Random House Opens to LGBTQIA2S+ and BIPOC Writers - No agent required

If you fit into the demographic they are seeking, this is a wonderful opportunity to get published by Random House. I can say from personal experience that the editors at RH are excellent. Your novel will receive top-notch editing, and great distribution.

From the website:

Random House Canada is excited to open our submission policy exclusively to LGBTQIA2S+ and BIPOC writers, as well as those from other traditionally underrepresented communities. Effective immediately, unsolicited and unagented work can be sent directly to our editors within the RHC division at randomhousecanadasubmissions@penguinrandomhouse.com. 

Our hope is that this will go a small way toward removing some of the barriers that have existed for writers developing their craft outside of traditional avenues of literary exposure.

The submissions inbox is open to writers from anywhere.

What We’re Looking For

In particular, our editors are looking for high quality commercial fiction in the following genres: literary, romance, speculative fiction, historical fiction, and mystery. Please note that we do not currently accept screenplays, stage plays, young adult fiction, children’s fiction, or picture book queries. All non-fiction submissions must be submitted via a literary agent.

For a full manuscript, there are no strict restrictions on length. As a guideline, fiction manuscripts often fall between 70,000 and 100,000 words (or up to 120,000 words for speculative fiction).

The submissions inbox is open year-round. Work can be submitted to randomhousescanadasubmissions@penguinrandomhouse.com at any time.

For full submission requirements, click HERE. 

9 New Agents Seeking Cookbooks, Kidlit, Nonfiction, YA, Literary and Genre Fiction, Memoir and more

Updated 3/5/26

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

All of these agents work for established agencies with good track records. They are looking for everything from cookbooks to thrillers. 

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

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

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

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Ms. Danielle Matta of Robin Straus Agency, Inc 

CURRENTLY CLOSED TO QUERIES

Danielle Matta is a Junior Agent at the Robin Straus Agency. She graduated from NYU with a BA in English, specializing in Creative Writing and Post-Colonial Literature, and joined RSA in May of 2020 after her internships at McIntosh & Otis and Writers House. Although Danielle has lived in NYC since 2015, she grew up in Virginia, and therefore has a life-long love for farmers markets, cornbread, and green spaces.

What she is seeking: She gravitates towards inclusive fiction and non-fiction with distinct, lyrical storytelling and—being first-generation herself—underrepresented voices of diasporic and immigrant communities. She also loves an unorthodox ghost story or psychological thriller. 

How to submit: Please follow the agency guidelines here. 

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Ms. Erika Stevens of Salky Literary Management 

CURRENTLY CLOSED TO QUERIES

Erika Stevens (she/hers) has acquired, edited, and developed the work of a wide range of authors over the course of two decades in publishing. She recently wrapped up twelve years with indie Coffee House Press, finishing her time there as editorial director. She began her career at academic presses, including Duke, UNC, and UGA Presses. Authors whose work she has shepherded include Eloisa Amezcua, Allison Adelle Hedge Coke, Kyle Dargan, Latasha N. Nevada Diggs, Saeed Jones, Eugene Lim, Dawn Lundy Martin, Bao Phi, Justin Phillip Reed, Natasha Trethewey, Anne Waldman, Karen Tei Yamashita, and many others. Her authors have been awarded or named finalists for the National Book Award, the Hurston Wright Award, the Kingsley and Kate Tufts Award, the PEN/Osterweil Award, the Whiting Award, the Pulitzer Prize, the Kate Tufts Award, the NBCC Award, the Lambda Awards, and others.

What she is seeking: As an agent she is looking for projects that excite, invigorate, argue, and/or surprise in the genres of poetry, literary nonfiction and fiction, investigative nonfiction, translation, criticism, music writing, and food writing/cookbooks. In the realm of children’s literature, she’s looking *only* for inclusive work that children with gender-expansive identities and families will see themselves in.

How to submit: Use her query manager HERE.  

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Ms. Elise Howard of DeFiore and Company 

CURRENTLY CLOSED TO QUERIES

Prior to joining DeFiore & Company, Elise Howard was the founding publisher of Algonquin Young Readers, an imprint of Workman Publishing, which she led from 2011 to 2022. Elise was previously SVP and associate publisher at HarperCollins Children's Books, where she oversaw the publication of many award-winning and bestselling books. Some of the authors she has worked with include Masuma Ahuja, Avi, Tracey Baptiste, Kelly Barnhill, Sara Farizan, Neil Gaiman, Kelly Jensen, and Nova Ren Suma. Books she has edited have won the Newbery Medal twice, the Edgar Allen Poe Award for best juvenile novel twice, and many other awards and honors. She began her career as a book packager, conceiving, selling to publishers, and developing juvenile and adult fiction and non-fiction projects.

What she is seeking: As an agent, Elise is looking for new favorites— hers, an editor’s, and ultimately the reader’s: juvenile and adult fiction and eye-opening narrative non-fiction, particularly stories of the natural world, visible or invisible, including the human mind and body, or of people and events previously overlooked. Elise is not looking for adult genre fiction. She is taking on a select group of illustrators.

How to submit: Please email queryelise@defliterary.com with the title of your work and its category (e.g., adult n.f., middle-grade fiction) in the subject line. Please include in the body of your email:

• A brief, compelling description introducing your book.

• A paragraph (not more!) about you, relevant to your submission.

• For non-fiction, a concise synopsis that compels me to read on and the opening chapter.

• For fiction, the opening chapter.

• For graphic novels, the first chapter or the first twenty-five pages.

• For picture books, the full manuscript.

No attachments, please. Submissions that include them won’t be opened.

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Ms. Christie Megill of The CAT Agency  

Christie Megill joined The CAT Agency in 2022 after interning with Writers House, Triada US, and Cardinal Rule Press. She’s overjoyed to be working with artists and children’s book authors, offering long-term support in their careers and creative journeys. Christie comes from a background in elementary education and before pursuing education, she previously worked as an editorial assistant at an academic press in New York City, as a volunteer at the Housing Works Bookstore in SoHo, and as a bookseller at the bygone Borders Books and Music in Columbus Circle. She holds a BA in English Literature from Fordham University. Born and raised in Connecticut, she now considers New York City her forever home. 

What she is seeking: Christie Megill: is eager to work with illustrators, author/illustrators, and picture book authors, offering long-term support in their careers and creative journeys. Please send her: children’s illustration portfolios, picture book dummies, picture book manuscripts, children’s graphic novel pitches, and the select chapter book project. While her taste is broad, she’s especially excited to find fresh stories and artwork from voices that have previously been underrepresented.

How to submit: Illustrators: send 4-6 jpegs of samples, a live link to your website and a short letter of introduction. Please send work that shows character development, style, color and narrative story-telling. 

