This April there are more than five dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $60,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.

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

Good luck! 
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The Great American Think-Off. Genre: Essay on the theme: “Is there only one truth, or are there many truths?” Entrants should take a strong stand agreeing or disagreeing with this topic, basing their arguments on personal experience and observations rather than philosophical abstraction. Essay should be no more than 750 words. Prize: One of four $500 cash prizes. Deadline: April 1, 2025.

The Maya Angelou Book Award was founded in 2020 to honor the legacy of Missouri-born author Maya Angelou by celebrating contemporary authors whose work has demonstrated a commitment to social justice in America and/or the world. Restrictions: Entrants must be U.S. Citizens and reside within the United States. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: April 1, 2025.

EACWP Flash Fiction Contest. Restrictions: The contest is open to any participant living in Europe (including countries culturally linked to Europe such as Russia, Turkey, and Israel). Eleven different European languages will be leading this year’s competition: Arabic, Catalan, Czech, Dutch, English,, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish. Genre: Flash fiction. Length: 100 words. Prize: €600 top prize. Deadline: April 1, 2025.

Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize. Genre: Pieces of any genre up to 2500 words on the theme (See website for theme). Prize: £3,000 cash prize. Deadline: April 1, 2025.

Alpine Fellowship Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry on theme (See website for theme). There is a maximum of 500 words per entry. Prize: £3,000 cash prize. Deadline: April 1, 2025.

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest. This contest seeks today's best humor poems, published and unpublished. Please enter one poem only, 250 lines max. Prize: $3,500 in prizes, including a top prize of $2,000, and publication on Winning Writers. Deadline: April 1, 2025.

The Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for Writers. Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians awards fellowships for writers to spend time in McCullers' childhood home in Columbus, Georgia. The fellowships are intended to afford the writers in residence uninterrupted time to dedicate to their work, free from the distractions of daily life and other professional responsibilities. Award: Stipend of $5000 to cover costs of transportation, food and other incidentals. Fellowship recipients will be required to introduce or advance their work through reading or workshop/forum presentations. The Fellow will work with the McCullers Center Director to plan a presentation near the end of the residency. Deadline: April 1, 2025.

PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative. Restrictions: Applicants must be professional writers based in the United States, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping address a short-term emergency situation. Prize: Grant, amount not specified. Deadline: April 1, 2025.

Natan Notable Books Award. Genre: Nonfic­­tion book on Jew­ish themes pub­lished for the first time between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: April 1, 2025.

Woodrow Hall Top Shelf Award. Genre: Full-length poetry collections that were published or self-published in the previous calendar year. Prize: $500. Deadline: April 1, 2025.

Creative Capital Award. Restrictions: Entrants must be US citizens or permanent residents, aged 25+, with 5+ years' professional writing experience, and not be full-time students. Genre: Visual arts, performing arts, literature, technology, and film. Grant: Up to $50,000. Deadline: April 3, 2025.

Eye Contact Award in Genre Flash Fiction. Genre: Historical flash fiction, 1000 words max. See theme. Prize: $250. Deadline: April 4, 2025.

Chief Minister's Northern Territory History Book Award. Restrictions: You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident to enter. Genre: The Chief Minister's Northern Territory History Book Award recognises the most significant historical book about the Northern Territory published in the previous 12 months. To apply, your book must be a work on Northern Territory history, written in English or one of the First Nations languages of the Northern Territory, available for general sale, and published between 1 January and 31 December 2024. Prize: Recognition. Deadline: April 7, 2025.  

Write the World Competition. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19. Genre: Poetry. Length: 50-500 words. Prize: Best Written Poem and Best Spoken Word Performance will each receive $100. Best Peer Review will receive $50. Deadline: April 14, 2025.  (Note: This is a monthly contest.)

The Light Bill Incubator Microgrant. Restrictions: Open to Black and/or Indigenous writers. Genre: Shapbook in progress. Prize: $500, a slot in Sundress’s reading series, a one-week residency at the Sundress Academy for the Arts in Knoxville, TN, and the potential for digital publication. Deadline: April 15, 2025.

Toyin Falola Prize. Restrictions: Open to Africans between the age of 15 and 35. Genre: Prose (fiction or nonfiction) on theme of Freedom. Prize: $2,500 share between winner and 5 short listed stories.  Deadline: April 15, 2025.

Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction. Restrictions: The writer must be Canadian, and an entry must be the writer's first or second published book of any type or genre and must have a Canadian locale and/or significance. Genre: Print books and ebooks of creative non-fiction published in the previous calendar year. Prize: C$10,000.00. Deadline: April 15, 2025.

The F. Sean Hodge Prize for Poetry in Medicine. Restrictions: Open to current medical students, residents, or fellows or physicians who have completed post-graduate training. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $250. Deadline: April 15, 2025.

Prose Poetry Contest. Genre: Prose poem. Length: 150 words max. Prize: First place: £50 plus publication; Second place: £25 plus publication; Third place: £15 plus publication; Honorable mention: £10 plus publication. Deadline: April 15, 2025. (Pay-if-you-can format for submissions)

53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words. See prompt. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: April 15, 2025.

The Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants (AWAW EAG). Genre: Environmental art projects led by women-identifying artists in the United States and U.S. Territories. Prize: A total of $520,000 in funding—up to $20,000 per project. Deadline: April 15, 2025.

Daisy Utemorrah Award for Indigenous Authors. Restrictions: Open to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writer currently residing in Australia. Genre: Junior/YA full-length fiction manuscript intended for readers aged 8-18. Length: 40,000 and 100,000 words. Prize: A$15,000 and possible publication. Deadline: April 16, 2025.

Casa Africa: Purorrelato. Genre: Micro-stories related to Africa. Length: 1500 characters max. The micro-stories can be submitted in Spanish, English, French or Portuguese. Prize: First award: 750 euros, Second award: 375 euros, Third award: 225 euros. Deadline: April 16, 2025.

The Africa Institute: Global Africa Translation Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to Translators in the Global South. Genre: Translations of works from the African continent and its diaspora, into English or Arabic. This is a non-residential fellowship. Projects may be retranslations of old, classic texts, previously untranslated works, poetry, prose, or critical theory collections. The project may be a work-in-progress, or a new project feasible for completion within the timeframe of the grant. Prize: $1,000-$5,000. Deadline: April 17, 2025. 

Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English. Books must be published in Canada in English between March 1, 2025, and April 30, 2025 to be eligible for the 2024 Prize. 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: April 17, 2025.

Collaborature. Restrictions: Submissions must be written by more than one author or include a collaboration of two people (i.e., art and poetry). Genre: Poetry, prose, art. Prize: $20. Deadline: March 17, 2025. Note: This is a monthly contest.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: April 18, 2025.

Betty L. Yu and Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prizes. Restrictions: Open to writers of Taiwanese heritage (or writers with other significant connections to Taiwan), or have subject matter otherwise relevant to the Taiwanese or Taiwanese American experience. Submissions will be considered in four categories: Middle School (enrolled in 6th-8th grade as of the deadline), High School (enrolled in high school as of the deadline), College (enrolled in community college or as an undergraduate as of the deadline), Adult (in any stage of life beyond college). Genre: Any literary genre including fiction, poetry, personal essays or other creative non-fiction. Prize: Grand Prize Winner: $500 – one selection per age category. Finalist: $200 – three selections per age category. Honorable Mention: $75 – at judge’s discretion per age category. Deadline: April 18, 2025.

Royal Institute of Philosophy Essay Prize: Think. Topic: Essay on themes. Prize: Publication. Deadline: April 22, 2025.

The Women’s Prize for Playwriting. Restrictions: Open to female or non-binary residents in the UK, Republic of Ireland or in a British Overseas Territory, or have a British Forces Post Office address. Genre: Play. Prize: £12,000 top prize. Deadline: April 22, 2025.

Whiting Foundation Creative Nonfiction Grant. Restrictions: Open to US citizens and residents only. Genre: Creative nonfiction. Whiting welcomes submissions for works of history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, the sciences, philosophy, criticism, food or travel writing, and personal essays, among other categories. Writers must be completing a book of creative nonfiction that is currently under contract with a publisher. Prize: $40,000. Deadline: April 23, 2025.

Harper-Wood Creative Writing & Travel Award for English Poetry and Literature. Restrictions: Open to any student who has graduated from any university in the UK, Ireland, the Commonwealth or the USA. Genre: The Award Holder is expected to engage in a course of study or research, and produce a piece of original fiction, drama or poetry. Prize: £19,000 is provided to cover accommodation and living expenses during the course of the year. Deadline: April 23, 2025.

