72 Writing Contests in May 2024 - No entry fees

This May there are six dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes this month range from $50,000 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! 

(Image: Freerange)

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Descant. Each year, descant offers four awards:

• the $500 Frank O’Connor Award for fiction (for the best short story in a issue)
• the $250 Gary Wilson Award (for an outstanding story in an issue)
• the $500 Betsy Colquitt Award for poetry (for the best poem or series of poems by a single author in an issue)
• the $250 Baskerville Publishers Award (for an outstanding poem or poems by a single author in an issue

There is no application process or reading fee. All published submissions are eligible for prize consideration. Simply submit your work. Deadline: May 1, 2024.

Neukom Institute Literary Arts Awards. Genre: Play that addresses the question: “What does it mean to be a human in a computerized world?” Prize: $5000. Deadline: May 1, 2024.

The Waterston Desert Writing Prize. Genre: Literary nonfiction, desert theme. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: May 1, 2024.

CINTAS Creative Writing Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to any Cuban author (including those of direct Cuban lineage; need not reside in Cuba). Genre: Novel excerpts, short stories, plays, or poems of up to 25 pages. Prize: $20,000 fellowship. Deadline: May 1, 2024.

West Virginia Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Open to West Virginia residents or students. Genre: Short fiction, 5,000 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: May 1, 2024.

The Future Bookshelf: Mo Siewcharran Prize. Restrictions: The contest is open to BAME writers in the UK. Genre: Picture book. Prize: £2,500, £1,500 and possible publication. Deadline: May 1, 2024.

Rabbi Sacks Book Prize. Genre: Published nonfiction book that contributes significantly to the arena of modern Jewish thought. Prize: $50,000. Deadline: May 1, 2024.

Casa Africa: Essay Contest. Genre: Essay on theme: Intra-African immigration. Essays, of 15,000-20,000 words, can be in Spanish, English, French or Portuguese. Prize: €2,000. Deadline: May 2, 2024.

On The Premises Mini-Contest. "For this mini-contest, tell, show, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long in which a hat of some kind matters to the story. We’re going with the fairly traditional definition of “hat” for this one. Scarves, hijabs, earmuffs, wigs, hoods, and other head coverings do not qualify. I’m going to say that even helmets don’t qualify. Caps are okay; they’re an informal hat. The judges will not care if anyone wears the hat in the story, so that’s up to you." Prize: First place pays $35, second pays $25, and third pays $15, all in US dollars. Honorable mentions get published, but make no money. Deadline: May 3, 2024.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction. "On the first Friday of every month, a new set of story prompts will be revealed. You will have 55 hours to submit your best 500-word (or fewer) story." Prize: $500AUD. Deadline: May 5, 2024. Opens on May 3.

Singapore Poetry Contest. Genre: Poetry. "We are looking for poems that use the word “interrogation” in imaginative ways." Prize: USD300, 200, and 100 will go to the top three winners. Deadline: May 6, 2024.

RTÉ Radio Short Story Competition. Restrictions: Open to Irish writers and residents of Ireland. Genre: Short story. Prize: Up to 5,000 euros. Deadline: May 10, 2024.

Pulitzer Center's "Fighting Words—Poetry in Response to Current Events" Contest. Restrictions: Current K-12 students anywhere in the world may enter. Students may write in any language, and are welcome to submit multilingual poems. Judges will have reading fluency in English and Spanish. Genre: Poetry. Theme: How can poetry be an effective response to current events and underreported stories? How can journalism and poetry help us make connections between global issues and our local and personal contexts? Prize: $300 top prize. Deadline: May 12, 2024.

Quay Words Young Writers’ Flash Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Open writers aged 10 to 18-years. Genre: Flash fiction on theme ‘Trading Places.' Prize: £200 top prize. Deadline: May 12, 2024.

Brown's Mart Theatre Award 2024. Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Genre: Script. There is no word limit. Scripts must have a performance time of more than 30 minutes. Script treatments are ineligible. Prize: The winner of the Brown’s Mart Theatre Award will receive a $1,000 prize, an NT Writers’ Centre membership and a double pass to select shows in Brown's Mart’s performance program. Deadline: May 13, 2024.

Charles Darwin University Creative Non-Fiction Award 2024. Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Genre: A factually accurate work, written with attention to literary style and technique. Can take the form of a biography, autobiography, memoir, diary entry, travel writing, food writing, literary journalism, or criticism. Word limit: 3,000 words. Prize: The winner of the Charles Darwin University Creative Non-Fiction Award will receive a $500 prize, an NT Writers’ Centre membership and a double pass to Brown's Mart’s performance program. Deadline: May 13, 2024.

Charles Darwin University Essay Award 2024.  Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Genre: A referenced academic essay on a topic relating to the Northern Territory. Word limit: 3,000 words. Prize: The winner of the Charles Darwin University Essay Award will receive a $1,000 prize, an NT Writers’ Centre membership and a double pass to Brown's Mart’s performance program. Deadline: May 13, 2024.

Flash Fiction Award 2024. Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Genre: A blog post, fan fiction, short story, fictional diary entry or fictional letter. Word limit: 500 words. Entries limited to three entries per person. Prize: The winner of the Flash Fiction Award will receive a $600 prize, an NT Writers’ Centre membership and a double pass to Brown's Mart’s performance program. Deadline: May 13, 2024.

Kath Manzie Youth Award 2024. Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Genre: A piece of creative writing, either poetry or short story, by a person aged 12 to 18 years as of 1 January 2023. Limit of three poetry entries with a 300-line limit OR a short story with a 3,000-word limit per person. Prize: The winner of the Kath Manzie Youth Award will receive a $600 prize, an NT Writers’ Centre membership and a double pass to Brown's Mart’s performance program. Deadline: May 13, 2024.

NT Writers' Centre Poetry Award 2024. Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Genre: A single poem up to 300 lines. Entries limited to three separate poetry entries per person. Prize: The winner of the NT Writers’ Centre Poetry Award will receive a $1,000 prize, an NT Writers’ Centre membership and a double pass to Brown's Mart’s performance program. Deadline: May 13, 2024.

Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Black writers of African descent who have not had a full-length book of poetry published by a professional press. Authors of chapbooks and self-published books with a maximum print run of 500 may apply. Genre: Unpublished, original collections of poems written in English. Prize: $10,000, publication by Graywolf Press in fall 2025, 15 copies of the book, and a feature reading. Deadline: May 13, 2024.

Zip Print Short Story Award 2024. Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Genre: An original work of short fiction. Word limit: up to 3,000 words. Prize: The winner of the Zip Print Short Story Award will receive a $1,000 prize, an NT Writers’ Centre membership and a double pass to Brown's Mart’s performance program. Deadline: May 13, 2024.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative flash fiction on themes related to food. (See site for specifics)  Length: 1000 words max. Prize: $30. Deadline: May 14, 2024.

Governor General's Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. They do not need to be residing in Canada. Genre: The Governor General’s Literary Awards are given annually to the best English-language and French-Language book in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People’s Literature (Text), Young People’s Literature (Illustrated Books). Prize: $25,000. Deadline: May 15, 2024.

Dark Tales from the Tarot. Genre: Horror based on Tarot card. See website. Prize: $10. Deadline: May 15, 2024. Opens May 1. 

Prose Poetry Contest. Genre: Prose poem. Prize: First place: £50 plus publication; Second place: £25 plus publication; Third place: £15 plus publication; Honorable mention: £10 plus publication. Deadline: May 15, 2024.

