Erica Verrillo's Blog

Pickpik This September 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!
______________________


Bourbon Penn. Genre: "We are looking for highly imaginative stories with a healthy dose of the odd. Odd characters, odd experiences, odd realities. We’re looking for genre / speculative stories and are quite partial to slipstream, cross-genre, magic realism, absurdist, and the surreal." Length: 2000 - 7500 words. Payment: 4 cents/word. Deadline: Opens September 1, 2025.

IHRAM Publishes. Genre: Poetry, fiction, esssays, art. Theme: Enduring Voices: Life with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses. Payment: $50 for writing, $25 for art. Deadline: September 1, 2025.

Bog Matter. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and graphic shorts that could be described as science fiction, horror, fantasy, magical realism, slipstream, New Weird, utopian, dystopian, satirical, cross-genre, experimental, or exuding a general air of oddness. Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: September 1, 2025.

Affirm Press. Restrictions: Open to Australians only. Genre: All literary and genre fiction. For non-fiction, they are interested in most subjects that have a connection to Australia. authors or authors based in Australia, and only manuscripts that haven’t been previously published. They only accept submissions on the first Monday of each month. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 1, 2025.

The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Prose. They prefer stories under 3,000 words but will consider up to 5,000 words. Payment: $100. Deadline: Opens September 1, 2025. Free submissions open on the 1st of each month and close when cap is reached.

Solstitia. Genre: All genres and forms. Payment: $50. Deadline: September 1, 2025.

Philadelphia Stories. Restrictions: Open to authors living in, or originally from, Pennsylvania, Delaware, or New Jersey. Genre: fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art. Payment: $50. Deadline: September 1, 2025.

Fourteen Poems Genre: Poems. "We want to represent all that's thrilling about the new wave of LGBT+ poets. If you’re a poet, even if you’ve never been published before, we want to read your work. Every issue we publish 14 of the best queer poems we’ve found, and we want to include you! We publish 4 times a year, but take submissions all year round. To be considered, email up to 5 poems, preferably in a pdf format, with a small paragraph about yourself." Payment: £30 for each poem published. Deadline: September 1, 2025.

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, 2025.

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: September 1, 2025. No submission fee for POC and Indigenous writers and writers facing financial hardship.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: September 1, 2025. See themes.

Variety Pack. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, poetry, CNF, art. Payment: $10 for poetry and visual art; $20 for prose. Deadline: Opens  September 1, 2025.

Red Wolf Editions. Genre: Poems on theme: “Recovering Greenness.” Payment: Royalties? Deadline: September 1, 2025. (?)

Toronto Journal. Genre: Short stories from anywhere in the world. No word limit. "We will also consider non-fiction pieces that are either set locally or explore some local history (Toronto, GTA, and surrounding)." Payment: $50 CAD per piece. All published writers will also receive two printed copies of the issue in which they appear. Deadline: September 1, 2025.

Phi Kappa Phi Forum. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Payment: $4/ line. Deadline: September 2, 2025.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: September 2, 2025. Opens September 1.

Tyche Books. Genre: Speculative fiction. See theme. Payment: $20 CAD for poems, $50 CAD for short stories. Deadline: September 3, 2025.

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, 2025. Note: This is a monthly call.

University of Queensland Press. Restrictions: Open to Australian citizens or permanent residents. Genre: Nonfiction manuscripts. UQP is currently seeking adult non-fiction submissions that address environmental sustainability and the climate crisis. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 7, 2025.

Raconteur Press. Genre: Stories about monsters with a retro feel. Tales in the vein of Roger Corman, Harry Harryhausen, Christopher Lee, Bob Wilkins, and so on. Giant killer kaijus! Genetic experiments! A creature feature of tentacles, gill-men, and were-beasts! Are those skeletons walking around? Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 7, 2025.

Black Inc. Restrictions: Open to Australians. Genre: Full-length general, literary and commercial non-fiction – including history, current affairs, memoir and biography. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 7, 2025. This is a monthly call.

Trans Survivors Zine. Genre: Trans and nonbinary art. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: September 8, 2025.

Uncanny Magazine. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: September 8, 2025.

Samjoko Magazine. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, play, screenplay. Payment: $20. Deadline: September 10, 2025.

Vellum Mortis. Genre: Horror. Length: 1000 words max. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 10, 2025.

Shenandoah. Genre: Fiction. Payment: $80 per 1000 words of prose up to $400. Deadline: Opens September 10, 2025, and closes when they reach capacity.

Book Worms. Genre: Horror: fiction, poetry, and essays. See theme. Length: Up to 1,500 words. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: September 10, 2025.

Quarter Press: Quarter(ly). Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. See themes. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 14, 2025. Closes when cap is reached.

Cast of Wonders. Genre: YA Speculative fiction. Podcast. See themes. 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: September 14, 2025.

Tin House. Genre: Debut Short Story Collections. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September14, 2025. Opens September 13.

Plott Hound. Genre: Speculative fiction starring animals. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: September 15, 2025.

Sublimation. Genre: Speculative poetry and art. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 15, 2025.

Rat Bag. Genre: Fiction that crosses genres and blurs the lines between literary and genre. Payment: $1 - $10. Deadline: September 15, 2025. Closes when cap is reached.

Eye to the Telescope: Cyberpunk. Genre: Speculative poetry. Theme: Cyberpunk. Payment: $0.05/word (up to $25). Deadline: September 15, 2025.

Novellum. Genre: Short stories, poetry, novellas, art. Payment: "Competitive rates." Deadline: September 15, 2025.

Lonely Cryptid: Trans/Port: Trans Speculative Fiction for a Queer Future. Genre: Speculative fiction. "The title of this anthology is intentionally open to interpretation. Give us trans like transporting, transforming, translating, transmitting, transcendental, transistor (radio? Sure!), and of course transgender! Give us port like any port in a storm, jacking in, porting software, and like we’ve opened a portal to another (better?) world!" Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: September 15, 2025.

Kopi Break. Restrictions: Open to those affiliated with Singapore and the Singaporean diaspora. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 15, 2025.

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, 2025.

Penumbric. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art, animation, and music. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 15, 2025.

Three-Lobed Burning Eye. Genre: Horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: September 16, 2025.

Westerly. Genre: Short stories, poetry, memoir and creative non-fiction, essays and literary criticism. Payment: Poems: $250 for one poem or $300 for two or more poems; Prose: $500; Visual art/Intro essay: $620; Online Publication: $250. Deadline: September 17, 2025.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: September 19, 2025.

Raconteur Press. Genre: Stories about mercenaries and their adventures. Think Black Company, Hammer’s Slammers, Strange Company, Jon Sable, Phule’s Company, some cranially-iffy guy named Roland, and so on. Mercenaries aren’t obligated to maintain the same moral/ethical standards a soldier is expected to. They may also be the only ones able to pull off a mission when the uniformed military is unable to do so. Not limited to a specific timeframe or setting. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 21, 2025.

Reckoning. Genre: Art, poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction up to 15,000 words in length. See theme. Payment: 10 cents per word (US) for prose, $50 per page for poetry and art. Deadline: September 22, 2025.

Tiny Ghost Press is looking for young adult novels written from a queer perspective. That is, stories featuring a queer protagonist or from a queer author. "We're interested in everything from contemporary romance, to dystopian adventures, and if your story dabbles in the spooky, the supernatural, or the paranormal, or has a speculative element even better! We're especially looking for stories featuring trans, BIPOC, and neurodivergent characters in lead roles written by authors from these communities."  Read submission guidelines  HERE. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 23, 2025.

The Ex-Puritan. Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: $100 per nonfiction piece, $50 fiction, $15 per poem. Deadline: September 25, 2025.

The Book of Cardiff. Genre: Stories set in Cardiff. Payment: "Standard author fees." Deadline: September 26, 2025.

Gap Riot. Genre: Experimental, visual, innovative, and genre-blurring feminist poetry by primarily Canadian poets. Length: Short short chapbooks (absolute max 20 pages). Payment: Royalties, after first 20 copies have sold. Deadline: September 26, 2025.

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, 2025. Accepts reprints.

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, 2025. Closes when they reach capacity, so submit early.

Toad Shade Zine. Genre: Horror on theme "We're all going to die." Payment: $20 for stories, $20 for art. Deadline: September 30th, 2025. 

Kenyon Review. Genre: Prose, drama, poetry, translations, excerpts. See theme. Payment: $0.08 per published word of prose (minimum $80, maximum $450) and $0.16 per published word of poetry (minimum $40, maximum $200). Deadline: September 30th, 2025. 

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, 2025.

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.” No non-vegan stories. Payment: 1¢ per word for accepted stories (with a minimum of $20 regardless of length. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

Fifth Wheel Press: effervscent. 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: September 30, 2025.

Inkd Publishing: Hidden Villains: Duos. Genre: Speculative Fiction, including Sci-Fi or Fantasy. See theme. Word Limit: 2,000 to 7,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

Black Hare Press. Genre: Dark stories, in any genre. Length: 5,000 - 50,000 words. Payment: $20 - $50, depending on length. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories, 12,000 words minimum. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

Harbor Review. Genre: Chapbook. Length: Chapbooks should be between 20-40 pages of poetry or 20-50 pages of prose. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2025. No submission fee for BIPOC writers.

Freefall. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Short story and novel excerpts; non-fiction, writing-related or general-audience topics; creative non-fiction; plays; and postcard stories. Payment: $10 per page in the magazine (to a maximum of $100) and one copy of the issue your piece is published in. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

Small Harbor Publishing. Genre: Chapbooks. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2025. All fees are waived for BIPOC identifying writers.

Midnight and Indigo. Genre: Personal essays. Payment: $150. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

University of Alberta Press. Genre: Poetry by Canadian citizens and landed immigrants. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

Manawaker Studio: 100 Word Project. Genre: Speculative fiction of exactly 100 words. See theme. Payment: $1. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

Thalia Press: Cat Anthology. Genre: Stories that feature cats. Payment: $25. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

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, 2025.

Chestnut Review. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, visual media (art/photography). Payment: $120. Deadline: September 30, 2025. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee.

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, 2025.

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, 2025. Note: Opens on the first day of the month and closes once they hit the submissions cap.

Heartlines Spec. Restrictions: "Since Heartlines Spec is primarily a Canadian magazine, we're looking to feature writers identifying as being from Canada/Turtle Island. This includes expats, new immigrants, and people who refuse/resist Canadian Identity. Our goal for each issue is to publish at least 50% Canadian content." Genre: Short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial. "We want stories and poetry with strong, confident relationships amid all the sci-fi/fantasy. We are especially interested in stories featuring queer platonic relationships, ace/aro love stories, and polycules." Payment: $0.08 CAD per word for short fiction and $80 CAD flat for poetry. Deadline: September 30, 2025. 

Black Hare Press. Genre: Dark stories, in any genre. Payment: 5,000 to 10,000 words  – $20 USD, 10,000 to 17,000 words– $30 USD. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

Home Constellations. Genre: Speculative fiction. Theme: Stories about the future which feature non-traditional families. Payment: Prose and poetry: 5$ + 1c/word over 500 (up to 5k) words + .2c/word over 5k words. Graphic Narrative Fiction: 5$/page. Cover Illustration: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2025. Reprints accepted.

Dragon Soul Press: Holiday Spirit. Genre: All Christmas-themed stories are welcome. All genres accepted.  Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

In the Words of a Flower. Genre: Fantasy stories that incorporate an aspect of floriography, the language of flowers. Payment: $50. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

The Bombay Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, poetry, translated fiction/poetry and graphic fiction. Payment: Indian rupees 5,000 (approx. $61) per contribution. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

The Big Book of Quantum Fiction. Genre: Short stories, poetry, art within one or more standard genres, but containing one or more “quantum” elements. See theme. Payment: $24. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

AND A FEW MORE...

