Looking for more in Writing and Authors?
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 our offering for Young Writers.
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
Find out more about Scottish Women's National Team Poets Society
Loud Coffee Press
Currently open to flash fiction, poetry and art submissions.
Entry fee: None
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
Hysteria Collective
Looking for any creative writing (poetry, short stories, memoirs, chapters, screenplays etc.) from women, trans, and non-binary writers.
Entry fee: None
Creatives - Scottish Mountaineering Press
Looking for fiction, non-fiction, poetry and visual arts inspired by the Scottish landscape.
Entry fee: None
Find out more about Creatives - Scottish Mountaineering Press
Kelso Writers: Creative Writing for Well-being
Kelso Writers is offering an opportunity for people over the age of 16 who live in the Scottish Borders. As a result of funding from the Communities Mental Health and Well-being Fund, Kelso Writers is able to offer a series of twelve free online workshops and two in-person workshops designed to help people develop and improve their creative writing skills. The course will look at all kinds of writing including short stories, poetry, flash fiction and life writing. Topics covered will include the writing process; creating characters; use of dialogue; how to structure and plot a story; nature writing; and editing and presentation. To register interest and find out more please email kelsowriters@gmail.com
Entry fee: None
Find out more about Kelso Writers: Creative Writing for Well-being
Pugmill Press
Pugmill Press is currently open for submissions of unsolicited ideas from authors. They are currently open for submissions of proposals for concise non-fiction works between 35,000-45,000 words only.
Entry fee: None
Interpret Magazine
Interpret are open to any genre or form of poem or short story. More details at the link below.
Entry fee: None
November
Process Zine
Send in 1-3 poems for Process Zine's second issue. Deadline recently extended to 15 November. Do not submit if you've been a feature performer at Process Production's Open Mic (though this in London so it's probably unlikely).
Entry fee: None
Deadline : Tuesday 15 November
Compass Mentoring Scheme (Dumfries and Galloway)
Compass is Wigtown Festival Company’s mentoring programme, with categories for writers aged between 14 - 25 and 26+. You must be based in Dumfries and Galloway to apply.
Entry fee: None
Deadline : Friday 25 November
Nine Pens Press
Looking for submissions of poetry pamphlets (up to 40 pages).
Deadline: Wednesday 30 November
Entry fee: None
Short Fiction Journal
Looking for fiction between 500 and 5,000 words.
Deadline: Wednesday 30 November
Entry fee: None
Broken Sleep Books
Looking for submissions of poetry pamphlets (up to 40 pages).
Deadline: Wednesday 30 November
Entry fee: None
Sídhe Press Anthology
Looking for poems on the theme of Dementia.
Deadline: Wednesday 30 November
Entry fee: None
December
Mandrake Journal
Looking for weird, supernatural, Gothic and horror writing.
Deadline: Thursday 01 December
Entry fee: None
The Ringwood Short Story Competition
Looking for stories of up to 3000 words. Top prize is £100 and online publication.
Deadline: Friday 02 December
Entry fee: £2
The Lonely Crowd
Looking for stories (between 500 and 7000 words) and poems.
Deadline: Saturday 31 December
Entry fee: None
February
Gold SF
Goldsmiths Press are launching a new imprint, Gold SF, for new intersectional feminist science fiction. Submissions for novels will be open in January 2023.
Deadline: Mid-February
Entry fee: None
Kelpies Writing Prize 2023
Looking for the first five chapters of a children's book or a whole picture book script. See link below for more information.
Deadline: 5pm, Tuesday 28 February.
Entry fee: None
Scottish Arts Club Short Story Competition
Looking for stories of up to 2000 words. Free entry for writers living in Scotland whose immediate family receives any form of income support.
Deadline: Tuesday 28 February.
Entry fee: £10
Find out more about Scottish Arts Club Short Story Competition
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
Glasgow Review of Books is looking for translations and poetry.
Entry fee: None
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
Eemis Stane
Published digitally three times a year, Eemis Stane furthsets poetry, fiction, essays and polemics in Scots o ony and ilka variety, frae ilka airt and pairt. Poetry submissions can consist o up tae three poems, totallin up tae 75 lines. Prose submissions, o baith fiction and non-fiction, should be nae langer than 2000 wirds.
Entry fee: None