Author/Illustrators: email a brief synopsis of your manuscript, along with several accompanying illustrations or samples of your artwork. If we are interested in reviewing your dummy, we will request that you send it. 

Please submit to SUBMISSIONS@CATAGENCYINC.COM & let us know who you are submitting to in the subject line!

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Ms. Lola Bellier of Creative Artists Agency

NO LONGER LISTED ON AGENCY WEBSITE

A graduate of New York University, Lola is building her list, focusing on upmarket and commercial fiction, speculative fiction, and young adult and middle grade across all genres. She will occasionally consider nonfiction, especially in the pop science and pop culture arenas, as well as select memoirs.

Lola is drawn to narratives that explore larger truths within unique settings. She loves an element of surprise and is fond of stories with a touch of speculative, magical realism, or something that’s just a little off. General themes she gravitates towards are family dynamics, complex friendships, and reflections on one’s place in the world.

For Young Adult and Middle Grade, Lola is drawn to opinionated characters whose journeys force them, and the reader, to rethink what they thought they knew.

How to submit: Use the agency's submission form here.

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Mr. Gideon Pine of InkWell Management

Gideon Pine has a B.A in Political Science from Indiana University. Prior to working in publishing, he worked in commercial production and advertising.

What he is seeking: He’s looking for thrillers in any form, whether they’re commercial or have a healthy literary injection. Strong sense of place is a major plus. Literary novels are always welcome, as long as there’s a plot. Also looking for suburban dysfunction (aka, domestic fiction) in any form, whether it’s suspenseful like Little Fires Everywhere or darkly comedic like The Corrections and The Stepford Wives or even with a dose of supernatural like Lost Man’s Lane, he wants to read it. He is also interested in narrative nonfiction with a compelling point of view, true crime, health and wellness, and long form investigative journalism.

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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Ms. Aliza Hoover of The CAT Agency 

Aliza began her Publishing career at Candlewick Press, where she spearheaded & coordinated illustrator searches and negotiated illustrator contracts. With a degree in Classics and a background in visual art, she is passionate about storytelling and the magical place where words and images collide. She is incredibly grateful to have joined the CAT Agency family, and excited to support artists & creators in bringing stories into the world.

What she is seeking: Aliza represents illustrators and author-illustrators. She is looking for visual storytellers with distinctive, unique portfolios that will stand out in a crowded market. She is drawn to work that showcases expressive characters, timeless palettes, and atmospheric scenes. She will happily review your comics, book cover designs, and picture book dummies.

Aliza believes in a world where all young people can see themselves reflected in children’s books. She is particularly interested in illustrators from diverse backgrounds and portfolios that depict diverse characters and experiences.

How to submit: Illustrators: send 4-6 jpegs of samples, a live link to your website and a short letter of introduction. Please send work that shows character development, style, color and narrative story-telling. 

Author/Illustrators: email a brief synopsis of your manuscript, along with several accompanying illustrations or samples of your artwork. If we are interested in reviewing your dummy, we will request that you send it. 

Please submit to SUBMISSIONS@CATAGENCYINC.COM & let us know who you are submitting to in the subject line!

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Ms. Maria Brannan of Greyhound Literary (UK)

Maria handles translation rights on behalf of Greyhound Literary's clients and is building her own list of authors. She previously spent over five years working as a literary scout at Maria B. Campbell Associates in London, where she advised international publishers in over 12 countries on the adult and children's publishing market, and scouted multiple books for their film/tv client, Netflix.

What she is seeking: Maria has very wide ranging tastes in fiction and is interested in writing for adult, new adult/crossover and YA readers.

She loves character-driven novels with a commercial bent that spark imagination or discussion. In particular she has a passion for genre fiction - especially fantasy with memorable characters and great world-building (Six of Crows, The First Law trilogy, Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries); horror with a unique concept or perspective (Into the Drowning Deep, The Only Good Indians); and softer, genre-crossing science fiction (The After Wife, Station Eleven). She is also keen on voice-led and emotive reading group fiction (Boy Swallows Universe, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot); love stories and rom-coms that make you fall for both of leads (Frederica, The Love Hypothesis); unnerving, twisty crime writing (The Whisper Man, She Lies in Wait); thrillers with a great hook (The Last House on Needless Street, The Silent Patient) and anything with a high concept or speculative edge (The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, Tell Me an Ending).

Some of her old and new favourite authors include: Olivie Blake, Chloe Gong, Sabaa Tahir, Patrick Ness, Garth Nix, Erin Morganstern, Tamora Pierce, Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, Alex North, S J Bolton, Alex Pavesi, Stuart Turton, Trent Dalton, Jo Harkin, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Sara Jafari, Kiley Reid, Bonnie Garmus, Jodi Picoult, Jenny Han, Ali Hazelwood, Beth O'Leary, Georgette Heyer, Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Stephen Graham Jones, and Mira Grant.

On the nonfiction side, she is drawn to anything that draws the reader into the immediacy and tangibility of an author’s personal experiences, whether that’s a professional memoir like Unnatural Causes or a personal one such as Notes on Heartbreak); histories that explores overlooked or underrepresented people and events as Hallie Rubenhold does so brilliantly in The Five; and nature and science writing that evokes fascination and wonder in the reader like How to Catch a Mole or Endless Forms, both books that intrigue and act as a door into underexplored or unfamiliar worlds.

How to submit: Read submission guidelines here. Note: "If you are based in an English-speaking country outside the UK or the Republic of Ireland in which there are well-established literary agencies, we would expect you to have a convincing reason for wanting to be represented by an agency in the UK."

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Ms. Daniele Hunter of McIntosh & Otis, Inc. 

CURRENTLY CLOSED TO QUERIES

I’m a queer, chronically ill, disabled junior agent at McIntosh & Otis Literary Agency, and my pronouns are she/her. I have a B.A. in English from Drew University, with concentrations in literary criticism, creative writing, and poetry. I’m a member of the AALA and serve on their DEI committee through Literary Agents of Change, too!

What she is seeking: I’m looking for (in order of priority) young adult, middle grade, and picture books.

How to submit: Use her query manager here.

Transplants: What Is Creativity?

The act of artistic creation has puzzled artists and philosophers for centuries. The Ancient Greeks even invented an entire branch of deities to explain it: the Muses. Where does creativity come from?  Is creativity a mental process, or does it spring from the unfathomable well of inspiration? Or does it come from something else entirely? To misquote Shakespeare, “Where is creativity bred, or in the heart or in the head? How begot? How nourished?”

