Comps and calls for May 2016

Hello all and Happy May!

Yes, I know that ‘Happy May’ isn’t a traditional greeting, but there are tons of opportunities this month, many paying, and they are wonderfully varied. Also, I have news – Comps and Calls has been selected to be one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers as honored by Writer’s Digest! How great is that?! There’s a link at the right if you want to explore.

Since C&C started I’ve been asked a few times how people can thank me. Well, there’s now a tip jar into which you can drop a dollar/pound/euro, and so on – but only if you really want to!

Don’t forget about the FB group:  https://www.facebook.com/compsandcalls/. The odd update makes it there when I can’t find my webbie.

Right – there’s a lot to do, so let’s get writing!

Cathy x


Here are May 2016’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. December is the best time by far to submit and enter. There are loads of opportunities, and many people are too busy to take advantage of them. Please try to find the time if you can!

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 May You are invited to submit a poem singing the praises of old age (16 lines maximum). Please email entries (wherever possible) to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 4 May. PAYING http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/04/much-ado-about-nothing/

6th May ‘Your challenge: In no more than 75 words, tell, show, or evoke as complete a story as you can in which music of some sort plays an important role.’ PAYING https://onthepremises.submittable.com/Submit

6th May UK only: ‘McCarthy & Stone are searching for the nation’s most Colourful Characters – people aged 60 and over who are living life to the full, redefining retirement and doing anything but acting their age! The overall winner will receive a trip of a lifetime for two from Saga.You can nominate yourself, or enter a friend for their chance to win.’ NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.mccarthyandstone.co.uk/colourful-characters/

6th May Script proposal from a BAME writer. PAYING http://www.londonplaywrightsblog.com/?p=5516

11th May ‘Competition No. 2948: Wild thingIn his book Being a Beast Charles Foster tried to get into the skin of a badger, an otter, an urban fox, a red deer and a swift. Let’s have an account (150 words maximum) of living as a member of the species of your choice. Please email entries to lucy@spectator.co.uk by 11 May.’ http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/04/exit-strategy/

14th May ‘In this creative project, we want you to write a POEM or a short duologue ABOUT LONELINESS. You might be inspired to write about a character in Steinbeck’s novel. You may want to reflect on your own life or experience you’ve had, you may find inspiration from a friend or something you’ve seen on the news.  We want you to write something honest but playful  and from the heart. Although the theme is LONELINESS, we’re encouraging you to think about the many themes that relate to this in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men: friendship, isolation, innocence, freedom, justice, violence, prejudice, age, race, masculinity,  femininity and vulnerability, economic hardship and the struggle to survive.’ (Cathy’s note: one of the prizes is based on reader votes, but the main two aren’t.) PAYING http://www.theatrecloud.com/get-involved/creative-projects/the-loneliness-project

15th May Get your ‘writing program director’ to enter your work for this: ‘Brevity is excited to announce a contest for writing students in tandem with our special issue focused on experiences of race, racialization, and racism. We are looking for flash essays  (750 words or fewer) that explore the lived experience of race, racialization, and racism, show the reader a new way to look at the familiar, or give voice to under-represented experiences.’  https://brevity.wordpress.com/2016/03/26/brevity-contest-for-graduate-undergraduate-writers/

16th May Write a story in ten words or fewer. NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.writingclasses.com/contest/very-short-story-contest-2016

30th May full-length play. PAYING http://www.falmouth.ac.uk/nickdarkeaward

30th May Short story 4000-8000 words (Cathy’s note: winners will be invited to meet publishers in London – but I don’t know if they pay for travel, so better not to enter unless you can get there). NON-CASH PRIZE http://email.writers-online.co.uk/UhjkrAC8r3F1ECLBwkAYi6ChROjn7RAKd~gqpRqXqVn/WebView.aspx

31st May Sonnet in response to one of Shakespeare’s. NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/competitions

31st May Fiction up to 2000 words on the theme of Crazed Fan. VOUCHER/OTHER http://greywolfepublishing.com/2016%20Monthly%20Contests.html

31st May ‘To celebrate the release of our new Slow Travel Shropshire guide by Marie Kreft we are running a special competition to find the most perfect day in the county. To enter, simply write a description of your perfect day in no more than 500 words. Your day might have really happened or be something imagined: it could include soaking up the history at Ironbridge Gorge, hiking on the Long Mynd or tucking into local goodies on the Magnalonga in Ludlow. Whatever shape your perfect day might take, we want to hear what makes Shropshire special to you.’ NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.bradtguides.com/articles/cat/competitions/post/shropshire-competition/#enter

31st May Over 60s only: writing on the theme of Travel/Holidays. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.writingtimes.co.uk/seniors

31st May Children 5-12 only: writing on the theme of Animals. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.writingtimes.co.uk/childrens-corner

31st May Essay by high school, college and university students of any age. PAYING https://www.thepensters.com/win-a-scholarship/

31st May ‘Writers are therefore being invited to submit a previously unpublished short story of no more than 3,000 words set in Elgin and the surrounding area during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.’ PAYING http://ccc-heritage.co.uk/castle-to-cathedral-to-cashmere-writing-competition/

31st May UK only: poetry and short fiction by those aged 10-17. PAYING http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/young-writers/solstice-prize/

31st May ‘Only full-length works (dramas, comedies, musicals, screenplays) will be considered. One entry per author, please. Scripts must be original and in English. All must concern lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or genderqueer life and be based on, or directly inspired by, a historical person, culture, work of art, or event.’ PAYING http://aabbfoundation.org/comp-guidelines

31st May Traditional mystery novella.  PAYING http://www.nerowolfe.org/pdf/literary_awards/Black_Orchid_Novella/2016_Black_Orchid_Award_flyer.pdf

31st May US only: video description for a short film. PAYING http://videodescriptioncontest.com/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email

1st Jun Under 16s: story up to 1500 words (Cathy’s note: the adult category requires a fee, but it’s free for the under 16s to enter their category). PAYING http://shortstops.info/2016/01/22/university-of-sunderland-short-story-award/

1st Jun ‘To celebrate Poetry Writing Month this April, Singapore Poetry is holding its second annual poetry contest. We are looking for poems that include the word “Singapore” (or its variants) in some creative manner. The poems do not have to be about Singapore; in fact, we prefer it if the poems are not about Singapore. They just have to use the word “Singapore” in a way significant to the poems’ own subject and method. And here’s another wrinkle: the contest is open to everyone who is NOT a Singaporean citizen or permanent resident in Singapore.’ http://singaporepoetry.com/2016/04/01/2nd-singapore-poetry-contest/ (Thanks to http://www.erikadreifus.com/ for this one.)

SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES

2nd May Poems. PAYING https://wherewithallit.com/submissions/ (thanks to http://www.erikadreifus.com/ for this one)

2nd May Writing on the theme of Allegro. http://www.halfmystic.com/journal-submissions/

2nd May Poetry and more on the theme of Quaker Spaces. http://www.friendsjournal.org/submissions/

3rd May UK only:  ‘This paid one-day R&D platform provides a safe space and creative support to Deaf and disabled artists wishing to explore raw ideas and fresh stories for live performance, with artistic guidance and advice from our award-winning team. Play Labs is open to Deaf and disabled writers, performers and theatre makers of all levels and experience, keen to jumpstart their creative processes and committed to seeing through their ideas.’ PAYING http://www.graeae.org/get-involved/training-courses/play-labs-2016/

5th May Age 7-25: four lines of poetry in English or Welsh on the theme of Hands, after the Dylan Thomas poem ‘The Hand That Signed The Paper.’ http://www.developingdylan100.co.uk/dylans-great-poem-2016/

5th May Microfiction on the theme of Siren Songs. http://www.wintertangerine.com/sirensongs-about

5th May Poetry is among the works of art acceptable for this art exhibition in Portugal. http://projectartmap.com/submission/

5th May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Tall. http://pureslush.webs.com/tallish.htm

5th May Poetry and fiction on the theme of Home. http://sunstruckmag.com/submissions/

6th May Script proposal by BAME writers. PAYING http://www.londonplaywrightsblog.com/?p=5516

(source: www.londonplaywrightsblog.com )

7th May Poems as a tribute to Prince. https://yellowchairreview.submittable.com/submit

8th May Script on the theme of Alone Inside the Box. http://www.goblinbaby.com/alone-inside-the-box.html

8th May Poetry on the theme of Future Machines (Cathy’s note: only Australian contributors are paid). PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS http://cordite.org.au/submissions/

8th May Poetry, prose and more on the theme of Asians to Watch Out For (Cathy’s note: only Australian contributors are paid). PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS http://peril.com.au/submissions/

9th May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Kink, for this journal devoted to women’s sexuality. http://www.cliteraturejournal.com/submissionguidelines.html

15th May Poetry, fiction and more. PAYING http://subterrain.ca/about/35/sub-terrain-writer-s-guidelines

15th May Positive writing and more on the theme of  Brave CONTRIBUTOR COPY http://www.thephoenixsoul.com/submit/

15th May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Music. http://www.ridinglight.org/submissions.html

15th May Poetry and flash. http://www.yellowchairreview.com/#!generalsubmissions/c1lzv

15th May Poets with connections to Hong Kong and Greater China: ‘To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and with the sponsorship of the Spanish Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macao, Chameleon Press will publish a new collection of poetry in which contemporary poets interpret the themes of Cervantes’s classic Don Quixote for Hong Kong and East Asia, in particular the tension between pragmatism and vision, the “real world” and dreams or, in the words of scholar Ilan Stavans, “between hope and fatalism, … idealism and materialism”, and explore what this says about the nature of humanity and success.’ http://chameleonpress.com/cervantes400/call.php

