97 Calls for Submissions in July 2021 - Paying markets

This July there are eight 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: Sand sculpture by Japanese artist Toshihiko Hosaka.)

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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: $15. Deadline: Opens July 1.

Antimony and Elder Lace Press: Stonewall Detective Tales. Genre: Thriller/Mystery. Word Count: 1,000-7,500 words. “One or more of your MAIN characters (protagonist, antagonist, major supporting character) must identify as a member of the LGBTQiA communities. They can be open, closeted, somewhere between, flamboyant, a teddy bear, troll, etc. We just need to make sure that a reader can recognize, and identify the character as such. We are not looking for stereotypical caricatures. We are looking for reality.” Payment: $0.01 per word and a percentage of royalties. Payment made upon publication. Deadline: July 1, 2021.

Mud Season Review. Genre: Poetry, Fiction, CNF. Payment: $50. Deadline: July 1, 2021.

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

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.

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

The Periodical, Forlorn: Mythos Reborn. Genre: "Stories that give us a unique take on mythological figures and characters from all the cultures of the world. Retell a classic tale from a minor character's perspective. Reintroduce us to a story lost to the ages. Or invent your own mythology." Payment: $15. Deadline: July 2, 2021.

Cast of Wonders. Genre: YA Speculative fiction. Seasonal Holiday submissions // Special Events 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: July 3, 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: July 3, 2021.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction 300 - 1,000 words on theme of CREATOR / EXPLORER. Payment: Pays for anthologies only. Deadline: July 4, 2021. See accepted genres.

Maine Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction. Payment: $25. Deadline: Free submissions until July 4, 2021.

Buckmxn Story Service is a snail-mail subscription of ten short stories, with one story delivered each week via the United States Postal Service. Genre: Fiction and CNF up to 5,000 words. Payment: $120. Deadline: July 4, 2021.

Going Down Swinging: The Fake Issue. Genre: Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, comics, plays, creative collabs and more. "We are inviting all imposters to send Going Down Swinging their fakest work. Poser writers are invited to embrace the contradictions of this bogus and unreal era." Payment: $200-$300 (AUD) Deadline: July 4, 2021.

Space and Time. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, horror, steampunk, magical realism. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: July 4, 2021.

Vesper: Night Sky. Genre: Poetic prose (up to 1,500 words) or poetry (up to 50 verses) on the theme of Night. Payment: €40/piece and a complimentary copy of the issue. Deadline: July 5, 2021.

Fairy Tale Review. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. See themes. Payment: $50. Deadline: July 6, 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: July 7, 2021.  Opens to submissions on July 1.

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: July 7, 2021. Opens to submissions on July 1.

Augur Magazine: Joyful Imaginations. Restrictions: Creators who are Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, Disabled, and/or Trans, who are also Canadian citizens/permanent residents and/or who are living within the settler-defined borders of the land colonially known as Canada. Genre: dream-touched realism, slipstream, fabulism, magical realism (note: educate yourself before you claim this term) and, for lack of a better descriptor, “literary” speculative fiction. Payment: $0.11 cents (CAD) per word for short fiction (1000+ words), and a flat fee of $110.00 per flash fiction piece (1000 words and under).  Deadline: July 7, 2021.

Epoch Press. Genre: Poetry, art, CNF. Theme: Transition. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: July 8, 2021.

Dark Dispatch. Genre: Dark fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and crime short stories on theme: Deadly Love. Payment: $10 - $50 depending on length. (2 sentences - 5,000 words.) Deadline: July 9, 2021.

Clare Wade is looking for article pitches by disabled and chronically ill authors, editors & agents for The Disability Issue of  @thebookseller Commissioned articles will be paid £120/500 words. "If you have an idea, send me a 50 word pitch, plus a short bio and a list of any work you’ve had published." Email disabledauthors@gmail.com. Deadline: July 9, 2021.

Unsettling Reads. Genre:  Crime, Mystery, Noir, Suspense, and/or Thriller genres (and their associated sub-genres) on theme of Autumn. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 11, 2021.

midnight & indigo. Restrictions: Open to Black women writers. Genre: Horror and speculative fiction. Payment: $50 - $75. Deadline: July 11, 2021.

Elevator Stories. Genre: Fiction, CNF, memoir, or personal essay that is 3000 words or less and follows the theme Pride. Bravery, pride, and the magnificent self. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 11, 2021. 

Fireside Magazine. Genre: Short fiction up to 3,000 words and poems. "Hal would especially love to see work loosely themed around science and technology: the joy of discovery, the systemic barriers in place that prevent equal access to advanced knowledge, and how new tools and machines can both empower and disenfranchise marginalized voices. Don’t limit yourself to strictly future settings or science fiction — think broadly in terms of any method or system that explores the world through experimentation, such as an ancient sorcerer investigating rules of magic." Payment: 12.5 cents/word. Deadline: July 11, 2021.

Shoreline of Infinity. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy. Disabled and/or neurodivergent  writers only. Payment: £10/1000 words. Deadline: July 13, 2021.

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

Apex Magazine Indigenous Futurists. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as Indigenous from any part of the world. Genre; Speculative fiction. Payment: $.08 per word up to 7,500 words. Minimum of $50. Deadline: July 15, 2021.

Untethered Anthology. Genre: Stories about horses, magic, and magic horses—unicorns, winged horses, horses, donkeys, zebras… basically anything in the Equus genus will do. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 15, 2021.

