Writing Grant: The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children's and Young Adult Novelists

The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists is offered to an author of children’s or young adult fiction for a novel in progress. Previously called the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship, the award was developed to help writers whose work is of high literary caliber and assist them in completing their novel at a crucial moment in their career. The author of the winning manuscript, selected blindly by judges unaware of nominees’ names, receives a grant of $5,000.

Deadline: Submissions will be accepted from April 15 through June 15, 2026. Submissions will close at 11:59 p.m. EST on June 15th.

 Eligibility: 

• Candidates must be writers of children’s or young adult fiction.

• 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 significant sales.

• The writer’s previously published book(s) must be published by a U.S. trade publisher. Self-published works are ineligible.

• The submitted work must be a novel in progress that will not be published prior to April 15, 2027.

• NOT eligible: Graphic novels and picture books. Manuscripts written by more than one person.

Submission guidelines:

All documents should be formatted in 12pt Times New Roman, single spaced, with 1-inch margins.

This application requires two PDFs. The judges will only review the second, which asks for an outline, letter of utility, and manuscript. Please make sure these materials do not contain the author's name. Other materials are for internal use.

A first PDF containing: A 1-2 page cover letter including a 1-3 sentence summary of the project, a description of how the candidate meets the criteria for the grant, and a list of the candidate’s published novel(s) for children and/or young adults.
1-3 reviews of the candidate’s novel(s) from professional publications. These may be copies or links.
A 1-2 page letter of recommendation or support from an editor or fellow writer.

A second, anonymous PDF containing: 

• The candidate’s name should not appear anywhere on this PDF to ensure anonymity. A 2-4 page outline of the novel in progress being submitted.

• A 1-2 page description of how the funds will be used to complete the project. What will the candidate be able to accomplish with this funding that they could not do otherwise? Book sales, earnings, or other relevant information may be included here.

• A 50–75 page manuscript sample. This document should be double spaced for legibility.

Please consult our FAQ before directing any questions to awards@pen.org

Submit your entry here. 

Writing Competition: The Amity Literary Prize

The Amity Literary Prize is an award honoring authors of unpublished non-fiction, fiction including novels, YA, collections of short fiction, and poetry collections. Authors writing in English—regardless of nationality, residence, or publication history—may enter the competition.

The Award winner is offered publication and a $1000 cash prize. Though only one winner will be chosen, we may offer to publish other manuscripts submitted to the competition in addition to the prize winner.

Entry Fee: $25.00 

 AMITY: Friendship. 15th Century; Middle English amyte, amiste, borrowed from Anglo-French amité, amisté (earlier and continental Old French amistet, amistiet), going back to Vulgar Latin *amīcitāt-, *amīcitās, … of Latin amīcitia, from amīcus “friendly, well-disposed” — more at AMIABLE merriam-webster.com

SCHEDULE

Accepting Submissions: October 1 through December 31, 2025.
Winner will be announced April 2026.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Authors writing in English, regardless of nationality, residence, or publication history may submit to the competition.

• Only previously unpublished novels, YA novels, collections of short fiction, and poetry collections are eligible. Poetry manuscripts may be a collection or a single long poem but must include at minimum 60 – 120 pages of poetry.

• Fiction manuscripts, including collections of novellas, must be 70,000 words minimum.

• YA must be 50,000 words minimum.

All submissions must be submitted online through the Anamcara Press website. Manuscripts should be formatted 12-point type, double-spaced, and with a decent margin all around (1” is nice).

If your manuscript is accepted by another publisher while under consideration for the Amity Literary Prize , please withdraw it from the competition by notifying Anamcara Press. Entry fees cannot be refunded.

Our books are produced as print-on-demand trade paperbacks and distributed to the trade by Ingram Book Group and its distribution partners at the standard discount. For more information, click here. They are made available to bookstores, libraries, and online retailers everywhere. Additionally, Anamcara Press distributes directly to Amazon, and has wide distribution of both eBooks and Audio books through Draft2Digital, and Dreamscape Distribution.

Fees are used as prize money for the winners, to pay for publication of the winning manuscripts and any other manuscripts chosen for publication, and to pay for promotion. No one establishes a literary press to make money. It’s a labor of love.

We practice Good Karma and look forward to receiving your submissions. Thank you for your contribution to Anamcara Press!

Submit your entry here. 

Call for Submissions: After Dinner Conversation

Your story must spur discussions. It must require the reader to expand their mind and involve ethical questions.

Rule of Thumb: If you know the right answer, but don't do it because you lack courage, that's probably a HARD CHOICE. If you don't actually even know what the right answer is, that's an ETHICAL CHOICE (and what we publish). Ethical Question Quiz

 Our editor has made this video, explaining what we are looking for. In short, your writing can be any genre and from any perspective, as long as it stimulates ethical and philosophical discussions.

If you need an example, read “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by the amazing Ursula K. Le Guin. Another way to think of it is this, we are looking for The Trolley Problem in short story form. A great example of something we have published is “The Waiting Room.” “As You Wish” is a good example of the type of children’s story we publish.

If you think more in movies, think Ex Machina, Her, Blade Runner, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Looper. For TV, think The Good Place, Westworld, and Star Trek: TNG.

Better yet, listen to our podcast!

