Here are 16 calls for submissions in the month of March.

Genres include speculative fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, horror, erotic horror, personal essays, tech articles, crime fiction, fairy tales, as well as calls for any genre of stories and poems.

All of these are paying markets. (A couple accept reprints!)

There are some themed anthologies in the mix, so make sure you read all the requirements before you submit.

Happy submitting!

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THEMA: Drop the Zucchini and Run!

The premise (target theme) must be an integral part of the plot, not necessarily the central theme but not merely incidental.

Genres: Any

Length: Fewer than 20 double-spaced pages preferred.

Payment: Short story, $25; short-short piece (up to 1000 words), $10; poem, $10; artwork, $25 for cover, $10 for interior page display.

Deadline: March 1, 2016

Reprints accepted

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“Stiff Things: Erotic Horror”

"We are looking for the most gruesome, twisted, sick, disturbing, dark and extreme stories that push the boundaries of sex and horror and we don't have any content restrictions (except for kiddie porn, of course). Science fiction and dark fantasy will be considered but must be very dark with a strong element of horror."

Genre: Erotic Horror

Length: Up to 9K words per story.

Payment: 3 cents/word, up to a max of $270/story (9K words)

Deadline: March 1, 2016

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Tech Edge Magazine

Genre: Stories about technology in education. Themed issue: Students as creators.

Payment: $50 for up to 500 words, and $125 for articles of 500-1,500 words

Deadline: March 1, 2016

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Skirt! Magazine

Magazine for women.

Genre: Personal essays wanted for the 'Smart' Issue, 800 - 1,100 words

Payment: $200 per piece

Deadline: March 1, 2016

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Upstreet

"upstreet, based in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, is an award-winning annual literary anthology containing the best new fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction available."

Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction

Payment: $50 - $150 for poems, $50 - $250 for short stories or essays

Deadline: March 1, 2016

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Beatdom




"Beatdom is a Beat Generation-themed literary journal. We publish short stories and poetry, but mostly we’re looking for essays about the Beats. These essays should be interesting and take a different slant on the Beat Generation. There are hundreds of books and essays out there that cover these subjects, so we want something new."




Genre: Essay on the theme of Politics




Payment: $50




Deadline: March 1, 2016




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Slice Magazine

Genres: Fiction and Poetry on the theme of "Distraction"

Length: 5,000 words max

Payment: $250 for stories and essays and $75 for poems

Deadline: March 1, 2016

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Briarpatch Magazine

"Briarpatch Magazine publishes writing and artwork on a wide range of topics, including current events, grassroots activism, electoral politics, economic justice, ecology, labour, food security, gender equity, indigenous struggles, international solidarity, and other issues of political importance."

Genre: Nonfiction articles, progressive

Payment:  Up to $150/story

Deadline: March 7, 2016

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Eye to the Telescope

Themed issue: Family. "We are seeking poetry that explores the myriad and diverse ways that define family. We want poetry that challenges our own preconceived notions and definitions of what family means. We seek poetry that defines family through emotion. Show us the world, your world, different worlds, through family."

Genre: Speculative poetry

Payment: 3 cents per word

Deadline: March 15, 2016

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Crime Syndicate

Genre: Dark, dirty crime fiction short stories

Length: Between 2500 and  5000 words

Payment: $25 per piece

Deadline: March 23, 2016

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The Puritan

Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction

Payment: $100 per interview, $100 per essay, $100 per review, $50 per work of fiction, and $15 per poem (or page, capped at $60 for poems running four pages or more).

Deadline: March 25, 2016

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The Beauty of Death Anthology

"All types of horror are welcome. Sex or violence in a story should be artistically justified; no excessive gore. We welcome all subgenres and forms of speculative fiction."

Genre: Short fiction, horror

Payment: $100, 4500-7500 words.

Deadline: March 30, 2016

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Fairytales Slashed V.7

Length: Stories should be 10,000 - 20,000 words

Genre: LGBTQIA fairytales

Payment: $200 per piece

Deadline: March 31, 2016

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Chicken Soup for the Soul: 'Dreams and Synchronicities'

"Sometimes magic happens in your life. You have a dream that reveals a truth or a course of action to you. You have a premonition that changes your behavior and saves you or a loved one from disaster. You meet someone at just the right time and you can’t believe the coincidence. We’re collecting stories for a second book on this topic, following our bestseller Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams and Premonitions. Share your stories about the amazing things that have happened in your own life."

Genre: Stories, poems

Payment: $200 per piece

Deadline: March 31, 2016

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Pentimento

Genre: Essays and fiction concerning disability by two groups: individuals with a disability and those who are part of the disability community, such as a family member, caregiver, special educator, etc.

Length: Word limit is 6,000

Payment: $25 - $250 per article

Deadline: March 31, 2016

Reprints accepted

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York Literary Review

Genres: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry

Payment: £50 per contributor

Deadline: March 31, 2016

There are many free writing contests in March. (Quite a few have deadlines on March 1st.) While book-length works garner the most substantial prizes, short stories, essays, and poems are also well worth entering into contests. Cash prizes often are accompanied by publication, and it's always nice to include an award on your resume.

Some of these contests have age and regional restrictions, so make sure to read the contest rules carefully. 

