Comps and calls for October 2017

Hello all! It’s October, and my operation went very well. Thank you for all your kind wishes. I am much better now, though my bruising is record-breaking, apparently! Please blame any mistakes this month on my post-op meds!

I have had some excellent news to cheer me even more – my third poetry collection, The Colour of Not Belonging, will be published by Arachne Press! I am thrilled – I’ve had a poem in one of their anthologies before and I know that they are lovely people. This is one reason to get your work in anthologies and magazines – you might find the perfect place for your book.

I have a milestone birthday this month, which I am going to celebrate with unadulterated joy. So many of the most wonderful people I know are older than I am, so I don’t fear ageing at all.

As we head into Xmas and if you’re looking for gift suggestions, might I be so bold as to suggest my book – How to Win Writing Competitions? I explain the techniques and tricks that can be used to build-up a collection of writing awards. It’s well worth a read. Available for Kindle and in traditional print.

Have a wonderful month, everyone!

Cathy x


Here are October 2017’s writing competitions and calls for submission, all with free, electronic entry.

As usual I’m passing these on in good faith but mistakes may be made, so do check all the submission guidelines carefully. Any info in quotes comes from the website itself and any dates at the start are deadlines. Also, I don’t know the sources personally, so do check them out for yourselves.

There are three headings (click/tap to jump straight to them):

If you aren’t a submitter (why not? Nothing to lose! Rejection is something we all share!) then the themes can make great writing prompts/exercises.

Although I mention only fiction or poetry, many publications accept non-fiction, art or other forms, so do check if interested. Good luck and do let me know of successes! The links are in the comments, and any dates at the start are deadlines.

Where possible, I have marked the relevant entries with ‘paying’, ‘contributor copy’ etc. However, you are best off checking the info for yourselves as I am not infallible and the info isn’t always available or clear. Please be aware that a contributor copy may be in print or digital format. Also, some publications offer several things, eg payment as well as a contributor copy. Where this is the case, I have assumed that payment is enough of an incentive, so I haven’t listed everything. It’s a rough guide and should be treated as such.

COMPETITIONS

Monthly: Email your travel experience in up to 500 words. PAYING http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/just-back-travel-writing-competition/

2nd Oct UK aged 5-11 only: bedtime story about friendship, 200-800 words. NON-CASH PRIZE https://tinyurl.com/y8kr9q3z

5th Oct ‘The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), a national research library and learned society of American history and culture, is calling for applications for visiting fellowships for historical research by creative and performing artists, writers, film makers, journalists, and other persons whose goals are to produce imaginative, non-formulaic works dealing with pre-twentieth-century American history.’ (Cathy’s note: the residency is in Massachussetts, and there’s no travel allowance, so bear that in mind before applying!) PAYING http://www.americanantiquarian.org/artistfellowships (thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

6th Oct Poem relating to PersonalLordSaviorJesusChrist (sic). ‘This contest is not limited to Christians–in fact I want to hear all voices on this contest. I think it would be awesome to write a poem in Satan’s voice about Jesus; I think it would be awesome to have a person write to Jesus in anger in this contest. I want to hear from heterosexuals, gays, lesbians, transgender, drug addicts, atheists, prostitutes, immigrants, Jews, Scientologists, Muslims, Hindus, agnostics, all religions, and all people, especially those who feel marginalized. And of course from those who love Jesus Christ.’ PAYING http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.co.uk/ (thanks to www.trishhopkinson.com for this one)

6th Oct ‘To be in with your chance to win one of three Toys R Us vouchers, worth £250, send us a description of your family’s favourite outdoor memory.’ VOUCHER/OTHER https://www.primarytimes.net/competitions/2017/08/133300-win-family-vouchers-to-support-outdoor-play-worth-250-enter-the-germolene-schools-competition-to-win-a-5-000-grant-towards-outdoor-play-equipment

8th Oct Poem about Trump (no profanity/vulgarity) (Cathy’s note: usually I don’t allow comps where the only prize is publication, but it is the New York Times!). https://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2017/09/15/announcing-a-trump-poetry-contest/?smid=tw-share (thanks to http://www.thereviewreview.net/ for this one)

8th Oct Aged 18-23: poetry MS.  PAYING https://platypuspress.tumblr.com/post/163874187786/we-are-pleased-to-announce-a-new-poetry-contest (thanks to www.winningwriters.com for this one)

13th Oct ‘For 2017, the Futurescapes Contest theme is “Blue Sky Cities.” We’re seeking stories set in a near-future city where significant strides have been made toward improving air quality, climate adaptation, or even net positive impacts on climate and air quality.’ Up to 8000 words. PAYING http://www.futurescapescontest.com/ (thanks to www.shamekills.info for this one)

15th Oct (Cathy’s note: deadline has been extended from original date of October 1st) Poem. PAYING http://waxpoetryart.com/contests/poetry.html

15th Oct (Cathy’s note: deadline has been extended from original date of 1st Oct) Socially-engaged poem. PAYING http://waxpoetryart.com/contests/sociallyengaged.html

15th Oct Prose piece. ‘Only writers who have not yet published or been contracted to write a book-length work are eligible.’ PAYING https://apublicspace.org/blog/detail/the_2018_public_space_fellowships

20th Oct Essay by a high school student on one of the provided themes. PAYING https://rewardedessays.com/blog/writing-contest

22nd Oct Greater Manchester residents only: record yourself telling a scary story in 3 minutes. NON-CASH PRIZE http://hannahkate.net/3-minute-scares/

30th Oct ‘A thin dirt road winds through a large forest. Local lore is filled with stories about people going missing after following the road into the forest’s depths, and the trail itself has come to be called “The Ghost Path.” Your main character walks down the Ghost Path on a dare. An hour or so after entering the forest, they loose (sic) both the road and their way. What happens next?’ Up to 2000 words. VOUCHER/OTHER http://www.greywolfeshop.com/2017-monthly-contests.html

31st Oct Essay 800-1000 words on the theme: How to Stay Healthy in 2017. PAYING http://juicingbeasts.com/scholarship/

31st Oct Poem. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.poetrypulse.com/monthly_portal.php

31st Oct Short story up to 5000 words. (Cathy’s note: I don’t usually list comps where you have to interact with social media, but there are alternatives for those who aren’t on Facebook, and it’s only liking and sharing the comp post anyway. Also I trust Dean) PAYING http://www.deancharltonmag.com/shortstorycompetition.html

31st Oct Say in 50 words or fewer why you’re the best candidate to make the switch to all-electric driving. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/nissan/leaf/100491/win-the-all-new-nissan-leaf-for-a-year

31st Oct UK aged 18-25 only: ‘Each year a question or quote exploring Franklin’s relevance in our time is open for interpretation in 1000-1500 words. The 2017 Franklin quote is : ‘If you would not be forgotten, As soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing.’ Poor Richard, 1738’ PAYING http://www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org/site/sections/news/literary_prize.html

31st Oct ‘The Jane Lumley Prize will be awarded to poets who have not published more than one full length collection, and/or have only published chapbooks, and/or have published work in literary magazines and/or anthologies. We also strongly encourage unpublished writers to submit their work for consideration.’ PAYING http://www.hermeneuticchaosjournal.com/the-jane-lumley-prize-for-poetry.html

1st Nov MS by an emerging Southeast Asian writer. PAYING http://queersoutheastasia.com/book-prize

1st Nov Short story 2000-5000 words by a Commonwealth citizen. PAYING http://www.commonwealthwriters.org/our-projects/the-short-story/

1st Nov ‘What might a world look like where all of our most basic needs are met? In 5,000 words or less, we want you to explore the impacts of a basic income on individual lives and on society at large. To be clear, we are not expecting you to draft economic policy, but hope to ignite debate around new economies with stories that offer nuanced critique and evidence of impact.’ PAYING https://medium.com/economicsecproj/into-the-black-a-short-fiction-contest-with-a-big-prize-f91cd6553967

SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES

2nd Oct Short fiction on the theme of Protest. https://www.litro.co.uk/submit/

4th Oct Fiction 2000-10,000 words. PAYING https://electricliterature.com/recommended-reading-will-open-submissions-for-two-weeks-da30e4d3e448

7th Oct ‘Cosmic Caravans is a science fiction anthology that will focus on Pre-Teen readers. The work will be illustrated. We are looking for stories or poems that re-enforce strength of character and scientific principles in a way children can relate to.’ 300-3000 words PAYING https://bcubedpress.com/open-for-submissions/cosmic-caravans/

10th Oct ‘Set it in space, in the far future, and include some friendly non-humanoid aliens helping to solve a pseudo-scientific problem.’ Fiction 3500-5000 words. PAYING https://aliendimensions.com/submission-guidelines/

