120 Calls for Submissions in December 2023 - No submission fees

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

I post 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: Pickpik)

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Eternal Haunted Summer. Genre: Poetry, short fiction. Theme: Horror. Payment: $5. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

Sundog. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 1, 2023. Submit early in month to avoid submission fee.

Death in the Mouth Anthology. Restrictions: Authors who identify as BIPOC or, outside of US-American context, anyone who is from a marginalized ethnicity (eg. Roma, Sámi, Nenets would also fall under this umbrella etc)”. Genre: Horror short fiction and art. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

Red Cape Publishing: A - Z of Horror: W is for Witchcraft. Genre: Horror on theme. Payment: £10. Deadline: Opens December 1, 2023. Open until full.

Big Wing. Genre: Poetry, prose, spoken word, and visual art works. Theme: Nature. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

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

december magazine. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction (essays, memoirs, biography, literary journalism, social or cultural commentary or analysis) and visual art that can be reproduced in our print format. Payment: $10.00 per page with a minimum of $40.00 and a maximum of $200.00. Deadline: December 1, 2023. Charges for online submission. No charge via snail mail.

Assault Team Anthology. Genre: Military Science Fiction. Payment: "a percentage of sales divided equally between the contributing authors." Deadline: December 1, 2023.

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

Northern Lights Anthology. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Horror and horror-adjacent dark weird fiction, ideally set in Canada and incorporating a motif of night / nighttime/ dusk/ darkness. Stories should be between 500 and 5,000 words. Payment: 10 cents CAD/word. Deadline: December 1, 2023. 

What If...Walls Could Talk. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

Air/Light. Genre: New and innovative works of literary arts across all mediums and genres including cross genre work. Length: Up to 4,000 words for prose, and up to 10 pages for poetry. Payment: Poetry: $50; Responses and department pieces: $100; Fiction and essays/nonfiction: $200; Visual art, music, and multimedia: $200. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories, poetry, nonfiction. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. $1 a line for poetry. 2 - 8 cents/word for nonfiction. Deadline: December 2, 2023. Accepts reprints.

Feminist Food Journal. Genre: Personal essays, narrative or reported pieces, literature or film reviews, cultural commentary, poetry, creative writing, video, audio, etc. on theme: Meat (from a feminist perspective). Payment: $130. Deadline: December 3, 2023. Pitches only.

Invisible City. Genre: Nonfiction up to 5,000 words. Payment: $20. Deadline: December 5, 2023.

Bad Day Book. Genre: Poetry and prose. See site for themes. Payment: $40 - $75, depending on length. Deadline: December 5, 2023.

Stone’s Throw. Genre: "We're looking for dark fiction, crime and noir, length between 1,000 and 2,000 words." Payment: $25. Deadline: December 7, 2023. Open to submissions the first week of every month.

A Coup of Owls. Restrictions: Only submit if you are aged 18 or over and belong to an underrepresented or marginalised community. These include, but are not limited to: LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and disabled people. Genre: Fiction, all genres. Payment: £5 - 15. Deadline: December 7, 2023. Closes when they reach their cap.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: December 9, 2023. See themes.

Northern Gravy. Restrictions: Northern Gravy welcomes submissions from UK & Ireland writers of any background, including first-time writers. Genre: Fiction, Poetry and Kid Lit (writing for Middle Grade and Young Adult audiences) Payment: £100 per contributor. Deadline: December 10, 2023.

Funicular. Genre: Fiction, poetry, flash fiction. Payment: Short story: $10/printed page (up to a maximum of $100); Flash: $25 per piece; Poetry: $25 per piece. Payment for print only. Deadline: December 11, 2023. 

Hippocampus Magazine. Genre: Memoir Excerpts, Personal Essays, and Flash Nonfiction. Payment: $40. Deadline: Fee free from December 1 - December 14, 2023.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Cat Stories. Genre: True stories and poems. "We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1200 words that highlight the unique personalities that dogs have. Celebrate your dog, or a dog you know, with a wonderful story about what he or she does. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both." Payment: $200. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dog Stories. Genre: True stories and poems. "We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1200 words that highlight the unique personalities that cats have. Celebrate your cat, or a cat you know, with a wonderful story about what he or she does. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both." Payment: $200. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Mizna. Restrictions: Contributors do not need to identify as of Arab/SWANA descent, provided their work is of relevance to or in dialogue with the social realities of the SWANA/Arab region or community. Genre: Poetry, stories, creative essays, flash fiction, comics." Payment: $200. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

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. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

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

On Spec. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: $100CAD. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Propagule. Genre: Short stories that are intrepid with regard to experimentation and oddity; the strange, the surreal, the atypical, the unexpected. Payment: Up to $20. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Copper Nickel. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and translation folios. Payment: $30 per printed page + two copies of the issue in which the author’s work appears + a one-year subscription. Deadline: December 15, 2023. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fees.

Baffling Magazine. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Lost Boys Press: Romantasy. Genre: Romance set in a fantasy world. Word count should be between 60,000 and 120,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Brazenhead Review. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $200. Deadline: December 15, 2023. Note: Closes when cap is reached.

