror, or science fiction films. "We want fun, informative books written by people who genuinely love and know a lot about their subjects. Books will take the form of guides to a particular subgenre or theme, such as essential post-apocalyptic movies, movies about time travel, horror films directed by queer directors, sci-fi films that feature disabled characters, etc. They can be written as individual reviews or as thematic chapters." Payment: $250 and royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

The First Line. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction using the first line provided. (See site.) Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $10.00 for poetry, and $25.00 for nonfiction. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

We'Moon Lunar Calendar. Restrictions: Open to women only. Genre: Art, poetry and prose, 350 words maximum. Payment: Small honorarium; art up to $500. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: August 2, 2024. Opens August 1.


Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: August 2, 2024.

Tales from the Moonlit Path. Genre: Dark, eerie speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: $10 for fiction. Deadline: August 2, 2024.

Sci Phi Journal. Genre: Speculative fiction and philosophy. Length: Up to 2,000 words. Payment: €0.03/word for original fiction, €0.01/word for translations. Deadline: August 4, 2024.

Cirsova. Genre: Genre fiction short stories. Payment: $0.0125 per word. Deadline: August 4, 2024.

12 Spooky Campfire Stories for the Bravest of Boys. Genre: MG spooky stories. Payment: 01 per word. Deadline: August 4, 2024.

Griffith Review. Genre: Poetry on theme Leaps of Faith. Payment: AUD$200 per poem. Deadline: August 4, 2024.

L'Esprit Literary Review. Genre: Short fiction, creative non-fiction, novel extracts, drama, literary criticism, book reviews, artwork, and photography. "L’Esprit Literary Review publishes work written in the fearless, risk-adept, and revolutionary spirit of High Modernism." Payment: $10. Deadline: August 5, 2024.

just femme & dandy. Genre: Fashion for the LGBTQIA+ community. Theme: The Drag Issue. "Our definition of drag is expansive, and we invite you to consider how drag as the performance of gender shows up in your lives. We want to hear about how/when/where gender is performed, the day to day lives behind the makeup, the politics of gender and normativity, different forms of drag, how this all coincides with fashion and dress. While we would love to hear from up and coming drag artists and independent fashion designers, this theme is for everyone, not just drag artists and enthusiasts. If you have something to say about gendered performance, we want to hear it! You are welcome to send us submissions outside of the theme, but submissions that relate to the theme are highly encouraged. We accept anything that can be displayed on a website: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, tutorial, illustration, comix, photography, painting, video, drag, costume/fashion designs, hot takes, interviews, and so on!" Payment: 50 USD per text-based submission and 150 USD per multimedia submission (video, photography, image + text, fashion spread + interview, etc.). Deadline: August 5, 2024.


Utopia Science Fiction. Genre: Utopian science fiction. Payment: $0.04/word for fiction, $30 for nonfiction, $25 for poetry. Deadline: August 6, 2024.

Abyss and Apex. Genre: Speculative fiction. No horror. Payment: USD $.08/word (eight cents a word) up to 1,000 words, and a flat payment of $80.00 for longer stories. Deadline: August 7, 2024.

Stone's Throw. Genre: Noir, dark fiction, crime short stories. Length: between 1,000 and 2,000 words. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 7, 2024. 

Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to submissions from the UK, Europe, the Commonwealth and every other country except for the USA. Genre: Fiction between 500 and 5,000 words. Payment: 2p (£0.02) per word, to the nearest 100 words, with a minimum of £30 and maximum £100. Deadline: August 11, 2024. 

Scream Queer Anthology: Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are! Genre: Short stories (3-4k), based on the theme—scream queers. (See site for details) Payment: $50. Deadline: August 12, 2024.

Collective Madnes: Schisms of the Soul. Genre: Dark fantasy short stories in the theme of “schisms of the soul.” Examples of this could include: Going insane, complicated ethical dilemmas, dimensional rifts, puppet masters, transformations (people becoming monsters or animals), hive minds, etc.  Payment: $15. Deadline: August 13, 2024.

Poetry Wales. Genre: Poetry. "We are especially interested in submissions of innovative poetry (in form, content or a combination of both), as well as innovative essays and reviews." Payment: £20/page. Deadline: August 13, 2024.

Orange & Bee. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, experimental and hybrid work. Payment: Poetry: flat rate $US50.00 per poem. Flash: flat rate $US80.00 per story (max 1000 words) Short fiction/non-fiction: $US0.08 per word (max 4000 words) Deadline: August 14, 2024.

Orca. Genre: Literary fiction. Payment: $50 for short stories, $25 for flash fiction. Deadline: August 15, 2024. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fees.

the other side of hope. Genre: Poetry by refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants only. They accept submissions in any language other than English. Payment: £50. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Luna Station Quarterly. Restrictions: Open to women writers only. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 15, 2024. Some reprints accepted.

khōréō. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. "This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, transnational/transracial adoptees, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. We especially encourage BIPOC creators who identify as the above to submit their work." Genre: Stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Payment: 0.08/word for fiction, $100 for nonfiction, and $40-300 for art. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Ricochet Editions. Genre: Hybrid/Experimental work between 40 and 200 pages. "We are looking for purposeful experimentation with language and form that challenges or plays with convention." Payment: $500 and 50 copies of the perfect-bound book. Deadline: August 15, 2024. No submission fee for POC and Indigenous writers and writers facing financial hardship.


Dirty Magick Magazine. Genre: Fantasy fiction with a hard-boiled edge. "We are interested in urban fantasy, sword and sorcery, and gothic/supernatural horror. We also like speculative fiction, especially steampunk and cyberpunk, but they must contain a magical twist. But the true spirit of this magazine lies in the hybrid space, where crime/detective modes can be combined with fantastic premises." Payment: $50. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

The Lorelei Signal. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, and poetry with strong female characters. Payment: $15 for short stories, $5 for poems and flash (<1000 wds) fiction pieces, $5 for reprints. Deadline: August 15, 2024. Accepts reprints.

Root Quarterly. Restrictions: RQ is a quarterly print-only journal of art and ideas from Philadelphia. Genre: Nonfiction, art. "We are publishing RQ in part because we’d like to promote regional arts and culture, makers, and entrepreneurs, be part of the national discourse on important issues, build a community of thoughtful people, and reclaim discourse from the highly-politicized, rage-stoking space of social media." See theme. Payment: $25 - $100 depending on the piece and its length. Deadline: August 15, 2024. Pitches only. 

Subterrain. Genre: Creative nonfiction, commentary, fiction and poetry. See theme. Payment: Poetry: $50 per poem; Prose: $.10 per word (to a maximum of $500). Deadline: August 15, 2024. No fee if submitted by mail. Journal is located in Canada.