15th May Fiction 2000-7500 words on the theme of Alien Love. PAYING http://www.scifiromancequarterly.org/write-for-us/

15th May Neon noir stories 2500-5000 words. ROYALTIES https://crimesyndicatemagazine.submittable.com/submit/54335

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 Fiction, poetry and more on the theme of Rejection. http://www.earthenlampjournal.com/submissions.php

15th May 50-word fiction on the theme of Magic. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.blink-ink.org/submissions/

15th May Short fiction on the theme of Neon Noir. ROYALTIES https://crimesyndicatemagazine.com/current-issue/fast-women-and-neon-lights-anthology/

15th May ‘We accept Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Haiku, Haibun, Essay, and Review. For this issue, we are especially interested in receiving poems using, but not limited to canyons, bridges, caves, and meadows as image or metaphor.’ http://iceflow.com/riverbabble/riverguides29.html

20th May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Agitprop. http://www.kissthewitch.co.uk/seinundwerden/next_issue.html

21st May Submissions to this anthology must contain monsters being monsters, meaning no sparkly vampires or monsters with hearts of gold. Your monsters should be terrorizing and keep us up at night. PAYING http://www.raveninternationalpublishing.com/call-classic-horror-anthology-submissions/

23rd May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Influence. https://avismagazineblog.wordpress.com/call-for-submissions/

25th May ‘This issue will showcase fiction from and about the real Cuba: not Havana-centric but emanating from the entire island – including its rural communities, and its exiles.’ https://litro.submittable.com/submit/53626

28th May Haiku on the theme of Agape and Eros. https://sites.google.com/site/worldhaikureview2/aboutworldhaikureview

29th May Poetry and fiction. PAYING http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/submitguidelines.php

29th May Poetry and flash fiction on the theme of Witches. http://threedropspoetry.co.uk/submissions/call-for-submissions-witches-and-witchcraft-anthology/

30th May Novellas. PAYING + ROYALTIES http://thebooksmugglers.com/book-smugglers-publishing/the-novella-initiative-open-call

30th May Fairytale-inspired poems and stories on the theme of Summer Solstice and Midsummer. PAYING http://www.fairytalemagazine.com/p/blog-page_22.html

31st May ‘This speculative fiction anthology contains original stories to celebrate Asian diversity, featuring an Asian main character, Asian setting and/or some amount of Asian elements, by authors with an Asian heritage.’ PAYING https://laksamedia.submittable.com/submit

31st May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Miracle. CONTRIBUTOR COPY http://eabpublishing.com/submissions.html

31st May SF mysteries. PAYING http://www.blueberrylanebooks.com/?page_id=65

31st May Writing on the theme of Escape. http://loveliestmag.com/submit/

31st May ‘Our summer issue will be a bit more specific than usual: We’re seeking six-line poems. Metrical or informal, haiku- or tanka-inspired, dark, light, surreal, narrative, minimalist, absurd — send us your six-line gems, whatever they may be.’ https://linesandstars.submittable.com/submit/56512

31st May ‘Give us that one, two, punch of something sexy in the ring or a burning passion that can’t be left on the court. We’re looking for sports stories that can knock it out of the park when it comes to playing for keeps. We don’t care if it’s baseball, professional poker, or international cup stacking. As long as it’s a sport, it’s in the game.  Couples can be established or new, but stories must stand on their own alone.  Love Slave is dedicated to providing high quality erotic fiction that is smart and sexy. Our anthologies have a balance between action and eroticism and a focus on storytelling.’ PAYING http://litselect.weebly.com/submissions.html

31st May Poetry and flash on the theme of Tranquility. CONTRIBUTOR COPY http://www.kindofahurricanepress.com/p/anthology-tranquility.html

31st May ‘Circuses are supposed to be places of joy and wonder, but they are also full of clowns and many people find clowns distinctly creepy. Circuses come into town and disappear after a brief stay, leaving behind nothing but a memory of the magic. They are homes for misfits, bearded ladies and contortionists who might be shunned in the outside world. What better environment than a circus for a story of magic and wonder that leaves you wondering if it ever happened. Give us your best wonderful, dark, or fantastic story about the circus.’ 3000-10,000 words. PAYING  http://otterlibris.com/open-projects/

31st May Poetry, flash and short fiction, and more. http://www.matadorreview.com/submissions/

31st May Poems. PAYING https://arcpoetry.submittable.com/submit

31st May Story 3000-8000 words. PAYING http://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=submit&pubcode=os

31st May Poetry. http://eretzsongs.blogspot.co.uk/p/e-zine.html

31st May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Naked. http://sunstruckmag.com/submissions/

31st May Poems. PAYING http://baltimorereview.org/index.php/submit

31st May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of In the End. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.mpapublishing.co.za/submission-guidelines/ealain-submission-guidelines/

31st May ‘I’m building a short story anthology with 20 stories where professional authors can write with their favorite characters based in my world and setting of The Super Market. What is The Super Market? The Super Market is where all paranormal peeps can go to have a shopping experience. Whether you chose your paranormal character to be a shop owner, a celebrity chef, a consumer, a food critic, an herbal pharmacist, a health inspector, or anything – it’s your choice. The options are limitless.’ PAYING http://www.draconianpublishing.com/super-market-submissions/

31st May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Fake. PAYING https://pinknantucket.com.au/materiality-2/

31st May Six-line poems. https://linesandstars.submittable.com/submit

1st Jun ‘Colorful, lit-up stories of crime and depravity, set in the nineteen-eighties. Outsiders, whether by choice or by circumstance, engaging in anti-social or criminal behavior.  Stories that capture not only the moment in crime, but the place in time. Stories where setting and “costume” become character. If done well, this will be both in-your-face and subtle, as paradoxical as that sounds.’ ROYALTIES https://crimesyndicatemagazine.submittable.com/submit/54335

1st Jun Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. PAYING https://nonbinaryreview.submittable.com/submit/48102

1st June ‘Within the recent explosion of creative nonfiction, a curious new sub-genre is quietly emerging. Hybrids in the truest sense, “hermit crab” essays borrow their structures from ordinary, extra-literary sources (a recipe, a police report, a pack of cards, an obituary, a questionnaire…) to use as a framework for a lyric meditation on the chosen subject. In the best examples, the borrowed structures are less contrived than inevitable, managing not only to give shape to the work but to illuminate and exemplify its subject. Essays and cross-genre work between 750 and 8,000 words welcome. No listicles, please.’ PAYING https://theshellgameanthology.submittable.com/submit (thanks to Erika Dreifus at www.erikadreifus.com for that one.)

1st Jun Writing and more by girls and women on the theme of All About Emotions. http://newmoon.com/how-to-get-published-new-moon-girls/

1st June ‘Much like the award-winning anthology Steampunk World, Steampunk Universe will be a multicultural anthology of steampunk stories. But this time, the anthology will focus on characters with exceptionalities.* This call for submissions is aimed particularly at marginalized writers, especially those who are identify as members of a minority, LGBTQ, or living with exceptionality. Whether or not you qualify and feel this call for submission is appropriate for your work is at your discretion.’ http://steampunkuniverse.alliterationink.com/

1st June ‘Arc Poetry Magazine is looking for poems of catastrophe and degradation for the end times. Heat death, terror, CO2 depletion, urban decay, radiation sickness, desertification, wars at home and wars abroad, natural disaster. How does poetry respond?’ PAYING https://arcpoetry.submittable.com/submit

1st Jun Poetry and prose. http://www.hapax.ink/submit.html

1st Jun Writing by queer trans men and trans masculine writers. http://www.chelseastationmagazine.com/

1st Jun Fiction up to 500 words, poetry and more suitable for Christian children on the theme of Pets with Disabilities. PAYING http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/submissions.html

1st Jun Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Paths to Healing. PAYING http://parabola.org/submissions/

1st Jun Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Memory and Place. https://youareheregeography.com/call-for-2016-submissions/

1st Jun ‘We are looking for literary work informed by lived experience with mental illness/mental health challenges. Specifically, work written by people who self-identify as psychiatric survivors, consumer-survivors, mental health patients, mental health advocates/allies, neuroatypical, neurodivergent, the mad, the proud, the ill, the otherly abled. Although this is the Mad Pride issue, Matrix welcomes work from those who do not identity with the label ‘mad’ or feel connected to the movement in any way.’ http://www.matrixmagazine.org/#!madcall/po1tx

1st Jun Poetry and more on the theme of Hestia. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://neosalexandria.org/bibliotheca-alexandrina/calls-for-submissions/first-and-last-a-devotional-for-hestia/

1st Jun ‘The Broken City is currently accepting submissions for its summer 2016 edition: Breakfast Clubbed. No, it’s not another food issue; the magazine is running a school-themed edition. We’re looking for work that involves school at any level, from kindergarten to college, but we’re most interested in submissions about high school.’ Poetry, fiction and more. http://www.thebrokencitymag.com/submissions.html

1st Jun Poetry and more on the theme of Ares and Mars. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://neosalexandria.org/bibliotheca-alexandrina/calls-for-submissions/untitled-devotional-for-ares-and-mars/

