60 Calls for Submissions in February 2025 - Paying markets

This February there are more five 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: Flickr)

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

Rainy Weather Days. Genre: Poetry and prose. See theme. Payment: $10 for poems, $25 for prose. Deadline: Opens February 1, 2025.

The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Prose. They prefer stories under 3,000 words but will consider up to 5,000 words. Payment: $100. Deadline: Opens February 1, 2025. Free submissions open on the 1st of each month and close when cap is reached. 

Nightlight (Podcast). Restrictions: At least one of your birth parents must be Black. Genre: Horror. Flash fiction (750-1,500 words) Payment: 5 cents per word. Deadline: Opens February 1, 2025.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Fiction, 1.5 cents/word. Poetry, $10. Deadline: February 1, 2025.

White Stag Publishing. Genre: Full length manuscripts in either Poetry, Prose / Fiction, Non-Fiction, Hybrid Work, & Ritual Projects in the scope of our thematic elements, which include alchemy & the occult with intersections of science & magick, witchcraft & activism, mysticism & spirituality, & / or the supranatural. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 1, 2025.

The Paris Review. Genres: Fiction. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: Opens February 1, 2025, and closes when they reach capacity.

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, 2025.

Okay Donkey. Genre: One flash fiction OR one poem per author, per submission period. See website for details. Payment: $20. Deadline: Opens February 1, 2025 and closes when cap is reached.

Cordite. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Payment: Not specified. Payment is available for Australian contributors only. Deadline: February 2, 2025

Stone's Throw. Genre: Noir, dark fiction, crime short stories. Length: between 1,000 and 2,000 words. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: February 4, 2025. Note: This is a monthly call.

Sci Phi Journal. Genre: Hard science fiction, fictional nonfiction, and speculative philosophy. Translations accepted. Payment: €0.03/word; €0.01/word for translations. Deadline: February 5, 2025.

Typehouse. Restrictions: In honor of Black History Month, no-fee submissions are open for all Black creators, not limited to those in the US. Genre: Prose, poetry, art. Payment: $25. Deadline: February 7, 2025.

The Rumpus: Enough. Genre: ENOUGH is a Rumpus original series devoted to creating a dedicated space for essays, poetry, fiction, comics, and artwork by women and non-binary people that engage with rape culture, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Payment: $50. Deadline: February 7, 2025.

Forest Avenue Press. Restrctions: Open to US residents. Genre: Unagented novel manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 9, 2025.

The Suburban Review. Genre: Prose, art, poetry. See theme. Payment: AUD300-450 for prose; AUD300-550 for poetry; comics and art AUD200-300. Deadline: February 9, 2025. 

Mildew. Genre: Nonfiction. "Surprising, thoughtful stories that inspire readers to think about old clothes in new ways." See theme. Payment: $.50/word. Deadline: February 9, 2025. Pitches only.

Wyldblood Press (UK) Genre: Short speculative fiction. Length: 6000 words max. Payment: £0.01 cent/word. Deadline: Opens February 10, 2025.

Island Online. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents only. Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction. Payment: $600. Deadline: February 10, 2025.

Poet Lore. Genre: Poetry about “the more-than-human world.” See theme. Payment: $50. Deadline: February 11, 2025.

Unnerving. Genre: Crime and Mystery. Word count: 2,000 – 6,000. Payment: 1.5¢ CAD/word. Deadline: February 14, 2025.

Crimson Quill. Genre: Fantasy. Payment: $25. Deadline: February 14, 2025.

Burial Books: Horror Short Stories. Genre: Horror short stories between 500 and 10,000 words in length. Payment: $10. Deadline: February 14, 2025.

The Lorelei Signal. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, and poetry with strong female characters. Payment: $15 for short stories, $5 for poems and flash (<1000 wds) fiction pieces, $5 for reprints. Deadline: February 15, 2025. Accepts reprints.

Stanchion. Genre: Short stories (1000-ish word max), flash fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, poetry, prose poems, stray thoughts, monologues, interviews with inanimate objects, reviews of everyday items and moments, and the like. Payment: $5. Deadline: Opens February 15, 2025. Closes when cap is reached.

Fallen Tree Press. Restrictions: Open to writers from the U.S. and Canada only. "It’s our intent to promote a diverse group of writers, especially those identifying as women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and members of underserved groups." Genre: Poetry chapbooks. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 15, 2025.

Cursed Morsels Press. Restrctions: Open to BIPOC writers only. Genre: Full-length horror short story collections. "Queer, anticapitalist, and antifascist fiction. Eco horror. Body horror. Gripping prose. Unplaceable feelings of strangeness. Moral messiness. Fiction written for adults. Nuance. Ambiguity." Payment: $500 advance. 50% royalties paid quarterly. Deadline: February 15, 2025. 

Smokelong. Genre: Flash narrative up to 1000 words. Payment: $100/$150 with audio, upon publication. Deadline: February 15, 2025.

Iron Horse. Genre: Poems, stories, essays on any topic. Payment: $50 - $100. Deadline: February 15, 2025. Free submissions on February 15 only.

Luna Station Quarterly. Restrictions: Open to women writers only. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $10. Deadline: February 15, 2025. 

Griffith Review. Genre: Nonfiction on theme: Here Be Monsters. Payment: AUD $200. Deadline: February 16, 2025. 

Sinister Smile Press: If I Die Before I Wake – Tales of Cryptid Chaos. Genre: Horr. or. Length: Between 4,000 and 10,000 words. See theme. Payment: $40 - $50. Deadline: February 20, 2025.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: February 21, 2025.

Hiding Under the Leaves, Genre: Folk horror. Payment: 1p a word to a maximum of £50. Deadline: February 23, 2025.

Vampire Hunters: An Incomplete Record of Personal Accounts. Genre: Diary/Journal Entry type stories from vampire hunters throughout history. 1000 - 5000 words. Payment: 2 cents/word. $20 for art. Deadline: February 25, 2025.