15th Oct ‘Gingerbread House is dedicated to publishing quality poetry & fiction with a magical element. Take your fairy tale and twist it. Bend your fantasy to suit your needs. Be original and fresh, loose and lovely.’ https://gingerbreadhouselitmag.com/submission-guidelines/

15th Oct Poetry, prose and more. PAYING http://www.gordonsquarereview.org/submit.html

15th Oct ‘We are calling for BEST 1-3 poems per poet from Africa (living in Africa) or of African diasporas (one of the parents originated from Africa) to be included in BEST “NEW” AFRICAN POETS 2017 ANTHOLOGY. Poems of any topic, form…preferably less than 40 lines but we will read and consider longer poems too, must be in any African indigenous language plus French, English, and Portuguese. Those in local African indigenous languages should be accompanied by a translation into French, English or Portuguese. Entries should be in one doc, include also your contact information, country of stay or country of origin and a bio note of not more than 100 words. Please adhere to submission guidelines, failure of which we will not consider your poems! Entries should be sent to Tendai Mwanaka, Daniel Purificacao, on emails: mwanaka@yahoo.com, danieljose26@yahoo.com.br

15th Oct Writers who have not yet published or been contracted to write a book-length work: prose sample and some other stuff. PAYING https://apublicspace.org/blog/detail/the_2018_public_space_fellowships (thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

15th Oct Poems on any subject by immigrants. PAYING https://rattle.submittable.com/submit

15th Oct ‘We are seeking writers who are passionate about social justice as it intersects with the challenges of parenthood. We are looking for a minimum of five personal essays or well-researched articles on the topics of racial justice and cultural as related to parenting. We will also accept submissions of poetry that are related to these topics or gives special insight to one’s culture.’ PAYING https://hellobellamy.co/submissions/

15th Oct East Africa only: poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Elections. http://www.kikwetujournal.com/submissions.html

15th Oct 50-word fiction on the theme of Diner. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.blink-ink.org/2017/09/04/blink-ink-guidelines-issue-30-diner/

15th Oct Poetry on the theme of You Exist in a Stacked Deck. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.tenpennyplayers.org/WWThemes/2017-8themes.pdf (Cathy’s note: you can find the email at which to submit here: http://www.poetrymarkets.com/print-publications/waterways )

15th Oct Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Total Eclipse. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://newmadridjournal.org/submissions/

15th Oct Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Science. https://puertodelsol.submittable.com/submit

15th Oct ‘Where do we, writers of color and the LGBTQ community, find ourselves in this landscape of the natural/unnatural world. Tributaries wants to see pieces that explore the relationship between the individual and place, both in conflict and in harmony.‘ ‘Writers of color or members of the LGBTQ community may submit one poem or up to 500 words of nonfiction prose that addresses the editorial statement above.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.thefourthriver.com/index.php/submit

22nd Oct ‘Icepick accepts submissions of both short (under 10 minutes) and long (10-30 minute) features. Please note that short features are generally purchased well in advance of broadcast. There are no restrictions on form- we accept poetry sets, essays, radio plays, reviews, monologues, interviews, vignettes and all points in between. Please be aware, however, that we are unlikely to produce work written for more than three voices except under exceptional circumstances.’ Theme: Heroes. PAYING https://icepickmag.com/submissions/

23rd Oct Cis women, trans women, and nonbinary people: poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Make Known. NON-MONETARY COMPENSATION http://www.cordella.org/submissions

27th Oct ‘For this issue, we want you to take us on a journey around the world to the places that aren’t reviewed on TripAdvisor. We want to travel the real world through your experiences and memories. Send us your creative non-fiction prose, poetry, micro-fiction and Twitterature and let’s embark on a narrative adventure through the real world.’ http://www.dnamag.co.uk/issues/locations/

27th Oct Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Plant Intelligence. http://moonmagazine.org/submission-guideline/

30th Oct Short fiction and poetry on the theme of Holiday Hell. http://blackheartmagazine.com/2017/03/31/black-heart-switches-to-tri-annual-issues-releases-new-submission-guidelines/

31st Oct ‘Your (horror) story must involve music in some way. This could take the form of a specific genre or song, but also the creation of music, an instrument, or even the lack of music. What would you do if you didn’t have your favorite music to calm your mind or to motivate you? What horrible deeds are prevented on a daily basis because someone listened to their favorite song? How many people are alive because someone heard the right song at the right time? What is the power of music?’ PAYING https://horroraddicts.wordpress.com/book-7-crescendo-of-darkness/

31st Oct ‘People love reading about the winter holidays – from Thanksgiving all the way through New Year’s Day. We want to hear about your traditions and how they came to be. We want to hear about your holiday memories and the rituals that create the foundation of your life.’ Poetry and prose. PAYING http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics

31st Oct Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Fantasy/Magepunk. https://rhetoricaskew.wordpress.com/submissions/

31st Oct Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Endings, for this healing-centred litmag. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.snapdragonjournal.com/submit.html

31st Oct Spec fic up to 12,000 words on the theme of Double Take! PAYING http://www.mifiwriters.org/division-by-zero/double-take/

31st Oct Poetry, fiction and more using the three elements: Delusion, Blueprint, Fisherman. http://3elementsreview.com/submission-guidelines

31st Oct ‘Solidago is currently accepting submissions for art, poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, in response to our upcoming cover image (please see website) or around the theme of TRADITION.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://greensubmissions.com/746/solidago-journal/index.php

31st Oct ‘This exciting project will speak to the West’s newness, vastness, sense of territoriality and transience, spanning from untouched wilderness to hyper-urban settings. We’re seeking fresh, original views of the western U.S. Our aim is to capture this region’s unique essence in all of its cultural and geographic diversity.’ PAYING http://baobabpress.com/submissions/

31st Oct Poem on the theme of Prompt. http://www.allegropoetry.org/p/submit.html

31st Oct Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Twin Peaks. https://bluefifthreview.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines/

31st Oct Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Sjirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle. PAYING http://nonbinaryreview.com/submission-guidelines/

1st Nov Flash, short fiction and poetry on the theme of Dancing in the Wind (Cathy’s note: non-Americans can submit by email). PAYING http://themaliterarysociety.com/submissions.html

1st Nov ‘Love, lust, desire, and romance have long been driving forces for the actions of humans and mythical beings alike. This anthology will examine all facets of romantic love between gods, gods and humans, or other creatures of myth and religion.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://neosalexandria.org/bibliotheca-alexandrina/calls-for-submissions/the-delicious-wound-a-mythical-romance-anthology/

1st Nov Poetry, prose and art. PAYING http://www.wintertangerine.com/submit/

1st Nov ‘TROUBLE THE WATERS: Tales from the Deep Blue will be a new anthology of water-themed speculative short stories that explore all kinds of water lore and deities, ancient and new as well as unimagined tales. We want stories with memorable, engaging characters, great and small, epic tales and quieter stories of personal and communal growth.’ 2500-7000 words. PAYING http://rosariumpublishing.com/trouble-the-waters-submissions.html

1st Nov Poetry, fiction and more. https://helixmagazine.submittable.com/submit

1st Nov Speculative fiction (preferably noblebright) 1000-10,000 words on the theme of Fell Beasts and Fair. PAYING http://www.springsongpress.com/submission-requirements-fell-beasts-and-fair-anthology/

1st Nov Poetry on the theme of Love and Justice. ‘Our aim is to provide a space for writers to address this peculiar historical moment, the human condition, and our capacity to come together. Poems may be personal or political or both. We favor accessible language and thought, but we are open to poems that push boundaries and challenge readers. We especially want to hear from writers of color.’ PAYING https://www.thesunmagazine.org/news/love-and-justice (thanks to www.winningwriters.com for this one)

1st Nov Short fiction on the theme of Faith and Faithlessness. https://www.litro.co.uk/submit/

1st Nov Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of California. https://reedmagazine.submittable.com/submit

1st Nov Poetry on the theme of Animals. CHARITY ANTHOLOGY http://asdfjkl.net/CivBeastsPoetry.com/submission-guidelines/

SUBMISSIONS WITH NO KNOWN DEADLINES

NOTE: Publishers sometimes don’t discuss their royalty rate upfront. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t pay! I just haven’t put them as paying/giving royalties whenever I haven’t found details on the website.

