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Donate nowOpportunities for writers
There are lots of opportunities for writers in Scotland. We've collected and listed the current crop below.
We curate this list but don't run the opportunities listed. Want to share one with us? Email andrew.blair@scottishbooktrust.com (this will open in a new window)
You might also want to look into our support programmes for writers; 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?
November
The Ian Bell New Writing Award
An award run by Ian Bell's family and the National Union of Journalists aimed at young writers looking to break into professional journalism. Entrants should be aged 30 or under at 30 November 2019, and be living, working or studying in Scotland.
Deadline: Saturday 30 November
Entry fee: None
Product Magazine: Mentoring for new writers
Product’s Literary Editor Richard Allen will offer a mentoring service to new writers of fiction and non-fiction. Applications are open to writers in English "regardless of nationality, hairstyle or geographical location".
Deadline: Saturday 30 November
Entry fee: None
Free Mentoring Session for LGBTQ+ Writer
A free mentoring/editing session available to a LGBTQ+ writer who would not otherwise be able to afford the session. Priority will be given to aspiring writers who are not currently in full-time education, and do not have Creative Writing post-grads.
Deadline: Saturday 30 November
Entry fee: None
Science Fiction opportunity
The Kate Nash Literary Agency are looking for Science Fiction novels during November. Send in your opening chapters assessment and consultation regarding your manuscript.
Deadline: Saturday 30 November
Entry fee: None
December
The Katharine Stewart Award
An award to support an unpublished writer of non-fiction prose or poetry, based in the Highlands & Islands (defined for the purposes of the award as the 2019 Local Authority areas Argyll & Bute, Highland, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Western Isles and Moray). Applications welcome from anyone who hasn't felt confident enough to share their work, or known how to move their craft forward.
Deadline: Monday 02 December
Entry fee: None
Call for submissions: Nobrow Press Short Story Competition
Nobrow Press are running a short story competition, inviting single stories on the theme of 'The Censor'.
Deadline: Monday 09 December
Entry fee: None
Call for submissions: The Janet Coats Memorial Prize
If you are over 18 and were born in Scotland or you live or have lived in Scotland, you can enter the Janet Coats Memorial Prize. Please email poems of up to 40 lines on the theme of climate change (either in a Word Document, MP3 or MP4 file) to prize@paisleybookfest.com with Janet Coats Memorial Prize in the subject line.
Deadline: Friday 13 December , 5pm
Entry fee: None
Call for submissions: Postbox Magazine
Postbox Magazine are looking for short stories for their March 2020 issue.
Deadline: Tuesday 31 December
Entry fee: None
Call for submissions: ૧૦:૧૦ Press
૧૦:૧૦ Press is open for submissions for The Black Anthology and The Working Class Anthology. It is looking for writers who identify themselves as black or working class to contribute to the respective books and is looking for "poetry, short stories, essays, illustrations and a few pages of a graphic story". See links for more details.
Deadline: Unfixed.
Entry fee: None
January 2020
Write Mentor: Writing for children workshop
Have you ever considered writing for children but didn't know where to begin? Or have you written a first draft and are not sure how to continue? #WriteMentor are pleased to host a writing weekend in Glasgow with author Maisie Chan and picture book writer and illustrator Tita Berredo.
Date: Saturday 11 January, Sunday 12 January
Attendance fee: Yes, see link for details
The Gollancz and Rivers of London BAME SFF Award
A new writing prize looking for a 5,000-10,000 word writing sample which fits into the science fiction, fantasy or horror genres. Open to residents of the UK over the age of 18 who identify as Black, Asian or other ethnic minorities.
Deadline: Friday 31 January
Entry fee: None
Call for submissions: Bad Betty Press
London-based poetry press looking to publish pamphlets and collections. Please send a sample by email. Submission details in link below.
Deadline: Friday 31 January
Entry fee: None
Call for submissions: Lies, Dreaming
A podcast looking for work inspired by the prompt "E•mo•tion by Carly Rae Jepsen".
Deadline: Friday 31 January
Entry fee: None
February 2020
Life Writing Prize
"Life writing" prize open to writers over 18 based in the UK who have yet to publish a full-length work or to have a literary agent.
Deadline: Monday 03 February, 11am
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 & illustration welcomed. Each month, the best entry is awarded £250. All entries from the year are submitted to the annual John Byrne Award competition where the best entry wins £2,500. All entries are eligible for all prizes and all entries will be considered for posting on the John Byrne Award 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)
Call for Submissions
Æther & Ichor
Æther & Ichor are looking for inspiring and imaginative fantasy stories, particularly character-driven works with consistent, inventive worldbuilding. They publish a wide range of styles from urban fantasy to twisted fairy tales to swashbuckling adventures and tend towards darker, slicker, more challenging works with a bit of grit.
Deadline: Rolling
Entry fee: Free
Clover and White
Clover and White are looking for poems, flash fiction and short stories (especially from unpublished and emerging writers).
Deadline: Rolling
Is there a fee to enter? No.
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
Little Stone Journal
Little Stone Journal is an e-zine looking for poetry, essays and reviews.
Is there a fee to enter? No.
Loss Lit
A Twitter writeclub on the theme of Loss hosted every first Wednesday of the month between 9 and 11pm UK time. Three submission windows are open annually for poetry, fiction and non-fiction.
Is there a fee to enter? No.
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
Nosy Crow: Call for debut BAME writers
An open call for children’s fiction submissions (anything in the 5 – 12 age range, but especially 9 – 12, aka “middle grade”) from BAME writers.
Nosy Crow are happy to receive submissions from agented and un-agented authors.
Entry fee: Free
Ó Bhéal: Five Words Poetry Competition
Running weekly until January 2020: five words will be posted on the competition page. Entrants have one week to compose and submit one or more poems which include all five words given for that week.
Is there a fee to enter? Yes.
Poetry London
Poetry London are looking for up to six poems, and are now taking submissions online.
Deadline: Rolling
Is there a fee to enter? No.
Product Magazine
Product Magazine is currently looking for fiction, art and photography.
Entry fee: None
Rattle: Ekphrastic Challenge
A monthly competition inviting poets to respond to visual art (and occasionally looking for artists to supply images).
Is there a fee to enter? No.
Rattle: Poets Respond
A weekly competition inviting poets to respond to recent events. The deadline for each week is Friday at midnight PST. The poems must respond to news that occurred since the previous Friday, and have been written in the time since.
Is there a fee to enter? No
The Selkie
The Selkie is looking for fiction, non-fiction, poetry and features. The Selkie is committed to working with marginalised and/or underrepresented voices. Please visit the link below for more information.
Entry fee: None
Shift
Shift are searching for original fiction and non-fiction for their next and future issues! Fiction and non-fiction submissions welcome. Your piece should be suitable for a YA audience.
Entry fee: Free
Shoreline of Infinity
Shoreline of Infinity is looking for science-fiction poetry and book reviewers.
Entry fee: None
Stories from the OCD Community
The International OCD Foundation is looking for insightful, compelling stories from those living with OCD or a related disorder, their family/friends, researchers, and medical professionals. Stories should be 1000 words or less and IOCDF publish one per month.
Entry fee: Free
Thi Wurd
Thi Wurd is a fiction magazine based in Glasgow. Submissions of short fiction and illustrations are welcome.
Entry fee: None
The Weekend Read
The Weekend Read will publish outstanding fiction by women every Friday. We’ll feature prize-winning stories, stories from published collections and brand new work by established authors as well as showcasing new, emerging voices from across the globe. Read online, or listen to our podcast.
Is there a fee to enter? No