61 Writing Contests in December 2024 - No entry fees

This December there are more than five dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $25,000 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: Pickpik)

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Charlotte and Wilbur Award For Compassion for Animals. Genre: Picture book, chapter book, middle-grade book (or graphic novel), or young adult book traditionally or self- published in 2024. Books in translation are welcome. The Charlotte and Wilbur Award for Compassion for Animals will award one winning book and one honor book for their dedication to promoting compassion and respect for animals in their readers. Prize: The winning book will receive a prize of $2,500 and the honor book will receive $1,000. If the winning or honor book is a picture book, the prize will be split between the author and illustrator. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

Weird Christmas Flash Contest. Genre: Weird flash fiction. 350 words max. Prize: $35 - $50. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

The David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction is offered annually to the best book in American historical fiction that is both excellent fiction and excellent history. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

The Pushcart Prize honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in small presses and literary magazines. Magazine and small press editors may nominate up to six works. Pushcart Press publishes yearly anthologies of the winning submissions. Prize: Publication and enormous prestige. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

Poetry Center at Smith College Prize. Restrictions: Open to sophomore or junior high school girls in New England. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry. Restrictions: Open to African poets who have not yet published a collection of poetry. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion Press in Senegal. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

The Schneider Family Book Award is sponsored by the American Library Association. The award honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Prize: Three annual awards each consisting of $5000 and a framed plaque, will be given annually in each of the following categories: birth through grade school (age 0-10), middle school (age 11-13) and teens (age 13-18). (Age groupings are approximations).  Genre: May be fiction, biography, or other form of nonfiction. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

Ezra Jack Keats Children's Book Award. Genre: Published or self-published picture books that portray the universal qualities of childhood, a strong and supportive family, and the multicultural nature of our world. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

Thomas and Lillie D. Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing. Restrictions: Open to published writers who are writing from the region. Genres: All. Prize: $1000. Deadline: December 1, 2024. 

The Association of Jewish Libraries Jewish Fiction Award. Genre: All works of fiction with significant Jewish thematic content written in English–novels, short story and flash fiction collections–by a single author published and available for purchase in the United States during 2022 are eligible for the award. Jewish thematic content means an extended grappling with Jewish themes throughout the book, including Judaism, Jewish history and culture, Jewish identity, etc. Prize: The award will include a $1,000 cash prize as well as support to attend the AJL conference to receive the award. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

Subnivean New Writers Award: CNY High School Writing Scholarship Competition. Restrictions: Open to high-school-aged writers in Oswego County, Onondaga County, Oneida County, Herkimer County, Madison County, Cayuga County and Cortland County. Genre: Short stories and poetry. Prize: $100 bookstore gift certificate, $1,000 scholarship to attend SUNY Oswego as a creative writing or English major. Deadline: Opens December 1, 2024.

One Teen Story. Restrictions: Open to writers age 13 -19. Genre: Short story between 2,000 to 4,500 words. Prize: $500 upon publication and 25 copies of the magazine. Deadline: December 2, 2024.

J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award. Genre: Nonfiction book. Applicants for the award must already have a contract with a U.S.-based publisher to write a nonfiction book. Award: $25,000. Deadline: December 5, 2024.

RSL Christopher Bland Prize. Restrictions: Writers must be a citizen of, or resident in, the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. Books must have been published for the first time in the UK or RoI within the 2023 calendar year. Books must be entered by trade publishers or agents based in the UK or RoI; each publisher, imprint of a publisher, or agent may enter two books only. Genre: Debut novel or non-fiction book first published by a writer aged 50 or over. Prize: £10,000. Deadline: December 6, 2024. 

Kim Wall Memorial Fund. Restrictions: Open to "journalists whose work embodies the spirit of Kim’s reporting. The grant will fund women or non-binary reporters covering subculture, broadly defined, and what Kim liked to call “the undercurrents of rebellion.” Kim wanted more women to be out in the world, brushing up against life, and the Kim Wall Memorial Fund honors this legacy.” Genre: Journalism. Prize: $5,000 grants. Deadline: December 8, 2024.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 8, 2024. Opens December 6.

Jane Martin Poetry Prize (UK). Restrictions: Open to UK residents between 18 and 30 years of age. Genre: Poetry. Prize: First prize £1000, second prize, £500. Deadline: December 9, 2024. 

Smokelong Fellowship for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: All writers previously unpublished in SmokeLong Quarterly and who do not have a published chapbook or book-length work in any genre (or are not under contract for such) are eligible to apply. Genre: Flash fiction (1000 words max). Prize: $500. Deadline: December 12, 2024. For writers who cannot afford an application fee, there is a free submission option in Submittable.)

THE GEORGE ELIOT FELLOWSHIP ESSAY PRIZE. Genre: Paper on George Eliot's life or work. Prize: £500. Deadline: December 12, 2024. 

International Booker Prize. The International Booker Prize for fiction translated into English is awarded annually by the Booker Prize Foundation to the author of the best (in the opinion of the judges) eligible novel or collection of short stories. The work must be published by a UK or Ireland publishing house. Authors are not permitted to enter their own works. Prize: £50,000 divided equally between the author and the translator. There will be a prize of £2,000 each of the shortlisted titles divided equally between the author and the translator. Deadline: December 13, 2024 for works published between December 31, 2024 and April 30, 2025.

