Opportunities for writers

Reflex Fiction are trialling a choose your own fee system for entries to the flash fiction competition. Deadline: Sunday 31 August Entry fee: Pay what you choose Find out more

Biggar Science Festival is looking for poetry and short stories on the theme of 'Elements'. Deadline: Sunday 31 August Entry fee: Yes, see link for details Find out more

Free to enter U.S. based poetry competition welcomes international applicants. Unpublished poems only. Deadline: Sunday 31 August (Pacific time zone) Entry fee: None Find out more

Paisley Book Festival is looking for venues, local organisations and artists to take part in the 2020 festival (21 February – 01 March).
Deadline: Sunday 1 September
Entry fee: None
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Canongate has partnered with the Nan Shepherd Estate and the University of Aberdeen to launch a competition to find the next big voice in nature writing, from communities underrepresented in the genre. The prize is inspired by, and in memory of, writer Nan Shepherd, whose masterpiece The Living Mountain remained unpublished for almost forty years and is now hailed as a modern classic.

The winner will receive a book deal with Canongate – including editorial mentoring and an advance of £10,000 – and the option of literary representation with Jenny Brown Associates.

Deadline: Tuesday 10 September

Entry fee: None

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Primers is an annual mentoring scheme organised by Nine Arches Press where three poets receive publication and a programme of supportive feedback, mentoring and promotion.

Deadline: Tuesday 10 September

Entry fee: £15 (though 25 entries have been made free for writers on low incomes)

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Seahorse Publications are looking for poems and short stories inspired by your relationship with Glasgow.
Deadline: Sunday 15 September
Entry fee: None Find out more

Gutter is looking for poetry, prose, fiction, creative non-fiction and drama scripts for its next issue.

Deadline: Monday 16 September
Entry fee: None
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Big Finish Audio productions are looking for a writer who hasn't worked with them before to write for their Bernice Summerfield range.

Deadline: Friday 20 September

Entry fee: None

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A Lapidus Scotland residential workshop for facilitators and organisers of reading, writing and storytelling for wellbeing with Valerie Gillies and Larry Butler at Whatton Lodge, East Lothian.

Date: 20 - 22 September 2019

Attendance fee: see link for details

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Two Flash Fiction Awards - one international, one for residents of Scotland - looking for stories on any topic of up to 250 words.

Deadline: Monday 30 September

Entry fee: £6 per story

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Scottish Pen is looking for work on the theme of "Truth" from its members and people living in Scotland who are from other parts of the world. For submission guidelines please visit their website.

Deadline: Monday 30 September

Entry fee: None

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Stirling Publishing are looking for book submissions between 1 August and 1 October. Please visit their website to see what genres they're looking for.
Deadline: Tuesday 01 October
Entry fee: None
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The Selkie is looking for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, art and photography inspired by the theme of 'Home' for an anthology. The Selkie is committed to working with marginalised and/or underrepresented voices. Please visit the link below for more information.

Deadline: Tuesday 01 October
Entry fee: None
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A creative writing course based in Edinburgh, comprising two 10-week blocks. The first block starts in October, with another starting in January. Course: Begins Wednesday 02 October
Entry fee: Yes, see link for details
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Three monthly creative writing workshops - attend all three or drop into one - in Glasgow.
Dates: 05 October, 02 November, 07 December (all Saturdays, 11am - 1pm) Fee: Yes, see link for details
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Free to enter short story competition on the theme of artificial intelligence, organised by Comma Press and the University of Central Lancashire.
Deadline: Friday 25 October
Entry fee: None
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The Poetry Society's annual competition, open to anyone aged 17 or older. The competition is for previously unpublished poems of up to 40 lines in length.
Deadline: Thursday 31 October
Entry fee: Yes, see link for details
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Lies, Dreaming are looking for recorded pieces inspired by a theme. Please visit their website for more details. Deadline: Thursday 31 October
Entry fee: None
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New Writing Scotland is looking for work from writers resident in Scotland or Scots by birth. All forms of writing are invited.

Deadline: Thursday 31 October
Entry fee: None
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Postbox Magazine are looking for short stories for their March 2020 issue.

Deadline: Tuesday 31 December
Entry fee: None
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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

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The John Byrne Award is an online exhibition and competition exploring personal and societal values, open to 16-30 year olds 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

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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)

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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

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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.

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The Dark Horse Magazine is accepting unsolicited submissions of poetry by post only.

Entry fee: None
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Glasgow Review of Books is looking for translations and poetry.

Entry fee: None
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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
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Little Stone Journal is an e-zine looking for poetry, essays and reviews.

Is there a fee to enter? No.

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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.

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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
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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

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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.

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Poetry London are looking for up to six poems, and are now taking submissions online.

Deadline: Rolling

Is there a fee to enter? No.

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Product Magazine is currently looking for fiction, art and photography.

Entry fee: None
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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.

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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. Find out more

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
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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

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Shoreline of Infinity is looking for science-fiction poetry and book reviewers.

Entry fee: None
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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

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Thi Wurd is a fiction magazine based in Glasgow. Submissions of short fiction and illustrations are welcome.

Entry fee: None
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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. Find out more

The Gaelic Books Council offers assistance to authors who wish to write in Scottish Gaelic. Priority is given to writers who have a publishing agreement in place, as well as to projects that contain a high percentage of Scottish Gaelic content. They support a wide variety of literary genres, and are open to applications in support of digital titles and other formats, as well as traditional printed books.

Entry fee: Free

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This fund has been established by Scottish Books International to support writers who have been invited overseas to promote their work, including trips to festivals, publicity events and more.

