Comps and calls for July 2017

Hello all! Many thanks, as always, to those of you who have sent me messages telling me about your successes. I really should have put them on a page to inspire the rest of you… As usual I’ve been busy – writing, editing, and reading some wonderful work by other people. I’ve had some acceptances but it hasn’t been the most succesful month for me.

In fact, it’s the summer slump. While December is by far the best month to enter or submit, as there are loads of opportunities and many writers are far too busy to do as much as usual, July and August come joint second. People are on holiday, or busy with children home from school – which means that you and I should be submitting and entering, submitting and entering! If we do, then later in the year we should get some very nice emails indeed.

Many thanks to this month’s sponsor, UK-based indie press Mother’s Milk Books. They’re inviting submissions of short stories/fairy tales for the next in the series of The Forgotten and the Fantastical. Stories can be up to 5000 words long, and may be set in the present day or in any fantastical setting. Each accepted author receives payment, a copy of the book and the chance to read at the launch. Deadline: 31st August. http://www.mothersmilkbooks.com/index.php/submissions

Good luck with whatever you decide to enter!

Cathy x


Here are July 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

5th Jul Full length play. PAYING http://www.sohotheatre.com/writers/verity-bargate-award/guidelines/

5th July Spectator Competition No. 3006: laughing matter. ‘You are invited to submit a sonnet that takes as its opening line Keats’s ‘Why did I laugh tonight? No voice will tell:’. Please email entries, wherever possible, to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 5 July.’ PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/06/political-clerihew/#

5th Jul Various awards for writers based in Scotland. PAYING http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/writing/scottish-book-trust-training-awards/new-writers-awards/apply-now

12th Jul ‘Spectator Competition No. 3007: CAT CAL1(sic). You are invited to submit a poem about Larry the Downing Street cat. Please email, wherever possible, entries of up to 16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 12 July.’ PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/07/what-alice-did-next/#

16th Jul Short story 1500-5000 words on the theme of Light (Cathy’s note: this is free for those 21 and under, but those older will have to pay a fee). PAYING https://hgwellscompetition.com/competition-rules-2017/ (thanks to www.freedomwithwriting.com for this)

18th Jul ‘Aspiring art critics are invited to submit one unpublished review of a recent contemporary art exhibition, which should be 700 words in length.’ PAYING https://frieze.com/article/frieze-writers-prize-2017 (thanks to http://publishedtodeath.blogspot.co.uk for this one)

30th Jul Poem (Cathy’s note: the first entry is free, but you have to pay if you want to enter two or three). PAYING http://waxpoetryart.com/calgary/submissions.html

30th Jul Writers aged 14-21 living in Ireland: Writing exploring the ethical challenges associated with intercultural diversity in Ireland. PAYING http://tinyurl.com/y8trddt8

31st Jul Writing up to 750 words on the theme of Travel for Seniors. PAYING http://seniortravelexpert.com/travel-for-seniors-writing-competition/

31st Jul New Zealand only: essay up to 4000 words. PAYING http://www.otago.ac.nz/press/authors/awards/otago065482.html (thanks to www.freedomwithwriting.com for this one)

31st Jul ‘We are looking for a standout junior novel. It could be contemporary or magical, it could have the makings of a series, or be one crystalline stand-alone. We know we’re setting the bar high. We hope to find a book that will be in print in fifty years, as Joan achieved with the Wolves series – and many other books.’ PAYING http://amheath.com/blog/the-joan-aiken-future-classics-prize/

31st Jul Canada only: poetry and/or short story. PAYING http://polarexpressions.ca/SummerContests.html

31st Jul Non-professional writers only: story on the theme of Journey. Children’s prize: story on the theme of Maps. PAYING https://dragonflytea.com/blogs/our-blog/dragonfly-tea-short-story-competition-2017

31st Jul Poem by a child aged 11-17. NON-CASH PRIZE http://foyleyoungpoets.org/apply/

31st Jul Poem by a writer aged 10-13. PAYING https://www.betjemanpoetryprize.co.uk/how-to-enter

31st Jul ‘The $500 Diverse Writers grant is intended to support new and emerging writers from underrepresented and underprivileged groups, such as writers of color, women, queer writers, disabled writers, working-class writers, etc. — those whose marginalized identities may present additional obstacles in the writing / publishing process. The $500 Diverse Worlds grant is intended for work that best presents a diverse world, regardless of the writer’s background.’ PAYING http://speculativeliterature.org/grants/slf-diverse-writers-and-diverse-worlds-grants/

31st Jul ‘This year we’re welcoming poems and short stories on all aspects of caring, but we’d particularly like to receive entries on the theme of ‘This was not in the plan’. Sooner or later, most of us will face the challenge of caring for a loved one who is older, disabled or seriously ill, but it can often happen unexpectedly. We look forward to receiving your poems and stories which address this theme.’ VOUCHER/OTHER http://www.carersuk.org/how-you-can-help/creative-writing/creative-writing-and-photography-competition-2017

1st Aug ‘Entries will be accepted of unpublished poetry and prose from writers who have not yet published a collection of poems or short stories or a novel. Writers who have published chapbooks may enter.’ PAYING http://www.wintertangerine.com/wta-rules

1st Aug Poem in the ballade (not ballad!) form. PAYING http://therondeauroundup.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/new-contest-ballade-not-ballad-contest.html

SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES

2nd Jul Poetry and more (Cathy’s note: they urge you strongly to subscribe or buy back issues, but I think my submission got through without. Of course it’s good to support litmags and I hope that you do, but if you submit, as I do, around 400 pieces a year, then it’s simply impossible to buy every publication you submit to). PAYING https://theliftedbrow.submittable.com/submit#_=_ (thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

3rd Jul Poetry and more on the theme of Conscience. https://www.friendsjournal.org/submissions/

5th Jul Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of A Reaping. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://www.priestessandhierophant.com/blank-2

5th Jul Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of True Facts. http://www.eyedrumperiodically.org/submissions/

7th Jul Fiction 2000-4000 words on the theme of either Agents and Spies or Pirates and Ghosts. PAYING http://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/short-story-submissions-pirates-ghosts-and-agents-spies

7th Jul Short stories by writers living and working in Cornwall. http://www.cornishshortstories.org.uk/

7th Jul Fiction up to 8000 words on the theme of Victorian Mash-up. http://www.jerseydevilpress.com/?p=7476

10th Jul Fiction 3500-5000 words on the theme of Alien Weather. ‘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 Jul Poetry and more on the theme of Conscience for this Quaker mag. https://www.friendsjournal.org/submissions/

10th Jul 50 word fiction on the theme of Outlaws. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.blink-ink.org/submissions/

15th Jul 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 Jul ‘We invite contributions most particularly from people (of all ages) who did not expect to live to adulthood. We also welcome contributions from those around them, family, physicians, nurses, caregivers, teachers, counsellors, and friends, whose own understandings of how adulthood is defined and valued may have been changed as well.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.universaltable.org/wisingup.html

15th Jul Pop culture nonfiction and more. PAYING https://barrelhouse.submittable.com/submit

15th Jul Fiction and more on the theme of Bodies. http://tokenmagazine.co.uk/

15th Jul ‘Queer Southeast Asia: A Journal of Transgressive Art invites artists, critics, scholars, curators, cultural workers, activists doing trans-work in/on Southeast Asia from all worldly zones to reflect on the question of trans as a differential calculus of precarious gender in the 21st century, with a particular consideration of queerness as a method of inquiry that makes the traversals of trans both restive and irresistible.’ Poetry, fiction and more. http://queersoutheastasia.com/submission-guidelines

15th Jul Speculative fiction 1500-3000 words on the theme of Strange Beasties. PAYING http://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/pages/submissions

15th Jul Nonfiction poems on the theme of Jazz. http://rabbitpoetry.com/?p=1917

15th Jul Canada only: Poetry and fiction on the theme of Alice Unbound. PAYING https://colleenanderson.wordpress.com/2017/05/23/alice-unbound-guidelines-update/

16th Jul 3-6 poems. (Cathy’s note: Duotrope says ‘unknown advance, unknown royalties’, but I can’t fnd any payment info on the website) UNKNOWN PAYMENT https://biglucks.submittable.com/submit/4017/big-lucks-poetry

19th Jul ‘We are looking for talented writers who have stories to tell about their recovery, directly or indirectly from drugs or alcohol. We will also consider submissions on the theme of recovery in a broader sense (from mental or physical illness). Through our creative writing group and mentoring, we aim to inspire artistic excellence in our writers, helping nurture talent that has previously gone unnoticed.’ http://paulmcveigh.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/a-wild-and-precious-life-anthology.html?view=flipcard

