97 Calls for Submissions in September 2022 - Paying markets

This September there are more than 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 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: Raw Pixel)

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Escape Pod. Genre: Science fiction (Audio and written format). Payment: USD $0.08 per word for original fiction. USD $100 per story for reprint fiction. Deadline: Opens September 1, 2022. Reprints accepted.

The Paris Review. Genres: Prose and poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: Opens September 1, 2022, and closes when they reach capacity. 

Bleed Error. Genre: Short stories, flash fiction, and poetry that runs the gamut of everything from absurdist horror to bizarre science-fiction to unsettling dark fantasy. "We love the uncanny." Payment: 1c per word, and $15 per poem (Canadian dollars.) Deadline: September 1, 2022.

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

Canthius. Restrictions: Open to women, trans men, nonbinary, Two-Spirit, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming writers. Genres: Unpublished poetry and prose (both fiction and creative non-fiction – "we welcome experimental works and play excerpts). Please limit prose submissions to 3500 words and poetry submissions to five poems." Payment: $50 for one page, $75 for two pages, $100 for three, $125 for four pages, and $150 for five pages or more, regardless of genre. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

Not a Pipe Publishing. Restrictions: Open to LGBTQ writers. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, or any other works with a speculative element. Payment: A copy of the anthology and an equal portion of profits from the sale of the anthology. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

 

Madame Gray's Poe Pourri of Terror. Genre: Horror, 3K - 8K word count. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

Orion’s Belt. Genre: Speculative fiction, art, and poetry. 1,200 words max for prose. Payment: 8 cents/word. $25 for art. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

Farmer-ish. Genre: Nonfiction, CNF, poetry related to farming (including recipes). Payment: $25 or copy of book (print only). Deadline: September 1, 2022. See themes.

Contrary. Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF. Payment: $20. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. Genre: Short stories and poetry. See themes. Payment: 20.00 USD for featured authors, or $10.00 USD for stories published on their &More page and $5.00 USD for poems. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

Blood, Sweat, and Steel. Genre: Military Science Fiction. Word Count: 7,000 – 10,000. Payment: A percentage of sales divided equally between the contributing authors. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

Parabola. Genre: Original essays and translations, poetry, reviews. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: September 1, 2022. See themes.

Bang!: An Anthology of Noir Fiction. Genre: Noir fiction. "Stories must adhere to the noir genre (although we’re not beyond including neo-noir or hard-boiled in that ball park), however we don’t want slavish reproductions or carbon cut-outs of genre classics. We want new spins on old themes. We want nihilism." Payment: £10 per story plus one contributor copy of the paperback. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

Hellbound Sci-Fi. Genre: Science fiction. 4K - 10K word count. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

Sadwrn. Genre: Poetic prose in English or Spanish. "We want pieces that talk about the most otherwordly and intense settings of virtual universes. We want your beautiful dérives. We want your utter escapism, your childlike stray in the woods." Payment: €40/text and a complimentary copy of the zine. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

Eerie River: It Calls from Below. Genre: Horror. "Think subterranean, buried alive, ancient buried treasure, something lost now found, underground, in basements, crawlspaces, caves, under a bed and dark places." Payment: Flat rate payment ¢1 per word CAD after approved edits - up to $70 CAD. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

And the Dead Shall Sleep No More. Genre: Dark fiction about Vampires. Length: Up to 6,000 words. Payment: $15. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

Paradox Ghost Press. Genre; Horror. "We’re looking for predominantly horror short stories, flash fiction, and poetry, but they can run the gamut of everything from absurdism to bizarre (and terrifying) science-fiction to unsettling dark fantasy. We love the uncanny." Payment: 1 cent/word for fiction, $15 CAD per poem. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on Theme of  GLUTTONY / TEMPERANCE. Payment: $10 via PayPal for each story published in an Anthology. Deadline: September 4, 2022.

Tin House. Restrictions: Eligible writers must not currently have an agent, and must not have previously published a book (chapbooks okay). Genre: Nonfiction and memoir, graphic nonfiction. Payment: Royalties (?) Deadline: September 4, 2022.

Eastover Press: Rural Writers of Color. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC writers who live in or hail from rural or semi-rural locales in the U.S. and whose short stories feature characters living or working in rural or semi-rural spaces. Genre: Short stories. Payment: $100-$300. Deadline: September 5, 2022.

Please See Me. Genre: Poetry, creative nonfiction/essays, fiction/short stories/flash fiction, and digital media (photography, drawings, podcasts, and short films) on theme of Women’s Health. "We are especially looking for content that connects us, make us feel something, or helps us see illness, wellness, health, or the healthcare environment differently." Payment: Not specified. Deadline: September 5, 2022.

Taco Bell Quarterly. Genre: Short stories, non-fiction, prose, essays, poetry, art, comics, flash, films, "undefinable auras, experiments, and completely ordinary shit." "We are looking for innovative ways to lower the bar. We are looking for ways to degrade ourselves with flair. We are looking for universes that could be extremely traumatizing if the writers weren’t cowards. We are looking for ways to address the nightmares more directly." Payment: $100. Deadline: September 5, 2022.

The Victorian Writer (Australia). Genre: Fiction, poems, and articles/writing with particular interest in the craft of writing and the writing life. Payment: Poems ($70), and articles/writing of 600 words ($100) and 1200 words ($200) in the print edition. Deadline: September 5, 2022. See themes.

Into Chaos. Genre: Short stories of all genres that respond to their title and/or cover art. Payment: €150. Deadline: September 6, 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: September 7, 2022.

Penguin/Random House Australia. Restrictions: Submissions are restricted to Australian and New Zealand residents. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 7, 2022.

Tiny Tales Genre: Fantastic, bizarre, and enthralling fiction stories to turn into podcast episodes. Word Count: 500-1200 words (stories longer than 1200 words will not be considered). Previously published works are acceptable UNLESS they were published on podcasts or another form of audio. Payment: $0.04/word (USD) paid via PayPal. Deadline: September 7, 2022.

Coastal Shelf. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: $20 - $30. Deadline: September 7, 2022. Opens to submissions on September 1.

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: September 7, 2022. Opens to submissions on September 1.

B Cubed Press. Genre: Poetry, Essays, and Prose. "Roe V. Wade has happened. The question is what is next? What happens in our country? What happens TO our country? what freedoms are next? Do we resist? How? There will be consequences. What are they? Who stands up? Who caves? This is a look at the consequences of a SCOTUS who reserves rights for the Rich, the Corporation, the Badged and the Powerful." Payment: 3 cents/word. Deadline: September 8, 2022.

Lunate. Genre: Short stories of approximately 2,000 to 5,000 words. "We are keen to publish work that engages with the absurdity and strain of the world we find ourselves living in. We're particularly interested in stories set in the workplace, that engage with the climate crisis, and those that communicate a compelling sense of urban unease." Payment: £75.  Deadline: September 9, 2022. Print journal.

