98 Calls for Submissions in September 2024 - Paying markets

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

I post 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: Pickpik)

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

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.

The Bombay Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, poetry, translated fiction/poetry and graphic fiction. Payment: Indian rupees 5,000 (approx. $61) per contribution. Deadline: Opens September 1, 2024.

Parabola. Genre: Original essays and translations, poetry, reviews. See themes. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: September 1, 2024. 

Fraidy Cat Quarterly. Genre: Horror, dark fantasy. Payment: Flash fiction (400-1,500 words long, $10 per accepted piece); Short stories (1,501-8,000 words long, $20 per accepted piece); Black and white artwork ($10 per accepted piece). Deadline: Opens September 1, 2024. May close early if cap is reached.

Snake Bite Books: Creature Feature Classics #2. Genre: Fiction about vampires. Length: 3,000-8,000 words. Payment: £20. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Edge City. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art. Payment: $30. 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.

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

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

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.

Uncanny Magazine. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: September 2, 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: September 2, 2024.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: September 2, 2024. Opens September 1. This is a monthly call.

Island. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents only. Genre: Fiction Nonfiction. Payment: 40 cents per word for print fiction, with a minimum of $700 and a maximum of $1500. Fees for print are less the cost of a 4-issue subscription if you are not a current subscriber. Deadline: September 2, 2024.

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: September 2, 2024.

Stone's Throw. Genre: Noir, dark fiction, crime short stories. Length: between 1,000 and 2,000 words. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: September 4, 2024. 

Bright Wall/Dark Room. Genre: Essays on film and TV. See theme. Payment: $100 per essay. Deadline: September 5, 2024.

Wyrd West. Genre: Tales about monsters and magic in the Old West. Payment: Royalty split. Deadline: September 6, 2024.

EVERGREEN: Tales of Winter Shadows. Genre: Fictional stories of the dark and stillness and what light brings out of the shadows. Stories of transformation. Stories of cold forests, elves and magickal places. Stories of witch magick, the occult and ghosts. We want modern retellings of Yaldā, Soyal, Roman Saturnalia or the Dongzhi Festival. Stories of the winter solstice, Bodhi Day, Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas, Omisoka, and Kwanzaa. Look into your ancestral roots and tell us about the long dark nights and short, but bright, days of light your ancestors endured, and tell us how they made it through. Payment: $20.00 for original fiction; $10.00 for poems; $5.00 for reprints. Deadline: September 6, 2024. Accepts reprints.

Cursed Morsels. Genre: Micro fiction poetry, CNF. See themes. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: September 7, 2024.

Black Ink Books. Restrictions: Open to Australian writers. Genre: Full-length general, literary and commercial non-fiction – including history, current affairs, memoir and biography. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 7, 2024. Note: Open to submissions the first week of every month.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry on theme. See theme. Payment: $30. Deadline: September 7, 2024. Submissions for BIPOC creators only September 1 - 7.

Griffith Review. Genre: Short (1,000-1,500 words) pieces of commentary and critique that engage with contemporary culture, literature, politics and more. Payment: $500. Deadline: September 8, 2024. Pitches only.

Dark Dead Things. Genre: Speculative short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. "We want your weird, sci-fi, and horror fiction (or nonfiction). As long as it’s strange, scary, or subversive, we’ll consider it." Payment: $25 per short story or nonfiction piece; flat rate of $10 per poem. Deadline: September 8, 2024.

Samjoko Magazine is devoted to publishing "exemplary work from content creators around the world. Focusing mainly upon the written word, we hope to create an immersive digital and print platform that stands out for its honesty and desire to take risks for the sake of artistic expression. We have no set aesthetic, though different themes will be focused upon periodically." Payment: $20. Deadline: September 10, 2024.

Shenandoah. Genre: Fiction. Payment: $80 per 1000 words of prose up to $400. Deadline: Opens September 10, 2024, and closes when they reach capacity. 

Orion's Beau. Genre: Gay fantasy: fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $3. See themes. Deadline: September 10, 2024.

Epic Echoes. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, mystery, crime, adventure, horror, and everything in between. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 14, 2024.

Dorothy. Genre: Full-length works of feminist fiction or near fiction or about fiction. "Each fall, we publish two new books simultaneously. We work to pair books that draw upon different aesthetic traditions, because a large part of our interest in literature lies in its possibilities, its endless stylistic and formal variety." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 14, 2024.

Philly Poetry Chapbook Review. Genre: Reviews of chapbooks coming soon or published in the past three years, essays on the crafts of poetry and chapbook making or publishing, and features about authors or publishers of chapbooks. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 15, 2024. 

Three-Lobed Burning Eye. Genre: Horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Payment: $30 for flash fiction, and $100 for short stories. Deadline: September 15, 2024. 

Myriad: Embalm. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. "Elena wants to read your afterlife horrors, your epistolary rituals, your lovelorn viscera, your drowned momenuents. She’s excited by prose that’s experimental in voice or  narrative structure. She’s also a big fan of the weird and grotesque. Above all, they want stories that will burrow themselves deep in the reader’s chest, whether from fear, revulsion, or sentiment." Length: Up to 1000 words. Payment: $20 CAD per flash fiction acceptance. Deadline: September 15, 2024.

Book XI. Genre: Personal essays, memoir, fiction, science fiction, humor, and poetry with philosophical themes. See theme. Payment: $200 for prose; $50 for poetry. Deadline: September 15, 2024. Closes when cap is reached.

Rainy Weather Days. Genre: "Cozy" genre fiction. Length: 1,500-15,000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: September 15, 2024. 

Fifth Wheel Press: light em up. Restrictions: Open to queer, trans, and gender-nonconforming writers. Genre: Poetry, prose poetry, short prose (<1500 words), and other experimental writing by queer, trans, and gender-nonconforming writers. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 15, 2024. 

Weird Horror Magazine. Genre: Horror. Payment: 2 cents a word. Deadline: September 15, 2024.

Eye to the Telescope: Outlaws. Genre: Speculative poetry. Theme: Outlaws. Payment: $0.04/word (up to $25). Deadline: September 15, 2024.

