This August there are more than six dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As always, every genre, style, and form is wanted, from short stories to poetry to essays.

I post upcoming calls for submissions shortly before the first day of every month. But as I am collecting them, I post them on my page, Calls for Submissions. You can get a jump on next month's calls for submissions by checking that page periodically throughout the month. (I only post paying markets.)

Also see Paying Markets for hundreds of paying markets arranged by form and genre.

Happy submitting!
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Note: I update this list continually throughout the month, so check back frequently for new submission calls.

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The Icarus Writing Collective. Genre: Stories that retell, adapt, or transcend literary classics and mythology. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: Opens August 1, 2024.

The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, micro-fiction. Length: Under 3,000 words preferred. Payment: $75. Deadline: Opens August 1, 2024. They open to fee-free submissions on the first of each month and close when they reach their quota.

The Rumpus. Genre: Essays. Payment: $400 divided among all contributors. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Quill and Crow. Genre: Dark speculative fiction novels (45k - 110k words). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

ryga. Genre: Poetry, prose and short plays. Payment: $50. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

The Quiet Ones. Genre: Quiet Horror and Intimate-Scale Dystopian Fiction. "We primarily seek creative work from those who identify as LGBTQIAP+, women, and allies. We’re especially fond of (though do not require) stories that center LGBTQIAP+ and female characters. That said, we welcome work from anyone and everyone, and we do not automatically disqualify any submissions based on the author’s identity, nor do we require our contributors to share their sexual or gender identities." Payment: $25. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

DarkLit Press: In the Gallows Wake – A Pirate Horror Anthology. Genre: Pirate-themed horror. Payment: $0.01/word. Deadline: August 1, 2024. Reprints accepted.

The Offing: Back of the Envelope. Genre: Back of the Envelope seeks writing of any length and genre which relates to, or draws on, science and the natural world. Sharing its wonder or its horrors, relating the untold stories of discovery, or toying with everyday curiosities, we're interested in hearing from those inside and outside the scientific community. Payment: $25–$100. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: August 1, 2024. See themes.

Zombies in the New Normal. Genre: Zombie stories. Payment: $100. Deadline: August 1, 2024.


Broken Highways. Genre: Car Wars GameLit Fiction. "Theme: Have you ever looked at someone, and just know that they have one hell of a tale to tell? First-hand accounts from the road, told by the bounty hunters, highwaymen, and Federal Marshals out there in the mix." Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000.  Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Steamworks. Charlesbridge has partnered with Count Play Explore, an initiative led by the Office of Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, Early Care and Education Department, to develop a series of fiction picture books and board books about science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) in both English and Spanish. Genre: Realistic, contemporary fiction manuscripts. Target audiences are children ages 0–3 (board books) and 4–7 (picture books) and their caregivers. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Face the Storm. Genre: Speculative Fiction. Theme: A collection of stories dealing with Space Coasties! Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Fiction, 15 cents/word. Poetry, $10. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

From Beyond Press. Genre: Nonfiction book proposals about fantasy, horror, or science fiction films. "We want fun, informative books written by people who genuinely love and know a lot about their subjects. Books will take the form of guides to a particular subgenre or theme, such as essential post-apocalyptic movies, movies about time travel, horror films directed by queer directors, sci-fi films that feature disabled characters, etc. They can be written as individual reviews or as thematic chapters." Payment: $250 and royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

The First Line. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction using the first line provided. (See site.) Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $10.00 for poetry, and $25.00 for nonfiction. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

We'Moon Lunar Calendar. Restrictions: Open to women only. Genre: Art, poetry and prose, 350 words maximum. Payment: Small honorarium; art up to $500. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: August 2, 2024. Opens August 1.


Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: August 2, 2024.

Tales from the Moonlit Path. Genre: Dark, eerie speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: $10 for fiction. Deadline: August 2, 2024.

Sci Phi Journal. Genre: Speculative fiction and philosophy. Length: Up to 2,000 words. Payment: €0.03/word for original fiction, €0.01/word for translations. Deadline: August 4, 2024.

Cirsova. Genre: Genre fiction short stories. Payment: $0.0125 per word. Deadline: August 4, 2024.

12 Spooky Campfire Stories for the Bravest of Boys. Genre: MG spooky stories. Payment: 01 per word. Deadline: August 4, 2024.

Griffith Review. Genre: Poetry on theme Leaps of Faith. Payment: AUD$200 per poem. Deadline: August 4, 2024.