The Sophie Coe Prize. Genre: Informative article or essay on any aspect of food history relating to any period, place, people or culture  Prize: £1,500 top prize. Deadline: April 25, 2025. 

Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers. Restrictions: The author must be a UK resident who is not currently represented by an agent. The author must self-identify as working class and not have been published commercially in any form. The work submitted must not have been previously published digitally or in book form. Genre: Fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Length: 1000 words max. Prize: The winning writer will receive 3 one-hour mentoring sessions with a Gaia commissioner and 1 one-hour mentoring session with a publishing agent, a commissioned piece in a nature-related outlet, two online Arvon masterclasses and one online Arvon writing day, plus a book bundle from Octopus Publishing Group. Deadline: April 25, 2025. 

Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors Contest. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, essay, and photography, plus publication in annual anthology from Northwest Missouri State University's GreenTower Press. Prize: $250 in each category. Deadline: April 26, 2025.

Friends of Falun Gong, Poetry Contest. Genre: Poem. Submit one or two poems of no more than 50 lines each. Poems must encompass at least one of the following themes: Advocate for Falun Gong practitioner’s fundamental human rights. Expose the crimes against Falun Gong perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party. Share in the beauty, peacefulness and good nature of Falun Gong. Prizes: $500, $250, $100. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Fieldstone Review. Genre: Creative nonfiction/literature & book reviews, fiction, poetry, and reviews on theme: Colour. Prize: $100. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Jericho Prize. Restrictions: Open to unpublished and self-published Black-British children's writers. Genre: Picture book. Prize: A guaranteed publishing contract from Scholastic UK, with a £1250 cash prize. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Native Voices Award. Restrictions: Open to Indigenous storytellers, such as from Native American, First Nation Australian, and Polynesian communities. Genre: Original, unpublished work in English; short story, flash fiction, nonfiction essay, script, poetry, or visual art collection. Prize: Up to $500 USD. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Writers' Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Open to Canadian LGBTQ+ writers. Genre: Debut book for books published between February 27, 2025 and April 29, 2025. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Iridescence Award. Restrictions: Open to literary or visual artists of the Black, Indigenous, or People of Color Community. Genre: Fantasy, folk mythology, science fiction, and the paranormal. Short fiction, poetry. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Non-Fiction. Genre: Literary non-fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to a literary nonfiction book published between February 26, 2025 and April 29, 2025. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Student Prizes in Short Fiction and Poetry. Restrictions: Applicants must be 18-25 years old at the time of submission, legal residents of South Carolina, and enrolled full time at a private or public South Carolina institution of higher education. Genre; Short fiction, poetry. "There is no restriction on content, but submissions may not exceed 15 pages double-spaced and must be either one original, unpublished short story or one excerpt from a longer, unpublished work. Submit up to 5 unpublished poems (totaling no more than 10 pages)." Prize: $250 and an invitation to be honored at the SCAA Induction Ceremony. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Genre: Fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to a novel or short-story collection published between February 26, 2025 and April 29, 2025. Prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Baen Fantasy Adventure Award. Genre: Adventure fantasy, 8K words max. Prize: Winner will be published as the featured story on the Baen Books main website and paid at industry-standard rates for professional story submittals. The author will also receive a handsome engraved award and a prize package containing $500 of free Baen Books. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Erbacce-prize for Poetry (UK) Genre: Poetry collection. Prize: Winner will be given a publishing contract with erbacce press who will publish a perfect-bound collection of the winner's book. "We will pay all costs including the legal registering of the book and supplying copies to the major libraries. The book will be sold through our sales/shop pages and the poet will be paid 20% royalties." Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Contest for Canadian Youth. Restrictions: Open to Canadian citizens or residents attending junior high or high school. Genre: Poetry. Prize: C$400 in each of two age categories: Junior (grades 7-9) and Senior (grades 10-12). Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Author of Tomorrow. Restrictions: Open to children and youth up to age 21. Genre: Adventure writing. Prize: 11 and Under | 500 words | Prize: £100 plus £150 book tokens for your school; 12-15 years | 1,500 - 5,000 words | Prize: £100 plus £150 book tokens for your school; 16-21 years | 1,500 - 5,000 words. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

