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
They publish speculative fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art by 2SLGBTQIA+ creators only; you can read about them here. They are open for original fiction (500-4,000 words) and poetry (up to 100 lines) till 21st July 2026 for submissions from all 2SLGBTQIA+ writers. Nonfiction (prefer 2,000 words; can accept up to 4,000 words) is open year-round. Submission is via their Moksha portal. They pay 0.08/word for original fiction, $50 for poetry, and $100 for non-fiction.
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 July 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. In August, they will open submissions for all writers. Send stories up to 5,000 words, or up to 5 poems. They pay $0.08/word for fiction, and $20/poem. Details here and here.
khōréō
This magazine only accepts speculative fiction submissions from immigrants or members of the diaspora. They accept flash fiction up to 1,500 words and short fiction up to 5,000 words, though they prefer works up to 3,500 words. They accept translated stories up to 3,500 words, as well. They pay $0.10/word. The deadline is 31 July 2026. Details here and here.
Swamp Pink
Swamp Pink was formerly known as Crazyhorse. They’re open for fee-free submissions from writers of color in the US. They pay $0.05/word for fiction and nonfiction up to $200 for works up to 7,500 words, and $40/poem – send 3-6 poems. The deadline is 31 July 2026; details here and here.
Splinter Journal
This Australian journal invites submissions in English (or in other languages with English translation) from writers across Australia and the world. “Splinter is always looking for writing that considers how reality is made and how it can be broken. We are particularly keen on writing that acknowledges that existence is silly and absurd and also, somehow, really serious.
“While we don’t want writers to feel limited by the below list, these are some topics and voices we are particularly interested in for issue six:
- First Nations writers based in regional and remote areas
- Writers based in Tasmania, WA, SA, Queensland, the NT, and the ACT (sorry Vic and NSW – you’re still welcome, we’re just keen to encourage people from other regions)
- Writing about resistance (please keep in mind the Splinter tone – we aren’t looking for didactic or directive)
- Literary criticism that uses new-ish work/s to explore a bigger idea or trend
If considering the themes listed here, please remember that you don’t need to address them directly or literally in your writing. We are looking for work that brushes up against these prompts in interesting and unexpected ways.” They also say, “For profiles, essays, writing about writing, and criticism, we are looking for pitches of ideas (rather than completed works).
For memoir, poetry, and fiction we are looking for submission of completed works.” There are no length guidelines for prose (the longest they have published is 8,000 words – see their note on Submittable); or send up to 3 poems. They pay AUD250-900. The deadline is 30 July 2026. Details here and here.
FIYAH: Conjuring Academies & Spellbound Scholars
They only accept Black speculative fiction and poetry. 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. For our 40th issue, we’re enthusiastically accepting submissions featuring magical schools. … Take us for a journey through your Pan-African University for Gifted Mages. Give us the trials of alchemy professors positioning themselves for tenure. The boredom of a TA stuck monitoring the dragon eggs over holiday. Or the angst of conjuring gone wrong in the group project (there’s always that ONE person) while the clock is ticking toward deadline. A sorority that sends their new line of pledges to a nether dimension for, ahem, “orientation.” A time-traveling brass section in search of the perfect instrument for their next battle of the bands. … Stories that examine and challenge hierarchical relationships in school will pique our interest. Non-Western settings for instruction (or means of education that subverts that structure) are welcome.”
Also their notes on preferred genre and story length for this issue.
Length guidelines are short fiction of 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 July 2026.
Diabolical Plots
They want fiction – “science fiction, fantasy, horror (everything must have a speculative element, even horror).” They have detailed guidelines, and also accept translations. They also say, “We encourage writers from underrepresented or marginalized communities to submit their work. This includes, but is not limited to, writers who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, women, people with disabilities, and religious minorities. We recognize the potential for bias to affect our reading of submissions, so we also encourage writers from these communities to self-identify in their Notes For the Editors if they feel comfortable doing so–the contents of this box will only be visible to our Editor and Assistant Editors. This is completely optional and the omission of such information will not affect your submission.” They pay $0.10/word for stories up to 3,500 words. The deadline is 27st July 2026. Details here and here.
