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
Hybris Press: Otherside
Otherside is a new magazine that accepts speculative fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art by 2SLGBTQIA+ creators only. You can read about them here. They are open for original fiction and poetry submissions only from BIPOC, trans, and/or disabled authors who are 2SLGBTQIA+ from 15th till 21st January. They are open for nonfiction on an ongoing basis. Their first issue will be published in March 2026. Send 500-4,000 words for original fiction, up to 3 poems, up to 4,000 words for nonfiction (prefers up to 2,000 words). They pay $0.08/word for fiction, $50/poem, $100 for nonfiction. Details here (click on each genre’s tab for detailed guidelines) and here. They do not accept work from writers who do not identify as 2SLGBTQIA+.
FIYAH
They are open for unthemed Black speculative fiction and poetry through January. They feature stories by and about Black people of the African Diaspora. This definition is globally inclusive (Black anywhere in the world) and also applies to mixed/biracial and Afro-appended people. Length guidelines are: short fiction 2,000 – 7,000 words and novelettes up to 15,000 words; up to 1,000 words for poetry. They pay $0.08/word for fiction, $50 for poetry. The deadline is 31 January 2026.
Haven Speculative
They publish speculative fiction and poetry. They 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 January 2026, 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 5,000 words for fiction, up to 5 poems, and pay $0.08/word for fiction, $20/poem. In February, they will be open to submissions by all writers. Details here and here.
Nightmare
They publish horror and dark fantasy. They will soon open for submissions, for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry – they have a special submission period for BIPOC writers only, from 19th to 25th January, and will open for submissions from all writers from 25th to 31st January. They pay $0.08/word for fiction, and $40 for The Horror Lab nonfiction and poetry; details here and here.
Splinter Journal
This Australian journal accepts works from around the world. They have detailed guidelines, including, “We are always looking for writing that picks apart all the ways reality has been shattered, illuminates the shining threads of it that remain unbroken, and hints at the ways we’ll start putting it all back together.” They accept submissions of fiction, memoir, and poetry. They only accept pitches (not completed submissions) of essays, writing about writing, criticism, and profiles. They’re reading for Issue 5. “While we don’t want writers to feel limited by the below list, these are some themes and voices we are particularly interested in for issue five:
Regional First Nations voices
Housing and homelessness
The climate crisis (and its more optimistic cousin climate justice)
The fate of progressive politics (if it exists?) in so-called Australia
Literary criticism that engages with the above themes
You don’t need to address these themes directly in your writing, but please prioritise submitting work that brushes up against these prompts.” And regarding poetry, they say, “We will accept three stand-alone poems per writer, or one collection comprising up to four poems.” They also accept translations. They pay AUD900 for fiction, essays, and profiles, AUD700 for criticism, AUD600 for memoir, AUD500 for writing about writing, AUD250/poem or AUD450/collection; deadline 19 January 2026 at 11:59pm(Australian Central Daylight Time); details here and here.
Alpennia: Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast
This is a fiction podcast series on lesbian-relevant themes, and it is open for all writers. They have detailed guidelines, including, “Stories must be set in an actual historic culture–i.e., a specific time and place in history–and the plot and characters should be firmly rooted in that time and place. (No time-travel or past memories, please.) Stories may include fantastic elements that are appropriate to the historic setting. …Stories must be set before 1900. We’d love to see stories that reach beyond the popular settings of 19th century America and England unless you do something new and interesting in them. … Romance is optional, and romance stories should have some other significant plot element in addition to the romance.” They also say, “We will be publishing four stories. (If we get some really great flash fiction, there’s the possibility of doubling up if the total meets the word count limit.)” They pay $0.08/word for stories up to 5,000 words, and the deadline is 31 January 2026.
Ubwali Literary Magazine
Zambian artists living anywhere in the world may submit during all submission periods (January, May, and July). Non-Zambian artists – African artists living in Africa and only African artists living in Africa may submit in January of every year. They publish short stories, essays, visual art (including photography), and poems. Poetry and Prose must be in English but may contain Zambian languages. Poems may be in English/and or Bemba, Nyanja, Lozi, Tonga, Luvale, Lunda, and Kaonde or a combination of English and any Zambian language. Length guidelines are 3,000-6,000 words for fiction, up to 3,000 words for essays or 1-3 poems. They pay $10. Submit here.
The Belladonna
They publish only work from women, non-binary, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming authors. They publish satire and other humour focused pieces, but they are not interested in satirical news stories.
East Jasmine Review
East Jasmine Review is an electronic literary magazine that publishes quality fiction, nonfiction, poetry, articles and reviews. They don’t have strict rules around who can submit but they state “Our first goal is to publish diverse voices that may not have mainstream access or traditional access to publishing. This includes but is not limited to LGBTQIA, ethnic minorities, women, lower socio-economic status, those who are older or younger, religious minorities, and non-American persons”.
