85 Calls for Submissions in June 2021 - Paying markets

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

I post calls for submissions on 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 credit: Pixabay)

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The Were-Traveler: Curst & Twysted Tarot. Genre: Short fiction. Choose an image you would like to write a story about. Payment: $10 for flash, $15 for short stories. Deadline: June ... 2021? (Open until filled.)

Redwood Press: Lost Librarian's Grave. Genre: Horror short stories. Gothic, supernatural, dark mysteries, evil science, bad romance, disturbing reality and so on. "We are particularly looking for dark stories involving magic, gargoyles and the theme of premature burial or involuntary confinement."  Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: June ... 2021? (Open until filled.)

Titanic Terastructures. Genre: Speculative fiction set in or about megastructures, gigastructures, TERASTRUCTURES! Payment: $5 per thousand words. Deadline: June ... 2021? (Open until filled.) Reprints accepted.

Grandpa's Deep-Space Diner. Genre: Speculative food stories.  Payment: $5 per thousand words.  Deadline: June ... 2021? (Open until filled.) Reprints accepted.

Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. Genre: Short stories and poetry. See themes. Payment: 20.00 USD for featured authors, or $10.00 USD for stories published on their &More page and $5.00 USD for poems. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

en bloc. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art and photography. Payment: £35 per side as they appear in the magazine. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Contrary. Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF. Payment: $20. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

The Zodiac Killers Series. Genre: Thriller. Length: 5000-10,000 words, excluding title. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Strange Orbits Sci-fi Series. Genre: Space Opera. Length: 5000-10,000 words, excluding title.  Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Eternal Haunted Summer. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, essays about The Written Word. Payment: $5. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels. Genre: True stories and poems. "We are looking for true personal stories about how an angel has touched your life – stories of true wonder and awe from people who have directly encountered or received help from angels. We’re looking for amazing stories that will make people say “wow” or give our readers chills. Have you experienced something otherworldly or celestial? Or had a personal experience with an angel or divine being? How did your angel manifest himself or herself to you? Were you the only person who saw your angel? How did your angel protect or guide you?" Payment: $200. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Bodies Full of Burning: An Anthology of Menopause-Themed Horror. Genre: Menopause-Themed Horror. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: June 1, 2021. (Or until filled) 

Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers, Vol. 6. Genre: Horror by Texas writers. Payment: 10,000 words - $200; 7,500 words - $150; 5,000 words - $100; 2,500 words - $50; 1,500 words - $30.00. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Parabola: Fire. Genre: Retellings of traditional stories: 500-1500 words, original essays and translations, poetry, reviews. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Cemetery Gates: Generation Dread. Restrictions: Open to writers 15-19 years of age. Genre: Horror. Payment: $100 scholarship. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Partners in Crime. Genre: Nonfiction, true crime accounts featuring lawbreaking couples who have joined forces to commit crime. Payment: $130. Deadline: June 1, 2021

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: June 2, 2021.

Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine. Genre: Fairy tales, and essays on theme of “Healers, Midwives and Cunning Folk.” Payment: $100. US dollars only. Essays: $50. Deadline: June 3, 2021.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction 300 - 1,000 words on theme of HERO / MAGICIAN. Payment: Pays for anthologies only. Deadline: June 6, 2021. See accepted genres.

Mslexia. Genre: Fiction, poetry. "ROOTS: Our Issue 91 theme is about hidden depths and ancestry, about what nourishes and anchors plants and humans alike." Payment: £25. Deadline: June 7, 2021.

Fantasy Magazine. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, poetry. Payment: 8 cents per word for original short stories and flash fiction. $40 per poem. Deadline: June 7, 2021.

Unnerving Books. Genre: Crime/thriller fiction novellas (up to short novels) and collections of crime  and dark general fiction stories. Length: 21,000 - 60,000 words. Payment: 50/50 profit splits. No advances. 4-year contracts. Deadline: June 7, 2021.

Scum. Genre: Feminist-friendly work of any variety, but as a general rule your piece should be under 2000 words (50 lines for poetry, max. 3 poems) and able to be classified as “fiction”, “culture”, “memoir”, “column”, “poetry”, and/or “review”. Payment: $60 AUD. Deadline: June 7, 2021.  Opens to submissions on June 1.

Bright Wall/Dark Room. Genre: Essays on erotic thrillers in film. Payment: $100 per essay. Deadline: June 8, 2021.

If I Die Before I Wake volume 6. Genre: Horror. Payment: $40 per piece. Deadline: June 9, 2021.

Mermaids Monthly. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, comics. Everything should in some way relate to merfolk. Payment: 10 cents/word for fiction and nonfiction, $50 – $100 for poems. $0.01 per word for reprints with a minimum of $20 if the piece is shorter than 2,000 words. Original comics get at least $50. Reprints start at $25). Deadline: June 12, 2021.

Shoreline of Infinity. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy. Payment: £10/1000 words. Deadline: June 13, 2021.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on theme of Doppelgängers. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: June 14, 2021.

The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, mixed media, visual arts, "and even kitchen sinks, if they are compressed in some way.” Payment: $50. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Deixis Press. Genre: Book-length dark fiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Counting Your Blessings. Genre: True stories and poems. "Gratitude is one of the keys to happiness. Even during the toughest times, if we can find our gratitude and count our blessings we feel better. Back in 2009, when we were going through a deep recession, we received thousands of stories from people who were still counting their blessings and finding their joy. Those stories became the bestselling book Chicken Soup for the Soul: Count Your Blessings." Payment: $200. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Channel. Genre: Fiction, art, creative non-fiction, and poetry that engages with the natural world, and have a particular interest in work which encourages reflection on human interaction with plant and animal life, landscape and the self. Payment: €40/poem, and €40/page of prose up to €120. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Baffling. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. Length: Under 1200 words. Payment: 8 cents/word.  Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Words and Sports. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short stories about sports. Payment: $50. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Dose of Dread. Genre: General horror flash fiction. Preference for dread-inducing stories. Length: 500 - 1,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Eye to the Telescope. Restrictions: Open to Indigenous writers worldwide. Genre: Speculative poetry. Theme: Indigenous Futurisms. Payment: US 3¢/word rounded up to nearest dollar; minimum US $3, maximum $25. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Unicorns vs Clowns in Hell. Genre: Dark fiction. "Theme: After eons of a painful existence at the hands of Satan's finest torturers, the unicorns, the joyful-turned-creepy clowns are ready to take a stand. An unholy rebellion is brewing. Who will prevail? Who will get a pie in the face?" Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

White Enso. Genre: Original, unpublished short fiction, essays, creative non-fiction and artwork that encapsulates the Japan experience. Payment: between 1000 and 1500 yen (US$10-$15). Deadline: June 18, 2021.