Islandia. Restrictions: Preference is given to residents of Florida & the Caribbean but Islandia considers written work and visual art with strong ties to the region. Genre: Poetry, art, and prose on themes of : MYTH, FOLKLORE, HISTORY, ECOLOGY, CRYPTOZOOLOGY, AND THE PARANORMAL. Payment: Pay for poetry and visual art begins at $50 and for prose submissions at $100. Deadline: July 15, 2021.

Liquid Imagination: Silver Pen. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry. Payment: $3 - $8. Deadline: July 15, 2021.

Writer Shed Press. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, personal essays, and poetry that is directly or loosely linked to the theme of SECOND THOUGHTS. All prose should be no more than 2000 words. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 15, 2021.

Thuya Poetry Review. Genre: Poetry. Payment: "Nominal." Deadline: July 15, 2021.

Jaggery, a DesiLit arts and literature journal, "connects South Asian diasporic writers and homeland writers; we also welcome non-South Asians with a deep and thoughtful connection to South Asian countries, who bring their own intersecting perspectives to the conversation. (By South Asia we mean Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, The Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka." Genre: Fiction, CNF, poetry, art, reviews. Payment: $100 for fiction, $25 for nonfiction/poetry/art/reviews. Deadline: July 15, 2021.

LUPERCALIA press will showcase art and writing by trans and queer creators that focuses on themes of transgender and queer sex/sexuality/excess/celebration. "We do not have any strict definition of how trans or queer manifests in your personal identity, nor do we want to be gatekeepers. If you say you are trans or queer, we believe and accept that in you." Genre: Fiction, poetry, chapbooks, visual art. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: July 15, 2021.

Inclusive Future Magazine. Restrictions: Open to trans, nonbinary, and genderqueer artists and writers. Genre: Speculative prose, poetry, and art in the guise of a pop culture  magazine from the future. While your submission does not have to be about gender, it definitely needs to contain elements that make it gender-inclusive. Payment: Prose: 8¢ (USD) a word with a minimum payment of $25 per contributor for previously unpublished prose and 4¢ a word with a minimum payment of $10 per contributor for reprints. Poetry: $1 (USD) a line for previously unpublished poems and 50¢ per line for a reprint, with a minimum payment of $25. Deadline: July 15, 2021.

Mythulu: Horror vs Hemophobia. Genre: Short stories, nonfiction, art, comics. "This issue explores the ethics of gore in literature. Bring your fighting words and debate either side." Payment: 4-8 cents per word. Deadline: July 15, 2021. Pitches only.

The Cellar Door: Woodland Terrors. Genre: Horror/thriller stories that take place in or near the woods. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 15, 2021.

Eerie River Publishing. Genre: Novels, novellas and potential novella series in horror. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 16, 2021.

Catapult. Genre: Flash fiction, short stories. Payment: $200. Deadline: July 16, 2021.

Frost Zone. Genre: Horror short stories. THEME for this issue: Halloween and Holiday Horrors.  Payment: (1200-2499 words) 7.00 CAD; (2500 words – 3500 words) 9.00 CAD. Deadline: July 17, 2021.

Stories We Tell After Midnight, Volume 3. Genre: Horror short stories. Length: Up to 25,000 words. Payment: $0.02/word or $25/story. Deadline: July 17, 2021.

Hungry Zine. Restrictions: Open to writers located in Canada. Genre: Nonfiction about food.  Payment: $50. Deadline: July 18, 2021. Pitches only.

Soft Skull Press. Genre: Full-length fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and hybrid projects, including works in translation. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 20, 2021.

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

Poetry Wales. Genre: Poetry, reviews, articles. "We are open to poems on all themes, but we would be interested to see poems about Imagined Futures. Payment: Poems £20/page. Reviews £67.50/1500-word review. Articles £200/3000 word, or in that proportion, depending on number of published words. Deadline: July 21, 2021.

Owl Hollow Press: Frontiers Past, Present, and Future. Genre: Short stories on theme of Frontiers. Any genre. Length: 7,500 words max. Payment: $50. Deadline: July 24, 2021.

Tales from the Moonlit Path. Genre: Dark, eerie, speculative stories. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 27, 2021.

khōréō. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. "This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, transnational/transracial adoptees, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. We especially encourage BIPOC creators who identify as the above to submit their work." Genre: stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Theme: Food. Payment: 0.08/word for fiction, $100 for nonfiction, and  $40-300 for art. Deadline: July 30, 2021.

Wizards in Space. Genre: Poetry, prose, art on theme: bridges & barriers. Payment: $40 per original poem or per page of original art; $20 per reprinted poem or per page of reprinted art; $0.04 per word for original prose, based on final published word count; $0.02 per word for reprinted prose, based on final published word count. Deadline: July 30, 2021. Accepts reprints. 

Eerie River Publishing: Of Fire and Stars. Genre: LGBTQ+ Dark Fantasy anthology. Theme: Encounters with the fae world and its creatures. Payment: Up to 3000 words $10.00; Up to 5000 words $15.00; Above 5001 words $20.00. Deadline: July 30, 2021.

Scare Street: Night Terrors. Genre: Horror. Payment: $10 for every 1,000 words prorated, $50 for every 5,000 words prorated. Deadline: July 30, 2021.

Dragon Soul Press: All Dark Places. Genre: Horror. "In a world where so many dark things go bump in the night, terror awaits around every corner as these authors take horror stories to the next level." Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties. Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

Haunted: A Ghostly Anthology. Restrictions: Open to New Zealand and Australian writers. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, and short stories 500 - 15000 words featuring haunted places, people and objects. Payment: $5 (AUD) to $20 (AUD). Deadline: July 31, 2021.

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 31, 2021.