IHRAM Press: Art, Action, Impact: Voices of 21st-century Activism. Genre: "This anthology will explore interventions that have sparked widespread change, highlighting protests and acts of resistance expressed through art, storytelling, and personal activism." Payment: $50. Deadline: October 1, 2025.

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, 2025.

The Last Line. Genre: Fiction that ends with the last line provided. Payment: $20-$40. Deadline: October 1, 2025.

The Paris Review. Genres: Fiction, poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2025, and closes when they reach capacity.
​
Sundog. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art. Payment: $50. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2025, and closes when they reach capacity.

Humour Me. Genre: Funny short stories with the theme ‘Autumn.’ Payment: £7.50. Deadline: October 1, 2025.

Pixnio This September there are more than three dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $25,000 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! 

____________________


2025 QTBIPOC Book Prize. Restrictions: Open to QTBIPOC-identified, feminist, innovative writers/poets. Genre: Full-length manuscript. Prize: Publication along with $1,000.00.  Deadline: September 1, 2025.

Morioka International Haiku Contest. Genre: Haiku. Prize: Not specified. Deadline: September 1, 2025.

The Jacki and Jeff Karsh Journalism Fellowship. Genre: Journalism. The Karsh Fellowship convenes journalists for immersive learning, mentorship, and collaboration, empowering them to produce original work of exceptional depth and authority on Jewish issues. Prize: $4000. Deadline: September 1, 2025. 

The SETI Institute: Cosmic Chronicles Literary Prize. Restrictions: Open to emerging writers. Genre: literature, speculative fiction/sci-fi, experimental poetry, and philosophy that reflects and expands on the SETI Institute’s “Intelligence and Consciousness” research area. Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 1, 2025. 

Coppercoat Brian Black Memorial Award 2025. Genre: Images and stories that answer the questions: How have you witnessed the changing marine environment and weather patterns through your sailing and along the coast? What was driving this change? and How do we respond to it? In the main article competition, we are looking for a story about sailing that you have done and that reveals something about our changing seas. Prize: £2,000. Deadline: September 1, 2025.

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 1, 2025.

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, 2025.

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: September 1, 2025.

The Hinternet Essay Prize. Genre: Essay on topic: “How might current and emerging technologies best be mobilized to secure perpetual peace?” Essays must be of 2,000-10,000 words, and can be written in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Polish, or Turkish. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: September 1, 2025.
Hadassah-Brandeis Research Awards. Genre: Research or artistic projects in Jewish women’s and gender studies across a range of disciplines. Awards are made to graduate students, early career, and established researchers. Prize: $2000 - $5000. Deadline: September 2, 2025.

Maine Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to writers who have lived in the state of Maine for at least one year. Genre: Fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: September 3, 2025.

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 5, 2025.

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 7, 2025.

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 7, 2025.

Only Poems Poem of the Month. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Prize: $33.  Deadline: September 7, 2025.

Undiscovered Voices. Restrictions: Current members of SCBWI who live in the UK or one of the current countries of the EU or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. Genre: Opening of an already completed novel for children, aimed at any age from 5 years through to Young Adult. You may submit up to 4,000 words – choosing a suitable place to stop your extract. Prize: Publication. Deadline: September 8, 2025.

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 8, 2025.

Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Genre: Book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers and has the potential to shape or influence thinking on contemporary Canadian political life. Book must be published in Canada. Prize: CAN $25,000.  Deadline: September 10, 2025. (For books published between January 1, 2025 and August 31, 2025)

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: September 14, 2025.

Washington State Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Washington State writers. Genre: Published book, fiction, nonfiction, poetry: adults or children. Prize: Recognition (?) Deadline: September 15, 2025. (For books published June 1-Aug.15, 2025.)

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: September 15, 2025.

53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: September 15, 2025. 

Fractured Lit Elsewhere Prize. Restrictions: Free entry for marginalized groups only. 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, 2026. 

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, 2025.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for one story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: September 19, 2025.

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 21, 2025. Opens September 19, 2025.

Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awards. Restrictions: Scottish writers over 18 years of age. Genres: The awards are divided into three different categories.: Fiction and Narrative Non-fiction in English and Scots, Poetry in English and Scots, Children’s and Young Adult Fiction in English and Scots. Prize: £2,500 and personal development opportunities, which can include mentoring from writers and industry professionals. Training in PR, performance and presentation training, and the opportunity to showcase work to publishers and agents. Deadline: September 24, 2025.

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: For books published between 1 December 2025 and 30 April 2026 the deadline is September 25, 2025.

Cullman Center Fellowships. 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 $90,000, an office, a computer, and full access to the Library's physical and electronic resources. Deadline: September 26, 2025.

Kari Ann Flickinger Biennial Memorial Literary Prize. Genre: Poetry chapbook. Prize: $1500 plus publication with Rare Swan Press; four finalists will receive $250 along with a Literati Magazine Portfolio. Deadline: September 30, 2025. Biennial prize.

Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Writing 2026. Restrictions: All entrants must be Australian residents as of the closing date. Local entrants must live, work or study in the Shire of Nillumbik. Youth writers must be aged 11–21 years as of the closing date. Youth categories are free to enter. Genre: Poetry and fiction. Prize: Up to $5000. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

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, 2025.

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, 2025.

SUSPECT Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Flash fiction. See theme. Prize: USD300, 200, and 100. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

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, 2025.

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, 2025.

Sejong International Sijo Competition. Genre: Sijo poem. Prize: $500. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $150. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

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, 2025.

Shoreline of Infinity Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Science fiction story about Peace. 1000 words max. See theme. Prize: £50. Deadline: September 30, 2025.

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, 2025. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

Aspen: Raw Pixel 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, how to market your books, discussions - there is something for everyone.

I have included conferences with deadlines that have already passed on this list to give you advance notice. 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!

For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences.

Be sure to check out Highlights list of workshops. They offer many throughout the year. 

__________________________

Star Island Writing Retreat. September 1 - 5, 2025: 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.

Expressing Your Voice: A Two-Night Workshop for YA & MG Novelists. September 8 - 10, 2025: Online. Join editor Kat Brzozowski and author Anna-Marie McLemore to explore creating distinct and engaging voice and authentic dialogue on the page. While a strong voice in MG & YA novels is a must, getting it right is often elusive. Kat and Anna-Marie will explore where voice comes from—inner conflicts, outside pressures, personal values, experiences, identity—and how to make sure it lands convincingly in dialogue.

Writing and Publishing Books for Young Readers. September 9 - October 7, 2025: Online. We’ll read and discuss excerpts from impactful children’s books, both classic and current, and analyze why they work so well. Weekly generative prompts will inspire you whether you’re just beginning your kidlit adventure, or you’re already working on a piece and want to hone it further. Bring your desire to write for children and/or young adults, an open mind and a childlike sense of adventure!

Middle Grade Writers: A Generative Retreat. September 10 - 13, 2025: Boyds Mills, PA. Immerse yourself in the generative writing process and try new, hands-on techniques to spark creativity, connect, unwind, and generate new pages (or revive old ones). Waitlisted.

Art as Inspiration: An Ekphrasitic Poetry Workshop. September 10 – October 8, 2025: Online. When everyday life doesn’t inspire us, we can turn to other art forms to move us. Learn how to build a friendship between verse and art by using the energy of music, paintings, films and more to create exciting ekphrastic poems. This encouraging workshop will help you collect inspirations and engage with structures, themes and motifs of other artists. You will read published examples of ekphrastic poetry, complete generative exercises and share drafts with fellow writers. Come empty-handed to write something new, or bring some works-in progress to revise. Limited to 12 participants.


Inkubator Writing Conference. September 11 - 13, 2025: 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. 

Futurescapes. September 11 - 14, 2025: Online. Futurescapes is an intensive, exclusive workshop, offering writers an unparalleled chance to work with top authors and agents in speculative fiction (science fiction, horror, fantasy, paranormal). This summer, we’ll be exploring the first 100 pages of your manuscript. The workshop sessions will require work outside of meeting times as there is a generative nature to it. This workshop is smaller and more competitive than our regular workshop. In addition to workshopping a larger portion of your manuscript (25,000 words), we’ll have plenty of unstructured and semi-structured time to network with fellow students and faculty.

PNWA Conference. September 11 - 14, 2025: 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.

A Public Space's 2025 Weekend Writers' Retreat. September 11 - 14: Tivoli, New York. The APS Weekend Writers' Retreat is an opportunity to nurture new work and expand and explore technique. The retreat will include morning workshops with limited participants (5 to 7 per workshop); afternoon literary talks; and an array of evening events, including readings and a Saturday BBQ. There will also be opportunities for informal conversations with authors and editors and independent generative exercises, as well as complimentary tickets to events at Kaatsbaan's Annual Festival. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. There is no fee to apply. Applicants must be 21 years of age by September 1, 2025, to apply. Capacity is limited, and applying early is recommended.

The Alabama Writers' Conclave. September 12 - 14, 2025: 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. 

Picture Book Authors and Illustrators: Working Retreat. September 13 - 16, 2025: Boyds Mills, PA. Picture book writers and illustrators: set aside time to focus on your picture book project! Here is a special retreat just for you. Join fiction and nonfiction author Darcy Pattison, author/illustrator Leslie Helakoski, and their guests including Aram Kim and Matt Phipps to immerse yourself in all things picture books. You’ll enjoy presentations, read alouds, small group discussions of your work, and so much more. In addition to the support from your faculty and fellow creatives, you’ll have ample time to work on your stories. We recommend bringing several stories at various parts of the drafting and revision processes. Waitlisted.

Brooklyn Book Festival. September 14 - 22, 2025: 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.

Hold Space Retreat for Artists of Color. September 15 - 23, 2025: Saugatuck, Michigan. Participants who qualify for a Hold Space Retreat can enjoy communal living, making, and opportunities to organize on Ox-Bow’s campus in Saugatuck, Michigan. Lodging, three meals per day, and access to Ox-Bow studios and spaces are provided. People of color across the creative spectrum including artists of any discipline, writers, curators, teachers, and Ox-Bow Alumni are encouraged to apply. The retreat supports individuals or groups of up to twenty for any length from one to seven nights. Application deadline: July 6, 2025.

WRITING THE MORE THAN HUMAN WORLD with Pam Houston - Part 1. September 15 - October 6, 2025: Online. In this workshop, we will focus on writing about animals, domesticated and wild; trees, individuals and entire forests, oceans, mountains, clouds, weather. They will become more than landscape, more than easy emotion. They will become characters, we will let them be, if they want to be, the reason the story exists at all. And if we dare we might even explore an underworld, a future world, or another world all together Workshop is open to writers in all genres. It will be mostly generative in nature, but we will share what we are working on from time to time during class.
​
Monsters & Mayhem: A Two-Night Mini for Young Adult Horror Writers. September 16 - 18, 2025: Online. Horror novels for young adult readers don’t just scare – they give voice to all the fears and anxieties readers experience and can offer safe spaces to explore complex emotions in a difficult world. Join young adult author Rob Costello for this short course for writers looking to create engaging and compelling horror narratives for young adult readers. This program will draw on current and classic horror examples.

The Algonkian Writer Retreat and Novel Workshop. September 17 - 21, 2025: 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?"

Writing On The Door: Washington Island Literary Festival. September 18 - 20, 2025: 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." 

Creatures, Crimes & Creativity. September 19 - 21, 2025: Columbia, MD. A writer's and fan's conference for genre fiction covering mystery, suspense, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk & horror.

Hedgebrook Writers Conference 2025. September 18 - 21, 2025: 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.” 

10th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference. September 20 - 21, 2025: 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 Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference will offer you all that you need to refine and improve your craft." 