20th Jul Poetry and more on the theme of Practical Magic. https://www.faeriemag.com/pages/submit

21st Jul or when filled: ‘Franklin/Kerr Press is looking for exceptional horror short stories with post-apocalyptic and dystopian themes or settings for our upcoming horror anthology Down with the Fallen. ‘ 2000-8000 words. PAYING http://franklinkerr.com/?p=anthologyDWTF

21st Fiction, nonfiction and more for children aged 9-14, on the theme of Scotland. PAYING http://www.cricketmedia.com/faces-submission-guidelines

24th Jul ‘As with the first issue, we’re looking for 300-500 word pieces of non-fiction poetry and prose – we’ll even accept prose poetry – or 144 character long pieces of Twitterature. For this issue, we’re looking for interesting and unique insights behind identity and the multitude of things (from hobbies, relationships, schools, interests, beliefs, events or places to name but a few) which form a key part of who we are as individuals.’ http://www.dnamag.co.uk/ (thanks to https://shortstops.info/ for this one)

24th Jul Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of ‘Oh the shame! Exploring our uniquely human emotion.’ http://moonmagazine.org/submission-guideline/

25th Jul Poetry and short fiction on the theme of Light. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://popshotpopshot.com/submit.html

27th Jul Heartfelt poetry outlining the challenges faced in the current economic climate, yet highlighting how by working together we can make positive changes for everyone and save the world one life at a time. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1894683707470670&set=gm.274365413035311&type=3&theater

28th Jul ‘Think Nightmare before Christmas and Rise of the Guardians and other mash-ups for this Halloween issue. We’re looking for stories that combine two or more holidays and splash in a bit of Halloween creepiness for a twisted celebration.’ Flash fiction. PAYING http://splickety.com/submission-guidelines/

30th Jul Poetry and fiction on the theme of Emperor’s New Clothes. PAYING http://www.fairytalemagazine.com/p/blog-page_22.html

30th Jul Fiction on the theme of Beginnings. PAYING http://www.blyantpublishing.com/submissions-.html

31st Jul Poetry, flash, short fiction and more on the theme of Skin. PAYING https://www.thirdpointpress.com/submission-guidelines/ (thanks to https://thepoetsresource.wordpress.com/ for this one)

31st Jul Poetry, fiction and more, by women, on the theme of Family Secrets. PAYING http://roommagazine.com/submit

31st Jul Poetry and fiction on the theme of Education. http://www.amsterdamquarterly.org/submissions/

31st Jul ‘We are open to submissions which relate to the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen. We encourage you to explore Project Gutenberg for reference, and suggest Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales, First Series, and Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales, Second Series as your source of inspiration (and accuracy.)’ PAYING https://nonbinaryreview.submittable.com/submit

31st Jul ‘Theme: People whose lives do not reflect those in mainstream media. They might be stories with minority protagonists, pieces about unconventional lifestyles, or stories set in fantasy worlds unlike the usual quasi-medieval fare. Also welcome would be stories about people living different lives in some way – perhaps having the opportunity to go back and change a decision or slipping between timelines.’ https://tigersharkpublishing.wordpress.com/home/guidelines/

31st Jul ‘We are looking for weird fiction that explores the mystique and terror of caverns, abyssal spaces, and subterranean worlds. As with previous MMP anthologies, we will be including a seed story from H. P. Lovecraft’s oeuvre (in this case, The Rats in the Walls, though many of his stories went underground). We want to see bizarre civilizations, mind-boggling physical and biological phenomena, horrific rituals, mad science and madder sorcery.’ PAYING http://martianmigrainepress.com/chthonic-weird-tales-of-inner-earth/

31st Jul ‘Brad King, Amber Peckham, Nicole Mathew, and Elise Lockwood are seeking narrative essay, creative nonfiction, script photo, and poetry submissions for an edited book collection titled Dear America: Reflections on Race. This collection takes the issue that most divides this country, and moves it to the quiet, intimate stories of people from across the country. This collection isn’t meant to advocate a position. Instead, we want the personal stories and reflections from people who come from diverse backgrounds and want to share their American story.’ Poetry, ficiton, scripts and more. ROYALTIES http://thegeekypress.com/dear-america-reflections-on-race-a-call-for-submissions/

31st Jul Horror fiction 4000-6000 words on the theme of one of the listed phobias. PAYING http://www.thecrowsinmyattic.com/2017/02/the-pulp-horror-book-of-phobias.html

31st Jul Poetry and short fiction. PAYING http://www.crannogmagazine.com/submissions.htm

31st Jul ‘We are accepting submissions of prose, poetry, and art from women of color and non-binary people of color. All submissions receive detailed feedback from genre editors to encourage artistic growth.’ http://forthesonorous.wixsite.com/forthesonorous/submissions

31st Jul ‘Sharp & Sugar Tooth is looking for creepy, seductive stories about the dark side of culinary life. The emphasis should be on the preparation, or the consumption, of food—horrifying, mouth-watering stories that make us hungry despite ourselves. Authors must identify as female, non-binary, or a marginalized sex or gender identity.’ Up to 5000 words. PAYING http://www.upperrubberboot.com/open-call-sharp-sugar-tooth/

31st Jul 10-15 pages of poems for the Boxset Series. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://www.oxidantengine.com/submissions

31st Jul Poetry, fiction and more by writers over 50 (Cathy’s note: non-US residents can submit by email). https://oasisjournal.org/about/

31st Jul ‘We are now looking for novel-length material. Vicinity of 70,000 words +. We are especially looking for surrealist material or work that expands the normal bounds of structure and perception. We are not looking for memoir this round. And we are not looking for young adult, coming-of-age, historical fiction, or – frankly – anything the Big 5 Publishers would love.’ UNKNOWN PAYMENT https://thricepublishing.submittable.com/submit

31st Jul Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Metamorphosis. Cathy’s note: They state that ‘Contributors will be paid once their work is included in our annual print anthology.’ It’s not clear whether all accepted work is included in that or not. I’ve listed them as paying, anyway, until I find out more.) PAYING http://neurodiversitymatters.com/barkingsycamores/general-submission-guidelines/

31st Jul ‘Butcher’s Dog welcomes submissions from writers currently living in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, particularly those with a connection to Northern England. Submit up to three previously unpublished poems.’ http://www.butchersdogmagazine.com/p/how-to-submit.html

31st Jul Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Tethys. PAYING https://pantheonmag.com/submissions/open-prompts/

31st Jul Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Askew Communications. https://rhetoricaskew.wordpress.com/submissions/

1st Aug Flash, short fiction and more on the theme of Nothing but Witches, Bitches! PAYING http://www.bodypartsmagazine.com/submissions.html

1st Aug Poetry, fiction and more. PAYING https://www.geoliterary.com/submit

1st Aug ‘Thurston Howl Publications is now accepting submissions for its third furry anthology, Infurno: The Nine Circles of Hell.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://www.thurstonhowlpublications.com/anthologies

1st Aug ‘Poems with lyricism and imagery, interesting language & emotional resonance.’ (Cathy’s note: according to Duotrope, the theme is ‘Skin Deep’, but there’s nothing that I’ve found to confirm that on the website.) http://pirenesfountain.com/submissions.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.

‘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/ (thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

Poetry, fiction and more. https://www.tendernessyea.com/submit/

Poetry, flash and short fiction. http://ghll.truman.edu/submissions.html

Until filled or 31st Aug (Cathy’s note: they usually close submissions early!) ‘Now we are looking for stories involving the creatures which hide in the shadows — the monsters of cryptozoology. Bigfoot, Nessie, el Chupacabra, The Jersey Devil — cryptids so well known that they have become part of the cultural zeitgeist. For our new anthology, tentatively entitled Hidden Animals: A Collection of Cryptids, we are looking for lesser known cryptids, creatures of the dark corners of cryptozoology. They can be the antagonist, the protagonist, the creeping dread which drives the story, but they must be present.’ Fiction up to 6000 words. PAYING http://thedragonsroost.net/styled-3/index.html

‘An open space for artistic exploration into the curiosities that shape us and the underpinnings of how we think and feel. Published quarterly. Submissions accepted on a rolling basis. 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/about/

‘Send us your coolest, deepest, most fun, most emotionally power-packed prose, poetry, or hybrid genre-bending triumph of autotheory. We’ll read it.’ https://rumblefishblog.wordpress.com/contact-us/

Query the editor who best fits your novel. http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/page.aspx/submissions

‘City Lights Press would love to see your work. We are currently accepting unsolicited manuscripts in the following three genres: romance (not including erotic romance), young adult and new adult. Our goal is to find and share fun, sexy, laugh-out-loud stories from authors in all stages of their writing careers.’ http://citylightspress.com/publisher-accepts-unsolicited-manuscripts/

Game-related stories (Cathy’s note: this is a lot of pay, and I don’t know quite how this sort of thing works, but good luck if you have a go!). PAYING https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=bc286cdf73fa5d46

Ghost-themed novels and short story collections. https://beorhouse.wordpress.com/

Poetry and fiction. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://www.thefenlandreed.co.uk/submissions

Comps and calls for June 2017

I’ve been very busy, despite battling my disabilities. I’ve been lucky enough to win three writing competitions this year so far – the latest being the Spank the Carp poetry contest! The thing is, I know literally hundreds of writers who are more talented than I am – but thankfully, they are suspicious of free contests and don’t enter them.

