call for fiction manuscripts
Tiny Reparations Books
SUBMISSION PERIOD: August 5, 2026 - Until 1,000 submissions are received
DEADLINE: Tiny Reparations Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, is launching an open submission call for unpublished works of fiction. The imprint was founded by Phoebe Robinson in 2020 with the goal of amplifying diverse voices, and in the spirit of that mission, we are inviting unpublished writers to share their work directly with our team.
For this opportunity, we’re seeking adult fiction in commercial genres—specifically, works that celebrate identities, cultures, and settings not seen often enough in published novels, within immersive stories designed to entertain. We will be considering submissions in the following categories: thriller/mystery/suspense, romance, speculative fiction, grounded fantasy, horror, and historical fiction.
PROGRAM GUIDLINES:
Submissions will only be accepted during the announced submission window. We will begin accepting submissions on August 5, 2026 at 9am ET, and the portal will be open until 1,000 submissions are received.
Authors must be unagented. If an offer for publication is made, authors may seek an agent to represent them before negotiations.
Authors may only submit one project each.
Projects must be under 150,000 words.
Projects must be written in English.
Projects must be works of adult fiction. We will not accept works meant for children, middle grade or young adult readers.
Authors may only make submissions for works they have completed.
Authors may not submit work that has been previously published or self-published.
Authors may not make submissions that have used AI in their creation, whether in the outlining or writing of the manuscript.
Submissions must include a 1-page synopsis, 1-paragraph author bio, and the first 20 pages of the manuscript.
We will do our best to respond to all submissions as soon as we can. Due to volume, we cannot respond to follow up queries..
Submissions will only be accepted during the announced submission window.
sites.prh.com/tinyrepbooksopensubmissions
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DARK GREEN REPORT: CALL FOR Writers, Visual Artists & Photographers
Black Veterans Project
DEADLINE: August 9, 2026
INFO: With generous support from Liberation Ventures, Black Veterans Project is publishing a special-edition print publication, narrative intervention, and organizing resource in recognition of our nation’s semiquincentennial.
DARK GREEN REPORT will uplift the voices of Black service members, veterans, and military families and showcase writers, visual artists, and photographers whose work explores the complex history of Black military service and themes of memory and repair.
Through these stories and artworks, we hope to inspire readers to join the ongoing movement for repair and equity.
WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR:
We are seeking work that engages the themes of service, repair, and memory.
Service across generations. The sacrifice, commitment, and lineage of Black people in military uniform, from the nation’s earliest conflicts to the present day.
Repair for denied recognition, respect, and benefits, and for the nation’s ongoing failure to fully realize equality, liberty, and justice. What does meaningful repair look like beyond symbolic gestures?
Memory as a roadmap for strengthening our democracy. How can a legacy of service help close the gap between America’s promise and full citizenship? What does America 250 mean when commemoration and accountability have yet to meet?
This call is open to everyone. We especially encourage submissions from Black veterans, service members, and Black families whose experiences align with this issue's focus.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Submitted work must be original and unpublished:
WRITERS - Writers may submit unpublished work or pitch a personal essay, memoir, reported journalism, criticism, poetry, or hybrid work. If submitting completed unpublished work, pieces should be no more than 2,500 words. If submitting a pitch, submit 300–500 words describing your proposed piece as well as 2–3 writing samples that best reflect your voice and style. Selected contributors will be invited to develop their work for publication. $250 per published piece
VISUAL ARTISTS - Visual artists should submit 1–5 completed works to be considered for publication, along with a brief artist statement (250 words or less) explaining how the works connect to the themes of service, repair, and memory. $250 per published series
PHOTOGRAPHERS - Photographers should submit 1–5 images per series they would like considered for publication, along with a brief artist statement (250 words or less) explaining how the work connects to the themes of service, repair, and memory. $250 per published series
PAYMENT SCHEDULE - All contributors will be paid prior to publication on November 11, 2026.
YOUR RIGHTS - Contributors retain ownership of their work. Black Veterans Project receives a nonexclusive, perpetual license to publish accepted contributions as part of the DARK GREEN REPORT special edition print publication, on the DARK GREEN REPORTSubstack, and in related promotional materials.
TIMELINE:
Selected Contributors Notified: August 16, 2026
Publication: November 2026
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What qualifies as visual art? Visual art includes any original two-dimensional or three-dimensional work created by hand or digitally. This includes, but is not limited to: illustration, painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, mixed media, digital art, graphic art, comics and sequential art, textile and fiber art. We are open to work that doesn’t fit neatly into a single category.
Do I need a finished piece to submit? Yes. Unlike some open calls, we are asking for completed pieces rather than a proposal. We want to review what you’ve created.
Is there a fee to submit? No. Submitting is free, and accepted contributors will be paid based on the payment scale and timeline.
Can I submit more than one piece? Yes. Each submission should be a single piece, but you are welcome to submit more than one original piece of work. Please complete these submissions separately.
I’ve already published this work elsewhere. Can I still submit? No. We are only publishing original work.
What if I’m not a veteran myself but my work engages with these themes? All are welcome to submit their work for consideration. However, we strongly encourage work from Black troops, veterans, and their families/descendants.
What rights do I keep? Contributors keep ownership of their work. Black Veterans Project receives a non-exclusive, perpetual license to publish and promote it as part of this special edition.
Will I be edited? Yes. Written materials may be subject to collaborative editing ahead of publication.
ABOUT BLACK VETERANS PROJECT: Black Veterans Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the well-being and liberation of Black veterans through advocacy, storytelling, and movement building. Learn more at blackveteransproject.org
QUESTIONS? Please contact: Yolanda Hoskey at yolanda@blackveteransproject.org
blackveteransproject.substack.com/p/zine-open-call
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2026-2027 Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler Residency Application
McSweeney’s x Friends of the San Francisco Public Library
DEADLINE: August 10, 2026
INFO: The Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler Residency, made possible through the generosity of Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler and presented in partnership with McSweeney's, is designed to nurture five emerging and established San Francisco–based writers by offering time, space, and a connection to the public to the San Francisco Public Library system, as well opportunities to engage the public through literary programming.
The year-long residency runs from September through August. Friends is thrilled to welcome McSweeney's as a partner in this next chapter of the Residency. Together, the organizations will expand opportunities for participants and ensure the Residency continues to support and celebrate San Francisco writers.
friendssfpl.org/residency.html
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Very Asian Foundation Creators Grant 2026
The Very Asian Foundation
DEADLINE: August 10, 2026
INFO: The Very Asian Foundation Creators Grant is an exciting micro-grant opportunity for individuals who wish to pursue their creative passions through an Asian American (AA), Native Hawaiian (NH), or Pacific Islander (PI) lens. We welcome submissions from people of all backgrounds.
To be eligible, the applicant should present a creative project they plan to complete in 2026 with the help of this grant.
The grant will be awarded to five individuals, each receiving $1500.
PROGRAM GOALS:
Creators feel pride and value in building and amplifying AA and NHPI experiences through their craft.
Creators have a mission or project that the mini-grant can help complete or fulfill in 2026.
Grant recipient alumni can help amplify the VAF Creators Fund for future recipients.
VAF Creator Community development for connections and networking with mentorship opportunities.
