Special Feature

When People Don’t Recognize Your Writing Skills

Many people say that they write only for themselves, but despite trying, I’ve always been the opposite. I write not just for myself but for others. (When I write just for myself, it’s usually in my journal.) I don’t always have a specific person or purpose in mind, but I try to create good stuff…
Issue Six Hundred Ninety Five Special Feature

77 Publishing, Grant, and Fellowship Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Writers (September 2026)

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….
Issue Six Hundred Ninety Four Special Feature

Building an Author Platform When You Can’t Be Out: A Guide for Queer Writers

By Dinah Yousef For many LGBTQ authors in countries where it’s illegal to be queer, advice like “put yourself out there,” “post a photo,” “make video content,” and “be visible” isn’t just unhelpful,  it’s dangerous. As a queer author in a country where it’s illegal and dangerous to disclose your sexuality, visibility isn’t empowering. You…
Issue Six Hundred Ninety Four Special Feature

Ten Publishers Open to Direct Submissions in September 2026

This list focuses on ten publishers that are open to submissions this month. Some are only open for a short period of time, others will be open the whole month and beyond. At least four of these are presses we have not covered previously. Please note that if a publisher doesn’t have a specific submission…
Issue Six Hundred Ninety Two Special Feature

The Problem With Clever Sentences

Writers love clever sentences because clever sentences clap immediately. That’s the danger. You write one shiny little line and suddenly your brain behaves like a Labrador retrieving tennis balls. Again. Again. Throw another metaphor into the yard. Make it wink. Make it acrobatic. Somebody compare heartbreak to expired yogurt in a motel fridge. Fantastic. Pulitzer…
Issue Six Hundred Ninety Two Special Feature

Tapping Local Markets with Regional Fiction

By Emily Cline I recently attended a book talk by a local author whose hometown-inspired novels made me wonder: what is it about regional fiction that attracts such a loyal and enthusiastic readership? Literary regionalism has been popular since at least the nineteenth century, and the appeal of “local color” has since exploded in contemporary…
Issue Six Hundred Ninety Two Special Feature

The Benefits of Surveying Before Publication

By Rajvi Mittal Books are unusual products. And even if the monetary cost isn’t large, the reader is paying big time in trust and time commitment. When you think about it this way, it is easy to understand why readers would want some signal that the investment will be worthwhile. A survey is one of…
Issue Six Hundred Ninety One Special Feature Uncategorized

Don’t Just Write! Why Writers Should Have a Hobby (Other Than Writing)

Most of us start writing because it’s something we love to do. With practice and patience, what starts out as a hobby turns into a passion and then into a career, part-time or otherwise. And while that comes with its own rewards, there are also downsides to having our hobby become our work. The answer…
Issue Six Hundred Ninety Special Feature

Should Writers Write to Make a Difference?

Can writing change the world? I don’t have a definite answer to that. But I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been changed by other people’s writing and who’s also dreamed of writing something that would change someone else—if not writing something that would change the world (or at least, a significant part…
Issue Six Hundred Eighty Nine Special Feature

Nine Publishers Open to Direct Submissions in August 2026

This list focuses on nine publishers that are open to submissions this month. Some are only open for a short period of time, others will be open the whole month and beyond. At least four of these are presses we have not covered previously. Please note that if a publisher doesn’t have a specific submission…
Issue Six Hundred Eighty Eight Manuscript Publishers Special Feature

The Reader Reply Effect: How Author Newsletters Turn Readers into Story Partners

By Lynne Curry Many authors treat newsletters as promotional tools. Announce the new book. Share the launch date. Offer a link. Beg for subscribers. Something different happens when a newsletter stops acting like a broadcast and serves a truer purpose—a conversation with readers. Then, when readers reply, they share reactions, emotional truths, and moments from…
Issue Six Hundred Eighty Seven Special Feature

Writing After Reading Someone Better Than You

Nothing inspires writers quite like temporary artistic devastation. You finish a brilliant book and immediately develop the emotional posture of a boiled shrimp. The symptoms arrive fast. Sudden silence. Mild nausea. Looking at your own draft like it personally insulted your mother. You reread one of your sentences — some hardworking little sentence that seemed…
Issue Six Hundred Eighty Six Special Feature

Does This Help Me Write?

Ratika Deshpande In the beginning, it makes sense that we look to other writers to guide us. We’re navigating a new skill, which is both an art and a craft, something that is taught but is also thought to be unteachable in some ways. So we read essays and memoirs and interviews, hoping to learn…
Issue Six Hundred Eighty Six Special Feature

Writing When the Spark Fades Out Too Early

By Abdulraheem Jameel Ango The last mile may be the longest, but many stories never survive the first mile. This isn’t always because the writer lacks effort or the ideas are weak. Sometimes, it’s due to the spark of motivation dying out too early. Finishing the first mile determines whether we’ll ever reach the end….
Issue Six Hundred Eighty Four Special Feature

Ten Publishers Open to Direct Submissions in July 2026

This list focuses on ten publishers that we are excited about that are open to submissions this month. Some are only open for a short period of time, others will be open the whole month and beyond. At least four of these are presses we have not covered previously. Please note that if a publisher…
Issue Six Hundred Eighty Three Special Feature

« Older Entries

  • Manuscript Publishers By Category

  • Literary Journals By Category