CNO Naval History Essay Contest. Genre: Scholarly essay on naval history.  Prize: First Prize: $5,000. Second Prize:$2,500. Third Prize: $1,500. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Furphy Literary Award. Genre: Short stories up to 5000 words, Theme: Australian Life in all its diversity. Prize: First prize of $15,000 in the open category (2nd prize - $ 3,000,  3rd prize - $2,000.  A junior & youth category with a prize pool of $1800 will seek entries for short stories and poetry. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Ralph Angel Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

E-waste Scholarship. Restrictions: You must be a high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior or a current or entering college or graduate school student of any level. Home schooled students are also eligible. There is no age limit. You must also be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. Genre: 500- to 1,000-word essay about e-waste. Prize: $1000 scholarship. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Science Me A Story. Genre: Scientific stories or poems for children (ages 6-12) of up to four pages by authors over age 18. Stories can be in English or Spanish. Prize: £150, £100 or £50. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Toronto Book Awards. Genres: All genres accepted. Restrictions: Submission "must evoke the city itself, that is, contain some clear Toronto content (this may be reflected in the themes, settings, subjects, etc.). Authors do not necessarily have to reside in Toronto. Ebooks, textbooks and self-published works are not eligible. Prize: A total of $15,000 CD will be awarded. Each shortlisted author (usually 4-6) receives C$1,000 and the winning author is awarded the remainder. Deadline: April 30, 2025. (For books published between May 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025) 

Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: April 30, 2025. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.

Al Blanchard Short Crime Story Award. Genre: Crime short story. 5,000 words maximum, with a New England setting (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island) or by a New England writer. Mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, and horror genres all welcome. Prize: $100. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $250 in any single year. Genre: Animal Nonfiction. “Stories should be factual and true accounts of an encounter or encounters by the author with a wild animal or animals. These include, but are not limited to, birds, fish, butterflies, snails, lions, bears, turtles, wombats, etc., as long as it is not a pet.” Prize: First prize is $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

October Project. Genre: Poetry. Prizes: To be announced. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Descant. Each year, descant offers four awards:

• the $500 Frank O’Connor Award for fiction (for the best short story in a issue)
• the $250 Gary Wilson Award (for an outstanding story in an issue)
• the $500 Betsy Colquitt Award for poetry (for the best poem or series of poems by a single author in an issue)
• the $250 Baskerville Publishers Award (for an outstanding poem or poems by a single author in an issue

There is no application process or reading fee. All published submissions are eligible for prize consideration. Simply submit your work. Deadline: April 30, 2025.

Claudia Ann Seaman Awards For Young Writers. Restrictions: High school students. Genre: Stories and poems. Prize: $200. Deadline: April 30, 2025. Submissions are capped at 200, so submit early.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. See themes. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: April 30, 2025. 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: April 30, 2025. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

This April there are more than two dozen writing conferences and workshops. Some conferences and workshops will be held online, but most will be held in person or use a hybrid format.

These writing events offer everything a writer might want: intensive workshops, pitch sessions with agents, to how to market yourself and your books, discussions - there is something for everyone.

 If you miss an application deadline, put it on your calendar for next year. Quite a few conferences offer scholarships, so apply early. Plan ahead!

For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences.

Be sure to check out Highlights list of workshops. They offer many throughout the year. 

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Annual National Undergraduate Literature Conference. April 3 - 5, 2025: Weber State University, Ogden, UT. "Each year, nearly 200 undergraduate writers and poets throughout North America, and sometimes beyond, come to Weber State University to present their work and learn from some of the most important writers in contemporary literature." 

Tennessee Mountain Writers Annual Conference. April 3 - 5, 2025: Oak Ridge, TN. Writing Contests, Workshops, Networking, Manuscript Evaluations, Publishers, Book Signings, Bookstore, Vendors, And more!

Las Vegas Writer’s Conference April 3 – 5, 2025: Las Vegas, Nevada. Join writing professionals, agents publishers and marketing experts for a weekend of workshops and enlightening discussions about the publishing industry. A chance to pitch your manuscript and ideas to agents. 

Chanticleer Authors Conference. April 3 - 6, 2025: Bellingham, Wash. Sessions with a special focus on the business of being a working writer on topics such as marketing, publicity, platform, sales tools & strategies, publishing, production, distribution, organization, storycraft, editing, and more. 

