9 Submission Opportunities Due by November 1st.

All nine of these submission opportunities are due on 10/31 or 11/1.

1) Black Hare Press: Dark Moments – Irish/Celtic Myths
Black Hare Press publishes horror and dark speculative fiction; they run a themed monthly drabble challenge, titled Dark Moments, each month. For July, the theme is Ghost Ships: “we invite you to board the haunted decks of ghost ships lost to time and storm. Picture spectral vessels adrift in swirling ocean mist, crewed by the damned and desperate to lure the living into their eternal voyage. Give us your best 100-word tales—microfiction dripping with maritime dread, haunted crews, cursed treasures, or phantom calls echoing across midnight waves. Whether your ship is a tattered wreck or a vanished luxury liner, let your imagination drift into the unknown. All genres welcome, as long as your story captures the chilling spirit of the theme.” Submissions have to be exactly 100 words. They will publish 12 stories in August, from this open call.
Deadline: October 31 2025
Length: 100 words (see guidelines)
Pay: $0.04/word
Details here. 

2) Cloaked Press: Spring into SciFi Anthology
This is an annual anthology and they want all sub-genres of science fiction. “Spring Into SciFi” will contain stories of Space Exploration, Advanced Technology, AI, Cloning, Robotics and of course, Aliens. We are seeking fresh faces as well as seasoned Science Fiction pros for this yearly anthology.”
Deadline: 31 October 2025
Length: 2,500-9,000 words
Pay: $15 or a contributor copy
Details here.

3) DMR Books: Walpurgis Witcheries Anthology
Walpurgis Witcheries is a fiction anthology, a companion to their Samhain Sorceries anthology. They have detailed guidelines, including, “Like Samhain, Walpurgisnacht is a time when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest. Witches gather at Mount Brocken to celebrate the coming of the spring and to ward off evil spirits. A perfect backdrop for sword-and-sorcery tales!
For clarification, sword-and-sorcery is a genre that combines swashbuckling adventure with supernatural elements (usually of a horrific nature) in a pre-industrial setting. Some of the best-known characters of the genre are Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Cimmerian, Michael Moorcock’s Elric, and Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. … Due to the specific theme of the anthology, stories submitted for Walpurgis Witcheries must be set in Central Europe, and Walpurgis must be integral to the plot.”
Deadline: 31 October 2025
Length: 4,000-8,000 words
Pay: $0,01/word, up to $80
Details here.

4) Inkd Publishing: Rebels
This is a speculative fiction anthology. “Rebels – Rage against the machine, storm the castle, the space alliance against the hegemony, hackers against the oligarchy, or however you envision it.”
Deadline: 31 October 2025
Length: 2,000-8,000 words
Pay: Minimum $10 (see guidelines)
Details here (scroll down).
(Inkd Publishing is open for other themed calls too – Phantom Dusk, deadline 30^th November and Dance, When They Want You to Cower, a fiction anthology with queer protagonists, deadline 15^th December – details here.)

5) Cupid’s Arrow Publishing: Dalliances Anthology – Swashes and Buckles

Cupid’s Arrow Publishing accepts stories for themed romance anthologies. For the Swashes and Buckles anthology, “We are looking for lusty tales that take place upon the seven seas—and if they involve pirates, even better!” They do not want erotica. Submission is via a form on their website.
Deadline: 31 October 2025 (extended)
Length: 2,000-6,000 words
Pay: $0.02/word
Details here
(See their other calls, which are open until filled, on this page.)