The point is, we don’t care if it’s sci-fi, fantasy, romance, contemporary women’s fiction, historical fiction, western, or whatever, but the short story should have a deeper point for a longer discussion. 90% of what we turn down is not because of the quality of the writing, but because it’s simply not the kind of thing we publish.

If you just want the hard stats, our acceptance rate is around 3%, and stories in the 2500-4000-word range seem to do better with our readers.

We do not accept novels, poems, or artwork.

Are there ethical question stories you are not looking for?

There are a few common topic submissions. We aren’t saying we won’t accept more (we will), but they would have to have a special twist. All things being equal, we are more apt to take a new idea over a “yet another…” idea we have seen before. Submissions we see weekly include:

Going back in time to warn or change the past, or yourself.

Harvesting body parts from animals, clones, the poor/etc to save others.

Anything related to having the right to commit suicide.

Erasing people’s memory in any way related to crime, or your own memory, to minimize the past trauma.

A straight trolley car problem, just in a different setting.

Medical decisions/treatments/testing that hurts some, but helps others.

A car driven by AI that has to decide what to do.

Straight Utilitarianism decisions.

Ethical cannibalism.

What length are you looking for?

• Children’s Stories: under 1,500 words

• Young Adult: under 3,500 words

• Adult: 1,500-7,000** words

More information and submission portal here. 

Accepted short stories from unsolicited submissions pay $75. 

Writing Residency: Mesa Refuge

Mesa Refuge welcomes a diverse community of writers—both emerging and established—who define and/or offer solutions to the pressing issues of our time. Particularly, it is our priority to support writers, activists and artists whose ideas are “on the edge,” taking on the pressing issues of our time including (but not limited to): nature, environment and climate crisis; economic, racial and gender equity; social justice and restorative justice; immigration; health care access; housing; and more.

We especially want writers of nonfiction books, long-form journalism, audio and documentary film. Occasionally we accept poetry, fiction (Young Adult/Adult Literary), screenwriting and playwriting, photojournalism, personal memoirs (as a vehicle to tell a larger story) and graphic narrative. We tend not to accept academic writing. The potential impact and distribution of your project is also important.

We aim to support a diverse community of writers and welcome applicants that represent a broad spectrum of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, immigration status, religion or ability. Please see our DEI statement for more information about our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

We have one application deadline during the year. The application is available on June 1, 2024 and the deadline is November 1, 2024 for residencies throughout 2025.

As a small nonprofit, our application fee of $50 helps underwrite the cost of application review. However, we do not want the application fee to be a barrier to apply. To request a fee waiver, please email us directly here.

The questions on our application are mostly short answer. We require one writing sample (max 2,000 words or 10 pages), a current resume, headshot photo and two references (we do not require letters of recommendation). Applicants will be contacted approximately 10 weeks after the application deadline.

Our residencies are two weeks long and there is no residency fee. Additional residency expenses like travel, transportation and food are your responsibility. Our facility accommodates three residents at a time.

Although we do not publicize summer residency dates, we often have 1-2 sessions available in the summer. Please note your interest in a summer residency in your application.

For more information, read our Frequently Asked Questions page, or contact us at:

info@mesarefuge.org

To apply, go here.

Writer-in-Residence for Writers of Young Adult or Children's Books: Boston Public Library Writer-in-Residence

Program Guidelines

Deadline: May 17, 2024

Residency Benefits

• A total stipend of $23,000, paid in monthly installments over one year.

• The opportunity to request up to $2,000 to be paid to an expert of your choice for coaching, editorial assistance, or a critical reading of your manuscript.

• Use of a private office. Office space usage is contingent on the Library being open to the public and it being safe to work onsite.

• Access to and use of the Boston Public Library’s Special Collections.

• A forum for the presentation/promotion of your finished literary work.

• Opportunities to establish connections with writers, publishers, artists, and the community-at-large through participation in/attendance at Library readings, lectures, and other events.

• At the end of the residency, your completed manuscript will be added to the BPL’s archives. (However, you retain all rights to your completed work.)

Eligibility

• The proposed literary project should be intended for children or young adult readers. All genres are welcome, including fiction, non-fiction, scripts, graphic novels, or poetry. (The majority of our submissions are generally young adult novels.)

• The applicant should demonstrate active engagement as a writer, whether full or part-time, as an avocation or profession.

• Since this program is intended for emerging authors, the applicant should not have any prior professional book publications. (Self-published books, textbooks, works for hire, articles, and short stories published in an anthology do not count against this eligibility criteria.)

• Only one proposal may be submitted per person.

• Joint applications or proposed collaborations by more than one author are not permitted.

• Works that are already under contract with a publisher are not eligible for submission.

• There is NO residency restriction to apply, but you must be able to spend at least nineteen (19) hours per week at the Boston Public Library’s Central Library in Copley Square.

• Must be legally eligible to work in the US, as a U.S. citizen or green card holder. English fluency required.

• There are NO age, gender, race, or educational requirements.

Terms of Residency 

• You will work a minimum of nineteen (19) hours per week from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.

• You will participate in a public reception at the BPL on October 1, 2024 to mark the beginning of your residency.

• You will complete a submission-ready manuscript by the end of residency, which you will present at a second public reception, on a mutually agreed upon date.

