4 Agents Seeking Screenplays, Memoir, Kidlit, YA, Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Speculative Fiction and more

Updated 11/7/23

Here are four literary agents actively seeking clients. All work with established agencies with good track records.

Tessa Shaffer is looking for multi-POV stories, YA, middle grade, inspirational memoirs, non-fiction, narrative non-fiction, family sagas with lots of secrets, time travel, and anything universally cosmic/spiritual that is also strongly grounded in reality. Screenplays in the following genres: Comedy, Dramedy, Family, Romantic Comedy, TV—half hour, TV—one hour.

Millie Hoskins wants fiction - commercial and literary- and narrative non-fiction of most genres, excluding SFF. Cait Hoyt is interested in memoir, collections of essays, inspirational non-fiction, middle grade and children’s picture books.

Maria Bell is drawn to adult literary fiction and YA that break conventions in form, voice and character. In both fiction and nonfiction, she’s partial to stories involving the natural world, queer identities, baseball, and all those that grapple with conflicts and truths from which most of us instinctively distance ourselves.

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. Maria Bell of Sterling Lord Literistic

NO LONGER LISTED ON AGENCY WEBSITE

Maria joined Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. in 2019 and works with Doug Stewart and Neeti Madan.  Maria graduated from Vassar College with a degree in English and sociology. She grew up in Minnesota with goats as pets, and now lives with her rabbit in West Harlem.

What she is seeking: Maria is drawn to adult literary fiction and YA that break conventions in form, voice and character. In both fiction and nonfiction, she’s partial to stories involving the natural world, queer identities, baseball, and all those that grapple with conflicts and truths from which most of us instinctively distance ourselves.

How to submit: Use the agency's form HERE.

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Ms. Tessa Shaffer of Corvisiero Literary Agency

TEMPORARILY CLOSED TO QUERIES

Tessa Shaffer is an award-winning novelist and screenwriter who searches for universal truths that bleed through any genre. Whether it’s finding the humor in the hurt, the evil in the good, or the strange in the familiar—she searches for writing that leaves audiences with a changed perspective. Recognized as an Indie Excellence Book Awards Finalist, Journey Awards Finalist, and by the Writer’s Digest Awards in 2019, 2018, and 2016, her work has also appeared in GirlsLIFE magazine, Authors Publish, and Indie Chicks magazine.

Tessa has a passion for translating books to film and bridging the two industries for the clients of Corvisiero Literary Agency. She’s an accomplished writing coach with her past writing clients having won awards for both books and screenplays.

What she is seeking: Tessa’s looking for multi-POV stories, YA, middle grade, inspirational memoirs, non-fiction, narrative non-fiction, family sagas with lots of secrets, time travel, and anything universally cosmic/spiritual that is also strongly grounded in reality. Screenplays in the following genres: Comedy, Dramedy, Family, Romantic Comedy, TV—half hour, TV—one hour.

How to submit: Use her form HERE.

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Ms. Millie Hoskins of United Agents, LLP (UK)

I joined United Agents in 2014 after studying English Literature at Exeter University and have been building my list of authors since 2017 whilst continuing to work closely with many of UA's long-standing bestselling clients. 

What she is seeking: Currently on the hunt for a voicy character driven bookclub novel, a fresh take on crime and some upmarket horror (in the vein of OUR WIVES UNDER THE SEA) as well as some eye-opening but accessible non-fiction.

How to submit: For submissions, please send in a synopsis and the first three chapters for a novel or a proposal for non-fiction to mhoskins@unitedagents.co.uk

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Cait Hoyt of Creative Artists Agency

Cait Hoyt began her career at Paradigm. She joined CAA in 2009, and in 2012 was named one of Variety’s “10 Assistants to Watch.” She was promoted to Agent in ­­­2013 and named one of Variety’s “Power Women of New York” in 2016. Hoyt graduated from Muhlenberg College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and Political Science. Hoyt works in every genre and represents many of the world’s leading activists, journalists, actors, musicians, writers, directors and producers in the publishing industry, including Will Smith, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Reese Witherspoon, Darren Aronofsky, Cleo Wade, Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush Hager, Kerry Washington, Channing Tatum, Eva Chen, Tim McGraw, Reese Witherspoon, and Jimmy Fallon.

What she is seeking: She works in every genre and is focused on building careers as authors for the leading actors, musicians, journalists, doctors, writers, and directors in the publishing industry.

How to submit: Use the agency's form HERE.

2 New Agents Seeking LGBTQ+ stories, memoir and essay collections, speculative fiction, New Age practices and more

Updated 9/23/22

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

Andrew Dugan is open to queries with particular interest in LGBTQ+ stories, gothic fiction, stories with a rich sense of humor, and literary fiction with a compelling hook. On the nonfiction end, he has a love for language-driven memoir and essay collections. He’s also seeking narrative nonfiction that has strong elements of social justice and is interested in popular science. Andrew is also looking for practical and narrative projects in the spirituality space, with a focus on tarot, witchcraft, and New Age practices. Andrew wants to see more novels in vignettes.

Zoe Aline Howard is looking for for voice-driven stories that subvert reader expectations of their subject matter. She is especially interested in off-putting and unashamed characters, women breaking social expectations, LBGTQ+ characters, grounded magical realism and speculative elements, and insular settings (small towns, amusement parks, summer camps). In adult nonfiction, Zoe looks for narrative nonfiction, memoir, and essay collections that blend personal narratives with research.

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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Mr. Andrew Dugan of Dystel Goderich & Bourret LLC 

NO LONGER LISTED ON AGENCY WEBSITE

Andrew Dugan joined DG&B in 2020 as an assistant in business accounting and subsidiary rights. Originally from the Philadelphia suburbs, he completed his B.A. in English at Drew University with coursework in Arabic and International Relations. After interning in magazines and attending the Columbia Publishing Course’s inaugural virtual session, he was fascinated by the symbiotic relationship between agent and author.

