Resources
From Category: Markets and Contests for Writers
Literary Magazine Database at Poets & Writers
Poets & Writers Magazine offers this free online database featuring submission guidelines for hundreds of literary journals. The database is searchable by name, keyword, genre, openness to simultaneous and electronic submissions, geographic region and more. A very useful service.
Institute for Writers
Formerly the Institute of Children's Literature, this is a resource site for authors. Offerings include correspondence courses, how-to articles, and a newsletter with writing tips and calls for submissions.
Get Published Now: Molli Nickell, Publishing Consultant
Molli Nickell, a former Time-Life editor and journalist, now teaches writers to create marketing documents and make effective pitches to agents and editors. She also guides writers through the pros and cons of self-publishing. Her website features monthly contests with the prize of a free consultation. Based on the sample pitches and manuscript excerpts on the site, this service seems most appropriate for writers of genre fiction or commercial nonfiction.
Funds for Writers
Grants, contests and markets for writers. Resource-packed online newsletters include TOTAL FundsforWriters, FFW Small Markets, and WritingKid (young writers). Editor C. Hope Clark also offers ebooks with specialized marketing resources for poets, fiction writers and more.
From Page to Pixels: The Evolution of Online Journals
In this article from the May/June 2009 Poets & Writers Magazine, award-winning poet Sandra Beasley discusses the growing prestige of online publication and the advantages it offers for disseminating your work. Recommended journals include Blackbird, Coconut, and Drunken Boat.
Forwriters.com
Excellent resources for writers, with special attention to science fiction, fantasy, horror and speculative fiction. Links to markets, publishers, contests, agents, writers groups, author sites, writing resources and conferences. Active discussion forum.
FilmMakers.com: Screenwriting Contests Database
Alphabetical listing of screenwriting contests. Expired and current links are mixed in together, but list is a good starting point for researching this market.
Experiences With Editors
In this series on the Emerging Writers Network blog, published authors share the best and worst of their experiences with editors (the comments have been mostly kudos so far) and what they learned from them.
Editorial Freelancers Association
National nonprofit professional association of self-employed workers in the publishing and communications industries. The EFA works to improve conditions for freelancers and match them up with clients. Employers can post jobs for free.
Duotrope’s Digest (Markets for Writers)
Free searchable database of over 875 print and online periodicals that publish fiction and poetry. Profiles can be sorted by genre, submission policies, pay scale and more. Mainly for fiction writers, but poets will also find it useful. (Search for poetry markets in the "length" field, not "genre".) Unlike many link directories, this site is updated daily and fact-checked every week. You can sign up for their Weekly Wire e-newsletter to receive new listings in your inbox.
Duotrope’s Digest: Editor Interviews
Duotrope's Digest, a directory of literary magazine submission guidelines, includes this extensive archive of brief and informative interviews with magazine editors about the unique characteristics of their publication. Featured journals range from heavy hitters (American Poetry Journal, Bellingham Review) to the quirky and obscure (Untied Shoelaces of the Mind).
Dream of Things
Founded in 2009, Dream of Things publishes anthologies of creative nonfiction on a variety of themes: stories of forgiveness, coffee shop stories, travel writing, life in the modern workplace, Internet dating, and others. Their first anthology was 'Saying Goodbye', released in October 2010. Their books seek to fill the gap between popular anthologies that publish stories that are "short and sweet" (sometimes so saccharine-sweet they are hard to swallow), and the Best American Essays series, which are typically quite a bit longer. The goal for Dream of Things anthologies is to publish writing that is not short and sweet, but short and deep. The result is stories that are easier to swallow because they are authentic, and easier to digest because they average 1,250 words in length. See website for submission guidelines and special offers.
Creative Writing Contests Blog
Frequently updated blog maintained by Oliver Abrahim Khan posts listings of literary contests, fellowships, residencies, and calls for submissions. Site is searchable by category.
Creative Writers Opportunities List
Allison Joseph, award-winning poet and moderator of the late Conpo list, is back. Get well-screened notices about literary contests, calls for submissions from literary journals and anthologies, and opportunities such as residencies and fellowships. Listings are posted without comment. Join free. Formerly a Yahoo group, switched to blog format in 2019.