6) ALUMINUM CROWN SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://www.chokeandstroke.com/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2025. In the year 2101, due to environmental changes, the Melbourne CBD will be enclosed in a cube: the Central Business Cube, the CBC. We are looking for stories based around this speculative event in the future of Australia. We are asking you to think inside the box. Open to Australian and international writers. Word length between 1000-5000 words. Stories cannot be published elsewhere (including blogs/Facebook etc). 1st place: $300 (AU), 2nd place: $150 (AU), 3rd place: $50 (AU). (NOTE: $300 Australian is $200 USD)

7) The First Line Journal
They want fiction (any genre) and poetry that begins with pre-set first lines, one for each quarterly issue (they primarily want fiction, and also accept some poetry). For nonfiction, they want critical articles about your favorite first line from a literary work. For fiction and poetry, the first line for the Winter issue is:
‘When anyone in town needed help, they contacted Rocky Germain.’
Deadline: 1 November 2025 for the Winter issue
Length: 300-5,000 words for fiction; 500-800 words for nonfiction
Pay: $25-50 for fiction, $25 for nonfiction, $10 for poetry (less postage fee for international contributors – see guidelines)
Details here.

8) Utopia Science Fiction: Alien Celebrations
They publish utopian science fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art. They have detailed guidelines, please read them carefully. Their next upcoming theme is Alien Celebrations – “Bring us tales of celebrations from the far reaches of the galaxy!” This is also their Art special issue (see guidelines).
Deadline: 1 November 2025
Length: 100-4,000 words preferred for fiction, up to 6,000 words for nonfiction, up to 5 poems
Pay: $0.08/word for fiction, $30 for nonfiction, $30 per poem
Details here.
(Utopia Science Fiction has other themes listed too, with later deadlines; see guidelines.)

9) Full Bleed: Inheritance
Full Bleed is an annual print and online journal devoted to the intersection of the visual and literary arts. They have detailed guidelines for the Inheritance theme, including, “We are especially interested in innovative projects combining word, image, and design; collaborations between writers and artists; ekphrastic creations; and ambitious critical essays.  
Inheritances take on many forms: wealth, land, keepsakes, genetic material, artifacts, entire archives. We can also be said to inherit ideas and aesthetic traditions, political conflict, inequities, trauma, ecologies, or systems of belief. An inheritance may be a blessing or a curse. It can be life-changing and marked by turmoil or escape notice entirely. In some cases, a rightful inheritance can be forsaken, destroyed, or stolen, leaving future generations deprived of access to or understanding of the past. Essentially, an inheritance can be seen as a measure of the past’s ties to the present and future, of the bonds between generations and disparate peoples. Likewise, acts of dispossession can sever or disrupt such bonds.” … “We will consider critical essays, creative nonfiction, poetry, short stories, visual art, and hybrid, genre-bending works.”
Deadline: 1 November 2025
Length: Up to 4,000 words for prose; up to 3 poems
Pay: $25-50
Details here and here. 

14+ Spring Writing Opportunities

It's finally Spring, the busiest time of year for my family. It's also the time of year when many submission calls are open, and deadlines are fast approaching. 

1) Chicken Soup for the Soul: https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics - This is one company I have experience with and will continue to recommend. They always have a call out for multiple topics. They also pay fairly well in both cash and contributor copies. If you are interested in writing creative nonfiction, please check out the link above.

2) THE EVERY ANIMAL PROJECT https://www.everyanimalproject.com/contact/ -
Deadline March 31, 2023 We are currently accepting submissions around the theme of courageous animals for our first anthology, debuting in December 2023, The Dog Who Wooed at the World. Stories should explain how an animal’s bravery inspired and moved you. Stories must be true (non-fiction). They must relate to non-human animals (of any species) and can be about your personal experiences/growth because of an animal, an issue threatening animals today, or other aspects of the human/non-human animal relationship. One winning author will receive a $300 prize, and the second place author will receive $200. All other authors with stories chosen for the book will receive a $50 award, along with a free copy of the book upon its publication in 2023 a week before its release to the general public. Stories not chosen for the book will have the opportunity to be featured online on the blog, with a $20 award. Please keep your submission roughly between 500 and 3,000 words.

