84 Calls for Submissions in July 2026 - Paying markets

This July there are 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.

[Image: Wikimedia]

___________________

Thema. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: Waiting in Line. Payment:  $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: July 1, 2026. Accepts reprints.

The Quiet Ones. Genre: Quiet Horror and Intimate-Scale Dystopian Fiction. "We primarily seek creative work from those who identify as LGBTQIAP+, women, and allies. We’re especially fond of (though do not require) stories that center LGBTQIAP+ and female characters. That said, we welcome work from anyone and everyone, and we do not automatically disqualify any submissions based on the author’s identity, nor do we require our contributors to share their sexual or gender identities." Payment: $25. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2026. Closes when cap is reached.

The Marrow. Genre: Poetry written in, or translated into, English, from Australian and international poets. Payment: AU$40. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2026.

A Public Space. Genre: Fiction, essays, poetry, as well as graphic and hybrid work. Payment: Honorarium. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

Monstrously Misguided Anthology. Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Speculative, Dark Humour, Weird Fiction, Slipstream, Light Sci‑Fi. Theme: Creatures, legends, and monsters… but not as you’ve ever seen them before. Payment: 2.5 cents per word. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Prose. They prefer stories under 3,000 words. Payment: $100. Deadline: July 1, 2026. Free submissions open on the 1st of each month and close when cap is reached.

Fusion Fragment. Genre: Science fiction or SF-tinged literary fiction stories and novelettes ranging anywhere from 2,000 to 15,000 words. Payment: Both previously unpublished work and reprints pay 4 cents (CAD) per word, up to a maximum of $400 (CAD) per story. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2026.

Cordite. Genre: Poetry. Payment: Not specified. Payment is available for Australian contributors only. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

The Paris Review. Genres: Poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2026, and closes when they reach capacity.

Dirty Magick Magazine. Genre: Short fantasy fiction, from 2,000 to 12,500 words. Payment: $50. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2026, and closes when they reach capacity.

It Came from the Trailer Park. Genre: Horror/Comedy. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

Dark Ink: Movie Horror Themed Anthology. Genre: Horror centered on movies, filmmaking, and the act of watching films—where cinema itself becomes the doorway to terror.” Payment: $20. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

Phi Kappa Phi Forum. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Payment: $4/ line. Deadline: July 2, 2026.

Raconteur Press: Buck Yeah!. Genre: Short stories. Buck Rogers enters the public domain this year! We’re looking for new tales from the Buck Rogers universe. Rocket ships! Astonishing adventures 500 years into the future! Anti-gravity belts, rocket guns, disintegration beams! Length: 5,000 to 8,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 3, 2026.

Stone’s Throw. Genre: "We're looking for dark fiction, crime and noir, length between 1,000 and 2,000 words." Payment: $25. Deadline: July 4, 2026. Open to submissions the first three days of every month.

Liars’ League. Genre: Short stories. Length: 800-2,000 words. See theme. Payment: £20, reading of your story by a professional actor, as well as podcast, video and online publication of your work. Deadline: July 5, 2026.

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 5, 2026.

Thirty West Publishing. Genre: Full-length poetry, fiction, short story collections, essay collections, CNF, novellas. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 5, 2026.

Cosmic Horror Monthly. Genre: Weird and cosmic fiction under 5,000 words. Payment: 3 cents (USD) per word. Deadline: July 7, 2026.

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: July 7, 2026. This is a monthly call.

Isele Quarterly. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, photography, visual art, and hybrid works that explore the theme: Red. Payment: "Modest." Deadline: July 7, 2026.

Anodyne. Genre: Fiction, CNF, Poetry, Art, Photography, Video, Music on theme of Health. Payment: Revenue sharing. Deadline: July 7, 2026. (Submissions are free the first seven days of the month.)

Space & 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 7, 2026.

OTHERSIDE. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by self-identified members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Payment: $0.08/word for prose. $50 per poem. $100 for nonfiction and reprints. Deadline: July 1- 7, 2026. Submission period only for BIPOC, trans, and/or disabled authors.

Baneberry. Genre: Literary horror. Length: 500 - 7000 words. Payment: $500. Deadline: July 8, 2026.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: July 10, 2026.

Griffith Review. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Payment: AUD$0.75 per word. Deadline: July 12, 2026.

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, 2026.

Solarpunk Magazine. Genre: Solarpunk. See theme. 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, 2026.

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, 2026.

Horror Tree: Trembling With Fear. Genre: Horror short stories. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

Scuppernong. Genre: Hybrid memoir, as well as books on social justice issues in North Carolina. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

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, 2026.

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, 2026.