The Rumpus. Genre: Fiction. Payment: $400 divided among all contributors. Deadline: September 15, 2024.

Penumbric. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art, animation, and music. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 15, 2024.

The Green Sheaf. Restrictions: Submissions for this issue will be reserved for Black female-identifying and Black gender-fluid writers. Genre: Flash fiction and poetry on theme: Anansi. Payment: $0.10/word for fiction up to 500 words, and $50 for poetry. Deadline: September 15, 2024. 

Carte Blanche (Canada). Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF, translations. comics, photography. Payment: $75 CAD. Deadline: September 16, 2024.

Electric Literature. Genre: Personal essays. Length: Up to 6,500 words. Payment: $100. Deadline: September 17, 2024. Opens September 3, closes when cap is reached.

The Ex-Puritan. Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: $100 per nonfiction piece, $50 fiction, $15 per poem. Deadline: September 25, 2024.

Acta Victoriana. Genre: Poetry, fiction, art. Payment: $20. Deadline: September 20, 2024.

Flame Tree Publishing: Myths, Gods, and Immortals. Genre: Fiction on theme Morgana le Fay. Length: 3,000-4,000 words. Payment: $0.08/word for originals. 6 cents for reprints. Deadline: September 22, 2024. Reprints accepted.

Reckoning. Genre: Creative writing and art about environmental justice. Poetry and prose. Payment: 8 cents a word for prose, $30 a page for poetry, art negotiable, minimum $25 per piece. Deadline: September 22, 2024.

Flame Tree Publishing: Myths, Gods, and Immortals. Genre: Fiction on theme Achilles. Length: 3,000-4,000 words. Payment: $0.08/word for originals. 6 cents for reprints. Deadline: September 22, 2024. Reprints accepted.

Portals, Gateways, and Doors. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 23, 2024.

Elastic. Genre: Poetry, essays and short fiction (of up to 4,500 words), and visual art of all kinds on theme: Dying. Payment: "We pay relatively well for a small magazine." Deadline: September 23, 2024.

Off Topic Publishing: Poetry Box. Genre: Poetry. Payment $40 CAD. Deadline: September 25, 2024. This is a monthly call. Submit by the 25th of each month.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: September 27, 2024.

Coffee Stories Volume 2. Genre: Speculative fiction. "We invite our authors to visit our favorite coffee merchant, King Harv’s Coffee, and pick a variety from his amazing list. Then write a fantastical story about the detective work, the journey, the adventure of finding the oh-so-perfect plant. Don’t limit yourself to this planet! OR SF! Sword and Sorcery works too!" Payment: Royalty split. Deadline: September 27, 2024.

Story Unlikely. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction up to 10,000 words. Payment: 8 cents a word for stories up to 2,500 words. Stories longer than this are capped at $200 payment. $75 max for reprints. Deadline: September 29, 2024. Accepts reprints.

Dragon Soul Press: A Winter Kiss. Genre: "All Christmas stories. As long as Christmas is involved, the story qualifies. All genres. Happily Ever After not required." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Apex Magazine. Restrictions: Open to authors who have never been paid for their published works. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, horror. Payment: $.08 per word up to 9,000 words. Minimum of $50. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Short Story, Long. Genre: Short stories, 2k-8k words long (3,000-5,500 range preferred). Payment: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

My Galvanized Friend is a new publication focused on highlighting works from those identifying as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, and essays between 500 and 3,500 words as well as works of poetry and original works of art. Payment: $25 per fiction/nonfiction/essay and $10 per page of poetry. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

DreamForge. Genre: Science fiction and fantasy short fiction up to 7000 words. Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Polar Borealis. Restrictions: Open to Canadians only. Genre: Speculative poems. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Sundress: Anthology of Poetry by Sexual Assault Survivors. Genre: Poetry by sexual assault survivors. Payment: "Small honorarium." Deadline: September 30, 2024. 

Aurealis. Restrictions: Australian and New Zealand writers. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy or horror short stories between 2000 and 8000 words. Payment: A$20 and A$60 per 1000 words. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Honeyguide Magazine is a bi-annual magazine that features fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art, and blog posts about animals and their human neighbors. Payment: $25 for the story, $5 for cartoons. Only pays for featured articles. Deadline: September 30, 2024. See themes.

Underdog Press. Genre: Novellas, science fiction or fantasy or any subgenre in those groups. Payment: $.03/word. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Tales of Folk Horror. Restrictions: Submissions are open to residents of the British Isles only, or those overseas who can demonstrate a strong link to the British Isles. Genre: Original British folk horror fiction between 4000 and 8000 words. Payment: £20. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. Genre: Short stories and poetry. See themes. Payment: $50.00 USD for featured authors, or $20.00 USD for stories published on their &More page and $10.00 USD for poems. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Bright Mirror Anthology. Genre: Utopian science fiction. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Rebel Satori Press. Restrictions: Open to LGBTQIA+ poets living in New Orleans. Genre: Book-length single-author collections of poetry. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

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: September 30, 2024.

Lethe Press: Witchcraft in Your Lips. Genre: Lesbian-themed folk magic and witchcraft novellas (20K - 30K words.) Payment: $750. Deadline: September 30, 2024. 

Trollbreath Magazine. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. Payment: 4 cents/word. 1/2 cent/word for reprints. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Accepts reprints.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories, 12,000 words minimum. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Heartlines. Restrictions: 50% of content is from writers identifying as being from Canada/Turtle Island. Genre: Speculative fiction and about relationships. "We're looking for short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial. We don't want the blaze of new love or the obsession of a new friend. We want pieces that show that comfort that develops when people know each other for years." Stories - 1,000 - 3,500 words. Payment: $0.08 CAD per word for short fiction (1,000-3,500 words) and $60 CAD flat per poem. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

The Cincinnati Review. Genre: Literary nonfiction (up to 20 pages), fiction (up to 40 pages), poetry, poetry translations, drama, and art. Payment: $25/page for prose in the journal, $30/page for poetry, $25 for miCRo posts or special features. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Note: Opens on the first day of the month and closes once they hit the submissions cap.