Writing for the Educational Market. April 3 - May 15, 2025: Online. Learn the ins and outs of writing for the educational market in this 6-week course. Hosted by experienced industry professionals, this workshop will get you up to speed quickly and prepare you for submitting your work to publishers. 30 participants max.

Ohio Writing Workshop. April 4 - 5, 2025: Online. This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited online “seats” at the event (200 total). Will be held virtually.

The Creativity Workshop in New York. April 4 - 7, 2025: New York, New York. "The Creativity Workshops take away the fear of writing and open the way to new ideas. They are especially helpful for writers in fiction, poetry, memoir, theatre and film to get over writing blocks. In our Creativity Workshop Retreats you will generate both new work and ideas for the work you are in the midst of creating. We use many different techniques to help you find your way through the novel, essay, poem, memoir, or script you are writing or hope to write. In The Creativity Workshop you will be doing free writing, writing from guided visualizations, collaborative writing, journaling and memoir work and even some rudimentary drawing, collage and photography." 

Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference. April 5, 2025: Hamilton, NJ. "In addition to our wonderful and diverse keynote speakers, we have a number of editors and agents who will be attending to take pitches as well as some awesome writer and reader workshops!"

Northeast Texas Writers Organization. April 5, 2025: Mt Pleasant, TX. Romance Writing Workshop.

The 2025 Minnesota Writing Workshop. April 5, 2025: St. Paul, MN. "This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome."

San Diego Writing Workshop. April 7 - 8, 2025: Online. This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of two days, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited online “seats” at the event (200 total).

Intro to Novels in Verse: Forms and Fundamentals. April 9 - 30, 2025: Online. Join verse novelist Cordelia Jensen for a four-week online course to explore the fundamentals, celebrations, and challenges of writing novels in verse. You’ll be introduced to using this form to its utmost advantage, while taking into consideration the general foundations of storytelling.

Just Do It! Your Collaborative Support Group for Finishing Your Draft (Spring/Summer). April 9 - June 4, 2025: Online. This supportive program takes all creatives (nonfiction or fiction, picture books, novels, essays, and more) from goal-stating to finished drafts. Together, we’ll move through live sessions, writing prompts, studio dates, daily inspirations, check-ins, feedback, and more. 50 participants max.

The 2025 Sacramento Writing Workshop. April 11, 2025: Sacramento, CA. A full-day “How to Get Published” event. "This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more."

Moravian Writers’ Conference. April 11 - 12, 2025: Bethlehem, PA. Everyone’s invited to this year’s FREE conference, including local community members and faculty and students from all fields of study! This year’s conference (featuring in-person and live streamed events) will cover different ways for thinking about story and story sharing, with a focus on social and environmental justice. Some questions our offerings will pose include:

• What is the value of writing in our society today?
• How can we use writing as a tool to promote social justice and change?
• How do storytelling skills help people make a difference?
• How can we use story sharing to make connections to the issues we face today?​

Florida Writing Workshop. April 11 (Orlando) and 12 (Tampa), 2025. Two separate full-day “How to Get Published” writing events in Florida. These writing events are a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the events."

The 2025 Writing Workshop of San Francisco. April 12, 2025: San Francisco, CA. A full-day “How to Get Published” event. "This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more."

San Antonio Book Festival. April 12, 2025: San Antonio, TX. The San Antonio Book Festival is a FREE, annual, daylong event that unites readers and writers in a celebration of ideas, books, libraries, and literary culture. Featuring more than 80 nationally and regionally acclaimed authors, the Festival offers programming for all ages. 

Rally of Writers Conference. April 12, 2025: Lansing, Michigan. Michigan authors and educators in 15 breakout sessions and workshops on all aspects of writing, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, the Nuts & Bolts of manuscript submissions, and more. 

Write Stuff Writers Conference. April 13 -15, 2025: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Workshops, Agent./Editor pitch sessions, marketing consults plus lunch and Keynote address, Book Fair, Flash Literature Writing Contest, Door Prizes. Featuring: Tiffany Yates Martin. Registration closes March 2.

