For your perusal: freelance writing jobs, competitions, and places to publish.
Each month we scour the myriad opportunities out there and come up with a carefully selected list of competitions, fellowships, grants and jobs for you to browse. But this is just a slice of what's out there. Want more? Sign up to our Bloc Boost service, and have a personal, curated list of opportunities delivered to you.
Otherwise, you can also check out writing jobs or writing opportunities pages which are updated daily.
Writing Awards and Competitions
Writers' & Artists' Yearbook Short Story Competition
For published and aspiring writers alike - enter our free annual short story competition and be in with a chance of winning a place on one of Arvon's four- or six-day Clockhouse writing retreats, as well as seeing your story published on www.writersandartists.co.uk.
CLOSING 13/02/18
Miniature* Competition
LGBT writers are invited to submit stories that are 40 words or less to OutStanding's miniature* competition, the theme of which is FORTY.
CLOSING 15/02/18
Tasmanian Writers Prize
These stories will be published in the Forty South Short Story Anthology 2018.
CLOSING 18/02/18
Judith A. Markowitz Award for Emerging LGBTQ Writers
The Judith A. Markowitz Award for Emerging LGBTQ Writers recognizes LGBTQ-identified writers whose work demonstrates their strong potential for promising careers. The award includes a cash prize of $1000. Two Emerging LGBTQ Writer prizes will be awarded.
CLOSING 20/02/18
World Nomads Travel Writing Scholarship 2018
World Nomads is giving three aspiring writers the chance to attend a travel-writing workshop with Tim Neville, followed by a two-week all-expenses-paid trip across Argentina. Apply with a travel story and personal essay.
CLOSING 28/02/18
'So Bad It's Good' Nambucca Valley Writers Group Competition
The Nambucca Valley Writers' Group hosts the annual So Bad It's Good: Bad Writing Competition. First prize is $500. Entries may be maximum 500 words, any topic, any genre.
CLOSING 28/02/18
2018 Colin Roderick Award
This $20,000 award is presented alongside the H.T. Priestley Medal for the best original book of the year dealing with any aspect of Australian life, first published by an Australian publisher in 2017.
CLOSING 28/02/18
Nature and Place Poetry Competition 2018
Poems are invited that deal with any aspect of nature and place – these terms will be given a wide interpretation by the judge.
CLOSING 1/03/18
The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize
The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize is an annual award for adventure writing. This award is split into two separate categories – a prize for the best published adventure novel and a prize for the best unpublished manuscript by a debut author submitted for consideration.
CLOSING 12/03/18
Woollahra Digital Literary Award
Seeking submissions of a literary nature that are published online or in electronic form, in fiction and non-fiction categories.
CLOSING 12/03/18
Nelligan Prize
The Nelligan Prize is offered annually. The winner receives a $2,000 honorarium and the story is published in the fall/winter issue of Colorado Review.
CLOSING 15/03/18
The Brian Dempsey Memorial Poetry Competition
The competition opens on 1st January 2018 and the closing date for entering poems is 31st March. The competition will be judged anonymously by Janice and Dónall Dempsey. Prizes: 1st Prize: £75 plus publication of a 30 page pamphlet and 10 copies. 2nd Prize £50 3rd Prize £25. All shortlisted and winning poems will be published in our 2018 Anthology, along with selected poems by invited poets. All the contributors will receive a copy of the book when it's published and launched on July 2nd 2018. Poems may be of any length and on any subject. They should not have been published before, online or in print.
CLOSING 31/03/18
2018 KYD Unpublished Manuscript Award
The KYD Unpublished Manuscript Award is open to writers of adult fiction and adult narrative non-fiction, and seeks to support writers in the development of their unpublished manuscripts. The winner will receive $5000 in prize money and a mentorship with KYD’s Rebecca Starford (non-fiction) or Hannah Kent (fiction).
CLOSING 31/03/18
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
Now in its 17th year, this contest seeks today's best humor poems. No fee to enter. Submit published or unpublished work. $2,250 in prizes.
