8 Million Pageviews ... and All I Got Was This Lousy Blog

Ten years ago, my children told me to start a blog. "What's a blog?" I asked innocently. They exchanged one of those looks that makes a parent think, "Just wait until they're my age and they have smart-aleck kids." A decade later, I am still asking the existential question, "What is a blog?"

I didn't know why I needed to start a blog a decade ago. After all, I had a purpose in life, one which did not involve splattering myself across the Internet. (My children also advised me to start a Facebook page and get on Twitter - neither of which they did themselves.) (Hmm...maybe they are smarter than I thought.) At the time, I didn't really know what a blog would be good for. 

I rapidly found out.

A blog is whatever you make of it, because, after all, a blog is writing. In some cases, it's a way to organize your thoughts. Some people like to organize other people's thoughts as well. (Avoid "thought leaders." They think too much of themselves.) Others need a way to keep track of where they are going, or what they are eating, or what their cats are doing. (Inexplicably, people on Facebook want to know where other people are going, or what they are eating, or what their cats are doing. If you are a writer, you can make all those things interesting, although that will be a worthless endeavor on Facebook. Just post photos.) In my case, this blog has proven to be an excellent method for having easy access to nicely organized publishing resources. It was completely serendipitous that a lot of other people found those resources useful as well.

             (Darnit! I missed it again! No matter how closely I watch that pageview count, I never can quite catch it.)

One important perk of keeping constant track of venues for short stories and personal essays is that my work gets published. I also occasionally win one of the contests that I post on my monthly lists and on my Free Contests page. (My personal essay, "They Will Try to Kill You" won first prize in the Tell Your Story Contest, and my short stories and personal essays have gotten several honorable mentions.) The fact is, had I not been so compulsive about listing every single publishing opportunity, I wouldn't have been nearly as diligent about submitting my work, which I tend to forget about once I get my next "must-write" idea.

The same holds true for my novels. I have, at this point, probably submitted my YA fantasy to every agent for my genre (well over 500). And I have gotten three offers of publication. (One of these days, I will write a blog on "Contracts You Shouldn't Sign.") I am nothing if not persistent. And in publishing, persistence pays. No matter how many times you are rejected, it only takes one agent or editor to say "Yes!" (Give yourself a boost right now and look at the list of famous authors who were repeatedly rejected here: Never Give Up! Never Surrender!)

The moral to my blog story is that sometimes what starts as self-interest can morph into a benefit for others. In fact, that may be the best path to altruism. After all, if you know what you need, you also have a handle on what others may need. In this case, I hope every writer reading this blog has benefitted from my (mildly OCD) need to organize absolutely everything. Keep writing!

24 Literary Magazines Open NOW for Poetry, Short Fiction, CNF, Speculative Fiction, Horror, and more

Here are 24 publications that are open for submissions now (no deadlines). All are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. Quite a few accept reprints.

You can find also upcoming calls for submissions with deadlines on my page: Calls for Submissions. Get a jump on next month's calls for submissions by checking that page periodically. (I only post paying markets.)

Don't forget to check out Paying Markets for hundreds of paying markets arranged by form and genre.

(Image: NDLA)

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Radon. Genre: Short stories and poetry containing elements of anarchism, transhumanism, dystopia, and/or science fiction. Payment: 1 cent per word for original work, half a cent per word for reprints.

The Hungur Chronicles. Genre: Horror. Vampires or creatures with vampiric themes. Payment: The pay for original stories is $25.00; for reprints, $12.00. Payment for poems is $5. The pay for illustrations is $8.00. The payment for articles is $10. The pay for cover art is $25.00.

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

Fantasy Magazine. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, poetry. Payment: 8 cents per word; $40 per poem. *Open to BIPOC authors.

Through the Gate: Fantastical poetry "We are looking for fantastical poetry of literary and emotional depth from a diversity of voices and perspectives. Our definition of fantastical is quite fluid, encompassing fantasy, magic realism, myth, folklore, surrealism and slipstream. We desire poetry that is atypically beautiful, unconventionally imaginative, and boundary-crossing. We are not interested in work that is strictly science fiction or mainstream, but poetry that blurs the lines between such genres and the fantastical is welcome." Length: Up to three poems. Payment: $20 per poem. Deadline: Open now.

Three-lobed Burning Eye. "Original speculative fiction: horror, fantasy, and science fiction. We're looking for short stories from across the big classifications and those shadowy places between: magical realism, fantastique, slipstream, interstitial, and the Weird. We will consider suspense or western, though we prefer it contain some speculative element. We like voices that are full of feeling, from literary to pulpy, with styles unique and flowing, but not too experimental. All labels aside, we want tales that expand genre, that value imagination in character, narrative, and plot. We want to see something new and different." Length: Short fiction 1000–7000 words, Flash fiction 500–1000 words, (2000–5000 preferred). Payment: $100 for short fiction, $30 for flash fiction; + 1 print annual. Deadline: Open now.

Beechwood Review publishes minimalist writing and art. "We’re partial to themes of time, nature, humanity, philosophy, chaos, reason, the ridiculous, and the whimsical. We don’t like work that drones on about fancy table fruit. Although good fruit poems have their place." Payment: $5 per poem, 1 cent/word for fiction and nonfiction, $5 for art.

The Dark The Dark publishes dark fantasy and horror. "Don’t be afraid to experiment or to deviate from the ordinary; be different—try us with fiction that may fall out of “regular” categories. However, it is also important to understand that despite the name, The Dark is not a market for graphic, violent horror." Length: 2,000 – 6,000 words. Payment: 6 cents/word for original fiction up to 6,000 words on publication for first world rights; and 1 cent/word for reprint fiction up to 6,000 words on publication for nonexclusive reprint rights. Deadline: Open now.

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. Opens in February 2023.

Et Sequitur. "We are open to all genres, from literary to speculative and everything in between. Our only requirement is that your submission in some way connect with the latest Et Sequitur story, be that in character (minor, major, protagonist, antagonist), setting (neighborhood, world, workplace, house -- even a certain object could work, if it's featured prominently), or theme. Be creative! Continue the story, tell a side-character's story, take the theme and twist it in a new way. In the submission form, you'll be asked to identify which element of the previous story you've chosen to incorporate in your own." Submissions for the next issue will open once the previous issue is published (expected to be the first day of every-other month). They will temporarily close when a story has been chosen for the next issue. Payment: $25.

Assemble Artifacts is looking for stories of wonder and suspense. "We prefer stories of at least 5,000 words, but are open to longer and shorter works. Please include a one to three sentence pitch of your story, and an author bio with your submission. We are open to writers of all levels of experience." Payment: 8-10 cents per word for short fiction.

Jay Henge: The Back Forty. Genre: Speculative fiction. "In The Back Forty, we are looking for your stories that explore new, lawless frontiers, backwater towns, self-appointed sheriffs, lonesome explorers, bounty hunters, and other Wild West in Outer Space kinds of themes." Payment: $5 USD per 1000 words. Length: Up to 15k words. Open until filled.

Jay Henge: Sunshine Superhighway. Genre: Speculative fiction. "Solarpunk, cyberpunk, other planets, alternate worlds that might be nearly lost through our own hubris; futuristic fantasy and speculative-fiction stories of all kinds that are hopeful and leave us with the idea that despite the doom and gloom in the universe, things can possibly work out if we strive to make life better, even if in a small way." Payment: $5 USD per 1000 words. Length: Up to 15k words. Open until filled.