Stygian Lepus Magazine. Genre: Dark speculative fiction. Payment: $5. Deadline: February 25, 2025.

Fission is the British Science Fiction Association's annual anthology of SFF fiction. You don’t need to be a BSFA member to submit. Genre: Science fiction. Length: Up to 5,000 words. Payment: 2 pence per word. Deadline: February 26, 2025.

Malahat Review. Genre: Poetry. Payment: CAD $70/page. Deadline: February 28, 2025. (Note: Submissions by Canadian writers are accepted for consideration all year.)

Harvest the Night: An Anthology of Folk Horror. Genre: Folk Horror. Payment: $10 per 1K words, and one contributor copy. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Terrazzo Editiions. Genre: Full-length literary fiction manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

This World of Vile Wonder: Horror Tales of the Scientific Revolution. Genre: Historical horror. Story must be set between the years 1500 and 1700 CE. Payment: $75. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Air and Nothingness Press: Our Dust Earth. Genre: Science Fiction stories based upon the RPG - Our Dust Earth, which is a "Dying Earth" era game. Payment: 8 cents.word. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Farmer-ish. Genre: Nonfiction, CNF, poetry related to farming (including recipes). Payment: $25 for print journal. Deadline: February 28, 2025. See themes.

Ripples in Space. Genre: Science fiction stories that fit snugly within the imagery, concept, and theme of first contact. Payment: $20. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Murderous Ink Press: Crimeucopia. Genre: Crime fiction. Payment: Up to £7.00. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Yellow Arrow Journal. Genre: Creative nonfiction, poetry, cover art by authors who identify as women. Theme: Unfurl. Payment: $10. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

New Orleans Review. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: $300 for prose, $100 for poetry. Deadline: February 28, 2025. In celebration of Black History Month, there are no submission fees for Black writers for the month of February.

New Myths. Genre: Speculative fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: 3 cents/word with a minimum payment of $50 for all submissions, fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction and poetry; $50 for book reviews; $80 for art. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Fahmidan Publishing is a publisher for all POC & Women ardent in battle against subjugation. Genre: Poetry or fiction chapbook. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Conium Press. Genre: Magical realist, surrealist, and experimental fiction chapbooks. Payment:
Ten copies and a small honorarium. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories. Restrictions: Writers must live or have lived in the following Illinois counties: Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will, as well as Lake County, Indiana. Genre: Horror short stories about "the horrors, both real and supernatural, that populate the White City." Payment: 5 cents per word. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Modern Mummies Anthology. Genre: Mummy genre horror. Payment: 5 cents USD per word for original fiction works and 1 cent per word for reprints. Deadline: February 28, 2025. Reprints accepted.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories, 12,000 words minimum. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Southword. Genre: Fiction. Payment: €300 per short story. Deadline: January 31, 2025.

Dragon Soul Press: Lured Into the Deep. Genre: Speculative fiction. Theme – All mermaids (and their kin), kraken (sea monsters), underwater civilizations, etc. stories are welcome. All genres are accepted. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Gwyllion. Restrictions: Writers living in Wales and writers who identify (fully, in part, or by ancestry) as Welsh. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Welsh themes. Payment: £15 per accepted story or poem. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

The New Quarterly. Restrictions: Open to Canadian writers. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: $275 for a short story or nonfiction entry, and $50 per poem or postscript story. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Humour Me. Genre: Funny short stories with the theme ‘fresh starts.’ Payment: £12.50. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: February 28, 2025. (?)

AND A FEW MORE...

Brave Knights: Heroic Courage. Genre: Speculative Fiction. Theme: Bravery and courage still matter. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 1, 2025.

Solstitia. Genre: All genres and all submission types (fiction, non fiction, poetry, art). Word count up to 10,000. See theme. Payment: $50. Deadline: March 1, 2025.

Teach. Write. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, flash fiction, poetry, CNF. "I prefer writing that is either written by composition teachers and writing students OR about teaching and learning." Payment: $15. Deadline: March 1, 2025.

The Woodward Review. Genre: Poetry, prose, art, and digital media from anyone, anywhere. Payment: $50. Deadline: March 1, 2025.

table/FEAST. Genre: Prose, poetry, CNF, art about food. Payment: $10 per poem, prose $20, art $15. Deadline: March 1, 2025.

Singapore Unbound: Suspect. Restrictions: Open to authors who identify as Asian. Genre: Fiction and essays (maximum 6,500 words) or poetry (maximum 10 pages). See theme. Payment: $100. Deadline: March 1, 2025.

Parabola. Genre: Original essays and translations, poetry, reviews. See themes. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: March 1, 2025.

Thema. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: The Lost Sock. Payment:  $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: March 1, 2025. Accepts reprints.

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: March 1, 2025. Closes when cap is reached.

Horror Short Story Anthology. Genre: Horror and dark fantasy. Payment: $10. Deadline: March 1, 2025.

Toronto Journal. Genre: Short stories from anywhere in the world. No word limit. "We will also consider non-fiction pieces that are either set locally or explore some local history (Toronto, GTA, and surrounding)." Payment: $50 CAD per piece. All published writers will also receive two printed copies of the issue in which they appear. Deadline: March 1, 2025.

The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Prose. They prefer stories under 3,000 words but will consider up to 5,000 words. Payment: $100. Deadline: Opens March 1, 2025. Free submissions open on the 1st of each month and close when cap is reached. 

IHRAM Publishes. Genre: Poetry, fiction, esssays, art. Theme: The Evolving Gaze: Society’s Voice for Masculinity. Payment: $50 for writing, $25 for art. Deadline: March 1, 2025.

Okay Donkey. Genre: One flash fiction OR one poem per author, per submission period. See website for details. Payment: $20. Deadline: Opens March 1, 2025 and closes when cap is reached.

83 Free Writing Contests in February 2025 - No entry fees

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

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

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

Good luck! 

