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.
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
PodCastle: Special Call for Disability Pride & Magic
This established fantasy publication is only currently open to submissions for their upcoming event for Disability Pride Month, Disability Pride & Magic. They are seeking stories that “show the dynamic nature of disability, that grapple with ableism (internal and external), and that, ultimately, see us as fully human”. The call is technically open to everyone, but they add: “we believe disabled stories are best told by disabled voices, no one should have to disclose their status if they aren’t comfortable doing so. That said, this is an event centred around pride, visibility, and acceptance, on dismantling ableist notions of shame that silence and alienate disabled people. In that spirit, we strongly encourage authors to speak up about their disabilities, especially if their lived experience informs their story.” All stories must have a fantasy element but it can be subtle. They are not interested in traditional horror but are open to dark fantasy. They pay 8 cents per word for original work and $100 for reprints. They accept work that is between 2,000-6,000 words, for original work and for reprints they allow submissions up to 7,000 words in length. Upper word count limits are strict. They close to submissions for this call on the 31st of March. They will also open for unthemed fantasy stories from 1st to 31st March 2025, see their schedule.
New Orleans Review
They charge a submission fee from all writers, but have certain fee-free periods for different demographics at various times. For instance, “In celebration of Black History Month, there are no submission fees for Black writers for the month of February.
In celebration of Disability Awareness Month, there are no submission fees for writers living with both visible and invisible disabilities for the month of March.” There is no fee for Palestinian writers, for Songs of the Sunbirds column; there is a submission cap. There is no fee for writers who are refugees living anywhere in the world, either. They pay $300 for fiction and creative nonfiction up to 5,000 words, and $100 for poetry. Submit here (there are several slots on their Submittable, please be sure to submit in the correct category.)
My Galvanized Friend
This literary magazine only accepts works from LGBTQ+ writers in the US. They want submissions on the ‘Pushing Back’ theme. “We invite submissions that explore resistance, defiance, and resilience. Whether through speculative worlds, subversive acts, or fantastical rebellion, show us queerness pushing back against power, violence, and injustice. Challenge norms, expectations, or boundaries – on any scale, in any genre.” Send essays (500-3,500 words), fiction, or poetry. They pay $25 for prose and $10 for poetry. The deadline is 31 March 2025.
Rough Cut Press
They publish work from the LGBTQIA community, and have monthly themed submission calls. Send short prose of up to 650 words on the ‘Spirals’ theme. Pay is $25. The deadline is 27 February 2025.
Rainy Weather Days
Their tagline is, A defiant literary magazine. They’re reading submissions for issues 4 and 5 now. “Theme for this submission period—Joy! For this period, we would like to see more works focusing on joy, particularly POC and/or queer joy. This is also an act of protest. If submitting a work on this theme, please be a part of the community you are representing. … We are looking for works of protest that challenge our current status quo. This can be fictional prose of any genre, poetry, or nonfiction essays.
To be clear, the ideology of the work should oppose right-wing ideology, Nazism, Authoritarianism, Christian nationalism, white supremacy, etc. or uplift voices of dissent or marginalized voices.” Please note, they have a submission cap, and will close when this is reached. Length guidelines are: 1,500-15,000 words for prose, up to 5 poems. Pay is $25 per prose piece, $10/poem. The deadline is 20 March 2025, or until filled. Details here, here, and here.
Pulp Literature
They’re open for fiction submissions by BIPOC writers only through February; their period for general submissions (from all writers) will be March. They want any genre or between-genre work of literature up to 50 pages in length. They accept short stories, novellas, poetry, and comics. They take all genres of fiction, not just pulp – including fantasy, romance, mystery, literary. They do not publish non-fiction, memoir, or children’s stories. They take more short fiction than novellas, and stories under 5,000 words have the best chance of publication. They also publish reprints. Please note, fiction submission is via a form on their website, which may close temporarily even during open reading periods, if submissions get overwhelming. They accept queries for art. The deadline is 28 February 2025 (submissions from BIPOC writers only). They pay $0.05-0.08/word for short stories (to 5,000 words), $0.03-0.06/word for stories between 5,000 and 10,000 words, $0.02-0.04/word for stories over 10,000 words; $25-50 for poetry and art; $25-75/page for sequential art.