Eavesdrop Magazine. Restrictions: Canadian writers (anyone living in Canada for work, school, asylum, etc, as well as artists living on traditional, unceded territories, is welcome to submit). Genre: Fiction, poetry, comics, plays, CNF, art. Payment: $30 per poem, $70 per short fiction, CNF piece, and short play, $70 per visual art piece, $30 per comic. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Midstory Magazine. Genre: Personal essays about love, loss, and friendship at midlife. We are looking for a strong, clear writing voice and raw, honest storytelling, in keeping with our mission to elevate the voices of midlife women. Preferred word count: 750-2000 words. Payment: $50 for accepted essays. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, mixed media, visual arts, "and even kitchen sinks, if they are compressed in some way.” Payment: $50. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Archive of the Odd. Genre: Speculative fiction, horror preferred. “Archive of the Odd is a zine of uncanny occurrences, told in even stranger ways.” They’d like a variety of time periods. Stories can be in any format, except traditional prose. Some of the suggested formats are: academic papers; technical writing; medication warning sheets; sales papers; newspaper articles; recipes; knitting/crochet/weaving/what-have-you guides; care guides (plant, animal, rock garden, etc); or any other unusual format. Submissions do not have to be entirely in text. Payment: $15-25 for fiction of 500-5,000+ words. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Samjoko Magazine. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, play, screenplay. Payment: $20. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Muse Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction articles for children. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: December 15, 2023. See themes. Queries only.

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: December 15, 2023. Previously published stories in 2021 and 2022 only.

Rebel Satori Press. Genre: Full-length LGBTQ+ speculative fiction, Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Borne in the Blood. Genre: "WolfSinger Publications is seeking stories about things that are carried in the blood. Be it magic, disease or something else – it must be Borne in the Blood. We will be donating proceeds from Borne in the Blood to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. All genres will be considered with the exception of erotica." Length:1000-7000 words. Payment: $20. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Orca. Genre: Literary fiction. Payment: $50 for short stories, $25 for flash fiction. Deadline: December 15, 2023. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fees.

Yule: a collection of Yule Time Tales. Genre: "We are looking for submissions of Pagan Yule stories, not Christmas stories. All genres are welcome, as long as it is Yule and Solstice centered. The winter solstice is the longest night of the year, but the light will return by degrees after that December night. We want stories about what happens in those dark and still winter months. Stories of transformation and growth. Stories of the winter witch, cold forests, elves and magical places. Old ghost stories.” Word count 2,500 to 8,000. Payment: $10. Deadline: December 16, 2023.

The Offing. Genre: Creative nonfiction (usually personal essay) that centers one’s personal experience against the backdrop of art, literature, and culture.. Length: 7,500 words max. Payment: $25 - $100. Deadline: December 16, 2023.

Humour Me. Genre: Humor. "We want your festive stories for our Christmas special, fiction and non fiction! Min 1k words, Max 3k. These can be any sub-genre. Western Santa Claus? Zombie reindeer? Go for it as long as they have a humour/satirical element! We will also accept cartoons/comic strips as long as they meet the Christmas/humour theme." Payment: £25 (GBP) - £40 (GBP). Deadline: December 16, 2023.

Kelp: The Amber Waves of Winter. Genre: Noir/neo-noir. Crime, capers, detective stories, and mysteries are all a good fit. Payment: $35. Deadline: December 16, 2023.

I Want That Twink OBLITERATED! Anthology. Genre: Classic pulp adventures centering non-traditionally masculine queer heroes and villains. "We’re taking the classic tropes of pulp science-fiction, fantasy, and horror, recast through a radical queer lens." Payment: $0.08 /word. Deadline: December 17, 2023. 

Island. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents only. Genre: Fiction Nonfiction. Payment: 40 cents per word, with a minimum of $700 and a maximum of $1500. Poetry for print - $175 per poem. Island Online - $450 for short-form fiction and nonfiction. Deadline: December 17, 2023. 

Best of British Science Fiction 2023. Restrictions: Authors must be British, Irish, British-based or ex-pats. Genre: Science fiction published in 2023. Payment: 1p a word up to £50.00. Deadline: December 17, 2023. Reprints only.

Funemployment Quarterly. Genre: Science-fiction/fantasy. See theme. Payment: $20 CAD. Deadline: December 18, 2023. 

Strange Horizons. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 10¢/word USD. Deadline: December 18, 2023. Submissions capped at 1,000. 

Folk Horror Anthology. Genre: Folk Horror and Weird Fiction. Payment: £100. Deadline: December 20, 2023.  

Meetinghouse. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry. Payment: $100 minimum for prose, and $20/page for stories over 5 pages.  Up to 7,500 words per submission; up to 3 pieces of prose and up to 3 poems. Deadline: December 22, 2023.

Graywolf Lab. Genre: Short fiction, essays, and poems originally in English or in translation, as well as short visual, graphic, multimedia, multidisciplinary, and interactive pieces that engage with the work already posted under the theme of Time. "We’re open to all kinds of engagements and with anything on Lab, and are particularly interested in illustrations or images that directly respond to Lab features." Payment: $100. Deadline: December 22, 2023.

The Ex-Puritan. Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, reviews, hybrid work. Payment: $150 -$200. Deadline: December 25, 2023.

Unnerving. Genre: Horror and Sleazy Crime. Length: Up to 4,000 words. Payment: $0.01USD per word for accepted stories. Payment made via PayPal ONLY! Deadline: December 25, 2023. Please read full guidelines here.

Off Topic Publishing: Poetry Box. Genre: Poetry. Payment $30 CAD. Deadline: December 25, 2023. This is a monthly call.

Nightmare Diaries. Genre: Dark fiction short stories, fairy tales, flash fiction, and novellas of 500-10,000 words. Payment: $0.10 per word. Deadline: December 27, 2023. 

Every Day Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction on themes. Length: 1000 words max. Payment: $3. Deadline: December 27, 2023.

Fanatical. Genre: Sci-fi, fantasy and horror stories between 2,000 and 6,000 words. Payment: £20. Deadline: December 28, 2023. 