Radon. Genre: Short stories and poetry containing elements of anarchism, transhumanism, dystopia, and/or science fiction. Payment: 1 cent per word for original work, half a cent per word for reprints. $20 per original poem and $10 for reprints. $100 for issue cover art, $30 for back cover art, and $20 for art used on their website. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Crimson Quill Quarterly. Genre: Dark fantasy, sword & sorcery, and ​grimdark ​subgenres of fantasy. Payment: $30. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Saros Speculative Fiction. Genre: Speculative Fiction. Payment: $40 CAD per story and $40 CAD for cover art. Deadline: August 18, 2024.

Qwerty. Genre: Fiction, CNF, Poetry. Payment: $15 CAD. Deadline: August 19, 2024.

Solarpunk Micro Mini. Genre: Solarpunk micro fiction, 250 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 21, 2024.

The Deadlands. Genre: Fiction. "The Deadlands exists in liminal spaces between life, death, and elsewhere. We are looking for fiction that concerns itself with death—but also everything death may involve." Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: August 21, 2024.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Valiant Scribe.Genre: Fiction, non-fiction prose, and poetry. Each person can submit up to 5 poems, and the word count limit per prose piece is 3,000 words. See theme. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Hellbound Books: Flash Fiction. Genre: Horror flash fiction. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Satan Rides Anthology. Genre: Horror. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Creature Features. Genre: Horror. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Dragon Soul Press: Magick and Malice. Genre: "All witch stories for all genres." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

The Ampersand Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and essays. Payment: $100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

UWA Publishing (University of Western Australia). Genre: Children's and YA fiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Ecotone. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. "We are particularly interested in place-based work by people historically underrepresented in literary publishing and in place-based contexts: writers and artists who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, people with disabilities, gender-nonconforming, LGBTQIA+, women, and others. We welcome the work of emerging writers." Payment: $100 minimum for poetry and a $200 minimum for prose. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Fee-free peroid opens August 29.

Black Hare Press: Tumbleweed Anthology. Genre: Speculative fiction. "In the desolate landscapes of Utah (or, in fact, any real or fictional place you choose), a bizarre phenomenon unfolds as thousands of tumbleweeds amass, engulfing residential yards, barricading buildings, and rendering roads impassable." Payment: $20 - $25, depending on length. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Mermaidens 2: Darker Waters. Genre: Dark mermaid stories. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

After Happy Hour. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, visual art, and hybrids  Payment: $10 honorarium on publication ($25 for cover art). Deadline: August 31, 2024. (Free submissions capped at 300)

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Change your habits & attitudes / change your life. Genre: Nonfiction. We are looking for true stories about how you realized a certain habit or attitude was detrimental to you, what you did to change that, and the difference it made in your life. Payment: $200. Deadline: August 31, 2024. 

Room Magazine. Restrictions: Open to artists of marginalized genders. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, visual art, and poems. Payment: $50 per page. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Broken Sleep Books. (UK) Genre: Nonfiction pamphlets (up to 150 pages). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories, 12,000 words minimum. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Made in L.A. Restrictions: Preference for writers who currently live in and around Los Angeles. Genre: Fiction. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Accepts reprints.

Fifth Wheel Press: light em up. Genre: Poetry, prose poetry, short prose (<1500 words), and other experimental writing by queer, trans, and gender variant writers. Visual components and hybrid formats are welcome. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry on theme. See theme. Payment: $30. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Opens August 15. Submission periods are extended by a week for BIPOC creators only.

Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Close My Eyes Forever. Genre: Crime Fiction Inspired by Heavy Metal Hits. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Split Lip Magazine. Genre: Fiction (flash and short stories), memoirs, and poetry. with a pop-culture twist. Payment: $75 for poems, memoirs, flash, fiction, and art, $50 for interviews/reviews, and $25 for mini-reviews web issues. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Closes when they reach capacity, so submit early. 

Gwyllion. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: £10 per accepted story or poem. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Nashville Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art, and nonfiction. Payment: $25 per poem & song selection; $100 per selection for all other categories, including featured artwork. Translators receive $25 per poem & $100 for prose selections. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

AND A FEW MORE...

Teach. Write. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, flash fiction, poetry, CNF. "I prefer writing that is either written by composition teachers and writing students or about teaching and learning." Payment: $15. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Lucent Dreaming. Genre: Poetry, prose, art, and creative non-fiction. Payment: £30  - £80. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Book Worms. Genre: Horror: fiction, poetry, and essays. See theme. Length: Up to 1,500 words. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: September 1, 2024. See themes.

Seems a Little Crazy! Genre: Speculative Fiction. Packed full of Aliens, Deep State government, Reptilian Overlords, and more! Show us your freakiest Conspiracy Theory! Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Orion's Belt. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Length: 1200 words max. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Talk Vomit. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Themes: American Gothic, Caregiving. Payment: Fiction and nonfiction - $10-30; poetry - $5-15. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

36 Writing Contests in August 2024 - No entry fees

Flickr: Matthew Whitehead This August there are three dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes this month range from $100,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.

Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.

If you want to get a jump on next month's contests go to Free Contests. Many of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline has passed, you can prepare for next year. (Note: I update this list continually throughout the month, so check back frequently for new contests.)

Good luck! 
_________________________

​MoonLit Getaway Writing and Art Contest. Restrictions: Open to submissions from within North America. Genre: Flash fiction, poetry, art. Prize: $100. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists. Restrictions: Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated sufficient income to support the author. Genre: Book-length children's or young-adult fiction. Prize: $5000. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

PEN/Bare Life Review Grants. Restrictions: Open to immigrant and refugee writers in the US and abroad. Genre: Unpublished work-in-progress that will not be published prior to April 1, 2026. The project must be a work of a literary nature: fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry. Prize: $5000. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: Delaware poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who have lived in Delaware for at least one year prior to application and who are not enrolled in a degree-granting program. Genres: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction. Prize: Established Professional Fellowships of $6,000 each and Emerging Artist Fellowships of $3,000 each. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Leeway Foundation Art and Change Grants. Restrictions: Open to women and trans artists in Greater Philadelphia to fund art for social change projects. People living in Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia counties Delaware who are 18 years of age or older and who are not full-time students in a degree-granting arts program are eligible. Genre: Art in traditional or nontraditional modes, mediums or disciplines. Prize: $2500. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Granum Foundation Prize helps U.S.-based writers complete substantive literary works—such as poetry books, essay or short story collections, novels, and memoirs—or to help launch these works. Additionally, a Granum Foundation Translation Prize will be awarded to support the completion of a work translated by a U.S.-based writer. Prize: One winner will receive $5,000; up to three finalists will be awarded $500 or more; $500 or more will be awarded to one writer working in translation. Deadline: August 1, 2024.
​
Oregon Literary Fellowships. Two fellowships (one $10,000 grant and one $3,500 grant) are reserved specifically for writers of color. There are also fellowships for women/gender-nonconforming writers as well as special fellowships for fiction writers who have lived in Oregon over the past 5 years. Deadline: August 2, 2024.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. "On each competition weekend, we’ll reveal a set of story prompts and you’ll have 55 hours to submit your best story of 500-words (or fewer)." Prize: $500AUD. Deadline: Opens August 2, 2024. Closes August 4, 2024. (Australian time)

Peter Blazey Fellowship.  Restrictions: Applicants must either be an Australian citizen or have Australian residency. Genre: Non-fiction in the fields of autobiography, biography or life writing. Prize: $15,000, and a one-month writer-in-residency at The Australia Centre. Deadline: August 12, 2024.