• You will include an acknowledgment of the Associates of the Boston Public Library in all work created during the residency, and during any media opportunities stemming from the program, using mutually agreed upon language.

• Optionally, you may participate in or create a program for Boston Public Library patrons such as a teen writing workshop or a presentation to Boston-area students, as mutually agreed upon with BPL Youth Services staff. (Participation would be only a small portion of your time and is not required.)

More information and application portal here.

Call for Submissions: Good River Review

Questions? Email us at:

goodriverreview@spalding.edu 

Prose writers should submit one story, one longer-form essay, memoir, or immersive journalism (no more than 5000 words typically), or two shorter stories or essays (less than 2000 words).

Lyric writers should submit up to five poems or micro pieces, no more than ten pages.

Dramatic writers may submit scripts for 10-minute stage plays or short films, including TV. We will also consider publishing video of produced scripts.

Those writing for children and young adults may submit work in any of our categories: prose, lyric, drama. See guidelines in each area for specifics on length and content.

We welcome queries to review new books (no more than 2 years since publication) of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, hybrid and cross-genre forms, and writing for children and young adults. For queries, formatting requirements and a list of titles available for review, contact Book Reviews Editor Lynnell Edwards:  

ledwards02@spalding.edu 

We are particularly interested in reviews of work that speaks to the current urgencies of race, class, gender, and the environment, as well as titles from independent and university presses. Reviewers should disclose (and preferably not have) conflicts of interests with the author or publisher, including reviewing works released by one’s own press or reviewing the work of a former or current student, mentor, friend, or colleague. Review essays of single (or occasionally multiple) titles should be 1000-1200 words. Capsule review essays of books of the same genre sharing a common element or theme feature three capsule reviews of 200-300 words each, preceded by a brief introduction.

Writing Grants for Writers and Artists Who Are Parents: Sustainable Arts Foundation

 Sustainable Arts Foundation

This year, we will make awards of $5,000 each to twenty artists and writers with children. Additionally, we will name twenty finalists.

Deadline: Feb. 24, 2023

Our awards offer unrestricted cash, which recipients can use as they like.

Our selection process is focused almost entirely on the strength of the submitted portfolio.

Eligibility

To be eligible, the applicant must have at least one child under the age of 18. Parents of older children with a disability or special needs may also be eligible. 

Who Should Apply

Artists and writers with at least one child under the age of 18 and a strong portfolio are welcome to apply.

We are inspired by anyone making creative work while raising a family. Given the intense demand for these awards (we typically receive 2,000-3,000 applications), and the fact that the awards are based on demonstrated excellence in your discipline, we don’t recommend that artists or writers just beginning their creative careers apply to this program.

While we don’t require that applicants have published or exhibited their work, the rigor and critique involved in that process can certainly benefit the portfolio. Portfolios of writing or artwork created in a more personal vein for sharing with friends and family are not suitable.

We invite you to view our list of previous awardees and follow the links to their work to get a feel for their level of craft.

Racial Equity As of Fall 2016, we make at least half our awards to applicants of color. You can read more about this decision on our website.

Disciplines Writers may apply in one of the following categories:

Creative Nonfiction
Early and Middle Grade Readers
Fiction
Graphic Novel/Graphic Memoir
Illustrated Children's Books
Illustrated Children's Books (Text Only)
Poetry
Young Adult Fiction

Visual artists may apply in one of the following categories: 

Book Arts
Ceramics
Drawing
Fiber Arts and Textiles
Illustration
Installation
Jewelry
Mixed Media
Painting
Photography
Printmaking
Sculpture
Wearable Textiles

Please see our FAQ for more information about disciplines. 

More information and application portal here.

Writing Grants: de Groot Foundation

 

The de Groot foundation will award ten $7,000 grants to writers in 2023. In addition to seven COURAGE TO WRITE grants, we’re thrilled to partner with Barry Lando, award-winning, former 60 Minutes investigative journalist, to award three LANDO grants to writers exploring migration, immigration and refugee issues, challenges and solutions.

As we’ve done in our inaugural year, the Grant Selection Committee has may choose up to 10 additional writers for Writer of Note grants of $1,500 each.

Need a motivational boost to further a writing project? The de Groot Foundation COURAGE to WRITE grants are designed to do just that! Writing takes focus, courage, commitment, and time. These grants provide a monetary respite to inspire you to move towards completing a work in progress.

Who Should Apply

We welcome applications from adult writers actively engaged in a writing project and for whom a monetary boost could help further or complete their project. Applicants may be writing in any genre.

Awards

In 2023, The de Groot Foundation will award seven COURAGE to WRITE grants of $7,000 each to writers writing in any genre and three $7,000 LANDO grants to writers exploring immigrant/refugee issues and experiences.

In addition, the selection committee has the option to select up to 10 additional writers for Writer of Note grants of $1,500 each.

• Eligibility Applications are open to individual adult writers regardless of race, ethnicity, gender orientation, education, economic situation, geographic origin or location.

• Applicants must be individuals. Companies or organization are not eligible.

• Applicants must be over 18 years of age at the time of the application deadline.

• Applicants must use their legal name, not a pen name.

• Applications are not open to family, members of the board or employees of the The de Groot Foundation, Lando family members or the selection committee.

