101 Calls for Submissions in August 2024 - Paying markets

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

I post 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!

Note: I update this list continually throughout the month, so check back frequently for new submission calls.

(Image: PxHere)

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The Icarus Writing Collective. Genre: Stories that retell, adapt, or transcend literary classics and mythology. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: Opens August 1, 2024.

The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, micro-fiction. Length: Under 3,000 words preferred. Payment: $75. Deadline: Opens August 1, 2024. They open to fee-free submissions on the first of each month and close when they reach their quota.

The Rumpus. Genre: Essays. Payment: $400 divided among all contributors. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Quill and Crow. Genre: Dark speculative fiction novels (45k - 110k words). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

ryga. Genre: Poetry, prose and short plays. Payment: $50. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

The Quiet Ones. Genre: Quiet Horror and Intimate-Scale Dystopian Fiction. "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: August 1, 2024.

DarkLit Press: In the Gallows Wake – A Pirate Horror Anthology. Genre: Pirate-themed horror. Payment: $0.01/word. Deadline: August 1, 2024. Reprints accepted.

The Offing: Back of the Envelope. Genre: Back of the Envelope seeks writing of any length and genre which relates to, or draws on, science and the natural world. Sharing its wonder or its horrors, relating the untold stories of discovery, or toying with everyday curiosities, we're interested in hearing from those inside and outside the scientific community. Payment: $25–$100. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: August 1, 2024. See themes.

Zombies in the New Normal. Genre: Zombie stories. Payment: $100. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Broken Highways. Genre: Car Wars GameLit Fiction. "Theme: Have you ever looked at someone, and just know that they have one hell of a tale to tell? First-hand accounts from the road, told by the bounty hunters, highwaymen, and Federal Marshals out there in the mix." Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000.  Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Steamworks. Charlesbridge has partnered with Count Play Explore, an initiative led by the Office of Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, Early Care and Education Department, to develop a series of fiction picture books and board books about science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) in both English and Spanish. Genre: Realistic, contemporary fiction manuscripts. Target audiences are children ages 0–3 (board books) and 4–7 (picture books) and their caregivers. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Face the Storm. Genre: Speculative Fiction. Theme: A collection of stories dealing with Space Coasties! Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Fiction, 15 cents/word. Poetry, $10. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

From Beyond Press. Genre: Nonfiction book proposals about fantasy, horror, or science fiction films. "We want fun, informative books written by people who genuinely love and know a lot about their subjects. Books will take the form of guides to a particular subgenre or theme, such as essential post-apocalyptic movies, movies about time travel, horror films directed by queer directors, sci-fi films that feature disabled characters, etc. They can be written as individual reviews or as thematic chapters." Payment: $250 and royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

The First Line. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction using the first line provided. (See site.) Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $10.00 for poetry, and $25.00 for nonfiction. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

We'Moon Lunar Calendar. Restrictions: Open to women only. Genre: Art, poetry and prose, 350 words maximum. Payment: Small honorarium; art up to $500. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: August 2, 2024. Opens August 1.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: August 2, 2024.

Tales from the Moonlit Path. Genre: Dark, eerie speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: $10 for fiction. Deadline: August 2, 2024.

Sci Phi Journal. Genre: Speculative fiction and philosophy. Length: Up to 2,000 words. Payment: €0.03/word for original fiction, €0.01/word for translations. Deadline: August 4, 2024.

Cirsova. Genre: Genre fiction short stories. Payment: $0.0125 per word. Deadline: August 4, 2024.

12 Spooky Campfire Stories for the Bravest of Boys. Genre: MG spooky stories. Payment: 01 per word. Deadline: August 4, 2024.

Griffith Review. Genre: Poetry on theme Leaps of Faith. Payment: AUD$200 per poem. Deadline: August 4, 2024.

Stone's Throw. Genre: Noir stories about sports. Length: between 1,000 and 2,000 words. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 4, 2024. 

L'Esprit Literary Review. Genre: Short fiction, creative non-fiction, novel extracts, drama, literary criticism, book reviews, artwork, and photography. "L’Esprit Literary Review publishes work written in the fearless, risk-adept, and revolutionary spirit of High Modernism." Payment: $10. Deadline: August 5, 2024.

Affirm Press Restrictions: They only accept Australians. Genre: All literary and genre fiction. For non-fiction, they are interested in most subjects that have a connection to Austria. authors or authors based in Australia, and only manuscripts that haven’t been previously published. They only accept submissions on the first Monday of each month. Read their submission guidelines here. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 5, 2024.

just femme & dandy. Genre: Fashion for the LGBTQIA+ community. Theme: The Drag Issue. "Our definition of drag is expansive, and we invite you to consider how drag as the performance of gender shows up in your lives. We want to hear about how/when/where gender is performed, the day to day lives behind the makeup, the politics of gender and normativity, different forms of drag, how this all coincides with fashion and dress. While we would love to hear from up and coming drag artists and independent fashion designers, this theme is for everyone, not just drag artists and enthusiasts. If you have something to say about gendered performance, we want to hear it! You are welcome to send us submissions outside of the theme, but submissions that relate to the theme are highly encouraged. We accept anything that can be displayed on a website: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, tutorial, illustration, comix, photography, painting, video, drag, costume/fashion designs, hot takes, interviews, and so on!" Payment: 50 USD per text-based submission and 150 USD per multimedia submission (video, photography, image + text, fashion spread + interview, etc.). Deadline: August 5, 2024.

Utopia Science Fiction. Genre: Utopian science fiction. Payment: $0.04/word for fiction, $30 for nonfiction, $25 for poetry. Deadline: August 6, 2024.

