132 Calls for Submissions in July 2022 - Paying markets

This July there are more than ten 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 a few days prior to 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: Public Domain Pictures)

__________________________

Les Petites Morts: An Anthology of Erotic Horror Inspired by Fairy Tales, Mythology & Folklore. Opens July 1. Deadline: TBA

The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, micro-fiction. Length: Under 3,000 words preferred. Payment: $75. Deadline: They open to fee-free submissions on the first of each month and close when they reach their quota.

Broken Glass. Genre: Art, video, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, interviews, investigative reporting, fashion, design, book reviews and more - "if it fits our focus, we’d love to see your work." Payment: $50-200. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2022.

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.

Substantially Unlimited. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as part of the disability community. Genre: Prose, up to 15 pages. Theme: Stigma. Payment: $15. Deadline: July 1, 2022. Reprints accepted. 

Haunt Publishing. Genre: Gothic, horror and dark fiction, full-length manuscripts. Payment: £200 advance and royalties. Deadline: July 1, 2022.

The Cafe Irreal. Genre: Magical realism. 2,000 words max. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: July 1, 2022.

Minola Review. Restrictions: Open to women and non-binary writers. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 1, 2022. 

Totally Entwined: Cupid's Academy. Genre: Novellas, 30,000 - 50,000 words. Theme: Enemies to lovers. LGBTQ focus. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 1, 2022.

The Twin Bill. Genre: Fiction, CNF, poetry, art about baseball. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 1, 2022.

Thema: The Crumpled Yellow Paper. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: The Crumpled Yellow Paper. Payment:  $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: July 1, 2022. Accepts reprints.

Horror Oasis: Darklit Press: The Sacrament. Genre: Religious Horror. Payment: $0.01 per word for new stories and/or $25 for reprints. Deadline: July 1, 2022. Accepts reprints.

It Came From the Trailer Park: Volume 2. Genre: Horror. Theme: Horror Comedy / Creature Feature. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 1, 2022. 

Eerie River. Genre: Folk Horror. Word count: 1500 - 7000 firm. Payment: ¢1 per word CAD.  Deadline: Deadline: July 1, 2022. 

Unsettling Reads: Still of Winter. Genre: Horror, fantasy, scifi stories, poems, art. "Stories that unsettle, unnerve, frighten, discomfit, challenge, and/or just generally entertain on theme of Winter." Payment: $20. Deadline: July 1, 2022. 

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: July 1 - 2, 2022.

Pillow Talking (Podcast). Genre: First person, narrative/creative nonfiction stories of real-life bedroom conversations. Theme: Sanctuary. Payment: $25AUD. Deadline: July 2, 2022.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on Theme of  PRIDE / HUMILITY. Payment: $10 via PayPal for each story published in an Anthology. Deadline: July 3, 2022.

Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine. Genre: Fairy tales, and essays on theme of “Weather.” Payment: $100. US dollars only. Essays: $50. Deadline: July 3, 2022.

Luna Press. Genre: Speculative fiction novels. Theme: Horror/gothic/folk horror, dark fantasy novel set in a haunted location (by 'location' we mean a dwelling, an institution, a hotel, a factory, a ship/ferry, a train -  in short a building/structure where people have lived, worked, died, grew up, etc.) Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 3, 2022.

Maine Review. Genre: Short fiction, poetry. Payment: Fiction and Nonfiction writers receive a $25 honorarium per published flash (1,000 words or fewer) and a $50 honorarium for work 1,001 words or more. Poets receive a $25 honorarium per published poem. Deadline: July 3, 2022.  (Opens June 27)

Mslexia. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction by women. Payment: £25. Deadline: July 4, 2022.

Pulp Modern. Genre: Horror and Weird Fiction. (3,500-5,000 words). Payment: $10. Deadline: July 4, 2022. (Open one day only)

Pillow Talking (Podcast). Genre: First person, narrative/creative nonfiction stories of real-life bedroom conversations. Theme: Blue. Payment: $25AUD. Deadline: July 4, 2022.

Solarpunk Magazine. Genre: Solarpunk. Payment: $0.08/word for fiction, $40/poem, and $75/essay.  Deadline: July 4, 2022.

Alien Magazine. Genre: All types of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and visual art. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 5, 2022. 

Cossmass Infinities. Restrictions: Open to Black, Asian, Latin, LGBTQ+ and other under-represented authors. Genre: Science fiction and fantasy short stories. Payment: $0.08/word for original fiction. Deadline: July 7, 2022.

Augur Magazine. 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, 2022.

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, 2022. Opens to submissions on July 1.

Fantasy Magazine. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, poetry. Payment: 8 cents per word; $40 per poem. Deadline: July 7, 2022. Opens to submissions on July 1.

Bright Wall/Dark Room. Genre: Essays on film and TV. See theme. Payment: $50 per essay. Deadline: July 8, 2022.

Tolka. Genre: Non-fiction: personal essay, memoir, reportage, travel writing, auto-fiction, and the writing that falls in between. Payment: €300. Deadline: July 8, 2022.

The Fantastic Other. Genre: Mainstream and surrealist short fiction, flash fiction, poetry, and art. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 10, 2022.

Fall Into Fantasy. Genre: Fantasy. Payment: $15. Deadline: July 10, 2022.

swim meet lit mag. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction (think memoir and personal essay), visual art and photography. "Send us hybrids, work that pushes the boundaries of creativity, that you’d be proud to see published!" Payment: $30 AUD per poem and visual art piece, $50 AUD for prose and cover art. Only pays Australian writers. Deadline: July 10, 2022.

Flame Tree Publishing: Alternate History Anthology. Genre: Alternate history short stories. Length: 2,000 - 4,000 words. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: July 11, 2022. Accepts reprints.