Hub City Press. Genre: Books of literary fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, regional nonfiction, nature, and art. "We are seeking new and extraordinary voices from the American South." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2024. BIPOC writers only.

Hearth Stories. Genre: Speculative fiction. "We publish fiction and poetry that explore connection, family, relationships, comfort, and the natural world. The stories often fall into a fantasy, science-fiction, or magical realism sort of “slice of life.” Payment: 1¢ per word for accepted stories (with a minimum of $20 regardless of length. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Freefall. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Fiction, poetry, prose, art. Payment: $10/page prose up to $100 and $25 per poem plus a copy of the issue the work is published in. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Chestnut Review. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, visual media (art/photography). Payment: $120. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee.

Haven Speculative. Restrictions: Open to submissions by authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

University of Alberta Press. Genres: Poetry, creative and trade nonfiction, and short fiction by Canadian citizens and landed immigrants. They do not publish novels. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Crimeucopia. Genre: Crime Fiction. Payment: Reprints - To a Maximum of - £7.00 at present - but negotiable. New Material - 1,000 - 5,000 - up to £10 .00 at present. New Material - 6.000 - 10,000 - up to £20.00 at present. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Small Harbor Publishing. Genre: Chapbooks. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2024. All fees are waived for BIPOC identifying writers.

Event Magazine. Restrictions: In August and September 2024, we are particularly seeking submissions from self-identified BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) writers, whose communities are historically underrepresented. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: CAD $40/page for poetry and $35/page for prose, up to a maximum of $500. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

The Deadlands. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction. "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: $100 per essay, 10 cents/word for fiction. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Accepts reprints. 

Santa Rage: 12 Tales of Murder and Mayhem. Genre: Crime fiction. "This anthology is based on the idea that one night, while out making deliveries, Santa snaps thanks to the holiday stress and goes on a killing spree. Bonus points awarded for story elements involving meth or drug dealing, strippers, and the best dose of karma Santa ever dealt that did not involve coal." Payment: $25. Deadline: September 30, 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: September 30, 2024. Closes when they reach capacity, so submit early. 

Hellbound Books. Genre: Horror. See themes. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Period Priority Anthology. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Narratives, poetry, essays and reflections illuminating the diverse experiences of individuals in Newfoundland and Labrador with regards to menstruation. Payment: $0.01 CAD per word. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Kenyon Review. Genre: Prose, drama, poetry, translations, excerpts. See theme. Payment: $0.08 per published word of prose (minimum $80, maximum $450) and $0.16 per published word of poetry (minimum $40, maximum $200). Deadline: September 30th, 2024. 

Riverfolk Publishing: Technology-based horror. Genre: Technology-based horror. Payment: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

French Press Publishing: Strange New Moons. Genre: Werewolf stories. Payment: $0.03 per word. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Inkd Publishing: Hidden Villains – Criminals. Genre: Speculative fiction stories with a hidden villain and a tale involving the criminal. You could be chasing them down, victimized by them, or be the criminal; however you want to include them. Payment: $0.01-0.02/word + royalty share. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Sentinel Creatives: Leviathan – An Anthology of Industrial Horror. Genre: Horror. "We’re looking for original weird tales set in the Victorian period that explore the human (and inhuman) experience through the lens of horror." Payment: $125 – $200. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Written Backward: You, Human, Vol. 2. Genre: Speculative fiction. What does it mean to be human? Once again, Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics will be re-evaluated and revised to help define humanity, this time by novelettes (7,500 – 15,000 words max). Payment: $0.10/word, capped at $500. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

AND A FEW MORE...

Sundog. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art. Payment: $50. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2024, and closes when they reach capacity.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Flash fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2024, and closes when they reach capacity.

Toronto Journal. Genre: Short stories from anywhere in the world. "We will also consider non-fiction pieces about local history (Toronto, GTA, and surrounding)." No word limit. Payment: $50 CAD per piece. All published writers will also receive two printed copies of the issue in which they appear. Deadline: October 1, 2024.

The Paris Review. Genres: Fiction, poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2024, and closes when they reach capacity.

Gordon Square Review. Genre: Poetry, short stories, personal essays, and hybrid prose works.  Payment: $25 per prose piece and $10 per poem. Deadline: October 1, 2024.

Cutleaf. Genre: Literary nonfiction. Length: Less than 6,000 words. Payment: $100 to $400. Deadline: October 1, 2024.

Bright Wall/Dark Room. Genre: Essays on film and TV. See theme. Payment: $100 per essay. Deadline: October 1, 2024.

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

Cogs and Cutlasses. Genre: Steampunk Adventure Fiction. Theme: A collection of piracy themed stories, set in a steampunk environment. Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 1, 2024. 

Science Fiction Is a Drag! Genre: Science fiction stories that are, first and foremost, drag. Payment: $50. Deadline: October 1, 2024. 

The Last Line. Genre: Fiction that ends with the last line provided. Payment: $20-$40. Deadline: October 1, 2024. 

54 Writing Contests in September 2024 - No entry fees

This September there are more than four dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes this month range from $70,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.

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

If you want to get a jump on next month's contests go to Free Contests. 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: Pickpik)

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American-Scandinavian Foundation Translation Prizes. Genre: English translations of poetry, fiction, drama, or literary prose originally written in Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, or Swedish by a Scandinavian author born after 1800. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: Sept 1, 2024.

2024 IHLR Long Story: Nonfiction and Fiction. Genre: Long fiction or CNF. Length: 20 to 40 pages. Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 1, 2024. Note: They will accept 25 free submissions on September 1, 2024.

2024 Iron Horse Long Story: NaPoMo Contest. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 1, 2024. Note: They will accept 25 free submissions on September 1, 2024.