Midwest Weird
This is an audio literary magazine, seeking submissions of weird fiction or nonfiction from Midwestern authors, with a particular interest in underrepresented communities.
Cripple Punk Mag
This Substack publishes “essays, criticism, news and reviews, literary nonfiction, fiction, rants and raves, comics, and hybrid works on the subject of disability and live music, especially within the context of punk, alternative, and DIY music.” They also have an annual print anthology. Payment starts at $10 and is dependent on length and sliding scale based on need. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. Previously published work is allowed, and work should be between 300 and 1000 words in length.
The Southeast Review
This journal established in 1979 as Sundog, is a national literary magazine housed in the English department at Florida State University, edited and managed by graduate students. They charge for most submissions but are open to submissions from BIPOC Writers of Creative Nonfiction, and Young Adult Fiction. Both these submissions have caps on them. If either of the calls reaches the upper limit of free submissions for the cap they will temporarily close to submissions, but should reopen at the start of the month.
The West Trestle Review
This respected journal is only open to submissions previously unpublished poetry and art by creators around the globe who self-identify as women or as non-binary. They are always open to free submissions by BIPOC writers who self-identify as women or as non-binary, and you can see those guidelines here.
Woodsqueer
This new literary journal describes their focus by stating “At Woodsqueer, we view nature as inherently “queer.” It’s queer to care about the fate of our natural world, to possess this liminal space, and to make a dwelling of your own there. While we are especially interested in the voices of underrepresented artists, we are looking for any writer who thinks their work to be queer within our natural world.” They accept poetry, fiction, and essays as well as art and photography. They are open to previously published work as long as the author is upfront about the work being a reprint.
Suspect: Eco-
Suspect is Singapore Unbound’s journal, and they want submissions for their Eco- themed call. Please note, they only accept work by Asian writers; for collaborations, at least one writer must be Asian. They have detailed guidelines, including, “We invite writing that engages with the powerful tensions and dimensions within the word “eco-”. We want nature writing grounded in physical and social contexts; writing that imagines how economies could center ecologies; writing on the work of becoming and belonging together with others. Works might highlight unappreciated labour (both human and otherwise), demand labour, address land and labour issues; might delve into ecological concepts from edge effects to metabolic rifts; might address houses, homes, displacement, and “homing” back to places like pigeons or salmon.” They accept essays (up to 6,500 words), fiction, poetry, and translations, and pay $100. The deadline is 1 March 2025.
Riadh Mag
This new electronic publication focus is on amplifying “the voices of BIPOC individuals and religious minorities, bringing their untold stories to light”. They are open to pitches for art, poetry, opinion pieces, essays, features, and more.
Decolonial Passage
According to their website they “publish writing from writers of all backgrounds regardless of race, origin, or gender while simultaneously centering African, African American, and Black Diaspora writing.” Their mission statement goes into more details about this. They are open on a rolling basis to essays, creative nonfiction, short stories, and flash fiction. They are open to poetry only during the months of January, March, May, July, September or November.
AC|DC
They publish short stories and creative nonfiction by LGBTQIA+ authors. They are currently open to submissions.
Magnets and Ladders
They publish the work of disabled writers in two issues a year.
DisLit Youth Magazine
They only publish work by writers 14-22, and they primarily publish disabled writers.
AURORE
This publications tagline is “a curated collection of erotic stories written by and for women and LGBTQ+ based on their own experiences”. They publish nonfiction erotica and their website is NSFW, please do not visit it if you are under 18.
ALOCASIA
A journal of queer plant-based writing. They accept submissions on a rolling basis.
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. Every genre has a monthly submission cap. Pay is CAD60 per poem, CAD125 per prose contribution (fiction and creative nonfiction), CAD100 for book reviews and Genre Bender (hybrid) submissions. Details here and here.
Arcanum Magazine
Arcanum Magazine is a digital and print magazine for creative writing, visual art, cultural criticism, and journalism by and for the Black diaspora. They are a paying market that is open on a rolling basis to creative writing, cultural criticism, news, and journalism, as well as visual art.