Strange Pilgrims. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. “We’re not married to any genre, structure, or subject. We love surreal, speculative, and fabulist stories; unhinged, lyric, and fragmented essays; voice-driven experimental narratives and slow-burn realism; cultural and literary criticism; hyper-intellectual riffs and children’s stories — so long as they move." Payment: $50 for flash prose, $200 for longer works. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

In a Flash: Recipes. Genre: Creative nonfiction of 500 words or less. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

Electric Spec. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $20 per piece. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

Augur Magazine. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $0.14 cents (CAD) per word for short fiction (1000+ words), and a flat fee of $112.00 per flash fiction piece (1000 words and under); $100 per poem. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

Eye to the Telescope. Genre: Speculative poetry. See theme. Payment: 5 cents/word, up to $25. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Fiction, 1.5 cents/word. Poetry, $10. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

Scrawl Place is part visitor’s guide, part literary journal. Genre: Work that explores places in Chicago. Payment: $40. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

The Dancing Griffin Press Halloween Special. Genre: Horror. "All types of horror are welcome - extreme horror, young adult, spooky middle grade - monsters, body horror, torture, paranormal, we do not discriminate. The only requirement is that your story takes place during the month of October, and at least one character must die." Payment: USD $20 for original stories; $15 for reprints. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

Seaside Gothic. Genre: Seaside gothic fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or a collection of photographs or illustrations. Payment: £0.01 per word. Deadline: July 19, 2026.

Black Hare Press. Genre: Dark stories, in any genre. Length: 5,000 - 50,000 words. See theme. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 19, 2026.

In The Mood Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction, poetry. art. "From celebrity personas, to impersonations, to acting school methods, we’re looking for criticism, essays, poetry, and visual art that engages with the concept of performance." Payment: $300 CAD. Deadline: July 20, 2026.

OTHERSIDE. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by self-identified members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Payment: $0.08/word for prose. $50 per poem. $100 for nonfiction and reprints. Deadline: July 21, 2026. 

The Deadlands. Genre: Poetry. "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: $50. Deadline: July 21, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Kaleidotrope. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry—science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but also compelling work that blurs the lines between these and falls outside of neat genre categories. Payment: For fiction, $0.01/word (1 cent a word) USD. For poetry, a flat rate of $5 USD per accepted piece. For artwork, a flat rat of $60 for cover art. Deadline: July 25, 2026.

Mudroom. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and essays in translation. Payment: $15. Deadline: July 25, 2026.

Diabolical Plots. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy and horror up to 3,500 words. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: July 27, 2026.

Mythaxis. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 0.01 per word, with a $20 minimum. Deadline: July 30, 2026.

Pseudopod. Genre: Horror Anthologies and Collections of stories that have been or will be published in 2026. Payment: USD $0.08 per word for original fiction. USD $100 per story for reprint fiction. Deadline: July 30, 2026.

Raconteur Press: The Spy Who Conjured Me. Genre: Short stories. The Cold War was not just between the US and USSR, but literally between the side of angels and the side of demons. A spy planting a haunted listening device in an enemy embassy finds that the ghost inside it has his own ideas. Codewords that are also magic spells, assassins using curses, and undead drops. Espionage with magical elements. Length: 5,000 to 8,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

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, 2026.

Flash Frog. Genre: Flash fiction ghost stories. 1,000 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Polaris Poetry Series. Genre: Afrofuturistic poetry. Submissions should be a minimum of 65 pages of poems, with each new poem beginning on a new page. Payment: $1000 advance. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Closes when cap of 100 submissions is reached.

Die Laughing. Genre: Funny horror. Payment: $10 for flash, $25 for shorts. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Spoon Knife. Genre: Short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. See theme. Payment: $30. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Phobos. Genre: Weird fiction. Payment: 8 cents a word or $25, whichever is greater. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

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, 2026.

Whitaker Lyon Press: Meet Virginia – A Romance Anthology. Genre: Short romance fiction. Length: 1,500-7,500 words. See theme. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Exquisite Engines. Genre: Streampunk. See theme. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Scylla: The Monstrous & The Divine Sapphic Anthology. Restrictions: Authors must be female identifying or non-binary; and the main character/s must be sapphic/wlw. Genre: Short and flash fiction, poetry. See theme. Payment: AUD0.10/word up to AUD400 for original fiction; up to AUD100 for reprints. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Only Poems: Poet of the Week. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $100. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Locative Magazine. Restrictions: Open to Australian residents. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: $30. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Zine Machine. Genre: Mini zines. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Ink in Thirds. Genre: Poetry, prose (up to 600 words), art. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Clare Songbirds. Genre: Full-length poetry collections. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Closes when cap is reached.

ECHO Small Press Books accepts full length novel submissions from teens (ages 13 - 19) and publishes one book a year. Genre: YA. Length: Between 40 and 100 thousand words. Payment: Advance and Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

The Temz Review. Genre: Prose (fiction and creative non-fiction) up to 10,000 words long. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Hellbound Books Anthology of Psychological Horror. Genre: Psychological Horror. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Nine Pens. Restrictions: Open to people in the UK or Ireland. Genre: Poetry pamphlets. Payment: Royalies. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

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. $10.00 for each poem. $20.00 for original articles, $6.00 for reprints. $7.00 for reviews and interviews. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

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, 2026.