Crime and mystery books. ROYALTIES http://www.joffebooks.com/submissions/

‘Always Crashing is now open for submissions of fiction, poetry, collage text, visual collage, video, labyrinths, manifestos, the generically transgressive, and nonfiction (though we prefer not to be told if it’s nonfiction).’ (Cathy’s note: the website contains bright moving images that might be problematic to those of us with vision problems or epilepsy) https://www.alwayscrashing.com/submissions-1/

‘Fiction should be written for the feature, “Eww, there’s some geology in my fiction!” We are interested in MG and YA fiction that incorporates Earth Science concepts as key, rather than incidental, elements. Stories with adult characters but written for MG or YA will also be considered. The science element should be more substantive than “cool facts” or jargon that is slipped into a story.’ PAYING http://earthscienceissues.net/submissions/

‘Riggwelter is open to submissions of poetry, short fiction, visual art (of any kind – photography, collage, traditional art etc.) and experimental media.’ https://riggwelterpress.wordpress.com/submissions/

Fairy tale poems and stories. http://enchantedtalesliterarymagazine.weebly.com/submit.html

‘We are particularly interested in literary novels and narrative non-fiction. We do not publish children’s fiction. We do not accept unsolicited poetry manuscripts.’ http://www.freightbooks.co.uk/about/submissions/

Supernatural horror poems and stories. http://cadaverousmagazine.weebly.com/submit.html

‘Thoughtful, intelligent stories about alien life that has biology and evolution at its core.’ PAYING http://primordialmagazine.com/author-guidelines/

Novel MSS of many kinds. http://insomnia-publishing.com/submissions/

‘The Patchwork Raven’s next ridiculously over-ambitious project is “Backyard Earth”: a “round the world” series of books. The idea is that we will make five books – one for each continent (more or less). Each book will contain one story for every country on that continent.’ PAYING http://www.thepatchworkraven.com/submissions

‘We welcome and consider work including but not limited to: short fiction, poetry, flash fiction and libretti, interviews, essays, columns or series, criticism, visual art, multi-media collections, travel writing and reportage.’ https://stratamag.org/submit/

Open until filled: fiction 2000-10,000 words on the theme of ‘strange things in dense places’. PAYING https://weirdcitypress.com/submission-guidelines/ (thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

‘At Metafore, we’re looking for poetry, fiction, & creative nonfiction that not only reflect the beauty of the superficial experience of the world but that also call forth the profundity — the beyondness — that can be found in all of life, if only we open ourselves to it. Metafore publishes writing that is progressive, that understands the political nature of personal narrative, & that honors diversity in all its expressions.’ https://www.metaforemagazine.com/submit

‘The Black Voices Series believes that to fight cultural silencing and erasure there needs to be more spaces that provide visibility for black-authored work. We want your poems, your essays, your fiction, and your multi-modal work. We thank you for trusting us with your voices. #blackvoicesmatter #blacklivesmatter #wearevisible’ https://puertodelsol.submittable.com/submit

‘WeAreTeachers welcomes submissions on a wide range of topics pertaining to education and teacher life.’ PAYING https://www.weareteachers.com/write-for-weareteachers/

Poetry and short fiction. http://cabildoquarterly.tumblr.com/senditin

‘Do you see yourself in the hulking creatures of legend? The warped beings of myth? If you’re disabled and identify as female and/or nonbinary, we encourage you to submit. Monstering accepts submissions of writing, artwork, and audio-visual features.’ PAYING http://www.monsteringmag.com/general-submissions/

Comps and calls for September 2017

Hello all! It’s September, and I’ve spent most of the last month in boring waiting rooms and hospitals. Still, I have a diagnosis now, and treatment should help a lot, so I’ve cheered up considerably. Many thanks for your good wishes. You are a kind group of people!

There are some really strange and imaginative calls this month, to stretch your writing muscles. I hope that you have many successes – thanks to those of you who have let me know about your acceptances and wins.

I’ve had some good news – Comps and Calls has made the top blogger list at http://www.10greatest.com/top-writing-blogs/ (you have to scroll down a bit to find me, but I’m definitely there)! Naturally I’m delighted about this.

Have a wonderful start to the autumn,

Cathy x


Here are September 2017’s writing competitions and calls for submission, all with free, electronic entry.

As usual I’m passing these on in good faith but mistakes may be made, so do check all the submission guidelines carefully. Any info in quotes comes from the website itself and any dates at the start are deadlines. Also, I don’t know the sources personally, so do check them out for yourselves.

There are three headings (click/tap to jump straight to them):

If you aren’t a submitter (why not? Nothing to lose! Rejection is something we all share!) then the themes can make great writing prompts/exercises.

Although I mention only fiction or poetry, many publications accept non-fiction, art or other forms, so do check if interested. Good luck and do let me know of successes! The links are in the comments, and any dates at the start are deadlines.

Where possible, I have marked the relevant entries with ‘paying’, ‘contributor copy’ etc. However, you are best off checking the info for yourselves as I am not infallible and the info isn’t always available or clear. Please be aware that a contributor copy may be in print or digital format. Also, some publications offer several things, eg payment as well as a contributor copy. Where this is the case, I have assumed that payment is enough of an incentive, so I haven’t listed everything. It’s a rough guide and should be treated as such.

COMPETITIONS

4th Sep ‘Every child has a Messy Little Monster, and we want to see them. So, this summer, we’re inviting children aged 12 and under to introduce us to their messy little monsters with two exciting creative competitions. And it’s the perfect activity to keep your kids occupied as well! We love to read all about your messy little monsters, so tell us about them! Write a short story, pen a poem or even create a little limerick, all about what your messy little monster gets up to.’ NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.hartleysdirect.com/blog/messy-little-monsters-competition

5th Sep ‘CTD’s annual Pen 2 Paper (P2P) creative writing competition seeks pieces of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and comics that treat the topic of disability. Whether or not you have experience as a creative writer; whether or not you have a disability, we want to hear your voice!’ PAYING http://www.txdisabilities.org/p2p-submission-rules

7th Sep ‘Are you a writer, photographer, sketcher, videomaker, blogger, or a combination of all these? Do you have a travel story to tell? Then we want to hear from you.’ NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/competitions/2017/july/chatwin-project-moleskine/

8th Sep Age 7-12: write a letter to someone who lives far away. VOUCHER/OTHER https://www.penguin.co.uk/puffin/articles/competitions/jacqueline-wilson-creative-writing-prize-2017/

8th Sep ‘All you need to do is submit a column of 600 words max (plus your ‘do’s and don’ts’) by September 8 2017, to glamoureditorialmagazine@condenast.co.uk. What’s the lesson you live life by? How has it shaped you? Take us on your journey.’ NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/writing-competition-dawn-oporter-column

10th Sep Poems (Cathy’s note: the first entry is free, but you have to pay to enter more than one poem). PAYING http://waxpoetryart.com/uk/submissions.html

15th Sep ‘Each poem must be a translation (loosely defined) of a text (loosely defined) from/about Hong Kong or China, written originally in English or Chinese, into a poem that is about contemporary Hong Kong.’ PAYING https://chajournal.wordpress.com/international-poetry-prize-2017/

15th Sep ‘How did Jacob Rees-Mogg come to be? Send us something that explains why and our favourite ones will get published here.The most bestworst one will win a prize, namely a packet of hobnobs and a hand drawn picture of Jacob-Rees-Mogg. If you live outside the UK, we wont send a packet of hobnobs and instead you’ll receive a one-off unique picture of a packet of hobnobs.’ NON-CASH PRIZE https://wantonfuckery.wordpress.com/competitions/

17th Sep ‘Nearly everyone has memories of a former sweetheart. Write your true story of an earlier love, in no more than 700 words. Tell us about someone whose memory brings a smile or a tear, or both.’ PAYING http://ourpastloves.com/contest

17th Sep Poems (Cathy’s note: the first entry is free, but you have to pay to enter more than one poem). PAYING http://waxpoetryart.com/canada/submissions.html

18th Sep US and the district of Columbia only: essay on the most dramatic change you ever had to make. PAYING https://www.realsimple.com/magazine-more/inside-website/contests-sweepstakes/eighth-life-lessons-essay-contest-rules

20th Sep ‘The winner of the 2018 Kathy Fish Fellowship will be considered a “writer in residence” at SmokeLong (note: position is virtual) for four quarterly issues (March, June, September, and December 2018). Each issue will include one flash by the Fellowship winner. Writers who have not been published in SmokeLong Quarterly and who do not have a published chapbook or book-length work in any genre (or are not under contract for such) are eligible to apply.’ (Cathy’s note: Although you can apply after 20th September, there will be a fee after that date.) PAYING http://www.smokelong.com/kathy-fish-fellowship/

24th Sep Poems (Cathy’s note: the first entry is free, but you have to pay to enter more than one poem). PAYING http://waxpoetryart.com/usa/submissions.html

25th Sep ‘To enter all we want you to do is upload your (or your child’s) interpretation of what a big holiday means to you and fill in your details below. It could be a photograph, a video, a poem, a drawing – these are just some ideas!’ VOUCHER/OTHER https://tinyurl.com/y758nbl4

28th Sep Story up to 6000 words by a writers with a record of prior publication in creative writing in the United Kingdom or Ireland. PAYING http://shortstoryaward.co.uk/entries

29th Sep Graphic short story. PAYING https://www.penguinrandomhouse.co.uk/publishers/vintage/jonathan-cape/#capeshortstory

30th Sep Story up to 3000 words. PAYING http://lilith.org/about/writing-for-lilith/ (thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

30th Sep Story 1000-2000 words on the theme of Coins. PAYING http://www.solution-loans.co.uk/short-story-writing-competition/

30th Sep Short story up to 2500 words. ‘The plotline can be anything; the only requirement is that it must fall within the women’s fiction genre!