The Very Asian Foundation's (VAF) mission is to shine a light on Asian experiences through advocacy and celebration. VAF is a non-profit created from a viral, global moment of unity and is compelled to lift the human experience. This award provides a mini-grant to creatives (e.g.: actors, artists, authors, bakers, chefs, content creators, podcasters, small business owners, etc.) to help amplify their voices and reach.
The Very Asian Foundation Creators Grant is an exciting micro-grant opportunity for individuals who wish to pursue their creative passions through an Asian American (AA), Native Hawaiian (NH), or Pacific Islander (PI) lens. We welcome submissions from people of all backgrounds.
To be eligible, the applicant should present a creative project they plan to complete in 2026 with the help of this grant.
The grant will be awarded to five individuals, each receiving $1500.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA INCLUDE:
Must reside in the U.S.
Is a creative who can share an AA and NHPI experience
Must be at least 21 years of age
Must have a project that will be completed in 2026
Agrees to media release and adheres to VAF Code of Conduct when representing VAF
PROGRAM STRUCTURE + TIMELINE:
As part of the program, participants will:
Carry out their project idea anytime by November 2026, providing periodical progress updates to VAF
Create at least 1 reel/video to collaborate with the Very Asian Foundation, highlighting your journey and how receiving this grant has impacted you by November 2026.
The program schedule is as follows:
July 13, 2026 - Applications open.
August 10, 2026 - Deadline for all submissions. Applications close.
September 7, 2026 - Finalists will be notified; only finalists will receive an email.
September 14 through September 25, 2026 - Finalists will go through a final video interview with VAF staff
September 28 through December 18, 2026 - Awardees will carry out their projects
December 18, 2026 - Reel/Video highlighting the grant journey due to VAF
February 20, 2027 - Optionally attend the Very Asian Lunar New Year Exhibition in St. Louis, MO
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe9xj74wAKzZ5JMYp8hslXU9syBAy1VZu45vlRS14RB5Z80YA/viewform
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THE SARABANDE OPEN: FICTION + NONFICTION
Sarabande Books
SUBMISSION FEE: $30
DEADLINE: Extended to August 10, 2026 at 11:59pm
INFO: Each year during the month of July, Sarabande offers writers and translators the opportunity to get their manuscripts in front of our editors without the mediating factors of agents or judges. Providing direct access to writers is a core Sarabande value, rooted in our long-held belief that you, writers, know best what kind of work we're going to love.
We can’t wait to read your full-length manuscripts of poetry, fiction, hybrid work, literary nonfiction, and literature in translation!
ELIGIBILITY:
The Sarabande Open is open to manuscripts in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included.
It is highly recommended that those who intend to submit a manuscript familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. You can find some of our recent titles below.This submission period is open to manuscripts in English. We recommended all those who intend to submit a manuscript familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Submission form must include a cover letter with a brief author bio and acknowledgements of past publications.
Manuscript must be anonymous.
Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt.
Prose manuscripts should be between 150 and 250 standard, double-spaced pages.
Manuscript should be paginated consecutively with a table of contents.
Submission must be submitted electronically through Submittable, accompanied by a $30 submission fee.
sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit
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THE SARABANDE OPEN: TRANSLATION
Sarabande Books
SUBMISSION FEE: $30
DEADLINE: Extended to August 10, 2026 at 11:59pm
INFO: Sarabande is pleased to offer a fully open reading period for literary works in translation.
ELIGIBILITY:
Publication of a translated work is contingent upon the agreement to grant English language rights and other contractual terms. Sarabande reserves the right to reject any submitted manuscript or to withdraw a publication offer if contractual obligations are not met. We recommended all those who intend to submit a proposal familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. You can find recent bilingual titles and works in translation here.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Translators wishing to submit a query should include:
A one-page cover letter that that addresses the book’s cultural, historical, and artistic significance
A brief biography of the poet and the translator, including previously published works
A sample translation of at least 20 pages (more complete manuscripts are preferred, but not required
A statement confirming that permission has been granted to the translator(s) for English translation and publication of the original text by the rights holder
Submission of more than one proposal is permissible with separate reading fees.
Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted. We ask that you notify us immediately if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit
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NEW CALL FOR WORK: CARIBBEAN YARD POETICS
ANMLY
DEADLINE: August 14, 2026
INFO: ANMLY is now open for our new folio exploring the yard as the site in which we understand modern Caribbean geography and social life.
We’re seeking previously-unpublished poetry, creative nonfiction, and art. Absolutely no AI.
This collection of work, featuring genres of poetry, art and creative non-fiction essays, will explore the yard as the site in which we understand modern Caribbean geography and social life. From the iconic “government yard in Trenchtown” of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” to the rural fields and estates passed down through generations, the yard is a site of memory, history, and the everyday poetics of survival and community.
The yard’s significance is rooted in the post-plantation society, where descendants of Indigenous, African and Indian peoples carved out new forms of life and autonomy. These spaces, whether in urban margins or inherited homes, are where personal and family histories are woven, where futures are imagined, and where the senses of a people are shaped. We have tidy yards, dirty yards, ghetto yards, tenement yards, barrack yards and grandmothers’ yards.
This folio is a deliberate disruption of two prevalent stereotypes: (1)The Caribbean as a “paradise” of “free island people” to reveal the complexity and nuance of lived experiences. (2) The “Caribbean writer” as a person’s region stands in for their entire identity.
Selected pieces will amplify unique and diverse voices within the region, celebrate their individuality while acknowledging the shared historical and cultural landscape of yards. The goal is to highlight the everyday struggles and joys that continue to shape post-emancipation societies.
Guest edited by Amilcar Sanatan with support by Folio Editor Shon Mapp
***Please note that this submission call is limited to Caribbean writers born and/or residing in the region.***
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeIIZ4NMuTzrVqOkGJHOjlDpXhtJOo2uqdv0KIhZ-WnQHqlVA/viewform
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Call for submissions
FIRE!!
DEADLINE: August 15, 2026
INFO:
One Hundred Years:
Still, the Fire Burns.
In 1926, Wallace Thurman, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Aaron Douglas lit a match called FIRE!!, a journal by younger Black artists who refused to wait for permission.
It ran one issue. It changed everything. Now, we strike the match, one century later.
FIRE!!! returns to publish twenty-one new pieces, paid, in the spirit of the original. There are seats at this table for emerging African American writers, poets, photographers, makers, and artists.
WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR:
African American artists, in the tradition of the original FIRE!!.
A.K.A., the direct descendants of African people enslaved in the United States.Ages 18 to 35.
Your submitted work must be original and previously unpublished.
It cannot have appeared in any magazine, journal, book, newspaper, or exhibition.One piece per submission — but you may enter more than one work, each submitted separately.
WHAT WE'RE PUBLISHING. WHAT WE PAY.
Seven pieces in each of three sections: Politics, Culture, and Identity.
Rates are per accepted piece, paid plainly and proudly.