What he is seeking: Andrew is open to queries with particular interest in LGBTQ+ stories, gothic fiction, stories with a rich sense of humor, and literary fiction with a compelling hook. On the nonfiction end, he has a love for language-driven memoir and essay collections. He’s also seeking narrative nonfiction that has strong elements of social justice and is interested in popular science. Andrew is also looking for practical and narrative projects in the spirituality space, with a focus on tarot, witchcraft, and New Age practices. Andrew wants to see more novels in vignettes.

How to submit: Send query to adugan@dystel.com

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Ms. Zoe Aline Howard of Pine State Literary 

Zoe-Aline Howard is, in no particular order, a literary agent, book publicist, essayist, and sister. Her work in literary representation began six years ago at Howland Literary, and grew into our newest wing: Pine State Literary. During that time, she has carried out publicity campaigns for over 40 titles, including books by Ashley M. Jones, Nancy Lemann, Keetje Kuipers, Brian Allen Carr, Ruben Quesada, Austyn Wohlers, and more. She holds a BFA & Publishing Certificate from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and has yet to be proven wrong in her trust that there is a reader for every book.

What she is seeking: Zoe would love to read writing that explores boundaries: poets writing prose, region-specific writing about the coastal or “convenience store” south and the western United States, non-traditional narrators, unhinged women in fiction, and so on.   

In adult fiction, she looks for voice-driven stories that subvert reader expectations of their subject matter. She is especially interested in off-putting and unashamed characters, women breaking social expectations, LBGTQ+ characters, grounded magical realism and speculative elements, and insular settings (small towns, amusement parks, summer camps).   

In adult nonfiction, Zoe looks for narrative nonfiction, memoir, and essay collections that blend personal narratives with research. Her niche interests include internet culture, celebrities, pop culture, religion/spirituality, para-social relationships, material culture, and the relationships between people and the places they inhabit.

How to submit: Use her submission form HERE.

8 Paying Markets Open to Speculative Fiction Short Stories, Novellas and Novels - No agent required

Updated 11/6/23

Here are eight markets for speculative fiction short stories, poems, novellas, and novels. They want every subgenre of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, plus all combinations, including weird fiction, slipstream, magical realism, and more.

All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. 

For over a hundred paying speculative fiction magazines accepting submissions see: Mega-List of Speculative Fiction Magazines Accepting Submissions

Happy submitting!

(Image: Pixabay)

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Aethon Books

Aethon is open to all fiction genres with a focus on Science Fiction and Fantasy. "We don’t care what sub-genre you write in. Hard Sci-fi, Epic Fantasy, Space opera, Military SF, Alt/History, Time Travel and more." Aethon does not offer an advance, though they do give royalties. Books are published in all English-language territories – notably the US, Canada, UK and Australia – and are distributed through Ingram. Length should be between 60,000 and 80,000 words. Read their guidelines here.

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Android Press

Android Press is a small independent press that publishes science fiction, fantasy, light horror, and specializes in the various -punk subgenres. "We love stories that are full of hope and optimism, as well as stories that hold up a mirror to our society, forcing us reexamine our past and our values in order to move forward and build a better future." They publish novellas (17,000–40,000 words); short story collections [single author] (40,000–60,000 words); short story anthologies [numerous authors] (40,000–60,000 words); novels (60,000–100,000 words). Terms: $100 advance and royalties. Read their guidelines here.

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Dancing Star Press 

Dancing Star Press is seeking submissions of speculative fiction novellas. What sort of speculative fiction? Space operas, solar punk, dark fantasy, and urban fantasy. Hard science fiction with an emphasis on biology or chemistry rather than physics. Fantasy based on non-Western cultures. Optimistic futurism. Polar Tesla pop and soft science fiction. novellas should be between 17,500 and 40,000 words in length.

Reading periods are:
April 1 – June 30
October 1 – December 31

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Shorts stories and poetry

Ahoy Comics. Genre: Short fiction and social commentary. "We seek smart, weird, funny articles or stories, which run between 500 and 1,500 words." Payment. $200. 

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.)

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.

106 Calls for Submissions in June 2022 - Paying markets

This June 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 a few days prior to 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: Pixabay)

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Vastarien. Genre: Horror. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. Payment: 5 cents/word for prose; $50 for poetry and art. Deadline: Opens June 1. Submissions close when they reach their cap of 300.

Cutleaf. Genre: Fiction of all shapes and sizes. Length: Less than 6,000 words. Payment: $100 to $400. Deadline: Opens June 1. (Will close after first 100 submissions)

Stanchion. Genre: Short stories (3000-ish word max), flash fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, prose poems, stray thoughts, short screenplays, monologues, experimental work, interviews with inanimate objects, comics, black & white photography (vertical, portrait-oriented images are preferred), black & white drawings, black & white collage art, and other evocative images of mixed media artwork (also, you guessed it, in black and white). Payment: $10. Deadline: POETRY WINDOW (June 1-3) NON-POETRY WINDOW (June 5-7) VISUAL ART WINDOW (June 9-11)

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: June 1, 2022.

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

Totally Entwined: Secret Santa. Genre: Novellas, 30,000 - 50,000 words. Theme: Christmas Secrets. LGBTQ focus. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 1, 2022.

The Growlery. Genre: Essays in the 500-1000 word range. Topics: What The Hell Am I Thinking: Writers On Why They Write. Greatest Misses: Writers On Failure. Killer Reviews. Writers love and fear reader reviews at the same time, which is what makes them an interesting topic to explore. Payment: Contributors will receive 3-5 cents per word. Deadline: June 1, 2022.

Fieldnotes is a biannual print journal publishing new writing and artworks with a focus on practices that work between disciplines and against type. Genre: “We are seeking non-conforming submissions: ideas in transition, poetry in translation, collaborations and conversations, works between genres, between fiction and theory, between text and image, new poetic modes and things-in-progress.” Payment: £100-£200. Deadline: June 1, 2022.