Waterford Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of Ireland. Genre: Poem. Prize: First prize is €400 plus attendance at a designated writing course. Deadline: August 12, 2024.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Flash fiction between 1k words max based on theme. Prize: $30. Deadline: August 14, 2024.

John Glassco Translation Prize. Sponsored by Literary Translators' Association of Canada. Restrictions: Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents only. Genre: The work submitted must be the translator's first published book-length translation into English or French. Prize: $1000. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Ligonier Valley Writers. Genre: Flash fiction on theme;1000 words max. Prize: The first prize winner will receive $50, second prize $25, and third prize $15. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Scotiabank Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English between  July 1, 2024, and September 30, 2024. Must  be nominated by publisher. Genre: Fiction. Full-length novel or collection of short stories published in English, either originally, or in translation. Prize: $100,000 to the winner and $10,000 to each of the finalists. Deadline: August 16, 2024.

Lucky Jefferson Poetry and Prose Contest. Restriction: Open to anyone over the age of 10. Genre: Poetry and prose. Prize: $100, publication, and a swag box. Deadline: August 18, 2024.

Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour. Restrictions: Open to British novelists of color with no previous published books and not currently signed by an agent. Genre: Novel. Prize: £500 and a meeting with a literary agent. Deadline: August 19, 2024.

Write the World: Flash Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19.5. Genre: Flash fiction, 100 words max. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50. Deadline: August 26, 2024.

On the Premises. Genre: Short story. "For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which one or more characters with significant expertise in some area matter to the story. The expert(s) DO NOT have to be the story’s main character(s), though it’s fine if they are–the judges won’t care either way. We’re also open to the idea that your story’s character(s) with expertise might be either wrong, or frauds, or idiots. (Or they’re legitimate experts!) However, the idea of expertise, and at least one person who has it (or doesn’t?) has to matter to the story." Prize: Up to $250. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

RSL Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction. Restrictions: The writer must be a resident of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or have been a resident in the UK or ROI for the past three years. Genre: Nonfiction book. Prize: Two awards – one of £10,000, one of £5,000 – are offered to support writers to complete their first commissioned works of non-fiction. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Flash fiction on theme of Summer Camp. Your story must be no longer than 101 words. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Preservation Foundation Biographical Nonfiction Contest. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $250 in any single year. Genre: Biographical Nonfiction. Prize: First prize is $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Finalists will receive $50. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Northwind Writing Award. Genre: Prose Poetry, Poetry, Short Fiction, and Non-fiction/Essay/Memoir. Prize: $100 and publication. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry collection (in English), at least 48 pages long, published between July 1 of the previous year and June 30 of the deadline year by an upstate New York author. Prize: $2000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to students who are FULL TIME, undergraduate students in an AMERICAN COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY during the Spring 2024 semester. Genre: Essay on topic: “In this current presidential election year, which some have described as the most important in history, what arguments can be made that the 1864 Lincoln-McClellan race was indeed the most crucial of American history.” Prize: 1st Prize $1500 | 2nd Prize $750 | 3rd Prize $500. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Morioka International Haiku Contest. Genre: Haiku. Prize: Not specified. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Sundog Summer Collaboration Contest. Genre: "Sometimes teamwork is what makes the dreamwork, so this summer we want to see what you’ve created with another writer (or two or three⁠ — there’s actually no limit) for our annual Collaboration Contest. Submit your wildest, most inventive work of any or mixed genre. Just keep your hybrid masterpiece to 1,000 words or less." Prize: $300 and publication. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Kindle Storyteller Award (UK). Restrictions: The prize is open to all authors who publish their book through Kindle Direct Publishing on Amazon.co.uk. Genre: Book. Prize: £20,000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, maximum 5,000 words. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation or Multi-Lingual Texts. Restrictions: Translators and authors of multi-lingual texts. Genres: Poetry and prose. Prize: $200. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

“Kusamakura” Haiku Competition. Genre: Haiku. Prize: (Grand Prize) to one winner : goods worthy of ￥20,000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Poetry Archive NOW! WordView. Genre: Poetry. "Make a video/film recording of yourself reading or reciting a single poem which you have written in 2024." Prize: £100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing. Genre: Short story with an overall word-count of 1500 on theme: "Letters to My Love" Prize: £100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

21 Futures: Financial Fallout. Genre: Fiction (up to 3,000 words) "Which catastrophic failures will we see in the next 100 years? And how will it affect ordinary citizens of the world?" Prize: 1st place: $1,000 + feature interview; 2nd place: $500 + podcast appearance; 3rd place: $250 + social media shoutout; 4th place: $100 + signed book. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing. Genre: Scholarly essay. All work submitted must have been written or published within the last year. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poetry based on art. (See website) Prize: $100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to "revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful." Genre: Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize: $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

24 Awesome Writing Conferences and Workshops in August 2024

Cape Cod: Flickr This August there are two dozen writing conferences and workshops. Some conferences and workshops will be held online, but most will be held in person or use a hybrid format.

These writing events offer everything a writer might want: intensive workshops, pitch sessions with agents, to how to market yourself and your books, discussions - there is something for everyone.

For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences. If you miss an application deadline, put it on your calendar for next year. Quite a few conferences offer scholarships, so apply early. Plan ahead!
Be sure to check out Highlights list of workshops. They offer many throughout the year. 