• Applications must be submitted in English.

• If you received a Courage to Write grant in 2022, you must wait until 2024 to apply again.

• If you received a Writer of Note grant in 2022, you are eligible apply for a grant in 2023

Deadline: Feb. 15, 2023

Application Fee: $22.00

More information and application link here. 

Call for Submissions: Black Fox Literary Magazine

Black Fox Literary Magazine is a print and online biannual publication featuring quality fiction of all styles and genres, poetry, and nonfiction. We publish one Summer Issue and one Winter Issue each year. We accept general submissions in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for each issue during the following periods:

Summer (2023) Issue Submission Period: March 2, 2023–May 31, 2023.

Winter (2023) Issue Submission Period: September 1, 2022–November 30, 2022.

Submissions received after the last day of the submission period will not be considered for that issue. Please send only one submission per submission period.

We accept submissions for the following categories year-round:

Submission with Donation
Submission with Expedited Response of 4 Weeks
Submission with Expedited Response of 2 Weeks
Submission with Feedback (Fiction Only)
Art
Blog Posts

Cover Art

We are looking for artwork to feature on the covers of our issues. We prefer art that can be displayed on our cover in portrait format. Please do not send more than five pieces of art at a time. If submitting multiple pieces, we prefer images to be in one document. Review previous issues to get a feel for our tastes. Send your best artwork, including drawings, photographs, etc. through our submission manager found here.

Fiction

We’re always looking for quality fiction to publish in our biannual issues. We accept work based on merit and not based on genre. We enjoy receiving submissions from under-represented genres such as: YA, romance, flash fiction, mystery, etc. We ask that you keep submissions to 5,000 words or less and follow our guidelines for preparing your manuscript. Submit your fiction through our submission manager found here.

Creative Nonfiction

We’re looking for personal essays and other creative nonfiction. There is no submission fee, but please prepare your manuscript according to our guidelines. Submit your creative nonfiction through our submission manager found here.

Poetry

Please send only three poems at a time in one document. Poems do not have to be double spaced, but poets should still use Times New Roman, 12 pt. font and the poet’s last name/page number should still appear in the top right hand corner of every page. Poets, please keep in mind that our issue pages are 6×9. For this reason, poems with particularly long lines often don’t work well. Submit your poetry through our submission manager found here.

Blog Posts

We’re always looking for contributors for the Black Fox blog. We are particularly interested in articles on the craft of writing, book reviews, book news, and publishing news. If it’s writing, book, or publishing related, then this is the place for it. If we like your article we’ll publish it to our blog. Submit your articles through our submission manager found here.

Writing Competition: New Visions Award

TU BOOKS, the middle grade and young adult imprint of LEE & LOW BOOKS, is pleased to announce the tenth annual New Visions Award. This award is given to a middle grade or young adult novel by a writer of color or Indigenous/Native writer.

Established in 2012, the New Visions Award encourages writers of color and Indigenous/Native writers to submit their work to a publisher that takes pride in nurturing new talent. Winners are chosen by a committee of Lee & Low employees across several departments (Marketing, Editorial, Sales, Literacy). Each New Visions Award winner will receive a cash prize and a standard publishing contract for their winning manuscript. 

The Award winner receives a cash prize of $2,000 and our standard publication contract, including our basic advance and royalties for a first-time author. An Honor Award winner will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

Winners also receive close publishing mentorship as they work to develop their book for publication. The process for nurturing manuscripts is incredibly time-consuming and Tu Books/Lee & Low's commitment to this contest represents 10+ years of dedication. We are in this for the long haul! We ask for the same commitment and courtesy from authors who enter this contest. Therefore, before entering, please make sure you are able to commit to the contest rules below.

Past winners include Ink and Ashes by Valynne Maetani, an Asian/Pacific American Honor for Literature; Rebel Seoul by Axie Oh, which received three starred reviews and is a Junior Library Guild selection; Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar, which received two starred reviews and is listed as a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People; The Wind Called My Name by Mary Louise Sanchez; and Julieta and the Diamond Enigma by Luisana Duarte Armendáriz.

Deadline: Aug. 1, 2022

For full guidelines and submission link, go here. 

Writing Grants for Diverse, Unpublished Writers: The Walter Dean Myers Grants

The Walter Dean Myers Grant program was established to provide grants of $2,000 each to promising diverse writers and illustrators who are currently unpublished. Since 2015, we have awarded 34 grants.

SUBMISSION WINDOW

We will start accepting applications for the 2022 Walter Grants at 12:01 AM EST on June 1, 2022. Our submission window will remain open until June 30, 2022. Applications must be in by 11:59 PM EST on June 30. You may submit an application below using our application form.

In 2022, we are offering community-specific grants in addition to our general Walter Grants. We are offering two Walter Grants to trans writers or illustrators, two Walter Grants to Muslim creators, and two Walter Grants to Native/Indigenous/First Nations writers or illustrators. To apply for these grants, you must select that you wish to be considered in your application.

ELIGIBILITY FOR GENERAL WALTER GRANT Applicants must identify as diverse, as per WNDB’s definition of diversity.

