129 Calls for Submissions in December 2022 - Paying markets

This December there are more than ten 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: Public Domain)

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Extra Teeth. Genre: Short fiction between 800 and 4,000 words. Payment: £100. Deadline: December 14, 2022 (?) Opens December 1.

Sundog. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 1, 2022. Submit early to avoid submission fee. 

Empire of Beasts. Genre: Stories about entirely new societies and cultures populated by anthropomorphized creatures. Payment: $40. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

Acre Books. Restrictions: BIPOC writers only. Genre: Full-length fiction, nonfiction, poetry and hybrid works. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

The Woodward Review. Genre: Poetry, prose, art, and digital media from anyone, anywhere. Payment: $25.  Deadline: December 1, 2022.

Parabola. Genre: Original essays and translations, poetry, reviews. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: December 1, 2022. See themes.

The Offing: Wit Tea. Genre: Humor. "Send us your comedic work in any genre. We love strong character voices, absurdity, momentum, vulnerability, and surprise. We want the pieces only you – yes you, weirdo – could write. We want to think, we want to cry, and we want to laugh our butts off. We’ve been attached to our butts for far too long." Payment: $25 - $100. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

Toxic Workplaces. Restrictions: Open to women writers. Genre: CNF up to 5,000 words on theme Toxic Workplaces. Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

Outcast Press: Diner Crime/Noir/Neo-Noir Anthology. Genre: Crime/noir/neo-noir/transgressive short stories in which a diner-like venue plays a major role in the narrative. Length: 2,000 – 7,000 words (3,000 – 4,500 words being the sweet spot). Payment: $25 - $100. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: December 1, 2022. See themes.

Ruminate. Genre: Fiction under 5,500 words. Payment: $20 per 500 words. Deadline: December 1, 2022. 

Air and Nothingness Press: Gargantua. Genre: Speculative stories of massive engineering megastructures that reshape stellar systems. Length: exactly 1000 words. Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: December 1, 2022. 

Contrary. Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF. Payment: $20. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

Tomorrow's Hope. Genre: Near Future Hard Science Fiction. Payment: A percentage of sales divided equally between the contributing authors. Deadline: December 1, 2022. 

Zero Street Fiction. Genre: Full-length LGBTQ fiction. The manuscript must be in English and should be between 60,000 and 100,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

Interstellar Flight Press. Genre: Horror including but not limited to: Science Fiction Horror, Fantasy Horror, Supernatural, Weird Horror, Mystery/thrillers with horror elements. Hybrids or difficult to categorize works are welcome. Give us your slashers, zombies, witches, vampires, monsters, demons, devils, horror comedies, psychological thrillers, body horror, crime noir, creature features, aliens, ghosts, haunted houses, creepy carnivals, serial killers, possessed children, shapeshifters, disasters, and viruses. Word Count: 17,500 - 40,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

Wandering Wave Press: An Anthology of Unconventional Stories. Genre: Fiction. “We’re looking for genre authors who cross boundaries. Authors whose stories twist the tropes to showcase in a cross-genre anthology of stories that entertain, but read fresh and new. Send us the story that you can’t classify: a story that can’t be pigeon-holed into a single subgenre, or that pushes against your genre’s boundaries. We want to showcase authors who write uncommon fiction.” Some examples are: witches in space, romances that flip gender roles, alternate histories set in the near-future, and fairy tales that start after the ‘happily ever after.’ Length: 1,000-10,000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

Book Worms. Genre: All HORROR sub-genres. No romance or erotica. Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories, poetry, nonfiction. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. $1 a line for poetry. 2 - 8 cents/word for nonfiction. Deadline: December 2, 2022. Accepts reprints.

Island. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents only. Genre: Fiction Nonfiction. Payment: 20 cents per word, with a minimum of $350 and a maximum of $750. Deadline: December 2, 2022.

Never Wake. Genre: Horror. "We’re looking for scary, mind-bending stories featuring dreams, nightmares, hallucinations, messed-up psychedelic experiences, and various elements of phantasmagoria." Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: December 4, 2022.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on theme of Africa. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: December 4, 2022.

Cordite. Genre: Poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: December 4, 2022.

Voiceworks. Restrictions: Open to Australians under the age of 25. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art and comics. See theme. Payment: $100 for written work and art, $150 for multi-page comics or suites of art. Deadline: December 4, 2022. Fiction, completed nonfiction and poetry.

Heroic Fantasy Quarterly. Genre: Sword and sorcery fantasy. Payment: $100 for stories and $25 for poems, upon publication. Deadline: December 7, 2022. 

Stone’s Throw. Genre: Dark fiction, crime and noir, length between 1,000 and 2,000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 7, 2022. 

Revolute. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 8, 2022.

Rabbit: Collaborations. Genre: "For this issue, we are keen to see the wild and wonderful results of two or more minds and/or bodies and/or practices coming together to generate art. Such works might take the form of poetry written collaboratively by two or more people, collaborations between poet/s and other artists, cross-practice experiments, collaborations with non-humans, or any poetry-related collaborations that fall in-between or beyond." Payment: "We are able to pay all Australian contributors. International contributors receive copies of the journal." Deadline: December 9, 2022.

Exposition Review. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction, poetry, scripts for stage & screen, experimental narratives, visual art, film, and comics. Theme: Lines. Payment: $50. Deadline: December 10, 2022. (No fee submission day)

Funicular. Genre: Fiction, poetry, flash fiction. Payment: Short story: $10/printed page (up to a maximum of $100); Flash: $25 per piece; Poetry: $25 per piece. Deadline: December 10, 2022. 

Humour Me. Genre: Humor. "We want your festive stories for our Christmas special, fiction and non fiction! Min 1k words, Max 3k. These can be any sub-genre. Western Santa Claus? Zombie reindeer? Go for it as long as they have a humour/satirical element! We will also accept cartoons/comic strips as long as they meet the Christmas/humour theme." Payment: £25 (GBP) -  £40 (GBP). Deadline: December 10, 2022.

The Fabulist. Genre: Fantastical and genre fiction. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 10, 2022. See theme.

Jay Henge: Phantom Thieves Sagacious Scoundrels. Genre: Speculative fiction. "Elusive and fantastic thieves and scoundrels of all genders and species who can be long gone before the victim even knows what happened. Show us what admirable trickery your scoundrels and robbers and smugglers have up their sleeves!" Payment: $5 USD per 1000 words. Length: Up to 15k words. Deadline: December 10, 2022.

Voiceworks. Restrictions: Open to Australians under the age of 25. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art and comics. See theme. Payment: $100 for written work and art, $150 for multi-page comics or suites of art. Deadline: December 11, 2022. Art, comics and comic pitches only.