RATES PER ACCEPTED PIECE, PER SECTION:
Short Story - $500
Essay - $600
Photography or Photo Essay - $500
Art Piece - $500
Conversation, Roundtable, or Interview - $600
Poem - $400
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Emerging Writer Fellowship in Hybrid Writing
BRINK
DEADLINE: August 15, 2026
SUBMISSION FEE: $25
INFO: The Emerging Writer Fellowship in Hybrid Writing offers editorial support, guidance, and mentorship to previously unpublished writers who demonstrate exceptional promise in hybrid and cross-genre writing. The fellow will work alongside the Brink editorial team to prepare their piece for publication. The virtual fellowship takes place over a period of four months in the fall and provides the following:
One-on-one developmental editing with an emphasis on developing the innovative hybrid aspects of the selected piece
Advice and guidance on career development via the submission and publication process
Publication in a print issue of Brink
Four copies of the journal issue in which the winning submission appears
GUIDELINES: The fellowship is open to all writers and artists who identify their work as hybrid or cross-genre in nature or who are interested in the process of learning how to hybridize their work in a readable, creative manner.
Emerging writers who have not yet published a book-length collection are eligible.
Writers with forthcoming books may enter if their first book is published after April 2026.
Writers who have edited and published an anthology or a collection of other writers' works remain eligible.
Submit up to 15 pages in one previously unpublished submission per entrant.
All entries will be read anonymously. Before you submit, please remove your name and any other identifying information from your submission.
Family, colleagues, intimate friends, and contributors previously published in Brink Literary Journal are ineligible.
brinkliterary.com/emerging-writer-fellowship
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Publish a Book Scholarship
Gotham Writers
DEADLINE: August 15, 2026
INFO: The Gotham Publish a Book Scholarship is open to people of color who have completed a book manuscript (or nonfiction book proposal) and are ready to seek agent representation and go to market with their book. Three scholarships will be offered every year to un-agented writers.
Each scholarship includes:
Admittance to a Gotham Writers Conference—the panels and presentations as well as a seat at a pitching roundtable with two agents in your genre.
The Gotham course How to Get Published
A one-on-one Agent Evaluation: Quick Hit session and a Query Letter Coaching session, both with a literary agent.
ELIGIBILITY: Acceptance is open to all people of color (age 18 and up) and based solely on the merit of your book project. At least one spot will be rewarded to a Black writer.
Once accepted, Gotham will do a consultation to determine the timing and arrangement of your scholarship.
This scholarship does not guarantee that winners will get a book published or obtain an agent, but it does help them get the best possible shot.
This scholarship is for un-agented writers. If you obtain representation after submitting your application, please notify us as soon as possible so your application may be withdrawn.
Please note that AI-generated material will not be accepted.
Winners will be announced by mid September. All applicants will be notified.
v2.writingclasses.com/scholarships/publish-a-book-scholarship-2026
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2026 literary arts fund grants
Literary Arts Fund
DEADLINE: August 17, 2026
INFO: The Literary Arts Fund will provide at least $50 million in support of the nonprofit literary arts field over the next five years, concluding in 2031.
With a short timeline, the fund’s grantmaking has a strategic focus on the areas of the literary arts ecosystem where it determined it could have the greatest impact—that is: supporting independent U.S.-based literary arts nonprofits whose primary mission is directly serving adult writers of creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and hybrid works in making their artistic work and sharing it with readers. Please review the fund’s full eligibility requirements to learn more.
The Literary Arts Fund will annually hold open calls for two opportunities: innovation project grants and general operating grants.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
To be eligible to apply to the Literary Arts Fund’s 2026 grants, an interested applicant must be an independent nonprofit (or fiscally sponsored) literary arts organization, press, or publication based in the U.S. (in terms of location and activities) whose primary mission directly supports adult creative writers in making artistic work and sharing it with readers in at least one of the following ways:
Present them at public events such as festivals, readings, open mics, spoken word performances, lectures, or conversations;
Publish their work in print or digital publications such as books, chapbooks, literary journals, magazines, websites, or zines;
Provide them with writing residencies, retreats, mentorships, or workshops;
Build their readership and following through digital or print feature articles, interviews, book reviews, online archives, or podcasts; or,
Recognize their artistic achievement through awards, fellowships, or prizes.
Additionally, to be eligible to apply, a literary arts nonprofit must:
Be post-pilot as demonstrated by having been established for three years or more based on the date of nonprofit incorporation at the time of application. If the applicant is fiscally sponsored, this would be demonstrated by the contract date between the fiscal sponsor(s) and applicant;
Have leadership stability as demonstrated by a current executive director who has led the nonprofit through at least one full year of operations, i.e., has served in their role for twelve consecutive months or more at the time of application; and
Have financial stability as demonstrated by an annual operating budget of at least $50,000, not including in-kind/non-cash contributions. For fiscally sponsored organizations and publishers: the organization or publisher, not the fiscal sponsor, must meet this requirement.
The Literary Arts Fund’s grantmaking strategy does not include the following:
Dramatic arts nonprofits whose primary mission is focused on screenwriters and playwrights.
Storytelling nonprofits with a primary mission of supporting this oral art form.
Arts therapy nonprofits that focus on writing for its therapeutic purposes.
Nonprofits, publishers, initiatives, and projects that are a department or division of, or are fiscally sponsored by, a college or university.
Nonprofits whose primary mission is to present, publish, or support young writers.
Arts education nonprofits that focus on increasing K-12 students’ access to the arts and learning through the arts, in or out of school.
Literacy nonprofits that focus on developing or strengthening youth or adult reading and writing skills and abilities.
Academic, research, school, and public libraries.
Trade and service organizations whose mission is focused primarily on serving other nonprofits.
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: THE PRODUCTION OF DISASTER
Island City Lab |📍Kingston, JA
DEADLINE: August 18, 2026
INFO: Last October, Hurricane Melissa devastated Western Jamaica, but the actual disaster was in motion long before the storm made landfall. In the Caribbean, catastrophes like hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and extreme heat expose the unequal geographies of race, class and citizenship that organizes Caribbean life. Yet, the discourse tends to hyper-fixate on the disaster event, obscuring the slower crisis of exclusion, dispossession, and neglect. These disasters are not ‘natural’, they are politically shaped by colonial land systems, dependent economies, and fiscal austerity.
The Production of Disaster is an editorial project that looks behind the crisis event to explore how disaster and recovery in the Caribbean are produced (and re-produced) by uneven processes and frameworks.
We are soliciting critical reflections that can contribute to how we prepare for, and process disaster, but also how we can recover collectively.
Submit a 250-word abstract (for articles, interviews, photoessays, audio-visual narratives, and design proposals).
HONORARIUM: We offer a $USD 200 Honorarium for successful submissions.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeS3upXj_KsmRtSydut5FaKNg0H1Bua9Escjb5VSx1U8K5nuA/viewform
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Futurisms Intensive Writing Residency 2027
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity |📍Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦
DEADLINE: August 19, 2026
APPLICATION FEE: $65 for individuals, $35 for applicants who identify as Indigenous.
The application fee is non-refundable. 100% of this fee goes towards the cost of administering the application in SlideRoom.
INFO: Banff Centre’s Futurisms Intensive Writing Residency provides writers space for the creative exploration of the future, from the fantastical, to the scientific, to the decolonial. This self-directed residency offers the opportunity to work away from the constraints of everyday life, delve deep into your creative project, and take advantage of the community of artistic peers around you.