Armoured Fox Press: Indecent Exposure. Genre: Fiction. “The story MUST contain erotic content centered around public locations. This can be beaches, public parks, office buildings… wherever you might attract an audience of shocked passersby doing things you shouldn’t be doing in public... and some element must be furry (anthropomorphic animals). Length: 5,00-20,000 words, Payment: 1/2 cent/word. Deadline: Open until filled.

Zooscape. Genre: Short stories. All stories must be furry. "An anthropomorphic animal figure should be significantly featured in your story — it could be anthropomorphic in body or only intelligence. We’ll consider any type of furry fiction from secret life of animals to fox in Starbucks.  We love science-fiction with animal-like aliens and fantasy with talking dragons, unicorns, or witch familiars." Payment: 8 cents/word for original fiction. $20 for reprints. Length: Original stories up to 5,000 words. Reprints up to 10,000 words.

Bards and Sages Quarterly. Genre: All speculative genres (horror, fantasy, science fiction, slipstream, steampunk, magical realism, etc) up to 5,000 words in length. Payment: $30 for original fiction; $15 for reprints.

Goatshed Press. Genre: Short stories, flash fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. Payment: £60 for stories and essays (over 1000 words) and £25 for poems and flash fiction. They are also looking to publish longer form work in 2023, including novels, novellas, graphic novels, non fiction books and short story collections. They are happy to consider any genre except children’s fiction. 

Backyard Earth is a "round the world" series of books. The idea is that they will make five books - one for each continent (more or less). Each book will contain one story for every country on that continent.  Submissions will stay open until they have a full complement. Short fiction only. Payment: $25.

Mirror Dance. Genre: Fantasy short stories and poetry. Payment: $5. See themes.

Starry Eyed Press: 224-Verse and Galactic Treks. Genre: Space opera, 2,000 words to novel length. Payment: Royalty split. Read guidelines here.

Psychopomp. Genre: Nonfiction essays on art, short fiction, novels, movies, music, fashion, culture, entertainment, science, and more, that fall under the umbrella of goth, death, funerary, grief, loss, alternative, otherworldly themes. Payment: $50.

The International Human Rights Festival (IHRAF). Genre: Poem, short story, or essay (2500 words or less) Payment: $50.

Android Press is a small press that publishes science fiction, fantasy, and the various -punk subgenres. "We love stories that are full of hope and optimism. We also love stories that hold up a mirror to our society and force us reexamine our past and our values in order to move forward and build a better future." Payment: Royalties.

135 Calls for Submissions in March 2023 - Paying markets

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

I post upcoming calls for submissions shortly before the first day of every month. But as I am collecting them, I post them on my page, Calls for Submissions. You can get a jump on next month's calls for submissions by checking that page periodically throughout the month. (I only post paying markets.)

Also see Paying Markets for hundreds of paying markets arranged by form and genre.

Happy submitting!

(Image: Flickr)

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The Paris Review. Genres: Prose and poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: Opens March 1, 2023, and closes when they reach capacity. 

Shenandoah. Genre: Fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: Opens March 1, 2023, and closes when they reach capacity. 

Sundog. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art. Payment: $25. Deadline: Opens March 1, 2023, and closes when they reach capacity. 

Inside the Castle. Genre: Poetry collections. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 1, 2023. 

VA Press is "committed to the idea that books have the power to change lives. We print works by authors often overlooked by traditional outlets, authors whose words we believe will inspire and benefit those who read them. We invite you to read the future." Genre: Poetry (24 pages min), prose (10,000 words min), art. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 1, 2023. 

Alternative Milk. Genre: Short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays and other text based submissions. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: March 1, 2023. 

Cemetery Gates. Genre: Horror novels and novellas. Payment: Novel: $500-2,000 advance, 60% royalties to author. Novella: $500-1,000 advance, 60% royalties to author. Deadline: March 1, 2023. 

Parabola. Genre: Original essays and translations, poetry, reviews. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: March 1, 2023. See themes.

The Polyglot. Genre: Multilingual art, poems, essays, stories, artworks, and translations on any theme. Payment: $100 CAD. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Planet Bizarro. Genre: Bizzaro novels, novellas and short story collections. Length: 20,000-80,000 words. Payment: 50% share of book royalties and 5 author copies. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Fission is the British Science Fiction Association's annual anthology of SFF fiction. You don’t need to be a BSFA member to submit. Genre: Science fiction. Length: Up to 5,000 words. Payment: 2 pence per word. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Maza Arts Collective Anthology. Restrictions: Open to South Asian people currently living and residing in so called "Canada." Genre: Poem. Payment: $250 CAD per selected poem. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Linda Leith Publishing. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Literary fiction and non-fiction titles in English and in translation. Length: 25,000 - 80,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Iron Horse. Genre: Poems, stories, essays on any topic. Payment: $50 per poem or flash piece and $100 per story or essay. Deadline: March 1, 2023. Fee free for one day only. 

Carousel. Restrictions: Open to Canadians only. Genre: Poetry and fiction. Payment: Poetry: $20 per poem — Fiction: $40–$80 per story — Experimental Reviews: $20–$40 per review. Deadline: March 1, 2023. Note: They only have 200 free submissions per month; if they exceed that number, their free submissions categories will close for the remainder of the month.

Strange Horizons' Wuxia & Xianxia Special. Genre: Speculative fiction. "Traditional and new approaches to wuxia and xianxia fiction ." Payment: up to $150 per contributor. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Contrary. Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF. Payment: $20. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Kangas Kahn. Genre: Halloween short stories. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Particular Passages. Genre: Poetry, fiction, art on theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 1, 2023. See themes.

Block Party Press. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction chapbook manuscripts, 15 - 24 pages. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Cunning Folk. Genre: Non-fiction pitches and short fiction and poetry on theme: The Vampire. Payment: £100 per article, interview or short story and £50 for poetry and rituals. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Teach. Write. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, flash fiction, poetry, CNF. "I prefer writing that is either written by composition teachers and writing students OR about teaching and learning." Payment: $15. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Thema: Help from a Stranger. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: Help from a Stranger. Payment:  $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: March 1, 2023. Accepts reprints.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: March 2, 2023. Opens March 1.

Middle West Press. Genre: Poetry manuscripts by a single author, comprising 50 to 100 poems. "We are particularly seeking manuscripts that intersect in some way with military experience or service, Our projects are often inspired by the people, places, and history of the American Midwest." Payment: $100 advance and royalties. Deadline: March 4, 2023. 

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on theme of Oceania. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: March 5, 2023.

Cordite. Genre: Poetry. Payment: Not specified. Payment is available for Australian contributors only. Deadline: March 5, 2023.

Mslexia. Restrictions: Open to women. Genre: Fiction, poetry. Theme: Ghosts. Payment: £25. Deadline: March 6, 2023.

The First Five Minutes of the Apocalypse Anthology. Genre: Short horror, weird, dark fiction between 1500 and 4000 words (firm limit) that deal with a fictional apocalypse. The story must take place within a short period of time (less than a day) at the beginning of a fictional apocalypse. Payment: 3 cents/word. Deadline: Extended submission window exclusively for writers from marginalized communities March 1, 2023 - March 7, 2023.

Fantasy Magazine. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, poetry. Payment: 8 cents per word; $40 per poem. Deadline: March 7, 2023. Opens March 1.