Flame Tree Publishing: Hidden Realms Anthology. Genre: Speculative fiction short stories. Length: 2,000 - 4,000 words. "Open your mind to contemplate the ways in which places can be hidden – tucked away in remote corners of the world, buried underground, existing on another physical plane or a different dimension in time or on a quantum level, on another planet, accessible only to those with the secret knowledge, or even in plain sight under our noses... They may be inhabited by beings just like you and me, or creatures utterly different to us. Hidden Realms Short Stories will delve into the secret corridors, the hidden doors at the end of the alley, the hole in the trunk of an ancient oak." Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: July 11, 2022. Accepts reprints.

ArabLit Quarterly. Genre: Essays, nonfiction articles, fiction, poetry, translations, comics on theme: Weddings. Payment: $20/page. Deadline: July 11, 2022.

EastOver Press. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts between 45 and 65 pages. Payment: Standard publishing contract and an honorarium of $2,000. Deadline: July 12, 2022. Open for one day only.

The Bloop. Genre: Horror. "1997: The Bloop is heard on audio recording stations across the pacific. In the years that follow, the mysterious sound will be attributed to giant creatures, a cataclysmic weather event, ice quakes… but what really happened? What could possibly have made a sound loud enough to be heard across the ocean? That’s up to you!" Payment: $10. Deadline: July 13, 2022.

Cosmic Horror Monthly. Genre: Cosmic horror, Lovecraftian, Weird, and dark science fiction stories, original and reprints. Art accepted as well. Payment: 3 cents per word for original fiction. 5k words = $150; 1 cent per word for reprints. Deadline: July 14, 2022. Accepts reprints.

Diabolical Plots. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy and horror up to 3,500 words. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: July 14, 2022.

Cricket Media: ASK Magazine. Genre: Science articles for children 7–10 years old. Theme: Unmentionables. Payment: Unspecified. Deadline: July 15, 2022. Queries only.

Dark Peninsula Press: Negative Space 2 – A Return to Survival Horror. Genre: Creature feature, thriller/suspense, supernatural horror, serial killer, cosmic horror, sci-fi horror. Payment: $50. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

Sasee. Genre: First-person, non-fiction material that is for or about women. Essays, humor, satire, personal experience, and features on topics relating to women are their primary editorial focus. Theme: “There is no “I” in “Team” 500 to 1000 words. Payment: Varies. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

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 15, 2022. Opens July 1.

Muse Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction articles for children. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: July 15, 2022. See themes.

Are You a Robot? Genre: Open. "Whatever you can imagine except erotica. Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Horror, Urban, Mystery, Adventure, Cyberpunk, and even western, if you can figure that out. Send us your story about raging against the machines, surviving attacks on your privacy, navigating the deliberately confusing systems out there, or dealing with the trials and tribulations of ever advancing technology." Payment: $5. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

Able Muse. Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction books. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

Lupercalia. Genre: Chapbooks. Art and writing by trans and queer creators that focuses on themes of transgender and queer sex/sexuality/excess/celebration. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

Hansen House. Genre: Fiction manuscripts with queer protagonists. "Commercial, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy (LitRPG included), New Adult (all genres), YA (all genres), anything sapphic, and anything else that gives queer characters some sort of happy ending." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

Electric Spec. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre. Length: 250 to 7000 words. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

Dose of Dread. Genre: Horror flash fiction. Preference for dread-inducing stories. Length: 500 - 1,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

Tales of Sley House. Restrictions: College students only. Graduate or undergraduate. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, or thriller, or some blend of genres. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

Northern Gravy. Restrictions: Open to UK & Ireland writers of any background, including first-time writers. Genre: Fiction, children's lit, poetry. Payment: £100. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

Never Cheat a Witch. Genre: Stories that feature mere mortals using their cunning, and whatever other assets and skills they may have to put one over a witch, wizard, or other powerful magical entity. Payment: $15.00 plus equal share of 50% of the anthology’s royalties. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

Samjoko Magazine is devoted to publishing "exemplary work from content creators around the world. Focusing mainly upon the written word, we hope to create an immersive digital and print platform that stands out for its honesty and desire to take risks for the sake of artistic expression. We have no set aesthetic, though different themes will be focused upon periodically. We aim to publish seasonally, with our inaugural issue expected to be released early 2022. Response times vary  between 1 day to 4 months. Apologies in advance for form rejections. Our goal is to publish 15 pieces per issue." Payment: $20. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

Timber Ghost Press. Genre: Novels and novellas, including cosmic horror, weird horror, sci-fi/horror, gothic, and contemporary. "We especially love Old West mixed with horror." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 15, 2022. Opens July 1.

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: July 15, 2022

From the Ashes An Anthology of Elemental Urban Fantasy. Genre: Urban Fantasy. Must contain fire-based elemental magic in an urban fantasy setting. Length: Flash (1,000 words) up to novella length (39,999 words). Payment: Original Fiction: $0.08/word up to 1,000 words, and $0.01/word after. Reprints: $0.01/word. Deadline: July 16, 2022.

Pillow Talking (Podcast). Genre: First person, narrative/creative nonfiction stories of real-life bedroom conversations. Theme: I remember... Payment: $25AUD. Deadline: July 16, 2022.

Sovereign: An Anthology of Black Fantasy Fiction. Genre: Fantasy by Black writers only, from flash to novella-length. The sub-genres are: Heroic; Mythic; Flintlock; Gaslamp; Medieval; Religious; Weird West; Arcanepunk; High/Epic Fantasy; Sword and Soul/Planet; Noblebright/Nobledark; Fables/Fairytale Retellings. Length: 1K - 4-K words. Payment: $0.08/word for the first 1,000 words, $0.01/word thereafter. Deadline: July 16, 2022. 

Seaside Gothic. Genre: Seaside gothic fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or a collection of photographs or illustrations. Payment: £0.01 per word. Deadline: July 17, 2022.

Jaggery. Restrictions: Jaggery 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, essays and interviews, poetry, and reviews. Payment: $100 for fiction, $25 for nonfiction/poetry/art/reviews.  Deadline: July 17, 2022.