During this intensive program, you'll have optional opportunities for consultations and group sessions with mentors Dr. Joshua Whitehead, Sheree Renée Thomas, and Nalo Hopkinson, and professional guest Dr. Jenna Butler (Barbour Books) to explore techniques, aspects, and devices that you may find useful in your practice. You'll also have the opportunity to showcase your work in public readings at Banff Centre's CLVB '33.
Futurisms Intensive Writing Residency runs concurrently with programs in Indigenous Arts and Visual Arts exploring related concepts. Cross-disciplinary learning and exchange is encouraged.
PROGRAM DATES: Feb 15, 2027 - Feb 26, 2027
DESCRIPTION: This two-week self-directed residency provides participants with individual accommodation and a small private studio for writers to focus, reconnect, and re-energize their writing practice. In addition, participants will be able to engage with other writers on the program.
As a flexible, self-directed program with optional elements, this residency allows you to choose the amount of support you are looking for.
Optional program elements include:
thematic teachings from Dr. Joshua Whitehead, Sheree Renée Thomas, Nalo Hopkinson, and professional guest Dr. Jenna Butler.
one-on-one mentoring sessions with faculty to discuss ideas, experiences and obstacles.
Q & A sessions.
public readings.
sessions and events with other program areas on campus.
REQUIREMENTS: The residency is designed to cater to emerging and established writers with a proven publication record seeking a period of dedicated time to work on a project.
Participants will benefit most if they are comfortable working autonomously in an unstructured environment. The residency suits those focused on:
working on a specific project.
creating new works.
This program is not open to applicants who have taken part in a Banff Centre residency in the last year, nor to current faculty members of any other Banff Centre programming.
This program is run in English and only accepts projects that are being written in English. English is the language of Banff Centre correspondence.
ELIGIBILITY:
Applicants must be ages 18+ at the time of the program start date.
Domestic and international applications are welcome.
Visa Eligibility Information:
Please note that Banff Centre programs do not meet the eligibility requirements for a Canadian Student Visa.
If you are accepted into our program, you must obtain a Visitor Visa to enter Canada. Accepted participants are responsible for identifying and complying with the immigration requirements to enter Canada as a visitor from their country of origin. If you require a Visitor Visa please check the current expected processing times well in advance of applying.
FEES + FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
Total Fee Before Scholarships for tuition, accommodation and a meal plan - $3 602.55
Scholarship Amount Applied* - $1 892.89
Total You Pay After Scholarship - $1 709.66
INCLUSIVITY STATEMENT:
We welcome applicants of all ages (18+), backgrounds, gender identities and expressions to apply. Artists from historically underrepresented and equity deserving groups are especially welcome.
banffcentre.ca/programs/literary-arts/futurisms-intensive-writing-residency-2027
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The Jennifer Weiner Fellowship
Blue Stoop |📍Philadelphia, PA
APPLICATION PERIOD: August 25 - September 8, 2026
INFO: The Jennifer Weiner Fellowship is a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to nurturing and empowering woman-identified emerging prose writers in the United States. Established through the generous support of acclaimed author Jennifer Weiner in partnership with Blue Stoop, this fellowship aims to elevate voices that often go unheard in the literary world.
The next round of fellowships will take place from February 2027 to May 2027. During this period, fellows will receive:
An unrestricted $5,000 stipend, paid in 2 installments over the course of the fellowship. These funds can be used to cover living expenses, child care, travel, educational or professional opportunities, or anything that supports writing, ideation, or creative exploration.
One-on-one mentorship from Jennifer Weiner.
Access to a catalog of Blue Stoop resources, including classes and workshops.
The support of a writing cohort, the Blue Stoop community, and our partners.
Career-building and publication opportunities.
CultureWorks membership to access co-working space for duration of fellowship.
After the fellowship concludes, fellows are encouraged to continue engaging with the Blue Stoop community through resources, classes, and events. We look forward to supporting your future writing endeavors!
ELIGIBILITY:
Selected fellows will be:
Woman-identified.*
18 years of age or older.
Currently living in the greater Philadelphia area (Philadelphia County or Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery).
Passionate about writing prose (fiction and/or nonfiction).
Emerging writers.**
Willing to participate in the Blue Stoop community as a member of a supportive cohort, as a mentee of Jennifer Weiner, and as a student continually working to develop craft and professional skills.
*Inclusive of both cis and trans women, as well as non-binary people who feel strongly connected to the identity of woman.
**We define emerging writers as those without a literary agent who have not published or signed a contract to publish a full-length book of prose with a major publisher, university press, or other established press (chapbooks, poetry collections, and self-published books are acceptable, as are books published by small indie presses). Please read the FAQ for additional clarification.
APPLICATION:
The application will begin accepting responses on August 25, 2026. To better support those who intend to apply, we’ve made the application questions available for preview here. Please wait to submit your responses until applications officially open.
Important Dates
Aug 25, 2026: Applications open
Sept 8, 2026: Applications close
Nov 2026: Fellows announced
Feb – May 2027: Fellowship period
July 2027: Capstone weekend
NOTIFICATION:
All finalists and winners will be notified in November 2026. Please check your spam folder for an email from fellowship@bluestoop.org.
If you have not received a notification as of November 30, 2026, you have not been selected as a finalist.
Due to the significant number of applications received, we are unable to provide feedback on your application materials.
If you have questions, please refer to our Fellowship FAQ. If your question has not been answered or you have accessibility needs regarding the application, email us at fellowship@bluestoop.org. Please allow up to 2 business days for a response.
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Wayland and Marion Cato Fellowship Prize
Charleston Literary Festival
DEADLINE: August 27, 2026
APPLICATION FEE: $25. (If this is a barrier of entry for you, please email sara.peck@charlestonliteraryfestival.com)
INFO: The Wayland and Marion Cato Fellowship Prize supports and nurtures emerging writers in North and South Carolina. From November 6 —15, 2026, one selected writer of fiction OR nonfiction will have the opportunity to join us at the Festival to join over 75 nationally and internationally renowned authors and speakers and share their work.
The Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize winner will receive full access to Charleston Literary Festival’s sessions and receptions, free accommodations in downtown Charleston, networking and collaborative opportunities, and a cash prize of $10,000 to allow them to further their writing career as they see fit. The Prize offers the opportunity to meet face-to-face with distinguished authors and leaders in their respective field and learn about both the business of writing and the inner workings of an international literary festival.
PRIZE: The Prize will be awarded to one fiction or nonfiction writer who demonstrates a commitment to bettering their craft and exhibit a love of writing and reading. It will provide:
immersive access to 35+ events and private receptions during Charleston Literary Festival, running November 6 - November 15, 2026 (view the first release of featured authors HERE
accommodations in downtown Charleston to stay and write for the 10-day duration of the Festival
a $10,000 stipendiary
a dedicated workspace beyond lodgings
featured bio on the Charleston Literary Festival website and social media
a featured talk during Charleston Literary Festival
publication of the final piece in response to Festival experience on the Charleston Literary Festival website
networking and collaborative opportunities beyond the Festival
WHO SHOULD APPLY:
The Fellowship Prize is open to any fiction or nonfiction writer who is a current resident of North or South Carolina (or enrolled in a college or university program in North Carolina or South Carolina), a U.S. citizen, and at least 21 years old on November 6, 2026.