L'Esprit Literary Review. Genre: Short fiction, creative non-fiction, novel extracts, drama, literary criticism, book reviews, artwork, and photography. "L’Esprit Literary Review publishes work written in the fearless, risk-adept, and revolutionary spirit of High Modernism." Payment: $10. Deadline: August 5, 2024.

just femme & dandy. Genre: Fashion for the LGBTQIA+ community. Theme: The Drag Issue. "Our definition of drag is expansive, and we invite you to consider how drag as the performance of gender shows up in your lives. We want to hear about how/when/where gender is performed, the day to day lives behind the makeup, the politics of gender and normativity, different forms of drag, how this all coincides with fashion and dress. While we would love to hear from up and coming drag artists and independent fashion designers, this theme is for everyone, not just drag artists and enthusiasts. If you have something to say about gendered performance, we want to hear it! You are welcome to send us submissions outside of the theme, but submissions that relate to the theme are highly encouraged. We accept anything that can be displayed on a website: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, tutorial, illustration, comix, photography, painting, video, drag, costume/fashion designs, hot takes, interviews, and so on!" Payment: 50 USD per text-based submission and 150 USD per multimedia submission (video, photography, image + text, fashion spread + interview, etc.). Deadline: August 5, 2024.


Utopia Science Fiction. Genre: Utopian science fiction. Payment: $0.04/word for fiction, $30 for nonfiction, $25 for poetry. Deadline: August 6, 2024.

Abyss and Apex. Genre: Speculative fiction. No horror. Payment: USD $.08/word (eight cents a word) up to 1,000 words, and a flat payment of $80.00 for longer stories. Deadline: August 7, 2024.

Stone's Throw. Genre: Noir, dark fiction, crime short stories. Length: between 1,000 and 2,000 words. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 7, 2024. 

Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to submissions from the UK, Europe, the Commonwealth and every other country except for the USA. Genre: Fiction between 500 and 5,000 words. Payment: 2p (£0.02) per word, to the nearest 100 words, with a minimum of £30 and maximum £100. Deadline: August 11, 2024. 

Scream Queer Anthology: Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are! Genre: Short stories (3-4k), based on the theme—scream queers. (See site for details) Payment: $50. Deadline: August 12, 2024.

Collective Madnes: Schisms of the Soul. Genre: Dark fantasy short stories in the theme of “schisms of the soul.” Examples of this could include: Going insane, complicated ethical dilemmas, dimensional rifts, puppet masters, transformations (people becoming monsters or animals), hive minds, etc.  Payment: $15. Deadline: August 13, 2024.

Poetry Wales. Genre: Poetry. "We are especially interested in submissions of innovative poetry (in form, content or a combination of both), as well as innovative essays and reviews." Payment: £20/page. Deadline: August 13, 2024.

Orange & Bee. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, experimental and hybrid work. Payment: Poetry: flat rate $US50.00 per poem. Flash: flat rate $US80.00 per story (max 1000 words) Short fiction/non-fiction: $US0.08 per word (max 4000 words) Deadline: August 14, 2024.

Orca. Genre: Literary fiction. Payment: $50 for short stories, $25 for flash fiction. Deadline: August 15, 2024. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fees.

the other side of hope. Genre: Poetry by refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants only. They accept submissions in any language other than English. Payment: £50. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Luna Station Quarterly. Restrictions: Open to women writers only. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 15, 2024. Some reprints accepted.

khōréō. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. "This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, transnational/transracial adoptees, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. We especially encourage BIPOC creators who identify as the above to submit their work." Genre: Stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Payment: 0.08/word for fiction, $100 for nonfiction, and $40-300 for art. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Ricochet Editions. Genre: Hybrid/Experimental work between 40 and 200 pages. "We are looking for purposeful experimentation with language and form that challenges or plays with convention." Payment: $500 and 50 copies of the perfect-bound book. Deadline: August 15, 2024. No submission fee for POC and Indigenous writers and writers facing financial hardship.


Dirty Magick Magazine. Genre: Fantasy fiction with a hard-boiled edge. "We are interested in urban fantasy, sword and sorcery, and gothic/supernatural horror. We also like speculative fiction, especially steampunk and cyberpunk, but they must contain a magical twist. But the true spirit of this magazine lies in the hybrid space, where crime/detective modes can be combined with fantastic premises." Payment: $50. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

The Lorelei Signal. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, and poetry with strong female characters. Payment: $15 for short stories, $5 for poems and flash (<1000 wds) fiction pieces, $5 for reprints. Deadline: August 15, 2024. Accepts reprints.

