25 Superb Writing Conferences in September 2021

This September there are two dozen fabulous writing conferences. You can attend workshops, presentations, readings, discussions, lectures, and critiques via Zoom. Some are also offering workshops in person. 

Conferences are not only the best way to meet agents, get tips from other writers, and learn about the publishing industry, they make you feel like a writer.

Plan ahead! Conferences often offer scholarships, but these have deadlines. If one of these conferences interests you, put the scholarship deadline date on your calendar for next year, or for whenever the conference rolls around again.

For a full list of conferences, organized by month, see Writing Conferences. While nearly all of these are in the United States, you can find links on that page that will take you to world-wide conference lists.

(Image by Tomasz Hanarz from Pixabay )

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Kaz Conference Keep Writing Virtual Nonfiction Cohort. Sept - Oct, 2021. Workshops include developmental workshops as well as talks on the practical training of writers with input from editors, publicists, agents, social media experts and productivity coaches. Because reading and reviewing other work helps to strengthen ones own writing, peer review is a requirement of all sessions. Just 10 to 16 writers are accepted for each cohort. Will be held online.

DragonCon. September 2 - 6, 2021: Atlanta, Ga. HUGE sci-fi event, with parade, autograph sessions, live performances, readings, wrestling (!), workshops on belly dancing, writing (yes, there's even some writing), art show. (This conference sounds really wild.)

North Words Writers Symposium. September 3 - 5, 2021: Skagway, Alaska. Faculty: Kim Heacox (keynote), Marie Tozier, Hank Lentfer, Tina Ontiveros, M Jackson, Caroline Van Hemert, Nancy Lord, Vaccination required.

WriterCon. September 3 - 6, 2021: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. "Discover if self-publishing is the best option for your book–and how to self-publish easily. See what techniques and tools you need to be your own best editor. Find out how to pitch to an agent–by email and in person. Go over the 7 steps to creating your fiction novel, so it’s ROCK SOLID every time. Learn about ghostwriting, which can be a lucrative market for authors. Dive deeper into children’s writing, writing for computer games, poetry, screenplays, songs, cookbooks and more. Witness how to publish on Kindle step-by-step. Uncover the latest tips, tricks and tools for marketing your book–and yourself–effectively. Talk to top agents, editors, publishers and publicists, and MORE."

The Gathering. September 4 - 6, 2021. Workshops in poetry as well as readings. 2-hour Workshops & Readings Friday night, Saturday , and Sunday. Participant Open Mics Friday and Saturday night. Will be held on Zoom.

Kentucky Women Writers Conference. Sept. 9 –12, 2021: Lexington, KY. The Kentucky Women Writers Conference is the longest running literary festival of women in the nation. About 1,000 individuals attend the conference each year. Daytime sessions attract about 150 writers at all stages of development, and free evening events gather a lively community of readers. Most come seeking literary sisterhood, help with a manuscript, or practical advice about the publishing industry. Many are students or beginning writers.

Chesapeake Writing Day Workshop. September 10-11, 2021. Online. A full-day “How to Get Published” event. "This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more."

Creatures, Crimes & Creativity. September 10 - 12, 2021: Columbia, MD. A writer's and fan's conference for genre fiction covering mystery, suspense, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk & horror.

Poets on the Coast. Sept. 10 - 12, 2021: La Conner, Washington. Workshop, one-on-one mentoring, craft classes, and yoga for women poets. The faculty includes poets Kelli Russell Agodon and Susan Rich. Tuition, which does not include lodging or meals, is $429. Will be held online.

49 Writers Tutka Bay Retreat. September 10 - 12, 2021: Tutka Bay, Alaska. Guest Instructor: Elena Passarello.

Squam Writes Retreat. September 10 - 12, 2021: Squam Lake, New Hampshire. The Squam Writes Retreat is a small group retreat for experienced fiction writers. We focus on craft with an eye toward publication. We offer opportunities for feedback and plenty of time to write, make new friends, and recharge creative batteries in a beautiful New Hampshire lakeside setting. Every participant receives a one-on-one critique with an agent or editor. CLOSED.

Digital Book World Conference. September 13 - 15, 2021: Nashville TN. This is the premier event for digital publishers and content providers of all sizes and business models. 

Orion Nonfiction Writers' Workshop. September 14 - October 8, 2021. Online. This craft-focused course taught by Francisco Cantú aims to provide both a generative space for creating new work as well as a virtual forum for conversation, revision, and critique. At the center of our inquiry will be question of how to write about landscape while avoiding cliché and acknowledging the historical erasure that so often underlies our understanding of place. Together will look beyond traditional approaches to writing, exploring interdisciplinary and site-specific ways of being attentive to the outside world as we find new ways of responding to landscape, the histories it holds, and the narratives that flow from it. This class meets twice a week over four consecutive Tuesdays and Fridays from 6-8pm ET. Application Period: August 1 – 15, 2021.

John R. Milton Writers' Conference. September 16 - 18, 2021: Vermillion, South Dakota. The conference theme is “Prospecting: Uncovering New Veins and Voices in Identity, Genre, and Place.” Mary Gaitskill is keynote author, and Brandon Hobson, Steven Dunn, Karen Salyer McElmurray, and Christine Stewart are featured authors; in addition, the conference will feature readings by USD’s Department of English faculty duncan b. barlow, Leah McCormack, and Lee Ann Roripaugh, and USD Writer in Residence Residence Pete Dexter.

PNWA Conference. September 16 - 19, 2021, Seattle, Washington, Sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. More than 50 seminars, editor/agent forums & appointments, practice pitching, keynote and featured speakers, reception, awards ceremony. Many agents and editors attending. Will be held online.

Writing On The Door: Washington Island Literary Festival. September 16 - 19, 2021: Washington Island, Wisconsin. "Join us on beautiful Washington Island for three days of creativity, craft seminars, and author presentations. Thursday, September 16: Creative Lab; Friday, September 17: craft seminars and workshops; Saturday, September 18: author conversations and presentations." Featured Writers Include: Lesley Nneka Arimah, Chris Cander, Christina Clancy, Adrian Matejka, Megan Stielestra, Alexander Weinstein. 

A Weekend For Words. Sept 17 - 19, 2021: Irvine, CA. 60+ working, professional authors of fiction, nonfiction & screen, editors & agents. Costs $325-$425. Manuscript critique & one-on-one consultation additional.

The Writers’ League of Texas Agents & Editors Conference. Sept 17 - 19, 2021: Austin, Tex. The conference features panel discussions, lectures, pitch sessions, receptions, and one-on-one consultations with agents and editors. PParticipating agents include Ian Bonaparte (Janklow & Nesbit), Jamie Carr (Book Group), Rebecca Gradinger (Fletcher & Company), Robert Guinsler (Sterling Lord Literistic), Sandy Lu (L. Perkins Agency), Duvall Osteen (Aragi, Inc.), and John Rudolph (Dystel, Goderich & Bourret). The cost of the conference is $469 for Writers’ League members and $529 for non-members. Lodging is available at the conference hotel for discounted rates. Admissions are rolling through June 24.

Mini Writing Getaway. September 18 (in person) and 25 (online), 2021: Atlantic City, NJ. Need a brief break from your life? Need to rekindle your love affair with writing? Join us for a welcoming getaway designed for writers of fiction, memoir, creative nonfiction and poetry. This retreat will trigger your imagination, giving you the freedom to compose new and exciting work. Spend the day immersed in the literary life: writing, discussing craft and sharing new drafts. No distractions. Led by Peter E. Murphy. Will be held online  and in person.