Reservoir Road Literary Review. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, photography, CNF. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

EX/POST. Genre: Poetry, prose, drama, art, essays. Payment: "Modest honorarium." Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

New Myths. Genre: Science fiction and fantasy. Payment: 1.5 cents/word with a minimum payment of $30 for all submissions, fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Book reviews - $30. Art - $60. Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

Short Fiction: The Visual Literary Journal. Restrictions: They accept submissions from the UK, Europe, the Commonwealth and every other country except for the United States of America. Genre: Short fiction between 500 and 5,000 words. Payment: 2p (£0.02) per word, to the nearest 100 words, with a minimum of £30 and maximum £100. Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

Room Magazine: Ancestors Issue. Restrictions: Room publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art by folks of marginalized genders, including but not limited to women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit and nonbinary people. Genre: Original short stories, poems, creative non-fiction, or art on theme of Ancestors. Payment: $50 (CAD) Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

Mythaxis. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

Socrates on the Beach. Genre: Essays and fiction (not poetry)—at least 3000 to 10,000 words. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

Hiraeth Books: parABnormal Magazine. Genre: Stories, poetry, nonfiction about the paranormal.  Payment: $25 for fiction, $20 for articles, $7 for reviews, $6 per poem. Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

WolfSinger Publications: Us/Them Anthology. Genre: Short fiction. "Propaganda. Dehumanizing those that you disagree with. Using labels to identify people as being evil. … These tactics are very common in warfare and becoming more and more common in politics. They divide people, they can tear families, friends and countries apart. What we’re looking for are stories that revolve around the process of creating an US / THEM situation and what happens to both sides because of it. Stories can have a happy ending where both sides are to see past the differences that have been magnified to find the similarities that can join them. They can have tragic endings where one or both sides are destroyed by the hate mongering. Or, they can be somewhere in between.” Payment: $15 plus royalties. Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

Black Cat Magazine: Apocalypse. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry on theme of Apocalypse. Payment: $30. Deadline: July 31st, 2021. (Or until filled)

Strange Aeon: 2021 (Fearful Wisdom). Genre: Cosmic horror/Lovecraftian vein. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 31, 2021. (Or until filled)

Spirit Machine. Genre: Seance Fiction - A mashup of Spiritualism (seances, ouiji/spirit boards, kirlian auras, discarnated entities, ghost talking) and Science Fiction and/or Steampunk genres. Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

Jolly Horror Press: Executive Dread. Genre: Stories of workplace horror. Payment: $.005 per word. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

Mythic. Genre: Sci-fi and fantasy fiction. Payment: 4 cents/word. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

Monsters, Monsters, Monsters. Genre: Horror. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

Red Cape Anthologies: K is for Kidnap. Genre: Horror. "Being kidnapped must be a pretty terrifying ordeal – we’re looking for stories that convey that feeling of terror but we’re also looking for diversity. Think about who is being taken and by whom, are the kidnappers even human?" Payment:  £10.  Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

Augur Magazine: Joyful Imaginations. Genre: dream-touched realism, slipstream, fabulism, magical realism (note: educate yourself before you claim this term) and, for lack of a better descriptor, “literary” speculative fiction. Payment: $0.11 cents (CAD) per word for short fiction (1000+ words), and a flat fee of $110.00 per flash fiction piece (1000 words and under). Deadline: July 31, 2021. Opens July 8.

FIYAH. Genre: Speculative fiction, art, and poetry about African Diaspora. Length: Short fiction 2,000 – 7,000 words and novelettes up to 15,000 words. Payment: $150 per story. $50 per poem. $300 per novelette. Deadline: July 31st, 2021. See themes.

Aurealis. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy or horror short stories between 2000 and 8000 words. Payment: A$20 and A$60 per 1000 words. Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

Otoroshi Journal. Genre: Horrorku, horror tanka, and horror haibun, art. Payment: Poetry, $1. Art, $10.  Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

Arc Poetry Magazine. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $50 per page. Deadline: July 31, 2021. 

Jellyfish. Restrictions: "Writers of colour." Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, 1000 words max. Payment: $50. Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

Ceci n’est pas une histoire d’horreur (This is Not a Horror Story) Genre: Horror stories inspired and influenced by the transgressive fiction. Payment: £15. Deadline: July 31, 2021. (Open until filled)

The Rumpus. Genre: Fiction  poetry. "We strive to be a platform for marginalized voices and writing that might not find a home elsewhere, and to lift up new voices alongside those of more established writers we love. We work to shine a light on stories that build bridges, tear down walls, and speak truth to power." Payment: $300 divided among all contributors. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

Nonbinary Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and flash, up to 3000 words on theme of Prohibition. Payment: For prose, 1¢ US per word, and $10 US per poem. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

Podcastle. Genre: Fantasy podcast. Length: Up to 6,000 words. Payment: $0.06/word for original; $100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction reprints. Deadline: July 31st, 2021.

Antifa Splatterpunk Anthology. Genre: Anti-fascist splatterpunk stories. "In addition to pure splatterpunk, I’m also open to extreme horror with weird, bizarro, historical, or science fiction elements. Just keep it anti-fascist." Payment: $100. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

the other side of hope. Genre: Fiction and poetry by refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants only. They accept non-fiction, reviews, and interview submissions by anyone as long as the subject matter sheds light on the refugee and immigrant life. Payment: £100 per published author in the print issue, and £50 per published author in the online issue. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

Volney Road Review. Genres: Fiction, poetry, CNF, art. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

VQR. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, personal essays, literary criticism, reporting. Payment: For poetry, $200 per poem, up to 4 poems; for a suite of 5 or more poems, $1,000. For short fiction, $1,000 and above. For other prose, such as personal essays and literary criticism, $1,000 and above, at approximately 25 cents per word, depending on length. Note: Genre fiction is not accepted. Deadline: July 31, 2021. Opens July 1.