Leeway Foundation: Transformation Award. Restrictions: Women and transgender poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers in the Philadelphia area who have been creating art for social change for five or more years. Writers who have lived for at least two years in Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia counties, who are at least 18 years of age, and who are not full-time students in a degree-granting arts program are eligible. Award: $15,000. Deadline: May 15, 2024.

ABA Journal/Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction. Sponsored by the American Bar Association. Restrictions: Entrants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. Genre: Original works of short fiction that illuminate the role of the law and/or lawyers in modern society. 5000 words max. Prize: $3,000 and publication in ABA Journal. Deadline: May 15, 2024.

Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant. Genre: Articles, books, and short-form writing about contemporary art—the grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from short reviews for magazines and newspapers to in-depth scholarly studies. The program also supports art writing that engages criticism through interdisciplinary methods and experiments with literary styles. Grant: $15,000 to $50,000. Deadline: May 15, 2024.

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Contest. Restrictions: The competition is open to all citizens and residents of the Commonwealth aged 18 and under. Genre: Essay. The theme of the contest is "Community in the Commonwealth." Prize: Past prizes have included certificates, resources for winner's school, visits to Cambridge University, a trip to London and a week of activities, work experience at international organisations, and having your entry featured in worldwide media. Deadline: May 15, 2024.

The James Laughlin Award is sponsored by the Academy of American Poets. Genre: A second book of poetry forthcoming in the next calendar year. Must be under contract with US publisher. Restrictions: Open to US citizens and residents only. Prize: $5,000, an all-expenses-paid week long residency in Florida, and the Academy will purchase approximately 1,000 copies of the book for distribution to its members. Deadline: May 15, 2024.

Brain Mill Press Chapbook Contest. Restrictions: Open to all Wisconsin poets, with a particular interest in voices under-represented in traditional publishing, such as writers of color, women, indigenous voices, disabled writers, queer writers. Genre: Poetry chapbook, 18-30 pages in length. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: May 15, 2024.

Boroondara Literary Awards. Restrictions: Open to Australians. Genre: Prose and poetry. Prize: More than $5,000 in prize money across various age groups in the Young Writers’ category; more than $3,500 in prize money in the Open Short Story category. Deadline: May 17, 2024.

Creative Future Writers’ Award. Restrictions: Open to underrepresented writers in the UK only, who are over 18 years old. Genre: Poetry, fiction. This year’s theme is ‘Reveal.’  Prize: Publication, unspecified monetary award (?)  Deadline: May 19, 2024.

RBC PEN Canada New Voices Award. "The RBC PEN Canada New Voices Award is an annual award that aims to encourage new writing and to provide a space where unpublished Canadian writers can submit short stories, creative nonfiction, journalism, and poetry. The shortlisted submissions are judged by a distinguished jury of Canadian writers." Prize: The winning entry will receive a $3,000 CAD cash prize and mentorship from a distinguished Canadian author. Deadline: May 19, 2024.

Roscommon New Writing Award. Restrictions: All entrants must have a connection with the county of Roscommon (born in, living in, currently working in, went to school in, etc). Genre: Short story. Prize: €600.00. Deadline: May 20, 2024.

How Does War Affect People’s Lives? Restrictions: Open to young people ages 9 - 18. Genre: Poetry, art, speech, song. Prize: Unspecified. Deadline: May 24, 2024.

Changing Light Prize for a Novel-in-Verse. Genre: Novel-in-Verse. Prize: $500 and publication for a novel-in-verse, 90-160 pages. Deadline: May 25, 2024.

Great Lakes Colleges (GLCA) New Writers Award. Restrictions: Open to Americans and Canadians.  Genre: Poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. In each category, the submitted work must be an author’s first published volume. Prize: $500. Deadline: May 25, 2024.

Write the World Competition: Poetry & Spoken Word Competition. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19.5. Genre: Poem. Theme: Seeds of Change. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50. Deadline: May 27, 2024.  (Note: This is a monthly contest.)

Dream Foundry Emerging Writers Contest. Restrictions: You have published a total of less than 4,000 words of paid or income-earning speculative fiction in English. You have earned a total of less than USD 320 from those words. You have never been nominated for any award listed here as a major award in speculative fiction. Genre: Short speculative fiction, up to 10,000 words. Prize: $200 - $1,000. Deadline: May 27, 2024.

Irene Adler Prize for Women Writers. Restrictions: Open to Canadian women. Genre: Creative nonfiction. Prize: $1,000 scholarship to a woman pursuing a degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution in the U.S. or Canada. Deadline: May 30, 2024.

The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans. This creative writing contest for U.S. military veterans and active duty personnel is hosted by The Iowa Review and made possible by a gift from the family of Jeff Sharlet (1942–69), a Vietnam veteran and antiwar writer and activist. The contest is open to veterans and active duty personnel writing in any genre and about any subject matter. Prizes: First place: $1,000 plus publication in The Iowa Review. Second place: $750. Three runners-up: $500 each. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

The Drabble Harvest Contest. Genre: Drabble on theme of Interstellar Archives. A "drabble" is defined as a short story containing exactly precisely no more and no fewer than 100 words. It has a title, which can be from 1 to 15 words-- but no more than 15. Prize: $5. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing. Restrictions: Open to first-generation residents of the United States. “First-generation” can refer either to people born in another country who relocated to the U.S., or to American-born residents whose parents were born elsewhere. Genre: Unpublished nonfiction books. Prize: $10,000 and publication. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

Baltimore Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, videos (including poetry), and cross-genre work. Payment: $40. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

The Wolfe Pack Black Orchid Award. Genre: Mystery novellas in the style of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe novellas. Manuscript length: 15K-20K words. Prize: $1,000, plus recognition and publication in a forthcoming issue of AAMM. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

Harlequin: Romance Includes You Mentorship. Restrictions: Open to debut writers in Canada and the US. Genre: Romance novel. Prize: A contract advance plus grant with a value of $5,000 U.S. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

A Voice for Animals Teen Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to students between the ages of 14-18. Genre: Essays on an animal rights topic. In the 16-18 year olds category, essays must be 800-1,000 words long and be accompanied by a photograph; in the 14-15 year olds category, essays should be between 1,400-1,500 words. Prize: $200 - $500. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

bpNichol Poetry Chapbook Award. Restrictions: Canadian publishers only. Genre: Published poetry chapbook. Prize: The author receives $4,000 and the publisher receives $500. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

Vancouver Writers Fest's Youth Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to students in British Columbia. Genre: Short stories and personal essays: 1,000 word limit (for elementary school student submissions) and 1,500 (for high-school student submissions). Prize: $100 top prize. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

Furphy Literary Award: Junior and Youth Competition. Restrictions: Open to  juniors & youth age writers who live in the Goulburn Valley, Australia. Genre: Short stories and poetry. Prize: First prize of $300. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. Genre: Unpublished fiction approximately 1,000 - 5,000 words. Story should pertain to music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Prize: $100 and publication in Jerry Jazz Musician. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

Speculative Literature Foundation Older Writers Grant. Restrictions: Open to writers who are fifty years of age or older at the time of grant application. Genre: Speculative fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

Genesis Emerging Writers' Programme. Restrictions: Open to emerging writers over 18 years of age, of any background living in the UK. Genre: Fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Prize: Up to £1,500 and mentorship. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

The Center for Fiction / Susan Kamil Emerging Writer Fellowships offer grants, editorial mentorship, and other opportunities to early-career New York City-based practitioners who are at a critical moment in their development as fiction writers. Genre: Fiction. Grant: $5,000. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

James Bartleman Aboriginal Youth Creative Writing Awards. Restrictions: Open to aboriginal youth, 18 years or younger, residing in Ontario, Canada. Genre: Creative writing. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

A Very Short Story Award. Genre: Short story of ten words or fewer. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: May 31, 2024.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. See themes. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: May 31, 2024. This is a monthly contest.