_____________________

Mendocino Coast Writers Conference. August 1 - 3, 2024: Mendocino, California. The conference features workshops for poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, as well as craft seminars, panels, one-on-one manuscript consultations, and open mics. The faculty includes poet Douglas Manuel; poet and nonfiction writer Jane Wong; fiction writers Nic Anstett, Francesca Lia Block, Kate Folk, Gene Kwak, and Lio Min; fiction and nonfiction writer Henry Hoke; and nonfiction writers Jessica Ferri and Angela Garbes. Fiction writer Rachel Kushner will deliver the keynote address. Participating publishing professionals include agent Sarah Bowlin (Aevitas Creative Management) and editor Alyssa Ogi (Tin House). The registration fee is $875 and includes morning workshops, all afternoon events, and breakfast and lunch each day. One-on-one manuscript consultations are available for an additional $60. Lodging is available at a wide range of accommodations on the Mendocino Coast, including oceanfront inns, campgrounds, glamping facilities, and motels. The registration deadline is June 30. (If you missed the deadline, put this on your calendar for next year.)
​
The Writers Studio is sponsored by the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. August 1 - 4, 2024: Westwood Village, CA. The conference offers workshops in fiction and creative nonfiction, as well as writing for television and film. Offered by the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, the Writers Studio brings together a community of writing students to workshop with some of Southern California’s most accomplished writers and teachers. From among the 10 offered, participants choose one workshop in which they work closely with a professional writer in classes limited to no more than 15 people. 

Cape Cod Writers Center Conference. August 1 - 4, 2024: Hyannis, Massachusetts. Supporting published and aspiring writers. Featuring distinguished authors, editors and agents in workshops on fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, poetry, mysteries and thrillers, social media, promotion and more! 

IWWG Summer Writers Conference. August 1 - 5, 2024: Bristol, RI. Writing Together, IWWG’s 2024 Summer Conference, will take place August 1-5 on the beautiful, seaside campus of Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. Join us for this once-a-year immersive weekend; experience Community, Connection, and Creativity in the company of women Writing Together.

First Friday Book Talk & Reading Series. August 2, 2024: Online. "Meet Anna Monardo, author of "After Italy: A Family Memoir of Arranged Marriage." It is the story of two marriages undone by a dowry and the fallout from that rift on three generations of a Southern Italian family. Enlisting Calabrian folklore, epigenetics, and psychology, Anna Monardo charts her grandfathers’ immigration to a Pittsburgh steel town; her father’s wartime as a medical student in Naples; the family’s marriages—including her own—that were tainted by an Old World curse; and an unlikely path to international adoption." Online event.

Florida Authors and Publishers Association Annual Conference. August 2 - 3, 2024: Orlando, Florida. "Six (6) optional small-group workshops are being scheduled, offering attendees options a more intimate setting to learn about specific topics related to the publishing industry. These focused workshops will be offered a la carte and are scheduled so that you may register for up to three (3)."

Into the Springs Writers Workshop. August 2 - 4, 2024: Yellow Springs, OH. Into the Springs is a full weekend of shared sessions, events and lunch, making your interaction with featured guest instructors and writer participants easily accessible. Currently, our featured guest instructors include author, journalist Andrew Welsh-Huggins; author, publisher Jeffrey Marks; and the Ohio Audiobook Narrators.

Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators Annual Conference. August 2 - 4, 2024: Via Zoom. More than 100 writers, editors, illustrators, & agents. Workshops, breakout sessions, manuscript and portfolio consultations, panels, discussions. Will be held online.

Vermont College of Fine Arts Postgraduate Writers’ Conference. August 3 - 9, 2024: Montpelier, Vermont. The conference is designed for writers with graduate degrees or equivalent experience. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, craft classes, and individual consultations with faculty members. "At the heart of the Postgraduate Writers' Conference's unique model is the small workshop size, with groups led by acclaimed faculty limited to five or six writers. The intimate format allows for an extraordinarily in-depth, far-reaching discussion of participants’ work. Beyond the daily group sessions, each member has an individual consultation with the workshop instructor. The schedule also features a rich menu of readings by faculty and participants, craft talks, generative writing sessions and social events that galvanize our vibrant, inclusive community." 

Frost Place Poetry Seminar. August 4 - 8, 2024. The Seminar schedule features a daily presentation/discussion exploring aspects of craft and technique, an afternoon workshop of participants’ poems or individual, virtual meetings with faculty, and an evening reading, some by faculty poets and others featuring participants. The application deadline is July 1, 2024. Will be held online. (If you missed the deadline, put this on your calendar for next year)

Neurodiverse Writers and Illustrators: An In-Community Retreat for Storytellers. August 8 - 11, 2024: Boyds Mills, PA. Join us for an in-community retreat tailored for neurodivergent writers and illustrators, where you can fully embrace your perspectives and talents in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Travel Writers & Photographers Conference. August 8 – 11, 2024: Corte Madera, Calif. Writing and photography workshops in the morning, a full afternoon of panels and discussions, and evening faculty presentations. There are optional, working field trips to explore the resources of the Bay Area. The faculty includes publishers, magazine editors, photographers, travel essayists, food writers, restaurateurs, guidebook writers, and more. 

The Language of Smell: A Generative Writing Workshop. August 10, 2024: Lincoln, NE. This generative workshop will focus on the power of smell and sense memory in writing practice. Participants will have a chance to produce their own writing using guided prompts, as well as learn and discuss what makes smell such a sharply evocative and emotional sense memory. We will also briefly explore the world of niche perfumery in order to practice our skills of descriptive scent-based writing using provided fragrance samples. 

Elk River Writers Workshop. August 11 - 16, 2024: Chico Hot Springs, MT. The Elk River Writers Workshop embodies the idea that deep, communal experiences with the wild open the door to creativity. We bring together some of the most celebrated nature writers in the United States with students who are serious about fostering a connection with the environment in their writing. It all happens at Chico Hot Springs, a historic retreat just north of Yellowstone National Park. 

Murphy Writing of Stockton University: Live Free and Write. August 11 - 16, 2024: Sunapee, NH. "Combine an extended writing retreat with a relaxing summer vacation in the picturesque mountains of New Hampshire. This getaway blends our trademark challenging and supportive workshop experience with plenty of free time for you to write and bask in the refreshing New England summer." 

Whole Novel Workshop: An In-Person Retreat for Novelists. August 14 - 19, 2024: Boyds Mills, PA. This intensive, transformative Whole Novel Workshop offers writers the rare opportunity to have the entire draft (up to 80,000 words) of a novel read by faculty, with detailed written feedback and two private consultations provided. Attention in an intimate setting makes this program one that guarantees significant progress in preparation for submission. Apply by May 15. (If you missed the deadline, put this on your calendar for next year)

Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. August 14 - 24, 2024: Ripton, VT. Workshops in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction are at the core of the conference. Each faculty member conducts a workshop that meets for five two-hour sessions over the course of the 10 days. Groups are kept small to facilitate discussion, and all participants meet individually with their faculty leaders to elaborate on workshop comments. Faculty members also offer lectures on issues around literary writing and one-hour classes on specific aspects of the craft. Readings by the faculty, conference participants, and guests take place throughout the day and into the night. Participants meet with visiting editors, literary agents, and publishers who provide information and answer questions, individually or in small groups. 