Extrasensory Overload: an anthology of speculative excess. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. "We are seeking submissions that actively engage readers with multi-sensory (more than one sense), supra (beyond the five senses), super or extra sensory experience (including paranormal, ESP, etc.) as part of speculative fiction and poetry." Payment: $5 per poem and $10 for each short story. Deadline: December 29, 2023. 

Buckman Journal. Restrictions: Open to Portland and Pacific Northwest creatives. Genre: Fiction and creative non-fiction. See theme. Payment: $100. Deadline: December 29, 2023.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: December 29, 2023.

JackLeg Press. Genre: Poetry and short story collections. They also consider select literary novels and creative nonfiction. JackLeg only publishes U.S.-based writers. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 30, 2023.

The Good Life Review: "Micro Monday" (online). Genre: Flash fiction, CNF, and poetry. Length: 500 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 30, 2023.

Workers Write! Tales from the Cubicle. Genre: Fiction and poetry that contain stories and poems from the office worker's point of view. "we're especially interested to see how the home office has taken on a new meaning because of Covid and what it's been like for those of us who have returned to the annoying commutes and communal bathrooms." Payment: $5 - $50. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Monsters in Masquerade. Genre: Horror fantasy fiction anthology focusing on the Upper YA (18+) to New Adult and Adult age range. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Secrets in the Garden. Genre: Poetry, prose poetry, short prose (<1500 words), and other experimental writing by queer, trans, and gender variant writers. Payment: $5. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Funny Stories. Genre: True stories and poems. "We are looking for stories about something that happened to you in your life - in your relationship with a partner or spouse, a parent or child, a family member or friend, at work or at home – that made you and the people around you laugh out loud." Payment: $200. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

The Theatre Phantasmagoria. Genre: Horror flash fiction up to 2,000 words. Payment: £10. Deadline: December 31, 2023. This is a monthly call. See themes.

Islandia. Restrictions: Preference is given to residents of Florida & the Caribbean but Islandia considers written work and visual art with strong ties to the region. Genre: Poetry, art, and prose. Payment: Pay for poetry and visual art begins at $50 and for prose submissions $100 - $150. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Meadowlark Reader. Genre: Personal essays, interviews, journalistic pieces. “True stories about Kansas written by Kansans." Payment: $10 plus one contributor copy. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

In the Eyes of the Hungry. Genre: Short horror stories, 2500 to 6000 words, in the style of Steinbeck. Payment: $50. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Zombies Need Brains: Three Anthologies. Genre: Speculative fiction. See themes. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Food Blog Horror Anthology: Necroyummycon. Genre: Horror stories in the form of food blogs, including recipes. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Interstellar Flight Press. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Spooky. Genre: Horror. "Cozy horror. Fun horror. Classy horror. Dare we say, wholesome horror?" Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Thinking Ink Press: The Neurodiversiverse Anthology. Genre: Speculative short stories, flash fiction, poetry, and art exploring encounters between neurodivergent people and neurodivergent aliens. They are looking for:⁠ Short stories up to 6k words⁠, Flash fiction up to 1k words⁠, Poetry up to 100 lines⁠, Black-and-white line art illustrations. Payment: $100 per short story, $50 for flash fiction, $50 for poems, and $50-100 for illustrations. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

The Black Beacon Book of Pirate Tales. Genre: Fiction on theme: Pirate tales. Payment: 20€ for original stories and 5€ for reprints regardless of length, plus one print copy. Preferred word count between 5,000 and 10,000 words. Deadline: December 31, 2023. Accepts reprints.

Mud Season Review. Genre: Poetry, Fiction, CNF, Art. Payment: $50. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Prolit. Genre: Poetry, prose, and visual art that corresponds to the theme of Empire. Payment: $75-100. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Ninth Letter. Genre: Poems, nonfiction, and short fiction. Payment: $25 for poetry, $100 for prose. Deadline: December 31, 2023. Fee-free until they hit 300 submissions, so submit early in the month.

The Map of Lost Places Anthology. Genre: Stories about places where weird things happen. "Places that have strange histories, their own traditions and customs, their own dangers. These can be based off real folk tales or old wives tales - think the Mothman in Point Pleasant, WV - or ones that you come up with all on your own. But your story should tell of someone going to one of these places - either intentionally or they just stumble across it - and what happens when they encounter the frightening/strange thing that is in or occurs in that location." Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

The Margins. Genre: Poetry by emerging and established Asian American and diasporic poets. Payment: $50 – $90 for a single poem. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Rattus Futura. Genre: Short stories, poetry, art about the future which feature rodents. Payment: $10 per accepted poem, 1c/word ($5 minimum.) for accepted fiction ($15 per page for graphic narrative fiction), $20 per accepted piece of non-narrative internal visual art, Half of above for reprints, $100 (negotiable) for the cover illustration. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Allegory. Genre: Speculative Fiction. Payment: $15. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

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

Dracula Beyond Stoker. Genre: Fiction based on Stoker’s characters. See theme. Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

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. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Air and Nothingness Press: We Are All Thieves of Somebody's Future. Genre: We are seeking stories for an anthology to be titled We Are All Thieves of Somebody's Future which will collect stories with the theme: Resource Scarcity - using up the last of a critical resource and dealing with the aftermath. While stories could be dystopic (ex. the last tree), authors could also explore hopepunk (losing a resource leads to something unforeseen and positive), solarpunk (a pollution laden resource leads to a better solution), fantasy (the last dragon). We are open to all genres. All stories are requested to be between 1000 and 3000 words in length. Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Event Magazine. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Poetry, fiction. Payment: CAD $40/page for poetry and $35/page for prose, up to a maximum of $500. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Freeze Frame Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction. "Any genre, no content restrictions. We want your science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, drama, literary works, satire, bizarre fiction, or anything else you can come up with or mix together. The more original, the better. The weirder, the better.” Payment: $10. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Dancing Star Press. Genre: Speculative fiction novellas. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