Jungians ascribe creativity to the “collective unconscious” – that vast sea of socio-psychological quasi-consciousness shared by all of humanity. According to Jung, this is the place where all thought originates. Anthropologists would call this “culture” −− a largely unquestioned set of shared values, beliefs, and norms formed by variety of social factors. Mystics of various stripes would call the act of creation “divine,” inspired by otherworldly forces −− gods, deities or, perhaps, demons.

The first short story I ever wrote was probably the result of  brain damage.  

Normally, when I am writing fiction, I “see” a scene. I play it in my head like a movie until it reaches a stopping point. Then it’s merely a matter of describing what I “saw.” When the next scene appears, sometimes in a dream, sometimes while I am driving or in the shower (water is wonderful for getting the creative juices to flow), I repeat the process. Fiction, which relies on imagining, is bred in my heart. 

Nonfiction requires an entirely different process. It relies on thinking. As I ponder what I want to say, phrases pop into my head. When they begin to form sentences, I start to write them down, and as I am writing, a logical sequence of thought presents itself. Nonfiction, which is a product of structured thought, is bred in my head.

But once – and only once – those two processes merged. Instead of envisioning a scene, I saw the words, literally. I woke up one morning, and in my head I saw words on a page, as if I were reading. And I didn’t just see a few words, there were whole pages. I felt a sudden compulsion to write the words down, so I got up, went to the computer, and started typing. Seventeen pages later I had “transcribed” a complete short story. It was my first work of fiction, and it left me utterly drained. It was as if I had been possessed by a demon.

At the time, I was suffering from a severe case of myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known by the absurdly inappropriate misnomer, “chronic fatigue syndrome”). ME is a neurological disease that in its severe form can be life-threatening. My case was nearly fatal. For six weeks, I had been in a hospital, where the doctors could do nothing to stop the dramatic weight loss that was killing me. Nor could they relieve the constant burning pain that made every moment unbearable. The doctors informed my mother that I was dying. She took me home, an emaciated remnant of my former self, to die in my own bed. (Spoiler alert: I didn’t die. But that’s another story.)

In this state of extremis, it is perfectly plausible that my brain’s language centers, which separately process written and verbal language, “shorted out.” (This is a gross over-simplification of how the brain processes language, but "crossed circuitry" will do nicely as a metaphor.) Instead of using my visual circuits to imagine scenes, which could then be translated into language, my brain simply transformed the act of visual imagining directly into words.

I have never repeated that creative experience, for which I am grateful. (Being possessed is not as much fun as it’s cracked up to be.) And once I had recovered from it, I was a little embarrassed by what I had written−−after all, I hadn’t composed it, some brain glitch had. So, I put the story away and didn’t make an effort to get it published. Then, a few weeks ago, a writing contest held by Backchannels caught my attention. And because I had recently won first place in the Tell Your Story writing contest for my South American memoir excerpt, “They Will Try to Kill You", I was feeling cocky. So, I entered “Transplants,” my first story, now considerably shorter than its original seventeen pages. "Transplants" didn’t win, but the editors decided to publish it anyway in their contest edition.

Why am I telling you this long story about a short story? My point is that regardless of how we create− whether the source is mystical, cultural, or the product of a neurological glitch, the origins of creativity will probably always remain a mystery. Even when we dissect the process of writing, and try to expose the inner mechanisms of creation (or its pathogenesis), we will never truly grasp the driving force that compels us to assign words to our thoughts, feelings, and experiences. No matter how we approach the process of writing, it is the compulsion to write that makes us writers.

We can't resist it.

You can read Transplants HERE.

You can read They Will Try to Kill You HERE.

(Image: Antonio Mora "En Las Nubes")

 

8 Million Pageviews ... and All I Got Was This Lousy Blog

Ten years ago, my children told me to start a blog. "What's a blog?" I asked innocently. They exchanged one of those looks that makes a parent think, "Just wait until they're my age and they have smart-aleck kids." A decade later, I am still asking the existential question, "What is a blog?"

I didn't know why I needed to start a blog a decade ago. After all, I had a purpose in life, one which did not involve splattering myself across the Internet. (My children also advised me to start a Facebook page and get on Twitter - neither of which they did themselves.) (Hmm...maybe they are smarter than I thought.) At the time, I didn't really know what a blog would be good for. 

I rapidly found out.

A blog is whatever you make of it, because, after all, a blog is writing. In some cases, it's a way to organize your thoughts. Some people like to organize other people's thoughts as well. (Avoid "thought leaders." They think too much of themselves.) Others need a way to keep track of where they are going, or what they are eating, or what their cats are doing. (Inexplicably, people on Facebook want to know where other people are going, or what they are eating, or what their cats are doing. If you are a writer, you can make all those things interesting, although that will be a worthless endeavor on Facebook. Just post photos.) In my case, this blog has proven to be an excellent method for having easy access to nicely organized publishing resources. It was completely serendipitous that a lot of other people found those resources useful as well.

             (Darnit! I missed it again! No matter how closely I watch that pageview count, I never can quite catch it.)

One important perk of keeping constant track of venues for short stories and personal essays is that my work gets published. I also occasionally win one of the contests that I post on my monthly lists and on my Free Contests page. (My personal essay, "They Will Try to Kill You" won first prize in the Tell Your Story Contest, and my short stories and personal essays have gotten several honorable mentions.) The fact is, had I not been so compulsive about listing every single publishing opportunity, I wouldn't have been nearly as diligent about submitting my work, which I tend to forget about once I get my next "must-write" idea.

The same holds true for my novels. I have, at this point, probably submitted my YA fantasy to every agent for my genre (well over 500). And I have gotten three offers of publication. (One of these days, I will write a blog on "Contracts You Shouldn't Sign.") I am nothing if not persistent. And in publishing, persistence pays. No matter how many times you are rejected, it only takes one agent or editor to say "Yes!" (Give yourself a boost right now and look at the list of famous authors who were repeatedly rejected here: Never Give Up! Never Surrender!)

The moral to my blog story is that sometimes what starts as self-interest can morph into a benefit for others. In fact, that may be the best path to altruism. After all, if you know what you need, you also have a handle on what others may need. In this case, I hope every writer reading this blog has benefitted from my (mildly OCD) need to organize absolutely everything. Keep writing!

22 Literary Magazines Open NOW for Poetry, Short Fiction, CNF, Speculative Fiction, Horror, and more

Here are 24 publications that are open for submissions now (no deadlines). All are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. Quite a few accept reprints.

You can find also upcoming calls for submissions with deadlines on my page: Calls for Submissions. Get a jump on next month's calls for submissions by checking that page periodically. (I only post paying markets.)

Don't forget to check out Paying Markets for hundreds of paying markets arranged by form and genre.

