Seven paying markets for your short fiction, poetry and personal essays

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Blue Mesa Review accepts previously unpublished work in Fiction (up to 6,000 words), Nonfiction (up to 6,000 words), Poetry (up to 3 poems), and Visual Art. Pays $25. 

Deadline: February 28, 2019. Guidelines here.

Ninth Letter is published semi-annually at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. They are looking for prose and poetry that experiment with form, narrative, and nontraditional subject matter, as well as more traditional literary work. Currently they’re seeking short fiction and essays {max 8,000 words} and poetry {submit 3–6 poems, 10 pages max}. Pays $25 per printed page to a maximum of $150. 

Deadline: February 28, 2019. Guidelines here.

Apparition Lit is a quarterly journal of speculative fiction and poetry. Each quarter they seek submissions that meet a chosen theme, and each month, they hold a flash fiction contest and publish the winner online. Pays 1 cent per word, minimum of $10 dollars U.S. 

Reading periods and themes:

February 15–28; theme: Ambition

May 15–31; theme: Retribution

Aug 15–31; theme: Euphoria

Nov 15–30; theme TBA

Flash fiction submissions must be sent in the first 15 days of the month and must meet, refer to, or challenge the test for the month. For February, your flash fiction must pass or discuss the Mako Mori Test, which requires that there must be 1) at least one female character, 2) who gets her own narrative arc, 3) that isn’t about supporting a man’s story

Guidelines here.

Chicken Soup for the Soul seeks for true stories or poems of 1,200 words or less, about all aspects of running and walking and stories about running, walking and steps to raise awareness of and funds for a cause. Stories can be funny and quirky, or they can be serious and heartwarming

They’re also looking for true personal stories about how an angel has touched your life – stories of true wonder and awe from people who have directly encountered or received help from angels. Amazing stories that will make people say “wow” or give readers chills. Have you experienced something otherworldly or celestial? Or had a personal experience with an angel or divine being? How did your angel manifest himself or herself to you? How did your angel protect or guide you? Do you have a guardian angel?" 

Pays $200.

Deadline: February 28, 2019.

Complete Chicken Soup guidelines, including calls for many more upcoming anthologies here.

Darkhouse Books seeks poetry and prose on the theme of love for a new anthology: What We Talk About When We Talk About It. Some reprints accepted. Pays 50% of royalties. 

Deadline: February 28, 2019. Guidelines here.

The New Quarterly

c/o St. Jerome’s University
290 Westmount Road N
Waterloo, ON  N2L 3G3

Seeks poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Open to Canadian writers only. Pays $250 for a short story or nonfiction entry, and $40 per poem or postscript story. 

Reading periods: Sept 1–Feb 28 and March 1–Aug 31. Snail mail submissions only. Full guidelines here.

Pottersfield Press will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2019 and has published over 200 books by some of Canada’s finest writers. In an effort to further enhance its creative nonfiction publishing program Pottersfield created an annual Pottersfield Prize for Creative Nonfiction.

Pottersfield is again looking for submissions from writers who can provide a manuscript of 30,000 to 150,000 words in any of the following categories: history, memoir, autobiography, biography, literary journalism, political or social commentary, travel writing or virtually any existing or new category that uses the nonfiction medium to tell a story or put forward an idea.

The First Prize winner will receive a contract for the publication of the winning book along with a $1,500 advance on 10% royalty for all sales. The Second Prize winner will also see the publication of the book and a $1,000 advance on 10% royalties. Entry fee is $25 (includes HST)

Deadline: March 31, 2019 but early submissions are encouraged. Download guidelines here.

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.