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Talking Stick. Restrictions: Writers must be from Minnesota or have some connection to this area. Genres: Poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction. Prize: $250 for first place and $100 for second place in each of the three categories. Deadline: March 1, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

Carriage House Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry about trees. Prize: $300 and publication in Tiferet. Deadline: March 1, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

Balticon Poetry Contest. Sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. Genre: Speculative poetry. Prize: 1st prize: $100; 2nd prize: $75; 3rd prize: $50. Deadline: March 1, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

The Lewis Galantière Award is bestowed biennially in even-numbered years. Genre: Book-length literary translation translated from any language, except German, into English and published in the United States between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015. Prize: $1,000, a certificate of recognition, and up to $500 toward expenses for attending the ATA 57th Annual Conference in San Francisco, California, November 2-5, 2016. Deadline: March 1, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

Madeline P. Plonsker Emerging Writer's Residency Prize. Restrictions: Open to an emerging writer under forty years old—with no major book publication. Genre: Novel in progress. Prize: Stipend of $10,000 with a housing suite and campus meals provided by the College, and three weeks in residence on the Lake Forest College campus during the Spring 2017 term. Possible publication. Deadline: March 1, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

The Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award is sponsored by Broadside Lotus Press. Restrictions: This competition is open to African American poets only. If you have already had a book published by Lotus Press, you are ineligible. However, inclusion in a Lotus Press anthology does not disqualify you. Genres: Poetry collections of approximately 60-90 pages. Prize: $500 in cash and publication by Broadside Lotus Press within the first three months of 2017 as well as free copies and discounts. Deadline: March 1, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

The John Gardner Fiction Award is sponsored by the Binghamton Center for Writers-State University of New York with support from the Office of the Dean of Binghamton University's Harpur College of the Arts & Sciences. Genre: Novel or collection of fiction published in 2015. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: March 1, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

Hart Crane Memorial Poetry Contest. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $200 and publication in Icon. Deadline: March 1, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

The Lindquist & Vennum Prize for Poetry is an annual regional prize, presented in partnership by Milkweed Editions and the Lindquist & Vennum Foundation. Restrictions: Open to residents of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $10,000 as well as a contract for publication to the author of the winning manuscript. Deadline: March 1, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

Milt Kessler Poetry Book Award is sponsored by the Binghamton Center for Writers-State University of New York with support from the Office of the Dean of Binghamton University's Harpur College of the Arts & Sciences. Genre: Poetry book in English published in 2015. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: March 1, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

North Carolina Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of North Carolina (including students). Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: March 1, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

The Irish Post's Creative Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to residents of UK. Genre: Poetry, fiction on an Irish theme. 1000 words max. Prizes: €500, publication in the Irish Post, and a trip to the Listowel Writers’ Week in Co. Kerry, June 1-5. Deadline: March 3, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

The Premises: CHANGES. One or more character(s) have to deal with some kind of significant change. It can be any kind of change you like, and on any scale, from a change affecting only one person (or one place, or one thing) to something affecting everyone/everything everywhere, or anything between those extremes. Genre: Short story. Length: Between 1,000 and 5,000 words. Prize: Between US$60 and US$220, and publication. Deadline: 11:59 PM Eastern US time, Friday, March 4, 2016.

"It's All Write!" Teen Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to Grades 6-12. Genre: Short story, unpublished. Prize: 1st Place $250, 2nd Place $150, 3rd Place $100. Deadline: March 6, 2016. How to enter: Read guidelines HERE.

Thresholds International Feature Writing Competition. Genre: Nonfiction feature in one of two categories: Author Profile: exploring the life, writings and influence of a single short story writer. We Recommend: personal recommendations of a collection, anthology, group of short stories or a single short story. Prize: 1st prize of £500, runner-up prize of £100 Deadline: March 6, 2016. How to enter: Read additional guidelines HERE.

RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers. Genre: Short fiction. Restrictions: Candidates must be: A Canadian citizen or permanent resident; Under the age of 35 as of March 7, 2016; Previously published in an independently edited magazine or anthology; Unpublished in book form and without a book contract. Prizes: Winner: $5,000; Finalists: $1,000. Deadline: March 7, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

NEA Literature Fellowships are sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Prize: $25,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry to published creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. Deadline: March 9, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

Jo-Anne Hirshfield Memorial Poetry Awards. Restrictions: Open to all adult and high school age Chicago area poets. There is also an elementary and middle school category open to Evanston elementary and middle school students. Genre: Poetry. Prize: First Place: $100; Second Place: $50; Third Place: $25. Deadline: March 9, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

Nantucket Directory Poetry Contest.  Genre: poem about Nantucket Island. Prize: $250 and publication in the print and online editions of the 2016-2017 Nantucket Directory. Deadline: March 10, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize is awarded to the author of the best first novel published in the previous calendar year. Restrictions: Only American authors publishing in English are eligible. Non-eligible books include short story collections, flash fiction, memoirs, biographies and books published solely in electronic format. Prize: $500. Deadline: March 11, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

BBC National Short Story Award 2016. Restrictions: Open to UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over, who have a history of publication in creative writing. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: £15,000 to the winner, £3,000 for the runner-up and £500 for three further shortlisted writers. Deadline: March 11, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

The Critical Junior Poet’s Award. Restrictions: Open to students between the ages of 13 and 18. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $100. Deadline: March 15, 2016.

Governor General's Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written or translated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. They do not need to be residing in Canada. Genre: The Governor General’s Literary Awards are given annually to the best English-language and the best French-language book in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People’s Literature (Text), Young People’s Literature (Illustrated Books) and Translation (from French to English). Prize: $25,000. Deadline: March 15, 2016. Read guidelines HERE.