(Image: Pxhere)

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New Media Writing Prize. Genre: Fiction or non-fiction written specifically for delivery and reading/viewing on a PC or Mac, the web, or a hand-held device such as an iPad or mobile phone. It could be a short story, novel, poem, narrative game, documentary, or transmedia work using words, images, film or animation with audience interaction. Interactivity is a key element of new-media storytelling. Prize: £500. Deadline: February 1, 2025.

Mike Resnick Memorial Award: Best Unpublished Science Fiction Short Story by a New Author. Restrictions: Open to an author who has not had any work published (including short stories, novelettes, novellas, and novels in paper, digital or audio form) that has been paid a per-word rate of 6 cents a word or more or received a payment for any single work of fiction totaling more than $50. Genre: Science fiction short story, up to 7,499 words. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: Feburary 1, 2025.

World History Association Bentley Book Prize. Genre: World history book published in the immediately preceding calendar year. Prize: $500. Deadline: February 1, 2025.

$1000 for 1000 Words Creative Writing Contest is sponsored by the Leyla Beban Young Authors Foundation. Restrictions: Students enrolled in grades 6-12. Genre: Short fiction of exactly 1000 words. Prize: Two $1,000 scholarship prizes will be awarded, one for grades 6-8 and one for grades 9-12. Seven $100 cash prizes will also be awarded for winning entries, one per grade level. Deadline: February 1, 2025.

Paterson Prize for Books for Young People. Genre: Most outstanding book for young people published in previous year. There is a $1000 award in each category: Pre-K - Grade 3; Grades 4 - 6; Grades 7 - 12. Prize: $1000. Deadline: February 1, 2025.

Gannon University Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Entrants must be a US high school student or a home-schooled student in grades nine through twelve. Genre: Poetry. Each student may enter 1 or 2 poems; each poem may be no longer than 50 lines. Prize: First Place: $100.00 Second Place: $75.00 Third Place: $50.00. Deadline: February 1, 2025.

St. Gallen Symposium Global Essay Competition. Restrictions: Writers must be enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate programme (master level or higher) in any field of study at a regular university, and be born in 1993 or later. Genre: Essay on "Global power is shifting. What’s your innovative idea to address a related risk or opportunity?" Length: 2,100 words. Prize: CHF20,000, split between three winners; they’ll also cover travel, accommodation, and admission to the symposium in Switzerland. Deadline: February 1, 2025.

Paterson Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry book published in the previous year. Prize: $2000. Deadline: February 1, 2025.

Hodson Trust–John Carter Brown Library Fellowship. Genre: Nonfiction (includes creative nonfiction). A book-in-process relating to the literature, history, culture, or art of the Americas before 1830. Award: $20,000. Deadline: February 1, 2025.

Wednesday Club Junior Poetry Prize. Restrictions: High School Students in Grades 9 through 12 in the St. Louis Area. Genre: Poetry. Two individual poems. Prizes: $200,  $150,  $100, $80, $50, and up to five $25 honorable mentions TEACHER AWARDS: $200, $150, $100. (Applies to teachers of first three student winners.) Deadline: February 1, 2025.

Wednesday Club Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Adults over 18; living within a 50-mile radius of St. Louis. Genre: Poetry. Two individual poems. Prizes: $500, $300, $150. Deadline: February 1, 2025.

Hurston/Wright Crossover Award. Restrictions: Open to unpublished, Black writers who are 18 years and older. Genre: Literary nonfiction. Submissions may be stand-alone essays or excerpts from a book in progress. Prize: $2000. Deadline: February 3, 2025.

Narrative Magazine High School Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students aged 15-18. Genre: Poetry on theme. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: February 5, 2025.

Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. Genre: Adventure writing novel. Prize: £10,000. Deadline: February 6, 2025.

Northern Writers’ Awards for Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction. Restrictions: Open to writers living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain here for at least another 12 months. Genre: Full-length novel, work of narrative non-fiction or a short-story collection work in progress. Prize: Winners will receive awards of between £2000 and £5000 to support them to develop work in progress and to complete promising manuscripts. They will also be given access to the Northern Writers’ Awards Network. Deadline: February 6, 2025.

Northern Writers’ Awards for Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction and Young Adult. Restrictions: Open to writers living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain here for at least another 12 months, and who are yet to publish a full-length novel or collection of short stories. Genre: Fiction, narrative non-fiction, young adult fiction. Prize: £2000, mentoring and access to the Northern Writers’ Awards Network. Deadline: February 6, 2025.

The Northern Writers’ Awards for Poetry and Debut Poetry. Restrictions: Open to writers living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain here for at least another 12 months. Genre: Poetry collection. Open to both established and debut poets. Prize: Winners will receive awards of between £2000 and £5000 to support them to develop work in progress and to complete promising manuscripts. They will also be given access to the Northern Writers’ Awards Network. Deadline: February 6, 2025.

Northumbria University Student and Alumni Award. Restrictions: Open to students and graduates from any discipline who are: final-year undergraduates; current postgraduate students; or alumni who have graduated from an undergraduate or postgraduate programme at Northumbria University within the last ten years. Genre: Poetry, fiction and narrative non-fiction. Prize: £2000. Deadline: February 6, 2025.

Young Northern Writers’ Awards. Restrictions: Open to young writers aged 11-18 in the North of England. Genre: Creative work in any form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap. Prize: Up to £150. Deadline: February 6, 2025.

Matthew Hale Award. Restrictions: Open to young people aged 11-18 based in the North of England. Entrants must be 18 years or under on 6 February 2025 when the awards close. The Matthew Hale Award is open to young writers who show promise but have had limited opportunities to pursue their talent. This could be due to a number of factors, including physical or mental ill-health, family circumstances, financial circumstances, lack of access to cultural opportunities or other reasons. Genre: Creative work in any form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap. Prize: Package of support created by New Writing North to the value of £500. The package will be tailored to the specific interests and needs of the winner, but could include anything from one-on-one mentoring with a professional writer, enrolment on a course, books, theatre tickets or a pass to a literature festival. Deadline: February 6, 2025.

