72 Calls for Submissions in January 2026 - Paying markets

This January there are six 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.

[Image: Pickpik]

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Acre Books. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: Open reading period in January.

The Bombay Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, poetry, translated fiction/poetry and graphic fiction. Payment: Indian rupees 5,000 (approx. $61) per contribution. Deadline: Opens January 1, 2026.

Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing is accepting submissions of complete, previously unpublished manuscripts in the speculative fiction genre that have series potential. Speculative fiction encompasses horror, fantasy, and science fiction—and all of the niche categories under those large umbrellas. They are only considering full length novels between 40K and 100K words. See submission requirements HERE. Deadline: Opens January 1, 2026.

The Paris Review. Genres: Fiction, poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: Opens Janurary 1, 2026, and closes when they reach capacity.

Cafe Irreal. Genre: Magical realism. Length: Up to 2,000 words. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: January 1, 2026.

Utopia Science Fiction: Weird Science Fiction. Genre: Utopian science fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art. Theme: Weird Science Fiction. Payment: $0.08/word for fiction, $30 for nonfiction, $30 per poem. Deadline: January 1, 2026.

Butch Bait Anthology. Genre: Art, poetry, fiction, erotica, and photography. See theme. Payment: $10. Deadline: January 1, 2026.

Griffith Review. Poetry. Theme: Post and Found. Payment: $200. Deadline: January 4, 2026.

Mslexia. Genre: Stories, poems and script on themes. Length: Stories up to 2,200 words, poems up to 40 lines, and short scripts up to 1,000 words (including character names and stage instructions).  Payment: £25. Deadline: January 5, 2026. 

Daikaijuzine. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $10.00 for each short story, and $5.00 for each poem and flash fiction piece. Deadline: January 5, 2026.

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 mn 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. Deadline: January 5, 2026.

Sunlight Press. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, photography, reviews. Payment: $20 - $50. Deadline: Opens January 5, 2026.

Cosmic Horror Monthly. Genre: Weird and cosmic fiction under 5,000 words. Payment: 3 cents (USD) per word. Deadline: January 7, 2026.

Notch. Genre: Flash fiction. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: January 7, 2026.

Headland. Restrictions: Open to Māori writers. Genre: Short fiction and nonfiction. Payment: $75. Deadline: January 9, 2026.

Blanket Gravity Magazine. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and visual art. "We are interested in moments of emotional intensity, and how their effects ring out in the bigger picture of our identities. We are looking for writing and art that explore mental health or emotional life. By "mental health," we mean art that tries to make sense of emotional struggle or uncertainty, as well as our thoughts about who we are, what other people mean to us, and the nature of the world." Payment: $40. Deadline: January 10, 2026. (?)

Book Worms. Genre: Apocalypic horror. Payment: 8 cents a word for fiction (1500 words or less). $25 flat fee for poetry (20 lines or less). Deadline: January 10, 2026.

Cordite. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Payment: Not specified. Payment is available for Australian contributors only. Deadline: January 10, 2026.

34 Orchard. Genre: Fiction, poetry. "We like dark, intense pieces that speak to a deeper truth. We’re not genre-specific; we just like scary, disturbing, unsettling, and sad." Payment: $50. Deadline: January 10, 2026. Opens January 1.

Your Body is a Fever Dream. Restrictions: Open to Trans, NB, agender, intersex, GNC, and generallyany gender identity other than binary cisgender. Genre: Fiction and narrative poetry. See theme. Payment: $0.03/word for stories up to 4,000 words. Deadline: January 10, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Ampersand Review. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, reviews. Payment: Poetry: $50 per poem/page to a maximum of $100. Fiction: $100 per story. Non-fiction: $100 per piece. Reviews: $100 per piece. Deadline: January 11, 2026.

The Fantastic Other. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, poetry, art on theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: January 12, 2026.

OTHERSIDE. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by self-identified members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Payment: $0.08/word for prose. $50 per poem. $100 for nonfiction and reprints. Deadline: January 14, 2026.

Flame Tree: Black Horror, Then & Next: Short Stories. Genre: Black (American) literary horror. "e seek stories that recognize the legacy of Black horror, its literary milestones, cultural roots, and innovative voices, while pushing the genre into new, daring territory." Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word. Deadline: January 14, 2026.

Rattle: A Tribute to Invented Forms. Genre: Poetry. "Our Summer 2026 issue will be dedicated to invented forms—poetic structures created by the poets themselves. These might include entirely new formal constraints, creative spins on traditional styles, or intuitive methods developed to suit a single poem. Invented forms offer a chance to blend play and precision, and we’re excited to showcase the wide range of possibilities poets are exploring. The poems may be on any subject and of any length, as long as they demonstrate a form that you’ve invented or substantially modified yourself." Payment: $100. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Fiction, 1.5 cents/word. Poetry, $10. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Women Artists Datebook. Restrictions: Open to women. Genre: Poems and art. Theme: Peace and Justice. Payment: $200 for art, $70 for poetry. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

River Glass Books: Writes of Nature. Genre: Chapbook manuscripts (20-30 pages). All genres. Payment: $75. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Electric Spec. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $20 per piece. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Eye to the Telescope. Genre: Speculative poetry. See theme. Payment: $0.05/word, up to $25. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

 

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles, messages from heaven, angels. Genre: True stories about miracles, angels, messages from heaven, premonitions, amazing coincidences and other unexplainable but good events! Payment: $200. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Horror Tree: Trembling With Fear. Genre: Horror short stories. Payment: $5. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Shenandoah. Genre: Fiction and novel excerpts. Payment: $80 per 1000 words of prose up to $400. Deadline: Opens January 15, 2026, and closes when they reach capacity.

In a Flash. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Tales from the Crosstimbers. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, splipstream, and horror. Payment:  $10 per story or 1 cent/word rounded to the nearest 100 words, up to a maximum of $50. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Three-Lobed Burning Eye. Genre: Horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: January 16, 2026.

Full House Literary. Genre: Prose, poetry, hybrid, photography and artwork. Payment: £5. Deadline: January 17, 2026.

Pink Hydra Press. Genre: Genre fiction: novellas, novelettes, novels. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 18, 2026.

Seaside Gothic. Genre: Seaside gothic fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or a collection of photographs or illustrations. Payment: £0.01 per word. Deadline: January 18, 2026.

Splinter Journal. Genre: Poetry, fiction, memoir, nonfiction (pitches only). Payment: Profiles (pays AUD900), essays pays AUD900), writing about writing (pays AUD500), and criticism (pays AUD700), and completed submissions of poetry (pays AUD250/poem or AUD450/collection of up to four poems, fiction (pays AUD900), and memoir (pays AUD600). Deadline: January 19, 2026.

Astrolabe. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and photography & art. Payment: $50. Deadline: January 21, 2026.

The Fairy Tale Magazine. Genre: Fairy-tale inspired stories/poems. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: January 21, 2026.