Poetry at the Frost Farm. August 16 - 18, 2024:  Derry, New Hampshire. The retreat offers workshops, readings, and one-on-one consultations for formalist poets. "Join a small community of people at the historic Robert Frost Farm learning, reading and writing formal poetry with contemporary award-winning poets. Choose your focus from a series of offerings designed to provide tools for beginning poets as well as perfect the mastery of published poets." 

Native Creatives: An In-Community Retreat. August 21 - 25, 2024: Boyds Mills, PA. Immerse yourself in a supportive space that honors the diverse voices and storytelling traditions of Indigenous peoples, fostering an environment that strengthens the bonds of community and heritage through the power of storytelling.

Killer Nashville Writers’ Conference. August 22 - 25, 2024: Nashville, TN. The Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference was created in 2006 by author/filmmaker Clay Stafford in an effort to bring together forensic experts, writers, and fans of crime and thriller literature. "At the conference, we try diligently to ensure that the weekend has something for every writer and lover of literature, and our sessions are structured to assist writers on multiple career levels. Our learning tracks tackle the craft of writing, business of writing, marketing, and forensics. Killer Nashville features nine breakout sessions for intense smaller group interaction, an authors’ bar (free for hotel guests), a moonshine and wine tasting, free agent/editor roundtable pitch sessions, a mock crime scene designed by special agents and other law enforcement professionals, cocktail receptions, the Guest of Honor Dinner and Awards Banquet, film previews, live music performances and—of course—all the great activities one can enjoy in downtown Nashville."

Bear River Writers’ Conference. August 29 - September 2, 2024: Camp Michigania on Walloon Lake, near Petoskey, Michigan. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, discussions, nature walks, and time to write.

DragonCon. August 29 - September 2, 2024: Atlanta, Ga. HUGE sci-fi event, with parade, autograph sessions, live performances, readings, wrestling (!), workshops on belly dancing, writing (yes, there's even some writing), art show. (This conference sounds really wild.)

WriterCon. August 30  - September 2, 2024: Waterford, Oklahoma. The annual WriterCon Conference is three days of 60+ speakers providing more than 80 sessions designed to cover all genres and all aspects of the writing experience: skills, industry knowledge, opportunities, networking, pitching, contests, opportunities to meet with writers privately, to obtain manuscript reviews or private consultations, and much more.

The Gathering. August 31 - September 2, 2024. Workshops in poetry as well as readings. 2-hour Workshops & Readings Friday night, Saturday , and Sunday. Participant Open Mics Friday and Saturday night. Will be held on Zoom. 

9 New Agents Seeking Literary and Genre Fiction, CNF, Nonfiction, Irish Fiction, Kidlit, Graphic Novels, and more

Jen Babakhan Here are nine new literary agents actively seeking clients. New agents are a boon to writers. They are actively building their lists, and will go the extra mile for their clients.

All of these agents work for established agencies with good track records. They are looking for all genres.
Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change. 

NOTE: Don't submit to several agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another. (Some small agencies share. Be alert to a notice that "a no from one is a no from all.")

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

Ms. Jen Babakhan of Books & Such Literary Agency

Prior to becoming an associate agent in 2024, Jen graduated with a degree in communications and became a marketing specialist for an international nonprofit, where she worked to develop the business’s brand and recognition of that brand—two important elements for every author to master as well. She later transitioned into freelance writing and ghostwriting when her two children came along. In these roles Jen wrote for Reader’s Digest from 2017 to 2021, and her work has been featured in various national outlets.

What she is seeking: Jen acquires adult nonfiction and fiction.

How to submit: Follow the agency guidelines HERE.
__________________________

Ms. Amy O'Shea of Graham Maw Christie Literary Agents (UK)

Amy graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in Linguistics and English Language in 2021. Amy joined the agency in early 2023 to assist Jane and Jen with social media, admin, royalties and submissions. She became a junior agent in 2024.

What she is seeking: She is interested in a wide variety of non-fiction from prescriptions for thinking and living better by experts in their field, to humour, history, true crime and memoir whereby the author immerses the reader in a lived experience. In an ever-changing landscape, she is looking for books that bring fresh, practical and accessible solutions to their audience - anything that can teach us more about who we are and the world we share.   

How to submit: Follow the agency's guidelines HERE.
__________________________

Ms. Liv Ivanov of Creative Media Agency

After graduating from the University of Missouri and working in operations and video game development for several years, Liv returned to her first love and began volunteering as a reader and fiction editor for literary magazines before starting her internships at Triada US and Creative Media Agency in 2023. Now stepping into her role as an Associate Agent at CMA, Liv is excited to both discover refreshing, compelling, and fantastical stories and champion new creative voices in the industry. In her free time, Liv loves to go hiking in the Rocky Mountains near her home in Colorado Springs, as well as collect books as she slowly works toward making her home office a 1,000-book library.
 
What she is seeking: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, LGBTQ, Literary, Magical Realism, Middle Grade, Mystery, New Adult, Psychological Thriller, Science Fiction, Speculative, Thriller, Women’s Fiction, Young Adult.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE. (Watch for her next open period.)
__________________________

Ms. Polly Halladay of Georgina Capel Associates Ltd (UK)

Polly Halladay studied English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford and has a masters in Creative Writing: Prose Fiction from the University of East Anglia. 

What she is seeking: She is interested in literary and commercial fiction, fantasy, romance, narrative non-fiction, memoir, and poetry.

How to submit: Please follow submission instructions HERE.
__________________________

Ms. Elizabeth DeNoma of Sebes & Bisseling

My work as an agent is a culmination of my decades of experience as a literary editor, foreign rights manager, manager of design and editorial teams, translator, and ghost writer. I have a PhD in literary studies from the University of Washington and have been awarded several awards, including a Fulbright Scholarship.

What she is seeking: Narrative nonfiction of universal interest – experts and storytellers in environmental science, sociology, psychology, medicine, parenting, history, anthropology, and remarkable memoirs (individual and of a group) that give us insight into our greater human story. Occasionally I represent a work of exceptional fiction.  I sit in the United States and represent global authors writing in English to publishers in North America and others acquiring global English language rights.

How to submit: Please submit queries and proposals to denoma at sebes.nl Nonfiction submissions require a proposal, including sample chapters. Fiction queries require a complete, edited draft of the manuscript.
__________________________

Ms. Kait Feldmann of KT Literary

Kait joined kt literary in 2024, but has been romping around children’s publishing for over a decade. She was previously an editor at Scholastic and HarperCollins, where her list included award-winning books that received a Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, and Sibert Honor; the Ezra Jack Keats Award; and appearances on Best of lists for The New York Times, NPR, Kirkus, and more. She is a founding member of People of Color in Publishing and a recipient of the CBC Diversity Outstanding Achievement Award. Kait resides in a hoarder’s paradise in Los Angeles, surrounded by books. When she’s not reading those, she can often be found crafting, estate sale hopping, or playing board games.