Consequence Forum. Genre: Flash nonfiction focused on the human consequences and realities of war and geopolitical violence. Length: 500-900 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: June 1, 2022.

Scorched Earth Press: Cars Against Humanity! Genre: Nonfiction pieces whose goal is to illuminate the many ways in which cars, and the infrastructure built to support them, constrict (human) life. "We want the essays in this volume to help readers understand the deadly automotive ecologies that have emerged around the world over the past century." Payment: $50. Deadline: June 1, 2022.

Olit. Restrictions: Strong preference for Orlando based writers/submissions about Orlando and surrounding areas. Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Hybrid, Artwork, Photography. "Send us all kinds of stuff. We love the artfully weird." Payment: $10. Deadline: June 1, 2022.

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

Eternal Haunted Summer. Genre: Poetry, short fiction about Other-Than-Human Realms. Payment: $5. Deadline: June 1, 2022.

Massachusetts Review. Restrictions: Open to writers and poets who identify as D/deaf, disabled, chronically ill, mentally ill, and/or neurodiverse. Genre: Fiction, poetry, hybrid, nonfiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: June 1, 2022. 

The Offing: Enumerate. Genre: "Enumerate is our department of cataloging, of naming, of listing. It features work that is hybrid — cross-genre, and work in all genres (fiction, CNF, flash, poetry) — as long as it uses the form of a list (which you may interpret widely). Any length, any subject, any medium (i.e. text, video, photo, music, etc.). The lists should add up to some kind of literary foray, exploration, meditation, commentary, collage." Payment: $25–$100. Deadline: June 1, 2022. 

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: June 1 - 2, 2022.

Pillow Talking (Podcast). Genre: First person, narrative/creative nonfiction stories of real-life bedroom conversations. Theme: Blue. Payment: $25AUD. Deadline: June 4, 2022.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on Theme of  LAZINESS / DILIGENCE. Payment: $10 via PayPal for each story published in an Anthology. Deadline: June 5, 2022.

Mslexia. Restrictions: Open to women writers. Genre: Fiction and poetry on theme: cogs and spindles, locking and unlocking – and what lies inside. Stories must be no longer than 2,200 words (which translates to a 15-minute radio broadcast slot) and poems up to 40 lines (the maximum that can comfortably fit onto a single page of the magazine). There is no lower word or line limit. You may send up to four poems and/or up to two stories on any one theme. Payment: £25. Deadline: June 6, 2022.

Cossmass Infinities. Genre: Science fiction and fantasy short stories. Payment: $0.08/word for original fiction. Deadline: June 7, 2022.

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: June 7, 2022. Opens to submissions on June 1.

Coastal Shelf. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: $20 - $30. Deadline: June 7, 2022. Opens to submissions on June 1.

Diet Milk Magazine: Gothic. Genre: Gothic fiction, poetry, and art (drawings, paintings, comics, collages). Payment: $0.01/word for fiction (minimum $40); $15/poem; $50/art piece. Deadline: June 8, 2022.

Bright Wall/Dark Room. Genre: Essays on film and TV that engage in some way with the term voyeur. Payment: $50 per essay. Deadline: June 8, 2022.

Antithesis. Genre: Poetry, research articles, art, and short fiction, creative nonfiction, and personal essays up to 3,500 words on the theme of Tender. Payment: $50 AUD. Deadline: June 12, 2022.

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: June 12, 2022. Opens June 10.

Mary Celeste. Genre: Horror. "Mutiny? Piracy? Or one of the ocean’s greatest ghost stories? That’s up to you! We all know of the mystery surrounding the Mary Celeste’s 1872 voyage, but how many of us can really guess what happened? For this first volume, we’d love to see your interpretations. Our advice: think outside the box. There’s only so many places those crew members could have gone… or is there something we haven’t considered?" Payment: $10. Deadline: June 13, 2022.

Extra Teeth. Genre: Short fiction and nonfiction between 800 and 4,000 words. "We look for short stories that stick with you, lingering in the memory long after reading, and essays that explore specific interests or issues from a new perspective. We offer a space for writers to be strange, bold and experimental, and to express their unique style however they see fit." Payment: £100. Deadline: June 14, 2022.

Farmer-ish. Genre: Nonfiction, CNF, poetry related to farming (including recipes). Payment: $25. Deadline: June 14, 2022. See themes.

Plainsongs. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $50. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

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

Baffling. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. Length: Under 1200 words. Payment: 8 cents/word.  Deadline: June 15, 2022.

The Dire Dark. Genre: Fantasy Horror. Payment: $.01 for Reprints. $.02 for Originals. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Home Sweet Horror. Genre: Haunted houses, cursed dwellings, terrors close to home. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Midnight Echo. Restrictions: Open to Australians. Genre: Horror fiction, poetry, and non-fiction on horror-related subjects. Payment: AU$0.05/word for fiction. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

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

The Four Faced Liar. Genre: Fiction and creative non-fiction (up to 4000 words); flash fiction (up to 1000 words); poetry (up to 3 pages); visual art (1 piece); translations. Payment: €200 for a short story or CNF piece, €100 for a poem or piece of flash, and €100 for visual art, as well as a copy of the magazine for each contributor. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Bell Press Books. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $15 CAD, Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Bell Press Books. Genre: Poetry, CNF, art, fiction on theme: Rituals. Payment: $15 CAD, Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Bell Press Books. Restrictions: Canadians only. Genre: Poetry, CNF, art, fiction on theme: Framework of the Human Body. Payment: $15 CAD, Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Bull City Press. Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction Chapbooks. Payment: Royalties (?) Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Channel. Genre: Fiction, art, creative non-fiction, and poetry that engages with the natural world, and have a particular interest in work which encourages reflection on human interaction with plant and animal life, landscape and the self. Payment: €40/poem, and €50/page of prose up to €150. Deadline:  June 15, 2022.