OTHERSIDE. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by self-identified members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Payment: $0.08/word for prose. $50 per poem. $100 for nonfiction and reprints. Deadline: January 21, 2026. Extended deadline only for BIPOC, trans, and/or disabled authors.

Baubles From Bones. Genre: Science fiction and fantasy. Length: All stories must be between 1,000 to 8,000 words. Payment: $.01/word. Deadline: January 29, 2026.

After Happy Hour. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, comics. Payment: $2.50 per printed page, with a minimum of $15 and a maximum of $50, on publication ($25 for the cover artist). Deadline: January 31, 2026. Free submissions are capped at 300, so submit early.

Double Dutch. Genre: Poetry, Music, Art. Payment: $50. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Inked in Gray: Defying Death. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, or horror only. Theme: Defying Death. Payment: $45. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Event Magazine. Genre: Poetry, fiction. Payment: CAD $40/page for poetry and $35/page for prose, up to a maximum of $500. Deadline: January 31, 2026. Closes when cap is reached, so submit early.

The Temz Review. Genre: Prose (fiction and creative non-fiction) up to 10,000 words long. Payment: $20. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

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: January 31, 2026. Closes when they reach capacity, so submit early.

Alocacia is a monthly mini journal of queer at-home nature writing. "We appreciate both traditional work, as well as the weird, erotic, explicit, anti-colonial, and whatever you can come up with. This is a journal about plants, gardening, and indoor horticulture. Please don’t send us work that isn’t about plants, gardening, or indoor horticulture." Payment: $50. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

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: January 31, 2026.

Phylum. Genre: Fiction, CNF, Poetry, Art. See theme. Payment: $10. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Parsec Ink: 23rd Triangulation Anthology — Bad Romance. Genre: speculative fiction and poetry. See theme. Payment: $0.03/word for original fiction, 25 cents per line for original poetry. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Summer in the City. Genre: Short fiction. Length: 3,000 to 7,500 words. See theme. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Dragon Soul Press: Thread of the Past. Genre: Time travel stories. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 31, 2026. 

Dragon Soul Press: Elite. Genre: Warriors that have mastered their trade. Assassins, mercenaries, guilds, clans, etc. All genres are welcome. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 31, 2026. 

Cozy Fantasy Anthology. Genre: Cozy fantasy. Payment: $30. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Fourteen Poems Genre: Poetry. "We want to represent all that's thrilling about the new wave of LGBT+ poets. If you’re a poet, even if you’ve never been published before, we want to read your work. Every issue we publish 14 of the best queer poems we’ve found, and we want to include you! We publish 4 times a year, but take submissions all year round.  To be considered, email up to 5 poems, preferably in a pdf format, with a small paragraph about yourself to hello@14poems.com. Payment: £30 for each poem published. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Space and Time. Genre: Speculative fiction. "We welcome poetry, art and fiction that bend rules, transcend genre and break stereotypes." Submissions accepted in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French or Italian. See theme. Payment: 1 cent/word for prose, $5 for poetry. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Southword. Genre: Poetry. Payment: €50 per poem. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

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: January 31, 2026.

Dark Peninsula Press: Negative Space 3: The End of All Sanctuary. Genre: Survival horror. Specifically looking for horror stories with a siege (or isolation) sub-theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Inkd Publishing: Detectives, Sleuths, and Nosy Neighbors III. Genre: Murder mysteries, detectives noir, cozy, and humorous Payment: Minimum $10. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Heartlines Spec. Restrictions: "Since Heartlines Spec is primarily a Canadian magazine, we're looking to feature writers identifying as being from Canada/Turtle Island. This includes expats, new immigrants, and people who refuse/resist Canadian Identity. Our goal for each issue is to publish at least 50% Canadian content." Genre: Short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial. "We want stories and poetry with strong, confident relationships amid all the sci-fi/fantasy. We are especially interested in stories featuring queer platonic relationships, ace/aro love stories, and polycules." Payment: $0.08 CAD per word for short fiction and $80 CAD flat for poetry. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ stories, 12,000 words minimum. See themes. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Bonfire Books welcomes submissions of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children’s books, as well as original translations into English. For Fiction and Non-fiction our minimum word count is 12,000 with no maximum. We are open to literary fiction, historical fiction, short stories, memoir, essays, history, literary or cultural criticism and hybrid genres. Non-fiction with a particularly Australian focus will be looked upon favourably. For Poetry our minimum length is forty pages. Poetry submissions must be sent in pdf to preserve formatting. We appreciate both traditional and modern styles and value music and rhythm. For Children’s Books please include a sample of artwork as well as the complete text. Read their submission guidelines here. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Vine Leaves Press. Genre: Novels and novellas (all genres accepted, but with a literary bent), memoirs/biographies/autobiographies, creative nonfiction, writing/publishing reference books, short story collections, and poetry and vignette collections. They will not accept anything shorter than 60 pages. Payment: 40% net royalty on all eBook and print sales. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Mud Season Review. Genre: Poetry, Fiction, CNF, Art. Payment: $50. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Garland. Genre: Poetry, prose poetry, short prose (<1500 words). See theme. Visual components and hybrid formats are welcome. Payment: $5. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Brink. Genre: Hybrid, cross-genre fiction, nonfiction poetry. Payment: $25 Poem; $50 Work (less than 1500 words); $50 Art (1-3 Images); $100 Art (4+ Images); $100 Work (more than 1501 words). See theme. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Fiction. Genre: Experimental fiction and translations of works previously unpublished in English. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Dark Moments Monthly Challenge. Genre: Dark fiction. Word count : 100 to 2000 words. Payment: 4 cents/word. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

AND A FEW MORE...

Slush. Genre: Previously unpublished short stories of up to 5000 words in length. This includes micro and flash fiction as well as comics, prose poetry and other forms. Payment: $100 AU. Deadline: February 1, 2026. 

The First Line Journal. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry using the line provided. (See theme) Payment: $25-50 for fiction, $25 for nonfiction, $10 for poetry. Deadline: February 1, 2026.

Curated by Costiuc. Genre: Mysteries and crime stories. Length: 1,000 to 5,000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: February 1, 2026. 

June Road Press. Genre: Poetry. "This anthology will be loosely organized as a cross-country road trip: a tour of new voices from different regions of the United States. In keeping with the spirit and orientation of our full-length collections, we’re particularly interested in work that engages in meaningful ways with nature or place—the more specifically place-based or regionally inflected, the better suited to this project." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 1, 2026.

White Stag is looking for full length poetry manuscripts in the scope of their thematic elements, which can include themes of alchemy & the occult, mysticism & spirituality, folklore & mythos, the speculative or supranatural, or intersections of witchcraft & activism. These themes are not limited to any specific belief, culture, race, or region. Read guidelines here. Payment: $50 honorarium, 40% royalties based on total profit of each copy sold. Deadline: February 1, 2026. Note: US authors only.

64 Writing Contests in January 2026 - No entry fees

This January there are more than five dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $55,000 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! 