A Midnight Kind of Place Anthologies. Genre: Horror. See themes. Payment: £30 for originals. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Slashic Horror Press. Genre: LGBTQ horror manuscripts. Length: 30,000 to 90,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

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 and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Payment: 0.10/word for fiction, $100 for nonfiction, and $40-300 for art. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Dragon Soul Press: MIDNIGHT BITES. Genre: Horror across all genres. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Hashtag Press. Genre: Full-length children's and YA books as well as nonfiction. All books must be diverse or inclusive. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Anstruther Books. Genre: Poetry "that takes risks and represents a diverse cross-section of the Canadian literary community." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

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, 2026.

The London Magazine. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Closes when cap is reached.

Short Story Substack accepts one short story every month. Genre: All genres. Word count 6,000 - 10,000 words. Payment: Base Pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Reprints accepted. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

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, 2026.

Dark Waters. Genre: Dark fiction. See theme. Payment: Up to $25. Deadline: August 1, 2026.

IHRAM Press. Genre: Poetry, fiction, esssays, art. Theme:We are opening submissions for an issue dedicated to amplifying the voices of women of colour, including transgender women and women living across cultures as expats, migrants, or in diasporic communities. Payment: $50 for writing, $25 for art. Deadline: August 1, 2026.

Saddlebag Dispatches. Genre: Short stories, poetry, and non-fiction articles about the West. Payment: $10 - $20. Deadline: August 1, 2026.

48 Writing Contests in July 2026 - No entry fees!

This July there are four 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! 

[Image: Wikimedia]

_________________

2084 Literary Competition. Genre: Poem. The theme: Write something that pertains to a bigger, brighter future. Prize: $100. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

Embracing Our Differences Exhibition. Genre: Thought-provoking quotations. Entries can be no longer than 20 words. Prize: $6000 total prizes. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

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, 2026.

Utah Division of Arts and Museums Original Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to Utah writers. Genres: Poetry and prose. Prize: $1,500 top prizes for book-length manuscripts of novels, creative nonfiction & history, collection of poetry or short stories, and juvenile book. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

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, 2026.

Embracing Our Differences Quotation Contest. Genre: An original quotation to accompany a piece of artwork. Length: 20 words max. Prize: $2000. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

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, 2026.

Boardman Tasker Prize. Restrictions: The prize will be awarded for a work first published or distributed in the United Kingdom between July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026. 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 1, 2026.

Forum Prize. Genre: Essay on the subject of: “Science and the arts.” 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: July 1, 2026.

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, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Self-published books are accepted. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

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, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Manuscripts, CDs, and chapbooks are not accepted. Prize: $100,000. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

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, 2026.

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, 2026. Free entry for poets age 12 and under.

On The Premises. Genre: For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story in which one or more characters are trying to make something–anything–smaller in some way. Trying to change their behaviors (“I will ____ less”) or their weight counts, and so does inventing a way to make something faster (“this process will take less time”). Stories must be between 1,000 and 3,000 words long. Prize: $250 for first place, $200 for second, $150 for third, and $75 for honorable mention. Deadline: July 3, 2026.

Hubert Butler Essay Prize. Restrictions: Open to European Union and UK 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 €2,500. Deadline: July 3, 2026.

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: July 6, 2026.

FSG Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to emerging writers from an underrepresented community. US resident or citizen. Genre: Debut work  of poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. Submit work samples as part of the application: 8-12 pages for poetry, and 40-50 pages for prose. Work samples can include previously published work and need not be from a single selection of the work. Prize: Stipend of $15,000 and mentorship. Note: Farrar, Straus & Giroux is part of Macmillan. Deadline: July 6, 2026.

Only Poems Poem of the Month. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Prize: $40. Deadline: July 7, 2026.

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 7, 2026. No fee for writers under the age of 21. Those over 21 can enter for a fee.

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 8, 2026. 

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $100 Amazi gift card. Deadline: July 10, 2026.

The Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism. Restrictions: Open to women and nonbinary journalists. Genre: Narrative Journalism. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: July 12, 2026.

The Richell Prize for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Open to unpublished Australian residents aged 18 years or older. Genre: Fiction and narrative non-fiction, the first three chapters plus synopsis (max 20,000 words). Prize: $10,000 and a year’s mentorship with one of Hachette Australia’s publishers. The Guardian Australia will publish an extract of the first chapter of the winning work on its website. Deadline: July 13, 2026.

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, 2026.

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, 2026.

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, 2026.

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, 2026. (It is difficult to find this information on their website.) 

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, poem. Poetry collection. Prize: €500.00 for fiction or poetry. €600.00 for poetry collection. Deadline: July 16, 2026.

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 17, 2026.

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 20, 2026. 

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: July 27, 2026.

Write the World Competitions. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19.5. Genre: Fantasy. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50. Deadline: July 27, 2026. (Note: This is a monthly contest.)

Landfall Essay Competition. Restrictions: Open to New Zealand writers. Genre: Essay about New Zealand. Prize: The winner will receive $3000 and a year’s subscription to Landfall. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Drue Heinz Literature Prize. Restrictions: Open to published writers. Genre: Short story collection, or two or more novellas. “Eligible submissions include an unpublished manuscript of short stories; two or more novellas (a novella may comprise a maximum of 130 double-spaced typed pages); or a combination of one or more novellas and short stories. Novellas are only accepted as part of a larger collection. Manuscripts may be no fewer than 150 and no more than 300 pages.” They also accept translated manuscripts. Prize: $25,000 and publication. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Journey’s End Fantasy Novel Contest. Restrictions: Open to unagented US writers who have never had a book traditionally published. Self-published authors are OK! Genre: Fantasy novel with a word count of 40,000 to 100,000. Prize: $500 and a publishing contract. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

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, 2026.

