89 Calls for Submissions in November 2025 - Paying markets

This November 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: Freepik]

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

Little Key Press: Clocks. Genre: Dark fiction, speculative fiction, near sci-fi, strange, wondrous stories. See theme. Payment: $40. Deadline: November 1, 2025. Closes when cap is reached, except for disabled writers.

Bloodletter. Genre: Feminist horror. Fiction and nonfiction. See theme. Payment: $250. Deadline: November 1, 2025.

The Iowa Review. Genre: Nonfiction. comics. Payment: $0.08 per word for prose ($100 minimum). $40/page for visual literature. Deadline: November 1, 2025. No fee for snail mail submissions. $4 fee for online submissions.

Frost Zone. Genre: Dark literary fiction, 1800 - 3800 words. Payment: $15 CAD. Deadline: November 1, 2025.

Philly Poetry Chapbook Review. Genre: Reviews of chapbooks coming soon or published in the past three years, essays on the crafts of poetry and chapbook making or publishing, and features about authors or publishers of chapbooks. Payment: $10. Deadline: Opens November 1, 2025.

The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, micro-fiction. Length: Under 3,000 words preferred. Payment: $75. Deadline: Opens November 1, 2025. They open to fee-free submissions on the first of each month and close when they reach their quota.

One Story. Genre: Short fiction between 3,000 and 8,000 words. Payment: $500. Deadline: Opens November 1, 2025. They open on the first of the month and close when they reach their quota.

FIYAH. Restrictions: Submissions are restricted to people of the African Diaspora. Genre: Speculative fiction, art, and poetry about African Diaspora. Length: Short fiction 2,000 – 7,000 words and novelettes up to 15,000 words. Payment: 8 cents/word per story or novelette. $50 per poem. 10 cents/word for nonfiction. $400 for art. Deadline: November 1, 2025.

Full Bleed. Genre: Prose, poetry, art. See theme. Payment: $25 - $50. Deadline: November 1, 2025. 

Podcastle. Genre: Fantasy podcast. Length: Up to 6,000 words. Payment: $0.06/word for original; $100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction reprints. Deadline: Opens November 1, 2025.

Clocks. Genre: Dark fiction, speculative fiction, near sci-fi, strange, wondrous. Payment: $40. Deadline: November 1, 2025. Closes when cap is reached, so submit early.

Foglifter. Genre: Foglifter is a biannual compendium of queer and trans writing. It’s a space where LGBTQ+ writers celebrate, mourn, rage, and embrace. "Foglifter welcomes daring and thoughtful work by queer and trans writers in all forms, and we are especially interested in cross-genre, intersectional, marginal, and transgressive work. We want the pieces that challenged you as a writer, what you poured yourself into and risked the most to make. But we also want your tenderest, gentlest work, what you hold closest to your heart. Whatever you're working on now that's keeping you alive and writing, Foglifter wants to read it." Payment: $50. Deadline: November 1, 2025.

Ninth Letter Web Edition. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. See theme. Payment: $25 per poem and $75 for prose. Deadline: November 1, 2025.

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

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: November 1, 2025.

Utopia Science Fiction: Alien Celebrations. Genre: Speculative fiction. See theme. Payment: 8 cents/word for fiction, $30 for nonfiction, $30 per poem. Deadline: November 1, 2025.

Adroit Journal. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $50 - $100. Deadline: November 1, 2025.

Thema. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: Today's Onerous Task. Payment:  $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: November 1, 2025. Accepts reprints.

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

Flame Tree: Afrofuturism Short Stories. Genre: Afrofuturism SFF. "Authors must be writing from an authentic perspective of the Black experience, whether based in the diaspora or in Africa." Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: November 2, 2025.

Raconteur Press. Genre: Short stories. "The ladies have had their turn. Now it’s time for stories about those fellas who place themselves between the hazard and the helpless. Reluctantly or not, they’ll uphold their moral code, even if it costs them." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 2, 2025.

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

Strange Horizons. Restrictions: Open to indigenous writers. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: Opens November 3, 2025. Closes when cap is reached.

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

Black Inc. Restrictions: Open to Australians. Genre: Full-length general, literary and commercial non-fiction – including history, current affairs, memoir and biography. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 7, 2025. This is a monthly call.

Write or Die. Genre: Short fiction. Length: Up to 4000 words. Payment: $200. Deadline: November 7, 2025. No fee to submit the first week of the month.

Crimeucopia. Genre: Crime fiction. See theme. Payment: £4/US$4 per 1000 words. Reprints pay up to a maximum of - £7.00. Deadline: November 8, 2025. Accepts reprints.

Flame Tree: Gilgamesh. Genre: SFF stories that really interrogate Gilgamesh and all his flaws, traits and relationships. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: November 9, 2025.

Flame Tree: Helen of Troy. Genre: Stories that delve deeper into the character and backstory of Helen, to shine a light on more than her immediate link to the Trojan War. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: November 9, 2025.