Orion's Beau. Genre: Gay fantasy: fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $3. Deadline: September 11, 2022. See themes.

Writing Place. Restrictions: Open to Australian and international d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent writers and poets. Genre: Short stories, poetry, flash fiction, non fiction or personal essays. Payment: AUD$200. Deadline: September 11, 2022.

Science Write Now. Genre: Poems, short stories, book reviews, or literary or personal essays related to science, technology, engineering, or math. Theme: ‘Science, Disability, and the Body.’ Payment: $0.30/word up to $390 for new writing, $70 for a single poem or $180 for three poems, $40 for reprint stories or essays, and $20 for reprint poems. Deadline: September 12, 2022. Accepts reprints.

Bleak Midwinter: An Anthology of Gothic Horror. Genre: Short stories (5,000 - 8,000 words) of winter horror. We are looking for stories that encompass the darkness of the season and literary themes over Christmas/Krampus gore. Think of stories like The Shining or even Dickens's A Christmas Carol more than slasher-style Black Christmas. Payment: US: $40 + author copy/non-US: $45 + ebook author copy. Deadline: September 13, 2022.

Island Online. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents only. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $125. Deadline: September 13, 2022. 

Shoreline of Infinity. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, 6000 words max. Payment: £40/1000 words.  Deadline: September 14, 2022. Accepts translations of stories originally published in another language.

Solarpunk Magazine. Genre: Solarpunk. Payment: $0.08/word for fiction, $40/poem, and $75/essay.  Deadline: September 14, 2022.

Shenandoah. Genre: Short story, Flash Nonfiction, Novel Excerpt. Payment:  $100 per 1000 words of prose up to $500. Deadline: September 15, 2022. Opens September 5. Closes when cap is reached.

Qwerty. Genre: Fiction, CNF, Poetry. Payment: $15 CAD. Deadline: September 15, 2022.

Cloaked Press: Winter of Wonder. Genre: Fantasy and Science Fiction on theme: Fauna. Payment: $15. Deadline: September 15, 2022.

F(r)iction and Breath and Shadow are pairing up again for F(r)iction's Community Feature. "F(r)iction is going to spotlight Breath & Shadow and their authors in our BODIES issue; we're looking for flash fiction and poetry! Our flash fiction word count is 1,000 words or less. Our poetry word

count is three pages or less per poem. If you're interested, please send your submission to ebrill-holland[at]brinklit.org with the subject line "BODIES Community." Payment: $20 for poetry, $30 for prose. Deadline: September 15, 2022.

Narratively. Genre: Nonfiction stories about TURNING FAILURE ON ITS HEAD, i.e., times when failure in one area turned out to be positive in another, or when failure taught you an important lesson that helped shape you. Payment: Starts at $1000. Deadline: September 15, 2022. Pitches only.

Gutter. Genre: Poetry and prose in Scotland and beyond. Length: Poetry submissions can consist of up to five poems, totalling no more than 120 lines. Prose, up to 3000 words. Payment: £25. Deadline: September 15, 2022.

Belanger Books: The Consultations of Sherlock Holmes. Genre: Fiction. "Stories in which Holmes serves as the “last resort” for other detectives — both private investigators and those from the official police force — who are in need of Holmes’s unique perspective and aid. These adventures could be written from the viewpoint of the other detectives, in which Holmes may figure only toward the end, or the stories might start with the other detectives arriving at Baker Street in order to consult with Sherlock Holmes. The key to these stories, however, is that Holmes does not figure into the mystery as the primary investigator, but he provides the crucial insights that enable his fellow detectives to solve the case." Payment: $50 or $100. Deadline: September 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: “Gather & Gobble.” 500 to 1000 words. Payment: Varies. Deadline: September 15, 2022.

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

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

Penumbric. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art, animation, and music. Payment: $10. Deadline:  September 15, 2022.

Eye to the Telescope. Genre: Speculative poetry. Payment: $0.03/word, up to $25. Deadline: September 15, 2022. See theme.

Aniko. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short stories and creative nonfiction on theme. Payment: $125 AUD. Deadline: September 15, 2022. See theme.

Obsolescence. Genre: Short stories focused on horrifying or fantastical interactions with technology. Length: 2,000-5,000 words. Payment: 6 cents/word. Deadline: September 16, 2022.

The Bureau Dispatch. Genre: Short stories between 500 to 1,500 words. Payment: $50. Deadline: September 16, 2022.

Pyre. Genre: Horror, sci-fi, the weird, the macabre, fantasy, and magical realism: Flash fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, videos. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 18, 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: Fee free from September 15 - September 21, 2022. 

Reckoning. Genre: Creative writing and art about environmental justice. Poetry and prose. Payment: 8 cents a word for prose, $30 a page for poetry, art negotiable, minimum $25 per piece. Deadline: September 22, 2022.

Black Ocean. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC poets only. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts.  Payment: Royalties? Deadline: September 23, 2022. Opens September 9, 2022.

The Puritan. Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: $100 per nonfiction piece, $50 fiction, $15 per poem. Deadline: September 25, 2022.

Off Topic Publishing: Poetry Box. Genre: Poetry. Payment $40 CAD. Deadline: September 25, 2022. This is a monthly call.

Rough Cut Press: Exile. Genre: Experimental work on theme: Exile. LGBT focus. Payment $25. Deadline: September 27, 2022.

Island Online. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents only. Genre: Nature Writing: Fiction and nonfiction. Payment: $200. Deadline: September 28, 2022. 

Dragon Soul Press: Reign of Fire. Genre: "All dragon stories. As long as dragons are involved, the story qualifies. All genres." Payment:  Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2022. 

Sherlock is a Girl's Name. Restrictions: Open to female-identifying writers. Genre: Stories about a female-identifying Sherlock Holmes – young or old, set in any time, place, or culture. Payment: AU$0.05c a word for stories up to 5000 words. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Unspeakable Horror: Dark Rainbow Rising. Genre: LGBTQ Horror. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: September 30, 2022. 

Cutleaf. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction prose, poetry. Payment: $100 to $400 for published nonfiction prose; $50 to $200 for published poetry; $100 to $400 for published fiction. Deadline: September 30, 2022. Opens September 6.

University of Alberta Press publishes poetry and creative nonfiction by Canadian citizens and landed immigrants. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Griffith Review: Counterfeit Culture. Genre: Non-fiction, fiction on theme: Counterfeit Culture. "This edition of Griffith Review lifts the curtain on fakes, frauds and forgeries. Counterfeit Culture treads the tightrope between art and lies, exploring the appeal of stories, objects, bodies or experiences that offer the false promise of authenticity. How do we define what's real and what's not in a time of influencers and identity scams, counterfeits and cosmetic surgeries, disinformation and threats to democracy?" Payment: Negotiated. Deadline: September 30, 2022. 