Riddled With Arrows. “For our Open-Theme Summer Issue we are prioritizing prose over poetry, but we will consider any manner of works on any subject, so long as it meets our primary objective: we want writing and art that centers the process and product of writing as art." Payment: Unpublished Poetry & Prose – USD 3¢/word, minimum $5, maximum $25. Art $10. Reprints $5. Deadline: July 19, 2022. Accepts reprints.

Dismantle. Genre: Original essays that turn a critical eye to fashion, pop culture and social change. Payment: $75. Deadline: July 20, 2022.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. Deadline: July 21, 2022.

Funemployment Quarterly. Genre: Science-fiction/fantasy on theme: Sabbatical. Payment:$20 CAD. Deadline: July 21, 2022.

Ofic. Genre: Short fiction (up to 12,000 words), nonfiction (CNF, etc.), art. "Send us your dead doves, your blorbos, your plinkos, your wretched meow meows yearning to be free; that thing you wrote that made you think, “I don’t know where this belongs”; the stuff you’d never show anyone you know IRL. Give us your shameless, self-indulgent smut; the manuscript to the video essay you dictated to your YouTube subscribers in your head; your thoughtful explorations of trauma and identity; your Pepe Silvia wall; your sci-fi, your fantasy, your romance, your realism. We want anything and everything. As long as you identify as a fan, we want to read your work." Payment: Small honorarium. Deadline: July 24, 2022.

Mudroom. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and essays in translation. Payment: $15. Deadline: July 25, 2022.

The Aurora Journal. Genre: "We look for writing that is surreal, ethereal, mystical, and explores the dangerous limits of surrealism." Payment: $12. Deadline: July 25, 2022.

Voiceworks. Restrictions: Open to Australians under the age of 25. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art and comics. Theme: Grain. Payment: $100 for written work and art, $150 for multi-page comics or suites of art. Deadline: July 26, 2022. Nonfiction pitches only.

WTAW PRESS, Genre: Full-length books of prose (novels, memoirs, creative nonfiction, collections of stories and essays, hybrids etc.) Payment: Royalties? Deadline: July 27, 2022. Open for fee-free submissions from BIPOC authors.

Rough Cut Press. Genre: LGBT experimental work. Length: 650 words max. Theme: Air. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 27, 2022.

Dragon Soul Press: Life at Its Best. Genre: "These women are navigating through the ups and downs of life whether it be relationships, children, health, etc. Note: This is Women’s Contemporary ‘Realistic’ Fiction only." Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties. Deadline: July 30th, 2022.

Mythaxis. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 30, 2022.

midnight & indigo. Restrictions: Open to Black women writers. Genre: Short story, speculative, and narrative essay. Payment: $50 - $75. Deadline: July 30, 2022.

Corporate Catharsis — The Work From Home Edition. Genre: Speculative fiction. "The pandemic came and the world changed. Lives have changed; work has changed. The boundaries between reality and fantasy have become as blurred as those between life and work. Corporate Catharsis: The Work From Home Edition gives you the opportunity to explore the impact of the COVID pandemic on your personal and professional life through speculative fiction." Length: 2,000 – 10,000 words.  Payment: $0.02 per word + two (2) contributor copies. Deadline: July 30, 2022.

Madness Heart: Trigger Warning. Genre: Horror. This year the theme is CURSES. "This collection is for the stomach-churning, the ultra-violent, the painful to read. These stories require trigger warnings." Payment: $10. Deadline: July 30, 2022.

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. Payment: 0.08/word for fiction, $100 for nonfiction, and  $40-300 for art. Deadline: July 30, 2022.

Superlative Literary Journal. Genre: Short stories. Theme: Futures. Payment: £10. Deadline: July 30, 2022.

Welkin. Genre: Magical realist, fabulist, fairy tale, fantasy, gothic, metafictional, slipstream, fantastic, weird, surrealist, and experimental genres. Payment: 1cent/word. Deadline: July 31, 2022.'

Deathcap and Hemlock. Genre: "Give us your chilled-bone-and-eyeball soup. Your recipe to poison a husband with dragon scales, or turn your neighbor into a lawn ornament. Tell us how to lift a curse or use all these ogre parts we have lying around." Length: 200 - 400 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Tales & Feathers. Genre: Cozy slice-of-life fantasy short stories. Payment: $0.11/word CAD. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Bad Betty Press. Genre: Full-length poetry collections. Payment: Small advance and royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Otoroshi Journal. Genre: Horrorku, horror tanka, and horror haibun, art. Payment: Poetry, $1. Art, $10. Deadline: July 31st, 2022.

Museum Piece Anthology. Genre: Speculative fiction. "The story must be about (and likely take place in) a museum with an interesting concept, which should be essential to the plot, not just background. Stories should be between 1,000 and 6,000 words in length." Payment: $.01/word. Reprints will be paid a flat rate of $20/story. Deadline: July 31, 2022. Reprints accepted.

Socrates on the Beach. Genre: Longer essays and fiction at least 3000 to 10,000 words. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Tales from the Ruins: A Post-Apocalyptic Anthology. Genre: Speculative fiction. "We're looking for tales of survival in a post-apocalyptic world. There are no specific thematic guidelines and we're open to submissions featuring sci-fi elements, but at the heart of your story must be a human struggle." Payment: 20€ for original stories and 5€ for reprints regardless of length, plus one print copy. Preferred word count between 5,000 and 10,000 words. Deadline: July 31, 2022. Reprints accepted.

Bound in Flesh: An Anthology of Trans Body Horror. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as Transgender and Non-Binary. Genre: Body Horror. Word count: 3k-5k. Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

The Sprawl Mag. Genre: Speculative poetry, short fiction, and visual art. "Whether it is utopic, dystopic, magical, or sci-fi, we look forward to seeing your work." Payment: $20 CAD. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Diabolical Plots. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy and horror up to 3,500 words. See theme. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Valkyries. Genre: "Tell us the stories of the choosers of the fallen. Valkyries ride into battle, choosing Odin’s favorites to come to Valhalla, or protecting those they deem worthy to fight another day. Perhaps sometimes they use their calling for more sinister deeds. Give us your story of these maidens of war, the agents of the gods." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Nosetouch Press: FIENDS IN THE FURROWS III. Genre: Folk horror. Payment: 6 cents/word. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Alien Dimensions. Genre: Science Fiction. Payment: $10. Minimum 3500 words, maximum 4,500 words. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Podcastle. Genre: Fantasy podcast. Theme: Indigenous Magic. Length: Up to 6,000 words. Payment: $0.06/word for original; $100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction reprints. Deadline: July 31, 2022. 