Applicants should be in the early stages of their writing careers, i.e. have not published more than one book-length work with a major or independent publisher. However, previous publication is not a requirement if they have demonstrated a commitment to developing their writing by providing evidence of, for example:
work published in a magazine or journal, online or print
work published in an anthology
attendance at a creative writing course
an early stage of a manuscript
a draft book proposal
We accept submissions from exceptional writers writing nonfiction, journalism, memoir, autobiography, short fiction, flash fiction, novels, and more — full or excerpted totaling 4,000 words or less.
charlestonliteraryfestival.com/cato
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Art Criticism Apprenticeship
Black Embodiments Studio x Scalawag Magazine
DEADLINE: August 28, 2026
INFO: The Black Embodiments Studio and Scalawag Magazine are partnering on an Art Criticism Apprenticeship that embeds an arts writer with Scalawag, where they will develop an art criticism “beat” that covers Houston’s visual and performing art worlds holistically: previewing and reviewing single exhibitions as well as documenting the sociality of art openings, public talks, administrative dynamics of institutions, and longer-form pieces considering particular artists, works, spaces, and trends or movements. The goal is for the Apprentice to develop themselves as a knowledgeable voice on Houston’s art worlds, in the broadest sense.
The Apprenticeship runs from October 2026 through April 2027, during which time the Apprentice will receive support and guidance from dedicated mentors at Scalawag and BES, and informal mentorship from various members of Scalawag’s editorial and writing team. The apprentice will publish at least one piece per month and will be compensated $500 for each published piece. The Apprentice will also receive a $10,000 honorarium from BES.
WHAT YOU’LL DO:
Write and publish at least 1 piece per month in Scalawag Magazine
Attend and cover exhibitions, performances, and related public programs in Houston and, as necessary, surrounding areas
Participate in weekly mentorship meetings with Tea Troutman, managing editor at Scalawag, and monthly mentorship meetings with Jessica Lynne, Editor at BES
Maintain clear editorial timelines and deliver publishable work that meets Scalawag’s standards
Produce a short, reflective end-of-program report (approx. 2 pages) on the experience
WHAT YOU’LL GET:
$10,000 honorarium from The Black Embodiments Studio
$500 compensation for each published piece
Intensive editorial mentorship and newsroom experience
A platform to shape public understanding of the arts in a major metropolitan city
An opportunity to develop a strong, independent critical voice in a shifting media landscape
WHO SHOULD APPLY:
Houston-based arts writers with a portfolio of published work. This is not a program suited for people who do not have experience pitching, publishing, being edited, or conducting revisions.
Writers who understand or are eager to learn about the intersection of arts criticism, cultural institutions, and social justice
Applicants with familiarity or interested in the missions of both BES and Scalawag
Writers prepared to treat this opportunity with professionalism, respect, and purpose
APPLICATION DETAILS:
1 Apprentice will be selected by BES and Scalawag staff based on the following application materials, to be submitted via Google Form:
200-word biography
3-5 published writing samples (links or PDFs)
Responses to the following questions:
What is the function of the art critic — both historically and in today’s Houston? (500 words max)
Expanded Prompt:
Reflect on the evolving role of the arts critic in shaping public discourse, cultural memory, and institutional accountability. What do you see as the role of the critic in the current cultural and media climate, especially within Houston’s unique arts ecosystem? In what ways do you imagine a critic can contribute to a more vibrant and equitable arts landscape? What does today’s audience want from an arts critic? How can this person fulfill that need?
How would you characterize the relationship between the arts world and the publishing world? Why write about art now? (500 words max)
Expanded Prompt:
Consider how power, access, and visibility circulate between the spheres of art production and media. What role does writing play in shaping the perception of artists, movements, and institutions? Why is arts writing still vital in a time of media precarity and information overload? What motivates your own desire to write about art, and what do you hope your writing accomplishes?
How does this Apprenticeship fit within the arc and trajectory of your arts writing? (500 words max)
Expanded Prompt:
Situate this opportunity within your broader personal and professional goals. How does the apprenticeship build upon your past experiences and align with your future ambitions? What kind of arts writer do you hope to become —and what do you hope to learn, practice, or challenge during your time as an apprentice?
Describe your relationship to Houston'’s arts scenes. How have you engaged with them—as audience, participant, and/or critic? (500 words max)
Expanded Prompt:
Map your personal and/or professional connections to Houston’s visual and performing arts communities. What institutions, artists, or scenes have been meaningful to you? How have you participated in, observed, or contributed to these spaces? What do you think Houston’s art world needs more of—and how might your voice add to the conversation?
blackembodiments.org/apprenticeship-apply
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Call for submissions
Spoken Black Girl Magazine
DEADLINE: August 31, 2026
SUBMISSION FEE: $0
INFO: Spoken Black Girl Magazine welcomes submissions exploring mental health, wellness, healing, and the lived experiences of Black women, girls, and femmes. Issue 7 is a general issue that calls back to our founding mission of mental health awareness. We are particularly interested in work that introduces new perspectives on healing, examines ancestral wisdom through a contemporary lens, and uplifts the voices of Black women writers, artists, and storytellers.
We welcome interviews and articles featuring artists and writers, personal essays, poetry, fiction, photography, and visual art.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
For poetry, please submit 3-6 pieces.
3000 words or less for essays, articles, and fiction.
Visual artists & photographers may submit 3-6 pieces in a single PDF.
Original, unpublished work only
HONORARIUM: Accepted submissions will receive a $25 honorarium.
We appreciate your help to keep Spoken Black Girl going. Please donate to our Contributor Fund to help support our ecosystem of Black Women Writers.
NO AI POLICY: Spoken Black Girl does not accept work generated by AI.
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2026-2027 WRITERS RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Collections of Transience
DEADLINE: August 31, 2026 at 11:59pm PT
INFO: Collections of Transience is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that elevates writers and creatives that have been historically excluded from the dominant culture, especially creatives of color.
For those who exist in the margins, we are often asked to commodify our identity to justify our existence in creative spaces. Instead, we ask, what it means to not lay aside our identity, but to go beyond it, firmly rooted in who we are to define a new space, voice, and art.
We are an organization of creatives exploring what it means when our identity is not seen as a limitation, but the root for a more expansive vision of creation.
The COT Writers Residency Program is a year-long virtual residency offered to writers aged 18-30, starting October 2026 and ending May 2027. As part of Collections of Transience, Writers in Residence are given resources to develop their creative skills and community.
The residency program is a single, multi-genre cohort. The winter session will be devoted to poetry workshops, and the spring session will be devoted to fiction workshops.
BENEFITS:
A 1-year Writer Residency Program
A regular publishing platform for writers & artists
A small community of peers in which to engage in regular events with
A team invested in your growth and development
Access to all writing/creative workshops
WRITERS IN RESIDENCE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FOLLOWING:
Committing to the year-long Writers Residency Program
Attending bi-monthly workshops with your Residency Mentor*
Participate in resident features
Contributing to a program-wide Chapbook Project
Lead your own final capstone work to be presented to the whole cohort
QUALITIES WE LOOK FOR: A passion for creative exploration, an interest in uplifting and connecting to fellow creatives, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
COST: Free! This is the fourth year of our program, and we still plan to continue to offer it for no cost to our residents.