Academia Lunare. Genre: Speculative non-fiction on theme "Religion." Payment: £40. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

There's No Place. Genre: Short fiction pieces on the theme of “home” (500-3500 words) by storytellers who have experienced—or are experiencing—homelessness. Payment: 0.08CAD per word. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Dark Moments: Shipwrecks. Genre: Drabble (100 words) on theme: Shipwrecks. Payment: 4 cents/word. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Deadset Press. Restrictions: Open to writers from Australia and New Zealand. Genre: Speculative fiction novellas. Payment: Each successful author will receive a payment of $100 upon publication, plus 50% royalties of ebook sales and 40% royalties of paperbacks. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Chestnut Review. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, visual media (art/photography). Payment: $120. Deadline: September 30th, 2022. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee.

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: September 30, 2022.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Impact of a Chicken Soup for the Soul story on me. Genre: True stories and poems. "Have you read a Chicken Soup for the Soul story that had an impact on your life? A story that made you think twice about a similar situation in your own life? That changed your outlook? Helped you solve a problem? Encouraged you to try something new and different? Encouraged you to go ahead and make that life-changing decision? Altered how you treat a person or a situation?" Payment: $200. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Aurealis. Restrictions: Australian and New Zealand writers. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy or horror short stories between 2000 and 8000 words. Payment: A$20 and A$60 per 1000 words. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Women and the Sea. Genre: Mythic, gothic. "Deep, mysterious, beautiful, dangerous… women and the sea have a lot in common and have been tied together in myth and story from the beginning of time. Stories of women being drawn to the sea or being left on the shore, waiting for their men’s return, have been passed down through the ages. This anthology of stories about women and the sea will be filled with beautiful, atmospheric stories. I’m not looking for fantastical creatures but rather setting, mood." Payment: $50 CAD flat fee and a paperback copy of the anthology. Deadline: September 30, 2022. 

Crack in the Code: Cybernated Stories of Rebellion. Genre: Speculative fiction. "What we are looking for: Science fiction and fantasy stories where the androids, robots, and/or cyborgs have been naughty, going off programming, cracking their internal code, etc" Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: September 30, 2022. 

Weird Horror Magazine. Genre: Horror and weird fiction from 500 to 6,000 words. Payment: 1.5 cents/word. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Creature Publishing. Genre: Feminist horror. Length: 20,000–60,000 words. Payment: Royalties (?) Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Kenyon Review. Genre: Prose, drama, poetry, translations, excerpts. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: September 30th, 2022. See themes.

Split Lip Magazine. Genre: Fiction (flash and short stories), memoirs, and poetry. with a pop-culture twist. Payment: $50 per author (via PayPal) for our web issues. Payment for print is $5 per page, minimum of $20, plus 2 contributor copies and a 1-year subscription. Deadline: September 30, 2022. Note: Submit early in the month.

Nashville Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art, and nonfiction. Payment: $25 per poem & song selection; $100 per selection for all other categories, including featured artwork. Translators receive $25 per poem & $100 for prose selections. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Kaleidotrope. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry—science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but also compelling work that blurs the lines between these and falls outside of neat genre categories. Payment: For fiction, $0.01/word (1 cent a word) USD. For poetry, a flat rate of $5 USD per accepted piece. For artwork, a flat rat of $60 for cover art. Deadline: September 30, 2022. (Opens Sept 1)

Reservoir Road Literary Review. Genre: Literary short stories, lyrical creative non-fiction, photography. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 30, 2022. Note: Submit early in the month. Submission window closes when their cap is reached.

Mythic. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy short stories. Length: 2,000-5,000 words. Payment: 1 cent/word for original fiction, $25 for reprints. Deadline: September 30, 2022. Accepts reprints.

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: September 30, 2022.

Brigids Gate: Gothic Romance Anthology. Restrictions: Open to Women (including transgender and people otherwise marginalized because of their gender identity) and non-binary authors only. Genre: Horror/gothic romance. "We're looking for gothic romances that are equal parts horror and romance.The short stories should be mysterious, atmospheric, and include a HEA (or happy for now)." Payment: $0.08 a word. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Freefall. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Fiction, poetry, prose, art. Payment: $10/page prose up to $100 and $25 per poem plus a copy of the issue the work is published in. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

The Theatre Phantasmagoria. Genre: Horrror flash fiction up to 2,000 words. Payment: £10. Deadline: September 30, 2022. This is a monthly call. See themes.

The Spectacle. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: $50. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Madness Heart Trigger Warning Anthology. Genre: "The grossest, most violent, most genuinely upsetting stories in your arsenal." Theme: Curses. The minimum word count is 1500.

Payment: $10. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Absynthe Magazine. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art, and nonfiction. Payment: $75 9CAD). Art $50 (CAD). Deadline: September 30, 2022. 

AND A FEW MORE...

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

Propertius Press. Genre: Full-length manuscripts, Black, BIPOC, POC, Minority, Indigenous, and/or Ethnic Fiction. "We are actively seeking submissions from Black, Minority, Indigenous, and other Persons of Color in all categories." Payment:  Royalties. Deadline: October 1, 2022.

Dead & Bloated. Genre: Horror. Payment: 3 cents/word. Deadline: October 1, 2022. Print publication.

The Last Line. Genre: Fiction that ends with the last line provided. Payment: $20-$40. Deadline: October 1, 2022.

Keeping It Under Wraps. Genre: Personal essays. "We are looking for personal essays for an anthology about your experiences, views and ideas on bodies: your own or in general." Payment: 40GBP. Deadline: October 1, 2022.

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

Nihilist Poet Militia: West. Genre: Poems (less than 20 lines) or prose (less than 300 words). "General strategy: Poetry, anti-poetry, or sub-poetry. Very short stories; memories; surrealism." Payment: $5. Deadline: October 1, 2022.

Gordon Square Review. Genre: Poetry, short stories, personal essays, and hybrid prose works.   Payment: $25 per prose piece and $10 per poem. Deadline: October 1, 2022.

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

Mythulu Magazine. Genre: Submit co-authored stories in any genre. Also looking for non-fiction commentary and experiences with co-created projects. Payment: $0.06/word or $15/page. Non-fiction pays $0.08/word. Creative works earn $0.04/word, with short stories capped at $75. Deadline: October 1, 2022.

Riddlebird. Genre: Literary fiction, personal essays, genre fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: October 1, 2022.

55 Writing Contests in September 2022 - No entry fees

This September there are more than four dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $70,000 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: Pexels)

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Smokelong Fellowship for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: All writers previously unpublished in SmokeLong Quarterly and who do not have a published chapbook or book-length work in any genre (or are not under contract for such) are eligible to apply. Genre: Flash fiction (1000 words max). Prize: $500. Deadline: Opens Sept 1 (The application fee is $8. For writers who cannot afford an application fee, there is a free submission option in Submittable.)