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 seek to publish writing about personal experience. True stories of personal growth, lessons learned, life-changing events, and milestones. Work that is informal, exploratory, reflective, and insightful. The Chaos is accepting submissions of short personal essays, 250-2500 words, from new, emerging, and established writers.’ http://thechaos.life/

Poetry, flash, short fiction and more on the theme of Music. PAYING http://opossumlit.com/submissions/

Fiction based in northern England. http://tynetales.weebly.com/submit.html

We accept submissions of all forms of visual art, poetry, short fiction, essays, creative non-fiction, music, spoken word, artisan crafts, etc. http://thepapermachine.com/submissions/

Writing by those aged 13-19. http://sugarrascals.wix.com/home#!submission-guidelines/mnn6r

Poetry and prose PAYING https://blotteratureliterarymagazine.submittable.com/submit/55953

Poetry, flash fiction and more. http://eternalremedy.com/submissions/

Seek original and well written, mystery, crime, and horror fiction.  Also seek romantic , and erotic short stories. Will purchase poetry with mystery or erotic theme. PAYING https://aegispublishinghousecom.wordpress.com/writers-guidelines/

Poetry and fiction. http://www.poetscountry.com/submit/

Open until filled: Sinister Saints – Aftermath.  ‘I’m looking for stories that address the typical themes of YA fiction, but with distinctive dark, edgy or fantastical slants – so dark fairy tales, bizarre fiction, horror, surrealism, fantasy, and dark science-fiction are all cool here. Word count limit 5,000.’ ROYALTIES https://horrifiedpress.wordpress.com/open-for-submissions/

‘The Rising Phoenix Review is a monthly online zine dedicated to publishing poetry focused on the working class and other marginalized groups. We believe in the transformative power of poetry, and our mission is to publish writing that actively engages the social issues of our time.’ https://therisingphoenixreview.wordpress.com/submissions/

Poetry and fiction retelling fairytales and myths. PAYING http://www.manawaker.com/starward-submissions/

Poetry and fiction. http://boomerlitmag.com/

‘Anti-Heroin Chic is not really about cool, it’s about the margin-of-error of cool.  As Janis Ian says “If we were inside there, where the light is warm and everybody is laughing and dancing, we wouldn’t be able to see it. We have to be outside in order to see it. That’s what being an artist is.” And that is what Anti-Heroin Chic is about. What we observe through the window.’ Poems, stories and more. http://heroinchic.weebly.com/about.html

Poems. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.redflagpoetry.com/submit.html

UK only: poetry. https://inbetweenhangovers.wordpress.com/

Poetry, flash and short fiction. http://www.platformforprose.com/#!submissions/c1s0c

SF and F of various lengths. ROYALTIES https://kristellink.submittable.com/submit

Superhero stories. PAYING https://crossedlinespublishing.wordpress.com/2015/12/16/open-call-for-super-hero-stories/

Poetry, fiction and more. http://www.elkejournal.com/submit/

‘Funky gritty, ghastly clunky work (including prose, poetry, micro-fiction, nonfiction essay, photography, print, painting, etc.). If you’d like us to shock you: send submissions with a cover letter requesting edits on your work. we provide creative, grammatical, syntactical, and contextual advice. for free, for you.’ http://catprey.tumblr.com/catpreysubmit

‘Little has been written about the process of writing about animals—from crafting point of view to voice. Writers who hope to raise awareness face many questions and choices in their work, from how to educate without being didactic to how to develop animals as characters for an audience that still views them as ingredients. We hope to address these issues and more with a new collection of essays, by writers and for writers—but most of all, for the animals.’ PAYING http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=ec383fc399300519aa5ae5dfd&id=757b5b2fa3&e=ff93e24afe

(with thanks to http://www.erikadreifus.com/ for this one)

Cyberpunk 2000-8000 words. PAYING https://l0wl1f3.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines/

‘Eastern Structures No. 2 is slated for an Autumn 2016 publication, and submissions of dynamically correct ghazals, sijo, haiku, tanka, renga and other Japanese forms are certainly welcome for consideration.’ https://sites.google.com/site/nocturnalirispublications/eastern-structures

‘Bad Apple invites you to pluck the forbidden fruit off its twisted branch and sink your teeth in deep.  Give us the core of your heart and reveal the worm eating through the centre of your being.  Give us your strange and unwanted, your rebellious and unsettling, your dark and compelling.  We seek stories aimed at the upper YA audience (16+) and the recently coined New Adult (NA) audience.’ PAYING http://www.badapplezine.com/submit/

Poetry, short fiction and more. http://www.thecharlescarter.com/how-to-submit/

Flash and short fiction. ROYALTIES http://www.centumpublishing.com/#!submissions/dyg5f

One-liners, limericks, funny character sketches, and more. http://www.decasp.com/submissions.html

SF, F and H fiction of all lengths. ROYALTIES http://www.phase5publishing.com/guidelines

Speculative poetry and fiction. PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS http://mithilareview.com/submission-guidelines/

Children’s fiction and nonfiction relating to the Jewish experience. http://hachai.com/newsite2012/guidlines/

GLBT fiction. ROYALTIES, PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/submission-guidelines-fiction/

‘We seek poetry, prose, and art that inhabits the entangled spaces of dark and light, and the tension that manifests in those spaces. We want to promote difficult subject matter. There is beauty and rage in darkness, in decay, mental illness, loss, violence, death. Through the written word we explore the difficulties in life, but we also celebrate its rhythms and vibrance.’ http://www.theamaranthreview.com/submissions/

Poetry, fiction and more. http://www.thetribejournal.com/p/submit.html

‘We’re looking for previously unpublished short stories, comics, and non-fiction. We lean toward the speculative, but some of our favorite writers and artists tell realistic stories grounded in strange, fantastical, or science-fictional sensibilities. We read submissions on a rolling basis, and we strongly encourage work from women, people of color, and LGBTQ authors and artists.’ PAYING http://middle-planet.com/submit/

Mystery, romance, detective, suspense and thriller novels. ROYALTIES http://www.joffebooks.com/submissions/

‘Through our authors and books, we aim to represent the cultural and ethnic diversity and heritage that can be found in London, with a particular interest in works related to Africa, the Caribbean, and the experiences of those peoples in the Diaspora. We also seek provocative, inspirational writing that shines a light on issues affecting ethnic minorities, women, and young people, and tackles contemporary social issues.’ http://www.jacarandabooksartmusic.co.uk/contact/

Original, unpublished novels, possessing unique insights on compelling themes, for young adult, new adult, or adult audiences, in one of the following genres: science fiction, fantasy, literary, historical, mystery, or humor (Cathy’s note: this list was in bullet points, but I have an allergy to bullet points. So It’s my fault, not theirs, if it looks clunky). ROYALTIES http://www.harkenmedia.com/p/submissions.html

‘We want science fiction stories between 3,000 and 10,000 words that look at the effects of global climate change (preferably the extreme effects) on humanity and the other creatures of Earth.  We’re not looking for stories about the change, but rather the effects of the change.  Although we’d love to have a lot of stories that look at the hard science of climate change, we also want stories that look at the soft sciences.  It’s important that the stories focus on the people, rather than the science, but we still want the science to be plausible. We’ve decided that we will be accepting four, and only four, poems for this collection.’ PAYING http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/ecotastropheii.htm

Poetry, fiction and more. http://kairoslit.tumblr.com/submissions-about

‘Disharmony of the Spheres will be a science fiction anthology in which the main character must be battling some type of mental illness.  While we will consider stories where the character is dealing with an illness like schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder, what we really want to see is characters that are battling an illness like depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, PTSD, etc.  This is meant to be an uplifting collection of stories, so the characters must overcome their illness to defeat whatever they’re up against.  They don’t necessarily have to overcome their illness completely, but they must show that even when suffering from a mental illness, a person can still achieve great things. We want stories that are 2,000 words or longer.’ PAYING http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/disharmony.htm

Crime stories. PAYING http://www.thedarkcitymysterymagazine.com/submissions.html

Poetry, fiction and more. http://chantwoodmagazine.com/submissions/

Flash fiction. https://theairgonautblog.wordpress.com/submissions/

Fantasy poetry and fiction. https://aetherandichor.wordpress.com/submissions/

Poetry and more at the intersection of religion and pop culture. http://nomosjournal.org/submission-guidelines/

Comps and calls for April 2016

Many thanks to those of you who sent me best wishes for my replacement shoulder op and recovery. Isn’t it amazing what’s possible these days? I’m doing fine, though it’s hard to type! With that in mind – apologies for any errors. Usually I’m grateful when you let me know, but there’s nothing I can do this month. Thanks.

In other good news, Comps and Calls has made it into the 120 most helpful sites for writers in 2016 list. I’m alongside some very well-known sites indeed, and thanks again to those of you who praise and support this little site.

Thanks too for tales of your many successes!

Best wishes, and good luck with publications and comps this month,

Cathy x


Here are April 2016’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. December is the best time by far to submit and enter. There are loads of opportunities, and many people are too busy to take advantage of them. Please try to find the time if you can!