The term ‘women’s fiction’ is generally used to mean fiction that appeals primarily to women, though is not necessarily written by a women, and tends to be full of modern relationships featuring friends, family and lovers.’ ROYALTIES, NON-CASH PRIZE http://booksandthecity.co.uk/heatseeker/

30th Sep Thriller, suspense and mystery book proposals. PAYING https://publishizer.com/contests/thrilling-me-softly/

30th Sep Post a poem in Poet’s Corner. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.sixtyplusurfers.co.uk/friends.html

1st Oct Socially-engaged poems (Cathy’s note: the first entry is free, but you have to pay to enter more than one poem). PAYING http://waxpoetryart.com/contests/sociallyengaged.html

SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES

3rd Sep ‘Issues #6, #7 and #8 will be a triptych. We welcome and encourage individual submissions to each, but if you feel like making art that tells a continuous story or writing a story that massively exceeds our usual wordcount, now is the time. Issue #6: “How It Begins” – The sixth issue will be focused on beginnings.’ https://talesfromtheforest.net/submissions/

4th Sep Women writers only: poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Yesteryear. PAYING https://mslexia.co.uk/themed-writing/

5th Sep Poetry and prose on the theme of My Crazy Family. PAYING http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics

5th Sep ‘Creatures of myth and fantasy have long been a fascination in cultures throughout the the world. Did they ever exist? Do they still exist now? Imagine a time where these creatures were plentiful. Or perhaps, when they once were but now there is only one or two left. We are looking for stories centered on such creatures, be they unicorns, dragons, griffins, chimeras, or something unknown.’ 500-10,500 words. PAYING http://fantasiadivinitymagazine.myfreesites.net/anthology-submission-calls

5th Sep ‘We are in search of erotic stories centered around the theme of apocalypse. How you execute this theme is up to you—a multitude of interpretations are possible, from both the figurative to the literal end of civilization.’ PAYING http://www.mugwumppress.com/mofo/apocalypse/?age-verified=16a322fe71

8th Sep Romantic fiction, 300-5000 words. PAYING http://meetcutemag.com/submission-guidelines

9th Sep Writing on the theme of Solitude’s Spectrum. http://cahoodaloodaling.com/submission-calls/

9th Sep or when they’ve received 250 submissions: writing and art by females of any age on the theme of Strength. PAYING https://www.salomelit.com/submissions/

9th Sep Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of I Feel this Way Because… https://wildflowermuse.wordpress.com/about/guidelines/

10th Sep Fiction 3500-5000 words on the theme of Alien Halloween. ‘Set it in space, in the far future, and include some friendly non-humanoid aliens helping to solve a pseudo-scientific problem.’ PAYING http://aliendimensions.com/submission-guidelines/

10th Sep Poetry, fiction and more. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://escapismmagazineblog.wordpress.com/contacto/

15th Sep ‘Poems wanted in any language or style of English in response to the destruction of Grenfell Tower, for the anthology Dark Bones to be published by Eyewear in late 2017. Please send one poem, max 50 lines, to: DarkBones@igy50.net by 15th September 2017. Please tell us your name, address and what language your poem is in.’

15th Sep F, SF and H: flash and short fiction. PAYING https://gehennaandhinnom.wordpress.com/2017/05/13/call-for-submissions-hinnom-magazine-bi-monthly-science-fiction-fantasy-and-horror/

15th Sep Poetry. http://www.gyroscopereview.com/home/guidelines/

15th Sep ‘The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts is looking for, as you might guess, “compressed creative arts.” We accept fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, mixed media, visual arts, and even kitchen sinks, if they are compressed in some way.’ PAYING http://matterpress.com/submissions/ (thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

15th Sep Poetry and fiction on the theme of Upheaval. https://theliterarynest.com/submissions/literary-submissions/

15th Sep Feminist writing on the theme of Protest. http://www.feministpress.org/current-call-for-papers/

15th Sep Poetry, fiction and more. https://obraartifact.com/submissions/ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES

15th Sep Speculative poetry on the theme of Evolving Gender. PAYING http://www.eyetothetelescope.com/submit.html

15th Sep ‘The honeymoon period never lasts for long. ‘Brides, Grooms, and Honeymoons’ wants stories that shatter relationships. How do marriages dissolve into some of the most bitter, hate-fueled conflicts? What lies underneath the end of peace within all types of bonds one promised never to break?’ Poetry, fiction and more. http://selenequarterly.com/index.php/submissions/ PAYING

15th Sep Speculative poetry. PAYING http://www.spiritstincture.com/submissions.html

16th Sep ‘In 1862 two men set an impressive (and still unbroken) record. Using gas from Wolverhampton’s Stafford Road works, Cowell and Glashier’s balloon, the Mammoth, achieved an altitude of 37,000 feet, without oxygen. As they began to black out, at altitude, they nearly died, but then, incredibly, they landed safely in a snowdrift in Shropshire. A mile from a pub.Wolverhampton Archives has evidence of this real adventure in photographs, maps and newspapers. They invite you to propose a creative response to this material: a short theatre piece, poetry or visual art. The 1862 event was a serious attempt at pioneering research but it has its farcical side. Your proposal can, therefore, be serious or comic (or both!) in tone. Please send a short (150 words max.) outline of what you would like to propose to me at drama@jefny.org.uk by 5pm on 16th September at the latest.’

16th Sep ‘They are looking for short scripts based of the themes: home, culture, and boarders. They are accepting scripts, skits, comedy, poetry, and more. Each piece should be within the time frame of 2-9 minutes, and have 1-6 characters.’ PAYING http://www.londonplaywrightsblog.com/?p=9588

‘We are focusing on the stories of people who have moved to a new country. The focus of the project centers around individual’s stories about immigration, being displaced from ones home and living in an unfamiliar place. We would love to hear your true story that this prompt brings out in you. The story can be told in any written form or language- music, poetry, etc.’ http://www.londonplaywrightsblog.com/?p=9788

20th Sep Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Medieval (sic) Winter. https://www.faeriemag.com/pages/submit

20th Sep Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of the Divine Androgyne. https://www.nilvx.com/new-events/

22nd Sep Writing for children on the theme of People for Peace. Query first. PAYING http://www.cricketmedia.com/faces-submission-guidelines

25th Sep Work by immigrant and refugee authors. https://www.mcsweeneys.net/pages/special-call-for-submissions

29th Sep ‘Abridged is looking for poetry and art for its 0-51: Wormwood issue. Submissions can be up to 4 poems and art should be up to A4 landscape size and at least 300 dpi.’ http://abridgedonline.com/abridged-0-51-wormwood/

30th Sept ‘We are proud to announce our new Ink Stains Anthology – a quarterly literary journal filled with tales of dark fiction and horror from Dark Alley Press.

Submissions are open for pieces 3,000-20,0000 words that fall under DARK FICTION, including horror, gothic, paranormal, fantasy, steampunk, and black comedy.’ PAYING https://vagabondagepress.submittable.com/submit

30th Sep ‘Consequence is now accepting submissions for a special anniversary issue devoted to women who write about war.’ PAYING http://www.consequencemagazine.org/submit/

30th Sep Performance monologue, 15-45 mins. https://www.hereticproductions.co.uk/

30th Sep ‘Never, Sometimes, Usually, Always is an anthology of stories that aims to promote healthcare literacy through caregiver and patient narrative responses to HCAHPS survey questions. WE ASK THAT WRITERS have experience with the American healthcare system, most preferable hospital healthcare. We accept stories from all clinicians whose care applies to the questions in the HCAHPS survey, as well as from patients or families of patients who have received care.’ https://thebedsideorg.blogspot.co.uk/p/call-for-anthology-submissions.html

30th Sep ‘Men in spandex stretched taught (sic) by bulging muscles. Perfect examples of sexuality and virility. Since their advent, superheroes have sparked the imaginations and fantasies of those who enjoy following their adventures. In this anthology we’re looking for stories of hero worship that go to the ultimate level.’ PAYING https://inkubuspublishing.submittable.com/submit