Root Quarterly. Restrictions: RQ is a quarterly print-only journal of art and ideas from Philadelphia. Genre: Nonfiction, art. "We are publishing RQ in part because we’d like to promote regional arts and culture, makers, and entrepreneurs, be part of the national discourse on important issues, build a community of thoughtful people, and reclaim discourse from the highly-politicized, rage-stoking space of social media." See theme. Payment: $25 - $100 depending on the piece and its length. Deadline: August 15, 2024. Pitches only. 

Subterrain. Genre: Creative nonfiction, commentary, fiction and poetry. See theme. Payment: Poetry: $50 per poem; Prose: $.10 per word (to a maximum of $500). Deadline: August 15, 2024. No fee if submitted by mail. Journal is located in Canada.

Radon. Genre: Short stories and poetry containing elements of anarchism, transhumanism, dystopia, and/or science fiction. Payment: 1 cent per word for original work, half a cent per word for reprints. $20 per original poem and $10 for reprints. $100 for issue cover art, $30 for back cover art, and $20 for art used on their website. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Crimson Quill Quarterly. Genre: Dark fantasy, sword & sorcery, and ​grimdark ​subgenres of fantasy. Payment: $30. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Saros Speculative Fiction. Genre: Speculative Fiction. Payment: $40 CAD per story and $40 CAD for cover art. Deadline: August 18, 2024.

Qwerty. Genre: Fiction, CNF, Poetry. Payment: $15 CAD. Deadline: August 19, 2024.

Solarpunk Micro Mini. Genre: Solarpunk micro fiction, 250 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 21, 2024.

The Deadlands. Genre: Fiction. "The Deadlands exists in liminal spaces between life, death, and elsewhere. We are looking for fiction that concerns itself with death—but also everything death may involve." Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: August 21, 2024.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Valiant Scribe.Genre: Fiction, non-fiction prose, and poetry. Each person can submit up to 5 poems, and the word count limit per prose piece is 3,000 words. See theme. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Hellbound Books: Flash Fiction. Genre: Horror flash fiction. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Satan Rides Anthology. Genre: Horror. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Creature Features. Genre: Horror. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Dragon Soul Press: Magick and Malice. Genre: "All witch stories for all genres." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

The Ampersand Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and essays. Payment: $100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

UWA Publishing (University of Western Australia). Genre: Children's and YA fiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Ecotone. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. "We are particularly interested in place-based work by people historically underrepresented in literary publishing and in place-based contexts: writers and artists who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, people with disabilities, gender-nonconforming, LGBTQIA+, women, and others. We welcome the work of emerging writers." Payment: $100 minimum for poetry and a $200 minimum for prose. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Fee-free peroid opens August 29.

Black Hare Press: Tumbleweed Anthology. Genre: Speculative fiction. "In the desolate landscapes of Utah (or, in fact, any real or fictional place you choose), a bizarre phenomenon unfolds as thousands of tumbleweeds amass, engulfing residential yards, barricading buildings, and rendering roads impassable." Payment: $20 - $25, depending on length. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Mermaidens 2: Darker Waters. Genre: Dark mermaid stories. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

After Happy Hour. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, visual art, and hybrids  Payment: $10 honorarium on publication ($25 for cover art). Deadline: August 31, 2024. (Free submissions capped at 300)

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Change your habits & attitudes / change your life. Genre: Nonfiction. We are looking for true stories about how you realized a certain habit or attitude was detrimental to you, what you did to change that, and the difference it made in your life. Payment: $200. Deadline: August 31, 2024. 

Room Magazine. Restrictions: Open to artists of marginalized genders. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, visual art, and poems. Payment: $50 per page. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Broken Sleep Books. (UK) Genre: Nonfiction pamphlets (up to 150 pages). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories, 12,000 words minimum. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Made in L.A. Restrictions: Preference for writers who currently live in and around Los Angeles. Genre: Fiction. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Accepts reprints.

Fifth Wheel Press: light em up. Genre: Poetry, prose poetry, short prose (<1500 words), and other experimental writing by queer, trans, and gender variant writers. Visual components and hybrid formats are welcome. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry on theme. See theme. Payment: $30. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Opens August 15. Submission periods are extended by a week for BIPOC creators only.

Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Close My Eyes Forever. Genre: Crime Fiction Inspired by Heavy Metal Hits. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Split Lip Magazine. Genre: Fiction (flash and short stories), memoirs, and poetry. with a pop-culture twist. Payment: $75 for poems, memoirs, flash, fiction, and art, $50 for interviews/reviews, and $25 for mini-reviews web issues. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Closes when they reach capacity, so submit early. 