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

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

3 New Literary Agencies Seeking Nonfiction and All Genres of Fiction

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

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

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

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

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Anjali Singh Agency  

Anjali Singh founded her agency in 2024. Most recently, she was an agent at Ayesha Pande Literary for nine years; she has also worked as an editor at Vintage Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Simon + Schuster and as Editorial Director of Other Press. She is best known for having championed Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis after stumbling across it on a visit to Paris. She has always been drawn to the thrill of discovering new writers and among the literary novelists whose careers she helped launch are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Samantha Hunt, Saleem Haddad and Nawaaz Ahmed. She focuses on literary fiction, memoir, and narrative nonfiction as well as representing graphic novel writers and illustrators across all age ranges. 

If you would like to query Anjali, please send a pitch letter along with the first 5 pages of your MS in the body of the email, and the title of your project in the subject line, to queries@anjalisinghagency.com

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The Eck Agency. 

Connor Eck is the Founder and Principal Agent of Tea. He spent 8 years at Lucinda Literary as an Agent and Chief Operating Officer.

His authors are novelists, journalists, producers, professors, humorists, creative directors, athletes, and change-agents. He is most interested in books that tug at the heart strings, stimulate the mind, and have an emotional arc. Connor loves championing underrepresented authors and original thinkers with diverse backgrounds. He is known for his personable, transparent approach, dynamic editorial and pitching skills, and for his ardent advocacy of his authors.

They welcome the following genres only: adult fiction, young adult fiction, narrative nonfiction, science, sports, history, and humor. If you’re a ghostwriter, please submit your portfolio. 

Submit your query HERE.

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The Ballpoint Agency  (CANADA) 

The Ballpoint Agency is a new, artist-centred literary agency with many enthusiasms, but mostly books. We currently serve a small roster of writers with focused attention, creativity and care.  The three founders have 75 years of professional experience between them: Dave Bidini has spent 25 years writing books, earning valuable insight into the industry from an artist’s perspective. Warren Sheffer has 20 years as a lawyer, representing authors and performers and specializing in intellectual property law. Janet Morassutti has 30 years of publishing industry experience, most recently as a founder and  managing editor of a non-profit newspaper.

Read submission guidelines HERE.

37 Marvelous Writing Conferences and Workshops in May 2024

This May there are more than three dozen writing conferences and workshops. Some conferences and workshops will be held online, but most will be held in person or use a hybrid format.

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

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

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

(Image: Kachemak Bay, Alaska: Alan Grinberg | Flickr)

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Asian and Asian American Voices: An In-Community Retreat. May 2 - 5. 2024: Boyds Mills, PA. The third annual Asian and Asian American Voices retreat celebrates the vibrant world of Asian and Asian American voices in children's and young adult literature. Waitlisted.

Lakefly Writers Conference. May 3 - 4, 2024: Premier Waterfront Hotel & Convention Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Workshops, talks, and a book fair for poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers. Previous presenters: Beth Amos, Malinda Andrews, Valerie Biel, Rebekah Bryan, R. R. Campbell and more. 

Washington Writers Conference. May 3 - 4, 2024: Bethesda, MD. "Expert sessions with authors and publishing pros on the many paths to publishing — from writing killer query letters and landing an agent to going your own way and utilizing a self/hybrid model — and publicizing your book once it exists!" 

Atlanta Writers Conference. May 3 - 4, 2024: Atlanta, Georgia. The goals of this conference are to give you access to eighteen top publishing acquisitions editors and literary agents actively seeking new clients (see their profiles on our Editors and Agents page), help you get your work ready for them, and educate you with a workshop and talks by experienced authors and other industry professionals. The Conference Activities page details each activity you can register for: select them all, only one, or some number in between–it’s entirely up to you, so you can craft the conference experience that will be best for your growth, interests, and budget. Virtual option for critique and pitch meetings with the agents and editors.

Michigan Writers Workshop. May 4, 2024: Detroit, MI. This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. 

The 2024 Writing Conference of Los Angeles. May 4, 2024: Los Angeles, CA. This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. 

Workshop: Getting to Know Your Characters through Passion, Purpose, and Place. May 4, 2024: Online. Katherine Higgs-Coulthard will explore share strategies for creating well-developed characters. Infusing characters with passion, purpose and place will pull readers into the story and make them care about what happens to the characters. We'll work through some examples and attendees will leave with a better idea of who they're writing about. Will be held via Zoom.

SCBWI 2024 Writers & Illustrators Working Conference. May 4 - 5, 2024: Round Rock, TX. Conference on children's books with keynotes; general sessions; breakout sessions for writing, professional development and illustration; intensives for novels, picture books and illustration; critiques; pitches and more. Will be held in person.

Blurred Lines: Writing Speculative Nonfiction. May 4 - June 8, 2024: Online. Though the golden rule of writing nonfiction is to be truthful, in speculative nonfiction, invention and imagination help a writer capture and hold truth’s slippery nature. In this five-week online workshop, we will read examples of speculative nonfiction by other writers like Margot Jefferson, Elissa Washuta and Jami Nakamura Lin, and learn how to draft scenes where facts are not fighting with what is imagined. Through exercises that employ both fiction and speculative nonfiction techniques, we will generate new material or fine-tune pieces already in progress. This workshop is open to new and more experienced writers looking to set their minds free—to use fact to explore fiction, blur the lines and create your own truth

Jewish Symposium: An In-Community Gathering for Jewish Writers and Illustrators. May 5 - 8, 2024: Boyds Mills, PA. The heart of the Jewish Symposium is to offer community for Jewish writers and publishing professionals. The program is designed to be an exchange of ideas, a place to connect, and a springboard for diversifying and amplifying Jewish content in literature for children and teens. There will be inspiring and engaging keynote addresses and faculty panel discussions with Q&A, readings by faculty and participants, and time set aside to write, retreat, and connect with fellow creatives.

Sundress Academy for the Arts: Mapping & Memory: Poetic Cartographies. May 8, 2024: Online. Through a series of writing exercises, we’ll use memory, cultural inheritances, and geographic imagination to develop new markers and map legends toward making and expanding our own poetic landscapes. Participants should expect to finish the class having generated the start of several new poems, and with new ideas in hand for approaching poetry in both reading and writing. 

Nonfiction Writers Conference. May 8 - 10, 2024. ONLINE EVENT. Online conference devoted to writing, publishing and promoting non-fiction books. Participation is live via phone or Skype, and recordings can be downloaded. Features 15 speakers over three days. Private Facebook group for attendees!

Annual PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature. May 8 - 17, 2024 at various locations in New York City and Los Angeles. "This year’s festival is a tribute to our fellow former President Salman Rushdie, the visionary who conceived the festival and has championed it ever since, as he launches his new memoir, Knife, an emblem of courage and of the role of literature and truth as vessels of human resilience. The PEN World Voices Festival was founded by Salman Rushdie, Michael Roberts, and Esther Allen."

2024 Portland Writing Workshop. May 10-11, 2024: Portland, OR and Online. This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Friday, May 10, 2024, at the Radisson Hotel Portland Airport. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome.