Smoke In The Stars. Genre: Speculative stories and poems centered around the concept of space based science fiction. Payment: Authors will be paid using the proceeds of a crowdfunding campaign in which the final earnings (minus the cost of fulfilling the campaign rewards) will be split among the contributing authors based on word count contributed. Deadline: June 18, 2021.

Neon Hemlock Press. Genre: Speculative novellas from BIPOC writers up to 40,000 words. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: June 19, 2021.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. Deadline: June 21, 2021.

Island Online. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents only. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. Payment: $200. Deadline: June 21, 2021.

Understorey Magazine. Restrictions: Open to Canadian women writers only. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, spoken word, and visual art about Rural and Remote Living. Payment: $50 - $100. Deadline: June 21, 2021.

Nightfire. Genre: Horror novels and novellas. Payment: Advance and royalties. Deadline: June 21, 2021.

Story Seed Vault. Genre: Fiction based on science. Up to 200 characters. Payment: Up to $3AUD per story. Deadline: June 24, 2021.

The Puritan. Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: $100 per nonfiction piece, $50 fiction, $15 per poem. Deadline: June 25, 2021.

Cast of Wonders. Genre: YA Speculative fiction. Banned Books Week Podcast. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction of any length (yes, including flash!). For reprints, a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction. Deadline: June 26, 2021.

Luna Press. Genre: Speculative fiction novels. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 27, 2021.

Shadow Atlas: Dark Landscapes of the Americas. Genre: Dark tales intrinsically rooted in South America. "We seek haunting and folkloric tales where setting is character and landscape is an essential part of the story. We want stories that draw from the wellspring of cultural destinations and local folklore in their shaping - most especially, stories that are tied to a specific and concrete location. This can include places that never existed, or those with connections created by the author, but they must take place in South America." Payment: $250 for short fiction; $25 for poetry. Deadline: June 27, 2021.

Electric Lit. Genre: Poetry, flash, graphic, and experimental narratives. Payment: $100. Deadline: June 27, 2021.

Dragon Soul Press: Extinct Worlds. Genre: Fiction on theme of Extinct Worlds. "After killing Earth, humans have been launched into space exploration. Discovering aliens and new technologies, future generations are unrecognizable from the Earthlings that once were. There are a select few who want to go back to their roots, some who will prevent this at all costs, and others who don’t care. Where do your characters fit within the vast universe full of the unknown?" Word Count – 5,000-15,000.  Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

Berkeley Fiction Review. Genre: Short stories. Payment: $25. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

Vastarien. Genre: Horror. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. Payment: 5 cents/word for prose; $50 for poetry and art. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

Carcanet Press (UK). Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts in English or translation. Payment:  Royalties. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

Sandstone Press. Genre: Previously unpublished literary fiction set in the present or future (including speculative fiction) written for an adult readership by authors resident in the United Kingdom. Payment: Royalties (?). Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

Curiosities: Weird/Occult Detective Stories. Genre: Retropunk fiction. Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: June 30th, 2021. Reprints accepted.

Mud Season Review. Genre: Short stories, art, poetry, CNF. Payment: $50. Deadline: June 30th, 2021. 

Black Shuck Books. Genre: Fiction that uses clichés to do something interesting.  Payment: Royalties.  Deadline: June 30th, 2021. 

Crow Toes Quarterly. Genre: Playfully dark fiction, poetry and art for children. See themes. Payment: $20 - $50. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

Interstellar Flight Press. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC writers only. Genre: Speculative Fiction Novellas 17,500 - 40,000 words for YA and adults. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 30th, 2021. 

Fat Coyote. Restrictions: Writers must be neurodivergent. Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF, Art, Photography, Comics. Payment: 3 cents/word for prose. $1 line for poetry. $30 - $40 for art. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

Extra Teeth. Genre: Short fiction and nonfiction between 800 and 4,000 words. "We look for short stories that stick with you, lingering in the memory long after reading, and essays that explore specific interests or issues from a new perspective. We offer a space for writers to be strange, bold and experimental, and to express their unique style however they see fit." Payment: £100. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

Outcast Press. Genre: Short stories (between 1,000-6,000 words) that fit broadly in the category of dirty realism and transgressive fiction. Speculative or other fantastical elements are acceptable. Payment: $100 plus a pro-rata share of 50% of the anthology’s earnings. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Dancing Star Press. Genre: Speculative fiction novellas. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Downstate Story. Genre: Short stories. Payment: $50. Deadline: June 30, 2021. Snail mail only.

Dates from Hell. Genre: Horror. Payment: $5. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

Broken Sleep Books: Aphex Twin Anthology. Genre: Poems about Aphex Twin. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Eraserhead Press. Genre: Bizarro fiction novels and novellas. "We want surprising, unique, well-crafted weird stories with compelling plots, eccentric characters, and never-before-seen concepts." Length: 20,000 - 100,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 30, 2021. (Will re-open after pandemic. If you write Bizarro fiction, keep them on your radar.)

