June 30, 2017

19 Calls for Themed Submissions (Fiction, Poetry, and Essays)

These are themed calls for submissions from literary journals and anthologies, for various genres, sub-genres and themes – pirates, Sherlock Holmes and H. G. Wells mashup, odd creatures, beginnings, shelter from a storm, re-writings of Hans Christian Anderson’s stories and about parenting and mental illness, and about miracles, redemption and death. Many of them pay…

June 27, 2017

Tartarus Press: Now Accepting Manuscript Submissions

Tartarus Press is a small British publisher that opened in the 1990s. They specialize in publishing literary supernatural/strange/horror fiction. They are best known for their limited edition hardbacks with distinctive cream covers. They also publish paper backs and eBooks. The press has won 5 World Fantasy Awards and 1 Stoker Award for horror. They are…

Pacifica Literary Review: Now Seeking Submissions

Pacifica Literary Review publishes poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, photography, and art & design. They are based out of Seattle, Washington. They publish three web-exclusive issues in September, January, and May, as well as one print issue every year. They have an interesting approach to writing and publishing which I have excerpted below, as it will give…

FINDING SPACE: Writing When Life is Chaotic

By Julie Guirgis It was 3:00 A.M when I woke up to my dad calling out from his room down the hall. Half asleep, I laid in bed, hoping he would fall back asleep, but his yelling got louder. Rubbing my stinging eyes, I forced myself out of bed. ‘I’m hungry. I need food,’ he…

June 25, 2017

25 Publishers Seeking Young Adult Manuscripts

Updated April 20, 2018 Young adult is one of my favorite genres to read, even though when I was a young adult struggled finding good YA books. These days the young adult genre is profitable, diverse, and covers a wide variety of genres, from science fiction to romance and everything in between. A lot of…

June 22, 2017

Ten Horror Markets that Pay for Short Stories and Flash Fiction

By D.S. Maiorca This eclectic list has some of the best paying horror markets currently open for submission. Make sure to check each market’s specific guidelines as some are quite specific. Clarkesworld Magazine While Clarke’s World is famous for Science Fiction and Fantasy they are also open for horror stories. Although if you read their…

Kane Miller Publishing: Now Seeking Children’s Book Submissions

Kane Miller is an award winning publisher of educational children’s books. Their most famous book to date is the children’s classic Everyone Poops, the English translation of Minna Unchi, a Japanese children’s book written by Taro Gomi. They have good distribution, there books are widely available at libraries, and they generally do an excellent job….

Longshot Island: Now Seeking Submissions

Longshot Island is a print and online magazine headquartered in Eugene, Oregon that focuses on publishing short stories. Sometimes they also publish poetry, vignettes, nonfiction, reviews, interviews, and art. They like smart, well-crafted writing that is a pleasure to read. They look for stories with memorable characters, meaningful metaphors, creative descriptions, and engaging emotional content….

Ten Famous Authors Whose Work Was Initially Rejected

One of the ways I comfort myself when I face yet another rejection letter is to think about the “loads” of rejection letters J.K. Rowling received while she was attempting to publish Harry Potter. I also think of the five years Agatha Christie spent trying to get her first novel published.  I have not spent…

June 19, 2017

30 Writing Competitions and Submission Calls for Poets

This list is divided into two: submission calls and competitions for poets, including fellowships and one essay contest; prizes range from $250 to AU$10,000. They are listed according to deadline. The calls are for various topics, styles, as well as geographical and age demographics of poets. Special submission calls include those confronting shaming, LGBTQ themes,…

June 15, 2017

WorthyKids/Ideals: Now Accepting Submissions

Updated December 19th, 2019: They appear to no longer be open to unsolicited submissions. WorthyKids/Ideals publishes fiction and nonfiction board books, novelty books, and picture books for children from birth through the age of eight. In September 2018 they were purchased by Hachette. The subjects they are interested in publishing are primarily inspiration/faith, relationships and…

Borrowed Solace: Now Seeking Submissions

Borrowed Solace is a new online magazine of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, photography, and artwork. Created by a group of writers who are also literary enthusiasts, Borrowed Solace hopes to publish artful work that inspires readers to fall in love with language. They want stories, essays, and poems that invite readers to ask for more….

The Current State of Self Publishing

When self-publishing first exploded around 2010/11, many authors viewed it as an exciting opportunity to sell books without the need for an agent or publisher. There was, however, a degree of snobbery directed at those who chose to self-publish. An assumption that their work was lacking because it had not been accepted by traditional publishers….

June 12, 2017

How to Connect with Readers Through Instagram

 By Aria Gmitter If you’re like most writers, the idea of self-promotion is a loathsome task. You are a creative person and marketing feels like a sales gig. Perhaps writers stick to platforms like Facebook and Twitter because it’s so much easier to post about your life and throw in a bit about business. But…

Seven Publishers That Accept Memoir Submissions (No Agent Required)

Updated November 2018 to remove publishers now closed to direct submissions. Memoir publishers that don’t require an agent to submit are few and far between. However, there are still options out there.  Some are old and respected, others are new and still figuring things out. Not all the publishers on this list are currently open…