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There are three dozen calls for submissions in May. Genres include speculative fiction, horror, comedy, personal essays, poetry, general fiction and "everything." Some of these calls are for themed issues, so make sure you read the full guidelines before submitting. Note : I post calls for submissions during the last week of every month. But if you want to get a jump on upcoming calls, you can find a list of sites that regularly post submission calls (paying and non-paying markets) on Calls for Submissions . ____________________ Subterrain Genres : Fiction, creative nonfiction, commentary, essay – all welcome! Length : Maximum of 3,000 words Payment : $50 per page Deadline : May 1, 2016 ____________________ Ghosts on Drugs: Anthology Genre : Short stories (mix of comedy + other genres) Payment : 6-15 cents per word Deadline : May 1, 2016 ____________________ Story Magazine Genres : Story, essay, poetry submissions wanted for 'Identity' issue Payment : $20 per pa...

Writing conferences offer so much to writers - master classes, opportunities to talk to authors, pitch sessions with agents, as well as workshops covering every aspect of writing and publishing. In addition, you get to share experiences with other writers - in the flesh! (Nothing beats actual face-to-face contact.) If you can find the time to attend a conference, you won't regret it. Note : For a month-by-month listing of conferences, as well as how to find upcoming conferences in your area, see  Writing Conferences . ___________________ Mokulē‘ia Writers Retreat . May 1 - 6, 2016 in Waialua, Hawaii at Camp Mokulē‘ia, Oahu. Offers workshops in fiction and nonfiction, readings, one-on-one consultations, publishing panels, yoga sessions. The retreat is led by North Shore native Constance Hale, the author of Sin and Syntax, the editor of more than two dozen books, and a journalist whose stories about Hawai‘i appear on CD liner notes, as well as in publications like The Los Angeles Tim...

There are many great free writing contests in May. All genres and forms are included, from poetry, to short fiction, to essays, to full length-works, both published and unpublished. Some of these contests have age and regional restrictions, so be sure to read the full guidelines before submitting. Good luck! Note : I post a list of free upcoming contests the last week of every month. But if you want to get a jump on contests, the tab labeled " Free Contests " is regularly updated. Be sure to check there for future as well as past contests - many are held annually. ____________________ Crucible: Poetry and Fiction Competition  is sponsored by the Barton College Department of English.  Genres : Fiction (limited to 8,000 words or less) and poetry (limited to five poems).  Restrictions : All work must be original and unpublished.  Prizes : $150.00 First Prize. $100.00 Second Prize. Publication in the  Crucible .  Deadline : May 1, 2016.  Read guidelines...

If you have spent some time looking at successful queries, or browsing agent bios, you will notice that comparative titles figure prominently. There are several very important reasons to come up with some comparative titles (aka "comps") for your book, all of which have to do with marketing. The marketing department - and this is true of any publisher - is not going to sit down and read your book, so it is up to you to get them the information they need to help generate publicity and sales. Your agent will also need comps to pitch your book to a publisher. Random House has put together an excellent article on why comparative titles are important, and how they are used by marketing departments. There is a useful section at the end that describes how to find comp titles, in case you are at a loss. _________________________________ What Are Comp Titles and Why Are They Useful? By Andrea Bachofen - Random House News for Authors Comparison (“comp”) titles are books that are simila...

I met up with my friend Bas in Midtown after coming from a fragrance line launch. When I pressed him on why he was there he revealed that he is apart of the very small perfume group in NYC, that he had over 80 different concentrates of perfume, and that -in short- he is a scent fanatic. I asked him for more info and he said 'you really want me to give you the background of perfumes?' Please. Perfumes distillation started in Arab countries and mostly involved taking resins and w oods and putting them into oil. At the end of the crusades, perfumes came to Italy. Catherine de Medici then married the king of France and helped bring the craft of fragrance to France where it exploded. Europeans are more obsessed with floral distillations while African cultures are still mostly about resins and darker and muskier scents. The original scent of musk is actually from deer sexual glands, aka deer balls. The most valuable ingredient in the world isn't gold or diamonds, but distilled ...