Ohio Writing Workshop. May 10-11, 2024: 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). Will be held virtually.

Grub Street Muse and the Marketplace Conference. May 10 -  12, 2024: Boston, Massachusetts. The Muse and the Marketplace is a three-day literary conference designed to give aspiring writers a better understanding about the craft of writing fiction and non-fiction, to prepare them for the changing world of publishing and promotion, and to create opportunities for meaningful networking. On all three days, prominent and nationally-recognized established and emerging authors lead sessions on the craft of writing—the "muse" side of things—while editors, literary agents, publicists and other industry professionals lead sessions on the business side—the "marketplace." 

Colrain Classic. May 10 - 13, 2024: Via Zoom. "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." 

Seattle Writers Workshop. May 11, 2024: Seattle, WA. This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. 

Longleaf Writers Conference. May 11 - 18, 2024: Seaside, Florida. "Formerly the Seaside Writers Conference, Longleaf Writers Conference is an annual gathering of creative writers from all over the nation, featuring award-winning writers in poetry and fiction and screenwriting who will offer a full week of intensive writing workshops, one day seminars, school outreach programs, and social events. This event occurs every year in May, and offers the opportunity for beginning, intermediate and advanced writers to celebrate writing, to network with other writers, and to hone their craft. There will also be seminars hosted by professional editors and literary agents who will offer one-on-one consultations. All participants who pay the full conference tuition fee will be able to take part in all daily activities, while those paying a la carte pricing will have the pick of which classes and workshops they would like to attend. The Longleaf Writers Conference is one of the only conferences in the nation to take place on one of the most beautiful beaches in the US, and every year will feature notable guest writers, literary agents, and professional editors."

The Braided Narrative: Weaving Creative Nonfiction. May 13 - June 17, 2024: Online. Personal narratives are driven by our own stories and experiences. In this workshop, our goal will be to weave these stories into multiple braids to create one cohesive narrative. Using craft essays as models, we will explore interconnections between the self and society, between the individual and the universal. As we share and discuss our revelatory pieces in a positive, supportive community, we will look for the potential in each draft to become relatable to a multitudinous body of readers. Come empty-handed to write something new, or bring some works-in-progress to unite.

Writing with Pride: A Two-Night Mini for Picture Book Writers. May 14 - 16, 2024: Online. Picture books can be filled with Pride! Join celebrated authors Lesléa Newman and Rob Sanders for this short course designed to bring LGBTQIA+ creators and their allies together to study the craft of picture books, and build confidence to create picture books with LGBTQIA+ characters and or/themes.

Whole Novel Workshop: An In-Person Retreat for Novelists. Application deadline May 15, 2024. August 14 - 19, 2024: Boyds Mills, PA. OVERVIEW: In-person 6-Day/5-Night Workshop and Retreat with a Full Novel Critique Included This intensive 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. 

Get Unstuck: Defying Writer’s Block in Your Poetry. May 15 - June 12, 2024: Online. Feeling like you want to write but can’t? Struggling to move your poems forward? This online poetry workshop for writers of all levels will give you the tools to break free from writer’s block and revise your “stuck” poems. Together, we will study published work for inspiration and experiment with creative prompts that make use of texts, art and objects you can find around your home to generate new poems. We will also play with revision strategies that will help you identify your poem’s lifeforce to enliven stale drafts you’ve all but given up on. Each weekly meeting will be preceded by a selection of assigned readings and at least one writing prompt. Our meetings will be divided between discussion of published texts, short in-class writing exercises and workshopping our poems. At the conclusion of our five weeks together, you will have assembled a reliable “Getting Unstuck” toolkit to return to whenever you need.

Biographers International Organization Conference. May 16 - 17, 2024. Each year, BIO brings together some of the finest practitioners of the craft of biography to help guide, mentor, encourage, and advise attendees on a wide variety of topics relating to the writing, researching, and selling of biography. The conference also offers a unique opportunity to hear some of biography’s best—and best-known—writers share their stories. During the James Atlas Plenary, prominent biographers such as Douglas Brinkley, Annette Gordon-Reed, David Remnick, Stacy Schiff , T. J. Stiles, and Evan Thomas begin the day in casual conversation. The afternoon features a keynote lecture by the recipient of the BIO Award. Past recipients include Robert Caro, Ron Chernow, Arnold Rampersad, Jean Strouse, and Claire Tomalin. Panel sessions throughout the day provide tips for novice biographers, examination of the craft of biography, and exploration of issues aimed at seasoned biographers. And a highlight of the conference is the presentation of the Plutarch Award for the year’s best biography.

Working Retreat: Nonfiction and Informational Fiction. May 16 - 16, 2024: Boyds Mills, PA. Join Heidi Stemple, Andrea Page, and editor Eileen Robinson for time to create and connect with fellow nonfiction writers.

Pennwriters Conference. May 17 - 19, 2024: Pittsburgh, PA. The Annual Pennwriters Conference features three days of workshops, panels, networking and learning to help you learn, grow, soar! Friday, Saturday and Sunday feature an open attendance slate of one-hour workshops on all things writing. The schedule is structured with open attendance, so you can take whichever classes appeal to you. Attendees will have 40+ hours of sessions to choose from. Our faculty is comprised of published authors, literary agents and editors, and other writing industry professionals. Pitch appointments are available at no additional fee.

Peripatetic Writing Workshop and Retreat. May 17 - 24, 2024: Catskill,  New York. NYU teachers and authors Maureen Brady and Martha Hughes lead the program featuring daily workshops, stimulating writing exercises, structured "quiet hours" for writing, plus optional tutorials. Martha Hughes founded the Peripatetic on Shelter Island, NY in 1991 in response to writers' needs for a quiet time and place for writing coupled with constructive feedback of their work from excellent editors and like-minded peers. Since then in keeping with its name, the Peripatetic has moved from state to state and country to country, meeting twice-annually in such diverse locations as Achill Island, Ireland; Anna Maria Island, Florida; Antigua, Guatemala; Siracusa, Sicily; Woodstock, NY; Verona, Italy; St Simon's Island, Georgia; Tybee Island, Georgia; and Deal, England. This is the Peripatetic's first stay in Catskill in Upstate New York. The location of the Peri may change, but what remains year after year is the stimulating atmosphere and warm camaraderie created by serious writers sharing work and writing concerns.

Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference. May 18 - 21, 2024: Homer, Alaska. This year, we will be exploring the theme “Wonder in the Wounded World” and the myriad ways we can be stronger writers and readers. Not only will there be four-days of craft classes, agent and editor meetings, panel discussions, readings by the participants and the faculty, but we’ll have more chances for folks to interact with each other and form the community of writers that sustains us when we return to our desks.

Writeaway in New Mexico. May 18 - 25, 2024: Casa Bellisima, New Mexico. $3.200 for private room; $2,800 each for friends or couple sharing a room Includes writing consultations and daily writing workshops, all meals, wine and cocktails, plus a cooking class and excursion. 

Working Retreat: Novelists and Graphic Novelists. May 19 - 22, 2024: Boyds Mills, PA. All creatives need time and space to accomplish their goals. We invite novelists and graphic novelists to gather with fellow storytellers for an immersive experience where productivity meets inspiration!

Boldface Conference for Emerging Writers. May 20 - 24, 2024: Houston, Texas. Daily workshops, readings, craft talks, social events and professionalism panels in an intimate and supportive environment designed specifically with the needs of emerging writers in mind.