• Applicants must be unpublished as illustrators and/or authors. This includes both trade publishing and self-publishing. If the applicant has a book deal for an as yet unpublished book, the applicant is considered published for purposes of this grant. Essays, short stories, and articles do not render an applicant ineligible.

• Applicants who have books on submission to publishing houses are not eligible for the Walter Grant. Books on submission to procure an agent however will not render the applicant ineligible.

• Applicant must be working toward a career as a children’s author and/or illustrator. This includes but is not limited to: Picture Books, Early Reader Books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade Books, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Non-Fiction, Poetry.

• Applicant must be a U.S. resident or a refugee living in the States. (Note for refugee applicants: receiving a grant might affect your income limitations and any government assistance you may receive. You may want to reach out to appropriate officials, like an immigration attorney, for advice.)

• Applicant must be at least 18 years in age.

ELIGIBILITY FOR WALTER GRANT FOR NATIVE/INDIGENOUS CREATORS 

• Applicant must meet all of the above qualifications as stated for our general Walter Grant AND

• Applicant must be Native, Indigenous, and/or First Nations, including but not limited to Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians, and tribal citizens and members or recent descendants who are connected to their community.

• You may belong to one or more of these communities and still decide to apply for a general Walter Grant. If you belong to more than one of these communities, you need to choose one of the grants to apply for and cannot apply to more than one.

ELIGIBILITY FOR WALTER GRANT FOR MUSLIM CREATORS 

• Applicant must meet all of the above qualifications as stated for our general Walter Grant AND

• Applicant must be Muslim.

• You may belong to one or more of these communities and still decide to apply for a general Walter Grant. If you belong to more than one of these communities, you need to choose one of the grants to apply for and cannot apply to more than one.

ELIBILITY FOR WALTER GRANT FOR TRANS CREATORS 

• Applicant must meet all of the above qualifications as stated for our general Walter Grant AND

• Applicant must be a part of the trans community. The Walter Grant for trans creators is open to all trans writers and illustrators, including but not limited to people who are trans men, trans women, Two Spirit, third gender, nonbinary, genderqueer, bigender/pangender, genderfluid, and agender.

• You may belong to one or more of these communities and still decide to apply for a general Walter Grant. If you belong to more than one of these communities, you need to choose one of the grants to apply for and cannot apply to more than one.

Link to complete guidelines and application form.

Call for Submissions: After Dinner Conversation

Your writing can be any genre, and from any perspective.

However, it must spur discussions and require the reader to expand their mind. If you need an example, read “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by the amazing Ursula K. Le Guin. Another way to think of it is this, we are looking for The Trolley Problem in short story form. A great example of something we have published is “The Waiting Room.” As You Wish is a good example of the type of children’s story we publish.

If you think more in movies, think “Ex Machina,” “Blade Runner,” “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind,” and “Looper.” For TV, think “The Good Place,” “Westworld,” and “Star Trek, TNG. Or, better yet, listen to our podcast!

The point is, we don’t care if it’s sci-fi, fantasy, romance, contemporary women, historical fiction, western, or whatever, but the short story should have a deeper point for a longer discussion. 90% of what we turn down is not because of the quality of the writing, but because it’s simply not the kind of thing we publish.

If you just want the hard stats, we have an acceptance rate around 10% and stories in the 2500-4000 word range seem to do better with our readers.

We do not accept novels, poems, or artwork.

What length are you looking for?

Children’s Stories: Under 1,500 words
Young Adult: Under 3,500 words
Adult: 1,500-7,000* words

What does this pay?

Accepted short stories from unsolicited submissions are $0.01 per word (limit $30).

Do you accept reprints and/or simultaneous submissions?

Yes. Just make sure you are not in violation of any other agreements you signed.
How long will it take to hear back?

We continue to be a victim of our own success and get more and more submissions every month. As such, read/response time is running about 2-3 months. Consider no news, good news. Rejections are easy (and fast). Potential acceptance means going to a larger committee for discussion, and that takes a bit of time. Check/report your submissions on Duotrope.

We also have a “Fast Pass” submission process that gets you priority reading for just $3 and a response in 3-5 business days.

Why are so many of the stories you publish science fiction?

We would love to publish fantasy, biography, western, horror, erotica, etc. We just don’t get many submissions in these genre that fit the “trolley problem” guidelines, but if they did, we would happily publish them.

Do you need readers?

Yes! There is no better way to improve you writing then by reading what other people wrote! We would love to have more volunteer readers! Just email us at:

info@afterdinnerconversation.com 

to learn more.

* For some reason, shorter submissions (2,500-4,500 words) tend to fare best. Anything longer than 5,000 words, and you should assume we will read just the first page or two and start skimming as it’s really rare we will publish something that long.

It’s nothing personal, it’s just that longer submissions tend not to have enough ethical question density and the length comes from being verbose and descriptive rather than adding ideas of substance to the story. That said, this is just the trend we see, it is not a requirement. We have about a 10% acceptance rate.

Email your submission to:

submissions@afterdinnerconversation.com 

with “After Dinner Conversation - Submission” in the Subject Line.  

More information here. 

Call for YA Submissions: Cast of Wonders

Cast of Wonders is a young adult short fiction market, open to stories up to 6,000 words in length. We’re dedicated to publishing fiction that reflects the entire spectrum of the human experience. We acknowledge the realities of unconscious bias and make our best effort to account for it during our review process. Read our full statement in support of lowering publishing’s barriers to entry for authors from historically underrepresented backgrounds in our full submission guidelines.