Friends of American Writers. Restrictions: The author must be a resident (or previously have been a resident for approximately five years) of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin; or the locale of the book must be in a region identified above. The author must not have published more than three books under his/her own pen name. Genres: Books can be fiction or creative non-fiction and published in 2024. Self-published and e-Books are not eligible. Prize: $500 - $2000. Deadline: December 14, 2024.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Flash fiction up to 1000 words on theme. Prize: $30. Deadline: December 14, 2024. See themes.

Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Best First Crime Novel Competition. Restrictions: The Competition is open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any published novel (except that authors of self-published works only may enter, as long as the manuscript submitted is not the self-published work) and is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a novel. Genre: Murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: December 15, 2024.

Eggtooth Editions Chapbook Contest. Restrictions: Open to writers who have not previously published a full-length book. Genre: Chapbook in any genre. Prize: $250 and 20 copies of the chapbook. Deadline: December 15, 2024. Closes when cap is reached.

The King's English Poetry Competition. Genre: Poem. See theme. Prize: £100. Deadline: December 15, 2024.

Massachusetts Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Massachusetts residents. Genre: (1) fiction, (2) nonfiction, (3) poetry, (4) children’s picture books/early readers, (5) middle-grade/young adult literature, (6) translated literature, and (7) graphic novel/memoir published in 2024. Additionally, the Notable Contribution to Publishing award recognizes the exceptional output of the Massachusetts publishing community. Prize: Prestige. Deadline: December 15, 2024.

Fabuly Writer's Challenge. Genre: 2,000-word (max) story on the theme of "An Unexpected Encounter."  Prize: $500. Deadline: December 15, 2024. Note: submissions are capped at 200.

Lit Fox Award. Genre: Full-length poetry collection. Prize: $1500 and publication. Deadline: December 15, 2024.

The sine qua non prizes for prose and poetry. Genre: Prose and poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 15, 2024. Closes when cap is reached.

RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Candidates must be: A Canadian citizen or permanent resident; Under the age of 35; Unpublished in book form and without a book contract. Genre: Poetry and fiction. Prizes: Up to C$10,000. Deadline: December 16, 2024.

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships are awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period. Prize: $8,000 cash awards are made to individual originating artists living and working in the state of New York for unrestricted use. These fellowships are not project grants but are intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, regardless of the level of his or her artistic development. Deadline: December 17, 2024.

The Andromeda Award. Restrictions: Open to to anyone based in the UK or USA. Genre: Full-length science fiction or fantasy manuscript. Prize: First Prize - $5,000. Deadline: December 18, 2024.

Love Letters to London Writing Competition. Genre: Poetry and "open." The theme this year is “Dreams for London”What are your passions, hopes and dreams for this incredible city? Just let your imagination run wild. It can be reportage, an historical essay, a ‘think piece’, a spot of futurology, a work of fiction, a poem." Prize: £150 - £500. Deadline: December 20, 2024. Open to all ages. Some reprints accepted.

Griffin Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. To be eligible for the prize, a book of poetry must be a published first-edition collection (i.e. not previously published in any country), written in English, or translated into English, by a poet/translator from any part of the world, including Canada. Entries must come from publishers only. Inquiries about entries must also come from publishers only. Prize: The winner will receive C$130,000 and the other shortlisted poets will each receive C$10,000. Deadline: December 20, 2024, for books published between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024.

Porter House Review 2024-2025 Editor’s Prize. Genre: Poetry (submit up to 5 poems), Nonfiction (up to 6,000 words), and Fiction (up to 8,000 words). Prize: $750. Deadline: No submission fee December 22nd through December 28th, 2024.

VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Genre: First novel published in 2024. No self-published books. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 30, 2024.

Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest. Restrictions: Registered undergraduate full-time Juniors or Seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States. Genre: Essay Topic: What challenges awaken your conscience? Is it the conflicts in American society? An international crisis? Maybe a difficult choice you face or a hard decision you had to make? Engage us. Enlighten us. Explore the ethics of any problem, question, or issue, whether close to home or in the world at large. We are eager to learn from you. Prize: First Prize $10,000, 2nd Prize $5,000, 3rd Prize $3,000, two Honorable Mentions $1,000 each. Deadline: December 30, 2024. 

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is held four times a year. Restrictions: The Contest is open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment of at least six cents per word, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits. Genre: Short stories or novelettes of science fiction or fantasy. Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500, Annual Grand Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Laureate Prize. Genre: Full-length poetry book. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: December 31, 2024. No entry fee for BIPOC writers. 

Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award.  Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter free of charge. Others must pay a $15 entry fee. Genre: Poetry, unpublished and published. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Chapter House Indigenous Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Indigenous writers. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $250. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

PEN Prison Writing Contest. Restrictions: Anyone incarcerated in a federal, state, or county prison is eligible to enter. Genres: Poetry, fiction, drama, creative nonfiction. Prize: $25 - $250. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Lilith Magazine Fiction Competition. Genre: Fiction. Short story of interest to Jewish women. Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Restrictions: Emerging African American writers. Genres: Short story collection or novel published in the current year. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Prize: $500 and publication in Meridians Journal: feminism, race, transnationalism. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

William Carlos Williams Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to students enrolled in M.D. and D.O. programs in the US, Puerto Rico, or Canada, and a physician category, open to any rank of physician (M.D. or D.O.) at any career stage, from residency to retirement, in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or Canada. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Hooks Institute National Book Award. Genre: Nonfiction book that best furthers understanding of the American Civil Rights Movement and its legacy. Prize: $1000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

The Four Quartets Prize. Genre: Unified and complete sequence of poems published in America in a print or online journal, chapbook. Poems in the sequence may have been published in different journals provided that they were brought together and they form a complete sequence. Prize: Three finalists will receive $1,000 each. The winner will receive an additional $20,000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

The W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction honors the best fiction set in a period when the United States was at war. It recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel and encourages the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction. Genre: Military fiction. Prize: $5000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

The Writers College: My Writing Journey Competition. Genre: Essay  on the theme: The best writing tip I’ve ever received. 600 words. Prize: $200 (R2 000 or £100).  Deadline: December 31, 2024.

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: December 31, 2024.

The Lyric College Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to undergraduates enrolled full time in an American or Canadian college or university. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Neil Postman Award for Metaphor. Sponsored by Rattle. Genre: Poetry. All published submissions during the year are considered for the prize. Follow their regular submission guidelines. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: December 31, 2024. Read more about the award HERE.

The Drabble Harvest Contest. Genre: Drabble on theme of "Hunting With the Wolves." 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: December 31, 2024.

Pages in Progress 2025: An AAWW Fiction Contest. Genre: Novel in progress by Asian American writers. Prize: One-month residency with Writing Downtown in Las Vegas, Nevada; One-hour virtual consultation with Third State Books, a new publishing house amplifying stories from Asian America; One-hour virtual consultation with an AAPI literary agent; One complimentary seat to an AAWW workshop; One full-day pass to the AAWW’s 2025 Publishing Conference. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Voice.club. Genre: Flash fiction, 350 words max. Prize: $25 Amazon gift card. Deadline: December 31, 2024. Note: You have to join in order to enter. See themes.

Maureen Seaton Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to persons who reside, either full or part-time, in South Florida. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2024. Closes after cap is reached.

Lex:lead Essay Competition. Restrictions: Candidates must show citizenship in an eligible country and be enrolled in studies with at least one law class in an eligible country at the time of the award. Genre: Essay: How can laws regulating climate change and the environment support economic development?Prize: $500 scholarship. Deadline: December 31, 2024. (Registration deadline October 31)

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: December 31, 2024. This is a monthly contest.

Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poem inspired by artwork. (See site for image.) Prize: $100. Deadline: December 31, 2024. This is a monthly contest.

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to "revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful." Genre: Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize: $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: December 31, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

3 Distinctive Writing Conferences in December 2024

Because of the holidays, writing conferences are sparse in December. That doesn't mean there are none worth attending.

The Write to Pitch Conference is well worth attending if you are ready to publish a book. This conference draws editors from all the major publishing houses, as well as agents who want to hear your pitch. If you write commercial fiction or nonfiction, this conference is a career starter. Please note: This conference is held every December, but it is limited to 65 participants, so you have to apply early. 

For a month-by-month list of conferences throughout the year see: Writing Conferences. (You will also find links to resources that can help you find conferences in your area on that page.)

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WTP 2024. December 5 - 8, 2024: NY. NY. "The goal of this conference, and all its companion editorial and development programs, is to set you on a realistic path not only to publication, but to becoming a career author. The Write to Pitch 2024 utilizes a time-tested methodology that works to get writers published. Pitching TV/Film pros, literary agents, and publishing house acquisition editors is a vital component (see the Schedule), of course, but when asked what specific elements make the event unique and better than other writer conferences, our response lists a number of game-changing factors, both major and minor." This conference is limited to 65 participants so apply early. Closed. (Note: This is a yearly conference. If you missed it this year, put it on your calendar for next year.)

Online Writing Workshop of Chicago. December 6 - 7, 2024. "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 Fall “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." 

The Mesa Book Festival. December 7, 2024: Mesa, Arizona. The festival features presentations, readings, visits with authors, and a poetry open mic. "Everyone! Authors, Publishers, and Book Sellers are invited to  register for space to showcase, promote, and sell their books. Readers are invited to come and buy their books direct. We're encouraging a wide variety of literary arts purveyors to share their work to create a bigger audience for everyone." All events are free and open to the public.

Conferences with application deadlines in December

Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Residency Writers Conference. January 4 - 14, 2025 (?): 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. Application deadline: December 1, 2024.

TMW January Jumpstart. January 18 - 19, 2025: Oak Ridge, TN. “We will have a “Meet and Greet” session Friday from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Eastern. On Saturday there will be concurrent Poetry and Fiction morning sessions from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Eastern, and afternoon sessions from 1:30 – 4:30 Eastern." Registration $150. Application deadline December 29.