Gwyllion. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: £10 per accepted story or poem. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Nashville Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art, and nonfiction. Payment: $25 per poem & song selection; $100 per selection for all other categories, including featured artwork. Translators receive $25 per poem & $100 for prose selections. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

AND A FEW MORE...

Teach. Write. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, flash fiction, poetry, CNF. "I prefer writing that is either written by composition teachers and writing students or about teaching and learning." Payment: $15. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Lucent Dreaming. Genre: Poetry, prose, art, and creative non-fiction. Payment: £30  - £80. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Book Worms. Genre: Horror: fiction, poetry, and essays. See theme. Length: Up to 1,500 words. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: September 1, 2024. See themes.

Seems a Little Crazy! Genre: Speculative Fiction. Packed full of Aliens, Deep State government, Reptilian Overlords, and more! Show us your freakiest Conspiracy Theory! Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Orion's Belt. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Length: 1200 words max. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

Talk Vomit. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Themes: American Gothic, Caregiving. Payment: Fiction and nonfiction - $10-30; poetry - $5-15. Deadline: September 1, 2024.

This August there are three dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes this month range from $100,000 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. (Note: I update this list continually throughout the month, so check back frequently for new contests.)

Good luck! 
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​MoonLit Getaway Writing and Art Contest. Restrictions: Open to submissions from within North America. Genre: Flash fiction, poetry, art. Prize: $100. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists. Restrictions: Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated sufficient income to support the author. Genre: Book-length children's or young-adult fiction. Prize: $5000. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

PEN/Bare Life Review Grants. Restrictions: Open to immigrant and refugee writers in the US and abroad. Genre: Unpublished work-in-progress that will not be published prior to April 1, 2026. The project must be a work of a literary nature: fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry. Prize: $5000. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: Delaware poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who have lived in Delaware for at least one year prior to application and who are not enrolled in a degree-granting program. Genres: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction. Prize: Established Professional Fellowships of $6,000 each and Emerging Artist Fellowships of $3,000 each. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Leeway Foundation Art and Change Grants. Restrictions: Open to women and trans artists in Greater Philadelphia to fund art for social change projects. People living in Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia counties Delaware who are 18 years of age or older and who are not full-time students in a degree-granting arts program are eligible. Genre: Art in traditional or nontraditional modes, mediums or disciplines. Prize: $2500. Deadline: August 1, 2024.

Granum Foundation Prize helps U.S.-based writers complete substantive literary works—such as poetry books, essay or short story collections, novels, and memoirs—or to help launch these works. Additionally, a Granum Foundation Translation Prize will be awarded to support the completion of a work translated by a U.S.-based writer. Prize: One winner will receive $5,000; up to three finalists will be awarded $500 or more; $500 or more will be awarded to one writer working in translation. Deadline: August 1, 2024.
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Oregon Literary Fellowships. Two fellowships (one $10,000 grant and one $3,500 grant) are reserved specifically for writers of color. There are also fellowships for women/gender-nonconforming writers as well as special fellowships for fiction writers who have lived in Oregon over the past 5 years. Deadline: August 2, 2024.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. "On each competition weekend, we’ll reveal a set of story prompts and you’ll have 55 hours to submit your best story of 500-words (or fewer)." Prize: $500AUD. Deadline: Opens August 2, 2024. Closes August 4, 2024. (Australian time)

Peter Blazey Fellowship.  Restrictions: Applicants must either be an Australian citizen or have Australian residency. Genre: Non-fiction in the fields of autobiography, biography or life writing. Prize: $15,000, and a one-month writer-in-residency at The Australia Centre. Deadline: August 12, 2024.

Waterford Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of Ireland. Genre: Poem. Prize: First prize is €400 plus attendance at a designated writing course. Deadline: August 12, 2024.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Flash fiction between 1k words max based on theme. Prize: $30. Deadline: August 14, 2024.

John Glassco Translation Prize. Sponsored by Literary Translators' Association of Canada. Restrictions: Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents only. Genre: The work submitted must be the translator's first published book-length translation into English or French. Prize: $1000. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Ligonier Valley Writers. Genre: Flash fiction on theme;1000 words max. Prize: The first prize winner will receive $50, second prize $25, and third prize $15. Deadline: August 15, 2024.