Double-Edged Sword . Genre: "We're after co-authored, original, unpublished dark fantasy short stories (4-6k words). No theme, but your submission piece must sit in the fantasy genre and contain dark elements - we aren't after happy endings." Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: March 8, 2023.

The Quiet Ones. Genre: Quiet Horror and Dystopian genre works that fit the theme, “The Cosmic and The Void.” "We primarily seek creative work from those who identify as LGBTQIAP+, women, and allies. We’re especially fond of (though do not require) stories that center LGBTQIAP+ and female characters. That said, we welcome work from anyone and everyone, and we do not automatically disqualify any submissions based on the author’s identity, nor do we require our contributors to share their sexual or gender identities." Payment: $25. Deadline: March 8, 2023.

Island. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents only. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction. Payment: $300. Deadline: March 9, 2023.

Carte Blanche (Canada). Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, translations. comics, photography. Payment: "Modest" Deadline: March 10, 2023.

Bright Wall/Dark Room. Genre: Essay on theme: Siblings. "They bring out the best and the worst in us; we love them; we hate them; what would we do without them? For our April issue, we’re looking at Siblings in film.” Payment: $50. Deadline: March 10, 2023.

The Fabulist. Genre: Fantastical and genre fiction. Payment: $25. Deadline: March 11, 2023. See theme.

Living With Demons. Genre: Short stories. "We are looking for fictional stories that give people with mental illness hope using metaphors. We want to hear from more than just depression and anxiety, we want to reach other mental illnesses as well." Payment: $25 per piece. Deadline: March 12, 2023.

Claret Press. Restrictions: Open to authors based in the UK and Ireland. Genre: Full-length fiction, nonfiction, memoirs. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 12, 2023.

Drabbles - Run, Rabbit, Run. Genre: Dark fiction on theme: Murderous/evil/sly bunnies and hares. Length: Exactly100 words. Payment: $1. Deadline: March 12, 2023.

Solarpunk Magazine. Genre: Solarpunk. Payment: $0.08/word for fiction, $40/poem, and $75/essay.  Deadline: March 14, 2023. See theme.

Beach Shorts. Genre: Short stories, art. "Think seaside retreats, warm sand and cool breezes. Stories that are captivating, easy to read and let your reader take an escape from reality." Payment: $10, $20 for art. Deadline: March 14, 2023.

The Deadlands. Genre: Fiction, poetry. "The Deadlands exists in liminal spaces between life, death, and elsewhere. We are looking for fiction that concerns itself with death—but also everything death may involve." Payment: 10 cents per word for short stories, $50 per poem. Deadline: March 14, 2023. Opens March 1. Accepts reprints.

Penumbric. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art, animation, and music. Payment: $10.  Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Meanjin. Restrictions: Open to Australians. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $250. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Zooscape. Genre: Short stories. All stories must be furry. "An anthropomorphic animal figure should be significantly featured in your story — it could be anthropomorphic in body or only intelligence. We’ll consider any type of furry fiction from secret life of animals to fox in Starbucks. We love science-fiction with animal-like aliens and fantasy with talking dragons, unicorns, or witch familiars." Payment: 8 cents/word for original fiction. $20 for reprints. Length: Original stories up to 5,000 words. Reprints up to 10,000 words. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Hungry Zine. Genre: Foodie erotica/romance writing. Payment: $50. Deadline: March 15, 2023. Pitches only.

No Trouble at All. Genre: Polite horror: horror disguised through polite faces/manners, horror allowed to exist when politeness comes at the cost of self-preservation, and any other interpretation of the theme. Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: March 15, 2023. (Deadline will be extended one week for BIPOC writers.)

FU Review: Still. Genre: Prose, poetry, nonfiction, and English-language translations on theme of Still. Payment: €20. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

White Enso. Genre: Original, unpublished short fiction, essays, creative non-fiction and artwork that encapsulates the Japan experience. Payment: Between 1000 and 1500 yen (US$10-$15). Deadline: March 15, 2023. Accepts reprints.

Tasavvur. Genre: South Asian speculative fiction. Payment: 2.5 cents per word, up to a maximum of 5,000 words. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Jay Henge: The Nameless Songs of Zadok Allen. Genre: Speculative fiction. "What lurks in the deep? Who listens from the shadows? What sorts of abominable experiments are taking place at the mysterious ivy-covered university? We want your Lovecraftian tales. " Payment: $5 USD per 1000 words. Length: Up to 15k words. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Eye to the Telescope. Genre: Speculative poetry. Payment: $0.04/word, up to $25. Deadline: March 15, 2023. See theme.

evOke. Genre: All things Pagan, polytheist, and witchy. See themes. Payment: $5. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Guilty Crime Mag. Genre: Crime fiction. Length: 2,500 to 5,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: March 15, 2023 or until filled.

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: March 15, 2023.

Owlkids Books. Restrictions: Open to authors and illustrators with disabilities, visible and invisible, Genre: Books for children up to age 13. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 17, 2023.

Showcase. Genre: Prose and poetry. Payment: $50. Deadline: March 17, 2023. Reprints accepted.

Westerly. Genre: Short stories, poetry, memoir and creative non-fiction, essays and literary criticism. Payment: Poems: $120 for one poem or $150 for two or more poems; Stories: $180; Articles: $180; Visual art/Intro essay: $120; Reviews: $100; Online Publication: $100. "We expect our contributors to be subscribers of the Magazine. While we will accept submissions from non-subscribers, should your work be accepted for publication in this instance, you will be asked to accept a subscription to the Magazine as part payment for your work." Deadline: March 19, 2023.

CatsCast. Genre: Speculative stories about cats. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: March 19, 2023.

Beautiful Days Press. Genre: Full length and chapbook-length manuscripts of poetry and hybrid work. Payment: "Compensation will be agreed upon in consultation with selected authors upon acceptance." Deadline: March 20, 2023.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary flash fiction. Length: 500- to 1000-words. Payment: $80. Deadline: March 21, 2023.

Cloaked Press: Kaleidoscope – A Queer Anthology. Genre: Fantasy and Science Fiction short stories by Queer authors. Length: 10,000 words max. Payment: $15. Deadline: March 21, 2023.

Cloaked Press: Summer of Speculation. Genre: Fantasy and Science Fiction short stories on theme: Sidekicks. Length: 10,000 words max. Payment: $15. Deadline: March 21, 2023.

LYRA. Genre: "L=Y=R=A is a quarterly literary magazine publishing experiments and language." (Make of that what you will.) Payment: "Honorarium." Deadline: March 21, 2023.

Timber Ghost. Genre: Flash fiction and poetry. Payment: $5. Deadline: March 22, 2023.

Ibua Publishing. Restrictions: Open to continent-based African writers. Genre: Fiction/Non-Fiction and Poetry showcasing the impact of Climate change on Africa. Payment: Up to $350 per piece. Deadline: March 23, 2023. 

Black Ocean. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts. Payment: Royalties? Deadline: March 24, 2023. 

Gutter. Genre: Poetry and prose in Scotland and beyond. Length: Poetry submissions can consist of up to five poems, totaling no more than 120 lines. Prose, up to 3000 words. Payment: £25. Deadline: March 24, 2023.

Wilted Pages—An Anthology of Dark Academia. Genre: Dark speculative fiction about academia. Payment: 5 cents per word. Deadline: March 24, 2023. Note: Deadline extended to March 31 for underrepresented voices—people of color, LGBTQ2S+, neurodiverse people, people with disabilities, those of marginalized genders.