The Eva Ibbotson Award. Restrictions: Open to young writers aged 11-15 in the North of England who are writing in English as an additional language. Writers must be aged 11-15 when the awards close on 6 February 2025. Genre: Creative work in any form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap. Prize: Package of support created by New Writing North to the value of £500. Deadline: February 6, 2025.

Criminal Lines Award. Restrictions: Open to writers aged 18 and over born or living in Britain (including the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) and Ireland (Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland). Entrants must not have previously published a novel or novella although self-published novels, novellas and self-published e-books are accepted. You must not be represented by a literary agent at the time of submission or at the shortlist stage. Genre: Full-length crime, thriller, mystery and suspense fiction. Prize: £3,500 and an offer of representation from A.M. Heath. Deadline: February 7, 2025.

The University of Chester Flash (Youth). Restrictions: Open to Scottish students aged 16-19 who are studying in the UK. Genre: flash fiction of up to 360 words. Prize: Up to £100. Deadline: February 7, 2025.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction. "On the first Friday of every month, a new set of story prompts will be revealed. You will have 55 hours to submit your best 500-word (or fewer) story." Prize: $500AUD. Deadline: February 9, 2025. Opens February 7.

The Miracle Monocle Award for Young Black Writers. Restrictions: Writers must be 25 years old or younger and identify as Black. Genre: All. Prize: $200.  Deadline: February 10, 2025. Closes when cap is reached.

Highlights Foundation Scholarships. Prize: 25 full tuition scholarships and 20 partial tuition scholarships for workshops that take place at the Highlights Foundation Retreat Center. 30 full tuition scholarships for online courses through the Highlights Foundation. 15 scholarships for personal retreats at the Highlights Foundation Retreat Center. Deadline: February 10, 2025.

The Tomorrow Prize & The Green Feather Award. Restrictions: Open to Los Angeles County high school students. Genre: Science fiction, and environmentally focused sci-fi story. Prize: Tomorrow Prize: $250, $150, and $100 USD. Green Feather Award: $250.00 & online publication by the Nature Nexus Institute. Deadline: February 14, 2025.

Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English. Books must be published in Canada in English between October 1, 2023, and February 28, 2025 to be eligible for the 2025 Prize. Must  be nominated by publisher. Genre: Fiction. Full-length novel or collection of short stories published in English, either originally, or in translation. Prize: $100,000 to the winner and $10,000 to each of the finalists. Deadline: February 14, 2025.

Tree2mydoor Valentines Day Poetry competition. Restrictions: Open to UK citizens. Genre: Witty or soppy, romantic or silly Valentines Day poems. Prize: £100 worth of Tree2mydoor gift vouchers. Deadline: February 14, 2025.

Writers' & Artists' Short Story Competition. Genre: Short story. All entries must be original unpublished prose of 2,000 words or fewer. See theme. Prize: A place on one of Arvon's residential writing courses and publication. Deadline: February 14, 2025.

Bar Sagi Prize. Restrictions: Open to Israelis aged 12 to 18 when the poem was written. Genre: Poem. Prize: 400 NIS first prize, 250 NIS second prize, 100 NIS third prize. Deadline: February 14, 2025.

Aniko Press Summer Flash Fiction Competition. Genre: Flash fiction (100 words max) on theme: Wave. Prize: Publication on their website and social media, a copy of rock flight by Hasib Hourani, plus the latest issue of Aniko Magazine. Deadline: February 14, 2025.

Syracuse University's Veterans Writing Award. Restrictions: Open to U.S. veterans and active duty personnel in any branch of the U.S. military and their immediate family members. This includes spouses, domestic partners, and children. Women veteran writers and veterans of color are encouraged to submit. Genre: Unpublished, full-length novels, novella, or short story collections. Prize: $1000. Deadline: February 15, 2025.

Iron Horse 2025 Chapbook Competition. Genre: Prose chapbook, between 40 and 56 pages (10,000 - 20,000 words) Prize: $1,000 honorarium and 15 copies. Deadline: Note: They will accept 25 free submissions on February 15, 2025 for those who cannot afford to pay the entry fee.

The American Prospect Writing Fellows Program. The American Prospect’s Writing Fellows Program offers journalists the opportunity to spend two years developing their skills with the magazine at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. (or working remotely, in pandemic times). Each fellow benefits from an intensive mentoring program with the experts on our editorial team, and is expected to contribute regularly. The annual salary for this two-year fellowship starts at $46,500 and includes a full range of benefits (health, dental, vision) plus union membership in Washington-Baltimore News Guild (Communication Workers of America). Deadline: February 15, 2025.

The Tom La Farge Award for Innovative Writing, Teaching and Publishing. Genre: "literary activity that combines serious play, imagination, erudition and innovative practice." Prize: $10,00. Deadline: February 15, 2025.

Harold Morton Landon Translation Award. Genre: Poetry collection translated from any language into English and published in the previous calendar year. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 15, 2025.

Haiku Society of America Merit Book Awards for Excellence in Published Haiku, Translation, and Criticism. Genre: Published book. Books must have been published in 2023 and must clearly contain a printed 2023 copyright. A member, author, or publisher may submit or nominate more than one title. At least 50 percent of the book must be haiku, senryu, or haibun, or prose about these subjects (books mostly of tanka, for example, are not eligible). Prize: $500. Deadline: February 15, 2025.

Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award in Poetry (Kansas Book Award). Restrictions: Author must establish a connection to Kansas by birth, education, employment, residence or other significant claim. Genre: Novel or collection of short stories. The nominee's book must have a publication date of 2022, 2023, or 2024. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 15, 2025.

Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant. Restrictions: Open to authors under 30 years of age who have not had a book published. Applicant must have been born in Ohio or have lived in Ohio for a minimum of five years. Genre: Short fiction and creative non-fiction. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 15, 2025.