Help us continue to keep the program free by donating or sharing our link here: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/collections-of-transience
You will be notified of application decisions by mid-September.
MENTORS: This year's residency mentors are Chris Fong Chew (Poetry) and Grace Zhu (Fiction).
collectionsoftransience.org/residency-program-information
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Black Women’s History SERIES INCUBATOR
University of North Carolina Press
DEADLINE: August 31, 2026
INFO: The field of Black women’s history is experiencing a renaissance. Scholars from all over the world are publishing exciting and award-winning work on women of African descent both in the US and abroad across time periods, themes, and historical moments. The academy recognizes the uniqueness of Black women’s history, and multiple publics are expressing a deep interest in learning more about enslaved, incarcerated, and free Black women in all time periods as citizens, activists, and thinkers.
After decades in which Black women historians have built a body of masterworks, including novel methods, and a network of connections and institutional frameworks, a moment of unprecedented interest in Black women’s history has arrived – this series will capture this moment by curating and publishing works that advance the field and celebrate Black women’s history.
Black Women’s History draws on the research and teaching of generations of scholars who have developed the distinctive theories and methods that have made Black women’s history a robust field. Works in this series reflect and build upon the archives, approaches, and themes elucidated by classic and cutting-edge scholarship to push the field in new directions. In a moment that demands a reckoning with the past and the tools historians use to recount it, the Black Women’s History series meets this challenge and transforms how historians and popular audiences understand the world today.
To help develop works in progress on Black women’s history, we will hold an incubator once a year. Applicants will be able to apply to participate in a manuscript workshop and receive feedback from series editors and other scholars. To find more information, or to apply, please click the button below.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
For consideration for the Black Women’s History series, please submit the following proposal materials to Dawn Durante via email:
A cover letter with key details about the project and your interest in the series.
The UNC Press Author and Manuscript Information Form.
A proposal that provides a detailed description of the project, its intervention in the field, its shared commitments with the Black Women’s History series, an analysis of the competing or complementary books, the intended audience for the book, and details like the project’s length, completion timeline, and art program. The proposal should include an annotated table of contents that outlines each chapter and provides a paragraph-length description of the contents of each chapter.
A CV or resume.
Two polished sample chapters.
SERIES EDITORS:
Talitha L. LeFlouria is associate professor of history and fellow of the Mastin Gentry White Professorship in Southern History at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of the multi-award-winning Chained in Silence: Black Women and Convict Labor in the New South, the first history of Black, working-class incarcerated women in the post-Civil War period. She is currently finishing her second single-authored book, Searching for Jane Crow: Black Women and Mass Incarceration in America from the Auction Block to the Cell Block.
Ashley D. Farmer is associate professor of history and African & African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas-Austin. Her book, Remaking Black Power: How Black Women Transformed an Era is the first comprehensive study of Black women’s intellectual production and activism in the Black Power era. She is currently working on a biography of Queen Mother Audley Moore and is also a co-editor of New Perspectives on the Black Intellectual Tradition.
Daina Ramey Berry is Michael Douglas Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is the author or editor of six books, including The Price for Their Pound of Flesh: The Value of the Enslaved from Womb to Grave, in the Building of a Nation. Her most recent publication, A Black Women’s History of the United States, co-authored with Kali Nicole Gross, is an empowering testament to Black women’s ability to build communities in the face of oppression, and their continued resistance to systemic racism and sexism.
uncpress.org/series/black-womens-history/
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: creative nonfiction, poetry, or cover arT
Yellow Arrow Publishing
DEADLINE: August 31, 2026
INFO: Yellow Arrow Publishing is excited to announce that submissions for our next issue of Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. XI, No. 2 (fall 2026), guest edited by Gwen Van Velsor and Annie Marhefka, are open on the theme:
VIGIL
(noun)
: the act of keeping awake at times when sleep is customary
: an event or a period of time when a person or group stays in a place and quietly waits, prays, etc., especially at night
: a watch formerly kept on the night before a religious feast with prayer or other devotions
The issue will explore those moments in life, in the creative process or otherwise, when you let go of the outcome. Creative practices require a certain letting go, whether it be in the act of writing or in the moment when the writing is shared with others. We don’t know where our creativity will lead, and we don’t know what will become of it.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Accepted submissions include creative nonfiction and poetry by authors identifying as women (cover art guidelines follow below).
Submissions must relate to the theme of VIGIL, as interpreted by the author, using provided guiding questions (these will change for each theme and will be available during open submissions):
In what ways have you embraced uncertainty in life or in your writing process?
What emotions are stirred up when you contemplate releasing control?
Envision a process of letting go of a person, a process, or a thing—what visual images come to mind?
Creative nonfiction (1 submission per author per issue) must be between 100 and 2,000 words. Poetry (up to 2 poems per author per issue, grouped into a single document) may be any length.
Submissions do not need to be in English but must include an English translation.
No previously published work will be accepted at this time—this includes all printed and online material; simultaneous submissions are okay but please let us know when you send in your submission(s) and if a submission is published elsewhere in the interim, email submissions@yellowarrowpublishing.com immediately.
yellowarrowpublishing.com/submissions
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storyknife writers retreat
Storyknife |📍Homer, AK
DEADLINE: August 31, 2026
APPLICATION FEE: $45.00
INFO: Women’s stories are vital and important. Currently, those stories whether expressed in poems, plays, novels, essays, or memoirs are not published, reviewed, or promoted as often as the work of men. Storyknife provides women with the time and space to explore their craft without distraction. Every aspect of a residency at Storyknife is steeped in a profound generosity of spirit so that each writer knows she and her work are valuable. Storyknife residents carry away both this affirmation and a living community of women writers to assist their valuable work wherever they go.
Residencies at Storyknife in Homer, Alaska, are either for two or four weeks. Resident’s food and lodging is covered during the period of their residency, but travel to and from Homer, Alaska, is the responsibility of the resident. Residents stay in individual cabins & dine at the main house. An on-staff chef is responsible for food preparation.
Four week residencies begin on the 1st of each month and end on the 28th, April through October. Two week residencies are held in April, June, and August and begin on the 1st of each month and end on the 14th OR begin on the 15th and end on the 28th.
Please make sure that you subscribe to our newsletter below or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.
ELIGIBILITY:
Applicants must:
Be woman-identified
Be 21 years of age or older
Apply as an individual artist, not a collaborative group or team
Writers who have been in residency for a minimum of two-weeks at Storyknife must wait five years before they can re-apply for another residency.
Please note that for the 2027 residency season, the Board of Directors of Storyknife strongly suggests that all residents must be vaccinated and appropriately boosted against COVID-19.
You will provide a work sample and answer four questions (each answer 300 words or fewer).
How have you sought to educate yourself as a writer? (Formal education not a prerequisite, but evidence of curiosity and learning in your applicable genre is.)
What is your experience with publishing your work? (Publishing is not a prerequisite but is considered a goal for writers who attend Storyknife.)
What project will you pursue while in residency? (Please note that you will be free to work on whatever writing you wish during residency. We simply are interested in what you think you’ll be pursuing.)
Why would a writing residency benefit you at this time especially?