Entry fee: Free

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Anita Govan, Performance poet, Teaching Artist & Co-founder of Scottish Youth Poetry Slam, offers sessions with individual, constructive feedback on ‘text in performance’. Giving tips and tricks on how to tackle blocks and confidence issues, through to practical voice & performance exercises.

Former Stirling Makar (2012-15) with thirty years of experience behind her in the creative industries (inc. drama, directing & producing), across Scotland. Anita has trained internationally with Keith Johnstone (Canada 2000) Goat Island Performance Company (Chicago) and performed at Glastonbury and the Nuyorician (New York).

Rates: £50 – ½ day up to 3 hrs, 4 spots per session (for individuals or shows, quotes available).

For more details or to sign up to the waiting list contact: anitagovan@gmail.com

Writer, editor and experienced arts educator Helen offers the following services for individuals:

Editing and reading - including manuscript appraisal, development editing and proof-reading; student essay and dissertation reading

Tuition and mentoring – from a couple of meetings or conversations to a longer-term programme involving regular submission of work and critique

If you are looking for an objective, professional assessment of your writing, I provide a customised and client-focused approach. We develop a schedule that reflects the client’s needs and is appropriate to the nature of their project. This can include checking for clarity, flow, structure and readability. I work on poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Feedback by mark-up on electronic or hard copy can be supplemented by written reports, or given in person, by telephone or online.

Rates: My guideline rates are £45ph, but this varies according to the nature of the project.

Contact: helenboden@talktalk.net

Invisible Ink is an Edinburgh-based literary consultancy offering advice, support and expertise to writers all over the world. We specialise in ghostwriting, mentoring, manuscript assessment, and teaching and workshops, and are keen to collaborate with you at any stage of your writing project. More information can be found on our website, and please don’t hesitate to get in touch—we’d love to hear your stories.

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Are you keen to make this year your year for moving forward as a writer? I work with writers in Scotland and further afield, helping them to define and prioritize their goals, explore options and then map out a plan of action. I offer two one-to-one services: Professional Development Planning which consists of one (or sometimes two) face-to-face two-hour sessions and Coaching which is available by Skype or telephone (or face-to-face, location permitting) and comprises five or more one-hour sessions. (Some writers like to combine the two services and have a PDP session followed by a coaching series.) I’m an accredited coach and my coaching practice is informed by my work specialising in writer development with NAWE (National Association of Writers in Education) and my 30 years of experience working in the arts sector in Scotland and England. I also offer Application Guidance, detailed advice on how to make your application for an award or funding the best it can be, drawing on my extensive experience as a funding assessor and applicant.

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For creative writers of all abilities – Victoria at Twenty-six Letters can help you take your novel, memoir or collection of stories/poetry to the next level:

Editing and manuscript appraisal – for complete manuscripts, whether you need a detailed report on structure, characterisation, plot etc, or a full line-edit to polish the final draft. Mentoring – for works-in-progress that need a little guidance.

Ghostwriting – for anyone with a good idea, but lacking the time/skills to write a full-length book (fiction and non-fiction).

For 14+ years, Victoria has worked between the advertising and publishing industries, writing for some of the world's best-known brands and helping to craft both biographical and fictional stories

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This is an online course for anyone who would like to create a clear and comprehensive strategy to reach more readers. It includes professional feedback on your author website and social media accounts as well as dedicated support to help you come up with an effective and achievable marketing plan. The course is run by experienced literary consultant Claire Wingfield, who is on hand to guide and support you throughout. The marketing toolkit can be undertaken at your own pace, and gives you access to a supportive Facebook group upon completion, where Claire will continue to share updates to the course and new ways to sell more books.

Rates: Usually £279, but Claire is offering a £50 discount for participants via Scottish Book Trust using the code FRIEND 50.

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The Liminal Residency is a series of alternative writers' retreats which take place in neglected and unusual spaces. Most ordinary retreats and residencies depend on isolation and the removal of distractions. The Liminal Residency depends on lived experience, random chance and shared adventure.

If you’re interested in attending a Residency, please get in touch with a bit about yourself and your work. You can specify an interest in a particular Residency, or make a general application.

Deadline: Rolling

Entry free: Free to apply, although you would need to cover your costs of transport, accommodation and food during the residency

{Find out more](http://www.liminalresidency.co.uk/)

Join like-minded wordsmiths to share ideas, work in progress and receive useful tips. The classes are suitable regardless of whether it is the first time you have put pen to paper, or you have been scribing away for years. Age 16 years+. These classes run broadly in line with the school terms and will finish mid-July.

Wednesday: 5.15pm – 6.45pm at Airdrie Library Wednesday: 1.00pm – 3.00pm at Bellshill Cultural Centre

Entry fee: £5.00/Concession £4.50

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Ekphrastic (using visual art as a prompt) writing group, facilitated by Helen Boden, which meets once a month in a different Edinburgh gallery or exhibition. Each two-hour workshop moves between viewing, discussion, writing, and constructive critique. We visit most of the free exhibitions at National Galleries Scotland, and have also formed relationships with Fruitmarket Gallery, City Art Centre, Talbot Rice Gallery and Dovecot Studios. Using specially-devised exercises, we respond to art-forms from a range of mediums – painting, drawing, sculpture, video, installation, print-making . . . and from all historical periods.

This supportive tutored group is suitable for all levels of experience, and meets 10.30am-12.30pm on the third Thursday of each month.

More information: contact helenboden@talktalk.net

Entry fee: £12 per session