Bookish Brews
They describe themselves as a “book blog and a celebration of diverse books and authors (with a side of your favorite brew)”. They prioritize BIPOC writers but are open to submissions from other historically underrepresented groups also. They publish nonfiction, craft, and lifestyle essays as well as book reviews.
Mayday: Black
For Mayday: Black submissions, they want nonfiction pitches and drafts from Black writers – their website says, they are “committed to delivering a new experience for Black writers, including those seeking first-time publication. We welcome nonfiction work in opinions and analyses; personal, braided, and reported essays in contemporary and historical contexts. Bring your authentic, curious, courageous, well-rounded stories on life, living, love, loss, representation, race, racism, death, dying, Black plight and civil rights, neighborhood blight, gentrification, white flight, and more. (In no way is this an exhaustive list!)” They pay $50 for Mayday: Black essays of 800-3,000 words. Details here and here. (This magazine also occasionally accepts fiction, nonfiction, culture pieces, poetry, reviews, interviews, and translations from all writers, and pays $10-20 for these.)
Zindabad Zine
This print and electronic publication is based in the UK. They are open to submissions on a rolling basis. Currently they are closed to submissions for the print issue but open to electronic ones. They only accept work from people “in a diaspora”. They publish personal essays, articles, poetry, fiction, visual art and photography.
The Kalahari Review
A weekly African literary magazine interested in material exploring modern Africa and Africans in unique and avant-garde ways. They publish their work on Medium.
Transition
Born in Africa and bred in the diaspora, Transition is a publication of the Hutchins Center at Harvard University, published three times annually. Transition publishes writing by and about Africa and the African diaspora, with an eye towards a global perspective. They accept submissions year-round on a rolling basis, and generally respond to submissions within four months.
Lavender Review
An international, biannual e-zine published in June and December, they are open to submissions of poetry and art by, about, and for lesbians (including whatever LGBTQ might appeal to a lesbian readership). Submissions are open year round.
Ricepaper
This publication offers Asian Canadian context to ongoing arts and cultural issues, new perspectives on emerging and established Asian Canadian artists, and challenges mainstream media perspectives, little-known facts of interest, or critical stories that haven’t been told elsewhere. They are open to submissions from Asian writers around the globe as long as the editors can see a link between the content and some aspect of the Asian Canadian experience.
Raising Mothers
Raising Mothers celebrates and centers the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and Brown parents. Some sections have reading periods; columns are open year-round. Guidelines are here.
Prismatica Magazine
An LGBTQ fantasy and science fiction magazine that publishes short stories, poetry, reviews, interviews, and articles. They have very specific submission guidelines so please read those carefully.
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, hybrid works, poetry, and drama (including that accompanied by video or dramatic audio). Send up to 2,500 for fiction/hybrid 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 few themed calls, and they also invite suggestions for future themes.
- Origins: When did the LGBT movement really begin?
- Anthropologies: Sexual variants in non-Western cultures
- The State of LGBT Rights: What’s next for the movement?
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 Projects
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.
Breath & Shadow
Breath & Shadow only publishes work from people with disabilities. This is how they define disability: “We use the term “disability” broadly to encompass anyone with a physical, mental, emotional, cognitive, or sensory impairment that significantly affects one or more major life functions.” They accept writing on any topic in terms of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and drama. Pieces do not have to be about disability. The academic or article type nonfiction, including profiles, interviews, and opinion pieces, do have to relate to disability in some way. They pay $25 per poem (max 2) and $40 for prose.
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.
LatinX Lit Audio Mag
LatinX Lit Mag is a safe space for literary work written by authors who identify as Latinx or Hispanic.