It never seems to occur to them that scammers would much rather get money from you than not! Although there are a few to be wary of – for instance, if you’re a runner-up, but there’s no prize, and you’re invited to buy the expensive anthology your poem will be in… but most are legitimate, fun, and there is nothing to lose – not even a penny!

There’s no sponsor for this month’s posting (boo!) but while Comps and Calls will always be free for everybody, don’t forget that I have a tip jar if you want to help keep this site going.

Good luck this month!

Cathy x


Here are June 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 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 Jun ‘For this mini-contest, show, tell, or evoke a complete story in no more than 50 words in which the number ten (or the idea of “tenth”) is important to the story.’ PAYING https://onthepremises.submittable.com/Submit

3rd Jun Horror flash fiction inspired by the photo prompt and including the word ‘infernal’. NON-CASH PRIZE http://infernalclock.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/the-infernal-flash-fiction-competition.html

5th Jun ‘In 250 words or less, using the starting phrase “When I think of my dad,” we want to know what your father means to you and how he has made your life better. What has he done to lift you up and keep you on the right track? How has he influenced you? How has he helped you stay on the path towards healing? Father doesn’t have to be biological father, it can be anyone who has acted as a father figure as long as essay stays on topic.’ PAYING http://www.drugrehab.org/fathers-day-essay-contest/

5th Jun Full-length play. PAYING https://www.writeaplay.co.uk/how-do-i-enter/#section-key-dates

7th Jun Spectator Competition No. 3002: a song for europe. ‘You are invited to provide lyrics to the European anthem ‘Ode to Joy’. Please email (wherever possible) up to 16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 7 June.’ PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/05/a-bad-lot/#

15th Jun ‘The Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award is an annual grant of $1,500 for an emerging writer of color.’ The applicant sends, among other things: ‘An unpublished work of crime fiction, written with an adult (rather than YA or children) audience in mind, which may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress, 2,500 to 5,000 words.’ PAYING http://www.sistersincrime.org/?page=EleanorTaylorBland

16th Jun Play set in a local pub. https://threadbaretheatre.wordpress.com/2017/04/11/launching-our-first-ever-playwriting-competition/ PROFIT/REVENUE SHARING MODEL (thanks to www.londonplaywrightsblog.com for this one)

25th Jun High school college or university students at least 16 years old: Essay of at least 700 words on one of the provided topics. PAYING https://noplag.com/students-scholarship

26th Jun ‘This competition is for under-represented writers in the UK only. We identify these as: those who find it difficult to access the literary world either because of mental health issues, disability, health or social circumstance.’ Poetry and fiction on the theme of Important Nothings. PAYING https://literary.creativefuture.org.uk/how-to-apply/rules/

30th Jun ‘The Visual Prompt Quarterly Contest is meant to inspire people to create work based on a prompt containing three images. The contest submission can either be poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or experimental literary in nature. It can contain all three images or just one.’ PAYING http://www.helenpresents.com/contests/visual-prompt-quarterly-contest/

30th Jun ‘Writers of all backgrounds are encouraged to submit poems somehow related to the perioperative setting. Are you a medical professional or related to one? Perhaps you have been anesthetized recently, or you are overly acquainted with the waiting room. If you are connected to the world of anaesthesia, we encourage you to share your experience with us.’ PAYING http://anesthesiology.pubs.asahq.org/ss/letheon.aspx (thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

30th Jun College students or recent graduates only: essay on one of the provided subjects. PAYING https://speedypaper.com/blog/scholarships/1150_global-essay-writing-contest-%60make-change-by-writing!%60-with-a-prize-fund-of-over-%242000!

30th Jun Story up to 2000 words on the theme of Christmas. PAYING http://wordsmag.com/compcal17.htm

30th Jun Poetry and short fiction. PAYING http://www.writingwriters.co.uk/

30th Jun ‘Write a scene that includes a Dragon and a Princess who happen to be in a book club with other creatures (mystical or ordinary). Choose a single title (real or imaginary) and have the group discuss it… pros, cons, author voice, etc. Which of them would recommend the book? Why or why not?’ VOUCHER/OTHER http://www.greywolfeshop.com/2017-monthly-contests.html

30th Jun ‘The contest is open to everyone who is Irish or part of the Irish Diaspora, no matter your age or level of education, who is resident in the UK. The theme for the 2017 festival is ‘Against The Odds’ with all the plays examining the lives of Irish people who have, in some way, contributed to British life.’ http://www.irishinlondontheatre.co.uk/submissions-for-london-irish-play-festival-2017 (thanks to http://www.londonplaywrightsblog.com for this one)

30th Jun ‘The BCSA’s 2017 writing competition is now open. Fiction or fact – both are welcome. A first prize of £300 and a second prize of £100 are awarded to the best 1,500 to 2,000-word pieces of original writing in English on the links between Britain and the Czech/Slovak Republics (at any stage in their history), or describing society in transition in the Republics since 1989. Topics can include history, politics, the sciences, economics, the arts or literature. This year’s suggested (but not compulsory) theme is Brexit.’ PAYING http://www.bcsa.co.uk/the-bcsas-2017-writing-competition/

30th Jun Story 2000-5000 words inspired by one of the provided artworks. PAYING https://www.wordsandbrushes.com/instruction

30th Jun A novel in 25 words! PAYING https://chris-wakefield-ngjy.squarespace.com/competition

SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES

2nd Jun Flash fiction on the theme of out of My League. PAYING http://splickety.com/submission-guidelines/upcoming-themes/

2nd Jun Poetry and art on the theme of Domestic Violence. https://www.weaselpress.com/degeneratesubmissions

4th Jun ‘Send us your fiction and creative non-fiction (maximum 3000 words), flash fiction (70-500 words), poetry and visual projects (maximum three per submission) that engage with the theme of TEEN WITCHES.’ http://www.whatfreshwitch.com/submissions/

4th Jun Fiction 800-2000 words on the theme of Heads & Tails. http://www.liarsleague.com/liars_league/forthcoming-events-themes.html

5th Jun ‘The sea is a dark and mysterious place. What lurks within the deepest caverns, unseen by those above? A haunting melody drifts across the waves, a beautiful figure floats in the shallows. Do you follow? Do you answer the sea’s hypnotic call? An anthology for mermaids, sea goddesses, sirens, and other mysterious creatures of the deep.’ 500-15,000 words. PAYING http://fantasiadivinitymagazine.myfreesites.net/anthology-submission-calls

5th Jun Poetry, fiction and more by those aged 13-19. http://sugarrascals.wixsite.com/home/submission-guidelines

9th Jun Female writers only: flash, short fiction and more on the theme of Body. PAYING https://www.salomelit.com/submissions/

10th Jun ‘For our upcoming issue, we will consider all meta- and writing-related-writing in keeping with our editorial focus. However, we are especially interested in work with a seasonal bent; give us heatstroke words, flavour words, words that stick to the skin like sand and salt.’ PAYING http://www.riddledwitharrows.com/guidelines/

13th Jun Fiction up to 10,000 words on the theme of The Misbehaving Dead. PAYING https://www.amurderofstorytellers.com/submissions/

15th Jun Poems by young people. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://rattle.submittable.com/submit/34387/young-poets-anthology-poems

15th Jun Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Balloons. https://themagnoliareview.wordpress.com/submit/

15th Jun ‘Submit up to 3 poems in video or audio formats. We are especially seeking poetry from persons with disabilities, writers of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, and other marginalized voices. For this issue we are looking for protest/resist poems, poems on immigration, race, gender, and responses to current events.’ https://upthestaircasequarterly.submittable.com/submit