CAAPP Book Prize. Restrictions: Open to writers of African descent. Genre: First or second book by a writer of African descent and is open to the full range of writers embodying African and African diasporic experience. The book can be of any genre that is, or intersects with, poetry, including poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation. Prize: $3000 and publication. Deadline: February 15, 2025.

Governor General's Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written or translated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. They do not need to be residing in Canada. Genre: The Governor General’s Literary Awards are given annually to the best English-language and the best French-language book in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People’s Literature (Text), Young People’s Literature (Illustrated Books) and Translation (from French to English). Prize: $25,000. Deadline: February 15, 2025.

Paul-Victor Winters Memorial Creative Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to NJ high school students in private or public schools, grades 9-12. Genre: Flash Fiction and Poetry. Prize: $500 top prize. Deadline: February 15, 2025.

Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Award. Genre: Poetry - translation into English of a significant work of modern Italian poetry. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: February 15, 2025.

James Welch Prize for Indigenous Poets. Restrictions: The prize is open to new, emerging, and established poets who are community-recognized members of tribal nations within the United States and its trust territories (including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Chamorros, and American Samoans). Only poets who have not published more than one book-length collection are eligible; however, previous publication is not a requirement. Eligible contestants must be community-recognized members of their tribal nation. Formal tribal enrollment is not the only way of acknowledging belonging, and this prize aims to recognize all Native writers who are in community. Previous first place winners of this prize are not eligible, but previous finalists are welcome to submit work. Prize: $1000. Deadline: February 15, 2025.

53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: February 15, 2025. This is a monthly contest.

Charles Crupi Memorial Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students in Michigan.  Genre: Poetry. Prize: 1st place - $250 and publication in The Albion Review, 2nd place - $150 and publication in The Albion Review; 3rd place - $100 and publication in The Albion Review. Deadline: February 16, 2025.

Iris N. Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Poetry composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme and received forms. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: February 17, 2025.

Sonnet Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Sonnet. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 17, 2025.

Villanelle Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Villanelle. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 17, 2025.

Myong Cha Son Haiku Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Haiku. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: February 17, 2025.

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: February 17, 2025. Note: This is a monthly contest.

Rhina P. Espaillat Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Original poems written in Spanish and translations of English poems to Spanish. Prize: $1000. Deadline: February 17, 2025.

The Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award supports the work of a promising early-career nonfiction writer on a story that uncovers truths about the human condition. Genres: Nonfiction journalism works in progress with “strong, character-driven narratives with detailed scene writing and lyrical description.” Restrictions: The award will not fund proposals to report on armed conflicts where journalists are already imperiled, nor projects that are mainly investigatory. Prize: $6,000 upon announcement of the winning proposal; $3,000 upon evidence of substantial progress (usually a first draft); and $3,500 upon completion and acceptance by the Award committee.. Deadline: February 19, 2025.

Christopher Tower Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to UK students between 16-18 years of age. Genre: Poetry, one poem, maximum 48 lines. See theme. Prize: £5,000. Deadline: February 20, 2025. 

Western Australian Premier's Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to authors who either are citizens or permanent residents of Western Australia. Genre: Book published during the preceding calendar year in a variety of genres. Prize: Up to A$60,000. Deadline: February 20, 2025. 

Gaithersburg Book Festival Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students (grades 9-12) from across the Washington Metropolitan Area (Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC). Genre: Poetry. Prize: First, 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $250, $100 and $50 gift certificates. Deadline: February 21, 2025.

Wiley-Silver Prize in Civil War History. Genre: First book or monograph in Civil War history published in the previous year. Books or monographs published by scholarly or popular presses are eligible. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: February 21, 2025.

The Lakefly Writers Conference. Restrictions: Open to residents of Wisconsin. Genres: Short story fiction: 3000 words or less. Any genre. Poetry: All poems, free verse to formal and everything in between—75 lines max. Personal Essay: 2500 words max. Prize: First place winners will receive a cash prize of $100; second place winners will receive $75; and third place winners will receive $50. Winners must be able to attend an awards ceremony. Deadline: February 23, 2025.

Harper’s Bazaar short-story competition. Restrictions: Open to UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over. Genre: Original, unpublished short story, written in English on the subject of ‘The open road’ up to 2,000 words. Prize: Two-night stay at Chewton Glen in Hampshire (UK). Deadline: February 23, 2025.

The Lancaster Playwriting Prize. Restrictions: The competition is open to applicants living or learning in Lancashire and who must have reached their 12th birthday/must not have reached their 19th Birthday by the date of the submission deadline. Genre: Script (for a play). Scripts must be 15 to 30 minutes long. See theme. Prize: The top three submissions will receive a rehearsed public reading of a 15-20 minute section of their work on 28th March 2025. Runners up will receive £250 each and the winner will receive £1000 cash prize and a trophy. Deadline: February 24, 2025.

Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships. Restrictions: Applicants must reside in the U.S. or be U.S. citizens. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and no older than 31 years of age as of April 30, 2024. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $27,000.  Deadline: March 3, 2025. Please register for the online portal by February 24, 2025 if this is your first application.

Pegasus Award for Poetry Criticism. Genre: This prize seeks to honor the best book-length works of criticism published in the US in the prior calendar year, including biographies, essay collections, and critical editions that consider the subject of poetry or poets. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: February 24, 2025 for first time nominations only. All others, March 3.

Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Genre: Fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to a novel or short-story collection published between October 1, 2024 and February 25, 2025. Prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline: February 26, 2025.

Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Non-Fiction. Genre: Literary non-fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to a literary nonfiction book published between October 1, 2024 and February 25, 2025. Deadline: February 26, 2025.

Writers' Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Open to Canadian LGBTQ+ writers. Genre: Debut book  published between October 1, 2024 and February 25, 2025. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: February 26, 2025.

