Here are 46 themed submission calls and contests of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Some of the themed calls are: human consequences of war; sick poetics; fever dreams; the color of my vote; save the world (cli-fi); death of a bad neighbour; haunted houses; noir; return; superheroes; Victorian England; monstroddities; get it over with; dark arts; and future cats. Also see this list, which has some themed calls with upcoming deadlines.
THEMED SUBMISSION CALLS
Translunar Travelers Lounge: Fun speculative fiction
The editors of this speculative fiction magazine want fun stories. Their guidelines say, “A fun story, at its core, is one that works on the premise that things aren’t all bad; that ultimately, good wins out. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your story has to be silly or lighthearted (though it certainly can be). Joy can be made all the more powerful when juxtaposed against tragedy. In the end, though, there should be hope, and we want stories that are truly fun for as many different kinds of people as possible.” Also, “Swashbuckling adventure, deadly intrigue, and gleeful romance are some of the most obvious examples of what we’re looking for, but we won’t say no to more subtle or complicated topics, as long as they fit under the wider “fun” umbrella.”
Deadline: 15 October 2021
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $0.03/word ($20 minimum)
Details here.
(Submissions are also open for three speculative fiction anthologies from JayHenge Publishing: Titanic Terastructures, deadline 31 October 2021; and for Grandpa’s Deep-Space Diner, as well as for Phantasmical Contraptions & More Errors, both of which are open until filled. Pay is $5/1,000 words for stories up to 15,000 words.)
Consequence Forum: Human consequences of war and geopolitical violence
Consequence Forum is an independent, non-profit organization that publishes two monthly features online (in addition to other online content) and a print journal in the fall and the spring. They publish fiction, nonfiction (interviews, reviews, essays, and narrative nonfiction), poetry, reviews, visual art, and translations focused on the human consequences and realities of war and geopolitical violence. Submissions are considered for either the print journal or an online feature. One way they determine if a piece is better suited for online is if it lends itself to the electronic medium (i.e. longer works, work that uses space in innovative ways, pieces easily accompanied by audio and/or video, etc.).
Deadline: 15 October 2021
Length: Prose up to 5,000 words; up to 5 poems
Pay: $40-80 for print prose and $80 for online prose; $40 per online or print poem; $200 for art
Details here.
(Submissions are also open for war/conflict themed dark stories, in any speculative fiction genre or horror, from Black Hare Press. Stories should be 5,000+ words, pay is $50, and the deadline is 31 October 2021.)
Contemporary Verse 2: Sick Poetics
This journal publishes poetry, reviews, interviews, and critical writing on poetry. For the ‘Sick Poetics’ issue, their guidelines say, “We are looking for poetry that explores the limits and boundaries of sickness, disability, illness, madness, and crip. How do these terms and identities get demarcated, lived, and embodied? What does sickness encompass and what does it exclude? This issue does not aim to be an answer, but rather an opening up: a call for more sick, crip, mad, and disabled poetry in CanLit. What stories are missing from our journals and what conversations can we begin?” See the various potential topics for poetics and poetics essays on their Submittable page, including Covid-19, sickness and intersecting identities (race, class, gender, queerness), and representations of sickness. They are also reading unthemed work, and the deadline for that is in 2022. Submissions are also open for a poetry prize, and there is a submission fee for that.
Deadline: 15 October 2021 for Sick Poetics
Length: Up to 6 pages for poetry, varies for others
Pay: $30 for poems, $50-80 for reviews, $50-100 for interviews and articles, $40-150 for essays – see note for international writers on their guidelines page.
Details here (general guidelines) and here (Submittable, with theme guidelines).
Going Down Swinging: Speculative fiction and pieces about love
This Australian magazine publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, experimental/hybrid work, digital and interactive literature, poetry, comics, artworks, spoken word, commentary, and essays. They’re open for submissions for their online issue. Their guidelines say, “This month, we’re particularly looking for submissions of speculative fiction and pieces about love, but we’re also happy to receive your submissions of any theme.” They also pay for artwork.
Deadline: 20 October 2021
Length: Up to 2,000 words
Pay: AUD60-170 for prose; AUD100 for poetry; AUD180-220 for comics
Details here.
