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Opportunities for writers
There are lots of opportunities for writers in Scotland. We've collected and listed the current crop below.
For more opportunities (including workshops, retreats and advice), you might also want to look into our resources for writers, and our writing programmes; the New Writers Award, Ignite Fellowship and the Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship. If you're under 18, why not check out What's Your Story?
Please note that we curate this list but don't run the opportunities listed. You can find free guidance on copyright and other issues on the Society of Authors' (this will open in a new window)advice page.
Always read the organiser's submission criteria.
Want to share an opportunity with us? Email andrew.blair@scottishbooktrust.com (this will open in a new window)
No Deadline
Primo Poetica
Looking for football poetry that will strike a chord across Europe due to the delayed Euro 2020 tournament.
Entry fee: None
Scottish Women's National Team Poets Society
Julie McNeill – the First Makar of the Scottish Women's National Team Poets Society - is looking for poetry inspired by the national women's team.
Entry fee: None
Loud Coffee Press
page one mentoring scheme - Johnson & Alcock
The Johnson & Alcock Agency are offering an online mentoring programme to underrepresented writers (including - but not limited to - Black, Asian, and minority ethnic candidates, those living outside of London and the South East, people with disabilities, and those from low-income families), with the aim of demistifying their industry.
Kalopsia Literary Journal
Looking for poetry, prose and visual art. Feedback will be offered where possible.
Entry fee: None
Bella Caledonia
The Bella Caledonia website is welcoming poetry submissions. Email your poems to bellasletters@yahoo.co.uk
Tether's End Magazine
Tether's End are looking for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, photography and art for their first issue.
Entry fee: None
March
Wet Grain
Glasgow poetry journal Wet Grain are looking for poetry for their March issue.
Deadline: Monday 01 March
Entry fee: None
Wilbur Smith Awards - Best Unpublished Manuscript
Unpublished and self-published writers of adventure novels can send in their manuscript. First prize is a publishing deal.
Deadline: Sunday 07 March
Entry fee: £49
BBC National Short Story Award 2021
A competition looking for writers to send in one story of up to 8000 words.
Deadline: 09am (GMT) Monday 15 March
Entry fee: None
Gutter Magazine - Issue 24
Gutter are looking for submissions of fiction, creative non-fiction, drama, and poetry.
Deadline: Monday 15 March
Entry fee: None
Hellhound Magazine
Hellhound are looking for original short horror fiction.
Deadline: Wednesday 24 March
Entry fee: None
Verve Poetry Press
Verve Poetry Press are looking for full length poetry collections during the month of March.
Deadline: Wednesday 31 March
Entry fee: None
Scottish PEN
Scottish PEN are looking for poetry and non-fiction on the theme of "Renewal".
Deadline: Wednesday 31 March
Entry fee: None
The Gutter & Edwin Morgan Trust Poetry Competition
Gutter Magazine and The Edwin Morgan Trust are running a poetry competition for writers over the age of 40. Poems should relate to Edwin Morgan's work or life.
Deadline: Wednesday 31 March
Entry fee: None
April
Federation of Writers Vernal Equinox Competition
An annual competition with five categories, poetry, short stories, flash fiction/mini-story, Gaelic (poems and/or flash fiction), and Scots (poems and/or flash fiction.
Deadline: Friday 30 April
Entry fee: £4
Grey Hen Poetry Competition
An annual poetry competition for women over 60.
Deadline: Friday 30 April
Entry fee: £3
Storyhouse.org
A non-fiction writing competition looking for stories about wild animals.
Deadline: Friday 30 April
Entry fee: None
Postbox Magazine
Postbox will consider up to three short stories for publication in their 2021 issue. Submissions open on March 15.
Deadline: Friday 30 April
Entry fee: None
May
The Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition
An annual competition open to unagented writers worldwide who have not had a children's book published before. They are looking for completed full-length novels for audiences somewhere between 7 - 18 years old.
Deadline: Friday 14 May
Entry fee: £18
Cipher Press
Cipher Press are looking for book-length adult fiction and creative non-fiction from both agented and unagented trans and gender non-conforming writers, queer writers of colour, and queer working-class writers based in the UK.
Deadline: Monday 31 May
Entry fee: None
Ongoing Opportunities
Awards
The John Byrne award
The John Byrne Award is an online exhibition and competition exploring personal and societal values, open to anyone over 16 years old in Scotland. Creative writing and illustration welcomed. An award of £500 is offered quarterly, plus an annual award of £7,500. All entries are eligible for all prizes and all entries will be considered for posting on the John Byrne Award website and social media pages.
Entry fee: Free
The Zooker award
A new literary award that aims to encourage disadvantaged authors and reward works of social value. Single prize of £500, plus embossed certificate and featuring. Open to anyone who has published a book through Arkbound or any other publisher.
Entries can be made between 19th May and 10th October each year.
Entry Fee: £7.50 (concessions available)
Luna Press Publishing
Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy publisher who accept submissions on specific days each year.
Speculative Scotland (all writers born in Scotland): 25 January, 30 November Speculative Scottish Diversity (writers who identify as BAME (Black, Asian, minority ethnic), mixed-race or POC (people of colour) with a connection to Scotland either by birth or residency): 18 July, 02 October Speculative Novella: (all writers): 15 April
Entry Fee: None
Invisible Cities
Looking for previously unpublished poetry and prose.
Reading periods: 15 September–15 December
Entry fee: None
Call for Submissions
Speculative Books
Speculative Books is currently accepting unsolicited submissions of poetry. Send in a maximum of two poems.
Entry fee: None
The Dark Horse
The Dark Horse Magazine is accepting unsolicited submissions of poetry by post only.
Entry fee: None
Glasgow Review of Books
Lallans
Lallans is published twice a year and is the journal of the Scots Language Society. It includes poetry, fiction, reviews and articles in Scots.
Entry fee: None
The New Shetlander
The New Shetlander is a bi-annual publication looking for contributions of prose and poetry with a Shetland interest: all will be considered for publication.
Entry fee: None
Product Magazine
Product Magazine is currently looking for fiction, art and photography.
Entry fee: None
Shoreline of Infinity
Shoreline of Infinity is looking for science-fiction poetry and book reviewers.
Entry fee: None
Thi Wurd
Thi Wurd is a fiction magazine based in Glasgow. Submissions of short fiction and illustrations are welcome.
Entry fee: None