[Image: Flickr]

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Defenestration Lengthy Poem Contest. Genre: Lengthy poem (at least 3 pages). Prize: $300. Deadline: January 1, 2026.

Vermont Writers' Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of Vermont. Genres: Short story, poem, play or essay on the theme of Vermont - its people, places, history or values. Entries must be unpublished and fewer than 1,500 words long. Writers may submit only one entry per year. Prize: $1,250 and publication in Vermont Magazine. Deadline: January 1, 2026.

The Blossom Contest. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC writers. Genre: Poetry and prose. Prize: $250. Deadline: January 1, 2026.

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 someone or something has returned after a significant absence. Does this return make people happy, unhappy, or somewhere in-between? That’s up to you. Also: Was this return a surprise, or was it expected? That’s also up to you." Prize: Up to $250. Deadline: January 2, 2026.

The Welkin Mini Writing Prize. Genre: Narrative prose (fiction and nonfiction) up to 100 words. Prize: £50 top prize. Deadline: January 2, 2026.

Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) provides direct support to individual Bronx artists who create literary, media, visual, and performing works of art. Prize: 25 BRIO grants of $5,000 each are awarded to Bronx artists. BRIO award winners complete a one-time public service activity. Deadline: January 2, 2026.

San José State University: Center for Steinbeck Studies – The Steinbeck Fellows Program. Fellowships are currently offered in Creative Writing (excluding poetry) and Steinbeck Studies; Fellows may be appointed in many fields, including fiction, drama, creative non-fiction, and biography. The creative writing fellowship does not require that there be any direct connection between your work and Steinbeck’s. The emphasis of the program is on helping writers who have had some success but have not published extensively, and whose promising work would be aided by the financial support and sponsorship of the Center and the University’s creative writing program. Prize: $15,000. Deadline: January 4, 2026.

Shepton Snowdrops: In the Garden. Restrictions: Entry fee for poets over 18. No entry fee for poets under 18 years of age. Genre: Poem. See theme. Prize: £50-100. Deadline: January 5, 2026.

Bethesda Magazine Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of Washington, DC and select counties in Maryland and Virginia. Genre: Short stories. Length: 4000 words maximum. Prize: $500 in adult category (age 18+) and $250 in high school category (ages 14-17). Deadline: January 6, 2026.

MoCo360 Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of Montgomery County, MD and Upper Northwest Washington, DC (20015 and 20016 zip codes). Genre: Short stories between 1,500 and 2,500 words. Prize: Publication in Bethesda Magazine as well as prizes up to $500 in adult category (age 18+) and $250 in high school category (grades 9-12). Deadline: January 6, 2025.

Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Genre: Book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers and has the potential to shape or influence thinking on contemporary Canadian political life. Book must be published in Canada. Prize: CAN $25,000. Deadline: January 7, 2026. (For books published between Nov 1, 2025 and Dec 31, 2025)

Only Poems Poem of the Month. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Prize: $33. Deadline: January 7, 2026.

Japan Center-Canon Essay Competition. The aim of the Japan Center Essay Competition is to promote awareness and understanding of Japan in the United States and to help young Americans broaden their international horizons. Genre: Essay. Contestants should write, in English, one or more aspects of Japan including art, culture, tradition, values, philosophy, history, society, politics, business, and technology in relation to their personal views, experiences, and/or future goals. (Contestants do not need to have any experience in visiting Japan or studying Japanese. Prize: Best Essay Award in the High School Division: 1st Place: $3,000 and a Canon camera, 2nd Place: $1,500 and a Canon camera, 3rd Place: $750 and a Canon camera; Best Essay Award in the College Division: $3,000 and a Canon camera; Uchida Memorial Award: $1,000 and a Canon camera; Merit Award: $200 (each) for up to five awards. Deadline: January 8, 2026.

Jack Hazard Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to writers who teach full time in an accredited high school in the United States. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and memoir. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: January 9, 2026.

The Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award seeks to elevate the written arts in Indiana. Restrictions: Any living published writer who was born in Indiana or has lived in Indiana for at least five years will be eligible. Authors who have published works of fiction, prose, poetry and/or non-fiction are eligible; reference works, scholarly monographs and books of photography will not be considered. Self-published authors are considered. Prize: $5000. Deadline: January 9, 2026. Biennial award. 

Dr. Paul Kalanithi Writing Award. Restrictions: No fee for medical students, residents, fellows. Genre: Short stories, essays or poetry addressing patients and providers facing chronic or life limiting illness. Fiction and non-fiction submissions are welcome. Prize: $300. Deadline: January 10, 2026.

The Bechtel Prize. Genre: Essay describing a creative writing teaching experience, project, or activity that demonstrates innovation in creative writing instruction. "We are looking for essays that describe a project or activity that got students excited about writing and fostered a vibrant and dynamic culture of literacy in the classroom." Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: January 11, 2026.

The Golden Triangle Golden Haiku poetry contest. Genre: Haiku on theme “Bridges of Belonging.” Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: January 11, 2026. Note: The contest is open to all ages.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest is sponsored by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. Restrictions: The contest is open to United States high school students in grades nine through twelve attending public, private, parochial, or home schools; US students under the age of twenty enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program; and US citizens attending schools overseas. Genre: Essay on an act of political courage by a US elected official who served during or after 1956. Prize: The first-place winner receives $10,000. The second-place winner receives $3,000. Up to five finalists receive $1000 each. Deadline: January 12, 2026.

Olive B. O’Connor Creative Writing Fellowship. Genre: Nonfiction and poetry. Prize: $55,100. Deadline: January 12, 2026.

Discoveries Prize. Restrictions: Open to female novelists of all ages and backgrounds, from across the UK and Ireland. Genre: Novel in progress. Prize: The winner will be offered representation by Curtis Brown Literary Agency and a cash prize of £5,000. Deadline: January 12, 2026.

French-American Foundation Translation Prizes. Genre: Book. Best English translation of French in both fiction and non-fiction. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: January 12, 2026.

Hachette Children’s Novel Awards. Restrictions: Open to debut authors living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain here for at least another 12 months. Genre: Debut children’s and early teen fiction, including but not limited to, romance, comedy, historical fiction, crime, mystery and fantasy. Prize: £3000 and a programme of mentoring opportunities with professionals at Hachette Children’s Group and a children’s publishing agent. Deadline: January 12, 2026.

Bethesda Urban Partnership Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of Washington, DC and select counties in Maryland and Virginia. Genre: Essays. Length: 500 words maximum. Prize: $500 in adult category (age 18+) and $250 in high school category (ages 14-17). Deadline: January13, 2026.

Bethesda Poetry Contest. Genres: Poetry. Adult and high school student categories. Restrictions: Residents of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia are eligible. Prizes: First place: $350, published on The Writer's Center's blog and magazine, and a free class and membership to The Writer's Center. Second Place: $250. Third Place: $150. Honorable Mention: $75. Prize for high school students, $75. All winners will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership website and honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase. Deadline: January 13, 2026.