Okoboji Writers' in-person Retreat. September 20 - 22, 2021: Arnolds Park, IA. The Okoboji Writers' Retreat features 15 speakers, including a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer, editors of large daily newspapers, columnists, and a literary agent. Faculty Rekha Basu, Art Cullen, Doug Burns, Rachelle Chase, Ty Rushing, John Dinges, Arnold Garson, Jane Dystal, Lyz Lenz, James O'Shea, Rachel Yoder, Paige Windsor, and Diane Glass. Cost: $596. 

Algonkian Writer Conference–New York City Pitch. September 23 - 26, 2021: Ripley-Grier Studios in New York City. 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.

LiTFUSE Poets’ Workshop. September 24 - 26, 2021: Tieton, WA. The workshop features readings, performances, and meditation for poets. The past faculty included poets included Ching-In Chen, Christopher Howell, Brooke Matson, Diana Khoi Nguyen, Dennis Nurkse, Kelly Schirmann, Chad Sweeney, Dujie Tahat, Alexandra Teague, and Tobias Wray. Virtual and in person.

Aspen Autumn Words. September 26 - October 1, 2021: Aspen, Colorado. Workshops, panels, and readings in fiction and creative nonfiction, as well as opportunities to meet with agents and editors. "Aspen Summer Words is the Rocky Mountain gateway to the literary world. Recognized as one of the country’s pre-eminent literary conferences, Summer Words welcomes visitors and locals alike to celebrate writing and writers in Aspen for a week each June. The exceptional faculty and awe-inspiring mountain scenery combine to make this a writing retreat like no other." 

Brooklyn Book Festival. September 26 - October 4, 2021: Brooklyn, NY. This year’s Festival Day and Literary Marketplace, a day-long celebration of authors and books, will take place in person in Downtown Brooklyn as well as virtually. At our live BKBF Children’s Day, families will enjoy a full day of readings, workshops, performances, book signings, yoga, and art projects with favorite authors and illustrators.  Citywide Bookend events — in person and virtual — take place September 26 – October 2 & 4.  All events are free and open to the public.

Georgia Romance Writers: Moonlight and Magnolias. September 30 – October 3, 2021: Atlanta, Georgia. Includes keynote speakers, workshops, editor/agent appointments, autographing & bookfair, awards banquet.

6 Agents Actively Seeking Nonfiction, Literary and Commercial Fiction, SFF, Graphic Novels, YA and more

Updated 1/7/26

Here are six agents actively seeking writers. Michael Mungiello's interests include intellectual histories, counterintuitive social science, literary criticism, and jazz. Chris Combemale is looking for a broad range of literary fiction and commercial fiction with an unexpected hook, from psychological suspense to speculative and fantasy. In non-fiction he is interested in memoir, essay, and expert-driven projects across subject areas with special attention to technology, food, pop-science, economics, and any book that asks big questions about forces of change. Janna Morishima specializes in graphic novels and visual storytelling. 

Kate Rizzo (UK) is keen to find aspiring writers, and is interested in stories that explore our recent history or show us something about our world, whether through fiction or research and reportage. Annalise Errico is looking for more queer, BIPOC representation across the board, especially in romances that give Happily Ever Afters to complex and palpable characters. In fiction, she is seeking romance, thrillers, fantasy, commercial fiction, New Adult, Young Adult, and graphic novels. She is also looking for narrative nonfiction centering in on women’s stories and queer stories. 

Hannah Andrade is especially excited about stories rooted in history, mythology, and legends, particularly those that are lesser-known or underrepresented in traditional publishing, dark and transporting fantasy in YAs, and MGs with macabre elements and dark humor as well as nonfiction. 

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.

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

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Ms. Hannah Andrade of Bradford Literary Agency

CURRENTLY CLOSED TO QUERIES

Hannah started as an agency assistant before moving on to acquire her own clients. She’s been with Bradford Literary Agency since 2017 and has had the privilege to work with a number of bestselling authors across a variety of genres. She likes to think of herself as an editorial-focused agent and is particularly eager to acquire BIPOC/underrepresented voices. 

What she is seeking: She is prioritizing stories of joy where identity isn’t the focus and is especially excited about stories rooted in history, mythology, and legends, particularly those that are lesser-known or underrepresented in traditional publishing.

Hannah is very interested in stories that explore the intricacies of multicultural identities. She loves stories of immigration (not relegated to America) and of first/second generation Americans who struggle balancing the values of their country with the culture and heritage of their parents (as in the tv shows Ramy or Gentefied). As a Mexican-American, she would particularly love to see the stories that she grew up with showcased in new and creative ways.

In nonfiction, she is looking for something that takes the mystery out of everyday life/occurrences (a lá Malcolm Gladwell or Atul Gawande) and investigative journalism-esque stories with a strong narrative hook.

How to submit: Use her form HERE.

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Mr. Michael Mungiello of InkWell Management

Michael Mungiello is from New Jersey and graduated from Georgetown University.

What he is seeking: Mike Mungiello represents a range of literary fiction and non-fiction.

How to submit: Queries should be emailed to: submissions [at] inkwellmanagement [dot] com You may specify the name of the agent to whom you are submitting in the subject line of your query or address your query to the agency at large. In the body of your email, please include a query letter and a short writing sample (1-2 chapters).  

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Mr. Chris Combemale of Sterling Lord Literistic

Chris joined Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. in 2019 and works with Peter Matson and Robert Guinsler. As a Singaporean/French/American born and raised in London, Chris is drawn to international voices and writers in translation. He graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill as a Morehead-Cain Scholar and now lives in Brooklyn.

What he is seeking: He is looking for a broad range of literary fiction and voice driven upmarket fiction with an unexpected hook. He is on the hunt for a literary campus novel. In non-fiction he is interested in narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism/essay, and expert-driven projects. As a Singaporean-French-American born and raised in London, Christopher is drawn to international voices and writers in translation.

How to submit: Use the agency form HERE.

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Janna Morishima of Janna Co.

Closed to queries

Janna started her career at Scholastic, where she co-founded the Graphix imprint and helped sign creators who have had huge impacts on the field, such as Raina Telgemeier, Jeff Smith, and Kazu Kibuishi. She then became director of the Kids Group for Diamond Book Distributors, where she worked with publishers such as Marvel, Dark Horse, Oni Press, and Image Comics, and helped launch Françoise Mouly’s Toon Books imprint. In addition to her background in publishing, she has worked as an associate producer for documentary films and as an assistant kindergarten teacher and in a high school for teens in the juvenile justice system. She later launched and ran the NYC Department of Education’s “NYC Reads 365” literacy initiative. She currently represents a diverse range of comics creators, including Misako Rocks, Shauna Grant, Andi Watson, and Black Sands Entertainment.

What she is seeking: Janna Morishima specializes in graphic novels and visual storytelling. 

How to submit: Follow the guidelines HERE.

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Ms. Annalise Errico of Ladderbird Literary Agency

NO LONGER AN AGENT

​Annalise is a graduate of Lesley University where she earned a B.A. in Creative writing with a double minor in Literature and Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. She is excited about uplifting stories by authors with marginalized voices and intersectional identities, ultimately making room for the diverse voices that have long since been ignored and suppressed in the literary world and beyond. 