15th Jun ‘Ben Bulben Books has opened a call for submissions for a new creative non-fiction anthology inspired by the life or works of Jane Austen.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://www.benbulbenbooks.com/submissions

15th Jun ‘I am interested in poetry that addresses all aspects of garbage in the speculative realm. I’ve been a garbage man, a dumpster diver, and a treasure walker. Although I am not likely to sing Oscar the Grouch’s “I Love Trash,” I have an affinity for the overlooked, the discarded, the junk of modern life—and I want to know what the future holds.’ PAYING http://www.eyetothetelescope.com/submit.html

15th Jun ‘Crab Fat Magazine is accepting submissions from convinced atheist writers for our annual Atheist Writers’ issue to be released in July 2017. We seek to curate a collection of thoughtful prose and poetry by people who DO NOT believe in any god(s) and show that atheism goes beyond political, social, and racial barriers. We’re open to a wide variety of work, from “coming out” as an atheist, to the impact atheism has on both personal and professional sides of life, and everything in-between. However, to be clear, we’re not seeking tirades attacking religion with sweeping generalizations.’ https://crabfatmagazine.submittable.com/submit

15th Jun ‘“Celebrations”–this can be stories about holiday traditions, a milestone achieved, memories of a special event and more; how and what and why do you celebrate? We want your funny birthday and wedding stories for sure, but also let us know how you celebrate life.’ https://otvmagazine.com/2015/07/20/we-aret-looking-for-pieces-of-epic-length-but-we-are-looking-for-epic-beauty/

15th Jun Poetry and prose on the theme of R-E-S-P-E-C-T – What does it really mean to me? CONTRIBUTORCOPY/COPIES http://www.universaltable.org/wisingup.html

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

15th Jun Poetry, flash, short fiction and more on the theme of Wolves of Light and Darkness. CHARITY ANTHOLOGY https://www.thurstonhowlpublications.com/anthologies

15th Jun ‘Temptation Press is holding open submissions for short stories to be featured in this upcoming collection that tells tales of becoming the favorite of a Madam. Whether the main character is the Madam herself, one of her clients, or one in her employ, the story arc should contain how the character came to be in the position of favorite and what being the favorite really means.’ CONTRIBUTORCOPY/COPIES http://zimbellhousepublishing.com/contest-submissions/anthology-submissions-temptation-press/

15th Jun ‘Fiction on the theme of The Chromatic Court: Tales of the Lovecraftian Arts.’ ROYALTIES http://nyctophilia.gr/call-submissions-chromatic-court-tales-lovecraftian-arts/

15th Jun Poetry, flash, short fiction and more on the theme of Future. http://anthropoid.co/submit3

15th Jun ‘A return to the feminisms of the 1970s is one of the most salient dimensions of feminist studies to emerge over the last decade. This proposed volume seeks essays that reflect on this return — evident not only in academia, but in emergent activist feminisms of the 21st century — and speculate on what it could mean for the futures of feminist scholarship, politics, and cultural production.’ http://expansivereflections70s.weebly.com/ (thanks to www.beyondyourblog.com for this one)

19th Jun ‘Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft is an award-winning museum in a picturesque Sussex village. It is currently showing a major exhibition entitled, Eric Gill: The Body, a thought provoking exhibition in which visitors are asked to consider whether their knowledge of Gill’s life impacts on their enjoyment of his depiction of the human figure. We would like a writer in residence to help us capture our visitor’s thoughts on this exhibition and the challenging questions it poses.’ PAYING http://www.ditchlingmuseumartcraft.org.uk/get-involved/current-vacancies/

20th Jun Poetry on the theme of Fairy tales and Flights of Fancy. https://herheartpoetry.com/submissions/

20th June Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Sphere of Luna. CONTRIBUTORCOPY/COPIES https://themageslantern.submittable.com/submit

25th Jun Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Modern Relationships. https://twelvepointcollective.com/submit/

26th Jun Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Sharing the Wealth: Designing an economy that works for everyone. http://moonmagazine.org/submission-guideline/

27th Jun ‘As we all know, the streets of Notting Hill take on the rhythms of the Caribbean as Europe’s largest party; Notting Hill Carnival unapologetically livens up the capital. In celebration of this year’s carnival taking place on Sunday 27th and Monday 28th August, Theatrefullstop will create an hour-long podcast featuring works focusing on Caribbean and African culture. They are currently on the look out for spoken word pieces, songs, short plays, monologues, musical compositions and anything else that you can think of that can be recorded.’ http://www.londonplaywrightsblog.com/?p=8914

30th Jun Poems and stories on the theme of My Crazy Family! PAYING http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics

30th Jun ‘We’re looking for works that cross, combine or redefine traditional genre boundaries. We enjoy stories that come with a heavy dose of the uncanny, the strange, and blend literary, science-fiction, fantasy, mystery and horror tropes.’ Fiction 1000-5000 words. PAYING http://www.wyrdmagazine.com/submission-guidelines/

30th Jun ‘About 730 AD, an Arab named Abdul Al-Hazred wrote the Al-Azif, a grimoire and memorial to the Old Ones. For this crime, he was driven insane and eventually devoured by a vengeful god in full view of horrified onlookers. What drove him to write this loathsome tome? What terrible visions haunted him so badly he felt he had to risk his soul to put them down on paper?’ 3000-10,000 words. PAYING http://albanlake.com/the-mad-visions-of-al-hazred/

30th Jun Writing on the theme of Elsewhere. http://www.flatbushreview.com/guidelines-for-submissions.html

30th Jun ‘We want weird fiction set in a modern-day Miskatonic University. Stories should be set within or be inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos. We want to see the Mythos continue to grow and evolve, to expand as a shared literary world and not be tied to outdated and limiting sensibilities. We are not interested in stories with bigoted views on race and gender.’ PAYING http://www.brokeneyebooks.com/submissions.html

30th Jun Up to three love poems. http://www.thepoetrybox.com/ThePoemingPigeon.html#opencalls

30th Jun ‘Africanization and Americanization: Searching for Inter-racial, Interstitial, Inter-sectional, and Interstates meeting spaces, Africa Vs North America, Volume 1.
Send us your best essays, literary fictions, non-fictions, plays, poetry, mixed genres etc, in English language(s) (or English translations). Send work in only one genre of your choice! Poetry (3 poems per poet, preferably short poems but we are still open for long poems). Prose, plays and mixed genres (I piece per writer, of not more than 5000 words). Work must be sent in only one attached document, also include your contact details in this document, i.e., Postal address, Tel no, Email address and a bio note of not more than 100 words. Please sent your entries to Tendai R. Mwanaka at mwanaka13@gmail.com

30th Jun Poetry, flash and more. PAYING https://subprimal.com/submission-guidelines

30th Jun Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Brutality. http://herecomeseveryone.me/submit/

30th Jun ‘Inklings Publishing is looking for submissions of short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for its second volume in the Perceptions Series of anthologies for children. This series is focused on compiling short stories, articles, and poems that will help educators and parents discuss tough topics with children. The theme for this volume is the difficult yet important topic of Bullies.’ PAYING https://www.inklingspublishing.com/perception-series-anthology-submissions.html

30th Jun Poetry and art. PAYING https://thewellreview.submittable.com/submit/85594/issue-two-call-for-submissions

30th Jun Poetry on the theme of Departure. http://www.light-journal.com/submit

30th Jun Poetry and fiction on the theme of Summer’s End. http://blackheartmagazine.com/submission-guidelines/

30th Jun Poems by female-identified writers on the theme of Pop Culture. PAYING https://alysslit.com/submissions-2/

30th Jun Poems on the theme of Self-care. http://www.slamchop.org/submit

30th Jun or when filled: ‘The purpose of the anthology is to lift the voices of women which may not otherwise be heard, to share our beauty, our joys, pains, authenticity, wisdom, capacity to love and our inherent sameness. Although your letters will be addressed to an unnamed ex-lover (of any gender), the intention behind sharing these stories is to connect women with other women, through our words and experiences.’ https://denisemills.net/letters-to-my-ex-the-anthology/

30th Jun Poetry MSS, 16-24 pages. https://www.arcpublications.co.uk/submissions

30th Jun ‘For issue 16, the editors invite you think beyond, around, above, and deeper into the recent political event consuming the world’s attention: the current American administration. We welcome your poems of empathy, of rage, of resistance, of deep caring for yourselves and your communities.’ http://www.poetryisdead.ca/call-submissions-let-it-break