Augur. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. "Send us your dreamy, your quiet fantasy, your soft scifi, your literary pulp, your liminal, your slipstream, your fabulism." Payment: $60/poem; $0.11/word fiction. CAD. Deadline: July 31, 2021. See themes.

34 Orchard. Genre: Fiction and poetry. "We like dark, intense pieces that speak to a deeper truth. We’re not genre-specific; we just like scary, disturbing, unsettling, and sad." Length: Up to 7,500 words. Payment: $50. Deadline: July 31, 2021. Opens July 1.

Oddity Prodigy: Beneath the Yellow Lights. Genre: Urban fantasy stories that feature fantasy elements such as magic and mythical creatures in urban environments. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

Psychopomp. Genre: Short stories, up to 5,000 words. Payment: 2 cents a word up to $100 (starting at a minimum of $5). Deadline: July 31, 2021. Opens July 1.

Dark Moments. Genre: Speculative fiction or horror drabbles (exactly 100 words). Payment: 4 cents/word. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

Awakened Voices Issue 13: The Body Speaks. Genre: Flash fiction, fiction, CNF, vignette, and graphic/visual work. "We are looking to showcase work that explores how the body expresses itself and speaks about trauma, its consequences, and recovery. How does the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual body respond to trauma? How does sexual abuse trauma interact with body image, sexuality, identity dissociation or reclamation? What else does the body interact with after trauma?" Payment: $12. Deadline: July 31, 2021. 

And a few more...

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on Theme of EVERYMAN / JESTER. Payment: $10 via PayPal for each story published in an Anthology. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

The Suburban Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF, art, comics on theme of PUNCTURE. Payment: $75 - $150. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Ripe. Genre: Poetry, prose, art. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

The First Line. Genres: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction using the first line provided. (See site.)   Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry, and $25.00 for nonfiction. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

We'Moon Lunar Calendar. Restrictions: Open to women only. Genre: Art, poetry and prose, 350 words maximum. Payment: Small honorarium. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Best Indie Speculative Fiction. Genre: Previously published speculative fiction, between January 1 2019 and December 31st 2020. This project only considers previous-published stories that are either self-published or published with a small press. Length: Up to 20,000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

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

Mudroom. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and essays in translation. Payment: $15. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Moonflake Press. Genre: Short stories and poems on theme of Lush. Payment: £25 for each story/poem. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

The Ghastling. Genre: Psychological horror, folk horror, ghost stories and the macabre. Payment: £15 per story plus copy of magazine. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

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 3.5 cents (CAD) per word, up to a maximum of $300 (CAD) per story. Deadline: August 1, 2021. Accepts reprints.

Recommended Reading. Genre: Fiction between 2,000 and 10,000 words. Payment: $300. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Flame Tree Press: Asian Ghost Short Stories. Genre: Ghost stories written by writers of East, South or Southeast Asian heritage. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for new stories and 6 cents/4 pence per word for reprints. Deadline: August 1, 2021. Reprints accepted.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Poetry, short stories, flash fiction, essays. Payment: $10 - $20. Deadline: August 1, 2021. See themes.

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: August 1, 2021. See themes. Deadline extended.

48 Writing Contests in July 2021 - No entry fees

This July there are more than three 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: Pikist

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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 July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. Self-published books are accepted. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: July 1, 2021.

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 July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. Manuscripts, CDs, and chapbooks are not accepted. Prize: $100,000. Deadline: July 1, 2021.

Victoria Literary Festival Short Story Contest: Ghost Writer. Genre: Short stories of at least 1,400 words. The theme is ‘Ghost Writer’. Prize: CAD350; CAD50 each for runners-up. Deadline: July 1, 2021.

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, 2021.

James Berry Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to poets of colour, who are UK residents (permanently reside in the UK: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man) who have not yet published a book-length collection, with special consideration given to LGBTQ+/disabled poets and poets from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Genre: Poetry. Prize: 3 equal winners each receive £1,000 prize, expert mentoring & debut collection published with Bloodaxe Books. Deadline: July 1, 2021.

1455’s Third Teen Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Writers aged 13-19. Genre: Poetry. The theme for this year’s contest is “Finding Community During Crisis,” and the work should be a reflection on or reaction to the contemporary sociopolitical and cultural environment  (including but not limited to #BLM, #MeToo, COVID, etc.). Prize: $5,000. Deadline: July 1, 2021.

Lewis CarrollSociety Ellis S. Hillman Award. Genre: Write a ‘missing’ chapter for either Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or Through the Looking-Glass. You can create new characters or re-use existing characters; create new scenarios or use an existing scenario and follow on. Prize: Three prizes of £100 each for three separate age groups – up to 16 yrs old, 16-20, over 20 yrs. Entries to be between 500 to 2000 words, depending on age. Deadline: July 3, 2021.

Thirty West: Broadside Contest. Genre: Up to 2 poems or prose (flash fiction or CNF) pieces that fit on an 8.5"x11" paper (A4 size). Prize: $40 and 25 copies, Deadline: July 4, 2021.

She Writes Press and SparkPress Toward Equality in Publishing (STEP). Restrictions: Open to woman of color (people whose heritage is African, Indigenous to the Americas, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, Arab, or people of mixed racial heritage with one or two parents who fit into the above groups). Trans/non-binary or genderqueer women welcome! Genre: Full-length fiction and nonfiction.  Prize: The STEP winners will receive a publishing deal to publish on either She Writes Press or SparkPress, which will be determined by the publisher based on genre and writing style. Both include the full services of the She Writes Press and SparkPress Publishing Package (each valued at $7500). Deadline: July 5, 2021. 