Abyss and Apex. Genre: Speculative fiction. No horror. Payment: USD $.08/word (eight cents a word) up to 1,000 words, and a flat payment of $80.00 for longer stories. Deadline: August 7, 2024.

Anodyne. Genre: Fiction, CNF, Poetry, Art, Photography, Video on theme of Health. Payment: Revenue sharing. Deadline: August 7, 2024.

Notch. Genre: Previously unpublished fiction exploring the state of motionless vertigo, poetry from the precipice, essays that rescue excellent works from obscurity, comparative criticism stitching together unexpected forms, screenplays that capture the seismic potential between two souls. Art. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: August 10, 2024.

Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to submissions from the UK, Europe, the Commonwealth and every other country except for the USA. Genre: Fiction between 500 and 5,000 words. Payment: 2p (£0.02) per word, to the nearest 100 words, with a minimum of £30 and maximum £100. Deadline: August 11, 2024. 

Scream Queer Anthology: Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are! Genre: Short stories (3-4k), based on the theme—scream queers. (See site for details) Payment: $50. Deadline: August 12, 2024.

Collective Madness: Schisms of the Soul. Genre: Dark fantasy short stories in the theme of “schisms of the soul.” Examples of this could include: Going insane, complicated ethical dilemmas, dimensional rifts, puppet masters, transformations (people becoming monsters or animals), hive minds, etc.  Payment: $15. Deadline: August 13, 2024.

Poetry Wales. Genre: Poetry. "We are especially interested in submissions of innovative poetry (in form, content or a combination of both), as well as innovative essays and reviews." Payment: £20/page. Deadline: August 13, 2024.

Orange & Bee. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, experimental and hybrid work. Payment: Poetry: flat rate $US50.00 per poem. Flash: flat rate $US80.00 per story (max 1000 words) Short fiction/non-fiction: $US0.08 per word (max 4000 words) Deadline: August 14, 2024.

The Four Faced Liar. Genre: Fiction, CNF, Poetry, Art. Payment: €200 for short stories or creative nonfiction, €100 per poem, €100 for flash fiction. Deadline: August 14, 2024.

Lycan Valley Press Publications (LVP Publications). Genre: horror, thriller and pulp novellas with some type of paranormal, supernatural, occult or psychological aspect. Own Voices and BIPOC are strongly encouraged to submit. Adult and YA novellas considered. Length: 17,000 to 28,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 14, 2024.

Orca. Genre: Literary fiction. Payment: $50 for short stories, $25 for flash fiction. Deadline: August 15, 2024. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fees.

Dark Waters Volume 2. Genre: Crime/horror/noir. Length: Up to 7,000 words. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Bad Day Book - Teaching Edition. Genre: Poetry and prose. See site for theme. Payment: $40 - $75, depending on length. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

the other side of hope. Genre: Poetry by refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants only. They accept submissions in any language other than English. Payment: £50. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Luna Station Quarterly. Restrictions: Open to women writers only. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 15, 2024. Some reprints accepted.

khōréō. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. "This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, transnational/transracial adoptees, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. We especially encourage BIPOC creators who identify as the above to submit their work." Genre: Stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Payment: 0.08/word for fiction, $100 for nonfiction, and $40-300 for art. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Ricochet Editions. Genre: Hybrid/Experimental work between 40 and 200 pages. "We are looking for purposeful experimentation with language and form that challenges or plays with convention." Payment: $500 and 50 copies of the perfect-bound book. Deadline: August 15, 2024. No submission fee for POC and Indigenous writers and writers facing financial hardship.

Dirty Magick Magazine. Genre: Fantasy fiction with a hard-boiled edge. "We are interested in urban fantasy, sword and sorcery, and gothic/supernatural horror. We also like speculative fiction, especially steampunk and cyberpunk, but they must contain a magical twist. But the true spirit of this magazine lies in the hybrid space, where crime/detective modes can be combined with fantastic premises." Payment: $50. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

The Lorelei Signal. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, and poetry with strong female characters. Payment: $15 for short stories, $5 for poems and flash (<1000 wds) fiction pieces, $5 for reprints. Deadline: August 15, 2024. Accepts reprints.

Root Quarterly. Restrictions: RQ is a quarterly print-only journal of art and ideas from Philadelphia. Genre: Nonfiction, art. "We are publishing RQ in part because we’d like to promote regional arts and culture, makers, and entrepreneurs, be part of the national discourse on important issues, build a community of thoughtful people, and reclaim discourse from the highly-politicized, rage-stoking space of social media." See theme. Payment: $25 - $100 depending on the piece and its length. Deadline: August 15, 2024. Pitches only. 

Subterrain. Genre: Creative nonfiction, commentary, fiction and poetry. See theme. Payment: Poetry: $50 per poem; Prose: $.10 per word (to a maximum of $500). Deadline: August 15, 2024. No fee if submitted by mail. Journal is located in Canada.

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. $20 per original poem and $10 for reprints. $100 for issue cover art, $30 for back cover art, and $20 for art used on their website. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Crimson Quill Quarterly. Genre: Dark fantasy, sword & sorcery, and ​grimdark ​subgenres of fantasy. Payment: $30. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Little Red Flags. Genre: Horror. "Bring us your fiction stories of fanaticism, fundamentalism, extremism, and control. We want to read about cons people pull off that make our jaws drop. The horrors hiding just beyond the edges of our better judgment." Word Limit: 1000-4000 words, no exceptions. Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: August 16, 2024.