Room Magazine: Belonging
This Canadian magazine accepts work by persons of marginalized genders only, including but not limited to women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit and nonbinary people. “Send us your takes on belonging, not belonging, longing to belong, otherness, belonging on the fringe, belonging to the future, the past, the now. We welcome your imaginings, experiences, dreams, and fears of belonging in all their manifestations and intersections: poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction as always, but we’re also eager to read your comics, hybrids, graphic essays, and other forms that resist and defy the boundaries of belonging in the art world.” They have different submission categories for US and Canadian writers. Length guidelines are up to 3,500 words for prose, up to 5 poems. They pay CAD50-200 for writing. Submissions will close by categories when they fill. Details here and here.
Shō Poetry Journal
This Arizona-based biannual print journal was revived in 2023 after a twenty-year hibernation period. They offer free submissions through August 31st, 2026, to US-based Indigenous poets.
Apus雨燕
A literary journal that feature bilingual diasporic artwork and writing in Chinese and English. The print and digital publication welcomes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, visual arts, and creative works that blend genres. They are open to submissions till August 31st on the theme of Suspension. This is what they say about the theme “We invite works that dwell in states of suspension —emotional, bodily, political, spatial, linguistic, or otherwise. We welcome work that lingers in ambiguity, experiments with form, and resists easy resolution.” They pay a token amount. If you have not heard from them in 30 days, assume rejection.
The Masters Review
They are open to submissions from all authors, but have a special portal for BIPOC and other historically marginalized writers. Authors can submit through this portal for free to receive either a faster response to their submission, or few lines of feedback on it. They are also open to only “new voices” so authors that have published single-author novel-length work or under contract with a major press are ineligible. They publish fiction and narrative nonfiction.
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.
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.
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.
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.
- Sex in Public: From bathhouses to “cottaging”
- Going South: LGBT lives below the Mason-Dixon Line
- LGBT+Z: The Gen Z queer experience
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.
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
Grimalkin Press: Sweet Screams – A Taste of Darkness
This is a fiction anthology, and submissions are only open to women and gender diverse people. “For Sweet Screams, we’re looking for horror stories centered around themes of sweetness, baking, cooking, desserts, and the unsettling things that can exist beneath comfort, nostalgia, celebration, or indulgence.
This can include baked goods, bake sales, bakeries, candies, pastries, recipes, cafés, diners, holiday treats, cooking competitions, trad wife aesthetics (when meaningfully tied to cooking or baking), strange ingredients, hospitality, obsession, family traditions, celebrations, or anything else that fits within the thread of sweetness colliding with horror.
We’re especially interested in stories that approach these themes in creative, unexpected, emotional, unsettling, atmospheric, or deeply human ways. The horror can be literary, psychological, gothic, folk, surreal, quiet, darkly comedic, or grotesque, but this anthology is not a fit for extreme horror, splatterpunk, or stories that rely heavily on exploitative shock value.” They offer a digital contributor copy to those outside the US, and a physical copy to those with a US address.
They pay $0.08/word for stories of 1,000-5,000 words. The deadline is 15 August 2026.
Villainess Press: Cozy Fantasy Anthology
“Villainess Press publishes fantasy and speculative fiction centered around women and non-binary characters. We focus on print publications over ebooks or digital content.” You can read about them here. They’ll soon open a submission window for a cozy speculative fiction anthology. “We’re looking for short stories for a small anthology of cozy fantasy. We will be selecting between 3 and 5 stories to be featured in a limited run of paperback books.
Cozy fantasy, to us, means gentle and heartwarming stories that still have meaningful stakes. Tea shops and cats are welcome, but it’s also okay to forgo those tropes for an original speculative element.
Villainess is an indie publisher that prints sub-genres of fantasy and focuses on gender representation. Please make sure your submission prominently includes characters that are women or nonbinary.