Fleame Tree: Of Blood & Petals and The Tarot of Love. Genre: Romantic fantasy. See themes. 

Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: November 10, 2025. 

Poetry Sango-Ota. Restrictions: Open to African poets. Genre: Poetry. "We are interested in poems with a keen connection to a sense of place, nature, or otherworldly geographies." Payment: N10,000 (ten thousand naira) per poem. Deadline: November 10, 2025. Open from the 1st to the 10th of every month. 

Ornithopter Press. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 12, 2025.

Flame Tree: Ghost Lights. Genre: Horror. See theme. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: November 14, 2025.

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

Varnish Prize for Fiction. Genre: Short fiction, up to 5,000 words. Prize: First Place: $350. Second Place: $100. Third Place: $50. Deadline: November 15, 2025. Closes when cap is reached.

Severn River Publishing. Genre: Full-length series fiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 15, 2025. 

Usawa Literary Review. Genre: Feminist poetry, fiction, CNF by and about underrepresented communities. (Journal is based in India.) See theme. Payment: INR1,000/$12. Deadline: November 15, 2025. 

The Spectacle. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: $50. Deadline: November 15, 2025. 

Crimson Quill Quarterly. Genre: Sword & sorcery, dark fantasy, and grimdark subgenres of fantasy fiction. Length: Up to 10,000 words. Payment: $35. Deadline: November 15, 2025.

Kissed by the Elements. Restrictions: Priority given to Canadians. Genre: Romance short story. See theme. Payment: 1 cent/word CAD. Deadline: November 15, 2025. 

The Blue Route. Restrictions: Only the work of current undergraduate writers will be considered. Genres: Fiction, or creative nonfiction totaling no more than 3000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: November 15, 2025.

Revolute. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Payment: $50. Only pays writers based in the US. Deadline: November 15, 2025. 

Mascara Review. Genre: Nonfiction, reviews, poetry, fiction. Payment: Poems $100; Fiction and essays $200; Reviews $200. Only pays Australian writers. Deadline: November 15, 2025. 

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Funny stories. Genre: Nonfiction. We are looking for stories about something that happened to you in your life - in your relationship with a partner or spouse, a parent or child, a family member or friend, at work or at home that made you and the people around you laugh out loud. Did you mean for it to be funny? Payment: $200. Deadline: November 15, 2025. 

These Dreaming Hills. Restrictions: Open to writers with strong connections to Appalachia. Genre: Speculative fiction rooted in central Appalachia between 1,000-6,000 words. Payment: US $.08/word. Deadline: November 15, 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: November 15, 2025. Accepts reprints.

Sublimation. Genre: Speculative poetry and art. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 15, 2025.

Raconteur Press. Genre: Short stories. "Robots, androids, drones. Stories about life with our synthetic helpers. Does artificial intelligence lead to artificial emotions? What happens when your kid wants to grow up to be just like his droid? Automatons with attitude." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 16, 2025.

Meetinghouse. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, art. Payment: $40 for digital content, $100 for prose published in print, and $50 for each poem published in print. Deadline: November 16, 2025.

The Stinging Fly. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: Fiction and nonfiction: €30 per magazine page; Poetry: €50 per poem; Featured Poet: €250. Deadline: November 18, 2025.

Channel. Genre: Fiction, art, creative non-fiction, and poetry that engages with the natural world, and have a particular interest in work which encourages reflection on human interaction with plant and animal life, landscape and the self. Payment: €40/poem, and €50/page of prose up to €150. Deadline: November 20, 2025.

Farmer-ish. Genre: Nonfiction, CNF, poetry related to farming (including recipes). Payment: $25 for print journal. Deadline: November 21, 2025. See themes.

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. 

Horizon Review. Restrictions: Open to current residents of the Southwest (New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah), with preference given to submissions from New Mexico. Genre: Fiction, poetry, CNF, art. Payment: $25. Deadline: November 24, 2025.

Fashionably Late. Genre: Nonfiction anthology featuring LQBTQIA+ people who came out later in life. “We want to hear about the challenges and joys you faced as part of your journey.” Payment: $50. Deadline: November 28, 2025.

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: November 30, 2025. Closes when they reach capacity, so submit early.