What she is seeking: Kait specializes in picture books and graphic novels and is accepting queries from illustrators and author-illustrators. 

How to submit: You can query Kait at querykait@ktliterary.com. Attach your book dummy if you are working on one and include a link to your website/portfolio.

__________________________

Jess Molloy of Curtis Brown Group, Ltd. (UK)

I joined the literary department in 2019 having previously worked at Curtis Brown in the talent and comedy department and within talent management for over 8 years. I started off assisting Cathryn Summerhayes with her brilliant and eclectic list before being promoted to Literary Agent in 2022 and starting my own list.I enjoy working with people who have come to writing, be that fiction or non-fiction, via unexpected or unorthodox routes and work well with people with an entertainment background or with profile who want to reach new audiences with their writing. 
What she is seeking: I am always looking for a book to escape into and I read broadly across fiction and narrative non-fiction. I am usually first pulled in by a unique concept or setting, but what keeps me reading are beautifully drawn, complex characters, relationships, and family dynamics. I enjoy reading fantasy and romance and I am particularly on the look out for a story which has a slow burn at its heart, full of angst and drama.

I have a deep love for Irish fiction both in terms of Irish writers, particularly the inimitable Colm Tóibín and the powerhouse that is Lisa McInerney, and novels set in Ireland.I enjoy crime fiction and true crime writing that subverts the genre and focuses on the victim or the fallout for their family, for instance Nothing Can Harm You, My Sister The Serial Killer, We Begin At The End and the beautiful, incomparable I’ll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara.

In terms of non-fiction I enjoy issues led narrative writing with a personal story at its heart and particularly love hearing from underrepresented voices. I am also interested in psychology and therapy.  My non-fiction reading varies broadly from comedians to experts and journalists, but what I am always looking for is an authentic voice that will teach me something fascinating or share a very personal journey with me.

How to submit:  Please email your pitch/cover letter, the first three chapters/10,000 words and short synopsis (for fiction) or proposal (for non-fiction) to molloysubmissions@curtisbrowngroup.co.uk
__________________________

Jade Kavanagh of Darley Anderson Literary (UK)

Whilst undertaking her undergraduate degree in English Literature at the University of Westminster, Jade discovered the possibility of taking her love of books and turning it into a career. Staying on for a year and gaining her MA, she then went on to several publishing internships before finding a placement at Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency before joining the team permanently as Agent’s Assistant and falling in love with the agenting side of the book world.

What she is seeking: Jade is building her own list of clients focusing on suspense, thriller and horror authors. 

How to submit: Follow submission guidelines HERE.

__________________________

Aparna Kumar of David Godwin Associates (UK)

Aparna Kumar, who has recently completed her MSc in Media and Communications at the London School of Economics, has worked in publishing for six years. Most recently, she was an editor at Penguin Random House India, where she commissioned literary fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry.

What she is seeking: Aparna Kumar is looking to fill her list with literary fiction and creative non-fiction.

How to submit: Follow submission guidelines HERE.

6 New Literary Agencies Seeking Commercial Fiction, Kidlit, SFF, Memoir, Romance, and more

Colwill & Peddle New literary agencies are started by established agents with considerable experience in the publishing industry. They have reliable contacts in publishing houses and a roster of successes getting writers published. New agencies are looking to expand, and are eager to take on prospective clients.

Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Submission requirements can change. 

NOTE: Don't submit to several agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another. 

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


Kate Barker Literary Agency (UK)

I have worked in publishing for nearly twenty years as an agent, commissioning editor and ghostwriter. I spent ten years at Penguin, where I was an Editorial Director for Viking, acquiring fiction and non-fiction. I have also worked for Orion, for one of the biggest literary agencies in the UK, for digital publisher Bookouture and for a speakers bureau. I work with a wide range of specialist agencies for the sale of rights around the world.

What she is seeking:

Fiction
I’m looking for commercial and reading group novels: my taste in fiction is broad. I like strong stories, interesting settings (contemporary or historical) and high concept novels. Please note that I do not represent science fiction, fantasy or books for children. Work in those genres will not be read.

Non-fiction
I’m looking for smart thinking, history, memoir, popular psychology and science, natural history, lifestyle and wellbeing. Big ideas and subjects that get people talking. I particularly enjoy helping experts translate their work for a general audience.

How to submit: Follow submission guidelines HERE.
__________________________


Codex Literary Agency 

Miriam Kriss launched the Codex Literary Agency in 2024, after nearly two decades at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency, where she served as Vice-President. She is excited to grow Codex Literary, a boutique agency with a full service reach. She represents everything from hardcover historical mysteries to all subgenres of romance, from thrillers to science fiction, from young adult fiction to fantasies, and everything in between. If it's fun to read she probably represents it. 

Isabelle Rader After growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, Isabelle began her career in publishing by interning at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency at the start of 2022. After graduating college with a BA in English Literature, she followed Miriam into her new venture. On the weekends you can find her doing yoga, kayaking, or curled up with her two cats and reading a good book.  

Actively looking for NA Books across all genres, she is also interested in Adult, Young Adult, and Middle-Grade Fantasy, as well as both Upmarket and Commercial Adult, all with never-before-seen worldbuilding, unique characters, strong plotting, and compulsive hooks. From Dark Academia to Epic, Historical, and Contemporary Fantasy with wild adventures, thrilling romances, and dashes of humor, she is always looking for unforgettable characters, strong female leads, and diverse voices. 

How to submit: Submit to Miriam using her form HERE. Submit to Isabelle using her form HERE.

__________________________

Colwill & Peddle Literary Agency (UK)

​Drawing on our years of experience in publishing, bookselling and agenting we’re focused on finding new voices and untold stories, helping authors turn their ideas into books and supporting them at each point in their writing career.

We are proud to represent a diverse range of writers who are talented, passionate and who write with real purpose. Working closely with our authors from the inception of their ideas, through to submission, publication and beyond, we help them turn their dream of writing into a long, happy and successful career. Publishing can be a bewildering industry and we’re passionate about making it as inclusive and open as possible so we strive to demystify the publishing process  for first-time writers.

Led by our editorial instincts, we enjoy working closely and collaboratively with all our authors both on and off the page. We pride ourselves on finding authors the perfect home for their work, negotiating the best possible deal and helping to build a strong team behind them. We  work with Emily Randle of Randle Editorial & Literary Consultancy  for our foreign rights and with a select number of film & TV co-agents to sell the rights to our clients’ work internationally, in all formats and mediums. 

We represent a broad range of writers but we do not represent writers of screenplays, scripts or poetry.