Catholic Writers Conference Online
This site offers a free online writers' conference featuring live chats with experienced writers and editors, pitch sessions with Christian publishers, writing workshops, and more.
BookRix
BookRix is an online community where authors of poetry and prose can upload their work and receive feedback. Membership is free. The site is based in Germany but has an English-language section. BookRix offers several free contests throughout the year, with prizes up to $1,000; winners are decided by members' votes.
Book That Poet
State-by-state directory of poets available for readings aims to match them with local libraries, bookstores and historical societies looking for speakers. Most listings are in Wisconsin at present, but site owner hopes to expand its reach. Poets pay $12 per year to be listed.
Between the Lines
Webzine associated with The Editorial Department, a well-established manuscript-editing service, offers original interviews, craft articles, essays, forums and blogs to keep writers and publishing professionals informed about today's book publishing market. The Editorial Department offers a range of editing and marketing services for your prose manuscript or screenplay. We like their transparency with respect to price, which is not always the case with their competitors.
Authors Access
This site features free downloadable podcasts of interviews with people around the world who can help authors better manage their writing careers. Popular guests have included Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of 'The Frugal Book Promoter'; Jo Virgil, a community relations manager for Barnes & Noble; and publicist Maryglenn McCombs.
ASCAP Resource Guide to Songwriting Competitions
ASCAP, the rights management agency for songwriters and recording artists, maintains this link directory. (Although we assume that contests listed here are more likely to be reputable, writers should still research each contest online before entering.)
ASBPE Editorial/Magazine Publishing Resources
The American Society of Business Publication Editors' website offers this extensive page of links for journalists, including trade associations, reference sites, job markets and legal basics.
Arts Writers Grant Program
The Creative Capital | Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant Program supports individual writers whose work addresses contemporary visual art through grants in the following categories: articles, blogs, books, new and alternative media, and short-form writing. Grants range from $3,000 to $50,000 depending on the needs and scope of the project. Application deadline is typically in early June.
Anne R. Allen’s Blog…with Ruth Harris
Comic mystery writer Anne R. Allen publishes weekly posts about publishing and marketing your books in the digital age. Guest columnist Ruth Harris is a New York Times bestselling author and former Big Six editor who contributes a post each month. Popular posts include "Top Ten Questions from New Writers", "Top 10 Self-Sabotaging Mistakes of Author-Bloggers", and "12 Signs Your Novel Isn't Ready to Publish".
American Literary Translators Association: Awards
The American Literary Translators Association awards five major prizes at its annual conference: the National Translation Award in Poetry and Prose, for an exceptional book of translated literature published within the previous year; the Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize, for an outstanding work of Asian literature published within the previous year; the Italian Prose in Translation Award (IPTA), for an exceptional work of Italian prose in English translation; and the Cliff Becker Book Prize, for an unpublished book-length manuscript of poetry in translation. They also offer the ALTA Travel Fellowships for emerging translators to attend the annual conference, including the Peter K. Jansen Memorial Travel Fellowship.
Allison Amend’s Instructions for a Do-It-Yourself Book Tour
In this article from the Glimmer Train website, literary fiction author Allison Amend shares road-tested practical advice for small press authors. Amend's IPPY Award-winning debut short story collection, 'Things That Pass for Love', was published in October 2008 by OV/Dzanc Books, and her novel, 'Stations West', is due out from Louisiana State University Press's Yellow Shoe Fiction Series.
Advice on How to Sell Poetry
Published poet Neile Graham offers a useful basic overview of manuscript formatting, submission etiquette, and researching markets for your work. "Whatever you do, do it because you believe in your work and you love writing. If you're doing it for recognition and glory you'll burn out fast."
A Winner’s Advice: Jennifer Perrine
Award-winning poet Jennifer Perrine talks about how she prepares her work for publication, and what attracted her to particular contests at different stages of her career. This interview appears on G&A: The Contest Blog, a feature on the Poets & Writers website.