The Inspector Pooh Case Files. Genre: Private investigator stories based on Pooh characters. Stories must be novelette or novella length, 18,000 – to 40,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ stories, 12,000 words minimum. See themes. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 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: November 30, 2025.

parABnormal. Genre: Nonfiction, poetry on the paranormal. "For us, this includes ghosts, spectres, haunts, various whisperers, and so forth. It also includes shapeshifters and creatures from various folklores." Payment: $25.00 for original stories, $7.00 for reprints. $10.00 for each poem. $20.00 for original articles, $6.00 for reprints. $7.00 for reviews and interviews. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Griffith Review. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Payment: AUD $200. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

BRB Books: Tales from the Little Library Anthology. Genre: Speculative fiction, set in the libraries of your childhood. Payment: $15. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Stygian Zine: Love Lies Dying. Genre: short stories, personal musings, visual art, and comics on theme Love Lies Dying. Payment: CAD20. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Silver Sun Books: Bandits & Botany Anthology. Genre: Fantasy fiction on the theme, Bandits & Botany. Payment: £5. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Strange Pilgrims. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. “We’re not married to any genre, structure, or subject. We love surreal, speculative, and fabulist stories; unhinged, lyric, and fragmented essays; voice-driven experimental narratives and slow-burn realism; cultural and literary criticism; hyper-intellectual riffs and children’s stories — so long as they move." Payment: $50 for flash prose, $200 for longer works. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

APEP Press: Feline Frights – Whiskers Between Worlds. Genre: Cat-themed horror stories. Payment: $20 for originals, $10 for reprints. Deadline: November 30, 2025. Accepts reprints.

Small Robin Press. Genre: Creative Nonfiction. Theme: Walls — real, imagined, perceived, constructed, demolished, and rebuilt. Payment: $50. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Manawaker Studio: 100 Word Project. Genre: Speculative fiction of exactly 100 words. See theme. Payment: $1. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

This Is Not Your Mother’s Eating Disorder. Genre: Personal essay. Theme: Eating disorder. Payment: $250. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Nonbinary Review. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Length: Up to 3,000 words for prose; up to 3 pages for poetry. See theme. Payment: $0.01/word for prose, $10 for poetry. $25 flat fee for visual art, or $50 for pieces chosen as cover art. Deadline: November 30, 2025. Accepts reprints.

Baltimore Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, videos (including poetry), and cross-genre work. Payment: $50. Deadline: November 30, 2025. May close early if they reach their cap.

Fahmidan Publishing is a publisher for all POC & Women ardent in battle against subjugation. Genre: Poetry or fiction chapbook. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

The Fiddlehead. Genre: Fiction, including excerpts from novels, creative nonfiction, art, poetry. See theme. Payment: $65 CAD per published page. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Claudine. Genre: Fiction, CNF, micros. " We like fairy tales, magical realism, hauntings, but more than any genre, we love prose that makes us ache and images that linger. (Sea creatures, always a plus.)" Payment: $25. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Contemporary Verse 2. Genre: Poetry and critical writing about poetry, including interviews, articles, essays, and reviews. Payment: $35 - $150. Deadline: November 30, 2025. Free submissions for Canadians only.

The Hudson Review. Genre: Fiction. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Dragon Soul Press: Forever Yours. Genre: All love stories with a happily ever after. All genres accepted.  Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Nimrod. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction. Payment: $10 per page, with a $200 maximum. Deadline: November 30, 2025. Fee to submit online; no fee for postal submissions.

Broken Sleep Books. Genre: Poetry collections (40+ pages). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Black Fox Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, CNF, poetry, art. Payment: $20. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Poet Lore. Genre: Poetry and poetry translations. Payment: $50. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Inkd Publishing: Phantom Dusk. Genre: Speculative fiction. See theme. Payment: Minimum $10. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

khōréō. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. "This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, transnational/transracial adoptees, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. We especially encourage BIPOC creators who identify as the above to submit their work." Genre: Stories, art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. See theme. Payment: 10 cents/word for fiction, and $100- $400 for art. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Fantabulosa! Restrictions: Open to Queer writers. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art. Payment: $0.08/word for prose, and $50 for poetry. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Flame Arrow. Restrictions: Submissions are restricted to Canadian authors or permanent residents. Genre: Speculative fiction novels and novellas. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Blood in the Sandstone. Genre: Desert Horror. Payment: $25. Deadline: November 30, 2025. Extended deadline for marginalized writers.

New Orleans Review. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: $300 for prose, $100 for poetry. Deadline: November 30, 2025. In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, there are no submission fees during the month of November for all Indigenous writers, not limited to those living in/born the US.

AND A FEW MORE...

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

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.

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.

62 Writing Contests in November 2025 - No entry fees

This November there are more than five dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $10,000 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: Pexels]

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The Russell Freedman Award for Nonfiction for a Better World. Genre: Any nonfiction book published for children or young adults, released between January 1 and December 31, 2025, is eligible. If both an author and illustrator are listed on the book cover, the prize will be split between them. Prize: $2500. Deadline: November 1, 2025.

Reedsy Novel Sprint 2025. Genre: Write a 50,000-word novel in the month of November. Prize: 1st prize - $5000 and an intro to an agent; 2nd prize - $2500 and an intro to an agent; 3rd prize - $1000 and an intro to an agent. Deadline: Opens November 1, ends November 30, 2025.

Quarterly West.  Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: November 1, 2025. No fee for writers of color.

Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Restrictions: Open to citizens of the British Commonwealth. Genre: Unpublished short fiction (2,000-5,000 words) in English. Short stories translated into English from other languages are also eligible. Prize: Regional winners receive £2,500 (US$3,835) and the overall winner will receive £5,000 (US$7,670). Deadline: November 1, 2025.