Saros Speculative Fiction. Genre: Speculative Fiction. Payment: $40 CAD per story and $40 CAD for cover art. Deadline: August 18, 2024.

Pseudopod. Genre: Horror. Payment: USD $0.08 per word for original fiction. USD $100 per story for reprint fiction. Deadline: August 19, 2024.

Solarpunk Micro Mini. Genre: Solarpunk micro fiction, 250 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 21, 2024.

The Deadlands. Genre: Fiction. "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/word. Deadline: August 21, 2024.

Truborn Press: Punk Goes Horror. Genre: Horror. Length: 2,000-4,000 words. See theme. Payment: $0.05/word. Deadline: August 25, 2024.

Geist. Restrictions: Canadian connection required. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. Payment: $100 - $1000. Deadline: August 26, 2024. Geist offers no-fee general submissions for Black writers, Indigenous writers, and writers of color.

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. Deadline: August 28 2024.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Thirty West. Genre: Full-length manuscripts. "We are open to many literary themes and poetic forms & styles." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Bad Day Book - College Life Edition. Genre: Poetry and prose. See site for theme. Payment: $40 - $75, depending on length. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Bad Day Book - Special Needs Edition. Genre: Poetry and prose. See site for theme. Payment: $40 - $75, depending on length. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Valiant Scribe.Genre: Fiction, non-fiction prose, and poetry. Each person can submit up to 5 poems, and the word count limit per prose piece is 3,000 words. See theme. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Hellbound Books: Flash Fiction. Genre: Horror flash fiction. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Satan Rides Anthology. Genre: Horror. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Creature Features. Genre: Horror. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Dragon Soul Press: Magick and Malice. Genre: "All witch stories for all genres." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Claret Press. Genre: Full-length fiction and nonfiction. "We love a great read about our shared world, about politics, people and places. Our mission is to publish engrossing books which engage with the issues of the day. Everything is political, so we publish across a range of genres." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Dragon Mythicana. Genre: Short stories. "There be dragons, that’s all we ask. They can be friends or foes. Dragons in space, flying dragons, dragon-shifters or whatever you have." Payment: Royalty share of D2D sales, or $20.00. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Forgetting Something? Comedic Alien Stories Anthology. Genre: Funny alien stories. Payment: 2500-4500 word stories pays $10 CAD + free ebook. 4501-6500 word stories pays $15 CAD + free ebook. Reprints will be paid at half rate. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Reprints accepted.

Cast of Wonders. Restrictions: Open to writers under the age of 20. Genre: YA Speculative fiction; podcast. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction up to 6,000 words. For reprints, a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction. Deadline: Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Sley House. Genre: Novels and novellas heavily grounded in science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, or thriller, or some blend of genres. Note: Sley House also publishes anthologies and hosts a podcast. Payment: Royalties and small advance. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

West Avenue Publishing: Secrets of the Snow Globe. Genre: Fantasy and Horror set at Christmas and a snow globe must feature. Length: 4,000-10,000 words. Payment: £10. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Reverent: An Anthology of Divinity. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry on the Divinity theme. Length: 1,000 – 6,000 words for short stories, up to 40 lines for poems, up to 2,000 words non-fiction. Payment:$50. Deadline: August 31, 2024. 

Anansi publishes literary fiction, poetry, nonfiction, graphic novels, and crime fiction by Canadian authors. "We publish approximately fifty new books a year, four of which are poetry. We have a roster of talented authors who have previously published with us and continue to produce award-winning progressive new works." Read submission guidelines here. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Acre is an imprint of the Cincinnati Review. Genre: Full-length fiction and nonfiction. Read submission guidelines here. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Alien Dimensions: 100,000 Years of Galactic Peace. Genre: Science fiction. Length: 5,000-7,000 words. See theme. Payment: $20. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

In the Mood. Genre: Nonfiction. "Stuck in the past? We want to hear about it. For our 11th issue we are looking for submissions on period pieces. From ancient times (Last Temptation of Christ) to recent past (Uncut Gems) we want to hear your take on how films have represented, invented, or misunderstood a previous era. Send us personal pieces, film diaries, fan fiction, and experimental pieces on anything set in the past. This could be a specific film, era or historical figure, an aspect of filmmaking (candlelight in Barry Lyndon), or a broader trend in film history or present." Payment: $30 CAD per feature and $20 CAD for film diaries. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

The Ampersand Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and essays. Payment: $100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

UWA Publishing (University of Western Australia). Genre: Children's and YA fiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Ecotone. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. "We are particularly interested in place-based work by people historically underrepresented in literary publishing and in place-based contexts: writers and artists who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, people with disabilities, gender-nonconforming, LGBTQIA+, women, and others. We welcome the work of emerging writers." Payment: $100 minimum for poetry and a $200 minimum for prose. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Fee-free peroid opens August 29.

Black Hare Press: Tumbleweed Anthology. Genre: Speculative fiction. "In the desolate landscapes of Utah (or, in fact, any real or fictional place you choose), a bizarre phenomenon unfolds as thousands of tumbleweeds amass, engulfing residential yards, barricading buildings, and rendering roads impassable." Payment: $20 - $25, depending on length. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Mermaidens 2: Darker Waters. Genre: Dark mermaid stories. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

After Happy Hour. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, visual art, and hybrids  Payment: $10 honorarium on publication ($25 for cover art). Deadline: August 31, 2024. (Free submissions capped at 300)

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Change your habits & attitudes / change your life. Genre: Nonfiction. We are looking for true stories about how you realized a certain habit or attitude was detrimental to you, what you did to change that, and the difference it made in your life. Payment: $200. Deadline: August 31, 2024. 