Fourteen Poems Genre: Poetry. "We want to represent all that's thrilling about the new wave of LGBT+ poets. If you’re a poet, even if you’ve never been published before, we want to read your work. Every issue we publish 14 of the best queer poems we’ve found, and we want to include you! We publish 4 times a year, but take submissions all year round.  To be considered, email up to 5 poems, preferably in a pdf format, with a small paragraph about yourself to hello@14poems.com. Payment: £25 for each poem published. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Eye to the Telescope. Genre: Speculative poetry. Payment: $0.03/word, up to $25. Deadline: June 15, 2022. See theme.

Grain Literary Magazine is a Canadian publication. Genres: Individual poems, sequences, or suites up to a maximum of 6 pages, fiction, literary nonfiction. Payment: CAD $50 per page up to CAD $250. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

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: June 15, 2022.

Dracula Beyond Stoker Magazine. Genre: "Stories with Dracula himself as the main focus. His name is on the cover of the book, but he’s not the star of the show. Let’s change that." Some poetry accepted. Payment: "Compensation will be monetary plus contributor’s copies." Deadline: June 15, 2022.

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: June 15, 2022.

Archive of the Odd. Genre: Horror. Submissions must relate to the theme of monsters and also be non-traditional prose. Length: 500 to 8,000 words. Payment: $0.01/word for short stories chosen for the zine, and an even split of 50% of the royalties. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Mythulu Magazine. Genre: Capture an adulthood dilemma so universal it transcends culture and time---then explain it so a child can understand. Payment: $0.06/word or $15/page. Non-fiction pays $0.08/word. Creative works earn $0.04/word, with short stories capped at $75. Deadline: June 16, 2022.

The Bureau Dispatch. Genre: For 2022, we're in the market for 15 to 20 short stories between 500 to 1,500 words. We want your best work. We want fiction that is compelling and beautifully-crafted; narratives that leave the reader breathless and changed. The kind of story that, when all is said and done, elicits a resounding "sh*t, yeah!" We are open to all narratives, but are currently partial to ones that explore the theme of epistolary stories and/or found things. Payment: $50. Deadline: June 17, 2022.

Foyer. Genre: Nonfiction and art "exploring untold stories from people of mixed, third culture and second-generation cultural heritage” on the theme of “Connect.” Payment: £75 - £100. Deadline: June 17, 2022.

Pillow Talking (Podcast). Genre: First person, narrative/creative nonfiction stories of real-life bedroom conversations. Theme: Suddenly, Strangers. Payment: $25AUD. Deadline: June 18, 2022.

Maine Review. Genre: Short fiction, poetry. Payment: Fiction and Nonfiction writers receive a $25 honorarium per published flash (1,000 words or fewer) and a $50 honorarium for work 1,001 words or more. Poets receive a $25 honorarium per published poem. Deadline: June 19, 2022.  (Opens June 13)

The Cellar Door: Woodland Terrors. Genre: Horror/thriller stories that take place in or near the woods. Payment: $25. Deadline: June 20, 2022

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. Deadline: June 21, 2022. Accept reprints.

Dark Dispatch. Genre: Dark fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and crime short stories on theme: Outsiders. Payment: $25 - $75 depending on length. (up to 5,000 words.) Deadline: June 22, 2022.

Story Seed Vault. Genre: Fiction based on science. Up to 200 characters. Payment: Up to $3AUD per story. Deadline: June 24, 2022.

Black Ocean. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts, BIPOC poets only. Payment: Royalties.  Deadline: June 24, 2022.

Monster. Genre: Original monster stories. Payment: 1 cent/word and royalties. Deadline: June 24, 2022.

Neon Hemlock. Genre: Speculative novellas by trans women writers and writers of color. Length: Up to 40,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 25, 2022.

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

ongoing. Genre: Prose in any genre up to 1000 words based on musical prompt. Payment:  30CAD.  Deadline: June 26, 2022.

I Wasn’t Strong Like This When I Started Out: True Stories of Becoming a Nurse. Genre: Creative Nonfiction essays by and about nurses. "We’re looking especially for pandemic-era stories, which examine the complex and essential role nurses of all kinds have played in providing care and guidance for patients and families, as well as the ways in which the pandemic has affected both individuals and the healthcare system." Payment: Unspecified. Deadline: June 27, 2022.

Rough Cut Press. Restrictions: Open to LGBTQIA writers. Genre: Experimental fiction, nonfiction, art poetry. 650 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: June 27, 2022. See themes.

Metaphysical Times. Genre: Pagan and metaphysical topics, including spirituality, religion, divination, witchcraft, and more. Payment: $0.05 USD per word up to 1200 words after editing. Deadline: June 29, 2022.

Allegory. Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Payment: $15. Deadline: June 30th, 2022.

Best Asian Speculative Fiction Anthology. Genre: Asian Speculative Fiction. Pieces should be set in an Asian country and must have Asian main characters. Payment: $5. Deadline: June 30th, 2022. Reprints only.

Ripe Literary Journal. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $5. Deadline: June 30th, 2022.

Poetry Birmingham Literary Journal. Genre: Poetry, art. Payment: £25 per page. Deadline: June 30th, 2022.

Quarter Press: Myths Fables, and Folklore. Genre: Stories, art, poetry, nonfiction on theme: Myths Fables, and Folklore. Payment: $5. Deadline: June 30th, 2022.

Cloud Lake Literary. Restrictions: Canadian writers. Genre: Fiction, art. creative nonfiction, poetry, and children’s literature (up to and including YA). Payment: $50 CAD/per page to a maximum of $150 CAD. Visual Art Submission: $50 CAD/per submission. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Autonomous Press: Spoon Knife. Genre: Short fiction, short memoir, and poetry The theme for Spoon Knife 7 is transitions. Preference will be given to submissions that are in some way flavored with queerness and/or neuroqueerness. Payment: 1 cent per word. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Downstate Story. Genre: Short stories. Payment: $50. Deadline: June 30, 2022. Snail mail only.