Bipolar Poetry
This not-for-profit online publication publishes original poetry by people who have been diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder.
The B’K Magazine
This art and literature magazine prioritizes and pays traditionally marginalized creators, but they are open to submissions from all. They have very in-depth and detailed submission guidelines that everyone should read carefully before submitting.
t’Art
This UK based organization wants to make space “for voices who don’t get as much space as everybody else”. They are a queer and trans-led collective, but they welcome work from everyone, while prioritizing underrepresented voices including LGBTQIA+ voices and voices of colour. Their online magazine is always open for submissions and they allow submissions of poetry, short films, music videos, recordings of live shows, audio tracks, animation, design and visual art collections.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 February, June, and October; and for prose, only during April, May, August, and December.
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. The Gender Bender section is only open to Canadian writers. 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. The submission deadline for international writers is end-April, and for Canadian writers, it is end-May 2026. Details here and here.
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. 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. See their call for 2026 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.
- Victorian Kings and Queens: Queer culture in the 19th century
- Homo Litterarius: Iconic LGBT figures in literatur
- Sex in Public: From bathhouses to “cottaging”
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
Scylla Publishing: Who Am I? A Sapphic Spec Fic Anthology of Identity and Purpose
This is a fiction anthology. “This anthology aims to explore sapphic identity and purpose through the lens of fantasy and speculative fiction. Give us your adventure, introspection, daring, romance, or conflict!
Put simply, being sapphic is not all we are, but it does play a role in who we are and the choices we make. Same with our characters. We’re looking for stories that give sapphic characters something amazing to do while remaining visibly and proudly queer.” Please see their detailed guidelines, including about hard sells. And, “Authors must be female identifying or non-binary.
We will be stating in our marketing that all contributors are sapphic/wlw. If you are uncomfortable with this, please do not submit, or use a pen name to submit.” They also accept reprints and translations. Stories must be between 2,000 and 5,000 words. They pay $0.10 (AUD) per word, with a maximum payment of $400 (AUD) per story. “An additional $50 (AUD) per story will be offered if your story is to be used in whole or in part in the email/social marketing campaigns for the anthology.” The submission deadline is 28 February 2026 (5pm AEDT); you can submit via Duosuma, or a submission form on their website.
FurPlanet Productions: Claw Vol 2
This is a furry fiction anthology. “The F/F erotic furry anthology returns, rejoining the ROAR and FANG anthologies. CLAW! seeks to showcase the sapphic works of women and nonbinary authors, and is fully trans-inclusive.
The theme for the second volume will be “Women In Power.” We will be accepting a wide variety of submissions that play with this theme across multiple genres. This will be a mature audience short story collection. While erotica is preferred, sex is not required.” They pay half a cent per word for stories of 4,000 to 10,000 words, and the deadline is 30 April 2026.
Sundress Publications
Sundress Publications is open for submissions of full-length prose manuscripts in all genres from now through February 28th, 2026. They are particularly interested in prose collections that value genre hybridization, especially speculative memoir; strange or fractured narratives; flash fiction; experimental work; or work with strong attention to lyricism and language. These collections may be short stories, novellas, essays, memoir, or a mixture thereof. They waive the reading fee that they charge for all writers of color and entrants who purchase or pre-order any Sundress title.
Polyphony Lit: The Queer Issue Is Now
This is a creative anthology of young LGBTQ+ writers and is a part of the It Gets Better Changemakers grant. They call it an anthology on submittable but also make reference to a contest, which is a little confusing. Submissions will remain open until January 31st “or until we reach our submission cap of 130 submissions”. They are open to fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction submissions from LGBTQIA+ high school students.
The University Of Arkansas Press
The University of Arkansas Press accepts unsolicited proposals for scholarly and trade books on topics related the African American history and culture. You can visit their website here to see the titles they’ve previously published.
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.
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.
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
Poetry Northwest: James Welch Prize for Indigenous Writers
This is a poetry prize for Indigenous writers in the US – “new, emerging, and established poets who are community-recognized members of tribal nations within the United States and its trust territories (including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Chamorros, and American Samoans). Only poets who have not published more than one book-length collection are eligible; however, previous publication is not a requirement.” And, “Eligible contestants must be community-recognized members of their tribal nation. Formal tribal enrollment is not the only way of acknowledging belonging, and this prize aims to recognize all Native writers who are in community.” Submit up to three poems. Apart from cash prizes, two poets will also be invited to read at a literary venue.