Natan Notable Books Award. Genre: Recen­t­­ly pub­­lished or soon to be pub­lished nonfic­­tion book on Jew­ish themes. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: November 1, 2025.

ILA Children’s and Young Adults’ Book Award. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction English-language books for children in grades pre-K to 12 and published for the first time during the year preceding the deadline year. Must be the author's first or second book. Prize: $800. Deadline: November 1, 2025.

The Fresh Voices Fellowship supports one emerging Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, or other writer of color who does not have an MFA in creative writing nor an advanced English degree (MA, PhD), and is not currently enrolled in a degree-granting program. Prize: $2000. Deadline: November 1, 2025.

William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grants Program for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: Writers must not have published a book, short story, or dramatic work in the mystery field, either in print, electronic, or audio form. Genre: Mystery stories of the Agatha Christie type—i.e., “traditional mysteries.” These works usually feature no excessive gore, gratuitous violence, or explicit sex. Prize: Each grant may be used to offset registration, travel, or other expenses related to attendance at a writers' conference or workshop within a year of the date of the award. In the case of nonfiction, the grant may be used to offset research expenses. Each grant currently includes a $1,500 award plus a comprehensive registration for the following year's convention and two nights' lodging at the convention hotel, but does not include travel to the convention or meals. Deadline: November 1, 2025. 

Evaristo Prize for African Poetry. Restrictions: The Prize is open to poets who were born in Africa, or who are nationals of an African country, or whose parents are African. It is for ten poems exactly in order to encourage serious poets. These poems may, however, have already been published. Only poets who have not yet had a full-length poetry book published are eligible. Poets who have self-published poetry books or had chapbooks and pamphlets published are allowed to submit for this prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1500. Deadline: November 1, 2025.

Bennington Young Writers Awards. Restrictions: Open to students in the 9th-12th grades. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Prize: First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $1,000; second-place winners receive $500; third-place winners receive $250. Deadline: November 1, 2025.

Prism: Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up, $400 2nd runner-up. Deadline: November 1, 2025. 

Stowe Prize. Restrictions: US authors only. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction or body of work that "makes a tangible impact on a social justice issue critical to contemporary society." Prize: $10,000. Deadline: November 1, 2025.

Bronx Council on the Arts Community Engagement Grants. Restrictions: Open to residents of Bronx County. Genre: All art forms, including writing. Grant: $1000 - $5000. Deadline: November 3, 2025.

Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize. Restrictions: Open to Black poets. Genre: Chapbook-length poetry manuscript. Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: November 3, 2025.

Greater Yellowstone Creative Writing and Journalism Fellowship. Restrictions: Established and recognized authors are being sought, but emerging and mid-career writers are also encouraged to apply. Genre: Seeking creative writers (poetry, fiction, nonfiction), or those in the field of journalism (writer, photojournalist, videographer, documentary filmmaker, online or print media) who demonstrate serious inquiry and dedication to the Greater Yellowstone region through their work. Fellowship: $3,500. Deadline: November 4, 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: November 5, 2025. (For books published between Sept 1, 2025 and Oct 31, 2025)

Jewish Children’s Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Jewish children’s book authors and illustrators living in Europe and the UK. Genre: Jewish children's book. Submissions are accepted in English, French, German, Italian, Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish and Yiddish. Prize: £1,000 to the winners of the story and illustration categories. All entries will be considered for publication by Green Bean Books. Deadline: November 5, 2025. 

Dylan Thomas Prize. Restrictions: Authors must be aged 39 or under. Eligible books must have been commercially published for the first time in the English language between January 1 and December 31 of the year in which the deadline falls. Genre: Published books of poetry, fiction (novel, novella, or short story collection), radio scripts, or screenplays. Prize: 30,000 pounds, plus 1,000 pounds for shortlisted authors. Deadline: November 7, 2025.

The Republic of Letters. Genre: Tell us about something in society, the world, your own life, that you’re genuinely enthused about. Prize: $25 - $75. Deadline: November 8, 2025.

Defenestration Flash Suite Contest. Genre: Flash suite. "A series of at least three flash fiction works that correlate, and build to something greater. Recurring characters, extended motifs, harmonious subject matters, and/or sustained narrative are such correlations– but we encourage innovation and new ideas." See theme. Prize: $75. Deadline: November 10, 2025.

Manchester Cathedral Poetry Competition. Genre: Poetry. “We are looking for poems that capture the spirit of a certain place, its texture and histories, that consider water pollution in local/global environments and the damage done to our rivers, or which focus in on the grandeur of an old oak tree, aware of its subterranean network of roots and mycelial webs speaking to other organisms in the forest.” Prize: First prize £200, with £50 for second place, and £25 for third place. There will also be 10 highly commended poems with no financial remuneration. Entrants can be of any or no faith. No previous experience of creative writing or poetry required. All are welcome." Deadline: November 14, 2025.