Story Unlikely Short Story Contest. Genre: Short story. Length: 4000 words max. Prize: First prize $1500. Deadline: January 14, 2026.

Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize. Restrictions: Open to women, US citizens only. Genre: Prose fiction. All entries must be submitted by publishers who wish to have the work of their authors that were published in the previous year considered. No self-published works or works from vanity presses will be accepted. Prize: $15,000. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award. Genre: Poem, 3-10 pages long, that demonstrates a "truly inventive spirit." Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Lit Fox Award. Genre: Full-length poetry collection. Prize: $1500 and publication. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards Program. Restrictions: Open to current high school seniors at a public high school in the United States graduating Spring of 2025. Genre: Original literary composition in English in one of the following genres of poetry, spoken word, fiction, personal essay/memoir, or book bans prompt. Prize: $10,000 scholarship. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out Essay Contest Grades 11 - 12. Stop the Hate® is designed to create an appreciation and understanding among people of differing religions, races, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. Genre: Essay, 500 words. (See website for theme) Restrictions: Northeast Ohio 11-12th Graders. Prize: $30,000 scholarship. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out Essay Contest Grades 6 - 10. Stop the Hate® is designed to create an appreciation and understanding among people of differing religions, races, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. Genre: Essay, 500 words. (See website for theme) Restrictions: Northeast Ohio 6-10th Graders. Prize: $400. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Stephen A DiBiase Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Walter Muir Whitehill Prize in Early American History. Genre: Essay on early American history (up to 1825), not previously published, with preference being given to New England subjects. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: January 15, 2026.

Washington State Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Washington State writers. Genre: Published book: fiction, nonfiction, poetry for adults or children. Prize: Recognition (?) Deadline: January 16, 2026. (For books published Oct. 16-Dec. 31, 2025.)

Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize. The annual Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize is awarded each spring to honor an outstanding literary translation from German into English published in the USA the previous year. Genre: Published fiction or non-fiction, may include: novels, novellas, short stories, plays, poetry, biographies, essays and correspondence. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: January 16, 2026.

Collaborature. Restrictions: Submissions must be written by more than one author or include a collaboration of two people (i.e., art and poetry). Genre: Poetry, prose, art. Prize: $20. Deadline: January 17, 2026. Note: This is a monthly contest.

Poetry Society of Virginia - Student Contest. Restrictions: Open to students in Virginia, grades 3 - 12. Prize: $10 - $25. Deadline: January 19, 2026.

Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest. Restrictions: Registered undergraduate full-time Juniors or Seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States. Genre: Essay Topic: What challenges awaken your conscience? Is it the conflicts in American society? An international crisis? Maybe a difficult choice you face or a hard decision you had to make? Engage us. Enlighten us. Explore the ethics of any problem, question, or issue, whether close to home or in the world at large. We are eager to learn from you. Prize: First Prize $10,000, 2nd Prize $5,000, 3rd Prize $3,000, two Honorable Mentions $1,000 each. Deadline: January 20, 2026. 

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: £1,000, and a winner’s residential trip to Greece. Deadline: January 21, 2026.

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: January 21, 2026.

Michael Marks Award for Poetry Pamphlets. Restrictions: Only pamphlets published in the United Kingdom are eligible. Genre: Poetry pamphlet. Prize: £5,000 and a winner’s residential trip to Greece. Deadline: January 21, 2026.

Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out Poetry Contest. Stop the Hate® is designed to create an appreciation and understanding among people of differing religions, races, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. Genre: Poem (See website for theme) Restrictions: Northeast Ohio Middle and High School students. Prize: High School First Place: $2,000 prize + $1,000 school grant. Middle School First Place: $400 prize. Deadline: January 22, 2026.

Zocalo Public Square Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to US poets only. Genre: Poetry that evokes a connection to place. Prize: $1000. Deadline: January 23, 2026. 

The Pegasus Poetry Book Prize. Restrictions: Open to United States poets 40 or older. Genre: Unpublished first or second poetry collection. Prize: $10,000 and publication. Deadline: January 26, 2026. 

The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. Restrictions: The Orwell Prize for Political Writing is open to nonfiction first published in the UK or Ireland. (See publication deadlines.) Genre: Nonfiction, including entries addressing political, social, cultural, moral and historical subjects. Prize: £3,000.00. Deadline: January 26, 2026.

The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. Restrictions: The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction is open to novels and short story collections first published in the UK or Ireland. (See publication deadlines.) Genre: Fiction that explores ideas and issues, political themes, dilemmas and injustices through imagined narratives. Prize: £3,000.00. Deadline: January 26, 2026.

Scottish Book Trust: Monthly Competition. Restrictions: Open to four categories: adult writers, all-age Gaelic writers, young writers 5-11 and young writers 12-18. Prizes for UK writers only. Genre: Short story based on prompts. (See site for prompt) Length: 50 words. Prize: Various items. Deadline: January 27, 2026.

The Hillman Prize for Journalism. Genre: Journalism. "Since 1950, the Sidney Hillman Foundation has honored journalists, writers and public figures that pursue investigative journalism and public policy in service of the common good." Prize: $5,000. Deadline: January 30, 2026.

Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship. Restrictions: Open to 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 technology addiction. Prize: $1000 scholarship. Deadline: January 30, 2026.

The Tom La Farge Award for Innovative Writing, Teaching and Publishing. Genre: "literary activity that combines serious play, imagination, erudition and innovative practice." The award may be sought for a project or body of work in writing, publishing, education or any combination of the three. Prize: $10,00. Deadline: January 30, 2026.

The Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award. Genre: Short story of no more than 8,000 words that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration. Prize: Publication as the featured story on the Baen Books main website paid at the normal paying rates for professional story submissions. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Hot Flashes. Restrictions: Open to LGBTQ+ writers and straight allies. Genre: Flash Fiction stories and poems. Prize: £100 for each of the categories. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. "The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America." Genre: previously unpublished work of short fiction. Prize: $150. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Laureate Prize. Genre: Full-length poetry book. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: January 31, 2026. No entry fee for BIPOC writers. 