Balticon. May 24 - 27, 2024: Baltimore, MD. Balticon is sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS). BSFS presents the Compton Crook Award, the Robert A. Heinlein Award, and the winner of the annual Jack L. Chalker Young Writer's Contest annually at this event. Multiple tracks of Programming over the four day weekend, featuring authors, artists, scientists, musicians, podcasters, publishers, editors, costumers and other creative SF luminaries. 

Martha’s Vineyard Summer Writers’ Conference. May 26- 31, 2024: Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. "The Martha’s Vineyard Summer Writers’ Conference brings together writers from around the world with the central belief that we can all learn from one another.  Our program offers week-long classes on the craft of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, evening readings, panel discussions, and individualized manuscript sessions. Attendees study with award-winning Visiting Authors & Poets and celebrate writing on the beautiful island of Martha's Vineyard. For those interested in individualized feedback, we offer Manuscript Sessions with our Visiting Authors and Poets. These one-on-one sessions allow attendees to get individualized feedback on their works-in-progress as well as advice on how to seek publication." 

ThrillerFest XIX. May 28 – June 1, 2024: New York City. This is the annual conference of the International Thriller Writers. The ThrillerFest conference has four main components: Master CraftFest, CraftFest, PitchFest, and ThrillerFest. Master CraftFest was designed as an educational tool for aspiring writers as well as debut and midlist authors to gain advanced training from the masters of the craft in an intimate, day-long training session. CraftFest was designed for all writers to learn from bestselling authors and subject experts who kindly offer their advice and assistance to advance attendees’ writing techniques and further their careers. PitchFest was designed to match writers with agents, editors, publishers, and producers. ThrillerFest, the final two days of the conference, is intended to offer readers a chance to meet the best authors in the industry and be introduced to debut and midlist authors. Expect innovative panels, spotlight interviews, and workshops to educate and inspire. 

North Words Writers Symposium. May 29 - June 1, 2024: Skagway, Alaska. "Exploring the Frontiers of Language," the North Words Writers Symposium welcomes all to an intimate setting with just 40 participants engaging with authors in a spectacular Alaska setting. Join this year's faculty of Alaska-NW authors for four days of panel discussions, writing workshops, readings, and adventure in Skagway, Alaska. Symposium events include activities such as hiking and writing workshops, a barbecue with live music at Alderworks Writers & Artists Retreat in Dyea; and a keynote banquet in a show garden.

Pittsburgh Writing Workshop. May 31 - June 1, 2024: Online. "This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop. In other words, it’s two days full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. And even though this is the “Pittsburgh” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually. Our WDW writers conferences have helped dozens of writers find literary agent representation." Will be held virtually.

Wyoming Writers Conference. May 31 - June 2, 2024: Casper, WY. The conference features workshops in craft, marketing, and productivity for poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers, as well as publisher pitch sessions, roundtable critiques, and open mics. Past writers have included fiction writer Nina McConigley, and Poet Matt Mason. 

8 New Agents Seeking Commercial and Upmarket Fiction, Kidlit, Picture Books, SF/F, Nonfiction, LGBT and BIPOC Writers and more

Here are eight 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. 

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Ms. Christine Goss of The Purcell Agency, LLC

Christine Goss is a graduate of Lake Forest College with a BA in communications. Formerly a sales representative, she has skills that pair well with her love of reading and story development.

What she is seeking: Open to queries from BIPOC authors only.

Adult and Young Adult: Stories that could be considered New Adult and also true Young Adult 

Upmarket Fiction/Commercial Fiction
Romance
Fantasy/Romantasy
Dystopian or utopian 

Middle Grade - Adult:

Graphic Novels

Nonfiction:

• Cookbooks: Original family recipes with anecdotes sprinkled throughout. A true story of cooking. 
• Stories about motherhood, unspoken troubles and hardships of new motherhood. 
• A story that would compel readers to take care of themselves or expand sympathy/understanding for themselves (Re: YOU SHOULD REALLY TALK TO SOMEONE). 
• Christine would love to see books about approachable ways for a sustainable lifestyle. With work resuming and people going back to the office, how can the environment still be top of mind?
• Anything exposing fast fashion and how fashion is detrimental to the environment, and not only that but how to practice “slow fashion”. 

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.

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Ms. Elinor Davies of The Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency (UK)

Elinor joined MMA in 2021 having graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Publishing Media after a career-change away from holistic therapy. She primarily assisted Hayley Steed with her commercial/upmarket fiction list before recently becoming an Associate. She has been a freelance editor for the Faber Academy and mentors with Asian Women Writers.

What she is seeking: I’m looking for commercial and upmarket fiction stories that will be either the next compulsive read or a cozy winter comfort book. I love a feminist crime thriller and I’m especially drawn to merciless narrators who we can’t help but love (even when they do bad things). I’m also open to lighter crime reads and can’t get enough of crime capers with comedy at their heart. In historical fiction, I’m looking for stories set from the Victorian era onwards, although I’m currently avoiding wartime fiction. I adore a dose of magic in just about everything I read whether it comes in the form of spirituality, family, or love. I’m talking about magical realism rather than outright fantasy.

How to submit: Read the agency guidelines HERE.

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Ms. Millie van Grutten of Rogers, Coleridge & White (UK)

One of my earliest memories is reading Lauren Child’s Clarice Bean – I adored seeing Clarice Bean tucked up in the airing cupboard amongst the knickers and socks whilst reading her comics and escaping her wonderfully eccentric family. Little did I know that one day I would have the enormous pleasure and privilege of working in the world of children’s book writing and illustration. Narrative in both text and illustration have always been important to me. My degree was in Classics and I love the great stories of Virgil and Homer and to me there’s no better example of narrative than the ancients – packed with suspense, jammed with emotion and all within the perfect structure. 

What she is seeking: I work as an agent with a particular interest in illustrators and picture books. 

How to submit: Follow the agency's guidelines HERE. Note: This agency does not accept submissions from writers in the USA.

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Ms. Lane Clarke of Ultra Literary

Lane Clarke believes in representing books that transport your mind, whether it be in a fantastical world, or the real one. She is always hoping to learn something new from books, and strives to represent a diverse list of creators. 

She earned a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature from Virginia Tech, and a law degree from The University of Chicago Law School. She is the co-founder of PitBlk, a Twitter pitch event for Black writers from across the diaspora, and is the brain behind #BVM, the Black Voices Matter hashtag. She lives in the Washington D.C.-area with her husband and two fur babies.

What she is seeking: Lane is looking for an array of genres in Picture Books, Young Adult, and Adult. In all age groups, she would love to see stories by underrepresented and marginalized creators. In Graphic Novels, she would love to see early readers, MG, YA, and adult by author/illustrators or author and illustrator teams. She is not a good fit for script only. She would love to see both contemporary and speculative graphic novels. In Non-Fiction, she is looking for humorous essay collections that address societal issues and personal growth (HERE FOR IT). She would also love to see memoirs akin to CRYING AT H MART. She is always on the hunt for narrative or prescriptive nonfiction about the Black experience.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.

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Joanna Rasheed of Ultra Literary

Joanna Rasheed joined Ultra after interning at Triada US Literary Agency and working as an assistant at Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency. Joanna graduated from Virginia Tech with a BA in English with a dual focus in Creative Writing and Professional Writing. She is obsessed with books, turning to them for inspiration and adventure. In her free time, you can find her at a coffee shop or in Central Park with her rescue mix.