Stories Out of School. Genre: Flash fiction. The story’s protagonist, or its narrator, must be a K-12 teacher. Stories must be between 6 and 749 words and previously unpublished. Prize: First-prize winners receive $1000; second-prize winners, $500. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

AILACT Essay Prize. Genre: Papers related to the teaching or theory of informal logic or critical thinking, and papers on argumentation theory. Prize: $700 top prize. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

International Booker Prize. The International Booker Prize for fiction translated into English is awarded annually by the Booker Prize Foundation to the author of the best (in the opinion of the judges) eligible novel or collection of short stories. The work must be published by a UK or Ireland publishing house. Authors are not permitted to enter their own works. Prize: £50,000 divided equally between the author and the translator. There will be a prize of £2,000 each of the shortlisted titles divided equally between the author and the translator. Deadline: September 6, 2024.

Debra E. Bernhardt Labor Journalism Prize. Genre: Article that furthers the understanding of the history of working people. Articles focused on historical events AND articles about current issues (work, housing, organizing, health, education) that include historical context are both welcome. The work must be published in print or online between August 31, 2022 and August 30, 2023. Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 6, 2024.

Literature Matters. Restrictions: UK residents. Genre: "Awards will be given to individual writers or other literary creators, recognising their past achievements and providing them with financial support to undertake a proposed new piece of writing or literary project. Launched as part of the RSL’s new Literature Matters programme, priority will be given to proposals which (a) will help connect with audiences or topics outside the usual reach of literature, and/or (b) will help generate public discussion about why literature matters." Award: £20,000. Deadline: September 6, 2024.

KSP Short Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Open to Australian residents and citizens. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $100 first place prize for youth. Deadline: September 6, 2024. (Free entry for youth only)

Young Lions Fiction Award. Restrictions: Open to US citizens 35 years of age or younger. Genre: Novel or a collection of short stories. Each year, five young fiction writers are selected as finalists by a reading committee of Young Lions members, writers, editors, and librarians. Submissions by publisher only. Authors may not submit their own work. Prize: $10,000.00. Deadline: September 6, 2024.

Mavis Batey Essay Prize. Restrictions: Open to any student, worldwide, registered in a bona-fide university or institute of higher education, or who has recently graduated from such an institution. Genre: Nonfiction. Scholarly essay on gardening history. Prize:  £250, free membership of the Gardens Trust for a year and consideration for publication. Deadline: September 8, 2024.

The Yale Drama Series. Genre: Full-length play, with a minimum of 65 pages. Prize: $10,000, publication of the manuscript by Yale University Press. Deadline: September 8, 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: September 8, 2024. Opens September 6.

DC Reid Poets’ Grant. Restrictions: Open to poets of "modest means." Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, living in Canada, who have published at least two books of poetry with a traditional publishing house. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $5000. Deadline: September 9, 2024.

Only Poems Poem of the Month. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Prize: $22. Deadline: September 9, 2024.

Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award. Restrictions: Open to authors aged 18-35 as of December 31 of the deadline year. Books must have been first published in the UK and/or the Republic of Ireland, in the English language. Authors must be UK or Irish citizens, or residents for the three years preceding the award. Genre: Published or self-published book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. Prize: £10,000. Deadline: September 13, 2024.

Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award. Restrictions: Open to writers who have not previously published any works of fiction for young readers. This includes self-published as well as commercially published work. Genre: Full-length work of fiction in English with universal appeal of Jewish content for readers aged 8-13 years, both Jewish and non-Jewish. It should reveal positive aspects of Jewish life. Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 13, 2024.

The Garden Party Poetry Contest. Genre: Poetry on theme: Mental health. Prize: $100. Deadline: September 14, 2024.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative fiction; under 1,000 words based on prompt. Prize: $30. Deadline: September 14, 2024. See theme.

Washington State Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Washington State writers. Genre: Published book, fiction, nonfiction, poetry: adults or children. Prize: Recognition (?) Deadline: September 15, 2024. (For books published June 1-Aug.15, 2024.)

Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund. Restrictions: Australian citizens or residents. Applicants must be emerging, midcareer or established Australian writers and literary sector workers (not beginners) with a demonstrated publication and/or career history. Prize: $10,000 for travel expenses. Deadline: September 15, 2024.

53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: September 15, 2024. 

Ambroggio Prize. Restrictions: Poet must be a U.S. Citizen; Resident of the United States for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Legal Permanent Status (LPS), or any subsequent categories designated by the U.S. authorities as conferring similar enhanced status upon non-citizens living in the United States. Genre: Book-length poetry manuscript originally written in Spanish and with an English translation. Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: September 15, 2024.

Fractured Lit Elsewhere Prize. Restrictions: Free entry for marginalized groups. Genre: Micro, flash, and sudden fiction stories from 100-1,500 words. "For this contest, we want writers to show us the forgotten, the hidden, the otherworldly. We want your stories to take us on journeys and adventures in the worlds only you can create; whether you make the familiar strange or the strange familiar, we know you will take us elsewhere." Prize: $3,000. Deadline: September 15, 2024. 

Society of Classical Poets Haiku Competition. Genre: Haiku. Prize: $100. Deadline: September 15, 2024.

Canning Dock Flash Fiction Competition (UK). Genre: 500-word stories about the history of the Canning Graving Docks. Age categories: under 11, 11 - 17, 18+  Prize: National Museums Liverpool membership for a year, a book bundle from Writing on the Wall and a voucher to spend at NML shops and cafes. Deadline: September 22, 2024.

4thWrite Short Story Prize. Restrictions: Open to Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic writers aged 18+ living in the UK or Ireland. Genre: Short story, 6,000 words maximum. Prize: £1,000, a one-day publishing workshop at 4th Estate and publication of their story on the Guardian website. Deadline: September 22, 2024.

Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to residents of UK. Genre: Short stories between 2000-6000 words on the theme ‘The Unspoken’. Prize: £500 and 10 shortlisted authors will be published in an ebook anthology. Deadline: September 22, 2024.

Savage Science Fiction/Fantasy Writing Contest. Genre: Science fiction or fantasy short story. Prize: Winning stories are published in Toasted Cheese. If 50 or fewer eligible entries are received, first place receives a $35 Amazon gift card & second a $10 Amazon gift card. If 51 or more eligible entries are received, first place receives a $50 Amazon gift card, second a $15 Amazon gift card & third a $10 Amazon gift card. Deadline: September 22, 2024. Opens September 20, 2024.