CLOSING 1/04/18
2018 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize
Australian Book Review welcomes entries in the 2018 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize, one of the world’s leading prizes for an original short story. The Jolley Prize is worth a total of $12,500. Entry is open to anyone in the world who is writing in English.
CLOSING 10/04/18
Sutherland Shire Literary Competition
Australian residents over 18 years of age are invited to submit their individual, original works in the following categories: traditional verse, free verse, and short story. Three prizes are offered in each category, starting with a first place prize of $1000. At the judge’s discretion, a separate Shire Resident’s Prize of $250 may be also awarded for the best entry in each category from a Shire resident not winning another prize in that category.
CLOSING 30/04/18
The Silver Gull Play Award
subtlenuance is pleased to announce that entries are now open for the 2018 Silver Gull Play Award. The Silver Gull Award recognises an outstanding play by a local writer that explores philosophical or political themes. The aim of the award is to encourage interest in theatre that both offers insight and encourages action. This year the total prize money for the award will rise to $5000. The winning playwright will receive $3000 and the remainder of the prize pool will be split evenly between the shortlisted writers.
CLOSING 30/04/18
Griffith Review 62: All Things Equal – The Novella Project VI
Submissions are now open for Griffith Review’s annual novella competition. Winning entries will share in a $25,000 prize pool and will be published in Griffith Review 62: All Things Equal – The Novella Project VI (to be published 29 October 2018). Entry fee is $30 for subscribers and $60 for non-subscribers.
CLOSING 21/05/18
Residencies, Festivals, Fellowships and Funds
The Copyright Agency's Publisher Fellowships
The Copyright Agency's Publisher Fellowships provide leadership, professional development, and career enhancing opportunities for people working in the Australian publishing industry.
CLOSING 15/03/18
American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship
The Visiting Fellowship offers writers and researchers an opportunity to pursue a creative project in Paris for a month or longer while participating actively in the life of the American Library. Fellowship applicants should be working on a book project, fiction or non-fiction, or a feature-length documentary film. We are not accepting poetry projects at this time.
CLOSING 15/02/2018
The Lighthouse Works’ Fellowship
The program accepts artists working in a wide range of disciplines, but we are best able to accommodate visual artists and writers. Fellowships are six weeks in length, occur year-round and provide fellows with housing, food, studio space, a $250 travel allowance and a $1,500 stipend. Artistic excellence is the primary criteria for acceptance as a Lighthouse Works fellow. We are located in the Annex Building on Fishers Island, NY.
CLOSING 15/02/18
World Press Institute Fellowships
The WPI fellowship is offered to 10 journalists from countries around the world. It provides immersion into the governance, politics, business, media, journalistic ethics and culture of the United States for experienced international journalists, through a demanding schedule of study, travel and interviews throughout the country.
CLOSING 16/02/18
The Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award
Early-career nonfiction writers who want to focus on a story that uncovers truths about the human condition can apply for funding.
The Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University invites applications for the Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award, in honor of the late journalist who reported empathetically on the human condition and died on assignment in Uganda in March 2014.
The winner will receive US$12,500, NYU ID and full online and onsite NYU Bobst Library research and reference privileges, as well as an office at the NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, space allowing. A runner-up will be chosen to receive US$4,000.
CLOSING 20/02/18
Future News Worldwide 2018
Future News Worldwide is a partnership programme between the British Council and some of the world's leading media organisations which identifies, trains and connects the next generation of global journalists. We’re looking for 100 of the world's most talented, motivated and passionate student journalists to attend an intensive media training programme in the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, on 5 – 6 July 2018.
CLOSING 28/02/18
Tartu City of Literature International Residency Program
Tartu City of Literature Office announces the first 2018 call for applications of Tartu City of Literature International Residency Program for writers and translators. The residency period in spring 2018 is two months, May–June. One applicant will be selected.
CLOSING 1/03/18
The Kerouac Project
The Kerouac Project provides four residencies a year to writers of any stripe or age, living anywhere in the world. Each residency consists of approximately a three month stay in the cottage where Jack Kerouac wrote his novel Dharma Bums. Utilities and a food stipend of $1,000 are included.