What she is seeking: Joanna is primarily looking for YA and Adult fantasy, science fiction, women's fiction, and contemporary fiction; if there is a hint of romance mixed in, all the better. A few of her favorites are Saint, Divine Rivals, and Little Fires Everywhere. 

How to submit: Joanna Rasheed is currently open to queries at jrasheed@ultraliterary.com.

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Tyler Monson of Sterling Lord Literistic

Tyler joined Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. in 2023 and works with Robert Guinsler and Nadyne Pike. Tyler has a Ph.D. in American Literature from Marquette University. He has held teaching positions at Dartmouth College, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Marquette University, and Seton Hall University. He lives in Manhattan with his partner and their cat and dog.

What he is seeking: Tyler loves books about everyday life and the moments that rupture its routine to surprise, delight, frustrate, reroute, and renew our humanity and bend toward hope. He seeks out fiction and nonfiction that imagines otherwise and other ways of being in the world. In fiction, he enjoys writing about place, family, desire, and time in playful or inventive ways. Tyler values nonfiction that centers the voices and subjects of those who live in the margins of the social, political, and cultural mainstream, especially queer and trans folks. Also, he is interested in literary criticism and essays, data collection and its uses, and everything about tennis. 

How to submit: Use the agency's form HERE.

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Ms. Saskia Leach of Kate Nash Literary Agency (UK)

Saskia joined Kate Nash Literary Agency in 2021, after graduating from Royal Holloway, University of London in 2020 with a BA degree in English and History. She is also Secretary of the AAA Bridge Committee, a sub-committee of the Association of Authors’ Agents who support early career agents.

What she is seeking:  I am especially looking for contemporary cosy crime (I love unconventional settings) and a Lucy Foley-esque locked room psychological thriller that revolves around toxic friendship.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.

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Jo Ramsay of Transatlantic Literary Agency

Jo Ramsay (they/she) comes to Transatlantic after nearly three years working as literary assistant to Carly Watters at P.S. Literary Agency. They’ve worked in publishing for over eight years at a number of publishers and literary magazines which include Simon and Schuster, Shrapnel Magazine, Arsenal Pulp Press, PRISM International, and Greystone Books. Their journalism has been published in The Globe & Mail, Maclean’s, and This Magazine among others. After graduating from UBC with a major in English Literature and a minor in Creative Writing, Jo went on to live in Japan and the UK, always keeping a foot in the publishing world. Now based in Toronto, Jo is looking to represent a variety of adult fiction and nonfiction.

What she is seeking: 

Fiction:

• Upmarket fiction (book club conversation starters, fresh take on friendships, relationship, and family)
• Sci-fi (Black Mirror-esque, commentary on society, genre blending)
• Speculative fiction
• Gothic / Neo-Gothic
• Psychological horror / thriller
• Light horror (no heavy gore please)
• Dystopian
• Mysteries (with unique POV, character-driven)
• Graphic Novels
• Select literary fiction (less quiet realism, and more unusual or unique storytelling)
• Select romance (new spin or genre subversion)
• Select fantasy (fabulism, light world building)
• Select historical fiction (unique concept or genre blending)

Non-fiction:

• Pop Culture Deep Dives
• Politics and Social Sciences
• Cultural Critique
• Investigative Journalism
• Eco-Nonfiction
• Naturalist / Survivalist Accounts or Travelogues
• Pop Science
• Graphic memoir

How to submit: Query via email HERE.

97 Calls for Submissions in April 2024 - Paying markets

This April there are more than seven 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!

(Image: Wikimedia)

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

Totally Entwined: Family Business. Genre: Novellas, 30,000 - 50,000 words. Theme: Mafia romance. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 1, 2024.

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

Canthius. Restrictions: Open to women, trans men, nonbinary, Two-Spirit, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming writers. Genres: Unpublished poetry and prose (both fiction and creative non-fiction – "we welcome experimental works and play excerpts). Please limit prose submissions to 3500 words and poetry submissions to five poems." Theme: Trash. Payment: $50 for one page, $75 for two pages, $100 for three, $125 for four pages, and $150 for five pages or more, regardless of genre. Deadline: April 1, 2024.

The Beast Hunt. Genre: Speculative fiction. "Theme: Monsters have feelings too, even if it’s used to rage against the machine." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 1, 2024.

Creature Feature Classics #1: Lycanthropy. Genre: Stories on theme: Werewolves. Length: 3,000-8,000 words. Payment: £20 and 3 author copies. Deadline: April 1, 2024.

Write or Die. Genre: Short fiction. Length: Up to 4000 words. Payment: $200. Deadline: April 1, 2024.

The Ex-Puritan. Genre: Poetry, fiction, reviews, interviews, essays, and experimental work. "The Ex-Puritan now seeks to publish the best in all forms of writing." Payment: $100 - $200 (CAD). Deadline: April 1, 2024.

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

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

Kangas Kahn. Genre: Horror short stories on theme: Clowns Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: April 1, 2024..

Salamander. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: April 1, 2024.

West Branch. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and translation. Payment: $50 per submission of poetry, and $.05/word for prose with a maximum payment of $100. Deadline: April 1, 2024.

Shenandoah. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $100. Deadline: Opens April 1, 2024, and closes when they reach capacity. 

Zero Street Restrictions: Open to LGBTQ+ writers. Genre: Full-length literary fiction. "Zero Street will be committed to LGBTQ+ literary fiction with commercial potential, providing marginalized authors opportunities for a wide readership in the trade fiction market. The series editors are Timothy Schaffert, bestselling author of The Perfume Thief, and SJ Sindu, author of Blue-Skinned Gods. The series seeks LGBTQ+ literary fiction of all kinds, from stories of modern life to innovations on traditions of genre and are particularly interested in BIPOC authors, trans authors, and queer authors over 50." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 1, 2024.

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

Island Online. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents only. Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction. Payment: $500. Deadline: April 3, 2024.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: April 5, 2024.

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: $55. Deadline: April 7, 2024.

Daikaijuzine. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $10.00 for each short story, and $5.00 for each poem and flash fiction piece. Deadline: April 7, 2024.

Solidarity Forever Zine. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and nonfiction on theme of standing together. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: April 7, 2024.

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

Flame Tree: Sun Rising Short Stories. Genre: Speculative fiction on them: The Sun. "This will be a feast of modern fiction, folklore and mythology, and ancient tales of the looming, life-giving, eye-burning solar entity that dominates our sky." Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: April 7, 2024. Accepts reprints. 

Flame Tree: Moon Falling Short Stories. Genre: Speculative fiction on theme: The Moon. "This collection will bring a potent mix of superstition and belief that reaches back to the gods of Babylon, Ancient Egypt and Greece. Khonsu, Innana, Artemis and Thoth are just a few of the deities who brought a mix of love, sensuality and war to the ancient perceptions of the world." Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: April 7, 2024. Accepts reprints. 

Laughs in Space. Genre: Humorous science fiction. Length: 2000 words to 9000 words. Payment: £10 per 500 words, up to £55. Deadline: April 7, 2024. 

Terrain.org. Genre: "The Climate Stories in Action series will expand our vision of climate activism and help people imagine meaningful ways to be involved. We are inviting storytellers to submit poetry, nonfiction, fiction, art and multimedia pieces that showcase climate activism in professional, civic and community life. We are interested in stories that help shift our cultural mindset from despair to creative possibility and from isolation to collective purpose." Payment: $200. Deadline: April 8, 2024. 