Dancing Star Press. Genre: Speculative fiction novellas. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Willowherb. Restrictions: Open to writers of color. Genre: Previously unpublished non-fiction, fiction and poetry on nature, place, and environment. Payment: £250 for prose, £100 for poetry. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

LOLcraft: An Compendium of Eldritch Humor. Genre: Dark speculative humor. "Dark Speculative fiction which combine humor and something from the Cthulhu Mythos." Payment: $0.04/word.  Deadline: June 30th, 2022. Open until filled.

Green Writers Press. Genres: Poetry, fiction, short story collections, environmental essay collections, middle-grade and YA/teen fiction, artwork, and photography. Green Writers Press is an independent, Vermont-based publishing company, is dedicated to spreading environmental awareness and social justice by publishing authors who promulgate messages of hope and renewal through place-based writing and environmental activism. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 30th, 2022.

Kernel. Genre: Short stories, poetry, and/or art that imagines the future. "We are invested in understanding how technology and technologists play an active role in doing so." Payment: $50 - $300. Deadline: June 30th, 2022.

Fairy Tale Review. Genre: Queer fairy tales written by queer writers. Poetry, art, drama, and prose. Payment: $50. Deadline: June 30th, 2022. 

bath magg. Genre: Poetry. Payment: £20. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Freeze Frame Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction. "Any genre, no content restrictions. We want your science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, drama, literary works, satire, bizarre fiction, or anything else you can come up with or mix together. The more original, the better. The weirder, the better.” Payment: $10. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

VALRAVN. Genre: “Wyrd fiction” short stories (3,000 to 10,000 words). Horror, Espionage/Thriller, Science Fiction, Fantasy. Payment: $0.10 USD per word. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Typehouse. Restrictions: In honor of Pride Month, no-fee submissions are open for all LGBTQIA2+/Queer creators, not limited to those in the US. Genre: Prose, poetry, art. Payment: $25. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 1 cent/word for fiction and $5 - $10 for poetry. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Mythic. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy short stories. Length: 2,000-5,000 words. Payment: 1 cent/word for original fiction, $25 for reprints. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

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: June 30th, 2022. (Poetry only)

Dragon Soul Press: Beautiful Darkness. Genre: "In a world where so many dark things go bump in the night, terror awaits around every corner as these authors take horror stories to the next level." Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties. Deadline: June 30th, 2022.

Chestnut Review. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, visual media (art/photography). Payment: $120. Deadline: June 30th, 2022. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee.

Cast of Wonders. Genre: YA Speculative fiction. 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: June 30th, 2022. Limited Demographic: Young Authors (aged 19 or under at end of June).

Soldiers of the Old Ones. Genre: Lovecraftian horror tales of the people who fight for, sacrifice for, and work toward the takeover of the world by the Old Ones. Payment: $25. Deadline: June 30th, 2022, or until filled.

Kids Are Hell. Genre: Horror on theme: Children. 4K - 10K word count. Payment: $5. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Rites of Passage: An Anthology of Queer Pagan Fiction. Genre: Fiction. This anthology will explore the theme of coming of age as a queer pagan. Payment: $25-$75. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Strange Sunrises: Tales from Distant Planets. Genre: Science fiction stories that take place on another planet. Payment: $30USD. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Strange Aeon. Genre: Stories in a cosmic horror/Lovecraftian vein. Payment: $20 - $35. Deadline: June 30, 2022, or until filled.

The Quarterly. Genre: Poetry, fiction, art, analysis. "Works with fantastical elements: scary, happy, creepy, heartbreaking, bizarre, hilarious, whatever." Payment: $5, Deadline: June 30, 2022. See themes.

New Gothic Review. Genre: Dark, gothic fiction. Word count: 1,500 – 5,000 words. Payment: $65. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Threadcount. Genre: Prose, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid text. "We prefer writing that resists such classifications. Primarily we focus on hybrid works between prose poetry and flash fiction.” Payment: $25. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Funny Stories. Genre: True stories. "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: June 30, 2022. 

Air and Nothingness Press: The Librarian. Genre: Stories about one Librarian's adventures roving through the multiverse. Theme: "The Librarian travels the multiverse (along the timeline - past through the future - and across planetary systems and universes) helping out people, societies, and those in need, with their questions, problems, and research (as librarians do). Looking for positive, hopeful stories with positive endings, and narratives that celebrate librarians." Ideal story lengths are between 1000-3000 words. Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: June 30, 2022. 

Mud Season Review. Genre: Short stories, art, poetry, CNF. Payment: $50. Deadline: June 30th, 2022.

Game Over Books is a small Black and Queer-owned and operated publisher run collaboratively by a group of writers and working artists. "Our goal is to bust down the gatekeepers of traditional publishing while printing high-quality books by diverse writers. We strive to make our editing and publishing process honest, transparent and inclusive." Genre: Poetry and/or prose (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, hybrid, etc.) manuscripts. Payment: Royalties (?) Deadline: June 30th, 2022.

Dark Matter: Monstrous Futures. Genre: Dark sci-fi with an emphasis on exploring our connection with technology and one another through speculative concepts and backdrops. Word Limit: 2000-4000 words, no exceptions. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Brigid's Gate: Dangerous Waters: Deadly Women of the Sea. Genre: Short stories, poetry, and drabbles. "Theme: We’re looking for horror or dark fantasy stories, poems, and drabbles about malevolent mermaids, sinister sirens, scary selkies, spirits, and other deadly and dangerous women of the sea. Stories including the ocean or sea are the focus of the anthology, but we will consider stories involving rivers as well." Payment: Stories: $0.08 a word; Poems: $50 a poem; Drabbles: $50 a drabble. Deadline: June 30, 2022. 