Stanchion. Genre: Writing (prose, poetry, etc) & visual art. Payment: $10 to $15. Deadline: December 13, 2022. Submit to stanchionzine@gmail.com (There isn't a lot of information about this call)

Outlook Springs. Genre: "Send us your weird, wobbly wordwork: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry." Payment: $10 per poem, $10 per flash piece (under 1,000 words), $25 for short fiction and essays (over 1,000 words). Payment via PayPal or Venmo. Deadline: December 14, 2022. Note: They close early if they hit their submission cap.

Wasafiri. Genre: Fiction, life-writing, and poetry. Payment: £150 for fiction and life-writing and £40 for poetry. Deadline: December 14, 2022.

The Alchemy Press Book of the Unknown. Genre: Dark fantasy set in the real world. Length: 7,000 words max. Payment: 1p per word. Deadline: December 14, 2022. 

History Through Fiction. Genre: Full-length manuscripts. "History Through Fiction is interested in publishing high quality fiction that is based on historical research. We are looking for stories about real people and real events. Though fictionalized, our books include nonfiction elements such as footnotes, endnotes, and/or a bibliography."  Payment: Contract includes an advance on royalties and covers all production expenses. Deadline: December 15, 2022.

Martian. Genre: Science fiction drabbles (exactly 100 words). Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: December 15, 2022.

Cloaked Press: Spring into SciFi. Genre: All sub-genres of science fiction. "Space Exploration, Advanced Technology, AI, Cloning, Robotics and of course, Aliens." Length: Up to 9,000 words. Payment: $15 or print copy. Deadline: December 15, 2022.

 

The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, mixed media, visual arts, "and even kitchen sinks, if they are compressed in some way.” Payment: $50. Deadline: December 15, 2022.

Baffling. Genre: Speculative stories that explore science fiction, fantasy, and horror with a queer bent. Length: 1200 words max. Payment: $.08/word. Deadline: December 15, 2022.

Plainsongs. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $50 for "award" poem. Deadline: December 15, 2022.

Copper Nickel. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and translation folios. Payment: $30 per printed page + two copies of the issue in which the author’s work appears + a one-year subscription. Deadline: December 15, 2022. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fees.

United Faedom. Genre: Short story collections, novellas and novels. Payment: Collections (minimum of 30k), $75. Novellas and novels (40k-100k) $100. Deadline: December 15, 2022.

Journalstone. Genre: Horror novels and novellas. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 15, 2022.

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:  December 15, 2022.

Mizna. Restrictions: In this issue, we are interested in focusing specifically on work by people from Black SWANA communities and their diasporas, to create a gathering space for our voices and ideas. Those submitting work should identify as Black. Genre: Poetry, stories, creative essays, flash fiction, comics. Payment: $200. Deadline: December 15, 2022.

The Great Void. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: Revenue sharing. Pays for anthologies only. Deadline: December 15, 2022. 

Chicken Soup for the Soul: How stepping outside my comfort zone changed me. Genre: True stories and poems. "Tell us your own stories about stepping outside your comfort zone and how that changed your life." Payment: $200. Deadline: December 15, 2022.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The power of positive thinking. Genre: True stories and poems. "How did you “think positive” and how did it change your life? Tell us your success story about using the power of positive thinking!" Payment: $200. Deadline: December 15, 2022.

Eye to the Telescope. Genre: Speculative poetry. Payment: $0.04/word, up to $25. Deadline: December 15, 2022. See theme.

Propagule. Genre: Short stories that are intrepid with regard to experimentation and oddity; the strange, the surreal, the atypical, the unexpected. Payment: $20. Deadline: December 15, 2022.

Poetry Wales. Genre: Poetry, reviews, articles. See theme. Payment: Poems £20/page. Reviews £67.50/1500-word review. Articles £200/3000 word, or in that proportion, depending on number of published words. Deadline: December 15, 2022. Submissions in Welsh.

Muse Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction articles for children. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: December 15, 2022. See themes.

Medusa Tales. Genre: Speculative stories (sci-fi, fantasy, and horror) of human transformation and immobilization. Payment: 1 cent/word, $10 for reprints. Deadline: December 15, 2022. Accepts reprints.

The Offing: Insight. Genre: Creative nonfiction that centers one’s personal experience against the backdrop of art, literature, and culture. Insight essays are generally personal essays that raise questions or address issues about the matters that concern us aesthetically, politically, or ideologically. These essays explore how interacting with this piece of art, literature, or culture changed you, or made a lasting impression. Payment: $25–$100. Deadline: December 16, 2022.

Wesleyan University Press. Genre: Poetry manuscripts. Poets and translators are invited to submit a 15-20 page manuscript sample accompanied by a query letter. Payment: Royalties paid annually and where feasible an advance against these royalties. Deadline: December 16, 2022.

just femme & dandy. Genre: Fashion for the LGBTQIA+ community. Theme: Survive. "For this issue, we want to hear what survival means for you and your queer identity as it relates to all areas of fashion, including but not limited to clothing, cosmetics, skincare, hair (styles and products), shoes, perfumery/cologne, accessories, hosiery, etc. Want to tell us about your favorite chainmail or faux-brass knuckles? What about that shade of red lipstick that feels like armor? How about your favorite bedazzled binder or mobility aid? We’d also love to hear about the roles clothing has played for in surviving (and/or recovering from) harm or protecting oneself against danger, illness, and other threats. Of course, these are just a few examples. We are open to pieces across subjects and genres, but in the spirit of queer and BIPOC celebration, we’re especially interested in pieces that demonstrate triumph and endurance." Payment: 50 USD per text-based submission and 150 USD per multimedia submission (video, photography, image + text, fashion spread + interview, etc.). Deadline: December 17, 2022.

Fulcrum Publishing: Women's Reproductive Health Anthology. Genre: Creative nonfiction personal essays on abortion, contraception, menstruation, infertility, miscarriage, IVF, perimenopause/menopause, pregnancy, fibroids, PCOS, endometriosis, and any other topic related to women's health. Length: 2,000 words max. Payment: $150. Deadline: December 17, 2022. Reprints accepted.

Fantastic Books. Genre: Science fiction stories that speculate on the future of the Jewish people. What will Jews be up to fifty years from now? A hundred? A thousand? Will the Jewish people still be mostly living where they are now? Will Judaism still be recognizable in the many forms in which it exists today? Will there be Jewish aliens or Jewish robots? Length: 5,000 words max. Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: December 18, 2022.

Tasavvur. Genre: South Asian speculative fiction. Payment: 2.5 cents per word, up to a maximum of 5,000 words. Deadline: December 19, 2022.