Iris N. Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Poetry composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme and received forms. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: March 15, 2016. Read guidelines HERE.

Myong Cha Son Haiku Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Haiku. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: March 15, 2016. Read guidelines HERE.

Rhina P. Espaillat Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Original poems written in Spanish and translations of English poems to Spanish.. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: March 15, 2016. Read guidelines HERE.

Lynn DeCaro Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to Connecticut Student Poets in Grades 9-12. Genre: Poetry. Prize: 1st $75, 2nd $50, 3rd $25. Deadline: March 15, 2016. Read guidelines HERE.

The Binnacle Ultra-Short Competition. Genre: Prose works of 150 words or fewer as well as poetry of sixteen lines or fewer and 150 words or fewer.  All works should have a narrative element to them. Prize: A minimum of $300 in cash prizes will be awarded, with a minimum prize of $50. At least one of the prizes will go to a UMM student. Deadline: March 15, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

Jane Martin Poetry Prize (UK). Restrictions: Open to  UK residents between 18 and 30 years of age. Genre: Poetry. Prize: £700, second prize, £300. Deadline: March 18, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

The Pandeism Collegiate Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate and graduate collegiate students of philosophy, theology, religious studies, social sciences, arts, literature, applied sciences, or comparable disciplines. Genre: Article presenting original thought in exploring implications of the modern theological theory of Pandeism (pantheistic Deism, belief in a Creator wholly becoming our Universe, proposed to be discernible by application of logic and reason). Papers written for course credit are acceptable. Submissions do not need to take a position in favor of or opposed to Pandeism as a theory, but must present original thought about its relative possibility, relation to other areas of theology, or implications for areas such as epistemology, ethics and morality, or science. Submissions must be a minimum of 3,000 words and a maximum of 6,000 words. Only one (1) article may be submitted by each student. Prize: $250 Amazon gift card and publication. Deadline: March 18, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

The Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award seeks to elevate the written arts in Indiana. Restrictions: Any living published writer who was born in Indiana or has lived in Indiana for at least five years will be eligible. Authors who have published works of fiction, prose, poetry and/or non-fiction are eligible; reference works, scholarly monographs and books of photography will not be considered. Self-published authors are considered. Prize: National Author: $10,000 cash prize and $2,500 grant for his or her hometown Indiana public library. Regional Author: $7,500 cash prize and $2,500 grant for his or her hometown Indiana public library. Emerging Author: $5,000 cash prize and $2,500 grant for his or her hometown Indiana public library. Deadline: March 18, 2016. How to enter: Read submission guidelines HERE.

Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition for High School Students. Restrictions: Open to students in Grades 7-12. Genre: Haiku. Prizes: $50. Deadline: March 25, 2016. Read submission guidelines HERE.

Southern Pacific Review Short Story Contest 2016. Located in Chile. Genre: They are not sure what they want, but they'll know it when they see it. Length: 1600 words max. Prizes: $100 USD and publication in Southern Pacific Review. Deadline: March 30, 2016.

Hektoen Grand Prix Essay Competition. Genre: Essay. Length: 1600 words max. Prizes: Military Prize—on a medical topic related to wars and veterans, $1500. General Prize—Physicians of Note, and Famous Hospitals, $1500. Deadline: March 31, 2016.

Operation Thriller. Sponsored by Reedsy. Reedsy is a self-publishing startup that offers its users access to skilled freelance book-production professionals. Genre: Book-length thriller. Prize: $750 cash plus free developmental edit by a Reedsy editor and free cover design by a Reedsy designer. Deadline: March 31, 2016.

Archibald Lamp­man Award. Restrictions: Open to residents of Canada's National Capital region (Ottawa). Genre: Book of any genre published by a recognized publisher. Prize: $1500. Deadline: March 31, 2016.

Foley Poetry Contest. Genre: One unpublished poem on any topic. The poem should be 30 lines or fewer and not under consideration elsewhere. Prize: $1000. Deadline: March 31, 2016.

The Gover Story Prize. Genre: Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction. Works of short prose must be less than 10,000 words, previously unpublished, or published with a circulation of less than 500. Prize: $250.00. Deadline: March 31, 2016. No reprints or simultaneous submissions.

The Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction. Genre: Novel published in 2015 (50,000 words minimum). Book has to be set in one of the original eleven states in the Confederacy. (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.) Prize: $2,500.00, and an expense paid trip to New York City. (The winner must come to NY to receive the award, attend a luncheon with the contest judges and a reception in his/her honor.) Deadline: March 31, 2016.

Florida Keys Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Flash fiction (500 words max). Prize: Three-week Key West residency at the Studios of Key West between July 5 and July 31, 2016. Deadline: March 31, 2016.

Haiku Society of America Merit Book Awards for Excellence in Published Haiku, Translation, and Criticism. Genre: Published book. Books must have been published in 2015 and must clearly contain a printed 2015 copyright. A member, author, or publisher may submit or nominate more than one title. At least 50 percent of the book must be haiku, senryu, or haibun, or prose about these subjects (books mostly of tanka, for example, are not eligible). Deadline: March 31, 2016.

Speculative Literature Foundation Older Writers Grant. Restrictions: Open to writers who are fifty years of age or older at the time of grant application. Genre: Speculative fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: March 31, 2016. Read guidelines HERE.

L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. Restrictions: open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Genres: Science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy up to 17,000 words. Prizes: Three cash prizes in each quarter: a First Prize of $1,000, a Second Prize of $750, and a Third Prize of $500, in US dollars. In addition, at the end of the year the winners will have their entries rejudged, and a Grand Prize winner shall be determined and receive an additional $5,000. Deadline: March 31, 2016. Read contest rules HERE.