Toronto Star Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to Ontario residents 16 years of age or older. Genre: Short story. Prize: 1st prize - $5000; 2nd prize - $2000, 3rd prize - $1000. Deadline: February 26, 2025.

Sejong Cultural Society Essay Competition. Restrictions: Open to writers ages 19-30. Also see youth and children's divisions. Genre: Essay responding to prompts. (See website) Prizes: $1000, $750, $500, $50 for honorable mention, plus possible publication. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Black Caucus of ALA (BCALA) Self-Publishing Literary Awards. Genre: Self-published ebook by an African American author in the U.S. in both fiction and poetry genres. BCALA awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. The purpose is to encourage the artistic expression of the African American experience via literature and scholarly research including biographical, historical, and social history treatments by African Americans. Prize: $2,500.00, formal recognition at the NCAAL conference, and a BCALA Literary Award Seal to use in their marketing. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Sejong Cultural Society Sijo Competition. Genre: Sijo. Prizes: Adult: $1000, $750, $500, $50 for honorable mention, plus possible publication. Pre-college division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300) Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Post Election Emotional Turmoil Contest. Genre: Poetry, art, and prose. "If you went into a depressive spiral in November, you're not alone. Share your grief, your rage, your feelings of helplessness with us." Prize: $50. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Victor Howes Prize in Poetry. Restrictions: Undergraduate English majors currently enrolled at a New England college (2-year or 4-year). Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

The Kelpies Prize (Scotland). Restrictions: Open to Scottish authors. Genre: Children’s fiction and nonfiction, picture books. Prize: £1,000, a publishing contract, a writing retreat, and a year of mentoring by an editorial team. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

2025 Sijo Competition. Genre: A Sijo poem. Prize: Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500); Pre-college division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300) Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Imagine Little Tokyo. Little Tokyo Historical Society (LTHS) seeks fictional short stories in Japanese or English for its “Imagine Little Tokyo” writing contest. The setting of the story should be in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, CA– either past, present or future. Prize: $1000. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Invent a Word. We invite you to invent a word. Not just any word. A word you think will greatly enhance the English language. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

The Orwell Society Dystopian Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Open to current students (both BA and MA) at British universities. Genre: Dystopian narratives of 3,000 words. Prize: £750. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Black Caucus of the American Library Association Self-Published E-Book Literary Award. 

Restrictions: Open to African-Americans. Genre: Self-Published E-Book in fiction and poetry written by African-Americans that depict the "cultural, historical, or sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora." Prize: $2,500. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, maximum 5,000 words. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Words Without Borders Momentum Grant for Early-Career Translators. Genre: The grant is intended to facilitate the completion of a substantial sample of a book-length work of prose translation suitable for submission to English-language publishers, and will be awarded to an individual translator who has not yet received a book-length contract for translation work into English. We particularly welcome submissions from translators from historically underrepresented cultures and backgrounds. Prize: $3000. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multi-Lingual Texts. Genre: Literary translations and multi-lingual texts. Prize: $200. Deadline: February 28, 2025.

Springtime on Story Street. Genre: Fiction drabble. Word Count: 100 words maximum. Prize: 1st Prize: $100 and publication on the Story Street Review. Runners up (3): $25 and publication. Deadline: February 28, 2025. Opens February 14. Contest open to first 1000 submissions only.

Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poem inspired by artwork. (See site for image.) Prize: $100. Deadline: February 28, 2025. 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: February 28, 2025. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

12 Fabulous Writing Conferences and Workshops in February 2025

This February 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, 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: Picryl)

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African-American Children's Book Fair. February 1, 2025: Philadelphia, PA. Meet over a dozen African-American children's book writers.

San Francisco Writers Conference. February 6 - 9, 2025: San Francisco, CA. Attendees will join with 100+ presenters and fellow writers from across the country and around the world at this year’s event. The SFWC events are consistently rated among the top writer’s conferences anywhere. "Our goal is to help writers become published authors as we help them become better at the craft and business of writing. The SFWC is also one of the friendliest conferences. Presenters this year will include bestselling authors, literary agents, editors, and publishers from major publishing houses. There will be experts on self-publishing, book promotion, platform building, social media, and author websites. The San Francisco Writers Conference has one of the largest faculties of any writer’s conference to ensure the best networking with the people who can help you get published." 

Savannah Book Festival. February 6 - 9, 2025: Savannah, Georgia. Our four-day Festival takes place in Savannah’s Historic District against a backdrop of stunning historic buildings, cascading Spanish moss, and blooming Azaleas. Each year, over 9,000 people join us for three ticketed Headliner Address events and for our free Festival Saturday. Festival Saturday presentations take place in museums, churches, and theaters in and around the historic Telfair and Chippewa Squares in the heart of Downtown Savannah. Our lineup of nationally-recognized authors from wide-ranging genres give 30-minute solo presentations on their creative process, followed by a Q&A and book signing.

Online San Diego Writing Workshop. February 7 -8, 2025. "This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” online writing workshop. In other words, it’s two days full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. And even though this is the Online “San Diego” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually. Our WDW writers conferences have helped dozens of writers find literary agent representation."

Southern California Writers’ Conference (and Retreat). February 14 - 16, 2025: 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.

The Poet's Myth. Wednesday, February 19 – Wednesday, March 19, 2025: Online. In this generative poetry workshop, we’ll take a closer look at the origin of classical poetry: the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. We’ll examine texts from classical mythology to contemporary poetry, uncovering the power of poetic inspiration. Each week, we’ll read and respond to poems and artworks that engage with the myth in various forms. Works by Rainer Maria Rilke, Jack Spicer, Walt Whitman and Ovid will serve as touchstones for exploring the nature of artistic creation, while contemporary poems and other expressions of myth in popular culture will bring the forces of love, death and desire into our conversation. By the end of the workshop, you will have generated a portfolio of original poems. This workshop is for writers at all levels interested in exploring myth, artistry and the dynamic relationship between poet and muse. Limited to 12 participants.