Stone Canoe. Restrictions: Open to people who live or have lived in Upstate New York (not New York City). Genres: Drama, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: July 8, 2021 for poetry - July 22, 2021 for fiction, nonfiction and drama. 

John Glassco Translation Prize. Sponsored by Literary Translators' Association of Canada.  Restrictions: Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents only. Genre: The work submitted must be the translator's first published book-length translation into English or French. The book must have been published between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018. Prize: $1000. Deadline: July 9, 2021.

Sustainability First Writing Prize 2021. Restrictions: Open to all living British writers and international writers living, working, or studying in the UK, over the age of 18 years. Genre: Article, a personal account, an essay, a short story, or a poem. Written entries will need to look at both climate change and fairness in society. This year's theme is: 'Together for a Fair Climate Future.' We want to hear writers’ imaginative visions, creative ideas and practical steps for societal change, with pieces of writing that respond to the question: “How do we achieve meaningful social changes in the UK to tackle the climate crisis and develop a fairer society?“ Prize: £1,000 with £500 for second prize and £300 for third prize. Deadline: July 10, 2021.

New Zionist Congress Essay Competition. Genre: Essay. "Tap into the emotional, academic, or a little bit of both, and let us know "what does zionism mean to you?" Prize: $100 - $200. Deadline: July 11, 2021.

The Margaret and Reg Turnill Competition. Restrictions: Writers must be 21 or under on July 5. (Those over 21 can enter for a fee.) Genre: Short story on theme of "Mask." Length: 1,500 to 5,000 words. Prize: £1,000 and publication in the annual HG Wells Short Story Competition Anthology.  Deadline: July 12, 2021.

Singapore Unbound. Restrictions: Open to undergraduates. Genre: Critical essays on topics in Singapore literature. Prize: $250. Deadline: July 12, 2021.

Cemetery Gates Society Contest. Genre: Horror flash fiction. Length: 500 - 1500 words. Prize: $50. Deadline: July 12, 2021.

Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction. Restrictions: Books must be English-language, first-edition trade books published by a Canadian press, written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Titles must be published between May 19, 2021 and September 30, 2021. Genre: Literary nonfiction including, among other forms, works of personal or journalistic essays, memoirs, commentary, criticism both social and political, history, and biography. Prize: Winner: $60,000; Finalists: $5,000. Deadline: July 14, 2021.

Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awards. Restrictions: Scottish writers over 18 years of age. Genres: The awards are divided into three different categories.: Fiction and Narrative Non-fiction in English and Scots, Poetry in English and Scots, Children’s and Young Adult Fiction in English and Scots. Prize: £2,000 and personal development opportunities, which can include mentoring from writers and industry professionals. Training in PR, performance and presentation training, and the opportunity to showcase work to publishers and agents. Deadline: July 14, 2021 (midday).

Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Genre: Fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Prize: $25,000 will be awarded to a novel or short-story collection published between May 19, 2021 and September 30, 2021. Prizes of $2,500 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline: July 14, 2021.

Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Genre: Novel or short story collection. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to the novel or short story collection published between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021. Deadline: July 14, 2021.

Langdon Review Writer-in-Residence Program. This is a two-week residency at Texas-based Tarleton State University, providing an opportunity to present at the Langdon Review Weekend festival, and publication in the school's Langdon Review journal. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 15, 2021.

Helen Schaible Shakespearean/Petrarchan Sonnet Contest. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $50, 2nd Prize $35, 3rd Prize $15, three Honorable Mentions, three Special Recognitions. Deadline: July 15, 2021.

Iron Horse Prize. Genre: First book of collected prose. Prize: The author of the winning entry will receive $1000, and their collection will be published in the summer of 2022 by Texas Tech University Press. Deadline: July 15, 2021. Free submissions on July 15 only.

W&A Working-Class Writers' Prize. Restrictions: Open to working class writers over 18 and living in the UK or ROI. Genre: All genres. Submit the beginning of an unpublished work-in-progress no more than 2,000 words in length and a one-page synopsis for the full manuscript. You must also include a short piece of writing (200 words) in the Covering Letter section of our online entry form about yourself and why this prize speaks to you. Prize: £200 and a mentoring session with judge and author Paul Mendez. Deadline: July 16, 2021.

Boardman Tasker Prize. Restrictions: The prize will be awarded for a work first published or distributed in the United Kingdom between July 15th 2020 and 17th July 2021. 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 17, 2021.

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 17, 2021.

Undiscovered Voices. Restrictions: Current members of SCBWI who live in the UK or one of the current countries of the EU or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. Genre: Opening of an already completed novel for children, aimed at any age from 5 years through to Young Adult. You may submit up to 4,000 words – choosing a suitable place to stop your extract. Prize: Publication.  Deadline: July 18, 2021.

Eerie River Publishing. Genre: Horror on theme of Dark Witch. 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: July 25, 2021.

No Contact Poetry Contest. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: July 26, 2021.

Ann Petry Award. Restrictions: Open to Black authors. Genre: Previously unpublished prose, either a novel or a collection of short stories or novellas, with a minimum of 150 pages. Prize: $3000 and publication. Deadline: July 30, 2021.

Academy Press: Poetry Chapbook Contest. Genre: Poetry chapbook. Prize: Royalties. Deadline: July 30, 2021.

