This list of publishers meet our guiding principles, but are only open to free submissions from historically underrepresented writers or focus on publishing content produced by historically underrepresented writers. Some of these publications are open to a wide range of writers including writers of color, gender non-conforming and LGBTQ+ writers, and those living with disabilities. Some have limited definitions and are only interested in work by Black authors. Some are open to submissions from all authors for a fee, but allow free submissions from limited demographics.
We try to make it as clear as possible who the publisher is seeking work from. Sometimes the focus of the press is limited, even though there are no limitations on who can submit. A few of the opportunities are also limited by geography, again, we try to make this clear. There are always additional submission details at the site we link to, but we try to cover the basics as best we can as part of this list.
If you belong to a limited demographic that is not listed here, this list might be helpful to you.
As long as a press/opportunity/journal is open to submissions we will continue to list it, so some of the content on the list is new, some overlaps with previous issues. This article is an ongoing collaborative effort by Emily Harstone and S. Kalekar. Please send us an email at support@authorspublish.com if you have any feedback or an opportunity/journal/publisher, to recommend.
Literary Journals/Magazines
Haven Speculative
They publish speculative fiction and poetry. They now have Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall submission periods. “Our submission cycle is split into four reading periods, each containing three parts: a month explicitly reserved for submissions by authors of color, members of LGBTQIA+ communities, and writers belonging to other underrepresented groups; a month open to general submissions, during which anyone may submit; and a month in which we’re closed to submissions so that we may do the difficult (and exciting!) work of choosing content for future issues.” Till 31 October 2025, they want submissions from underrepresented writers only; “authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups.” They also publish climate crisis focused Dry and Wet issues each year; scroll down on the guidelines page for these themes. They accept up to 6,000 words for fiction, up to 5 poems, and pay $0.08/word for fiction, $20/poem. Through November, they will be open to submissions by all writers. Details here and here.
Bloodletter Magazine
Bloodletter is a feminist horror magazine, and they want submissions on the Play theme. “At Bloodletter, the definition of horror is expansive, cooperative, and inclusive. We seek writing that pairs the personal with the analytical, exploring the theoretical underpinnings of the genre through an experiential perspective grounded in feminism. All forms of writing are welcome. Bloodletter is a digital magazine that is published biannually. Each issue is organized around a guiding theme, which contributors are encouraged to engage with, deconstruct, or reject.” And, “New and established writers of all disciplines who identify as women, trans, and/or non-binary are encouraged to submit”. Also, each issue is illustrated by one artist; “Each issue of Bloodletter is illustrated by one artist identifying as a woman, as trans, and/or as non-binary.” The featured artist gets $250 stipend. The deadline for this theme is 1 November 2025. Submit here.
FIYAH
They only accept submissions from Black writers of the African Diaspora. They want speculative fiction and poetry through October. Send fiction of 2,000-15,000 words, or poetry up to 1,000 words. They pay $0.08/word for fiction and $50 for poetry, the deadline is 1 November 2025. Submission is via a form.
In the Veins
Their website says they are “dedicated to publishing bold stories that push boundaries in Splatterpunk, horror, satire, and LGBTQ+ themes. We champion voices that explore the shadows of speculative fiction, fostering a community where dark imagination thrives and diverse narratives flourish. … We’re especially interested in the works of underrepresented groups: members of the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities, but we welcome all voices within the dark hard edged horror and satire communities.” They accept fiction (flash and short), poetry, articles, and art related to their genre.
The Matchstick
The Matchstick is Amnesty Canada’s arts & human rights magazine. They want submissions from across Canada, of literary (poetry, prose and vignettes, short stories, short dramas, essays) and visual arts, short films, music and more from young activists up to the age of 25. They will consider “all work connected to justice, human rights advocacy, and the power of activism. We especially encourage submissions that align with the following Human Rights Campaigns: Indigenous Rights, Refugee Rights, Women’s Human Rights Defenders, Indigenous Water and Land Defenders, Climate Justice, Anti-Black Racism and Corporate Accountability.” They pay CAD100. The deadline is 30 October 2025.
manywor(l)ds
They want work from those who identify with and as any of the following: trans, two-spirit, disabled, neurodivergent, Mad, queer, crip, nonbinary, genderqueer, intersex. “This is a space for the words, works, and worlds of and by those whose bodyminds defy social expectations and invite new ways of thinking and knowing. We do not need to know the specifics of your identity/diagnosis/experience unless you want us to. We invite closeted and questioning people to share their work, as well as those whose experiences fall outside the confines of the language we used above.” They pay $10. They are open for submissions during January, March, April, June, July, September, October, and December.