Hedgebrook’s Writer-in-Residence Program supports writers from all over the world for residencies of two to four weeks. The cottage, all meals, and the entire residency experience at Hedgebrook is free to selected writers. Travel is not included and is the responsibility of the writer to arrange and pay for. Up to 6 writers can be in residence at a time, each housed in their own handcrafted cottage. They spend their days in solitude – writing, reading, taking walks in the woods on the property or on nearby Double Bluff beach. In the evenings, “The Gathering” is a social time for residents to connect and share over their freshly prepared meals.  Writers must be women, which is inclusive of transgender women and female-identified individuals. Because gender inequity still occurs in all spaces including literary ones, it is part of our explicit mission to support and promote women’s voices. Applications open February 14 - April 14 for 2026 Residency.

Writing Queer & Trans Geographies. April 16, 2025: Online. "This generative poetry workshop will look at how the theme of place offers fruitful opportunities to engage with themes of identity and social justice, challenge fraught assumptions about where queer and trans life thrives, as well as conceptualize affirming futures. We’ll consider how to render the settings where we feel most authentically ourselves and craft work that interrogates the idea that setting is meant only for description: rather, it is an inexorable part of who we are. We will examine work by Natalie Diaz, Oliver Baez Bendorf, Evelyn Berry, Danez Smith, and Andrea Abi-Karam."

Norwescon. April 17 - 20, 2025: Sea Tac, WA. Norwescon is one of the largest regional Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions in the United States.

Nebraska Writers Guild Annual Conference and Writing Retreat. April 24 - 26, 2025: Omaha, NE. Workshops, pitch sessions with an agent and writing sessions followed by evening keynote speakers.

Ozarks Writers League Conference. April 25 - 26, 2025: Joplin, MO. The Ozarks Writers League is a group of like-minded individuals dedicated to promoting writing, literacy, photography, and art. Since 1983, OWL has welcomed individuals at all stages of their development. 

Kentucky Writing Workshop, April 25, 2025: Louisville, KY. This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome.

Monadnock Pastoral Poetry Retreat. April 25 - 27, 2025. Greenfield, NH.  Includes workshops, individual conferences, participant & mentor readings; hiking & kayaking (weather permitting). Each workshop uses dual mentors.

Poetry at Round Top Festival. April 25 - 27, 2025: Round Top, Texas. Featuring: Mark Doty, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Amanda Johnston, Kim Stafford, Hayan Charara, Cecily Parks, Joan Logghe.

Malice Domestic. April 25 - 27, 2025: Bethesda, MD. Malice Domestic™ is an annual fan convention in the metropolitan DC area that celebrates the traditional mystery, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. The genre is loosely identified as mysteries which contain no explicit sex, or excessive gore, or violence. 

Tennessee Writing Workshop. April 26, 2025: Nashville, TN. This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. 

Red Clay Writers Conference. April 26, 2025: Kennesaw GA. Red Clay Writers Conference is the annual conference of Georgia Writers Association. Red Clay has been hosted since 2009 to encourage and inspire writers through literary events that focus on the art and craft of writing. 

Philadelphia Writing Workshop. April 26, 2025: Philadelphia, PA.  This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome.

WORKSHOPS WITH APPLICATION DEADLINES IN APRIL

Odyssey Writing Workshop. June 2, 2025 (6 weeks): Online. Since its inception in 1996, Odyssey has become one of the most highly respected workshops for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Will be held online. Application deadline April 1.

Kenyon Review Writers Workshops. June 15 - 20, 2025: Gambier, Ohio. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction led by an accomplished faculty. Genre workshops (Fiction, Literary Nonfiction, and Poetry) are held for three hours each morning. Online. Applications close April 14, 2025.

New literary agencies are started by established agents with considerable experience in the publishing industry. They have reliable contacts in publishing houses and a roster of successes getting writers published. New agencies are looking to expand, and are eager to take on prospective clients.

Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Submission requirements can change. 

NOTE: Don't submit to several agents at the same agency simultaneously. If one rejects you, you may then submit to another. 

You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients. 
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Lexington Literary (UK)

Lexington Literary was founded in 2024 by Seren Adams and Kat Aitken. They represent a diverse range of authors of acclaimed and prize-winning fiction and non-fiction.

Seren Adams

She represents writers of literary fiction and narrative non-fiction, and many of her authors have been nominated for and won prizes for their work. She is always looking for exceptional literary voices, precise prose, and is drawn to the strange or surprising in both fiction and non-fiction. 