The award is $1,000 each (Kickstarter-funded for the next few years – see here.) The deadline is 15 February 2026; details here (scroll down), here, and here.
Speculative Literature Foundation: A. C. Bose Grant
This grant supports South Asian or South Asian diaspora writers developing speculative fiction. Work that is accessible to older children and teens will be given preference. “This grant, as with all SLF grants, is intended to help writers working with speculative literature. Speculative literature spans the breadth of fantastic writing, encompassing literature ranging from hard science fiction to epic fantasy, including ghost stories, horror, folk and fairy tales, slipstream, magical realism, and more. Any piece of literature containing a fabulist or speculative element would fall under our aegis.” A writing sample of up to 5,000 words is part of the application. Applicants need not have prior publishing credits to apply. In 2026, the award has increased to $1,500, and the deadline to apply is 31 January 2026. Details here and here; the schedule for their other upcoming grants is here.
Biographers International Organization: The Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship
They offer two fellowships, of $5,000 each; open to all biographers anywhere in the world who are writing in English, who are working on a biography of an African American figure or figures whose story provides a significant contribution to our understanding of the Black experience, and who are at any stage in the writing of a book-length biography. A publishing contract is not required for eligibility. Memoirs are not eligible. An excerpt of up to 20 pages is part of the application, which is via a form on their website. The Biographers International Organization also has other awards (some of which are open for all writers), as well as other resources. The deadline to apply is 1 February 2026.
The Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA)
SAFTA is accepting applications now through February 1st, 2026 for short-term artists’ writing residencies for creatives and academics. There is a cost attached to most residencies but they have three full fellowships for Summer 2026. The SmokeLong Quarterly Fellowship for Trans Writer, the Black and/or Indigenous Writers Fellowship and the Fellowship for Writers of Color (there is a secondary partial fellowship for this opportunity. Black and/or Indigenous identifying writers are also invited to apply for a $350 support grant to help cover the costs of food, travel, childcare, and/or any other needs while they are at the residency. The application fee is waived for all writers of color as well as any writer applying for financial need. Additional details and context are listed on their website.
Indigenous Voices Award
The Indigenous Voices Awards “aim to support Indigenous literary production in its diversity and complexity. The awards honour the sovereignty of Indigenous creative voices and reject cultural appropriation. ” The award amount varies each year based on amount of money available in the Trust Fund, as well as other factors. These awards are open to Indigenous writers who have published no books at all, or three “or fewer” books and are residents of Canada. They will close to submissions on Friday, February 15, 2026, Pacific Time. For work to be eligible it must either be unpublished fiction, or published work that “either appeared on the market between January 1st and December 31st of the year in question or bears an official publication date between January 1st and December 31st of the year in question”. You can learn more details about eligibility here.
The Caine Prize for African Writing
This prize is also called the African Booker. It is for published short stories, written by an African writers (who is a national of an African country, or who has a parent who is African by birth or nationality). They have detailed guidelines, including, “The story must have been published in the five years preceding the submissions deadline. For 2026 eligibility, the judges will only consider work published between 27th February 2021 and 27th February 2026.
Entries must be between 3,000 and 10,000 words in length.” Please note, entries must be submitted by the publisher (includes publishers of physical and digital books, literary journals, magazines, and arts-oriented websites) or a third-party institution that is independent of the author. Stories submitted by the author will not be eligible. Genres not eligible for entry include: novels, children’s stories, factual writing, academic essays, plays, poetry, autobiography/biography, and any work that does not constitute a fictional short story. The award is £10,000, and the submission deadline is 27 February 2026 (12:00 GMT).
Paradise Press: Hot Flashes: Flash Fiction Contest
I went back and forth on placing this in the contest section or in the anthology section. It fits in both. The Gay Authors Workshop and Homo Promos are launching this competition: Hot Flashes. In order to submit work you must confirm the following:
“No AI has been used.
The title hasn’t appeared in any publication with an ISBN.
I am on the LGBTQ+ spectrum or identify as a straight ally.”
They are looking for Flash Fiction stories and poems for possible inclusion in the new anthology to be published in April 2026, and the completion has four categories:
- Under 40 words prose (for poetry – haiku, limerick or clerihew).
- Under 300 words prose, or, for poetry – sonnet, or other form under 20 lines.
- Under 600 words prose (poetry under 40 lines).
- Under 1000 words prose (poetry under 70 lines).
They welcome poetry submissions, but poetry must contain elements of flash fiction, i.e. a Narrative of some kind. There is one prize of £100 for each of the categories, as well as two ‘commendations’. All the work that is prize winning or given commendations will be guaranteed inclusion in the anthology. They close to submissions on January 31st. Please read their full guidelines before submitting.
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.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