What she is seeking: Annalise is looking for more queer, BIPOC representation across the board, especially in romances that give Happily Ever Afters to complex and palpable characters. In fiction, she is seeking romance, thrillers, fantasy, commercial fiction, New Adult, Young Adult, and graphic novels. She is also looking for narrative nonfiction centering in on women’s stories and queer stories, such as: true crime with a feminist lens (think “We Keep the Dead Close” by Becky Cooper); memoirs that focus on identity (think “Know My Name” by Chanel Miller) or alternative formatting (think “In The Dream House” by Carmen Maria Machado); and research-heavy historical narratives about queer or feminist icons (think “Romantic Outlaws” by Charlotte Gordon).

How to submit: Use her query manager HERE.

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Ms. Kate Rizzo of Greene & Heaton Ltd (UK)

Kate Rizzo joined Greene & Heaton in 2013 to handle the agency’s translation rights.  She began working in publishing at The Robbins Office, Inc. in New York before moving to London in 2009 and continuing to work in translation rights at AM Heath, Ltd. and Mulcahy Conway Associates. Kate works closely with sub-agents in some territories and directly with publishers in Brazil, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Scandinavia, and Spain in order to sell the agency’s authors’ works into as many languages as possible, and help their writing careers extend beyond the UK and the English language.

What she is seeking: Kate is keen to find aspiring writers, and is interested in stories that explore our recent history or show us something about our world, whether through fiction or research and reportage. I’m always on the lookout for fantastically funny and compulsive commercial women’s fiction from rom-coms to romance to feel-good to novels that sweep you off your feet and everything in between.

How to submit: Read the agency guidelines HERE.

4 New Literary Agents Seeking Speculative and Genre Fiction, Literary Fiction, Memoirs, Nonfiction

Updated 1/7/26

Here are four new literary agents seeking clients. Logan Harper is seeking a variety of character-driven fiction and is particularly drawn to women’s fiction, book club fiction, psychological thrillers, domestic suspense, mystery/crime, upmarket and literary fiction. 

Alina Mitchell is actively looking for nonfiction proposals including memoir, biographies, how-to, elementary & secondary education topics, religion/spirituality, narrative nonfiction, and new perspectives in history, arts & culture. ​

Hafizah Geter is open to submissions of literary fiction and narrative nonfiction. Ericka Phillips is interested in non-fiction authors working in the Buddhist and mindfulness arena with a focus on health and spiritual well-being.

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.

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

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Ms. Alina Mitchell of MacGregor & Luedeke Literary 

Alina received a Bachelor of Arts in English/Professional Writing with a minor in Business Management from Oakwood University, a Master of Arts in English & Secondary Education from the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH) and an Instructional Design/eLearning Certificate from Oregon State University. Beginning her writing and education career working as a Freshman Composition instructor at UAH, Alina always encouraged her students to have a sense of agency and own their voices through their writing. She continued to pursue her passion working as a secondary English teacher, principal and higher education administrator.  In 2019, Alina published her debut book, The Color of Beauty: The Life and Work of New York Fashion Icon Ophelia DeVore, which chronicled the life of her grand-aunt Ophelia DeVore, the 1st Black model in the United States. Additionally, she freelances as a writer with Darklight Studios and evaluates standardized writing exams with the Educational Testing Services. 

What she is seeking: Memoirs/Biographies of extraordinary individuals with strong platforms; Body, Mind & Spirit; Sports.

How to submit: Please read the agency guidelines HERE.

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Ms. Logan Harper of Jane Rotrosen Agency 

Prior to joining JRA in 2021, Logan was an Associate Agent at a mid-sized literary agency in Manhattan. A native Washingtonian, Logan is a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle and the Columbia Publishing Course in Oxford.

What she is seeking: She’s seeking a variety of character-driven fiction and is particularly drawn to women’s fiction, book club fiction, psychological thrillers, domestic suspense, mystery/crime, upmarket and literary fiction. She is always eager to read and champion underrepresented voices and perspectives. 

How to submit: Please send queries to LHARPER@JANEROTROSEN.COM

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Ms. Hafizah Geter of Janklow & Nesbit Associates 

Hafizah Geter is an award-winning Nigerian-American poet, writer, and editor born in Zaria, Nigeria. She grew up in Akron, Ohio and Columbia, South Carolina and received her BA in English and economics from Clemson University and an MFA in poetry from Columbia College Chicago.

What she is seeking: In nonfiction, Hafizah is particularly interested in big-idea books that start conversations, challenge conventions, and reveal something precise about society or relationships. She is keen on books that examine technology, race, disability, queerness, inequality, science, politics, as well as cultural histories and close studies (salt, rain, mushrooms, tears, etc.).

In fiction, Hafizah is keen on a broad range of literary and commercial fiction that reveal new connections, and fuller ways for us to be human. She loves a sad book as much as a contemplative or funny one. Above all, she seeks writers whose sentences thrum with voice and style.

Currently, Hafizah is eager to receive nonfiction in the realm of reportage/journalism, big-ideas, economics, labor, abolition, science, tech/social media culture, cultural criticism, social and political sciences, prescriptive nonfiction, and nature writing.

How to submit: Please read the agency guidelines HERE.

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Ms. Ericka Phillips of Stephanie Tade Agency 

Before joining the Stephanie Tade Agency, Ericka has worked as a development consultant for social mission-driven businesses and foundations such as the Eileen Fisher Community Foundation and Buddhist Peace Fellowship. She has held several leadership positions in the mindfulness sector including serving as Executive Director at both New York Insight Meditation Center and the New York Shambhala Center - two of the largest meditation communities in the US. Ericka also serves as the Board President of MNDFL Ed, an organization founded to support positive transformation in the educational system, bringing mindfulness to schools. 

What she is seeking: Ericka has a keen eye for nonfiction that inspires, empowers, and transforms. Raised in a creative community of musicians, she brings strategic insight and the same spirit of artistry and fierce advocacy to her work with visionary authors and thought leaders. She specializes in representing spiritual teachers, health and wellness experts, and cultural changemakers—especially those whose work is rooted in mindfulness, healing, and justice. A passionate champion of under-recognized voices, Ericka is especially dedicated to elevating the work of Black women and women of color whose ideas have the power to shape culture and catalyze collective transformation.

How to submit: Use the agency form HERE.

Susanna Clarke: Breaking the Rules

In keeping with my new year's resolution, I am reading as a writer, dissecting as I go. I confess that my resolution is difficult to keep. It is nearly impossible to analyze what I am reading while I am enthralled in a novel. 

But what are resolutions for, if not to be broken almost immediately?

Still, in an effort to be true to my word, I have turned my writerly eye on Susanna Clarke. Clarke gained fame for her masterful Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, a work which took her ten years to write. It was later made into an equally masterful series, which I have watched four times. (Maybe five ... I've lost count.) Rather than tackling Clarke's work with her most famous novel, I began with her second novel, Piranesi, which was published last year, sixteen years after Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Clarke takes her time producing a novel, and there is a good reason for that. Her intellect, and the sheer meticulousness with which she constructs a novel, is daunting. I honestly don't know how she holds it all in her head.

Clarke breaks ALL the rules.

By this, I mean the writing rules that I personally adhere to. (I ignore everyone else's rules.) My number one writing rule is: Situate the reader. Right at the beginning, make readers aware of when and where they are, and who the narrator is. Apparently, Clarke has not heard about my rule. Not only does Clarke leave us totally in the dark for a significant portion of the book as to when, and especially where, we are, we actually don't know who (in the conventional sense) is telling the story until it is nearly at its conclusion. I was so disoriented, that I nearly put the book down. And then it grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go. Because not knowing was intoxicating.