To submit your work, please send a sample and description of the project along with a brief biographical note to seren@lexingtonliterary.co.uk

Kat Aitken

In fiction, I am looking for anything extraordinary and precise. I also cannot resist literary fiction which plays with genre. In prose, I am fiercely attracted to anything playful, lively and innovative. Novels which assess humanity at an angle, with a sharp gaze. I’m desperate to find novels which make me laugh.  In non-fiction I am looking for looking for stylish writing, fresh perspectives and (to borrow a phrase from Haley Nahman) anything that makes you think about the impossible task of being alive. Any thought-provoking work from experts in their field always welcome, as well as academics, journalists and critics looking to write for a trade audience. I am also interested in finding work which is experimental and genre-defying. For whatever reason, I find myself constantly lured by writing on psychoanalysis and therapy. 

To submit your work, please send a brief cover letter along with a biographical note and either the first three chapters of your work (if fiction) or a proposal (if non-fiction) to kat@lexingtonliterary.co.uk.
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Open Book Literary 

Leslie Zampetti launched Open Book Literary after experiences with Odom Media Management, Dunham Literary, and The Bent Agency. 

A former librarian in special, public, and school libraries, Leslie’s focus is on the right book at the right time for the reader. Having negotiated with organizations from Lexis-Nexis to elementary school PTAs, she obtains terms that favor her clients while building satisfying relationships with publishers. And after cataloging rocket launch videos for NASA & model rocket ships for elementary school, she welcomes working with the unexpected challenges that pop up in publishing. 

Leslie  serves as Secretary, Board Member, and on the Communications and Programming Committees of the Association of American Literary Agents, and she is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Leslie received her B.A. in English from  Wake Forest University and her M.L.I.S. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is a writer herself,  familiar with querying from both sides of the desk. A frequent presenter at conferences, workshops, and retreats, you can follow Leslie on social media @literarylesliez .

What she is seeking: At Open Book Literary, the focus is on bringing under-represented voices to publishing, especially those voices centering disability, poverty, women, neurodivergence, and Judaism, Islam, and non-western religions. Life is messy, and so are people. Identities are complex, and Leslie champions the intersections between aspects of identity.

Overall, Leslie seeks books with a strong commercial premise, distinct prose, and multiple layers of meaning that keep you thinking long after you finish the story. Think of a calm sea: it’s cool and inviting, but deeper than you expect. 

How to submit: See website for submission guidelines.
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Philippa Sitters Associates (UK)

PSA Ltd is a literary agency founded in 2024 by Philippa Sitters. 

Working alongside a very talented contingency of co-agents globally, Philippa aims to take the stress out of the journey from pitch to publication. She works closely with authors on readying their books for submission to publishers, making sure everything runs smoothly and fairly along the way so that every author can have the best experience before and after the book is in the hands of the reader.

Having grown up in south Devon, Philippa graduated from Leeds University with a BA in Classical Civilisation before moving to London to do a Masters in Publishing at Kingston University. Since then she's worked in literary agencies, such as Peters, Fraser + Dunlop, Sheil Land and David Godwin Associates, where she spent ten years working with a diverse group of authors and building her list. 

What she is seeking: Philippa has a broad range of interests, representing novels up and down the literary-commercial scale, as well as non-fiction, from highly illustrated to serious non-fiction. Diversity within her list is an ever-present priority. 

How to submit: See website for submission guidelines.
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High Line Literary Collective

High Line is located in the heart of Manhattan just steps from the High Line, a once-abandoned railway track turned nature park pathway in the sky spanning from 20th to 34th street. High Line Literary Collective has seven experienced agents working in two divisions, fiction and nonfiction.

High Line Literary Collective is dedicated to providing robust film, television and documentary rights opportunities for their authors. High Line Literary Collective partners with Baror International for foreign rights. Founded more than 20 years ago, Baror International, Inc. is a premier literary agency and the first of its kind specializing in the international and domestic representation of literary works in both fiction and non-fiction.

What they are seeking: Genre fiction (all genres), children's and YA. Non-Fiction:Art, Biography, Cookbooks, Crafts/DIY, Cultural criticism, Current Events, Fashion, Feminism and women\'s issues, Fitness, Health, History, Humor, Illustrated, Journalism, LGBTQ, Memoir, Parenting, Pop Culture, Psychology, Relationships and family, Science, Self-help, Sports, Travel, True Crime, Wellness.