The Ex-Puritan. Genre: Poetry, fiction, reviews, interviews, essays, and experimental work. "The Ex-Puritan now seeks to publish the best in all forms of writing." Payment: $100 - $200 (CAD). Deadline: March 25, 2023. 

Off Topic Publishing: Poetry Box. Genre: Poetry. Payment $40 CAD. Deadline: March 25, 2023.

Robotic Ambitions. Genre: Short fiction on theme "Robotic Ambitions." Length: 5000 words max. "Using philosophical, moral, and practical points-of-view, what does it mean to be sentient and mechanical? What challenges will mechanical beings face from a fearful and chaotic world? What are their goals and ambitions?" Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: March 27, 2023.

Passageway. Genre: Short stories of all genres that respond to their title and/or cover art. (See website) Payment: €150. Deadline: March 27, 2023.

The Midnight Zone. Genre: Weird, dark, speculative stories. Payment: 3 cents/word. Deadline: March 30, 2023. 

We Fear Not the Sea. Genre: Short stories inspired by sea shanties, 2,000 – 6,000 words in length. Payment: 2 cents per word. Deadline: March 30, 2023.

Rough Cut Press. Restrictions: Open to the LGBTQIA community. Genre: Experimental fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. "We seek personal, lyrical, critical, and experimental work in under 650 words." Theme: Exhalation. Payment: $25. Deadline: March 25, 2023.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels. Genre: True stories and poems. "We are looking for true personal stories about how an angel has touched your life – stories of true wonder and awe from people who have directly encountered or received help from angels.." Payment: $200. Deadline: March 30, 2023.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles. Genre: True stories and poems. "Please share your unbelievable and amazing stories about the unexplainable events that have occurred to you. Share the awe, the faith, and the wonder with our readers. Writers of all religions or no religion are welcome." Payment: $200. Deadline: March 30, 2023.

Dragon’s Roost Press. Genre: Speculative fiction. "Your story must feature, meaningfully, a never-before-seen monster (however you define the word) and must contain a speculative element. 1000-5000 words, with a sweet spot of 3k. All land, sea, space, time, earth, wind, and fire monsters welcome." Payment: 3 cents per word plus 1 contributor’s copy. Deadline: March 30, 2023.

Beauty in Blood-Drenched Circuits–An AI-Only Anthology. Genre: Speculative fiction. "For this anthology, we’re particularly interested in exploring the relationships that humans form with those different from themselves–be it AI, aliens, or even their own kind. We’d also like to see some space-age twists on the classics we’ve always loved. The weirder and less mainstream, the better." Payment: $35. Deadline: March 30, 2023.

Aurealis. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy or horror short stories between 2000 and 8000 words. Payment: A$20 and A$60 per 1000 words. Deadline: March 31, 2023. Opens March 1.

Colp. Genre: Short fiction, all genres. "We are currently looking for stories that feature deserts and/or desserts, so whether it is a tale about a journey into the Sahara or one about the lemon meringue pie that just wouldn't quit, please feel free to send your work through." Length: 1000 - 5500 words. Payment: AU$5.00 for stories under 2500 words / AU$10.00 for anything above 2500 words. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Little Press Publishing. Genre: Environmental/nature picture books and chapter books (5,000-15,000 words). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Fusion Fragment. Genre: Science fiction or SF-tinged literary fiction stories and novelettes ranging anywhere from 2,000 to 15,000 words. Payment: Both previously unpublished work and reprints pay 3.5 cents (CAD) per word, up to a maximum of $300 (CAD) per story. Deadline: March 31, 2023. Accepts reprints.

Legion of Dorks Presents: Resurrected – An Anthology of Second Chances. Genre: Short stories no more than 7000 words. "You must include some sort of resurrection, whether real or virtual, that concludes by the end of the story to meet the theme requirements. You cannot write in anyone else’s world. Otherwise, have fun and let your imagination dominate." Payment: $50. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Dead Awake. Genre: Horror. Length: 2,000 - 6,000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

MetaStellar. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy or horror. 1000 words max. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Nightlight (Podcast). Restrictions: At least one of your birth parents must be Black. Genre: Horror. Flash fiction (750-1,500 words) Payment: 5 cents per word. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

New Orleans Review. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: $300 for prose, $100 for poetry. Deadline: March 31, 2023. In celebration of Disability Awareness Month, there are no submission fees for writers living with both visible and invisible disabilities for the month of March.

Chestnut Review. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, visual media (art/photography). Payment: $120. Deadline: March 31st, 2023. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee.

parABnormal. Genre: Nonfiction, poetry on the paranormal. "For us, this includes ghosts, spectres, haunts, various whisperers, and so forth. It also includes shapeshifters and creatures from various folklores." Payment: $25.00 for original stories, $7.00 for reprints.$6.00 for each poem. $20.00 for original articles, $6.00 for reprints. $7.00 for reviews and interviews. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Snafu—Punk'd. Genre: Military horror/specific within conflict in a past, present, or future filled with the aspects that make your story a ‘punk’ sub-genre tale. Payment: 5 cents AUD per word. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Weird Horror Magazine. Genre: Horror and weird fiction from 500 to 6,000 words. Payment: 1.5 cents/word. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Long Hauler Publishing. Genre: Short stories, commentary, letters, essays or poetry addressing the lived experience of COVID long-haulers. The goal of the Long COVID anthology is to harness support for American COVID long-haulers while furthering a wider understanding of Long COVID’s ongoing effects. Payment: $50. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Campfire Stories Anthology. Genre: Speculative short stories. "We want the stories you’d whisper in the dark. The kind that linger and leave readers with more questions than they answer. We want a little bit of campiness and a whole lot of speculation on the world around us." Payment: $40 per piece. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Anime Horror – Killer Penguins. Genre: Horror drabbles featuring penguins. Length: Exactly 100 words. "We’re looking for your bloodiest, evilest penguins." Payment: 4 cents per word. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Eerie River. Genre: Horror inspired by Tarot: 1500 - 7000 firm. Payment: ¢1 per word CAD. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

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: March 31, 2023.

Small Harbor Publishing. Restrictions: Open to marginalized writers only. Genre: Chapbooks. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Banshee. Genre: Poetry, essays, flash fiction, short stories. Payment: "Small" Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Mother Knows Best. Restrictions: Open to female writers. Genre: Horror about bad mothers. Payment: 6 cents per word. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

Dread Space: Volume 2. Genre: Science fiction, must be dark or have an element of horror, and must be about or centered around military or paramilitary characters. Length: 1,000 words max. Payment: 2 cents/ per word and a digital copy of the finished anthology. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Wolfsbane—Best New England Crime Stories. Restrictions: Open to all writers who currently live in one of the six New England states. Genre: Crime stories: mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, historical, and horror. Length: 1,000 and 5,000 words. Payment: $25 per story. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

Every Animal Project. Genre: Nonfiction. "True stories must relate to non-human animals (of any species) and can be about your personal experiences/growth because of an animal, an issue threatening animals today, or other aspects of the human/non-human animal relationship. For the upcoming anthology, please weave the theme of courage/bravery into your story. " Payment: One writer will get an award of $300, another will be awarded $200, and other writers whose work is chosen for the print anthology get $50; writers whose work features online get $20. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