Rather than situate the reader, Clarke plops us into the head of the person telling the story. It is told in first person, so that is relatively easy. But what is so unusual about Clarke's approach is that you, the reader, have no idea what is going on, because the narrator has no idea what is going on. The only way Clarke could pull this off successfully is with a brilliant control of a highly unusual voice. Everything that would normally be accomplished with plot, with back story, with exposition, with dialogue, with description (or at least descriptions that we can understand), is conveyed through voice, and with the dizzying, surreal quality than only a distinctive, atypical manner of expression can produce. 

Indeed, the voice is so unusual, and yet so familiar, that it was hard to place. It could have been from the 19th century, or the far future, or of a child, or an adult with an innocence verging on brain damage. This confabulation of a confusing, strange, incomprehensible environment with an ingenuous, almost A. A. Milne-like voice created a completely incongruent, yet engrossing atmosphere, as if we had been plunged into the ocean without warning. What increases this sense of being absorbed is that fact that the entire book is written as journal entries, except for a scant ten pages written in straightforward prose that occur three-quarters of the way through the book. (I confess those ten pages were a relief. Situating the reader when the book is well past the halfway mark made that sense of relief palpable.) 

In short, Clarke breaks pretty much every literary convention for how to write a novel. And the result is a work that spins a mystery so captivating that it is nearly impossible to break away from once you get caught up in it. Every clue begs you to read on, like bread crumbs leading you through a dense forest. That is something I would like to master, myself. But there is no way I could produce anything as tightly woven as Piranesi. Nevertheless, I did learn something valuable as a writer: More than anything else, a skillful use of voice conveys a mood, a context for all the events that happen along the way. Frank Herbert tells us that story is everything. But a story that does not have voice is merely a catalogue of events. In Piranesi, Clarke has demonstrated that simply through a meticulous control of voice a story can be told vividly, and with all the page-turning quality of an action-packed thriller. Can I do what Clarke did? The answer is a decisive no. But I will surely pay more attention to how my characters sound in everything I write from now on.

Not everyone is of like mind on this point. Author Catherine Baab-Muguira completely disagrees with me. In her article, Find Your Topic, Not Your Voice, she argues that topic is more important. She says that her own writing breakthrough, the one that got her a book deal after a dozen years of trying, came from focusing on topic ahead of voice. (I am tempted to make the rather snide observation that publishers always look for a storyline first, and that they rarely give a hoot about literary voice.) 

Writers can argue incessantly about what is most important in a novel: story, voice, metaphor, topic. But the truth is that the only thing that really matters is the skill of the writer. A writer with sufficient skill, combined with that indefinable quality called talent, can pull anything off. And that is the only real rule of writing: You can do anything, provided you can pull it off. Susanna Clarke certainly can.

***

Post script: After I finished reading Piranesi, I decided to look up what that name referred to. The narrator says from the start that he is fairly certain it is not his own name. It has been given to him as a joke by the only other living person in his world. His own name and in fact his entire identity have been forgotten. Clarke does not tell us what that joke is. I only figured out the punchline when I gazed at the fantastical 18th-century etchings of imaginary prisons by Giovanni Battista Piranesi. If you read Clarke's book, you'll get the joke ... and the metaphor.

Post post script: Clarke has deservedly won the prestigious Women’s Prize for Fiction for Piranesi. Clarke said that her work was slowed by illness, as she struggled with chronic fatigue syndrome. Kudos to you Susanna Clarke! 

106 Calls for Submissions in August 2021 - Paying markets

This August 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 calls for submissions on 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 by Christine Engelhardt from Pixabay)

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

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on Theme of EVERYMAN / JESTER. Payment: $10 via PayPal for each story published in an Anthology. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Collective Visions: A Sci-Fi Anthology. Genre: Short fiction (short stories, poetry, flash fiction) within the science fiction genre. The theme for the first publication will be Lost in Transmission. Payment: $15. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Recommended Reading. Genre: Fiction between 2,000 and 10,000 words. Payment: $300. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Fusion Fragment. Genre: Science fiction or SF-tinged literary fiction stories and novelettes ranging anywhere from 2,000 to 15,000 words. Payment: Both previously unpublished work and reprints pay 3.5 cents (CAD) per word, up to a maximum of $300 (CAD) per story. Deadline: August 1, 2021. Accepts reprints.

The Ghastling. Genre: Psychological horror, folk horror, ghost stories and the macabre. Payment: £15 per story plus copy of magazine. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Moonflake Press. Genre: Short stories and poems on theme of Lush. Payment: £25 for each story/poem. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Constelación is a quarterly speculative fiction bilingual magazine, publishing stories in both Spanish and English. Writers can submit their stories in either language. Fifty percent of the stories we publish in every issue will be from authors from the Caribbean, Latin America, and their diaspora. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: August 1, 2021. See themes.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Poetry, short stories, flash fiction, essays. Payment: $10 - $20. Deadline: August 1, 2021. See themes.

The First Line. Genres: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction using the first line provided. (See site.)    Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry, and $25.00 for nonfiction. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

We'Moon Lunar Calendar. Restrictions: Open to women only. Genre: Art, poetry and prose, 350 words maximum. Payment: Small honorarium. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Best Indie Speculative Fiction. Genre: Previously published speculative fiction, between January 1 2019 and December 31st 2020. This project only considers previous-published stories that are either self-published or published with a small press. Length: Up to 20,000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

The Zodiac Killers Series. Genre: Thriller. Length: 5000-10,000 words, excluding title. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Ripe. Genre: Poetry, prose, art. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Flame Tree Press: Asian Ghost Short Stories. Genre: Ghost stories written by writers of East, South or Southeast Asian heritage. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for new stories and 6 cents/4 pence per word for reprints. Deadline: August 1, 2021. Reprints accepted.

Mudroom. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and essays in translation. Payment: $15. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

The Suburban Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF, art, comics on theme of PUNCTURE. Payment: $75 - $150. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: August 2, 2021.

The Dead Inside. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Identity horror. "Explorations of what happens when our core identities are stripped, altered, suppressed, or denied to us, whether by choice or not." Payment: Poetry: $25 per poem. Flash Fiction: $25 per story. Short Stories: $50 per story. Non Fiction: $50 per piece for print and ebook rights. Deadline: August 2, 2021.

Third Flatiron. Genre: SF/Fantasy/Horror short stories on theme Things with Feathers: Stories of Hope. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: August 2, 2021.

Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine. Genre: Fairy tales, and essays on theme of “Healers, Midwives and Cunning Folk.” Payment: $100. US dollars only. Essays: $50. Deadline: August 3, 2021.

Kate Bush Anthology. Genre: Short stories with elements of weird or dark fiction (horror, bizarro, and magical realism, etc). Original ideas must be drawn from the work of Kate Bush, though the end product need not closely resemble its inspiration. Payment: $15. Deadline: August 3, 2021.

Guernica. "In the first week of August we're *only* reading work from those who have been published fewer than 5 times." Genre: Poetry, Essays, Fiction, Reportage. Payment: $50 for poetry, $100 for original essays, and $150 for original fiction and for reportage. Deadline: August 6, 2021.