7 New Agents Seeking SFF, Horror, YA, Romance, Mysteries, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction and more

Updated 4/6/26

Here are seven 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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Connor Smith of Hesperides Literary

I’ve spent time as a ghostwriter in a multitude of genres, edited numerous manuscripts that later secured representation and publishing deals, managed several businesses, served as Chief Editor and Client Success Coach at major copywriting companies, have published award-winning short stories, delivered lectures and keynote addresses at various universities and conferences, and currently guide narrative efforts as the Lead Writer for Inevitable Studios, where our narrative-driven game Always in Mind is set to release next year. Now, as a literary agent and member of the AALA, I leverage my extensive experience as a professional writer, ghostwriter, and editor to routinely hop into the trenches with writers to help them produce the polished work necessary to secure publication. Because writing is fun.

What he is seeking: Seeking Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Magical Realism, particularly those that have a literary bent. Powerfully written Horror, Speculative, Romance (all subgenres except fantasy), YA, Humor, and Meta-Fiction. In these genres, I am looking for fast-paced plots penned with style and verve.

Nonfiction that expands a reader’s understanding of the world, Please have a well-structured proposal for nonfiction queries.

How to submit: Use the submission form HERE.

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Jennifer Pien of Hesperides Literary

Jennifer brings her years of editorial and advisory experience working with agents and publishers to Hesperides Literary. She has worked with authors through her role as a Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford University and Director of Pegasus Physician Writers, an organization of creative physician authors whose members include Dr. Daniel Mason, Dr. Seema Yasmin, and Dr. David Eagleman. In addition to her faculty leadership role in Stanford Medical Humanities and Arts, she is the Founder of The Pegasus Review, and serves as a founding faculty editor for the Oxford Review of Books x Stanford collaboration. Jennifer also serves on the Advisory Board for The Bellevue Literary Press and the Stanford School of Medicine Medical Humanities Fellowship.   Jennifer's writing is represented by Amy Collins of Talcott Notch. She is the author of Healing the Healers, Johns Hopkins University Press, forthcoming 2025. 

What she is seeking: Seeking Literary and Upmarket Women's Fiction including Magical Realism and Speculative Fiction. Science Fiction and Fantasy that appeals to a cross-sectional audience. I especially gravitate towards dark academia, science fantasy, space opera, and narratively driven nonfiction. Nonfiction with emphasis on creative narrative nonfiction or essays. Medical, Nature, Science, Psychology/Self-help or travel books.

How to submit: Use the submission form HERE.

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Emily MacDonald of 42 Management & Production (UK)

Emily MacDonald joined 42 in 2019, working with Eugenie Furniss across her clients. She is now an agent in the Books Department, and is building her own list.

What she is seeking: Bring me a story with characters that never leave you and a narrative that pulls you in, keeping you in the world well after you’ve finished reading. I read across a wide-range and have a particular interest in; book club, high-concept crime/thriller, upmarket and literary fiction (with a real soft spot for witty romcoms with an unassailable hook!) In both fiction and non-fiction, I love stories woven into their surroundings, where the setting is as central a character as those who drive the narrative.

I’m also looking for narrative non-fiction which immerses the reader into an untold true story (personal or historical), exploring a new point of view, and providing a compelling social commentary, with an investigative twist! Think the obsessive vein of Kirk W. Johnson or personal/political dispatches of Aidan Hartley. I want to have my horizons expanded when I read. Please note, I am not currently accepting submissions for Children's lit/YA and SFF.

In both spheres, I’m keen to hear from Scottish and regional voices with stories to tell.

How to submit: Please send us the first three chapters of your novel or non-fiction project, as well as a full synopsis to booksubmissions@42mp.com. Manuscripts should be attached as a Word Document.

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John Meils of DeFiore & Company

NO LONGER LISTED ON AGENCY WEBSITE

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.

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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Mason Rowlee of DeFiore & Company

Originally from rural Upstate New York, Mason Rowlee holds a BA in English, with a concentration in creative writing and journalism from Fordham College at Rose Hill. While in college, he interned at DeFiore & Company, as well as McIntosh & Otis Literary Agency, Gotham Writers Workshop, CBS Television Production and Farrar, Straus & Giroux. He previously worked as an assistant literary scout at Jenny La Plante, Inc., where he developed an eye for the types of literary and upmarket fiction and narrative nonfiction that also appeal to international publishers as well as film production companies. 

What he is seeking: Mason loves innovative, boundary-pushing literary fiction, engrossing upmarket fiction, and nonfiction that amplifies traditionally underrepresented voices in publishing, particularly those by queer authors.

How to submit: Mason accepts only email queries. Send a brief email describing yourself and your project to mason@defliterary.com with the first five pages of your manuscript or proposal pasted in the body of an email. Attachments will not be opened unless requested. Submissions do not need to be exclusive, and response time is generally no more than two weeks. If you have not received a response within four weeks, please check that the defliterary.com domain name is on your email server whitelist; the response might have been rejected by your server.

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Lydia Caudill of Andrea Hurst Literary Management

ONLY OPEN TO REFERRALS

Originally from a small town in Eastern Kentucky, Lydia developed a passion for literature early on, often seen toting around a book and seeking any opportunity to read. She is a graduate of NC State University, where she earned her B.A. in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. When she’s not editing or reviewing submissions, you can find her attending live music events, tutoring Spanish, working on her own writing, or spending quality time outdoors with her dog, Rocky.