World Ember. Genre: Nonfiction articles about Health & Fitness, Travel, Fashion, and Interior Design and photography. Payment: $10, Deadline: December 21, 2022.

Fieldnotes is a biannual print journal publishing new writing and artworks with a focus on practices that work between disciplines and against type. Genre: “We are seeking non-conforming submissions: ideas in transition, poetry in translation, collaborations and conversations, works between genres, between fiction and theory, between text and image, new poetic modes and things-in-progress.” Payment: £100-£200. Deadline: December 22, 2022.

Black Ocean. Restrictions: Open to debut (“first book”) collections only. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts. Payment: Royalties? Deadline: December 23, 2022. Opens December 9.

Antimony and Elder Lace. Genre: Full-length books: 60,000 words minimum. Mystery (and all associated subgenres); Horror (and all associated subgenres); Thriller (and all associated subgenres); Dark Fantasy or Science Fiction. Payment: Royalties? Deadline: December 25, 2022.

The Puritan. Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: $100 per nonfiction piece, $50 fiction, $15 per poem. Deadline: December 25, 2022.

Off Topic Publishing: Poetry Box. Genre: Poetry. Payment $40 CAD. Deadline: December 25, 2022. This is a monthly call.

Spirit: A White Stag Anthology. Genre: Poetry. " We want poetry that explores the ethereal realm through various mediums whether religious / spiritual, through clairvoyance / meditation, science, & the imagination. We want theology, mysticism & magick, alchemy, explore the ancient mysteries. We want work that goes beyond our sphere & into the void, translating the unknown. Send us your séances, your rituals, your communions with the gods, show us the creatures that lurk in the night (the ones we don’t already know about), tell us of your travels through space & time. We want poetry that is evocative of the otherworldly. Be bold & dare to go beyond." Payment: $5/page. Deadline: December 26, 2022.

Every Day Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction on themes. Length: 1000 words max. Payment: $3. Deadline: December 27, 2022.

Rough Cut Press: Move. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry by LGBTQ+ artists and their allies on theme: Move. Length: Up to 650 words. Payment:$25. Deadline: December 27, 2022.

For Those Who Deserve to Exist. Restrictions: Those who identify as a marginalized individual or a person from a marginalized community. Genre: Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction. Theme: Reclamation by marginalized individuals. Rising up, overcoming, and righting (and rewriting) transgressions. Payment: $30. Deadline: December 30, 2022.

JackLeg Press. Genre: Poetry and short story collections. They also consider select literary novels and creative nonfiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 30, 2022.

Conium Press. Genre: Novels and chapbooks. Conium Press leans toward magical realist, surrealist, and experimental fiction. Payment: Small honorarium. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Wild Hunt Books. Genre: Novel and novella-length manuscripts of between 30,000-85,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Poet Lore. Genre: Poetry. Theme: Home and Hiraeth. Payment: $50. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Dragon Soul Press: Liberty. Genre: "All LGBTQ+ stories are welcome. All fantasy genres are accepted." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Dragon Soul Press: Carried Away. Genre: "All romantic comedy stories are welcome. Does not have to be Happily Ever After. All heat levels are accepted." Payment:  Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2022. 

Dragon Soul Press: Four Anthologies: DRAGONESQUE, GAME ON!, ARTIFICE & CRAFT, and SOLAR FLARE. Genre: Science fiction and fantasy.  Payment: 8 cents per word/royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2022. 

Hippocampus Magazine. Genre: Memoir Excerpts, Personal Essays, and Flash Nonfiction. Payment: $40. Deadline: Fee free from December 21 - December 31, 2022.

West Avenue: A Flight of Dragons. Genre: Short stories of up to 5,000 words, poetry (any length). Dragons must form a significant element of the submission piece. Payment: £10 and an author copy of the anthology (paperback). Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Ninth Letter. Genre: Poems, nonfiction, and short fiction. Payment: $25 for poetry, $75 for prose. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Full House Literary. Genre: Digital Chapbooks. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Critical Read. Genre: Nonfiction artwork biographies, reported stories, profiles, cultural history, essay, interviews. Payment: Varies. Deadline: December 31, 2022. Pitches only.

Cinnabar Moth Literary Collections. Genre: short stories between 3,000 and 3,500 words on the topic of love lost all genres are accepted. Payment: $50. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Path of Absolute Power Superhero Anthology. Genre: Short stories set in the fictional comic book universe of the Absolute Power tabletop role-playing game. Payment: 5 to 12 cents per word. Deadline: December 31, 2022. 

King Ludd's Rag. Genre: Long-form fiction, 4,000 words minimum. Payment: $100 per piece. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Tales from the Clergy: Stories Inspired by Ghost. Genre: Horror anthology of stories inspired by the music of the band Ghost. Payment: 3 cents/word, 5,000 words max. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Best Utopian Science Fiction. Genre: Utopian science fiction. Length: up to 19,000 words (flash fiction, short stories, and novelettes) Payment: $0.01 (USD) per word + contributor copy. Deadline: December 31, 2022. Reprints only.

Mud Season Review. Genre: Poetry, Fiction, CNF, Art. Payment: $50. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Meadowlark Reader. Genre: Personal essays, interviews, journalistic pieces. “True stories about Kansas written by Kansans." Payment: $10 plus one contributor copy. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Maine Review. Genre: Short fiction, poetry. Payment: Fiction and Nonfiction writers receive a $25 honorarium per published flash (1,000 words or fewer) and a $50 honorarium for work 1,001 words or more. Poets receive a $25 honorarium per published poem. Deadline: Fee free from December 17 - December 31, 2022.

Ooze. Genre: Body horror, 2000 words max. Payment: $10. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Book XI. Genre: Personal essays, memoir, fiction, science fiction, humor, and poetry with philosophical themes. Payment: $200 for prose; 50 for each poem. Deadline: December 31, 2022. 

Red Cape Anthologies: R is for Revenge. Genre: Horror. "Revenge can come in many forms so we are looking for clever and unusual stories. Anything goes, so long as the story falls into the horror genre (whether that be human or non-human monsters)." Payment: £10. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

The Margins. Genre: Poetry, short stories, audio, video, photography, translation, art criticism, artist interviews, essays, and the daring, genre-blurring work that falls outside those categories by emerging and established queer Asian, Asian American, and Asian diasporic writers on the theme of Mehfil: An Evening of Entertainment and Enchantment. Payment: $50 – $100 for a single poem, depending on length. $150 for flash fiction (500 to 1,000 words in length) $300 – $450 for longer works of fiction (up to ~4,000 words). Nonfiction $60 - $450. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

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: December 31, 2022.