The Fiddlehead. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Fiction, including excerpts from novels, creative nonfiction, art. Payment: $60 CAD per published page. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Split Lip Magazine. Genre: Fiction (flash and short stories), memoirs, and poetry. with a pop-culture twist. Payment: $50 - $75 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: March 31, 2023. Note: Submit early to avoid submission fees.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories, 12,000 words minimum. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Hub City Press. Genre: Books of literary fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, regional nonfiction, nature, and art. "We are seeking new and extraordinary voices from the American South." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023. Note: Submit novels only

Midnight & Indigo. Restrictions: Open to black women. Genre: Fiction, personal essays. Payment: $50 for essays, and $50-$75 for fiction. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

The Drop. Genre: Dark fantasy or science fiction, 1000 words max. Payment: $10. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Fanatical. Genre: Sci-fi, fantasy and horror stories between 2,000 and 6,000 words. Payment: £20. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Deathcap and Hemlock. Genre: Speculative recipes "that hint at a deeper narrative without violating the recipe structure will catch our eye. We are looking for short pieces, formatted like actual recipes (ingredients list, steps, measurements (metric, imperial; weight or volume—you decide!)). A short introductory paragraph to the recipe is okay, but optional.' Length: 200 - 400 words preferred, 1000 words max. Payment: $10. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Glass Poetry Press. Genre: Poetry chapbooks. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Palimpsest Press publishes full-length poetry, literary fiction, and non-fiction titles that deal with poetics, cultural criticism, and literary biography. "We look for poetry that displays technical mastery, precise language, and an authentic voice, and fiction that is rich in imagery, well crafted, and focused on character development. Our non-fiction titles are essays or memoirs written by poets, and books that examine Canadian poetry and the Canadian cultural landscape. In an effort to remove barriers for BIPOC, Deaf, and Disabled authors, Palimpsest Press is officially opening submissions year-round for authors who identify as BIPOC, Deaf, or Disabled. These guidelines take effect immediately. Please include “Year-round Submission” in the email subject line if you submit outside of our designated January1st-March 31st submission period." Read their submission guidelines here. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Southword. Genre: Fiction. Payment: €250 per short story. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

How2Conquer. Genre: Nonfiction books. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

FIYAH. Restrictions: Submissions are restricted to people of the African Diaspora. 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: Carnival. Payment: $150 per story. $50 per poem. $300 per novelette. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Lightspeed. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC writers only. Genre: Science fiction. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

Dragon Soul Press: Honor. Genre: "All stories featuring East Asian warriors are welcome." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

The Hudson Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, essays, book reviews; criticism of literature, art, theatre, dance, film, and music; and articles on contemporary cultural developments. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: March 31, 2023. (Nonfiction only) 

Kansas City Voices. Genre: "There is no type of work we are looking for." Payment: "Small" Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Tiger Bark Press. Genre: Poetry. "As part of Tiger Bark Press’s ongoing commitment to printing quality poetry by a diversity of voices, the press holds an open reading period throughout the month of March each year, for full-length book manuscripts by American poets who identify as Black, as indigenous, or as people of color. There is no entry fee for submission". Payment: Selected poets will be offered a standard publishing contract, with books scheduled for publication within one year of acceptance. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Nothing Exists Alone. Genre: Full-length fiction manuscripts on climate change. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

Propel. Restrictions; Open to poets based in the UK or Ireland who have yet to publish their first full-length poetry collection. Genre: Poetry. Payment: £20. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

Podcastle. Genre: Fantasy podcast. Length: Up to 6,000 words. Payment: $0.06/word for original; $100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction reprints. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Masks. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $20 - $30. Deadline: March 31, 2023. Note: Submit early. Closes when cap is reached. 

Trail to Table. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction chapbooks, or full-length works. "Trail to Table seeks to publish literary works that transform our thinking about how we engage with the earth and each other as thoughtful, generous stewards in our actions and interactions." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023. Closes when cap is reached, so submit early in the month.

Short Story Substack accepts one short story every month. Genre: All genres. Word count 6,000 - 10,000 words. Payment: Base Pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: March 31, 2023. Reprints accepted.

Poetry Substack accepts one poem every month. Genre: Poem. Must have a rhyme scheme or a rhythm scheme. No blank verse or free verse. Payment: Base Pay of $10 for the chosen poem + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: March 31, 2023. Reprints accepted.

Splatter Ink Publishing: No Lives Left. Genre: Video game horror. "What we want to see are stories related to gaming experiences." Length: Up to 7,500 words. Payment: $30. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Vastarien. Restrictions: Open to women writers. Genre: Literary horror fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. Payment: 5 cents ($.05) per word for nonfiction and prose fiction. Poetry pays $50 flat per poem. Payment for artwork is $50 per piece. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Briar Rose Anthology. Genre: Sci-fi retellings of the first half of Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty), as it was told by the Grimm Bros. Payment: 1c/word for accepted fiction. Half this for reprints. $100 (negotiable) for the cover illustration. Deadline: March 31, 2023. Extended deadline. Reprints accepted. 

Long COVID anthology. Restrictions: Open to long haulers in the US. Genre: Short stories, poems, essays about long covid. Payment: $50 per contributor. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

And a few more...

Totally Entwined: All Hallow's Harem/Paranormal. Genre: Novellas, 30,000 - 50,000 words. Theme: Harem with paranormal characters. LGBTQ focus. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 1, 2023.

Reservoir Road Literary Review. Genre: Literary short stories, lyrical creative non-fiction, photography. Payment: $5. Deadline: Opens April 1, 2023. Note: Submission window closes when their cap is reached.

Toronto Journal. Genre: Short stories from anywhere in the world. "We will also consider non-fiction pieces about local history (Toronto, GTA, and surrounding)." No word limit. Payment: $50 CAD per piece. All published writers will also receive two printed copies of the issue in which they appear. Deadline: April 1, 2023. 

Ninth Letter. Genre: Poems, nonfiction, and short fiction. Payment: $25 for poetry, $75 for prose. Deadline: April 1, 2023. See theme.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: April 1, 2023. See themes.

Salamander. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: April 1, 2023.

The Woodward Review. Genre: Poetry, prose, art, and digital media from anyone, anywhere. Payment: $25. Deadline: April 1, 2023.

Violent Delights & Midsummer Dreams: An Anthology of Shakespeare Retellings. Genre: Dark/Gothic Shakespeare retellings (5,000 - 8,000 words) "We want stories that bring fresh new perspectives on the classic stories, bonus points for providing a Gothic twist. Give us Romeo & Juliet with Zombies or the real story of the Wayward Sisters. Deconstruct tropes and bring unique voices to life." Payment: US: $40 + author copy/non-US: $45 + ebook author copy). Deadline: April 1, 2023.

West Branch. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and translation. Payment: $50 per submission of poetry, and $.05/word for prose with a maximum payment of $100. Deadline: April 1, 2023.

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: April 1, 2023. Reprints accepted. 

Poetry Wales. Genre: Poetry, reviews, articles. See theme. Payment: Poems £20/page. Reviews £67.50/1500-word review. Articles £200/3000 word, or in that proportion, depending on number of published words. Deadline: April 1, 2023.

Gordon Square Review. Genre: Poetry, short stories, personal essays, and hybrid prose works.  Payment: $25 per prose piece and $10 per poem. Deadline: April 1, 2023.

Riddlebird. Genre: Literary fiction, personal essays, genre fiction. "For our summer issue, we will specifically be looking for humorous work, lighthearted pieces, or works that explore the humor woven through struggles." Payment: $100. Deadline: April 1, 2023.