Scum. Genre: Feminist-friendly work of any variety, but as a general rule your piece should be under 2000 words (50 lines for poetry, max. 3 poems) and able to be classified as “fiction”, “culture”, “memoir”, “column”, “poetry”, and/or “review”. Payment: $60 AUD. Deadline: August 7, 2021. Opens to submissions on August 1.

Fantasy Magazine. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, poetry. Payment: 8 cents per word for original short stories and flash fiction. $40 per poem. Deadline: August 7, 2021. Opens to submissions on August 1.

Antifa Splatterpunk. Restrictions: Open to women and non-binary writers. Genre: Anti-fascist splatterpunk stories. " In addition to pure splatterpunk, I’m also open to extreme horror with weird, bizarro, historical, or science fiction elements. Just keep it anti-fascist." Payment: $100. Deadline: August 7, 2021.

Abyss and Apex. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. No horror. Payment: USD $.06/word (six cents a word) up to 1,250 words, and a flat payment of $75.00 for longer stories. Deadline: August 7, 2021.

Perennial Press: Arthropoda. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry about insects, crustaceans, arachnids, or myriapods. Payment: $20. Deadline: August 7, 2021. Accepts reprints.

Xenocultivars: Stories of Queer Growth. Genre: Queer speculative fiction on the theme of plants and growth. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: August 7, 2021.

Lucent Dreaming. Restrictions: New/emerging writers (someone who has been published in 10 or fewer publications in the past 5 years, and has not published a book or full collection). You must be a Lucent Dreaming subscriber, or have read a recent issue to submit work to the magazine. Genre: Speculative and surreal fiction. Word Limit: 1500-3,999 words. Payment: £100 and a free contributor copy. Deadline: August 8, 2021.

Found: An Anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories. Genre: Horror based on found footage. "We’re looking for your best, original, found footage tales. Stories can be written in first person, third person, as a transcript, journal, radio play, poetry, as a script. Play with the format. Do something you haven’t read before." Length: 2,000 to 4,000 words. Payment: $0.03 per word. Questions / submissions: whatwasfound@gmail.com Deadline: August 8, 2021.

ongoing. Genre: Prose in any genre up to 1000 words based on musical prompt. Payment:  30CAD.  Deadline: August 10, 2021.

Plumwood Mountain: Embodied Belonging: Towards an Ecopoetic Lyric. Genre: Lyric poetry. Payment: $50 (GST inclusive) per poem. Deadline: August 11, 2021.

MacroMicroCosm. Genre: speculative poetry, prose (fiction & non-fiction), comics & art. AKA. a mix of sci-fi, fantasy, magic realism, futuristic. Non-fiction should tie in to the theme of the greater work and include either literary theory, philosophy, or science. Theme: Open Doors. Payment 5% royalties. Deadline: August 11, 2021.

The Vanishing Point. Genre: Horror, Sci-fi, Dark Fantasy. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 13, 2021.

The Rialto. Genre: Poetry. Payment: £20 per poem. Deadline: August 14, 2021.

 

Songs of Eretz. Genre: Poetry, cover art on theme of Religion. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Planet Scumm. Genre: Hard sci-fi, soft sci-fi, horror, speculative fiction, weird fiction, slipstream on theme of Winter Horror. Payment: 3 cents/word. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Kaleidoscoped. Genre: Poetry, prose, media. "We are particularly interested in experimental and hybrid work across all mediums: send us your fragments, your experiments, your photographs, your drawn, your multi, your undefinable, your sound, your memory, your written, your stuff of resistance." Payment: "Small sum." Deadline: August 15, 2021.

CRICKET: Ancient Worlds (ages 9–14) Genre: Historical fiction, nonfiction, myths and legends, and poetry about ancient cultures, including ancient Greece,  Rome, Egypt, India, China, Africa, the Americas, Pacific Islands, and more. Payment: Stories and articles: up to 25¢ per word. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

CRICKET: Game On! (ages 9–14) Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry featuring a competition, game, rivalry, or challenge. Payment: Stories and articles: up to 25¢ per word. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Muse Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction articles for children on theme of Cetaceans. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Spider Magazine: Legendary Kids (ages 6 - 9). Genre: Fresh retellings of  folktales, fairytales, tall tales, and myths that cast a child—not an  adult—as the clever problem-solver. Payment: Stories and articles: up to 25¢ per word. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Spider Magazine: Outside of the Box (ages 6 - 9). Genre: "We love  contemporary stories and poems, but we are excited to read more material  that falls outside these popular categories. This might be plays,  science fiction, or historical fiction and nonfiction. It might be  simple, but inventive, activities like recipes, games, crafts, magic  tricks, science experiments, or silly quizzes." Payment: Stories and articles: up to 25¢ per word. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Ladybug: Exploring Our World (ages 3 - 6). Genre: Compelling explorations of our world written for young  children. "We’re looking for narrative nonfiction (to 800 words), nonfiction and nature writing (to 400 words), and poetry (to 20 lines)." Payment: Stories and articles: up to 25¢ per word. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Ladybug: I Can Help (ages 3 - 6). Genre: Short stories, rebus stories, poems, action rhymes, riddles, and songs about young children learning how to think through problems and help themselves and others. Payment: Stories and articles: up to 25¢ per word. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Babybug: Let's Play (for babies and toddlers). Genre: Poems, stories, finger plays, and action rhymes about little ones’ favorite games. Payment: Stories and articles: up to 25¢ per word. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Babybug: Fantastic Fall (for babies and toddlers). Genre: Poetry, action rhymes, finger plays, and very short stories that celebrate autumn. Payment: Stories and articles: up to 25¢ per word. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Ruminate. Genre: Fiction under 5, 500 words. Payment: $20 per 400 words. Deadline: August 15, 2021. Note: Ruminate also accepts short fiction on a rolling basis.

Dose of Dread. Genre: General horror flash fiction. Preference for dread-inducing stories. Length: 500 - 1,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Cast of Wonders. Genre: YA Speculative fiction by young adults. Podcast. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction of any length (yes, including flash!). For reprints, a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

A Public Space. Genre: Poetry by emerging writers who identify as first-generation immigrants and are interested in what it means to write within the conjunction of a multicultural identity. Payment: Honorarium. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Yellow Arrow. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as women. Genre: Poetry Chapbook. Payment: Royalties (?) Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Luna Station Quarterly. Genre: Speculative fiction by woman. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 15, 2021. Accepts reprints.

Hungry Zine. Restrictions: Open to writers located in Canada. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, art, poetry about food. Payment: $50. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Parabola. Genre: Original essays and translations, poetry, reviews. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: August 15, 2021. See themes.

Flash Frog. Genre: Flash fiction. Theme: Ghost Stories. Length: 1000 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Westerly. Genre: Short stories, poetry, memoir and creative non-fiction, essays and literary criticism. Payment: Poems: $120 for one poem or $150 for two or more poems; Stories: $180; Articles: $180; Visual art/Intro essay: $120; Reviews: $100; Online Publication: $100. "We expect our contributors to be subscribers of the Magazine. While we will accept submissions from non-subscribers, should your work be accepted for publication in this instance, you will be asked to accept a subscription to the Magazine as part payment for your work." Deadline: August 16, 2021.

Life Beyond Us. Genre: Science fiction short stories exploring the unknown: life forms we’re not familiar with on Earth (from extreme environments, to those right beneath our noses) and beyond our planet; strange life’s discovery, peculiarities, and the ethical questions arising from these. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: August 20, 2021.