The Governor General’s Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written, translated or illustrated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Genre: Best English-language and the best French-language book will be chosen in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Children’s Literature (text), Children’s Literature (illustrated books) and Translation (from French to English). Prize: $1,000 - $25,000. Deadline: Nominations by publishers for books in English must reach the Canada Council no later than July 31, 2021.

Rune Bear Quarterly. Genre: Drabble: 100 words on themes. Prize: $10. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

Crossing the Tees. Genre: Short story, 3000 words max. Prize: "Cash award." Deadline: July 31, 2021

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme of Staycation. 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: July 31, 2021.

Arablit Story Prize. Genre: Short story translated from Arabic. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

Polar Expressions Publications Short Story and Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadians only. Genre: Short story, poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

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, 2021.

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. Restrictions: Open to young poets age 11 - 17. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Publication. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

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, 2021.

Lee & Low Books New Voices Award is sponsored by Lee &Low Publishers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers of color who are residents of the United States and who have not previously had a children’s picture book published. Genre: Children's books - fiction, nonfiction or poetry. Prize: $1,000 and publication. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to students who are FULL TIME, undergraduate students in an AMERICAN COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY during the Spring 2021 semester. Genre: Essay on topic: What Would Lincoln Do? "2021 marks the 150th anniversary of the Ku Klux Klan Act, a major milestone in the tumultuous Reconstruction era. Examining Lincoln's 1863 Louisiana plan along with other evidence, would Reconstruction have been any different if Lincoln had not been assassinated? If so, how?" Prize: 1st Prize $1500 | 2nd Prize $750 | 3rd Prize $500. Deadline: July 31, 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. Prize: From $10 to $100. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

The John Byrne Award. Restrictions: Open to residents of Scotland. Genre: A piece of creative work on a chosen theme or value (written work must be no more than 15,000 words in length). Prize:  £7500. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

Biopage. Genre: Personal essays about the pandemic. Prizes: Up to $1000. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

2021 RCWMS Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to women and trans women18 years of age and older. Genre: Nonfiction essays of 1,200 words or less.” Essays should focus on the theme of identity and belonging. Oppressive systems and structures seek to prevent us from living into the complexities of our identities and lived experiences. How do you know when you are showing up as your full self and experiencing true belonging?” Prize: $300 for first place, $200 second, and $100 third. The winning essay will be published in the RCWMS newsletter, South of the Garden. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

Lune Spark Young Writers' Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to writers 10-13 years old, and 13-16 years old. (Two categories.) Genre: Short story. Prize: $500 for first place; $250, 2nd place; $100, 3rd place. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

Jan Garton Prairie Heritage Book Award. Genre: Book published in 2017 - 2020 that illuminates the heritage of North America's mid-continental prairies, whether of the tall-grass, mid-grass, or short-grass regions. Authors' first books receive extra consideration. Books may be in any genre, and topics may include but are not limited to social or natural history; prairie culture of the past or in-the-making; and interactions between society and ecology. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

9 Speculative Fiction Magazines Accepting Submissions NOW - Paying Markets

Here are nine literary magazines currently open to submissions of speculative fiction and poetry. They are seeking a wide variety of subgenres: Cyberpunk, Steampunk, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Myth, Folklore, Surrealism, Slipstream, and Weird Fiction.

All of these are paying markets. Some accept reprints. None charge a submission fee.

For an extensive list of paying markets organized by genre see: Paying Markets.

(Image credit: Pixabay)

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Grandpa's Deep-Space Diner. Genre: Speculative food stories. "Whether you're growing your produce in a magical garden, storing your rations in your lunar bunker, or enjoying a delightful picnic in the outer rings of Saturn, we want your speculative fiction food stories!" Payment: $5 per thousand words. Deadline: Open until filled. Reprints accepted.

Phantasmical Contraptions. Genre: Steampunk, Dieselpunk, Decopunk, Biopunk, Steelpunk, Islandpunk, all kinds of punk. Story lengths should be anywhere from flash-length to about 15k words. Payment: $5 per thousand words. Deadline: Open until filled. Reprints accepted.

The Were-Traveler: Curst & Twysted Tarot. Genre: Short fiction based on a Tarot card image. Length: 750 - 2,500 words. Payment: $10 for flash, $15 for short stories. Deadline: Open until filled.

Samovar Genre: Samovar is a quarterly magazine of and about speculative fiction in translation published by Strange Horizons. They are looking for in-depth critical review-essays of 2,000 to 3,000 words. These may cover: Works recently translated into English; Works that have not been translated but that will be of interest to an English-language audience; Critical works focusing on speculative fiction in translation; Some combination of the above. Payment: US$40 regardless of final word count.

Creepy Podcast. Genre: Horror. (Audio format) "We want to be scared. We want to see what kind of darkness you have at your fingertips." Length: Under 3,000 words. Payment: Not specified. 

Penumbric. Genre: Fiction, poetry, illustration, graphic narrative, animation, music, or combinations of these. "Penumbric is an online magazine dedicated to riding that ever-changing edge of new and original fiction and art and sound and everything into tomorrow. To us, this edge is best exemplified by two things: speculative works that look at our world (or other worlds) in new ways, whether that be peering into the future, a look sideways at an alternative or fantastic past or present, or a hard stare into the face of horror or madness (does that sound like old eps of The Twilight Zone? Well, if that's the comparison, I'm fine with that) a diversity of viewpoints, representing not only multiple cultures but subcultures, exploring issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and orientation." Payment: $10.