Yay! They're Here! Genre: Speculative fiction. "We are looking for Speculative Fiction stories featuring a Human/Alien first contact that starts optomistically, but then, well, things happen." Payment: $5 plus royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

The Jarnal: Transitions. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art on theme: Transitions. 2000 words max. Payment: $5 per poem/1,000 words/image. Deadline: December 31, 2022. (Closes when cap is reached.)

Cutleaf. Genre: Short stories, personal essays, poems, or hybrid work in which beer is featured. Payment: $50 to $200. Deadline: December 31, 2022. (Submit early in the month. Closes when cap is reached.)

Solar Flare Anthology. Genre: Solarpunk. "Imagine a Solarpunk future where societies value cooperation over consumerism, where technology solves ecological challenges rather than creating them. SOLAR FLARE will envision a future where humanity has embraced the Earth and learned to co-exist with it, not simply on it, where sustainability is a way of life, not merely a catch phrase." Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

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: $150 per story. $50 per poem. $300 per novelette. Deadline: December 31st, 2022. 

Islandia. Restrictions: Preference is given to residents of Florida & the Caribbean but Islandia considers written work and visual art with strong ties to the region. Genre: Poetry, art, and prose on themes of : MYTH, FOLKLORE, HISTORY, ECOLOGY, CRYPTOZOOLOGY, AND THE PARANORMAL. Payment: Pay for poetry and visual art begins at $50 and for prose submissions at $100. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Backroom Window Press. Genre: Poetry manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2022. 

Black Joy Unbound. Genre: Creative non-fiction, short fiction, and poetry. Literary writing on Black joy. "Provocation: What might our writing look like if it were imbued with characters and themes centered on joy and delight?" Length: 2,000 to 5,000 words. Payment: $75. Deadline: December 31, 2022. 

Cincinnati Review. Genre: Prose, poetry, art. Payment: $25/page for prose in journal. $30/page for poetry in journal. Deadline: December 31, 2022. Submit early in the month. Submissions close when cap is reached.

Threadcount. Genre: Prose, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid text. "We prefer writing that resists such classifications. Primarily we focus on hybrid works between prose poetry and flash fiction.” Payment: $25. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Cloud Lake Literary. Restrictions: Canadian writers. Genre: Fiction, art. creative nonfiction, poetry, and children’s literature (up to and including YA). Payment: $50 CAD/per page to a maximum of $150 CAD. Visual Art Submission: $50 CAD/per submission. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

The Theatre Phantasmagoria. Genre: Horrror flash fiction up to 2,000 words. Payment: £10. Deadline: December 31, 2022. This is a monthly call. See themes.

Dancing Star Press. Genre: Speculative fiction novellas. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Workers Write! Tales from the Club. Genre: Fiction and poetry that contain stories and poems from nightclubs, discotheques, cabarets, pubs, or any nightlife spot. "We're looking for fiction and poetry about club/bar owners, managers, bartenders and barbacks, servers, bouncers, promoters, and entertainers (comedians, DJs, strippers), anyone who makes money in a club or bar.” Payment: $5 - $50. Deadline: December 31, 2022. (Or until full.)

Allegory. Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Payment: $15. Deadline: December 31, 2022. 

Arachne Press: Menopause. Genre: Fiction and poetry on theme: Menopause. Payment: Royalties.  Deadline: December 31, 2022. 

Arachne Press: Byways. Genre: Fiction and poetry on theme: Byways. Payment: Royalties.  Deadline: December 31, 2022. 

Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 1 cent/word for fiction and $5 - $10 for poetry. Deadline: December 31, 2022.  

Eerie River. Genre: Horror on theme of Wind. Word count: 1500 - 7000 firm. Payment: ¢1 per word CAD. Deadline: December 31, 2022. 

Mythic. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy short stories. Length: 2,000-5,000 words. Payment: 1 cent/word for original fiction, $25 for reprints. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

We're Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction Anthology Series. Genre: Speculative fiction published in 2021 that implicitly or explicitly explores queerness and/or transness. "We refer to queerness that is inclusive of ace/aro stories, trans and nonbinary stories, and intersex stories." Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: December 31, 2022. Reprints only.

Freeze Frame Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction. Payment: $10. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Chestnut Review. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, visual media (art/photography). Payment: $120. Deadline: December 31, 2022. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee.

Briar Rose Anthology. Genre: Sci-fi retellings of the first half of Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty), as it was told by the Grimm Bros. Payment: 1c/word for accepted fiction. Half this for reprints. $100 (negotiable) for the cover illustration. Deadline: December 31, 2022. Reprints accepted. 

Zombies Need Brains: Dragonesque. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, or urban fantasy stories where a significant portion of the story is written from the dragon’s point of view. "We would like a wide variety of genre settings for this anthology, specifically science fiction and urban fantasy settings." Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Zombies Need Brains: Artifice and Craft. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, or urban fantasy stories where the story revolves around some type of artistic object that has been enchanted, cursed, hexed, or imbued with magical properties. "We would like a wide variety of genre settings for this anthology. In other words, we don’t want the entire anthology to be secondary world fantasy settings. As always, we are looking for a range of tones, from humorous all the way up to dark. " Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Zombies Need Brains: Game On! Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, or urban fantasy stories where the story revolves around some type of game--be it board game, video game, or RPG. "We do NOT want sports-related stories. We would like a wide variety of genre settings for this anthology. In other words, we don’t want the entire anthology to be urban fantasy settings. As always, we are looking for a range of tones, from humorous all the way up to dark." Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Arc Poetry Magazine. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $50 per page. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Heartlines Spec. Restrictions: "Since Heartlines Spec is primarily a Canadian magazine, we're looking to feature writers identifying as being from Canada/Turtle Island. This includes expats, new immigrants, and people who refuse/resist Canadian Identity. Our goal for each issue is to publish at least 50% Canadian content." Genre: short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial. "We want stories and poetry with strong, confident relationships amid all the sci-fi/fantasy. We are especially interested in stories featuring queer platonic relationships, ace/aro love stories, and polycules." Payment: $0.08 CAD per word for short fiction and $80 CAD flat for poetry. Deadline: December 31, 2022. 

DMR Books: Die by the Sword. Genre: Sword and sorcery. Payment: $0.01/word. Deadline: December 31, 2022. 

AND A FEW MORE...

Wyldblood Press. Genre: Speculative novels and novellas. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: Opens in January.

Totally Entwined: Weres Vamps. Genre: Novellas, 30,000 - 50,000 words. Theme: Werewolves and Vampires. LGBTQ focus. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 1, 2023.

