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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
Postcards from Malthusia
Looking for new and unpublished poems addressing issues related to the current situation.
Entry fee: None
Loud Coffee Press
Invisible Cities
Scottish Football Supporters Association
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
September
Grow Your Story - BAME Writers Development Programme
THRIVE and Hachette UK are offering 10 unagented and unpublished Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic writers a free development programme in 2021. Send in a sample and synopsis from a novel alongside a statement on why you would benefit from the programme. Applications open on 04 September.
Deadline: Monday 14 September
Entry fee: None
The 2021 Prole Poetry Pamphlet Competition
Prole Publishing are looking for finished poetry pamphlets for their annual competition. There is a £12 fee for the first entry, £8 for all subsequent entries.
Deadline: Wednesday 16 September
Entry fee: £12
Manchester Writing Competition
Poetry and fiction (short stories) competitions with a main prize of £10,000.
Deadline: Friday 18 September, 5pm
Entry fee: £18 (reduced price available)
Gutter
Submissions of poetry and prose for Gutter No. 23 are open.
Deadline: Friday 18 September
Entry fee: None
Myslexia
Separate competitions for Flash Fiction, Childrens and YA Novels, Short Stories, Memoir & Life Writing are open to anyone self-identifying as a woman.
Deadline: Monday 21 September
Entry fee: £5 - £25, see link for details.
New Writing Scotland 39
All forms of writing (up to 3500 words) are invited.
Deadline: Wednesday 30 September
Entry fee: None
Poems for Social Work
The Scottish Poetry Library are looking for up to two poems for an anthology aimed at newly qualified social workers, in association with Edinburgh and Napier universities.
Deadline: Wednesday 30 September
Entry fee: None
Pushing the Boat Out
North East Scotland's Pushing Out the Boat magazine is looking for prose up to 3,000 words and poetry for its 16th issue in English, Scots and Doric.
Deadline: Wednesday 30 September
Entry fee: None
Crowvus Christmas Ghost Story Competition
Crowvus are looking for ghost stories of up to 4000 words for a Christmas anthology.
Deadline: Wednesday 30 September
Entry fee: £3 - £5
Adjacent Pineapple
Adjacent Pineapple are looking for poetry, fiction, non-fiction and hybrid forms of writing and text art for their seventh issue.
Deadline: Wednesday 30 September
Entry fee: None
[sub]liminal
[sub]liminal are a new journal looking for poetry, prose, visual art and photography.
Deadline: Wednesday 30 September
Entry fee: None
October
Perito Prize
Looking for original, unpublished short stories around the theme of Accessibility.
Deadline: Thursday 01 October
Entry fee: None
BlueHouse Journal
Looking for poetry, essay, memoir, creative non-fiction, visual art, hybrid works and reviews.
Deadline: Thursday 01 October
Entry fee: None
Epoch Literary Journal
Epoch are looking for creative non-fiction and art on the theme of 'Beginnings' for their first issue.
Deadline: Thursday 01 October
Entry fee: None
The Secret Lives anthology
Sans Press are looking for stories about secrets for their forthcoming anthology.
Deadline: Monday 04 October
Entry fee: None
Continue the Voice Zine
Looking for creative work of any kind relating to the theme of 'Staycations'.
Deadline: Sunday 04 October
Entry fee: None
David Higham Associates - Agency Open Week
David Higham Associates are holding an online open week aiming to demistify their industry. Childrens and Adult fiction writers can apply for spaces.
Deadline: Monday 12 October
Entry fee: None,
The Poetry Society
The Poetry Society's National Poetry Competition is looking for unpublished poems of up to 40 lines.
Deadline: Wednesday 31 October
Entry fee: Yes, see under "Rules" in link below.
Skulls and Spells
The Haunted Bouncy Castle Zine are looking for art, comics, poetry and short stories from LGBTQIA+ creators for their 'Skulls and Spells' anthology. Submissions open from 01 September.
Deadline: Wednesday 31 October
Entry fee: None
404 Ink
404 Ink are looking to publish books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry and currently have an open submission window.
Deadline: Wednesday 31 October
Entry fee: None
November
The Suzie Grant
Grants of $500 available for mums working towards publication and/or a professional writing career.
Deadline: Sunday 01 November
Entry fee: None
The 2021 Commonwealth Short Story Prize
Looking for 2000 - 5000 word short stories. Translations into English are welcome, as are stories in the Bengali, Chinese, French, Greek, Kiswahili, Malay, Portuguese, Samoan, Tamil and Turkish languages.
Deadline: Sunday 01 November
Entry fee: None
A Call for Joy
Kwame Mbalia is putting together an anthology aimed at 8 - 12 year olds "that will center the joy of Black boyhood". Unagented black male and non-binary authors over the age of 18 can send short stories.
Deadline: Sunday 01 November
Entry fee: None
Anthology Magazine Poetry Prize
Looking for unbublished poems up to 40 lines long on the theme of 'Family'.
Deadline: Monday 31 November
Entry fee: €10 - €15
Apex Magazine
A bi-monthly science-fiction, fantasy and horror magazine looking for original short stories.
Deadline: Monday 31 November
Entry fee: None
Salt Publishing
Salt Publishing are looking for complete, final and edited manuscripts during the month of November only. They publish fiction, poetry and narrative non-fiction.
Deadline: Monday 31 November
Entry fee: None
December
Language Evolves - Short Story competition
Looking for short stories inspired by the field of language evolution.
Deadline: Tuesday 01 December
Entry fee: None
Myslexia Poetry and Pamphlet Competitions
Myslexia are running two poetry competitions, one for best pamphlet and another for best poems. Entrants must self-identify as women.
Deadline: Monday 07 December
Entry fee: £10 - £25, see link for details
January 2021
Seaborne Magazine
Seaborne Magazine are looking for poetry, non-fiction, fiction and artwork for their first issue.
Deadline: Friday 01 January
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
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