How to submit: Please follow individual agents' instructions HERE
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Megibow Literary Agency

Sara Megibow represents authors who write picture books (fiction and nonfiction/ all sub-genres), middle grade (all sub-genres), young adult (all sub-genres), adult romance (all sub-genres) and science fiction/ fantasy for the adult market (all sub-genres).

Helen Masvikeni represents authors who write adult thriller, adult mystery, adult crime, adult non-fiction and memoir, anything "folklore", picture books (fiction and nonfiction/ all sub-genres), upmarket commercial fiction, and adult romance (all sub-genres).

Matthew Valdez represents storytellers who write for both adults and young adults. He is looking for horror, science fiction, upmarket commercial fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, psychological thriller, contemporary YA, adult contemporary romance, and graphic novels in any genre. He longs to champion stories from all marginalized backgrounds, and especially voices from the LGBTQ+ community. 

How to submit: Follow submission guidelines HERE.

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Portobello Literary (UK)

Caro Clarke is the founder and literary agent at Portobello Literary. They founded the agency in 2022 after twelve years working in publishing houses – Transworld (PRH) and Canongate Books as a Senior Rights Manager. They were named Rights Professional of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2021 and a Bookseller Rising Star in 2024.

Writers they have worked with have won or been nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, Wainwright Prize, Saltire National Book Awards, Fitzcarraldo Essay Prize, Edwin Morgan Poetry Award, Forward Prize, Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour, Mo Siewcharran Prize, Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award, Northern Writers Award, Nan Shepherd Prize, Laurel Prize, Nature Chronicles Prize, Wasafiri New Writing Prize, Eric Gregory Award, Women in Journalism Georgina Henry award, SI Leeds Literary Award and the Frank Allen Bullock Creative Writing Prize.Portobello Literary.

What they are seeking: Adult fiction and non-fiction, including narrative non-fiction, memoir, popular science, big ideas, travel, culture, essays, queer culture and intersectional feminism, nature writing, food writing and cookbooks.

How to submit: To send in your submission, please address your email to Caro at submissions@portobelloliterary.co.uk with:

• A synopsis of your book
• A short biography
• And, depending on whether you're sending fiction or non-fiction:
• For fiction: the first three chapters or the first 50 pages of your manuscript along with the total word count
• For non-fiction: a chapter outline and three sample chapters no longer than 50 pages.

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Gemma Cooper Literary (UK)

I’ve been a literary agent since 2011, including as a director at The Bent Agency, and set up my own agency, Gemma Cooper Literary, in 2024. I represent #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestsellers, Barnes & Noble Children’s Book Award winners, Waterstones Children’s Book Prize winners, the Australian Book Industry Overall Children’s Book of the Year, and books that have been shortlisted for the Edgar Award, the Carnegie Medal, and many more.

I’m lucky to have lived and worked in New York, Chicago and London, experience that has given me a global approach to representation. I work with authors all over the world and sell directly to publishers in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia.  

What she is seeking: Children’s books, young adult books, and certain adult genres. My list is typified by big-concept, commercial series fiction. My current clients are a great snapshot of my taste. The best part of my job is getting to be the first fan of an unpublished book and then its champion – nothing beats talking about your favourite stories with other book lovers.
 
What she is seeking: Children’s books, young adult books, and certain adult genres: cosy crime, smart contemporary crime with humour. She is not open to contemporary adult fiction, adult non-fiction, literary novels, romance, nor poetry.

How to submit: Follow submisssion guidelines HERE.
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Steelworks

Founded by Lori Steel in 2024 and based in the Washington DC area, Steelworks is a full-service, boutique literary agency representing authors, illustrators, and graphic novelists with an emphasis on children’s and young adult literature, and select titles for the crossover and adult markets. 

What she is seeking: Lori considers fiction and nonfiction projects from picture books to New Adult, and author-illustrators who create picture books, illustrated novels, and graphic novels. She is drawn to character-driven stories that demonstrate a deep trust and respect for their readers. For all projects, she seeks stories with accessible, authentic, and unforgettable voices that reflect the diverse world we inhabit, instill the possibility of hope and change, and illuminate the shared human experience.

Submissions: Check the website for open submission periods.