Palette Poetry Rising Poet Prize. Restrictions: Open to poets without a full-length collection published at the time of submission. Prize: $3000 and publication. Deadline: September 22, 2024. No entry fee for BIPOC and historically marginalized poets. 

The Michael Marks Environmental Poet of the Year will be given to a poet whose previously unpublished series of poems brings most powerfully, to a wide readership, the subject of the environment and the place of the human within it. Prize: The Environmental Poet of the Year will have their short portfolio of poems published in a pamphlet that will be sold by Wordsworth Grasmere and the British Library. They will also receive £1,000, and be invited to read at a winner’s event at Wordsworth Grasmere. Deadline: September 27, 2024.

Reedsy. Genre: Story on theme: Magical Objects. Prize: $250. Deadline: September 27, 2024.

Michael Marks Award for Poetry Pamphlets. Restrictions: Only pamphlets published in the United Kingdom are eligible. Genre: Poetry pamphlet. Prize: £5,000. Deadline: September 27, 2024.

Michael Marks Illustration Award will recognise outstanding illustration of a poetry pamphlet. The judge will consider illustration in any medium and will be looking for a subtle and sustained relationship between image and text, as well as the overall quality of the images. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: September 27, 2024.

Cullman Center Fellowships. Fellowship. The Cullman Center’s Selection Committee awards up to 15 fellowships a year to outstanding scholars and writers—academics, independent scholars, journalists, and creative writers. Foreign nationals conversant in English are welcome to apply. Award: A stipend of up to $70,000, an office, a computer, and full access to the Library's physical and electronic resources. Deadline: September 27, 2024.

50 Word Halloween Horror Story Contest. Genre: Horror: 50 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: September 29, 2024.

The Wingate Award for Unpublished Manuscripts (Jewish Subject). Restrictions: The author must be an Australian citizen, or ordinarily reside in Australia. Genre: Unpublished manuscript of fiction or non-fiction (for adults, children or young adults) on a Jewish subject completed at least to a full first draft stage. Prize: A monetary prize of $4,000, a mentorship with judge Lee Kofman, and will have their manuscript reviewed by Morry Schwartz, owner of Schwartz Publishing. Deadline: September 29, 2024.

Writers College Short Story Competition. Restrictions: Open to any writer who is unpublished, or has been published fewer than four times. Genre: Short story. Theme: It Didn't Have to Be This Way. Prize: First prize NZ $1000 and publication; second prize NZ $500 and publication. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.

Art of Unity Creative Award. Genre: Poetry; essays and short stories (under 2500 words); video; music; dance; performance or visual work around the theme: “Never again: Remembering to heal and overcome.” "The most important hallmark of Holocaust remembrance and education is the phrase ‘never again.’ Unfortunately, tribal divisions, ethnic cleansing and genocides continue in the 21st Century. We are looking for submissions in any creative media (which can be exhibited online), and which highlight aspects of human unity, and positive cross-pollination between groups, ethnicities, religions and/or nations." Prize: First ($100), Second ($75) and Third ($50) place awards, as well as three honorable mentions, in four categories: Poetry, Short Story, Essay. and Youth (18 and under) category. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

After the End Poetry Competition. Genre: Poetry. “This poetry competition invites creative responses from poets that critically engage with ideas of time and temporality and the question of who gets to say that something has ended. Work from poets at every stage of their writing careers is welcome." Prize: First prize is £750, second and third place winners will be offered £125 each. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Rhonda Gail Williford Award for Poetry. Genre: Poetry that incorporates themes of justice, dignity, and resistance. Prize: First Prize: $150; Second Prize: $100; Third Prize: $50. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Don't Text and Drive Scholarship. Restrictions: You must be a high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior or a current or entering college or graduate school student of any level. Home schooled students are also eligible. There is no age limit. You must also be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. Genre: 500- to 1,000-word essay about texting while driving. Prize: $1000 scholarship. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is held four times a year. Restrictions: The Contest is open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment of at least six cents per word, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits. Genre: Short stories or novelettes of science fiction or fantasy. Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500, Annual Grand Prize: $5,000. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Iowa Short Fiction and John Simmons Short Fiction Awards. Restrictions: Any writer who has not previously published a volume of prose fiction is eligible to enter the competition. Genre: Short story collection. The manuscript must be a collection of short stories in English of at least 150 word-processed, double-spaced pages. Prize: Publication by the University of Iowa Press, royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $150. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Sejong International Sijo Competition. Genre: Sijo poem. Prize: $500. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

The Willie Morris Awards for Southern Fiction and Nonfiction. Genre: Novels and nonfiction books published in 2022. Book has to be set in one of the original eleven states in the Confederacy. (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.) Prize: $2,500.00. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Willie Morris Award for Southern Poetry. Genre: Poem that evokes the South. Prize: $2,500 and expenses-paid trip to award ceremony in Oxford, Mississippi. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

SLF Working Class Writers Grant. Genre: Speculative fiction. "These grants are awarded annually, since 2013, to assist writers of speculative literature to working class, blue-collar, poor, and homeless writers who have been historically underrepresented in speculative fiction, due to the financial barriers which have made it much harder for them to have access to the writing world. Such lack of access might include an inability to attend conventions, to purchase a computer, to buy books, to attend college or high school, to have the time to write (if, for example, you must work two jobs simply to pay rent and feed a family, or if you must spend all your waking hours job-hunting for months on end). " Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Story Street Writers: Hundred Word Horror fiction contest. Genre: Horror. 100 words max. Prize: $100 and publication. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Closes when cap is reached.

Last Stanza Poetry Journal. Genre: Poetry on theme: Oops! Prize: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poem inspired by artwork. (See site for image.) Prize: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2024. This is a monthly contest.