Presses/Anthologies
Microcosm Publishing: Disability & Bikes in Space Anthology
This is an annual anthology of bicycle-themed speculative fiction; for this cycle, they only want stories from writers who are disabled. “We are seeking speculative feminist fiction about disability and bicycles for the 14th anthology in the Bikes In Space series of books…! We want feminist stories about the intersection of bicycling and disability, in any speculative fiction genre. Science fiction, fantasy, horror, weird western… combinations of genres are also welcome! No poetry, erotica, fanfic, or gore for this series. Stories must include intrinsic themes or elements of disability as well as bicycles (or tricycles, or other nonmotorized wheeled conveyance). We take a broad view of feminism, but avoiding unreflective sexist tropes is always a green flag, as is queering things up. “Disability” here includes physical disabilities as well as cognitive and invisible, all flavors of neurodivergent, mental illness, chronic pain and fatigue, and any other conditions that you have experienced.” Authors do not need to disclose or “prove” their disabilities, but should identify as disabled.” Send stories of 500-6,000 words. The deadline is 1 March 2025. Details here and here.
Cat Eye Press: Modern Mummies Anthology
This is a fiction anthology. They have detailed guidelines, including, “Modern Mummies is a new horror anthology looking to update the “mummy genre.” The anthology’s title has several possible interpretations to help guide submissions. First and foremost, it means stories that take place in the reasonably understood present day. That means a world in which the internet, social media, industrialization, urbanization, etc. exist. Sure, some elements can be fictionalized to make a story work, but we don’t want period pieces that take place in the 1920s or in the far-flung past. … Modern mummies could also mean a modern-day person being mummified and its ramifications. We’d like you to think about how social media or our politics might react to a “new wave” of mummification. And what does that say about death in the modern era?” Their general submission window is end-February and they have an extended submission window for underrepresented voices. The deadline is 28 February for general submissions (from all writers) and the extended deadline is 15 March 2025 for BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+, Disabled, Neurodiverse, and other underrepresented voices. Pay is $0.05/word for stories of 1,500-5,000 words.
Palimpsest Press
A small press specializing in poetry and other literary works, they only publish Canadian authors. They are open to submissions from authors who identify as BIPOC, Deaf, or Disabled, all year round. Learn more here.
NeuroQueer: Annual Spoon Knife anthology
NeuroQueer is an imprint of Autonomous Press, and they publish an annual genre bending anthology called Spoon Knife which is now accepting submissions of short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. They are a paying market. Autonomous Press does not accept unagented submissions, but this is one of the ways they find authors. The theme of this anthology is Polarites, and they include details and image along the theme lines on their site. They pay $30, plus 1 cent per word. All contributors also receive a copy of the anthology their work appears in. The deadline for submissions is July 31st.
Phoenix
Phoenix is a new speculative imprint launched by Nigerian publisher Ouida Books in collaboration with Nnedi Okorafor and Lọlá Shónẹ́yìn. Phoenix is dedicated to publishing African speculative fiction and fantasy (Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism). You can learn more about it here.
The Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series
This opportunity, from Black Lawrence Press, is for immigrants living in the US – for manuscripts of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and hybrid writing. “Poets and authors, at any stage of their careers, who identify as immigrants are welcome to submit a book manuscript of poetry or prose or a hybrid text for consideration. Submissions are accepted year-round. However, selections are made in June and November for a total of two books per year. In addition to publication, marketing, and a standard royalties contract from Black Lawrence Press, authors chosen for the Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series will receive a travel stipend of $500, which can be used for book tours or in any manner chosen by the authors.”
North Dakota State University Press: Contemporary Voices of Indigenous Peoples Series
The goal of this series to feature the authentic stories, poetry, and scholarly works of Native Americans, First Nations, Maori, Aborigines, Indians, and more to give voice to contemporary Indigenous peoples. NDSU Press considers book-length manuscripts of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for publication in this series.
Random House Canada
The Canadian arm of Random House changed their submission policy have opened their policy exclusively to LGBTQIA2S+ and BIPOC writers, as well as those from other traditionally underrepresented communities. They are particularly looking for “High quality commercial fiction in the following genres: literary, romance, speculative fiction, historical fiction, and mystery. Please note that we do not currently accept screenplays, stage plays, young adult fiction, children’s fiction, or picture book queries. All non-fiction submissions must be submitted via a literary agent.” They are open to submissions internationally, this is not limited to Canadians.