What she is seeking: Lydia is primarily looking for YA and Adult contemporary fiction, YA and Adult fantasy (she can appreciate both an urban setting or an immersive new world, and bonus points if there’s a romantic element, but the plot must shine regardless), light and cozy science fiction, mysteries with a strong and innovative protagonist, domestic suspense, and historical fiction that is not war-based or rooted in medical/medicinal history.

She is also an enthusiast of lyrical prose, atmospheric writing, emotionally complex and diverse characters, high-conflict stories with an unforgettable and witty heroine, and stories that explore deep and resounding themes. After she finishes a story, she wants it to linger in her head for days after.

As a hopeless romantic at her core, Lydia holds the romance genre close to her heart and is always on the lookout for raw and intimate depictions of love—all kinds by all voices. She also appreciates rom-coms with a good trope or two, and any period piece that provides a much-needed escape from reality. A few of her favorites include Seven Days in June by Tia Williams, The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, and Normal People by Sally Rooney.

A few more of Lydia’s favorites include: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Go As a River by Shelley Read, and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers.

How to submit: To query Lydia, submit by email only to Lydia@andreahurst.com. Please include a query letter and paste the first five pages into the email. Due to the high volume of queries received, Lydia will only respond to those she is interested in. Check her socials for updates on her current query status.

______________________

Keith Stillman of Sobel Weber Associates

Currently closed to queries

Keith is a former writing teacher and bookseller. He graduated from the NYU Summer Publishing Institute and the Writer’s House Internship Program, and holds a Master of Arts in Professional Writing from Kennesaw State University. He has a diverse taste in books, but tends to lean toward upmarket crime and horror fiction with a tilt toward the bizarre and fantastic. 

What he is seeking: Keith is open to crime fiction, mystery, light speculative fiction, and horror. 

How to submit: Please send your pitch, first ten pages, and bio to kstillman@sobelweber.com. 

100 Calls for Submissions in November 2024 - Paying markets

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

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

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

Happy submitting!

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

 (Image: Pxhere)

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

Tasavvur. Genre: South Asian speculative fiction. Payment: 2.5 cents per word, up to a maximum of 5,000 words. Deadline: November 1, 2024. They open on the first of the month and close when they reach their quota.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Fiction, 1.5 cents/word. Poetry, $10. Deadline: November 1, 2024.

Broken Tribe Press. Genre: Poetry books 60 pages +, short fiction collections 90 pages+, novellas 90+ pages, and novels under 100,000 words, all excluding front and back matter. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 1, 2024.

Ninth Letter Web Edition. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. See theme. Payment: $25 per poem and $75 for prose. Deadline: November 1, 2024.

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: $25. Deadline: November 1, 2024.

Olit. Restrictions: Strong preference for Orlando based writers/submissions about Orlando and surrounding areas. Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Hybrid, Artwork, Photography. "Send us all kinds of stuff. We love the artfully weird." Payment: $10. Deadline: November 1, 2024.

Poetry Ireland Review. Genre: Poetry. Payment: €50, or a year's subscription to the review. Deadline: November 1, 2024.

Antiphony Press. Genre: Poetry collection. Payment: $500 plus 10 copies of your book. Deadline: November 1, 2024.

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

Cutleaf. Genre: Poetry Payment: $50 to $100. Deadline: November 1, 2024.

Iron Horse. Genre: Poems, stories, and essays that center around deception: false pretenses, fraud, sleight-of-hand tricks, the Big Lie, poker faces, academic dishonesty, infidelity, AI, spin jobs, any type of monkey business. "We'll be especially happy to receive manuscripts about the lies that save people."

Payment: $100 per essay or story, and $50 per poem or flash piece. Deadline: Free day November 1, 2024.

Wyld Magick. Genre: Fantasy. Theme: Forest Fae. Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 1, 2024.

Thema. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: Maybe Next Time. Payment:  $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: November 1, 2024. Accepts reprints.

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

Skull and Laurel. Genre: Weird Horror, Dark Fantasy, Dark Science Fiction. Short Fiction, Narrative Poetry. They also encourage things like comic strips, mixed media, found footage, puzzles, games, experiments, and other weird forms, as long as they tell a story. Translations welcome. Word count: 100 to 4999 words. Payment: 3c/word (USD) originals; $25 (USD) reprints. Deadline: November 1, 2024. 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, 2024. Opens November 1. This is a monthly call.

Adroit Journal. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $50 - $100. Deadline: November 2, 2024. 

Griffith Review. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Payment: AUD $200. Deadline: November 3, 2024.

Saros Speculative Fiction. Genre: Speculative fiction between 1,500 and 5,000 words, and drabbles of exactly 100 words. Payment: CAD36 for short stories, and CAD4 for drabbles. Deadline: November 4, 2024. 

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

Mukoli. Genre: Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and multimedia art creations that engage with peacebuilding. Payment: $75. Deadline: November 5, 2024. 

Asterix. Genre: Short stories and novel chapters. Payment: $100 - $250. Deadline: November 6, 2024. 

Write or Die. Genre: Short fiction. Length: Up to 4000 words. Payment: $200. Deadline: November 7,  2024. No fee to submit the first week of the month.