How to submit: Read submission guidelines HERE. 
__________________________


Greenstone Literary Agency (UK)

Ms. Laura Heathfield co-founded Greenstone Literary with Tanera Simons in 2024. Laura studied law at university and spent over 20 years with Virgin Atlantic which allowed her to indulge her passion for reading whilst travelling. On deciding to pursue a career in publishing, Laura joined the Darley Anderson Agency where she worked across the Women’s Fiction list, reading submissions, handling contracts and supporting authors on their path to publication and beyond. Laura is looking for commercial crime, thriller, suspense, bookclub, historical and romance fiction as well as select non-fiction.

Tanera Simons' interests lie in rom-com, love stories, commercial historical fiction, book club, and in female-driven novels with a slightly darker edge. "Across all of these I am always looking for a strong hook – a set-up that immediately intrigues me and makes me want to find out more – as well as rich, layered characters who we can’t help but invest in."

How to submit: Follow the agency's guidelines HERE.

__________________________

Creative Roots Studio (UK)

Fiz Osborne and Rachael Davis-Featherstone founded Creative Roots Studio in 2024 as a way to work closely and dynamically with publishing houses, spearhead the creation of a wide range of brilliant children's books and help build sustainable careers for children's book creatives.

What they are seeking: Picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, and children’s non-fiction.

How to submit: Read submission guidelines HERE. Check for open submission periods.
__________________________


Rosecliff Literary 

Jessica Berg is the founder of Rosecliff Literary. She is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents. With a strong educational background in language and an MFA in Fiction, Jessica possesses the experience to offer  personalized guidance to help authors achieve their publishing dreams. Connect with her online on all the places @jesssica__berg. 

Jessica represents all genres of fiction, as well as self-help and memoir.

How to submit: Please follow the agency's guidelines HERE. 

60 Calls for Submissions in July 2024 - Paying markets

Pickpik This July there are five dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As always, every genre, style, and form is wanted, from short stories to poetry to essays.

I post upcoming calls for submissions shortly before the first day of every month. But as I am collecting them, I post them on my page, Calls for Submissions. You can get a jump on next month's calls for submissions by checking that page periodically throughout the month. (I only post paying markets.)

Also see Paying Markets for hundreds of paying markets arranged by form and genre.

Happy submitting!

__________________________


Thema: A New Routine. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: A New Routine. Payment:  $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: July 1, 2024. Accepts reprints.

The Paris Review. Genres: Poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2025, and closes when they reach capacity.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: July 1, 2024. See themes.


Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Flash fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2024.

Affirm Press. Restrictions: They only accept Australian authors or authors based in Australia, and only manuscripts that haven’t been previously published. Genre: Affirm Press accepts all literary and genre fiction. For non-fiction, they are interested in most subjects that have a market as long as the manuscript is entertaining, engaging and likely to leave readers better off. Read their submission guidelines here. Deadline: July 1, 2024.

Okay Donkey. Genre: Flash fiction and poetry. Payment: Revenue sharing. Deadline: July 1, 2024. May close early if cap is reached.

Harbor Editions: Hybrid Chapbook Reading Period. Genre: Hybrid chapbook. Chapbooks should be around 20-50 pages. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 1, 2024. No submission fee for BIPOC writers.


It Came from the Trailer Park. Genre: Horror-comedy with the same feel as The Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, Shaun of the Dead, or Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 1, 2024.

Shenandoah. Genre: Creative Nonfiction. Payment: $80 per 1000 words of prose up to $400. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2024, and closes when they reach capacity. 

The Garden! Genre: Short stories. "We are looking for stories of any genre that respond to our title and/or cover art." Payment: €175. Deadline: July 2, 2024.  

Fraidy Cat Quarterly. Genre: Horror, dark fantasy. Payment: Flash fiction (400-1,500 words long, $10 per accepted piece); Short stories (1,501-8,000 words long, $20 per accepted piece); Black and white artwork ($10 per accepted piece). Deadline: July 5, 2024. May close early if cap is reached.

Stone's Throw. Genre: Noir, dark fiction, crime short stories. Length: between 1,000 and 2,000 words. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 7, 2024. 

Intergalactic Rejects. Genre: Speculative short stories (science fiction, fantasy, dark fantasy, cosmic horror, etc.) that have been rejected from multiple markets. Length: Limit 5,000 words. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: July 12, 2024.

Empyreal Tree Magazine. Genre: Speculative Fiction. Payment $25. Deadline: July 12, 2024. See themes.

Spooky Magazine. Genre: Cozy horror. Fun horror. Classy horror. 5000 words max. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: July 13, 2024. 

Seaside Gothic. Genre: Seaside gothic fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or a collection of photographs or illustrations. Payment: £0.01 per word. Deadline: July 14, 2024.

Solarpunk Magazine. Genre: Solarpunk. Payment: $0.08/word for fiction, $40/poem, and $75/essay.  Deadline: July 14, 2024.

The Rumpus. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $400 divided among all contributors. Deadline: July 14, 2024.

BOA Editions — Blessing the Boats Selections. Genre: Book of poetry by Women of Color. Payment: $5,000 + Publication. Deadline: July 14, 2024.

Philly Poetry Chapbook Review. Genre: Reviews of chapbooks coming soon or published in the past three years, essays on the crafts of poetry and chapbook making or publishing, and features about authors or publishers of chapbooks. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 15, 2024. 

Able Muse Press. Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 15, 2024. 

If There's Anyone Left. Restrictions: Open to people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, members of marginalized genders, and disabled people. Genre: Speculative fiction. Length: 1000 words max. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: July 15, 2024.

Ursa Podcast. Genre: Literary fiction and satire, "but we will happily make exceptions if you have a character-driven genre story. We are looking for stories that take risks, that are provocative and demonstrate a unique voice. We like stories that thrill." Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: July 15, 2024. Reprints accepted.

Black Cat Publishing: Black Cat Tales. Genre: Dark fiction and poetry on theme: Black cats. "Horror, dark fantasy, sci-fi, erotica, weird westerns, cyberpunk, steampunk…we’re open to all." Payment: $50 for fiction, $25 for poetry. Deadline: July 15, 2024. 

Bright Wall/Dark Room. Genre: Essay on theme: Spike Lee. "For our month of Lee, we’re seeking essays and voices tackling any and all of his films, his performances, his writings, his impact on cinema and culture.” Payment: $100. Deadline: July 15, 2024. 

The Ex-Puritan. Genre: Poetry, fiction, reviews, interviews, essays, and experimental work. Payment: $100 - $200 (CAD). Deadline: July 15, 2024.

Midnight Meadow Publishing's goal is to publish engaging and unique LGBTQ+ stories while elevating marginalized voices. They are interested in a wide variety of genres.  Read submission guidelines  HERE. Deadline: July 15, 2024.