Travel & Words: Northwest Travel Writers Conference. September 21 - 23, 2025: Medford, Oregon. TRAVEL & WORDS offers a multi-faceted conference for travel journalists interested in exploring Northwest destinations. The primary focus of the conference is to connect journalists with destinations throughout the Northwest. Attendees will have one-on-one meetings with destination marketers to learn about their destination and lay a foundation for productive working relationships. In addition, attendees will enjoy expert presentations about current topics in travel content publishing and have plenty of opportunities for networking and exploring the host destination. In more than a decade of conferences, Travel & Words has become an important force in the Northwest travel industry. Travel & Words is by invitation only. There is no registration fee for journalists. 

Haiku North America Conference. September 24 - 28, 2025: San Francisco, CA. "Haiku North America is designed for, and open to, everyone—beginners and seasoned specialists alike. Haiku North America (HNA) is a biennial conference in celebration of haiku poetry. Every two years we offer five stimulating days of papers, panels, workshops, readings, performances, book sales, cultural outings, and much socialization with fellow poets, translators, scholars, editors, and publishers. Our first conference was in 1991 and subsequent conferences have taken place in the United States and Canada, focusing on North American poets, their haiku, and related arts. Everyone is welcome to attend HNA, the largest and oldest gathering of haiku poets outside Japan." Biennial.

Georgia Romance Writers: Moonlight and Magnolias. September 25 - 27, 2025: Atlanta, Georgia. Includes keynote speakers, workshops, editor/agent appointments, autographing & bookfair, awards banquet.

Algonkian Writer Conference–New York City Write to Pitch. September 25 - 28, 2025: 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.

Central Coast Writers' Conference. September 26 - 27, 2025: San Luis Obispo, CA. "Unlike other Writers' conferences, this year's conference has been expanded to encompass the wider 'Content Creator Community.' Our goal is to amplify the connection of content creators on the Central Coast and beyond including bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, influencers, authors, narrators, journalists, artists, screenwriters, musicians, and of course - writers of all genres! As the medium for literary work has expanded beyond the book, content creators from all walks of life are encouraged to attend. There will be 16+ expert panels, featuring 50+ experts & thought leaders." 

Colorado Gold Writers Conference. September 26 - 28, 2025: Aurora, CO. An intensive three days of workshops, presenters, agents, master classes, intensives, and more!

The 2025 Aspen Literary Festival. September 26 - 28, 2025: Aspen, Colorado. The Aspen Literary Festival is a three-day celebration of books and ideas taking place September 26-September 28, 2025, in the beautiful mountain town of Aspen, Colorado. The festival features author talks and panel discussions, book signings, food trucks, parties and other attractions for book lovers. Most events are free with registration. Marquee events at the Wheeler Opera House are ticketed and require advance purchase.  

49 Writers Tutka Bay Retreat. September 26 - 29, 2025: Tutka Bay, Alaska. Join us for a one-of-a-kind writing retreat set against the stunning backdrop of remote coastal Alaska. The Tutka Bay Writers Retreat allows writers of all genres, backgrounds, and experience levels to take a break from their day-to-day lives, reconnect with their creative selves, and dive deeper into their writing practice. At this generative writers retreat, you and a small group of other writers will enjoy craft talks, in-class writing exercises, readings, and discussions led by Ramona Ausubel, acclaimed author and teacher. In between instructional sessions, you and other retreat participants will have plenty of unstructured time to write, rest, dream, and socialize. The retreat is limited to 12 participants.

Write on the Sound Writers' Conference and Pre-Conference. Preconference, September 27, 2025. Conference: Oct 3 - 5, 2025: Edmonds, WA. Founded in 1985, Write on the Sound writers’ conference (WOTS) is a small, affordable conference focused on the craft of writing. A variety of sessions, workshops and panel discussions are available for all levels and interests, including valuable information regarding today’s writing and publishing industry. 

Okoboji Writers' Retreat. September 28 - October 1, 2025: 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.

Six Bridges Book Festival. September 28 - October 5, 2025: 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. 

The Wild We Speak: Lyrical Essays from Our Shared Ground. An Invitation to Craft Lyrical Nature Essays with CMarie Fuhrman. September 29 -30, 2025: Online. This three-hour generative workshop invites you into a focused examination of the lyrical nature essay, where the elements of the natural world become guides for crafting prose. We'll discover how your unique ways of seeing and knowing can give craft to your experiences within our shared environment. This class is for all writers who feel a genuine connection to the natural world and wish to translate that connection into prose that resonates with truth and artistry. If you're drawn to the various gifts of poetry, or if music, image, and nonlinearity already inform your expression, this workshop offers you the opportunity to bring those techniques to prose.


From Idea & Sketch to Dummy & Submission: An Author/Illustrator Online Course. September 30 - November 4, 2025: 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 Courtney Pippin-Mathur and special guests, Natasha Khan Kazi and Aram Kim. Participants who complete all assignments should be able to finish or revise a working dummy (mocked up book) in its entirety during the course, preparing for submission to editors, agents, or art directors. 24 participants max. 

Events with application deadlines in September:

Ossabaw Weekend Writer’s Retreat. October 17 - 20, 2025: Ossabaw Island, GA. Ossabaw Writers’ Retreat offers a variety of programs to address the needs of writers hoping to expand their craft and improve their work-in-progress. We hope you will join us in this great literary tradition by taking part in one or more of the various programs offered by the Ossabaw Writers’ Retreat. Where loggerhead sea turtles and endangered wood storks nest, and photographers, writers, painters, and musicians listen, watch, reflect, and create. Application deadline: September 15.

Julie Romeis Sanders Here are seven 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.

_______________________


Geffen Semach of Westwood Creative Artists (CANADA)

Prior to joining Westwood Creative Artists in 2025, I spent five years at Penguin Random House Canada, and two years at Aitken Alexander Associates as an assistant. Before that, I started my publishing career interning at Andrew Nurnberg Associates and Profile Books. I have edited for Hazlitt, and am on the editorial board of ROOM Magazine. I am interested in a wide range of writing and represent both fiction and non-fiction.


What she is seeking: Fiction: I am looking for general upmarket fiction; horror, thriller and suspense; sci fi, speculative, fantasy and romantasy; as well as select concept-driven romance and literary novels. I am drawn to genre-blending novels that tackle human complexity, thoughtful world-building, strong emotional resonance, and bold voices and concepts. I love novels with teeth that make me feel viscerally—either grounded or unsettled—and nuanced characters that feel both fresh and challenging. Some of my favourite contemporary fiction writers include Torrey Peters, Asako Yazuki, Akwaeke Emezi, Mona Awad, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Michael Bennett, Sarah Pearse, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Marisha Pessl, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Terry Miles, Pierce Brown, Andy Weir, Grace D. Li, Ali Hazelwood, Laura R. Samotin, Danielle L. Jensen, Sara Peters, Daisy Johnson, and Yaa Gyasi.

Non-fiction: I am interested in journalism in the vein of social commentary, pop culture, politics, art and media; expert-driven writing relating to medicine and mental health, sex and relationships, and money; as well as exceptional memoir. For me it is the balance of an authoritative voice with accessibility. Particularly books that explore complex, often systemic issues—from politics to psychology to culture—told from a personal or human-centered lens. Please connect with me if you are an expert with a strong voice and an idea to share. I am happy to chat with writers who are at the beginning stages of forming an idea to craft a proposal together. Non-fiction contemporary writers I love include Elizabeth Miki Brina, Sonia Faleiro, Sheila Heti, Jia Tolentino, Ian Williams, Chris Hedges, Timothy Snyder, Jonathan Haidt, Kieran Setiya, Daniel J. Levitin, Oliver Burkeman, Daniel Barbarisi, Jessica Fern, Javier Zamora, and Bethany Joy Lenz.

I encourage submissions from underrepresented writers including 2SLGBTQI+, BIPOC, and/or disabled.

How to submit: Follow submission guidelines HERE.
_______________________


Grace Demyan of Harvey Klinger, Inc.

Grace joined the Harvey Klinger Literary Agency in 2025, where she is thrilled to begin building a list as an Associate Agent. A graduate of Tufts University and the Tulane University School of Law, Grace currently lives outside of Washington, DC.


What she is seeking: She is interested in a wide range of fiction and always on the lookout for underrepresented authors. In general, she loves quirky-off beat storytelling that can deliver heartfelt and thoughtful messaging, characters with richly developed relationships, and stories that center around a fantastical or often-overlooked setting. She is actively seeking fiction: LiteraryCommercialThrillerRomanceFantasySci-FiHorrorHistoricalWomen's FictionYoung Adult

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.

_______________________



Michael Taeckens of Massie & McQuilkin

Michael Taeckens received his MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and has been working in publishing since 1995. He co-founded Broadside PR in 2015, and his clients in that time have been awarded and shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Booker Prize, National Book Critics Circle Award, PEN America Literary Award, Whiting Award, International Dublin Award, Windham-Campbell Prize, Women’s Prize, Story Prize, L.A. Times Book Prize, Young Lions Award, Lambda Literary Award, NAACP Image Award, and the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and have been featured regularly in national media, including eight of his projects on the cover of the New York Times Book Review. 


What he is seeking: He’s interested in literary fiction and a wide variety of narrative nonfiction (including biography, cultural studies, history/current events, hybrid work, memoir, popular culture, and science).

How to submit: Please send queries directly to michael@mmqalit.com with the subject line “query” and include a synopsis of your project, your publication history, and a brief bio. Please also include an excerpt of up to 10 pages pasted within the body of the email (not as an attachment, please). If you haven’t heard from him in 4-6 weeks, your project is not a good fit for him.

_______________________


Tara Contreras of D4EO Literary Agency


What I Look For in an Author:

I’m excited to find not only exceptional stories, but driven storytellers as well. 

If you are an author with big visions both on and off the page who is looking
for a collaborative partnership with an agency to bring your voice and goals to
life, I want to know you.

I am especially interested in working with authors who are willing to learn
from us how to market via social media. I believe creating a marketing plan is
essential - especially for debut authors and I love helping authors build out a
strategic plan for getting the word out about their work!

What she is seeking: Romantasy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, New Adult, Young Adult, Romance & Dark Romance

Things I Love:Fierce female characters who embrace their femininityStrong female friendshipsChallenging stereotypesSharp opinionsEmotional, deep & dynamic relationships (platonic & romantic)New takes on standard tropesUnique magic systemsEmotional turmoil that rips me apart then sews me back togetherMorally grey characters
How to submit: Use her querytracker form HERE.

_______________________


Ms. Ruth Gila Berger of Red Sofa Literary

Ruth Gila Berger (she/her) spent twenty-four years at Consortium Book Sales & Distribution where she worked with a wide variety of independent presses, sales reps and independent booksellers. She has a MFA in Creative Writing from Hamline University, and was in the first cohort who built Water~Stone Review.

In prehistory, Ruth left suburban New York for the University of Iowa, where she got a BA in Theater Arts and Psychology. She never got over the culture shock. She current resides in  Minneapolis where she lives with her wife and animals.

What she is seeking: Narrative nonfiction with a story - especially if it marries two seemly disparate fields like art and mathematics, physics and cooking, birds and language, etc. I want to read experts who can charm and surprise me, make me laugh and never take a tone of intellectual superiority.Memoir is where why heart lives but you have to knock my socks off and be connected to something in the larger world. Memoirists must have a platform to sell.Essay collections that show up in the wrong outfit, take a circuitous or unexpected route to writing, and question assumptions, yes please.Fiction that has a hook, nuance and heart. Characters should to haunt me. Any dialogue needs to kill it and plot rules.Same for YA Fiction.Graphic Novels, only if they are original, beautiful and funny.How to submit: Follow submission guidelines HERE.

_______________________


Dylan Haston of Donald Maass Literary Agency

Dylan Haston joined the Donald Maass Literary Agency in 2024 as a Reader and Assistant to Cameron McClure, and in 2025 transitioned to their current role as Assistant Literary Agent. They continue to assist Cameron McClure.