Room Magazine. Restrictions: Open to artists of marginalized genders. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, visual art, and poems. Payment: $50 per page. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Broken Sleep Books. (UK) Genre: Nonfiction pamphlets (up to 150 pages). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories, 12,000 words minimum. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Made in L.A. Restrictions: Preference for writers who currently live in and around Los Angeles. Genre: Fiction. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Accepts reprints.

Fifth Wheel Press: light em up. Genre: Poetry, prose poetry, short prose (<1500 words), and other experimental writing by queer, trans, and gender variant writers. Visual components and hybrid formats are welcome. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry on theme. See theme. Payment: $30. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Opens August 15. Submission periods are extended by a week for BIPOC creators only.

Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Close My Eyes Forever. Genre: Crime Fiction Inspired by Heavy Metal Hits. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Split Lip Magazine. Genre: Fiction (flash and short stories), memoirs, and poetry. with a pop-culture twist. Payment: $75 for poems, memoirs, flash, fiction, and art, $50 for interviews/reviews, and $25 for mini-reviews web issues. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Closes when they reach capacity, so submit early. 

Gwyllion. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: £10 per accepted story or poem. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Nashville Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art, and nonfiction. Payment: $25 per poem & song selection; $100 per selection for all other categories, including featured artwork. Translators receive $25 per poem & $100 for prose selections. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

The Rialto. Genre: Poetry. Payment: £20. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Qwerty. Genre: Fiction, CNF, Poetry. Payment: $15 CAD. Deadline: Deadline extended to August 31, 2024.

Sundress. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Submission fee is waived for all BIPOC writers. 

AND A FEW MORE...

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: September 1, 2024.

Lucent Dreaming. Genre: Poetry, prose, art, and creative non-fiction. Payment: £30  - £80. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Book Worms. Genre: Horror: fiction, poetry, and essays. See theme. Length: Up to 1,500 words. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: September 1, 2024. See themes.

Seems a Little Crazy! Genre: Speculative Fiction. Packed full of Aliens, Deep State government, Reptilian Overlords, and more! Show us your freakiest Conspiracy Theory! Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Orion's Belt. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Length: 1200 words max. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Talk Vomit. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Themes: American Gothic, Caregiving. Payment: Fiction and nonfiction - $10-30; poetry - $5-15. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Midnight and Indigo. Genre: Short Stories, Speculative Fiction, and Personal Essays written by Black women writers. Theme: Music. Payment: $50 - $100. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Edge City. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art. Payment: $30. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

40 Writing Contests in August 2024 - No entry fees

This August there are more than three dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes this month range from $100,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.

Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.

If you want to get a jump on next month's contests go to Free Contests. Many of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline has passed, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck! 

Note: I update this list continually throughout the month, so check back frequently for new contests.

(Image: Flickr: Matthew Whitehead)

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MoonLit Getaway Writing and Art Contest. Restrictions: Open to submissions from within North America. Genre: Flash fiction, poetry, art. Prize: $100. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists. Restrictions: Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated sufficient income to support the author. Genre: Book-length children's or young-adult fiction. Prize: $5000. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

PEN/Bare Life Review Grants. Restrictions: Open to immigrant and refugee writers in the US and abroad. Genre: Unpublished work-in-progress that will not be published prior to April 1, 2026. The project must be a work of a literary nature: fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry. Prize: $5000. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: Delaware poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who have lived in Delaware for at least one year prior to application and who are not enrolled in a degree-granting program. Genres: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction. Prize: Established Professional Fellowships of $6,000 each and Emerging Artist Fellowships of $3,000 each. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Leeway Foundation Art and Change Grants. Restrictions: Open to women and trans artists in Greater Philadelphia to fund art for social change projects. People living in Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia counties Delaware who are 18 years of age or older and who are not full-time students in a degree-granting arts program are eligible. Genre: Art in traditional or nontraditional modes, mediums or disciplines. Prize: $2500. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Granum Foundation Prize helps U.S.-based writers complete substantive literary works—such as poetry books, essay or short story collections, novels, and memoirs—or to help launch these works. Additionally, a Granum Foundation Translation Prize will be awarded to support the completion of a work translated by a U.S.-based writer. Prize: One winner will receive $5,000; up to three finalists will be awarded $500 or more; $500 or more will be awarded to one writer working in translation. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Oregon Literary Fellowships. Two fellowships (one $10,000 grant and one $3,500 grant) are reserved specifically for writers of color. There are also fellowships for women/gender-nonconforming writers as well as special fellowships for fiction writers who have lived in Oregon over the past 5 years. Deadline: August 2, 2024.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. "On each competition weekend, we’ll reveal a set of story prompts and you’ll have 55 hours to submit your best story of 500-words (or fewer)." Prize: $500AUD. Deadline: Opens August 2, 2024. Closes August 4, 2024. (Australian time)

Unicorn Mech Suit. Genre: Science fiction or fantasy. Length: 500-1500 words. Prize: $400. Deadline: August 8, 2024.

Peter Blazey Fellowship.  Restrictions: Applicants must either be an Australian citizen or have Australian residency. Genre: Non-fiction in the fields of autobiography, biography or life writing. Prize: $15,000, and a one-month writer-in-residency at The Australia Centre. Deadline: August 12, 2024.

Waterford Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of Ireland. Genre: Poem. Prize: First prize is €400 plus attendance at a designated writing course. Deadline: August 12, 2024.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Flash fiction between 1k words max based on theme. Prize: $30. Deadline: August 14, 2024.