3) SEJONG WRITING COMPETITION https://www.sejongculturalsociety.org/writing/current/sijo.php -
NO ENTRY FEE NOTED. Deadline March 31, 2023. Divisions: adult division (age 19 and older) and pre-college division (age 18 and younger). Write one sijo in English on a topic of your choice. A title for the sijo is not required. Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500). Pre-college division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300). Honorable mention (for both divisions listed above): Friends of Pacific Rim Awards ($50 each). (Thanks to www.erikadreifus.com)

4) THE FOLEY POETRY CONTEST https://americamedia.submittable.com/submit -
NO ENTRY FEE NOTED. Deadline March 31, 2023. Submit one poem of 45 lines or fewer. Poems should not be under consideration elsewhere. Poems may address any topic. The winning poem will be announced in early June and published in the print edition of America. The cash prize is $1,000. Three runners-up will also be published in subsequent issues.

5) BAEN FANTASY ADVENTURE AWARD https://www.baen.com/contest-faa -
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 30, 2023. Write and submit a short story of no more than 8,000 words. It must be a work of fantasy, though all fantasy genres are open, e.g. epic fantasy, heroic fantasy, sword and sorcery, contemporary fantasy, etc. The grand prize winner will be published as the featured story on the Baen Books main website and paid at industry-standard rates for professional story submittals. The author will also receive a handsome engraved award and a prize package containing $500 of free Baen Books. Second place winner will receive a prize package containing $500 of free Baen Books. Third place winner will receive a prize package containing $300 of free Baen Books.

6) The First Line: https://www.thefirstline.com/ - Accepting fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, the next available deadlines are May 1, August 1, and November 1. Please click the link above to learn more.

7) FLASH 500 COMPETITION:     http://www.flash500.com/ - This is an annual set of three competitions for 500 words or less - in the categories of flash fiction, short story, and novel opening! This quarterly open-themed competition has closing dates of March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31. The results will be announced within six weeks of each closing date and the three winning entries each quarter will be published on this website. Entry fee: £5 for one story, £8 for two stories. Optional critiques: £15 per story. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18, including non-UK entrants. Only manuscripts which are within the 500-word limit will be accepted. Entries must be in English.

8) FURIOUS FICTION https://www.writerscentre.com.au/furious-fiction/ -
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline quarterly. Your story must OPEN with a 12-word sentence. Your story must be 500 words or fewer (hyphenated words and contractions each count as just one word) and the winning story will earn its talented author $500AU. Maximum 500 words – hyphenated compounds count as just one word. This contest is open to anyone in the world. But you must be 17 or older to enter and you can only enter ONCE per competition round. On each competition weekend, we’ll reveal a set of story prompts and you’ll have 55 hours to submit your best story of 500-words (or fewer).

9) MONTHLY SHORT STORY CONTEST https://shortstory.substack.com/p/coming-soon - Deadline the end of each month. Winner chosen by the 15th of the following month. Their missioin is to revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful. The winner each month receives $100 for the chosen story plus half of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. For example, the  payout for Jan should be $225 or higher. Send submission to shortstorystack@gmail.com. Reprints are fine. Word limit ranges from only six words to as much as 10,000 words. Only the winner will be published and rights will only transfer for the winning story. 

10) EATON LITERARY AGENCY SHORT STORY/ARTICLE AWARD http://www.eatonliterary.com/submissions.htm - A $3000 prize will be awarded to the winner of our short story and article program, open to any unpublished short story or nonfiction work less than 10,000 words. 

11) WERGLE FLOMP HUMOR POETRY CONTEST https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free - Deadline April 1, 2023. First Prize: $2,000 plus a two-year gift certificate from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value). Second Prize: $500. Honorable Mentions: 10 awards of $100 each. Top 12 entries published online. Length limit: 250 lines maximum. No restriction on age of author. Both unpublished and previously published work accepted. Authors from all countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). The poem you submit should be in English. 

12)  BRILLIANT FLASH FICTION WRITING CONTEST https://brilliantflashfiction.com/2023/01/01/lets-be-brilliant/- Deadline April 15, 2023. Limit 500 words. First prize $200. Second prize $100. Third prize $50. Shortlisted stories receive publication and $20. One entry per author. Open to writers worldwide, no age requirement. Fiction only, please. No poetry or essays.