What they are seeking: They specialize in fiction and are interested in projects that engage in any way with science-fictional, fantastical, speculative, weird, queer, poetic, folkloric, and leftist literary traditions.

For fantasy, think books like Metal From Heaven, Three Parts Dead, Fire Logic, The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, The Empress of Salt and Fortune, Saint Death’s Daughter, The Devourers, A Stranger in Olondria, The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, and The Changeling Sea.

For sci-fi, think Terra Ignota, Growing Up Weightless, This is How You Lose the Time War, The Hainish Cycle, The Fortunate Fall, Ring of Swords, Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand, and The Vorkosigan Saga.

For the numinous, slipstream, weird, and intergenre, think My Real Children, The Siege of Burning Grass, The Passion, Gideon the Ninth, Black Wine, Fire in the Unnameable Country, From A Broken Bottle Traces of Perfume Still Emanate, and Rakesfall.

Other than that, don’t self reject! I love stories of all kinds, and I’ll be hooked by anything with a strong voice. Although many of my favorite stories have a speculative edge to them, quite a few of them can also be viewed as romances, mysteries, or literary, so send those over as well!

How to submit: Use their querytracker HERE.

_______________________


Julie Romeis Sanders of SteelWorks Literary

Julie first fell in love with reading while hiding under the covers with a book and a flashlight. She later rediscovered the magic of children’s books working at an independent book and toy store in her Texas hometown, leading to the Columbia Publishing Course and a dream job helping launch Bloomsbury USA in New York City. There, she edited award-winning books for all ages including a PW Best Children’s Book, two titles which became feature films, and acquired numerous debut authors who went on to best-selling careers. Next, she headed west and joined Chronicle Books to spearhead their middle grade and YA program as well as develop unforgettable picture books such as Caldecott Honor Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle. Since 2012, Julie has worked as a freelance editor, bookseller, teacher, and international workshop leader. All of these experiences come together to inform Julie’s outlook as a literary agent—where connection, co-creation, and evolution are key.

With a steady guiding hand in editorial development, a heart for collaborative partnership, and a feel for making connections, Julie brings books into the world that will make lasting contributions to the lives of readers. The right fit client for Julie brings stories that spark joy, tears, and laughter as well as characters who leap off the page, unexpected twists, and new perspectives.

Julie lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two children, and young dog, Ripley. She spends her free time volunteering in equine rescue, paddle boarding, and of course, curling up with a good book (flashlight no longer required).

What she is seeking: Currently I am looking to partner with picture book authors and author/illustrators, graphic novel author/illustrators, and middle grade writers. Fiction is my primary focus and I am open to non-fiction in picture books and graphic novels, especially narrative non-fiction.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.  

Pixabay This August 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!

______________________


Celestial Glossary. Genre: Fiction and creative nonfiction: up to 7,000 words; Comic strips: up to 10 pages; Visual art submissions: up to 2 per submission; Poetry: up to 5 poems per submission. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: Opens August 1, 2025. No fee for submissions until cap is reached.

The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Prose. They prefer stories under 3,000 words but will consider up to 5,000 words. Payment: $100. Deadline: Opens August 1, 2025 Free submissions open on the 1st of each month and close when cap is reached.

ryga. Genre: Poetry, prose and short plays. Payment: $50. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: August 1, 2025. See themes.

The First Line Journal. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry using the line provided. (See theme) Payment: $25-50 for fiction, $25 for nonfiction, $10 for poetry. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

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, 2025.

Lucky Jefferson: Awake. Restrictions: Open to Black Writers and Artists. Genre: Poetry, prose, essays, art on theme. Payment: $15 - $50. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Geist. Restrictions: Canadian connection required. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. Payment: $100 - $1000. Deadline: August 1, 2025. Geist offers no-fee general submissions for Black writers, Indigenous writers, and writers of color.

BOA Editions — Blessing the Boats Selections. Genre: Book of poetry by Women of Color. Payment: $1500 + Publication. Deadline: August 1, 2025.


Dark Waters. Genre: Dark fiction up to 7,000 words. See theme. Payment: Up to $25. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Fearmoji: Queer Emoji Horror. Genre: Adult queer horror. Word Count: 4000–7500. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Burial Books: Science Fiction Short Stories. Genre: Science fiction short stories between 2000 and 8,000 words in length. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Burial Books: Sword and Sorcery Short Stories. Genre: Sword and sorcery fantasy short stories between 2000 and 8,000 words in length. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Howdy Dude. Genre: Western stories between 2,000 and 8,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Fiction, 1.5 cents/word. Poetry, $10. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Saddlebag Dispatches. Genre: Short stories, poetry, and non-fiction articles about the West. Payment: $10 - $20. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: August 2, 2025. Opens August 1.


Splinter. Restrictions: Open to First Nations people. Genre: Fiction, poetry, poetry collections, profiles, CNF, etc. "We’re interested in the fractures and the fight, the moments of stillness, the ridiculous. What does it mean to carry culture, to carry knowledge in a world that wants us to forget? What does survival feel like today — and what does joy look like in the cracks?" Payment: $250 - $900. Deadline: August 3, 2025.

Witch House. Genre: Cosmic horror. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 3, 2025.

The Suburban Review. Genre: Prose, art, poetry. See theme. Payment: $300 - $500. Deadline: August 3, 2025.

Stone's Throw. Genre: Noir, dark fiction, crime short stories. Length: between 1,000 and 2,000 words. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 4, 2025. Note: This is a monthly call.

Affirm Press. Restrictions: Open to Australians only. Genre: All literary and genre fiction. For non-fiction, they are interested in most subjects that have a connection to Australia. authors or authors based in Australia, and only manuscripts that haven’t been previously published. They only accept submissions on the first Monday of each month. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 4, 2025.


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, 2025.

Old Moon. Genre: Weird sword-and-sorcery. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: August 7, 2025.

For What It's Worth. Genre: Creative nonfiction that has some pop-cultural "thing" at their center and combine elements of memoir and cultural criticism. Length: 25-30K words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 9, 2025.


Vellum Mortis. Genre: Horror. Length: 1000 words max. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 10, 2025.

Big Score Lit. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, CNF. Payment: $400 per accepted prose piece; $100 per accepted poem; up to $800 for critical essays (pitch first).  Deadline: August 10, 2025, or until they reach 200 submissions.

Luna Station Quarterly. Restrictions: Open to women writers only. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 15, 2025. 

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, 2025. Fee if submitted online. No fee if submitted by mail. Journal is located in Canada.


Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: August 15, 2025. 

Crimson Quill Quarterly. Genre: Dark fantasy, sword & sorcery, and ​grimdark ​subgenres of fantasy. Payment: $35. Deadline: August 15, 2025.

Mmemory Anthology. Genre: Speculative stories of memory manipulation. Length: Up to 2000 words. Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: August 15, 2025.

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, 2025. Accepts reprints.

Lonely Cryptid: Trans/Port: Trans Speculative Fiction for a Queer Future. Genre: Speculative fiction. "The title of this anthology is intentionally open to interpretation. Give us trans like transporting, transforming, translating, transmitting, transcendental, transistor (radio? Sure!), and of course transgender! Give us port like any port in a storm, jacking in, porting software, and like we’ve opened a portal to another (better?) world!" Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: August 1 - August 15, 2025 priority window for folks historically marginalized or excluded from the publishing world due to race, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, class, or other structural inequity.


Tales from the Moonlit Path. Genre: Dark, eerie speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: $10 for fiction. Deadline: August 20, 2025.

The Fairy Tale Magazine. Genre: Fairy-tale inspired stories/poems. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 21, 2025.

Carte Blanche (Canada). Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF, translations. comics, photography. Payment: $75 CAD. Deadline: August 21, 2025.

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 for fiction. Deadline: August 21, 2025. Accepts reprints. 

Farmer-ish. Genre: Nonfiction, CNF, poetry related to farming (including recipes). Payment: $25 for print journal. Deadline: August 22, 2025. See themes.

Flame Tree: Odysseus. Genre: Speculative fiction. "Stories that echo Odysseus' trials: voyages of wit, endurance, longing, and the winding path home." Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: August 24, 2025.

Flame Tree: The Valkyries. Genre: Speculative fiction. "This submission theme offers an exciting opportunity to explore and expand on existing stories associated with Valkyries (not simply retell classic tales) or imagine completely new names and narratives for those who have never seen the limelight.." Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: August 24, 2025.

Flame Tree: Dreams Divine and Of Swords & Roses. Genre: Romantic Fantasy. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: August 24, 2025.

Griffith Review. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. Theme: On the Money. Payment: AUD$0.75 per word. Deadline: August 24, 2025.

Search for the Any Key. Genre: Action/adventure, but can be placed in any time period, on other planets or any type of setting. All genres accepted and may contain humor, drama, romance, etc. Diverse characters welcome, human or otherwise. Payment: $15 plus royalties. Deadline: August 29, 2025.

Augur Press. Genre: Speculative literature that breaks down walls between literary and sci-fi/fantasy spaces. We seek work across genres: poignant dark fantasy, crisp science fiction, lush secondary world adventures, contemporary gothic, quiet myth-building, and dreamy realism. Length: Novellas and novelettes. Payment: Advance and royalties. Deadline: August 30, 2025.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Funny stories. Genre: Nonfiction. We are looking for stories about something that happened to you in your life - in your relationship with a partner or spouse, a parent or child, a family member or friend, at work or at home that made you and the people around you laugh out loud. Did you mean for it to be funny? Payment: $200. Deadline: August 30, 2025.

Gwyllion. Restrictions: Writers living in Wales and writers who identify (fully, in part, or by ancestry) as Welsh. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Welsh themes. Payment: £15 per accepted story or poem. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Midnight and Indigo. Genre: Speculative Fiction. Payment: 7 cents/word. Deadline: August 31, 2025.


Sundress. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2025. Submission fee is waived for all BIPOC writers.
 
Orion's Belt. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Length: 1200 words max. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Time After Time. Genre: Mystery short stories set in specific historical eras. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Hellbound Books: Road Trip Terror. Genre: HellBound Books is seeking short horror stories for an anthology on the theme of bad trips. Payment: $15. Deadline: Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Broken Sleep Books. Genre: Non-fiction prose pamphets (up to 150 pages). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Dragon Soul Press: Poisons and Potions. Genre: All horror stories are welcome. All genres accepted. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

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, 2025.

Cast of Wonders. Restrictions: Open to young authors. Genre: YA Speculative fiction. Podcast. See themes. 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: August 31, 2025.

After Happy Hour. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, comics. Payment: $2.50 per printed page, with a minimum of $15 and a maximum of $50, on publication ($25 for the cover artist). Deadline: August 31, 2025. Free submissions are capped at 300, so submit early.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories, 12,000 words minimum. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Bannister Press: Other Anthology series. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $0.08 CAD per word. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Dark Holme. Genre: Genre: Horror—specifically psychological, supernatural, speculative, or cosmic horror with emotional or philosophical undercurrents.​ Length: 30,000 to 50,000 words.​ See theme. Payment: £100.00. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Heartlines Spec. Restrictions: "Since Heartlines Spec is primarily a Canadian magazine, we're looking to feature writers identifying as being from Canada/Turtle Island. This includes expats, new immigrants, and people who refuse/resist Canadian Identity. Our goal for each issue is to publish at least 50% Canadian content." Genre: Short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial. "We want stories and poetry with strong, confident relationships amid all the sci-fi/fantasy. We are especially interested in stories featuring queer platonic relationships, ace/aro love stories, and polycules." Payment: $0.08 CAD per word for short fiction and $80 CAD flat for poetry. Deadline: Early submission period for equity-deserving groups August 24-31.

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, 2025. Closes when they reach capacity, so submit early.