John Glassco Translation Prize. Sponsored by Literary Translators' Association of Canada. Restrictions: Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents only. Genre: The work submitted must be the translator's first published book-length translation into English or French. Prize: $1000. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Ligonier Valley Writers. Genre: Flash fiction on theme;1000 words max. Prize: The first prize winner will receive $50, second prize $25, and third prize $15. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Scotiabank Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English between  July 1, 2024, and September 30, 2024. Must  be nominated by publisher. Genre: Fiction. Full-length novel or collection of short stories published in English, either originally, or in translation. Prize: $100,000 to the winner and $10,000 to each of the finalists. Deadline: August 16, 2024.

Lucky Jefferson Poetry and Prose Contest. Restriction: Open to anyone over the age of 10. Genre: Poetry and prose. Prize: $100, publication, and a swag box. Deadline: August 18, 2024.

Pen and Quill. Restrictions: Only writers between ages 12 and 21 years can enter. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and other (which do not fit poetry or fiction, like nonfiction, experimental work, scripts). Theme: “Longing and Dreamscapes”. Prize: $200, $100, $50; $20 for a middle school standout. Deadline: August 18, 2024.

Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour. Restrictions: Open to British novelists of color with no previous published books and not currently signed by an agent. Genre: Novel. Prize: £500 and a meeting with a literary agent. Deadline: August 19, 2024.

Write the World: Flash Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19.5. Genre: Flash fiction, 100 words max. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50. Deadline: August 26, 2024.

On the Premises. Genre: Short story. "For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which one or more characters with significant expertise in some area matter to the story. The expert(s) DO NOT have to be the story’s main character(s), though it’s fine if they are–the judges won’t care either way. We’re also open to the idea that your story’s character(s) with expertise might be either wrong, or frauds, or idiots. (Or they’re legitimate experts!) However, the idea of expertise, and at least one person who has it (or doesn’t?) has to matter to the story." Prize: Up to $250. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

RSL Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction. Restrictions: The writer must be a resident of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or have been a resident in the UK or ROI for the past three years. Genre: Nonfiction book. Prize: Two awards – one of £10,000, one of £5,000 – are offered to support writers to complete their first commissioned works of non-fiction. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Flash fiction on theme of Summer Camp. Your story must be no longer than 101 words. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Preservation Foundation Biographical Nonfiction Contest. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $250 in any single year. Genre: Biographical Nonfiction. Prize: First prize is $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Finalists will receive $50. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Presence Short Story Award. Genre: Short story on theme: Ghosts. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Northwind Writing Award. Genre: Prose Poetry, Poetry, Short Fiction, and Non-fiction/Essay/Memoir. Prize: $100 and publication. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry collection (in English), at least 48 pages long, published between July 1 of the previous year and June 30 of the deadline year by an upstate New York author. Prize: $2000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to students who are FULL TIME, undergraduate students in an AMERICAN COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY during the Spring 2024 semester. Genre: Essay on topic: “In this current presidential election year, which some have described as the most important in history, what arguments can be made that the 1864 Lincoln-McClellan race was indeed the most crucial of American history.” Prize: 1st Prize $1500 | 2nd Prize $750 | 3rd Prize $500. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Morioka International Haiku Contest. Genre: Haiku. Prize: Not specified. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Sundog Summer Collaboration Contest. Genre: "Sometimes teamwork is what makes the dreamwork, so this summer we want to see what you’ve created with another writer (or two or three⁠ — there’s actually no limit) for our annual Collaboration Contest. Submit your wildest, most inventive work of any or mixed genre. Just keep your hybrid masterpiece to 1,000 words or less." Prize: $300 and publication. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Kindle Storyteller Award (UK). Restrictions: The prize is open to all authors who publish their book through Kindle Direct Publishing on Amazon.co.uk. Genre: Book. Prize: £20,000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, maximum 5,000 words. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation or Multi-Lingual Texts. Restrictions: Translators and authors of multi-lingual texts. Genres: Poetry and prose. Prize: $200. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

“Kusamakura” Haiku Competition. Genre: Haiku. Prize: (Grand Prize) to one winner : goods worthy of ￥20,000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Poetry Archive NOW! WordView. Genre: Poetry. "Make a video/film recording of yourself reading or reciting a single poem which you have written in 2024." Prize: £100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing. Genre: Short story with an overall word-count of 1500 on theme: "Letters to My Love" Prize: £100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

21 Futures: Financial Fallout. Genre: Fiction (up to 3,000 words) "Which catastrophic failures will we see in the next 100 years? And how will it affect ordinary citizens of the world?" Prize: 1st place: $1,000 + feature interview; 2nd place: $500 + podcast appearance; 3rd place: $250 + social media shoutout; 4th place: $100 + signed book. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing. Genre: Scholarly essay. All work submitted must have been written or published within the last year. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poetry based on art. (See website) Prize: $100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.

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: August 31, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

24 Awesome Writing Conferences and Workshops in August 2024

This August there are two dozen writing conferences and workshops. Some conferences and workshops will be held online, but most will be held in person or use a hybrid format.

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

For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences. If you miss an application deadline, put it on your calendar for next year. Quite a few conferences offer scholarships, so apply early. Plan ahead!

Be sure to check out Highlights list of workshops. They offer many throughout the year. 