Wolfsinger Publications: Ring of Fire. Genre: Science Fiction and all sub genres, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal or Gothic romance, Mystery or even mixed genres. on theme Ring of Fire. Payment: $15.00 plus equal share of 50% of the anthology’s royalties for stories. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Silver Blade. Genre: Science Fiction, Slipstream, Classic and Modern Fantasy; short fiction, flash fiction, novellas, and poetry. Payment: $15 for novellas, $3 for flash fiction, $8 for short stories, $8 for single poems and $15 for Featured Poets (by invitation only). Silver Pen will pay half of these rates for previously published works. Deadline: July 31, 2022. Reprints accepted.

parABnormal. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry on the paranormal. "For us, this includes ghosts, spectres, haunts, various whisperers, and so forth. It also includes shapeshifters and creatures from various folklores." Payment: $25.00 for original stories, $7.00 for reprints.$6.00 for each poem. $20.00 for original articles, $6.00 for reprints. $7.00 for reviews and interviews. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

EX/POST. Genre: Poetry, prose, drama, art, essays. Payment: "Modest honorarium." Deadline: July 31st, 2022.

Reservoir Road Literary Review. Genre: Literary short stories, lyrical creative non-fiction, photography. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 31, 2022. Note: Submit early in the month. Submission window closes when their cap is reached.

Haven Speculative. Restrictions: Open to authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 1 cent/word for fiction and $5 - $10 for poetry. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Reliquiae. Genre: "Reliquiae is a journal of landscape, nature and mythology. Your work must engage with these themes. We are particularly interested in visionary and mythopoeic writing, and in work that embraces ritual practice and esoteric philosophy. We’re also excited by translations, especially if the work has never been translated into English before." Payment: "Small." Deadline:  July 31, 2022.

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. Theme: Hauntings and Horrors. Payment: $150 per story. $50 per poem. $300 per novelette. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Brink. Genre: Hybrid, cross-genre fiction, nonfiction poetry. Theme: Reverence. Payment: $25 Poem; $50 Work (less than 1500 words); $50 Art (1-3 Images); $100 Art (4+ Images); $100 Work (more than 1501 words). Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Metaphorosis Books: Museum Piece Anthology. Genre: Speculative fiction. “Bring your stories of intriguing museums old and new… Anything goes, so long as it’s an SFF story about an intriguing museum. The story must be about (and likely take place in) museum with an interesting concept, which should be essential to the plot, not just background.” Payment: 1 cent/word. $20 for reprints. Deadline: July 31, 2022. Reprints accepted.

The Rumpus. Genre: Essays and 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, 2022.

The Cellar Door: Dark Highways. Genre: Horror/suspense stories that take place on a highway, road, or inside a vehicle. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Raven Canticle Press. Genre: Speculative fiction in the following genres: Fantasy, Horror, Espionage/Thriller, Science Fiction. Up to 80,000 words, minimum of 15,000 words (novellas).  Payment: Advance and royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2022. 

Afreada. Restrictions: Open to African writers. Genre: Short fiction, up to 5,000 words. Payment: £25. Deadline: July 31, 2022. 

LGBTQIA Fiction Anthology – Of Rust and Glass Pride. Genre: Poetry, short fiction (up to 10,000 words), nonfiction, artwork, and photography. Payment: This is a royalty sharing project for anyone who considers themselves a member of the Midwest LGBTQIA community. Deadline: July 31, 2022. 

In Celebration of Splatterpunk. Genre: Splatterpunk. 4K - 10K word count. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 31, 2022. 

Little Blue Marble. Genre: Speculative fiction that examines humanity's possible futures living with anthropogenic climate change. Also accepts nonfiction. Payment: $0.11 a word for original works up to 2000 words. If the CAD/USD exchange rate dips below that which would match SFWA's 8¢/word pro rate, they will amend contracts to offer USD 8¢/word at time of payment. $0.01 a word for reprints. Deadline: July 31, 2022. 

Gwyllion. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: £10 per accepted story or poem. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

New Myths. Genre: Speculative fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: 1.5 cents/word with a minimum payment of $30 for all submissions, fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction and poetry; $30 for book reviews; $60 for art. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

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, 2022. Opens July 1.

Phantasmical Contraptions & More Errors. Genre: "Steampunk, Dieselpunk, Decopunk, Biopunk, Steelpunk, Islandpunk, whatever your favorite flavor of punk, we want your punk stories!" Payment: $5 USD per 1000 words. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Flash Frog. Genre: Flash fiction ghost stories. Length: 1000 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Jay Henge Publishing: Professor Feiff's Compleat Pocket Guide to Xenobiology for the Galactic Traveller on the Move: Containing Divers Works Hitherto Unpublished by Scholars of Moderne Sciences, Herbarisme and Exoticks, with Thorough Explication of Chymicall Principles Terrestrial and Alien. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $5 USD per 1000 words up to 15k words. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The advice that changed my life. Genre: True stories and poems. "We are looking for stories that contain a great piece of advice that you were given or advice that you gave to someone else. Whether the advice is about a little thing that improve your everyday life, or major epiphanies that can change a life completely, we want to hear about them and how they made a difference." Payment: $200. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: How stepping outside my comfort zone changed me. Genre: True stories and poems. "Tell us your own stories about stepping outside your comfort zone and how that changed your life." Payment: $200. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The power of positive thinking. Genre: True stories and poems. "How did you “think positive” and how did it change your life? Tell us your success story about using the power of positive thinking!" Payment: $200. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Nonbinary Review: In Motion Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and art around the theme of In Motion. "We want stories, poems and art that put us in the process of travel, whether it’s on a starship, a railway, a frigate, or even a meditative walk from one setting to another." Payment: 1 cent per word for prose, and a flat fee of $10 for poetry. Deadline: July 31, 2022. Accepts reprints.