(Image: NDLA)

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Radon. Genre: Short stories and poetry containing elements of anarchism, transhumanism, dystopia, and/or science fiction. Payment: 1 cent per word for original work.

The Hungur Chronicles. Genre: Horror. Vampires or creatures with vampiric themes. Payment: The pay for original stories is $25.00; for reprints, $12.00. Payment for poems is $5. The pay for illustrations is $8.00. The payment for articles is $10. The pay for cover art is $25.00.

The Were-Traveler: Curst & Twysted Tarot. Genre: Short fiction. Choose an image you would like to write a story about. Payment: $10 for flash, $15 for short stories. (Open until filled.)

Fantasy Magazine. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, poetry. Payment: 8 cents per word; $40 per poem. *Open to BIPOC authors.

Through the Gate: Fantastical poetry "We are looking for fantastical poetry of literary and emotional depth from a diversity of voices and perspectives. Our definition of fantastical is quite fluid, encompassing fantasy, magic realism, myth, folklore, surrealism and slipstream. We desire poetry that is atypically beautiful, unconventionally imaginative, and boundary-crossing. We are not interested in work that is strictly science fiction or mainstream, but poetry that blurs the lines between such genres and the fantastical is welcome." Length: Up to three poems. Payment: $20 per poem. Deadline: Open now.

Three-lobed Burning Eye. "Original speculative fiction: horror, fantasy, and science fiction. We're looking for short stories from across the big classifications and those shadowy places between: magical realism, fantastique, slipstream, interstitial, and the Weird. We will consider suspense or western, though we prefer it contain some speculative element. We like voices that are full of feeling, from literary to pulpy, with styles unique and flowing, but not too experimental. All labels aside, we want tales that expand genre, that value imagination in character, narrative, and plot. We want to see something new and different." Length: Short fiction 1000–7000 words, Flash fiction 500–1000 words, (2000–5000 preferred). Payment: $100 for short fiction, $30 for flash fiction; + 1 print annual. Deadline: Open now.

Beechwood Review publishes minimalist writing and art. "We’re partial to themes of time, nature, humanity, philosophy, chaos, reason, the ridiculous, and the whimsical. We don’t like work that drones on about fancy table fruit. Although good fruit poems have their place." Payment: $5 per poem, 1 cent/word for fiction and nonfiction, $5 for art.

The Dark The Dark publishes dark fantasy and horror. "Don’t be afraid to experiment or to deviate from the ordinary; be different—try us with fiction that may fall out of “regular” categories. However, it is also important to understand that despite the name, The Dark is not a market for graphic, violent horror." Length: 2,000 – 6,000 words. Payment: 6 cents/word for original fiction up to 6,000 words on publication for first world rights; and 1 cent/word for reprint fiction up to 6,000 words on publication for nonexclusive reprint rights. Deadline: Open now.

Madness Heart Trigger Warning Anthology. Genre: "The grossest, most violent, most genuinely upsetting stories in your arsenal." Theme: Curses. The minimum word count is 1500. Payment: $10. Opens in February 2023.

Et Sequitur. "We are open to all genres, from literary to speculative and everything in between. Our only requirement is that your submission in some way connect with the latest Et Sequitur story, be that in character (minor, major, protagonist, antagonist), setting (neighborhood, world, workplace, house -- even a certain object could work, if it's featured prominently), or theme. Be creative! Continue the story, tell a side-character's story, take the theme and twist it in a new way. In the submission form, you'll be asked to identify which element of the previous story you've chosen to incorporate in your own." Submissions for the next issue will open once the previous issue is published (expected to be the first day of every-other month). They will temporarily close when a story has been chosen for the next issue. Payment: $25.

Assemble Artifacts is looking for stories of wonder and suspense. "We prefer stories of at least 5,000 words, but are open to longer and shorter works. Please include a one to three sentence pitch of your story, and an author bio with your submission. We are open to writers of all levels of experience." Payment: 8-10 cents per word for short fiction.

Jay Henge: The Back Forty. Genre: Speculative fiction. "In The Back Forty, we are looking for your stories that explore new, lawless frontiers, backwater towns, self-appointed sheriffs, lonesome explorers, bounty hunters, and other Wild West in Outer Space kinds of themes." Payment: $5 USD per 1000 words. Length: Up to 15k words. Open until filled.

Jay Henge: Sunshine Superhighway. Genre: Speculative fiction. "Solarpunk, cyberpunk, other planets, alternate worlds that might be nearly lost through our own hubris; futuristic fantasy and speculative-fiction stories of all kinds that are hopeful and leave us with the idea that despite the doom and gloom in the universe, things can possibly work out if we strive to make life better, even if in a small way." Payment: $5 USD per 1000 words. Length: Up to 15k words. Open until filled.

Armoured Fox Press: Indecent Exposure. Genre: Fiction. “The story MUST contain erotic content centered around public locations. This can be beaches, public parks, office buildings… wherever you might attract an audience of shocked passersby doing things you shouldn’t be doing in public... and some element must be furry (anthropomorphic animals). Length: 5,00-20,000 words, Payment: 1/2 cent/word. Deadline: Open until filled.

Zooscape. Genre: Short stories. All stories must be furry. "An anthropomorphic animal figure should be significantly featured in your story — it could be anthropomorphic in body or only intelligence. We’ll consider any type of furry fiction from secret life of animals to fox in Starbucks.  We love science-fiction with animal-like aliens and fantasy with talking dragons, unicorns, or witch familiars." Payment: 8 cents/word for original fiction. $20 for reprints. Length: Original stories up to 5,000 words. Reprints up to 10,000 words.

Goatshed Press. Genre: Short stories, flash fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. Payment: £60 for stories and essays (over 1000 words) and £25 for poems and flash fiction. They are also looking to publish longer form work in 2023, including novels, novellas, graphic novels, non fiction books and short story collections. They are happy to consider any genre except children’s fiction. 

Backyard Earth is a "round the world" series of books. The idea is that they will make five books - one for each continent (more or less). Each book will contain one story for every country on that continent.  Submissions will stay open until they have a full complement. Short fiction only. Payment: $25.

Starry Eyed Press: 224-Verse and Galactic Treks. Genre: Space opera, 2,000 words to novel length. Payment: Royalty split. Read guidelines here.

Psychopomp. Genre: Nonfiction essays on art, short fiction, novels, movies, music, fashion, culture, entertainment, science, and more, that fall under the umbrella of goth, death, funerary, grief, loss, alternative, otherworldly themes. Payment: $50.

The International Human Rights Festival (IHRAF). Genre: Poem, short story, or essay (2500 words or less) Payment: $50.