30th Sep ‘Outskirts: Suburban and Rural Legends—Drabbles (100 words), Micro-Fiction (101-750 words), Flash (751-1000 words), and Poetry (up to 50 lines). I’m not accepting anything longer than flash (1000 words) or 50 lines of poetry for this one. May consider up to 2000 words, but query me first. Give me your best backyard or basement creepers, neighborhood terrors in the night, and the country roads to nowhere.’ https://theweretraveler.wordpress.com/call-for-submissions/

30th Sep Single women aged 55+: ‘‘Tribe’ will be a print anthology exploring the lives and experiences of older, single women and will include poetry, fiction, memoir, nonfiction, personal narrative, prose poems… about all and any topics that affect women.’ PAYING http://loispetersonwriter.ca/2017/03/08/tribe-new-anthology-in-the-works/ (thanks to www.beyondyourblog.com for this one)

30th Sep ‘What we’re looking for: Original stories that are both entertaining and fall firmly in the horror genre. Think Jeff Strand, Joe Lansdale, Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland. Make us die laughing.’ 4000-8000 words. PAYING https://booksandboospress.com/submission-guidelines/

30th Sep Theme: Pictures. ‘This time we’re looking for the connection between the text and the visual: Comics, graphic stories, photo essays, illustrated and visual poetry, and ekphrastic pieces are very welcome.’ http://www.ilanotreview.com/submissions-page/

30th Sep Write Naked is looking for pitches from would-be guest bloggers. PAYING https://writenaked.net/guest-blog-writers/ (thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

30th Sep ‘President Trump’s rich pals will be playing inside the luxurious confines of Mar-a-Lago. Guests from around the world stay there, and the kids in Trump’s “Our Golden Gang” get into plenty of mischief. Writers who submit can use old plots from the Our Gang films and update them to fit the present (technology, clothing, etc.). Stories are set in present day, although don’t give specific dates. Villains can be people from the present (Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Vladamir Putin, etc.), or you can invent others. The first anthology in the series is called “The He-Man Woman-Haters Club.” ‘ PAYING https://emrepublishing.com/PoorRichKids/poorrichkids.html

30th Sep ‘The Spoon Knife anthology series is published under Autonomous Press’ NeuroQueer Books imprint. All submissions should in some way touch upon or be relevant to the themes of neurodivergence, queerness, and/or the intersections of neurodivergence and queerness. These themes can be engaged with either directly or through metaphor. For Spoon Knife 3: Incursions, we’re looking for pieces that focus on the theme of incursions by one reality into another. Authors are encouraged to interpret this theme broadly and creatively.’ Poetry, fiction and memoir. PAYING http://autpress.com/2017/01/call-for-submissions-spoon-knife-3/

30th Sep ‘What we are looking for are Fantasy stories that feature your main character telling a tale about how they or their weapon earned their name. Humor is a plus. All stories need to start with: “This is my tale…” ‘ PAYING http://www.wolfsingerpubs.com/FluffyBunnyguidelines.html

30th Sep Funny horror stories, 4000-8000 words. PAYING https://booksandboospress.com/submission-guidelines/

1st Oct Poetry, fiction and more. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.batcityreview.org/submit/

1st Oct ‘Toe Good, originally Toe Good Poetry, has published emerging, dynamic poets since 2011. We opened our doors to other forms of art in 2016. Our main goal is to publish artists who have shown dedication to their craft, while keeping the door open for diversity. Our secondary goal is to publish reviews, social commentary, and the occasional news article.’ http://toegood.com/submissions/

1st Oct ‘The (Dis)ability short story anthology will feature short stories written by people with disabilities. All of the stories will have disabled main characters.’ PAYING https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/disabilities/disability-short-story-anthology/#more-451

1st Oct ‘Humor has been a rarity in furry fiction. We aim to change that! Furry Frolics will friz your fur and tickle your tail. We want your funniest fiction. There have been stories with anthro animals mixing with humans in our civilization: what would it REALLY be like for a furry in our world?’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://www.thurstonhowlpublications.com/anthologies

1st Oct ‘This issue, we’re looking for writing that explores the natural, organic, pure, as well as the antithesis of all of these. As one of our broadest concepts, do with it as you will—to whatever extreme. At the end of the day, we’re looking for poetry, fiction and non fiction pieces that are grounded, raw, and textured—pieces that go deep into humanity’s (and the earth’s) natural state (or challenge the notion of “organic” altogether).’ http://www.bridgeeight.com/submit/

1st Oct Fiction 300-5000 words, ending with the line: “Benjamin was a man of his word.” PAYING http://www.thelastlinejournal.com/submission.htm

SUBMISSIONS WITH NO KNOWN DEADLINES

NOTE: Publishers sometimes don’t discuss their royalty rate upfront. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t pay! I just haven’t put them as paying/giving royalties whenever I haven’t found details on the website.

Poems relating to a recent news item. http://www.poetry24.co.uk/p/submissions.html

Poetry, fiction, articles, essays and letters for The Horse’s Mouth. Email deancharltonmag@gmail.com

‘I am primarily looking for science fiction short stories that show us the way back to a livable future. While I expect that most will be science fiction, I am open to fantasy and literary fiction as well.’ PAYING http://unshattering-kathryncramer.nationbuilder.com/ (thanks to www.freedomwithwriting.com for this one)

‘We prefer that writers be currently homeschooled, but we also accept writing from former homeschoolers, homeschool graduates, homeschool parents, and pro-homeschool writers, provided that writers of this last category note this. Writing about homeschooling is not a requirement, but it is welcomed, appreciated, and encouraged. All writers who submit must be 13 years old or over.’ https://seshatlitmag.wordpress.com/about/

‘Where elegance meets eloquence.’ Poetry, fiction and more. https://www.ladybluepublishing.com/submission-guidelines

Poetry, flash, short fiction and more. ‘As The Woven Tale Press mission is to grow traffic to noteworthy artists and writers on the World Wide Web, we want to be able to link back to your work; you must submit an Url to your blog or website. Links to Social networking profiles, Facebook, Tumblr profiles etc. are not acceptable.’ https://thewoventalepress.submittable.com/submit

‘Submit 1-7 poems (up to 15 pages), 1-10 photographs / visual artworks, or 1 essay of up to 10,000 wordsThemes that will always catch our eye include attention, affection, ecology and human-to-nonhuman relationships.’ PAYING https://rascaljournal.com/submissions/

Romance and speculative fiction. ‘What we love: we accept polyamorous romances, kinky disabled protagonists, intersex warriors, neurodiverse ghosts, queer folks with chronic pain in an alternate timeline, anything that counts as Afrofuturism, epic anxiety-riddled space lords, intimate platonic time travelling duos, depressed sentient stars, and much more.’ ROYALTIES https://www.cuilpress.com/contact/manuscript-submission/

‘Nthanda Review publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, folktales, essays and reviews of any length. If you have literary events and opportunities you would like to share with the literary world, we will also be there for you.’ http://nthandareview.com/submissions/

UK only: up to three poems. http://waxpoetryart.com/london/submissions.html ROYALTIES

Ireland and NI only: up to three poems. http://waxpoetryart.com/dublin/submissions.html ROYALTIES

Scotland only: up to three poems. http://waxpoetryart.com/edinburgh/submissions.html ROYALTIES

‘Disorder Press publishes poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. We’re looking for unapologetic writing that pushes the boundaries of conventional genres.’ http://disorderpress.com/submissions/

Open until filled: Asian science fiction, or Asian ‘Birds and Beasts’ story. PAYING https://insigniastories.com/subs/

Novels, short story collections, memoirs and more. ‘Please note, email queries will not be answered unless we are interested.’ http://www.georgebraziller.com/submissions/

‘Our goal is to share literature that raises awareness of and expresses psychological issues and feelings of displacement through the literary gothic, with creative elements of horror and fantasy.’ Poetry, flash and short fiction. https://deracinemagazine.wordpress.com/submit/

Prose, poetry and more. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.floydcountymoonshine.com/submissions.html

‘Curiosity Quills Press is a publisher of hard-hitting dark sci-fi, speculative fiction, and paranormal works aimed at adults, young adults, and new adults.’ https://curiosityquills.com/submission-guidelines/ (thanks to www.fundsforwriters.com )

‘Disturbed Digest publishes original dark fantasy and horror short stories, poems, art, articles, reviews, and interviews. Preferred are fantasy adventure stories and spooky horror stories.’ PAYING http://albanlake.com/guidelines-disturbed/

Comps and calls for August 2017

Hello everyone! I hope that you’re enjoying the summer, wherever you are.

Every month I check each link carefully. I NEVER copy and paste a link from another website without checking it myself. And yet every month there is at least one link that is dead, or comes up with something bizarre. My apologies to those who tried to submit their learned papers last month, only to be offered ways to increase blood flow to a certain part of the male anatomy. No doubt this month will throw up something equally embarrassing!

