Six markets and contests for your stories, essays, and poems

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Women on Writing {WOW} runs two quarterly contests, one for short essays 200–1,000 words and one for flash fiction 250 –750 words.

The essay contest has a: $12 entry fee. Prizes: $500, $300, $200, plus $25 Amazon gift certificates for seven runners-up; plus 10 honorable mentions. All three winners and seven runners up will be published on the WOW website

The next deadline for the essay contest is Jan 31, 2021. But note they are accepting a maximum of 300 entries; so get your entry in ASAP. Contest details here.

The flash fiction contest has a $10 entry fee. Prizes: $400, $300, $200, plus $25 Amazon gift certificates for seven runners-up; plus $10 Amazon gift certificates 10 honorable mentions. All three winners and seven runners up will be published on the WOW website.

The next deadline for the flash fiction contests is February 28, 2021. But note they are accepting a maximum of 300 entries; so get your entry in ASAP. Contest details here.

 

Muse Magazine is a discovery magazine for children and teens. It takes intellectual curiosity seriously, while never taking itself too seriously. The editors seek fresh and entertaining articles from the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Each issue has a theme. 

For Sept 2021 issue: Layers of Meaning; deadline January 15, 2021. For Oct 2021 issue: Science of fear; deadline Feb 15, 2021. For Nov/Dec 2021 issue: Colors and Art Therapy. Deadline March 15, 2021. Detailed guidelines here.

Muse is one of five nonfiction magazines for young people published by Cricket Media:

• CLICK® Science and Discovery for ages 3 – 7
• ASK® Science and Discovery for ages 7 – 10
• 
  MUSE® Science and Discovery for ages 9 – 14
• COBBLESTONE™ American History for ages 9 – 14
• FACES™ World Cultures and Geography for ages 9 – 14

Plus, Cricket publishes four literary magazines, including illustrated poetry, fiction and literary nonfiction:

• BABYBUG® for ages 6 months – 3 years
• LADYBUG® for ages 3 – 6
• SPIDER® for ages 6 – 9
• CRICKET® for ages 9 – 14

 For detailed submission guidelines, click on the above links.

  

Chicken Soup for the Soul has an ongoing need for poems and true stories under 1,200 words. Chicken Soup stories are written in the first person and often close with a punch, creating emotion, rather than simply talking about it. 

Chicken Soup for the Soul stories have heart, but also something extra — an element that makes us all feel more hopeful, more connected, more thankful, more passionate and better about life in general. A good story causes tears, laughter, goose bumps or any combination of these. Read their general guidelines here.

As usual, Chicken Soup is calling for submissions for numerous anthologies. Here are a few:

I’m Speaking Now: Black Women Share Their Truth in 101 Stories of Love, Courage and Hope: Deadline: Jan 15, 2021.

Eldercare: Think of this book as a portable support group to help others. Everyone needs support, and sometimes we feel so alone when we’re caring for elderly family members who are living a new normal. We are looking for true stories that show our readers how lives and relationships change when eldercare becomes necessary. They will provide practical advice, encouragement, insight and support.

Preteens: Callout for writers under age 35. Twenty new stories required for a 20th anniversary edition of Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul. “We’re looking for everything, from serious to silly.

What was your experience like as a preteen? Did you fit in with the popular crowd, or were you left behind to eat your peanut butter and jelly in the library? What kind of humorous or embarrassing things happened to you when you were that age?" Deadline Jan 15, 2021. ” 

Teenagers: Callout for writers under age 35. Twenty-five new stories required for a 25th anniversary edition of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Deadline: Jan 15, 2021.

Other upcoming anthologies, include Angels, Cats, Christmas Stories, Counting Your Blessings, and Tough Times.

See details here.

 

The Rye Whiskey Review: “We’re the Ezine dedicated to all things barroom. We are slightly off what others consider the norm and always the last to close the bar. If you prefer the local dive bar to the glitz of some overpriced club then you’re our kind of people. So welcome, grab a drink and enjoy.”

For poetry, send up to four poems at a time; for fiction limit it to two.

Send Word docs to: whotheduckistheeditor@gmail.com

Deadline ongoing. Guidelines here.

 

Dreamers Magazine is open year-round for writing submissions, with rolling deadlines. “We’re looking for writing submissions of short stories, poems, personal essays or excerpts (that stand alone) from any genre. 

"We’re willing to consider any form of writing that is well-written and from the heart. We especially love writing that has some connection to writing for wellness – narrative medicine, medical memoir, writing the self, healing writing, etc.

“All accepted pieces will be published on our website and author’s will be paid a one-time $20 CAD honorarium. Twice per year, we’ll select the best from among all our published online submissions for publication in our bi-yearly magazine. All authors whose work is chosen for this magazine will receive 2 printed copies.”

Dreamers also has frequent contests:

Contest: Stories of migration, sense of place, and home

Deadline: January 31, 2021

Entry Fee: $20 USD (Approx. $25 CAD) – includes 1 year electronic subscription for Dreamers Magazine.

Prize: $250 to the first-place winner.

Dreamers as a term has come to represent undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children. Although Dreamers Creative Writing’s name has a different meaning and origin, this contest is intended to honour “Dreamers” as it applies to migration, and our sense of place and home. 

Submit your stories of migration and/or your sense of place, of home or lack of, and your empathy to the plight of migrants around the world. Interpret the theme of this contest in any way that is fitting for you, keeping in mind the theme of Dreamers Creative Writing – that of heartfelt stories. You do not need to be a migrant to enter this contest.

Guidelines here.

Haiku Contest

Deadline: May 31, 2021

Entry Fee: $10 USD (Approx. $13 CAD) – includes an e-copy of the next issue of Dreamers Magazine.

Prize: $120 to the first-place winner.

Submit up to 3 Haiku per entry for your chance to win! 

Guidelines here.

 

The Niagara Branch of the Canadian Authors Association invites you to enter the 21st annual Fifteen Stories High short story competition. The contest is now open to all Ontario Writers. Stories must be unpublished fiction and creative nonfiction and be between 1, 000 and 3,000 words.

The entry fee is $20.00 per story, non-refundable and multiple submissions are welcome up to a maximum of three (3) per entrant.

Top Prizes include:
First Prize       –           $300.00
Second Prize   –           $200.00
Third Prize      –           $100.00

Winners and Honourable Mention submissions will also be published in the contest’s 2021 Anthology.

Some of Ontario’s finest writers have appeared in this anthology. See some of the contest’s Previous Winners.

This year we are offering a new online submission and payment process along with mailed in entries. Deadline January 31, 2021. Complete contest rules here.

If you have questions or are interested in purchasing a copy of our 2020 Edition, email: canauthorsniagara@gmail.com

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See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including online and in-person writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Southampton, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.