We're Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2023. Genre: Queer Speculative Fiction. Submissions are open for all speculative work published in 2023 under 17,500 words that deals either implicitly or explicitly with queerness. Editors and authors may submit. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

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

Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 1 cent/word for fiction and $5 - $10 for poetry. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

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

Dragon Soul Press: Across Time. Genre: "All time travel romance stories. Happily Ever After not required. All genres accepted." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Dragon Soul Press: Fallen. Genre: "All stories involving angels who have fallen from grace. Examples include it being a misunderstanding or they are purposely wreaking havoc. The darker, the better. All genres accepted." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

The Way of Worlds Genre: Speculative fiction. "We want aliens, solar systems, spaceships, alternate universes, and to go somewhere beyond imagination. We are looking for polished manuscripts of about 3,500 - 12,000 words." Payment: 3 cents per word. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Grendel Press: Uncanny & Unearthly Tales (Vol 2) – The Midnight Labyrinth. Genre: “Each story should feature a tale delivered from a character who stepped through a door and found themselves someplace unexpected. On their journey, they will notice a book called Midnight Labyrinth. No requirement to read or interact with it; it just needs to appear. Genre-bending is welcome! Sci-fi, steampunk, horror, fantasy, etc. … This anthology is an exploration of PLACE and FANTASY, so the MC in the story needs to actually find themselves in a new world/city/place that they’ve either never been before or haven’t been for a long time.” Payment: 5 cents per word. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Arithmophobia: An Anthology of Mathematical Horror. Genre: Horror with a mathematical theme. Payment: 1 cent/word. Word Count: 3,000 -15,000. Deadline: December 31, 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: December 31, 2023. Open to BIPOC writers only.

Arc Poetry Magazine. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $50 per page. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Best American. Genre: Published short stories, essays, food writing, mystery and suspense, nature writing, science fiction and fantasy. Payment: ? Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Nine Pens. Restrictions: Open to poets in UK and Ireland. Genre: Poetry pamphlets. See theme, Payment: Royalties? Deadline: December 31, 2023. 

Channel. Genre: Fiction, art, creative non-fiction, and poetry that engages with the natural world, and have a particular interest in work which encourages reflection on human interaction with plant and animal life, landscape and the self. Payment: €40/poem, and €50/page of prose up to €150. Deadline:  December 31, 2023. 

In The Mood Magazine. Genre: Writing about film, TV, and pop culture related to your hometown—however you may define it. Word count: 1,000 words max for features, 300 words max for Film Diaries. Payment: $30 CAD for features, $20 CAD for Film Diaries. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Book XI. Genre: Personal essays, memoir, fiction, science fiction, humor, and poetry with philosophical themes. Payment: $200 for prose; $50 for poetry. Deadline: December 31, 2023. Closes after 200 submissions.

AND A FEW MORE...

Three Ravens Press. Genre: Cryptid horror. Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 1, 2024.

Wild Umbrella. Genre: Short stories, essays, and poems. Payment: €10 per poem and €25 per fiction story or non-fiction essay. Deadline: January 1, 2024.

Cafe Irreal. Genre: Magical realism. Length: Up to 2,000 words. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: January 1, 2024.

Book Worms. Genre: Dark fiction, essays, poetry. Theme is My Bloody Valentine: dark love stories, Tinder dates gone horribly wrong, bitter romance, a lover’s revenge, tragic love, etc. Dark humor is okay, but it should fit the themes of horror and romance. Specifically looking for original poetry (any length). Payment: $0.08/word for prose. $25 – $50 per poem. Deadline: January 1, 2024.

Cardinal Rule Press Genre: Children’s picture books that empower children through meaningful stories for readers, age 4-11. They also publish non-fiction books for parents (word count up to 70k). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: Opens January 1, 2024.

The Body’s Experience of Religion. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $10. Deadline: January 1, 2024.

Totally Entwined: Oh, Baby!. Genre: Novellas, 30,000 - 50,000 words. Theme: Surprise Babies. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 1, 2024.

Here There Be Dragons. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. "Dragons are icons of fantasy and legends about them abound. Found in novels, poetry, and art, they stir the imagination as helpers, heroes, villains, and symbols of love, fear, and wealth. We are looking for renderings of dragons in writing and art that capture the essence of these fascinating creatures." Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: January 1, 2024.

Reservoir Road Literary Review. Genre: Literary short stories, lyrical creative non-fiction, photography. Payment: $5. Deadline: Opens January 1, 2024. Note: Submission window closes when their cap is reached.

June Road Press. Genre: Poetry collection, full-length, 40 to 60 poems, preferably the author’s first or second book. "We’re particularly interested in work with strong ecological/environmental themes, or that engages in meaningful ways with nature or place, by writers who identify as women." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 1, 2024.

66 Writing Contests in December 2023 - No entry fees

This December there are more than five dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $40,000 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: Pickpik)

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Otherwise Award. Genre: Work that is changing the way we think about gender through speculative narrative. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 1, 2023. (Deadline unclear)

Scriptlab. Genre: TV script or short screenplay. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry. Restrictions: Open to African poets who have not yet published a collection of poetry. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion Press in Senegal. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

The Watchword Prize. Genre: Poetry on theme: Surveillance. Prize: $2000. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

Thomas and Lillie D. Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing. Restrictions: Open to published writers who are writing from the region. Genres: All. Prize: $1000. Deadline: December 1, 2023. 