Scare Street: Night Terrors
Scare Street publishes fiction anthologies. They want horror stories with a focus on ghosts, the supernatural, paranormal, monsters, and dark tales.
Deadline: 20 October 2021
Length: 3,000-7,000 words
Pay: $10/1,000 words
Details here.
(Eerie River Publishing’s horror anthology is open as well; the theme is ‘It Calls from the Veil’, and stories may have elements of dark fantasy, dark fiction, and cosmic horror. They pay CAD0.01/word for stories of 2,000-6,000 words, and the deadline is 31 October 2021.
Feminist horror magazine The Last Girls Club is open for submissions, too. They want fiction and poetry on the theme ‘Devout: Martyrs, Cults, and Madness’. Pay is $0.01/word for fiction of up to 2,500 words, and $10 for poetry. The deadline is 1 November 2021.)
580 Split: Fever Dreams
580 Split is a literary journal run from Mills College; they like work that is innovative, risk-taking, and timely. They are accepting poetry, visual art, photography, short stories, creative nonfiction, and other forms of artistic expression (including audio and video) for their 25th issue, and the theme is ‘Fever Dreams’. Their guidelines say, “Surrealism. Nightmares. Rising temperatures. Alternate realities. Lack of control. Desire. An irrational or unsettling vision brought on by personal or collective circumstances. How do fever dreams manifest for you? … We want to stir the imaginations of our readers, and welcome work that evokes visceral reactions. Feel free to play with themes ranging from the dystopian to the absurd. This could include an experience, dream, or nightmare that remains confusing or bewildering.”
Deadline: 27 October 2021
Length: Up to 3,000 words for prose; up to 3 poems
Pay: $50
Details here.
Low Down Dirty Vote: The Color of My Vote
This is a fiction anthology, the third in the series. Stories can be in any crime sub-genre; the theme is ‘The Color of my Vote’ and authors are free to interpret the theme as literally or metaphorically as they wish. Some thematic suggestions are: “Maybe your vote is pink where only blue votes matter. Maybe your vote is pro-democracy in a power structure bent on maintaining minority rule. Maybe your vote isn’t green (delivered with a $2 million dollar dark money donation…)” Any time period or location is acceptable for this anthology.
Deadline: 31 October 2021
Length: 2,500-10,000 words
Pay: $200
Details here.
The Book of Queer Saints Anthology
This is a horror fiction anthology, and they want submissions only by writers who identify as LGBTQ+. “It is an anthology where unabashedly queer villains, anti-heroes, and outlaws reign supreme.” The editor talks about review bombing which occurs as a reaction to what people mark as ‘trauma porn’ in queer horror stories, which makes assumptions about the sexual and gender identity of the writer; the anthology is a reaction to this discourse, a statement about the complexity and nuance of queer folks and their stories.
Deadline: 31 October 2021
Length: 2,000-6,000 words
Pay: $0.02/word
Details here.
Other Worlds Ink: Save the World
This is a science fiction/climate fiction (cli-fi) anthology, of stories with a hopeful tone. “Stories can focus on a proposed solution to part or all of climate change, or on adaptations that will allow us to live with it.
Stories do not need to be hard sci fi, but the chosen solution/adaptation should be plausible, given what we know about science and the Earth’s climate today. That said, we have accepted a few whimsical stories that tickled our fancy in the past.” See their guidelines for details of examples, and the tropes they do not want. They also accept reprints.
Deadline: 31 October 2021
Length: 2,500 words-15,000 words
Pay: $50-100
Details here.
(Another anthology that is looking for speculative fiction and poetry about a hopeful future is Solarpunk Sunscapes: Optimistic Visions of the Future. They want solarpunk stories and poems on the theme. Pay is $0.02/word for stories of 500-7,500 words, and $30/poem for up to 5 poems, and the deadline is 1 November 2021.)
Death of a Bad Neighbour: Revenge is Criminal Anthology
This is an anthology of crime and mystery stories, and the theme is ‘Death of a Bad Neighbour’; stories should be “the tart side of cozy”. About the inspiration for the anthology: “From the rock star in his fairytale Gothic mansion in Central London whose neighbour plans a double basement excavation, to the retiree in a fisherman’s cottage in the northeast of England whose neighbour tells lies to a court to acquire the back garden that is not theirs: we are plagued by bad neighbours. … It does not take a crime writer to know that a plague of bottom-feeders calls for an exterminator. But it does take the creatively criminal-minded to come up with the bestest plan ever…”
Deadline: 31 October 2021
Length: 2,000-5,000 words
Pay: $0.10/word + royalties
Details here.
