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
beestung
“beestung considers poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, hybrids, and art by creators who fall under the non-binary umbrella, genderqueer umbrella, and two-spirit umbrella. Multilingual work and work in translation is welcome. Historically underrepresented writers are encouraged to send work.” They pay $20. They are open now for general submissions.
Agita Magazine
Submissions will open in March for Agita Magazine; they will open March 1 to 14 for general submissions from all authors, and there will be an extended submission window, for LGBTQIA+, disabled, or BIPOC authors during March 15 to 21; they want horror or dark science fiction flash stories on the theme of Bad Science, whatever that means to authors. They pay $0.05/word for stories of up to 1,000 words.
(s)crawl
They publish horror fiction and poetry by LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, BIPOC, disabled, women, and gender-diverse writers only. Send 1,000-4,000 words for fiction or up to 3 poems. They pay CAD20 and the deadline is 15 March 2026 for their second issue (Fall 2026). Submit here.
Hybris Press: OTHERSIDE
OTHERSIDE is a queer-led literary magazine that publishes speculative fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art by 2SLGBTQIA+ creators only. They have spring, summer, autumn and winter submission windows for fiction, reprints, and poetry for 2SLGBTQIA+ creators and extended windows for marginalized 2SLGBTQIA+ creators. Submissions of nonfiction are open year-round. See guidelines for length recommendations for each genre. Payment varies by genre and ranges from $50 up to $320. Submit here.
Yellow Arrow Journal
They want submissions by women-identifying authors only. They are reading creative nonfiction (100-2,000 words) and poetry (up to 2 poems) on the Wonder theme. “The issue will explore the interplay between curiosity and creativity and how it informs discovery in the personal creative process and encourages artistry and fulfillment for women-identifying writers.” They pay $10 and the deadline is 28 February 2026.
Doek!
Doek! Is a Namibia-based literary magazine. They accept submissions from Namibian writers and poets in its fiction and poetry sections, while its nonfiction and visual arts sections are open to contributors from Namibia, Africa, and the African diaspora. They have various forms for submission. The deadline is 31st March 2026.
the other side of hope: journeys in refugee and immigrant literature
“We invite refugee, asylum seeker, and immigrant poets from around the world to submit their poetry for our other tongue, mother tongue issue. This edition celebrates linguistic diversity by featuring poetry written in any language, presented along English translations.” Submit up to 2 poems in any language except English. Please state in English the language your poems are written in. “If your poem is selected for publication, you can self-translate it or a member of our Translations Advisory Group will translate it into English (see guidelines for the languages covered by this group). Members of the editorial team will work with you to polish and finalize the translation.” They pay £50 per published poet, and £25 for the English translation. The deadline is 30 April 2026.
Foglifter Press
Their biannual journal is open to general submissions till April 1st. They were created by and for LGBTQ+ writers and readers, and they say “Our biannual journal features the widest range of forms, with an emphasis on transgressive, risky, challenging subject matter, innovative formal choices, and work that pushes the boundaries of what writing can do. By putting extraordinary queer and trans writers into conversation, we uplift a growing community of LGBTQ+ readers and writers and carve out space in the larger literary community for voices that have historically been silenced.”
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. And submissions are also open for their new anthology and exhibition about queer and trans kisses, Sucking Face, till 31st March, read more here.
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.
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 1,000 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.
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.
- Homo Litterarius: Iconic LGBT figures in fiction
- Inside a Frame: Coded messages in art through the ages
- 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
Hajar Press: The Hajar Book of Waves
Hajar Press is “an independent and proudly political publishing house by and for people of colour.” And, “We’re seeking submissions from writers of colour of short pieces of writing for The Hajar Book of Waves, the second volume in our elements anthology series.