All submissions must be anonymous. Non-anonymous manuscripts will be rejected unread, and no permission granted to resubmit. Further detail is provided below.

One of our goals is to further the education of new writers of any age. These submission guidelines are lengthy and extensive. They aim to explain what we’re looking for, what we’ll do with your story, and where you can find further information. If they don’t answer your specific question, please query before submitting a manuscript.  

What We’re Looking For:

Stories that evoke a sense of wonder, have deep emotional resonance, and have something unreal about them. We aim for a 12-17 age range: that means sophisticated, non-condescending stories with wide appeal, and without gratuitous or explicit sex, violence or pervasive obscene language. Think Harry Potter or The Hunger Games.

• Stories are presented in audio format, which means our audience rarely skim past boring bits. We’re looking for fiction with strong pacing, well-defined characters, engaging dialogue, and clear action. We like a proper narrative structure and a prose style not laden with clichés and over-worn idioms. We like fiction that makes us think, but the main elements should be thrilling entertainment, adventure and emotional connection.

• We like all forms of fantasy — high, modern, urban, alternative history, etc. We’re less fond of the complex, intricate or cerebral forms of fantasy more common in novel markets; short stories rarely offer enough room to sufficiently develop.

• We like all forms of science fiction — far-future, near future, space opera, “hard” sci-fi — but it must be accessible to our target audience, meaning a minimum of technical jargon.

• Our horror offerings tend to be psychological, comedic, or situational — not visceral.

• We’re happy to read comedy, steampunk, age-appropriate paranormal romance, superheroes and many other genres. All that matters is adherence to our core concept and that critical spark of wonder.

Payment and Rights

Short version: we pay $.08/word for original fiction of any length (yes, including flash!). For reprints, we offer a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction. Cast of Wonders is a qualified market for the SFWA and the SCBWI. 

Read our full guidelines and submit your work here. 

Deadline: December 21, 2021

Call for Submissions: Persea Books

Submission Guidelines

Fiction & Nonfiction Submissions

We are pleased to receive query letters via email from authors and literary agents. We no longer accept physical query letters or submissions.

We publish literary fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, essays, biography, literary criticism, books on contemporary issues (multicultural, feminist, LGBTQI+), Young Adult novels, and literary and multicultural anthologies that are assigned in secondary and university classrooms.

Most of all, we are looking for the fresh voice, a clear point of view, the well-written work that will endure. We are pleased to publish debut books and to continue publishing the authors we take on.

We do not publish genre fiction (romance, fantasy, science fiction, thrillers), self-help, textbooks, or children's books.

Poetry Submissions

We have a longstanding commitment to publishing extraordinary contemporary poetry. Due to our commitment to the poets we already publish, we are limited in our ability to add new collections. If you would like to query our poetry department, click here to send an email describing your current project and your publication history, and attaching a PDF or Word document with up to twelve sample pages of your poetry. If we are interested in seeing more work, we will contact you.

More information and submission link here.

Call for Submissions: Quirk Books

If you are an author who would like to submit directly to Quirk, please submit your query letter and proposal or manuscript to:

submissions@quirkbooks.com

We don't have requirements on the amount of material you submit, but you must include a query letter. This inbox is monitored by our editorial assistant, Jessica Yang. If you think your project is a good match for a specific editor, feel free to note that in your query.

Please note: we only review digital queries and sample material. No physical submissions, please.

Thank you for thinking of us!

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Are you interested in becoming the author of a Quirk-generated idea?

We have a creative tradition of coming up with offbeat, high-concept ideas and finding the right authors to execute them, which has led to some of the most successful books in our company's history and long-term partnerships with our authors. If you're interested in becoming the author of a Quirk-generated idea, you can send samples following the guidelines below. If an editor likes your sample, they'll reach out to you with details on how to audition for their specific book idea.

Idea #1: Quirk Books is seeking writers to audition for an adult mystery/thriller novel centered around multi-level marketing schemes. Writers with keen observation, biting humor, and a grittier sensibility are desired. We are especially enthusiastic to see pitches from women of color.

Please email:

rebeccasubs@quirkbooks.com 

with the subject line "MLM novel audition". In the body, include a brief cover letter telling us a little bit about yourself, previous writing experience or publications (if applicable), and your interest in the project. Attach approximately 25 pages of previously written sample material in the genre.


Idea #2: Quirk Books is seeking writers to audition for a YA mystery/thriller set in the world of social media influencer culture. Writers who tend towards dark humor and social commentary, and who are fascinated by social media and the influencer industry, are encouraged to apply. We are especially enthusiastic to see submissions from women of color.

Please email:

alexsubs@quirkbooks.com 

with the subject line "YA influencer novel audition". In the body, include a brief cover letter telling us a little bit about yourself, previous writing experience or publications (if applicable), and your interest in the project. Attach approximately 25 pages of sample material in the genre.


Idea #3: Quirk Books is seeking writers to audition for a YA science fiction/mystery novel that takes place on a royal space station. Writers with an affinity for character-driven writing, vivid worldbuilding, complex plotting, and compelling queer romance are encouraged to apply. We are especially enthusiastic to see submissions from queer writers of color. (Note: We do not expect or require writers to disclose their identities.)