Dandelion Cottage Short Story Contest for Michigan Students. Restrictions: Open to students attending or being home-schooled in an Upper Peninsula School District. Genre: Short story, 5,000 words max. Prize: Up to $250. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

The Danuta Gleed Literary Award for best first collection of short fiction in the English language was initiated by John Gleed in honour of his late wife to promote and celebrate the genre of short fiction, which she loved. Restrictions: Canadian residents only. Prize: A $10,000 prize will be awarded for the best first collection of published short fiction in the English language. Two finalist will also be awarded $500 each. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

Northern California Book Awards. Restrictions: Books written by authors based in northern California and published for the first time the previous calendar year are eligible for nomination. Genre: Published book. Prize: $1000. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

A. C. Bose Grant for South Asian Speculative Literature. Restrictions: Open to South Asian or South Asian diaspora writers. Genre: Speculative fiction. Prize: $1000. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award. Genre: Any published book, whether fiction or nonfiction, that promotes public understanding of Chicago; titles must be available for purchase by the general public in either hardcover or bound paperback form; All subject areas, disciplines, and genres are eligible, including but not limited to: history, biography, the social sciences, art, architecture, poetry, drama, graphic novels, or fiction; Translations, textbooks, anthologies, reprints or new editions of previously published works, pamphlets, condigital publications, travel guides, children’s books, or self-published works are not eligible. Prize: $25,000. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

North Carolina Student Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to student poets from 3rd grade to university undergraduates attending schools in North Carolina. Genres: Unpublished poems (submit one poem). Prizes: 1st Place winners will receive a $100 check. 2nd Place winners receive $50. 3rd Place winners receive $25. Deadline: January 31, 2026. 

Cheshire Prize for Literature. Restrictions: The writer must have been born, live or have lived, study or have studied, work or have worked, in Cheshire, UK. Age ranges from 4 to adult. Genre: Short story, piece of poetry, script or children’s literature piece (this can be a script, story or poem, for children ages seven to 14). Prize: Cash prizes. Deadline: January 31, 2026.

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: January 31, 2026. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: January 31, 2026. This is a monthly contest.

12 (Warm) Writing Conferences and Workshops in January 2026

This January there are a 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, how to market your books, discussions - there is something for everyone.

I have included conferences with deadlines that have already passed on this list to give you advance notice. 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!

For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences.

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

[Key West: Wikimedia]

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Key West Literary Seminar. January 8 – 11, 2026: Key West, Florida. Each year, the Key West Literary Seminar explores a particular literary theme. This year the theme is: The Novel.

Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Residency Writers Conference. Application deadline: November 15, 2025. January 8 - 18, 2026: Seaside, Oregon. Writers seeking to deepen their craft and expand their professional community are invited to attend the Residency Writers Conference together with MFA students, faculty and guest speakers. Join us for 10 full days of craft talks, workshops, panels, classes, readings and more featuring some of the best minds of the literary world. This residency is a rare opportunity to engage in sustained and meaningful conversation with others who share your passion for the art of writing. 

Jaipur Literature Festival. January 15 - 19, 2026. Presentations, panels, readings, and music performances. In an uplifting celebration of the mind and heart, authors from the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Europe will take part in provocative conversations about life and society, economics and the arts, equity, freedom, and the care of our planet. In these critical times, the penetrating, intercultural dialogue exchanged speaks deeply to individuals and gives rise to the joy of community.

Writing By Writers GET THE LEAD OUT! January 16 - 18, 2026: Online. Th Each day will feature a craft talk by one of our faculty members and participants will split into small groups where they will dissect the art and craft of writing through lectures, writing exercises and class discussions. We won’t be reading and critiquing manuscripts, but rather closely examining elements of craft with the intention of allowing participants to see their work with deeper insight while also generating new material. Each participant will have the opportunity to work in a small group setting with all three faculty members. Whether you are just getting started or have projects that need new life, this workshop will offer inspiration and insight to take you to the next level.

Southern California Writers’ Conference (and Retreat). January 16 - 18, 2026: San Diego, CA. Faculty: 60+ working, professional authors of fiction, nonfiction & screen, editors & agents. "Founded and run by professional writers the SCWC provides veteran and emerging talent with authoritative guidance to help distinguish those manuscripts that are ready for market consideration." Limited to 150 conferees.

SCBWI In-Person Winter Conference 2026. January 16 - 18, 2026: NY, NY. Come and be inspired by renowned authors and illustrators, learn about the state of the children's book publishing industry from panels of agents, editors and art directors, dive deep into your craft with TWO three-hour Creative Labs, and get your work in front of industry professionals!

Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway. January 16 - 19, 2026, Atlantic City, New Jersey. A participant-focused writers’ conference. Advance your craft and energize your writing at the 30th annual Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway. Enjoy challenging and supportive workshops, insightful feedback and an encouraging community. Choose from workshops in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, songwriting, playwriting and more.

TMW January Jumpstart. January 17 - 18, 2026: Oak Ridge, TN. We will have tracks in both Poetry and Fiction. Registration $150. Application deadline December 1, 2025.

Eckerd College Writers in Paradise Conference. January 17 -24, 2026: St. Petersburg, FL. Workshops, roundtables, panel discussions, manuscript consultation, Q&As, readings book signings, and receptions. Application deadline: November 1, 2025.

Colrain Cold Read January 18, 2026: Online.  An intimate, 5–6 poet one-day intensive built around an enactment of a real-time submission moment: a press editor reads your manuscript cold, in front of the small group, and thinks aloud—exactly as they would at their office desk. You’ll hear the real editorial questions (title/TOC, opening 5-10 pages, through-line, writing skill, structure, cohesiveness, style, etc), followed by concrete responses for all 5-6 manuscripts in the group as the editor responds to each, one by one. After the editor’s departure, a Colrain faculty member anchors interpretations and expectations so you leave with a realistic understanding of work to be done.

Sunshine State Book Festival. January 23 - 24, 2026: Gainesville, Florida. "Outstanding authors from around Florida and the nation who write in many genres will gather at the beautiful Santa Fe College Fine Arts Hall on January 24, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to sell books and talk about their work. Festivities include guest speakers, giveaways, storytelling, and a play." Admission is free.

Aspen Winter Words. January 28 - February 11, 2026: Aspen, CO and Online. This year’s Winter Words will be held in memory of longtime Aspen Words supporter Wally Obermeyer.

• January 28 @ Paepcke Auditorium: Susan Orlean, staff writer for The New Yorker and bestselling author of “The Orchid Thief” and “The Library Book.” Her most recent book is “Joyride: A Memoir.”
• February 4 @ Paepcke Auditorium: Lily King, award-winning author of six novels including “Writers and Lovers” and “Euphoria.” Her most recent novel is “Heart the Lover.”
• February 11 @ TACAW Tara Roberts, Award-winning National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and memoirist brings untold histories to the surface through her global work documenting slave shipwrecks in her book “Written in the Waters.”

5 New Literary Agents and a New Agency Seeking Nonfiction, Genre Fiction, Kidlit, YA, LGBT and more

Here are five 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.

New literary agencies are started by established agents with considerable experience in the publishing industry. They have reliable contacts in publishing houses and a roster of successes getting writers published. New agencies are looking to expand, and are eager to take on prospective clients.

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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Irene Kaster of Heather Jackson Literary Agency

Irene Kaster started at HJLit as an intern in 2022. She studied at Emerson College in Boston and holds a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing, and an MA in Writing and Publishing. She has worn various hats in publishing including intern, freelance editor, literary assistant, social media coordinator, bookseller, and ghostwriter—but above all, she is a bookworm. Irene is based in Colorado and spends her free time enjoying the outdoors and searching for the best coffee shops.