queerbeat: queer pop culture
Their website says, “queerbeat is an online magazine focused on deeply and accurately covering LGBTQIA+ persons in India.” They’ve issued a pitch call. “Have a queer pop culture hot take that will blow our minds? We want to hear from you. queerbeat is now looking for different pop culture stories—reviews, interviews, and features.” They pay INR10,000-40,000. The pitch deadline this theme is 20th October 2025. See the pitch call / thread here and their detailed pitch guide here. And, “We are giving preference to LGBTQIA+ journalists/writers.” Please remember to send pitches, not completed articles. Do not send fiction or poetry.
Nerve To Write
This new online literary journal publishes poetry, nonfiction, fiction, hybrid work, and art by disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent writers. Work does not need to focus solely on these subjects. They are open to submissions till November 1st or until they hit their submission cap.
The Fiddlehead
This established Canadian literary journal is doing a special call for their summer issue next year which is organized around the theme “Disability: The Revolution!“. They include these details “Revolution: from the old French revolution, originally referring to the motion of the stars. Later versions of the word in the 15th century played on this sense of cyclical revolving — in the changing of the seasons, but also — crucially — the revolving of the wheel. What does revolution look like from a disability standpoint? How do we remember that disabled writers just taking up space is revolutionary? How do we, as disabled writers, consider that question of the wheel and its many manifestations — literal, temporal, and symbolic? How do we celebrate it, remake, and open ourselves to the revolution, ongoing and future, that must usher in a more accessible world? ” They are open to submissions from all disabled writers on this theme and the issue will also have audio narration. The deadline for submissions is December 1st.
Strange Horizons: Indigenous Author Submissions
They will open for speculative fiction from Indigenous authors on 3rd November, and will close when they reach a submission cap. “On November 3rd, we will be opening for speculative fiction stories written by Indigenous authors. … When we say Indigenous authors, some examples include:
- Polynesian
- Inuit
- Indigenous People of North and South America
- African
- Greenlandic
- Jamaican
- Aboriginal people
This list is not comprehensive and we encourage and ask that authors submitting to this open call tell us in their cover letters the specificities of your identity(ies). The stories submitted do not have to be stories about or set within an Indigenous culture or feature characters from that culture, but they do have to be speculative fiction and written by Indigenous authors.
Once we reach the submission cap, we’ll close our portal while we work through the submissions.” They pay $0.10/word for fiction; they prefer works up to 5,000 words, and can accept submissions up to 10,000 words. See the announcement here and their fiction guidelines are here.
Lucky Jefferson: Bond
Lucky Jefferson publishes social change. For their upcoming print issue, they want submissions on the Bond theme. “In collaboration with currently incarcerated artist Juan Hernandez, Bond invites currently and previously incarcerated individuals, as well as those connected to them, to share creative works that explore the unconventional relationships shaped by incarceration. This could include connections to objects, communal ties, or bonds formed within the carceral system.
Participants—including friends, family, and pen pals—are encouraged to submit poetry, essays, comics, graphic art, and more to share stories that reveal the human need for connection.” Send prose up to 1,000 words. They pay $30. They are open until filled, for this theme. Details here and here (see the relevant category on Submittable).
Foglifter
Foglifter is a magazine created by and for LGBTQ writers and readers. They also reading for their print issue which closes for submissions on November 2nd. Learn the details about it here.
Girl Dinner Digest
This new publication is interested in publishing a wide range of work including poetry, flash fiction, flash nonfiction, micro-reviews. Everything they publish is on the shorter side of things. They say: “Our online magazine aims to highlight the voices of women, nonbinary, queer, and any other creators who resonate with girlhood. If you fall into that realm of identity, you can submit to our mag.”
My Galvanized Friend
This literary magazine is published biannually (summer/winter) and is focused on highlighting works from those identifying as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. They publish fiction, nonfiction, and essays between 500 and 3,500 words as well as works of poetry and original works of art by queer artists across the United States. They accept submissions year round but typically review and consider work in the month prior to each publication. It is part of a non-profit focused on the LGBTQIA+ community. They want submissions on the theme, Centering Joy, and they pay $10-25. The deadline is 31 October 2025.