Happiful Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to writers based in the UK or Northern Ireland. Genre: Poems that explore the topic of mental health and wellbeing in unique, engaging, and empowering ways. Prize: £100. Deadline: November 14, 2025.

Otherwise Award. Genre: Work that is changing the way we think about gender through speculative narrative. (Works can be books, stories, music, video, fanfic, social-media posts, or any other form of speculative fiction.) Prize: $500. Deadline: Recommendations for this year’s award close November 14, 2025.

Washington State Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Washington State writers. Genre: Published book, fiction, nonfiction, poetry: adults or children. Prize: Recognition (?) Deadline: November 15, 2025. (For books published Aug. 16 - Oct. 15, 2025.)

Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize is sponsored by the Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival. Genre: Non-fiction essay between 4 to 10 pages, set in Brooklyn about Brooklyn and/or Brooklyn people/characters. (Up to 2500 words). Prize: $500. Deadline: November 15, 2025.

Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize. Restrictions: Open to US poets for previously unpublished poems of any length that "help make real for readers the gravity of the vulnerable state of our environment at present." Genre: Poetry. Prize: Up to $1,000. Deadline: November 15, 2025.

Stephen Fraser Encouragement Fund. “The Impact and Legacy Fund of SCBWI is thrilled to announce the establishment of a brand new grant program, the Stephen Fraser Encouragement Fund. Genre: Children's book. Prize: A $2,000 grant will be awarded to three children’s book authors, artists or translators who have traditionally published at least one book. Deadline: November 15, 2025.

Perugia Press Prize. Restrictions: Poets must be women with more than one previously published full-length book. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Book publication and $1,000. Deadline: November 15, 2025. No fee for poets who are Black, Indigenous, and women of color.

Commonwealth Club of California Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to residents of California. Genre: Book of poetry, fiction or nonfiction. Prize: Gold medal. Deadline: November 15, 2025.

Neltje Blanchan/Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Awards. Restrictions: Wyoming writers. Genres: The Frank Nelson Doubleday Award is given for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script written by a woman writer. The Neltje Blanchan Memorial Writing Award is given annually for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script which is informed by a relationship with the natural world. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: November 17, 2025. 

The P G Wodehouse Society (UK) Essay Prize. Genre: Essay on Wodehouse. Word count of 3,000 to 6,000 words, excluding footnotes and bibliography. Prize: £750. Deadline: November 17, 2025. 

Arts & Letters Awards. Restrictions: Open to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Genres: poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, dramatic script, art, music, and French language. Entries must be unpublished and completed during the previous 12 months. Prizes: C$1,000 and C$250. Deadline: November 19, 2025.

The Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize. Restrictions: Entrants must be aged 18-25 years and living in the UK. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. Each year a question or quote exploring Franklin’s relevance in our time is open for interpretation in 1000-1500 words. (See website for quote.) Prize: First prize of £750, second prize of £500. Winning entries will be posted on the website and also published online by The Telegraph. Deadline: November 19, 2025.

Polar Expressions Publications Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadian students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Genre: Short Story. Prize: $300, $200, $100. Deadline: November 21, 2025.

Polar Expressions Publications Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadian students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $300, $200, $100. Deadline: November 21, 2025.

Renee Duke Youth Award Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to poets 19 years old and younger. Prize: $100. Deadline: November 22, 2025.

The Republic of Letters. Genre: What is the worst generation? Prize: $25 - $75. Deadline: November 22, 2025.

C Magazine: Indigenous Art Writing Award. Restrictions: Open to Indigenous writers all over the world. Genre: Art writing. Prize: $1,500 CAD; editorial support to prepare their article for publication in a future issue of C Magazine. Deadline: November 24, 2025.

Write the World: Short Story Competition. Restrictions: Open to Young Writers (13-19). Genre: Short story. Length: 400-1000 words. Prize: $100. Deadline: November 24, 2025.

The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: PEN America will only accept submissions from editors of eligible publications. Authors may not submit their own short story for this award. Genre: First published short story. Prize: $2000 and publication in Catapult Best Debut Short Stories. Deadline: November 25, 2025.

Dark Descent. Genre: Horror microfiction, 250–500 words. Prize: £25. Deadline: November 25, 2025. Note: This is a monthly contest.

Women's Prize for Fiction. Genre: Published novel by a woman. Entrants must be writing in English and must be published in the UK. All subject matters and women of any age, from any nationality or country of residence are eligible. Prize: £30,000.00. Deadline: November 28, 2025. (For books published between 1 December 2025 and 31 March 2026.)

Writers & Artists Working-Class Writers' Prize. Restrictions: Open to unagented and uncontracted UK or Republic of Ireland residents age 18+ who self-identify as a writer from a working-class background. Genre: Unpublished work-in-progress. Prize: 200 pounds prize, mentoring sessions, networking event opportunities, a complimentary one-year membership to The Society of Authors, and various Bloomsbury books. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: November 30, 2025. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.