Longleaf Review has a "particular interest in outsider perspectives." Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Payment: $20. Deadline: August 20, 2021.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. Deadline: August 21, 2021.

Carte Blanche (Canada). Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, translations. comics, photography. Payment: "Modest" Deadline: August 21, 2021.

Typehouse. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art, and nonfiction. Payment: $21. Deadline: August 22, 2021.

Claw & Blossom Equinox Issue. Genre: Prose and poems that touch upon the natural world. Theme is Strange. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 22, 2021.

Sylvia. Genre: Poetry and prose. Payment: £1.75 per line for poetry (not including titles or line breaks) and £0.25 per word for prose. Deadline: August 26, 2021.

Night Shift Radio. Genre: Fiction, non-fiction, memoir - 7,000-10,000 words. Payment: $50 or $25. Deadline: August 28, 2021. Opens August 21.

GreenPrints. Genre: Personal essays about gardening. Payment: $150. Deadline: August 28, 2021.

Dedalus Press - Local Wonders. Restrictions: Irish poets or poets currently living in Ireland, north or south. Genre: Poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: August 30, 2021.

Jellyfish. Genre: Flash fiction. "The Stories of the Fake Cormac McCrthy." 600 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 30, 2021.

Muse Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction articles for children on theme of Delicious. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: August 30, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Humorous Stories. Genre: True stories and poems. "Share your funny stories about something that happened to you in your life – in your relationship with a partner or spouse, a parent or child, a family member or friend, at work or at home – that made you and the people around you laugh out loud. Did you mean for it to be funny? Did the other person mean to make you laugh? Did a situation just get out of control? Did a misunderstanding turn into a comedy of errors?" Payment: $200. Deadline: August 30, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Messages from Heaven. Genre: True stories and poems. "We want to hear from you if you have experienced communication from the other side or received a sign or signal from a loved one who has passed. Has someone who has died come to you in a dream? Given you counsel or comfort? Have you gone beyond, but returned to life with new knowledge, insight, or awareness? Have you intuitively known the moment someone died?" Payment: $200. Deadline: August 31st, 2021.

Lackington’s: Botanicals. Genre: Speculative fiction, art on theme of Botanicals. Payment: 1 cent/word (CAD). Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Mud Season Review. Genre: Poetry, Fiction, CNF, Art. Payment: $50. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Ghost Orchid Press: Chlorophobia – An Eco-Horror Anthology. Genre: Eco-horror. "Plants, animals, weather phenomena… It’s time for Mother Nature to fight back." Payment: $5. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Brink. Genre: Hybrid, cross-genre fiction, nonfiction poetry. Payment: $25 Poem; $50 Work (less than 1500 words); $50 Art (1-3 Images); $100 Art (4+ Images); $100 Work (more than 1501 words). Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Griffith Review 75: Learning Curves. Genre: Essays and creative non-fiction, reportage, fiction, poetry,  memoir and picture stories. "This edition of Griffith Review explores the breadth of our educational experiences – from preschool to postgrad, from private to public, and from sandstone to the school of life." Payment: Negotiated. Deadline: August 31st, 2021.

Madness Heart Press: Nafallen University – College Catalog. Genre: This is a call for a new anthology chapbook from John Baltisberger and Matthew Henshaw. The conceit is that the chapbook is a course catalog for a strange and horrible university in North Texas, (think Miskatonic of the south). Submissions should follow the example on the site, with a department heading followed by course descriptions. Each description can be anywhere from 1-200 words long. They may be written to be funny, bizarre, or horrifying. They will take as many courses from submissions as we feel are a good fit. Payment: $0.01/word. Deadline: August 31st, 2021.

Prospectus. Restrictions: To qualify to be published in Prospectus, you must NOT have done EITHER of the following, no matter what category you are submitting to: Have had a collection of poems published that is longer than 48 pages; Have had a collection of short stories, a novella, or a novel published longer than 150 pages. Genre: Poetry, fiction, reviews, art. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 31st, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles. Genre: True stories and poems. "We want your true stories, both religious and non-religious, that will awe us with examples of amazing events. Inspirational stories to remind us that each day stunning miracles do happen and that a miracle can happen at any time." Payment: $200. Deadline: August 31st, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Kindness. Genre: True stories and poems. "Has someone performed an act of kindness for you? How did it feel? Did you pay it forward and do something kind for someone else? Did that person know it was you doing that kind thing? Did you do something kind for a stranger knowing you would not be paid back? How did that feel?" Payment: $200. Deadline: August 31st, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grieving, Loss and Recovery. Genre: True stories and poems. "This collection of emotional and inspirational stories will provide comfort, support, and peace to those who have lost someone close to them. What helped you the most when you were grieving? Who were the people who helped you and what did they do? When did you know that you had finally “turned the corner” and were on the road to recovery? When and how did you realize there was light at the end of the tunnel? What are you doing to support others?" Payment: $200. Deadline: August 31st, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dogs. Genre: True stories and poems. "We want your true funny stories, your heartwarming stories, and your mindboggling stories about all the simply amazing things that your dog does. What have you learned from your dog? How does your dog improve your life? What crazy things does your dog do? Has your dog ever done anything heroic? How does your dog warm your heart and make you smile? We want to hear all about the absurd antics, funny habits and insightful behavior of your dog. Stories can be serious or humorous." Payment: $200. Deadline: August 31st, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Crazy Family. Genre: True stories and poems. "We all have that certain someone in our own family who, while lovable, sweet, and caring, is also nutty or weird. We love that person but, at the same time, that family member makes us crazy! A parent or grandparent, an in-law, a brother or sister, an aunt, uncle or cousin. We all have them and you know who they are! We are looking for true stories and poems about those family members. We would like your stories to be silly, outrageous, hilarious, and make us laugh, but they should also show the kindness and caring of your family member too." Payment: $200. Deadline: August 31st, 2021.

Dragon Soul Press: Timeless 2. Genre: Fairytale. "Anything involving a twist on old fairy tales, whether it be the classics or lesser known ones.Note: As long as you keep to the theme and use a fairytale, originality is fully appreciated. Cliff-hangers are more than welcome." Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31st, 2021.

Broken Sleep Books. Genre: Non-fiction pamphlets (up to 70 pages). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Black Coffee & Vinyl Presents. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, music. The theme is “The City.” Payment: $50. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

CHROMOPHOBIA: A Strangehouse Anthology by Women in Horror. Genre: Horror written by women on theme of color. Payment:1 cent/word. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Academia Lunare. Genre: Speculative non-fiction in theme "Not the Fellowship. Dragons Welcome."  Payment: £30. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Reliquiae. Genre: Poetry and Prose. "Reliquiae is a journal of landscape, nature and mythology. Your work must engage with these themes." Payment: "small payment" Deadline: August 31st, 2021.

Bloody Good Horror. Genre: Horror. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 31st, 2021.

Spartan. Genre: Literary prose, 1500 words max. Payment: $20. Deadline: August 31st, 2021.

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: August 31st, 2021.

Nightlight. Restrictions: Open to Black writers. Genre: Horror. 10,000 words max. Audio format. Payment: $75 - $200 depending on length. $50 for reprints. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Split Lip Magazine. Genre: Fiction (flash and short stories), memoirs, and poetry. with a pop-culture twist. Payment: $50 per author (via PayPal) for our web issues. Payment for print is $5 per page, minimum of $20, plus 2 contributor copies and a 1-year subscription. Deadline: August 31, 2021. Note: Submit early in the month.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry on theme of Wonder. Payment: $30. Deadline: August 31, 2021. Opens August 15.