The Arcanist. Genre: Fantasy, sci-fi, and horror flash fiction. Length: Up to 1,000 words. "We are open to simultaneous submissions. Please do not send more than one story to us at a time. As soon as a story is accepted or rejected, feel free to send us another. Stories should be actual stories. They need to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. We do not publish poetry, non-fiction essays, or anything that isn’t a proper flash fiction story." Payment: 10 cents/word.

StarShipSofa. Genre: Science-fiction. "From the soft, social science fiction to the weird pulpy stuff to the vigorous hard SF and YA adventure. We welcome all sub-genres and all variety of punks in all their colours. From high-octane action to quiet philosophical stories, we’re after it all. Science fiction is a rich and diverse genre, push it’s boundaries as far as you can go." Audio format. Payment: $50. Reprints accepted.

The Vanishing Point. Genre: Speculative Fiction. "Welcome to the Vanishing Point, that place on the horizon where the lines of reality and imagination intersect. In that place is a promise of excitement, dread, intrigue and suspense. The Vanishing Point is a literary magazine for works that bend reality. Horror, Sci-fi, Dark Fantasy, and all things speculative are welcome here." Length: 1500 to 6000 words. Payment: $25.

33 Fabulous Writing Conferences in July 2021

Summer is in full swing, and so are writing conferences. This July features more than two 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.

(Image credit: Pixabay)

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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.

ASLE Biennial Conference. July 6 - 9, 2021: Portland, OR. "ASLE seeks to inspire and promote intellectual work in the environmental humanities and arts. Our vision is an inclusive community whose members are committed to environmental research, education, literature, art and service, environmental justice, and ecological sustainability."

Midsummer Online Getaway. July 7 - 11, 2021. "Each four-day workshop will meet for 12 hours and will offer craft discussion, writing prompts, writing time, feedback, motivation and inspiration. By spending four days in one workshop, you will venture deeper into your writing, making more progress than you thought possible. Each four-day workshop in poetry, fiction, and CNF is limited to 10 participants." 

In Your Write Mind Workshop. July 8 - 11, 2021: Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Special Guests: Raw Dog Screaming Press, Omnium Gatherum, Entangled, Titan and more. Agents: Kristopher O’Higgins (Scribe Agency) and Andy Ross (Andy Ross Agency) Guest authors: Tim Waggoner Business and Craft Tracks. Pitch Sessions. Virtual Book Signing. Networking. Author Readings. Writing Sprints. Critique Groups. And more! $60 for the whole event, $25 for single days. Will be held online.

The Colorado Writing Workshop. July 9 - 10, 2020: Denver Colorado. An online “How to Get Published” event. "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." Will be held online.

The Summer Writers Institute. July 9 - 30, 2021: St. Louis, Missouri. The Washington University Summer Writers Institute is an intensive, two-week program featuring workshops in fiction, micro fiction, modern humor, personal narrative, playwriting, and poetry, as well as reading and individual conferences with instructors. Adult writers of all levels of experience work together with published authors and exceptional teachers in a supportive, non-competitive format that allows for personalized attention and constructive feedback. Will be held online.

Tin House Summer Workshop. July 11 - 17, 2021: Portland, Oregon. Closed. Workshops with afternoon craft seminars and career panels. Evenings are reserved for author readings and revelry. Tin House editors and guest agents are available to meet individually with students throughout the week.  Participating writers include poets Hanif Abdurraqib, Jericho Brown, and Aimee Nezhukumatathil; fiction writers Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Kristen Arnett, Matt Bell, Jennine Capó Crucet, Renee Gladman, Manuel Gonzales, Catherine Lacey, Carmen Maria Machado, Tommy Orange, Matthew Salesses, Rion Amilcar Scott, and Leni Zumas; creative nonfiction writers Melissa Febos, Saeed Jones, Kiese Laymon, Jeannie Vanasco, and Elissa Washuta; and graphic narrative writer Mira Jacob. Tuition is $1,600. Scholarships and payment plans are available. Closed.

Community of Writers Workshop in Fiction. July 11 - 17, 2021. 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, and brief individual conferences. The morning workshops are led by staff writer-teachers, editors, or agents. In addition to their workshop manuscripts, participants may have a second manuscript read by a staff member who meets with them in individual conferences. Featured Writers Include: Reagan Arthur, Michael Carlisle, Alex Espinoza, Janet Fitch, Karen Joy Fowler, Sands Hall, Vanessa Hua, Michael Jaime-Becerra, Dana Johnson, Louis B. Jones, Stephen Graham Jones, Peter Orner, Kirstin Valdez Quade, BJ Robbins, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton, Tracy Sherrod, Martin J. Smith, Hector Tobar, Andrew Tonkovich, Gail Tsukiyama, Oscar Villalon, Josh Weil. Tuition: $850. 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.)

Young Writers Workshop. July 11 - 23, 2021: Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Restrictions: For students completing grades 9, 10, 11. Three 90-minute workshop sessions daily, including imaginative writing activities and discussion of readings. Weekly individual meetings with workshop instructor. Focus is on using various forms of creative writing to develop language and thinking skills. Will be held online.

Victorian Chautauqua Writers Workshop. July 12 - 16: Mountain Lake Park, Maryland. The 2021 summer program includes adult personal essays, teen and adult playwriting, teen creative writing, and youth creative writing. Faculty: Diana Hume George, A.J. DeLauder, Mary McEwen, Kimberly Weimer.

Summer Fishtrap Gathering of Writers. July 12 - 18, 2021: Wallowa Lake, Oregon. "The program features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as panel discussions, craft talks, and readings. The theme for the 2021 conference is “Resilience” and features a keynote from nonfiction writer Craig Childs. The faculty includes poets Anis Mojgani and Frank X Walker; fiction writers Beth Piatote, Sharma Shields, and Leni Zumas; nonfiction writer Amy Irvine; and fiction and nonfiction writer Joe Wilkins." Registration is rolling through July 12.  Will be held online.