Stories Out of School. Genre: Flash fiction. The story’s protagonist, or its narrator, must be a K-12 teacher. Stories must be between 6 and 749 words and previously unpublished. Prize: First-prize winners receive $1000; second-prize winners, $500. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

The Michael Marks Environmental Poet of the Year will be given to a poet whose previously unpublished series of poems brings most powerfully, to a wide readership, the subject of the environment and the place of the human within it. Prize: The Environmental Poet of the Year will have their short portfolio of poems published in a pamphlet that will be sold by Wordsworth Grasmere and the British Library. They will also receive £1,000, and be invited to read at a winner’s event at Wordsworth Grasmere. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

American-Scandinavian Foundation Translation Prizes. Genre: English translations of poetry, fiction, drama, or literary prose originally written in Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, or Swedish by a Scandinavian author born after 1800. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: Sept 1, 2022.

AILACT Essay Prize. Genre: Papers related to the teaching or theory of informal logic or critical thinking, and papers on argumentation theory. Prize: $700 top prize. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

PEN Prison Writing Contest. Restrictions: Anyone incarcerated in a federal, state, or county prison in the year before the September 1 deadline is eligible to enter. Genres: Poetry, fiction, drama, creative nonfiction. Prize: $100 - $250 prize per category. Deadline: September 1, 2022.

On The Premises Short Story Contest. "For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which the story’s main character(s) spend most (even better, all) of the story’s time in constant motion. For instance, they could spend the whole story in a moving vehicle. There are plenty of other ways to do it, too. (Just being on the Earth, which is spinning and moving around the sun, doesn’t count.)" Prize: Winners receive between US$75 and US$250, and publication. Deadline: September 2, 2022.

Shoreline of Infinity Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Science fiction story about a pet. 1000 words max.  Prize: £50. Deadline: September 2, 2022.

September Selects. Restrictions: Open to any author, new or emerging, who has not yet published a novel with a major press. Genre: Unpublished fiction and narrative non-fiction between 1,000 and 2,000 words. Prize: $200. Deadline: September 4, 2022.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. "On each competition weekend, we’ll reveal a set of story prompts and you’ll have 55 hours to submit your best story of 500-words (or fewer)." Prize: $500AUD. Deadline: Opens September 2, 2022. Closes September 5, 2022. (Australian time)

Los Suelos. Genre: Short fiction on theme: Pets. Prize: $150. Deadline: September 5, 2022. 

Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund. Restrictions: Australian citizens or residents. Applicants must be emerging, midcareer or established Australian writers and literary sector workers (not beginners) with a demonstrated publication and/or career history. Prize: $10,000 for travel expenses. Deadline: September 5, 2022.

The Spectator. Genre: Poem. "To mark the centenary this month of Philip Larkin’s birth, you are invited to re–imagine one of his poems (please specify) in the style of a poet of your choice." Please email your entries to lucy@spectator.co.uk. Prize: £30. Deadline: September 7, 2022. 

The Blackness on Sea Poetry Prize. Genre: Poem. "The Blackness on Sea Poetry Prize is a quest to find a poem of genuine literary merit to become a lasting legacy for The Lobster Pot Pub and this delightful Village on the Firth of Forth." Prize: £1000. Deadline: September 7, 2022. 

KSP Short Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Open to Australian residents and citizens. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $100 first place prize for youth. Deadline: September 8, 2022. (Free entry for youth only)

Young Lions Fiction Award. Restrictions: Open to US citizens 35 years of age or younger. Genre: Novel or a collection of short stories. Each year, five young fiction writers are selected as finalists by a reading committee of Young Lions members, writers, editors, and librarians. Submissions by publisher only. Authors may not submit their own work. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: September 9, 2022.

September Selects. Restrictions: Open to any author, new or emerging, who has not yet published a novel with a major press. Genre: "Submit your best prose in borrowed forms. Lists, letters, board game rules, message board posts, meeting minutes, diary entries, text messages, emails—any experimental or unconventional approach to narrative form is welcome Submissions of up to 7,000 words will be considered, but shorter is likely better (say, around 3,000 words)." Prize: $200. Deadline: September 11, 2022.

Secret Life of Data: Short Story Competition. Genre: Short story. "We are looking for creative stories that bring to life the secret life of data – perhaps imagining this life as a journey, a quest, a romance, or a tragedy; thinking of a computer’s internal architecture as a house, a jungle, a zoo, or a city; and the data as characters facing danger in the form of various digital threats and vulnerabilities." Prize: 1st prize - £1000, 2nd prize - £500, 3rd prize - £250.Deadline: September 12, 2022. 

RSL Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction. Restrictions: The writer must be a resident of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or have been a resident in the UK or ROI for the past three years. Genre: Nonfiction book. Prize: Two awards – one of £10,000, one of £5,000 – are offered to support writers to complete their first commissioned works of non-fiction. Deadline: September 14, 2022.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative fiction; under 1,000 words based on prompt. Prize: $30. Deadline: September 14, 2022. 

Texas Teen Book Festival Fresh Ink Fiction Contest. Restrictions: Open to Texas residents enrolled in grades 6 -12. Genre: Fiction, no more than 2,000 words in length. Prize: $150. Deadline: September 14, 2022.

Forge Flash Prose Competition. Genre: Flash fiction and CNF, 1000 words max. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: September 14, 2022. Submit early in the month!

Falconer 150 Essay Competition. Genre: Essay relating to Hugh Falconer’s life or the museum bearing his name. Prize: £150. Deadline: September 15, 2022.

Last Stanza Poetry Journal: Who are You? Genre: Poetry on theme: Who are You? Prize: $100. Deadline: September 15, 2022.

US Naval Institute and CIMSEC Fiction Essay Prize. Genre: Essay. Length: 3,000 words max. "Fiction is a powerful tool for testing hypotheticals and imagining other worlds as a means of examining our own. Once again, CIMSEC and the U.S. Naval Institute have partnered to invite authors to ask "What if?" as a means of exploring different visions of the future of maritime security." Prize: First Prize: $500 and a 1-year membership in the Naval Institute and CIMSEC. Second Prize: $300 and a 1-year membership in the Naval Institute and CIMSEC. Third Prize: $200 and a 1-year membership in the Naval Institute and CIMSEC. Deadline: September 15, 2022.

The Russell Freedman Award for Nonfiction for a Better World. Genre: Any nonfiction book published for children or young adults, released between January 1 and December 31, 2022, is eligible. If both an author and illustrator are listed on the book cover, the prize will be split between them. Prize: $2500 plus $1000 to purchase copies of the winning book for distribution to schools and libraries. Deadline: September 15, 2022.

The Mollie Savage Memorial Writing Contest. Genre: Science fiction/fantasy short story. Prize: Winning stories are published in Toasted Cheese. If 50 or fewer eligible entries are received, first place receives a $35 Amazon gift card & second a $10 Amazon gift card. If 51 or more eligible entries are received, first place receives a $50 Amazon gift card, second a $15 Amazon gift card & third a $10 Amazon gift card. Deadline: September 18, 2022. 