Mslexia. Restrictions: Open to women. Genre: Fiction poetry, nonfiction. Payment: £25. Deadline: April 8, 2024. See themes.

berlin lit. Genre: Poetry. Payment: 20 euros per poem. Deadline: April 10, 2024.

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

Electric Literature. Genre: Short stories, personal narratives, cultural criticism, poetry, flash prose, and graphic narratives. Payment: $100 - $300. Deadline: April 14, 2024, or until cap is reached. 

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

Griffith Review. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction on theme: Status Anxiety. Payment: AUD$0.75 per word. Deadline: April 14, 2024.

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

Bull City Press: Inch. Genre: Small collections—a minimum of three stories or essays, or a constellation of poems, between 10-16 pages in length. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 15, 2024.

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

Mythulu Magazine. Genre: Submit AI-assisted short stories, art, nonfiction. See prompts. Payment: $0.08/word. Comics pay $45/page. A.I. Art pays $10/page. Deadline: April 15, 2024.

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: April 15, 2024.

Vault of Shadows. Genre: Short horror, weird, dark fiction between 3000 and 7500 words (not really a firm limit - the final product will be the comics script, not the short story), that can be adapted into a comic book script of 12 pages or less. Payment: $35 per page of the adapted script, up to 12 pages, paid via PayPal, and a print copy of the issue. Deadline: April 15, 2024.

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

Epoch. Genre: Poetry, prose, art and comics. Payment: $100 - $500 for poetry, prose, and comics, depending on length, and $350 for cover art. Deadline: April 15, 2024. No fee for snail mail submissions.

The Threepenny Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: $400 per story or article, $200 per poem or Table Talk piece. Deadline: April 15, 2024.

Consequence Magazine: The Culture of War. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC writers. Genre: Short fiction, poetry, nonfiction, interviews, reviews, and visual art mainly focused on the culture of war. Payment: $20 - $60 for prose and poetry, $150 for art. Deadline: April 15, 2024.

Bikes in Space. Genre: Queer Halloween short fiction (in written or comics form) about bicycling from a feminist perspective. Payment: $50 minimum. Deadline: April 15, 2024.

Rattle: Tribute to Musicians. Genre: Poetry. "We want to explore how music in the air in forms poems on the page. The poems may be any style or subject, but must be written who have been professional musicians at some point in their lives." Payment: $100. Deadline: April 15, 2024.

Grimm Retold. Genre: Horror and dark fantasy of Dark Grimm Fairy Tales, retold in new and horrific ways. Length: 2000 – 8000 words, Poems 1 - 4 pages. Payment: $25 for stories 2000 - 5000 words (after edits), $35 for stories 5000 - 8000 words (after edits), $15 for poems, $10 for reprints. Deadline: April 19, 2024. Accepts reprints.

This Magazine. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Nonfiction. "We’re now accepting pitches for our Community Issue! We’d like to cover mutual aid efforts, communal housing and housing initiatives, and all of the ways in which we can work together to get through. We’re seeking news, arts and ideas stories, and features." Queries only. Payment: Up to $300 CAD per piece. Deadline: April 19, 2024.

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

Super Canucks: An anthology of small-town Canadian superheroes. Genre: Superhero stories. " We want stories set in and around the nation’s more often overlooked locales—isolated small towns, remote reservations, bedroom communities, and other underrepresented areas of Canada." Payment: $200. Deadline: April 21, 2024.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Weird Horror flash fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: April 21, 2024.

Third Flatiron. Genre: SF, fantasy, space opera, hopepunk. See theme. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: April 21, 2024.

Mudroom. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and essays in translation. Payment: $15. Deadline: April 25, 2024.

Off Topic Publishing: Poetry Box. Genre: Poetry. Payment $30 CAD.  Deadline: April 25, 2024. This is a monthly call.

 

Dragon Soul Press: Fairy Rites. Genre: "All Fae stories are welcome. All genres are accepted." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Impressions. Genre: Dark speculative fiction. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Dusty Attic. Genre: Stories and poems that are spooky or fantastical or both. See theme. Payment: $10. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Yellow Arrow Vignette. Restrictions: Open to women-identifying writers/authors who currently live, grew up in, or recently lived in the Baltimore area. Genre: Poetry, CNF, art. See theme. Payment: $10. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Pulp Literature. Genre: Any genre or between-genre work of literature, or visual art (black and white for interiors, colour for covers) up to 50 pages in length. Payment: $0.05 – $0.08 per word for short stories (to 5000 words),  $0.03 – $0.06 per word between 5000 and 10000 words,  and $0.02 – $0.04 per word for works over 10000 words. Poetry and interior illustrations pay between $25 – $50. Sequential art (graphic novels and cartoons) and illustrations are at a rate of $25 to $75 per page. Reprints accepted at 1/2 rate. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Memezine. Genre: Memes. "We want to see stuff that blurs the lines between art, literature, and content. Send any work (traditional or hybrid format) that engages with memes, viral content, apps, trends, social media, pop/internet culture, and technology. If you’re not sure your work fits, send it anyway!" Payment: $4.20. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Eat the Rich Anthology. Genre: Speculative fiction about billionaires being eaten. Payment: $.05 per word and a paperback. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Texas Review Press: The Sabine Series in Literature. Genre: Poetry and fiction. The Sabine Series in Literature highlights work by authors born in or working in Eastern Texas and/or Louisiana. There are no thematic restrictions. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 30, 2024. Submissions are capped at 300.

Brick. Genre: Literary nonfiction. Payment: $55–685, depending on the length of accepted work, plus two copies of the issue the work appears in and a one-year subscription to the magazine. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Verve Poetry Press. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

The Rabbit Hole. Genre: Weird stories and poems. Theme: “Not From Here”. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Plenitude Magazine Restrictions: Open to Canadians. "Plenitude Magazine aims to promote the growth and development of LGBTTQI literature through an online publication of literary fiction, nonfiction, poetry, graphic narrative, book reviews and short film by both emerging and established LGBTTQI writers. We define queer literature and arts as works created by LGBTTQI people, rather than works which feature queer content alone." Genre: Poetry. Payment: $50 - $100. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

The Temz Review. Genre: Prose (fiction and creative non-fiction) up to 10,000 words long. Payment: $20. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

After Happy Hour. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, comics. Payment: $10. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Don’t Ask, Ghosts Tell. Genre: LGBTQ+ horror anthology loosely related to military life/service. Payment: $0.03/word (USD) for short stories with potential for increase based on Kickstarter success. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Boulevard. Genre: Poems up to 200 lines. Send up to five poems. Also fiction and nonfiction. Payment: $50-$250 for poetry, and $100-300 for prose. Deadline: April 30, 2024. No submission fee for mailed submissions.

Agbowo. Restrictions: Open to African origin writers only. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, book reviews and art/photography. Payment: Single Poems - $25; Suites of poems (2-4) - $50; One act plays -$50; Essays/Nonfiction - $60; Fiction - $60; Visual Art - $35. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Massachusetts Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, hybrid, translations. Payment: $100. Deadline: April 30, 2023. Fee for online submissions. No fee for USPS.

Cast of Wonders. Genre: YA Speculative fiction. Podcast. See theme. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction up to 6,000 words. For reprints, a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

the other side of hope. Genre: Poetry by refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants only. They accept submissions in English for this reading period. Payment: £50. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Cursed Cooking: A Horror Community Cookbook and Food Horror Anthology. Genre: Horror on theme: Food. Payment: 5 cents per word for original fiction works and 1 cent per word for reprints. Accepted recipe submissions will receive $5. Deadline: April 30, 2024. Reprints accepted.