(Submissions are also open for Hiraeth Publishing’s Cosmic Crime Stories, an anthology of tales of future crimes and detectives; pay is $25 for stories of 2,000-8,000 words, and the deadline is 31 December 2021).
Input/Output Enterprises: Two themes
They are reading fiction (also poetry) for the next issue of The Periodical, Forlorn magazine, and for a shared-world anthology. For both of these, they want work that’s dark, creepy, weird and just a little off-kilter. They’re open to genre fiction, particularly anything related to horror, science fiction, speculative fiction or weird fiction, but also anything that twists or subverts these genres in an unexpected way. Submissions for their vampire anthology (And the Dead Shall Sleep No More) and also for their serial fiction on Amazon’s Vella are temporarily closed, but both will open again.
— And the Walls Came Crashing Down Anthology: This is a themed, conceptual anthology. The editors provided a setting (a fictional sprawling country mansion in Boston – see guidelines) and the main characters. They want works of short fiction featuring those characters that are set in a particular location in the mansion or the grounds – some of these are the library, the carriage house, the wine cellar, the kitchen, the drawing room, and the hunting lodge. The deadline is 31 October 2021 (extended), or until filled.
— The Periodical, Forlorn – Haunted Houses: “We want your best stories about spooky old houses and the creep-crawlies that float forlornly down back passageways, leave strange cold spots in libraries, and come out at night to terrify unsuspecting guests.” The deadline is 25 November 2021.
Deadlines: 31 October, or until filled, for And the Walls Came Crashing Down anthology; 25 November 2021 for Haunted Houses
Length: Up to 6,000 words
Pay: $15
Details here.
Zoetic Press: NonBinary Review – Two themes
They want poetry, fiction, essays, and art. They are accepting work on two themes currently. “We invite authors to explore each theme in any way that speaks to them: re-write a familiar story from a new point of view, mash genres together, give us a personal essay about some aspect of our theme that has haunted you all your life.”
— Person of Interest: Their guidelines say, “What happens when someone finds a skeleton and nothing else? Who was that person? How old were they? How did they end up where you found them? Where had they been before? In a new experiment, we are starting with nothing but a name and a skeleton. The name is Lee. Or is it Leigh? Or Li? We’re not sure. We also don’t know whether it’s a first name or a last name. We need you to tell us who this person was — How old were they? What was their childhood like? Who loved them? Who hated them? What hopes and dreams did they have for themselves? Did they have a secret identity? We’ll find out only when YOU tell us! Give us their vignettes, their anecdotes, the page ripped from their journal and tossed beneath the bed. When read together in the issue, your collective creation will come to life, animated and imagined from the bones up.” The deadline is 31 October 2021.
— Shared Worlds: Their guidelines say, “We all have those books from childhood that resonated with us. Worlds where we felt at home with characters who felt like real friends. For this issue, we’re looking for stories from your favorite alternative worlds: Narnia, Discworld, Dune, Wonderland — but there’s a catch. We DON’T want characters we’ve heard of – we’re not looking for Jack, the Pumpkin King or Toad of Toad Hall. We’re looking for more. The life you would have lived in Middle Earth. The adventure you went on in Westeros. Your experience of being Sherlock Holmes’s next door neighbor.
All works should be based in a well-established fictional world and should obey that world’s rules and customs, and we should be able to recognize that fictional world from your work. Works may NOT be based around major characters or previously published stories from those worlds, although they may be mentioned.” The deadline is 31 January 2022.
Deadlines: 31 October 2021 for Person of Interest; 31 January 2022 for Shared Worlds
Length: Up to 3,000 words for prose; up to 3 pages for poetry
Pay: $0.01/word for prose, $10 for poetry
Details here.