Watertower Hill Publishing accepts full-length manuscripts in the following genres:Adult FictionAdult MemoirAdult Non-Fiction (including True Crime)HorrorChristian Fiction/Non-FictionAdult Fantasy & Sci-FiNew Adult FictionNew Adult Fantasy & Sci-FiRomance (non-erotica)PoetryYA Fantasy and Sci-FiMiddle Grade Children'sNovella CollectionsShort Story and Anthological Collections (Must adhere to editing requirements)
See submission details HERE. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

AND A FEW MORE...

IHRAM Publishes. Genre: Poetry, fiction, esssays, art. Theme: Enduring Voices: Life with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses. Payment: $50 for writing, $25 for art. Deadline: September 1, 2025.

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, 2025.

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: September 1, 2025. No submission fee for POC and Indigenous writers and writers facing financial hardship.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: September 1, 2025. See themes.

Variety Pack. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, poetry, CNF, art. Payment: $10 for poetry and visual art; $20 for prose. Deadline: Opens  September 1, 2025.

Red Wolf Editions. Genre: Poems on theme: “Recovering Greenness.” Payment: Royalties? Deadline: September 1, 2025. (?)

Toronto Journal. Genre: Short stories from anywhere in the world. No word limit. "We will also consider non-fiction pieces that are either set locally or explore some local history (Toronto, GTA, and surrounding)." Payment: $50 CAD per piece. All published writers will also receive two printed copies of the issue in which they appear. Deadline: September 1, 2025.

Eva Oakes Here are twelve 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.
_______________________


Eva Oakes of Transatlantic Literary Agency

Originally from Colorado, Eva earned her BA from McGill University and now resides in Toronto. Eva has been with the Transatlantic Agency for nearly three years, first as an Editorial and Agent Assistant to Samantha Haywood, President & Literary Agent, and as an Associate Agent since 2024.

What she is seeking: Eva is building a list that includes a wide range of upmarket and literary fiction, as well as narrative nonfiction. She doesn’t represent YA, Middle-Grade or Children’s books.

How to submit: Queries can be sent to eva@transatlanticagency.com, and please put “Query: …” in the subject line. Authors are encouraged to email a cover letter with a sample/excerpt of the book in question. Please submit a maximum of 20 pages. Embed the sample/excerpt into the email after the cover letter.

_______________________

GiannaMarie Dobson of Neighborhood Literary

GiannaMarie Dobson (she/her) is a neurodivergent and disabled associate agent excited to build a list prioritizing disabled voices. 

She has interned and freelanced in publishing since 2021 and has sensitivity read manuscripts for publishers such as Ballantine Books at PRH, PRH UK, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Andrews McMeel, Faber Children's, and Image Comics. 

What she is seeking: She is currently looking for MG and YA fiction as well as adult SFF. I am prioritizing stories written by disabled authors or featuring disabled characters. She has a significant interest in queer stories, and stories by and about people who experience other marginalizations.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.
_______________________

Tianna Kelly of Neighborhood Literary

With over three years of experience in publishing marketing, Tianna Kelly brings a sharp eye for positioning, audience, and platform development to every project.

What she is seeking. Tianna is building a list that reflects her love of dark romance, sharp romantic comedies, genre-bending romantasy, and bold speculative fiction.

She’s especially drawn to Queer and own voices, stories with complex emotions, unforgettable relationships, and high-stakes worldbuilding—and she’s always looking for projects that blur the line between love and disaster (in the best way).

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE. 


_______________________

Des Salazar of Metamorphosis Literary Agency

A graduate of Columbia College Chicago, Des Salazar holds an MFA in Fiction having completed a thesis containing translations of stories and poems from an archived journal and reflection essays. Des has a passion for writing and working with other writers. All it took was a Sandra Bullock movie to make them want to read stories, and later, they realized that their nerdy editing could get them there (just not like Sandra Bullock level of editor). Their experience includes associate editing at Allium Literary Journal and their current position as a fiction editor at MASKS Literary Magazine.

What they are seeking: RomanceFantasyHorrorLGBTQ+LiteraryThrillerMysteryNew AdultScience FictionYoung AdultHow to submit: Use her querymanager HERE. Open July and January.

_______________________


Tommy Dean of Rosecliff Literary


An award-winning writer and editor, Tommy Dean is the editor of Fractured Lit and Uncharted Magazine and the author of multiple flash fiction collections. His work has been recognized in Best Microfiction, Best Small Fiction, and The Lascaux Prize. With years of experience spotting standout stories, refining them, and championing their success, he brings a keen editorial eye and a deep understanding of what makes fiction compelling.

As an agent, Tommy is focused on building careers, amplifying unforgettable voices, and getting page-turning stories into the right hands.

What he is seeking: Tommy Dean specializes in mystery, suspense, thrillers, crime fiction, and upmarket fiction with a sharp edge. He is drawn to high-stakes narratives, complex characters, and stories that refuse to be put down.

Crime novels with anti-hero main characters will always get him, as will mystery novels that keep him guessing. He’s always interested in clear stakes, surprise endings, and stories that make him forget the outside world. Plus points for supercharged sensory experiences, characters yearning to understand their pasts and find a glimmer of hope. Give him your characters with secrets, past loves, past crimes, and past mistakes that lead to unique stories.

How to submit: Uses his querytracker form HERE.

_______________________


Jael Morrill of Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency

Jael Morrill joined The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency in July 2025 after a year-long internship with the agency. She graduated from Pikes Peak State College in 2021 with a degree in history. Before interning with the agency, she had previously worked as a research assistant for a historian.
When not reading, she can be found drawing, painting, tangled up in all manner of fiber and textile art projects, and working on writing stories with her spouse. 

What she is seeking: Jael represents adult and young adult fiction and nonfiction. 

NONFICTION: I would love to see books that focus on rarely told history, have a focus on cultural anthropology, or have to do with the arts. Memoirs from marginalized voices are especially welcome. Topics covering disability, queer experiences, and those hurt by fundamentalist movements are especially close to my heart, though I always welcome learning something new.

ADULT AND YOUNG-ADULT FICTION: I am eager to represent richly immersive science fiction and fantasy. I love seeing fresh takes on noir thrillers, horror with hope at the core of the story, and campy mysteries— especially if they contain speculative elements. Stories that contain queer characters, whimsical world-building, and witty but grounded dialogue are often my favorite things to read. 

NOT FOR ME: Please do not send me children's lit or genre romance (romantic elements within the story are fine!).

How to submit: Please direct queries to queryjmorrill@gmail.com

Nonfiction: please send me your query, a 1-2 page synopsis, table of contents, and sample chapter. For history, please additionally send me a sample bibliography.

Fiction: please send me your query, a 1-2 page synopsis, and the first 25 pages of your project.

I endeavor to respond to queries within 6 weeks.

_______________________

Rhian MacGillivray of Birch Literary


Before joining Birch Literary, Rhian worked for more than a decade as a Spanish-English translator, editor, and proofreader.

What she is seeking: Rhian is looking for adult commercial or upmarket fiction that can be classed as women’s, book club, historical, romance, or fantasy or romantasy fiction. Ultimately, she wants fiction that will make her feel something, keep her up late at night, and have her still thinking about it months down the line. She's a sucker for coming-of-age stories and those told with multiple POVs, whatever the genre.

Women’s fiction: strong female characters facing difficult choices and complex relationships, like Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors, Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, or anything in the vein of Taylor Jenkins Reid or Kristin Hannah.

Book club fiction: emotional depth and human connections, or ones that will open up a new world to her, like video games in Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, and hockey culture in Beartown by Fredrik Backman, while exploring different themes.

Historical fiction: fiction that's well-researched and that immerses the reader in another time and place. If it’s got a bit of romance thrown in, all the better, like the incredible In Memoriam by Alice Winn.

Romance: strong characters, big emotions, complicated relationships, and more. Not a good fit for the fake dating trope. Spice is okay, but it shouldn’t feel gratuitous.

Fantasy/romantasy: romantic fantasy where the romance is not necessarily front and center, but rather the plot shines and the romance is secondary. Anything that involves high stakes, political intrigue and dynamics, scheming, and unlikely heroes, such as Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley.

Rhian is not seeking any YA, children’s fiction, or non-fiction books at this time.

How to submit: Please send a short query letter along with the first three chapters or 10,000 words of your manuscript, and a 1-2 page synopsis, all in one Word document to rhian@birchliterary.com.

_______________________


Lauren Khan of FinePrint Literary

Lauren Khan joined FinePrint Literary in 2025 as an Associate Agent following an internship at Triada US Literary Agency. She first entered the publishing world as an author. Prior to transitioning to agenting, she worked for over seven years as a corporate lawyer in New York City. Lauren brings both editorial and transactional expertise to her clients.

Lauren lives with her family in her small beach hometown in Florida. She wrote her first novel while pregnant with her son and began agenting while pregnant with her daughter. A graduate of Duke University and Fordham University School of Law, she loves podcasts, long walks with her dog, and all things Nora Ephron. As a former theatre kid, Lauren is a lifelong champion of storytelling, subjecting her loved ones to her songs, stories, and plays from the moment she could talk.
​
What she is seeking: An avid reader across genres, Lauren is particularly interested in adult and YA commercial fiction, especially women’s fiction, romance, mysteries, and thrillers, as well as select non-fiction titles. She is an editorial agent with a strong interest in developing fulfilling and long-lasting careers for her authors.


How to submit: Use her querytracker form HERE.

_______________________

Amanda Elliott of Movable Type Management

Due to her lifelong desire to connect with people through their art, Amanda Elliott went back to school to obtain her MFA in Creative Writing and MA in Publishing from Rosemont College. Previously, she interned at Grosvenor Literary Agency and worked as a developmental editor, where she committed herself to helping authors achieve their most effective and authentic writing. Before making the transition to publishing, Amanda was a social worker for nearly a decade, where she developed an ear for understanding the diverse yet universal stories we all carry with us. She has worked as a foster care social worker and most recently as a homelessness advocate, and is mom to one precocious, dinosaur-loving three-year-old.

What she is seeking: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult.High-concept dystopian with a great hook and voiceCharacter driven cozy romantasyFantasies that feel fun, fresh and light, but don’t shy away from serious themesAnything with Christmassy magicObsessive-compulsive representationBooks that mix puzzles and riddles with magicMagical settings as charactersUnique boarding schools for young adult readersHow to submit: Submissions should be emailed to aelliott@movabletm.com. Please email your query and first three chapters.

_______________________

Ginger Hutchinson of Movable Type Management

After graduating with a degree in Film Studies, Ginger Hutchinson went on to become Wesleyan University’s Kim Frank Fellow of Creative Writing, building upon years of experience as an editor in publication, workshop and teaching environments. As an educator, most recently with the Free Library of Philadelphia, Ginger has been committed to nurturing creativity and embracing the power of storytelling to connect each of us with a sense of purpose, community and appreciation of one another’s unique way of navigating the world. Ginger grew up in rural Florida amidst a large, rambunctious family and massive system of natural springs; all its pre-historic creatures and people who often seem odd to outsiders are regular characters in the story she carries through life.

What she is seeking: Fiction: Bookclub, Commercial, Crime, Domestic Thriller, Family Saga, Historical, Horror, LGBTQ, Literary, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Speculative, Thriller, Women’s Fiction. Non-Fiction: Fashion, History, LGBTQ, Pop Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-help, True Crime

How to submit: Please send a query letter, first chapter, comparable titles and a short bio to ghutchinson@movabletm.com.

_______________________


Milan Wilson-Robinson of Red Sofa Literary

Milan Wilson-Robinson’s career in the book industry spans bookselling, event coordinating, and publishing. Prior to joining Red Sofa Literary, she served as Marketing and Publicity Associate at Milkweed Editions. She studied literature at the University of London - City Campus, and holds a BA in English and Music minor from Saint Catherine University.