WRITING SAMPLE REQUIREMENTS:
Writing samples should reflect work completed within the last two years. All writing samples must be uploaded through Submittable. Written work samples will be uploaded directly within the application.
Applicants can submit published or unpublished writing samples.
All writing samples must be combined into one PDF file.
A writing sample not to exceed 10 pages (prose: double-spaced 12 point font, poetry: single-spaced 12 point font acceptable). Prose includes screenplays and stage plays which also must conform to the 10 page limit.
This is an anonymous jurying process. Any writing samples with identifying material will be disqualified (including in the file name). Do not include your last name, address, or publication credits in your writing sample (including the file name). This only refers to the writing sample, not the answers to the questions.
TRAVEL FUNDS: In 2027, there will be multiple opportunities for travel cost stipends. Those that want to be considered for travel funds will indicate so on their applications.
QUESTIONS? If you have questions regarding your eligibility or preparing your application, contact executive director, Erin Hollowell, at ehollowell@storyknife.org.
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OPEN CALL: TRANS, NONBINARY, AND GENDER-NONCONFORMING WRITERS FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND OUR DIASPORAS
The Gagazine
DEADLINE: September 1, 2026
INFO: The serialised e-zine The Gagazine is launching a special folio devoted to trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming (GNC) writers working in Philippine languages and English.
This folio responds to the glaring absence of platforms for trans, nonbinary, and GNC Filipino, Filipina, and Filipinx writers. It’s a confrontation with a culture where transphobia, effeminophobia, butchphobia, and wider queerphobia manifest not just as institutional exclusion, but as the lethal reality of transfemicide.
For our eighth instalment, we invite submissions of dagli and its many iterations. We welcome diverse styles and modes, from the essayistic and performative to the metafictional and lyric, even the visual.
We’re interested in work that unpacks the nuances of gender euphoria. As co-curator Stefani defines it: ‘Ang euphoria ay ligaya at ginhawa. Iyong mga panahong unang lunok ng pinakaaasam nating nektar, mga sandali ng pagsalat natin ng musika sa ating dibdib, o ang pamumukadkad ng bubot sa pagitan ng ating mga hita. Ang walang humpay nating pagrampa sa kinang ng korona, sa likod ng nakasisilaw na liwanag ng neon, maging sa mga pagitan ng madidilim sa eskinita. Iyong damdaming nagkulay-bahaghari ang ating langit, iyong huling birit ng notang nakalatag sa ating palad, o ang tahimik nating pag-usal sa mga ngalang nagdadambana ng ating pagkakakilanlan. Higit sa lahat-lahat, ang euphoria ang tunay nating paglaya.’
We offer this definition in Filipino as a starting point, and are eager to discover how euphoria resonates in your language and lived experience.
We especially want to hear from trans, nonbinary, and GNC writers who are working-class, Indigenous, neurodivergent, internally displaced persons (IDPs), formerly incarcerated, Disabled and chronically ill, sex workers, and/or elders. Should submitting via email or working with text-based documents prove inaccessible, please get in touch so we can explore alternative platforms for submission and multimedia options.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Manuscript: Submit a single, unpublished dagli (under 500 words, in Word format) centred on ‘euphoria.’ Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but please notify us immediately if accepted elsewhere. Please include a brief bionote and, if comfortable, links to your website or social media. Pen names are welcome for those requiring anonymity for safety reasons. Use the subject line: Gagazine 8 Folio Submission – Author Name – Original Language.
Language: Submissions are welcome in English or any Philippine language. We’re particularly keen to champion Indigenous and non-‘major’ languages rarely featured on ‘national’ platforms. We embrace street slang, queer genderlects (such as gay lingo or swardspeak), and any vernacular that disrupts highbrow traditionalism. As cultural workers from the peripheries, we also welcome varieties within ‘major’ languages, such as Marinduqueño Tagalog or Bohol Cebuano.
Translations: For pieces not originally written in English, Filipino, or Cebuano Binisaya, please provide an accompanying translation into one of these three languages. If you require translation assistance, do get in touch. All accepted works will be published in the original language alongside their translations.
Curation: The curators will handle the cross-translation of all published pieces. Stefani will translate English works (or those provided with an English translation) into Filipino, whilst Sam will translate Filipino and Cebuano Binisaya works (or those supplied with translations in either language) into English.
Rights & Payment: Authors and translators retain copyright to their respective works. By submitting, you grant us first serial and archival rights for this e-zine. As an independent, grassroots initiative without institutional backing, we offer an honorarium (of Php 500) via GCash or PayPal. We hope to increase this payment in future editions.
AI Policy: We believe that literature is a human art, shaped by an individual’s creative vision and lived experience. Content devoid of context or personal history is not art. All submitted work must be original and created solely by the author, without any intervention from Large Language Models. However, we will never use AI ‘detection’ tools, which repeated studies have shown to be troublingly flawed and punitive, particularly towards exophonic writers. Instead, we operate on mutual trust.
HOW TO SUBMIT: Please direct submissions, pitches, and enquiries to thegagazine(at)gmail(dot)com by 1 September 2026. We aim to announce the results by mid-October.
Ultimately, we hope this inaugural folio is just the first of many to foster a decentralised, radically supportive community for trans, nonbinary, and GNC writers from the Philippines and our diasporas.
ABOUT THE FOLIO CURATORS
Collaborations between Cagayan de Oro-born writers Stefani J. Alvarez-Brüggmann (she/her) and Alton Melvar ‘Sam’ M. Dapanas (they/them) have appeared in World Literature Today, Michigan Quarterly Review, PRISM International, The Massachusetts Review, Sant Jordi Festival of Books, Modern Poetry in Translation, Asymptote, and elsewhere. Showcased across literary magazines, art exhibitions, and book fairs from London to Shanghai and New York to Helsinki, their joint creative endeavours have also been translated into Italian, Arabic, German, Chinese, and Damiá, amongst others. Forthcoming projects include contributing to queer anthologies in Greater London and the American South as well as organising a local writing workshop series for emerging Kagay-anon writers and translators.
facebook.com/iamstefanijalvarez/posts
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call for novel or novella manuscripts
Split/Lip Press
DEADLINE: September 1, 2026
SUBMISSION FEE: $15
INFO: Split/Lip Press is currently looking for previously unpublished novel or novella manuscripts. We're looking, in particular, for books that question boundaries (physical, emotional, metaphysical, meta-emotional—you get the gist). Dazzle us with your version(s) of truth! Our only hard page limit is the lower end: minimum of 100pg. If your book is shorter than 100pg, keep our multigenre/chapbook reading period in mind next April!
To get an idea of what we love, please check out our novel/novellas currently at Split/Lip Press: Chelsea Sutton's novella Krackle's Last Movie, Brooke Shaffner's novel Country of Under, Colleen Burner's novella Sister Golden Calf, Anurag Andra's novella Submarine, Emily Thomas Mani's novella The Church of Wrestling and Mila Jaroniec's novel Plastic Vodka Bottle Sleepover. We'd love it if you'd add a copy to your submission, and we'll happily throw in free shipping (US only, our apologies) as a thanks!
Historically under-represented perspectives are WELCOME and ENCOURAGED and HIGHLY SOUGHT—we want to help bring your voice to the world!