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

1st Jul ‘Bibliotheca Alexandrina is seeking submissions for At the Gates of Dawn and Dusk: A Devotional for Eos and Aurora. The editor is interested in a variety of material, including but not limited to: prayers, rituals, hymns, essays, visual artwork, short stories, plays, recipes, and new translations of ancient and public domain works.’ https://neosalexandria.org/bibliotheca-alexandrina/calls-for-submissions/at-the-gates-of-dawn-and-dusk-a-devotional-for-eos-and-aurora/

1st Jul ‘150 years post-Confederation, we cannot forget Canada’s place in the global and local reality of colonization. For our 2017 Annual themed issue, Arc Poetry Magazine wants to talk about Reconciliation, Decolonization, and Nation(s)—from a poet’s perspective. Arc especially encourages submissions from Indigenous poets, but this call—and conversation—is open to all Canadians, along with anyone, from any country, who feels they have something to say.’ PAYING https://arcpoetry.submittable.com/submit/82835/poems-2017-annual-themed-issue (thanks to www.writingcareer.com for this one)

1st Jul Fiction 2500-8000 words on the theme of Foxes. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://www.thurstonhowlpublications.com/anthologies

1st Jul Clean, noblebright fantasy 2500 words to 10,000 words on the theme of Still Waters. ROYALTIES http://www.springsongpress.com/submission-requirements-still-waters-anthology/

1st Jul ‘Starward Tales focuses on reinterpretations and retellings of legends, myths, and fairytales in Science Fiction and/or xxxxPunk settings. This volume will contain stories, poetry, and visual art fitting this broad theme.’ PAYING http://www.manawaker.com/starward-submissions/

1st Jul Plays by women. http://www.dionysianmagazine.com/submissions/

1st Jul Poems and stories, suitable for children, on the theme of Day Dreams (sic). PAYING http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/submissions.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.

‘We accept general fiction written thoughtfully and with insight, plot driven original works, and knowledgeably written financial thrillers.’ http://www.twentyfirstcenturypublishers.com/index.asp?PageID=251

Speculative poetry and fiction. PAYING http://andromedaspaceways.com/submit-your-work/

‘We like: poetry, creative nonfiction, hybrid everything and anything, personal essay, interviews (especially with badass women), work that is intersectional, work on the occult (including spells and poem-spells), body-positive content, photo diaries, travelogues, diary entries, roundups, conversations with people (deceased, alive, although preferably deceased), book lists, playlists.’ http://www.lunalunamagazine.com/join-the-coven/

Flash fiction and narrative poetry. PAYING https://fictionalpairings.com/

Novels. ‘But beware: you will need to be very convincing and the writing will have to be outstanding to rise through the mires of our slush pile. Please note we do not publish, Romance, Science Fiction, YA or children’s books. We regret that we are unable to consider translations of novels previously published in another language.’ https://serpentstail.com/contact-us

Books. https://www.sparklingbooks.com/submissions.html

‘Stories should be between 300 and 1000 words. If your story is longer, you can break it down to several shorter “chapters” and submitting them as a series (imagine a TV mini-series). Stories should be written using simple, direct prose suitable for language learners. This means that florid, long sentences should be avoided.’ ROYALTIES http://www.alsinapublishing.com/submissions/

‘Actively seeking Inspirational and/or Sweet themed manuscripts, contemporary to Historical to cover our romance genre at Blue Swan Publishing. Think Hallmark Hall of Fame, Janette Oke, Little House on the Prairie, etc. We are looking for sweet, traditional romance with strong, irresistible characters.’ ROYALTIES http://blueswanpublishing.com/submissions/

Tanka poems. PAYING http://tankajournal.com/submit/terms.php

‘Word-o-Mat accepts short work: short stories, creative non-fiction, essays, excerpts from larger works, image-texts, cartoons and poetry. Short pieces that don’t fit into these categories are also welcome.’ http://word-o-mat.com/submitto

Poems on the theme of Sweet Sorrow, and collections of 20-30 poems. https://redwolfjournal.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines/

Fiction MSS of various types. https://www.zumayapublications.com/guidelines/Guidelines.pdf

Fiction and nonfiction MSS. ‘We do not publish children’s picture books whether fiction or nonfiction. We do not publish books in the following subject areas: mind/body/spirit, religion, diet/fitness/nutrition, family memoir, self-help, business, poetry, or photography.’ ROYALTIES http://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/information-for-authors—agents-pages-100.php

‘Gertrude accepts manuscripts from new and established writers and artists. Subject matter need not be LGBTQA-specific; we welcome writers and artists from all backgrounds. We accept simultaneous submissions because life is too short.’ http://www.gertrudepress.org/submit.html

Travel tales (Cathy’s note: scroll past the comp, as it’s expensive! Free submission is below all that). PAYING http://travelerstales.com/submission-guidelines/

Canada only: ‘Write a story about what your job is like. What do you do? What do you see? How do you feel about it? Give us lots of details. (If you’re not at a paid job now, write about what your job was like, before you quit, retired, got laid off or fired.)’ PAYING http://ourtimes.ca/Write/article_30.php (thanks to www.beyondyourblog.com for this one)

Poetry, art and more: ‘An Our Stories of Strength story is a relatable account told in first or second person that connects with others to open hearts and inspire. All stories submitted must be non-fiction, or a true story, reflective of the mission to rise above the diagnosis and embrace living passionately and purposefully.’ PAYING http://ourstoriesofstrength.com/submission-guidelines/

Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Grieving. https://thegriefdiaries.submittable.com/submit

Poetry, fiction and more, in English or Hindi. https://www.literaryoutspoken.com/

‘Lethe is seeking weird and eerie stories of people consumed by wealth. Each tale must be suffused with the trappings of the well-to-do. Decadence should be paramount. However, we do not want these tales to be moralistic; we’re celebrating those who can buy the finest things in life…they just happen to be the leads in a horror story.’ PAYING http://www.lethepressbooks.com/call-for-submissions.html

‘Lagos Literary and Arts Journal publishes all genres of creative writing and media related to creative endeavours – including but not limited to poetry, fiction, essay, memoir, drama; political essays, satire, profiles, book reviews, anything to stimulate public interest in Nigerian art and culture.’ http://www.lagosliteraryjournal.com/content/submissions

‘Subterranean Blue Poetry is a New Age Internet Poetry and Art Publishing Café. We are currently accepting New Age Poetry and Art @ Submissions. Please send me your Books of Poetry and I will write a Book Review. We thrive on new original word synergies. All Poets and their poetry are welcome and we are especially looking for home-grown Poets from the Canadian/American Indian Community, Quebec, small town Canada, International Poets and anyone who was ever considered “the other”.’ PAYING http://www.subterraneanbluepoetry.com/

Innovative writing up to 2000 words. https://www.breadlesscrust.com/

Poems. PAYING https://poetryquarterly.com/submit/terms.php

Light verse. https://www.lightenup-online.co.uk/index.php/submissions

‘Outcast is a new online journal that seeks to publish poems which can be described as accessible, profound, defiant, anti-establishment, progressive, working-class, and intersectional. Outcast is not another frail, meaningless, obscure journal run by MFA students. Outcast is certainly non-academic, but not anti-academic. Well, maybe a little bit.’ PAYING https://outcastpoetry.com/guidelines/

Speculative flash fiction. PAYING http://empyreome.com/submissions.aspx

Short stories up to 3000 words. PAYING http://www.writingwriters.co.uk/p/write-for-us.html

The deadline is 30th Sep, but submit sooner rather than later, as slots will fill quickly: horror stories. PAYING http://bingewatchingcure.com/horror/

Poetry. https://atriumpoetry.com/submission-guidelines/

‘We are interested in art and criticism about urbanism, globalism, identity, and transnationalism, though by no means should submissions be limited to those topics.’ Fiction, poetry and more. https://www.shanghailiterary.com/submissions/

Comps and calls for May 2017

Hello! I hope you’re having a wonderful Spring. At last it’s getting warmer here, and it’s very tempting to go outside and watch the cats bounce around the flowers – but there’s submitting and entering to do first…

This is one of the biggest editions of Comps and Calls so far. There’s a lot to go at, whatever you write. Make the most of it – like the Spring.

My thanks to BlankPage for sponsoring this month’s update. BlankPage is a motivational writing service, helping people finish their stories. Give it a try!