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

1st Apr Write a poem using only one letter, then 10,000 words explaining the poem. Send it to a relative you don’t get on with and ask for their opinion. http://hoaxes.org/aprilfool

6th Apr ‘You are invited to submit an extract from a review of a well-known work of literature that has been written by a comically inappropriate reviewer. Please email entries of up to 150 words to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 6 April.’ PAYING

11th Apr UK only: ‘Awarded by our Council, the Brookleaze Grants support writers (novelists, playwrights, poets, short story writers) who need time away from their normal lives – to take sabbaticals from their jobs, for example, or to travel abroad for research – to write.’ PAYING http://rsliterature.org/award/the-rsl-brookleaze-grants/

15th Apr Poem. PAYING http://library.loudoun.gov/News-Events/Rhyme-On/Submission-Requirements

15th Apr Story up to 3000 words. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.limnisa.com/#!rules-2016-competition/quy7w

15th Apr Story up to 500 words, including the words ‘happiness’, ‘mug’ and ‘converter’. PAYING http://www.mashstories.com/competition/

15th Apr ‘Welcome to the Guardian and 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize, a new competition open to black, Asian, minority ethnic writers living in the UK and Ireland who are 18 and above. We want to read your story, whatever it may be.’ PAYING http://www.4thestate.co.uk/b4me/

15th Apr Poetry and prose by undergraduates on the theme of Breaking Bread. PAYING http://wholeterrain.com/call/new-terrain-award/

22nd Apr ‘Sapiens Plurum’s latest literary challenge is to  personalize the consequences of climate change so readers feel as well as know them. But stories must offer hope, at least a possibility, for without hope people rarely act. Your job, as author, is to inspire scientists and states-persons around the world to live up to the promise of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.’ 1500-3000 words. PAYING http://www.sapiensplurum.org/fiction-contests.html

22nd Apr a ten minute play on a theme Inspired by the life, lyrics and/or legend of David Bowie. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.chesiltheatre.org.uk/index.html#10x10info

29th Apr ‘‘Poetry Together’ is a brand new cross-generational competition that invites children and young people to pair up with a parent, grandparent, carer, older sibling or friend, to share their ideas and create brand new poetry. The aim of the competition is to bring people together creatively, while also raising awareness of the great work that the British Red Cross do to help tackle loneliness so that they can help the most vulnerable people.’ NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.mcbf.org.uk/get-involved/poetry-together

30th Apr Up to three poems. PAYING http://waxpoetryart.com/contests/poetry.html

30th Apr Fiction and creative nonfiction by college students anywhere in the world. PAYING  http://www.rustyscythe.com/the-scythe-prize.html (With thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

30th Apr UK under 16s only: come up with a description of your Otherhalf. NON-CASH PRIZE http://worldofhamish.com/win/

30th Apr SF or F short story by an unpublished writer (they have specific criteria for this, so do check uless you’ve had loads of publications). PAYING http://www.metamorphoselit.com/p/metamorphose-novella-contest-we-are.html

30th Apr Play up to 45 mins. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.soundwork-uk.co.uk/competitions

30th Apr A monthly competition. You have to write up to 2000 words inspired by the prompt. VOUCHER/OTHER https://greywolfepublishing.submittable.com/submit

1st May Working or aspiring journalists under the age of 27 should submit a detailed proposal for a 5,000-word piece on an aspect of British politics and government. PAYING http://anthonyhowardaward.org.uk/

 

SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES

2nd Apr ‘King Arthur is dead. Camelot has fallen. Britain drowns in Saxons.

These are the stories of what come after. After Avalon is seeking stories based on the premise, “What happened to these people and relics after Camelot fell?” ‘ ROYALTIES http://18thwall.com/submissions/

2nd Apr Short story 2000-20,000 words on the theme of Road Story. http://kystory.net/2015/09/15/road-story/

3rd Apr Story 800-2000 words on the theme of Stage & Screen. http://www.liarsleague.com/liars_league/forthcoming-events-themes.html

4th Apr Comedy script of at least 30 mins. http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities/script-room

4th Apr ‘Looking for imagination, empathy, and 50 necessary words. Send up to five (in one file), 50-word pieces that include either a character or form that is part one thing, part another, or that starts in one emotional or physical place and lands somewhere else.The story may be told in poetry or prose (or combo), partly in words/partly in pictures, or in different sizes of type or varied line spacings. But only 50 words.’ SOME CONTRIBUTORS GET CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://star82review.submittable.com/submit

5th April Writing on the theme of Tempest: Life Upturned. POSSIBLY PAYING https://fs22.formsite.com/mindkey/form4/index.html

5th Apr Popetry, fiction and more on the theme of Home. http://sunstruckmag.com/submissions/

5th Apr poetry, preferably not free verse, on the theme of Beltane. http://www.quarterday.org/#!submission-guidance/vaqgp

5th Apr Poetry. PAYING (Cathy’s note: they don’t list payment details, but Duotrope has them listed as paying semi-pro rates for poetry.) https://shenandoah.submittable.com/submit

8th Apr ‘Labyrinths of thorns and wires. Castles in the sky, held there with jet thrusters. Anything is possible with a magic spell—or with alien technology. Submissions are now open for an anthology that explores the fantastic realms of fairy tales through the lens of science fiction. We welcome fairy tales, fables and myths from around the world, and are looking for new twists and fresh perspectives with a modern, diverse audience in mind.’ ROYALTIES http://www.lyssachiavari.com/books/cs-anthology/

8th Apr ‘We want stories featuring outdoor escapades that didn’t quite go as planned. Whether tales of camping chaos, fishing fiascos, rough road trips, Sasquatch sightings, or wacko wildlife, send us your spin on what can go out of control in the great outdoors.’ PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS http://splicketypubgroup.com/submission-guidelines/upcoming-themes/

10th Apr Chapbooks and book-length MSS of prose or poetry. http://www.astrophilpress.com/submissionguidelines-bedford

11th Apr ‘Many picture books for children have, at their heart, a story narrated in the form of a short rhyming text. Send us your rhyming texts of up to 200 words, that tell a story to read aloud to a small child.’ Women only. PAYING https://mslexia.co.uk/submitpoetry/

11th Apr ‘Confession – A memoir piece about something you were (or are now, in retrospect) ashamed of (up to 300 words).’ Women only. https://mslexia.co.uk/fiction/

13th Apr Flash, short fiction and more on the theme of Sweden. https://litro.submittable.com/submit/53634

15th Apr ‘The OS PRESS seeks intermedia explorations around the role of the body — particularly the challenged body — in creative life, for a collected volume to be published in late 2016 / early 2017.’ https://theoperatingsystem.submittable.com/submit

15th Apr ‘How are prayers of petition a means of finding meaning, discerning call or vocation—in any life stage or circumstance, even those that are painful or limited? How can petition become an ongoing conversation with God, a relationship with the Divine, beyond a list of requests and concerns or a litany of difficulties?’ Poetry, fiction and more.  PAYING http://weavings.upperroom.org/weavings-themes/

15th Apr ‘|tap| magazine especially aims to publish poetry and prose on trauma, mental health, mourning, social justice, and by marginalized voices. We are looking for work that is vulnerable, work that is evocative, and work with risk and emotion.’ PAYING http://www.taplitmag.com/#!submissions/c1r52

15th Apr Feminist/political writing on the theme of At Sea. http://www.feministpress.org/wsq/current-call-papers

15th Apr Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Celebration. http://www.ravenchronicles.org/submit/

15th Apr ‘Ninth Letter will be accepting submissions of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry from immigrant writers for a special online edition to be published at ninthletter.com in Summer 2016. Submissions will be open from January 27 to April 15. We’re defining immigrant writers as those who consider themselves to be 1st, 1.5, or 2nd generation immigrants to their current country of residence. Submissions are not required to focus on the “immigrant experience”; for this issue we welcome work on any and all topics. Authors whose work is selected for this special feature will receive a complimentary 2-year subscription to Ninth Letter.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.ninthletter.com/web-edition/web-edition-submission-guidelines

15th Apr ‘The middle years of life are ones of tremendous joy and unchartered challenges. Sandwiched: Voices from the Middle (working title) – co-edited by Christine Organ and Julie Jo Severson – is a forthcoming anthology that will give voice to the various perspectives of those who are living in the full middle years of life.’ 1000-3500 words. PAYING http://carvingsonadesk.com/call-for-submissions/

18th Apr ‘I’m looking for essays and short stories that will make readers bust out laughing. The kind you shouldn’t read next to a sleeping partner or slumbering pet. No need to scare them awake with a bark of laughter or a case of the giggles. And yes folks, grown women get the giggles too.’ PAYING http://www.thelizmcmullenshow.com/lol-deadline-extension/

18th Apr ‘Show us symbiosis: two characters that can’t live without each other, or someone perfectly adapted to their microcosm. Working in sync to create a better life.