September Selects. Restrictions: Open to any author, new or emerging, who has not yet published a novel with a major press. Genre: "Submit your best prose—fiction and CNF—told in the second person. We’re NOT looking for first person-direct address. Submissions up to 7,000 words will be considered)." Prize: $200. Deadline: September 18, 2022. 

Solarpunk Microfiction Contest. Genre; Microfiction, 250 words max. Prize: $25 and publication on the Solarpunk Magazine website. Deadline: September 22, 2022. See theme. Opens September 16.

Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to residents of UK. Genre: Short stories between 2000-6000 words on the theme "Music." Prize: £500 and 10 shortlisted authors will be published in an ebook anthology. Deadline: September 22, 2022.

Michael Marks Award for Poetry Pamphlets. Restrictions: Only pamphlets published in the United Kingdom are eligible. Genre: Poetry pamphlet. Prize: £5,000. Deadline: September 23, 2022.

Michael Marks Illustration Award. will recognise outstanding illustration of a poetry pamphlet published between September 18th 2021 and the closing date of September 23rd 2022. The judge will consider illustration in any medium and will be looking for a subtle and sustained relationship between image and text, as well as the overall quality of the images. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: September 23, 2022.

September Selects. Restrictions: Open to any author, new or emerging, who has not yet published a novel with a major press. Genre: "We’re bucking the Valentine’s Day tradition and celebrating anti-love. The winner of this submission call will be published on the 14th of February. Submit your best stories, fiction or CNF, that fit the theme of anti-love: breakups good and bad, celebrations of single life, or however you want to interpret this idea. Submissions up to 7,000 words will be considered." Prize: $200. Deadline: September 25, 2022. 

Shady Grove Literary. Genre: Any style, genre, tone of flash fiction. Length: 300 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Backchannels. Genre: Fiction. Length: Up to 3500 words. Prize: Unspecified. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Sejong International Sijo Competition. Genre: Sijo poem. Prize: $500. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

The Willie Morris Awards for Southern Fiction and Nonfiction. Genre: Novels and nonfiction books published in 2022. Book has to be set in one of the original eleven states in the Confederacy. (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.) Prize: $2,500.00. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Willie Morris Award for Southern Poetry. Genre: Poem that evokes the South. Prize: $2,500 and expenses-paid trip to award ceremony in Oxford, Mississippi. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Art of Unity Creative Award. Genre: Poetry; essays and short stories (under 2500 words); video; music; dance; performance or visual work around the theme: “Never again: Remembering to heal and overcome.” "The most important hallmark of Holocaust remembrance and education is the phrase ‘never again.’ Unfortunately, tribal divisions, ethnic cleansing and genocides continue in the 21st Century. We are looking for submissions in any creative media (which can be exhibited online), and which highlight aspects of human unity, and positive cross-pollination between groups, ethnicities, religions and/or nations." Prize: First ($100), Second ($75) and Third ($50) place awards, as well as three honorable mentions, in four categories: Poetry, Short Story, Essay. and Youth (18 and under) category. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

International Human Rights Art Festival: Creators of Justice Literary Award. Genre: Poetry, short stories and essays which use the written word to celebrate justice. Prize: First Prize: $150; Second Prize: $100; Third Prize: $50. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Iowa Short Fiction and John Simmons Short Fiction Awards. Restrictions: Any writer who has not previously published a volume of prose fiction is eligible to enter the competition. Genre: Short story collection. The manuscript must be a collection of short stories in English of at least 150 word-processed, double-spaced pages. Prize: Publication by the University of Iowa Press, royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Cullman Center Fellowships. Fellowship. The Cullman Center’s Selection Committee awards up to 15 fellowships a year to outstanding scholars and writers—academics, independent scholars, journalists, and creative writers. Foreign nationals conversant in English are welcome to apply. Award: A stipend of up to $70,000, an office, a computer, and full access to the Library's physical and electronic resources. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

SLF Working Class Writers Grant. Genre: Speculative fiction. "These grants are awarded annually, since 2013, to assist writers of speculative literature to working class, blue-collar, poor, and homeless writers who have been historically underrepresented in speculative fiction, due to the financial barriers which have made it much harder for them to have access to the writing world. Such lack of access might include an inability to attend conventions, to purchase a computer, to buy books, to attend college or high school, to have the time to write (if, for example, you must work two jobs simply to pay rent and feed a family, or if you must spend all your waking hours job-hunting for months on end). " Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

International Human Rights Art Festival: Creators of Justice Literary Award. Genre: Poetry, short stories and essays which use the written word to celebrate justice. Prize: First Prize: $150; Second Prize: $100; Third Prize: $50. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is held four times a year. Restrictions: The Contest is open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment of at least six cents per word, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits. Genre: Short stories or novelettes of science fiction or fantasy. Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500, Annual Grand Prize: $5,000.  Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Art of Unity Creative Award. Genre: Literary (poetry; essays and short stories under 2500 words); video; music; dance; performance or visual work around the theme: “Never again: Remembering to heal and overcome.” All pieces must be previously unpublished. Prize: First ($100), Second ($75) and Third ($50) place awards, as well as three honorable mentions, in four categories: Poetry, Short Story, Essay.  and Youth (18 and under) category. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

From The Horse’s Mouth. Genre: Short story. Prize: Total prize of £150, £100 for the Adult Winner and £50 for the Younger Entrant’s Winner. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Patricia Eschen Prize for Poetry. Genre: Poetry. Poems can be on any subject that kindles your imagination, to a maximum line length of 40 lines for each poem. Prize: Adults (over 16): 1st prize: £1000. Children (under 16): 1st prize: £150. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poem inspired by work of art. (See site for image.) Prize: $100. Deadline: September 30, 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: September 30, 2022. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

Solstice Shorts Competition: Hiatus. Genre: Flash or poem (max 500 words) on the theme of Hiatus. Prize: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2022. Note: Contest closes after 50 submissions. Submit early!

Olde Wolf Short Story Contest. Genre: Short story. Length: 3,000 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2022. This is a monthly contest.

The John Byrne Award. Restrictions: Open to residents of Scotland over 16 years old. 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: £250. Deadline: September 30, 2022. This is a monthly contest.

International Booker Prize. The International Booker Prize for fiction translated into English is awarded annually by the Booker Prize Foundation to the author of the best (in the opinion of the judges) eligible novel or collection of short stories. The work must be published by a UK or Ireland publishing house. Authors are not permitted to enter their own works. Prize: £50,000 divided equally between the author and the translator. There will be a prize of £2,000 each of the shortlisted titles divided equally between the author and the translator. Deadline: September 30, 2022.