Mukana Press. Genre: Short stories by African authors to be included in its inaugural Anthology of African Writing. Stories previously published only on online literary platforms are welcome if rights were reverted to the author upon publication. Stories must range between 1000 - 8000 words. Payment: $500 and royalties. Deadline: January 1, 2023.

Mukana Press. Restrictions: Authors from Africa, South America, The Middle East, and Asia. Genre: Full length books (short story collections, memoirs and novels YA and Adult). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 1, 2023.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on theme of Europe. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: January 1, 2023.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: January 1, 2023. See themes.

Substantially Unlimited. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as part of the disability community. Genre: Prose, up to 15 pages. See themes. Payment: $15. Deadline: January 1, 2023. Reprints accepted.

The Damned & The Divine: Gothic Tales of Broken Gods. Genre: Short stories (5,000 - 8,000 words) that blend mythology with Gothic/literary vibes. Payment: US: $40 + author copy/non-US: $45 + ebook author copy). Deadline: January 1, 2023.

Grendel Press. Genre: Dark Fantasy, Horror, and Romance.short stories. See themes. Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: January 1, 2023.

67 Writing Contests in December 2022 - 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 $45,000 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. Most of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline is past, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck! 

(Image: Pexels)

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Green Stories Writing Competition: Orna Ross Green Stories Novel Prize. Genre: Novel that inspires green behaviour and raises awareness of the necessary transformations towards a sustainable economy. Prize: £1000 for the winner and £500 for runner up. Half price manuscript appraisal (worth £300-400) for top three entries by established literary consultancy Daniel Goldsmith. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

The Kierkegaard Poetry Competition. Genre: Poetry inspired by Kierkegaard. Prize: $500 top prize. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

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: December 1, 2022.

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: December 1, 2022.

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, 2022. 

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, 2022. 

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. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

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, 2022.

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, 2022.

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, 2022.

Rise & Shine Mini Contest. Restrictions: Open to women. Genre: Micro poems, micro essays, and flash fiction. Prize: $75.00 USD Prize in Poetry, $75.00 USD Prize in Prose. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

The Blossom Contest. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC writers. Genre: Prose and poetry. Prize: $200.00 USD Prize in Poetry, $200.00 USD Prize in Prose. Deadline: December 1, 2022.

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, 2022.

Women's Prize for Fiction. Genre: Published novel by a woman. Entrants must be writing in English and must be published in the UK between 1 December 2022 and 31 March 2023. All subject matters and women of any age, from any nationality or country of residence are eligible. Prize: £30,000.00. Deadline: December 2, 2022.

WWPH Writes Holiday Poetry & Prose Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of the District of Columbia, Maryland or Virginia. Genre: Poetry and prose. Prize: $100. Deadline: December 4, 2022.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 5, 2022. Opens December 2.

Quantum Shorts Competition. Genre: Fiction stories, under 1,000 words, that are "clearly inspired by some aspect of quantum physics." For 2020, entries also must contain the phrase "It's a lot to think about." Prize: $1,500 and online publication. Deadline: December 5, 2022.

Globe Soup Alternative Story Titles Challenge. Genre: Alternative title for short story (See site). Prize: £100. Deadline: December 5, 2022.

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: December 6, 2022. (For books published between October 4, 2022 and December 5, 2022)

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 8, 2022.

Flo Gault Student Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Full-time undergraduate college students in Kentucky. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: December 9, 2022. 

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 2022 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 9, 2022. 

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 2022. Self-published and e-Books are not eligible. Prize: $500 - $2000. Deadline: December 10, 2022.

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: December 13, 2022.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Flash fiction up to 1000 words on theme. Prize: $30. Deadline: December 14, 2022. See themes.

Patrick Henry Writing Fellowship. Genre: Nonfiction book in progress. The project should address the history and/or legacy – broadly defined – of the American Revolution and the nation’s founding ideas. It might focus on the founding era itself, or on the myriad ways the questions that preoccupied the nation’s founders have shaped America’s later history. Fellowship amount: $45,000 stipend, health benefits, faculty privileges, a book allowance, and a nine-month residency (during the academic year) in historic Chestertown, MD. Deadline: December 15, 2022.

Queer Adventurers LGBTQIA Writing Contest. Restrictions; Open to any writer 18+ from anywhere in the world who identifies as LGBTQ+. Genre: 1,000 to 1,500 word personal essays on the theme of Shelter. Prize: $150. Deadline: December 15, 2022.

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 16, 2022.

Spark Award: Held by SCBWI , open to members of SCBWI who are 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: December 19, 2022.

Roswell Award for Short Science Fiction. Genre: Science fiction, 1500 words max. New Suns Climate Fiction Award, for original short science fiction that reimagines new ways of living and depicts humanity exploring and overcoming today's climate and biodiversity crises. Prize: $500. Finalists have their stories read by celebrities in Hollywood. Deadline: December19, 2022.

Royal Institute of Philosophy Essay Prize. Topic: Essay on theme: Emotions. Prize: £2,500 top prize. Deadline: December 20, 2022.

Rider University Annual High School Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students. Genres: Essays, poetry, fiction. Prizes: 1st-$100, 2nd-$50, 3rd-$25. Deadline: December 20, 2022.

Beatrice Medicine Award for Scholarship in American Indian Studies. Genre: Essay and/or book about Native American studies published in 2022. Prize: $250. Deadline: December 20, 2022.

Solarpunk Microfiction Contest. Genre; Microfiction, 250 words max. Prize: $25 and publication on the Solarpunk Magazine website. Deadline: December 22, 2022. See theme. Opens December 16.

VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Genre: First novel published in 2022. No self-published books.  Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 30, 2022.

Shady Grove Literary. Genre: Any style, genre, tone of flash fiction. Length: 300 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

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, 2022.

The Sator New Works Award. Genre: Debut book-length work of fiction or non-fiction by an author who identifies as trans or nonbinary. Prize: $2,500 advance and publication. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

The AIIRA Writing Contest 2022. Restrictions: Open to all undergraduate students currently enrolled in an accredited US academic institution and 18+ years old. Genre: Fiction or creative nonfiction that 'explores the relationship between humans, technology, and their food in 2050: what will food look, taste, and feel like; where will it come from; who will produce and transport it; and how will we access and consume it?" Prize: First Place: $2,000 USD; Second Place: $1,500 USD; Third Place: $1,000 USD. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Story Unlikely Short Story Contest. Genre: Short story. Length: 2,250 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

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: $3,000. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognizes outstanding works that contribute to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of the rich diversity of human cultures. Awards are given for both fiction and nonfiction. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Griffin Poetry Prize. Restrictions: One prize goes to a living Canadian poet or translator, the other to a living poet or translator from any country, which may include Canada. Genre: Poetry. Books must have been published in English during the calendar year preceding the year of the award. Prize: C$200,000, is awarded annually in two categories – International and Canadian. Each prize is worth C$65,000. Deadline: December 31, 2022 for books published between July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.