Cloud Lake Literary. Restrictions: Canadian writers. Genre: Fiction, art. creative nonfiction, poetry, and children’s literature (up to and including YA). Payment: $50 CAD/per page to a maximum of $150 CAD. Visual Art Submission: $50 CAD/per submission. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Allegory. Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Payment: $15. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

Nightlight. Restrictions: Open to Black writers. Genre: Horror. 10,000 words max. Audio format. Payment: $75 - $200 depending on length. $50 for reprints. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Field Notes from a Nightmare. Genre: Ecological horror. Length: 1,000 – 4,000 words. Payment: 3 cents/word. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Dark Moments. Genre: Drabble (100 words) on theme: The Purge. "What happens when there are no consequences, no law enforcement, no judgements? Revenge and bloodthirsty fun." Payment: 0.04 USD per word via Paypal. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

If there’s anyone left. Restrictions: Marginalized members of the sci-fi/spec community—this includes people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, members of marginalized genders, and disabled people. Genre: Science fiction and speculative flash fiction. 1000 words max. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

Gravelight Press is a small press that primarily publishes horror anthologies. Genre: They are currently seeking full-length horror. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

Hawkshaw Press. Genre: Full-length mysteries, thrillers. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

Black Telephone. Genre: Fiction, essays. Payment: $25. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

Us/Them. Genre: Stories that revolve around the process of creating an US / THEM situation and what happens to both sides because of it. Payment: $15.00 plus equal share of 50% of the anthology’s royalties for stories. Deadline: June 30th, 2021.

The Rumpus: Enough. Genre: Essays, poetry, fiction, comics, and artwork by women and non-binary people that engage with rape culture, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Payment: $300 divided among all contributors. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Tamarind. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction about science and scientists. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Kikwetu. Genre: East African literature. "We welcome fiction pieces in English and Swahili up to 3,000 words from African writers on the continent and in the diaspora." Payment: $30. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Willowherb. Restrictions: Open to writers of color. Genre: Previously unpublished non-fiction, fiction and poetry on nature, place, and environment. Payment: £250 for prose, £100 for poetry. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Dragon Soul Press: Glitch. Genre: LitRPG genre. "Playing Virtual Reality games is a favorite pastime, but getting trapped in them due to a glitch is another story. It’s a true fight for survival now and the only way out is to finish the game." Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Chestnut Review. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, visual media (art/photography). Payment: $100. Deadline: June 30th, 2021. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee. 

And a few more...

Thema: Watch the Birdie! Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: Watch the Birdie!  Payment:  $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: July 1, 2021.  Accepts reprints.

ArabLit Quarterly. Genre: Fiction,poetry, and nonfiction translated from Arabic on theme of Football. No, not the American kind. Payment: $15/page. Deadline: Pitches due July 1, 2021.

The Zodiac Killers Series. Genre: Thriller. Length: 5000-10,000 words, excluding title. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 1, 2021.

Curiouser. Genre: Poetry and short fiction up to 5,000 words. "Stories that excite, that break the boundary between real and unreal. Experimentation and surreal ways of looking at the world we live in will be looked upon fondly. Horror, magic realism, speculative fiction and streams of consciousness are welcome." Payment: $25-40 per poem, and from $50-140 for short prose (all dollar amounts are Australian). International authors get reduced payment. Deadline: July 1, 2021.

Constelación is a quarterly speculative fiction bilingual magazine, publishing stories in both Spanish and English. Writers can submit their stories in either language. Fifty percent of the stories we publish in every issue will be from authors from the Caribbean, Latin America, and their diaspora. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: July 1, 2021. See themes.

Temz Review. Genre: Poetry and prose up to 10,000 words. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 1, 2021.

63 Writing Contests in June 2021 - No entry fees

This June there are more than five dozen writing contests calling for every genre and form, from poetry, to creative nonfiction, to completed novels. 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. Most of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline is past, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck! 

Image credit: Pixabay

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Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to US citizens and permanent residents. Genre: Short fiction illuminating the role of the law and/or lawyers in modern society. Length: 500 words, max. Prize: $3000. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists. Restrictions: Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated sufficient income to support the author. Genre: Book-length children's or young-adult fiction. Prize: $5000. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Cromwell Article Prize. Restrictions: Open to early career scholars. Genre: Articles published in the field of American legal history. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Fraser Institute Student Essay Contest. Restrictions: Canadian high school, college, and graduate students. Genre: Short essay on "The Ideas of Milton Friedman: Exploring the Connections between Economic Freedom and other Freedoms or Aspects of the Human Condition." Prize: CAD$1,500 in each age category. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Hiett Prize in the Humanities. The Hiett Prize in the Humanities is an annual award aimed at identifying candidates who are in the early stages of careers devoted to the humanities and whose work shows extraordinary promise and has a significant public component related to contemporary culture.  Restrictions: All applicants must reside in the United States. Prize: $50,000. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

The PEN/Heim Translation Fund. Genre: Book-length works of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and drama in translation. Beginning in 2017, under the administering of the PEN/Heim Translation Fund, PEN will also offer the PEN Grant for the English Translation of Italian Literature. From the pool of annual submissions, judges for the PEN/Heim Translation Fund will select one project of narrative prose that has been translated into English from the Italian to receive this award, which will come with a $5,000 prize. Prize: $2000 - $4000. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Dan Veach Prize for Younger Poets. Restrictions: Open to poets aged 18-23. Genre: Poetry. Prize:  $100 and publication in the Atlanta Review. Deadline: June 1, 2021. 

Stony Brook Short Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Only undergraduates enrolled full time in United States and Canadian universities and colleges for the academic year 2020- 21 are eligible. "This Prize has traditionally encouraged submissions from students with an Asian background, but we urge all students to enter." Genre: Fiction of no more than 7,500 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: June 1, 2021. 

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: June 1, 2021.