Polar Expressions Publications Short Story and Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Canadian citizens or residents of all ages. Genre: Short story, poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Hachette UK: The Future Bookshelf – The Robinson New Voices Award. Restrictions: Open to unpublished psychology writers from Black, Asian, mixed heritage and multiple ethnic backgrounds, as well as those who are disabled, gender diverse, part of the LGBTQIA+ community or from cultural or religious minorities. Genre: Works of commercial non-fiction, aimed at general readers, on any topic within any branch of psychology. Prize: £5000 advance. Deadline: July 31, 2026. 

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. Restrictions: Open to young poets age 11 - 17. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Publication. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

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 31, 2026.

The Protopian Fiction Prize. Genre: Fiction. "The Protopian Fiction Prize invites you to share your vision of people working toward liberatory futures, meeting obstacles, and making real change. A “protopia” is an optimistic but achievable future. It's neither flawless nor catastrophic, but instead workably better than today. And it's one we've gotten to through steady progress rather than revolutionary leaps." See themes. Prize: 2 prizes, $5000 each. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

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, 2026.

Biopage. Genre: "Inspiring, uplifting, and heartwarming stories." Prizes: Up to $300. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Registration required.

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, 2026.

What’s Your Story? Restrictions: Open to Victorian residents. (Australia) Genre: Poetry, short stories, CNF. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Northwind Writing Award. Genre: Prose Poetry, Poetry, Short Fiction, and Non-fiction/Essay/Memoir. Prize: $100 and publication. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.

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, 2026. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

30 Great Writing Conferences and Workshops in July 2026

This July 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 Boyds Mills list of workshops. They offer many throughout the year.

[Image: Hyannis, Massachusetts: Flickr]

_________________________

First Friday Book Talk & Reading with Patricia Henley July 3, 2026: via Zoom. Patricia Henley’s fifth collection of short stories, Apple & Palm, was published by Cornerstone Press in 2026.

Writing the Lyric Essay: A Writing Workshop with Hannah Dela Cruz Abrams. July 5–August 23, 2026: ONLINE. Throughout our generative workshop, participants will read, discuss, and write the lyric essay. Together, we will walk the highline between poetry and prose. We will become students of musicality and revelation. Reading shall compass critical and craft essays, alongside hallmarks of the genre. Across these pages, we will trace, among others, the applications of associative logic, white space, research, syntax, and lyric time. Representative authors may include Claudia Rankine, Eula Biss, Kiese Laymon, Maggie Nelson, Lia Purpura, Ocean Vuong, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Anne Carson. Application deadline: June 20, 2026.

The Dis-Form: Disability and the Embodied Mode. July 8th, 2026: Online. In this workshop, we will take the inabilities of our languages and our bodies and use these as dis-modes to generate new, original work. By emphasizing what the body cannot do, we will attempt to complicate a poetics of embodiment.

Summer Camp for Writers and Illustrators: Session One! July 8 - 12, 2026: Boyds Mills, PA. Our Summer Camp is a not-to-be-missed experience with 1:1 mentorship, educational and inspirational keynotes, breakout sessions in your chosen track, a community of fellow creatives, time to create, and lots of fun!

Community of Writers Workshop in Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, and Memoir. July 10 - 17, 2026: Olympic Valley, California. These workshops assist serious writers by exploring the art and craft as well as the business of writing. The week offers daily morning workshops, craft lectures, panel discussions on editing and publishing, staff readings, as well as brief individual conferences. The morning workshops are led by staff writer-teachers, editors, or agents. There are separate morning workshops for Fiction and Narrative Nonfiction/ Memoir. In addition to their workshop manuscript, participants may have a second manuscript read by a staff member who meets with them in an individual conference. During the week, a portion of our workshops is devoted exclusively to nonfiction. Memoir, narrative nonfiction, and essays are invited. Literary criticism and scholarly work will not be considered. Nonfiction applicants can use the same general form for submission. Application deadline March 10.

Summer Camp for Writers and Illustrators: Session Two! July 12 - 16, 2026: Boyds Mills, PA. Our Summer Camp is a not-to-be-missed experience with 1:1 mentorship, educational and inspirational keynotes, breakout sessions in your chosen track, a community of fellow creatives, time to create, and lots of fun!

Port Townsend Writers’ Conference. July 12 - 19, 2026: Port Townsend, Washington. workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as craft lectures, readings, open mics, and time to write. "The Port Townsend Writers’ Conference has been since 1974 at the wild heart of the thriving Pacific Northwest literary scene. With a focus on community and rigorous attention to craft, the Conference offers morning workshops, afternoon workshops, residencies, guided freewrites, and a vibrant readings and lectures series presented by vital, contemporary writers."