32 Spectacular Writing Conferences in September 2022

This September 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. If you miss an application deadline, put it on your calendar for next year. Quite a few conferences offer scholarships, so apply early. Plan ahead!

(Image: Lake Arrowhead)

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Kaz Conference Keep Writing Virtual Nonfiction Cohort. Sept - Oct, 2022. Workshops include developmental workshops as well as talks on the practical training of writers with input from editors, publicists, agents, social media experts and productivity coaches. Because reading and reviewing other work helps to strengthen ones own writing, peer review is a requirement of all sessions. Just 10 to 16 writers are accepted for each cohort. Will be held online. Apply by August 15, 2022.

DragonCon. September 1 - 5, 2022: Atlanta, Ga. HUGE sci-fi event, with parade, autograph sessions, live performances, readings, wrestling (!), workshops on belly dancing, writing (yes, there's even some writing), art show. (This conference sounds really wild.)

WriterCon. September 2 - 5, 2022: Waterford, Oklahoma. "Discover if self-publishing is the best option for your book–and how to self-publish easily. See what techniques and tools you need to be your own best editor. Find out how to pitch to an agent–by email and in person. Go over the 7 steps to creating your fiction novel, so it’s ROCK SOLID every time. Learn about ghostwriting, which can be a lucrative market for authors. Dive deeper into children’s writing, writing for computer games, poetry, screenplays, songs, cookbooks and more. Witness how to publish on Kindle step-by-step. Uncover the latest tips, tricks and tools for marketing your book–and yourself–effectively. Talk to top agents, editors, publishers and publicists, and MORE."

The Gathering. September 3 - 5, 2022. Workshops in poetry as well as readings. 2-hour Workshops & Readings Friday night, Saturday , and Sunday. Participant Open Mics Friday and Saturday night. Will be held on Zoom. Sold out. Sign up for waiting list.

Orion Online Poetry Workshop. September 5 - October 10, 2022. Online. The Course: Unbearable Beauty and the Romanticization of Place" After all, beauty has only three possible endings, and only one of them is bearable,” said the poet Larry Levis. A poet very much associated with place, Levis mythologized the beauty of the California Central Valley while also acknowledging the unbearable violence in the landscape. How can the beauty of landscape simultaneously exist with what is unbearable about it? This workshop will explore how poets have used place, landscape, and the environment to create the tenuous emotional textures, and nuanced complexities of the spaces they inhabit. Beyond the thematic discussions of place, this course will engage in critical discussions of craft, aesthetics, poetic traditions, and contemporary modes of writing in order to encourage experimentation and innovation in people’s work to extend their modes of expression into new territories. Through generative exercises, participants will have the opportunity to write and share new work for workshopping." The Instructor: Marcelo Hernandez Castillo is a poet, essayist, translator, and immigration advocate. Duration: This class meets once a week over six consecutive Monday evenings from 6-9 pm ET. Apply by August 5th.

Orion Poetry Workshop. September 6 - November 16, 2022. Six consecutive Tuesday evenings from 7-9pm EDT. Instructor: Jennifer Elise Foerster. The course: A Poetics of Listening. Language and the environment are interwoven. How can we find language for our changing environment? How can we use language responsibly in our efforts to rebalance our humanity with the environment of the earth? In this class, we will practice poetry as a means of exploring this question. All language-making must begin with listening; listening for the sounds beneath what we think we know. Language is generated by our intelligence, but our intelligence can also override our intuition, just as it too often overrides our questioning. If I think I know what needs to be said, I’m not listening to what is occurring and I’m not listening to the questions. Questions, I believe, help us to re-orient, to re-balance, to find our way back to what we already know, to our original knowing, our original interconnectedness. Poetry is not actually a language of speaking or writing, but a language of deep listening, listening for the questions and for the original knowledge towards which these questions guide us. In this class, we will turn our attention and deep listening to the ephemeral present/presence of time and place. Close observation, methods for listening, scientific and creative inquiry, and careful writing will be fundamental to this practice. This workshop aims to be a generative space for practicing listening and creating new poetic work, and will involve a balance of reading, writing, discussion, and responding to one another’s poems-in-process. Application deadline: August 5.

Algonkian Writer Conference–New York City Pitch. September 8 - 11 (Virtual), September 22 - 25, 2022 (In person): Ripley-Grier Studios in New York City. The New York Pitch Conference and writers workshop is held four times a year and features publishing house editors from major houses such as Penguin, Random House, St. Martins, Harper Collins, Tor and Del Rey, Kensington Books and many more who are looking for new novels in a variety of genres, as well as narrative non-fiction. The event focuses on the art of the novel pitch as the best method not only for communicating your work, but for having you and your work taken seriously by industry professionals.

Building Narratives: Writing the Urban Pastoral. September 8 - October 6, 2022. Each Thursday, 7:00-9:00pm EDT. Virtual. Led by Dimitri Reyes. "If your body were a building, what experiences would make up your foundation? What might you discover while exploring the shadows you cast? In this supportive poetry workshop, we will construct urbanized spaces in our writing that reflect our motivations and individuality. By calling upon the works of Langston Hughes, William Carlos Williams, Allen Ginsberg, June Jordan and others, we will examine the synergy between our inner dialogue and how we occupy space on the page. Through generative prompts and exercises, we will pay close attention to how we navigate the world and the decisions that build our unique writing process." Limited to 12 participants.

Writing Conference of Los Angeles: September 9-10, 2022 (Virtual). This is an online “How to Get Published” writing event on September 9-10, 2022. (Writers are welcome to attend virtually from everywhere and anywhere.) This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited online “seats” at the event (200 total).

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Conference. September 9 - 11, 2022: Denver, CO. Round Table Critiques, Pitch-Prep Coaching, and One-on-One Mentor appointments, as well as keeping the Saturday Publishing Professionals Panel Luncheon and the Sunday Gold Rush Winners Reading Brunch.

Poets on the Coast. September 9 - 11, 2022: La Conner, Washington. Workshop, one-on-one mentoring, craft classes, and yoga for women poets. The faculty includes poets Kelli Russell Agodon and Susan Rich. Tuition, which does not include lodging or meals, is $429. Closed.

Letters & Lines Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Conference. September 10 - 11, 2022: Golden, CO. This conference offers you opportunities to learn your craft, boost your career, and get feedback on your work. The schedule includes three keynotes; a industry professionals panel; 33 breakout sessions on writing, illustrating and professional development; intensives on picture books, novels and illustration; as well as critiques, portfolio reviews and showcase, a virtual bookstore of faculty titles hosted by BookBar, and more. We are offering both in-person and virtual registration. Early Bird Registration (through 7/31) is $280. Virtual (with access to keynotes, virtual manuscript critiques and portfolio reviews, and submissions to acquiring agents and editors) is $200. As a result of the dual (in-person and virtual) format, registration to receive a manuscript critique or portfolio review must be completed by the Early Bird deadline of 7/31. The additional cost is $75 (in person manuscript critique) or $50 (in person portfolio reviews, or virtual manuscript critiques or portfolio reviews).