What she is seeking: Fiction: marginalized voices, unreliable and morally ambiguous characters, dark comedy, writing that shifts plot and characters in tandem when it serves the story

Non-Fiction: Cooking and Baking, Food/Wine writing, music, art, and performance arts, anything about Amrita Sher-Gil, Francesca Woodman, or Dorothy Dandridge, film analysis, memoirs about artists, travel writing (especially from a BIPOC lense).

Writers I enjoy: Zadie Smith, Kiley Reid, Ottessa Moshfegh, Melissa Broder, Raven Leilani, Issa Rae, Michaela Coel, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Donald Glover, Jordan Peele, Candice Carty-Williams, Julie Powell, Hanif Abdurraqib, Julie Powell, Samantha Irby, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Toni Morrison, Danez Smith, Sterlin Harjo, and Quinta Brunson.

How to submit: Send your query to milan [at] redsofaliterary [dot] com

_______________________


Aashna Avachat of Neighborhood Literary

Aashna Avachat is an author of YA books and has interned and assisted at various agencies. Previously, she was an assistant at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for over three years.

What she is seeking: She is currently building a list focused on authors of color and is looking for kidlit, commercial adult fiction, select non-fiction, and illustrators.


How to submit: Use her querymanager form HERE.

Lake Sunapee: Flickr This August 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, how to market your books, discussions - there is something for everyone.

I have included conferences with deadlines that have already passed on this list to give you advance notice. 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!

For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences.

Be sure to check out Highlights list of workshops. They offer many throughout the year. 
_____________________
​
First Friday Book Talk & Reading Series. August 1, 2025: Online. "First Friday Book Talk & Reading with Charlie Peck. Author of "World's Largest Ball of Paint." Online event.

Florida Authors and Publishers Association Annual Conference. August 1 - 2, 2025: 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 1 - 3, 2025: 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.

Northwestern University Summer Writers’ Conference. August 2, 2025: Online. The conference is hosted by the Northwestern University School of Professional Studies MA in Writing and MFA in Prose and Poetry programs. Will be held online.

Vermont College of Fine Arts Postgraduate Writers’ Conference. August 2 - 8, 2025: 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 3 - 7, 2025: Online. 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, 2025. Will be held online.

Poetry, Memory, and Creative Flow: A Generative Two-Night Mini. August 5 - 7, 2025: Online. xplore the power of poetry to connect with your roots, ignite new ideas, and transform your writing in these two inspiring sessions with award-winning author Aida Salazar.

Poetry and Flowers: A workshop on beauty and resistance with Taneum Bambrick. August 5 - 28, 2025: Online. This course will indulge in excess, abstract, and exclamation–will celebrate flowery language. We will read Bryan Byrdlong’s Strange Flowers, excerpts from other works such as Benjamin Garcia’s Thrown in the Throat, and poems from many other writers that personify or in other ways consider flowers as vehicles for communicating pain, possibility, joy, and love. With weekly prompts, each student should leave with approximately three poems, all of which will receive feedback through peer review and from the instructor. Application deadline June 10.

Black Voices: An In-Community Retreat for Storytellers. August 7 - 10, 2025: Boyds Mills, PA. This 3-night/4-day retreat is designed to spark your creativity and foster connections with fellow storytellers. Join Valerie Bolling, Jas Hammonds, and fellow storytellers for this in-community retreat for Black writers and illustrators. With a loosely structured schedule, the Black Voices retreat allows you ample time and space to engage in writing, illustrating, or simply exploring. We will host a virtual Q & A with editor Sydnee Monday from Kokila Books.

3rd Annual Idlewild Writers Conference. August 8 - 9, 2025: Idlewild, MI. Two-day writers conference with readings, workshops, manuscript consultations and a book fair. Gary Copeland Lilley, Poet-in-Residence.

Don't you wonder sometimes…about sound and vision? — a fiction non-fiction freewrite event with Kate Copeland. August 9, 2025: Online. The gift of Sound & Vision…right what David Bowie showed us! And so many others…The Go-Go’s got the beat, Aretha sang of Respect for a Natural Woman. Adding to this: in motion pictures we see working girls and hidden figures, plus Thelma, Louise and Frida too. In this 90 minute workshop, we will look at the harmony between song, film, words and the brain hemispheres! The non-fiction part is composed of lyrical memory, linguistic film theory, and prosody in poetry and linguistics.

International Women's Writing Guild Workshops and Retreats. August 9 - 28, 2025: Mostly online. See website for individual workshops and dates.

Working Retreat: Novels in Verse. August 10 - 13, 2025: Boyds Mills, PA. Verse Novelists, Novelists, and Poets, join Rajani LaRocca and Chris Baron for time to create and connect. Ideal for those working on a verse novel at any level, even in the idea stage.

Elk River Writers Workshop. August 10 - 15, 2025: 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 10 - 15, 2025: 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." 
​
Odyssey Writing Workshop. August 11, 2025 (12 weeks): Online. Since its inception in 1996, Odyssey has become one of the most highly respected workshops for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Will be held online. Application deadline April 1.

Getting the Gig: A Two-Night Mini on Speaking Opportunities for Storytellers. August 12 - 14, 2025: Online. Whether you want to set up school visits, participate in literary festivals, and/or pitch your ideas to storyteller organizations, Alyssa Reynoso-Morris wants to help you “get the gig!" and "get paid!"

Multimedia Writing: Hybrid Prose/Poetry. August 13, 2025: Online. This virtual workshop will be an introduction to multimedia writing, a hybrid genre that refers to writing in which multiple types of media are used in evocative, resonant, and innovative ways. We will unpack multimedia approaches through a range of forms including cine-poetry and collage using exploratory questions such as: How can incorporating other forms of media / a variety of elements beyond text enhance the intended impact of a poem? What questions, tensions, and complications can help guide you through the multimedia, hybrid creative process? In this workshop we will engage with form-ranging projects from writers including Victoria Chang, Claudia Rankine, Jennifer S. Cheng, Eloisa Amezcua, and more. The workshop will also provide time to free write and share work, to talk about how the writing process felt/went, and to share resources as well as further recommended reading.

Nonfiction Retreat: Science, Nature, Biography, and More. August 13 - 16, 2025: Boyds Mills, PA.. If you have an idea or draft of a nonfiction project and need a little support to move your work ahead, this retreat is for you! You’ll enjoy presentations, guided outdoor experiences, small group discussions of your work, and so much more with nonfiction writers Miranda Paul, Heather L. Montgomery, and their guests. Waitlisted.

Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. August 13 - 23, 2025: 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.  Application d eadline February 1.

Travel Writers & Photographers Conference. August 14 – 17, 2025: 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. 

Hurston/Wright Summer Writers Week. August 14 - 18, 2025: Rutgers. For more than 20 years, the Hurston/Wright Summer Writers Workshop has offered a safe space for Black writers in intensive workshop sessions and master classes. Workshops are led by award-winning writers who are influencing today’s literature. The program features critiques, craft talks, writing time and public readings. Hurston/Wright workshops serve emerging and experienced writers who are starting projects, developing projects or seeking to polish projects. More than a thousand writers have participated in workshops since the first session in 1996. See website for individual workshops.

The 2025 Online Chesapeake Writing Workshop. August 15-16, 2025: Online. This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited online “seats” at the event (200 total).

Poetry at the Frost Farm. August 15 - 17, 2025:  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." 

Whole Novel Workshop: An In-Person Retreat for Novelists. August 17 - 22, 2025: 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 June 3, 2025.

Big Picture Revision: A Two-Night Mini with Editor Harold Underdown. August 19 - 21, 2025: Online. Get a smart, strategic boost for your manuscript with Harold Underdown’s quick-hit course on 'big picture' revision techniques for children's writers.

Killer Nashville Writers’ Conference. August 21 - 24, 2025: 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."

Colrain Classic. August 22 - 25, 2025: Online. "The Colrain Manuscript Classic is a highly focused, 3.5 day conference designed for poets with manuscripts in progress. The Classic features in-depth pre-conference work and candid, realistic evaluation and feedback from nationally-known poets, editors and publishers. In preparation, participants work at home on pre-conference assignments and then, in the workshop, review, arrange, and winnow their work based on the pre-conference work. In addition to the manuscript preparation workshop and editor sessions, there will be an editorial Q&A, and an after-conference strategy session." Will be conducted online.

PJ Library Retreat: Picture Book Summer Camp. August 24 - 28, 2025: Boyds Mills, PA. "If you’re a pre-published author with a Jewish picture book in progress (or no more than one published book) we invite you to apply for five-days of inspiration, mentorship, fun, and creativity on the beautiful campus of the Highlights Foundation." Application deadline March 16.
​
DragonCon. August 28 - September 1, 2025: 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.)

Bear River Writers’ Conference. August 28 - September 1, 2025: 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.

WriterCon. August 29  - September 1, 2025: 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 30 - September 1, 2025. 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. 

Grinter Sunflower Farm: Flickr This August there are three dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $20,000 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! 
_____________________

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, 2025.

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, 2025.

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, 2025.

Epigram Books Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Authors must be Singaporean, Singaporean permanent resident or Singapore-born. Genre: A full-length, original and unpublished novel written in the English language. Prize: $20,000. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

NOMAD Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, visual art, industry specials, and criticism/reviews/interviews on theme "Fragility." Prize: $75. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Only Poems Poem of the Month. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Prize: $33. Deadline: August 7, 2025.

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 8, 2025.

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: August 8,  2025.

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 8, 2025.

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: $20,000, and a one-month writer-in-residency at The Australia Centre. Deadline: August 11, 2025.

Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English between  July 1, 2025, and September 30, 2025. 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 15, 2025.

53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: August 15, 2025. (Note: This is a monthly contest)

The Yale Drama Series. Genre: Full-length play, with a minimum of 65 pages. Prize: $10,000, publication of the manuscript by Yale University Press.  Deadline: August 15, 2025.

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 15, 2025.

Society of Classical Poets Haiku Competition. Genre: Haiku. Prize: $200. Deadline: August 15, 2025.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for one story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: August 15, 2025.

Forum Prize. Genre: Essay on the subject of: ‘Anniversaries’. To mark the 60th anniversary of Forum for Modern Language Studies, we are looking for bold, visionary and persuasive essays that use academic research to pursue innovative questions. The winning essay will be that judged by the panel to have best addressed the topic with flair, ambition and resonance.The topic may be addressed from the perspective of any of the literatures (including literary linguistics, translation and comparative literature approaches) normally covered by the journal: Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish." Prize: £500 and publication. Deadline: August 15, 2025. 

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, 2025.

Stone Canoe. Restrictions: Open to people who live or have lived in Upstate New York (not New York City). Genre: Poetry. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: August 18, 2025. (It is difficult to find this information on their website.) 

Pen and Quill. Restrictions: Only writers between ages 12 and 21 years can enter. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and other (which do not fit poetry or fiction, like nonfiction, experimental work, scripts). Theme: “Longing and Dreamscapes”. Prize: $200, $100, $50; $20 for a middle school standout. Deadline: August 21, 2025.

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 25, 2025.

RSL V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize. Genre: Short story. Prize: £1,000. No-fee entries are available for the first 50 low-income UK writers. Deadline (for fee-free enries): August 28, 2025.

Women's Prize for Fiction. Genre: Published novel by a woman. Entrants must be writing in English and must be published in the UK between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. All subject matters and women of any age, from any nationality or country of residence are eligible. Prize: £30,000.00. Deadline: August 29, 2025.

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, 2025.

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, 2025.

Mustapha Matura Award. Restrictions: The competition is open to any playwright of Caribbean or African descent, resident in the UK. Entrants must be 25 years or under at the time of submission. Genre: Stage play in English. Television, radio plays and film scripts will not be considered. Prize: £3,000 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

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, 2025.