CVNT
A new journal that declares they exist “for the solicitation, exhibition, advancement, & support of transfeminine writers”. Submissions are restricted to transfeminine people, binary trans women, & genderqueer folks. They accept submissions of poetry, fiction, & creative nonfiction on a rolling basis.
Gasp Magazine
I’m not linking to this publication in the title, because their website is not safe for work as they are a publisher of adult work. Please do not click on this link unless you are 18+/ They focus on sharing a multifaceted discussions on sexuality, eroticism, and queerness. They are interested in essays, interviews, research articles, creative writing, poetry, artistic illustrations, and photography (with additional rules) that reflect upon sex or the absence thereof in one way or another.
The Saartjie Journal
This new journal is only open to writing and visual art by Black women artists and writers. They accept submissions of previously unpublished original poems, short stories, and visual art.
Mande
This is a journal of bipolar talent. “Mande is always open to submissions from bipolar creatives on any topic. While I appreciate the long shadows bipolar throws, I’m particularly interested at the moment in its high points, in any joy or positive elements you find in bipolar. We also publish work by people familiar with bipolar, as long as it’s directly related to manic depression.” They pay for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art. They pay $50-250.
Midwest Weird
This is an audio literary magazine, seeking submissions of weird fiction or nonfiction from Midwestern authors, with a particular interest in underrepresented communities.
Cripple Punk Mag
This Substack publishes “essays, criticism, news and reviews, literary nonfiction, fiction, rants and raves, comics, and hybrid works on the subject of disability and live music, especially within the context of punk, alternative, and DIY music.” They also have an annual print anthology. Payment starts at $10 and is dependent on length and sliding scale based on need. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. Previously published work is allowed, and work should be between 300 and 1000 words in length.
The West Trestle Review
This respected journal is only open to submissions previously unpublished poetry and art by creators around the globe who self-identify as women or as non-binary. They are always open to free submissions by BIPOC writers who self-identify as women or as non-binary, and you can see those guidelines here.
Woodsqueer
This new literary journal describes their focus by stating “At Woodsqueer, we view nature as inherently “queer.” It’s queer to care about the fate of our natural world, to possess this liminal space, and to make a dwelling of your own there. While we are especially interested in the voices of underrepresented artists, we are looking for any writer who thinks their work to be queer within our natural world.” They accept poetry, fiction, and essays as well as art and photography. They are open to previously published work as long as the author is upfront about the work being a reprint.
Decolonial Passage
According to their website they “publish writing from writers of all backgrounds regardless of race, origin, or gender while simultaneously centering African, African American, and Black Diaspora writing.” Their mission statement goes into more details about this. They are open on a rolling basis to essays, creative nonfiction, short stories, and flash fiction. They are open to poetry only during the months of January, March, May, July, September or November.
AC|DC
They publish short stories and creative nonfiction by LGBTQIA+ authors. They are currently open to submissions.
Magnets and Ladders
They publish the work of disabled writers in two issues a year.
DisLit Youth Magazine
They only publish work by writers 14-22, and they primarily publish disabled writers.
AURORE
This publications tagline is “a curated collection of erotic stories written by and for women and LGBTQ+ based on their own experiences”. Because it is a NSFW site, the link to get to it is here, instead of the title, please only click on it if you are 18+ They publish nonfiction erotica and their website is NSFW, please do not visit it if you are under 18.
Heaven Magazine
They are interested in publishing fiction, creative non fiction, flash, and poetry by all underrepresented creators.
Sinister Wisdom
A multicultural lesbian literary & art journal. Founded in 1976, this literary journal is always open to submissions.
Saffron City Press
Saffron City Press is an online literary journal dedicated to amplifying the voices of Middle Eastern and Middle Eastern-American writers.
Plentitude
They want submissions from LGBTQ2S+ writers only; their Submittable has separate submission slots for Canadian and international writers (international submissions reopened on the 1st October for fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction). Every genre has a monthly submission cap. Pay is CAD60 per poem, CAD125 per prose contribution (fiction and creative nonfiction), CAD100 for book reviews and Genre Bender (hybrid) submissions. Details here and here.
Arcanum Magazine
Arcanum Magazine is a digital and print magazine for creative writing, visual art, cultural criticism, and journalism by and for the Black diaspora. They are a paying market that is open on a rolling basis to creative writing, cultural criticism, news, and journalism, as well as visual art.