CLOSING 16/04/18
Katharine Susannah Pritchard Writers Centre Residencies
The KSP Writers' Centre is proud to support the development of literary work by hosting a number of annual residencies for writers. Each year, we offer placements in the categories of NextGen; Emerging; and Established.
Established applications closing 24/06/18; emerging applications closing 29/07/18; Next Gen applications closing 26/08/18
Publications Seeking Submissions
The Monologue Adventure
The Monologue Adventure invites women to submit up to two unpublished monologues about their experience, which will be performed by emerging and established actors. The writing is open to contributions from both professional and non-professional writers. The monologues need to make reference to the theme LONGINGS, SECRETS, TRIUMPHS.
CLOSING 28/02/2018
Scribe Publications
We are a trade-publishing house (that is, we publish books for general readers that are made available nationally and internationally through the book trade). Accordingly, we only consider proposals for books of this nature. We are generally interested in literary fiction and serious non-fiction.
CLOSING 31/03/18
Overland Literary Journal
Overland accepts pitches on any subject on an ongoing basis, but they are currently looking for articles on: universal basic income, bitcoin, university management, Netflix algorithms, and Goodreads.
SUBMISSIONS ONGOING
The Lifted Brow
TLB publishes work on its website that fits into two categories: TLB Review of Books or Commentary, and we welcome pitches for both.
SUBMISSIONS ONGOING
Masters Review
Submissions for our New Voices category are open year round. New Voices is open to any new and emerging author who has not published a work of fiction or narrative nonfiction of novel length. You must not have a novel forthcoming at the time of submission. Published short-story collections do not count as a novel-length work and those authors are free to submit. New Voices are published online only and will feature a number of stories from new authors each month.
SUBMISSIONS ONGOING
Write for Archer
Archer publishes articles and images about sexuality, gender and identity from a diverse range of writers/artists, from all levels of experience.Archer is aimed at all individuals interested in sexuality, gender and equality. Archer promotes inclusivity, regardless of gender identity, geographical location, ethnic identity, sexual orientation or level of education.
SUBMISSIONS ONGOING
Pitch to The Big Issue
We accept unsolicited material, if it is polished and fits the tone and style of the magazine, is clearly targeted at a particular section of the magazine and falls within the word counts relevant to a particular section. (For example 750 words for 'My Word' submissions or 1800 for a four-page feature; see the attached 'Word Counts' information box.)
Alternatively, writers can pitch story ideas by email first. To be considered, your pitch should explain which section of the magazine the story is intended for, be one paragraph long, contain a topic sentence, a sample introductory sentence and explain the story angle, writing tone, suggested word length, a list of possible interviewees (if appropriate) and whether or not photographs and/or illustrative material is available.
If your story is linked to a particular event (or date, or anniversary) you must pitch it at least two months before the event takes place. Important note: as a national publication, we are unlikely to accept stories that have a specifically local focus. If we like your idea, we will call or email you to discuss it further.
SUBMISSIONS ONGOING
Earth Island Journal Submissions
Earth Island Journal is always looking for compelling and distinctive stories that anticipate environmental concerns before they become pressing problems, stories that scan the horizon for the next big issue. We want stories that will surprise, provoke, and entertain our readers and that explore new territory overlooked by other publications.
Our readership is international, so please don’t pitch stories on local issues unless they have broader (read: national or international) interest or implications. Please read through our magazine’s current and back issues (archives are available online) to get a better idea of the kind of stories we publish before you send a query.
We pay writers 25¢/word print stories. You can expect to earn about $750-$1000 for an in-depth feature story (about 4,000 words).
For online reports, the fee ranges from $50 to $100. Online reports are a great way to get into the Journal, especially if you are new to reporting and writing. We publish online five days a week and are always looking for fresh ideas.