Cathy x


Here are May 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 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

3rd May Spectator Competition No. 2997: global mourning ‘You are invited to submit an obituary for planet Earth. Please email entries of up to 150 words to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 3 May.’ PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/04/cross-lines/#

4th May ‘We want to see your most original, funny and feel good dog story for your chance to win £1,000 and tickets to see the movie. Has your dog got itself into a really odd situation, do they perform a good trick or got you into an embarrassing fix? Tell us about it, in no more than 300 characters on the form below.’ PAYING http://win.heart.co.uk/a-dogs-purpose/#competition

4th May ‘Each year, a new theme is created and this year’s theme is ‘The Future’. Children aged 4 – 14 are transported to the year 3017 where a lot of things have changed. They will need to consider the new buildings that have been constructed, new technology that has been invented and the fancy new transport that everyone whizzes around on. We’re looking for the best story of 500 words or fewer which is set one thousand years in the future.’ NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.familiesonline.co.uk/competitions/inspire-your-child-to-write-and-win-a-family-trip-to-disneyland-paris

5th May Poem on the theme of New Beginnings. VOUCHER/OTHER https://www.printerinks.com/poetry-competition.html

5th May UK and ROI only: The first 5000 words of your crime novel, plus a synopsis of the rest. PAYING http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-4366454/Could-Agatha-Christie.html

5th May ‘This year, young people aged 7-25, from anywhere in the world, are invited to take part in Love the Words, an online competition in celebration of International Dylan Thomas Day. Simply download the opening paragraphs from Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood below, cut up the words, use them to create your own poem, take a photo, and share it with the world on Twitter. Use the hashtags #LovetheWords and #DylanDay so everyone can see your poem! And use the same hashtags to see everyone else’s, too.’ http://www.literaturewales.org/our-projects/international-dylan-thomas-day/love-the-words/

7th May ‘All we’re asking for is an original piece of comedy that deals with one or more of the themes from Anita and Me in no more than 500 words. It’s that simple! We’re open to submissions from people of all abilities… professional, wannabe and the family comedian.’ PAYING http://theatrecloud.com/get-involved/creative-projects/creative-comedy-project

10th May Spectator Competition No. 2998: lost in translation. ‘You are invited to submit a set of instructions for an everyday device that have been badly translated into English. Please email up to 150 words to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 10 May.’ PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/04/ribaldry/#

12th May ‘We want to know who has put a smile on your face recently through a kind gesture or a compliment or by simply making you feel welcomed!’ Up to 300 characters. NON-CASH PRIZE http://win.heart.co.uk/doubletreehilton/#competition (thanks to www.theprizefinder.com for this one)

12th May ‘Just tell us in 50 words or less why you think chocolate is good for you!?’ NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.mackies.co.uk/friends-of-mackie-s/win-with-mackie-s/win-a-chocolate-heaven-spa-day.html

14th May ‘The competition aims to find original stories around the theme of mothers and daughters or other inter-generational relationships between women. Stories should be a maximum of 1,500 words long.’ VOUCHER/OTHER https://www.gransnet.com/life-and-style/books/short-story-competition

15th May ‘Professionals and freelancers are encouraged to write articles that describe their experience living, moving, and working abroad. Often your experience is extended and transformed by activities in the host country, so living, working, studying, and traveling abroad are often inextricable — and we are interested in exploring all such organic interconnections.’ PAYING http://www.transitionsabroad.com/information/writers/expatriate_writing_contest.shtml#expatriate_guidelines

15th May ‘For your chance to be noticed, simply write 500 words on an inspirational travel experience. Keep your piece focused, capture the essence of the destination and ensure your writing has National Geographic Traveller (UK)’s defining features: immersive travel and authentic storytelling.’ NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.natgeotraveller.co.uk/competitions/travel-writing-competition-2017/ (thanks to www.theprizefinder.com for this one)

15th May Pakistan only: ‘We seek work that is original, thought-provoking, well-written, and well-articulated with a voice that can speak to an international readership and characters we can empathise with and care about. Entries must be no longer than 5,000 words.’ PAYING http://themissingslate.com/new-voices/

25th May Win a coaching session for fiction writing (Cathy’s note: technically this isn’t a writing comp, as you just have to send an email. As it’s such a useful prize for writers and free and easy to enter, however, I’ve included it. If you enter, I expect that you’ll receive some marketing from them afterwards). NON-CASH PRIZE http://creativecompetitor.com/creative-writing-competitions/creative-writing-competitions-2017/writing-competitions-january-february-2017/writing-competitions-march-april/coaching-session-competition-writers/

25th May Under 16s only: story written to the guidelines provided. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.petprotectors.org.uk/win/writing-competition (thanks to www.prizemagic.co.uk for this)

26th May ‘Silent Pool Distillers wants you to explain what ‘intricately realised’ means to you. You can express your answer with images or audio, references to other skilfully crafted products or brands, or simply with a description or explanation. The response that best embodies Silent Pool Distillers’ lovingly hand-crafted philosophy, as decided by the Directors, will be selected as the winner.’ NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.foodism.co.uk/competition/silentpool/

27th May ‘Sapiens Plurum is seeking writers who can plot amazing outcomes. Our Earth Day Short Fiction Contest this year challenges authors to dream big enough dreams. Tell us of a future: In your imagination, can we evolve humanity to a better place? Or will we, like Icarus, end up too close to the Sun?’ 1500-3000 words. PAYING http://sapiensplurum.org/fiction-contests.html (thanks to www.winningwriters.com for this one)

31st May ‘We don’t care about your gender, age, race or nationality. Our only requirement is that you should be a current high school/college/university student. Only in this case, will we check your essay. The length of the essay should be between 500-700 words. Answer the following question in your persuasive essay: Will virtual reality classes replace traditional education?’ PAYING https://www.thepensters.com/win-a-scholarship/

31st May Travel writing up to 1000 words (Cathy’s note: this comp stays open after the date I’ve given here, but there’ll be a fee to pay then. Enter now!). PAYING http://www.imustbeoff.com/p/blog-page.html?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email

31st May US only: ‘Entries must be original works of fiction of no more than 5,000 words that illuminate the role of the law and/or lawyers in modern society.’ PAYING http://www.abajournal.com/contests/ross_essay (thanks to www.freedomwithwriting.com for this one)

31st May Full-length play. PAYING https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/sites/default/files/download/nda_submission_criteria_2017.pdf

31st May ‘Southern Fried Karma seeks unpublished fiction for its 2017 Novel Contest. We focus on cultivating the artistic voices of the new millennium with a Southern accent. The successful manuscript will go beyond stereotypical depictions and illuminate the multiplicity of the Southern experience; past, present, or future; the good, the bad, and especially the unexpected.’ (Cathy’s note: scroll past the entry form to find guidelines. I think that they mean the Southern States of America when they say ‘Southern’.) PAYING http://sfkpress.com/contests/ (thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

31st May Story by a writer aged 13-19. PAYING https://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=submit&pubcode=ots

1st Jun Sonnet (Cathy’s note: this comp is free for those aged 17-and-under, but there’s a fee for adults). PAYING http://sonnetcontest.org/

1st Jun ‘Two samples of your playwriting, no more than 10 pages each.’ PAYING http://papatango.co.uk/resident-playwright-2017/ (thanks to http://www.londonplaywrightsblog.com/ for this one)

SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES

2nd May ‘Since the beginning of time, everything that has promised to liberate women has also been accused of corrupting them. Think suffrage, trousers, the pill, the internet, feminism, learning to drive, owning a house, having a bank account, working… Or, more recently, alcohol consumption and selfie culture. I’m looking for fresh and sexy takes on these issues, along with anything else that women have been criticised for doing.’ 2500-4000 words. https://www.sexylittlepages.com/call-for-submissions-corrupted/

5th May ‘Bright Wall/Dark Room is currently accepting unsolicited submissions for its monthly magazine. Essays, criticism, poetry, reportage, interviews, and short humor pieces will all be evaluated and considered. The theme for our June issue is THE HERO’S JOURNEY. We’re looking for writing on films or television shows that deal with this structure in some way—the Hero’s Journey, or the monomyth, as defined by Joseph Campbell and further popularized by Christopher Vogler.’ PAYING http://brightwalldarkroom.com/submissions/

5th May ‘Abridged in 0-1979 explores those moments, big and small when our world shattered and changed and our attempts to make sense of it all. When there’s nothing here for me and you…’ Poetry. http://abridgedonline.com/1445-2/

5th May Afrocentric steampunk, 1000-7500 words. PAYING http://www.mugwumppress.com/afrocentric/afrosteam/

5th May ‘We hope that we will once again receive art, writing (creative or factual, poetry or prose), photography and creative responses of all kinds to the story of King Maine.’ https://www.writing.ie/resources/submissions-call-for-king-at-the-back-of-the-hill-anthology/?utm_content=buffer7d6f9&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

5th May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Home. https://inklettemagazine.com/submissions/