Bookish Brews
They describe themselves as a “book blog and a celebration of diverse books and authors (with a side of your favorite brew)”. They prioritize BIPOC writers but are open to submissions from other historically underrepresented groups also. They publish nonfiction, craft, and lifestyle essays as well as book reviews.
The Kalahari Review
A weekly African literary magazine interested in material exploring modern Africa and Africans in unique and avant-garde ways. They publish their work on Medium.
Transition
Born in Africa and bred in the diaspora, Transition is a publication of the Hutchins Center at Harvard University, published three times annually. Transition publishes writing by and about Africa and the African diaspora, with an eye towards a global perspective. They accept submissions year-round on a rolling basis, and generally respond to submissions within four months.
Lavender Review
An international, biannual e-zine published in June and December, they are open to submissions of poetry and art by, about, and for lesbians (including whatever LGBTQ might appeal to a lesbian readership). Submissions are open year round.
Ricepaper
This publication offers Asian Canadian context to ongoing arts and cultural issues, new perspectives on emerging and established Asian Canadian artists, and challenges mainstream media perspectives, little-known facts of interest, or critical stories that haven’t been told elsewhere. They are open to submissions from Asian writers around the globe as long as the editors can see a link between the content and some aspect of the Asian Canadian experience.
Raising Mothers
Raising Mothers celebrates and centers the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and Brown parents. Some sections have reading periods; columns are open year-round. Guidelines are here.
African Writer
They are open to all genres of literature from Africa and the African Diaspora. They do not allow simultaneous submissions.
Afritondo
According to their website, “Afritondo is a media and publishing platform that aims to connect with and tell the stories of Africans and black minority populations across the globe.” They accept a wide range of work, including manuscript-length work.
Brittle Paper
Brittle Paper is an online literary magazine for readers of African Literature. They accept the following: “fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, book reviews, essays, literary commentaries, fun listicles, and any writing with a literary bent”.
Torch Literary Arts
Torch Literary Arts is a nonprofit organization. They publish and promote creative writing by Black women only; you can read more about them here. They publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers. “We are interested in work that challenges and disrupts preconceived notions of what Black women’s contemporary writing should be.” General submissions are accepted for Friday Features only, in which they publish fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and drama (including that accompanied by video or dramatic audio). Send up to 3,500 for prose works, up to 10 pages for drama, or up to 5 poems. Pay is $150. Submissions are accepted on an ongoing basis; you can submit here.
Tagg Magazine
Tagg is a US-based queer women’s publication. Their website has several themes they accept articles on, including personal essays, listicles, dating advice and fashion-related content. Articles are 350-1,000 words long and pay $75-175. They welcome pitches for article ideas. See the pitch guide for contributors here.
Bi Women Quarterly
BWQ features the voices of women “with bi+ sexualities (i.e., bi, pan, fluid, and other non-binary sexualities)” and they see “woman” as a broad category and welcome contributions those who identify as trans, non-binary, cis, etc. They publish articles, creative writing, musings, and more.
KOENING ZINE
They publish art, fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction submissions primarily by Asians, but they are open to submissions from non-Asians. Their uniting theme is Asian Folklore. Submitters must be over 18.
POETRY SANGO-OTA
We only usually include journals currently open to submissions, but this list is always published on the third Thursday of a given month, and this journal is only open to submissions through the 1st to the 10th of each month, so we are listing it and encouraging you to set a calendar alert for when it reopens on the 1st of the next month. “We are interested in poems with a keen connection to a sense of place, nature, or otherworldly geographies.” They only publish African poets, and pay N2,500 per poem.
The Gay & Lesbian Review
The Gay & Lesbian Review is a bimonthly magazine of history, culture, and politics targeting an educated readership of LGBT people, and their allies that publishes themed features (2,000-4,000 words), reviews, interviews, and departments. They have announced a couple of themed calls, and they also invite suggestions for future themes.
- Forgotten History: From a Civil War bromance to a lesbian prison riot
- The Kink Issue: Alternative sexualities
- Ethnographic Journeys: LGBT lives in premodern cultures
Writers can send proposals or complete pieces. They pay for features ($250) and full-length book reviews ($100).
The Acentos Review
The Acentos Review publishes writing, art, music and multigenre work by Latinx writers. They are open to submissions all year long. Details here.
Craft
This respected literary journal is open to creative work from authors of all backgrounds, but they offer free submissions + fast response times to BIPOC and other mis- and underrepresented writers, here. Craft pays $100 for flash and $200 for short fiction and creative nonfiction.