SUBMISSIONS ONGOING
Electric Athenaeum - Open Submissions
Electric Athenaeum is a Science Fiction and Fantasy magazine publishing short fiction, articles, poetry, and interviews. Each issue features an accompanying theme, and is available for free to readers. They are open to submissions for this issue’s theme, Future Generations, and consider any genre of speculative fiction. They pay £50 per story.
SUBMISSIONS ONGOING
Forever Yours: Now Accepting Book Submissions
Forever is the romance imprint of Grand Central Publishing. Grand Central Publishing is an imprint of the Hachette Book Group, one of the big five publishers. Forever Yours is the digital sister of Forever, they focus on publishing unagented authors, and often publish authors without a publication history. They publish eBooks, but they an option to print on demand any book over 50,000 words in length.
Walker Wednesday
Walker Wednesday allows budding authors to submit their manuscripts to Walker Books’ award-winning editorial team on the first Wednesday of each month. Walker Books is currently accepting submissions of middle grade and young adult fiction from Australian and New Zealand authors.
Monthly Catch at Penguin
Do you have a manuscript you would like Penguin to consider? Penguin Group have what’s known as the ‘Monthly Catch’. During the first week of every month, you can submit unsolicited manuscripts for their consideration.
Manuscript Monday - Pan Macmillan
On the first Monday of every month only, between 10am and 4pm Australian Eastern Standard Time, we accept electronic submissions that comply with the guidelines set out below.
Manuscript submissions sent on any other Mondays or day of the month will not be read so we advise you to wait until the next month if you miss the deadline.
We are looking for:
Commercial fiction – women’s fiction, romance, thriller, crime, historical, humour, paranormal, fantasy
Literary fiction and non-fiction – novels, short stories, and narrative non-fiction only
Children’s books and young adult – junior and middle grade fiction, young adult/crossover fiction; we are not accepting picture book submissions
Commercial non-fiction – history, memoir, mind body spirit, travel, health, diet, biography
Please familiarise yourself with what we publish. We do not publish scripts, plays or poetry in Australia and will not assess them.
Academic submissions are not accepted during Manuscript Monday.
Right Now
Right Now is committed to covering human rights issues in Australia through free, accessible, creative and engaging online, print and radio media.
SUBMISSIONS ONGOIN
Scum Mag
Scum is interested in publishing feminist-friendly work of any variety, but as a general rule your piece should be under 1000 words (50 lines for poetry) and able to be classified as “fiction”, “culture”, “memoir”, “column”, “poetry”, and/or “review”. They tend not to publish traditional reviews of books and films—to get a feel for the reviews they do publish, check the review tag. Feel free to pitch to them if you’re not sure if your piece is a good fit. (Please note that they don’t accept pitches for fiction or poetry.)
Submissions to Scum are open the first week (from the 1st to the 7th) of every month. The rest of the month, submissions are closed. They pay $60 per piece of writing.
Seizure - Flashers
At Seizure, short-form work is living large. Flashers is the online home of Australian flash fiction.
Each week we publish work between 50 and 500 words that could be written in an hour and read in a minute. We are looking for short, sharp snippets of prose. But flash fiction is so much more than a quick-fix for the time-hungry wordaholic. Flash fiction attracts writers and readers for its peculiar challenges – and authors have to make every word count.
Accepted pieces will have an accompanying illustration by a volunteer artist that matches and complements the writing. Thanks to the Australia Council, we are able to pay our Flasher contributors $50 for each published piece.
SUBMISSIONS ONGOIN
Slice Magazine is open for submissions
SLICE magazine welcomes submissions for short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. We’re looking for anyone with a fresh voice and a compelling story to share—basically any work that really knocks our socks off. At the core, Slice aims to bridge the gap between emerging and established authors by offering a space where both are published side-by-side. In each issue, a specific cultural theme becomes the catalyst for articles, interviews, stories, and poetry from renowned writers and lesser known voices alike. We offer all contributors of Slice a monetary award for their work ($250 for stories and essays and $75 for poems).
SUBMISSIONS ONGOING
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Catherine Bouris
Community Manager at Writers Bloc, Founder of Young Australian Writers, @catherinebouris on Twitter