Please email:

jessicasubs@quirkbooks.com 

with the subject line "YA science fiction novel audition". In the body, include a brief cover letter telling us a little bit about yourself, previous writing experience or publications (if applicable), and your interest in the project. Attach approximately 25 pages of sample material in the genre.

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Jhanteigh Kupihea (SVP, Publisher) acquires a select number of titles for the list each year. She is interested in exceptionally written, high-concept adult fiction. She loves horror and speculative fiction that asks a big "what if?" question with high emotional stakes. She's especially attracted to social justice themes in these genres. She also loves fun, voice-y novels for women, especially ones that focus on female friendships or subvert romantic comedy tropes. Regardless of the genre, she gravitates toward distinctive voices and anything that plays with unusual structures.

In gifty non-fiction, she's looking for books about the highly visible aspects of popular culture, including TV, movies, celebrities, and self-care trends. In narrative nonfiction, she's looking for books about the less visible people and forces that have shaped our culture in unusual and/or meaningful ways.

Alex Arnold (Senior Editor) is looking for high-concept stories for the young and young at heart. In YA, she'd especially like to see genre-bending, high-stakes fiction that grapples with social justice in surprising ways; psychological thrillers; queer rom-coms; and nonfiction at the intersection of pop culture and social issues. In middle grade, she's drawn to dark and strange magic a la Coraline, clever twists, and nonfiction that uses fun, humor, and inspiration to bring readers to new topics. In picture books and board books, she's looking for concept-driven, funny, and joyful read-alouds.

In all categories, she is on the lookout for diverse, underrepresented voices, stories that play with structure and format, characters that could step off the page, and atmospheric settings that make her feel transported.

Jess Zimmerman (Editor) is looking for adult narrative nonfiction, humor, and gift books, particularly from underrepresented authors. (Though if you have a great nonlinear or formally peculiar piece of fiction, send it over.) She's especially interested in the internet, science and science fiction, fresh or funny takes on the literary canon, the occult, myths and legends, and anything offbeat, dark, mysterious, or weird. Her ideal book has an oddball candy coating and a chewy social justice center.

Rebecca Gyllenhaal (Assistant Editor) is on the lookout for high-concept commercial nonfiction and fiction for adults and welcomes diverse authors and pitches.

In adult nonfiction, her bread and butter is pop history, but she is also interested in pop culture-driven projects and gift books with an off-the-wall sensibility. She is open to humor and is seeking any project that can capture that particular darkly absurd millennial sensibility. Any project driven by cultural obsession and/or affection is likely to catch her eye. Some of her personal obsessions include cults, conspiracy theories, bizarre subcultures, weird history, folklore, hauntings, and all things strange, macabre, and obscure.

In adult fiction, she is looking for concept-driven novels, especially in the realms of mystery, psychological or domestic thriller, and horror. (Bonus points if it features an unusual setting and/or loads of atmosphere.) Her greatest love is Gothic fiction, especially when it deliberately plays with the tropes. She is also open to genre-adjacent fiction with a literary bent. Loose retellings interest her: if you have a haunted house story with a twist or a modern update on Northanger Abbey or The Picture of Dorian Gray, send it! She also loves novels that meditate on new technologies, the gig economy, and late capitalism. All fiction must have a beating heart, a strong voice, a tight plot, and a fresh, grabby hook.

Rebecca also writes and edits the licensed Pop Classics series, which adapts cult classics films and TV shows into picture books.

Jessica Yang (Editorial Assistant) supports Alex Arnold and develops select projects for the YA and kid's list at Quirk. She's drawn to middle grade with a pinch of magic and plenty of heart, YA romance that plays with beloved tropes, and science fiction and fantasy that steps away from or critically engages with Western canon. She has a soft spot for lighthearted queer romance and anything that reminds her of a Studio Ghibli movie.

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Are you an illustrator or represent illustrators? Please send all illustration samples to:

artsubmissions@quirkbooks.com 

This account is monitored directly by our design team. Thanks!

For more information about what we publish, please visit our website.

Book Awards for Midwestern Authors: Friends of American Writers Chicago

Each year FAW recognizes new emerging Midwestern authors or those whose novels or non-fiction writing are set in the Midwest. Each year the Literature Awards Committee reads and reviews dozens of books for selection of the current year award winners. We review books September through April, with the winners celebrated at our May Luncheon. Books are eligible for review based on the following criteria. Send in your book and become a FAW Literary Award Winner!

• The author must be a resident (or previously have been a resident for approximately five years) of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin; or the locale of the book must be in a region identified above.
  

• The books can be fiction or creative non-fiction.

• Self-published (vanity press) and e-Books are not eligible.

• The book must be published in the calendar year prior to the awards year. Currently we are evaluating books published during the 2020 year.

• The author must not have published more than three books under his/her own pen name, with up to and including the third book being eligible for consideration. If an author has more than one book published during that year, we will consider all of them.

• Books nominated for the award must be submitted to the FAW Awards Committees by December 10, 2020. No applications are necessary. Forward your submission to one of the designated Literary chairs as early as possible (Aug - Dec). Send two copies of each book along with a short biographical material regarding the author. 