Android Press is a small press that publishes science fiction, fantasy, and the various -punk subgenres. "We love stories that are full of hope and optimism. We also love stories that hold up a mirror to our society and force us reexamine our past and our values in order to move forward and build a better future." Payment: Royalties.

135 Calls for Submissions in March 2023 - Paying markets

This March there are more than eleven 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: Flickr)

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The Paris Review. Genres: Prose and poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: Opens March 1, 2023, and closes when they reach capacity. 

Shenandoah. Genre: Fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: Opens March 1, 2023, and closes when they reach capacity. 

Sundog. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art. Payment: $25. Deadline: Opens March 1, 2023, and closes when they reach capacity. 

Inside the Castle. Genre: Poetry collections. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 1, 2023. 

VA Press is "committed to the idea that books have the power to change lives. We print works by authors often overlooked by traditional outlets, authors whose words we believe will inspire and benefit those who read them. We invite you to read the future." Genre: Poetry (24 pages min), prose (10,000 words min), art. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 1, 2023. 

Alternative Milk. Genre: Short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays and other text based submissions. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: March 1, 2023. 

Cemetery Gates. Genre: Horror novels and novellas. Payment: Novel: $500-2,000 advance, 60% royalties to author. Novella: $500-1,000 advance, 60% royalties to author. Deadline: March 1, 2023. 

Parabola. Genre: Original essays and translations, poetry, reviews. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: March 1, 2023. See themes.

The Polyglot. Genre: Multilingual art, poems, essays, stories, artworks, and translations on any theme. Payment: $100 CAD. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Planet Bizarro. Genre: Bizzaro novels, novellas and short story collections. Length: 20,000-80,000 words. Payment: 50% share of book royalties and 5 author copies. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Fission is the British Science Fiction Association's annual anthology of SFF fiction. You don’t need to be a BSFA member to submit. Genre: Science fiction. Length: Up to 5,000 words. Payment: 2 pence per word. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Maza Arts Collective Anthology. Restrictions: Open to South Asian people currently living and residing in so called "Canada." Genre: Poem. Payment: $250 CAD per selected poem. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Linda Leith Publishing. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Literary fiction and non-fiction titles in English and in translation. Length: 25,000 - 80,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Iron Horse. Genre: Poems, stories, essays on any topic. Payment: $50 per poem or flash piece and $100 per story or essay. Deadline: March 1, 2023. Fee free for one day only. 

Carousel. Restrictions: Open to Canadians only. Genre: Poetry and fiction. Payment: Poetry: $20 per poem — Fiction: $40–$80 per story — Experimental Reviews: $20–$40 per review. Deadline: March 1, 2023. Note: They only have 200 free submissions per month; if they exceed that number, their free submissions categories will close for the remainder of the month.

Strange Horizons' Wuxia & Xianxia Special. Genre: Speculative fiction. "Traditional and new approaches to wuxia and xianxia fiction ." Payment: up to $150 per contributor. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Contrary. Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF. Payment: $20. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Kangas Kahn. Genre: Halloween short stories. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Particular Passages. Genre: Poetry, fiction, art on theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 1, 2023. See themes.

Block Party Press. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction chapbook manuscripts, 15 - 24 pages. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Cunning Folk. Genre: Non-fiction pitches and short fiction and poetry on theme: The Vampire. Payment: £100 per article, interview or short story and £50 for poetry and rituals. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Teach. Write. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, flash fiction, poetry, CNF. "I prefer writing that is either written by composition teachers and writing students OR about teaching and learning." Payment: $15. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

Thema: Help from a Stranger. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: Help from a Stranger. Payment:  $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: March 1, 2023. Accepts reprints.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: March 2, 2023. Opens March 1.

Middle West Press. Genre: Poetry manuscripts by a single author, comprising 50 to 100 poems. "We are particularly seeking manuscripts that intersect in some way with military experience or service, Our projects are often inspired by the people, places, and history of the American Midwest." Payment: $100 advance and royalties. Deadline: March 4, 2023. 

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on theme of Oceania. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: March 5, 2023.

Cordite. Genre: Poetry. Payment: Not specified. Payment is available for Australian contributors only. Deadline: March 5, 2023.

Mslexia. Restrictions: Open to women. Genre: Fiction, poetry. Theme: Ghosts. Payment: £25. Deadline: March 6, 2023.

The First Five Minutes of the Apocalypse Anthology. Genre: Short horror, weird, dark fiction between 1500 and 4000 words (firm limit) that deal with a fictional apocalypse. The story must take place within a short period of time (less than a day) at the beginning of a fictional apocalypse. Payment: 3 cents/word. Deadline: Extended submission window exclusively for writers from marginalized communities March 1, 2023 - March 7, 2023.

Fantasy Magazine. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, poetry. Payment: 8 cents per word; $40 per poem. Deadline: March 7, 2023. Opens March 1.

Double-Edged Sword . Genre: "We're after co-authored, original, unpublished dark fantasy short stories (4-6k words). No theme, but your submission piece must sit in the fantasy genre and contain dark elements - we aren't after happy endings." Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: March 8, 2023.

The Quiet Ones. Genre: Quiet Horror and Dystopian genre works that fit the theme, “The Cosmic and The Void.” "We primarily seek creative work from those who identify as LGBTQIAP+, women, and allies. We’re especially fond of (though do not require) stories that center LGBTQIAP+ and female characters. That said, we welcome work from anyone and everyone, and we do not automatically disqualify any submissions based on the author’s identity, nor do we require our contributors to share their sexual or gender identities." Payment: $25. Deadline: March 8, 2023.

Island. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents only. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction. Payment: $300. Deadline: March 9, 2023.

Carte Blanche (Canada). Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, translations. comics, photography. Payment: "Modest" Deadline: March 10, 2023.

Bright Wall/Dark Room. Genre: Essay on theme: Siblings. "They bring out the best and the worst in us; we love them; we hate them; what would we do without them? For our April issue, we’re looking at Siblings in film.” Payment: $50. Deadline: March 10, 2023.

The Fabulist. Genre: Fantastical and genre fiction. Payment: $25. Deadline: March 11, 2023. See theme.

Living With Demons. Genre: Short stories. "We are looking for fictional stories that give people with mental illness hope using metaphors. We want to hear from more than just depression and anxiety, we want to reach other mental illnesses as well." Payment: $25 per piece. Deadline: March 12, 2023.

Claret Press. Restrictions: Open to authors based in the UK and Ireland. Genre: Full-length fiction, nonfiction, memoirs. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 12, 2023.

Drabbles - Run, Rabbit, Run. Genre: Dark fiction on theme: Murderous/evil/sly bunnies and hares. Length: Exactly100 words. Payment: $1. Deadline: March 12, 2023.