Authors of all identities and backgrounds are welcome to submit their work.” They also accept reprints. They pay $0.02/word for stories of 1,500-4,500 words. Their submission form / portal will be active during the reading period, which will be from 21st July to 6th August 2026.
Hear of Her
The new press Hear of Her is open to submissions for their first anthology, an erotic collection exploring female desire through the lens of darkness, in all its forms. You can learn more about what they are looking for here.
Scylla: The Monstrous & The Divine Sapphic Anthology
Authors must be female identifying or non-binary; and the main character/s must be sapphic/wlw. They want short and flash fiction as well as poetry for this anthology. They have detailed guidelines, including, “Submissions should focus on Sapphic goddesses and monsters as you’ve not seen them before. Bring them down from the heavens and out of the caves. While goddesses and monsters aren’t like us, they do still crave the company of ones who love, fear and worship them. Not necessarily in that order.” And, “Sapphic urban fantasy, political fantasy, magical realism, sci-fi of ALL kinds, contemporary fantasy, weird fiction, and/or gender-bent takes are all welcome. Just make it speculative! Special consideration will be given to mythologies outside Greek and Roman (though interesting takes on these are still welcome).
We are interested in goddesses and mythic monsters hailing from all cultures and backgrounds.” Length guidelines are up to 1,000 words for flash fiction and poetry, and 2,500-5,000 words for short fiction. They pay AUD0.10/word up to AUD400 for original fiction and reprints are capped at AUD100. The deadline is 31 July 2026 (5 PM AEDT). Submission is via a form.
Thyme Travelers 2: An anthology of speculative fiction by Palestinian writers
Their website says, “Roseway, an imprint of Fernwood Publishing, will be publishing a sequel to the award-winning and acclaimed anthology Thyme Travellers featuring speculative fiction by Palestinian writers. … This anthology is open to writers who identify as Palestinian. This includes all Palestinians living anywhere in the world, and of any race. Authors from marginalized groups are encouraged to submit.” Payment is $0.08/word for stories up to 5,000 words. The deadline is 31 August 2026.
Rebel Satori Press
Rebel Satori Press is open to submissions for it’s LGBTQ+ speculative fiction imprint, Queer Space and Arabi Manor, it’s esoterica imprint. Queer Space only allows submissions from Queer authors and Arabi Manor is open to submissions from all authors but highly encourages submissions from Queer authors. You can read our full review here. Queer Space closes to submissions on October 14th, and Arabi Manor closes to submissions on October 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.
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.
Adarna House
This established press based in the Philippines is committed to promoting culture and languages is support of Filipino artistry and talent. They are open to submissions from Filipinos 18 years or older, based anywhere in the world. There is no limit to the number of pitches one may submit. Submissions may be in Filipino or English or come with a Filipino or English translation.
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 underrepresented groups. They almost exclusively publish stories with child protagonists (including poetry, graphic novels and nonfiction) 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.
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.
Salaam Reads
They are an imprint of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. They are actively seeking to publish books that center on positive and joyous portrayals of the Muslim experience across all genres for children. They say “Our goal is to highlight well-rounded portrayals of Muslim children and families in mainstream children’s media. We want to share stories that center Muslim characters without depicting their religious identity as a major source of conflict.” They are open to submissions aimed at readers starting at 4 years of age and going up to 18. They particularly encourage submissions of MG and YA novels.
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.
Magabala Books
They are an Indigenous publishing house that just publishes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers, storytellers and illustrators.
Opportunities/Support/Contests
Harbor Review: The Washburn Prize
“The prize is awarded once a year for a micro chapbook, which Harbor Review will publish digitally on our website. People of color and marginalized folks are encouraged to apply. Micro chapbooks should be exactly 10 poems long. Manuscripts over 10 poems will not be read.” There is a submission fee to enter this prize, but BIPOC writers and previous finalists can submit for free. The prize is $200, and the deadline is 31 July 2025. Details here – see Harbor Review – Prizes: Free Submission (BIPOC and Previous Finalists) tab on Submittable.
The Mustapha Matura and Alfred Fagon Awards
These are awards for UK-based playwrights of Caribbean or African descent.