Aloka
They want work by non-native English speakers only – poetry, translations, fiction, and hybrid work. Send up to 5 poems, or up to 2 prose pieces, up to 2,500 words each.
The Lighthouse / Black Girl Times
The tagline of The Lighthouse is, “Cultivating spaces of solidarity and safety for southern Black girls to shine through focused programming and research.” They have an extensive guide for pitching articles, including “We … are always looking for thought-provoking stories and other content from marginalized communities, Black girls, (in particular, but not exclusively) and gender non-conforming people. In addition to story and long-form story pitches and op-eds, they accept photography and original artwork for their online blogging platform, The Black Girl Times, and their monthly newsletter, The Black Girl Times Redux. Also, “Each month, we have an editorial theme board (kind of like the mood boards interior designers use) we post on our social media accounts (@luvblkgrls). The theme board is intended to be an inspiration and provocation of thoughts, ideas and feelings. Your response(s) can be literal or abstract and loose. And again, it might not have anything to do with anything we’ve seen.” Pay is $0.25-$1/word. Pay for art (graphic design, cartoons and photo essays) is $150-1,000.
Screen Door Review
They only publish work by individuals who are Southern and queer. You can learn more about how they define Southern here. They publish flash fiction and poetry.
Emergent Literary
An exciting new literary journal that accepts a wide range of submissions from Black and Brown authors.
Presses/Anthologies
C Magazine: Indigenous Art Writing Award
C Magazine is Canada-based and publishes work on art. This prize is open to Indigenous writers all over the world, for art writing. “We’re excited to launch the 4th annual Indigenous Art Writing Award, an initiative created to support, compensate, and platform three standout individuals who are advancing critical and creative thought about Indigenous contemporary art.
Indigenous writers are invited to submit a single non-fiction text about an artist, project, exhibition, performance, event, initiative, theme, or other art-adjacent subject. Suggested length for submissions is between 1,000-2,000 words.
The winner will receive $1,500 CAD; editorial support to prepare their article for publication in a future issue of C Magazine and to be shared across ICCA’s platforms; and a two-year C subscription. Two runners-up will receive $1,000 CAD; an open invitation to develop a pitch for a different text to be published in C Magazine; and a two-year subscription. All participants can request feedback on their submitted work, and will receive a one-year subscription.
Applicants must identify as an Indigenous person. Given the resonances of Indigenous sovereignty and colonial realities across the globe, there are no geographical restrictions, though for the context of where we are located, we strongly encourage those based in Canada to apply. Submissions should primarily be in English, but may include non-English words or phrases. For submissions entirely in another language, we kindly ask for translations.” The submission deadline is 24th November 2025. (See all of C Magazine’s calls here.)
The African Poetry Book Fund: Evaristo Prize for African Poetry
The African Poetry Book Fund (APBF) runs writing contests, and the deadline for the Evaristo Prize is in November. The Evaristo Prize for African Poetry was formerly called the Brunel International African Poetry Prize. It is for poets born in Africa, or who are nationals of an African country, or whose parents are African, and who have not yet had a full-length poetry book published (self-published poetry books, chapbooks, and pamphlets are exempt). These poems, though, may have already been published. Writers need to submit 10 poems exactly, of up to 40 lines each. Only poems written in English can be considered, but they accept poems in translation too. In the case that the winning work is translated, a percentage of the prize money would be awarded to the translator. Submission has to be via Submittable. The prize is £1,500, and the deadline is 1 November 2025. Details here (guidelines).
(APBG is also open for the Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets, deadline 1 December 2025, see here and here.)
Drinking Gourd Chapbook Prize
This is a prize for a poetry chapbook of 25-35 pages. It is for poets of color with US citizenship who have not previously published a book-length volume of poetry (inclusive of chapbooks). Apart from a cash prize, winner also gets publication by Northwestern University Press and fifteen copies of the book. The prize is $500 and the deadline is 31 October 2025. Details here and here (download the entry form).
The Society of Authors: The Betty Trask Prize
This is for UK, Ireland, or Commonwealth (see guidelines) based writers under 35, for a debut novel. Writers can enter a published or self-published book or an unpublished manuscript which must be in a traditional or romantic, and not experimental, style. The award is £10,000 for the winner, and a fund of £16,200 will be divided equally between shortlisted authors. The deadline is 31 October 2025.