Sewanee Writers’ Conference. July 14 -  26, 2026: Sewanee, TN. Faculty will give readings and provide instruction and criticism through workshops and craft lectures, as well as meet individually with participants to discuss their manuscripts. The Conference will offer five fiction workshops, four poetry workshops, and a playwriting workshop supported by two professional actors. In addition, a substantial number of literary agents will attend. Application deadline March 1.

Romance Writers of America. July 15 - 18, 2026: Albuquerque, NM. Whether you're new to romance writing, an established author, or anywhere in between, there’s something for everyone—dynamic workshops, exciting community activities, and much more to elevate your career and connect with fellow writers.

Southampton Writers Conference. July 15 - 19, 2026: Long Island, NY. The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and publishing, as well as readings, lectures, and a master class series. Creative writing workshops are the heart and soul of the summer experience, meeting four afternoons or mornings throughout the session. Enrollment is limited to 13 lucky writers who have applied with writing samples. Those accepted have the privilege of sharing their work in an intimate, rigorous and friendly setting. 

Writercon Retreat. July 15 - 19, 2026: Wagoner, OK. Join us for a five-day, small-group writing retreat at the 300-acre Canebrake Resort in Wagoner, OK, on Ft. Gibson lake. Our retreat group will have the resort to ourselves with paths to hike, a pool to enjoy, bikes to ride and much more! 

Midwest Writers Workshop. July 16 - 18, 2026: Muncie, Indiana. Craft and business sessions, agent pitches, manuscript evaluations. MWW includes quality instruction by a faculty of authors, agents, editors, and specialists. Will be held online and in person.

North Carolina Writers' Network Squire Summer Writing Workshops. July 16 - 19, 2026: Boone, North Carolina. The Squire Summer Writing Workshops offer an intensive course in a chosen genre (creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry) over the four days of the program. Space in each workshop is limited, so that registrants can work in-depth on their own manuscript samples, as well as their colleagues’, while also studying the principles of the genre with their instructor.

Saskatchewan Festival of Words. July 16 - 19, 2026: Moose Jaw, Canada. Workshops for all ages, reading sessions, concerts, film, panel discussions, interviews, music, theatre, a slam poetry competition as well as workshops and author readings.

Mystery Writers Conference.  July 17 - 19, 2026: Corte Madera, CA. In this conference, mystery writers learn the clues to a successful writing career. Editors, agents, and publishers tell participants what they need to know to get published. Authors offer classes on setting, dialogue, suspense, point of view, and openings. They tell how to write about private eyes, amateur sleuths, and police protagonists, and how to create thrillers and historical mysteries. Panels of detectives, forensic experts, police, and other crime-fighting professionals provide information that allows crime fiction writers to put realism in their work. 

Imaginarium. July 17 - 19, 2026: Louisville KY. A three day annual event held in Louisville, Kentucky centered entirely around creative writing, including the worlds of books, movies, gaming, music, and comics/graphic novels. Imaginarium Convention features extensive programming content, with panels and workshops presented by over 150 professional guests covering everything from the craft of writing to various genres, industry-specific topics, publishing, and social media/publicity. The convention features a film festival with a full array of awards, a masquerade/costume contest, live music, gaming, an expo open to the general public, an awards banquet, a series of literary awards called the Imadjinns, and many more activities, creating a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere that is content-rich and ideal for networking, promotion and personal development. 

Sundress Academy: Trans/Nonbinary Writing Retreat. July 18 - 19, 2026: Via Zoom. The Sundress Academy for the Arts is thrilled to announce its Trans/Nonbinary Writers Retreat, which runs from Saturday, July 18th, 2026, through Sunday July 19th, 2026. This event will be entirely virtual held via Zoom. All SAFTA retreats focus on generative writing, and this year’s retreat will also include the following craft talk sessions: “The Volta As A Survival Strategy” and “Ekphrastic Identities: Exploring Gender and the Body Through Art.” The event will be open to trans and nonbinary writers of all backgrounds and experience levels and provide an opportunity to work with many talented authors and poets from around the country, including workshop leaders Dr. Kelsey L. Smoot and Kay E. Bancroft. Sold out.

Taylor's Professional Writers Conference. July 23 - 25, 2026: Upland, Indiana. Sponsored by Taylor University's nationally recognized Professional Writing major, this conference stresses tools and tips for getting your writing into print. You'll learn from professional writers and network with agents and editors who can take you to the next level in your writing.

Writer's Digest Annual Conference. July 23 - 25, 2026: New Brunswick, New Jersey. Writer's Digest Annual Conference offers everything you need to advance your writing career creatively and professionally. Gain invaluable tips to improve your craft, explore publishing options and learn how to establish a sustainable career—all while being inspired by successful authors and your fellow attendees. It’s all brought to you by Writer’s Digest, the experts at nurturing and developing writers at every stage of their career for over 100 years.