Skull and Laurel. Genre: Weird Horror, Dark Fantasy, Dark Science Fiction. Short Fiction, Narrative Poetry. They also encourage things like comic strips, mixed media, found footage, puzzles, games, experiments, and other weird forms, as long as they tell a story. Translations welcome. Word count: 100 to 4999 words. Payment: 3c/word (USD) originals; $25 (USD) reprints. Deadline: Extended window for marginalized writers: October 15th to November 7th 2024. Accepts reprints.

Typehouse. Restrictions: November 1-7: In honor of Native American Heritage Month, no-fee submissions are open for all Native/Indigenous/First Nations creators, not limited to those from the US. Genre: Poetry, prose, art. Payment: $5. Deadline: November 7, 2024. 

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

Hexagon. Genre: Speculative fiction short stories, flash fiction, poetry, graphic stories, and visual art, in English or French. Payment: $5 for accepted poetry and cartoons, 0.01$ per word for all short stories up to 7,500 words, $40/page for comics and $150 for cover art pieces. (Payment in CAD). Deadline: November 7, 2024. Open to submissions the first week of every second month. Closed.

Sad Ghost Ink: Solarpunk Conflicts Anthology. Genre: Solarpunk. "Stories should explore a solarpunk conflict, either one manufactured entirely for the story, or one based in a real-world point of contention you feel currently divides solarpunks, or that has done so in the past." Payment: CAD0.05/word for fiction, CAD0.25/word for the first two hundred words of poetry, and CAD0.10/word after. Deadline: November 8, 2024.

Ornithopter Press. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 12, 2024.

Afar. Genre: Nonfiction pieces on "quiet travel." Pitches only. Payment: $0.50/word. Deadline: November 13, 2024. Read guidelines HERE.

Flame Tree: Fever Dreams. Genre: Horror. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: November 14, 2024.

Orange & Bee. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, experimental and hybrid work. Payment: Poetry: flat rate $US50.00 per poem. Flash: flat rate $US80.00 per story (max 1000 words) Short fiction/non-fiction: $US0.08 per word (max 4000 words) Deadline: November 15, 2024. 

Emerge Literary Journal. Genre: Free verse and flash fiction. "We will consider most genres, except horror and erotica, so long as the piece has literary undertones." Payment: $15. Deadline: November 15, 2024. Now charges for submissions.

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, 2024.

Graywolf Press. Genre: Contemporary poetry in translations. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 15, 2024. Opens November 11. Only the first 500 submissions will be considered, after which the submission period will close.

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

ellipsis… literature & art. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, drama, and creative non-fiction. Payment: $3 per page for prose. $10 for poetry. Deadline: November 15, 2024. (Only pays American writers.)

Crimson Quill Quarterly. Genre: Sword & sorcery, dark fantasy, and grimdark subgenres of fantasy fiction. Length: Up to 10,000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: November 15, 2024. 

Full Bleed. Genre: Criticism, belle lettres, visual art, illustration, fiction, poetry, and graphic essays. "In this year marking the hundredth anniversary of the Manifesto of Surrealism, we look forward to featuring in our next issue a selection of new manifestos for our own time and poetry in the ars poetica vein. A separate section of Full Bleed 8 will explore the topic of censorship." Payment: Modest honorarium. Deadline: November 15, 2024. 

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

Unréal. Genre: Stories and poems in FRENCH or ENGLISH with fantastical or speculative elements set on the island of Montreal. Submissions may be science fiction, fantasy, horror or any adjacent genre. Word Count: Between 1000 and 5000 words for stories. No minimum length for poems. Payment: 0.12 CAD per word or 50 CAD per poem. Deadline: November 15, 2024.

Augur Magazine. Restrictions: Open to creators who are Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, Disabled, and/or Trans, who are also Canadian citizens/permanent residents and/or who are living within the settler-defined borders of the land colonially known as Canada. Genre: Speculative fiction short stories and poetry. Translations accepted. Payment: $0.14 cents (CAD) per word for short fiction (1000+ words), and a flat fee of $112.00 per flash fiction piece (1000 words and under). Deadline: November 15, 2024. Opens November 1.

Tales and Feathers.. Genre: Cozy SFF fiction up to 2500 words. Payment: 14 cents CAD/word. Deadline: Deadline: November 15, 2024. Opens November 1.

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, 2024. Accepts reprints.

Tyche Books: Starship Librarians. Genre: Speculative fiction on theme: Librarians of tomorrow. Payment: CAD $50. Deadline: November 15, 2024.

Nonlinear Love. Genre: First-person essays about “nonlinear love”–divorces and remarriages; dating horrors or delights; lovers who cropped back up years later; or even an unexpected thing you learned from your partner within a traditional marriage or relationship structure. Length: 800-1,000 words. Payment: $150. Deadline: November 15, 2024. Read announcement HERE.

Frost Zone. Genre: Dark literary fiction, 1800 - 3800 words. Payment: $15 CAD. Deadline: November 16, 2024.

Tolka. Genre: Non-fiction: personal essay, memoir, reportage, travel writing, auto-fiction, and the writing that falls in between. Length: 2,000 - 4,000 words. Payment: €500. Deadline: November 17, 2024.