Scotiabank Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English between  July 1, 2024, and September 30, 2024. 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: August 16, 2024.

Lucky Jefferson Poetry and Prose Contest. Restriction: Open to anyone over the age of 10. Genre: Poetry and prose. Prize: $100, publication, and a swag box. Deadline: August 18, 2024.

Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour. Restrictions: Open to British novelists of color with no previous published books and not currently signed by an agent. Genre: Novel. Prize: £500 and a meeting with a literary agent. Deadline: August 19, 2024.

Write the World: Flash Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19.5. Genre: Flash fiction, 100 words max. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50. Deadline: August 26, 2024.

On the Premises. Genre: Short story. "For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which one or more characters with significant expertise in some area matter to the story. The expert(s) DO NOT have to be the story’s main character(s), though it’s fine if they are–the judges won’t care either way. We’re also open to the idea that your story’s character(s) with expertise might be either wrong, or frauds, or idiots. (Or they’re legitimate experts!) However, the idea of expertise, and at least one person who has it (or doesn’t?) has to matter to the story." Prize: Up to $250. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

RSL Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction. Restrictions: The writer must be a resident of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or have been a resident in the UK or ROI for the past three years. Genre: Nonfiction book. Prize: Two awards – one of £10,000, one of £5,000 – are offered to support writers to complete their first commissioned works of non-fiction. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Flash fiction on theme of Summer Camp. Your story must be no longer than 101 words. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: August 30, 2024.

Preservation Foundation Biographical Nonfiction Contest. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $250 in any single year. Genre: Biographical Nonfiction. Prize: First prize is $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Finalists will receive $50. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Northwind Writing Award. Genre: Prose Poetry, Poetry, Short Fiction, and Non-fiction/Essay/Memoir. Prize: $100 and publication. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry collection (in English), at least 48 pages long, published between July 1 of the previous year and June 30 of the deadline year by an upstate New York author. Prize: $2000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to students who are FULL TIME, undergraduate students in an AMERICAN COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY during the Spring 2024 semester. Genre: Essay on topic: “In this current presidential election year, which some have described as the most important in history, what arguments can be made that the 1864 Lincoln-McClellan race was indeed the most crucial of American history.” Prize: 1st Prize $1500 | 2nd Prize $750 | 3rd Prize $500. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Morioka International Haiku Contest. Genre: Haiku. Prize: Not specified. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Sundog Summer Collaboration Contest. Genre: "Sometimes teamwork is what makes the dreamwork, so this summer we want to see what you’ve created with another writer (or two or three⁠ — there’s actually no limit) for our annual Collaboration Contest. Submit your wildest, most inventive work of any or mixed genre. Just keep your hybrid masterpiece to 1,000 words or less." Prize: $300 and publication. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Kindle Storyteller Award (UK). Restrictions: The prize is open to all authors who publish their book through Kindle Direct Publishing on Amazon.co.uk. Genre: Book. Prize: £20,000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, maximum 5,000 words. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation or Multi-Lingual Texts. Restrictions: Translators and authors of multi-lingual texts. Genres: Poetry and prose. Prize: $200. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

“Kusamakura” Haiku Competition. Genre: Haiku. Prize: (Grand Prize) to one winner : goods worthy of ￥20,000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Poetry Archive NOW! WordView. Genre: Poetry. "Make a video/film recording of yourself reading or reciting a single poem which you have written in 2024." Prize: £100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing. Genre: Short story with an overall word-count of 1500 on theme: "Letters to My Love" Prize: £100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

21 Futures: Financial Fallout. Genre: Fiction (up to 3,000 words) "Which catastrophic failures will we see in the next 100 years? And how will it affect ordinary citizens of the world?" Prize: 1st place: $1,000 + feature interview; 2nd place: $500 + podcast appearance; 3rd place: $250 + social media shoutout; 4th place: $100 + signed book. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing. Genre: Scholarly essay. All work submitted must have been written or published within the last year. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poetry based on art. (See website) Prize: $100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.

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: August 31, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

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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Kate Barker Literary Agency (UK)

I have worked in publishing for nearly twenty years as an agent, commissioning editor and ghostwriter. I spent ten years at Penguin, where I was an Editorial Director for Viking, acquiring fiction and non-fiction. I have also worked for Orion, for one of the biggest literary agencies in the UK, for digital publisher Bookouture and for a speakers bureau. I work with a wide range of specialist agencies for the sale of rights around the world.