L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction prose, up to 17,000 words. Prize: $1,000 with $5,000 grand prize. Deadline: December 31, 2022. Read details HERE.

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, 2022.

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, 2022. Read more about the award HERE.

Blue Mountain Arts Poetry Card Contest. Genre: Poem. Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

The Caribbean Writer Prize. 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. 2022 theme: "Carrying: Reflection, Recognition and Repair.” Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Olde Wolf Short Story Contest. Genre: Short story. Length: 3,000 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: December 31, 2022. This is a monthly contest.

Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Prize: $500 and publication in Meridians Journal: feminism, race, transnationalism. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

William Carlos Williams Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to students enrolled in programs leading to the Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy degree. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

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, 2022.

Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award.  Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter free of charge. Others must pay a $10 - $15 entry fee. Genre: Poetry, unpublished and published. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Cecil Hemley Memorial Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter free of charge. Others must pay a $10 - $15 entry fee. Genre: Poetry, unpublished and published. Lyric poem that addresses a philosophical or epistemological concern. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

George Bogin Memorial Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter for free. Others must pay a $10 - $15 entry fee. Genre: Poetry that takes a stand against oppression. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Lucille Medwick Memorial Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter free of charge. Others must pay a $10 - $15 entry fee. Genre: Poetry, unpublished and published. Original poem in any form on a humanitarian theme. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Lyric Poetry Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter free of charge. Others must pay a $10 - $15 entry fee. Genre: A lyric poem on any subject. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

The Writer Magazine/Emily Dickinson Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter for free. Others must pay a $10 - $15 entry fee. Genre: A poem inspired by Dickinson though not necessarily in her style. Prize: $250. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Robert H. Winner Memorial Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter for free. There is a charge of $10 - $15 for non-members. Open to mid-career poets who have not had substantial recognition, and is over forty, and who have published no more than one book. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

Lilith Magazine Fiction Competition. Genre: Story of interest to Jewish women. Prize: $250. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

A Fresh Start. Genre: Microfiction, max 300 words, and poems on theme "Fresh Start." Prize: $100. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

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 31, 2022. 

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, 2022.

Black Caucus of the American Library Association. BCALA presents four awards to an African American writer published in the United States during the previous year: one for adult fiction, one for nonfiction, one for a first novelist and one for poetry. These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. Prize: Four $500.00 awards. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

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, 2022. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

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, 2022.

Tartts Fiction Award. Restrictions: Open to Americans. Genre: Short story collection. Prize: Winning short story collection will be published by Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama, in simultaneous library binding and trade paper editions. Winning entry will receive $1000, plus their standard royalty contract, which includes 60 copies of the book. Deadline: December 31, 2022.

6 Distinctive Writing Conferences and Workshops in December 2022

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

The New York 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.

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.)

(Image: St Augustine: Flickr)

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Nimrod Conference for Readers and Writers. December 1, 2022: University of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Topic: BIPOC Women: Claim Your Voice, Empower Your Writing."Join us for a timely discussion about claiming the power in your voice as a BIPOC woman writer. We’ll talk about ways to claim your voice, empower your writing, and more at this panel discussion. The overturning of Roe v. Wade is destructive for all women, but particularly for those who have few choices, whether geographical, financial, or a combination. Many of those women are Black, Indigenous, and people of color. The way we raise our voices will shape the values of this generation and the next, and it’s vital, now more than ever, for BIPOC women’s voices to be heard." $5 fee.

St. Augustine Author-Mentor Novel Workshop. December 2 - 5, 2022: St. Augustine, Florida. "The St. Augustine Author-Mentor Novel Workshop creates an intimate and professional environment that combines private meetings with small-group workshops, thus enabling aspiring authors to wisely approach the writing and publication of their novel. At the St. Augustine event, aspiring authors will:
1) Work one-on-one with top authors and savvy market professionals.
2) Apply advanced story and narrative technique to their novel-in-progress.
3) Hone and improve their writer voice and style.
4) Learn the necessary inside mechanics of the publishing business.
5) Leave the workshop with a detailed plan to work towards publication of their novel.
Group workshop sessions will be interspersed with agent and author consultations, workshop assignments, as well as consults with workshop leaders."

The 2022 Pittsburgh Writing Workshop. December 10, 2022: Online. "This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on December 10, 2022. 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. And even though this is the “Pittsburgh” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually."

Kaz: Write Your Nonfiction Book Proposal Workshop. "If you are near the completion of a nonfiction book you will need a book proposal in order to approach both agents and publishing houses. The nonfiction book proposal is a 20 to 40 page “pitch” – a compelling narrative about your book’s marketability and content. The Kaz Conference Writing Workshop’s one month book proposal workshop will take you through 4 critical sections of a winning proposal: The overview, Author Bio, Comp Titles and Platform. Limited to 4 to 6 writers, the workshop meets via ZOOM Mondays in January (2,9,16 and 23). At each session writers will share selected parts of their proposal for feedback." Tuition: $300. Application deadline: December 15, 2022. 

New York Pitch Conference. Dec 15 - 18, 2022: NY, NY. The New York Pitch Conference and writers workshop is held four times a year and features publishing house editors from major houses such as Penguin, Random House, St. Martins, Harper Collins, Tor and Del Rey, Kensington Books and many more who are looking for new novels in a variety of genres, as well as narrative non-fiction. The event focuses on the art of the novel pitch as the best method not only for communicating your work, but for having you and your work taken seriously by industry professionals. 

The Mesa Book Festival. December 17, 2022: 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.

6 Literary Agents Seeking SFF, YA, Kidlit, Thrillers, Historical Novels, Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction and Nonfiction

Updated 2/13/26

Here are six literary agents actively seeking clients. All work with reputable literary agencies with good track records. 

Ciara Finan is looking for SFF, YA, psychological thrillers, historical novels, female-led commercial and book club fiction and select commercial non-fiction. 

Liz Nealon is particularly looking for ADULT NON-FICTION: Pop Culture, Illustrated Memoir, Art/Illustrated books, Graphic Novels, Current Affairs/Fresh Takes. ADULT FICTION: Literary fiction, Poetry (very selective, underrepresented voices) CHILDREN’S NON-FICTION: Science & Nature, Biography. CHILDREN’S FICTION: Author/Illustrators only for Picture Books. Illustrated Middle Grade.

Christabel McKinley is building a list of children’s authors and illustrators, from picture books to Young Adult fiction. Stuti Telidevara is seeking young adult, middle grade, and adult SFF and general fiction. Mina Hamedi represents adult literary fiction and nonfiction. 