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to "revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful." Genre: Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize: $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

35 Splendid Writing Conferences and Workshops in September 2024

This September there are more than 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: Lake Arrowhead: Thomas Hawk: Flickr)

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Star Island Writing Retreat. September 2 - 6, 2024: Star Island, Portsmouth, NH. During our four and one-half days together, we write from prompts designed to awaken creativity you didn’t even know you had. We write by candlelight in a stone chapel. We write in rattan rockers on a wraparound porch. We write with a view of the ocean in all directions. We gather on the porch for magnificent sunsets. We write with the sound of waves and gulls. We pick up writing techniques from other writers, from the collection of articles prepared by the presenter, and from the presenter’s personal experience.

Creative Hybrid Online Writing Workshop With Sarah Giragosian. September 4 - October 9, 2024. Creative Writing in the Anthropocene. "Creative writing within the framework of the Anthropocene is relatively undertheorized, yet critical in a time when our current geological era is being shaped by humans. In this hybrid course, we will demystify approaches to poetry and creative non-fiction that address the sixth mass extinction, climate change, and the ecological crisis, as well as explore how to narrate and represent the Anthropocene. Since climate change is a byproduct of human interventions in the natural world, we will consider the nuanced entanglements of nature and culture, as well as how the environmental crisis is in many ways a crisis of language and literacy, exploring how writers can develop readers’ ecological literacy and help them to develop a more sustainable relationship to the creatures and world around them. Integral to our study will be an engagement with writing that reckons with the more-than-human-world, with the systems and creatures that help us to think beyond an anthropocentric frame. Of value to the creative writer seeking new ways to address the Anthropocene in their writing, we will read work by such authors as Lia Purpura, Rebecca Giggs, Rebecca Solnit, Daisy Hildyard, Elizabeth Bishop, Patricia Smith, Camille Dungy, Anne Haven McDonnell, and Charlotte Pence, among others. We will be reading and writing each week with the goal of generating new work in a supportive environment. This is a virtual course to be held on Zoom." Application deadline: July 30, 2024. (Put this on your calendar for next year)

The Alabama Writers' Conclave. September 6 - 8, 2024: Orange Beach, Alabama. The Conclave is today one of the oldest continuing writers' organization in the United States. Writers, aspiring writers and supporters of the writing arts may join. Sharing information, developing ideas, honing skills, and receiving practical advice are hallmarks of the annual meeting. 

Cinematic Storytelling: An Introduction to Screenwriting. September 9 - October 7, 2024: Online. Led by Jennifer D. Grunin. Explore the art of visual storytelling! In just five weeks, this workshop will demystify the screenwriting process. You will develop an understanding of the foundations of screenwriting—from the conception stage of drafting compelling characters and visual stories, to the execution stage through plot development and three-act structure. You will have the opportunity to write, workshop and revise the basic building blocks of screenwriting, including character bios, loglines, mini treatments and scene breakdowns. Whether you’ve never once thought about the logistics behind screenplay development or are looking for a refresher on the fundamentals, this workshop will inspire you to create something new or adapt a current project. Limited to 12 participants.

Radical Revisions: One Poem, Infinite Possibilities. September 11, 2024. Online. Is a poem ever truly finished? In this generative workshop, participants will start with a single poem and leave with endless revision possibilities. Though that may sound overwhelming, experimenting with radical revisions can uncover what the poem truly wants to say. Drawing from contemporary poets such as torrin a. greathouse, Vanessa Angélica Villarreal, and Safia Elhillo, we will discuss and dissect the different ways a poem can be presented on the page. Participants will practice and play with erasure, line breaks, footnotes, prose poetry, formal constraints, hybrid elements, and more. Beginning writers will learn the possibilities of poetry, while experienced writers will have a chance to see their work in a new light. Participants of all levels will leave the workshop empowered to play on the page, take the skills practiced in this workshop to other writing projects, or even begin a sequence of poems based on these revisions. While there is no fee to participate in this workshop, those who are able and appreciative may make donations directly to SG Huerta.

Working Retreat: Experienced Storytellers In-Company. September 11 - 15, 2024. Boyds Mills, PA. This retreat for experienced authors and illustrators has been thoughtfully crafted to share, grow, and cultivate creativity when you've been working in the industry for a long time. Come in-company with your peers about your career, challenges, deadlines, upcoming projects, and new dreams.

A Public Space's 2024 Weekend Writers' Retreat. September 12 - 15: Tivoli, New York. The retreat will be held in person from Thursday, September 12 - Sunday, September 15, the first weekend of Kaatsbaan’s Annual Festival. Tivoli is in New York's Hudson Valley, about two hours from New York City and one hour from Albany. Participants have the option of staying on-site at Kaatsbaan, or off-site. There are several inns and hotels in the area. On-site participants will stay in Kaatsbaan's Dancers' Inn, which provides motel-style accommodations, bucolic views and private baths. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. There is no fee to apply. Applicants must be 21 years of age by September 1, 2024, to apply. Capacity is limited, and applying early is recommended.

The 2024 Online Carolina Writing Workshop. September 13-14, 2024: Online. This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop, September 13-14, 2024. 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 “Carolina” 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.

Creatures, Crimes & Creativity. September 13 - 15, 2024: Columbia, MD. A writer's and fan's conference for genre fiction covering mystery, suspense, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk & horror.

Line Editing Your MG or YA Novel: An Online Course. September 17 - October 22, 2024: Online. Work with author/editor Jennifer Gennari to learn how line editing can help you find the balance between description and action, strengthen your character’s emotional arc, and support your word and dialogue choices. Then, put your knowledge about line editing and other revision strategies to work on your project in real time.

Furious Flower IV: Celebrating the Worlds of Black Poetry. September 18-21, 2024: Harrisonburg, VA. "Through open mics, interviews, roundtable scholarly discussions, and, of course, readings by the most renowned names in poetry, the Furious Flower Poetry Conference continues to stage contemporary trends in Black literature, culture, and thought from a range of creative outlooks, as well as provide a platform for new scholarship, critical approaches, and performance strategies." 