Peggy Willis Lyles Haiku Awards. Genre: Haiku. Prize: $150. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Spectator Contest No. 3202: lost love. Genre: You are invited to choose a well-known book with the word ‘love’ in its title, substitute the word ‘love’ with a word of your choice, and submit a short story with that title. Please email entries of up to 150 words to lucy@spectator.co.uk. Prize: £30. Deadline: Midday on June 2, 2021.

Icelandic Festival of Manitoba Poetry & Short Stories Contest. Genre: Poetry and short stories. Length; 1200 words max. Prize: $50 - $125. "You do not need to be of Icelandic descent to submit an entry however material reflecting Icelandic culture and interests will be given preference." Deadline: June 4, 2021.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction based on their prompt. Prize: $500.  Deadline: June 4, 2021.

Reedsy. Genre: Short story between 1,000 and 3,000 words based on their prompt. Prize: $50.   Deadline: June 4, 2021.

On The Premises: Sales Pitch. "For this mini-contest, show, tell, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long in which someone is trying to sell something (a tool, a service, some kind of idea, etc.) to some audience, and the sales pitch ends up revealing more than the seller intends. You can either write the text of the sales pitch itself or incorporate the pitch into a story." Prize: $250 for first place, $200 for second, $150 for third. Deadline: June 4, 2021.

Creative Future Writers’ Award. Restrictions: Open to underrepresented writers in the UK only, who are over 18 years old. Genre: Poetry and prose on theme of Essential. Prize: Up to £100 plus noncash prizes. Deadline: June 6, 2021.

Defenestration. Genre: Short story including an incident of defenestration – the art or –ism of throwing people out of windows. It need not be literal. "This can be a sudden, immediate, even violent shift, change, or seismical event between the beginning and the end.” Prize: $75, two runner-up prizes of $30 each. Deadline: June 7, 2021.

#PassOrPages Query Contest. Participating agents give brief feedback on a handful of entries, explaining why they're passing ... or requesting pages! The queries and accompanying feedback are posted on our blog anonymously, which helps querying authors get a peek into agents' minds as they go through their slush piles. Genre: TBA. Deadline: June 7 - 11, 2021.

The Canadian Women Artists’ Award. Restrictions: Open to Canadian women living in New York who are between the ages of 21 and 35 before the application deadline. Genre: Fiction, poetry. Grant: $5,000. Deadline: June 9, 2021.

Spectator Contest No. 32023: the third way. Genre: You are invited to provide an extract from the newly discovered Shakespearean play Charles III. Please email entries of up to 16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk Prize: £30. Deadline: Midday on June 9, 2021.

The Pandeism Collegiate Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate and graduate collegiate students of philosophy, theology, religious studies, social sciences, arts, literature, applied sciences, or comparable disciplines. Genre: Article presenting original thought in exploring implications of the modern theological theory of Pandeism (pantheistic Deism, belief in a Creator wholly becoming our Universe, proposed to be discernible by application of logic and reason). Papers written for course credit are acceptable. Submissions do not need to take a position in favor of or opposed to Pandeism as a theory, but must present original thought about its relative possibility, relation to other areas of theology, or implications for areas such as epistemology, ethics and morality, or science. Submissions must be a minimum of 3,000 words and a maximum of 6,000 words. Only one (1) article may be submitted by each student. Prize: $250 Amazon gift card and publication. Deadline: June 10, 2021.

Wyoming Creative Writing Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to Wyoming writers who are U.S. citizens or have legal resident status. Genre: Fiction, Poetry, CNF. Prize: $3,000 and an honorarium/travel stipend, if applicable, to present your work at a fellowship reading at your choice of literary conference: the Casper College Literary Conference (September 2021), WyoWriters Conference (June 2022) or the Jackson Hole Writer's Conference (June 2022). Deadline: June 10, 2021.

Ocean Awareness Youth Contest. Restrictions: Open to students in grades 6 - 12. Genre: Art, poetry, prose, film. Theme: "Water Rising" Prizes: $100 - $1,500. Deadline: June 14, 2021.

Books Like Us. Restrictions: Open to writers residing in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who have not yet published a novel. Genre: Novel. Prize: $50,000 book deal with Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Deadline: June 14, 2021.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Flash fiction on theme of Hedy Lamar. Prize: $30. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Baltimore Science Fiction Society Amateur Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to Maryland residents or students at a MD 2- or 4-year college, and not a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America or published in a professional science fiction/fantasy magazine Genre: Science fiction short stories. Prize: 1st place is $250; 2nd place is $100; 3rd place is $50. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Christopher Hewitt Award. Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF, drama. "The award showcases outstanding responses to the AIDS pandemic and the realities of individuals living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Prize: $75 in each category. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

The Fieldstone Review: Escapisms. Genre: Creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry. "The theme of this year’s edition is Escapisms. Topics might include, but are not limited to, imagination, reverie, daydreaming, virtual reality, fantasy, the fantastic, video games, role-play, mental wellbeing, and even simulacra." Prize: $100. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Norton Writer's Prize. Sponsored by W.W. Norton & Company. "The Norton Writer’s Prize will be awarded annually for an outstanding essay written by an undergraduate. Literacy narratives, literary and other textual analyses, reports, profiles, evaluations, arguments, memoirs, proposals, mixed-genre pieces, and more: any excellent writing done for an undergraduate writing class will be considered."  Genres: Creative Nonfiction, Scholarly Essay. Prize: $1,500. Two runner-up prizes of $1,000. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Fred Otto Prize for Oz Fiction/Warren Hollister Prize for Oz Nonfiction. Genre: Short Fiction, Art & Academic Nonfiction. All work must be related to the world of Oz. Prize: $100 in each genre. 2nd Prize $50 in each genre. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Goi Peace Foundation International Essay Contest for Young People. Restrictions: Open to people 25 years of age or less. Genre: Essay (max 700 words). Theme: “What is Life?” Prize: 1st US$840, 2nd US$420. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Eden Mills Teen Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to Canadian teens. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Two $50 prizes, 2 $25 prizes. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Little, Brown Emerging Artist Award. Genre: High-quality picture books that resonate with readers of diverse backgrounds and experience. Diversity includes literal or metaphorical inclusion of characters of underrepresented ethnicity, religious background, gender identity, class, mental or physical disability, or any other nondominant populations. Prize: American Express® gift cards totaling $1,500, round trip travel to New York City, and the honor of a one-day mentorship with a Little, Brown Books for Young Readers’ professional children’s book design and editorial team. Submission will be reviewed for publication. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Vermont Studio Center – Full Fellowship Awards. The Vermont Studio Center offers 54 fellowships; open to anyone in the world. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Towson University Prize for Literature. Restrictions: Open to Maryland writers. Genre: Book-length manuscript of fiction, poetry, drama or imaginative non-fiction. The work must have been published within the three years prior to the year of nomination or must be scheduled for publication within the year in which nominated. Self-published works will not be considered. Prize: $1,000.  Deadline: June 15, 2021 (?) See nomination form HERE.