The First Pages: An Online Creative Nonfiction Workshop. Monday, September 12 – Monday, October 17, 2022. Each Monday, 7:00-9:00pm EDT. Led by Camellia-Berry Grass. "From the first page, a writer can establish the emotional stakes and boundaries needed to foster that moment of deep connection and being seen, for which we turn to creative nonfiction. This workshop will explore strategies for achieving intimacy in personal essay and memoir right from the start. We will learn techniques to craft beginnings that invite readers into your story and voice on the terms most conducive to that relationship. Examining works by Hanif Abdurraqib, Jo Ann Beard, Joan Didion and others, we’ll consider numerous modalities—from fact to flashback, searching to speculation, mourning to myth—that will influence how we think about making first impressions. Each week we’ll generate new or alternate beginnings so you can take this workshop as purely generative or reimagine a work-in-progress." Limited to 12 participants.

Writing On The Door: Washington Island Literary Festival. September 15 - 17, 2022: Washington Island, Wisconsin. "The Washington Island Literary Festival is a moveable feast of writing, reading, discussion, and thought about the written word. Writers’ workshops, author panels and presentations, readings and parties are scheduled at various quaint, historic and beautiful venues around the Island. Participants have a unique opportunity to share time with prominent authors and dedicated readers in the intimate, friendly setting of Washington Island, a half-hour by ferry from the Door County mainland, in September’s color and warmth." 

A Weekend For Words. Sept 16 - 18, 2022: Irvine, CA. 60+ working, professional authors of fiction, nonfiction & screen, editors & agents. Costs $325-$425. Manuscript critique & one-on-one consultation additional.

Mini Writing Getaway. September 17, 2021: Atlantic City, NJ. Need a brief break from your life? Need to rekindle your love affair with writing? Join us for a welcoming getaway designed for writers of fiction, memoir, creative nonfiction and poetry. This retreat will trigger your imagination, giving you the freedom to compose new and exciting work. Spend the day immersed in the literary life: writing, discussing craft and sharing new drafts. No distractions. Led by Peter E. Murphy. Will be held in person.

UCLA Extension Writing Retreat at Lake Arrowhead. Sept 18 - 23, 2022: Lake Arrowhead, CA. Join a small group of committed writers for four full days of uninterrupted writing time at UCLA’s beautiful conference center at Lake Arrowhead. Participants will enjoy private bedrooms, private baths, and three gourmet meals each day, along with complimentary beverages all day long. The Writers’ Program will coordinate some structured activities, including pre-dinner social hours and nightly open mic events, but your time will ultimately be yours to accomplish your writing goals at your own pace. Register by September 1.

Okoboji Writers' in-person Retreat. September 19 - 21, 2022: West Lake, IA. The Okoboji Writers' Retreat features 15 speakers, including a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer, editors of large daily newspapers, columnists, and a literary agent. Faculty: Rekha Basu, Art Cullen, Doug Burns, Rachelle Chase, Ty Rushing, John Dinges, Arnold Garson, Jane Dystal, Lyz Lenz, James O'Shea, Rachel Yoder, Paige Windsor, and Diane Glass. Cost: $795. 

Writing on the Door: "Becoming a Master Writer," with John DeDakis September 19-23, 2022: Fish Creek, WI. "Take your writing to the next level in this series of topic-specific workshops designed to drill deeper into the finer points of story telling: memoir, journaling, characterization, dialogue, and research. In addition, you’ll learn how to overcome writer’s block whether you’re a planner, or if you write by the seat of your pants.  By the end of the series, you’ll have the skills, confidence and strategies to take your writing to a professional level. Each session will include short writing assignments, plus the opportunity to have your work critiqued."

Breakout Novel Graduate Learning Retreat. September 19 - 25, 2022: Austin, TX. An intensive week of critiques, one-on-one sessions, query clinics, brainstorming and writing. Limited to 16 students. 

49 Writers Tutka Bay Retreat. September 23 - 25, 2022: Tutka Bay, Alaska. Guest Instructor: Luis Alberto Urrea.

Hedgebrook Virtual Writers Conference 2022. September 22 - 25, 2022, "Hedgebrook is a community of visionary women writers whose stories and ideas have shaped our culture in the past, now, and for generations to come. We have tapped into this community to collectively build Hedgebrook’s first-ever Writers Conference – a three-day (virtual) intensive for writers across the globe. If you aspire to improve your craft, come learn from seasoned writers that are equipped to challenge, engage, and inform.  Our illustrious alumnae instructors craft and guide participants through interconnected lessons over the course of three days, proving “No Writer Is An Island.” Will be held online.

LiTFUSE Poets’ Workshop. September 23 - 25, 2022: Tieton, WA. The workshop features readings, performances, and meditation for poets. The past faculty included poets included Ching-In Chen, Christopher Howell, Brooke Matson, Diana Khoi Nguyen, Dennis Nurkse, Kelly Schirmann, Chad Sweeney, Dujie Tahat, Alexandra Teague, and Tobias Wray. Virtual and in person.

PNWA Conference. September 23 - 25, 2022: Lake Washington, Washington, Sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. More than 50 seminars, editor/agent forums & appointments, practice pitching, keynote and featured speakers, reception, awards ceremony. Many agents and editors attending. Will be held in person.

Nimrod Conference for Readers and Writers. September 24 - December 1, 2022: University of Tulsa, Oklahoma. "For over 40 years, Nimrod has hosted an in-person, all-day writing conference in conjunction with the publication of our fall issue. While we will not be hosting this year’s in-person events due to the continuing effects of the pandemic, we’re thrilled to host an extended period of virtual creative writing programming this fall. This year’s programming will feature several months of craft talks, Q&As, readings, and more. We will add more offerings to this schedule as they become available, so keep checking back."

Brooklyn Book Festival. September 25 - October 3, 2022: Brooklyn, NY. This year’s Festival Day and Literary Marketplace, a day-long celebration of authors and books, will take place in person in Downtown Brooklyn as well as virtually. At our live BKBF Children’s Day, families will enjoy a full day of readings, workshops, performances, book signings, yoga, and art projects with favorite authors and illustrators.  All events are free and open to the public.

The Algonkian Writer Retreat and Novel Workshop. September 28 - October 2, 2022: Algonkian Park, Virginia. "You can show us your manuscript, improve your skills, clear your head, have your work read by our writer mentors, whatever works for you, whatever helps you grow and discover your vision as a writer. You discuss with us ahead of time via the Algonkian Writer Retreat Application the goals you wish to accomplish, and we'll work with you to make it happen. Do you desire a review? A line edit? Do you wish to discuss the reality of the current fiction market, your novel project, plot and characters, or perhaps get feedback on the opening hook or a few sample chapters? Or would you simply like a relaxed and productive dialogue about your goals as a writer?"

