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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
April
Arachne Press
Arachne Press have three opportunities for writers at the moment:
Firstly, a callout for poetry from Welsh Writers living anywhere
Secondly they are looking for poems and short stories on the theme of Movement from Deaf, deaf and hard of hearing writers based in the UK.
Thirdly they are looking for poems and short stories on the theme of Maps and Mapping from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic heritage writers based in the UK.
Deadline: Tuesday 06 April/Wednesday 14 April/Wednesday 14 April
Entry fee: None
Mslexia - June Issue
Several themed writing opportunities for the June issue of Mslexia magazine. For unpublished work by women.
Deadline: Monday 12 April
Entry fee: None
Sick Magazine
Sick Magazine are looking for essays, poetry and fiction for their next issue (for chronically ill and disabled writers only).
Deadline: Friday 23 April
Entry fee: None
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
SPAM
SPAM are looking for pamphlets no longer than 36 A5 pages. Scroll to the bottom of the link for details.
Deadline: Friday 30 April
Entry fee: None
Bad Betty Press
Bad Betty Press are looking for poems that celebrate "the women who've changed our lives" for an anthology.
Deadline: Friday 30 April
Entry fee: None
May
Love the Words - International Dylan Thomas Day
Haikus are sought for International Dylan Thomas Day, inspired by a specific line of his poetry. For more details see link below.
Deadline: Saturday 01 May
Entry fee: None
Razur Cuts
Razur Cuts are looking for short stories, art, photography and poetry for their next issue.
Deadline: Saturday 08 May
Entry fee: None
Shoreline of Infinity - Call for Trans, nonbinary and gender nonconforming writers
Shoreline of Infinity are looking for short fiction of any genre of science-fiction from gender noncomforming writers. The submission window is between 11 - 13 May. See link below for more details.
Deadline: Thursday 13 May
Entry fee: None
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
Poeyum
Poeyum is a new monthly newsletter that shares poetry and publishes poets writing and living in Scotland. Poets are paid £20.00 a poem. Send your poetry in a word processing document alongside a writer's bio. Click on the link below for the email address.
Deadline: Friday 21 May
Entry fee: None
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
The Bridport Prize
The Bridport Prize has categories for poetry, flash fiction, short stories and novels. Prizes include cash, mentoring and publication in an anthology.
Deadline: Monday 31 May
Entry fee: Various (see link below)
All Stories - Children's Book Mentoring
All Stories are offering 14 free mentorships to writers from underrepresented backgrounds who are unable to pay for such support. The course takes place between September 2021 - February 2022.
Deadline: Monday 31 May
Entry fee: None
Call for Papers - No Parties
No Parties magazine are looking for essays and micro, postcard, flash and short fiction pieces "relating to all aspects of work and the workplace".
Deadline: Monday 31 May
Entry fee: None
Outspoken Press - call for pamphlets and collections
Outspoken Press are open for submissions for poetry pamphlets and collections. Instructions via the link below.
Deadline: Monday 31 May
Entry fee: None
June
The Gerard Rochford Poetry Prize
Looking for one poem on the theme of "Family". The winner will receive £150 and a large, bespoke commemorative plate.
Deadline: Wednesday 30 June
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