Maine Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to writers who have lived in the state of Maine for at least one year. Genre: Fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction. Prize: $5,000.  Deadline: June 17, 2021.

Scotiabank Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English. Must  be nominated by publisher. Genre: Fiction. Full-length novel or collection of short stories published in English, either originally, or in translation. Prize: $100,000 to the winner and $10,000 to each of the finalists. Deadline: Books published between May 1, 2021, and June 30, 2021 must be received on or before June 18, 2021.

The Greek Bicentennial Poetry Pamphlet Prizes. Genre: Poetry with a maximum combined length of 150 lines of poetry. "We are inviting poets and illustrators to reflect on the culture and history of the Greeks, from ancient to contemporary times, on the occasion of the Bicentennial celebration of the creation of Modern Greece." Prize: £10,000 and publication of your portfolio as a pamphlet, with illustrations and Greek translations, distributed internationally. Deadline: June 18, 2021.

A Midsummer Tale Narrative Writing Contest. Genre: Non-genre fiction and creative nonfiction.  Theme: Coming of Age. Length: 1,000 words minimum; 5,000 words maximum. Prize: $35 - $50 Amazon gift card. Deadline: June 21, 2021.

Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship for Editorial Writing. Genre: Editorial writing. The Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship was established to enable a mid-career editorial writer or columnist to have time away from daily responsibilities for study and research. Freelancers may also apply. Fellowship: $75,000.  Deadline: June 22, 2021.

Solid Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students. Genre: Essay (See site for topics.) Minimum number of words is 600 and maximum is 800. Prize: Scholarship of $1000. Deadline: June 23, 2021.

Great Lakes Colleges 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: June 25, 2021.

Eerie River Publishing. Genre: Horror on theme of Ghouls. Prize: ¢.5 per word CAD (half a cent), with a max of $15 plus a one-time royalty bonus payment based on six months of sales. Deadline: June 25, 2021.

Molly Keane Creative Writing Award. Restrictions: Open to Irish residents. Genre: Unpublished short story, maximum 2,000 words. Prize: 500 pounds. Deadline: June 25, 2021.

Bard Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Open to a writer who is an American citizen aged 39 years or younger at the time of application. Genre: Published fiction book. Prize: $30,000 and a one-semester appointment as writer-in-residence at Bard College. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poetry responding to visual art. Prize: $100 and publication.  Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Scriptlab. Genre: TV script or short screenplay. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme of Split Second. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Deborah Rogers Foundation Award. Restrictions: Applicants may not be under contract to any publisher for any work or title. Applications are only open to writers who have not previously published or self-published a full length book of their own prose writing (with the exception of a collection of poetry). Entrants must write in the English language and reside within the British Commonwealth and Eire. Genre: Excerpt: 20-30,000 words of a work in progress, fiction or non-fiction, which is not under option or contract. Prize: £10,000. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Storytwigs micro-writing competition. Restrictions: Open to citizens/residents of United States or Canada. You must be 18 years or older to enter. Genre: Short prose 100 words or fewer on prompt of String. Prize: From $10 to $100. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Kingdoms in the Wild Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to emerging writers who have yet to publish a collection of poetry (not including self-published chapbooks). Genre: Poetry collection. Prize: $250 & Publication. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize is awarded to the author of the best first novel published in the previous calendar year. Restrictions: Only American authors publishing in English are eligible. Non-eligible books include short story collections, flash fiction, memoirs, biographies and books published solely in electronic format. Prize: $1000. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. Restrictions: Contest is open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment and at least 5,000 copies (or 5,000 hits for online publication). Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi or Horror. 17,000 words max. Prize: $1,000 1st Prize awarded each quarter; one of those winners also receives the $5,000 annual "Golden Pen Award" grand prize. 2nd Prize $750, 3rd Prize $500. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

The Patricia Spears Jones 2nd Book Prize For Women. Restrictions: Open to women. Genre: Poetry collection. Prize: $500.00, and a guaranteed first run of a full length book of poetry. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

The Gerard Rochford Poetry Prize. Genre: Poem in English on the theme of ‘Family’ Prize: £150. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry, Griffin Poetry Prize. Restrictions: One prize goes to a living Canadian poet or translator, the other to a living poet or translator from any country, which may include Canada. Genre: Poetry. Books must have been published in English during the calendar year preceding the year of the award. Prize: C$200,000, is awarded annually in two categories – International and Canadian. Each prize is worth C$65,000. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Drue Heinz Literature Prize. Restrictions: The award is open to writers who have published a book-length collection of fiction or a minimum of three short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or literary journals of national distribution. Online and self-publication does not count toward this requirement. Genre: A 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. Prize: $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press under its standard contract. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Utah Division of Arts and Museums Original Writing Competition. Restrictions: Utah writers. Genres: Poetry and prose. Prize: $1,000 top prizes for book-length manuscripts of novels, creative nonfiction & history, collection of poetry or short stories, and juvenile book; $300 top prizes for individual poems, short stories, and personal essays. 2nd Prize $500 for the book-length categories, $150 for poetry. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Blue Mountain Poetry Card Contest. Genre: Poetry. "Poems can be rhyming or non-rhyming, although we find that non-rhyming poetry reads better. We suggest that you write about real emotions and feelings and that you have some special person or occasion in mind as you write." Prize: First prize $300. Second prize $150. Third prize $30. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

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: June 30, 2021.

Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $750 in any single year. Genre: General Nonfiction. Stories must be between 1000--10,000 words in length. Prize: First prize in each category will be $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Finalists will receive $50. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

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: June 30, 2021

Costa Book Awards. Restrictions: Prize is for books first published in the UK or Ireland by authors who have lived in the UK or Ireland for at least six months of each of the preceding three years. Books must be published between November 1 of the previous year and October 31 of the current year. Self-published works not allowed. Books are entered by publishers only. Genre: Five categories - First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book. Prize: £30,000.00 across all genres. 5,000 pounds in each category (poetry, novel, first novel, biography, children's book). Deadline: June 30, 2021.

42 Fabulous Writing Conferences in June 2021

Writing workshops and conferences always pick up in the summer. This June features more than three dozen conferences and workshops for writers, mostly held online. Virtual events still 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. During the pandemic most of these are being held virtually at reduced rates. Quite a few offer scholarships, so apply early.

Photo credit: Pixabay

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Clarksville Writers Conference. June 3 - 4, 2021: Clarksville, TN. Two days of writing workshops and presentations, a keynote banquet with the authors, and manuscript consultations.

Indiana University Writers’ Conference. June 3 - 6, 2021, Indiana University in Bloomington. The conference features workshops in poetry and fiction, as well as craft classes, readings, and panels for poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers. The cost of the conference is $385, or $635 with a workshop. Lodging and meals are not included; lodging is available in campus dormitories and in the campus hotel. The registration fee is $30; general registration is first come, first served. To attend a workshop, submit 8 to 10 pages of poetry or 15 to 25 pages of prose; admissions are made on a rolling basis. Will be held online.

Nebula Conference. June 4 - 6, 2021, Los Angeles, CA. SFWA members and other individuals who are interested in the field of science fiction and fantasy are welcome to attend SFWA’s Nebula Conference. Attendees may participate in workshops, programming and special events throughout the weekend. You do not need to be a member of SFWA to attend. Will be held online.

Colrain Classic. June 4 - 7, 2021. Arlington, Vermont. "The Colrain Manuscript Classic is a highly focused, 3.5 day conference designed for poets with manuscripts in progress. The Classic features in-depth pre-conference work and candid, realistic evaluation and feedback from nationally-known poets, editors and publishers. In preparation, participants work at home on pre-conference assignments and then, in the workshop, review, arrange, and winnow their work based on the pre-conference work. In addition to the manuscript preparation workshop and editor sessions, there will be an editorial Q&A, and an after-conference strategy session." Will be conducted online.

Unshore Thing Writing Getaway: A One Day Retreat for Poets and Writers. June 5, 2021: Atlantic City, NJ. "Join us for this boardwalk-inspired getaway, designed for writers of fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry. Trigger your imagination and compose new work that will surprise and please you. Spend the day immersed in the literary life: discussing writing, doing your own writing and sharing some of your new drafts." Faculty: Peter E. Murphy. Will be conducted online.

Wyoming Writers Conference. June 5 - 6, 2021: Laramie, WY. The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and self-publishing, as well as agent and editor pitch sessions, roundtable critiques, and open mics. Participating writers have included poet Jovan Mays, fiction writers Tasha Alexander and Andrew Grant, and nonfiction writer Page Lambert. Participating publishing professionals include editor Eric Campbell (Down & Out Books) and agents Stephanie Hansen (Metamorphosis Literary Agency) and Angie Hodapp (Nelson Literary Agency). Fiction writer Brad Watson will deliver the keynote. The cost of the conference is $235 until May 1 and $275 thereafter, and includes a one-year membership to Wyoming Writers, Inc. Lodging is available at the conference hotel for a discounted rate of $104 per night. Will be conducted online and in person.

Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing Summer Seminar. June 6 - 12 and 13 - 19, 2021, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Workshops in poetry and fiction, one-on-one manuscript consultations, panel discussions, and readings. Offers fellowships.

Bread Loaf Translators' Conference. June 6 - 12, 2021: Ripton, VT. The Bread Loaf Translators’ Conference includes workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as lectures, craft classes, meetings with editors and agents, and readings by faculty and guests. Application deadline: March 19, 2021. 

Bread Loaf Environmental Writers' Conference. June 6 - 12, 2021: Ripton, VT. The Bread Loaf Orion Environmental Writers' Conference is a week-long writers’ conference designed to hone the skills of people interested in producing literary writing about the environment and the natural world. The conference is co-sponsored by the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Orion magazine, and Middlebury College’s Environmental Studies Program. 

Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. June 6 - 13, 2021. "The 2021 MVICW Virtual Summer Writers’ Conference offers over 30 live seminars in poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, panel discussions, late-night open mics, and courses on publishing & editing. Our program encourages cross-genre exploration and attendees have the option of taking seminars in all genres. All seminars are recorded and accessible to attendees for 6 months after the conference." 

Odyssey Writing Workshop. June 7 - July 16, 2021. Since its inception in 1996, Odyssey has become one of the most highly respected workshops for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Will be held online.

Fine Arts Work Center Summer Workshops (poetry, fiction, art, and creative nonfiction). June 7 - August 27, 2021: Provincetown, Massachusetts. Last year's faculty included David Baker, Samiya Bashir, Jill Bialosky, Sophie Cabot Black, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Martha Collins, Kate Daniels, Nick Flynn, Vievee Francis, Gabriel Fried, Jorie Graham, Marie Howe, Major Jackson, Fred Marchant, Gail Mazur, Jane Mead, John Murillo, Eileen Myles, Matthew Olzmann, Gregory Pardlo, Carl Phillips, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Victoria Redel, Martha Rhodes, Brenda Shaughnessy, Nicole Sealey, Alan Shapiro, Carmen Giménez Smith, Craig Morgan Teicher and many more. See individual workshops for dates.