Jack L. Chalker Young Writers' Contests. Restrictions: Open to writers between 14 and 18 years of age as of May 29 in the contest year who reside in, or attend school in Maryland. Genre: Science fiction or fantasy, 2,500 words max. Prizes: $150, $100 and $75. Deadline: March 31, 2016. Read contest rules HERE.

Gary Fincke Creative Writing Prize. Restrictions: Open to undergraduates. Genre: Poetry and prose. Prize: $100. Deadline: March 31, 2016. Read guidelines HERE.

Spank the Carp - Ekphrasis! Genre: Poetry. Ekphrastic poems draw inspiration from a work of art, and the piece for this contest is by Elizabeth Darrow. Prize: A coffee mug! (And publication). Deadline: March 31, 2016. Read guidelines HERE.

It may not seem like it, but spring is write around the corner! (Harharhar) (Okay, I admit it, that was bad.)

There are lots of great conferences in March, and some are quite affordable. Locations stretch from Massachusetts to Washington State. 

Some of these conferences offer valuable one-on-one sessions with authors to get the feedback you need, as well as pitch sessions with agents. 

Nothing beats a writing conference for getting your motor running. I highly encourage you to attend one.
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Redrock Creative Writing Seminar, St. George, Utah, March 4-5, 2016. Classes and readings in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The faculty includes poets David J. Rothman and Marleen Bussma; fiction writer Marilyn Richardson; and creative nonfiction writer Brian Passey. Cost: $65.

Wordcrafters: Be Writing. Eugene, Oregon. March 5, 2016. Six classes, one-on-one session with author. $95.

William Paterson University Spring Writer’s Conference. Wayne, New Jersey, March 5, 2016.  Application Deadline: March 1, 2016. readings and workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The faculty includes poets Hadara Bar-Nadav and Charlotte Nekola; fiction writers Philip Cioffari, Barbara Krasner, and West Moss; and nonfiction writers Laurie Lico Albanese, David Borkowski, Randall Klein, and Luc Sante. Cost: $55.

Digital Book World Conference + Expo, New York City, Mar. 7–9, 2016. This is the premier event for digital publishers and content providers of all sizes and business models.

Algonkian Writers New York Pitch Conference, New York City, March 10-23, 2016. "The event focuses on the art of the novel pitch as the best method not only for communicating your work, but for having you and your work taken seriously by industry professionals. More importantly though, it is also a diagnostic method for workshopping the plot, premise, and other elements of the story to determine quality and marketability. Simply put, you cannot successfully pitch a viable commercial novel if you don't have a viable commercial novel. Our goal, therefore, is to set you on a realistic path to publication. "

Springmingle. Decatur, Georgia, March 11-13, 2016. Conference for children's book writers and illustrators. Faculty includes writers, illustrators, agents, editors, and publishers.

Bay to Ocean Writers Conference. Wye Mills, Maryland, March 12, 2016. Sponsored by the Eastern Shore Writers Association. "The BTO conference features workshops, presentations, and panel discussions on a wide variety of topics pertaining to the craft of writing, publishing, marketing, the Internet, and the intricacies of particular genres. It is an opportunity to meet with many writing peers in the region. Speakers include accomplished authors, poets, film writers, writing instructors, editors, and publishers. BTO also offers one-on-one manuscript reviews with experienced writing instructors and editors for registered attendees for a fee."

Berkshire Festival of Women Writers. Lenox, Mass. March 12 - 20, 2016. More than 40 events celebrating women writers.

Algonkian Novel Retreat, Sterling, Virginia, March 16 - 20, 2016. Consultations and time to write for fiction and nonfiction writers. The faculty includes fiction writers Robert Bausch and Michael Neff and editor Caitlin Alexander. Cost: $1,395, which includes tuition, a private room, and some meals. Submit a writing sample of up to 500 words with a short synopsis. Registration is first come, first served.

Everything You Need to Know About Children’s Book Publishing: A Crash Course. Honesdale, Pennsylvania, March 16 - 20, 2016. "In addition to giving you a comprehensive look at how the children’s book publishing industry works, we’ll give you some actual writing practice. Through exercises, writing prompts and instruction by our editors, you can begin to shape and revise your ideas in preparation for submitting to publishers. Our goal is to help you learn about the business and begin to practice your craft."

Virginia Festival of the Book, March 16-20, 2016. Book exhibits, talks by authors, readings, workshops on book promotion, finding an agent, poetry, publishing, agents roundtable - you name it, this conference has it.

Everything You Need to Know About Children’s Book Publishing A Crash Course. Honesdale, PA. March 17-20. Sponsored by Highlights for children, this is an intensive workshop covering every aspect of publishing children's books.

Norwescon, March 24-27, 2016, Sea Tac, WA. Norwescon is one of the largest regional Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions in the United States.

WonderCon, March 25-27, 2016, Los Angeles, CA. HUGE comic book convention.

The AWP Conference & Bookfair, March 30-April 2, 2016, Los Angeles, CA. " Each year more than 12,000 attendees join our community for four days of insightful dialogue, networking, and unrivaled access to the organizations and opinion-makers that matter most in contemporary literature. The 2015 conference featured over 2,000 presenters and 550 readings, panels, and craft lectures. The bookfair hosted over 800 presses, journals, and literary organizations from around the world. AWP’s is now the largest literary conference in North America."