The story must be speculative fiction, it must be 1,000 words to 5,000, it must comply with currently posted SQ Mag guidelines, formatting or otherwise.’ PAYING http://sqmag.com/submissions/

20th Apr ‘A Two Dame Production is now accepting submissions for its Summer 2016 anthology. The theme of the anthology is Fairy Tales, so send us your best rendering of your favorite fairy tale! Stretch your boundaries and do more than just add sex to a fairy tale.’ PAYING http://www.two-dames.com/subsummer/

20th Apr Poetry and fiction. PAYING http://www.artificium.co.uk/#!the-journal—submissions-policy/m844b

22nd Apr Poetry, prose and more on the theme of Rebirth. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://nodmagazine.wordpress.com/submissions/

22nd Apr Stories of around 200 words on the theme of Mother’s Day. PAYING http://ironsoap.com/200-ccs/submissions/

24th Apr Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Technology. PAYING http://shooterlitmag.com/submissions/

25th Apr ‘It’s summer. A time to flower, travel, be carefree, and love. In this spirit, we are holding open submissions for June’s issue. Send us your best work on any subject.’ https://litro.submittable.com/submit/53636

28th Apr Flash and short fiction. The writer MUST be available to come and read their work on the night in Brunswick, Hove on 26th May. http://www.rattletales.org/perform/

28th Apr ‘We are looking for stories about characters who are thrown into or stuck between different cultures, communities, families, races, genders, self-images, dimensions, continents, etc. We want the gray area—the uncomfortable, the undefined. Give us characters in the middle of it all: middle children, mediators, people in the middle of their lives, in the middle of a mess—“in-between.”’ Up to 2000 words. PAYING http://www.writespacehouston.org/anthologies.html

29th Apr ‘Deranged needs poetry about breaking rules, gender nonconformity, and/or women (cis or trans, we don’t care) in the arts who have done those things down the centuries.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://pankhearst.wordpress.com/deranged/

30th Apr ‘Internationally renowned and award winning poet, Nii Ayikwei Parkes is editing a new collection of contemporary Black British poetry. The theme for this exciting new anthology is ‘Filigree’.’ https://inscribewriters.wordpress.com/2015/09/25/call-for-submissions-filigree-a-new-anthology-of-contemporary-black-british-poetry/

30th Apr Lyric or hybrid/experimental essays. Must be family-friendly. PAYING https://easterniowareview.submittable.com/submit

30th Apr Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Nancy Drew.  CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://silverbirchpress.wordpress.com/2016/01/02/call-for-writing-art-and-photography-submissions-nancy-drew-anthology/

30th Apr ‘Write a ghost story in 300 words or less.  Stories should take place between 1880-1900 AD and can be set in any location.’ http://steampunktrails.blogspot.co.uk/p/300-word-story-submissions_31.html

30th Apr ‘Graythorn Publishing is open for submissions of science fiction short stories for the DARK CLOUDS anthology to be published in June 2016. Did you know that humans emit clouds of microbes? Over a million particles an hour. With that sort of chaos something is likely to go very, very wrong. Send us your completed short story of 3,000 to 10,000 words.’ PAYING http://graythorn.com/blogpub/2016/01/20/accepting-submissions-for-dark-clouds-anthology/

30th Apr ‘We are now collecting stories and poems for our next Holiday book that will be published in 2016. We are looking for stories about the entire December holiday season, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and even New Year’s festivities too.’ PAYING http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics

30th Apr ‘Summer’s End is an anthology of fantastical stories that will be about the end of ages, civilisations, golden times that decline inexorably or suddenly. Think the fall of the men of Numenor, the end of the first age of Yggdrasil, the sacking of Rome or the swallowing of Anhkor Watt by the forests as its people disappeared.’ PAYING https://alternativerealitiespublishing.wordpress.com/live-submissions/

30th Apr ‘Broken Bones & Ten Dollar Bills is an anthology of science fiction stories that explore our relationship with body altering technology, be that genetics or other techs. We want to see stories that explore our relationship with technology but also those people who traffic in these goods, those scientists who invent them and the corporations who profit from our awkwardness about being embodied.’ PAYING https://alternativerealitiespublishing.wordpress.com/live-submissions/

30th Apr Poetry and fiction on the theme of Cyclicity. http://www.youngravensliteraryreview.org/submission-guidelines.html

30th Apr Poetry, fiction and more by those aged 13-19. http://teenagewastelandreview.org/submission-guidlines/

30th Apr Poetry and short fiction. http://www.ninearchespress.com/magazine.html

30th Apr The brief is this: your piece must be on the subject of depression, mental illness, and/or suicide (survival or otherwise). Don’t worry about your piece being depressing/dark as fuck, we’re not looking to offer trite inspirational bollocks here. We’re quite simply looking for REAL. To help people living with mental illness know that they are not alone. To break down barriers and fuck taboos off for good. PAYING http://liberatetutemet.com/2016/02/22/open-call-for-subs-semi-colonic-irrigation-an-anthology/

30th Apr ‘Picaroon Poetry is a brand new, bi-monthly web journal for unthemed, eclectic poetry. I’m looking for rogue poets, if you will (and absolutely anyone can be a rogue poet, if they feel the urge, so yes poet – that means you).’ https://picaroonpoetry.wordpress.com/submissions/

30th Apr ‘Milton Keynes Council Music Faculty is looking for an urban lyricist to work with local composer Sarah Watts to create words to go alongside a musical created for performance by young people of Milton Keynes based on Milton Keynes’ 50th Birthday.’ PAYING http://www.londonplaywrightsblog.com/?p=5267

30th Apr Story 800-3000 words on the theme of Borders and Boundaries. http://www.liarsleaguenyc.com/submissions/

30th Apr Poetry on the theme of The Elements. http://www.allegropoetry.org/p/submit.html

30th Apr Poetry, fiction and more including the words Labyrinth, Trace and Reflex. http://3elementsreview.com/submission-guidelines

30th Apr Haunted House stories 2000-5000 words. PAYING https://mementomoripress.wordpress.com/2016/03/05/submission-call-haunted-house/

1st May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Identity. PAYING http://www.storymagazine.org/submit/

1st May Poetry, fiction and more. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES

https://prairieschooner.submittable.com/submit

1st May Fiction 300-5000 words, starting with the line: By the fifteenth month of the drought, the lake no longer held her secrets. PAYING http://www.thefirstline.com/submission.htm

1st May Poetry, fiction and more. PAYING  http://subterrain.ca/about/35/sub-terrain-writer-s-guidelines

1st May Poems inspired by the photographs of Beth Moon. http://www.robbinester-poet-and-writer.com/#!news-and-events/c1pz

1st May Gay male erotica set during the Victorian/Edwardian era. PAYING http://www.lethepressbooks.com/call-for-submissions.html

1st May ‘In this SF/F anthology, we’re looking for stories of everyday trauma survival — from a barmaid on an intergalactic space station who was abandoned by her parents, to a farmer’s son bullied by his peers, who withstands and resists their abuse. We also welcome stories with a war setting, such as stories about veterans and refugees. The key component for all of these stories is how relatively ordinary characters survive and thrive, given the traumatic experiences they’ve had. Note: we aren’t necessarily looking for happily ever after. Trauma survival rarely ends in happily ever after, though it can, and hopefully will, end in closure and a coming to terms.’ PAYING http://www.lethepressbooks.com/call-for-submissions.html

1st May Vampire erotica 2000-7000 words. PAYING http://bloodintherain.com/

1st May ‘It’s an old trope, the skeptic who moves into the haunted house only to eventually start to believe in the supernatural about the time a ghost tears his life apart. This is the story we are looking for but just because it is a trope doesn’t mean it cant be unique. It doesn’t have to be a haunted house,  there’s a whole world of cryptids out there just waiting to attack unsuspecting documentary teams in the woods. We are looking for stories that are Dark Comedy, not a parody or spoof. You must scare us & make us laugh, not one or the other.’ PAYING http://www.disquieteddreams.com/call-for-submissions.html

1st May Stories of ghosts on drugs. PAYING  http://www.ghostsondrugs.com/

1st May Poems, stories and more, suitable for Christian children, on the theme of Making our World Better. PAYING http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/submissions.html

1st May ‘Memoirs of the Feminine Divine: Voices of Power & Invisibility will be a print anthology featuring poetry and personal essays (including flash memoir pieces) by and about women. We are seeking narratives and poetry that explore the concept of “femaleness.” Works will be about the personal experiences of the authors.’ http://femininedivinebook.blogspot.co.uk/

1st May SF, F or H stories on the theme of Taboo. http://www.morpheustales.com/#!guidelines/c1c8k

1st May Poetry on the theme of Shadows and Light. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.slipstreampress.org/guide.html

1st May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Suspicion. http://www.halfwaydownthestairs.net/index.php?action=submissions

1st May Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Travel. http://thelostriverreview.com/?ckattempt=1#

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. https://randompoemtree.wordpress.com/about/

Poems, stories and essays. PAYING http://lascauxreview.com/submissions/

Poetry, fiction and more. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://southdakotareview.submittable.com/submit

‘Our goal is to find and deliver great science fiction stories that are entertaining, inspiring, and extremely well thought out.  Our stories tend to lean toward what is referred to as ‘hard’ science fiction, in the sense that we prefer stories that are self-consistent, scientifically plausible, and technically detailed when necessary.’ PAYING http://compellingsciencefiction.com/submit.html

‘By publishing serious works that contribute to a global understanding of human affairs from a range of Christian perspectives, Saint Katherine College Press participates in the discovery and dissemination of Inquiry Seeking Wisdom, which is a central purpose of Saint Katherine College.’ Poetry, fiction and complete MSS. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.stkath.org/#!press-and-review/c1c4b

Open until filled: ‘With this anthology, we want to focus on you the writer. Challenge your creativity and take risks with the subject matter and style. We are not looking for a specific genre, just a unique character driven story. A story that defines the writer as a Renegade of Prose.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY+ ROYALTIES http://www.ftbpress.com/fiction-1.html

‘Green Bottle Press is looking for work by poets who write in English and who have not yet published a pamphlet or full collection, though we will consider new work by more established poets.’ http://greenbottlepress.com/submission-guidelines/

‘Still Point Arts Quarterly is a truly beautiful publication with a clear focus on art, artists, and artistry. Within this focus, the Quarterly addresses topics such as inspiration, imagination, and creativity as well as offering articles on art history, artist biographies, and art criticism. Both non-fiction and fiction are published (up to approximately 5000 words), and poetry is published on occasion.’ PAYING http://www.stillpointartgallery.com/uploads/files/writingsubmissions.html