The Pacific Coast Children's Novel Workshop & Retreat. September 29 - October 2, 2022: Santa Cruz, CA. Intensive seminar offers editor or agent feedback on selected whole-novel manuscripts, including two in-person consults with your mentor. Editor and agent critiques on your polished, opening chapters. 

Orion Online Poetry Writers' Workshop with Felicia Zamora. September 29 - November 3, 2022. The Course: Hybridity, Risk, Wonder, and Research in Ecopoetry and Climate-Focused Poetics. "Humans have a deep and complex relationship with the Earth. We are natural beings living in a natural world. As a species, we have written about the environment throughout history out of wonder, awe, reverence, confusion, terror, appreciation—and now especially—necessity—due to forces threatening our environment through degradation, destruction, and change. Artists in this workshop will be asked to consider: What is your relationship to the Earth? How do you approach environmental concerns in your poetry? How might hybridity be a useful tool in your poetic world-building? Our work will center around experimentation, risks in form and expression, incorporation of data and statistics, adding images or graphics, and seeing our work in conversation with news articles, scientists, research articles, other art/artists, place, and social discourse. We’ll make wonder and curiosity foundations for innovation in our eco-writing." Duration: This class meets over six consecutive Thursdays from 5-8 pm ET. Application deadline: TBA.

Creatures, Crimes & Creativity. September 30 -  October 2, 2022: Columbia, MD. A writer's and fan's conference for genre fiction covering mystery, suspense, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk & horror.

Flathead River Writers Conference. September 30 -  October 2, 2022: Kalispell, MT. Writers help writers in this two day conference packed with energizing speakers and workshops. Features: Workshops, MS preparation & submission, working with agents, movie deals, media use, & children's book publishing.

The Loft's Wordsmith Conference. September 30 - October 2, 2022, Minneapolis MN. "The conference is intended for those ready to pitch their work, those already with a book out or with an agent, and those who want to get more prepared to publish their work. It's intended for prose writers and poets, genre and literary writers, beginning and advanced. In short, we are working hard to pull together a gathering that will feature meaningful sessions, workshops, one-on-one pitch and craft meetings, and networking opportunities for writers of all levels and genres." Will be held in person.

4 Agents Seeking Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Kidlit, LGBTQ, SF/F and more

Updated 11/11/23

Here are four literary agents actively seeking clients. All work with established agencies with good track records.

Emma Leong is interested in upmarket and literary fiction. She’s also on the look-out for non-fiction that explores the self, connecting literary criticism/expertise with personal narrative, whether that be through reflections on relationships, climate change, gender, loneliness, love, loss, the immigrant experience, etc. 

Carrie Howland is seeking genre fiction, upmarket fiction and nonfiction, including memoir. Jane Chun represents: Fiction: Action/Adventure, Children's, Commercial, Family Saga, Fantasy, General, Graphic Novel, Historical, Horror, LGBTQ, Literary, Middle Grade, New Adult, Science Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Young Adult. Non-Fiction: History, Illustrated, Journalism, LGBTQ, Memoir, Pop Culture, Sports, Travel.

Carlos Segarra focuses on memoirs and narrative nonfiction in the areas of pop culture, sports, journalism, politics, history, social justice and activism. In fiction, Carlos is interested in thrillers, sci-fi, magical realism, speculative fiction, own voices and historical fiction, as well as children's narratives.

Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change. 

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

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

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Ms. Carrie Howland of Howland Literary

Carrie Howland founded Howland Literary, LLC in 2018, after thirteen years as an agent, most recently at Empire Literary. Carrie holds a B.A. in English and Creative Writing from Albion College, where she was the Poetry Editor of The Albion Review. Her poetry has appeared in various literary journals and magazines. She attends several conferences, both nationally and internationally, throughout the year. Her craft talk from the Adirondack Writers Conference, "Beyond the Query Letter," is available on the Howland Literary website. In her spare time, Carrie volunteers as a foster for a local dog rescue and is an active member of the Junior League. Her passions include music, pop culture, and the Midwest. 

What she is seeking: Fiction: genre fiction, upmarket; nonfiction, including memoir.

How to submit: Use her form HERE.

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Ms. Emma Leong of Janklow and Nesbit Ltd (UK)

Emma started her publishing career at Janklow and Nesbit in 2019. While assisting Rebecca Carter and Claire Paterson Conrad, she is also building her own list. She is editorially focused, and keen to work with debut writers to develop their proposals and manuscripts for submission to publishers.

What she is seeking: Emma is interested in upmarket and literary fiction. She’s looking for transporting, elegant prose which bring courage and complexity to the human experience. She loves books that contain wisdom and brutal honesty, exploring themes such as family, intergenerational trauma, identity, sexuality, love and forgiveness. She’s also interested in books that dive into the vulnerability of the millennial condition, with warmth and wit. She’s also on the look-out for non-fiction that explores the self, connecting literary criticism/expertise with personal narrative, whether that be through reflections on relationships, climate change, gender, loneliness, love, loss, the immigrant experience, etc. 

How to submit: Submissions should be sent to submissions@janklow.co.uk, following the submission guidelines here.

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Ms. Jane Chun of Transatlantic

I’m particularly interested in stories that center marginalized communities and prose that is cinematic and atmospheric with good rhythm. In both fiction and nonfiction, I’m drawn towards compelling, fresh voices that make me feel as though the writer is in the room with me, telling me their story with intimacy as if we were already acquainted. Regardless of how plot-driven a story is, characters with rich inner worlds and emotional depth are a must for me.

What she is seeking: Fiction: Action/Adventure, Children's, Commercial, Family Saga, Fantasy, General, Graphic Novel, Historical, Horror, LGBTQ, Literary, Middle Grade, New Adult, Science Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Young Adult. Non-Fiction: History, Illustrated, Journalism, LGBTQ, Memoir, Pop Culture, Sports, Travel.

Favorite sub-genres: Contemporary YA, Diversity, Epic Fantasy, Feminism, High Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Illustrated, Literary Middle Grade, Literary Noir, Magical Realism, Multicultural, Narrative Nonfiction, Social Issues, Soft Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Upmarket Women's Fiction, Urban Fantasy, upmarket genre fiction.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.

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Carlos Segarra of Creative Artists Agency

Carlos Segarra is based in the New York office and creates publishing opportunities across all agency departments, representing talent such as Tabitha Brown, Omarion, Tarana Burke and Jonathan Mannion. Carlos works across all genres of books and brings a passion for amplifying the voices of writers and characters from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

What he is seeking: In the nonfiction space, he focuses on memoirs and narrative nonfiction in the areas of pop culture, sports, journalism, politics, history, social justice and activism. In fiction, Carlos is interested in thrillers, sci-fi, magical realism, speculative fiction, own voices and historical fiction, as well as children's narratives.

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