OUR PRESS MISSION: We publish boundary-breaking fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid books, lifting the transition boards that prevent fluidity and smashing those we cannot pry up. We love work that questions the concept of truth, and work that reinterprets what we think we know. We prize experimentation (physical, emotional, metaphysical, meta-emotional); we welcome the unanswerable. We want to see the dark and the light side of the moon—or we want to see it obliterated. If your book is a wedge in a crack, Split/Lip Press is the hammer helping you split the wall apart.
However, Split/Lip Press does not tolerate manuscripts celebrating racist, homophobic, or misogynistic perspectives, and will discard such manuscripts unread. We believe in breaking boundaries at Split/Lip, but we will not assist agendas of hate.
Split/Lip Press values the independent creative work done by human authors, and by submitting your manuscript to our press, you are verifying that no generative AI was used during the ideation, in the creation, or during the editing of your manuscript. If your manuscript was developed through the use of AI in any capacity, including creative critique, we ask you to explain your process in the Additional Notes section.
We work closely with our authors on all elements of their book, from design to promotion. We are engaged in the literary community, and as writers ourselves, we know how important it is to have a book that you love that is supported by a press that loves you. We'd love for you to be part of the Split/Lip Press family.
Simultaneous submissions are obviously welcome. Our reading process is a process and we move quickly and efficiently, but we also don't interrupt it prematurely. So if another publisher snags you first, we just ask that you withdraw your submission (and congrats to you!).
We intend to reply to all submissions by December 15, 2026, so please do not query about the status of your manuscript before that date. If you haven't seen anything from us by 12/15/26, check your status in Submittable and double-check your email spam filter because Submittable's messages sometimes get stuck there—we will definitely respond!
Thank you for considering Split/Lip Press as the home for your book!
splitlippress.submittable.com/submit
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CALL FOR speculative fiction journal BY Indian/Indian-origin writers
Bijli
DEADLINE: September 15, 2026
INFO: Bijli is a speculative fiction journal for Indian/Indian-origin writers. What does that encompass? Good question!
Generally speaking, your story should focus on a “What If” scenario. It can fall under the umbrella of fantasy, science fiction, magical realism, alternate history, or any other genre where you depart from reality. We will also accept, for example, a romance story that is set in a dystopian future. As long as there is any element, big or small, in your prose that imagines a different world, we want to read it!
Please do not submit literary fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or anything other than speculative fiction. Even if it’s extremely well written, we will not be deviating from our focus.
We accept submissions via email. Please send your work in a PDF or .docx format to bijli.journal@gmail.com with the subject line “SUBMISSION: Title_Writer Name.” We might miss submissions without this subject line, so please remember to include it.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Before you submit, please read the following guidelines carefully:
Send us your original unpublished work of speculative fiction. Simultaneous submissions are okay, but please let us know if your piece has been accepted elsewhere. Multiple submissions are also accepted, but no more than two stories per writer.
We will accept only English language submissions. We hope to begin including other Indian languages and translated works soon, but this will take some time. Still, keep checking in to see if this has changed!
Please include a short cover letter in the body of your email along with a bio in third person (~50 words) that will be published along with your piece, if selected.
WHO CAN SUBMIT?
One of the main objectives for us is to platform Indian/Indian-origin writers and diverse stories set in India. As such, that will be our priority. We can only accept work from writers above 18 years of age.
WORD LIMIT:
Minimum: 1,500 words
Maximum: 5,000 words
FORMATTING:
Please ensure that your document is double spaced, left aligned with the first line of a paragraph indented, and the font is 12-point Times New Roman.
Include your name and contact information on the top left corner.
Add the word count on the top right.
Remember to include the title of your piece!
Selected pieces will be copyedited. However, we urge you to carefully proofread your document. While a couple of mistakes will not matter to us, it will be hard to overlook pieces riddled with errors.
And finally, please DO NOT use AI. This journal is meant to give writers a platform, and we are not interested in stories that have not been wholly written by humans. Please do not submit if even a part of your piece was generated through AI. If we determine that you have submitted AI-generated content, we will not accept any future submissions by you.
Please go through each point carefully before submitting! Incorrectly formatted pieces will hurt your chances.
QUESTIONS? You can email us at bijli.journal@gmail.com.
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ROLLING SUBMISSIONS
CALL FOR HORROR WRITERS
Harriet’s House
INFO: Harriet's House invites submissions from horror writers of the African diaspora for its 2026/2027 issue. Harriet’s House is an online magazine that publishes one literary horror story a month by a writer of the African diaspora. Harriet’s House is an ode to Harriet Jacobs, a formerly enslaved Black woman and one of the first Black authors to write in the gothic genre, horror’s fraternal sister, noted as the well from which modern horror writing sprang.
During Harriet’s lifetime, she hid in the crawl space of her grandmother’s house for seven years to escape a menacing slave owner who threatened to sell her children. For a long time, home was a precarious concept for Harriet. The magazine is an ode to her and the house she built for those who have followed in her literary footsteps. Send us your supernatural, haunting, and terrifying stories.
GUIDELINES: We are looking for short stories between 1,200 and 5,000 words. We are interested in but not limited to: gothic horror, speculative horror, supernatural horror, body horror, psychological drama and survival horror.
Writers can send their stories to harrietshousemag@gmail.com
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: “NOTES, COMMENTARY AND REFLECTIONS”
Small Axe Journal
INFO: The Small Axe Journal is getting a new section. Named “Notes, Commentary and Reflections,” this section will feature pieces that address urgent contemporary issues in the Caribbean.
GUIDELINES: Submissions should have a maximum of 2,500 and should be uploaded to our submissions portal, which can be found on our website.
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
The Amp
INFO: Want to write for The Amp? We welcome you to pitch us! We publish stories that are by and for the AAPI community, showcasing visual art, theater, dance, film, music, and everything in between.
GUIDELINES:
Essays: 800-1,000 words that identify a cultural zeitgeist and important, prescient themes within the AAPI cultural community.
Reviews: 300-500 words on recent or current events, exhibitions, publications, etc. These should have an angle or specific point of view and be overall celebratory while still remaining critical.
Profiles: 500-800 word profiles that spotlight AAPI who are shaping the cultural landscape in NYC, from artists to arts administrators, organizers, and collectors. These profiles are a testament to the fact that culture cannot exist without community.
Interviews: A conversation between cultural figures around a specific theme or a direct interview with a single subject.
To pitch, email theamp@aaartsalliance.org with the article category in the subject line (ie: Review, Profile, Essay, Interview, etc.) followed by a pithy working title. It should look something like this:
“Essay Pitch: Writing the Story of AAPI Art and Culture”
From there, describe what and why you are pitching in 3-5 sentences; what is the story and why is it important that it’s covered in The Amp? Please include any relevant time pegs as well as an estimated word count.
Finally, introduce yourself. Previous bylines or writing samples are always appreciated.
The Amp offers flat fees at a rate of $.40 per word, rounded down to the nearest hundred words (e.g. $240 for 600 words).
PLEASE NOTE: Due to limited bandwidth, The Amp can only cover events and artists that are based in the NYC area. We also do not publish features by artists writing about their own work, however we welcome you to share upcoming events for potential coverage, or submit the event to A4’s community calendar.