“Kusamakura” Haiku Competition. Genre: Haiku. Prize: (Grand Prize) to one winner : goods worthy of ￥20,000. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Poetry Archive NOW! WordView. Genre: Poetry. "Make a video/film recording of yourself reading or reciting a single poem which you have written in 2025." Prize: £100. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing. Genre: Short story with an overall word-count of 1500 on theme: "Secrets." Prize: £100. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: August 31, 2025. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Flash fiction on theme of a niche hobby or special interest. Your story must be no longer than 101 words. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, maximum 5,000 words. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

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, 2025.

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: August 31, 2025.

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, 2025. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

This July there are more than three dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $100,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.

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

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

Good luck! 

______________________

Embracing Our Differences Quotation Contest. Genre: An original quotation to accompany a piece of artwork. Length: 20 words max. Prize: $2000. Deadline: July 1, 2025.
​
Richard J. Margolis Award. Genre: Journalism. Prize is awarded annually to a promising new journalist or essayist whose work combines warmth, humor, wisdom and concern with social justice. Prize: $5,000 and one month of residency at Blue Mountain Center. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

ALCS Award for Educational Writers. Genre: The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) Educational Writers’ Award is awarded to an outstanding example of traditionally published non-fiction that stimulates and enhances learning. The total prize money is £2,000, shared between author and illustrator. The ALCS Educational Writers’ Award was established in 2008 by ALCS and the Society of Authors, “to celebrate educational writing that inspires creativity, encourages students to read widely and builds up their understanding of a subject beyond the requirements of exam specifications. Prize: £2,000.00. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

Kate Tufts Discovery Award. Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University. Restrictions: Poets must be citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States. Genre: Poetry. Book must be author's first full-length book of poetry, published between between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. Self-published books are accepted. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

BCLF Short Fiction Story Contest (BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize and BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean). Restrictions: All entrants must be of Caribbean heritage/of Caribbean descent or writers who were born/raised and holding nationality in the Caribbean. Genre: Unpublished short fiction (3000 words max). Prize: US$1750 for each contest. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards. Genre: Poetry. "The awards contest is an annual series of awards to encourage poets to explore and illuminate positive visions of peace and the human spirit." Prize: $200. Deadline: July 1, 2025. Free entry for poets age 12 and under.

Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University. Restrictions: Poets must be citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States. Genre: Poetry. The work submitted must be a first book of poetry published between between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. Manuscripts, CDs, and chapbooks are not accepted. Prize: $100,000. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

Emmy Awards - Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award. Restrictions: Non-US citizens under the age of 30 only. Prize: $2,500, a trip to New York City, and an invitation to the International Emmy® Awards Gala in November. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative. Restrictions: Applicants must be professional writers based in the United States, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping address a short-term emergency situation. Prize: Grant, amount not specified. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

Mountain Book Competition. Genre: Mountain literature. Prize: Over $29,000 in cash is awarded annually with 8 awards selected by an international jury of writers, adventurers and editors. Deadline: July 3, 2025.

Hubert Butler Essay Prize. Restrictions: Open to European Union citizens aged 18+. Genre: Essay on theme ‘With narratives of conflict currently distorted by misinformation and the substitution of memory for history, what are the chances of reconciliation?’ 3,000 words max. Prize: First prize of €1,500 and two second prizes of €500. Deadline: July 4, 2025.

Col. Darron L. Wright Memorial Writing Awards. Restrictions: Open to U.S. military service members and veterans and their immediate families. Genre: Prose and poetry. Prize: $250, $150, and $100. Deadline: July 4, 2025.

HG Wells Short Story Competition. Genre: Short story on theme. See site. Length: 1,500 to 5,000 words. Prize: £1,000 and publication in the annual HG Wells Short Story Competition Anthology.  Deadline: July 8, 2025. No fee for writers under the age of 21. Those over 21 can enter for a fee.

The Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism. Restrictions: Open to women and nonbinary journalists. Genre: Narrative Journalism. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: July 13, 2025.

Stony Brook Short Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Only undergraduates enrolled full time in United States and Canadian universities and colleges are eligible. Genre: Fiction of no more than 7,500 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: July 14, 2025.

Women on the Ground: Reporting from Ukraine’s Unseen Frontlines. Restrictions: Open to women journalists. Genre: Reportage. This program supports journalists from local and regional outlets in the U.S., France and Germany in producing in-depth projects or underreported stories from Ukraine that will resonate with their respective home communities. Grant: $8000. Deadline: July 14, 2025.  

Boardman Tasker Prize. Restrictions: The prize will be awarded for a work first published or distributed in the United Kingdom between July 15, 2024 and July 15, 2025. Genre: Books with a mountain, not necessarily mountaineering, theme whether fiction, non-fiction, drama or poetry, written in the English language. Prize: £3,000.00. Deadline: July 14, 2025.

The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize. Restrictions: Entrants must have published no more than six pieces of writing in print or online prior to their submission. Genre: Review of a contemporary art exhibition. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: July 14, 2025. 

Donn Goodwin and Joseph Gahagen Poetry Prizes: Milwaukee Irish Fest. Genre: Poetry. Entries should have a culture/literary relation to either Ireland, Irish-America, or to Irish poetry. Prize: $100. Deadline: July 14, 2025.

Books Like Us. Genre: First novel. "The Simon & Schuster adult trade imprint is pleased to announce the fourth BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest to facilitate accessibility to underrepresented writers and celebrate the diversity of readers across the United States. As the nation continues to strive for progress, Simon & Schuster aims to help catalyze that change by amplifying voices that represent us, by publishing books like us. A two-week entry period will begin on June 30. At that time, writers are invited and encouraged to submit 25 pages of an original adult novel via the form on this page. The publisher welcomes inclusive, entertaining, and groundbreaking reads with expert pacing, depth, heart, and irresistible characters who leap from the page. At the end of the submission period, the editorial, marketing, and publicity teams at Simon & Schuster will review all submissions for originality, relevance to today’s publishing climate, and writing quality." Prize: In November 2025, the author of the selected novel will be awarded the opportunity to enter into a $50,000 book deal with Avid Reader Press." Deadline: July 14, 2025.

Iron Horse Prize. Genre: First book of collected prose. Prize: $1000, and the collection will be published in the summer of 2025 by Texas Tech University Press. Deadline: July 15, 2025 Free submissions on July 15 only.

Iron Horse Photofinish. Genre: Brief ekphrastic work that pushes beyond an absolute litera.l read of a photo prompt. "We're looking for work that recognizes what's hidden in the world we see, responding to the physical details that the picture offers or what emotion it conveys or both. We provide the photo on our website and social media platforms every mid-May. Responses should be no longer than 500 words for prose or 15 lines for poetry. Prize:  Winner receives $250. The finalists receive: $50. Deadline: July 15, 2025. Free submissions on July 15 only.

The Governor General’s Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written, translated or illustrated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Genre: Best English-language and the best French-language book will be chosen in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Children’s Literature (text), Children’s Literature (illustrated books) and Translation (from French to English). Prize: $25,000. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Apex: Weird West Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Flash fiction: Weird West theme. 1000 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Stone Canoe. Restrictions: Open to people who live or have lived in Upstate New York (not New York City). Genre: Fiction. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: July 15, 2025. (It is difficult to find this information on their website.) 

Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest. Genre: Poetry. Categories: #1 Traditional Sonnet – Shakespearean or Petrarchan; #2 Modern Sonnet. Prize: $50, 2nd Prize $30, 3rd Prize $20, three Honorable Mentions, three Special Recognitions. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Young Scots Writer of the Year Award. Restrictions: You must be aged 11–18 to enter as an individual. Genre: Stories, poems, spoken word pieces, comics, videos or other pieces of writing. "We want to see it all, as long as it's in Scots and under 2500 words or up to ten minutes." Prize: £100 book token. Deadline: July 16, 2025. 

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for one story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: July 18, 2025.

Lauren Brown Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to women and nonbinary journalists from underrepresented backgrounds. Journalists must be based in the U.S. Genre: Journalism. Prize: $2000. Deadline: July 20, 2025.

Black Voices in Children's Literature Writing Contest. Restrictions: The contest is open to Black authors who at the time of entry are at least 18 years of age and residing anywhere in the United States. Genre: Original children’s books for ages 0–4 (50–125 words) or for ages 4–8 (300–800 words) featuring authentic, realistic Black characters and culture and focusing on one or more of the following topics: character development, self-esteem, identity, diversity, getting along with others, engaging with family and community, or other topics related to positive childhood development. Religious and fantasy themes will not be considered. Prize: First Place: $1000. Second Place: $500 cash prize. Third Place: $250 cash prize. Deadline: July 22, 2025.

Faber Children’s: Faber and Andlyn BAME (FAB) Prize. Restrictions: Open to undiscovered BAME writers and illustrators; entrants must be of black, Asian or minority ethnic background, and UK- or Ireland-based. Genre: Text or artwork for children. Prize: £1,500 and £500 each for a writer and an illustrator. Deadline: July 25, 2025.

Nakata Brophy Short Fiction Prize for Young Indigenous Writers. Restrictions: The prize is open to Indigenous Australian writers who are 35 years or younger at the closing date of the competition. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: First prize includes $5000, an optional writing residency at Trinity College, and publication of the successful piece in Overland. Deadline: July 27, 2025.

2025 BCSA Writing Competition. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction. See theme. Entries must deal with either (1) the links between Britain and the Czech and/or Slovak Republics, at any time in their history, or (2) society in those Republics since 1989. Entries should be in English and not more than 2,000 words long. Prize: First prize £400, second prize £150. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Briefly Write. Genre: Poetry up to 10 lines. Prize: Total prize fund - £80. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

SLF Diverse Writers and Diverse Worlds Grants. Restrictions: Open to writers from underrepresented and underprivileged groups, such as writers of color, women, queer writers, disabled writers, working-class writers, etc. -- those whose marginalized identities may present additional obstacles in the writing / publishing process. Genres: Book-length works (novels, collections of short stories) of speculative fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Blessing the Boats. Restrictions: Open to all women poets of color in the U.S., including poets who identify as cis, trans, and non-binary people who are comfortable in a space that centers on women’s experiences, regardless of citizenship and publication history. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscript. Prize: $2,500 honorarium and book publication by BOA Editions, Ltd. Deadline: July 31, 2025.  

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. Restrictions: Open to young poets age 11 - 17. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Publication. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Polar Expressions Publications Short Story and Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadians only. Genre: Short story, poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

The Stephen Spender Prize. Restrictions: Open to UK or Irish citizens, or pupils at a British School overseas. Genre: Translated poetry from Portuguese to English. Prize: £50-£100. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

What’s Your Story? Restrictions: Open to Victorian residents. (Australia) Genre: Poetry, short stories, CNF. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers. Genre: An unpublished work of crime fiction, aimed at readers from children’s chapter books through adults. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress of 2,500 to 5,000 words. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

The Washburn Chapbook Prize. Restrictions: Open to women or non-binary writers. Genre: Chapbook exactly 10 poems long. Prize: $200 and publication of their micro chapbook online at Harbor Review. Deadline: July 31, 2025. Fees are waived for BIPOC identifying writers only.

Biopage. Genre: "Inspiring, uplifting, and heartwarming stories." Prizes: Up to $300. Deadline: July 31, 2025. Registration required.

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: July 31, 2025. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

Flickr This July there are 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!
____________________ 


Thema. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: I Wish I'd Said That. Payment:  $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: July 1, 2025. Accepts reprints.

Podcastle. Genre: Fantasy podcast. Length: Up to 6,000 words. Payment: $0.06/word for original; $100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction reprints. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2025.


Okay Donkey. Genre: One flash fiction OR one poem per author, per submission period. See website for details. Payment: $20. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2025 and closes when cap is reached.

The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Prose. They prefer stories under 3,000 words but will consider up to 5,000 words. Payment: $100. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2025 Free submissions open on the 1st of each month and close when cap is reached.