The Association of Jewish Libraries Jewish Fiction Award. Genre: All works of fiction with significant Jewish thematic content written in English–novels, short story and flash fiction collections–by a single author published and available for purchase in the United States during 2022 are eligible for the award. Jewish thematic content means an extended grappling with Jewish themes throughout the book, including Judaism, Jewish history and culture, Jewish identity, etc. Prize: The award will include a $1,000 cash prize as well as support to attend the AJL conference to receive the award. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

Tony Quagliano Poetry Fund, International Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to poets who have a published body of work over a period of years. Poems must be in English. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 1, 2023. (Biennial award) 

The David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction is offered annually to the best book in American historical fiction that is both excellent fiction and excellent history. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

Love Letters to London Writing Competition. Genre: Poetry and "open." The theme this year is Love Letters to London of the Future. What does your London of the future look like – what are your passions, hopes Prize: £150 - £500. Deadline: December 1, 2023. Open to all ages. Some reprints accepted.

Watchword Prize. Genre: Poetry. Theme: Surveillance ("any aspect of the phenomenon of watching and being watched, in both the intimate and public spheres of our lives"). Prize: $2,000 prize, online publication, and a public reading. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

The Pushcart Prize honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in small presses and literary magazines. Magazine and small press editors may nominate up to six works. Pushcart Press publishes yearly anthologies of the winning submissions. Prize: Publication and enormous prestige. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

The Schneider Family Book Award is sponsored by the American Library Association. The award honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Prize: Three annual awards each consisting of $5000 and a framed plaque, will be given annually in each of the following categories: birth through grade school (age 0-10), middle school (age 11-13) and teens (age 13-18). (Age groupings are approximations).  Genre: May be fiction, biography, or other form of nonfiction. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

Poetry Center at Smith College Prize. Restrictions: Open to sophomore or junior high school girls in New England. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

RSL Christopher Bland Prize. Restrictions: Writers must be a citizen of, or resident in, the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. Books must have been published for the first time in the UK or RoI within the 2023 calendar year. Books must be entered by trade publishers or agents based in the UK or RoI; each publisher, imprint of a publisher, or agent may enter two books only. Genre: Debut novel or non-fiction book first published by a writer aged 50 or over. Prize: £10,000. Deadline: December 1, 2023. 

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry. Restrictions: Open to African poets who have not yet published a collection of poetry. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion Press in Senegal. Deadline: December 1, 2023.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 3, 2023. Opens December 1.

Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Genre: Book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers and has the potential to shape or influence thinking on contemporary Canadian political life. Book must be published in Canada. Prize: CAN $25,000.  Deadline: December 6, 2023. (For books published between October 4, 2023 and December 5, 2023)

J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award. Genre: Nonfiction book. Applicants for the award must already have a contract with a U.S.-based publisher to write a nonfiction book. Award: $25,000. Deadline: December 7, 2023.

Prism: Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up, $400 2nd runner-up. Deadline: December 7, 2023. No entry fee for BIPOC and low income writers.

Women's Prize for Fiction. Genre: Published novel by a woman. Entrants must be writing in English and must be published in the UK between 1 December 2023 and 31 March 2024. All subject matters and women of any age, from any nationality or country of residence are eligible. Prize: £30,000.00. Deadline: December 8, 2023.

Friends of American Writers. Restrictions: The author must be a resident (or previously have been a resident for approximately five years) of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin; or the locale of the book must be in a region identified above. The author must not have published more than three books under his/her own pen name. Genres: Books can be fiction or creative non-fiction and published in 2023. Self-published and e-Books are not eligible. Prize: $500 - $2000. Deadline: December 10, 2023.

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships are awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period. Prize: $8,000 cash awards are made to individual originating artists living and working in the state of New York for unrestricted use. These fellowships are not project grants but are intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, regardless of the level of his or her artistic development. Deadline: December 13, 2023.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Flash fiction up to 1000 words on theme. Prize: $30. Deadline: December 14, 2023. See themes.

Subnivean New Writers Award: CNY High School Writing Scholarship Competition. Restrictions: Open to high-school-aged writers in Oswego County, Onondaga County, Oneida County, Herkimer County, Madison County, Cayuga County and Cortland County. Genre: Short stories and poetry. Prize: $100 bookstore gift certificate, $1,000 scholarship to attend SUNY Oswego as a creative writing or English major. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Witcraft Monthly Humour Competition. Genre: Humor with the emphasis on wit, word play, absurdity and inspired nonsense. Prize: First prize A$50, second prize A$20, third prize A$10, payable via Paypal only. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Ezra Jack Keats Children's Book Award. Genre: Published or self-published picture books that portray the universal qualities of childhood, a strong and supportive family, and the multicultural nature of our world. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Best First Crime Novel Competition. Restrictions: The Competition is open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any published novel (except that authors of self-published works only may enter, as long as the manuscript submitted is not the self-published work) and is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a novel. Genre: Murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

The Arts South Australia Wakefield Press Unpublished Manuscript Award. Restrictions: The competition is open to South Australian writers. Genre: Book-length manuscripts of non-fiction, fiction and poetry. Prize: $10,000 and publication by Wakefield Press. Deadline: December 15, 2023.

Kim Wall Memorial Fund 2024. Restrictions: Open to "journalists whose work embodies the spirit of Kim’s reporting. The grant will fund women or non-binary reporters covering subculture, broadly defined, and what Kim liked to call “the undercurrents of rebellion.” Kim wanted more women to be out in the world, brushing up against life, and the Kim Wall Memorial Fund honors this legacy.” Genre: Journalism. Prize: $5,000 grants. Deadline: December 17, 2023.

