March 30, 2020

Emergency Funds for Writers

These are 16 emergency funds for writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, and for translators, freelance writers and journalists. Most have geographic restrictions; many are for US writers or creators, and a few don’t specify if there are any citizenship or residency requirements. Some have deadlines, some are on an ongoing basis, and a few…

March 26, 2020

Inanna: Now Accepting Manuscript Queries

Update: They are shuttering their book publishing operations. They announced in June 2024, you can read the details here: https://www.inanna.ca/2024/06/11/notification-for-the-inanna-community/ Inanna Publications and Education Inc is a Canadian feminist press that was founded in 1978 and is open to international submissions, they publish fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and essay collections. Some of what they publish…

Dark Sire: Now Seeking Submissions

A new online and print quarterly of fantasy, gothic horror, and psychological realism, Dark Sire is seeking poetry and short fiction for their fourth issue. Dark Sire doesn’t shy away from taboo topics; instead, they actively promote uncensored dark writing by both emerging and established authors. To get a sense of their style, you can…

Tips for Being a Writer During the Health Crisis

By Brandie June I won’t lie, the world is a bit of a scary place right now. Anytime I turn on the news or go to the store, I’m reminded that there is a big health crisis that we all have to deal with right now, and it means a lot of changes. Over just…

March 23, 2020

31 Manuscript Publishers with Geographic Restrictions

All of the presses on this list meet all but one of our guiding principles. All of these presses only accept work from writers with a specific geographic region or nationality. Because of that, we have never reviewed these presses, but they are still good presses. This is our update of the initial list, which…

The Importance of Reading Debut Novels

A debut novel is the first novel published by a writer. When one is attempting to find an agent and publisher for their own first novel, it is very important to read debut novels by other writers to see what is being published now. Older, established novelists like Margret Atwood and John Irving are going…

March 19, 2020

Open Books: Now Accepting Manuscript Queries

UPDATED May 29th, 2024: We have continued to hear feedback that they are offering hybrid contracts. but have one tier of publications that is traditional. I haven’t heard from anyone in the traditional tier, and this is a highly unusual approach. To be a traditional press in good standing one cannot direct from traditional publishing…

Yellow Arrow Journal: Now Seeking Submissions

Yellow Arrow is a nontraditional publisher producing a hand-bound journal of poetry, creative nonfiction, and book reviews written by authors who identify as women. They see creativity as an act of service and a path toward communal empathy. With that in mind, they aim to spotlight and inspire underrepresented authors. They encourage authors who identify…

The Importance of Trope Awareness

Over the last decade, the word trope has come to be used to describe commonly recurring motifs, clichés, and rhetorical devices in a wide range of creative works. Once you become aware of tropes, and how they’re used (and misused), they can become a useful tool in your writer’s toolkit. Tropes: in characters and stories…

March 16, 2020

30 Non-Fiction Publishers Open to Direct Submissions

The following publishers all focus on publishing non-fiction books. Most focus in on one or two aspect of non-fiction, such as history books, memoir, or cookbooks. Some are more broad in their interests. All of them are open to unsolicited submissions directly from authors. No agent required. Almost all of these publishers open to proposals,…

21 Creative Nonfiction Markets Open for Submissions Now

These magazines/websites accept creative nonfiction of various types – lyrical essays, memoirs, personal, or narrative essays included. Some of these are themed. They are open for submissions now, and most of these also accept other genres also, like fiction, poetry, scripts, reviews, commentary, and interviews. Several of these pay writers. Here they are, in no…

March 12, 2020

The Feminist Press: Now Accepting Manuscript Queries

The Feminist Press was established as an independent nonprofit literary publisher in 1970.  The Feminist Press is the oldest women’s publishing house in the world. They are open to submission from female/female identifying, and non binary authors. They publish literary fiction and works of nonfiction. It is easy to get a feel for what they…

Sixth Finch: Now Seeking Submissions

Sixth Finch is a well-established and respected online poetry journal edited by poet Rob MacDonald. Founded in 2008 with the goal of offering readers premier poetry and art for free, Sixth Finch continues to build a reputation for literary excellence. Simple, stunning design and great poetry have earned the journal many accolades. Work originally published…

March 9, 2020

22 Specialized Manuscript Publishers that Accept Direct Submissions

All of the presses on this list meet all of our guiding principles, but most of them have such a specific focus that we cannot justify writing a full review and sending it to our full list of subscribers. But they are still good publishers. Instead, we have compiled this list of mini-reviews. I have also…

March 5, 2020

Excession Press: Seeking Manuscript Submissions Until April 5th, 2020

Excession Press is a small press focused on horror, science fiction, weird western, or dark fantasy with literary merit. The books they publish are between 30,000 and 60,000 words in length. They say they have a few hundred words worth of wiggle room on either end of that guideline, but that is it. Excession Press…