Many thanks to those who’ve donated to keep the site going, via my tip jar (link for UK readers). It all helps.

The summer slump continues… Keep submitting and entering. People are on holiday, or busy with children. Even if you are too, find just a few minutes to send something off!

There’s a very good piece here on submitting poetry, by the wonderful Erika Dreifus. I agree wholeheartedly with what she says.

So submit! Enter! You have a very good chance! I’ve built my whole career on ‘have a go’.

Cathy x


Here are August 2017’s writing competitions and calls for submission, all with free, electronic entry.

As usual I’m passing these on in good faith but mistakes may be made, so do check all the submission guidelines carefully. Any info in quotes comes from the website itself and any dates at the start are deadlines. Also, I don’t know the sources personally, so do check them out for yourselves.

There are three headings (click/tap to jump straight to them):

If you aren’t a submitter (why not? Nothing to lose! Rejection is something we all share!) then the themes can make great writing prompts/exercises.

Although I mention only fiction or poetry, many publications accept non-fiction, art or other forms, so do check if interested. Good luck and do let me know of successes! The links are in the comments, and any dates at the start are deadlines.

Where possible, I have marked the relevant entries with ‘paying’, ‘contributor copy’ etc. However, you are best off checking the info for yourselves as I am not infallible and the info isn’t always available or clear. Please be aware that a contributor copy may be in print or digital format. Also, some publications offer several things, eg payment as well as a contributor copy. Where this is the case, I have assumed that payment is enough of an incentive, so I haven’t listed everything. It’s a rough guide and should be treated as such.

COMPETITIONS

2nd Aug ‘Spectator Competition No. 3010: monster mash-up. In memory of the late great George Romero, and taking as your inspiration Seth Grahame-Smith’s 2009 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, you are invited to provide an extract from a mash-up of a literary classic of your choice and horror fiction. Please email, wherever possible, entries of up to 150 words to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 2 August, providing a word count at the end of your entry.’ PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/07/cat-call/

6th Aug Poems (Cathy’s note: the first entry is free, but you have to pay to enter more than one poem). PAYING http://waxpoetryart.com/africa/submissions.html

9th Aug ‘Spectator Competition No 3011: bowing and scraping

You are invited to submit a disgustingly flattering poem in heroic couplets in praise of a contemporary person of power. Please email entries of up to 16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 9 August.’ PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/07/new-beginnings/

11th Aug Limerick. ‘Only those who can attend the competition in Limerick will be eligible to compete in the final (Sat 26th August). Therefore, the final prize and runner up prizes will only be available to those who attend the Festival.’ PAYING https://limericksfest.wixsite.com/limerickliteraryfest/competition-1 (thanks to www.prizemagic.co.uk for this one)

13th Aug Poems (Cathy’s note: the first entry is free, but you have to pay to enter more than one poem). PAYING http://waxpoetryart.com/india/submissions.html

14th Aug Essay by a student on one of the provided topics. PAYING https://essayservice.com/blog/writers-scholarship/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email

15th Aug ‘The contest contains six categories which span San Antonio’s dynamic 300-year history. Poems submitted need not be overtly “historical,” but must reference the culture/feeling/life of San Antonio during these different time periods.’ PAYING http://geminiink.org/30-poems/ (thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

15th Aug Full length play. PAYING http://dchornfoundation.org/competition-rules (thanks to www.londonplaywrightsblog.com for this one)

15th Aug ‘The PEN/Jean Stein Grant for Literary Oral History recognizes a literary work of nonfiction that uses oral history to illuminate an event, individual, place, or movement. The winner will receive a $10,000 grant to help maintain or complete his or her ongoing project and will be honored at the annual PEN Literary Awards Ceremony in New York City.’ PAYING https://pen.org/literary-award/penjean-stein-grant-for-literary-oral-history-10000/ (thanks to www.freedomwithwriting.com for this one)

15th Aug Full length play. PAYING https://yup.submittable.com/submit/20322/yale-drama-series

19th Aug Short story on the theme of Freedom in Hull. ‘Entries from already commercially published writers will not be accepted.’  PAYING http://www.valeriewood.co.uk/#/competition/4578134634

20th Aug Essay 750-1000 words on one of the provided themes. PAYING https://123writings.com/writing-contest

21st Aug ‘There are stories that uplift the human spirit, that inspire good, and that push us to become our personal bests. We want to bring these stories forward and share them with the world via social media. On social media, a winning article has two equally important ingredients: (1) a captivating story, and (2) an enticing Facebook post. As such, all entries will be judged based on a combination of writing quality and potential for Facebook fan reaction.’ (Cathy’s note: I don’t usually list comps that require social media interaction (eg getting loads of likes), but this could be entered without doing so, I think. Unless I’ve got it wrong) PAYING http://www.theepochtimes.com/inspiring-the-world/

27th Aug Poems (Cathy’s note: the first entry is free, but you have to pay to enter more than one poem). PAYING http://waxpoetryart.com/angela/submissions.html

28th Aug 10 word story. NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.writingclasses.com/contest/a-very-short-story-contest-2017

30th Aug ‘Start with a moment in American History. Now, write the scene taking place in a society in which the color of one’s eyes determines one’s social class. Your story should be historical in nature. Make us feel as though this moment in time could have actually happened this way.’ Up to 2000 words. VOUCHER/OTHER http://www.greywolfeshop.com/2017-monthly-contests.html

31st Aug Monologue up to 15 mins. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.soundwork-uk.co.uk/competitions

31st Aug Poems. PAYING http://www.deancharltonmag.com/poetry-competition.html

31st Aug ‘Bitch Media is pleased to offer the Bitch Media Fellowships for Writers, a series of three-month intensive writing fellowships whose goal is to develop, support, and amplify emerging, diverse voices in feminist, activist, and pop-culture media.’ PAYING https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/announcing-bitch-media-fellowships-writers/2018 (thanks to https://www.freedomwithwriting.com/ for this one)

31st Aug Poem. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.thenovelist.co.uk/poetry-contest.html

31st Aug ‘Submissions are open between January and August and require applicants to share their writing bio and an example of their writing entitled “A Extraordinary Room”.’ NON-CASH PRIZE http://tallistonhq.wixsite.com/talliston/writer-in-residence

31st Aug Fiction up to 3000 words. PAYING https://thewritingdistrict.com/pages/the-writing-district-competition

31st Aug Poem inspired by the provided image. PAYING http://www.rattle.com/ekphrastic/

1st Sep Open to writers who were born, live or have lived, study or have studied, work or have worked, in Cheshire, UK: ‘Children’s Literature either prose (1,500 lines max) or verse (100 lines max) aimed at seven-14 year old children.’ PAYING http://www.chester.ac.uk/literatureprize/howtoenter

1st Sep ‘They say it takes a village to raise a child, but that’s just one example of a kind of community and just one way a community can affect your life. There are plenty of others–good, bad, and otherwise. So for this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which the idea of community (or some kind of community) plays an important role.’ PAYING https://onthepremises.submittable.com/Submit

1st Sep Oxfordshire writers aged 18-30: writing up to 500 words on the theme of ‘Inspired by Oxford’. PAYING http://www.writersinoxford.org/the-wio-young-oxfordshire-writers-competition/ (thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES

5th Aug ‘We are in search of erotic stories centered around the theme of haunted.’ 1000-5000 words. PAYING http://www.mugwumppress.com/mofo/haunted/

6th Aug Flash fiction on the theme of Retrospective. https://palmsizedprompts.wordpress.com/submissions/

6th Aug Fiction 800-2000 words on the theme of WOMEN & GIRLS. ‘This month we’re only looking for female authors writing female protagonists. Any genre and subject is welcome. Spread the word to women writers you know!’ http://www.liarsleague.com/liars_league/forthcoming-events-themes.html

6th Aug Two calls: writing on the theme of either Twists or Masque. https://medusaslaugh.com/submissions/

6th Aug ‘Submissions must be 101 words long, consisting of a one word title and one hundred word story.’ Theme: angels. http://www.101fiction.com/p/submissions.html

6th Aug ‘Novelty’s 9th issue is dedicated to the theme “Back to the basics”. To understand where we’re going, we need to rediscover our roots: the soil and society that shaped us and sent us out into the world. This issue is about examining our origins, sensing our interconnectedness and creating harmony in order to thrive.’ http://www.noveltymag.co.uk/submissions/

7th Aug Poetry and more on the theme of Quaker Libraries. https://www.friendsjournal.org/submissions/

8th Aug Writing, art and crafts on the theme of Relationships. https://wildflowermuse.wordpress.com/about/guidelines/