Electric Spec. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $20 per piece. Deadline: July 15, 2024.

Cosmic Horror Monthly. Genre: Cosmic Horror, Lovecraftian, Weird stories, art. Payment: 6 cents/word. 50 dollars for artwork chosen as interior content. 200 dollars for cover art. Negotiable. Deadline: July 17, 2024.

Astrolabe. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and photography & art. Payment: $50. Deadline: July 20, 2024.

Witch House. Genre: Cosmic horror. Payment: Token honorarium. Deadline: July 21, 2024.

Storyteller: A Tanith Lee Tribute Anthology. Genre: science fiction, fantasy, horror, YA, romance inspired by Tanith Lee. Payment: 10 cents'word. Deadline: July 16-22, open to underrepresented and historically marginalized voices including BIPOC, LGBTQAI+, disabled, and neurodiverse writers. July 23-29, open to all.

Mythaxis. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 30, 2024.

Atlas of Deep Ones. Genre: Weird fiction and nonfiction, poetry, art. See theme. Payment: Story: $25; Poems: $15; Non-fiction: $15. Deadline: July 30, 2024.

Madame, Don’t Forget Your Sword. Genre: Speculative fiction. "This anthology is dedicated to all the minions, sidekicks, and henchpeople: the ones responsible for getting the takeout, picking up the kids, and making sure that the evil plan actually works. The ones dedicated to showing how the monster works before the hero comes to save the day!" Payment: $5 plus royalties. Deadline: July 30, 2024.

Dragon Soul Press: Beautiful Darkness2. Genre: " In a world where so many dark things go bump in the night, terror awaits around every corner as these authors take horror stories to the next level." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

FIYAH. Restrictions: Submissions are restricted to people of the African Diaspora. Genre: Speculative fiction, art, and poetry about African Diaspora. Length: Short fiction 2,000 – 7,000 words and novelettes up to 15,000 words. See theme. Payment: $150 per story. $50 per poem. $300 per novelette. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Anstruther Books. Genre: Poetry "that takes risks and represents a diverse cross-section of the Canadian literary community." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Litmosphere. Genre: Art, flash (fiction and nonfiction), poetry, and short prose (fiction and literary nonfiction). Payment: $50 per accepted poem, flash fiction and nonfiction; $100 per short fiction and literary nonfiction; $250 for non-exclusive online use of 15-30 images. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Flux is an imprint of North Star Editions, a Minnesota-based house specializing in trade fiction. Genre: YA fiction manuscripts. Flux specializes in "alternative voices." The editors believe that young adult novels are a "point of view," not a reading level. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Jolly Fish is an imprint of North Star Editions, a Minnesota-based house specializing in trade fiction. Genre: MG and YA fiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

The London Magazine. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

The Temz Review. Genre: Prose (fiction and creative non-fiction) up to 10,000 words long. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Mayday. Genre: Short fiction, CNF, Poetry, Art, Interviews, Nonfiction. Payment: $20 - $50. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Cast of Wonders. Genre: YA Speculative fiction. Podcast. See theme. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction up to 6,000 words. For reprints, a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction. Deadline: Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Three Cousins Publishing: The Trouble With Time. Genre: Time travel stories. Stories must be between 3,000 and 5,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 31, 2024. Email the submission to westmesapress@gmail.com. Put “Submission, your story title, and your name in the subject line.

Quarter Press: Quarter(ly). Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. See themes. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Space and Time. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, horror, steampunk, magical realism. See theme. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Arc Poetry Magazine. Genre: Poetry. "Arc Poetry Magazine invites artists who live with disability/chronic illness/mental illness and other forms of existence that are impacted by ableism to send us poems exploring what it means to be in the world, or your topic of choice." Payment: $50 per page. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Nonbinary Review. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Theme: False Memories. Length: Up to 3,000 words for prose; up to 3 pages for poetry Payment: $0.01/word for prose, $10 for poetry. $25 flat fee for visual art, or $50 for pieces chosen as cover art. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Spooky. Genre: Horror. "Cozy horror. Fun horror. Classy horror. Dare we say, wholesome horror?" Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

parABnormal. Genre: Nonfiction, poetry on the paranormal. "For us, this includes ghosts, spectres, haunts, various whisperers, and so forth. It also includes shapeshifters and creatures from various folklores." Payment: $25.00 for original stories, $7.00 for reprints.$6.00 for each poem. $20.00 for original articles, $6.00 for reprints. $7.00 for reviews and interviews. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Haven Speculative. Restrictions: Open to submissions by authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Kaleidotrope. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry—science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but also compelling work that blurs the lines between these and falls outside of neat genre categories. Payment: For fiction, $0.01/word (1 cent a word) USD. For poetry, a flat rate of $5 USD per accepted piece. For artwork, a flat rat of $60 for cover art. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Gwyllion. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: £10 per accepted story or poem. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Brink. Genre: Hybrid, cross-genre fiction, nonfiction poetry. Payment: $25 Poem; $50 Work (less than 1500 words); $50 Art (1-3 Images); $100 Art (4+ Images); $100 Work (more than 1501 words). Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Cowboy Up. Genre: "We are looking for stories up to 7500 words in length that feature the sport of Rodeo. They can be in any genre as long as the sport of Rodeo is a key part of the story." Payment: $20. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Spoon Knife Anthology. Genre: Genre- bending short fiction, short literary memoir, and poetry. See theme. Payment: $20 plus 1 cent per word. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Lycan Valley Publications. Genre: Horror, thriller and pulp novellas with some type of paranormal, supernatural, occult or psychological aspect. Own Voices and BIPOC are strongly encouraged to submit. Adult and YA novellas considered. Submit your complete novella (17,000 to 28,000 words) in rtf or pages format. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

Flash Point Science Fiction. Genre: Speculative fiction stories from 100 to 1,000 words in length. "Send us your science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and everything in between, so long as it’s short." Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

AM Ink. Genre: Horror. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2024.

AND A FEW MORE...

The Rumpus. Genre: Essays. Payment: $400 divided among all contributors. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: August 1, 2024. See themes.

Zombies in the New Normal. Genre: Zombie stories. Payment: $100. Deadline: August 1, 2024.


Broken Highways. Genre: Car Wars GameLit Fiction. "Theme: Have you ever looked at someone, and just know that they have one hell of a tale to tell? First-hand accounts from the road, told by the bounty hunters, highwaymen, and Federal Marshals out there in the mix." Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000.  Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Face the Storm. Genre: Speculative Fiction. Theme: A collection of stories dealing with Space Coasties! Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Fiction, 15 cents/word. Poetry, $10. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

The First Line. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction using the first line provided. (See site.) Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $10.00 for poetry, and $25.00 for nonfiction. Deadline: August 1, 2024.