Islandia Vice. Genre: Fiction, poems, essays, art inspired by Miami Vice. Payment: For essays and criticism that require reporting and research payment is 25 cents/word up to 1500 words; $50/poem;  $100 for reviews, essay, hidden histories, $100 for short stories; $100 - $500 for art. Deadline: November 18, 2024.

berlin lit. Genre: Poetry. Payment: 20 euros per poem. Deadline: November 20, 2024.

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

Out There. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: €200. Deadline: November 21, 2024.

The Deadlands. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. "The Deadlands exists in liminal spaces between life, death, and elsewhere. We are looking for fiction that concerns itself with death—but also everything death may involve." Payment: $100 per essay, 10 cents/word for fiction. $50 for poetry. Deadline: November 21, 2024. Accepts reprints. 

Flame Tree: Aphrodite. Genre: Short fiction on theme: Aphrodite. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: November 24, 2024.

Flame Tree: Loki. Genre: Short fiction on theme: Loki. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: November 24, 2024.

Every Day Fiction. Genre: Very short fiction. 1000 words max. Payment: $3. Deadline: November 26, 2024.

The Stinging Fly. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: Fiction and nonfiction: €30 per magazine page; Poetry: €50 per poem; Featured Poet: €250. Deadline: November 27, 2024.

Contemporary Verse 2. Genre: Poetry and critical writing about poetry, including interviews, articles, essays, and reviews. Payment: $30 - $150. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Cutleaf. Genre: Literary nonfiction. Payment: $100 to $300. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Renaissance: Choices – An Anthology of Reproductive Horror. Genre: Horror. "We are looking for stories of up to 6000 words about the horrors that occur when reproductive choices are threatened or taken away, written by people of marginalized genders." Payment: 8 cents/word CAD. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Dread Mondays. Genre: Workplace horror. Payment: 6 cents/word. Deadline: November 30, 2024. Extended deadline for historically marginalized groups (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, etc.)

Dragon Soul Press: Be Mine. Genre: Romance. Theme – All love stories with a happily ever after. Valentine-themed preferred, but not required. All genres accepted. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Farenheit Books. Genre: Speculative short stories and poetry. Farenheit Books. Genre: Speculative stories. Length: Up to 7,500 words for fiction; up to 50 lines for poetry. See themes. Payment: $0.10/word for fiction, $2/line for poetry. Deadline: November 30, 2024. Accepts reprints.

Detectives, Sleuths, and Nosy Neighbors: Dying for an Answer. Genre: Murder mysteries, detectives noir, cozy, or humorous. Payment: Royalty share of D2D sales, or $20.00. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Quarter Press: Quarter(ly). Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. See themes. Payment: $5. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Nimrod. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction. Payment: $10 per page, with a $200 maximum. Deadline: November 30, 2024. Fee to submit online; no fee for postal submissions.

Pogue One. Genre: Speculative fiction. "Throughout human space, grunts in power armor get all the glory. Even in conventional armed forces, however, only 15% or so of those are infantry. We want stories about the other 85%. What are their adventures? The truck drivers, the bulk fuelers, supply sergeants, pay clerks, airframe mechanics, the guy who fixed the soft-serve ice cream machine on Seti-Alpha-Five (God bless that guy). Welcome to Pogue One." Payment: Royalty share. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

OwlCrate Press: Future States of Stars. Genre: Speculative fiction. "We are specifically seeking stories in the dystopian sci-fi genre with a Black Mirror or Twilight Zone vibe. Authors are encouraged to explore themes of the near-to-far future of states, whether set here on Earth, in space, or in other dimensions. Consider exploring dystopian themes such as authoritarian regimes, environmental collapse, surveillance societies, loss of individual freedoms, or the impact of advanced technology on humanity.” Payment: $0.10/word. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Cat Stories. Genre: True stories and poems. "We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1200 words that highlight the unique personalities that cats have. Celebrate your cat, or a cat you know, with a wonderful story about what he or she does. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both." Payment: $200. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Baltimore Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, videos (including poetry), and cross-genre work. Payment: $50. Deadline: November 30, 2024. May close early if they reach their cap.

Flash Point Science Fiction. Genre: Speculative fiction drabbles, 100 words in length. "Send us your science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and everything in between, so long as it’s short." Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Kaleidotrope. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry—science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but also compelling work that blurs the lines between these and falls outside of neat genre categories. Payment: For fiction, $0.01/word (1 cent a word) USD. For poetry, a flat rate of $5 USD per accepted piece. For artwork, a flat rat of $60 for cover art. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

The Iowa Review. Genre: Nonfiction. Payment: $1.50 per line for poetry ($100 minimum) and $0.08 per word for prose ($100 minimum). Deadline: November 1, 2024. No fee for snail mail submissions. $4 fee for online submissions.

Broken Sleep Books. (UK) Genre: Poetry pamphlets (up to 40 pages). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Change your habits & attitudes / change your life Genre: True stories and poems. "Habits. Attitudes. Breaking bad habits and replacing them with good habits play an important role in self-care. Change your attitude and you can change your life. And self-care - including mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing - is vital to ensuring that your needs are met. It's probably what we neglect the most." Payment: $200. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Poet Lore. Genre: Poetry translations. Payment: $50. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

The Hudson Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, essays, book reviews; criticism of literature, art, theatre, dance, film, and music; and articles on contemporary cultural developments. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: November 30, 2024. (Fiction only)

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.$6.00 for each poem. $20.00 for original articles, $6.00 for reprints. $7.00 for reviews and interviews. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

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

The Marrow. Genre: poetry written in, or translated into, English, from Australian and international poets. Payment: AU$40. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

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: November 30, 2024.