Solarpunk Magazine. Genre: Solarpunk. Payment: $0.08/word for fiction, $40/poem, and $75/essay.  Deadline: March 14, 2023. See theme.

Beach Shorts. Genre: Short stories, art. "Think seaside retreats, warm sand and cool breezes. Stories that are captivating, easy to read and let your reader take an escape from reality." Payment: $10, $20 for art. Deadline: March 14, 2023.

The Deadlands. Genre: Fiction, poetry. "The Deadlands exists in liminal spaces between life, death, and elsewhere. We are looking for fiction that concerns itself with death—but also everything death may involve." Payment: 10 cents per word for short stories, $50 per poem. Deadline: March 14, 2023. Opens March 1. Accepts reprints.

Penumbric. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art, animation, and music. Payment: $10.  Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Meanjin. Restrictions: Open to Australians. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $250. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Zooscape. Genre: Short stories. All stories must be furry. "An anthropomorphic animal figure should be significantly featured in your story — it could be anthropomorphic in body or only intelligence. We’ll consider any type of furry fiction from secret life of animals to fox in Starbucks. We love science-fiction with animal-like aliens and fantasy with talking dragons, unicorns, or witch familiars." Payment: 8 cents/word for original fiction. $20 for reprints. Length: Original stories up to 5,000 words. Reprints up to 10,000 words. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Hungry Zine. Genre: Foodie erotica/romance writing. Payment: $50. Deadline: March 15, 2023. Pitches only.

No Trouble at All. Genre: Polite horror: horror disguised through polite faces/manners, horror allowed to exist when politeness comes at the cost of self-preservation, and any other interpretation of the theme. Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: March 15, 2023. (Deadline will be extended one week for BIPOC writers.)

FU Review: Still. Genre: Prose, poetry, nonfiction, and English-language translations on theme of Still. Payment: €20. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

White Enso. Genre: Original, unpublished short fiction, essays, creative non-fiction and artwork that encapsulates the Japan experience. Payment: Between 1000 and 1500 yen (US$10-$15). Deadline: March 15, 2023. Accepts reprints.

Tasavvur. Genre: South Asian speculative fiction. Payment: 2.5 cents per word, up to a maximum of 5,000 words. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Jay Henge: The Nameless Songs of Zadok Allen. Genre: Speculative fiction. "What lurks in the deep? Who listens from the shadows? What sorts of abominable experiments are taking place at the mysterious ivy-covered university? We want your Lovecraftian tales. " Payment: $5 USD per 1000 words. Length: Up to 15k words. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Eye to the Telescope. Genre: Speculative poetry. Payment: $0.04/word, up to $25. Deadline: March 15, 2023. See theme.

evOke. Genre: All things Pagan, polytheist, and witchy. See themes. Payment: $5. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Guilty Crime Mag. Genre: Crime fiction. Length: 2,500 to 5,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: March 15, 2023 or until filled.

Canthius. Restrictions: Open to women, trans men, nonbinary, Two-Spirit, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming writers. Genres: Unpublished poetry and prose (both fiction and creative non-fiction – "we welcome experimental works and play excerpts). Please limit prose submissions to 3500 words and poetry submissions to five poems." Payment: $50 for one page, $75 for two pages, $100 for three, $125 for four pages, and $150 for five pages or more, regardless of genre. Deadline: March 15, 2023.

Owlkids Books. Restrictions: Open to authors and illustrators with disabilities, visible and invisible, Genre: Books for children up to age 13. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 17, 2023.

Showcase. Genre: Prose and poetry. Payment: $50. Deadline: March 17, 2023. Reprints accepted.

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: March 19, 2023.

CatsCast. Genre: Speculative stories about cats. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: March 19, 2023.

Beautiful Days Press. Genre: Full length and chapbook-length manuscripts of poetry and hybrid work. Payment: "Compensation will be agreed upon in consultation with selected authors upon acceptance." Deadline: March 20, 2023.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary flash fiction. Length: 500- to 1000-words. Payment: $80. Deadline: March 21, 2023.

Cloaked Press: Kaleidoscope – A Queer Anthology. Genre: Fantasy and Science Fiction short stories by Queer authors. Length: 10,000 words max. Payment: $15. Deadline: March 21, 2023.

Cloaked Press: Summer of Speculation. Genre: Fantasy and Science Fiction short stories on theme: Sidekicks. Length: 10,000 words max. Payment: $15. Deadline: March 21, 2023.

LYRA. Genre: "L=Y=R=A is a quarterly literary magazine publishing experiments and language." (Make of that what you will.) Payment: "Honorarium." Deadline: March 21, 2023.

Timber Ghost. Genre: Flash fiction and poetry. Payment: $5. Deadline: March 22, 2023.

Ibua Publishing. Restrictions: Open to continent-based African writers. Genre: Fiction/Non-Fiction and Poetry showcasing the impact of Climate change on Africa. Payment: Up to $350 per piece. Deadline: March 23, 2023. 

Black Ocean. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts. Payment: Royalties? Deadline: March 24, 2023. 

Gutter. Genre: Poetry and prose in Scotland and beyond. Length: Poetry submissions can consist of up to five poems, totaling no more than 120 lines. Prose, up to 3000 words. Payment: £25. Deadline: March 24, 2023.

Wilted Pages—An Anthology of Dark Academia. Genre: Dark speculative fiction about academia. Payment: 5 cents per word. Deadline: March 24, 2023. Note: Deadline extended to March 31 for underrepresented voices—people of color, LGBTQ2S+, neurodiverse people, people with disabilities, those of marginalized genders.

The Ex-Puritan. Genre: Poetry, fiction, reviews, interviews, essays, and experimental work. "The Ex-Puritan now seeks to publish the best in all forms of writing." Payment: $100 - $200 (CAD). Deadline: March 25, 2023. 

Off Topic Publishing: Poetry Box. Genre: Poetry. Payment $40 CAD. Deadline: March 25, 2023.

Robotic Ambitions. Genre: Short fiction on theme "Robotic Ambitions." Length: 5000 words max. "Using philosophical, moral, and practical points-of-view, what does it mean to be sentient and mechanical? What challenges will mechanical beings face from a fearful and chaotic world? What are their goals and ambitions?" Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: March 27, 2023.

Passageway. Genre: Short stories of all genres that respond to their title and/or cover art. (See website) Payment: €150. Deadline: March 27, 2023.

The Midnight Zone. Genre: Weird, dark, speculative stories. Payment: 3 cents/word. Deadline: March 30, 2023. 

We Fear Not the Sea. Genre: Short stories inspired by sea shanties, 2,000 – 6,000 words in length. Payment: 2 cents per word. Deadline: March 30, 2023.