Cascade Three-day Critique Workshop. July 23 – 26, 2026: Bremerton, WA. "Our Three-Day Critique Workshop is an opportunity for you to submit the first 4000 words of your novel, short story, or whatever project you are working on, for critique in a group of up to 8 peers led by an industry professional. This is a great way to polish up those first pages and first chapter. Submissions are due six weeks before the event via our Discord Channel. Registrants will receive login information a few weeks before submissions are due. There will also be one-hour workshops and panel presentations on craft, querying, the publishing industry, and more. Optional casual gatherings provide opportunities to get to know other writers as well as authors, editors, and agents." 

The 2026 New England Writing Workshop. July 24 - 25, 2026: 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).

Confluence-SFF. July 24 - 26, 2026: Coraopolis, PA. Located at the birthplace of the Ohio River, Confluence is Pittsburgh’s longest-running literary conference with a strong focus on science fiction, fantasy and horror. Award-winning authors, editors, artists and song-writers gather for three full days.

Napa Valley Writers’ Conference. July 26 - 31, 2026: Napa, California. While conference lectures and readings are open to the public, the heart of the experience — the daily workshop, with the opportunity to give and receive feedback on work in progress — is available only to participants. It’s through this intense process that new and established writers interact most meaningfully and forge the bonds that give the conference community life beyond the annual conference week. Application deadline April 20.

Chapter Books and Early Readers: Getting Started with Beginning Readers. July 28 - 30, 2026: Online. Explore ways to get started writing a chapter book or early reader that turns a new reader into a lifelong book lover.

Mendocino Coast Writers Conference. July 30 - August 1, 2026: Mendocino, California. The Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference is a vibrant gathering that offers Morning Workshops in a wide range of genres. Afternoons are packed with craft seminars, panels, one-on-one consultations, and open mics; and every evening offers an opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie and connection that make this conference, in the words of one participant, “life changing.” The registration deadline is June 30.

Cape Cod Writers Center Conference. July 30 -  August 2, 2026: Hyannis, Massachusetts. Supporting published and aspiring writers. Featuring distinguished authors, editors and agents in workshops on fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, poetry, mysteries and thrillers, social media, promotion and more! 

Willamette Writers Conference. July 30 - August 2, 2026: Portland, Oregon. Three full days of classes, workshops, keynotes, critiques, and events. There are also Master Classes with industry professionals in which you can learn from top instructors in a small group setting and many options for one on one critique, including On the Spot Critiques and Advance Manuscript Critique. As always, they will have a roster of agents, editors and film executives ready to hear about your project. 

SCBWI: Virtual Summer Conference. July 30 - August 2, 2026: Online. Ready to take your children’s book career to the next level? Wherever you are in your publishing journey, the Virtual Summer Conference provides an opportunity for growth, creativity, and connection. Dive into every aspect of the children’s book world, from writing and illustrating to translating, marketing, and self-publishing. Put your art in front of industry pros in the career-launching Portfolio Showcase and pitch your book to acquiring agents and editors. Get inspired by sessions tailored for illustrators, picture book authors, novelists, nonfiction writers, graphic novel creators, and more. Best of all? You’ll have access to all sessions through September 13th, so you can learn and grow at your own pace. Join us and invest in your passion. It’s time to bring your stories to life!

Florida Authors and Publishers Association Annual Conference. July 31 - August 1, 2026: Lake Buena Vista, 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).

The Creativity Workshop in New York. July 31 - August 3, 2026: New York, New York. "The Creativity Workshops take away the fear of writing and open the way to new ideas. They are especially helpful for writers in fiction, poetry, memoir, theatre and film to get over writing blocks. In our Creativity Workshop Retreats you will generate both new work and ideas for the work you are in the midst of creating. We use many different techniques to help you find your way through the novel, essay, poem, memoir, or script you are writing or hope to write. In The Creativity Workshop you will be doing free writing, writing from guided visualizations, collaborative writing, journaling and memoir work and even some rudimentary drawing, collage and photography."

WRITING EVENTS WITH DEADLINES IN JULY 

Hold Space Retreat for Artists of Color. September 14- 20, 2026: 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 5, 2026.

Traveling at Home: A Writing Workshop with Erika Howsare. September 1 - October 27, 2026. Online. In this course we will ask how writing can be a tool for creating intimacy with our own places, the places where we live, even (and especially) if they lack destination status. We’ll be less focused on polishing finished pieces of writing and more concerned with using the notebook as a focusing device for our eyes, ears, intuition, and all other human sensory gifts, generating material that may later be refined into poems or essays. Weekly assignments will feel more like experiments. Application deadline: July 15, 2026

The Gift of Attention: A Poetry Workshop with Erin Coughlin Hollowell. September 5 - October 25, 2026: Online. In this eight-week course we will discuss ways to refocus our attention as poets by examining anchor texts by various contemporary poets and then trying out the techniques in our own work with some generative exercises. Poets should bring a good idea of which landscapes are often featured in their work, and they will leave with five or six new poems that re-envision those places with refreshed attention. Application deadline: July 15, 2026.

8 New Agents Seeking Genre Fiction, YA, New Adult, Nonfiction, LGBTQ, Literary Fiction, Graphic Novels 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.