Writing By Writers Monterey Bay Workshop. September 18 - 22, 2024: Pacific Grove, CA. The Writing By Writers Monterey Bay Workshop brings emerging writers into close community with nationally known poets and writers. Classes are limited to 12 participants for manuscript critique workshops and 15 for generative workshops to ensure an intimate setting. 

Just Do It! Your Collaborative Support Group for Finishing Your Draft (Fall). September 18 - November 13, 2024: Online. This supportive program takes all creatives (nonfiction or fiction, picture books, novels, essays, and more) from goal-stating to finished drafts. Together, we’ll move through live sessions, writing prompts, studio dates, daily inspirations, check-ins, feedback, and more.

Writing On The Door: Washington Island Literary Festival. September 19 - 21, 2024: Washington Island, Wisconsin. "The Washington Island Literary Festival is a moveable feast of writing, reading, discussion, and thought about the written word. Writers’ workshops, author panels and presentations, readings and parties are scheduled at various quaint, historic and beautiful venues around the Island. Participants have a unique opportunity to share time with prominent authors and dedicated readers in the intimate, friendly setting of Washington Island, a half-hour by ferry from the Door County mainland, in September’s color and warmth." 

Hedgebrook Writers Conference 2024. September 19 - 22, 2024: Seattle, WA. "Hedgebrook is a community of visionary women writers whose stories and ideas have shaped our culture in the past, now, and for generations to come. We have tapped into this community to collectively build Hedgebrook’s Writers Conference – a three-day intensive for writers across the globe. If you aspire to improve your craft, come learn from seasoned writers that are equipped to challenge, engage, and inform.  Our illustrious alumnae instructors craft and guide participants through interconnected lessons over the course of three days, proving “No Writer Is An Island.” Will be held in person.

Algonkian Writer Conference–New York City Pitch. September 19 - 22, 2024: Ripley-Grier Studios in New York City. The New York Pitch Conference and writers workshop is held four times a year and features publishing house editors from major houses such as Penguin, Random House, St. Martins, Harper Collins, Tor and Del Rey, Kensington Books and many more who are looking for new novels in a variety of genres, as well as narrative non-fiction. The event focuses on the art of the novel pitch as the best method not only for communicating your work, but for having you and your work taken seriously by industry professionals.

PNWA Conference. September 19 - 22, 2024: Seattle, Washington. Sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. More than 50 seminars, editor/agent forums & appointments, practice pitching, keynote and featured speakers, reception, awards ceremony. Many agents and editors attending. Will be held in person.

Inkubator Writing Conference. September 20 - 21, 2024: Cleveland, OH. Literary Cleveland's Inkubator Writing Conference is one of the largest free writing conferences in the country, providing workshops, craft talks, panel discussions, readings, and more to empower writers, celebrate literary excellence, and amplify diverse voices. 

49 Writers Tutka Bay Retreat. September 20 - 23, 2024: Tutka Bay, Alaska. Guest Instructor: Mieke Eerkens.

9th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference. September 21 - 22, 2024: Decatur, Georgia. "With one of the strongest list of authors you will ever find at a conference, we’ve added even more agents, editors and publisher representatives than ever before! Combined with educational sessions and workshops, the 8th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference will offer you all that you need to refine and improve your craft." 

Okoboji Writers' in-person Retreat. September 22 - 25, 2024: West Lake, IA. The annual Okoboji Writers’ Retreat, founded in 2021, is open to all skill levels. Columnist Julie Gammack is the producer. Over 30 faculty resources will be on hand to work with participants in small-group settings. Whether you come to find out how to get started or land a book deal, this retreat is a welcoming event for all.

UCLA Extension Writing Retreat at Lake Arrowhead. Sept 22 - 27, 2024: Lake Arrowhead, CA. Join a small group of committed writers for four full days of uninterrupted writing time at UCLA’s beautiful conference center at Lake Arrowhead. Participants will enjoy private bedrooms, private baths, and three gourmet meals each day, along with complimentary beverages all day long. The Writers’ Program will coordinate some structured activities, including pre-dinner social hours and nightly open mic events, but your time will ultimately be yours to accomplish your writing goals at your own pace. 

Brooklyn Book Festival. September 22 - 30, 2024: Brooklyn, NY. The mission of the Brooklyn Book Festival (BKBF) is to celebrate published literature and nurture a literary cultural community through programming that cultivates and connects readers of diverse ages and backgrounds with local, national and international authors, publishers and booksellers. To this end the Brooklyn Book Festival develops original programming that is hip, smart, diverse, and inclusive and presents free, literary, cultural events at the Brooklyn Book Festival Day & Literary Marketplace, Virtual Festival Day, and the family friendly Children’s Day. Additionally, BKBF presents Bookend events in venues across NYC and on-line, which are overwhelmingly presented free to the public.

Six Bridges Book Festival. September 23 - 29, 2024: Little Rock, Arkansas. "Prestigious award-winners, screenwriters, comedians, an expert witness, artists, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet are among the diverse roster of presenters who will be providing sessions." Free. 

ASJA (American Society of Journalists and Authors) Writers Conference. September 24  - 26, 2024: Online. "Our fall 2024 virtual conference will emphasize national markets and content that lends itself to a screen-based format. We’ll have the same informal Snack Chats and networking opportunities featured in past virtual conferences, including an online version of Client Connections.​​​​​​​"

From Idea & Sketch to Dummy & Submission: An Author/Illustrator Online Course. September 24 - October 29, 2024: Online. If you are illustrating AND writing your own book, and wondering how to prepare your submission, this is the course for you. You will focus on the craft of writing and illustrating a picture book with an intense level of feedback from faculty.

The Crash Course in Children’s Book Publishing (Fall). September 24 - November 26, 2024: Online. Join lead faculty Harold Underdown and special guests for a Crash Course in Children's Publishing. At the end of the course, you will understand how the children’s book publishing industry works, including submitting, publishing, marketing a book for children, teens, or young adults, and beginning ideas about craft and critique. 