What she is looking for: My taste is vast and ever-changing as I read widely across several different genres. I’m always looking for books that surprise me, teach me something, introduce me to new sub-genres, subjects, and ideas, and books that make me laugh, cry, or both. Within fiction, I’m most interested in literary and commercial fiction (historical and contemporary), romance, fantasy, and suspenseful or dystopian horror. Within nonfiction, I’m seeking practical nonfiction pertaining to women’s health, psychology, medicine, science, and relationships; I’m interested in narrative nonfiction that reads like fiction and is a deep dive into a historical event, a person or group, a place, or cultural and social phenomena.

How to submit: Use her querytracker form HERE. Will re-open in 2026.

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Robert Broder of Martin Literary Management

While selling chocolate in New England, Rob had the idea of starting a children’s picture book publishing company. Learning everything from the ground up, he founded Ripple Grove Press, which went on to publish award-winning and starred reviewed books. After reading hundreds of picture books and thousands of submissions, Rob began writing his own stories. His work has been published by Simon & Schuster, Sasquatch / Little Bigfoot, and Blue Star Press, and he has collaborated with Patagonia on their first two picture books as both author and developmental editor.

Rob served on the Board of the Independent Book Publishers Association and has a Certificate of Public Librarianship from the Vermont Department of Libraries. He is a picture book consultant and has ghostwritten picture books that went onto publishing success. Rob has given lectures on publishing and has been on discussion panels with SCBWI. He facilitates a workshop titled “Naturally Distracted,” about ADHD and creative writing. He is an Editor-at-Large at Wayfarer Magazine and was honored to serve as Poet Laureate of Shelburne, Vermont, the town he calls home. 

What he is seeking: Picture Books, Early Chapter Books, Middle Grade, Juvenile & MG Graphic Novels, Adult Nonfiction Graphic Novels and Graphic Memoirs

How to submit: Use his querytracker form HERE.

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Jeanne De Vita of Martin Literary Management

While working in acquisitions and as a developmental editor for traditional publishers and freelance clients, Jeanne has edited hundreds of aspiring and established authors, including NYT, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon bestsellers. After more than a decade working with stories at various stages of the publishing cycle, including teaching both writing and editing at the college level, Jeanne brings a strong editorial vision and passion for the publishing industry to her clients. 

She has MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Notre Dame and a BA in English from Iowa State University. Jeanne’s love for happy-ever-afters started in childhood, as her mother was a traditionally published romance author who wrote across the genres over her two-decades long career in publishing. Jeanne is committed to developing diverse voices and has run pro bono mentorships for underrepresented authors. Jeanne has volunteered extensively with medically fragile children, the arts, and survivors of gender-based violence. Jeanne is excited to discover new talent and to work with established authors searching for a caring, informed, and supportive advocate. 

What she is seeking: She is excited by strong voices and compelling stories across the sub-genres of fiction, with a specific interest in romance, fantasy, thrillers/mysteries/suspense, horror, and speculative fiction. LGBTQIA+ romance is always welcome in every sub-genre/heat level. She is open to character-driven memoirs that read like novels (please no entire life stories) and work from experts who have something highly marketable to share with a defined audience. 

How to submit: Use her querytracker form HERE.

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Lindsey Aduskevich of Martin Literary Management

After graduating with a B.A. in English from the University of Connecticut, where she developed a love for books that inspire empathy and foster a deeper understanding of the world in which we live, Lindsey became determined to carve a career in the publishing industry. She attended her first SCBWI conference in 2019, and later joined several critique groups, became a member of Julie Hedlund’s 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge, and a member of Inked Voices. She interned with Senior Literary Manager Kristen Terrette before starting her career as an agent.

As an agented kidlit writer herself, Lindsey is familiar with the ups and downs of the query trenches and submission process and hopes to emulate the same compassion and quick communication she found in several agents who helped guide her own writing journey.

 

Residing in Southington, CT with her husband and two girls, Lindsey enjoys borrowing unusually tall stacks of picture books from the local library, snakeboarding in the basement with her family, hiking in the summer, skiing in the winter, and celebrating all the “wins” with her favorite critique partners.

What she is seeking:

Picture Books: I am open to all kinds of picture books, both fiction and non-fiction, from authors and author/illustrators. I love humor with heart (but the heart has to be big), dark humor, spooky stories, commercial fiction, lyrical texts, and hard topics.

Middle Grade: Send me fantasy, thriller, mystery, adventure, contemporary, and anything in between.

Young Adult: I want romcom, fantasy, horror, thriller, historical fiction, contemporary romance, and hard topics that make my heart ache.

New Adult: I am open here but would prefer college or just starting out with a little bit of romance or humor.

How to submit: Use her querytracker form HERE.

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Mr. Brent Howard of Gramercy Literary

I'm a new literary agent (after 19 years as an acquiring editor) looking to help talented authors find their publisher.

What he is seeking:  Nonfiction: I'm looking for history, military, politics, biographies, journalism, memoirs and science. I'm not looking for memoir or business books. I’m looking for smart, well-structured nonfiction that reveals how the world works, who holds power, and what’s at stake. 

Fiction: I love dark crime thrillers, literary horror, suspense, complex espionage tales, genre mash-ups, whether they feature female or male protagonists. I'm also seeking historical fiction and Westerns.

How to submit: Use his querymanager form HERE.

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Starling Literary + Media

Starling Literary + Media was founded in 2025 by established agents Jemiscoe Chambers-Black, Paige Terlip, and Jennifer March Soloway. The agency was born from a shared belief in creative liberty, a collective vision that fuels fearless innovation and honors the power of stories that stay with us. 

Like the starling murmurations that fill the sky, we move together. While each voice is distinct, we’re part of something larger than ourselves. Our work with each other and our clients is rooted in collaboration. 

We champion transformation not only in the stories and creators we represent, but also in the ways we represent them. Our clients are genre-shapers and innovators. They challenge expectations, break boundaries, and shape culture. Our approach is to work closely with each client, combining strategy and creativity to ensure their stories soar. We don't follow the market. We shape it.

What they are seeking: Thrillers, Romance, Mystery, YA, MG, Illustrators, Picture Books, Speculative Fiction, Fantasy, Nonfiction. (See individual agents for preferences.

How to submit: See submission instructions HERE.

92 Calls for Submissions in December 2025 - Paying markets

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

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

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

Happy submitting!

[Image: Easy-Peasy.AI]

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Eternal Haunted Summer. Genre: Poetry, short fiction. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: December 1, 2025.

Fractured Mirror Publishing. Genre: Full-length speculative fiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 1, 2025.

McGovern Center Writing Awards in Fiction. Restrictions: Open to anyone in the U.S., 18 years or older. Genre: Fiction, 5000 words max. Work must be medical or healthcare related in theme or focus. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 1, 2025.

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: December 1, 2025. Note: Opens on the first day of the month and closes once they hit the submissions cap.