The Writer's Hotel Virtual Poetry Conference. June 10-14, 2021. Application deadline: May 16. TWH 2021 Poetry Faculty: Jorie Graham, Ellen Bass, Peter Balakian, Diane Ackerman, Marge Piercy, Kim Addonizio, Tim Seibles, Ada Limón, Jenny Xie, Camille T. Dungy, Sherwin Bitsui, Major Jackson, Alberto Ríos, Thomas Lynch, Samiya Bashir,  Alexandra Oliver, Kevin Larimer and TWH Directors Shanna McNair and Scott Wolven. 

West Virginia Writers Conference. June 11 - 13, 2021: Ripley, West Virginia. Author readings, contests and sharing your love of writing with others. 

Florida Writing Workshop. June 12, 2021. "This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on June 12, 2021. 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. And even though this is the “Florida” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually."

California Crime Writers Conference. June 12 - 13, 2021: Culver City, California. Faculty: William Kent Krueger: Keynote Speaker. Hallie Ephron: Keynote Speaker. "Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles and SoCal Mystery Writers of America invite emerging and established mystery writers for a weekend of invaluable guidance, insight, and community at the 2017 California Crime Writers Conference. Whether your novel is brewing in your imagination, ready to publish, or you already have several published books under your belt, our workshops, presented by agents, editors, award-winning authors, and crime investigation professionals, are geared to elevate your mystery writing skills and foster relationships on your path to publication and beyond."

DFW Writers Conference. June 12 - 13, 2021: Fort Worth TX. Featuring pitch sessions with literary agents, advanced classes, engaging panels, interactive workshops.

Annual Philadelphia Writers' Conference. June 12 - 13, 2021: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Features workshops, contests and awards, critique and feedback sessions, and agent and editor speed dates. Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Horror, Journalism, Marketing, Non-fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Publishing, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Screenwriting, Young Adult. 

Tinker Mountain Writers’ Workshop. June 13 - 17, 2021: Roanoke, Virginia. The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as craft seminars, individual conferences with faculty members, and readings. Will be held online.

Yale Writers' Conference. June 13 - 26, 2021: New Haven, CT. Visiting Faculty: Amy Bloom, Michael Cunningham, Lev Grossman, Claudia Rankine, Edmund White, MG Lord, Sarah Darer Littman Resident Faculty: Kirsten Bakis, Je Banach, Sybil Baker, Marc Fitten, Trey Ellis, and more. Director: Terence Hawkins. CLOSED

Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers. June 14 - 18, 2021: Sandy, Utah. Offers one-, two-, three- and five-day workshops. Morning workshops devoted to individual work; afternoon talks on market, craft, publication; chats w/ editors and agents; keynote; book signing. For those interested, specialized workshops--Boot Camp and Full-Novel classes. Single day programs as well. Will be held online and in person.

Algonkian Writer Conference–New York City Pitch. June 17 - 20, 2021: Ripley-Grier Studios in New York City. The New York Pitch Conference and writers workshop is held four times a year and features publishing house editors from major houses such as Penguin, Random House, St. Martins, Harper Collins, Tor and Del Rey, Kensington Books and many more who are looking for new novels in a variety of genres, as well as narrative non-fiction. The event focuses on the art of the novel pitch as the best method not only for communicating your work, but for having you and your work taken seriously by industry professionals. Will be held online.

Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Residency Writers Conference. June 17 - 27, 2021: Forest Grove, Oregon. Writers seeking to deepen their craft and expand their professional community are invited to attend the Residency Writers Conference together with MFA students, faculty and guest speakers. Join us for 10 full days of craft talks, workshops, panels, classes, readings and more featuring some of the best minds of the literary world. This residency is a rare opportunity to engage in sustained and meaningful conversation with others who share your passion for the art of writing. Will be virtual.

Community of Writers at Squaw Valley: Poetry Workshop. June 19 - June 26, 2021: Olympic Valley, California. "We work together to create an atmosphere in which everyone might feel free to try anything. In the mornings we meet in workshops to read to each other the work of the previous twenty-four hours; each participant also has an opportunity to work with each staff poet. In the late afternoons we gather for a conversation about some aspect of craft. On several afternoons staff poets hold brief individual conferences." Registration deadline: April 1, 2021. Will be held online.

Kenyon Review Writers Workshops. June 20 - 26 and July 11 - 17, 2021: Gambier, Ohio. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction led by an accomplished faculty. Genre workshops (Fiction, Literary Nonfiction, and Poetry) are held for three hours each morning. (See individual workshops for dates.)

Colgate Writers’ Conference. June 20 - 26, 2021: Hamilton, New York. Morning craft talks & workshops. Individual consultation with workshop instructor in the afternoon. Late afternoon participant readings and talks on publishing, storytelling. Evening readings by instructors & guests. Late night social events. "Bring a story, a book in progress, some poems, or a novel, and work with us on developing narrative strategies, verse techniques, and methods of research. Members of the publishing profession will also be here to discuss marketplace tactics."

Chesapeake Writers' Conference at St. Mary's College of Maryland. June 20 - 26, 2021: St. Mary's City, Maryland. "Join us on Maryland’s Western Shore-for the 8th Annual Chesapeake Writers’ Conference for a week of craft talks, lectures, panel discussions, and readings, as well as daily workshops in fiction, poetry, screenwriting, translation, songwriting, or creative nonfiction.