The Algonkian Writer Retreat and Novel Workshop. September 25 - 29, 2024: Algonkian Park, Virginia. "You can show us your manuscript, improve your skills, clear your head, have your work read by our writer mentors, whatever works for you, whatever helps you grow and discover your vision as a writer. You discuss with us ahead of time via the Algonkian Writer Retreat Application the goals you wish to accomplish, and we'll work with you to make it happen. Do you desire a review? A line edit? Do you wish to discuss the reality of the current fiction market, your novel project, plot and characters, or perhaps get feedback on the opening hook or a few sample chapters? Or would you simply like a relaxed and productive dialogue about your goals as a writer?"

Working Retreat: Lyrical Picture Books and Poetry. September 26 - 29, 2024: Boys Mills, PA. Sudipta Bardhan-Quallan, Georgia Heard, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, and Leeza Hernandez will create and connect with you during this Working Retreat, with sessions on lyrical word choice, to rhyme (or not), leaving room for your illustrator, poetry and more.

Sleuthfest. September 26 - 29, 2024: Boca Raton, FL. Sponsored by the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America a conference for writers and fans. Features writing workshops, social events, and pitch sessions, including:

* Agent Appointments to pitch your finished work

* Critiques of your 10 page manuscript submission

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

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

* Auction to purchase critiques of your work by bestselling authors

* Sessions on the craft of writing

* Sessions on marketing and promoting your work

* Practice your Pitch sessions with experienced authors

TLA Power of Words Conference. September 26 - 29, 2024: Unity Village, MO. "Network with writers, storytellers, performers, musicians, health professionals, educators, and change-makers to connect with those who share your passion of making a difference with words. Discover diversity and experience visionary voices at keynote sessions. Get inspired with workshops in five areas:  Social Transformation, Right Livelihood, Engaged Spirituality, Narrative Healing and Ecological TLA.

Colorado Gold Writers Conference. September 27 - 29, 2024: Aurora, CO. An intensive three days of workshops, presenters, agents, master classes, intensives, and more!

Colrain Classic. September 27 - 30, 2024: Online. "The Colrain Manuscript Classic is a highly focused, 3.5 day conference designed for poets with manuscripts in progress. The Classic features in-depth pre-conference work and candid, realistic evaluation and feedback from nationally-known poets, editors and publishers. In preparation, participants work at home on pre-conference assignments and then, in the workshop, review, arrange, and winnow their work based on the pre-conference work. In addition to the manuscript preparation workshop and editor sessions, there will be an editorial Q&A, and an after-conference strategy session." Will be conducted online.

Letters & Lines Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Conference. September 28 - 29, 2024: Arvada, CO. This conference offers you opportunities to learn your craft, boost your career, and get feedback on your work. The schedule includes three keynotes; a industry professionals panel; 33 breakout sessions on writing, illustrating and professional development; intensives on picture books, novels and illustration; as well as critiques, portfolio reviews and showcase, a virtual bookstore of faculty titles hosted by BookBar, and more. 

Gotham Writers Children's Lit Conference. September 28 - 29, 2024: NY, NY. Panels and Presentations (Day 1) — Take a peek behind the publishing curtain with eye-opening panels and presentations. You can see the full breakdown on the conference schedule. These days are for people who are ready for publication or just gearing up to enter the publishing process. Pitching Roundtables (Day 2) — Each roundtable will have two agents and a group of pre-selected writers with book projects. You spend the session with your roundtable, with each writer reading pages, discussing their work, and receiving feedback from the agents. There will be tables specializing in middle grade/young adult novels and picture books, with room for graphic novels as well. Anyone can attend the Panels and Presentations, but you must apply and be selected to participate in the Pitching Roundtables.

Conferences with application deadlines in September

Bookgardan: A Year's Sustenance for Women Writers. October 2024 to October 2025. "Bring your book project and your literary practice to full fruition in Bookgardan, a year-long program of sustained, one-on-one mentorship and advanced craft curriculum created by an acclaimed writer, seasoned editor, and devoted & inspiring literary mentor, shared with an intimate cohort of like-minded literary artists. Hone your work-in-progress, develop your technical expertise, and refine your inimitable artistic process over twelve months bookended by two full retreat weeks as fall writers-in-residence at Craigardan, an interdisciplinary mountainside residency program for artists in the majestic Adirondacks of upstate New York. Now enrolling its fifth cohort, Bookgardan is unlike any other writing program, book incubator, or literary mentorship. Designed for women writers with book-length, literary fiction and creative nonfiction projects, created in partnership with a residential artists’ program that fosters collaboration and cross-fertilization among artists, and intentional in its goal of building a lasting, mutually supportive community of women writers, at Bookgardan’s heart is Kate Moses’ passionate dedication to helping other women writers realize their vision for their work, made manifest in the unstinting one-on-one mentorships she forges with each writer and their book." Applications due September 1, 2024. 

James River Writers Conference. October 4 - 6, 2024: Richmond, Virginia. James River Writers is excited to offer both in-person and online elements for our conference this year. Join us for Master Classes online, on Friday, October 4. Then, join us at the Greater Richmond Convention Center (in Richmond, Virginia) for a full slate of programs focusing on the craft and business of writing. Look forward to lively panel discussions, live critique sessions with literary agents, fun and engaging plenary sessions, and agent one-on-one meetings (standard with your ticket). In addition, we’ve included opportunities for networking and socializing, because community is at the heart of everything we do. Since 2003, this multi-day event  has been known for its inspiring, collegial atmosphere and hospitality. Whether you’re just starting out on your writing journey, or a seasoned professional, there’s something for everyone. Application Deadline: September 30, 2024.

Ossabaw Weekend Writer’s Retreat. October 25 - 27, 2024: Ossabaw Island, GA. Workshops and seminars led by nationally recognized faculty, and evening readings (special emphasis on ghost stories) by faculty and participants. Application deadline: September 30.

Futurescapes. October 10 – 13, 2024. Workshop the first 6,500 words of your Novel;  7:1 Student-Faculty Ratio; Polish Your Query Package (Query & Synopsis); Work with Top Agents & Authors in Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror. APPLY EARLY.