13) Thrill of the Hunt Anthology #9- Paranormal Paradox: Submissions | PALMAS PUBLISHING (palmaspress.com) - Deadline August 1, 2023. Premise: The world has been through hell. Millions dead and millions more still sick and dying. What if the pandemic did something to us? What if the vaccine the government provided changed us at the cellular level? What if those who died came back?

14) Hellbound http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html - Deadlines of various horror poetry, short stories and novels from now through the end of summer.

What about you? Is this a particularly busy time for you? Are there any great books we should read? How about great submission opportunities?

12 Spring and Summer Writing Opportunities

It's finally Spring, the busiest time of year for my family. It's also the time of year when many submission calls are open and deadlines are fast approaching. 

1) Chicken Soup for the Soul: https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics - This is one company I have experience with and will continue to recommend. They always have a call out for multiple topics. They also pay fairly well in both cash and contributor copies. If you are interested in writing creative nonfiction, please check out the link above.

2) The First Line: https://www.thefirstline.com/ - Accepting fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, the next available deadlines are May 1, August 1, and November 1. Please click the link above to learn more.

3) FLASH 500 COMPETITION:     http://www.flash500.com/ - This is an annual set of three competitions for 500 words or less - in the categories of flash fiction, short story, and novel opening! This quarterly open-themed competition has closing dates of March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31. The results will be announced within six weeks of each closing date and the three winning entries each quarter will be published on this website. Entry fee: £5 for one story, £8 for two stories. Optional critiques: £15 per story. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18, including non-UK entrants. Only manuscripts which are within the 500-word limit will be accepted. Entries must be in English.

4) MONTHLY SHORT STORY CONTEST https://shortstory.substack.com/p/coming-soon - Deadline the end of each month. Winner chosen by the 15th of the following month. Their missioin is to revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful. The winner each month receives $100 for the chosen story plus half of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. For example, the  payout for Jan should be $225 or higher. Send submission to shortstorystack@gmail.com. Reprints are fine. Word limit ranges from only six words to as much as 10,000 words. Only the winner will be published and rights will only transfer for the winning story. 

5) EATON LITERARY AGENCY SHORT STORY/ARTICLE AWARD http://www.eatonliterary.com/submissions.htm - Deadline March 31, 2022. A $500 prize will be awarded to the winner of our short story and article program, open to any unpublished short story or nonfiction work less than 10,000 words. 

6) WERGLE FLOMP HUMOR POETRY CONTEST https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free - Deadline April 1, 2022. First Prize: $2,000 plus a two-year gift certificate from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value). Second Prize: $500. Honorable Mentions: 10 awards of $100 each. Top 12 entries published online. Length limit: 250 lines maximum. No restriction on age of author. Both unpublished and previously published work accepted. Authors from all countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). The poem you submit should be in English. 

7) ALPINE FELLOWSHIP WRITING PRIZE https://alpinefellowship.com/writing-prize - Deadline April 1, 2022. The winner will receive a £10,000 cash prize. A £3,000 cash prize will go to the second place, and £2,000 to the third place runner up. The winner and two runners up are invited to attend the symposium. Awarded for the best piece of writing on the theme of the Alpine Fellowship 2022 - Freedom. Open to all nationalities and to anyone aged 18 and above. All genres permitted. A maximum of 2,500 words per entry. Limited to one entry per person. 

8) FABLE COMPETITION https://www.mrrls.com/fable - Deadline April 2, 2022. Pays £500 for Winner - £100 Second. In no more than 350 words enter to write a 21st Century Fable in the style of the great master, Robert Louis Stevenson.

9) BRILLIANT FLASH FICTION WRITING CONTEST https://brilliantflashfiction.com/2022/01/05/welcome-2022-writing-contest/#more-5044 - Deadline April 15, 2022. Limit 500 words. First prize $200. Second prize $100. Third prize $50. Shortlisted stories receive publication and $20. One entry per author. Open to writers worldwide, no age requirement. Fiction only, please. No poetry or essays.