ReadWrite Strategies. Genre: Funny anecdotes about the workplace. Prize: 1st place will receive $500 and a print copy, 2nd place will receive $200 and a print copy; and 3rd, 4th, and 5th place will each receive $100 and a print copy. Deadline: December 18, 2023.

Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) provides direct support to individual Bronx artists who create literary, media, visual, and performing works of art. Prize: 25 BRIO grants of $3,000 each are awarded to Bronx artists. BRIO award winners complete a one-time public service activity. Deadline: December 18, 2023.

The Helen Anne Bell Poetry Bequest Award. Restrictions: Open to Australian women. Genre: Collection of poems by an Australian woman poet. Prize: $40,000. Deadline: December 18, 2023. Biennial award.

Rider University Annual High School Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students. Genres: Essays, poetry, fiction. Prizes: 1st-$100, 2nd-$50, 3rd-$25. Deadline: December 20, 2023.

Maureen Seaton Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to persons who reside, either full or part-time, in South Florida. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 21, 2023.

Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest. Restrictions: Registered undergraduate full-time Juniors or Seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States. Genre: Essay Topic: What challenges awaken your conscience? Is it the conflicts in American society? An international crisis? Maybe a difficult choice you face or a hard decision you had to make? Engage us. Enlighten us. Explore the ethics of any problem, question, or issue, whether close to home or in the world at large. We are eager to learn from you. Prize: First Prize $10,000, 2nd Prize $5,000, 3rd Prize $3,000, two Honorable Mentions $1,000 each. Deadline: December 29, 2023. 

VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Genre: First novel published in 2023. No self-published books.  Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 30, 2023.

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

Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poem inspired by artwork. (See site for image.) Prize: $100. Deadline: December 31, 2023. This is a monthly contest.

PEN Prison Writing Contest. Restrictions: Anyone incarcerated in a federal, state, or county prison is eligible to enter. Genres: Poetry, fiction, drama, creative nonfiction. Prize: $25 - $250. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

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: December 31, 2023.

Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Restrictions: Emerging African American writers. Genres: Short story collection or novel published in the current year. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Lilith Magazine Fiction Competition. Genre: Fiction. Short story of interest to Jewish women. Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

The Writers College: My Writing Journey Competition. Genre: Essay  on the theme: The best writing tip I’ve ever received. 600 words. Prize: $200 (R2 000 or £100).  Deadline: December 31, 2023.

The AIIRA Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to all high school students. Genre: This season, we're asking you to think about a career you'd like to have in the future. How will AI affect your role in that job within the next decade? How will AI benefit your career, and what responsibilities will become redundant due to AI? You can submit an essay exploring this topic and write a fictional scene depicting how your intended career may look ten years from now. Prize: First Place: $500 USD; Second Place: $400 USD; Third Place: $250 USD. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Iridescence Award. Restrictions: Open to literary or visual artists of the Black, Indigenous, or People of Color Community. Genre: Fantasy, folk mythology, science fiction, and the paranormal. Short fiction, poetry. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Litup: Reese’s Book Club Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to "unagented and unpublished women and nonbinary writers who are also diverse." Prize: LitUp will provide five emerging writers with an all-expenses-paid retreat, a three-month mentorship with a published author, and marketing support from Reese’s Book Club. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognizes outstanding works that contribute to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of the rich diversity of human cultures. Awards are given for both fiction and nonfiction. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas. Restrictions: Open to Jewish students enrolled at 2- or 4-year colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Genre: Essay. "We are currently accepting submissions of 1500-2000 word essays written by Jewish college students that describe an aspect of Jewish life on your campus and then explore what it means to you and what it might mean for other Jews. We are looking for a variety of perspectives, and we want to hear from you, no matter what your Jewish background is, where you go to school, or what you’re studying!" Prize: Up to four writers will receive $500 and publication in Sources. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Griffin Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. To be eligible for the prize, a book of poetry must be a published first-edition collection (i.e. not previously published in any country), written in English, or translated into English, by a poet/translator from any part of the world, including Canada. Entries must come from publishers only. Inquiries about entries must also come from publishers only. Prize: The winner will receive C$130,000 and the other shortlisted poets will each receive C$10,000. Deadline: December 31, 2023 for books published between July 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023.

The Lyric College Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to undergraduates enrolled full time in an American or Canadian college or university. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Neil Postman Award for Metaphor. Sponsored by Rattle. Genre: Poetry. All published submissions during the year are considered for the prize. Follow their regular submission guidelines. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: December 31, 2023. Read more about the award HERE.

The Caribbean Writer Prizes. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays or one act plays which explore the ideas resonating within the region and its diaspora, written by a US or UK Virgin Islands resident accepted for publication by The Caribbean Writer during the deadline year. 2023. See theme. Prize: $300 - $600. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Prize: $500 and publication in Meridians Journal: feminism, race, transnationalism. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

William Carlos Williams Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to students enrolled in programs leading to the Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy degree. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

The Four Quartets Prize. Genre: unified and complete sequence of poems published in America in a print or online journal, chapbook. Poems in the sequence may have been published in different journals provided that they were brought together and they form a complete sequence. Prize: Three finalists will receive $1,000 each. The winner will receive an additional $20,000. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Hooks Institute National Book Award. Genre: Nonfiction book that best furthers understanding of the American Civil Rights Movement and its legacy. Prize: $1000. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Dolors Alberola Poetry Prize. Genre: Full-Length poetry collection. Prize: Winner receives translation to another European language; publication of the collection (bilingual edition); 50 copies; and royalties. Finalists receive publication of the collection (Spanish edition), 10 copies of the book, and royalties on Publisher’s edition and subsidiary rights. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