31st Annual National Undergraduate Literature Conference, March 31 - April 2, 2016, 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."

13th National Black Writers Conference. Brooklyn, NY, Thursday, March 31 – Sunday, April 3, 2016. Readings, panels, and roundtable discussions on the theme of “Writing Race; Embracing Difference.” Featured writers include poet and honorary chair Rita Dove; fiction writers Edwidge Danticat and Charles Johnson; and nonfiction writer Michael Eric Dyson. Cost: $65.

Here are seven agents seeking clients. Most of these are established agents who have recently changed agencies. All have experience in the publishing industry. They are seeking an eclectic mix, from upmarket literary to children's books, memoir to fantasy, thrillers to health and wellness.

Be sure to read the agency's full guidelines before submitting.
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Reiko Davis of DeFiore and Company

About Reiko: Before joining DeFiore in early 2016, Reiko Davis was an associate agent at Miriam Altshuler Literary Agency for four years. She grew up in Kansas City, received her BA in Comparative Literature and Art History from Brown University, and is a graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course.

What she is looking for: Reiko’s interests are varied, but she is particularly drawn to adult literary and upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, and young adult and middle grade fiction. Above all, she wants to discover books that surprise and move her with their irresistible characters and language. 

She loves a strong narrative voice; smart, funny heroines; narrowly located settings (especially towns in the South and Midwest); family sagas; darkly suspenseful novels; and stories of remarkable friendships or that explore the often perilous terrain of human relationships. For children’s books, she is actively looking for young adult and middle grade fiction—whether it be contemporary, historical, fantasy, or simply a story with a timeless quality and vibrant characters. For nonfiction, she is most interested in cultural, social, and literary history; fascinating tours through niche subjects; narrative science; psychology; guides on creativity; and memoir.

How to submit: Please query her at reiko@defliterary.com with “Query” in the subject line as well as the following: A brief description of your book, and a brief, relevant bio. For fiction, please include the first chapter of your book pasted in the body of your email. No attachments, please.
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Molly O'Neill of  Waxman Leavell Literary Agency

About Molly: Prior to becoming an agent, Molly spent thirteen years working in various roles inside the children’s publishing industry: as an Editor at HarperCollins Children's Books, where she acquired Veronica Roth's YA juggernaut Divergent series, among many other fantastic projects; as Head of Editorial at Storybird, a publishing/tech start-up; and in School & Library Marketing at both HarperCollins and Clarion Books.

What she is seeking: She is actively seeking middle grade and YA fiction and picture book author/illustrators, and—more selectively—narrative nonfiction (including children’s/YA/MG, pop science/pop culture, and lifestyle/food/travel/cookbook projects by authors with well-established platforms). In all categories, she is drawn to character-driven explorations of universal human stories, truths, and experiences; plots driven by a compelling "what-if"; a vivid sense of place and/or world-building; narratives about creativity, community, and the intersections of unexpectedly-connected topics; groundbreaking themes, formats, and voices; masterful, original writing; and stories that will surprise and delight readers. She does NOT represent: adult fiction (of any genre), poetry chapbooks, screenplays, or erotica.

How to submit: To submit a project, please send a query letter ONLY via email to one of the addresses below. Do not send attachments, though for fiction you may include 5-10 pages of your manuscript in the body of your email. Send your submission to: mollysubmit@waxmanleavell.com

Stacia Decker of Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency 

About Stacia: Stacia Decker has been agenting since 2009. Previously, she worked at the Donald Maass Literary Agency and, as an editor, at Harcourt and Otto Penzler Books. She began her career as an intern and then editorial assistant at Farrar, Straus & Giroux after earning an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University and an AB in Government and English from Georgetown University. 

What she is looking for: She represents high-concept literary and speculative fiction, commercial thrillers, crime/mystery fiction, and sci-fi fantasy. She is partial to strong voices, fast-paced plotting, and near-future or cross-genre elements.

How to submit: Send a query letter to: mail@dclagency.com. Please do not send attachments.


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Jennifer Udden of Barry Goldblatt Literary 

About Jennifer: Jennifer Udden was born in Houston, TX, and spent many of her formative years hiding books under tables while she was meant to be paying attention to something else. She has a BA from Mount Holyoke College, and graduated in 2008 with a major in Politics, a minor in Chinese, and honors thesis work on anxiety in British detective fiction of the early 20th century. She has worked in fundraising for an off-Broadway theater company and joined the publishing industry in 2010 at the Donald Maass Literary Agency.  She is the co-host of the podcast Shipping & Handling (shippingandhandlingpodcast.com) with Bridget Smith of Dunham Literary, Inc.

What she is looking for: Speculative fiction of all stripes, especially innovative science fiction or fantasy that explores worlds we haven’t seen before; contemporary/erotic/LGBT/ paranormal/ historical romance; contemporary or speculative YA; select mysteries, thrillers, and urban fantasies. Please, do not send to Jen: any middle-grade, chapter, or picture books; nonfiction.

How to submit: E-mail queries should include the word “query” in the subject line. To query Jen Udden, e-mail queries can be sent to query.judden@gmail.com. Your email query should include the following within the body of the email: your query letter, a synopsis of the book, and the first five pages of your manuscript. We will not open or respond to any e-mails that have attachments. If we like the sound of your work, we will request more material from you. Our response time is four weeks on queries, six to eight weeks on full manuscripts. If you haven’t heard from us within that time, feel free to check in via email.