Somos en escrito Literary Foundation Press
They publish a literary magazine as well as books, they are “dedicated to publishing raza authors to express the narratives and needs of our communities, which typically get overlooked by the mainstream presses. We intend to be the institution nobody else will build for us.”
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.
Blind Eye Books
Blind Eye Books publishes science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and romance novels featuring LGBTQ protagonists. They are a print publisher and their book covers are beautifully designed and really stand out. The books they have published have won and been nominated for a number of awards, including the Lambda. 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.
Sourcebooks
We’ve reviewed Sourcebooks here, and their adult nonfiction imprint and their romance and horror imprints are always open to all submissions, but they also deserve to be on this list because their fiction imprint, their mystery imprint, their young adult imprint, and three of their children’s book imprints, all say “Our submissions are currently CLOSED to unagented projects, with the exception of works that directly promote diversity, equality and inclusion. For more information please email InclusiveFiction@Sourcebooks.com.” So if you have work that matches that description in those genres, please reach out to them.
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
Black Caucus of ALA (BCALA) Self-Publishing Literary Awards
These are for the best self-published ebooks by an African American author in the U.S. in both fiction and poetry genres. Prizes are $2,500 in each genre, and the deadline is 28 February 2025.
Cove Park Residencies: Bridge Awards Residency
Cove Park hosts domestic and international residencies for artists and writers through the year, and some of them are awarded residencies (no payment required). Currently, they are accepting applications for the Bridge Awards Residency, which is specifically for writers and artists based in Scotland whose careers have been impacted by a breast cancer diagnosis and who have undergone successful treatment and are up to five years in remission. The four Bridge Awards Residencies will run in parallel for ten days, from 19 May to 29 May 2025. The awardees will receive a stipend and residency. There will be a fee payable to the artist of £825, a materials allowance for studio-based practitioners of up to £75, a travel allowance of up to £150, private accommodation on site and, if required, a private studio space. The deadline is 28 February 2025. Details here (download guidelines). (And, Cove Park’s opportunities page is here and residencies page is here; they regularly list calls for residencies, both with a fee and without.)
ALTA Travel Fellowships
Each year, several fellowships 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 awards are $1,000 each, and the deadline is 17 March 2025. Details here (scroll down).
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. The award is $500, and the deadline is 15 March 2025.
Airlie Prize: Airlie Press
Airlie Press is a nonprofit poetry collective based in the Pacific Northwest. The winner of their annual Airlie Prize receives book publication and a $1,000 prize upon publication of the winning book. Any poet writing in English is eligible to enter, regardless of place of residence, but only BIPOC writers can submit for free. They close to submissions on March 31st.
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 $2,000. 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.
Curtis Brown Creatives: Scholarship Opportunities
Curtis Brown Creatives regularly offers scholarships for their courses. Some are London-based and some are online. Right now they have have three scholarships with approaching deadlines: the Breakthrough Scholarship for Memoir Writers with Low Income, Breakthrough Scholarship for Short Story Writers with Low Income, a novel writing scholarship for writers of low income, and a scholarship for TV Screenwriters with Low Income. Additional eligibility details are on the website.
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.
Creative Capital, Skoll Foundation, Mellon Foundation: Forward Funds
The crowdsourcing platform for creatives, Kickstarter, now has Forward Funds. Their website says, “Forward Funders are foundations, nonprofits, and organizations that back Kickstarter campaigns related to their visions and missions around a more creative and equitable world. Each Forward Funder makes a public commitment and then backs projects just like anyone else—through single pledges that bring the works one step closer to reality.” One such fund is the $700,000 fund from Creative Capital, Skoll Foundation, and Mellon Foundation. “Creative Capital in collaboration with Skoll Foundation and Mellon Foundation have partnered in this $700,000 fund to support innovative and impactful projects across all categories by Asian, Black, Indigenous, and Latinx creators in the United States (US citizens, permanent residents, and O-1 visa holders).” Projects launched on Kickstarter following their rules are eligible, and creators can nominate themselves for specific Forward Funds. This is for both, creators and organizations.
Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2024 Guide to Manuscript Publishers. She regularly teaches three acclaimed courses on writing and publishing at The Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish. You can follow her on Facebook here.