The W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction honors the best fiction set in a period when the United States was at war. It recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel and encourages the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction. Genre: Military fiction. Prize: $5000. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition. Genre: Crime short story set in Scotland. Prize: First prize – £1000, Runner Up – £500. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Tartts Fiction Award. Restrictions: Open to Americans. Genre: Short story collection. Prize: Winning short story collection will be published by Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama, in simultaneous library binding and trade paper editions. Winning entry will receive $1000, plus their standard royalty contract, which includes 60 copies of the book. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme of Instability. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

The Drabble Harvest Contest. Genre: Drabble on theme of "Alien Fetishes." A "drabble" is defined as a short story containing exactly precisely no more and no fewer than 100 words. It has a title, which can be from 1 to 15 words-- but no more than 15. Prize: $5. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Black Caucus of the American Library Association. BCALA presents four awards to an African American writer published in the United States during the previous year: one for adult fiction, one for nonfiction, one for a first novelist and one for poetry. These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. Prize: Four $500.00 awards. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Wales Young Poets Award 2023. Restrictions: Open to young poets aged 10 - 17. Genre: Poetry in English and Welsh. Prize: £15 - £50 worth of National Book Tokens, writing goodie bag and publication. Deadline: December 31, 2023.

Lex:lead Essay Competition. Restrictions: Candidates must show citizenship in an eligible country and be enrolled in studies with at least one law class in an eligible country at the time of the award. Genre: Essay: How effective have laws protecting the rights of children been to reduce poverty and support economic development?  How could they be improved? Prize: $500 scholarship. Deadline: December 31, 2023 (Must have registered by October 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: December 31, 2023. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

4 Distinctive Writing Conferences and Workshops in December 2023

Because of the holidays, writing conferences are sparse in December. That doesn't mean there are none worth attending.

For a month-by-month list of conferences throughout the year see: Writing Conferences. (You will also find links to resources that can help you find conferences in your area on that page.)

(Image: Granite Dells, Arizona: Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress collection. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.)

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The Fall 2023 Online Writing Workshop of Chicago. December 8 - 9, 2023. "This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” online writing workshop. In other words, it’s two days full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. And even though this is the Online Fall “San Diego” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually. Our WDW writers conferences have helped dozens of writers find literary agent representation." 

Larksong's 4th Annual Speedwriting & Reading Party. Saturday, December 9, 2023: Online. Workshop Leaders: Zedeka Poindexter, Steve Edwards, Tommy Dean, Kelly Madigan. Readers: Cliff Taylor, Mary Pipher, JV Brummels, Monica Joy, LeeAnn Roripaugh. "The format is simple. We alternate five-minute readings with 15-minute mini writing workshops that start with a craft talk and end with a writing prompt. Five readings, four workshops, so you’ll not only leave the event inspired but you’ll have some new writing too! After the presentations there’s time for a Q&A with writers and other participants." Free.

A(n) (Un)holy Alliance: Braiding the Sacred and the Profane. December 13, 2023, 6:00-7:30PM EST. "The word profane refers to the secular world, the parts of a life that are not directly related to spiritual or religious practice. However you may define the spiritual in your own life, what might happen in our writing if we blend the sacred and the profane to make a liminal world where these two things coexist?" Free.

The Mesa Book Festival. December 16, 2023: Mesa, Arizona. The festival features presentations, readings, visits with authors, and a poetry open mic. "Everyone! Authors, Publishers, and Book Sellers are invited to  register for space to showcase, promote, and sell their books. Readers are invited to come and buy their books direct. We're encouraging a wide variety of literary arts purveyors to share their work to create a bigger audience for everyone." All events are free and open to the public.

7 New Agents Actively Seeking Horror, Thrillers, Westerns, Military, Speculative Fiction, Nonfiction, Kidlit and more

Here are seven new literary agents actively seeking clients. New agents are a boon to writers. They are actively building their lists, and will go the extra mile for their clients.

All of these agents work for established agencies with good track records. They are looking for all genres.

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 several agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another. (Some small agencies share. Be alert to a notice that "a no from one is a no from all.")

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

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Ms. Nour Sallam of P.S. Literary Agency

Nour Sallam is an associate agent at PSLA representing adult fiction and non-fiction. She first joined the PSLA team as an intern in 2022 before becoming a literary assistant. Nour has previously worked in editing, podcasting, communications, and journalism. She got her start at the University of British Columbia where she studied English Literature and Political Science. She then completed her publishing certificate at Toronto Metropolitan University. 

What she is seeking: Nour is acquiring both fiction and non-fiction for adults. As an Arab woman and an immigrant, she particularly loves books of any genre that feature BIPOC characters, complex and nuanced histories, power dynamics, or social and political issues.

How to submit: Read submission guidelines HERE.

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Mr. Jake Lovell of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

Jake joined SDLA in 2023. He earned his MA in Literature and Writing Studies from CSU San Marcos in 2021. He is also a veteran, having joined the Army in 2008. During his time he was promoted to Sergeant and served on two deployments overseas. Born and raised in Southern California, Jake proudly comes from a mixed cultural background and is second generation Chicano on his mother’s side.

What he is seeking: He is actively looking for adult fiction and non-fiction. He is interested in upmarket fiction, with an emphasis on: Gothic, horror, thrillers, westerns, military, and speculative fiction (supernatural, paranormal, UFOs, etc…; think Jordan Peele or 10 Cloverfield Lane). When it comes to fiction, he loves dark stories that cause readers to question turning off the lights before bed. Dark stories permeate through all cultures, backgrounds, and histories, and he wants to hear them. His tastes lean more in the vein of The Hunger by Alma Katsu, The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones, Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, and works by Paul Tremblay, Mona Awad, and Colson Whitehead. In general, he’s especially drawn to character driven stories written in distinct and diverse voices.