‘Submissions for Tears in the Fence Issue 64 are now being accepted for publication in autumn 2016. We invite submissions of poetry, prose poems, essays, translations, interviews and reviews. We do not accept simultaneous submissions or previously published material. There is no set theme. However, we are looking for the unusual, perceptive, risk-taking as well as the imagistic, lived and visionary. As we are fully stocked with fiction, we will not be reading new fiction submissions for a few months.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://tearsinthefence.com/how-to-submit/

Poetry, fiction and more. http://bodyliterature.com/submissions/

Flash fiction. https://noextrawords.wordpress.com/submit-your-story/

Sword and planet and heroic fantasy fiction. PAYING https://cirsova.wordpress.com/cirsova-magazine/submission-guidelines/

Speculative poetry, fiction and more. https://theridinglightreview.submittable.com/submit/48943

Very short poetry and fiction. http://www.righthandpointing.net/#!brief-guidelines/c6hs

‘WORDPEACE is a new quarterly online journal of literary response to world events in the spirit of promoting peace and hope for all people. We are looking for previously unpublished articles, interviews, fiction and poetry (or mixed media) to publish which reflect this aim. We want work that asks for positive change and is forward thinking. We publish writing that takes a stand against corruption and greed, brutality, genocide, and oligarchy.’ http://wordpeace.co/about/

Writing on the theme of Place. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://thefracturednuance.weebly.com/submit.html

Poetry. http://www.chantarellesnotebook.com/subs.html

Comps and calls for March 2016

There’s a bumper crop of opportunities this March – including several for the playwrights out there, as well as the usual poetry and fiction stuff. Make sure to enter and submit to loads this month – I’m having my shoulder replaced shortly, so April’s listings will be rather slender. My arm will be in a sling for six weeks, so computer use will be limited!

Here are March 2016’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. December is the best time by far to submit and enter. There are loads of opportunities, and many people are too busy to take advantage of them. Please try to find the time if you can!

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

‘We will post a ‘prompt’ image the first Friday of every month at 13:00 (GMT) on Twitter. You will have until 13:00 (GMT) on the last day of that month to send us a 300 word story based on that image. Please ensure you follow the guidelines for submission.’ PAYING https://horrorscribes.wordpress.com/weekly-competition-3/

2nd Mar ‘To mark the tercentenary of Thomas Gray’s birth, you are invited to submit an ‘Elegy on a Country Churchyard’ in the metre of his famous poem. Please email entries of up to 16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 2 March.’ PAYING

4th Mar ‘One or more character(s) have to deal with some kind of significant change. It can be any kind of change you like, and on any scale, from a change affecting only one person (or one place, or one thing) to something affecting everyone/everything everywhere, or anything between those extremes. Your challenge: Write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long that clearly uses the contest premise.’ PAYING http://onthepremises.com/current-contest/

4th Mar Story by writers in grades 6-12. PAYING  http://www.aadl.org/events/itsallwrite

6th Mar Nonfiction feature essay 750-2000 words on the theme of short stories. PAYING http://blogs.chi.ac.uk/shortstoryforum/features-competition/

6th Mar Story up to 2500 words on the theme of Food and Drink. PAYING http://www.oxford-hotels-restaurants.co.uk/the-mogford-literary-prize/

6th Mar UK only: To be in with a chance of winning, submit your tips, in 50 words or less, to the question: “How do you find time for yourself when you’re travelling abroad with work?” NON-CASH PRIZE

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/business/working-overseas/12129503/win-a-business-travel-package.html?

7th Mar SF story up to 200 words on the theme of Change. PAYING http://aescifi.ca/index.php/non-fiction/39-contests/3303-announcing-ae-micro-7

9th Mar ‘Salvador Dalí had a pet ocelot, Gérard de Nerval walked out with a lobster. You are invited to supply a poem about a famous person and an unlikely pet. Please email entries of up to 16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 9 March.’ PAYING

10th Mar Poems about Nantucket. PAYING http://nantucketdirectory.com/poetry/index.php

11th March Story up to 8000 words by those with a record of published creative writing in the UK (Cathy’s note: this has a BIG prize, so do have a go if you’re eligible). PAYING http://www.booktrust.org.uk/prizes/1

13th Mar Poem on the theme of Mussels. PAYING http://www.connemaramusselfestival.com/2015/poetry-competition.html (Many thanks to the fabulous poet Fiona Pitt-Kethley for this link.)

14th March Play suitable for 8-25 actors aged 7-16. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.moonlitwings.org/#!script-contest/sh7cg

15th March Speculative fiction novel based on the provided article. PAYING http://www.realmwalkerpublishinggroup.com/the-1st-annual-write-this-speculative-fiction-novel-contest/

15th Mar Story 500-750 words on the theme of The Future. PAYING https://brilliantflashfictionmag.wordpress.com/2016/01/27/springtime-fiction-writing-contest/#more-1138

15th Mar ‘From December 1 to March 15 each year, The Binnacle will accept submissions for its Annual International Ultra-Short Competition (the Fall edition). All submissions are to be no longer than 150 words (not including the title). Poetry entries should be no longer than sixteen lines. All works should have a narrative element. A minimum total of $300 in prizes will be awarded each year. Winners and honorees will be notified early in June.’ PAYING http://machias.edu/submission-guidelines.html

18th Mar ‘Entries are invited that are inspired by the geological and landscape writings of Hugh Miller, Scotland’s celebrated self-taught geologist. As a poet and prolific writer, the wealth of potential inspiration that Miller provides in his work is worthy of widespread public engagement. We hope that this writing competition, open to all ages, will encourage both a renewed interest in Miller’s work, a catalogue of new writings inspired by one of Scotland’s greatest nature writers and greater awareness and appreciation of Scotland’s geodiversity.’ PRIZE UNKNOWN AT TIME OF WRITING http://www.scottishgeology.com/hughmiller/

18th Mar Poem by UK poets aged 18-30. PAYING http://www.girton.cam.ac.uk/jane-martin-poetry-prize

19th Mar Stories 500-1500 words by those with a Gloucestershire or South Gloucestershire connection. The prize is to read your work at a special event. http://stroudshortstories.blogspot.co.uk/p/rules.html

20th Mar UK children aged 10-14: write a review of the best book you read in 2015. http://caboodle.nationalbooktokens.com/Junior-judges-needed#

21st Mar Traditional sonnet. PAYING http://www.theamericanaesthetic.org/sonnet-competionprize.html

25th Mar Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Social Justice. PAYING https://hotmetalbridge.submittable.com/submit

31st Mar Flash fiction up to 500 words. VOUCHER/OTHER http://www.fla-keys.com/flashfiction/

31st Mar Poem up to 30 lines (Cathy’s note: the poem needs to be in the form of a pdf rather than a doc. You can convert to a pdf really easily here:https://online2pdf.com/). PAYING http://americamagazine.org/foley-poetry

31st Mar ‘You wake up one morning and find yourself inside a Looney Tunes cartoon with a burning desire to hunt down a certain Bugs Bunny, no matter the cost. What happens next?’ Up to 2000 words. VOUCHER/OTHER http://greywolfepublishing.com/2016%20Monthly%20Contests.html

31st Mar UK only: fiction 1500-2500 words on the theme of New Beginnings. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.mjmeads.com/p/short.html

31st Mar Ekphrastic poems inspired by the provided image. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.spankthecarp.com/contest_2016.html

31st Mar Unproduced script of at least 80 mins length. PAYING http://papatango.co.uk/the-2016-prize/

31st Mar Full-length plays. NON-CASH PRIZE http://www.londonplaywrightsblog.com/?p=4974

31st Mar Essays on the provided themes. PAYING http://hekint.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1956:fourth-hektoen-grand-prix-essay-competition&catid=2:uncategorised&Itemid=716

31st Mar ‘We’re setting up a writing competition: the Timothy Garton Ash prize for European writing. It will go to the best original essay from any country in Europe, which will be published both in the magazine and online.’ http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/02/introducing-the-timothy-garton-ash-prize-for-european-writing/

31st Mar USA only: Fiction up to 1000 words on the theme of Earth. PAYING http://whidbeystudents.com/penn-cove-award/

31st Mar Short story up to 5000 words. PAYING http://www.tayenlane.com/submission-call/

31st Mar SF story up to 7000 words. PAYING  http://www.tayenlane.com/submission-call/

31st Mar UK and US only: Thriller MS. PAYING https://www.authors.me/contests/thriller/

31st Mar Story up to 10,000 words. PAYING http://www.bestnewwriting.com/Gover-Story-Prize.html

31st Mar ‘The SLF $500 Older Writers Grant is awarded annually to a writer who is fifty years of age or older at the time of grant application, and is intended to assist such writers who are just starting to work at a professional level. We are currently offering two $500 grants annually, to be used as each writer determines will best assist his or her work. PLEASE NOTE: This grant, as with all SLF grants, is intended to help writers working with speculative literature.’ PAYING http://speculativeliterature.org/grants/slf-older-writers-grant/

1st Apr Funny poems. PAYING https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free

1st Apr ‘ Now in its second year, the Prize annually honors literary nonfiction that illustrates artistic excellence, sensitivity to place, and desert literacy – with the desert as both subject and setting. Inspired by author and poet Ellen Waterston’s love of the high desert of Central Oregon, a region that has been her muse for more than 30 years, the Prize recognizes the vital role deserts play worldwide in the ecosystem and human narrative. Emerging, mid-career and established nonfiction writers are invited to apply.’ PAYING http://www.writingranch.com/waterston-prize-for-desert-writers/

1st Apr Poetry and short fiction on the theme of Dreams. PAYING https://bopdeadcity.com/contests/

1st Apr Fellowship to stay in the childhood home of Carson McCullers, with a cash payment to cover costs. PAYING http://www.mccullerscenter.org/fellowships.php

SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES

2nd Mar ‘Cut Throat Theatre Company are looking for a script to perform at this year’s Camden Fringe Festival. They are looking for a piece with a running time of 60 minutes with up to five characters (not gender specific). If this sounds like something you are interested in, please send over a synopsis of your piece and character breakdowns to cutthroattc@hotmail.com.’