Manasa Lit Prize
This is a novel writing prize for women of Indian origin. There are two prizes, in the YA (writers ages 16-25) and adult (writers aged 26 and above) categories. One winner in each category will get a prize of INR100,000 and have their book published. Up to 5 shortlisted books will also be published. Writers who have more than 1 book published are not allowed to participate. Manuscripts should be between 40,000 to 80,000 words. The submission deadline is 31 October 2025.
Little Key Press: Clocks
This is a fiction anthology, and the theme is Clocks. The editor wants “dark fiction, speculative fiction, near sci-fi, strange, wondrous” stories. They have detailed guidelines. For all writers, submissions close when a cap is reached, however, for disabled writers, there is no cap, and submissions close on the deadline, i.e. 1st November 2025. They pay $40 for stories of 3,000-5,000 words.
Àrokò Anthology No.1: Folklore From Africa & The Diaspora
“This anthology is a space for self-identified writers from the African continent and the African diaspora.” They have detailed guidelines, including, “We invite fiction that breathes new life into folklore from Africa and the African Diaspora. Send us stories that draw from folktales, myths, fables, legends, and folkloric figures—whether reimagined, adapted, or wholly invented. We want spirits and tricksters: Anansi and Pomba Gira, Papa Legba and Tokoloshe, La Diablesse and the Soucouyant, Nommo and the Boo Hag. Ancestral whispers in the form of abiku children, duppies, and the lwa. Folklore that remembers and reinvents itself across oceans: hybrid monsters, sacred rivers, haunted crossroads, and living landscapes where the mythic walks alongside the everyday.
We welcome stories rooted in history as much as those that look toward the present and the future. From the epics and oral traditions to colonial-era hauntings and resistance myths, folklore is a living archive, passed down and transformed across generations.” Send stories of 2,000-7,000 words. All proceeds from the anthology will be donated to support survivors of the Darfuri genocide. Payment is a contributor copy. The deadline is 31 December 2025.
Hub City Press
This established and respected press seeks “new and extraordinary voices from the American South who have written well-crafted, high-quality works.” They say this as part of their submission guidelines “Hub City Press is eager to engage with work by writers from historically underrepresented communities, including—but not limited to—those who are Black; Indigenous; Latino, Asian, and Arab American; from immigrant backgrounds; disabled; neurodivergent; trans and LGBTQ+; debuting after 40; and without an MFA.” They are open to submissions of Debut and second novels from the 17th of October through the 19th.
They are also open now for The Deep Line Poetry Series (formerly the BIPOC Poetry Series) which spotlights poetry by writers working in the American South, writing about and from BIPOC communities; it is for a poetry manuscript and the deadline is 31st October. One manuscript will receive publication and $2,000.
Eldredge Books: Fashionably Late 2 Anthology
They are accepting nonfiction submissions for the second volume of Fashionably Late, a nonfiction anthology featuring LQBTQIA+ people who came out later in life. “We want to hear about the challenges and joys you faced as part of your journey.” Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): Coming out during the pandemic; Breaking free of gender norms; Finding your place in the LGBTQIA+ community; Coming out in a conservative environment; Redefining relationships with your family; and more. Submissions are open to all LGBTQIA+ writers who came out later in life (generally defined as after the age of thirty). They pay $50 for works up to 5,000 words. The deadline is 28 November 2025.
Tenebrous Press
Tenebrous Press is a publisher of “New Weird Horror, and New weird SF&F, and other dark and strange genre mashups.” Tenebrous is currently open to submissions of novellas, novels, collections, gamebooks, graphic novels, mixed projects, nonfiction, and “weird unknown other things” only from people of color during September and October. In November and December they will be open to submissions from all authors.
Inlandia Institute: Minding Our Business – A Blacklandia Anthology on Mental Health and Healing
They are open to submissions from Black authors only. They are open to poems, short stories, creative nonfiction, essays, one act plays and art. They are seeking “well-written work that describes the impact of mental conditions, the inner and outer conflicts they create, and the need for healing.” They close to submissions on October 31, 2025.
Moonstone Arts Center: S/He Speaks 4: Voices of Women, Trans, & Nonbinary Folx
They are open to essays, poems, and stories from Women, Trans and Nonbinary Folx. They go on to say “Because so much negative policy change has occurred on these issues in recent months, we are especially interested this year in poems and essays that pertain to writers’ personal response to current gender politics.” They include specific information about those policy changes that they hope might inspire or affect an authors writing. It’s not a requirement, but an invitation to write about these topics. You can read more about the specific policies mentioned here. They close to submissions on January 5th, 2026. Most of their other opportunities for publication have a fee attached.