Clinch. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. “Submissions do not have to mention the martial arts—though we prefer those that do. Instead, all submissions must share in the virtues of martial arts, those of patience, meditation, and surprise, whether that be in their technique or in their content.” Payment: $15 honorarium per accepted work, payable via Venmo on the day of publication. Deadline: April 1, 2023.

102 Writing Contests in March 2023 - No entry fees

This March there are more than eight dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $60,000 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 has passed, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck! 

(Image: PxHere)

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The Ungar German Translation Award is bestowed biennially in odd-numbered years. Genre: Book-length literary translation translated from German into English and published in the United States between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020. Prize: $1,000, a certificate of recognition, and up to $500 toward expenses for attending the ATA Annual Conference in San Francisco, California. Deadline: March 1, 2023. 

Curae Prize. Restrictions: For writers who are also carers. "A carer is anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid.: Genre: Short story and non-fiction/creative non-fiction. Prize: £500 top prize. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Award. Genre: Poetry - translation into English of a significant work of modern Italian poetry. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize. Genre: Pieces of any genre up to 2500 words on the theme (See website). Prize: £3,000 cash prize. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Alabama Arts Council Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to any author who has lived in Alabama for at least 2 years. Genre: Fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction of 10-20 pages. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: March 1, 2023. (?)

Mississippi Artists Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to permanent residents of Mississippi. Genre: Fiction and poetry. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Beatrice Medicine Award for Scholarship in American Indian Studies. Genre: Essay or monograph about Native American studies published in previous calendar year. Prize: $250. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Electa Quinney Award for Published American Indian Stories. Genre: Story. "This award seeks to highlight the work of story creators who continue the tradition of teaching through narratives often crossing the boundaries of genres, formats and disciplines. To celebrate the dissemination of stories into spaces where they can be shared all published stories qualify including small press and fine arts printing." Prize: $250. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Spectator Competition no 3289: Man down. Genre: You are invited to provide an extract from a politically correct version of a work by an unreconstructed male novelist or poet (please specify). Please email entries of up to 150 words/16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk. Prize: £30. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Fieldstone Review. Genre: Creative nonfiction/literature & book reviews, fiction, poetry, and reviews on theme: Reversals. Prize: $100. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Genre: Fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to a novel or short-story collection published between October 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023. Prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Non-Fiction. Genre: Literary non-fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to a literary nonfiction book published between October 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Grant MacEwan Creative Writing Scholarship is sponsored by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Genres: Poetry, Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction, Drama, or Graphic Novel. Restrictions: Authors must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate creative writing program of study or mentorship. (Max age 25) Alberta residents only. Prize: $7000 (CAN). Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Balticon Poetry Contest. Sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. Genre: Speculative poetry. Prize: 1st prize: $100; 2nd prize: $75; 3rd prize: $50. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Beverly Hopkins Memorial Poetry Contest for High School Students. Restrictions: High school students living within 100 miles of St. Louis. Genre: Poetry. Prize: First prize $225, Second prize $125, Third prize $75. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Alpine Fellowship Poetry Prize. Genre: Poem on the theme of “Flourishing.” Prize: £3,000 cash prize and an invitation to their symposium. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

North Carolina State Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to North Carolina residents (including out-of-state and international students who are enrolled in North Carolina universities)with no published books. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Toronto Star Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to Ontario residents 16 years of age or older. Genre: Short story. Prize: 1st prize - $5000; 2nd prize - $2000, 3rd prize - $1000. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Iron Horse 2023 Chapbook Competition. Genre: Prose chapbook, between 40 and 56 pages. Prize:  $1,000 honorarium and 15 copies. Deadline: March 1, 2023. Note: They will accept 25 free submissions on March 1, 2023.

Free Expression Essay Competition. Restrictions: Open to US-based students, including homeschooled students; high school-level submissions are open to students ages 15-17; and college-level submissions are open to students ages 18-23. Genre: Essay. “From school board meetings to statehouses, and foreign newsrooms to digital spaces — there are threats to free expression in societies around the world. PEN America wants to know: what do you think about free expression? Why is it important? How can it change the world?” Length: 1000 words. Prize: $2,000, $1,500, and $1,000 for college-level essays; and high school-level essayists will receive $1,500, $1,000, and $500. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Writers' Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Open to Canadian LGBTQ+ writers. Genre: Debut book. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: March 1, 2023 for books published between October 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023.

The Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award supports the work of a promising early-career nonfiction writer on a story that uncovers truths about the human condition. Genres: Nonfiction journalism works in progress with “strong, character-driven narratives with detailed scene writing and lyrical description.” Restrictions: The award will not fund proposals to report on armed conflicts where journalists are already imperiled, nor projects that are mainly investigatory. Prize: $6,000 upon announcement of the winning proposal; $3,000 upon evidence of substantial progress (usually a first draft); and $3,500 upon completion and acceptance by the Award committee.. Deadline: March 2, 2023.

On The Premises. "For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which one or more characters have a problem because something (someone?) important is missing. Whether whatever is missing is ever found is up to you. Choose the answer that makes the story work better." Prize: $250 for first place, $200 for second, $150 for third. Deadline: March 3, 2023.

Felix Dennis Young Poets Competition. Restrictions: Open to anyone aged 5 to 21 years living in the UK. Genre: Poetry.  Prize: £300 top prize. Deadline: March 3, 2023.

Sunken Garden Poetry Festival's Fresh Voices Competition. Restrictions: New England high school students. Prize: Reading at the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival and publication. Deadline: March 3, 2023.

The Lakefly Writers Conference. Restrictions: Open to residents of Wisconsin. Genres: Short story fiction: 1500 words or less. Any genre. Flash fiction: 500 words or fewer. Any genre. No theme. Poetry: All poems, free verse to formal and everything in between—75 lines max. Teen short story: Open to 18 years old and younger. Maximum 1,500 words. Any genre. See theme. Prize: First place winners will receive a cash prize of $100; second place winners will receive $75; and third place winners will receive $50. Winners must be able to attend an awards ceremony. Deadline: March 3, 2023.

Voice.club. Genre: Flash fiction, 100 words max. Also 350 words max. (2 contests) Prize: $25 Amazon gift card. Deadline: March 4, 2023. Note: You have to join in order to enter. See themes.

"It's All Write!" Teen Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to Grades 6-12. Michigan residents only. Genre: Short story, and flash fiction, unpublished. Prize: 1st Place $250, 2nd Place $150, 3rd Place $100. Deadline: March 5, 2023.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction. "On the first Friday of every month, a new set of story prompts will be revealed. You will have 55 hours to submit your best 500-word (or fewer) story." Prize: $500AUD. Deadline: March 5, 2023.

Forward Prizes. Genre: Collections and single poems published in the UK and Ireland are eligible for the Prizes. Must be submitted by publisher. Prize: £1,000 to £10,000. Deadline: March 5, 2023.

Aniko Press Summer Flash Fiction Competition. Genre: Flash fiction (100 words max) on theme: Delight. Prize: Publication on their website and social media, a copy of Killernova by Omar Musa, plus a copy of Aniko Magazine Issue 2. Deadline: March 7, 2023.

NEA Literature Fellowships are sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Genre: Poetry.  Prize: $25,000 grants to published creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. Deadline: March 8, 2023.

Spectator competition No. 3290. Genre: You are invited to recast the Lord’s Prayer as a sonnet. Email entries of up to 150 words.’ to lucy@spectator.co.uk. Prize: £30. Deadline: Midday on March 8, 2023.