I was going to an evening of Beckett shorts at NYU and ran into an enormous Bernie Sanders rally. Swarms of protestors, students, supporters engulfed Washington Square Park and the surrounding streets. Cops shut down entire sections, barricades were everywhere as Tim Robbins rocked the mic, stirring the crowd into roars of 'Ber-nie.' I got to the theatre lobby and saw Salman Rushdie and John Turturro chatting it up before going to take their seats. The 3  Beckett plays were NOT I, FOOTFALLS, ROCKABYE and the audience was warned that they would take place in complete darkness with 3 minute intervals of meditative silence between them. The mythological red mouth in NOT I was like a flickering candle floating around in darkness. FOOTFALLS was about the worries of humanity pacing out the time with steps and thoughts, and in ROCKABYE the pendulum of time is the one setting the pace, IT (or THOU) is the one talking and rocking the life out of a dying soul. Upstairs I am aware that a ...

Here are two new agents looking for clients. New agents are a boon to writers. They are enthusiastic and hard-working, and eager to make sales. Often, they are former editors and/or published authors, which means they have contacts in the industry. Elise Erickson is seeking romance and all of its subgenres, women’s fiction, paranormal, mystery including clever cozy mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction, commercial literary fiction, and some YA. Lori Galvin is seeking cookbooks. You can find many more new and established agents seeking clients here:   Agents Seeking Clients ____________________ Elise Erickson of Harold Ober Associates NO LONGER AN AGENT About Elise : Elise of Harold Ober Associates graduated from St. Olaf College and the NYU Summer Publishing Institute in 2014, and spent several months interning at Penguin’s New American Library imprint, Folio Literary Management, and Susanna Lea Associates before taking on her current position at Harold Ober Associates. Sh...

Your manuscript is complete and polished, and now you are ready to embark on the task of sending query letters. (Or alternatively, you can go to a conference and pitch an agent in the flesh. Go here for a list of conferences: Writing Conferences  ) Before you send your query, you need to do a little research. Does the agent accept your genre? Does the agent have a track record? Does the agent clearly describe his or her submission requirements? And when the agent starts describing what it is he or she wants, what on earth are they talking about? Agents, like publishers, use jargon - it's one of the hazards of the trade. But as an author, you may have no idea what they mean by "high concept," "upmarket," "literary." Reasonably speaking, your job is to write your book; theirs is to find a niche for it. Unfortunately, writers are expected to define not only their genre, and their audience, but also their market niche, which is something they may know noth...

Updated 4/16/21 If you have a sense of humor, why not use it to make some money instead of wasting your talent on graffiti? There are ample economic opportunities for people who can see the lighter side of life, or skewer the darker side with a well-aimed quip. The publications below want to make their readers grin, chortle, guffaw, smile knowingly, and sometimes take you seriously until the last possible moment. Satire, sarcasm, revolting college humor, one-liners, witty bon mots, sentimental slop, whatever you're good at, some magazine on this list will pay you for it. Happy submitting! ( Note : You can find more paying markets on this page:  Paying Markets. ) __________________ McSweeney’s  This is one of the most popular, and, in my opinion, funniest sites on the web. (Feel free to disagree.) (But you'll be wrong.) Chances of acceptance are remote, but it doesn't hurt to try. The Quarterly pays on acceptance, but in keeping with their "no rules" policy, they d...

Updated 7/5/20 Here are two new agents seeking clients. Michael Hoogland (Dystel & Goderich) is looking for sci-fi, fantasy, thrillers, upmarket women’s fiction, and some children’s books (picture books, MG, and YA), as well as a wide variety of narrative nonfiction, including science, history, and politics. Erik Hane (Headwater) is seeking Political nonfiction, Culture criticism, History, especially American, Popular science, Literary nonfiction and essays, and Literary fiction. ALWAYS check the agency website before submitting. Agents may switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements may change. If these agents do not suit your needs, you can find a comprehensive list of new and established agents seeking clients here:  Agents Seeking Clients . ____________________ Michael Hoogland of Dystel & Goderich About Mike : Michael Hoogland joined Dystel & Goderich after completing a foreign rights internship at Sterling Lord Literistic. Before pursuing a ...