Red Cape Publishing: A - Z of Horror: P is for Poltergeist. Genre: Horror. "Think outside the box for this one." Payment:  £10. Deadline:  July 31, 2022.

Geist. Restrictions: Canadian connection required. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. Payment: $100 - $1200. Deadline: July 31, 2022. Accepts reprints.

Sliced Up Press: Bloodless. Genre: Horror short stories & poetry that terrify without a single mention of blood or gore. Length: 1,000 words minimum, 3,000 words maximum for stories. Payment: $30 for stories and poems. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Arc Poetry Magazine. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $50 per page. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Ricochet Editions. Genre: Hybrid/Experimental work between 40 and 200 pages. "We are looking for purposeful experimentation with language and form that challenges or plays with convention." Payment: $500 and 50 copies of the perfect-bound book. Deadline: July 31, 2022. No submission fee for POC and Indigenous writers and writers facing financial hardship.

Jellyfish Review. Genre: Flash fiction, nonfiction, hybrid, essay and prose poetry, 1000 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 31, 2022. See theme.

Temz Review. Genre: Poetry and prose up to 10,000 words. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Augur Magazine. 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, 2022.

Space and Time. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, horror, steampunk, magical realism. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

And a few more...

Muse Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction articles for children on theme. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: August ? See themes. Queries only.

Wizards in Space. Genre: Poetry, prose, art. "What does it mean to be empowered, to revel in your own strength? How do you take the abundance of yourself and share it freely with others? When have you felt most like dancing and singing? For our eighth issue, we want your power. Your exhalation. We want to know how your Scorpio heart and your August body take up space in this wind-tossed world." 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: August 1, 2022. Accepts reprints. 

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Short Story-2,500 words or less. $0.01 USD per word/$25 USD and copy of magazine; Flash Fiction-less than a 1,000 words $0.01 USD per word/$10 USD; Poems-less than 200 words $10 upon acceptance and a PDF of the magazine. Deadline: August 1, 2022.

We'Moon Lunar Calendar. Restrictions: Open to women only. Genre: Art, poetry and prose, 350 words maximum. Payment: Small honorarium; art up to $500. Deadline: August 1, 2022.

Liquid Imagination: Silver Pen. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry. Payment: $3 - $8. Deadline: August 1, 2022.

Embers of Corsari. Genre: High fantasy set in a new world. Payment:  Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2022.

Propertius Press. Genre: Creative Nonfiction, full-length manuscripts. "We are actively seeking submissions from Black, Minority, Indigenous, and other Persons of Color in all categories." Payment:  Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2022.

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, 2022.

Brute: Raunch, Scares, and Rough Trade. Genre: Gay sexuality, desire, masculinity, and the aesthetics of "rough trade." Stories must have speculative elements: horror, dark fantasy, weirdness. Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: August 1, 2022.

Fear Street: Reader Beware! Genre: Horror. YA horror steeped in late 80s-90s nostalgia. Payment: $0.01 per word for new stories and/or $25 for reprints. Deadline: August 1, 2022. Reprints accepted.

Sims Library of Poetry. Restrictions: Open to African-American writers. Genre: Poetry, prose, and visual art submissions that are “an homage to an African-American poet of the past.” Payment: $50. Deadline: August 1, 2022.

57 Writing Contests in July 2022 - No entry fees

This July there over four dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $100,000 to a free writing class. 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: Pxhere)

______________________

Woolgathering. Restrictions: All poets under 22 years old are eligible for this competition. Genre: Poetry. "As students who have lived in the Philippines, the political climate in our country is volatile. From the unending “War on Drugs” to political killings and media censorship, the liberty of Filipinos is continually diminishing. However, this issue is not exclusive to the Philippines, and instances of political injustice are evident everywhere. As young writers we can use words to challenge political injustice and propagate change. This scholarship is dedicated to uphold the voices of the unheard, and to seek the truth in times of repression." Prize: 1st Place: $200.00; 2nd Place: $40.00; 3rd Place: $10.00. All ten finalists will be featured in the Woolgathering Young Voices Anthology. Deadline: July 1, 2022.

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 1, 2022 (?)

John Glassco Translation Prize. Sponsored by Literary Translators' Association of Canada.  Restrictions: Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents only. Genre: The work submitted must be the translator's first published book-length translation into English or French. Prize: $1000. Deadline: July 1, 2022.

Kate Tufts Discovery Award. Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University. Restrictions: Poets must be citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States. Genre: Poetry. Book must be author's first full-length book of poetry, published between between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. Self-published books are accepted. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: July 1, 2022.

Booth Summer Writing Contest: Beyond the Margins. Genre: "Send us your work that lives outside of the box, whether in content, in form, or both. Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, comics, lists, hybrid work, recipes, maps to hidden treasure or the secrets of the universe. The work that lives, has been made to live, on the margins and beyond. We want to champion work that does not receive the seat at the table where it rightfully belongs." Prize: $500 + publication. Deadline: July 1, 2022. Note: Free submission for all BIPOC writers. 

BCLF Short Fiction Story Contest (BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize and BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean). Genre: Unpublished short fiction (3000 words max). Prize: US$1750 for each contest. Deadline: July 1, 2022.

Saudi Historical Novel Award. Co-sponsored by the Historical Novel Society and The King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (DARAH). Genre: Historical novel, 60,000-150,000 words, that is set in the Arabian Peninsula in the Saudi period, 1700-1975. Prize: £10,000 prize. 2 runners up will be awarded £3,000 prizes and £2,000 respectively. Deadline: July 1, 2022.

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, 2022.

Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University. Restrictions: Poets must be citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States. Genre: Poetry. The work submitted must be a first book of poetry published between between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. Manuscripts, CDs, and chapbooks are not accepted. Prize: $100,000. Deadline: July 1, 2022.