Gollancz (an imprint of Hachette). Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, horror novels. Payment: Royalties, advance. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Kaleidotrope. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry—science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but also compelling work that blurs the lines between these and falls outside of neat genre categories. Payment: For fiction, $0.01/word (1 cent a word) USD. For poetry, a flat rate of $5 USD per accepted piece. For artwork, a flat rat of $60 for cover art. Deadline: June 30, 2022.
 

And a few more...

Les Petites Morts: An Anthology of Erotic Horror Inspired by Fairy Tales, Mythology & Folklore. Opens July 1. Deadline: TBA

Substantially Unlimited. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as part of the disability community. Genre: Prose, up to 15 pages. Theme: Stigma. Payment: $15. Deadline: July 1, 2022. Reprints accepted. 

The Cafe Irreal. Genre: Magical realism. 2,000 words max. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: July 1, 2022.

Totally Entwined: Cupid's Academy. Genre: Novellas, 30,000 - 50,000 words. Theme: Enemies to lovers. LGBTQ focus. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 1, 2022.

The Twin Bill. Genre: Fiction, CNF, poetry, art about baseball. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 1, 2022.

Thema: The Crumpled Yellow Paper. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: The Crumpled Yellow Paper. Payment:  $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: July 1, 2022. Accepts reprints.

Horror Oasis: Darklit Press: The Sacrament. Genre: Religious Horror. Payment: $0.01 per word for new stories and/or $25 for reprints. Deadline: July 1, 2022. Accepts reprints.

It Came From the Trailer Park: Volume 2. Genre: Horror. Theme: Horror Comedy / Creature Feature. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 1, 2022. 

Eerie River. Genre: Folk Horror. Word count: 1500 - 7000 firm. Payment: ¢1 per word CAD.  Deadline: Deadline: July 1, 2022. 

Alien Magazine. Genre: All types of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and visual art. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 1, 2022. 

Unsettling Reads: Still of Winter. Genre: Horror, fantasy, scifi stories, poems, art. "Stories that unsettle, unnerve, frighten, discomfit, challenge, and/or just generally entertain on theme of Winter." Payment: $20. Deadline: July 1, 2022. 

Minola Review. Restrictions: Open to women and non-binary writers. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 1, 2022. 

65 Writing Contests in June 2022 - No entry fees

This June there are more than five dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $100,000 to a trip to London. 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: Piqsels)

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Sapiens Plurum. Genre: Short stories that personalize the consequences of climate change. Theme: “Inventing Beautiful Futures.” Prize: 1ST PRIZE: $1000; 2ND PRIZE: $500; 3RD PRIZE: $300. Deadline: June 1, 2022.

The Novel Prize. Genre: Book-length work of literary fiction written in English. Prize: $10,000.  Deadline: June 1, 2022.

Cromwell Article Prize. Restrictions: Open to early career scholars. Genre: Articles published in the field of American legal history. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: June 1, 2022.

Peggy Willis Lyles Haiku Awards. Genre: Haiku. Prize: $150. Deadline: June 1, 2022.

The PEN/Heim Translation Fund. Genre: Book-length works of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and drama in translation. Beginning in 2017, under the administering of the PEN/Heim Translation Fund, PEN will also offer the PEN Grant for the English Translation of Italian Literature. From the pool of annual submissions, judges for the PEN/Heim Translation Fund will select one project of narrative prose that has been translated into English from the Italian to receive this award, which will come with a $5,000 prize. Prize: $2000 - $4000. Deadline: June 1, 2022.

Dan Veach Prize for Younger Poets. Restrictions: Open to poets aged 18-23. Genre: Poetry. Prize:  $100 and publication in the Atlanta Review. Deadline: June 1, 2022. 

PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists. Restrictions: Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated sufficient income to support the author. Genre: Book-length children's or young-adult fiction. Prize: $5000. Deadline: June 1, 2022.

The PEN/Jean Stein Grant for Literary Oral History. Genre: Literary work of nonfiction that uses oral history to illuminate an event, individual, place, or movement. Prize: $15,000 each. (Two prizes) Deadline: June 1, 2022.

Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships. Restrictions: Applicants must reside in the U.S. or be U.S. citizens. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and no older than 31 years of age as of April 30, 2021. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $25,800.  Deadline: June 2, 2022.

On The Premises: Unreliable. "For this mini-contest, tell, show, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long that is told from the point of view of an unreliable narrator. That is, you shouldn’t expect the reader to understand the story the same way the narrator does. Remember that an unreliable narrator isn’t necessarily a fool! The readers just have to recognize something in the story being told that the narrator doesn’t." Prize: $250 for first place, $200 for second, $150 for third. Deadline: June 3, 2022.

The Lorca Latinx Poetry Prize honors the role of transoceanic friendship in poet Federico García Lorca’s life, work, and legacy. Restrictions: Poet must have published no more than one full-length collection. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Translation of an emerging Latinx poet’s English language chapbook-length manuscript into Spanish and bilingual publication. "The Prize strives to facilitate platforms for this poet to present their work, including at festivals, residences and readings in the United States, and beyond." $500 and 10 copies of the chapbook. Deadline: June 5, 2022.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction based on their prompt. Length: 500 words max. Prize: $500AUD. Deadline: June 5, 2022.

Icelandic Festival of Manitoba Poetry & Short Stories Contest. Genre: Poetry and short stories. Length; 1200 words max. Prize: $50 - $125. "You do not need to be of Icelandic descent to submit an entry however material reflecting Icelandic culture and interests will be given preference." Deadline: June 5, 2022.

BlackInk: New Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to writers from the African and African Caribbean Diaspora based in the UK. Genre: Short story up to 3,000 words. Prize: £500 top prize. Deadline: June 6, 2022.

The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting. Restrictions: An address in the UK or Republic of Ireland or British Overseas Territory or British Forces Post Office. OR an entry code shared with you for submission to the International Award. Note: The Bruntwood Prize International Award of  £8,000 is open to international playwrights who can apply through their partners. (See site for list) Genre: Play. Prize: £16,000. Deadline: June 6, 2022.