This Water-themed book will explore the waves that carry, connect, renew and shape us: the ebb and flow of history in a non-linear continuum, a call-and-response between the past and the future; the gushing surges of empathy and feeling that move and enliven us; the fluid psycho-spiritual processes that help us adapt and change; the cycles of action and reflection that keep our organising alive; the mass movement of people in protest and migration; and the irrepressible force of the cosmos guiding the earthly tide. We’re interested in writing that engages with waves as both material and metaphor—flowing and flooding, soothing and overwhelming, refreshing and eroding; the rhythms and repetitions of perpetual back-and-forth motion; the power of water refusing to stagnate.” They want short stories, poetry, essays and “everything in between showing radical imagination, creative experimentation and sharp political engagement with the world around us.” Send up to 3 poems or up to 6,000 words of prose. They pay £50 for poems and £150 for prose. The deadline is 6th March 2026.
Neon Hemlock: What Elegant Stars: Queer Tales of Impossible Style
Because they have lots of previous guidelines on their submission page, visiting their Submittable page might be more helpful. This is how they describe what they are seeking for the anthology:
“Swordspoint meets Star Wars
Ninefox Gambit meets The Devil Wears Prada
Ancillary Justice+ An Unkindness of Ghosts + Pattern Recognition
Give us stories of satellites and sewists, terminals and tailors, dandies and dying stars. Give us gossip wicked and vital, dinner parties salacious and droll, debutantes vile and intrepid.
Give us unforgivable rudeness and oppressive etiquette, scathing asides and dire gaffes.”
They are still crowdfunding it but the planned compensation level for original stories accepted to this anthology is $0.08/word. Their deadline for submissions is April 15th, 2026. Additional context including word count are shared on their website, please read all the information before submitting. They stress “Authors from underrepresented backgrounds and marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to submit.”
Harbor Editions: Marginalia series
This series “is open exclusively to traditionally marginalized writers—those who belong to communities that have been historically excluded from mainstream society due to systemic oppression or unequal power dynamics. Given the current climate, Small Harbor is reaffirming its commitment to our mission. In your cover letter, please include a few sentences about how your experiences with marginalization inform your writing.” They are accepting poetry chapbooks that are between 20-40 pages. They will publish 1-2 books from the open reading period. Those selected will receive a standard publishing contract and 20 copies of their book. There are additional details and requirements on their website, please read those carefully before submitting. They close to submissions on March 31st.
Heyday Books: Berkeley Roundhouse program
Heyday is an established independent and nonprofit publisher that focuses on California and the American West. They publish nonfiction books that explore history, celebrate Native cultural renewal, fight injustice, and honor nature. They are open to submissions from Native voices in particular for their Roundhouse imprint, which you can learn more about here.
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.
Palimpsest Press
They only publish Canadian authors. They are open to submissions from authors who identify as BIPOC, Deaf, or Disabled, all year round. They accept submissions from authors who do not identify as BIPOC, Deaf or Disabled from March 1st through March 31st. They publish poetry and other literary genres.
Lantana
They are an award-winning children’s book publisher based in England, United Kingdom. They are looking for manuscripts and book dummies by authors and illustrators from under-represented groups. They almost exclusively publish stories with child protagonists (including poetry, graphic novels and non-fiction) and are not looking for stories only featuring animal characters.
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.
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
ALTA Travel Fellowships
Each year, several fellowships of $1,000 each are awarded to emerging translators (someone who does not yet have a book-length work of translation published or under contract) to help them pay for hotel and travel expenses to the annual American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) conference. Part of the application requirement is up to 10 pages of translated work (poetry or prose – see guidelines). “While the Travel Fellowships are open to all applicants, we especially encourage applications from translators of color, translators with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ translators.” Also see ALTA’s other awards for published works. The deadline is 16 March 2026; see the relevant category here here for travel fellowships (scroll down).
Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award
This international grant for writers of color is for supporting the recipient in crime fiction writing and career development activities. She or he may choose activities that include workshops, seminars, conferences, and retreats, online courses, and research activities required for completion of the work. This is for an emerging writer (see guidelines). The application process includes a writing sample – an unpublished piece of crime fiction, written with an adult audience in mind. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress, 2,500 to 5,000 words. Their website says, you do not have to be a member of Sisters in Crime to apply for this grant. See their recent Instagram post for information on the latest award cycle.
The grant is $2,000; the winner can choose from a range of activities, and the deadline is 31 March 2026; details here.