(Image: Cape Cod: Flickr)

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Mendocino Coast Writers Conference. August 1 - 3, 2024: Mendocino, California. The conference features workshops for poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, as well as craft seminars, panels, one-on-one manuscript consultations, and open mics. The faculty includes poet Douglas Manuel; poet and nonfiction writer Jane Wong; fiction writers Nic Anstett, Francesca Lia Block, Kate Folk, Gene Kwak, and Lio Min; fiction and nonfiction writer Henry Hoke; and nonfiction writers Jessica Ferri and Angela Garbes. Fiction writer Rachel Kushner will deliver the keynote address. Participating publishing professionals include agent Sarah Bowlin (Aevitas Creative Management) and editor Alyssa Ogi (Tin House). The registration fee is $875 and includes morning workshops, all afternoon events, and breakfast and lunch each day. One-on-one manuscript consultations are available for an additional $60. Lodging is available at a wide range of accommodations on the Mendocino Coast, including oceanfront inns, campgrounds, glamping facilities, and motels. The registration deadline is June 30. (If you missed the deadline, put this on your calendar for next year.)

The Writers Studio is sponsored by the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. August 1 - 4, 2024: Westwood Village, CA. The conference offers workshops in fiction and creative nonfiction, as well as writing for television and film. Offered by the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, the Writers Studio brings together a community of writing students to workshop with some of Southern California’s most accomplished writers and teachers. From among the 10 offered, participants choose one workshop in which they work closely with a professional writer in classes limited to no more than 15 people. 

Cape Cod Writers Center Conference. August 1 - 4, 2024: Hyannis, Massachusetts. Supporting published and aspiring writers. Featuring distinguished authors, editors and agents in workshops on fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, poetry, mysteries and thrillers, social media, promotion and more! 

IWWG Summer Writers Conference. August 1 - 5, 2024: Bristol, RI. Writing Together, IWWG’s 2024 Summer Conference, will take place August 1-5 on the beautiful, seaside campus of Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. Join us for this once-a-year immersive weekend; experience Community, Connection, and Creativity in the company of women Writing Together.

First Friday Book Talk & Reading Series. August 2, 2024: Online. "Meet Anna Monardo, author of "After Italy: A Family Memoir of Arranged Marriage." It is the story of two marriages undone by a dowry and the fallout from that rift on three generations of a Southern Italian family. Enlisting Calabrian folklore, epigenetics, and psychology, Anna Monardo charts her grandfathers’ immigration to a Pittsburgh steel town; her father’s wartime as a medical student in Naples; the family’s marriages—including her own—that were tainted by an Old World curse; and an unlikely path to international adoption." Online event.

Florida Authors and Publishers Association Annual Conference. August 2 - 3, 2024: Orlando, Florida. "Six (6) optional small-group workshops are being scheduled, offering attendees options a more intimate setting to learn about specific topics related to the publishing industry. These focused workshops will be offered a la carte and are scheduled so that you may register for up to three (3)."

Into the Springs Writers Workshop. August 2 - 4, 2024: Yellow Springs, OH. Into the Springs is a full weekend of shared sessions, events and lunch, making your interaction with featured guest instructors and writer participants easily accessible. Currently, our featured guest instructors include author, journalist Andrew Welsh-Huggins; author, publisher Jeffrey Marks; and the Ohio Audiobook Narrators.

Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators Annual Conference. August 2 - 4, 2024: Via Zoom. More than 100 writers, editors, illustrators, & agents. Workshops, breakout sessions, manuscript and portfolio consultations, panels, discussions. Will be held online.

Vermont College of Fine Arts Postgraduate Writers’ Conference. August 3 - 9, 2024: Montpelier, Vermont. The conference is designed for writers with graduate degrees or equivalent experience. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, craft classes, and individual consultations with faculty members. "At the heart of the Postgraduate Writers' Conference's unique model is the small workshop size, with groups led by acclaimed faculty limited to five or six writers. The intimate format allows for an extraordinarily in-depth, far-reaching discussion of participants’ work. Beyond the daily group sessions, each member has an individual consultation with the workshop instructor. The schedule also features a rich menu of readings by faculty and participants, craft talks, generative writing sessions and social events that galvanize our vibrant, inclusive community." 

Frost Place Poetry Seminar. August 4 - 8, 2024. The Seminar schedule features a daily presentation/discussion exploring aspects of craft and technique, an afternoon workshop of participants’ poems or individual, virtual meetings with faculty, and an evening reading, some by faculty poets and others featuring participants. The application deadline is July 1, 2024. Will be held online. (If you missed the deadline, put this on your calendar for next year)

Neurodiverse Writers and Illustrators: An In-Community Retreat for Storytellers. August 8 - 11, 2024: Boyds Mills, PA. Join us for an in-community retreat tailored for neurodivergent writers and illustrators, where you can fully embrace your perspectives and talents in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Travel Writers & Photographers Conference. August 8 – 11, 2024: Corte Madera, Calif. Writing and photography workshops in the morning, a full afternoon of panels and discussions, and evening faculty presentations. There are optional, working field trips to explore the resources of the Bay Area. The faculty includes publishers, magazine editors, photographers, travel essayists, food writers, restaurateurs, guidebook writers, and more. 

The Language of Smell: A Generative Writing Workshop. August 10, 2024: Lincoln, NE. This generative workshop will focus on the power of smell and sense memory in writing practice. Participants will have a chance to produce their own writing using guided prompts, as well as learn and discuss what makes smell such a sharply evocative and emotional sense memory. We will also briefly explore the world of niche perfumery in order to practice our skills of descriptive scent-based writing using provided fragrance samples. 