Honor American History Poetry Contest. Genre: Poem. Prize: $100 top prize. Deadline: March 10, 2023.

What Does War Mean to You? Restrictions: Open to young people ages 9 - 18. Genre: Poetry, art, speech, song. Prize: Unspecified. Deadline: March 10, 2023.

The Fitzcarraldo Editions Essay Prize. Restrictions: Open to writers resident in the UK and Ireland who have yet to secure a publishing deal. Genre: Proposal for a book-length essay (minimum 25,000 words). Prize: £3,000 advance against publication with Fitzcarraldo Editions. Deadline: March 13, 2023.

BBC National Short Story Award. Restrictions: Open to UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over, who have a history of publication in creative writing. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: £15,000 to the winner, £3,000 for the runner-up and £500 for three further shortlisted writers. Deadline: March 13, 2023.

The Massachusetts Poetry Festival First Poem Contest. Restrictions: This contest is open to all New England writers or writers who have previously lived in New England. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: March 15, 2023. For students and those for whom the entry fee represents a financial burden, a no-fee submission option is available.

Iris N. Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Poetry composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme and received forms. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Rhina P. Espaillat Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Original poems written in Spanish and translations of English poems to Spanish. Prize: $500. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Myong Cha Son Haiku Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Haiku. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Sonnet Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Sonnet. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Villanelle Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Villanelle. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Neltje Blanchan/Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Awards. Restrictions: Wyoming writers. Genres: The Frank Nelson Doubleday Award is given for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script written by a woman writer. The Neltje Blanchan Memorial Writing Award is given annually for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script which is informed by a relationship with the natural world. Prize: $1,000.00. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Greater Yellowstone Creative Writing and Journalism Fellowship. Restrictions: Established and recognized authors are being sought, but emerging and mid-career writers are also encouraged to apply. Genre: Seeking creative writers (poetry, fiction, nonfiction), or those in the field of journalism (writer, photojournalist, videographer, documentary filmmaker, online or print media) who demonstrate serious inquiry and dedication to the Greater Yellowstone region through their work. Fellowship: $3,500. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Lynn DeCaro Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to Connecticut Student Poets in Grades 9-12. Genre: Poetry. Prize: 1st $100, 2nd $50, 3rd $25. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Nancy Ludmerer Fellowship for Flash Fiction and Nonfiction. Genre: One or more flash narratives up to 1,000 words. Award: A 5-night residency at Porches. Deadline: March 15, 2023. No entry fee for the first 15 submissions received on March 15.

Hektoen International Medical Student Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to medical students. Genre: Essays can be on any topic as it relates to medicine. Art, history, and literature topics are preferred. Prize: $3,500 for the winner and $2,500 for the runner-up. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

NFSPS Annual Poetry Contests. Genre: Poetry. The National Federation of State Poetry Societies sponsors 50 contests for adults, 34 of which are free and open to the public. There are also 3 free poetry contests for children. Prize: Monetary awards vary. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Jacklyn Potter Young Poets Competition. Restrictions: Open to high school students in the Washington, DC region. Genre: Poetry. Prize: A reading with honorarium in the Miller Poetry Series, a summer program occurring in June and July. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

The Waterman Fund Essay Contest. Restrictions: Writers who have not published a book-length work of fiction or narrative nonfiction on topics of wilderness, wildness, or the ethics and ecology of environmental issues are eligible. Genre: Personal essays between 2000 and 3000 words. "The  Waterman Fund seeks new voices on the role and place of wilderness in today’s world." Prizes: The winning essayist will be awarded $1500 and publication in Appalachia Journal. The Honorable Mention essay will receive $500. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words about a date. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Descant. Each year, descant offers four awards:

• the $500 Frank O’Connor Award for fiction (for the best short story in a issue)
• the $250 Gary Wilson Award (for an outstanding story in an issue)
• the $500 Betsy Colquitt Award for poetry (for the best poem or series of poems by a single author in an issue)
• the $250 Baskerville Publishers Award (for an outstanding poem or poems by a single author in an issue

There is no application process or reading fee. All published submissions are eligible for prize consideration. Simply submit your work. Deadline: March 16, 2023.

Illumination Prose Prize. Genre: Creative nonfiction or fiction of 5,000 words or less. Prize: $100 and publication in Spire Light: A Journal of Creative Expression. Deadline: March 17, 2023.

Jane Martin Poetry Prize (UK). Restrictions: Open to UK residents between 18 and 30 years of age. Genre: Poetry. Prize: £700, second prize, £300. Deadline: March 17, 2023.

2023 POPP Award: Poetry of the Plains and Prairies. Genre: Poetry of any style for their annual Poetry of the Plains and Prairies chapbook publication. "While the author(s) may call any place home, their submissions must deftly capture the feeling of, as well as the reality of, living on the plains and prairies. Authors may submit any number of poems equaling thirty to thirty-five pages in length, with no more than one poem per page. (Single poems may extend more than one page.) The selected poetry collection will be published as a limited edition chapbook, hand-printed with antique letterpress equipment." Prize: $200 and publication. Deadline: March 17, 2023.

Romance on the Road Travel Writing Competition. Genre: Factual, first-person travel story about a time you experienced romance while traveling. Length: 1200 - 2000 words. Prize: $200 top prize. Deadline: March 19, 2023.

Savage Mystery Writing Contest. Genre: Mystery 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: March 19, 2023. Opens March 17.

BBC Young Writers Award. Restrictions: Open to UK residents, including residents of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, aged 14 to 18 years old, Genre: Short fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: Publication and free workshop. Deadline: March 20, 2023.

White River Environmental Law Writing Competition is sponsored by the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law and Vermont Law School. Restrictions: Open to all students currently pursuing a degree (J.D. or LL.M) at an accredited law school in the United States. Submissions written as a class component, as a journal requirement, or otherwise for academic credit are acceptable. Genre: Original essays addressing any relevant topic in the fields of environmental law, natural resource law, energy law, environmental justice, land use law, animal law, and agricultural law. Prize: $1000 cash prize and an offer of publication with the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law. Deadline: March 20, 2023.

Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award. Restrictions: This competition is open to African American poets only. Genre: Book-length poetry. Prize: $500 in cash and publication of the manuscript by Broadside Lotus Press. Deadline: March 24, 2022.

Cymera-Scotland’s Futures Forum-Shoreline of Infinity Prize for Speculative Short Fiction. Restrictions: Anyone living in Scotland or who identifies as Scottish by birth or inclination, aged 14 years or over. Genre: Speculative short stories. Prize: £150. Deadline: March 26, 2023.

Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition for High School Students. Restrictions: Open to students in Grades 7-12. Genre: Haiku. Prize: $50. Deadline: March 27, 2023.

BlackInk Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to writers from the African and African Caribbean Diaspora. Genre: Short story, maximum of 2,000 words. Prize: £500 top prize. Deadline: March 27, 2023.

Daisy Utemorrah Award for Indigenous Authors. Restrictions: Open to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writer currently residing in Australia. Genre: Junior/YA full-length fiction manuscript intended for readers aged 8-18. Length: 40,000 and 100,000 words. Prize: A$15,000 and possible publication. Deadline: March 30, 2023.

Teen Nib Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to students attending high school (Grades 9-12) in the state of Virginia. Genre: Short story, poetry, nonfiction. Prize: $100 top prize. Deadline: March 30, 2023.