10th Aug Fiction 3500-5000 words on the theme of Random Aliens. ‘Set it in space, in the far future, and include some friendly non-humanoid aliens helping to solve a pseudo-scientific problem.’ PAYING http://aliendimensions.com/submission-guidelines/

10th Aug ‘Wendy’s Subway is seeking submissions for an upcoming publication which will address the potential of ritual under capital. What habits and practices do we form to subvert, subsist, survive? Is there refuge in ritual? How might ritual practices endow objects and artifacts with qualities that resist their assimilation within the market?’ Fiction, poetry and more. (Cathy’s note: WARNING: for reasons best known to itself, this website contains flashing images.) http://www.wendyssubway.com/open-call/

10th Aug ‘Get us into the heart of the villains. Make us question if they are really that bad. Help us understand why they do what they do. Show us that underneath their actions, there is something there that could make us empathize with their plight. Go beyond the darkness and evil and help us wonder what’s under the surface of those we love to hate.’ 500-10,500 words. PAYING http://fantasiadivinitymagazine.myfreesites.net/anthology-submission-calls

11th Aug Poetry, prose and more on the theme of Masturbation. https://cliteraturejournal.com/submit/

15th Aug ‘AD LUMEN PRESS is accepting manuscripts of full-length literary novels and memoirs from emerging authors who may or may not have previously published a book-length work.’ https://adlumenpress.submittable.com/submit

15th Aug ‘The inevitable breakdown of a long-term relationship; losing your home due to gentrification; struggling with the deportation of a loved one; navigating the crumbling healthcare situation in Trump’s America. How do you define loss and grief? Radix Media presents AFTERMATH: Explorations of Loss & Grief, an anthology that will examine what it means to face the consequences after tragedy strikes. The theme is left intentionally open, giving contributors the freedom to tell their story as it is most relevant to their experiences.’ Poetry, fiction, personal essays and more. PAYING http://radixmedia.org/call-for-submissions/

15th Aug or until filled:  SF 1000-6000 words on the theme of Transhumanism. PAYING https://gehennaandhinnom.wordpress.com/2017/05/28/call-for-submissions-science-fiction-anthology-years-best-transhuman-sf/

15th Aug Writing on the theme of Inner Truth. ‘Keep in mind: I hold preference for pieces that reflect the spirit of The Phoenix Soul: vulnerable; personal; tender; never shying away from struggle, but generally including hints of hope and healing among the hurt.’ http://www.thephoenixsoul.com/submit/

15th Aug Poetry and prose on the theme of Political Landscapes. http://aboutplacejournal.org/submissions/

15th Aug Spec fiction 1000-5000 words on the theme of Rebellion. PAYING https://sqmag.com/submissions/

15th Aug Poetry on the theme of Forest, Grove and Wood. http://theplumtreetavern.blogspot.co.uk/

15th Aug Writers who have a relationship with Tuscany: poetry, flash and more on the theme of Fiction v Reality. http://thesighpress.com/submissions/

15th Aug ‘We are now accepting submissions for our special issue, “for my lover, she is fair: a Sappho tribute.” We want to read your lovely poems, your ethereal, your lyrical. All work should be related to Sappho’s poetry in some way. We will only accept work from women, femme individuals, and/or nonbinary folks.’ http://figrootpress.com/submissions/

15th Aug ‘Anomaly’s GLITTERBRAIN folio seeks work by queer and trans indigenous people and people of color who identify as mentally-ill, neurodivergent, or as having mental illness. Send up to 5 pieces, and a brief bio to sarah@anomalouspress.org by August 15th.’ (thanks to www.thereviewreview.net for this one)

16th Aug Poetry, flash and more on the theme of Fallout. https://bunburymagazine.com/submit-to-us/

20th Aug Poetry and art on the theme of Bullying. https://www.weaselpress.com/degeneratesubmissions

20th Aug Fiction up to 5500 words. PAYING https://ruminatemagazine.submittable.com/submit

22nd Aug ‘AGAINST SURVIVAL is an outlet. A place to voice otherwise unspeakable things. A violent reassurance that you could, in fact, be worse. This anthology welcomes essays and stories exploring these concepts and themes. Fact, fiction, and everything between. 1,500 to 5,000 words.’ PAYING http://carrionblue555.blogspot.co.uk/p/submissions.html

23rd Aug Flash and short fiction on the theme of Latin America. https://www.litro.co.uk/submit/

23rd Aug Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of the Hazards of Mercy. http://pidgeonholes.com/fire

25th Aug ‘We are primarily wanting fantasy and dark fantasy settings focusing on an Autumn theme. While we will consider modern/futuristic stories, we want the focus to be on the nature of Autumn and magic/fantasy elements inspired by it.’ PAYING http://fantasiadivinitymagazine.myfreesites.net/anthology-submission-calls

25th Aug  ‘As the Boeing 777 descends through the clouds for its approach into SFO, only a few of the passengers (mostly in window seats) suspect they have arrived at the wrong destination. Which is incorrect, sort of. They have arrived at San Francisco International Airport…on June 28, 2037. The wrinkle has transported them 20 years into the future. Your story should be presented from the perspective of one of the passengers on this flight, the passenger seated in Seat 14C, beginning when they step off the flight at SFO, 20 years in the future.’ PAYING http://seat14c.com/future_ideas

25th Aug Ten-minute plays. ‘Please ensure that plays are submitted in stage-play format and are for no more than four characters. We do not accept monologues, extracts from full-length plays, adaptations or film scripts.   Writers must be UK based.’ https://www.littlepiecesofgold.co.uk/submissions

25th Aug Writing on the theme of Transition for this Christian litmag. http://www.inkandletters.com/call/

25th Aug Romantic flash fiction on the theme of Picture Perfect. PAYING http://splickety.com/imprints/splickety-love/

25th Writing for children on the theme of Basketball – query first. PAYING http://www.cricketmedia.com/faces-submission-guidelines

27th Aug Poetry on the theme of Unprintable (Cathy’s note: only Australian contributors are paid). PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS  http://cordite.org.au/submissions/

28th Aug Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Crucial Conversations: How to get what you want when it matters. http://moonmagazine.org/submission-guideline/

31st Aug Up to three pieces, poetry or flash fiction, on the theme of child refugees. All profits to the Alf Dubs Children’s Fund. Due to the nature of the charity, only PG submissions will be accepted. Send your submissions to charityanthology@gmail.com CHARITY ANTHOLOGY

31st Aug ‘We invite you to submit one previously unpublished poem of three pages maximum (all forms are welcome: fragments, narrative poems, free verse, prose poems, traditional forms).’ https://revuepost.com/appel-call/

31st Aug Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Shame. https://www.charliebondhus.com/cfs-shame-an-anthology

31st Aug ‘The upcoming ninth issue of NOUS will be all about “Home” touching issues like homelessness, cultural diversity and belonging.’ Poetry, fiction and more. PAYING http://www.nous-magazine.de/home

31st Aug ‘Alternative art and literature magazine The Matador Review is now accepting submissions for the Fall 2017 publication. We publish poetry, fiction, flash fiction, and creative non-fiction, inviting all unpublished literature written in the English language (and translations that are accompanied by the original text) as well as many forms of visual art.’ www.matadorreview.com/submissions?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email

31st Aug Poems and stories on the theme of Redemption. PAYING http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics

31st Aug ‘The mission for submission, should you choose to accept it, is to think of three possible stories inspired by this image (provided on website – Cathy), discard the first two and write the third (in this way, we can subtract normal and get deviation).’ http://normaldeviation.wonderboxpublishing.com/2017/06/fwd-normaldeviation-anthology-is-now.html

31st Aug ’80s-themed horror stories. http://blackcandies.sosayweallonline.com/submit-to-black-candies-the-eighties/

31st Aug ‘Angels, divine timing, miraculous coincidences, answered prayers, premonitions that come true. Good things do happen to good people. Please share your unbelievable and amazing stories about the unexplainable events that have occurred to you. Share the awe, the faith, and the wonder with our readers.’ Poetry and prose. PAYING http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics

31st Aug Stories 2000-8000 words on the theme of The Last Wish. PAYING http://www.renfieldpress.com/p/literry-e-clectic.html

31st Aug ‘We want to bring some genuine revolution to the way that artificial intelligence stories are told, and how they intersect with gender identity, parenthood, sexuality, war, and the future of our species. The only hard-and-fast rule is that the creator of the AI or robot must not be a cis man.’ PAYING http://motherofinvention.twelfthplanetpress.com/submission-guidelines/

31st Aug Poetry and flash on the theme of Down the Rabbit Hole. http://www.tattoohighway.org/guidelines2.html (thanks to www.thereviewreview.net for this one)

31st Aug Poetry on the theme of Europe. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://magmapoetry.com/contributions/