The Future Fire: Noir
They want fiction (flash to novelette length) and poetry on the Noir theme; stories “that combine themes or aesthetic from Noir fiction and cinema with the existing goals of TFF (progressive, feminist, queer, postcolonial, inclusive, accessible, ecological and international speculative and genre fiction). … Submissions need not include science-fictional or fantastic settings, but we are mostly likely to be interested in those that play with genre and Noir aesthetic in some way, including cyberpunk.” See guidelines for tropes they are not interested in. They also accept reprints.
Deadline: 1 November 2021
Length: Fiction up to 17,500 words; up to 100 lines for poetry
Pay: $50 for fiction; $25 for flash fiction (up to 1,000 words) and poetry
Details here.
(Submissions are also open for Gordon Square Review’s call on Noir: Writing inspired by Odilon Redon – for work inspired by Redon’s artwork, just in time for Halloween – until 10th October, and for unthemed submissions until 31st October. Pay is $25 for prose and $10 for poetry.)
The First Line
They want fiction that starts with a pre-set first line. For the Winter issue, this is: “Later that evening, they sat alone in their apartment, wondering if they had made the right decision.” They accept a limited number of poems and these have to start with the pre-set line, as well. For nonfiction, they want critical essays about your favourite first line from a literary work.
Deadline: 1 November 2021
Length: 300-5,000 words for fiction, 500-800 words for nonfiction
Pay: $25-50 for fiction, $5-10 for poetry, $25 for nonfiction
Details here.
Ninth Letter: Return
They publish fiction (including flash), nonfiction, and poetry. They want submissions on the ‘Return’ theme for their web edition. Their guidelines say, “As in, to return to a former place, person, or situation. Haven’t we been here before?
By its nature, return evokes a reconstellation of questions: Can we? Should we? Have we? We go back, we give back, we turn back, we come back–we return–but to what?… Please also include a cover letter that briefly explains how you see your work connecting to the theme.”
Deadline: 1 November 2021 for the themed issue
Length: Up to 3 poems; prose up to 3,500 words
Pay: $75/essay or story, $25 for poetry
Details here.
(They’re also open for submissions for their print edition, and online submissions for the print edition are charged, but there is no fee for mailed submissions.)
Death in the Mouth Anthology
This is a horror anthology featuring stories from BIPOC and other ethnically marginalized writers and artists from around the world. They want “Original manifestations of horror, dread, grief, fear, and anxiety. Embodiments of mania and displacements of faith. Harrowing ecstasy and debilitating hope. Consuming, relentless love. Transgressions of the body, the spirit, and the community. Quiet, creeping absurdities. Unique and terrifying alien mythology from the future. Weird and unsettling folklore from secondary worlds. Quiet contemporary techno-panic.”
Deadline: 1 November 2021
Length: 1,000-6,000 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here.
Hawk and Cleaver: The Other Stories – Six themes
They publish horror, sci-fi, and thriller fiction on their podcast, The Other Stories, according to their website. They want tales that terrify, scar and haunt. They have several themed call deadlines coming up; and writers can send up to two stories per theme.
— Video Gamers II (deadline 1st November 2021);
— Cults II (deadline 15th November 2021);
— Surgery II (deadline 1st December 2021);
— Superheroes II (deadline 15th December 2021);
— Victorian England II (deadline 1st January 2022); and
— Metamorphosis II (deadline 1st February 2022).
Deadlines: Various (see above)
Length: Up to 2,000 words
Pay: £15
Details here (click on submission form for length and payment details).
Writing Bad: Behind the Plots
This is a submission call inviting authors who have had at least three essays, stories, articles, and/or books published. They want short essays written by published authors about writing. “We are seeking the comical and inspirational real-life stories on the life and challenges of the writer.
These stories are written by experienced authors to offer advice, insight, and encouragement for new writers. Each essay should offer knowledge, wisdom, inspiration, and smiles.”
Deadline: 1 November 2021
Length: 3,000-5,000 words
Pay: $15
Details here.
Thema – Three themes
They publish fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. They also accept artwork. They’re reading submissions on three themes currently: Get It Over With! (deadline 1 November 2021); To the Pond (deadline 1 March 2022); and The Crumpled Yellow Paper (deadline 1 July 2022). The premise (target theme) must be an integral part of the plot, not necessarily the central theme but not merely incidental. They accept only mailed submissions from US-based writers; overseas writers can email their submissions.