The Nervous Ghost Press Book Prize. Restrictions: Open to writers anywhere in the United States of America. Genre: Full-length prose manuscript between 50,000 and 100,000 words. Poetry manuscripts also accepted. Prize: $1000 advance. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Muriel's Journey Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Canadians or people living in Canada. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $100 top prize. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Driftwood Press. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscript. 40 - 100 pages. Prize: Each winner will receive: $500 USD, 20 copies of their collection, a standard royalties package, and a spotlight interview. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Wisconsin Writers Association High School Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school juniors and seniors. Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction, & Poetry. Prize: 1st Place in each will be awarded $100.00; 2nd Place in each will be awarded $75.00; 3rd Place in each will be awarded $50.00. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Orwell Prize for Journalism. Restrictions: Open to a journalist for sustained reportage and/or commentary working in any medium. Genre: Published journalism. Prize: £3,000 for the best political writing first published in the UK or Ireland between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Orwell Prize for for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils. Restrictions: Open to a journalist for sustained reportage and/or commentary working in any medium. Genre: A story that has enhanced the public understanding of social problems and public policy in the UK. Prize: £3,000 for the best political writing first published in the UK or Ireland between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Jack L. Chalker Young Writers' Contests. Restrictions: Open to writers between 14 and 18 years of age as of May 29 in the contest year who reside in, or attend school in Maryland. Genre: Science fiction or fantasy, 2,500 words max. Prizes: $150, $100 and $75. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Jack London Fiction Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to U.S. students in grades 6-8. Genre: Unpublished stories. Length: 2,000 words maximum. "Your writing prompt this year is to create a story where your main character(s) are animals with animal qualities (like Buck in Call of the Wild). Tell your story from the animal’s perspective.” Prize: $250, $150, and $100. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. Restrictions: 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. Genres: Science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy up to 17,000 words. Prizes: Three cash prizes in each quarter: a First Prize of $1,000, a Second Prize of $750, and a Third Prize of $500, in US dollars. In addition, at the end of the year the winners will have their entries rejudged, and a Grand Prize winner shall be determined and receive an additional $5,000. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation. Genre: Poetry or literary prose. Translation of modern Arabic literature into English. Books must have been published and be available for purchase in the UK via a distributor or online. The source text must have been published in the original Arabic in or after 1967. Must be submitted by publisher. Prize: £3,000. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Sarah Mook Poetry Prize for Students. Restrictions: Students in grades K-12. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $100. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Sleeping Bear Press: Own Voices, Own Stories Award. Restrictions: Contest is open to new authors who identify as having a disability. Applicants must be United States residents and at least 18 years of age Prize: Grand Prize winners will receive a $2,000 cash prize, in addition to a publishing contract with advance and royalties standard for new Sleeping Bear Press authors. Honor Award winners will receive a $500 cash prize as well as one consulting session with a Sleeping Bear Press editor. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

Foley Poetry Contest. Genre: One unpublished poem on any topic. The poem should be 45 lines or fewer and not under consideration elsewhere. Prize: $1000. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Archibald Lamp­man Award. Restrictions: Open to residents of Canada's National Capital region (Ottawa). Genre: Book of any genre published by a recognized publisher. Prize: $1500. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

2023 Sejong Cultural Society Essay Competition. Restrictions: Open to writers ages 19-30. Genre: Essay responding to “The Glass Shield” by Kim Jung-hyuk (translation by Kevin O’Rourke is provided). Prizes:  $1000, $750, $500, $50 for honorable mention, plus possible publication. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Richard Wise Creative Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to UK residents over the age of 18. Genre: Essay, blog, short story, poem, play, letter (to someone real or imaginary), film or TV script or a personal account drawn from your own life on the topic: “Is it a crime to be poor?” Prize: A first prize of £150 and two second prizes of £50 will be awarded in three categories. Deadline: March 31, 2023.. 

Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing. Restrictions: Open to first-generation residents of the United States. “First-generation” can refer either to people born in another country who relocated to the U.S., or to American-born residents whose parents were born elsewhere. Genre: Unpublished nonfiction books. Prize: $10,000 and publication. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

The Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award. Restrictions: Applicants must reside in the British Commonwealth or Eire. Applicants may not be under contract to any publisher for any work or title. Applications are only open to writers who have not previously published or self-published a full length book of their own prose writing (with the exception of a collection of poetry). Genre: fiction, non-fiction, children’s or short stories. Prize: The winner receives £10,000 and the two shortlisted authors £1,000 each. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

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: March 31, 2023. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute. 

2023 Sijo Competition. Genre: A Sijo poem. Prize: Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500); Pre-college division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300) Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Anne Brown Essay Prize. Restrictions: Entrants must be aged over 16 and resident in Scotland, born in Scotland or have a longstanding association with Scotland. Genre: Literary essay, published or unpublished. Prize: £1,500. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

David Nobbs Memorial Trust New Comedy Writing Competition. Restrictions: Entrants must have at least one credited broadcast comedy writing credit and live in the UK. Genre: Comedy scripts for radio or TV. Prize: £1,000 top prize. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

The Maya Angelou Book Award was founded in 2020 to honor the legacy of Missouri-born author Maya Angelou by celebrating contemporary authors whose work has demonstrated a commitment to social justice in America and/or the world. Restrictions: Entrants must be U.S. Citizens and reside within the United States. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Shady Grove Literary. Genre: Any style, genre, tone of flash fiction. Length: 300 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Redbud Writing Project Coppice Prize. Genre: Short story. Maximum length is 4000 words. Prize: $500 top prize. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Silvers Grants for Work in Progress. Restrictions: Open to Anglophone writers of any nationality. Genre: Long-form essays in the fields of literary criticism, arts writing, political analysis, and/or social reportage. Prize: Up to $10,000. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

The Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award. Sponsored by Sisters in Crime.   Restrictions: Open to emerging writers of color. An unpublished writer is preferred, although publication of one work of short fiction or academic work will not disqualify an applicant. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Natan Notable Books Award. Genre: Nonfic­­tion book on Jew­ish themes pub­lished for the first time between September 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

A Public Space Emerging Writer Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book. Prize: $1000 and six months of editorial support from A Public Space editors to prepare a piece of prose for publication in the magazine. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

 

City of Literature Paul Engle Prize. Genre: This prize does not recognize one work, nor is it solely limited to reflecting literary achievement. Rather, the award seeks to recognize a writer, like Engle, who makes an impact on his or her community and the world at large through efforts beyond the page. It also seeks to raise awareness about Engle and his works. Prize: $20,000. Deadline: March 31, 2023. (?)

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. See themes. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Masks. Genre: Prose and poetry. Prize: One poet and one prose writer will be awarded a prize of $100 each and publication. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Frederick Morgan Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to poets making their first appearance in The Hudson Review. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000 top prize. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Kyoto Writing Competition. Genre: Short poems, character studies, essays, travel tips, whimsy, haiku sequence, haibun, wordplays, dialogue, experimental verse, etc. In short, anything that helps show the spirit of place in a fresh light. A clear connection to Kyoto is essential. Length: 300 words max. Prize: ~$360 top prize. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poetry based on art. (See website) Prize: $100. Deadline: March 31, 2022.

Flash Point SF. Genre: Speculative fiction flash fiction. "We are specifically looking for a series of 3-5 interconnected - yet distinct - flash stories." Prize: $50. Deadline: March 31, 2022.