#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: Revealed on June 21. Deadline: July 4 - 8, 2022.

The Richell Prize for Emerging Writers 2022. Restrictions: Open to unpublished Australian residents aged 18 years or older. Genre: Fiction and narrative non-fiction, the first three chapters plus synopsis (max 20,000 words). Prize: $10,000 and a year’s mentorship with one of Hachette Australia’s publishers. The Guardian Australia will publish an extract of the first chapter of the winning work on its website. Deadline: July 8, 2022.

The Margaret and Reg Turnill Competition. Restrictions: Writers must be 21 or under on July 11. (Those over 21 can enter for a fee.) Genre: Short story on theme of "Switch." Length: 1,500 to 5,000 words. Prize: £1,000 and publication in the annual HG Wells Short Story Competition Anthology.  Deadline: July 11, 2022.

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 13, 2022. (midday)

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: July 14, 2022. 

Apparition Lit. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Prize: $30. Deadline: July 14, 2022.

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 15, 2022 for fiction - August 8, 2022 for poetry. (It is difficult to find this information on their website.) 

The 1729 Book Prize in Prose. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. "We're open to most prose genres, though we tend to lean toward semi-experimental works with a strong literary bent. Hybrid works are welcome." Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

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 2023 by Texas Tech University Press. Deadline: July 15, 2022. Free submissions on July 15 only.

The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize. Restrictions: Entrants must have published no more than six pieces of writing in print or online prior to their submission. Genre: Review of a contemporary art exhibition. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest. Genre: Poetry. Categories: #1 Traditional Sonnet – Shakespearean or Petrarchan; #2 Modern Sonnet. Prize: $50, 2nd Prize $30, 3rd Prize $20, three Honorable Mentions, three Special Recognitions. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

Louisiana State University Alexandria (Lsua) Department of English And Humanities Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Flash fiction. "Tell a short-story with a title. In a minimum of 6 words and a maximum of 1,500 words, tell a story about what happened, who it happened to, and why." Prize: First, second, and third place finishers will be awarded $250, $150, and $100. Deadline: July 15, 2022.

Boardman Tasker Prize. Restrictions: The prize will be awarded for a work first published or distributed in the United Kingdom between July 17th 2021 and July 16th 2022. 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 16, 2022.

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, 2022.

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 18, 2022.

Women Poetry Prize. Genre: "A critical essay engaging with the poetry of women of colour." Prize: The winning essay will be published in Women: a cultural review. The winner will also be awarded a sum of £500. Deadline: July 18, 2022.

Arablit Story Prize. Genre: Short story translated from Arabic. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 20, 2022.

Green Stories Short Story Writing Competition. Genre: Short story "focusing on the theme “clean vs. green. This is a targeted competition aimed at using an engaging fictional story to help readers understand how over-cleaning and misinformation about bacteria can mean that we can end up killing our bodies ‘good’ bacteria through over-use of harsh cleaning products. Your challenge is to write a short story (between 1000 and 3000 words) that helps to raise awareness and shift attitudes, especially for those people who assume that the more detergent the better.” Prize: £500 prize (or local currency equivalent). Deadline: July 21, 2022.

Solarpunk. Genre: Micro fiction 250 words or less based on the monthly contest theme. (See theme) Prize: $25 and publication on the Solarpunk Magazine website. Deadline: July 21, 2022. (Opens July 15)

Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. Restrictions: Books must be first edition English-language books written by a Canadian or American citizen or permanent resident of either country. Works written by women or non-binary authors are eligible for submission. The Prize welcomes and encourages submissions by transgender woman authors. Genre: Published novel, short story collection or graphic novel. Prize: $150,000 Canadian dollars. Deadline: Entries for books published between May 1, 2022 – August 31, 2022, must be received on or before July 22, 2022.

Black Voices in Children's Literature Writing Contest. Restrictions: The contest is open to Black authors who at the time of entry are at least 18 years of age and residing anywhere in the United States. Genre: Original children’s books for ages 0–4 (50–125 words) or for ages 4–8 (300–800 words) featuring authentic, realistic Black characters and culture and focusing on one or more of the following topics: character development, self-esteem, identity, diversity, getting along with others, engaging with family and community, or other topics related to positive childhood development. Religious and fantasy themes will not be considered. Prize: First Place: $1000. Second Place: $500 cash prize. Third Place: $250 cash prize. Deadline: July 24, 2022.

Books Like Us. Genre: First novel. "The Simon & Schuster adult trade imprint is pleased to announce the second annual BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest to facilitate accessibility to underrepresented writers and celebrate the diversity of readers across the United States. As the nation continues to strive for progress, Simon & Schuster aims to help catalyze that change by amplifying voices that represent us, by publishing books like us. A two-week entry period will begin on Tuesday, July 12, 2022. At that time, writers are invited and encouraged to submit 25 pages of an original adult novel via the form on this page. The publisher welcomes inclusive, entertaining, and groundbreaking reads with expert pacing, depth, heart, and irresistible characters who leap from the page. At the end of the submission period, the editorial, marketing, and publicity teams at Simon & Schuster will review all submissions for originality, relevance to today’s publishing climate, and writing quality." Prize: In January 2023, the author of the selected novel will be awarded the opportunity to enter into a $50,000 book deal with Simon & Schuster." Deadline: July 26, 2022.

Boroondara Literary Awards. Restrictions: Open to Australians. Genre: Short fiction and poetry. Prize: More than $5,000 in prize money across various age groups in the Young Writers’ category. More than $3,500 in prize money in the Open Short Story category. Deadline: July 29, 2022.

Gasher First Book Scholarship. Restrictions: Open to US residents. Genre: First book. Prize: $250. This scholarship is to provide financial assistance to a writer submitting their first book. Deadline: July 29, 2022.

Singapore Unbound. Restrictions: Open to undergraduates. Genre: Critical essays on topics in Singapore literature. Prize: $250. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

The Washburn Chapbook Prize. Restrictions: Open to women or non-binary writers. Genre: Chapbook exactly 10 poems long. Prize: $200 and publication of their micro chapbook online at Harbor Review. Deadline: July 31, 2022. Fees are waived for BIPOC identifying writers only.