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Miriam Altshuler of DeFiore and Company 

About Miriam: Miriam Altshuler began her career at Russell & Volkening, where she worked for twelve years with such writers as Anne Tyler, Eudora Welty, Joseph Campbell, Nadine Gordimer, and Bernard Malamud.  In 1994 she established her own agency, which she ran for twenty-one years until she joined DeFiore and Company in early 2016.

What she is seeking: In fiction, she is most interested in family sagas, historical novels, and stories that offer a new twist or retelling of some kind. She does not work with adult romance, sci fi, or fantasy. In nonfiction, she loves memoir, narrative nonfiction, and self-help (as long as it is not too prescriptive). She particularly responds to books that have an important cultural, social, or psychological focus.

How to submit: Please send an email to her at querymiriam@defliterary.com with “Query” in the subject line. Include the following: A brief description of your book, and a brief, relevant bio. For fiction, please include the first chapter of your book pasted in the body of your email. She also really wants to know what you feel the heart of your book is, in one or two sentences. No attachments, please.
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Maggie Riggs of Riggs Agency 

About Maggie: The Riggs Agency was founded in 2015 by Maggie Riggs, a veteran of the NYC publishing industry. Maggie has worked as an editor at Viking, an associate agent at The Friedrich Agency, and as an independent editor with NY Book Editors.  

What she is seeking: The agency specializes in literary fiction. She takes on select non-fiction projects including narrative nonfiction, essays, memoir, and food writing. She is particularly interested in works from fiction writers of color, and diverse voices of all kinds. 

How to submit: Please send your query letter, bio, and the first ten pages of your manuscript in the body of your email to submissions@riggslit.com. Do not send your full manuscript, or any other materials, as an attachment to your email unless requested. 
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Eric Myers of Dystel & Goderich

About Eric: Eric Myers joined Dystel and Goderich Literary Management in 2015 after thirteen years at The Spieler Agency. A graduate of UCLA and the Sorbonne, Eric entered publishing as a journalist and author. His books include Screen Deco: A Celebration of High Style in Hollywood, Forties Screen Style: A Celebration of High Pastiche in Hollywood, and Uncle Mame: The Life of Patrick Dennis, all published by St. Martin’s Press. His writing has also appeared in The New York Times Magazine and Arts and Leisure sections, as well as Time Out, Variety, Opera News, and Art and Auction.

What he is seeking: As an agent, Eric has a strong affinity for young adult and middle grade fiction, as well as adult nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, biography, psychology, health and wellness, mind/body/spirit, and pop culture. He also loves a good thriller, and is open to memoir from authors with strong platforms.


How to submit: E-query emyers [at] dystel.com. “We prefer email queries, as most do nowadays, so please make sure your cover letter is in the body of the email. Synopses, outlines or sample chapters (say, one chapter or the first 25 pages of your manuscript) should either be included below the cover letter or attached as a separate document. We won’t open attachments if they come with a blank email, by the way. Please do double space your samples for reading that’s easy on the eyes! We will respond to most query letters within a six to eight week period. If you don’t hear from us within that time frame, chances are we did not receive yours. Feel free to resend it.”

Here are two new agents actively seeking clients. Stephanie Fretwell-Hill (Red Fox Literary) is looking for authors and illustrators of board books, picture books, middle grade, and young adult in any genre. Kemi Faderin (Dystel & Goderich) is looking for smart, plot-driven YA, historical fiction/ nonfiction, contemporary women’s fiction, and literary fiction.

Stephanie Fretwell-Hill of Red Fox Literary

About Stephanie: Stephanie Fretwell-Hill started her publishing career in 2004 at Walker Books Ltd. in London, where she sold foreign language rights. Working in a design-led company with legendary artists such as Helen Oxenbury and Lucy Cousins sparked her love of illustration, while her sales role gave her an international perspective on children’s publishing. In 2011, Stephanie moved back home to the United States and joined Peachtree Publishers as an editor. During her four years there, she acquired fiction and nonfiction picture books, middle grade, and young adult titles. Her acquisitions received such honors as YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year, Parents’ Choice Awards, and numerous starred reviews from major trade magazines. She joined Red Fox Literary in early 2016.

What she is seeking: Stephanie represents both authors and illustrators of board books, picture books, middle grade, and young adult. She will consider stories in any genre, but looks for a strong voice, rich and multi-layered plots, and stylish, classic, or quirky illustrations. Most of all, she loves anything that really makes her laugh.

How to submit: Stephanie will be open to unsolicited submissions for six months (ending mid-July 2016). Please send art samples, complete picture book text, or first three chapters of a novel (and a query) to querystephanie [at] redfoxliterary.com.
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Kemi Faderin of Dystel & Goderich Literary

About Kemi: Kemi Faderin joined DGLM as an intern while pursuing her M.S. in Publishing at NYU. She grew up in Ellicott City, Maryland where she went to college and received her B.A. in English. Shortly after graduation, Kemi moved to New York in early 2015. An internship at Liza Dawson Associates solidified her interest in a career in the publishing industry, especially the agenting side of it. Find her on Twitter.

What she is seeking: She is interested in anything different and original, but especially in smart, plot-driven YA, historical fiction / nonfiction, contemporary women’s fiction, and literary fiction.

How to Submit: E-query kfaderin [at] dystel.com. “Synopses, outlines or sample chapters (say, one chapter or the first 25 pages of your manuscript) should either be included below the cover letter or attached as a separate document. We won’t open attachments if they come with a blank email. Please do double space your samples for reading that’s easy on the eyes! We will respond to most query letters within a six to eight week period. If you don’t hear from us within that time frame, chances are we did not receive yours. Feel free to resend it.”