Broadside Lotus Press: Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award
This is for a poetry manuscript by an African American poet. Submit a manuscript that is approximately 60 to 90 pages. At the time of writing, details of the latest award cycle seemed to be only posted on their Facebook page. The award is $500, and the deadline is 15 March 2026. Details here (website and information on the previous award cycle) and here (latest award cycle information on their FB page).
Red Hen Press Ann Petry Award
This is for a work of previously unpublished prose, either a novel or a collection of short stories or novellas, minimum of 150 pages, by a Black writer. The award is $3,000 and publication, the deadline is 31 March 2026. Details here and here.
(See all of the Red Hen Press awards here.)
BCALA Self-Publishing Literary Awards
“Through this contest, the BCALA honors the best self-published ebooks by an African American author in the U.S. in both fiction and poetry genres.
These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. The purpose is to encourage the artistic expression of the African American experience via literature and scholarly research including biographical, historical, and social history treatments by African Americans.” The award is $2,500 each for a self-published poetry and prose ebook, and the deadline is 28 February 2026.
Terrain.org Editor’s Prize
Terrain.org welcomes submissions on place, climate, and justice – fiction (short story, flash fiction series, novel excerpt, radio play, or other fiction piece) and non-fiction; they are not open for poetry in 2026. They also accept translations, and art. Payment for general submissions is a minimum of $50. And, “All accepted submissions by writers of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, women, and/or other marginalized communities whose contributions explore place particularly in the context of social, environmental, or climate justice are considered for our annual Editor’s Prize of $500 per genre.” There is no separate submission process or entry fee for this contest; they have other, fee-based contests too. Certain sections, like Letter to America and ARTerrain, are open year-round. Submissions close on 30th April for fiction and nonfiction. The Editor’s Prize for underrepresented writers is $500 per genre. Details here.
Airlie Prize
This annual competition closes to submissions on March 31st, 2026. Any poet writing in English is eligible to enter, regardless of place of residence. Free submissions are only permitted from BIPOC &/or Trans/Gender-Expansive Writers. The winner receives book publication and a $1,000 prize upon publication of the winning book. Airlie Press is a nonprofit poetry collective based in the Pacific Northwest.
Curtis Brown Creatives
They have a number of scholarships for classes and have various eligibility requirements. Some of their scholarships focus on low income writers, others on LGBTQ+ writers and BIPOC writers. The fastest approaching deadline is March 16th. Please review their details closely before applying.
The Rose Library: LGBTQ Collections Travel Award
The Rose Library (at Emory College) is offering the LGBTQ Collections Travel Award. Among its various holdings, the Billops-Hatch archives has more than 1,200 play scripts written by African Americans, 1,400 interviews with various artists, and a library of rare and unique books and periodicals. Past fellowship recipients include post-graduate students, authors, professors, and scholars researching areas of African American art and art history, including the visual arts, theater, film, and literature. This fellowship has a value of $1,000 per week. The total amount depends on the applicant’s research proposal. Additional details, including eligibility requirements are at the website. Applications must be made by May 14th.
Jericho Writers: Self-Editing Bursary
Jericho Writers has one fully-funded place for an under-represented writer in their course – Self-Editing Your Novel. Three runners-up will be given a free annual membership to Jericho Writers, which includes access to video courses. Their deadline is Monday March 9th. Please review their detailed eligibility requirements before applying.
Lambda Literary: Special Awards
In addition to the Lammy Awards which recognize specific titles published in a given year, Lambda Literary hosts a number of special cash prizes recognizing the outstanding contributions made by individuals to LGBTQ+ literature, culture, and community. Submissions to their special prizes for the 2026 cycle close on February 20, 2026. You can learn more about all of the special awards and submitting to them 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).
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.
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.
BIPOC scholarship for Emily Harstone’s classes at The Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish
Each time Emily Harstone offers The Novel Writing Workshop (for manuscripts in progress), Submit, Publish, Repeat (for poems, short stories, and CNF publication in literary journals), and Manuscript Publishing for Novelists (for completed novel and memoir manuscripts) through the Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish, there is now an opportunity for two writers who identify as BIPOC to take it for free. If you registered last year, please note that the form re-set in January, and you are encouraged to fill it out again.
Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2025 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.