Maddy Belton wants SFF across all genres for all ages, including: grim dark, thriller, historical, romance, cozy fantasy, sci-fi, epic, YA fantasy, dark academia, contemporary fantasy, fantasy middle-grade, mythology, fairy tale and queer fantasy. Inspiring children’s non-fiction.

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 two 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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Ms. Ciara Finan of Curtis Brown Group, Ltd. (UK)

Ciara Finan joined Curtis Brown in 2018 and currently assists literary agent Jonny Geller.

What she is seeking: I am looking for fantasy, romantasy, rom-coms and romance, book club fiction, psychological thrillers, historical fiction and commercial non-fiction. I’m particularly interested in finding and championing stories by writers from underrepresented backgrounds and communities.

How to submit: Please email ciara.finan@curtisbrown.co.uk with a synopsis and sample chapters.

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Liz Nealon of Great Dog Literary

CURRENTLY CLOSED TO QUERIES

Liz is the former Publisher of StarWalk Kids Media, an award-winning digital publishing company that she co-founded with author Seymour Simon (2012-2016). She has unique and specific experience in children's digital publishing, with extensive knowledge of the US Schools & Libraries sector. Liz is also experienced in working with international partners, generating international reprint and sub-rights deals for dozens of books. In her previous life Liz was an award-winning executive producer and children's media industry leader who played an integral role in shaping the indelible youth brands Sesame Street, Kidz Bop, and MTV. She served as Worldwide Creative Director for Sesame Street and traveled the world as Senior Vice President of MTV International Programming, reconceiving the popular music brand for Europe, Brazil, Japan and Australia.

What she is seeking: ADULT NON-FICTION: Pop Culture, Illustrated Memoir, Art/Illustrated books, Graphic Novels, Current Affairs/Fresh Takes. ADULT FICTION: Literary fiction, Poetry (very selective, underrepresented voices) CHILDREN’S NON-FICTION: Science & Nature, Biography. CHILDREN’S FICTION: Author/Illustrators only for Picture Books. Novels-in-verse.

How to submit: Use her querymanager HERE.

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Ms. Christabel McKinley of David Higham Associates Ltd (UK)

Christabel joined David Higham Associates in 2018, having previously worked in translation rights and at a scouting agency. She graduated with a degree in Russian and English Literature from Trinity College Dublin, after which she spent a year teaching English in South Korea.

What she is seeking: Christabel is building a list of children’s authors and illustrators, from picture books to Young Adult fiction. She is particularly drawn to writing that feels authentically child-oriented with clear insight into the way young people feel and think. Her favourite works for children include Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot and Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. She is also building a select list of adult SFF authors. She has recently enjoyed Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Set My Heart to Five by Simon Stephenson.

How to submit: Children’s manuscripts or artwork should be sent to childrenssubmissions@davidhigham.co.uk as per the guidelines here.

For adult fiction: Querying authors should send the opening three chapters, a synopsis and a cover letter to christabelsubmissions@davidhigham.co.uk.

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Ms. Stuti Telidevara of Park, Fine & Brower Literary Management

Prior to joining Park & Fine in 2021, she held positions at Raven Quill Literary, Orbit Books, and Transatlantic Literary. She holds a B.A. in English from Harvard University and spends her free time watching ice hockey, listening to history podcasts, and brewing perfect cups of tea.

What she is seeking: Stuti Telidevara works on sharp, commercial adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction. She is looking for diverse storytellers and vivid, detailed worldbuilding across genre, and fiction with a strong, high-concept hook. She is especially interested in fantasy and speculative fiction and is actively building her list.

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

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

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Ms. Mina Hamedi of Janklow & Nesbit Associates

Mina Hamedi grew up in Istanbul, Turkey before moving to New York in 2010. She received her BA in Nonfiction and Global Identity from NYU’s Gallatin School and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Columbia University. Mina began her career in publishing at David Black Literary Agency and Writers House. She joined Janklow & Nesbit in 2018 where she supports co-founder Lynn Nesbit and her various authors including Andre Aciman, Robert Caro, Ronan Farrow, Andrew Sean Greer, Anand Giridharadas, and Maaza Mengiste, as well as the estates of Joan Didion, Shirley Hazzard, Anne Rice, and Tom Wolfe.

What she is seeking: Mina represents adult literary fiction and nonfiction. She is interested in stories from around the world—particularly her native Turkey and Iran. She loves fiction with Gothic-inspired atmospheres, intergenerational tales, family secrets, and deep excavations into relationships, motivations, and obsessions. She is drawn to nonfiction with a fiercely personal bent and a strong voice, and writers who are working not only to uncover the undercurrents of our world but also to change them. She seeks voices in translation and writers from underrepresented backgrounds.

How to submit: Follow the agency's guidelines HERE.

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Ms. Maddy Belton of The Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency (UK)

After graduating from St Andrews University with a degree in English Literature and Art History, Maddy followed her love of literature to an internship at non-fiction literary agency Graham Maw Christie. At GMC, Maddy worked her way up to Agent and built a list of authors who wrote for both for adults and children, spanning history, tarot, and nature writing.

What she is seeking: SFF across all genres for all ages, including: grim dark, thriller, historical, romance, cozy fantasy, sci-fi, epic, YA fantasy, dark academia, contemporary fantasy, fantasy middle-grade, mythology, fairy tale and queer fantasy. Inspiring children’s non-fiction.

How to submit: Read the agency guidelines HERE.

4 New Agents Seeking Kidlit, SFF, Mystery, Horror, LGBTQ+, Romance, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction and more

Updated 2/12/26

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

Saffron Dodd is seeking middle-grade fantasy, contemporary middle-grade, mystery thrillers and rom-coms. Laura Southern wants fantasy, science-fiction, and horror, rom-coms, and narratives set in the South as well as memoir and narrative nonfiction. In young adult and middle grade, Laura Southern is interested in speculative fiction across any subgenre, as well as select contemporary fiction.

Emma Konn wants LGBTQ+ Focused Stories, Psychological Thrillers, Romance Genre, Enemies to Lovers Trope, Graphic Novels​. Fergus Inder is seeking Shakespeare adaptations, unconventional narrators, heists, Dickensian coming-of-age stories, operas (space or otherwise), metafiction, satire, really good food writing, and sexy and crushingly sad millennial literary fiction.

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 two 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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Ms. Saffron Dodd of ASH Literary (UK)

Saffron (she/her) joined the ASH Literary team in 2022 as agency assistant and in now an Associate Agent. She has a background in media and communications and has most recently worked for a children's education charity. 

What she is seeking: Currently accepting YA fiction only.