Deadlines: 1 November 2021 for Get it Over With (postmarked); later for others (see above)
Length: Fewer than 20 double-spaced typewritten pages preferred; up to 3 poems
Pay: $10-25 for fiction, $10 for poetry
Details here.
Shooter Literary Magazine: Dark Arts
This literary magazine wants submissions on the ‘Dark Arts’ theme. Their guidelines say, “We’re looking for stories, essays, memoir and poetry to do with enchantment and scheming, in any context. Black magic, witchcraft and wizardry are the obvious subjects, but we welcome wider interpretations of the theme: anything to do with political manipulation, backroom dealings, romantic plotting, duplicitous gamesmanship, or charismatic trickery is sought. As ever, whether rooted in realism or fantasy, supernatural or sci-fi, please ensure writing adheres to a high literary standard.” They also commission artwork.
Deadline: 7 November 2021
Length: 2,000-6,000 words for prose, up to 3 poems
Pay: £25 per story and £5 per poem. Stories that fall below the requested minimum of 2,000 words will be paid at poetry rates; non-UK-based contributors can choose either cash payment or a copy of the magazine
Details here.
LampLight: Special call for new writers
This is a quarterly magazine of dark fiction. They have a special submission call for new writers for this reading period – writers for whom this will be a first pro sale, if accepted. They can accept a limited number of submissions each month via Submittable during their reading period (see guidelines).
Deadline: 15 November 2021
Length: Up to 5,100 words
Pay: $0.06/word
Details here.
The Gravity of the Thing: Stranged Writing – A Literary Taxonomy
The magazine publishes prose – fiction (including micros) and creative nonfiction, including genre-bending works, poetry, including prose poems and multimedia works, and work for Baring the Device column (about defamiliarized writing; “Defamiliarization is an artistic or literary technique that presents the common in unfamiliar ways; that which has been taken for granted is reenvisioned, made strange, to heighten a reader’s perception of the familiar”). They are reading submissions for their first anthology, ‘Stranged Writing: A Literary Taxonomy’, a print and online publication that explores defamiliarization in either content, form, or practice. Their guidelines say, “As the editors of The Gravity of the Thing aim to support defamiliarized writing, so will we design the upcoming anthology with defamiliarization in mind. The contents of the collection will be curated according to biological taxonomy (species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom, domain) using word count, and the final form of the collection will be a cloth hardcover with a screen-printed dust jacket…. Each dust jacket will fold into a unique literary organism or book sculpture, the goal being a dimensional and tactile reading experience during these largely digital times. We will also release a low-cost digital version of the anthology, with rolling opportunities to download the eBook for free.”
Deadline: 30 November 2021
Length: 6-3,000 words for the anthology (see guidelines)
Pay: $5-40 for the anthology
Details here.
Sliced Up Press: Monstroddities
This is their third horror fiction and poetry anthology, and the theme is ‘Monstroddities’. Their guidelines say, “Terrify us with your best story or poem about monsters or unexplained occurrences that are rarely used in horror.
Think cryptids, long-forgotten myths, melt monsters…phenomena like spontaneous combustion, dark matter, physical impossibilities – if you’ve ever wondered why there isn’t more horror about a particular thing, that’s what we’d like to see – the weirder the better. Set it in the present, the past, the future, on Earth or not – as long as it’s frightening.” Bizarro, splatterpunk, and extreme horror are welcome. See the guidelines for further details on the kind of stories they want, and do not want.
Deadline: 31 December 2021, or until filled
Length: 1,000-3,000 words
Pay: $25/poem, $50/story
Details here.
Book XI: Be Careful What You Wish For
This journal is housed at Hamilton College’s Arthur Levitt Center for Public Affairs. They publish personal essays, memoir, fiction, science fiction, humor, and poetry with philosophical themes. They are reading work on the theme, ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’. They can accept a limited number of submissions via Submittable.
Deadline: 31 December 2021, or until filled
Length: 2,000-7,000 words; can publish up to 10,000 words
Pay: $50/poem, $200/prose
Details here.