___________________________

Ava Lauren Grayson of Lowenstein Associates

Ava Lauren Grayson is a literary agent based in Los Angeles who joined Lowenstein Associates in 2026. She was previously as an editor at Quill and Flame Publishing House for several years, following an internship supporting the literary department at Echo Lake Entertainment. She is also an author and award-winning director with a background in theater, photography, and fashion.

What she is seeking: Ava is a modern romantic with a taste for all things magical and dramatic. She is passionate about reading romantic yearning, empowering female heroines, and coming-of-age stories, and is actively building her list in the literary fiction, horror, romantasy, gothic, YA, genre-blends, romance, fantasy, and narrative nonfiction spaces. Ava reads widely and is willing to consider projects in any genre as long as the writing is compelling and immersive. She is seeking debut authors, own stories, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ stories.

How to submit: Please send your query letter in an email, with the first chapter attached as a Word document and “Query” in the subject line. Paper queries will be discarded. Please direct queries for Ava Grayson to ava@bookhaven.com.

___________________________

 

Ms. Gemma Paynter of P.S. Literary Agency (CANADA)

Gemma Paynter is an associate agent at PSLA. She holds a BA in Philosophy and a postgrad in Publishing. After over a decade working in marketing and strategy, she moved into publishing with Harlequin, working across both trade and category romance. She brings an instinct for audience development, emerging trends, and the cultural undercurrents that shape what resonates, often before it fully breaks through.

What she is seeking: Gemma is actively acquiring adult fiction and non-fiction that subvert expectations. In non-fiction, she is drawn to narrative projects that bring niche subjects to a wide readership, particularly those that blend memoir with expertise. Her interests include pop culture, pop science, fashion, design, literary commentary, and the history of subcultures and counterculture. 

In fiction, she loves immersive atmosphere, sharp observation, twisty storytelling, and offbeat wit. She is especially interested in folktale-inspired horror and fantasy, gothic mystery and romance, fantasies featuring mundane magic, puzzle-driven mysteries, and cozy stories that feel hopeful yet grounded, like a Studio Ghibli movie. She has a soft spot for “weird girl” literary fiction, unreliable narrators, and true rom-coms — make her laugh! She is drawn to work that takes an irreverent, witty approach to the macabre and is always on the lookout for projects that capture the strange, uncanny magic of Twin Peaks. She encourages submissions from underrepresented voices, especially those centering characters who don’t often get to be the protagonist.

How to submit: Follow the agency guidelines HERE.

___________________________

Donna Greaves of Colwill and Peddle (UK)

I am the newest member of the Colwill and Peddle team, having joined as an agent in 2025. I got my start in publishing at Jo Unwin Literary Agency, where I spent seven years. Prior to this, I trained and worked as a speech and language therapist in the NHS, before changing career.

What she is seeking: I’m excited to be building a list across adult commercial, book club and accessible literary fiction, and non-fiction. I’m particularly drawn to voice-led narratives, unconventional settings and people, and humour, as well as rich, immersive storytelling that interweaves cultural, political or historical context.

In fiction I am also on the lookout for stories that can translate across genres and mediums, to reach a wide audience; stories that are as captivating in audiobook as they are on the page, and that lend themselves to film and TV adaptation. Some examples of books I’ve enjoyed across the genre are: Bernardine Evaristo’s Mr Loverman, Nussaibah Younis’s Fundamentally, V. V. Ganeshananthan’s Brotherless Night, Lisa McInerney’s The Glorious Heresies, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People, Emily Henry’s Book Lovers and Lizzie Damilola Blackburn’s Yinka, Where is your Huzband?

In crime and mystery, I am open to more traditional crime series with great atmosphere and page-turning mystery, in the vein of Elly Griffiths and Val McDermid. I’d love to see books with off-beat characters, uncommon settings, and subversive and playful storytelling, such as The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley, The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff, The Woman Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo, and The Trees by Percival Everett.

I am not specifically looking for sci-fi, fantasy or horror, however, like any decent millennial, I was raised on the classics - Buffy, Scream and The Craft - so would be open to books that are witchy, or capture the horror and adventure of being human, and books with crossover potential – I will never forget reading The Girl with all the Gifts, and being drawn into a zombie apocalypse in a way I didn’t know was possible. I loved The Binding by Bridget Collins and would happily accept an atmospheric, magical book to get lost in.

In non-fiction I am looking for books that use a personal lens through which to explore a culture, identity, community, or period in history - I really loved Kiese Laymon’s Heavy and Wild Swans: the daughters of China - as well as narrative projects about intriguing and unusual lives, jobs and experiences, such as Evie King’s Ashes to Admin and Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams.

I’m open to seeing popular science and psychology that is accessible in tone or written from a personal perspective, and similarly with true crime e.g. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara and Raised by a Serial Killer by April Balascio. I’m also keen to see books that connect us to our past and examine the world through popular culture, tradition and history, including books about ‘scenes’, music or otherwise, in the manner of Jeffrey Boakye and Lloyd Bradley. Ultimately, I am looking for non-fiction that makes knowledge accessible, helps readers feel seen, and/or is good laugh.

How to submit: Follow submission guidelines HERE. Note: This agency does not represent American writers.