4th Mar ‘What is the role of confession in repentance? How do we recognize and acknowledge what needs healing in ourselves? Our separation from God—sin—causes suffering for ourselves and others. How do we take confession beyond the generic to the personally significant and still understand ourselves to be beloved children of God?’ Poetry, fiction and more. PAYING http://weavings.upperroom.org/weavings-themes/

6th Mar ‘Hundreds & Thousands … It’s both our ninth birthday and our one hundredth event, so as a special one-off we’re seeking Drabbles (100 word stories) and flash fiction of no more than 1000 words ONLY. We’d love it if you could work a numbers, birthdays or anniversaries theme in there too … http://www.liarsleague.com/liars_league/forthcoming-events-themes.html

10th Mar Poetry and fiction on the theme of Conflict. http://sunstruckmag.com/submissions/

11th Mar Stories of around 200 words on the theme of Good Friday/Easter. PAYING http://ironsoap.com/200-ccs/submissions/

14th Mar Funny sketches and one-liners based on the news. PAYING http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1hDdvFLfWClPHW7zT3sq01S/submit-a-sketch

15th Mar Positive writing and more on the theme of Radiant. CONTRIBUTOR COPY http://www.thephoenixsoul.com/submit/

15th Mar Writing by those who have a chronic illness. http://chronicillnesstruths.tumblr.com/post/88409080074/callforwriting

15th Mar Speculative poetry that explores the idea of Family. PAYING http://www.eyetothetelescope.com/submit.html

15th Mar Poetry or very short prose on the theme of Learning to Drive. https://silverbirchpress.wordpress.com/2016/01/31/call-for-submissions-learning-to-drive-poetry-prose-series/

15th March Poetry and prose on the theme of Reimagining Everything Differently::Harambee. http://aboutplacejournal.org/submissions/

15th Mar 50-word fiction on the theme of Mystery Train. CONTRIBUTOR COPY http://www.blink-ink.org/submissions/

15th Mar Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Mother Earth. http://whirlwindmagazine.org/submission-info/

15th Mar Speculative fiction 1500-3000 words. ‘”Hyperpowers”- Space opera and military fiction. Plato invented naval superpower Atlantis. Iain M. Banks imagined a future dominant galactic civilization in his Culture series. With all of space and time to
choose from, this is your chance to show us your world-building chops. Likable characters optional.’ PAYING http://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/pages/submissions

15th May Fiction on the theme of Winged Things. http://kaaterskillbasinjournal.com/submission-guidelines/

15th Mar Poetry about longing by UK Poets (Cathy’s note: the theme is given as UK poets, but whether you’re supposed to write about a UK poet or whether they’re only accepting UK poets for this issue, I have no idea). http://melancholyhyperbole.com/guidelines/

15th Mar Flash and short fiction. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://brevenewstories.com/submissions/

18th Mar Magical realist stories. PAYING http://syntaxandsalt.com/submit/

19th Mar ‘For this issue of cahoodaloodaling, we want you to send us your art and writing about everything you can’t say at a cocktail party. Send us your letters, your poems, your paintings, your drawings, your collages and essays. Send us your hearts. Send us what you’ve never been able to speak about, the things that wound you and threaten to bring you under.’  http://cahoodaloodaling.com/about/

20th Mar Poetry on the theme of Trails. http://theplumtreetavern.blogspot.co.uk/

20th Mar ‘SUBMISSIONS ARE CURRENTLY OPEN UNTIL MARCH 20 FOR THE SPRING ISSUE: Comic Books. All submissions for the spring issue should be about comic books, manga, graphic novels or comic strips. Send experimental/innovative/slipstream poetry, belles lettres, microdramas, essays, fiction and hybrids to altpoetics@gmail.com along with a third person bio and short poetic/artistic statement about your approach to writing or about the character/event presented in your work.’ PAYING https://altpoetics.wordpress.com/submissions/

25th Mar Short fiction, poetry and more (Cathy’s note: different categories have different deadlines, so do check even if it’s later than this date). Also poetry and fiction on the theme of Shakespeare. https://shenandoah.submittable.com/submit

28th Mar Flash and short fiction on the theme of As inspired by, the gift of the Magi. PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS

http://infectiveink.com/guidelines.html

30th Mar Horror stories 4500-7500 words. PAYING http://www.independentlegions.com/submissions.html

30th Mar Fairy-tale-inspired poems and stories on the theme of Rain. PAYING http://www.fairytalemagazine.com/p/blog-page_22.html

30th Mar ‘We’ve all had that day when a spell went south, a glitch ate the code in your doomsday device, and negotiations broke down so  aliens are on the move eat your brains. Okay, maybe we haven’t all had that day. We want a story about what went wrong. Tell us about the best laid plans and what turned them on their ear. Make it dark or funny. Make it sci-fi or fantasy. Just make it something we haven’t seen before.’ 2000-8000 words. PAYING http://litselect.weebly.com/submissions.html

30th Mar ‘The Massachusetts Review is seeking submissions for a forthcoming special issue on Words and Music. The Massachusetts Review will publish a special issue that has music as its core: fiction, poetry, and nonfiction with music as focus, subject, or essence. We are espeically looking for creative work that includes, engages, and explores music in poetry and fiction.’ PAYING http://massreview.org/node/473

31st Mar ‘Upheaval. Unrest. Turmoil. Radicalism. These are the ideas that come to mind when we think of revolution. But buried within that word is another. Evolution. The slow, inexorable march of the old giving way to the new. The new, giving way to the newer. And the newer, perhaps forgetting its past, giving way to something come around again.’ Fiction 2000-12,000 words. PAYING http://www.mifiwriters.org/division-by-zero/revolution/

31st Mar Poetry and flash on the theme of Shattered. CONTRIBUTOR COPY http://www.kindofahurricanepress.com/p/anthology-shattered.html

31st Mar Speculative weird western stories. PAYING http://www.treelionpress.com/submissions-the-land-of-dust-and-bones.html

31st Mar ‘Submissions are sought for a revised and expanded paperback release of The King In Yellow anthology. We are seeking stories between 2000 and 7000 words related to the Yellow Mythos in some manner (all genres and interpretations will be considered). Reprints from before 2015 will be considered. Multiple submissions are accepted. If sending simultaneous submissions, please do let us know if it is accepted elsewhere.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY http://atlanteanpublishing.wikia.com/wiki/A_Terrible_Thing

31st Mar Two anthologies, one of short stories of various genres, one of SF. PAYING http://www.tayenlane.com/submission-call/

31st Mar ‘Send me your stories of those trying to use some kind of science, technology, magic powers, anything that allows them to solve mysteries surrounding supernatural occurrences. What is the final verdict? Truth? Hoax? Something in between—the claimant was experiencing something but it has an explanation? Or– often the scariest of all—the inconclusive result so common on ghost hunting showsYou decide. If there is ultimately an explanation, however, please provide suspense or scares along the way.’ 2000-5000 words. ROYALTIES https://horrifiedpress.wordpress.com/open-for-submissions/

31st Mar ‘We are looking for true, personal, written works that use untranslatable words as inspiration to illuminate both the unique and the universal in the human experience, despite the barriers of language. Works can span the blurry lines between personal essay, memoir and creative nonfiction with room for stylistic variety and innovation. We are not looking for poetry at this time.’ PAYING https://bridgecalledlanguage.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines/ (with thanks to http://www.erikadreifus.com/ for this one)

31st Mar ‘Many people who have ink want to talk about it, and that’s because every tattoo has a story. I’m looking for the steamy story that inspires the tattoo, the story of getting the tattoo, or characters who are tattooed. I want tattoos that are secret, or hold secrets, and those that are worn open and proud. I want couples’ tattoos, matching tattoos, and—what the heck?—why not a magical tattoo.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY+ ROYALTIES http://www.corividae.com/shiny/kinked/

31st Mar ‘Sometimes magic happens in your life. You have a dream that reveals a truth or a course of action to you. You have a premonition that changes your behavior and saves you or a loved one from disaster. You meet someone at just the right time and you can’t believe the coincidence. We’re collecting stories for a second book on this topic, following our bestseller Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams and Premonitions. Share your stories and poems about the amazing things that have happened in your own life.’ PAYING  http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics

31st Mar ‘We accept essays and fiction concerning disability by two groups: individuals with a disability and those who are part of the disability community, such as a family member, caregiver, special educator, etc.’ PAYING http://www.pentimentomag.org/writing-guidelines/

31st Mar Full-length play. http://www.londonplaywrightsblog.com/?p=4974

31st Mar Poetry, fiction and more. PAYING http://blog.yorksj.ac.uk/yorkliteraryreview/8-2/submissions/