Here are two new literary agents seeking clients. Rob Kirkpatrick (The Stuart Agency) is looking for memoir, biography, sports, music, pop culture, current events, and history. Rachel Burkot (Holloway Literary) is interested in women's fiction, thrillers, romance, YA, and literary fiction.

Rob Kirkpatrick of The Stuart Agency

​About Rob: Rob Kirkpatrick joins The Stuart Agency after working as a senior editor at multiple publishing houses for more than a dozen years. Titles he has helped publish include The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll’s Best-Kept Secret; Shrinkage: Manhood, Marriage, and the Tumor that Tried to Kill Me; Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. (Viv Albertine); Vagos, Mongols, and Outlaws (basis for the miniseries Gangland Undercover); The Peasant Prince: Thaddeus Kosciuszko and the Age of Revolution; The Agent: My 40-Year Career Making Deals and Changing the Game (Leigh Steinberg); Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging ‘70s; Snakes! Guillotines! Electric Chairs! My Adventures in the Alice Cooper Group; The Kennedy Chronicles: The Golden Age of MTV Through Rose-Colored Glasses; Black Noon: The Year They Stopped The Indy 500; Cohn-Head: A No-Holds Barred Account of Breaking Into the Boys Club (by ESPN’s Linda Cohn); and Jerry Rice’s latest book, 50 Years, 50 Moments. Rob completed a PhD in English and also is the author of several books himself. 

What he is looking for: Memoir, biography, sports, music, pop culture, current events, and history.

How to submit: Submissions should be sent directly to: rob@stuartagency.com. For nonfiction, please send query letter outlining your credentials along with proposal; for fiction, letter with synopsis and full manuscript.
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Rachel Burkot of Holloway Literary

About Rachel: Rachel Burkot of Holloway Literary has been in the publishing industry since 2009. After completing an internship with two literary agencies, reading mostly young adult and thrillers, she then worked as an editor for Harlequin, acquiring category romance, contemporary romance, multicultural romance and women’s fiction. She has decided to transition her skills to the agenting world in order to be an advocate and champion for her authors because she loves finding new talent and helping authors’ dreams of publication come true. Rachel’s career highlights include helping her authors achieve prestigious romance book nominations and two selective awards, including the National Readers Choice Award, and several top reviews in Romantic Times magazine for her books. Follow Rachel on Twitter at @Rachel_Burkot.

What she is seeking: Rachel is drawn to voice-driven fiction, particularly in young adult; quirky, three-dimensional, flawed characters, including and especially secondary characters; beautiful writing; books that explore good people in morally complicated situations; and complex, detailed plots. Rachel is interested in representing:

• Women’s fiction
• Upmarket/book club fiction, i.e., Emily Giffin, Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain
• Young adult (no fantasy or paranormal unless it’s very light)
• Contemporary romance, i.e., Kristan Higgins
• Category romance with unique, memorable plots, i.e., Natalie Charles
• Southern fiction
• “Dark” women’s fiction/thrillers, i.e., Gillian Flynn or Mary Kubica
• Urban fiction
• Literary fiction

How to submit: Send your one-page query to submissions [at] hollowayliteraryagency.com. Email a brief query and the first five pages of your manuscript pasted in the body of your email. In the email subject header, write “Query: [Title/Genre].” If Rachel is interested, she’ll respond with a request for more material. If she’s not interested in your query but thinks it will be a good fit for others at the agency, she’ll share your submission. Due to the number of emails the agency receives, Rachel will only respond if she’s interested.

Here are nine agents actively seeking horror. All are from reputable agencies. Be sure to check their stats on AgentQuery.

1. Maria Vicente (P.S. Literary)

Maria holds a B.A. in English Literature from Carleton University and a B.Ed. from the University of Western Ontario. She has affinities for literary prose, strong character development, original storytelling formats, and anything geeky.

What she is seeking: Young adult and middle grade horror. (No adult.)

How to submit: How to contact: E-query query [at] psliterary.com with “Query for Maria” in the subject line. “Do not send attachments. Always let us know if your manuscript/proposal is currently under consideration by other agents/publishers. If you don’t receive a response to your query within 4-6 weeks it means a no from the agency.”
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2. Veronica Park (Corvisiero Literary)

Veronica Park is an agent, author, journalist and marketing consultant with more than seven years of experience writing and editing for publication. 

What she is seeking: “I would love a YA, contemporary retelling of any of the horror “classics” like Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Grey, or anything by H.P. Lovecraft.”

How to submit: E-query query [at] corvisieroagency.com and putting “Attn: Veronica Park – Query – [BOOK TITLE]” in the subject line. She prefers to see your query letter, synopsis and 15-20 page sample pasted into the body of the e-mail. For bonus points, include links to your social media profiles in your email signature.
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3. Rebecca Podos (Rees Literary)

Rebecca Podos is a graduate of the MFA Writing, Literature and Publishing program at Emerson College

What she is seeking: Young adult and middle grade horror only. (No adult.)

How to submit: Submit a query letter and the first few chapters (pasted in the e-mail) to Rebecca [at] reesagency.com. No attachments.
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4. Sarah LaPolla (Bradford Literary)

Sarah LaPolla joined Bradford Literary Agency as an agent in 2013. She had previously worked in the foreign rights department at Curtis Brown, Ltd., and became an associate agent there in 2010. Sarah received her MFA in Creative Writing (Nonfiction) from The New School in 2008, and has a B.A. in Creative Writing from Ithaca College.