Superlative Literary Journal. Genre: Mini-Saga. Exactly 50 words (including the title). Theme: Futures. Payment: £10. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to "revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful." Genre: Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize: $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: July 31, 2022. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

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 31, 2022.

Crossing the Tees Book Festival. Genre: Short stories, 3000 words max. Prize: Cash prize. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Rachel Wetzsteon Chapbook Award. Genre: Poetry collection, around 30 pages. Prize: $1010.10 publication, and 25 copies. Deadline: July 31, 2022. Entry is free until July 31, after that there is a fee.

Briefly Write. Genre: Poetry up to 10 lines. Prize: 1st – £30 / 2nd – £15 / 3rd (x3) – £5. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Foley Young Poets of the Year. Restrictions: Open to 11 – 17 year olds everywhere. Genre: Poetry. Prize: "Winners receive a bunch of exciting prizes and will be published by The Poetry Society." Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Crossing the Tees. Genre: Short story, 3000 words max. Prize: "Cash award." Deadline: July 31, 2022.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme of Kid Stuff. 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, 2022.

Polar Expressions Publications Short Story and Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadians only. Genre: Short story, poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

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, 2022.

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. Restrictions: Open to young poets age 11 - 17. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Publication. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

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, 2022.

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: “The year 2022 is the anniversary of the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial. How has the whole question of memorializing leading figures of the Civil War, including Lincoln, changed in the hundred years since then?” Prize: 1st Prize $1500 | 2nd Prize $750 | 3rd Prize $500. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Biopage. Genre: Personal essays about the pandemic. Prizes: Up to $1000. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

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, 2022.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Poets living in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., or West Virginia. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500, publication by Broadkill River Press, ten author copies, and two cases of Dogfish Head craft beer. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Sisters in Crime: Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers. Genre: An unpublished work of crime fiction, aimed at readers from children’s chapter books through adults. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress of 2,500 to 5,000 words. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

The Governor General’s Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written, translated or illustrated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Genre: Best English-language and the best French-language book will be chosen in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Children’s Literature (text), Children’s Literature (illustrated books) and Translation (from French to English). Prize: $25,000. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Resource Center for Women and Ministry in the South Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to women (including trans women) age 18+.  Genre: Nonfiction essay, 1200 words max, on Bodily Autonomy. Prize: $300. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Tilted House: 1BR / 3BATH Poetry Chapbook Contest. Genre: Poetry chapbook, 16 - 35 pages of  "experimental, puckish, political, funny, playful, polemical, and/or uncomfortable. In a word: anti-poetry. While there is no theme, per se, we are hungry for work that twists the arm of poetry’s status quo. We like meta poetics, satire, work that is aware of itself and what’s in the air. Maybe you “don’t know what you’re doing” or feel like your work is “unpublishable.” Send it to us! Give us your freaky. Give us your fun." Prize: $200.  Deadline: July 31, 2022.

Kit Sora Flash Fiction Photography Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents in the Atlantic Provinces. Genre: Flash fiction inspired by a Kit Sora photo, 250 words max. Prize: 10 cents/word. Deadline: July 31, 2022.

34 Great Writing Conferences in July 2022

Summer is in full swing, and so are writing conferences. This July there are more than two dozen writing conferences. Many conferences and workshops will be held online, but some will be held in person or use a hybrid format.

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

For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences. Quite a few offer scholarships, so apply early.

(Image: Wallowa Lake, Oregon: Flickr)

____________________

Southampton Writers Conference. July 6 - 10, 2022: 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. 

Sleuthfest. July 7 - 10, 2022: Boca Raton, FL. Sponsored by the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America a conference for writers and fans. Features writing workshops, social events, and pitch sessions, including:

* Agent Appointments to pitch your finished work

* Critiques of your 10 page manuscript submission

* Forensic track with current forensic techniques & hands-on workshops

* Social events to mingle with agents, editors and your favorite authors

* Auction to purchase critiques of your work by bestselling authors

* Sessions on the craft of writing

* Sessions on marketing and promoting your work

* Practice your Pitch sessions with experienced authors

Florida Writing Workshop. July 8 - 9, 2022. "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."

Northwestern University Summer Writers’ Conference. July 8 - 9, 2022: 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.

Imaginarium. July 8 - 10, 2022: Louisville, KY. A three day annual event held in Louisville, Kentucky centered entirely around creative writing, including the worlds of books, movies, gaming, music, and comics/graphic novels. Imaginarium Convention features extensive programming content, with panels and workshops presented by over 150 professional guests covering everything from the craft of writing to various genres, industry-specific topics, publishing, and social media/publicity. The convention features a film festival with a full array of awards, a masquerade/costume contest, live music, gaming, an expo open to the general public, an awards banquet, a series of literary awards called the Imadjinns, and many more activities, creating a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere that is content-rich and ideal for networking, promotion and personal development. 

Kenyon Review Writers Workshops. July 10 - 16, 2022: 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.)

Tin House Summer Workshop. July 10 - 17, 2022: 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.

Young Writers Workshop. July 10 - 30, 2022: 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. 

Victorian Chautauqua Writers Workshop. July 11 - 15: 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 11 - 17, 2022: Wallowa Lake, Oregon. Take a weeklong writing workshop in your favorite genre: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, memoir, or short story. Each workshop is limited to no more than 13 participants, giving you the opportunity to build connections with a world-class instructor and your fellow writers. Throughout the week, we’ll bring the best of Summer Fishtrap to you through craft talks, discussions, open mics, readings, and a special 35th Anniversary Celebration.

The Summer Writers Institute. July 11 - 31, 2022: 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. 

Midwest Writers Workshop: Virtual Conference: Craft + Community. July 14 - 16, 2022: Muncie, Indiana. Craft and business sessions, agent pitches, manuscript evaluations. MWW includes quality instruction by a faculty of authors, agents, editors, and specialists. Will be held online and in person.