___________________________

Danai Christopoulou of The Tobias Literary Agency

Danai Christopoulou is a Pushcart Prize nominated SFF author and editor. After a long career as a journalist and copyeditor (their articles and opinion pieces have featured in magazines such as Glamour, House & Garden and Marie Claire since 2004), Danai has been a freelance editor and new talent mentor for mentorships such as QueeryFest. Danai edits for Hugo-nominated magazine khōréō, and reviews short fiction for HavenSpec. Originally from Greece, Danai currently resides in Sweden.

What they are seeking: Danai loves speculative fiction of all flavors, from horror and thriller to sci-fi, fantasy and romance, especially from marginalized voices. They are mostly focused on adult fiction, but are interested in Young Adult fiction with crossover appeal. Danai likes their fiction upmarket with nuanced plots, particularly from BIPOC, queer, neurodivergent and other traditionally marginalized groups.

How to submit: Use the querytracker form HERE. Open to BIPOC authors only until June 30.

___________________________

Analía Cabello of Andrea Brown Literary Agency

Analía has been working at ABLA since 2021, assisting Executive Agent Kelly Sonnack in championing a diverse list of authors and illustrators. Before that, she was an editorial assistant at Candlewick Press and interned at several literary agencies. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Child Development and Ethnic Studies, which have informed her passion for the intersections of children’s literature, developmental psychology, and identity.

What she is seeking: She’s looking to represent picture book illustrators, authors, and author-illustrators; middle grade fiction; and young adult fiction. In all categories, she is a fan of characters who feel in-between in any sense (identity, friend groups, transitional period of life, etc.); stories of self-discovery and character growth; explorations of sibling relationships and intergenerational families, in the vein of The Penderwicks and Darius the Great Is Not Okay; and stories from creators whose voices have been traditionally underrepresented in the industry.

How to submit: Use her querytracker form HERE.

___________________________

Maria Carolina Ministeri of Ginger Clark Literary

Maria Carolina Ministeri is an Associate Agent at Ginger Clark Literary. She is actively building her client list and assists in the sale of domestic and foreign rights. She studied English, Education, and Creative Writing at the University at Buffalo and got her start in publishing with the Writers House Intern Program. Born in Venezuela and raised in South Florida, she is fluent in both English and Spanish (and working on appeasing her dad's side of the family by learning Italian). She is now based in Washington, DC.

What she is seeking: Maria is looking for adult, crossover, and YA fiction across genres that feature compelling characters, complex relationships, and immersive settings (real or imagined). 

How to submit: Please send your query letter, contact information, and the first 15 pages of your manuscript via email to mministeri (at) gingerclarkliterary (dot) com with “mcm query” in the subject line. Maria will respond within three weeks if she is interested in reviewing more.

___________________________

Ivanka Dimitrova of  Olswanger Literary

Ivanka Dimitrova is a Literary Associate with Olswanger Literary and a published author represented by Focused Artists Agency. She holds a business degree and is an active member of Mystery Writers of America, the Women’s National Book Association, the American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Jane Austen Society of North America.

What she is seeking: Ivanka is seeking commercial and upmarket fiction, including women’s fiction, book club fiction, mystery, thriller, romance, magical realism, low fantasy, and time-slip fiction. She is drawn to stories where history intersects with mystery, folklore, and wonder, as well as immersive settings and emotionally resonant storytelling. For nonfiction, she is interested in literary and cultural history, travel, biographies, authors’ lives, homes, and gardens, and select lifestyle, gift, and cookbook projects.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.

___________________________

Laura Katz of Writers House

Writers House is one of the largest independent literary agencies in the world, with in-house international licensing, media, contracts, and accounting teams. I joined in 2021, working first as an assistant in the contracts and accounting departments. Since 2022, I’ve supported Simon Lipskar and his list of award-winning and bestselling clients, and I'm now actively building my own list of adult fiction.

What she is seeking: I'm currently seeking authors of book club, upmarket, and literary fiction. My favorite books tend to sit in the range between plot-driven stories with deep emotional intelligence (IF WE WERE VILLAINS by M.L. Rio) and character-driven yet propulsive novels with complex themes (CIRCE by Madeline Miller). I enjoy voices ranging anywhere from atmospheric to earnest to wry, and I particularly love:

- Mystery/suspense influences, or crime fiction that leans literary (THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore)
- Contemporary stories with a strong hook and complicated relationships (Kiley Reid’s novels, TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett)
- Speculative or spooky elements thrown into a world that otherwise resembles our own. True high fantasy, sci-fi, and undiluted horror are probably not right for me. (BABEL by R. F. Kuang, YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke)
- Vivid, specific settings that allow me to explore a new place or see a new angle on a familiar one (MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER by Oyinkan Braithwaite, CRAZY RICH ASIANS by Kevin Kwan)
- I’m also open to select rom-coms, though I’m more likely get excited about a project if the romance is mixed with/secondary to other plot elements. In any case, the intelligence, character growth, and humor need to be front and center (Ali Hazelwood’s dialogue is my gold standard!)

How to aubmit: Use her querymanager HERE.