Finding the Narrative Arc in Memoir. Wednesday, February 19 – Wednesday, March 19, 2025: Online. With you as the central character in your memoir, how would you develop a powerful narrative arc that both unfolds and reflects on the story? How can themes, details and timelines propel your story forward from beginning to end? In this workshop, we will discuss the structure and shape of your memoir’s narrative arc, as well as how linear and nonlinear structures give your story the energy to keep flowing. We will read inspiring excerpts, do generative exercises and give and receive constructive feedback on each other’s writing samples. Come empty-handed, or with excerpts of a work in progress. Limited to 12 participants.

Wild Seeds Writers Retreat. February 20 - 23, 2025. The Wild Seeds Writers Retreat (formerly the North Country Institute & Retreat for Writers of Color), a collaboration with the Center for Black Literature, the English Department at SUNY, Plattsburgh, and the Paden Institute and Retreat for Writers, provides a writing community where established and newly discovered writers of color can focus on the craft of writing and create cross-cultural conversations around the literature created by writers of the African diaspora. Deadline: January 10, 2025.

Big Sur Children's Writing Workshop. February 21-23, 2025: Monterey, CA. The Andrea Brown Literary Agency runs the Big Sur Children's Writing Workshop every winter with occasional offshoot conference locations. "Since 1997, we have brought in outstanding editors from the top publishing houses, both large and small, and successful authors to make up our experienced and giving faculty. We pride ourselves on an excellent faculty-to-attendee ratio and a weekend with ample opportunities for faculty/attendee interactions, both formal and informal. This workshop has been the source of many successful author/agent relationships and many publishing deals, including one for more than half a million dollars."

Tinker Mountain Winter Recharge. February 21 - 23, 2025: Online. The weekend begins with a social session on Friday evening and continues with workshops Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 to 4 p.m.  Just the right amount of time to affirm your writing and to reset for the balance of winter and spring. Manuscript workshops, limited to 8 participants, give you an opportunity to receive feedback on your work from peers and your faculty mentor and learn what other writers are working on. Write now workshops, limited to 10 participants, allow you to immerse yourself in the craft of writing and generate new work without the pressure of preparing or reading manuscripts.

The 2025 Las Vegas Writing Workshop. February 22, 2025:  Las Vegas, NV. The 2025 Las Vegas Writing Workshop is a full-day in-person “How to Get Published” writing event in Las Vegas, NV on Saturday, February 22, 2025.

St. Augustine Author-Mentor Novel Workshop. February 28 - March 3, 2025: St. Augustine, Florida. "The St. Augustine Author-Mentor Novel Workshop creates an intimate and professional environment that combines private meetings with small-group workshops, thus enabling aspiring authors to wisely approach the writing and publication of their novel. At the St. Augustine event, aspiring authors will:
1) Work one-on-one with top authors and savvy market professionals.
2) Apply advanced story and narrative technique to their novel-in-progress.
3) Hone and improve their writer voice and style.
4) Learn the necessary inside mechanics of the publishing business.
5) Leave the workshop with a detailed plan to work towards publication of their novel.
Group workshop sessions will be interspersed with agent and author consultations, workshop assignments, as well as consults with workshop leaders."

8 New Agents Seeking Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Thrillers, Literary Fiction, YA, Memoir, Nonfiction and more

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

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

Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change. 

NOTE: Don't submit to several agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another. (Some small agencies share. Be alert to a notice that "a no from one is a no from all.")

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

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Charlotte Sunderland of Park, Fine & Brower

Charlotte Sunderland works with Celeste Fine on bestselling nonfiction and fiction. She comes to books with a film and tv background, having worked in Los Angeles for a decade, at Creative Artists Agency, wiip studios, and as Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Creative Executive, where she helped develop film, tv, and podcast material. Charlotte graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with a B.A. in Cinema and Media Studies.

What she is seeking: Charlotte is looking for upmarket fiction that can expand into film and television, and is particularly interested in self-sabotaging heroines and morally ambiguous characters, dysfunctional families, unreliable narrators, ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations, and humorous takes on conventionally dark subjects.

How to submit: Please specify the first and last name of the agent to whom you are submitting, as well as the category and genre of your submission (i.e.: “Charlott Sunderland – Adult Fiction”) in the subject line of the email. Send your query letter and accompanying material to this email address: queries@parkfinebrower.com. All materials must be in the body of the email, as we are unable to open attachments. Due to the volume of email queries we receive, we will only respond if we are interested.

For adult fiction submissions, please include a query letter and approximately the first 25 pages of your work. For YA & children’s fiction submissions, please include a query letter and the first chapter or approximately the first ten pages of your work. For non-fiction submissions, please send a query letter. 

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Ben Kaslow-Zieve of Park, Fine & Brower

Ben Kaslow-Zieve works alongside Celeste Fine on bestselling nonfiction and fiction. Having started his career in the foreign rights department at Park & Fine (now Park, Fine & Brower), he is particularly attuned to ideas and stories that will impact readers around the world—and how to help those books reach their audience in every country and every language. 

What he is seeking: He loves non-fiction of all kinds, especially books that seek to translate big ideas to a broad audience and authors who help us better understand the time and place in which we live. Whether in science, history, memoir, cultural criticism, investigative journalism, or business, he loves an unexpected angle, an untold story, and an unusual discovery. He believes in the power of nonfiction to start conversations, shift perspectives, and change our culture.

In fiction, he’s looking for smart takes on genre and accessible literary fiction that engages with its social and historical context. He loves: original premises taken to surprising conclusions; epics of all genres; unique relationships; characters at odds with their time; a feel for the rhythms of the world; understated heartbreak; compassion; compelling sentences.

How to submit: Please specify the first and last name of the agent to whom you are submitting, as well as the category and genre of your submission (i.e.: “Ben Kaslow-Zieve – Adult Fiction”) in the subject line of the email. Send your query letter and accompanying material to this email address: queries@parkfinebrower.com. All materials must be in the body of the email, as we are unable to open attachments. Due to the volume of email queries we receive, we will only respond if we are interested.