The Fiddlehead. Genre: Fiction, including excerpts from novels, creative nonfiction, art, poetry. Payment: $60 CAD per published page. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

New Orleans Review. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: $300 for prose, $100 for poetry. Deadline: November 30, 2024. 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.

Fahmidan Publishing is a publisher for all POC & Women ardent in battle against subjugation. Genre: Poetry or fiction chapbook. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Typehouse. Genre: Poetry, prose, art. Payment: $5. Deadline: November 30, 2024. (No fee period: last week of November)

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, 2024. Closes when they reach capacity, so submit early. 

Train Stories and Aliens Among Us. Genre: All genres of fiction and poetry on two themes: Trains and Aliens Among Us. Payment: 10 cents/word. $2/line of poetry. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Galactic Mindsea Empire Anthology. Genre: Stories set in the Galactic Mindsea Empire up to 10,000 words in length. "The Empire has already suffered one war over the status of bioids, but will the matter ever truly be settled? Bioids mimic living beings so perfectly that, if their warning marks are removed, no one except a mindsea can spot one without sophisticated scientific testing. Bioids are designed to be without self-will, but a mutation or a shifty bioid-maker could change that..." Payment: 4 cents/word. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

khōréō. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. "This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, transnational/transracial adoptees, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. We especially encourage BIPOC creators who identify as the above to submit their work." Genre: Stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. See theme. Payment: 0.10/word for fiction. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Black Fox Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, CNF, poetry, art. Payment: $20. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Colp. Genre: Fiction on theme: On the Farm. Word count: 1,000 - 10,000 words. Payment: AU$5.00 for stories under 2,500 words; AU$10.00 for anything above 2,500 words. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

QUEER JOY Quadrangle Collection. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Stories featuring LGBTQI2S+ characters with positive representation in a wide variety of genres and styles, including General Fiction, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, and most other genres imaginable. Length: Up to 7,500 words. Payment: $0.01 CAD per word. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Mayday. Genre: Translations. "Poetry and prose from any language translated to English will be considered. We are also interested in book reviews and essays relevant to the art of literary translation." Payment: $20 - $50. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Flux is an imprint of North Star Editions, a Minnesota-based house specializing in trade fiction. Flux specializes in "alternative voices." The editors believe that young adult novels are a "point of view," not a reading level. Submissions: In addition to a query, and three chapters, Flux requires 3-5 comparative books published within the last 5 years with an explanation of how your book both ties into a trend in the Young Adult genre and offers something unique. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2024. Read their submission guidelines here.

Jolly Fish Press is an imprint of North Star Editions, Inc., based in Minnesota. They publish trade fiction and select nonfiction books in the national and international market. Right now they are seeking middle grade and young adult titles in science fiction and fantasy with an epic and visual scope; thrillers with strong, carefully crafted characters and a unique voice; and unconventional love stories. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2024. See their submission guidelines here.

Graveside Press: Monster Romance. Genre: Horror on theme: Monster Romance. 2,000 – 6,000 words in length. Payment: $0.02/word. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Stories To Take To Your Grave #3 High Seas Edition. Genre: Horror. "We’re looking for stories of pirates, sea monsters, deserted islands, the Bermuda Triangle, and anything else taking place on or in the world’s oceans." Payment: $25. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

Brain Jar Press is primarily interested in science fiction, horror, fantasy, crime, and thriller fiction, as well as short story collections in those genres. Brain Jar Press is open to publishing:

• Chapbooks (4000 to 10,000 words)
• Novellas (10,000 to 40,000 words)
• Short novels (up to 60,000 words)

They are particularly interested in serial and series works, whether they are written at short story, novella, or novel length, and works that fit into some of their established product lines such as the Writer Chaps series (chapbook collections of writing-oriented non-fiction). They are also interested in non-fiction that’s focused on the craft and business of writing, or topics aligned with the fiction genres they cover. Brain Jar Press publishes in ebook and print on demand, working on a digital-first model that only produces print editions when they’re ordered. Payment: They do not pay advances, but they do offer a slightly higher royalty rate on print books sold than larger publishing companies. Deadline: November 30, 2024.

AND A FEW MORE...

Tales from the Nightside. Genre: Car Wars GameLit Fiction. Theme: Ride along with illegal street teams and see the criminal underbelly of the Autoduelling world. Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

Burial Books: Inanimate Things – Volume Two. Genre: Horror about inanimate things that are living. It could be a doll, the dead flesh of zombies, or your Ford F-150. Payment: $10. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

Ninth Letter. Genre: Fiction, CNF, Poetry. Payment: $25 per poem and $100 for prose. Deadline: Opens December 1, 2024. Closes when they reach cap.

Eternal Haunted Summer. Genre: Poetry, short fiction. Theme: Fortune and Luck. Payment: $5. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

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