Rough Cut Press. Restrictions: Open to the LGBTQIA community. Genre: Experimental fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. "We seek personal, lyrical, critical, and experimental work in under 650 words." Theme: Exhalation. Payment: $25. Deadline: March 25, 2023.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels. Genre: True stories and poems. "We are looking for true personal stories about how an angel has touched your life – stories of true wonder and awe from people who have directly encountered or received help from angels.." Payment: $200. Deadline: March 30, 2023.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles. Genre: True stories and poems. "Please share your unbelievable and amazing stories about the unexplainable events that have occurred to you. Share the awe, the faith, and the wonder with our readers. Writers of all religions or no religion are welcome." Payment: $200. Deadline: March 30, 2023.

Dragon’s Roost Press. Genre: Speculative fiction. "Your story must feature, meaningfully, a never-before-seen monster (however you define the word) and must contain a speculative element. 1000-5000 words, with a sweet spot of 3k. All land, sea, space, time, earth, wind, and fire monsters welcome." Payment: 3 cents per word plus 1 contributor’s copy. Deadline: March 30, 2023.

Beauty in Blood-Drenched Circuits–An AI-Only Anthology. Genre: Speculative fiction. "For this anthology, we’re particularly interested in exploring the relationships that humans form with those different from themselves–be it AI, aliens, or even their own kind. We’d also like to see some space-age twists on the classics we’ve always loved. The weirder and less mainstream, the better." Payment: $35. Deadline: March 30, 2023.

Aurealis. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy or horror short stories between 2000 and 8000 words. Payment: A$20 and A$60 per 1000 words. Deadline: March 31, 2023. Opens March 1.

Colp. Genre: Short fiction, all genres. "We are currently looking for stories that feature deserts and/or desserts, so whether it is a tale about a journey into the Sahara or one about the lemon meringue pie that just wouldn't quit, please feel free to send your work through." Length: 1000 - 5500 words. Payment: AU$5.00 for stories under 2500 words / AU$10.00 for anything above 2500 words. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Little Press Publishing. Genre: Environmental/nature picture books and chapter books (5,000-15,000 words). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

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: March 31, 2023. Accepts reprints.

Legion of Dorks Presents: Resurrected – An Anthology of Second Chances. Genre: Short stories no more than 7000 words. "You must include some sort of resurrection, whether real or virtual, that concludes by the end of the story to meet the theme requirements. You cannot write in anyone else’s world. Otherwise, have fun and let your imagination dominate." Payment: $50. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Dead Awake. Genre: Horror. Length: 2,000 - 6,000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

MetaStellar. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy or horror. 1000 words max. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Nightlight (Podcast). Restrictions: At least one of your birth parents must be Black. Genre: Horror. Flash fiction (750-1,500 words) Payment: 5 cents per word. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

New Orleans Review. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: $300 for prose, $100 for poetry. Deadline: March 31, 2023. In celebration of Disability Awareness Month, there are no submission fees for writers living with both visible and invisible disabilities for the month of March.

Chestnut Review. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, visual media (art/photography). Payment: $120. Deadline: March 31st, 2023. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee.

parABnormal. Genre: Nonfiction, poetry on the paranormal. "For us, this includes ghosts, spectres, haunts, various whisperers, and so forth. It also includes shapeshifters and creatures from various folklores." Payment: $25.00 for original stories, $7.00 for reprints.$6.00 for each poem. $20.00 for original articles, $6.00 for reprints. $7.00 for reviews and interviews. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Snafu—Punk'd. Genre: Military horror/specific within conflict in a past, present, or future filled with the aspects that make your story a ‘punk’ sub-genre tale. Payment: 5 cents AUD per word. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Weird Horror Magazine. Genre: Horror and weird fiction from 500 to 6,000 words. Payment: 1.5 cents/word. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Long Hauler Publishing. Genre: Short stories, commentary, letters, essays or poetry addressing the lived experience of COVID long-haulers. The goal of the Long COVID anthology is to harness support for American COVID long-haulers while furthering a wider understanding of Long COVID’s ongoing effects. Payment: $50. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Campfire Stories Anthology. Genre: Speculative short stories. "We want the stories you’d whisper in the dark. The kind that linger and leave readers with more questions than they answer. We want a little bit of campiness and a whole lot of speculation on the world around us." Payment: $40 per piece. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Anime Horror – Killer Penguins. Genre: Horror drabbles featuring penguins. Length: Exactly 100 words. "We’re looking for your bloodiest, evilest penguins." Payment: 4 cents per word. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Eerie River. Genre: Horror inspired by Tarot: 1500 - 7000 firm. Payment: ¢1 per word CAD. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Haven Speculative. Restrictions: Open to authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 1 cent/word for fiction and $5 - $10 for poetry. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Small Harbor Publishing. Restrictions: Open to marginalized writers only. Genre: Chapbooks. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Banshee. Genre: Poetry, essays, flash fiction, short stories. Payment: "Small" Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Mother Knows Best. Restrictions: Open to female writers. Genre: Horror about bad mothers. Payment: 6 cents per word. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

Dread Space: Volume 2. Genre: Science fiction, must be dark or have an element of horror, and must be about or centered around military or paramilitary characters. Length: 1,000 words max. Payment: 2 cents/ per word and a digital copy of the finished anthology. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Wolfsbane—Best New England Crime Stories. Restrictions: Open to all writers who currently live in one of the six New England states. Genre: Crime stories: mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, historical, and horror. Length: 1,000 and 5,000 words. Payment: $25 per story. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

Every Animal Project. Genre: Nonfiction. "True stories must relate to non-human animals (of any species) and can be about your personal experiences/growth because of an animal, an issue threatening animals today, or other aspects of the human/non-human animal relationship. For the upcoming anthology, please weave the theme of courage/bravery into your story. " Payment: One writer will get an award of $300, another will be awarded $200, and other writers whose work is chosen for the print anthology get $50; writers whose work features online get $20. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

The Fiddlehead. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Fiction, including excerpts from novels, creative nonfiction, art. Payment: $60 CAD per published page. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Split Lip Magazine. Genre: Fiction (flash and short stories), memoirs, and poetry. with a pop-culture twist. Payment: $50 - $75 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: March 31, 2023. Note: Submit early to avoid submission fees.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories, 12,000 words minimum. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Hub City Press. Genre: Books of literary fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, regional nonfiction, nature, and art. "We are seeking new and extraordinary voices from the American South." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023. Note: Submit novels only

Midnight & Indigo. Restrictions: Open to black women. Genre: Fiction, personal essays. Payment: $50 for essays, and $50-$75 for fiction. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