Defenestration. Genre: Short story including an incident of defenestration – the art or –ism of throwing people out of windows. It need not be literal. "This can be a sudden, immediate, even violent shift, change, or seismical event between the beginning and the end.” Prize: $75, two runner-up prizes of $30 each. Deadline: June 7, 2022.

8th Jun Spectator Comp No. 3253: me time. Genre: ‘You are invited to provide a poem entitled ‘Song of Myself’ in the style of a well-known writer." Please email entries of up to 16 lines to lucyATspectator.co.uk Prize: £30. Deadline: June 8, 2022. 

Wyoming Creative Writing Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to Wyoming writers who are U.S. citizens or have legal resident status. Genre: Fiction, Poetry, CNF. Prize: $3,000 and an honorarium/travel stipend. One fellowship will be awarded in each category of Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, and Fiction, for a total of three fellowships. Applications are juried by noted authors, literary agents, or writing professionals from outside the state. Jurors may award honorable mentions. Recipients of the Creative Writing fellowships will share their work at one of Wyoming's literary conferences. Deadline: June 9, 2022.

Literary Taxidermy. Genre: Short story, must begin and end with lines from one of three chosen novels. Prize: Up to $1500 and publication. Deadline: June 11, 2022. Note: There is a voluntary $10 fee. Entrants are encouraged to pay the fee, but the fee will be waived in the case of financial hardship.

Ocean Awareness Youth Contest. Restrictions: Open to students in grades 6 - 12. Genre: Art, poetry, prose, film. "Use humor, positivity, irony, or other unconventional approaches that are not typically used in environmental communication to address the climate crisis. Think outside the tackle-box, beyond clichés, to create something that makes the topic of climate change and our oceans more approachable and accessible." Prizes: $100 - $1,500. Deadline: June 13, 2022.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Prize: $30. Deadline: June 14, 2022.

International Wizard of Oz Club Annual Contests. Genre: Short Fiction, Art & Academic Nonfiction Research Papers. All work must be related to the world of Oz. Prize: $100 in each genre. 2nd Prize $50 in each genre. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Christopher Hewitt Award. Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF, drama. "The award showcases outstanding responses to the AIDS pandemic and the realities of individuals living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Prize: $75 in each category. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Fraser Institute Student Essay Contest. Restrictions: Canadian high school, college, and graduate students. Genre: Short essay on "What in the world would Adam Smith say?" Prize: CAD$1,500 in each age category. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Baltimore Science Fiction Society Amateur Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to Maryland residents or students at a MD 2- or 4-year college, and not a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America or published in a professional science fiction/fantasy magazine Genre: Science fiction short stories. Prize: 1st place is $250; 2nd place is $100; 3rd place is $50. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Little, Brown Emerging Artist Award. Genre: High-quality picture books that resonate with readers of diverse backgrounds and experience. Diversity includes literal or metaphorical inclusion of characters of underrepresented ethnicity, religious background, gender identity, class, mental or physical disability, or any other nondominant populations. Prize: American Express® gift cards totaling $1,500, round trip travel to New York City, and the honor of a one-day mentorship with a Little, Brown Books for Young Readers’ professional children’s book design and editorial team. Submission will be reviewed for publication. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Goi Peace Foundation International Essay Contest for Young People. Restrictions: Open to people 25 years of age or less. Genre: Essay (max 700 words). Theme: “What is Life?” Prize: 1st US$840, 2nd US$420. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Vermont Studio Center – Full Fellowship Awards. The Vermont Studio Center offers 54 fellowships; open to anyone in the world. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Spectator Comp No. 3254: hard times. "You are invited to tweak a well-known book title to reflect the straitened times we live in (e.g. Lidl Women) and provide an extract of up to 150 words." Please email entries to lucyATspectator.co.uk Prize: £30. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Norton Writer's Prize. Sponsored by W.W. Norton & Company. "The Norton Writer’s Prize will be awarded annually for an outstanding essay written by an undergraduate. Literacy narratives, literary and other textual analyses, reports, profiles, evaluations, arguments, memoirs, proposals, mixed-genre pieces, and more: any excellent writing done for an undergraduate writing class will be considered."  Genres: Creative Nonfiction, Scholarly Essay. Prize: $1,500. Two runner-up prizes of $1,000. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

Bard Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Open to a writer who is an American citizen aged 39 years or younger at the time of application. Genre: Published fiction book. Prize: $30,000 and a one-semester appointment as writer-in-residence at Bard College. Deadline: June 15, 2022.

53 Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: June 15, 2022. (Note: This is a monthly contest)

Towson University Prize for Literature. Restrictions: Open to Maryland writers. Genre: Book-length manuscript of fiction, poetry, drama or imaginative non-fiction. The work must have been published within the three years prior to the year of nomination or must be scheduled for publication within the year in which nominated. Self-published works will not be considered. Prize: $1,000.  Deadline: June 15, 2022 (?) See nomination form HERE.

Maine Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to writers who have lived in the state of Maine for at least one year. Genre: Fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction. Prize: $5,000.  Deadline: June 16, 2022.

Scotiabank Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English. 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: Books published between May 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022 must be received on or before June 17, 2022.

Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship for Editorial Writing. Genre: Editorial writing. The Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship was established to enable a mid-career editorial writer or columnist to have time away from daily responsibilities for study and research. Freelancers may also apply. Fellowship: $75,000.  Deadline: June 20, 2022.

A Midsummer Tale Narrative Writing Contest. Genre: Non-genre fiction and creative nonfiction. Theme: The End. Length: 1,000 words minimum; 5,000 words maximum. Prize: $35 - $50 Amazon gift card. Deadline: June 21, 2022.

Write the World Competitions. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-18. Genre: Essay. (See themes) Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50. Deadline: June 21, 2022. (Note: This is a monthly contest)

Molly Keane Creative Writing Award. Restrictions: Open to Irish residents. Genre: Unpublished short story, maximum 2,000 words. Prize: 500 pounds. Deadline: June 22, 2022.