Saskatchewan Festival of Words. July 14 - 17, 2022: 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.

North Carolina Writers' Network Squire Summer Writing Residency. July 14 - 17, 2022: Davidson, 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.

Cascade Three-day Writing Workshop. July 15 – 17, 2022: 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." 

Green River Writers Workshops:Turning Memory into Story: Memoir Writing Workshop. July 16 - 17, 2022: 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.

Port Townsend Writers’ Conference. July 17 - 23, 2022: Port Townsend, Washington. workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as craft lectures, readings, open mics, and time to write. "The Port Townsend Writers’ Conference has been since 1974 at the wild heart of the thriving Pacific Northwest literary scene. With a focus on community and rigorous attention to craft, the Conference offers morning workshops, afternoon workshops, residencies, guided freewrites, and a vibrant readings and lectures series presented by vital, contemporary writers."

Sewanee Writers’ Conference. July 19 -  31, 2022: 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.

San Francisco Writers Conference. July 21 - 24, 2022: San Francisco, CA. This will be the 18th Celebration of Craft, Commerce and Community for all writers. Attendees will join with 100+ presenters and fellow writers from across the country and around the world at this year’s event. The SFWC events are consistently rated among the top writers’ conferences anywhere. Our goal is to help writers become published authors as we help them become better at the craft and business of writing. The SFWC is also one of the friendliest conferences around.

San Francisco Writing for Change. July 22, 2022: San Francisco, CA. This event is for writers of poetry, nonfiction AND fiction who want to change the world for the better through their work. Free.

Steamboat Springs Writers Conference. July 22 - 23, 2022: Steamboat Springs, CO. Two instructors, seminar-type workshops for all levels, beginning to professional. Topics change each year. Limited enrollment. 

IWWG Summer Writers Conference. July 22 - 28, 2022: Beverly, MA. The International Women's Writing Guild sponsors this residential writing program for women. Features: Over two dozen workshops ranging from three to six days in length and spanning fiction, poetry, memoir, creative nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, writing as performance, social justice, multi-genre, and mixed media; Critique sessions in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and playwriting; A multimedia open studio and Two book fairs.

Napa Valley Writers’ Conference. July 24 - 29, 2022: Napa, California. The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, and translation, as well as craft talks and evening readings. The faculty includes poets Jane Hirshfield and Major Jackson, fiction writers Lan Samantha Chang and ZZ Packer, and translator Forrest Gander. The cost of the conference is $1,100, which includes tuition, daily breakfast and lunch, two dinners, and wine tastings. Apply by May 2.

The Sitka Writing Adventure. July 24 - 29, 2022: Sitka, Alaska. A week-long workshop with Pam Houston where writers will generate new work while hiking, kayaking and exploring the pristine beauty of Sitka, Alaska. The workshop is limited to 15 participants to ensure an intimate setting, plus plenty of time to write and explore all the outdoor wonders Sitka has to offer. Tuition: $2,000 includes four full days of workshop, all group excursions (hiking, kayaking, boat tour), airport transfer, lodging in a single room and meals.

Frost Place Conference on Poetry and Teaching. June 25-29, 2022 | Writing Intensive June 29- June 30, 2022: Franconia, NH. Held each year in June, the Conference on Poetry and Teaching (CPT) is a unique opportunity for teachers to work closely with both their peers and a team of illustrious poets who have particular expertise in working with teachers at all levels: K–12, graduate and undergraduate, and nontraditional and community-based instructors.

Romance Writers of America. July 28 - 30, 2022: National Harbor, Maryland. Opening Session Speaker: Alex Lidell: Map Your Route to Success in Romance Writing. Workshop leaders: Amanda Arista, Maggie K. Black, Karen Bonnick writing as KT Bond, Michael Buzzelli, and many more.

Writer’s Digest Conference. July 28 - 31, 2022: 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. 

Taylor's Professional Writers Conference. July 29 - 30, 2022: Upland, Indiana. 35 seminars covering General & First-timers, Fiction, Nonfiction, Platform & Marketing and Specialty Writing. 

Confluence-SFF. July 29 - 31, 2022: 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.

Perfecting the Manuscript, Publishing the Book: A Workshop for Poets. July 29 - 31, 2022: Austerlitz, NY. "This workshop will provide detailed feedback on individual poems, as well as offering students a variety of strategies for sequencing, structuring, sectioning, and titling a full-length poetry manuscript. We will glean insights about these elements of craft from a wide range of published collections, which include Julianna Baggott’s Lizzie Borden in Love, Lucie Brock Broido’s The Master Letters, Shane McCrae’s In the Language of My Captor, Ruth Ellen Kocher’s Domina Un/blued, Krisin Bock’s Cloisters, Jen Moore’s The Veronica Maneuver, Jennifer S. Cheng’s House A, and other texts as determined by student interests. We will discuss the steps one takes to build an audience for a book prior to publication, strategies for effective pitches to publishers, and standard submissions procedures within the industry, in addition to offering personally tailored journal and publisher recommendations." Space is limited. Deadline to register is July 16.

Florida Authors and Publishers Association Annual Conference. July 30 - 31, 2022: Orlando, Florida. "Six (6) optional small-group workshops are being scheduled, offering attendees options a more intimate setting to learn about specific topics related to the publishing industry.  These focused workshops will be offered a la carte and are scheduled so that you may register for up to three (3)."

Catamaran Writing Conference: Poetry. July 30 - August 4, 2022: 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. 

Hurston/Wright Summer Writers Week. July 30  - August 5, 2022: Howard University. 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. 

Speculative Fiction NIP Bookcamp & Writing Retreat Work Week. July 31 - August 6, 2022: West Bend, Wisconsin. Six days of personal writing time with opportunities to discuss writing issues with the Retreat Mentor (an award-winning novelist and editor), opportunities to attend certain Bookcamp presentations, all social activities, critiques, and chat with fellow writers and publishing professionals in a relaxed environment.