Elk River Writers Workshop. August 11 - 16, 2024: Chico Hot Springs, MT. The Elk River Writers Workshop embodies the idea that deep, communal experiences with the wild open the door to creativity. We bring together some of the most celebrated nature writers in the United States with students who are serious about fostering a connection with the environment in their writing. It all happens at Chico Hot Springs, a historic retreat just north of Yellowstone National Park. 

Murphy Writing of Stockton University: Live Free and Write. August 11 - 16, 2024: Sunapee, NH. "Combine an extended writing retreat with a relaxing summer vacation in the picturesque mountains of New Hampshire. This getaway blends our trademark challenging and supportive workshop experience with plenty of free time for you to write and bask in the refreshing New England summer." 

Whole Novel Workshop: An In-Person Retreat for Novelists. August 14 - 19, 2024: Boyds Mills, PA. This intensive, transformative Whole Novel Workshop offers writers the rare opportunity to have the entire draft (up to 80,000 words) of a novel read by faculty, with detailed written feedback and two private consultations provided. Attention in an intimate setting makes this program one that guarantees significant progress in preparation for submission. Apply by May 15. (If you missed the deadline, put this on your calendar for next year)

Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. August 14 - 24, 2024: Ripton, VT. Workshops in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction are at the core of the conference. Each faculty member conducts a workshop that meets for five two-hour sessions over the course of the 10 days. Groups are kept small to facilitate discussion, and all participants meet individually with their faculty leaders to elaborate on workshop comments. Faculty members also offer lectures on issues around literary writing and one-hour classes on specific aspects of the craft. Readings by the faculty, conference participants, and guests take place throughout the day and into the night. Participants meet with visiting editors, literary agents, and publishers who provide information and answer questions, individually or in small groups. 

Poetry at the Frost Farm. August 16 - 18, 2024:  Derry, New Hampshire. The retreat offers workshops, readings, and one-on-one consultations for formalist poets. "Join a small community of people at the historic Robert Frost Farm learning, reading and writing formal poetry with contemporary award-winning poets. Choose your focus from a series of offerings designed to provide tools for beginning poets as well as perfect the mastery of published poets." 

Native Creatives: An In-Community Retreat. August 21 - 25, 2024: Boyds Mills, PA. Immerse yourself in a supportive space that honors the diverse voices and storytelling traditions of Indigenous peoples, fostering an environment that strengthens the bonds of community and heritage through the power of storytelling.

Killer Nashville Writers’ Conference. August 22 - 25, 2024: Nashville, TN. The Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference was created in 2006 by author/filmmaker Clay Stafford in an effort to bring together forensic experts, writers, and fans of crime and thriller literature. "At the conference, we try diligently to ensure that the weekend has something for every writer and lover of literature, and our sessions are structured to assist writers on multiple career levels. Our learning tracks tackle the craft of writing, business of writing, marketing, and forensics. Killer Nashville features nine breakout sessions for intense smaller group interaction, an authors’ bar (free for hotel guests), a moonshine and wine tasting, free agent/editor roundtable pitch sessions, a mock crime scene designed by special agents and other law enforcement professionals, cocktail receptions, the Guest of Honor Dinner and Awards Banquet, film previews, live music performances and—of course—all the great activities one can enjoy in downtown Nashville."

Bear River Writers’ Conference. August 29 - September 2, 2024: Camp Michigania on Walloon Lake, near Petoskey, Michigan. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, discussions, nature walks, and time to write.

DragonCon. August 29 - September 2, 2024: Atlanta, Ga. HUGE sci-fi event, with parade, autograph sessions, live performances, readings, wrestling (!), workshops on belly dancing, writing (yes, there's even some writing), art show. (This conference sounds really wild.)

WriterCon. August 30  - September 2, 2024: Waterford, Oklahoma. The annual WriterCon Conference is three days of 60+ speakers providing more than 80 sessions designed to cover all genres and all aspects of the writing experience: skills, industry knowledge, opportunities, networking, pitching, contests, opportunities to meet with writers privately, to obtain manuscript reviews or private consultations, and much more.

The Gathering. August 31 - September 2, 2024. Workshops in poetry as well as readings. 2-hour Workshops & Readings Friday night, Saturday , and Sunday. Participant Open Mics Friday and Saturday night. Will be held on Zoom. 

9 New Agents Seeking Literary and Genre Fiction, CNF, Nonfiction, Irish Fiction, Kidlit, Graphic Novels, and more

Here are nine 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. Jen Babakhan of Books & Such Literary Agency

Prior to becoming an associate agent in 2024, Jen graduated with a degree in communications and became a marketing specialist for an international nonprofit, where she worked to develop the business’s brand and recognition of that brand—two important elements for every author to master as well. She later transitioned into freelance writing and ghostwriting when her two children came along. In these roles Jen wrote for Reader’s Digest from 2017 to 2021, and her work has been featured in various national outlets.

What she is seeking: Jen acquires adult nonfiction and fiction.

How to submit: Follow the agency guidelines HERE.

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Ms. Amy O'Shea of Graham Maw Christie Literary Agents (UK)

Amy graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in Linguistics and English Language in 2021. Amy joined the agency in early 2023 to assist Jane and Jen with social media, admin, royalties and submissions. She became a junior agent in 2024.

What she is seeking: She is interested in a wide variety of non-fiction from prescriptions for thinking and living better by experts in their field, to humour, history, true crime and memoir whereby the author immerses the reader in a lived experience. In an ever-changing landscape, she is looking for books that bring fresh, practical and accessible solutions to their audience - anything that can teach us more about who we are and the world we share.   

How to submit: Follow the agency's guidelines HERE.