What she is seeking: Young adult horror only. (No adult or MG mss.)

How to submit: E-query sarah [at] bradfordlit.com. Put “Query: [title]” in your subject line. Please email a query letter along with the first chapter of your manuscript and a synopsis. Please be sure to include the genre and word count in your cover letter. No attachments.
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5. Jill Marr (Sandra Dijkstra Literary)

Jill graduated from San Diego State University with a BA in English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in history. She has a strong Internet and media background and nearly 15 years of publishing experience

What she is seeking: Adult stories only. No YA or MG. “I’d like to find a horror story like Joe Hill’sHeart Shaped Box, the kind of tale that pulls you in so completely, and yet you feel like you can only safely read it during the day. I’d also love to see more gritty and atmospheric stories with plenty of plot turns–think The Silent Girls by Eric Rickstad. I like weird and creepy like Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Shock me.”

How to submit: E-query jmsubmissions [at] dijkstraagency.com. “If you have not heard back from us six weeks after sending your letter, you may assume that we have passed. Please send a query letter, a 1-page synopsis, a brief bio (including a description of your publishing history), and the first 10-15 pages of your manuscript. Please send all items in the body of the email, not as an attachment.”
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6. Alec Shane (Writers House)

Alec is Assistant to Jodi Reamer. And while I continue to work under Jodi's careful tutelage, I am now also in the process of actively building my own list and currently represent a fairly eclectic mix of Children's and Adult fiction and nonfiction. I'm eagerly looking for both.

What he is seeking: "Great horror - I haven't been scared to turn off the light in far too long and something needs to be done about it."

How to submit: Send the first 10 pages of your manuscript, along with your query letter, to ashane [at] writershouse.com with “Query for Alec Shane: [TITLE]” as your subject heading. No attachments.
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7. Lane Heymont (The Seymour Agency)

What he is seeking: "Well, my all time favorite novel is Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley. It’s everything, Gothic horror, science fiction, and a dash of the weird unknown and possesses what makes these genres great."

How to submit: How to connect: Send all queries to lane [at] theseymouragency.com. The subject line should be “QUERY: (Title)”. Please past the first five pages in the body of the e-mail.

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8. Evan Gregory (Ethan Ellenberg Literary)

Evan Gregory is a Senior Agent.

What he is seeking: “Alien. Abduction. Whitley Strieber and Fire in the Sky scarred me for life. Also if you can write a contemporary Lovecraftian yarn I want to hear from you (especially if you’re TheBoyInTheClock).”

How to submit: Please send submissions to agent [at] ethanellenberg.com to the attention of Evan. “For email submissions, we ask that you paste all materials into the body of the email in the order mentioned below. For example, if you were submitting fiction you would begin with a brief query letter, followed by your synopsis, followed by the first 50 pages of your manuscript. We will not open attachments.”

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9. Heather Flaherty (The Bent Agency)

Heather began her publishing career as an editor at Random House.

What she is seeking: Young Adult. “I like really good horror and ghost stories… not gory-for-gory’s sake or overly disgusting, but cringing, dark, bloody twisted, and even lovely. I’m seeking Alice Madness Returns meets Anna Dressed In Blood.”

How to submit: flahertyqueries [at] the bentagency.com. Please do not query Heather if you are also querying Beth Phelan of The Bent Agency, who is also on this list. Paste the first ten pages of your book in the body of your email.

Here are two agents actively building their client lists. New agents are a boon to writers. They are young, enthusiastic, and willing to go the extra mile for their clients. Stacey Graham (Red Sofa Literary) is looking for humor books, humorous memoir, dark middle grade, New Age with a strong platform, quirky nonfiction (YA/MG and adult), history, and horror. Shaun Dolan (Union Literary) is seeking literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, pop culture, and sports narratives.

Stacey Graham of Red Sofa Literary

About Stacey: Stacey is an associate agent for Red Sofa Literary after years of being on the other side of the literary blanket. She is the author of four books, as well as being a freelance editor, ghostwriter, screenwriter, and works closely with Boundary Stone Films.

What she is seeking: Humor books, humorous memoir along the lines of Jenny Lawson or John Cleese, dark middle grade, New Age with a strong platform, quirky nonfiction (YA/MG and adult), history, and horror. She is not looking for YA fiction or adult fantasy.

How to submit: Please query Stacey at stacey[at]redsofaliterary.com. If it’s a good fit, she will request the first three chapters or a finished book proposal.
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Shaun Dolan of Union Literary

About Shaun: Shaun Dolan previously worked with award winning authors – including National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists, Story Prize Winners, and B&N Discover Award Winners – as an assistant at WME. Shaun is a graduate of the University of Michigan.

What he is seeking: As an agent at Union Literary, he’s interested in both muscular and lyrical literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, pop culture, and sports narratives. He’s willing and able to dive into the trenches editorially and looks to foster new, exciting voices. (The agency does not represent romance or science fiction.)

How to Submit: sd [at] unionliterary.com. “Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, we will only be in contact regarding projects that feel like a match for the respective agent. Rest assured, every incoming query is being read and evaluated. We prefer to receive submissions by email with sample pages attached in .doc or .docx format. Please do not send .pdf files. Nonfiction submissions should include a query letter, a proposal, and a sample chapter. Fiction submissions should include a query letter, a synopsis, and either sample pages or a full manuscript.”