Breath and Shadow  Genre: Writing on any topic for poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama; these pieces do not have to be "about" disability. However nonfiction, academic, and similar articles (profiles, interviews, opinion pieces) do have to relate to disability in some way. Payment: $25 for poetry, $40 for fiction, and $40 for nonfiction. In addition to publication and payment, Breath & Shadow will post links to contributors' work on other sites and to their Web site or e-mail address. Deadline: December 1, 2025.

Weird Christmas Flash Anthology. Genre: Weird flash fiction, 350 words max, that’s both about Christmas (or any other winter holiday) and simultaneously weird. Payment: $35. Deadline: December 1, 2025.

Bold Strokes Books: Gender Ever After – Gender-Affirming Sapphic Romance Stories. Genre: Sapphic Romance. Payment: $50. Deadline: December 1, 2025.

Extremities: Choose Your Own Death. Genre: Queer adult horror novellas. Novella length: 30K–40K words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 1, 2025.

Wallstrait. Genre: Flash fiction, longer stories, hybrid, and experimental stuff you can't quite define. Length: Up to 5,000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 1, 2025. 

IHRAM Publishes. Genre: Poetry, fiction, esssays, art. Theme: Echoes from the Street: Homelessness and the Unhoused. Payment: $50 for writing, $25 for art. Deadline: December 1, 2025.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: December 1, 2025. See themes.

Lycan Valley. Genre: Modern day reimagining of the Medusa story. "We want to see a strong bipoc woman* deeply rooted in culture. And, regardless of how she gets there, Medusa should be victorious and win in the end." Novella length (between 17,000 and 30,000 words) is preferred, but will consider both novellas and full-length novels for this project. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 1, 2025. Read guidelines HERE.

Eldritch Cat Press: The Lantern Keepers. Genre: Speculative short stories “We’re looking for tales that include characters who serve as guides, guardians, or messengers between the threshold of the living and the dead, lost or otherworldly. We want stories with haunting, dreadful, eerie, creeping or even sorrowful vibes." Payment: $10. Deadline: December 1, 2025.

Rooted Literary Magazine: Home. Genre: Poems, fiction (including flash), nonfiction (including reviews), visual art, audio, and video on theme: Home. Payment: $10. Deadline: December 1, 2025.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: December 2, 2025. Opens December 1. This is a monthly call.

Stone's Throw. Genre: Noir, dark fiction, crime short stories. Length: between 1,000 and 2,000 words. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 3, 2025. Note: This is a monthly call.

Variant Lit. Genre: Poetry, fiction, flash fiction, art. Payment: $10. Deadline: December 4, 2025.

Adventitious. Genre: Speculative, surreal, and literary fiction. Length: Flash Fiction (including Micro): Up to 1,000 words; Fiction: 1,000 – 6,000 words. Novelette: 6,000 – 17,000 words. Payment: $0.08 USD per word. Deadline: December 5, 2025.

Carte Blanche (Canada). Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF, translations. comics, photography. Payment: $75 CAD. Deadline: December 7, 2025.

Sine Theta Magazine. Restrictions: Open to people of Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, or Macau heritage, who live anywhere away from the original 'homeland' of that heritage. Genre: All genres of visual and literary work as long as they relate to the current theme. (See theme) Payment: $10. Deadline: December 7, 2025.

Samjoko Magazine. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, play, screenplay. Payment: $20. Deadline: December 10, 2025.

Gather Lit Mag. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $35CAD. Deadline: December 10, 2025.

Island. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents only. Genre: Fiction and Nonfiction. Payment: 40 cents per word for print fiction and nonfiction, with a minimum of $600 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: December 12, 2025.

Unidentified Funny Objects. Genre: Speculative humor. Payment: $0.12 per word. Deadline: December 12, 2025.

Dream Theory. Genre: Speculative and literary flash fiction. Payment: $30. Deadline: December 12, 2025.

Quarter Press: Quarter(ly). Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. See themes. Payment: $5. Deadline: December 14, 2025.

Extra Teeth. Genre: Short fiction and nonfiction between 800 and 4,000 words. "We look for short stories that stick with you, lingering in the memory long after reading, and essays that explore specific interests or issues from a new perspective. We offer a space for writers to be strange, bold and experimental, and to express their unique style however they see fit." Payment: £100 - £140. Deadline: December 14, 2025.

Buckman Journal. Restrictions: Open to Portland and Pacific Northwest creatives. Genre: Fiction and creative non-fiction. See theme. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: December 14, 2025.

Electric Literature. Genre: Personal Narrative. Payment: $100. Deadline: December 14, 2025. Closes when cap is reached.

Plott Hound. Genre: Speculative fiction starring animals. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: December 15, 2025.

Aôthen Magazine. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction related to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Payment: $10. Deadline: December 15, 2025.

Philly Chapbook Review. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $10. Deadline: December 15, 2025.

State of Matter. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, and translations “which may broadly inform South Asian experiences.” See theme. Payment: CAD150. Deadline: December 15, 2025.

Fourteen Poems: Home on the Range – Poems of the Queer Pastoral. Genre: Poems that, broadly speaking, fit with or interrogate the theme of queer pastoral. Payment: £30/poem. Deadline: December 15, 2025.

Brazenhead Review. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $200. Deadline: December 15, 2025. Note: Closes when cap is reached.

Propagule. Genre: Short stories that are intrepid with regard to experimentation and oddity; the strange, the surreal, the atypical, the unexpected. Payment: Up to $30. Deadline: December 15, 2025.

Big Score Lit. Genre: Poetry. Payment:  $100 per accepted poem. Deadline: December 15, 2025. Closes when cap is reached.

ellipsis… literature & art. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, drama, and creative non-fiction. Payment: $3 per page for prose. $10 for poetry. Deadline: December 15, 2025. (Only pays American writers.)

The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, mixed media, visual arts, "and even kitchen sinks, if they are compressed in some way.” Payment: $50. Deadline: December 15, 2025.

Whytaker Lyon Press: Virginia Fantastic Anthology. Genre: Speculative fiction that reimagines the Commonwealth of Virginia as a land of mystery, magic, and the unexpected. Payment: $5 for stories of 700-1,000 words. Deadline: December 15, 2025.

In a Flash. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 15, 2025.

Fantabulosa! Restrictions: Open to trans and BIPOC Queer writers. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art. Payment: $0.08/word for prose, and $50 for poetry. Deadline: December 15, 2025. [Extended deadline for trans and BIPOC writers]

Words Without Borders. Genre: Original translations into English of contemporary fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and interviews, and related multimedia. They also publish critical essays, book reviews, and interviews written in English. Payment: $50 - $150. Deadline: December 15, 2025.

Timberline Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, CNF, art. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 15, 2025.

Thousand Flowers Press. Genre: Poetry on theme Nighttime. Payment: $50. Deadline: December 15, 2025. 

Baffling. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. Length: Under 1200 words. See themes. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: December 15, 2025.