• We also give awards to YA books. The eligibility requirements are the same.
  

• Questions? Send an email to: 

infoATfawchicagoDOTorg (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )

Mailing address for Literature Awards:

Karen Pulver
FAW Literature Award
748 Western Ave
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

Email address for Literature Awards:

lit_chairATfawchicagoDOTorg (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )

For information on how to submit to the Young People's Literature Award, contact Angela Gall, Young People's Chair at:

infoATfawchicagoDOTorg (Change AT to @ and DOT to .)

Call for Science Fiction Submissions: StarShip Sofa

 What do we want?

In a word: science-fiction. From the soft, social science fiction to the weird pulpy stuff to the vigorous hard SF and YA adventure. We welcome all sub-genres and all variety of punks in all their colours. From high-octane action to quiet philosophical stories, we’re after it all.Science fiction is a rich and diverse genre, push it’s boundaries as far as you can go.

We welcome translations and are very interested in stories that take place/written by authors outside the US/Anglo-sphere, as well as as alternative movements and styles. These include (but not limited to) “non-Western” science fiction, Chinese SF, Soviet speculative fiction, Afro-futurism, etc.

The exception is that the SF element must be the backbone of the story. It cannot be an afterthought, or simple window dressing. It can be subtle, but it has to be the story’s foundation. If you take away the speculative element and the story still stands, then it’s not science-fiction and it is not for us.

We are also not interested in fantasy or supernatural horror stories. Genre labels are loose, but if the coal in the story’s engine is magic or supernatural based, we don’t want it. But if there are science-based elements, however soft, then it can be considered. If in doubt, send. Ultimately the best way to get a feel for what we want is to listen to the podcast itself. We favour rich world building, tight prose, complex characters, engaging dialogue and strong pacing, however you define it. 

Although we will consider all types of SF, second person is a very tough sell, as are stories that are preachy and didactic in nature. We’re not the place for fanfiction, fetishistic torture-porn, or total erotica (more stuff on that below). We don’t take well to gimmicky stories that lack a narrative, and as for yarns about werewolves, zombies, vampires… don’t even get us started. Seriously. It won’t end well.

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Adult content

Fiction should be free to explore any themes it wishes to, and that means going to some very dark places. There are no levels to the amount of violence, themes, sex, swearing, drugs, or otherwise adult themes in our stories. If it’s done right, nothing is taboo. If it’s part of the human experience, then it’s applicable to fiction.

However, we are not an erotica market, and torture-porn is unlikely to impress us. We don’t take well to blatant shock value. Whatever you’re sending, just make sure it’s thematically justified.

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Rights and payment

StarShipSofa pays $50 USD flat rate per story. We only require nonexclusive, one time audio rights to play your story. Authors are paid for their stories on the 7th of the proceeding month.

More information about our guidelines and submitting here.

Call for Submissions from Canadian Writers: Cloud Lake Literary

It should come as no surprise that Cloud Lake Literary publishes literary writing. However, we also believe that typically commercial stories and themes can be well-written and developed and so we welcome all submissions for consideration. We are looking for outstanding writing, surprising and special stories, and passionate writers.

We accept unsolicited submissions for publication in our digital magazine from Canadian writers in the following categories: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and children’s literature (up to and including YA). Submissions are accepted year-round. 

Reading Period:

Submissions received between January 1st and June 30th will be considered for our Fall volume (September publication).

Submissions received between July 1st and December 31st will be considered for our Spring volume (March publication).

Response time is up to 7 months: the duration of the reading period and one month following. Ie. Those submissions chosen for publication will be notified by July 31st if they have submitted during our Fall Volume reading period.

Please note that we do not provide feedback or commentary on your submission.

We only accept online submissions. This allows our team from across Ontario to work in a collaborative environment. Submissions are to be sent to

contact@cloudlakeliterary.ca  

We support Canadian writers, artists, and creatives and publish their work. We welcome all persons: those of all ages, creeds, political affiliations, of all races, of all genders, those with disabilities, and those within the LGBTQIA+ community. We are learning and working to create an inclusive and welcoming space for all people.

We will not accept or tolerate submissions that include discrimination or hate-speech of any kind including but not limited to racism, sexism, ableism, or heterosexism.

Cloud Lake Literary is a welcoming space for all creatives - however you define yourself. We are excited to read your work and to share it across Canada.

Call for Submissions: Zizzle Literary

Do You Write Stories for Teens? Zizzle Literary Calls for Submissions

Extended Deadline: January 31, 2020

PAY: $100/flash fiction; $250/short story. Fee: $3.

Zizzle’s 2020 special edition will feature literary fiction that both teens and adults will enjoy. Some of the accepted pieces will be illustrated.

Length: flash 500 – 1,200 words; short story 2,000 – 4,500 words. Submission Guidelines here.

Call for Submissions: GNU

GNU Open for Submissions

Deadline: December 31, 2019

The motto of the GNU literary journal is "All Genres are Created Equal." We accept traditional literary fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction; but we are also friendly to genre fiction, YA literature, short plays, comics, photography, and writing that defies classification. The GNU is an annual online literary journal run by the MFA students at National University.

We never charge a submission fee.

Please see our submission guidelines for details.