Encore Award. Restrictions: Open to British or Commonwealth citizens. Genre: Second published novel. Book must have been first published in the UK. Prize: 15,000 pounds. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Gotham Book Prize. Genre: Book. "The Gotham Book Prize is awarded once a year to the best book (works of fiction and nonfiction are eligible) published that calendar year that either is about New York City or takes place in New York City." Prize: $50,000. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Moniack Mhor Emerging Writer Award. Restrictions: Open to unpublished prose writers (fiction) living and working in the UK with a collection of short stories or novel in development. Writers can be writing for any age group (including children and young adults) and may have had excerpts or articles published in the past, but have not yet published any major body of work. Genre: Fiction. Prize: “a tailor-made package worth up to £2,000 including tuition via open courses, retreat time and/or mentoring at Moniack Mhor. One highly commended applicant will also receive a course or retreat.” Deadline: November 30, 2025.

#GWstorieseverywhere: Future First Line Contest. Genre: Most intriguing first line about their near-future. Your story must be no longer than 25 words.  Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

The Drabble Harvest Cntest. Genre: Drabble on theme of "Alien Guide Book for Visitors" A "drabble" is defined as a short story containing exactly precisely no more and no fewer than 100 words. It has a title, which can be from 1 to 15 words-- but no more than 15. Prize: $5. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Servicescape. Genre: Short story or nonfiction up to 5,000 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

UNT Rilke Prize. Restrictions: US citizens or residents. Open to authors with at least two prior published books of poetry. Genre: Book of poetry published between November 2024 and October 2025. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

AVBOB Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to any citizen of South Africa. Genre: Poetry. Prize: R10,000. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Spark Award: Held by SCBWI. Restrictions: Open to members of SCBWI who have self-published. Genres: Fiction and nonfiction. Prize: Envy. The SCBWI is our most prestigious national organization (US) for children's book and YA writers. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

2025 Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition. Restrictions: Open to writers who have never been the author of any published mystery novel. Genre: Mystery novel. Prize: $10,000 advance against royalties, Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers. Restrictions: Open to writers aged 16-18. Genre: Poem. Prize: Full scholarship to The Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop, an intensive two-week summer seminar for writers aged 16-18. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

The Gulliver Travel Grant. The Gulliver Travel Grant is awarded annually to assist writers of speculative literature in their non-academic research. These funds are used to cover airfare, lodging, and other travel expenses. Travel may be domestic or international. You may apply for travel to take place at any point in the following year. Grant: $1000. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

J. F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: November 30, 2025. 

USNI Leadership Essay Contest. Genre: Essay. "The Leadership Essay Contest focuses on the roles of leadership and character in the U.S. Sea Services from the perspective of tomorrow's leaders. Junior officers (LCDR/Major and below) from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are eligible to participate." Prize: $5,000. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

The Caribbean Writer Prizes. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays or one act plays which explore the ideas resonating within the region and its diaspora, written by a US or UK Virgin Islands resident accepted for publication by The Caribbean Writer during the deadline year. See theme. Prize: $300 - $600. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

Hudson Review Short Story Contest. Genre: Short story up to 10,000 words. Prize: First prize is $1000. Second and third prizes are $500. Winning stories will be published in The Hudson Review. All entries will be considered for publication. Payment at regular rates. Deadline: November 30, 2025. Biennial prize.

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: November 30, 2025. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

21 Notable Writing Conferences and Workshops in November 2025

This November there are more than 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. 

[Image: Sanibel Island: Flickr]

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Kentucky State Poetry Society. November 1 - 2, 2025: Lexington, KY and Online. "Each year, KSPS hosts a poetry conference open to both members and nonmembers, bringing together poets of all levels to learn, share, and connect. The conference features panels, workshops, readings, and a keynote address, offering a rich opportunity to engage with the poetry community."

Poetry Palooza! A Workshop for Poetry Lovers. November 1 - 4, 2025: Boyds Mills, PA. Imagine four days of poetry-themed activities with poetry enthusiasts, alongside the dynamic team: Charles Waters, Irene Latham, Rebecca Kai Dotlitch, Georgia Heard, and their guests. Waitlisted.

Marketing Opportunities for Storytellers: A Two Night Mini. November 3 - 5, 2025: Online. The story is at the heart of all we do, even when we switch from crafting the story to getting the story to readers.  Join award-winning writers Valerie Bolling and Janae Marks to engage and build your knowledge of marketing and promotional opportunities that you can do as a book creator in order to get your book to kids.

Medical Writing and Communication Conference. November 5 - 8, 2025: Phoenix, AZ. Workshops in medical writing, designing materials for patients, analysis, clinical reports, and more.

American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) Conference. November 5 - 8, 2025: Tucson, AZ. Panels, workshops, readings, a book fair, and opportunities to meet with editors for translators. "The ALTA Annual Conference is a refreshingly collegial gathering of amateurs and professionals alike, both within the profession and outside it, all wholeheartedly committed to fostering, furthering, and supporting the practice of literary translation." 