Abode Press
This anti-racist Texas based press is open to submissions through November 30th. They are seeking poetry chapbooks up to 30 pages in length and hybrid and prose chapbooks up to 60 pages in length. They are currently only open to US-based authors and they offer a $200 advance for accepted works. They charge fees for all authors except for Black and Indigenous authors who can submit for free via this submission portal..
Flame Tree: Africanfuturism Anthology
This is part of their Gothic Fantasy series. Their guidelines say, “we open submissions for Africanfuturism Short Stories.
This is Africa, based in Kenya, defines Africanfuturism as located in “the African point of view, experience, culture, themes, and history with technology based in Africa”. So, we’re expecting stories from Black African, African-diaspora, African–descent writers. And please note the difference between this Africanfuturism title and Afrofuturism. The latter typically includes stories centred on the Black experience in the West. Whereas, for this open submission call, the stories should be set in and about Africa – whether that’s a future Africa, an alternative Africa or a parallel Africa, the choice is yours. The genre implies a lean towards science fiction rather than fantasy, and towards positive scenarios and concepts, but of course is open to interpretation: the publication of these two books offers a dialogue that explores tradition and influence, and fresh insights both about our past, and visions of our future.” They want stories of 2,000-4,000 words. They also accept reprints. They pay $0.08/word for originals. The deadline is 2 November 2025.
(Flame Tree also has other anthologies open for submissions, with varying the themes, requirements, and deadlines; they usually announce all their anthology calls on this page.)
Rebel Satori Press: Queer Space
Rebel Satori Press is open to submissions for their new imprint Queer Space from now through October 31st. The new imprint is open to submissions of “queer positive science fiction right on the bleeding edge of what is possible. We’re looking for all subgenres of speculative fiction involving LGBTQ+ characters written by LGBTQ+ authors, including but not limited to: sci-fi, interstitial, slipstream, horror, and supernatural fictional manuscripts.” They are not interested in erotica. They will only consider book-length work.
aunt lute
A multicultural women’s press. Their priority is to publish work by women, both transgender and cisgender, particularly women of color. We have reviewed them here.
Balestier Press
They are committed to promoting diversity in publishing, with a particular focus on Asia. They accept submissions of a wide variety of creative works including fiction, poetry, short stories, graphic novels, creative nonfiction, memoirs. They are also open to works in translation. Assume rejection if you have not heard from them after three months.
Little Puss Press
A feminist press run by trans women. They are open to general submissions of fiction and non-fiction manuscripts. They are also open to reprint proposals of literary/historical works of significance by transgender authors. They have good distribution, excellent press, and have already published work that has won a major award.
Palimpsest Press
A small press specializing in poetry and other literary works, they only publish Canadian authors. They are open to submissions from authors who identify as BIPOC, Deaf, or Disabled, all year round. Learn more here.
Arte Público Press
They focus on publishing literary work by “Hispanic writers”, and they publish work in both English and Spanish, but primarily focus on English work. They also have bilingual children’s and YA book imprint, Piñata Books.
Phoenix
Phoenix is a new speculative imprint launched by Nigerian publisher Ouida Books in collaboration with Nnedi Okorafor and Lọlá Shónẹ́yìn. Phoenix is dedicated to publishing African speculative fiction and fantasy (Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism). You can learn more about it here.
The Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series
This opportunity, from Black Lawrence Press, is for immigrants living in the US – for manuscripts of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and hybrid writing. “Poets and authors, at any stage of their careers, who identify as immigrants are welcome to submit a book manuscript of poetry or prose or a hybrid text for consideration. Submissions are accepted year-round. However, selections are made in June and November for a total of two books per year. In addition to publication, marketing, and a standard royalties contract from Black Lawrence Press, authors chosen for the Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series will receive a travel stipend of $500, which can be used for book tours or in any manner chosen by the authors.”
North Dakota State University Press: Contemporary Voices of Indigenous Peoples Series
The goal of this series to feature the authentic stories, poetry, and scholarly works of Native Americans, First Nations, Maori, Aborigines, Indians, and more to give voice to contemporary Indigenous peoples. NDSU Press considers book-length manuscripts of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for publication in this series.