For adult fiction submissions, please include a query letter and approximately the first 25 pages of your work. For YA & children’s fiction submissions, please include a query letter and the first chapter or approximately the first ten pages of your work. For non-fiction submissions, please send a query letter.

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Melissa Rodman of Park, Fine & Brower

Melissa Rodman works closely with Sarah Passick to develop a variety of nonfiction and select fiction projects from proposal to publication. Prior to joining the team at Park & Fine (now Park, Fine & Brower), she served as research associate in entertainment, media, and sports at Harvard Business School and editorial associate at Harvard University Press, before earning a master’s degree at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and completing an editorial internship at The New Republic. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in History & Literature, magna cum laude, from Harvard University and in college interned at Picador, the U.S. imprint of her North Star author, Hilary Mantel.

What she is seeking: Her literary interests include narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism, history, and memoir, and she enjoys collaborating with authors to hone their ideas, arguments, and sentences.

How to submit: Please specify the first and last name of the agent to whom you are submitting, as well as the category and genre of your submission (i.e.: “Melissa Rodman – Adult Fiction”) in the subject line of the email. Send your query letter and accompanying material to this email address: queries@parkfinebrower.com. All materials must be in the body of the email, as we are unable to open attachments. Due to the volume of email queries we receive, we will only respond if we are interested.

For adult fiction submissions, please include a query letter and approximately the first 25 pages of your work. For YA & children’s fiction submissions, please include a query letter and the first chapter or approximately the first ten pages of your work. For non-fiction submissions, please send a query letter. 

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Ms. Natalie Barracliffe of Sheil Land Associates Ltd

Natalie studied Comparative Literature and Culture at Royal Holloway University of London and graduated in 2018. She completed work experience with Rogers, Coleridge & White and then joined Sheil Land Associates in 2019 as Assistant to two literary agents, including our CEO, Sonia Land. She was promoted to Associate Agent in 2024 and is growing her list while continuing to support the agents.

What she is seeking: As I begin growing my list, I’m particularly interested in fantasy, thrillers and romances in the Adult and Young Adult market. I'm also looking for a chilling horror to sink my teeth into. Genres: Romance, Fantasy, specifically fantasy with a romance element, Young Adult fiction, specifically thrillers, fantasy and romance, Thriller, Crime fiction, Horror, General fiction.

How to submit: Please follow the guidelines HERE.

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Arianna Siddiqui of FinePrint Literary Management

Arianna Siddiqui earned dual degrees in political science and economics from Trinity University and completed the Columbia Publishing Course at the University of Oxford. She also started her professional career selling used Mercedes before transitioning into a career in publishing. With experience as an assistant at Lucinda Literary and William Morris Endeavor, and as a mentee with the Writers House Mentor Initiative, she has a strong eye for engaging stories and market trends. Arianna is currently pursuing a part-time master’s in creative writing at the University of Cambridge. In her free time, Arianna writes speculative romance and fosters litters of kittens.

What she is seeking: Arianna is particularly drawn to mysteries, romance, and speculative fiction across young adult and adult audiences. She’s also open to adult nonfiction that explores unique narratives or perspectives.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE. 

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Hailey Stephens of Arthouse

Hailey Stephens is an avid reader, writer, and editor with a bachelor's degree in English-Writing from Illinois Wesleyan University, as well as a master's in Writing and Publishing from DePaul University. She is especially interested in uplifting diverse artists from rural communities that may be overlooked by such a metropolis-based industry. When not reading or writing, Hailey enjoys exploring her many hobbies. She's a baker, hiker, puzzler, gamer (board games, card games, D&D, video games-she's open to it all!), cross-stitcher, and so much more. While Hailey's reading tastes include almost everything (she currently favors romance, literary fiction, and creative memoirs), her writing is focused on both creative nonfiction and psychological/supernatural horror. 

What she is seeking: In general, Hailey is only looking for Adult novels, but she will selectively take on Middle Grade books if the manuscript will inspire a passion for reading. In fiction, she is looking for literary fiction, romance, thrillers, and horror. In nonfiction, she is looking for both trade and literary proposals, including memoirs.

How to submit: Please follow the agency guidelines HERE.

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Ed Wood of The Blair Partnership (UK)

As Publishing Director at Little, Brown, I published crime, thriller and book club bestsellers including Mark Billingham, Chris Brookmyre, Carl Hiaasen, Keith Stuart, Jessica Fellowes, Patricia Highsmith, and international megabrands Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler. I published numerous Sunday Times and digital bestsellers, including at number one. Among various awards, my titles won the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, various CWA Daggers, and the McIlvanney Prize. And in my second role as Little, Brown IP Director, I worked with authors on original concepts that became huge rights sales hits and international bestsellers. I like to work in creative partnership with authors to fulfil their vision – and then help them reach the biggest readership possible.

What he is seeking: I’m thrilled to take on clients in crime, thriller, mystery and book club fiction – and to be their creative and commercial champion.

How to submit: You can send submissions at EdSubmissions@theblairpartnership.com

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Ms. Marissa Koors of The Curious Minds Agency (UK)

Before joining Curious Minds in 2023, Marissa worked as an editor at Basic Books, where she edited Kate Cooper’s Queens of a Fallen World – a Finalist for the 2023 Cundill Prize – and Sophie Duncan’s Juliet.  An avid gamer with a love of branching narrative, she also edits video games and tabletop roleplaying games in her spare time. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

What she is seekng: She is seeking non-fiction authors in categories ranging from history, philosophy, and the ancient world to fashion, culture, the arts, and emerging science and technology who want to use their expertise to render the hidden structures of the world legible to readers. She is drawn to stylish and substantive books animated by bold argument that spark debate and start conversations.

How to submit: You may submit a proposal and sample chapter by email to info@curiousmindsagency.com