Revising Your Novel in Verse: An Online Course. November 5 - December 17, 2025: Online. The verse novel is an art all its own—sculpted through story, and the act of revision. If you’ve done the hard work of drafting your novel in verse and are now ready to immerse yourself in revisions, we invite you to join us!

Writing Through Trauma to Empower Readers: A Working In-Community Retreat for Storytellers. November 6 - 9, 2025: Boyds Mills, PA. A 3-night/4-day writing retreat for authors who are crafting books for kids and teens that center their lived experiences in areas of trauma, mental health, grief, and beyond.

All Write, Columbia – Writers Conference. November 6 - 9, 2025: Spencertown, NY. A five day intensive writing conference focused on nonfiction and memoir. The conference is open to all levels of writers, from beginners to more advanced writers with a manuscript or publications. Open to writers who are at least 18 years old. Just 20 writers will be accepted. Application deadline October 2, 2025.

The 2025 Online Seattle Writing Workshop. November  7 - 8, 2025: Online. This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” 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 “Seattle” 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.

Wright Women Writers Conference. November 7 - 8, 2025: University of Central Arkansas. "The mission of the C.D. Wright Women Writers Conference is to recognize, promote, and encourage women writers with special emphasis given to writing inspired by or written in the south. Keynote presentations, panel discussions, craft talks, publishing advice, readings, a book fair, and workshops led by contemporary authors provide a venue for participants to explore opportunities, challenges, and trends specific to women writers. The conference seeks to offer writers a space to gather for inspiration, further education, support, and networking."

Sanibel Island Writers Conference. November 7 - 8, 2025: Sanibel Island, Florida. Participants at all stages of development — from notebook scribblers to published novelists — are invited to view a variety of discussions and panels on fiction, poetry, songwriting, YA literature, screenwriting, creative nonfiction, and publishing and editing. 

North Carolina Writers’ Network Fall Conference. November 7 - 9, 2025: Wrightsville Beach, NC. The WSOC will feature classes and conversations on the craft and business of writing. 

2025 Kauai Writers Festival. November 10 – 16, 2025, Master Classes: November 10th-13th, 2025.
Conference: November 14th-16th, 2025 Kalapaki Bay, Lihue, Kauai, HI. Join bestselling authors and agents in an intimate, oceanfront setting, with an emphasis on fiction, memoir, thrillers, and screenwriting. Includes in-depth sessions on craft, publishing, and the writing life, with opportunities for agent/editor feedback.

Breakout Novel Intensive. November 11 - December 16, 2025: Online. Included are new or revised units on story discovery, strong voice, standout characters, the inner journey, compelling story worlds, beautiful writing, creating resonance and finding meaning in both story and process. Breakout fundamentals are also covered: strong characters, inner conflict, personal stakes, plot layers, powerful scenes, micro-tension, practical theme techniques and much more. Instructor: Donald Maass.

The Intersection of Religion and Mental Health in Poetry. November 12th, 2025, 6:00-7:30PM EST: Online. Regardless of the religious, nonreligious, irreligious, or spiritual worldview we identify with, the culture of religion continues to be an influence on people’s mental health. We will look at poetry by Adrienne Novy, Eugenia Leigh, and Maya Williams to learn how suicidality, spiritual bypassing, and religious related trauma in poetics can impact us. We will also make time to write in response to prompts inspired by the poems.

Clearwater Writers Women's Writing Retreat. November 14 - 20, 2025: Clottonwood, Idaho. Now in its twelfth year, Clearwater Writers is a series of writing retreat and workshop programs facilitated by poet and author Paula Coomer. Previously hosted by now-retired innkeepers Jim and Ruth May at Reflections Inn on the Clearwater River in North Central Idaho, our program has found a new home at the magnificent Monastery of St. Gertrude outside Cottonwood, Idaho, on the rolling hills of the Camas Prairie. The Spirit Center is a contemporary facility with private suites, several kitchens, and meeting rooms large enough to accommodate our daily yoga classes.

Pittsburgh Writing Workshop. November 15, 2025: Pittsburgh, PA. "This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” 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 “Pittsburgh” 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."

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. 

Monterey Writer Retreat. November 18 - 22, 2025: Pacific Grove, CA. "Join us on the wondrously scenic Monterey Peninsula for a writer retreat like no other. Know that writers of every kind have journeyed for over a century to this same location on the California west coast. They've come in search of inspiration, individuality, purpose and vision, but more importantly, to share an understanding that art has preceded their arrival in the form of a brutally beautiful sea and windswept shore."

 

Cleveland Writing Workshop. November 22, 2025: Cleveland, Ohio. This is a special one-day in-person “How to Get Published” writing workshop. In other words, it’s one day 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.