What she is seeking:

Fiction
I’m looking for commercial and reading group novels: my taste in fiction is broad. I like strong stories, interesting settings (contemporary or historical) and high concept novels. Please note that I do not represent science fiction, fantasy or books for children. Work in those genres will not be read.

Non-fiction
I’m looking for smart thinking, history, memoir, popular psychology and science, natural history, lifestyle and wellbeing. Big ideas and subjects that get people talking. I particularly enjoy helping experts translate their work for a general audience.

How to submit: Follow submission guidelines HERE.
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Codex Literary Agency 

Miriam Kriss launched the Codex Literary Agency in 2024, after nearly two decades at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency, where she served as Vice-President. She is excited to grow Codex Literary, a boutique agency with a full service reach. She represents everything from hardcover historical mysteries to all subgenres of romance, from thrillers to science fiction, from young adult fiction to fantasies, and everything in between. If it's fun to read she probably represents it. 

Isabelle Rader After growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, Isabelle began her career in publishing by interning at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency at the start of 2022. After graduating college with a BA in English Literature, she followed Miriam into her new venture. On the weekends you can find her doing yoga, kayaking, or curled up with her two cats and reading a good book.  

Actively looking for NA Books across all genres, she is also interested in Adult, Young Adult, and Middle-Grade Fantasy, as well as both Upmarket and Commercial Adult, all with never-before-seen worldbuilding, unique characters, strong plotting, and compulsive hooks. From Dark Academia to Epic, Historical, and Contemporary Fantasy with wild adventures, thrilling romances, and dashes of humor, she is always looking for unforgettable characters, strong female leads, and diverse voices. 

How to submit: Submit to Miriam using her form HERE. Submit to Isabelle using her form HERE.

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Colwill & Peddle Literary Agency (UK)

​Drawing on our years of experience in publishing, bookselling and agenting we’re focused on finding new voices and untold stories, helping authors turn their ideas into books and supporting them at each point in their writing career.

We are proud to represent a diverse range of writers who are talented, passionate and who write with real purpose. Working closely with our authors from the inception of their ideas, through to submission, publication and beyond, we help them turn their dream of writing into a long, happy and successful career. Publishing can be a bewildering industry and we’re passionate about making it as inclusive and open as possible so we strive to demystify the publishing process  for first-time writers.

Led by our editorial instincts, we enjoy working closely and collaboratively with all our authors both on and off the page. We pride ourselves on finding authors the perfect home for their work, negotiating the best possible deal and helping to build a strong team behind them. We  work with Emily Randle of Randle Editorial & Literary Consultancy  for our foreign rights and with a select number of film & TV co-agents to sell the rights to our clients’ work internationally, in all formats and mediums. 

We represent a broad range of writers but we do not represent writers of screenplays, scripts or poetry.

How to submit: Read submission guidelines HERE. 
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Greenstone Literary Agency (UK)

Ms. Laura Heathfield co-founded Greenstone Literary with Tanera Simons in 2024. Laura studied law at university and spent over 20 years with Virgin Atlantic which allowed her to indulge her passion for reading whilst travelling. On deciding to pursue a career in publishing, Laura joined the Darley Anderson Agency where she worked across the Women’s Fiction list, reading submissions, handling contracts and supporting authors on their path to publication and beyond. Laura is looking for commercial crime, thriller, suspense, bookclub, historical and romance fiction as well as select non-fiction.

Tanera Simons' interests lie in rom-com, love stories, commercial historical fiction, book club, and in female-driven novels with a slightly darker edge. "Across all of these I am always looking for a strong hook – a set-up that immediately intrigues me and makes me want to find out more – as well as rich, layered characters who we can’t help but invest in."

How to submit: Follow the agency's guidelines HERE.

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Creative Roots Studio (UK)

Fiz Osborne and Rachael Davis-Featherstone founded Creative Roots Studio in 2024 as a way to work closely and dynamically with publishing houses, spearhead the creation of a wide range of brilliant children's books and help build sustainable careers for children's book creatives.

What they are seeking: Picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, and children’s non-fiction.

How to submit: Read submission guidelines HERE. Check for open submission periods.
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Rosecliff Literary 

Jessica Berg is the founder of Rosecliff Literary. She is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents. With a strong educational background in language and an MFA in Fiction, Jessica possesses the experience to offer  personalized guidance to help authors achieve their publishing dreams. Connect with her online on all the places @jesssica__berg. 

Jessica represents all genres of fiction, as well as self-help and memoir.

How to submit: Please follow the agency's guidelines HERE.