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Ms. Liv Ivanov of Creative Media Agency

After graduating from the University of Missouri and working in operations and video game development for several years, Liv returned to her first love and began volunteering as a reader and fiction editor for literary magazines before starting her internships at Triada US and Creative Media Agency in 2023. Now stepping into her role as an Associate Agent at CMA, Liv is excited to both discover refreshing, compelling, and fantastical stories and champion new creative voices in the industry. In her free time, Liv loves to go hiking in the Rocky Mountains near her home in Colorado Springs, as well as collect books as she slowly works toward making her home office a 1,000-book library. 

What she is seeking: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, LGBTQ, Literary, Magical Realism, Middle Grade, Mystery, New Adult, Psychological Thriller, Science Fiction, Speculative, Thriller, Women’s Fiction, Young Adult.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE. (Watch for her next open period.)

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Ms. Polly Halladay of Georgina Capel Associates Ltd (UK)

Polly Halladay studied English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford and has a masters in Creative Writing: Prose Fiction from the University of East Anglia. 

What she is seeking: She is interested in literary and commercial fiction, fantasy, romance, narrative non-fiction, memoir, and poetry.

How to submit: Please follow submission instructions HERE.

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Ms. Elizabeth DeNoma of Sebes & Bisseling

My work as an agent is a culmination of my decades of experience as a literary editor, foreign rights manager, manager of design and editorial teams, translator, and ghost writer. I have a PhD in literary studies from the University of Washington and have been awarded several awards, including a Fulbright Scholarship.

What she is seeking: Narrative nonfiction of universal interest – experts and storytellers in environmental science, sociology, psychology, medicine, parenting, history, anthropology, and remarkable memoirs (individual and of a group) that give us insight into our greater human story. Occasionally I represent a work of exceptional fiction.  I sit in the United States and represent global authors writing in English to publishers in North America and others acquiring global English language rights.

How to submit: Please submit queries and proposals to denoma at sebes.nl Nonfiction submissions require a proposal, including sample chapters. Fiction queries require a complete, edited draft of the manuscript.

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Ms. Kait Feldmann of KT Literary

Kait joined kt literary in 2024, but has been romping around children’s publishing for over a decade. She was previously an editor at Scholastic and HarperCollins, where her list included award-winning books that received a Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, and Sibert Honor; the Ezra Jack Keats Award; and appearances on Best of lists for The New York Times, NPR, Kirkus, and more. She is a founding member of People of Color in Publishing and a recipient of the CBC Diversity Outstanding Achievement Award. Kait resides in a hoarder’s paradise in Los Angeles, surrounded by books. When she’s not reading those, she can often be found crafting, estate sale hopping, or playing board games.

What she is seeking: Kait specializes in picture books and graphic novels and is accepting queries from illustrators and author-illustrators. 

How to submit: You can query Kait at querykait@ktliterary.com. Attach your book dummy if you are working on one and include a link to your website/portfolio.

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Jess Molloy of Curtis Brown Group, Ltd. (UK)

I joined the literary department in 2019 having previously worked at Curtis Brown in the talent and comedy department and within talent management for over 8 years. I started off assisting Cathryn Summerhayes with her brilliant and eclectic list before being promoted to Literary Agent in 2022 and starting my own list.I enjoy working with people who have come to writing, be that fiction or non-fiction, via unexpected or unorthodox routes and work well with people with an entertainment background or with profile who want to reach new audiences with their writing. 

What she is seeking: I am always looking for a book to escape into and I read broadly across fiction and narrative non-fiction. I am usually first pulled in by a unique concept or setting, but what keeps me reading are beautifully drawn, complex characters, relationships, and family dynamics. I enjoy reading fantasy and romance and I am particularly on the look out for a story which has a slow burn at its heart, full of angst and drama.

I have a deep love for Irish fiction both in terms of Irish writers, particularly the inimitable Colm Tóibín and the powerhouse that is Lisa McInerney, and novels set in Ireland.I enjoy crime fiction and true crime writing that subverts the genre and focuses on the victim or the fallout for their family, for instance Nothing Can Harm You, My Sister The Serial Killer, We Begin At The End and the beautiful, incomparable I’ll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara.

In terms of non-fiction I enjoy issues led narrative writing with a personal story at its heart and particularly love hearing from underrepresented voices. I am also interested in psychology and therapy.  My non-fiction reading varies broadly from comedians to experts and journalists, but what I am always looking for is an authentic voice that will teach me something fascinating or share a very personal journey with me.

How to submit:  Please email your pitch/cover letter, the first three chapters/10,000 words and short synopsis (for fiction) or proposal (for non-fiction) to molloysubmissions@curtisbrowngroup.co.uk

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Jade Kavanagh of Darley Anderson Literary (UK)

Whilst undertaking her undergraduate degree in English Literature at the University of Westminster, Jade discovered the possibility of taking her love of books and turning it into a career. Staying on for a year and gaining her MA, she then went on to several publishing internships before finding a placement at Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency before joining the team permanently as Agent’s Assistant and falling in love with the agenting side of the book world.

What she is seeking: Jade is building her own list of clients focusing on suspense, thriller and horror authors. 

How to submit: Follow submission guidelines HERE.

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Aparna Kumar of David Godwin Associates (UK)

Aparna Kumar, who has recently completed her MSc in Media and Communications at the London School of Economics, has worked in publishing for six years. Most recently, she was an editor at Penguin Random House India, where she commissioned literary fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry.

What she is seeking: Aparna Kumar is looking to fill her list with literary fiction and creative non-fiction.

How to submit: Follow submission guidelines HERE.