Juniper Institute for Young Writers. July 12 - 23, 2021: Amherst, MA. For high school students. Daily workshops in poetry, fiction, & nonfiction; interactive craft sessions that include discussions & writing exercises; evening readings by faculty & writers-in-residence. Workshops and craft sessions are led by MFA candidates from the renowned University of Massachusetts MFA Program for Poets and Writers who design curricula especially for the Institute setting. Will be held online.

Malice Domestic. July 14 - 17, 2021, Bethesda, MD. Malice Domestic™ is an annual fan convention in the metropolitan DC area that celebrates the traditional mystery, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. The genre is loosely identified as mysteries which contain no explicit sex, or excessive gore, or violence. 

Romance Writers of America. July 14 - 17, 2021: Nashville, TN. The Summer Retreat is an intimate in-person event designed to enhance your connection with your peers and to engage you with educational sessions to boost your craft and career.

Southampton Writers Conference. July 14 - 18, 2021: 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. Will be held online.

Green River Writers Workshops:Turning Memory into Story: Memoir Writing Workshop. July 15 - 18, 2021: Las Vegas, New Mexico. Using memory as a starting point, Green River Writers Workshops focus on the craft of storytelling through memoir, fiction, historical writing, and poetry. Both experienced and beginning writers are welcome.

Saskatchewan Festival of Words. July 15 - 18, 2021: 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.

Cascade Three-day Writing Workshop. July 16 – 18, 2021: 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 ProBoards. 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." Will be held on Zoom

Port Townsend Writers’ Conference. July 18 - 25, 2021, 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."

Northwestern University Summer Writers’ Conference. July 30 - 31, 2021: Chicago, Illinois. "This year’s schedule offers presentations for writers of all genres and backgrounds. Learn how to write your life in 750 words or less, structure your chapbook, and infuse your writing with revolution. Hear from award-winning authors on how to generate dramatically rich scenes, evoke memories through metaphors, and layer your writing with suspense. Get some pro tips for interviewing and advice on how and when to submit to literary journals, agents, and contests." Will be held online.

Sewanee Writers’ Conference. July 20 - August 1, 2021: 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.

Writer’s Digest Conference. July 22 - 24, 2021: New York City. Annual Writer's Digest Conference featuring: Pitch Slam, with more than fifty agents and editors in attendance, educational tracks devoted to publishing and self-publishing, platform and promotion, and the craft of writing,  speakers and instructors. Will be held virtually.

North Carolina Writers' Network Squire Summer Writing Residency. July 22 - 25, 2021: Greenville, North Carolina. This workshop will explore how to write about places and spaces, while remaining mindful of the interconnections between the natural and cultural, the built and non-built, the human and animal. We will investigate how notions of home and belonging are created and maintained as well as how they can be disrupted by alterations to the cultural traditions and physical environments that surround us and inform our sense of place. During the workshop, we will read and write about the places that have made us who we are today. We will also consider our responsibilities to those places and how to preserve them both in reality and on the page.

Writeaway in New Mexico. July 23 - 30, 2021: Rancho los Milagros, Abiquiú, New Mexico. $2,100 for private room; $1,650 each for friends or couple sharing a room Includes writing consultations and daily writing workshops, all meals, wine and cocktails, plus a cooking class and excursion. Full.

Confluence-SFF. July 23 - 25, 2021: Pittsburgh, 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.

Catamaran Writing Conference: Poetry. July 25 - 29, 2021: Pebble Beach, CA. The workshop meets four mornings and each participant will receive focused feedback from the group on their poems. You'll be invited to submit a writing sample for group feedback. Optional participant readings will be held. During registration you will be invited to indicate your poetry workshop instructor preference. Will be held online.

Midwest Writers Workshop: Virtual Conference: Craft + Community. July 28 - 31, 2021: 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.

Write-in-Ritual Retreat with Leslieann Hobayan. July 29 - August 1, 2021: Austerlitz, NY. "When you have the space to rest — to truly REST — the mind relaxes and the subconscious (where creativity lives) comes out to play!  And maybe, just maybe, you’ll hear your intuition (aka The Muse) whispering in your ear. JOIN ME for Write-in-Ritual, a writing and sacred healing retreat for women of color in Upstate NY at Millay Arts.  Four days of deep rest to restore your energy and nourish your nervous system (and your body!) with sacred ritual and writing." Space is limited.  Deadline to register is July 15.

Florida Authors and Publishers Association Annual Conference. July 30 - 31, 2021: Orlando, Florida. "On Friday, July 30, 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)."

Willamette Writers Conference. July 29 - August 1, 2021: Portland, Oregon. This year the conference theme is Share Your Story with 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. Will be held online.

Into the Springs Writers Workshop. July 30 -  August 1, 2021: Yellow Springs, OH. Faculty for 2021 are Maddie James (romance) and Dan Stout (noir mystery).

Hurston/Wright Summer Writers Week. July 30  - August 6, 2021: Washington, DC. For more than 20 years, the Hurston/Wright Summer Writers Workshop has offered a safe space for black writers in intensive workshop sessions and master classes. Workshops are led by award-winning writers who are influencing today’s literature. The program features critiques, craft talks, writing time and public readings. Hurston/Wright workshops serve emerging and experienced writers who are starting projects, developing projects or seeking to polish projects. More than a thousand writers have participated in workshops since the first session in 1996. Will be held virtually.