Home on the Range: Poems of the Queer Pastoral. Genre: Poetry. "The anthology will celebrate and complicate a poetics of queer nature, from redefining the boundaries between the urban, the rural, and the wilderness, to rendering the ways in which queer people make their homes in the pastoral traditions which have so often excluded them." Payment: £30. Deadline: December 15, 2025.

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: December 15, 2025. Closes when cap is reached so submit early.

Maine Review. Genre: Short fiction, poetry. Payment: Fiction and Nonfiction writers receive a $25 honorarium per published flash (1,000 words or fewer) and a $50 honorarium for work 1,001 words or more. Poets receive a $25 honorarium per published poem. Deadline: December 18, 2025. Closes when cap is reached so submit early.

B Cubed Press: More Alternative Liberties. Genre: Stories, poems, and esssays about the potential consequences of the 2024 Presidential election told in current, near future or even similar situations where such a leader is in power. Payment: $0.10/word + royalties. Deadline: December 20, 2025.

Shiraki Press. Genre: Genre fiction manuscripts for new novellas & short novels (17,500 – 70k words), with a hopepunk vibe, targeted at adult audiences. Payment: Advance and royalties. Deadline: December 20, 2025.

The Aesthete. Genre: Short stories, flash fiction, poetry. Payment: $5. Deadline: December 21, 2025.

The Deadlands. Genre: Poetry. "The Deadlands exists in liminal spaces between life, death, and elsewhere. We are looking for fiction that concerns itself with death—but also everything death may involve." Payment: $50/poem. Deadline:  December 21, 2025.

Speck Magazine. Restrictions: Open to residents of North America. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $5/page, $50 max. Deadline: December 21, 2025.

The Ex-Puritan. Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: $100 per nonfiction piece, $50 fiction, $15 per poem. Deadline: December 25, 2025.

DNDP Quarterly. Genre: All genres. Payment: Short stories: $35,  Comics: $25 - $100, Poetry: $10, Flash fiction: $20, Essay: $15. Deadline: December 25, 2025.

Deadset Press: Rebels and Rainbows. Restrictions: Open to all Australian and New Zealand authors who identify as LGBTIQA+, from any gender identity, and ally authors. Genre: Stories that feature LGBTIQA+ characters of any gender identity across the wide universes of speculative fiction. Swashbuckling pirates, mischievous necromancers, charming elder gods, dashing bounty hunters, anything goes! Payment: $25. Deadline: December 30, 2025.

foofaraw zine. Genre: Speculative and literary fiction. Payment: Fiction: $0.01 per word. Poetry: $5.00. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Meadowlark Reader. Genre: Personal essays, interviews, journalistic pieces. “True stories about Kansas written by Kansans." Payment: $10 plus one contributor copy. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Burial Books. Genre: Westerns of at least 60,000 words. No fantasy or weird westerns. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Burial Books. Genre: Crime fiction of at least 60,000 words. No fantasy. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Best American. Genre: Published short stories, essays, food writing, mystery and suspense, nature writing, science fiction and fantasy. Payment: ? Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Dracula Beyond Stoker. Genre: Fiction based on Stoker’s characters. See theme. Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Ninth Letter. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Payment: $25 per poem and $100 for prose. Deadline: December 31, 2025. Closes when cap is reached.

Mayday. Genre: Translations, art, poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: $10 - $50. Deadline: December 31, 2025. No submission fee during the month of December.

Arc Poetry Magazine. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $50 per page. Deadline: December 31, 2025. Free submissions for Canadians only.

DreamForge. Genre: Science fiction and fantasy short fiction and poetry. Payment: $0.08/word. Payment for reprints is $0.04/word. Poems are paid at the rate of $25 to $100. Deadline: December 31, 2025. Accepts reprints.

Workers Write!. Genre: "We're looking for fiction and poetry about the people who work in airports and for airlines, such as passenger service agents, ramp agents, TSA agents, airport engineers, baggage handlers, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, pilots, and so on." Payment: $10 - $50. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Wild Hyacinth. Genre: Fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and visual art. Payment: $25 CAD. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Lit Fox Poetry Series. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $150. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Thirty West. Genre: Chapbook. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Oddity Prodigy Productions: Tales of Steel and Sorcery. Genre: Epic fantasy. Payment: $10 minimum. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

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 for fiction. Deadline: November 21, 2025. Accepts reprints. 

Fun in the Dark Anthology. Genre: Any genre short story. Story length: 2000-5000 words. See theme. Payment: £20. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Iron Faerie Publishing: Hawthorn & Ash Anthology. Genre: Fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror stories. Length: 100 - 500 words. Payment: $0.01/word. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Smokelong. Genre: Flash narrative up to 1000 words. They are looking for prose that is troubling, that explores our darkest fears. Payment: $100/$150 with audio, upon publication. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Flash Frog. Genre: Flash fiction stories. 1,000 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

We’re Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction. Genre: Queer speculative fiction. Submissions are open for all speculative work published in 2025 under 17,500 words that deals either implicitly or explicitly with queerness. Payment: $0.01/word. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Black Hare Press. Genre: Dark stories, in any genre. Length: 5,000 - 50,000 words. Payment: $20 - $50, depending on length. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Allegory. Genre: Speculative Fiction and nonfiction. Payment: $15. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Howdy Dude. Genre: Western and crime novels. Payment: Royalities. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Freeze Frame Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction. "Any genre, no content restrictions. We want your science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, drama, literary works, satire, bizarre fiction, or anything else you can come up with or mix together. The more original, the better. The weirder, the better.” Payment: $10. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Dragon Soul Press: Fallen in Love. Genre: All romantic stories involving angels, nephilim, etc. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Dragon Soul Press: Curse of the Sword. Genre: All fairytale retellings. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Black Beacon Book of Horror 2. Genre: Horror. Preferred word count between 3,000 and 9,000 words. Payment: $30 USD for original stories and $10 for reprints regardless of length, plus one print copy. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Tenebrous Press. Genre: New Weird Horror novels and novellas. Length: 20,000 - 120,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Midnight and Indigo. Genre: Short Stories, Speculative Fiction, and Personal Essays written by Black women writers. See theme. Payment:  $0.07 per word for Short Stories and $150 for personal essays. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

The New York Times: Modern Love. Genre: Essay on modern love. Payment: Not Specified. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Open Secrets Magazine. Genre: Original, unpublished, non-AI-generated 1,000-2,500 word personal essays on the author’s current personal experience with food insecurity. Payment: $200. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Dark Moments. Genre: Messages from the edge—snapshots of terror, longing, and the uncanny. Postcards sent from places that shouldn’t exist. Payment: 0.04 USD per word via PayPal. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ stories, 12,000 words minimum. See themes. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2025.

Chestnut Review. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, visual media (art/photography). Payment: $120. Deadline: December 31, 2025. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee.

AND A FEW MORE...

Cafe Irreal. Genre: Magical realism. Length: Up to 2,000 words. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: January 1, 2026.