5th May Poetry or fiction: retellings of Arthurian Legends. PAYING http://www.timelesstalesmagazine.com/submissions

5th May ‘In our Spring 2017 issue, we are looking for pieces that tell the story of a CLASH: anything from a simple dispute between friends to a deep fissure within society or a difficult internal struggle. Tell us about any time you’ve experienced things coming together in discordant, violent, or unexpected ways.’ https://chicagomemoryhouse.wordpress.com/submit/

5th May Sketches for the series ‘Class Dismissed’. http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities/class-dismissed-sketch-writing-initiative

7th May Fiction 800-2000 words on the theme of Questions and Answers. http://www.liarsleague.com/liars_league/forthcoming-events-themes.html

7th May Poetry on the theme of Land (Cathy’s note: only Australian contributors are paid). PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS http://cordite.org.au/submissions/

7th May 10-20 minute play. http://www.londonplaywrightsblog.com/?p=8759

8th May Poetry andmore on the theme of The Art of Dying and the Afterlife. https://www.friendsjournal.org/submissions/

8th May Plays up to ten minutes on the theme of Revolution. http://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/events/revolution-scratch-night

10th May ‘The Midsummer issue of Blink Ink invites you to take a walk in The Enchanted Forest. We are seeking stories of about 50 words to do with encounters with the sublime and the numinous. A woodland setting and perhaps some wildlife would be lovely but are not strictly required.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.blink-ink.org/2017/03/30/enchanted-forest-submission-guidelines/

10th May ‘We’re looking for reprints of uncanny or dreamlike realist fiction, literary speculative fiction, and magical realism. Our perfect submission defies categorization—pieces that could be “too speculative” for canlit or “not speculative enough” for spec magazines (although we’re open to stories on both these sides as well).’ Fiction, poetry and more. PAYING http://www.augurmag.com/submissions/

14th May Novel of at least 70,000 words. http://www.boroughpress.co.uk/2017/04/27/doore-open-at-borough-press/

15th May ‘We aim to stake out a distinctive space for innovative, intelligent, and moving fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, film writing, and cross-genre work. In the spirit of poet Dean Young’s dictum that poets should be “making birds, not birdcages,” we are particularly taken with writing that is simultaneously graceful and reckless.’ PAYING http://www.benningtonreview.org/submit/ (thanks to www.fundsforwriters.com for this)

15th May “Nostalgia”–let’s have some fun with this one! We are looking for fiction, poetry, personal essays, ANY format about a time, place or thing(s) you feel nostalgic about…won’t someone write me a poem about those great urban legends of our youth? We can’t wait to hear about all those things you remember fondly!’ https://otvmagazine.com/2015/07/20/we-aret-looking-for-pieces-of-epic-length-but-we-are-looking-for-epic-beauty/

15th May Fiction 4500-17500 words on the theme of Paranormal Lovers. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://zimbellhousepublishing.com/contest-submissions/anthology-submissions-temptation-press/

15th May ‘Women over 60 only: The Editors choose a different Short Takes topic for every issue. Short Takes are usually short pieces, fiction or non-fiction (250-500 words), but can also be topical poetry, sometimes even drawings or photography. We’re especially interested in hearing about your experiences, but you can include your thoughts, dreams, ideas and opinions. Humor and irony are always appreciated! Topic: Fruit.’ http://www.persimmontree.org/v2/submissions/

15th May ‘In times of seismic change, the stories that matter are the ones that enrich, inspire and support us… or simply give us the strength to carry on. We’re looking for stories of survival in difficult times, when being true to yourself can be the most dangerous choice you make. Stories of protest – subtle or overt. We want stories that have the courage and will to change the lives and worlds of their characters… and our own. Send us unheard voices in unexpected places — tales that transform, and truths that define.’ Up to 6000 words. PAYING http://www.castofwonders.org/banned-books-week/

15th May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Balloons. https://themagnoliareview.wordpress.com/submit/

15th May ‘The Perch seeks well-crafted, unpublished work that is related to mental health as encompassing physical, emotional and spiritual aspects. We are interested in individual health in social and cultural contexts. We invite many voices, including those with a broad, artistic interest in mental health. For Issue 4, we particularly welcome submissions from voices around the world.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://theperch.submittable.com/submit

15th May Writing on the theme of The Myth of Revolt. http://peculiarmormyrid.com/submissions/

15th May ‘This anthology aims to feature the strange and wonderful intersection between work by writers and artists of hybrid identities and the hybrid work they produce. We are especially interested in work from writers and artists of color, trans, queer, neurodivergent, or disabled writers and artists, writers and artists with invisible illnesses, and anyone else who feels their identity is itself an intersection. In short, if you believe your identity is a hybrid form that influences your craft, we want to hear from you.’ (Cathy’s note: you need to scroll down to find this, as all their calls are on one page.) http://www.sundresspublications.com/submissions.htm

15th May Space opera novellas 15,000-50,000 words. PAYING http://thefantasistmag.com/submissions-guidelines/

15th May Comedy script of at least 30 minutes. http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities/script-room

15th May or when they’ve received 300 submissions, whichever is sooner: dark fiction. PAYING http://lamplightmagazine.com/submissions/

15th May ‘Humankind has forded the immense stream of space between stars and reached our neighbors. The Milky Way Galaxy lies waiting to be explored. What will we discover on hospitable planets circling new stars? Will we find almost familiar moons, asteroids, planetary rings, and, possibly, never before seen astronomical formations? The sky is no longer the limit for soaring imaginations. Visions V stories take place somewhere…anywhere…in the Milky Way Galaxy. ‘ 3000-8000 words. PAYING http://www.lillicatpublishers.com/?page_id=1074

15th May Poetry, fiction and more. https://atlasandalice.com/submit/

19th May Poetry, fiction and more. PAYING https://stingingfly.org/submissions/

20th May Poetry and more on the theme of Support (Cathy’s note: I can’t find anything saying that only women may submit, but the content on the website appears to be woman-driven). CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://wildsister.com/contribute/

20th May Paranormal romance 12,000-20,000 words. http://lorelushpublishing.com/submission-call-for-anthology/

20th May ‘“Transcaucasia” is defined as a geopolitical region, encompassing all of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, as well as the Caucasus mountain area of southern Russia, eastern Turkey, and northern Iran. Issue 12, slated for June 1, will be a special TRANSCAUCASIA issue featuring work by writers and artists living in the Transcaucasia region or work that is about or inspired by this region.’ https://masqueandspectacle.com/submission-guidelines/

21st May Poems on the theme of War. PAYING http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/submissions/

21st May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Infection. http://hematopoiesispress.com/

25th May Ghost story 1500-15,000 words. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://fantasiadivinitymagazine.myfreesites.net/anthology-submission-calls

25th May Fantasy stories 2000-7500 words. PAYING http://cloakedpress.com/fallfantasy

25th May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Powers of the Universe. http://moonmagazine.org/submission-guideline/

27th May YA poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Puppets and Dolls. PAYING https://cricketmag.submittable.com/submit/17820/cicada-magazine-for-ages-14

27th May Poetry, prose and more. http://humag.co/observatory/hu-open-submission-call-1

28th May Writing pertaining to music on the theme of Nocturne. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.halfmystic.com/submit/

30th May Stories up to 10,000 words on the theme of Mrs Claus. ‘This anthology is intended for an adult audience, please don’t submit children’s stories.’ PAYING http://www.worldweaverpress.com/submit-anthologies.html

30th May Poetry, fiction and more on any of the following themes: If at first you don’t succeed, try again; Accidents happen; If you build it, they will come; Famous last words. PAYING https://www.gatheringstormmagazine.com/guidelines

31st May Poetry. PAYING http://www.thewellreview.com/submit

31st May ‘Theme: Aliens! In particular aliens playing sports (on Earth, in space or on their own planets) and pieces about alien mins, philosophies and desires.’ https://tigersharkpublishing.wordpress.com/home/guidelines/

31st May Poetry and stories on the theme of Donkeyskin. PAYING http://www.fairytalemagazine.com/p/blog-page_22.html

31st May Poetry in the tritina form. http://alibilit.com/alibis

31st May Poems and stories on the theme of Positively Happy! PAYING http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics

31st May Flash and short fiction on the theme of The Senses. https://www.litro.co.uk/submit/

31st May ‘The Central Arkansas Speculative Fiction Writers Group’s third anthology will be a collection of short stories about strangers. We want to see stories about estrangement, oddballs, and those who simply do not follow rules. We want to see outsiders and those deemed unworthy by society. Outcasts are welcome.’ Up to 7500 words. PAYING https://casfwg.com/2017/03/30/featured-content/