Manawaker Studios: Felis Futura – An Anthology of Future Cats
This anthology will have fiction (including graphic narrative), poetry, and art about the future which features cats. “Submitted works should be of any genre, as long as the work depicts a world that is noticeably in the future. Hard and Soft Sci-fi, (Post-)apocalyptic, Solarpunk, Slipstream, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Alternate (future) History, Supernatural, Retro-futurism etc. are all fine names for genres that often take place in the future, but your story doesn’t have to fit into one of those. … All works must also prominently feature at least one cat. It does not have to be a cat of the genus Felis. Other members of the cat family are also acceptable, as are non-biological cats, metaphorical cats, robots with the acronym K.A.A.T., and so on.” No gore horror or erotic romance. They also accept unthemed stories for their flash fiction podcast (no deadline).
Deadline: 31 December 2021
Length: Unspecified for fiction, up to five poems
Pay: $10/poem, $0.01/word for fiction, $15/page for graphic narrative
Details here.
THEMED CONTESTS
American Antiquarian Society: Fellowships for Creative and Performing Artists and Writers
These are fellowships for historical research by the American Antiquarian Society by those who wish to produce “imaginative, non-formulaic works dealing with pre-twentieth-century American history.” Room fee will be charged if staying in the Society’s scholars’ housing. Fellowship projects may include (but are not limited to) historical novels, documentary films, TV programs, radio broadcasts, plays, screenplays, illustration and other graphic arts, magazine or newspaper articles, and non-fiction works of history for a general audience, either for adults or for children.
Value: $2,000 (less room fee in some cases – see above), residency
Deadline: 5 October 2021
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Embracing Our Differences Quotation Contest
Embracing Our Differences is a not-for-profit organization based in Florida that uses art and education to expand consciousness and celebrate human diversity. They want original quotes, of 20 words or fewer, for their 2022 exhibit. Their guidelines say, “A critical part of the impact of the exhibit is the selected quotations from the general public that accompany each piece of artwork.” The theme is ‘enriching lives through diversity and inclusion.’ They have several ideas on their website to help stimulate your thoughts, including: What does embracing our differences mean to you? What does diversity and inclusion mean to you? Writers can send as many quotations as they like, but they ask that writers submit only up to five quotations at a time.
Value: $1,000
Deadline: 6 October 2021
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Dream Foundry Short Story Contest
They want a speculative fiction story of up to 10,000 words for this contest. It is for beginning professional writers (see guidelines). Also check out their contest for artists.
Value: $1,000, $500, $200
Deadline: 11 October 2021
Open for: Beginning professional writers
Details here (scroll down).
One Story: Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship
This fellowship is for an early-career writer of fiction who has not yet published a book and is not currently nor has ever been enrolled in an MFA program. They are seeking writers whose work speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference. This means writing that explores being in a body marked by difference, oppression, violence, or exclusion; often through categories of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, religion, illness, disability, trauma, migration, displacement, dispossession, or imprisonment. Apart from the stipend and tuition to attend One Story’s week-long summer writers’ conference in July 2022, it offers free tuition for all One Story online classes and programming; a full manuscript review & consultation with One Story Executive Editor Hannah Tinti (story collection or novel in progress up to 150 pages/35,000 words). A fiction writing sample of 3,000-5,000 words is part of the submission requirement.
Value: Travel stipend ($2,000) and tuition to attend writers’ conference, other benefits (see above)
Deadline: 11 October 2021
Open for: Early-career fiction writers (see guidelines)
Details here.
(The literary magazine, One Story, is also open for general submissions of literary fiction of 3,000-8,000 words; pay is $500, and the deadline is 14th November 2021.
Submissions are open for the One Teen Story contest, as well – they want stories of 2,000-4,500 words in any genre about the teen experience, from writers who ages 13-19. The prize is $500, and the deadline is 19th November 2021.)
The Art Omi residencies
These are for published writers and translators of every type of literature – fiction, nonfiction, theater, film, poetry, etc.
Value: No cash grant; residency at Ledig House, overlooking the Catskill Range; accommodation, food, local transport and public programming provided
Deadline: 15 October 2021
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Welter 55 Micro Fiction Contest
Welter is the literary journal of the University of Baltimore. They want fiction, nonfiction, and prose poetry of 100 words or fewer for this contest. Their guidelines say, “We are particularly looking for pieces related to the theme of “Home,” but we will consider other pieces. One micro piece will be selected by the editors to be awarded a prize of $100.” They are also accepting unthemed fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art for the online magazine.