"Above all, I’m keen to see work from historically excluded and underrepresented writers in the UK."

How to submit: Please send the first three chapters of your novel and a synopsis to here querymanager HERE. 

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Laura Southern of Wolf Literary Services

CURRENTLY CLOSED TO QUERIES

Laura Southern joined Wolf Literary Services in 2021 as an assistant to Kirsten Wolf and is now building her list as an associate agent. Born and raised in Texas, Laura received her BA in English from Baylor University before moving to New York City, where she earned her MS in Publishing from New York University while assisting at Morhaim Literary.

What she is seeking: Laura loves lyrical prose and character-driven narratives regardless of age group or genre. In adult, she is looking for fantasy, science-fiction, and horror with lush worldbuilding and voice that vibrates off the page. She’s a fan of villains, setting as character, and stories that dive headfirst into the weird or strange. Romcoms and fantasy romcoms with sharp, witty prose are also high on her list, as well as upmarket fiction with off-beat premises. As a Texan native, Laura has a soft spot for narratives set in the South, particularly when told from diverse perspectives and featuring LGBTQ+ narrators.

In young adult and middle grade, Laura is interested in speculative fiction across any subgenre, as well as select contemporary fiction. Laura loves the fae, talking/magical animals, marching band, new twists on quest narratives, genre-blending, found family, mythological retellings, and dragons.

Additionally, Laura is looking for memoir and narrative nonfiction. She’d especially like to work with scientists, journalists, and other experts writing on animal and nature conservation.

How to submit: Use her query manager HERE.

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Emma Konn of Corvisiero Literary Agency 

NO LONGER LISTED ON THE AGENCY WEBSITE

Now that Emma is a Literary Agent Apprentice, she has plans to keep educating herself about the publishing and literary realm. With plans to continue within the Literary Agency in future. In 2023 Emma will then be continuing her education by pursuing a Master’s degree. As a part of the LGBTQ+ community herself, Emma supports all people and spreads love to all.

On her own time Emma can be found hiking, reading, writing, or traveling. While Emma currently resides in Ohio, she has found that her home is often her favorite hiking trails in the Rocky Mountains. Hopefully within the next few years Emma can spend a few months backpacking through Europe and exploring cultures around the world. Emma can be found reading a simple novel by a window with a warm cup of Chai tea latte. She also enjoys writing a bit of poetry and painting sunsets.

What she is seeking: LGBTQ+ Focused Stories, Psychological Thrillers, Romance Genre, Enemies to Lovers Trope, Graphic Novels​.

How to submit: Follow the agency's guidelines HERE.

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Mr. Fergus Inder of High Spot Literary Agency

TEMPORARILY CLOSED TO QUERIES

A graduate of Northwestern University in Chicago, Fergus spent a decade working in the performing arts industry as an actor, grant writer, and producer. He interned at High Spot Literary while working at the University of Auckland Bookstore and recently joined the team as a Junior Agent.

What he is seeking: Fergus is a sucker for Shakespeare adaptations, unconventional narrators, heists, Dickensian coming-of-age stories, operas (space or otherwise), metafiction, satire, really good food writing, and sexy and crushingly sad millennial literary fiction.

How to submit: Use his query manager form HERE.

Revolutionary Road: The Art of Dialogue

I seldom come across perfect novels. I've read good novels, even great ones, but there is something about perfection that is different from great novel writing. It's simply the quality of having reached the pinnacle of what a novel is all about: the human experience, unhampered by the conventions of literature.

Richard Yates' novel, Revolutionary Road, is a perfect novel. It doesn't have an action-packed plot, filled with twists and turns. Actually, nothing of note happens until nearly the end of the book. (And then it's a doozy!) The setting is mundane, a suburb in the 1950s. The characters are people who aren't particularly passionate, or driven, or even admirable. But Yates' goal in this book is not to develop characters of intellectual or emotional depth. In fact, it's quite the reverse; His aim is to excoriate post-war suburban life, in all its shallowness, it's "hopeless emptiness," and with all its failures.

According to writers of the era, Richard Yates exemplified the "Age of Anxiety"—the 20th century morass of "world wars, hatred, and collective neurosis"—which he somehow manages to capture without directly addressing any of the themes of the era. Yates was greatly admired by Styron and Vonnegut as the voice of their generation. And then Yates died and was forgotten. None of his books sold more than 12,000 copies during his lifetime.

I can't imagine why. 

Revolutionary Road is brilliant. The prose is so accessible you don't realize you're reading. The descriptions are evocative without descending into self-conscious lyricism. (A fallen stage curtain "that became a dull wall of green velvet, faded and streaked with dust" precisely conveys the dismal failure of a play's performance without using a single word that cries for attention.) And his characters are real; so believable that you'd swear you knew them.

As I was reading Revolutionary Road, I couldn't help asking myself: "How is he doing this?" How did Yates establish his characters so firmly, so realistically? The answer to that question lies in the fact that Yates is a master of, as one reviewer put it, "terrifyingly accurate" dialogue. Yates deftly establishes who his characters are through speech. 

What Yates successfully pulls off in his dialogue is natural-sounding speech, with all its stress patterns, rhythms, and repetitions, but without the tediousness of actual speech. Yates has a finely tuned ear, He individualizes the speech patterns of each of his characters, so you know who they are by how they sound. You hear them so clearly, it feels as if you are eavesdropping. Then he takes it one step further, letting us in on the thought processes of these characters—how they sound to themselves as they weigh what they want to say, or what they don't want to say, and their reflections on how they speak.

Does that sound boring? It isn't. It's tense, and it is frighteningly realistic, because we already know who these characters are. Not only have we met them, we may even have been some of them. 

How many couples have arguments that devolve into "You always do that..." "There you go again..." "You know how you get..."? How many couples descend into deception to cover transgression? How many weave a web of words around what they should be saying to one another, but can't? Speech is everything in this book. (When you get to the last line, that will be made crystal clear. I was left breathless.)

We don't necessarily like Yates' characters in Revolutionary Road, but I think that may have been the point. The way he delves into their inner and outer lives—with such finesse, and such detail—we can't help but identify with them. We can sympathize with them without expending the emotional effort of needing to see them in a positive light, because they are undeniably human.

As writers, it would do us good to read Revolutionary Road. This book is not only an example of how to artfully, yet without any seeming effort, establish characters through dialogue, it serves as an example of how to create transparency through using language that cuts to the heart of description without drawing attention to itself. Despite its unpretentious delivery, or, more likely, because of it, that kind of language packs a wallop. 

Read this book, writers, and then read it again. It contains a lesson worth learning: Don't let your writing get in the way of what you want to say.