31st May Haiku, senryu and haibun. https://greensubmissions.com/112/shamrock-haiku-journal/terms.php

31st May Fiction 3000-8000 words. PAYING https://www.one-story.com/?page=submit

31st May Collaboratively-written dark, speculative fiction. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://blog.nettirw.com/2017/01/14/chiral-mad-4-open-for-submissions-until-053117/

31st May Canadians only: ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was Carroll’s most famous work but there are other stories and poems (some within the greater works) where madcap creatures abound. Alice Unbound should contain an element of the speculative and may embrace fabulist, weird, myth, SF, fantasy, steampunk, horror, etc.’ Poetry and fiction. PAYING https://colleenanderson.wordpress.com/2017/01/26/alice-unbound-call-for-submissions/

31st May Reprints of dragon stories. PROFIT/REVENUE SHARING MODEL https://dfpcorp.submittable.com/submit

31st May Poetry and fiction on the theme of Courage. http://www.thenottinghamreview.com/submit.html

31st May ‘Your story MUST have humor in it, feature a Thanksgiving dish and have a great mystery or crime at the heart of the story.’ 1500-5000 words. ROYALTIES http://www.untreedreads.com/submission-guidelines/tkwc5/

31st May Stories 2000-8000 words on the theme of Time Lost. PAYING http://www.renfieldpress.com/p/literry-e-clectic.html

31st May Flash, short fiction and more on the theme of The Senses. https://www.litro.co.uk/submit/

31st May Poetry and prose on the theme of States of Mind. http://www.duendeliterary.org/submissions/

31st May Horror stories 5000-10,000 words. PAYING https://www.ricepaperpress.com/submissions

31st May Poetry, flash, short fiction and more on the theme of Seeing & Looking. http://iceflow.com/riverbabble/riverguides31.html

31st May Speculative fiction 1500-6000 words set in Manchester, UK. PAYING https://manchesterspeculativefiction.org/

31st May ‘In Issue 6, we are compiling a collection of Prayers for the Planet. All prayers—including theist, agnostic, atheist or humanist—are welcome. We accept fiction, nonfiction, visual art, and poetry of all flavors, from free verse to found. We are also interested in submissions that include raven artwork.’ http://www.youngravensliteraryreview.org/

31st May ‘The Mythos Planet: Lovecraft Inspired Sci-Fi Terror–Drabbles (100 words), Micro-Fiction (101-750 words), Flash (751-1000 words), Short Stories (1001-2000 words), and Poetry (up to 50 lines). I want to see Lovecraftian monsters of your own making here, but you can give me some new takes on the Old Ones, if you like, but make it fresh.’ https://theweretraveler.wordpress.com/call-for-submissions/

31st May ‘The theme for the upcoming issue is “Mythos.” Obra/Artifact seeks submissions that root their inspiration in myths, legends, fables, and oral storytelling. Give us your fabulism, your experimentation, your lyric essays, your poetry that expands the bounds of form and art.’ https://obraartifact.com/submissions/

1st Jun Poetry, flash, graphic narratives and much more. https://helenliterarymagazine.submittable.com/submit

1st Jun ‘Our new Shockwire Chapbook Series recognizes the need to raise the storytelling stakes in response to intimidation, fear, and isolation. We are interested in works of literary and speculative short fiction and creative nonfiction up to 7,500 words in length and collections of between 5 and 10 poems.’ PAYING http://www.theheadandthehand.com/submissions/

1st Jun Prison-themed writing for this publication concerned with maps. http://themapisnot.com/submissions

1st Jun ‘Onyx Neon will release a collection of poems under the umbrella of American Upheaval. The world is reacting to a drastic shift in administration—and those reactions are raw, loud, and critical. We want poems that add to the political conversation.’ PAYING http://shorts.onyxneon.com/submission-guidelines-onyx-neon-shorts/

1st Jun ‘We are collecting poems, stories, translations and nonfiction that address racism, homophobia, xenophobia, sexism, war, political corruption, veterans issues, people with disabilities, and the attack on the environment for an online anthology. We consider translations as well as flash fiction!’ http://www.cutthroatmag.com/submissions.html

1st Jun ‘What is Eternal Haunted Summer? EHS is an ezine dedicated to 1) original poetry and 2) short fiction about the Gods and Goddesses and heroes of the world’s many Pagan traditions.’ PAYING https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/about/

1st Jun Poetry and prose. http://sblaam.com/guidelines/literary/

1st Jun ‘Myths, moons, and mayhem make the perfect threesome—and so do some men. Whether they’re werewolves learning how to fit into the pack, magi seeking to unlock the secrets of the stars, incubi on the prowl, or trolls guarding deep underground worlds, the heroes of this anthology will be male-identified individuals with a thirst for homoerotic group encounters.’ 4000-6000 words. ROYALTIES https://www.sexylittlepages.com/call-for-submissions-myths-moons-and-mayhem/

1st Jun Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Death. http://www.thebrokencitymag.com/submissions.html

1st Jun Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Borders. PAYING https://slicemagazine.org/submit/

1st Jun Fantastical poetry. PAYING http://www.goblinfruit.net/2016/winter/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.

Poetry and critical responses to the work of Sylvia Plath. http://plathpoetryproject.com/submit/

Poetry. ‘Submissions are open to new and emerging writers only (no more than one full-length published work forthcoming at the time of submission).’ PAYING https://frontier.submittable.com/submit/79694/frontier-poetry-free

Speculative fiction up to 3000 words. PAYING https://www.asymmetryfiction.com/submission-guidelines/

Up to 6 tanka poems. PAYING http://tankajournal.com/submit/terms.php

‘We are interested in nonfiction books that emphasize self-improvement, personal motivation, psychological health, overall wellness or mind/body/spirit integration.’ https://www.hcibooks.com/t-submission_guidelines.aspx

Short stories. ROYALTIES http://4rvpublishing.com/short-story-submissions.php

‘Invisible Publishing is currently accepting literary manuscript submissions, including works of fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. All narrative works with contemporary themes will be considered, however, we are not interested in genre fiction or YA projects. That said, if you send it, we’ll read it. Show us your stuff.’ http://invisiblepublishing.com/submissions/

‘Sonder is a journal of cultural criticism, comment and creative writing, free for everyone.’ https://sondermag.wordpress.com/

Canada only: ‘Esplanade Books publishes literary novels, novellas, short story collections, and translations from Canadian authors.’ http://www.vehiculepress.com/2-submissions.php

‘Candy Jar Books is an award-winning independent book publisher. We publish a wide variety of quality books, from non-fiction, general fiction and children’s, through to a range of cult TV books.’ http://www.candy-jar.co.uk/books/submissions.html

Fiction 1000-4000 words (Cathy’s note: they only notify in case of acceptance, so if you don’t hear back, assume rejection). http://www.storychord.com/2010/02/about-storychord-submission-guidelines.html?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email

‘Describe your Name in a Poem. Tell us who you are. The Why and the Wherefore of your name. How did you get your name? Are you named after someone? Is it Biblical, Latin, or Gaellic, origin etc.? Is there a nickname that you go by? Does someone call you something else? To be 24 lines or less. One Poem per entry. Best of will be published in LONE STARS.’ lonestarsmagazine@yahoo.com

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

Three-line poems. PAYING http://threelinepoetry.com/

Poetry, fiction and more. https://glintjournal.wordpress.com/glint-7-submissions/

Flash fiction and more. https://thebohemyth.com/submit/

Poetry. PAYING https://twyckenhamnotes.com/

Speculative fiction novellas. UNKNOWN PAYMENT http://www.dancingstarpress.com/submissions/

‘We are excited by writing that is difficult to classify—whether specifically speculative, substantially surreal, or slightly strange. We’re interested in realist pieces that verge on the dreamlike or surreal; speculative stories that are almost realist; and, on top of that, any form of literary fantasy/science fiction/speculative fiction.’ For the preview issue, they want reprints. PAYING http://www.augurmag.com/submissions/

Romance stories and novellas. PAYING http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/page/submissions

SF/F stories up to 10,000 words. PAYING http://blindspot.pub/guidelines/

‘Works dealing with any passionately held emotions and/or alternative viewpoints. These may well entail drink, sex, violence, bad language and any activity outside of the mainstream. Sleazy tales are very much encouraged and form the basis of The Savage Kick. Real-life stories are preferred, unless work is distinctively extreme within the crime, western or war genres.’ Fiction and more. PAYING http://www.murderslim.com/TheSavageKickSubmissions.html