The Drop. Genre: Dark fantasy or science fiction, 1000 words max. Payment: $10. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Fanatical. Genre: Sci-fi, fantasy and horror stories between 2,000 and 6,000 words. Payment: £20. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Deathcap and Hemlock. Genre: Speculative recipes "that hint at a deeper narrative without violating the recipe structure will catch our eye. We are looking for short pieces, formatted like actual recipes (ingredients list, steps, measurements (metric, imperial; weight or volume—you decide!)). A short introductory paragraph to the recipe is okay, but optional.' Length: 200 - 400 words preferred, 1000 words max. Payment: $10. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Glass Poetry Press. Genre: Poetry chapbooks. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Palimpsest Press publishes full-length poetry, literary fiction, and non-fiction titles that deal with poetics, cultural criticism, and literary biography. "We look for poetry that displays technical mastery, precise language, and an authentic voice, and fiction that is rich in imagery, well crafted, and focused on character development. Our non-fiction titles are essays or memoirs written by poets, and books that examine Canadian poetry and the Canadian cultural landscape. In an effort to remove barriers for BIPOC, Deaf, and Disabled authors, Palimpsest Press is officially opening submissions year-round for authors who identify as BIPOC, Deaf, or Disabled. These guidelines take effect immediately. Please include “Year-round Submission” in the email subject line if you submit outside of our designated January1st-March 31st submission period." Read their submission guidelines here. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Southword. Genre: Fiction. Payment: €250 per short story. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

How2Conquer. Genre: Nonfiction books. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

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. Theme: Carnival. Payment: $150 per story. $50 per poem. $300 per novelette. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Lightspeed. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC writers only. Genre: Science fiction. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

Dragon Soul Press: Honor. Genre: "All stories featuring East Asian warriors are welcome." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

The Hudson Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, essays, book reviews; criticism of literature, art, theatre, dance, film, and music; and articles on contemporary cultural developments. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: March 31, 2023. (Nonfiction only) 

Kansas City Voices. Genre: "There is no type of work we are looking for." Payment: "Small" Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Tiger Bark Press. Genre: Poetry. "As part of Tiger Bark Press’s ongoing commitment to printing quality poetry by a diversity of voices, the press holds an open reading period throughout the month of March each year, for full-length book manuscripts by American poets who identify as Black, as indigenous, or as people of color. There is no entry fee for submission". Payment: Selected poets will be offered a standard publishing contract, with books scheduled for publication within one year of acceptance. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Nothing Exists Alone. Genre: Full-length fiction manuscripts on climate change. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

Propel. Restrictions; Open to poets based in the UK or Ireland who have yet to publish their first full-length poetry collection. Genre: Poetry. Payment: £20. Deadline: March 31, 2023. 

Podcastle. Genre: Fantasy podcast. Length: Up to 6,000 words. Payment: $0.06/word for original; $100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction reprints. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Masks. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $20 - $30. Deadline: March 31, 2023. Note: Submit early. Closes when cap is reached. 

Trail to Table. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction chapbooks, or full-length works. "Trail to Table seeks to publish literary works that transform our thinking about how we engage with the earth and each other as thoughtful, generous stewards in our actions and interactions." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2023. Closes when cap is reached, so submit early in the month.

Short Story Substack accepts one short story every month. Genre: All genres. Word count 6,000 - 10,000 words. Payment: Base Pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: March 31, 2023. Reprints accepted.

Poetry Substack accepts one poem every month. Genre: Poem. Must have a rhyme scheme or a rhythm scheme. No blank verse or free verse. Payment: Base Pay of $10 for the chosen poem + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: March 31, 2023. Reprints accepted.

Splatter Ink Publishing: No Lives Left. Genre: Video game horror. "What we want to see are stories related to gaming experiences." Length: Up to 7,500 words. Payment: $30. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

Vastarien. Restrictions: Open to women writers. Genre: Literary horror fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. Payment: 5 cents ($.05) per word for nonfiction and prose fiction. Poetry pays $50 flat per poem. Payment for artwork is $50 per piece. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

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: March 31, 2023. Extended deadline. Reprints accepted. 

Long COVID anthology. Restrictions: Open to long haulers in the US. Genre: Short stories, poems, essays about long covid. Payment: $50 per contributor. Deadline: March 31, 2023.

And a few more...

Totally Entwined: All Hallow's Harem/Paranormal. Genre: Novellas, 30,000 - 50,000 words. Theme: Harem with paranormal characters. LGBTQ focus. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 1, 2023.

Reservoir Road Literary Review. Genre: Literary short stories, lyrical creative non-fiction, photography. Payment: $5. Deadline: Opens April 1, 2023. Note: Submission window closes when their cap is reached.

Toronto Journal. Genre: Short stories from anywhere in the world. "We will also consider non-fiction pieces about local history (Toronto, GTA, and surrounding)." No word limit. Payment: $50 CAD per piece. All published writers will also receive two printed copies of the issue in which they appear. Deadline: April 1, 2023. 

Ninth Letter. Genre: Poems, nonfiction, and short fiction. Payment: $25 for poetry, $75 for prose. Deadline: April 1, 2023. See theme.

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

Salamander. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: April 1, 2023.

The Woodward Review. Genre: Poetry, prose, art, and digital media from anyone, anywhere. Payment: $25. Deadline: April 1, 2023.

Violent Delights & Midsummer Dreams: An Anthology of Shakespeare Retellings. Genre: Dark/Gothic Shakespeare retellings (5,000 - 8,000 words) "We want stories that bring fresh new perspectives on the classic stories, bonus points for providing a Gothic twist. Give us Romeo & Juliet with Zombies or the real story of the Wayward Sisters. Deconstruct tropes and bring unique voices to life." Payment: US: $40 + author copy/non-US: $45 + ebook author copy). Deadline: April 1, 2023.

West Branch. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and translation. Payment: $50 per submission of poetry, and $.05/word for prose with a maximum payment of $100. Deadline: April 1, 2023.

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: April 1, 2023. Reprints accepted. 

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: April 1, 2023.

Gordon Square Review. Genre: Poetry, short stories, personal essays, and hybrid prose works.  Payment: $25 per prose piece and $10 per poem. Deadline: April 1, 2023.

Riddlebird. Genre: Literary fiction, personal essays, genre fiction. "For our summer issue, we will specifically be looking for humorous work, lighthearted pieces, or works that explore the humor woven through struggles." Payment: $100. Deadline: April 1, 2023.

Clinch. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. “Submissions do not have to mention the martial arts—though we prefer those that do. Instead, all submissions must share in the virtues of martial arts, those of patience, meditation, and surprise, whether that be in their technique or in their content.” Payment: $15 honorarium per accepted work, payable via Venmo on the day of publication. Deadline: April 1, 2023.