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

Headland. Genre: Short fiction and creative nonfiction. Payment: $50. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

IHRAM Press: America's Slide Toward Authoritarianism Genre: Fiction, essays, poetry, art. "It is clear that the American political class has all the tensile strength of tissue paper in a summer storm, and that our court system is porous, offering a weak and possibly irrelevant backstop to what was once the strongest democracy in the world. So, as in all authoritarian states, it is left to the artists and creators to hold the line, to stand up for what is right and just, and to safeguard the republic. Only the creators have the courage to resist." Payment: $50. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

It Came from the Trailer Park. Genre: Horror/Comedy. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

Phi Kappa Phi Forum. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Payment: $4/ line. Deadline: July 2, 2025.

The Fabulist. Genre: Fantastical flash fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: July 2, 2025. Opens July 1.

Stone's Throw. Genre: Noir, dark fiction, crime short stories. Length: between 1,000 and 2,000 words. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 4, 2025. Note: This is a monthly call.

Notch. Genre: All genres–from operatic scores to tattoos to sonnets. See theme. Payment: Not specified.  Deadline: July 6, 2025.

Affirm Press Restrictions: They only accept Australians. Genre: All literary and genre fiction. For non-fiction, they are interested in most subjects that have an author or authors based in Australia, and only manuscripts that haven’t been previously published. They only accept submissions on the first Monday of each month and twice yearly on their children’s & teen list. Read their submission guidelines here. Deadline: July 6, 2025.

Daikaijuzine. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $10.00 for each short story, and $5.00 for each poem and flash fiction piece. Deadline: July 6, 2025.


Cosmic Horror Monthly. Genre: Weird and cosmic fiction under 5,000 words. Payment: 3 cents (USD) per word. Deadline: July 7, 2025.

Mslexia. Restrictions: Open to women. Genre: Fiction poetry, nonfiction. See theme. Payment: £30. Deadline: July 7, 2025.

Vellum Mortis. Genre: Horror. Length: 1000 words max. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 10, 2025.

The Book of Jobs: An Anthology of Poems About Work. Genre: Poems about work. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 12, 2025.

Hexagon. Genre: Speculative fiction short stories, flash fiction, poetry, graphic stories, and visual art, in English or French. Payment: $5 for accepted poetry and cartoons, 0.01$ per word for all short stories up to 7,500 words, $40/page for comics and $150 for cover art pieces. (Payment in CAD). Deadline: July 7, 2025. Open to submissions the first week of every second month.

Solarpunk Magazine. Genre: Solarpunk. Payment: $0.08/word for fiction, $40/poem, and $75/essay, $100 for reprint cover art, $200 for original unpublished cover art, $50 for reprint interior art, $100 for original unpublished interior art  Deadline: July 14, 2025.

Inner Worlds Zine. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, or supernatural horror prose with a strong emotional or psychological focus. "We are mainly interested in fiction, but we’re open to speculative memoir or creative non fiction, as long as it has speculative elements.” Payment: £0.02 per word for each piece accepted, with a minimum £20 payment. Deadline: July 14, 2025 for members of marginalised groups only.


Mulberry. Genre: All creative media—from prose, flash, poetry, script, and comics, to film, music, visual art, dance, and everything in-between. Cross-genre, experimental, and hybrid work are always welcome, as well as excerpts of longer pieces. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 14, 2025.

Cast of Wonders. Genre: YA Speculative fiction. Podcast. See themes. 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: July 14, 2025.

The Orange & Bee. Genre: Original works of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction that engage in a significant way with the long history of fairy tales. Payment: Poetry: flat rate $US50.00 per poem; Flash fiction/non-fiction: flat rate $US80.00 per story (max 1000 words); Short fiction/non-fiction: $US0.08 per word (max 4000 words). Deadline: July 14, 2025.

Able Muse is a small literary press. They publish poetry and fiction. Most of the fiction they publish is short story collections. They have one free reading period every year, from May 1 through July 15. Read submission guidelines HERE. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

The Margins: Imagined Histories: A Folio for The Margins.  Restrictions: Open to Asian American and diasporic poets. Genre: Poems (ghazals, free verse, sonnets, prose poems, hybrid forms, all styles welcome) or visual art (think photo essays, maps, collages, drawings). Experimental and hybrid works are welcome as are traditional forms. Payment: $50 to $90 (USD) for original and translated poetry; the fee varies based on the number and length of poems. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

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, 2025.


A Long House: Chronic. Genre: Poetry, nonfiction/essays, and hybrid work on chronic illness in all its forms—diagnosed, undiagnosed, physical, mental, visible, invisible. Payment: $50. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Humans and Nature Press. Genre: Nonfiction, poetry, art. "We accept essays, book reviews, poems, and artwork, including comic art. Our readership is interested in discussions that bear, directly or indirectly, on the areas of conservation, evolutionary biology and ecology, environmental ethics, environmental philosophy, law, and policy, and the environmental humanities." Payment: $500. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Electric Spec. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $20 per piece. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandmothers. Genre: Nonfiction. We view this book as a wonderful gift for grandmothers of all ages. And what makes this topic so much fun is that the moment a grandchild is born, a grandmother is born too! And what an amazing experience it is. Everyone has a great story about the unconditional love between grandmothers and their grandchildren. We are looking for heartwarming, insightful, and humorous stories celebrating grandmothers. Payment: $200. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Slugger. Genre: Horror. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Timber Ghost Press. Genre: Novels and novellas, including cosmic horror, weird horror, sci-fi/horror, gothic, and contemporary. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 15, 2025. Extended Period for authors who are BIPOC, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other marginalized communities

Sunlight Press. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and essays. Payment: $30 - $50. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: July 18, 2025.

The Shallot: Journal of Mental Health, Art, and Literature. Genre: Poetry, prose, art. See theme. Payment: $15 or a copy of the journal. Deadline: July 19, 2025.

Astrolabe. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and photography & art. Payment: $50. Deadline: July 20, 2025.

Seaside Gothic. Genre: Seaside gothic fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or a collection of photographs or illustrations. Payment: £0.01 per word. Deadline: July 20, 2025.

Diabolical Plots. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy and horror up to 3,500 words. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: July 21, 2025.

Mudroom. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and essays in translation. Payment: $15. Deadline: July 25, 2025.

Mythaxis. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: €0.01 per word, with a €20 minimum. Deadline: July 30, 2025.

Baubles From Bones. Genre: Science fiction and fantasy. Length: All stories must be between 1,000 to 8,000 words. Payment: $.01/word. Deadline: July 30, 2025.


Spoon Knife. Genre: Short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. See theme. Payment: $30. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Flash Frog. Genre: Flash fiction ghost stories. 1,000 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

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, 2025.

Pseudopod. Genre: Horror Anthologies and Collections of stories that have been or will be published in 2025. Payment: USD $0.08 per word for original fiction. USD $100 per story for reprint fiction. Deadline: July 31, 2025.


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, 2025.


Nonbinary Review. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Theme: Solarpunk. 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, 2025. Accepts reprints.


The London Magazine. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: Not specified. Only pays for their print publication. Deadline: July 31, 2025. Closes when cap is reached, so submit early in the month.

Worldsmyths: Dark Fantasy Short Stories. Genre: Dark Fantasy Short Stories. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

THREE COUSINS PUBLISHING: Family, Fae, Fiend, Friend, and Foe. Genre: Speculative stories featuring a family with at least one type of supernatural family member. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Gaudy Boy. Restrictions: Authors of Asian heritage residing anywhere in the world. Genre: Full-length poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Payment: Advance of USD1,500. Deadline: July 31, 2025.


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, art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Payment: 10 cents/word for fiction, and $100- $400 for art. Deadline: July 31, 2025.


Dragon Soul Press: Terror Reigns. Genre: All horror stories are welcome. All genres accepted. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

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, 2025.

The Marrow. Genre: Poetry written in, or translated into, English, from Australian and international poets. Payment: AU$40. Deadline: July 31, 2025.


Only Poems. Genre: Poetry. "We love prose poems, traditional forms (ghazals, villanelles, sestinas), love poems, sex poems, and experimental questionnaires, but we are not married to a style or genre. We are welcoming of anything you think is your most exciting work. Ultimately, we want poems that move us or make us go: “God, I wish I had written this!” Payment: $77. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Clare Songbirds. Genre: Full-length poetry collections. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles, messages from heaven, angels. Genre: True stories about miracles, angels, messages from heaven, premonitions, amazing coincidences and other unexplainable but good events! Payment: $200. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Brink. Genre: Hybrid, cross-genre fiction, nonfiction poetry. See theme. 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, 2025.


New Myths. Genre: Speculative fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: 3 cents/word with a minimum payment of $50 for all submissions, fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction and poetry; $50 for book reviews; $80 for art. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Gwyllion. Restrictions: Writers living in Wales and writers who identify (fully, in part, or by ancestry) as Welsh. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Welsh themes. Payment: £15 per accepted story or poem. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories, 12,000 words minimum. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Inkd Publishing: Cthulu: Dreams. Genre: Horror. Incorporate the Lovecraftian theme as you will into your horror story. Word Limit: 2,000 to 7,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Taco Bell Quarterly. Genre: Short stories, non-fiction, prose, essays, poetry, art, comics, flash, films, "undefinable auras, experiments, and completely ordinary shit." "We are looking for innovative ways to lower the bar. We are looking for ways to degrade ourselves with flair. We are looking for universes that could be extremely traumatizing if the writers weren’t cowards. We are looking for ways to address the nightmares more directly." Payment: $150. Deadline: July 31, 2025. (Closes when cap is reached so submit early.)
​
Space and Time. Genre: Speculative fiction. "We welcome poetry, art and fiction that bend rules, transcend genre and break stereotypes." Submissions accepted in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French or Italian. See theme. Payment: 1 cent/word for prose, $5 for poetry. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

The Temz Review. Genre: Prose (fiction and creative non-fiction) up to 10,000 words long. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Weird West Anthology. Genre: Western genre with a speculative bend. Wordcount: <1000 words. Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Inner Worlds Zine. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, or supernatural horror prose with a strong emotional or psychological focus. "We are mainly interested in fiction, but we’re open to speculative memoir or creative non fiction, as long as it has speculative elements.” Payment: £0.02 per word for each piece accepted, with a minimum £20 payment. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Anstruther Books. Genre: Poetry "that takes risks and represents a diverse cross-section of the Canadian literary community." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Three Cousins Publishing: Family, Fae, Fiend, Friend, and Foe. Genre: Submissions must be speculative and feature a family with some type of supernatural family member or members. Vampires and fairies, gnomes and zombies, leprechauns, bigfeet, ghouls, and poltergeists are all welcome. Horror, humor, fantasy, science fiction, or even an entertaining, but bizarre mashup of genres that we haven’t considered.Stories must be between 4,000 and 5,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 31, 2025. Email the submission to westmesapress@gmail.com. Put Submission Family, your story title, and your name in the subject line.


AND A FEW MORE...

The First Line Journal. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry using the line provided. (See theme) Payment: $25-50 for fiction, $25 for nonfiction, $10 for poetry. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

BOA Editions — Blessing the Boats Selections. Genre: Book of poetry by Women of Color. Payment: $1500 + Publication. Deadline: August 1, 2025.


Dark Waters. Genre: Dark fiction up to 7,000 words. See theme. Payment: Up to $25. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Fearmoji: Queer Emoji Horror. Genre: Adult queer horror. Word Count: 4000–7500. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Burial Books: Science Fiction Short Stories. Genre: Science fiction short stories between 2000 and 8,000 words in length. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Burial Books: Sword and Sorcery Short Stories. Genre: Sword and sorcery fantasy short stories between 2000 and 8,000 words in length. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Howdy Dude. Genre: Western stories between 2,000 and 8,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Fiction, 1.5 cents/word. Poetry, $10. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Saddlebag Dispatches. Genre: Short stories, poetry, and non-fiction articles about the West. Payment: $10 - $20. Deadline: August 1, 2025.