The Astronaut Only Rings Twice. Genre: Hard-boiled detective and science fiction mashups. Payment:  $50.00 (CAD). Deadline: August 31, 2021. 

Camden Park Press: Holiday Hijinks! Genre: Short stories centered around holidays. (Three anthologies) Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Maine Review. Restrictions: Open to unpublished writers. Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 31, 2021. 

The New Gothic Review. Genre: Gothic fiction. Eerie atmosphere is key. Payment: $50. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Brigids Gate Press. Genre: Short stories and poetry. Theme: Ancient Greece, Her/Their Story. Payment: Short Stories: $.05 (five cents) per word; Poetry: $25 (twenty-five dollars) per poem. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Wyldblood. Genre: Speculative fiction. 7,000 words max. Payment: £0.01 per word for print and digital rights (to a maximum of £75.  Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Gwyllion. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: £10 per accepted story or poem. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Words & Sports. Genre: Poems, prose, art about sports. See themes. Payment: $50. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Bordighera Press. Genre: Full-length manuscripts: fiction, essays, critical studies, creative nonfiction, works in translation, graphic novels, sui generis, and beyond relating to Italy, Italian diasporas and migration, or are written by Italian Americans. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

And a few more...

Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. Genre: Short stories and poetry. See themes. Payment: 20.00 USD for featured authors, or $10.00 USD for stories published on their &More page and $5.00 USD for poems. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

Neon Door: Emotional Nudity. Genre: Art, poetry, prose. Payment: $25 for an image, $50 for a poem, and $75 for prose. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

Guernica. Genre: Poetry, Essays, Fiction, Reportage. Theme: Dirt. Payment: $50 for poetry, $100 for original essays, and $150 for original fiction and for reportage. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

Vautrin. Genre: Gritty urban fiction, Crime/Mystery Fiction, Ghosts, The Supernatural, Literary Essays. "We’re interested in essays that talk about contemporary crime fiction, or essays that walk the path between, say, 19th century fiction and fiction in the here and now." Payment: $130.00 and two contributor’s copies for fiction over 2,000 words. $65.00 and two contributor’s copies for fiction under 2,000 words. $50.00 and two contributor’s copies for literary essays. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

The Antihumanist. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, art - all genres. "We seek to publish the most challenging and thought provoking flash fiction and essays. We believe only by confronting the bare bones of reality we understand our place in the world." Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

Books and Bikes in Space. Genre: Stories about bicycling and books, from a feminist perspective. Stories can be in any speculative or fantastical genre—hard science fiction, space opera, epic fantasy, alternative history, paranormal romance, hope punk, modern fairy tales and anything around or in between. Payment: $50 minimum. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

Madame Gray's Vault of Gore. Genre: Horror. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

Moonflake Press. Genre: Short stories and poems on theme of Escapism. Payment: £25 for each story/poem. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

The Southampton Review. Genre: Poetry, prose, art. Payment: Prose: $100+, Poetry: $75 per poem. Illustration: $100 per page. Art Portfolios: $200 for up to 12 images Deadline: September 1, 2021. Submit early in the month to avoid fees.

The Wire’s Dream Magazine. Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Art, Photography, Combined Work from underprivileged individuals. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

The Best Nnew True Crime Stories: Unsolved Crimes & Mysteries. Genre: Nonfiction, true crime accounts of unsolved criminal cases and mysteries that can take place anywhere in the world and be from any time period. Payment: $130. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

The Zodiac Killers Series. Genre: Thriller. Length: 5000-10,000 words, excluding title. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

Young Dragons. Genre: Middle Grade and Young Adult full-length manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

The New Lesbian Pulp: An Anthology of Short Fiction. Genre: Lesbian pulp. Payment: $500 - $1000. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

Uncanny Magazine. Genre: SF/F short stories. Payment: $.10 per word. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

Alternating Current Press: Parenting Stories Gone Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and CNF. Theme: Parenting. 750 words max. Payment: Royalty sharing. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

Fieldnotes. Genre: "We are interested in whatever there is between translations/transitions, things-in-progress, converging genres, methods of excavation and formal innovation. The purpose of the journal is to provide a test site for ideas and research; a space for experimental modes and new prototypes. " Payment: £100-£200. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

The Fiddlehead. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC writers residing in Canada. Genre: Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction. Payment: $60 CAD per published page, plus two complimentary copies. Deadline: September 1, 2021.

47 Writing Contests in August 2021 - No entry fees

This August there are more than three dozen writing contests calling for every genre and form, from poetry, to creative nonfiction, to completed novels. Prizes range from $100,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.

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

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

Good luck! 

(Image: Photo Stock Editor)

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Leeway Foundation Art and Change Grants. Restrictions: Open to women and trans artists in Greater Philadelphia to fund art for social change projects. People living in Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia counties Delaware who are 18 years of age or older and who are not full-time students in a degree-granting arts program are eligible. Genres: Art in traditional or nontraditional modes, mediums or disciplines. Prize: $2500. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

2021 District Fray + The Inner Loop Creative Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of the Washington, DC area. Genre: Short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Prize: $50 and publication.  Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: Delaware poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who have lived in Delaware for at least one year prior to application and who are not enrolled in a degree-granting program. Genres: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction. Prize: Established Professional Fellowships of $6,000 each and Emerging Artist Fellowships of $3,000 each. Deadline: August 1, 2021.

Peter Blazey Fellowship.  Restrictions: Applicants must either be an Australian citizen or have Australian residency. Genre: Non-fiction in the fields of autobiography, biography or life writing. Prize: $15,000, and a one-month writer-in-residency at The Australia Centre. Deadline: August 2, 2021.

Costa Short Story Award. Restrictions: Open to writers in the UK or Ireland. Genre: Short story (maximum 4,000 words). Prize: £3,000. Deadline: August 2, 2021.

Epigram Books Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Authors must be Singaporean, Singaporean permanent resident or Singapore-born. Genre: A full-length, original and unpublished novel written in the English language. Prize: $20,000. Deadline: August 2, 2021.

Micro Madness. Genre: Cosmic horror, dark science fiction, or weird flash fiction. Length: 500 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: August 7, 2021.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: Opens August 6, 2021. Closes August 8, 2021.

Briefly Write Poetry Prize. Genre: Poems up to 10 lines. Prize: Winner = £25 / Runners-up (5) = £5 each. Deadline: August 8, 2021.

Future Folklore. Genre: Speculative fiction that imagines a world where equitable climate change initiatives have been set in motion. Prize: Up to $400. Deadline: August 9, 2021.

Scotiabank Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English between July 1, 2021, and September 30, 2021. Must  be nominated by publisher. Genre: Fiction. Full-length novel or collection of short stories published in English, either originally, or in translation. Prize: $100, 000 to the winner and $10,000 to each of the finalists. Deadline: August 13, 2021.

Together for Christmas. Genre: Poem. "The pamphlet will be an uplifting celebration of reunions and gatherings with family or friends – something that many of us have missed so much in recent times." Prize: £75. Deadline: August 13, 2021.