10) Thrill of the Hunt Anthology #8- Paranormal Paradox: Submissions | PALMAS PUBLISHING (palmaspress.com) - Deadline April 30, 2022. Normally, every species of being stays in their lane, mingling and confronting only when necessary. Paranormals are the norm, but now a different kind of paranormal is breeding. One seeking to end all others and become the dominant species. Who will win? Who will rule? Vampires, werewolves, shifters, witches, reapers, astrals and more are determined to be the dominant species. Throw in the human variant and the paranormal paradox begins. 

11) THE BLACK ORCHID NOVELLA AWARD https://www.nerowolfe.org/htm/literary_awards/black_orchid_award/Black_Orchid_award_intro.htm  - Deadline May 31, 2022. Entries must be 15,000 to 20,000 words in length, and submitted by the deadline. Each entry must be an original unpublished work of fiction that conforms to the tradition of the Nero Wolfe series. The mystery should be "traditional" in flavor. The crime must be solved using the deductive abilities of the sleuth. No coincidences. The killer must be known to the victim. No random psycho shootings. The characters (male or female) must have an engaging relationship.

12) Hellbound http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html - Deadlines of various horror poetry, short stories and novels from now hrough the end of summer.

What about you? Is this a particularly busy time for you? Are there any great books we should read? How about great submission opportunities?

Spring Competitions and Critiques

Chicken Soup for the Soul: https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics

This is one company I have experience with and will continue to recommend. They always have a call out for multiple topics. They also pay fairly well in both cash and contributor copies. If you are interested in writing creative nonfiction, please check out the link above.

The First Line: https://www.thefirstline.com/

Accepting fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, the next available deadlines are May 1, August 1, and November 1. Please click the link above to learn more.

FLASH 500 COMPETITION:     http://www.flash500.com/

This is an annual set of three competitions for 500 words or less - in the categories of flash fiction, short story, and novel opening!

This quarterly open-themed competition has closing dates of March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31. The results will be announced within six weeks of each closing date and the three winning entries each quarter will be published on this website. Entry fee: £5 for one story, £8 for two stories. Optional critiques: £15 per story. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18, including non-UK entrants. Only manuscripts which are within the 500-word limit will be accepted. Entries must be in English.

Prizes will be awarded as follows:
First: £300 
Second: £200
Third: £100
Highly commended: A copy of The Writer’s ABC Checklist

Chicken House: Chicken House Books - Submissions

*DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 14TH MAY 2021*

We no longer accept unsolicited manuscripts, but we do offer unpublished and unagented writers of children's fiction the chance to submit their work to the annual Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition. We're looking for original ideas, a fresh voice, a diverse range of entries and stories that children will love! We'd particularly like to encourage entry for BAME writers and others from underrepresented backgrounds. The competition will close for entries on 14 May 2021 at 11.59pm GMT.

The Times/Chicken House Prize is a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a royalty advance of £10,000, plus an offer of representation from a top literary agent. This year we're delighted to introduce an exciting new prize, sponsored by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), who are celebrating their 150th anniversary in 2021. The IET 150 Award will be awarded to a complete fiction manuscript for children aged 7 up to Young Adult that broadly explores or celebrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

By entering the competition, your manuscript will automatically be considered for both prizes by our expert team of readers. To enter, you must have written a completed full-length novel suitable for children/young adults aged somewhere between 7 and 18 years. By full-length we suggest a minimum of 30,000 words and ask that manuscripts entered do not exceed 80,000 words in length (please note these are suggested word counts). Visit the site above for more info...

Youth Writing Contest: https://writersfest.bc.ca/programs/education/writing-contests/

The Vancouver Writers Fest's annual youth writing contest is open to all students enrolled in grades 8-12 in British Columbia. Entries will be accepted for previously unpublished short stories (fiction or non-fiction) and personal essays: 1,500 word limit. The first-prize winner will receive a $200 cash prize and the second-prize winner, a $100 cash prize. Deadline May 31.

For More Options: https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-contests/