Random House Canada
The Canadian arm of Random House changed their submission policy have opened their policy exclusively to LGBTQIA2S+ and BIPOC writers, as well as those from other traditionally underrepresented communities. They are particularly looking for “High quality commercial fiction in the following genres: literary, romance, speculative fiction, historical fiction, and mystery. Please note that we do not currently accept screenplays, stage plays, young adult fiction, children’s fiction, or picture book queries. All non-fiction submissions must be submitted via a literary agent.” They are open to submissions internationally, this is not limited to Canadians.
Tundra Books, Puffin Canada, Penguin Teen Canada
These children and teen focused Canadian imprints are open to direct submissions by underrepresented authors and illustrators only. Authors need not be Canadian.
Monsoon Books
This respected press accepts unsolicited manuscripts with Asian, particularly Southeast Asian, themes.
Arsenal Pulp Press
A Canadian independent press that publishes a wide variety of work, prioritizes work by LGBTQ+ and BIPOC authors. We have reviewed them here.
Lily
A small poetry press that publishes work of varying length. Submitting shorter work is free for everyone, but submitting poetry manuscripts is free only for poets who identify as Black. They are always open to these submissions.
Angry Robot
A great science fiction publisher that only accepts direct submissions from Black authors.
Heartdrum
Heartdrum is an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, which is edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, and is in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. Native and First Nations writers and writer-illustrators are welcome to query her directly via a form on her website. Native and First Nations illustrators are also invited to reach out.
Opportunities/Support/Contests
Arachne Press: UP//Roar: Poems of Queer Resistance
They are only open to submissions from UK and Republic of Ireland based poets who identify as Queer. They want the anthology to be by Queer writers and for Queer readers. They have a whole list of prompts/themes within the theme of Queer Resistance as part of their submission guidelines. Submissions are open until 1 November 2025. They are still fundraising for this book, but have run successful fundraisers in the past.
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize
This is a contest for writers from the Commonwealth, see the list of eligible countries here – send a piece of unpublished short fiction, in any genre, of 2,000-5,000 words. They take entries in several languages apart from English, as well as translated stories. The top prize is £5,000, regional prizes are £2,500. The deadline is the 1st of November 2025.
Foglifter: Print Production Manager
Foglifter is a magazine created by and for LGBTQ writers and readers. This is a volunteer position with a $5,000 honorarium per year. Residence is the San Francisco Bay Area is not required, but would be ideal. Multi-marginalized individuals are encouraged to apply. The estimated time commitment for this role is 2–4 hrs per week during non-production times, and 8–10 hrs during production times. Details about what the role involves are here.
(Foglifter is also reading for their Start a Riot! Chapbook prize, which you can learn more about here, but it is only open to QTBIPOC+ literary artists that currently reside in the larger San Francisco Bay Area, that have never published a full length book before. The deadline for this contest is December 2nd.)
Perguia Press: Peruguia Press Prize
Their annual contest is open to submissions until November 15th for full-length poetry manuscripts by women, inclusive of gender-expansive identities, who have no more than one previously published full-length book. They waive fees for all BIWOC authors. The winner receives book publication and a $2,000 prize, among other things. The full details are on their website.
IHRAM: African Human Rights Spoken Words Contest
This is a contest from International Human Rights Art Movement (IHRAM), and is open to writers/poets across the world but must address but must address human rights issues in Africa. They have detailed guidelines, including, “The contest aims to bring together poets, artists, and activists from across the African continent to creatively express their thoughts and perspectives on critical matters such as social justice, climate change, women’s empowerment, immigration, human trafficking, police brutality, and violence against women.” Upload a 1-minute video of yourself reciting your original poem of not less than 20MB. You can also perform your poem in sign language. Prizes are $100, $75, and $50, and the deadline is 31 October 2025. Winning works will be showcased at the International Human Rights Art Festival, which will happen in December 2025, in New York City.
Princeton University Press: Global Equity Grants
These grants are for authors of underrepresented groups to support the preparation of works that is already under contract, in production, or published within the last 12 months. Grants range from $500 to $1,000. The grants can be used to cover a wide range of supports including parental/family care, and translation. More details at the source. Applications are considered on a rolling basis.
The Writing Barn Scholarship
The Writing Barn has a small but budding scholarship program available for our programming. Scholarships are awarded on the following criteria: seriousness of purpose, talent and financial need. They also offer specific Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity scholarships for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Neurodiverse writers, and writers with disabilities.
Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2024 Guide to Manuscript Publishers. She regularly teaches three acclaimed courses on writing and publishing at The Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish. You can follow her on Facebook here.