The Yale Drama Series. Genre: Original, unpublished full-length plays, with a minimum of 65 pages. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Poets living in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., or West Virginia. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500, publication by Broadkill River Press, ten author copies, and two cases of Dogfish Head craft beer. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

The Gotham “Manuscript-to-Market” Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to people of color who have completed a book manuscript (or nonfiction book proposal) and are ready to go to market with their book. Three fellowships will be offered every year. Prize: Admittance to the Gotham Writers Conference—the panels and presentations as well as a seat at a pitching roundtable with two agents in your genre. The Gotham course How to Get Published or Nonfiction Book Proposal. A one-on-one Agent Evaluation session and a Query Letter Coaching session, both with a literary agent. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

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: August 15, 2021.

Ligonier Valley Writers. Genre: Flash fiction on theme of "snakes and other reptiles";1000 words max. Prize: The first prize winner will receive $50, second prize $25, and third prize $15. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

Valiant Scribe Poetry Competition. Genre: Poetry. "Valiant Scribe calls for submissions that focus on war and peace, despair and hope. In a world filled with war, poverty, natural disasters, human rights violations, and other ills, we seek poetry that evokes thoughts of hope, telling us there is a light at the end of the tunnel." Prize: First prize: USD 250, author video interview & featured inclusion in Valiant Scribe's next issue. Second prize: USD 100, & inclusion in Valiant Scribe's next issue. Third prize: USD 50, & inclusion in Valiant Scribe's next issue. Deadline: August 15, 2021.

The Helen Anne Bell Poetry Bequest Award. Restrictions: Open to Australian women. Genre: Collection of poems by an Australian woman poet. Prize: $40,000. Deadline: August 20, 2021.

The Medium Writers Challenge. Restrictions: Except for residents in Quebec, Canada, open to Medium users who are at least age 18 (or the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence, whichever is older) at the time of entry. Genre: Personal essay of 500 words or more based on one of four weekly prompts: Reentry, Death, Work, and Space. Prize: Four finalist winners — one for each prompt — will each be awarded with $10,000 each. One of the four finalists will be selected for a grand prize of $50,000. Additionally, 100 honorable mention selections will each win $100. Deadline: August 24, 2021.

Eerie River Publishing. Genre: Horror on theme of Old Gods. Prize: ¢.5 per word CAD (half a cent), with a max of $15 plus a one-time royalty bonus payment based on six months of sales. Deadline: August 25, 2021. This is a monthly contest.

Green Stories Writing Competition. Genre: TV/radio series about building a sustainable society.  Prize: Free script appraisal and treatment by the Literary Consultancy, plus will be sent to production companies for consideration. Deadline: August 26, 2021.

Boroondara Literary Awards. Restrictions: Open to Australians. Genre: Short fiction and poetry. Prize: More than $5,000 in prize money across various age groups in the Young Writers’ category. More than $3,500 in prize money in the Open Short Story category. Deadline: August 27, 2021.

Anne Brown Essay Prize. Restrictions: Entrants must be aged over 16 and resident in Scotland, born in Scotland or have a longstanding association with Scotland. Genre: Literary essay, published or unpublished. Prize: £1,500. Deadline: August 27, 2021.

Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing. Genre: Uplifting, feel-good short story with an overall word-count of 2000 on theme: ‘Now and Then.’ Prize: £200. Deadline: August 28, 2021.

YORKSHIRE PRIZE: The Good Old Days. Restrictions: The Yorkshire Prize  is open to residents of Yorkshire, UK. Genre: Short story on theme: The Good Old Days. The story should mark a significant moment in Yorkshire history. Up to 2 entries per person to the maximum word count of 2000 per entry. Prize: £100, and two further commendations of £25. Deadline: August 28, 2021.

Debra E. Bernhardt Labor Journalism Prize. Genre: Article that furthers the understanding of the history of working people. Articles focused on historical events AND articles about current issues (work, housing, organizing, health, education) that include historical context are both welcome. The work should be published in print or online between August 26, 2019 and August 30, 2020. Prize: $1000.  Deadline: August 30, 2021.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Poetry and short fiction between 1k – 5k words based on the theme Wonder. Prize: $30. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing. Genre: Scholarly essay. All work submitted must have been written or published within the last year. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Ruritania Prize. Genre: Short fiction. "The Ruritania Prize is a prize for those writing from a place that doesn't exist, English-speakers who are struggling to find their role in a contradictory literary tradition which is simultaneously patronizing and affectionate. Its judges are drawn from a variety of major Central and Eastern European cities, to better reflect the real diversity of the lands in which the Ruritanian romances were (and are) set." Prize: 350 euros and publication. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

International Human Rights Art Festival: Creators of Justice Literary Award. Genre: poetry, short stories and essays which use the written word to celebrate justice. Prize: First Prize: $150; Second Prize: $100; Third Prize: $50. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $750 in any single year. Genre: Biographical Nonfiction. Prize: First prize is $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Finalists will receive $50. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme of Forgiven. 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: August 31, 2021.

Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation or Multi-Lingual Texts. Restrictions: Translators and authors of multi-lingual texts. Genres: Poetry and prose. Prize: $200. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, maximum 5,000 words. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Kindle Storyteller Award (UK). Restrictions: The prize is open to all authors who publish their book through Kindle Direct Publishing on Amazon.co.uk. Genre: Book. Prize: £20,000. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Jacques Maritain Prize for Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, Catholic themes. Prize: $500 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Levar Burton Reads. Genre: Speculative fiction on Theme: Origins & Encounters. "We are interested in stories that examine the magical joys and tragic pitfalls of blended civilizations and cultural exchanges in all their forms. As our worlds change, what precious things do we carry with us and allow to be altered or demand they remain untouched? What is taken from us and what will we do to get it back? What do we allow ourselves to remember of our histories, our roots, and what do we allow ourselves to forget? What do we leave behind and what do we choose to carry into the future?" Prize: $500 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry collection (in English), at least 48 pages long, published between July 1 of the previous year and June 30 of the deadline year by an upstate New York author. Prize: $2000. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Storyhouse. Genre: Nonfiction. Stories must be true, not semi-fictional accounts. 1000 - 10,000 words in length. Stories must be suitable for children. Prize: $200. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Jack Grapes Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: WINNERS will receive $200 each, plus publication. FINALISTS will receive $50 each, plus publication. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award. Restrictions: Open to authors aged 18-35 as of December 31 of the deadline year. Books must have been first published in the UK and/or the Republic of Ireland, in the English language, between June 23 of the preceding year and August 31 of the deadline year. Authors must be UK or Irish citizens, or residents for the three years preceding the award. Genre: Published or self-published book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction, Prize: £10,000. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Hysteria. Genre: Poetry, short story, flash fiction. All genres except erotica or horror. Theme: Hope and Unity. Writers under 16 may enter. Prize: £25. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

What’s Your Story? Restrictions: Open to Victorian residents. (Australia) Genre: Poetry, short stories, CNF. Prize: $500. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Singapore Unbound Flash Fiction Contest: The Infinite Library. Genre: Flash fiction of 90-100 words about “the infinite library,” interpreted in any imaginative way.  Prize: Up to $100. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Kit Sora Flash Fiction Photography Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents in the Atlantic Provinces. Genre: Flash fiction inspired by a Kit Sora photo, 250 words max. Prize: 10 cents/word. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Poetry Archive NOW! WordView 2021. Genre: Poetry. "Make a video/film recording of yourself reading or reciting a single poem which you have written in 2021." Prize: £100. Deadline: August 31, 2021.

Storytwigs micro-writing competition. Restrictions: Open to citizens/residents of United States or Canada. You must be 18 years or older to enter. Genre: Short prose 100 words or fewer on prompt. Prize: From $10 to $100. Deadline: August 31, 2021.