On the non-fiction front, Jake is looking for captivating stories and perspectives that stay with readers and keep them coming back. He is especially interested in working with historians, up-and-coming scholars looking to transition to trade readership, journalists, doctors, veterans, and people with unique takes on important issues. Think: Freakonomics, Outliers, A Molecule Away From Madness, Columbine, American Sniper, Empire’s Workshop, and The Fact of a Body.

How to submit: Use his querymanager HERE.

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Ms. Paula Weiman of ASH Literary (UK)

Paula (they/them) joined the ASH Literary team in 2023 as an Agent after a career in literary scouting and educational publishing. Based in New York and with a background in foreign rights, they bring an international approach to selling their clients’ work. Their goal is to help as many children as possible to see their experiences represented on the page for the first time.

What they are seeking: Children's and YA literature.

How to submit: Send your query to submissions@ashliterary.com

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Mr. Noah Grey Rosenzweig of Triangle House

Noah Grey Rosenzweig grew up in New Jersey before moving to D.C. in 2017 and graduating from Georgetown University. He was previously a literary assistant at Ross Yoon Agency, and just completed the editorial fellowship with Grove Atlantic and Roxane Gay Books. 

What he is seeking: Noah is interested in representing both fiction and non-fiction. He is a reader of all fiction but has a particular love for literary, climate, and speculative fiction, as well as the occasional YA novel. He has an eye out for stories that hold up a mirror to our culture in new ways, and he's especially interested in queer and trans coming-of-age fiction.

They are also looking for narrative non-fiction that chronicles recent history, cultural trends, technology, and social rules that explain why and how we live in our current world. Above all, Noah is looking for work that is subversive — in prose, style, or subject. 

How to submit: Use his querymanager HERE.

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Ms. Erica McGrath of Writers House

Before joining Writers House, I studied Visual Arts and English at SUNY New Paltz and interned at not-for-profit art organizations like The Center for Photography at Woodstock and Musee Magazine. Now, combining my literary and artistic passions with my business sensibilities, I’m dying to read your work! As a Cancer sun, Virgo rising, and the eldest daughter of four siblings, I come well equipped as an intuitive, organized, and dedicated advocate. I am a passionate collaborator eager to support authors on this emotional journey to create lasting and inspiring projects.

What she is seeking: I’m looking to work with authors and illustrators across all age ranges, in genres ranging from picture books to middle grade and YA, to adult literary fiction and nonfiction.

How to submit: Please email your submission to emcgrath@writershouse.com. The email subject line should contain “query”, and please include a query letter, synopsis, and approximately 10-15 sample pages of your work (or sample artwork/manuscript for picture book and graphic novel submissions.)

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Mr. John Blase of The Bindery

John Blase spent over a decade as an editor and ghostwriter in traditional publishing working with such names as Eugene Peterson, Ann Voskamp, and Brian Zahnd. During that time, he penned two books with his name on the spine—one of them a self-published poetry endeavor titled The Jubilee. At the end of the day, he tries to live by writer George Saunders’ advice: “Stop trying to teach the world something and instead refuse to be boring.”

What he is seeking; John’s long been a culture junkie hooked on everything from the drama of “Hill Street Blues” (which dates him) to the wonder of Game of Thrones to the thoughts of Ta-Nehisi Coates to the poetry of Taylor Swift. And he still mourns the loss of Anthony Bourdain. While loving all genres of literature, he admits a weakness for fiction, short stories, and memoir. A good story, well-told, he simply finds hard to resist.

How to submit: Read submission guidelines HERE.

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Ms. Jenny Simpson of Paper Literary (UK)

Jenny began her publishing career at ICM Partners in New York in the subsidiary rights department. She was promoted to agent in 2021, handling all domestic subsidiary rights on behalf of the department, with a focus on audiobook and first serial rights. She has negotiated and sold rights at significant six-figure levels on behalf of prize-winning and bestselling authors and journalists. During her time at ICM (now CAA), Jenny worked across the Publishing and Podcasting departments, servicing clients in their ventures into the original audio and podcast marketplaces. 

What she is seeking: I am on the hunt for commercial fiction and select nonfiction titles on health and wellness-related topics. I always lean towards stories about domestic family dramas, adult and female friendships, and contemporary romances with a modern edge. I am constantly thinking about the various paths life can take you, so any story that incorporates a time loop (think OONA OUT OR ORDER by Margarita Monitmore), spans one’s lifetime on a specific anniversary or season (ONE DAY by David Nicholls) or has that Sliding Doors-esque quality (THE VERSIONS OF US by Laura Barnett).

I now reside in Belgium with my husband and dog, a Corgi named Olive! If you have a story that elaborates on the expat experience, particularly its impact on family life, marriages and friendships, please send my way! Similarly, I will always pick up a book set in a boarding school to take me back to my teenage self, a la Curtis Sittenfeld’s PREP and FOSTER DADE EXPLORES THE COSMOS by Nash Jenkins.

My nonfiction taste leans towards topics on self-improvement and self-discovery. I love approachable books with digestible scientific research that help improve everyday life for all. In other words, I always want to learn, but never want to feel too intimidated by the material. In a similar vein, I enjoy reading first-hand accounts from individuals navigating wellness obstacles on a path towards self-improvement, for example GROUP by Christie Tate.

How to submit: Read submission requirements HERE.