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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
Invisible Cities
Kalopsia Literary Journal
Looking for poetry, prose and visual art. Feedback will be offered where possible.
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.
November
Norwich City of Literature's Virtual Residency 2020
A month long digital residency open to writers with a connection to UNESCO Cities of Literature.
Deadline: Monday 16 November
Entry fee: None
Blue Diode Press: call for submissions
Looking for full poetry collections in Scots, English or Gaelic (Gaelic poetry must include a translation).
Deadline: Friday 20 November
Entry fee: None
Stewed Rhubarb
Stewed Rhubarb are looking for poetry pamphlets to be published in 2021.
Deadline: Sunday 29 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
The Maverick Award
The Tom McGrath Trust have three grants of £2000, and are looking for applications with "a new project with writing at its heart, that departs from the routine and starts to explore new and imaginative possibilities."
Deadline: Monday 07 December
Entry fee: None
Bedtime Stories for the End of the World
A paid commission looking for poets to adapt a myth
Deadline: Midday Friday 11 December
Entry fee: None
The Janet Coats Memorial Prize
Send in poems on the theme of 'Green Spaces'.
Deadline: 5pm Friday 11 December
Entry fee: None
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
Bad Betty Press
Bad Betty Press are looking for poetry pamphlets or collections from Black, Brown or Asian writers.
Deadline: Sunday 31 January
Entry fee: None
The Kent and Sussex Poetry Competition Open Prize
A poetry competition judged by Rishi Dastidar.
Deadline: Sunday 31 January
Entry fee: £5 per poem
Discoveries 2020-21
A prize for unpublished women writers aged over 18 in the UK and Ireland. Send in the first 10,000 words of a novel in English (doesn't have to be finished) and a 1,000 word synopsis. First prize is £5,000 and an offer of representation from Curtis Brown Literary Agency.
Entry fee: None
Deadline: Midday, Sunday 17 January
Growing Old Disgracefully
A competition looking for short stories on the theme of childhood memories from anyone over the age of 90 based in the UK.
Deadline: Sunday 31 January
Entry fee: None
February
Spread the Word: Life Writing Prize
Spread the Word are running the annual Life Writing Prize - looking for stories that reflect someone's life experiences from unagented writers yet to have a full-length novel published.
Deadline: Monday 01 February
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