The Mustapha Matura Award is an opportunity for UK-based playwrights of Caribbean or African descent, resident in the UK, who are 25 years or younger, for a play. The play must be a minimum of 40 pages, and does not need to have been produced (see guidelines). The prize is £3,000 and mentoring from a top Black British playwright. The deadline is 31 July 2026. Details here.
And submissions are also open for Alfred Fagon Awards for UK-based playwrights of Caribbean or African descent, resident in the UK, for a play. The award is £6,000, and the deadline is 31 July 2026. Details here.
(Please note, writers cannot enter both the Mustapha Matura Award and Alfred Fagon Award. Also see their Roland Rees Bursary.)
Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers
This is a prize for young indigenous Australian writers of 35 years or younger. It alternates between short fiction and poetry and for this cycle, they want a poem up to 88 lines. “The aim of the prize is to provide the winner with the opportunity to focus on and develop their writing skills and portfolio.
First prize includes $5000 (AUD), an optional writing residency at Trinity College, and publication of the successful piece in Overland. The runner up will receive $500 (AUD), with the possibility of a second runner up to be determined by the judges.” The deadline is 17 July 2026, 11.59 PM AEST.
Faber: The FAB Prize
This is for undiscovered BAME writers and illustrators, for books aimed at children. Entrants must be of black, Asian or minority ethnic background and UK- or Ireland-based. For writers, they want a maximum of 5,000 words of text (no minimum word count). Also, “There is no minimum word count and the maximum 5,000 words can be a sample of a longer work – it does not have to be a short story (though those are welcome too!)
We strongly advise you to complete your work as much as you can, even if you do not enter the whole manuscript: after the ceremony agents will request the full manuscript, so in order to get the most out of the prize, it is best to have the whole manuscript ready to go.
Please send in the complete story if the text is for a picture book. (Picture books should not be longer than 5000 words).” Entries must be text or artwork for children. The prize is £1,500 for the winner, £500 for the second place winner, and other non-cash prizes; the deadline is 21 August 2026.
Sisters in Crime: Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers
This is a grant for an emerging writer in the LGBTQIA+ community. It is for an unpublished work of crime fiction, aimed at readers from children’s chapter books through adults. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress of 2,500 to 5,000 words. An unpublished writer is preferred, but writers with publication of not more than 10 pieces of short fiction and/or up to 2 self-published or traditionally published books are also eligible. Please note, you have to register/log in to access the submission portal. The grant is $2,000 and the deadline is 31 July 2026. Details here and here.
Speculative Literature Foundation Grants
These are international grants for writers of speculative literature, and they have various grants in through the year. There are two upcoming grants. The Diverse Writers Grant is for writers from an underrepresented and underprivileged backgrounds – “intended to support speculative fiction writers from underrepresented and underprivileged groups — such as writers of color, women, queer writers, disabled writers, etc. — whose marginalized identities may present additional obstacles in the writing and publishing process” – the grant pays $500, and is open 1-31 July. The Diverse Worlds Grant, for work that best represents diversity, regardless of the writer’s background, pays $500, is also open 1-31 July. The grants have various eligibility and submission guidelines, please read them carefully before applying.
Hachette UK: The New Voices Award
Each year a different imprint of Hachette hosts the New Voices Award for writers from Black, Asian, Mixed Heritage and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, as well as those who are disabled, gender diverse, part of the LGBTQIA+ community or from cultural or religious minorities in the UK. This year the imprint will be Robinson, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, and they are looking for works of commercial non-fiction aimed at general readers on any topic within any branch of psychology. They close to submissions on July 31st. The winner receives an offer of publication from Robinson as well as an advance of at least £5000, and additional prizes detailed on the site. Submitting authors must be unagented and previously unpublished, aged 18 or over, a resident in the UK and from a Black, Asian, Mixed Heritage or Minority Ethnic background, or must identify as disabled, gender diverse, part of the LGBTQIA+ community or from a cultural or religious minority.
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 2026 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.