Value: $100
Deadline: 19 October 2021
Open for: Unspecified
Details here.
The LoveReading Very Short Story Award
LoveReading is a UK-based book recommendation website. They are reading submissions of stories, in any genre, of 600-1,000 words for the award. “We are looking for exciting, stimulating, original and beautifully written stories that leave a powerful impression on the reader.” They have two awards, a Judges’ Choice and a People’s Choice award.
Value: £300; £200
Deadline: 31 October 2021
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Otherwise Fellowship (formerly the James Tiptree, Jr Literary Award)
The Otherwise Fellowship was previously called the James Tiptree, Jr Literary Award. It is for a range of disciplines – writers, artists, scholars, media makers, remix artists, performers, musicians, or something else entirely. If the applicant’s work is changing the way we think about gender through speculative narrative – maybe in a form recognizable as the science fiction and fantasy genre, maybe in some other way – they are eligible. Writers do not have to be a professional or have an institutional affiliation, as they hope to support emerging creators who do not already have institutional support for their work.
Value: $500
Deadline: 31 October 2021
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Preservation Foundation Essay Contest: Travel Nonfiction
They want essays, 1,000-10,000 words, by unpublished writers (see guidelines). They are currently reading for the Travel Nonfiction category – “Stories should be factual and true accounts of a trip taken by the author or a person or persons known by the author.” Please read the guidelines carefully; “contest runners-up and winners are expected to remain on the site for as long as the Preservation Foundation exists.”
Value: $200; $100
Deadline: 31 October 2021
Open for: All unpublished writers (see guidelines)
Details here.
Defenestrationism: 2021 Flash Suite Contest
This is a contest for at least three flash fiction pieces (up to 1,000 words each) that co-relate in some way. A single piece of the suite may have been published before, otherwise, no previously published material. Finalists will be published daily on the site, followed by at least two weeks of Fan Voting – winners will be selected by a judging panel, with Fan Voting counting as an additional judge vote.
Value: $75, $60
Deadline: 1 November 2021
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Malice Domestic Grants for Unpublished Writers
This is given to an unpublished writer (see guidelines) in the Malice Domestic genre at each year’s Malice Domestic convention. The grant may be used to offset registration, travel, or other expenses related to attendance at a writers’ conference or workshop within a year of the date of the award. In the case of non-fiction, the grant may be used to offset research expenses. The Malice Domestic genre is loosely described as mystery stories of the Agatha Christie type—i.e. “traditional mysteries.” These works usually feature no excessive gore, gratuitous violence, or explicit sex. See guidelines for additional details and submission requirements. Apart from the cash award, the prize covers a comprehensive registration for the upcoming convention and two nights’ lodging at the convention hotel, but does not include travel to the convention or meals.
Value: $2,500, and other expenses – see above
Deadline: 1 November 2021
Open for: Unpublished writers in the Malice Domestic genre
Details here.
Commonwealth Writers Short Story Prize
This is for writers in the Commonwealth regions of Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, Caribbean, and Pacific. Entries can be in the Bengali, Chinese, Creole, French, Greek, Kiswahili, Malay, Portuguese, Samoan, Tamil and Turkish languages. Translated entries from any language into English are also eligible.
Value: £5,000; £2,500 for regional winners
Deadline: 1 November 2021
Open for: Writers in the Commonwealth (see guidelines for the list of countries)
Details here.
Another contest with a later deadline is: St. Martin’s Minotaur/ Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition, an international contest for crime novel manuscripts of approximately 60,000 words, for writers who have never been the author of any published novel in any genre; the prize is an advance of $10,000 against royalties, and the deadline is 17 December 2021.
Also, the deadline for César Egido Serrano Foundation VI International Short Tales Contest, which was 30th September 2021, has been postponed. At the time of writing, the new deadline was not yet fixed; see the announcement dated 21st September on their Facebook page. This prize pays $20,000 for a microfiction entry of up to 100 words, and writers over 14 years can participate.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She is the author of 182 Short Fiction Publishers. She can be reached here.