31st Aug Comedy Script. http://www.londonplaywrightsblog.com/?p=9378

31st Aug There are stairs in the woods – as if you cut and pasted stairs from a house… 3000-20,000 words. ROYALTIES https://silverempire.org/submissions/stairs-in-the-woods/

31st Aug Horror stories 1000-3000 words. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://newlitsalonpress.com/open-call-first-came-fear/

31st Aug Short poetry, prose and art on the theme of Fever. PAYING https://claudiusspeaks.com/submission-guidelines/

31st Aug ‘The theme for the Fall 2017 edition of Blood & Bourbon is a simple one: “Death.” We are looking for interesting and original takes on the subject, hopefully from a lot of different angles. As always, we like stories that are a little gritty, a little raw, and offer an unpasteurized view of life.’ https://blood-and-bourbon.com/new-page/

31st Aug ‘Transformed will be an exploration of our dark side through characters that challenge the human experience by simply being different. We would love to follow the tale of a misunderstood lycan just trying to find his true place beside the woman he loves. We want to experience the angst of a pair of shapeshifting lovers who must fight against their curse to shift into predator and prey every lunar cycle.’ 1000-15,000 words. PAYING http://www.penandkinkpub.com/home/call-for-submissions/

31st Aug Poems on the theme of Sweet Sorrow. https://redwolfjournal.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines/

1st Sep Poetry and more on the theme of Families. PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS

https://parabola.org/submissions/

1st Sep ‘We welcome submissions of art and writing that approaches retrofuturism through a progressive lens. Essays and flash fiction of approximately 250-500 words is especially welcome; longer works may be serialized.’ Theme: Resistance. PAYING  https://www.galileogames.com/retro-future/

1st Sep ‘What happens to a woman’s career after kids? We are looking for fresh perspectives, up to 1,400 words, that tackle the emotional and practical issues involved in combining being a mom with pursuing a career. Interpretations might include: the decision to stay home (or not) when the kids are young; the realities of the part-time or work-from-home experience; re-entry (or not) into the workforce once the children are older. We are open to a range of styles and this is a paid opportunity.’ PAYING https://motherwellmag.submittable.com/submit/90139/essay-series-motherhood-and-ambition

1st Sep Short fiction, flash/micro fiction, and nonfiction on the theme of After Dark. After Hours https://www.litro.co.uk/submit/

1st Sep Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Home. http://pocketchangelitmag.com/

1st Sep ‘We’re looking for stories that fit the theme: Death by Water. All types of horror are welcome.’ 4000-5000 words. PAYING http://www.independentlegions.com/submissions.html

1st Sep ‘Current Call for Grit Lit: Rural and Revisionist Western Stories, Fiction or Non-:  We need your best Harry Crews homage for our Fall 2017 issue “All We Need of Hell.”  Crews is one of our favorite authors, and we’ll take any interpretation you have of grit lit that is “Crewsesque.” ‘ http://www.cowboyjamboreemagazine.com/style–submit.html

SUBMISSIONS WITH NO KNOWN DEADLINES

NOTE: Publishers sometimes don’t discuss their royalty rate upfront. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t pay! I just haven’t put them as paying/giving royalties whenever I haven’t found details on the website.

‘Poets of conscience and courage, writing in English, living everywhere on Earth, are invited to submit to 45 Poems: Reflection & Response,presented by Eleventh Transmission & Wax Poetry and Art. This special project seeks poems that engage with, reflect upon, critique, and otherwise respond to current social and political climate that has seen increasing challenges for democracy in liberal societies and weakening of decades-long political unions.’ http://waxpoetryart.com/eleventh/submissions.html

‘DARK ALLEY PRESS: Currently accepting novel-length work in horror and dark fiction as well as horror and dark fiction short stories for the INK STAINS anthology. Strange Fictions is also currently accepting short stories or serials in science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, and magical realism. We are also accepting essays, narrative nonfiction, poetry, and artwork suitable for a SF&F publication.’ PAYING http://vagabondagepress.com/blog/submissions/

Poetry up to 50 lines, microfiction up to 1500 lines. http://arielchart.blogspot.co.uk/p/submission-guidelines_95.html

‘We are looking for fiction that adapts well to audio formats and lasts approximately 20 to 30 minutes when read (with a soft cap of 45 minutes).  Works should be roughly within roughly PG-13 guidelines.’ PAYING http://dakkapress.com/wp/submissions/

Poems. Preferred themes: ‘Kiss From A Rose’ – Seal, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Jam, Evil Balloons, 1759 in Russian Siberia.  https://wantonfuckery.wordpress.com/submissions/

50-word stories. PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS   http://fiftywordstories.com/submissions/

‘We’d love to see books on voice actors, Muppet/Sesame Street performers, Allen Jenkins, Harry Morgan, Victor Buono, Frank Nelson, Russ Tamblyn, Joe Flynn, Don Knotts, any of the Charlie Chan actors or sons, Don Adams, Frank Morgan, Pinto Colvig, David Tomlinson, British comedy actors (Ted Ray, Arthur Askey, Jimmy Edwards, etc.), and any of the unheralded supporting players. We are also seeking more modern television titles.’ http://www.bearmanormedia.com/write-for-us

‘We publish nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. We tend to favor personal writing, but we’re also looking for provocative pieces on political and cultural issues.’ PAYING http://thesunmagazine.org/submit

Crime MSS. http://www.crookedlanebooks.com/contact/

‘We are looking for stories and poems that speak to the realities of homelessness. We want pieces about sleeping on the winter streets of Chicago, flying a sign in Biloxi, and sniping cigarette butts from between the cracks before it rains.’ https://www.onepersonstrash.org/submissions

‘We’re interested in writing and visual art that spans the worlds of queer culture, the feminine narrative, marginalized communities, and politics and culture.’ PAYING http://www.argotmagazine.com/contribute/

‘Poets Reading The News is a new digital publication bridging poetry and journalism. We welcome innovative and insightful poetry and prose submissions that regard contemporary events and themes.’ http://www.poetsreadingthenews.com/submissions/

‘Although we like a slow burn, we want stories to intrigue us from the start. Set the tone early, even if the story’s unusual nature takes time to unfold. Magic realism, gothic, and surrealist are compass points.’ 2500-7000 words. PAYING https://blackdandy.co/submissions/

‘The Haight Ashbury Literary Journal publishes well-written poetry and fiction. HALJ’s voices are often of people who have been marginalized, oppressed, or abused.’ (Cathy’s note: you can submit by email if you live in a country other than USA) https://haightashburyliteraryjournal.wordpress.com/about/

Fiction, personal essays and more. PAYING http://www.thesunlightpress.com/submissions/

‘Submissions for Half Mystic Journal’s fourth issue are now open. Issue IV centres around the theme of grazioso: the dream-bright waltz – the soft-stained song – the place where sunlight settles & nothing really hurts.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.halfmystic.com/journal/

Full-length manuscripts of poetry, short stories or novels. http://www.halfmystic.com/manuscripts/

‘Currently, we publish romance and speculative fiction. What we love: we accept polyamorous romances, kinky disabled protagonists, intersex warriors, neurodiverse ghosts, queer folks with chronic pain in an alternate timeline, anything that counts as Afrofuturism, epic anxiety-riddled space lords, intimate platonic time travelling duos, depressed sentient stars, and much more.’ ROYALTIES https://www.cuilpress.com/contact/manuscript-submission/

Children’s nonfiction MSS. http://www.oleanderpress.com/submissions.html

Writing and art by Saudi women on the theme of Movement. http://jahanamiya.com/submissions/

‘Our mission is to get children excited about science and math through fun-to-read picture book stories. We are primarily looking for fiction manuscripts with non-fiction facts woven into the story, although we will also consider some non-fiction stories. In every manuscript we look for a “cuddle factor” that will make parents and children want to read it together.’ http://www.arbordalepublishing.com/Submissions.htm

‘Vanity Projection is an online humor magazine publishing essays, satirical news pieces, and whatever other unholy genre-melting abominations our writers’ fevered minds can conjure up.’ PAYING http://vanityprojection.net/submit/

Pulp fiction 2000-5000 words. PAYING https://broadswordsandblasters.com/submissions/

‘breadlesscrust is looking for innovative writing hybrids, conceptual pieces,  really anything that might fall under the wind-inverted umbrella of ‘experimental’ ‘ https://www.breadlesscrust.com/

Horror stories. https://www.jakobshorrorbox.com/form/

SF and F stories. PAYING http://blindspot.pub/guidelines/

‘Our digital collections are available in PDF format at this site, published under the Red Wolf imprint. We invite you to submit poem manuscripts to us (20-30 poems). You may email your manuscript for our consideration at redwolfjournal AT gmail DOT com.’ https://redwolfjournal.wordpress.com/poetry-collections-2/