Solid Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students. Genre: Essay (See site for topics.) Minimum number of words is 600 and maximum is 800. Prize: Scholarship of $1000. Deadline: June 23, 2022.

Solarpunk. Genre: Micro fiction 250 words or less based on the monthly contest theme. (See theme) Prize: $25 and publication on the Solarpunk Magazine website. Deadline: June 23, 2022. (Opens June 17)

Great Lakes Colleges (GLCA) New Writers Award. Restrictions: Open to Americans and Canadians.  Genre: Poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. In each category, the submitted work must be an author’s first published volume. Prize: $500. Deadline: June 25, 2022.

Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction. Restrictions: Books must be English-language, first-edition trade books published by a Canadian press, written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Titles must be published between May 3, 2022 and September 30, 2022 . Genre: Literary nonfiction including, among other forms, works of personal or journalistic essays, memoirs, commentary, criticism both social and political, history, and biography. Prize: Winner: $60,000; Finalists: $5,000. Deadline: June 28, 2022.

Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Genre: Novel or short story collection. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to the novel or short story collection published between May 3, 2022 and September 30, 2022. Deadline: June 28, 2022.

Emmy Awards - Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award. Restrictions: Non-US citizens under the age of 30 only. Prize: $2,500, a trip to New York City, and an invitation to the International Emmy® Awards Gala in November. Deadline: June 29, 2022.

Shady Grove Literary. Genre: Flash fiction, 300 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

The Lindisfarne Crime Prize. Restrictions: Residents of the North East of England, or whose work celebrates the North East of England. Genre: Crime short story of up to 10,000 words. Prize: £2500. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

The Zachary Doss Friends in Letters Memorial Fellowship. Genre: Collaborations between two people in any genre or form. Length: 10 pages. Prize: $50. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Shady Grove Literary. Genre: Any style, genre, tone of flash fiction. Length: 300 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

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: June 30, 2022.

Sargeson Prize for Secondary Schools. Restrictions: Open to students enrolled at a New Zealand secondary school and aged between 16 and 18 years. Genre: Short story, Length: 5,000 words max. Prize: First Prize: $10000; Second Prize: $1000; Third Prize: $500. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Sargeson Prize. Restrictions: Open to New Zealanders. Genre: Short stories. Length: 5,000 words max. Prize: First Prize: $10000; Second Prize: $1000; Third Prize: $500. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Eden Mills Teen Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to Canadian teens. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Two $50 prizes, two $25 prizes. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. Restrictions: Contest is open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment and at least 5,000 copies (or 5,000 hits for online publication). Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi or Horror. 17,000 words max. Prize: $1,000 1st Prize awarded each quarter; one of those winners also receives the $5,000 annual "Golden Pen Award" grand prize. 2nd Prize $750, 3rd Prize $500. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Drue Heinz Literature Prize. Restrictions: The award is open to writers who have published a book-length collection of fiction or a minimum of three short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or literary journals of national distribution. Online and self-publication does not count toward this requirement. Genre: A manuscript of short stories; two or more novellas (a novella may comprise a maximum of 130 double-spaced typed pages); or a combination of one or more novellas and short stories. Novellas are only accepted as part of a larger collection. Prize: $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press under its standard contract. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Utah Division of Arts and Museums Original Writing Competition. Restrictions: Utah writers. Genres: Poetry and prose. Prize: $1,000 top prizes for book-length manuscripts of novels, creative nonfiction & history, collection of poetry or short stories, and juvenile book; $300 top prizes for individual poems, short stories, and personal essays. 2nd Prize $500 for the book-length categories, $150 for poetry. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Blue Mountain Poetry Card Contest. Genre: Poetry. "Poems can be rhyming or non-rhyming, although we find that non-rhyming poetry reads better. We suggest that you write about real emotions and feelings and that you have some special person or occasion in mind as you write." Prize: First prize $300. Second prize $150. Third prize $30. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

BART Short Fiction Contest. Genre: Short fiction by authors (18+) living across BART’s five counties (San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara). "With BART Lines, BART shines a light on the literary voices that make the Bay Area the unique, diverse place that it is. Our riders keep BART moving, and we want to highlight the best writers that the region has to offer and showcase it in our stations on our popular Short Story Dispensers.” Length: 7,500 characters or less (spaces included),” on the theme of “Motion.” Prize: $200. Deadline: June 30, 2022, or when they reach 400 entries.

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: General Nonfiction. Stories must be between 1000 and10,000 words in length. Prize: First prize in each category will be $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Finalists will receive $50. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

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. (See site for photo) Prize: 10 cents/word. Deadline: June 30, 2022. (This is a monthly contest)

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to "revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful." Genre: Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize: $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: June 30, 2022. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry, Griffin Poetry Prize. Restrictions: One prize goes to a living Canadian poet or translator, the other to a living poet or translator from any country, which may include Canada. Genre: Poetry. Books must have been published in English during the calendar year preceding the year of the award. Prize: Prizes are awarded annually in two categories – International and Canadian. Each prize is worth C$65,000. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Contest. Restrictions: The competition is open to all citizens and residents of the Commonwealth aged 18 and under. Genre: Essay. The theme of the contest is "Community in the Commonwealth." Prize: Past prizes have included certificates, resources for winner's school, visits to Cambridge University, a trip to London and a week of activities, work experience at international organisations, and having your entry featured in worldwide media. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Christmas Stories: Postcard Poem Competition. Genre: Poem. "Poems must be no longer than 16 lines, including title and stanza breaks, with no more than 10 words per line. Your poem must be in English. It must also be new, unpublished, and not currently submitted elsewhere." Prize: £75. Deadline: June 30, 2022.

Rattle Genre: Poetry based on image (See site). Prize: $100 and online publication. Deadline: June 30, 2022.