Clarion West Speculative Fiction Writers Workshop. June 20 - July 31, 2021: Seattle, Washington. "Every summer, Clarion West holds an intensive six-week workshop in Seattle’s University District, geared to help you prepare for a professional career as a writer of speculative fiction. Each workshop is limited to 18 students, and each week features a different instructor, a highly regarded author or editor offering their unique perspective on the field. Short fiction is the workshop’s focus, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Come prepared to write several new stories, to experiment and take artistic risks, and to give and receive constructive criticism. Will be held online.

Manhattanville College Summer Writers' Week. June 21 - 25, 2021: Purchase, New York. Each day begins with a workshop, then afternoons feature craft panels and events. Evenings feature faculty readings and a keynote reader, and these evening readings are free and open to the public. For an immersive experience, housing is available on campus for workshop participants. Will be held online.

Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference. June 21 - 26, 2021: Bemidji, Minnesota. Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Publishing. Faculty: The faculty includes Jennifer Elise Foerster (Poetry), John Murillo (Poetry), Faith Adiele (Creative Nonfiction), J. Drew Lanham (Creative Nonfiction), Danielle Evans (Fiction). and the Distinguished Visiting Writer is the National Book Award-winning poet Nikky Finney. Will be held online.

Chuckanut Writers Conference. June 21 - 27, 2021: Bellingham, Washington. Writers conference that includes speakers, panels, breakout sessions, authors' readings, reception with authors, pitch sessions with literary agents, book signings, open mic for attendees. Autobiography/Memoir, Children's, Fiction, Nature, Non-fiction, Poetry, Publishing.

Chautauqua Writers’ Festival. June 23 - 26, 2021: Chautauqua, New York. In addition to the Festival’s tradition of intensive workshops and one-on-one conferences with award-winning contemporary authors, attendees can also attend panel conversations, breakout sessions, and a keynote address. The 2021 theme is "Personal Geographies," and these various conversations will draw fruitful and urgent connections between the personal, the political, and the craft of writing. All of these features are included in the cost of Standard Registration and available as an option to any workshop participant.

Wesleyan Writers Conference. June 23 - 27, 2021: Middletown, CT. The conference offers workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as master classes, craft sessions, panel discussions, readings, lectures, and manuscript consultations with agents and editors. The program includes a choice of daily seminars focused on the novel, short story, poetry, and nonfiction (memoir, short- and long-form nonfiction, and journalism).

Jackson Hole Writers Conference, June 23 - 27, 2021: Jackson Hole, WY. You will have ample opportunity to share your work with a distinguished faculty as well as writers from Massachusetts to Florida, from Texas to Washington. Serious writers pour into Jackson Hole each June looking for a fresh, but critical eye on their work. This event usually has at least 4 agents to pitch. Will host online programs.

Historical Novel Society North American Conference. June 24 - 26, 2021: San Antonio, TX. Registration $475 (members), $550 (nonmembers) includes welcome reception, two breakfasts and lunches, and Saturday evening banquet.

DRC Conference Faculty & Workshops. June 24 - 26, 2021: Davenport, Iowa. Daily workshops, critiques, pitches, evening events, keynote. Will be held online.

Writers' Weekend. June 24 - 26, 2021. "The Virtual Writers’ Weekend is for writers working at all levels and in every genre who want to improve their writing, get their manuscript published, and network with agents, published authors, and other writers.  Due to the success of the 2020 virtual event, we’ve decided to hold the 2021 Writers’ Weekend as a virtual event again. We are based in the lovely and historic city of Winchester, England, but due to the virtual nature of our event, you can attend from anywhere in the world!" Keynote speakers: Diana Gabaldon and Chris Riddell, plus novelists Robert Fabbri, Kate Mosse, Lissa Evans, Tracey Corderoy, MG Leonard, Derek Miller, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Helen Fields and Ness Wood, as well as literary agents who will give talks on the craft of writing and how to get published. 

The David R. Collins Virtual Writers’ Conference. June 24 - 26, 2021. "Each workshop meets for 90 minutes each day, 4.5 hours over three days. We will be offering five workshops in 2020, including: poetry (led by Gale Marie Thompson); personal essay/memoir (led by Lyz Lenz); short fiction (led by Joe Meno); and the novel (led by TBA). We also have a faculty reading and an open mic for participants; pitch sessions for writers to present manuscripts to our own MWC Press; one-on-one manuscript critiques with Conference faculty; luncheons; and a keynote event on June 24, featuring Allison Joseph, who will also lead a master class on Friday, June 25."

So You Want to be an Author/Illustrator? Online Course 2021. June 24, 2021 - August 12, 2021. Explore the possibilities of moving from Illustrator to Author/Illustrator, or becoming an Author/Illustrator. Learn how to find ideas and move from sketch to story ideas. Explore narrative drawing, pagination, thumbnail sketches and dummy (mock-up) creation. Will be held online. 

Mountain Heritage Literary Festival. June 24 - 25, 2021: Cumberland Gap, TN. "Every year writers gather at the ancient and beloved Cumberland Gap to celebrate writing, music, and Appalachian heritage. Events include workshops, panels, readings, concerts, lectures, open mic, and more." Will be held online. 

New York State Summer Writers Institute at Skidmore College. June 27 - July 23, 2021: Saratoga Springs, NY. Since 1987, the Institute has been offering students the opportunity to learn from an extraordinary faculty of distinguished writers led by director Robert Boyers. The program is an offshoot of the New York State Writers Institute created by Albany native and Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Kennedy. The curriculum is designed for college-aged students and adults, and the new virtual format will retain many of the Institute’s hallmark features:

• Creative writing workshops in poetry, fiction and non-fiction
• Small classes that offer individualized attention and workshop student writings
• Public readings and afternoon Q & A sessions with world-renowned guest writers
• Private tutorial sessions for student fiction manuscripts, book-length poetry, or non-fiction (available for an additional fee)
• Option to enroll for one-week, two-week, or four-week sessions
• Optional undergraduate credit for eligible students enrolled in one genre for four weeks
• Merit Scholarships for tuition 

ThrillerFest XIV. June 28 – July 10, 2021: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. Will be held online.