Odyssey Writing Workshop. November 24, 2025 (18 weeks): Online. Since its inception in 1996, Odyssey has become one of the most highly respected workshops for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Will be held online. Application deadline April 1.

4 New Agents Seeking Kidlit, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, SFF, Horror and more

Here are four 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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Ritu Anand of D4EO

Ritu Anand has been a passionate storyteller since childhood. As a writer herself, she is on the same page with other writers and applauds their creativity. Because she believes no good story should ever be filed away in a drawer but be shared with the world, she wishes to represent debut voices as an agent.

What she is seeking: Ritu is looking for: kidlit, literary fiction, general fiction and historical fiction. Kidlit: Picture books, Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels. Literary Fiction: Drama, Fairy Tales and Fiction in Verse. General Fiction: Women's Fiction, Drama, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Satire and Tragedy. Historical Fiction: Women's Historical Fiction, Historical Romantic Fiction and Historical Fantasy. Diverse and Underrepresented Voices are encouraged to submit.

How to submit: Send a query letter and the first twenty pages of your manuscript to ritu@d4eo.com.

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John Meils of DeFiore & Company

John Meils joined DeFiore & Company in 2024 after five years as an editor at Workman Publishing. Previously, he held editor roles at Macmillan, Sterling/Union Square, and award-winning book packager Melcher Media. John has acquired and edited national bestsellers, including most recently Smart Brevity. Other titles of note that John acquired as an editor include: You Are What You Watch, Murderabilia, Brave New You, Patient Zero, How Sex Changed the Internet, and the forthcoming Whiskey Bible. John has also worked as a journalist in Washington, DC, where he covered national politics as well as local issues including cannabis regulation, corruption, and climate change.

As an editor who often came up with his own book ideas and built them from scratch, John is passionate about working with authors to fully realize their own visions and shape them into successful books, beginning with their proposals. He is also expert at guiding first-time authors through the publication process, something he did frequently as an editor.

What he is seeking: John is looking to build a wide-ranging non-fiction list that includes: how-to of all sorts, health & wellness, science (pop, space, biological, and psychological), technology, nature/outdoors, true crime, quirky histories (medical, adventure, offbeat), investigative journalism, international relations, sports, parenting, and business. For prescriptive how-to, John is particularly keen to see books with a clear promise and message, a programmatic approach, and a strong author platform.

John has a deep history of producing illustrated books as an editor and will consider author-artist and visually driven projects with a clear and unique focus. He has also worked extensively helping brands (Nike, InStyle, Harley Davidson, Axios) translate their messages to books and is open to guiding established and emerging brands interested in launching book programs.

How to submit: John accepts only email queries. Send a brief email describing yourself and your project to john@defliterary.com. Please be sure to include the word “QUERY:” at the beginning of your subject line, followed by your book title. Attachments will not be opened unless expressly requested. John’s response time is usually less than two weeks and you need not query him exclusively. If you have not received a response within a month, please check that the defliterary.com domain name is on your email server whitelist, as the response may have been rejected by your server. John does not consider fiction queries of any kind or hard copy submissions.

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Barry Harbaugh of Waxman Literary Agency

Barry Harbaugh joined WLA Books in 2025. He was previously an executive editor at Spiegel & Grau, a founding senior editor of Amazon Original Stories, and an editor at Harper, the flagship imprint of HarperCollins, where he debuted writers such as Alexandra Kleeman and Robert Kolker. Books he has acquired and edited have won international awards, become bestsellers, and been adapted into TV/film by HBO (Lovecraft Country), Netflix (Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery), ESPN’s 30-for-30 (When the Garden Was Eden), among others. Originally from Southern Indiana, he started in publishing as an intern, assistant, and fact-checker at Zoetrope: All-Story, The Paris Review, Harper’s Magazine, and Condé Nast Portfolio. 

What he is seeking: He is interested in narrative nonfiction, literary and crime fiction, memoir and first-person hybrids, sports, current events, biography--writing that obsessively entertains, reveals a hidden realm, and broadens our sense of being alive.

How to submit: Please email your query letter and the first ten pages of your project in the body of an email to barry@wlabooks.com

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Josh Foreman of FinePrint Literary Management

Josh Foreman graduated from The Ohio State University in December 2021 with a BA in creative writing. He is from Cleveland, Ohio, and books have always been a huge part of his life. Josh was previously an Assistant Literary Agent at LCS Literary, and he is excited to get back to work expanding his list of talented authors.

What he is seeking: Josh primarily represents works of Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction for YA and adult. He wants forbidden magic, ancient rituals, epic space battles, and everything in between. Gothic fantasy and horroromance are high on Josh’s wishlist, but he is open and interested in all subgenres of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. Josh has always been drawn to stories with a strong voice and three-dimensional characters. He is a big believer in uplifting and supporting authors from marginalized backgrounds, particularly those with disabilities. If you are blind, in a wheelchair, or have any other disabilities, he would love to see your query in his inbox.

How to submit: Use his querytracker HERE.