Book Worms: Rock n Roll. Genre: Horror: fiction and essays. See theme. Length: Up to 1,500 words. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

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Lanternfish. Restrictions: Open to writers identifying as Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Genre: Fiction and memoir, full-length (60 to 100,000 words) and novella-length (20 to 40,000 words). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Deadly Yellowstone: A Collection of Mystery Shorts. Genre: Mystery short stories set in Yellowstone National Park. Length: 10,000 words max. 3,000 to 7,000 words preferred. Payment: $25. Deadline: April 30, 2024. 

Small Harbor Publishing. Genre: Poetry, art. See theme. Payment: Honorarium. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

I'm Here. Restrictions: Open to writers living in Canada. Genre: YA short stories connected in some way to the theme of “identity." Payment: $250. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Harbor Review. Genre: Poetry, art. Payment: $10. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Book Slayer Press. Restrictions: OPEN to any and everyone that identifies (now or in the past) as femme in the most inclusive of definitions. Genre: Adult speculative poetry under 50 lines. "HEMORRHAGING FLOWERS: A COLLECTION OF 100% FEMME RAGE is a collection of speculative poetry showcasing the spectrum of femininity and the rage contained within." Payment: $10. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Book Slayer Press Hentai Ectoplasm. Genre: Adult horror, including genre-chimeras. Submissions must be between 3,000 and 6,000 words. "Twelve - fifteen authors will tell a story of survival as their neighborhood is cut off by the destruction, each delivering the perspective of their respective home." Payment: $100. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Best New England Crime Stories 2024. Restrictions: Open to all writers who currently live in the six New England states. Genre: Crime stories, mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, historical, and horror. Payment: $25. Deadline: April 30, 2024.  

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Funny Stories. Genre: True stories and poems. "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." Payment: $200. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Texas Review Press publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and scholarly works. "Topics we are interested in include 20th/21st Century American Poetry, Environmental Writing, Ecopoetics, Contemporary Poetics, Creative Writing Pedagogy, Southern Literature, Southern Issues, Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas/Louisiana Literature, Texas/Louisiana History, Folklore, Cajun-Creole Studies, African-American Literature, African-American Studies, Latinx Literature, Latinx Studies, & Texas/Mexico History." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 30, 2024. Submissions are capped at 300, so submit early.

Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Psychopomp. Genre: Speculative fiction or literary novellas between 20,000 to 40,000 words, that fall under the umbrella of goth, death, funerary, grief, loss, alternative, otherworldly themes. Payment: $750 advance and 25% of net net receipts. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Thisledown Press (CANADA). Restrictions: Open to Canadian authors, with a preference for Western Canadian voices. Genre: Full-length literary work, including novels, short story collections, creative non-fiction, and collections of poetry. They will consider YA novels and—occasionally—books for younger children. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Soul Ink: Volume 2. Genre: Poetry. 1,000 word count minimum (not line count) Payment: Royalties (?) Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Drabblecast. Genre: Weird speculative short fiction, drabbles, and twabbles. Payment: The Drabblecast currently pays $.06/word for original fiction, with a cap of $300.00. The Drabblecast accepts reprint submissions at a pay rate of $.03/word, with a cap of $300.00. Drabbles and twabbles are "pro bono." Deadline: April 30, 2024. Reprints accepted.

Charlottesville Fantastic. Genre: All subgenres of fantasy set in Charlottesville. Payment: $20. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, New Year's. Genre: True stories and poems. "Please submit your true stories and poems about the entire December holiday season, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and New Year’s festivities too." Payment: $200. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

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

Typehouse. Restrictions: In honor of Arab American Heritage Month, no-fee submissions are open for all Arab creators, not limited to those in the US. Genre: Prose, poetry, art. Payment: $25. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

FIYAH. Restrictions: Submissions are restricted to people of the African Diaspora. Genre: Speculative fiction, art, and poetry about African Diaspora. Length: Short fiction 2,000 – 7,000 words and novelettes up to 15,000 words. See theme. Payment: $150 per story. $50 per poem. $300 per novelette. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Nonbinary Review. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Theme: Heredity. 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: April 30, 2024.

Anvil Press. Restrictions: Open to writers living in Canada. Genres: Full-length books per year in the following genres:

• literary fiction (short story collections, novels, uncategorizable prose)

• creative nonfiction

• memoir

• essay collections

• poetry

• books about Vancouver history (preferably off-beat or little-known history)

Read submission guidelines here. Deadline: April 30, 2024.

Malahat Review. Genre: Fiction. Payment: CAD $70/page. Deadline: April 30, 2024. (Note: Submissions by Canadian writers are accepted for consideration all year.)

AND A FEW MORE...

Cincinnati Review. Genre: Prose, poetry, art. Payment: $25/page for prose in journal. $30/page for poetry in journal. Deadline: Opens on May 1, closes when cap is reached.

Grumpy Old Gods Anthology: Grumpy Old Sherwood Genre: Speculative fiction stories. Theme: Robin Hood. "It’s open season on storytelling.  It means you can take whatever bits you like best of thousands of available tales, and twist and turn them however you like." Length: 3,000-4,000 words. Payment: A percentage of the profits. Deadline: May 1, 2024.

Bright Wall/Dark Room. Genre: Essay on theme: Spike Lee. "For our month of Lee, we’re seeking essays and voices tackling any and all of his films, his performances, his writings, his impact on cinema and culture.” Payment: $100. Deadline: May 1, 2024. 

Everyday Heroes. Genre: Contemporary Fiction. "In Honor of Mark Christopher Wagner the 2nd, we are looking for compelling and heartfelt stories centered around those who serve their communities. Stories of Firefighters, First responders, Law Enforcement, etc. Those Everyday Heroes who make a difference in the lives of their communities." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: May 1, 2024.

LONG DIVISION: Stories of Social Decay, Societal Collapse, and Bad Manners. Genre: Stories of transgression, of the mechanisms behind what’s fraying the bonds that bind us. Payment: 10c/word for original short fiction (up to 5,000 words). Deadline: Opens on May 1, closes when cap is reached.

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

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

Seven Story Hotel. Genre: Interviews, essays, stories, poems, and artwork. 7SH explores the weird, esoteric, and outsider fringes of contemporary culture, art, and technology. Payment: $35. Deadline: May 1, 2024. or until filled. 

Vault of Shadows. Genre: Short horror, weird, dark fiction between 3000 and 7500 words (not really a firm limit - the final product will be the comics script, not the short story), that can be adapted into a comic book script of 12 pages or less. Payment: $35 per page of the adapted script, up to 12 pages, paid via PayPal, and a print copy of the issue. Deadline: Extended submission window exclusively for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, neurodivergent, and other marginalized writers open April 16 - May 1, 2024.

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

Foglifter. Genre: Foglifter is a biannual compendium of  queer and trans writing. It’s a space where LGBTQ+ writers celebrate, mourn, rage, and embrace. "Foglifter welcomes daring and thoughtful work by queer and trans writers in all forms, and we are especially interested in cross-genre, intersectional, marginal, and transgressive work. We want the pieces that challenged you as a writer, what you poured yourself into and risked the most to make. But we also want your tenderest, gentlest work, what you hold closest to your heart. Whatever you're working on now that's keeping you alive and writing, Foglifter wants to read it." Payment: $25. Deadline: May 1, 2024.