31st Mar Poetry on the theme of Seasons. http://www.spillway.org/submit.html

31st Mar Story 100-5000 words on the theme of Lovers Lost. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.mpapublishing.co.za/submission-guidelines/leannan-issue-guidelines/

31st Mar Poetry, flash and short fiction on the theme of Funny Strange and Funny Ha-Ha. https://tigersharkpublishing.wordpress.com/home/guidelines/

31st Mar Poetry on the theme of Comedy. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://magmapoetry.com/contributions/

31st Mar ‘We are looking for stories 500-8000 words in length about supernatural entities who feel like outsiders. These stories will be published in our anthology, Fitting In: Historical Accounts of Paranormal Subcultures.’ PAYING http://madscientistjournal.org/submissions/

1st Apr Poetry, fiction, drama and more. http://www.doorisajarmagazine.com/submit/

1st Apr Writing and more by girls and women on the theme of Imagine that… http://newmoon.com/how-to-get-published-new-moon-girls/

1st Apr Poetry, flash, short fiction and more on the theme of A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle. PAYING https://nonbinaryreview.submittable.com/submit/46046

1st Apr ‘Apex Publications seeks submissions for Undead: A Poetry Anthology of Ghouls, Ghosts, and More. Editors Bianca Lynne Spriggs (Apex Magazine’s poetry editor) and Katerina Stoykova-Klemer welcome your specters, apparitions, zombies, wraiths, phantoms, thought forms and anything (or anyone) animate but no longer living.’ PAYING http://www.apexbookcompany.com/pages/apex-books-guidelines

1st Apr ‘Sundress Publications is seeking submissions for Curious Specimens, a Wunderkammer-themed e-anthology. We want your Wonder Room’s creepiest inhabitants—think the Mütter Museum, reanimated Fiji Mermaids, and all creatures caught between life and death. While we’d love to see your poetry and flash fiction, we also welcome ephemera. Send us excerpts from taxidermy pamphlets, specimen lists, and medical notes.’ http://www.sundresspublications.com/submissions.htm

1st Apr ‘We are looking for Steampunk featuring the supernatural (ghosts, shapeshifters, demons, etc.)—as well as a beautifully crafted, original story.’ 1500-6000 words. PAYING http://mochamemoirspress.com/about/

1st Apr Poetry, flash and short fiction on the theme of Finale (Cathy’s note: it’s for their last ever issue. Shame – they’ve had some good themes). https://thequotablelit.submittable.com/submit

1st Apr Poems on the theme of Revolution. http://www.florencepoets.com/p/silkworm.html

1st Apr Nonfiction prose poems. http://rabbitpoetry.com/

1st Apr Love poems about inanimate objects. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES, PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS http://www.kellyannjacobson.com/unrequited-an-anthology-of-love-poems-about-inanimate-objects#sthash.zML16JE3.dpbs

1st Apr ‘For many of us being at work or working for a living takes up more than half of our time. Probably also more than half of the time of our whole lives. In this issue we want to explore how our work can cause distress, make us unhappy but also show off alternatives that show how fulfilling a profession can be. Is there such a thing as good work and bad work? How do other cultures “work”, how did our grandparents “work”. What work has been done to make the world “better”. What is work, or labour, or profession, and what does it mean to us? Is working in our blood, is it good for our soul to do stuff?’ PAYING http://www.nous-magazine.de/work

1st Apr Poetry, fiction and more suitable for Christian children on the theme of The Great Beyond. PAYING http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/submissions.html

1st Apr ‘Give us stories and poems of the dark gods and goddesses of any pantheon or religion. Make these deities accessible, turn the old stories on their heads, or show the dark ones in all their glory (but in a way that makes them more than just a villain or nemesis for some other deity).’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://neosalexandria.org/bibliotheca-alexandrina/calls-for-submissions/the-dark-ones-tales-and-poems-of-the-shadow-gods/

1st Apr Poetry, fiction and more. PAYING http://westbranchsubmissions.bucknell.edu/

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, fiction and more. PAYING http://litbreak.com/submissions/

MSS in various genres. Send query by email. ROYALTIES http://www.ellysianpress.com/submissions/

‘West Virginia University Press is pleased to announce In Place, a new book series to be published under Vandalia Press, its creative imprint. In Place emerges from a desire to uncover more books about the complexity and richness of place. This series will publish literary nonfiction in various forms—narrative nonfiction, memoir, essay collections, cultural mediation, and others—focusing on books firmly rooted in place. In Place creates a space to explore lives, history, and landscapes.’ http://wvupressonline.com/node/636 (with thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

‘The Wax Paper is a broadsheet publication open to all forms of written word, image, and collected conversation. The first priority of The Wax Paper is to expand our understanding of the people we share the world with, and in doing so, expand our understanding of ourselves. Pieces will be selected on their ability to illuminate the humanity and significance of the subjects that inhabit the work.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://thewaxpaper.com/contact/

‘The Cafe Irreal is a quarterly webzine that presents a kind of fantastic fiction infrequently published in English. This fiction, which we would describe as irreal, resembles the work of writers such as Franz Kafka, Kobo Abe, Clarice Lispector and Jorge Luis Borges. As a type of fiction it rejects the tendency to portray people and places realistically and the need for a full resolution to the story; instead, it shows us a reality constantly being undermined.’ PAYING http://cafeirreal.alicewhittenburg.com/index.htm#guide

Dark fiction. PAYING  http://www.darkalleypress.com/inkstainsanthology/

Poetry, flash and short fiction that fits with Andy’s series of ghost stories. http://ghoststoryiii.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/welcome-to-third-of-series-of-poetry.html

Dark novellas and novels. ROYALTIES http://www.darkalleypress.com/submissions/

YA Romance novels 50,000-100,000 words. http://www.entangledteen.com/submissions/

Fiction suitable for teens. PAYING http://www.oneteenstory.com/index.php?page=submit

‘Our hand-made books are perfect for chapbooks, novellas, coloring books, choose your own adventures, illustrated tales, POP-UP!s and anything else you can think to send our way.  Genre is unimportant but we do lean toward experimental over anything else.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY+ ROYALTIES https://throwbackbooks.submittable.com/submit

Fiction that paints a positive picture of mental illness, targeted at 13-25 year olds. https://misreadpress.wordpress.com/submissions/

Poetry, fiction and more. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://indicialit.com/submissions/

Poetry collections and pamphlets. http://www.indigodreams.co.uk/submissions/4591467549

‘Familius is a mission-driven company. We believe that the family is the fundamental unit of society, and all of our books reflect that in some way. Our categories include parenting, marriage, family fun, education, cooking, health and wellness, children’s books, and fiction for both adults and young adults. Basically, if your book can help us achieve our mission of helping families be happy, we want to talk to you.’ http://familius.com/submissions

Poetry and flash fiction chapbooks by queer and trans writers. CONTRIBUTOR COPY+ ROYALTIES http://damagedgoodspress.com/dgp-submissions/

‘The editors of Modern Love are interested in receiving deeply personal essays about contemporary relationships, marriage, dating, parenthood…any subject that might reasonably fit under the heading “Modern Love.” Ideally, essays should spring from some central dilemma the writer has faced in his or her life. It helps if the situation has a contemporary edge, though this is not essential. Most important is that the writing be emotionally honest and the story be freshly and compellingly told.’ PAYING http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/fashion/howtosubmit_modernlove.html?_r=0

Poetry and prose. http://inkinthirds.com/submissions/

‘In the simplest of terms, we want great science fiction and fantasy stories that have at least one character who pushes, explores, or in some way addresses gender boundaries.’ PAYING  http://www.scigentasy.com/submissions-2/

Flash and short fiction. PAYING http://www.theflashfictionpress.org/guidelines-for-submissions/

Play about an extraordinary historical woman. (Cathy’s note: The deadline is 31st Dec, but get your subject in now before someone else does!) https://365womenayear.wordpress.com/2015-info/

SF short stories. PAYING https://20xx.media/submissions/

Flash fiction and poetry which is Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Intersex friendly. http://gayflashfiction.com/

Poetry and flash fiction on the theme of Ghosts Redemption. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES, PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS

http://jwkfiction.com/index.php/opsub/114-ghosts-redemption

Share your story of rising from the ashes and coming alive. No matter how you’ve suffered or what you’ve faced, be it the loss of a loved one, depression or anxiety, life-threatening illnesses, abuse, relational loss, etc. you can share your story of rising from the ashes and coming alive and join us in this movement #oncomingalive. http://www.scribblesandcrumbs.com/submissions/

‘Zabaan, in Urdu, means ‘tongue’. We believe in tongue-lashing. We believe in catharsis through writing. We are committed to publishing bold literary writing; writing that challenges our notions of form, tradition, and convention, but also, of race, class, gender, sexuality, identity, psychology, philosophy and the art of writing itself.’ http://zabaanjournal.com/submit/

Poetry, fiction and more by those aged 13-19, plus YA writing by those aged over 19. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://ffttjournal.wordpress.com/contactsubmit/

Open until filled: fiction up to 2000 words. PAYING http://www.untiedshoelacesofthemind.com/index.php#Submissions (Cathy’s note: thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

Funny or disturbing online dating experiences. PAYING  http://writersweekly.com/paying-markets/seeking-funny-andor-disturbing-online-dating-stories-pays-20-a-copy-of-the-final-printed-book