June 15, 2017

WorthyKids/Ideals: Now Accepting Submissions

Updated December 19th, 2019: They appear to no longer be open to unsolicited submissions. WorthyKids/Ideals publishes fiction and nonfiction board books, novelty books, and picture books for children from birth through the age of eight. In September 2018 they were purchased by Hachette. The subjects they are interested in publishing are primarily inspiration/faith, relationships and…

Borrowed Solace: Now Seeking Submissions

Borrowed Solace is a new online magazine of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, photography, and artwork. Created by a group of writers who are also literary enthusiasts, Borrowed Solace hopes to publish artful work that inspires readers to fall in love with language. They want stories, essays, and poems that invite readers to ask for more….

The Current State of Self Publishing

When self-publishing first exploded around 2010/11, many authors viewed it as an exciting opportunity to sell books without the need for an agent or publisher. There was, however, a degree of snobbery directed at those who chose to self-publish. An assumption that their work was lacking because it had not been accepted by traditional publishers….

June 12, 2017

How to Connect with Readers Through Instagram

 By Aria Gmitter If you’re like most writers, the idea of self-promotion is a loathsome task. You are a creative person and marketing feels like a sales gig. Perhaps writers stick to platforms like Facebook and Twitter because it’s so much easier to post about your life and throw in a bit about business. But…

Seven Publishers That Accept Memoir Submissions (No Agent Required)

Updated November 2018 to remove publishers now closed to direct submissions. Memoir publishers that don’t require an agent to submit are few and far between. However, there are still options out there.  Some are old and respected, others are new and still figuring things out. Not all the publishers on this list are currently open…

June 8, 2017

Writing Original Fiction: Avoiding Clichés, Tropes, and Stereotypes

Writers are constantly pressured to create fresh new stories for an ever demanding and critical market. Almost every theme, plot or storyline has been used and it is next to impossible to find one that’s waiting to be written into a best-selling book. Avoiding clichés, overused tropes, and exhausted stereotypes can be difficult but it…

Flux: Now Seeking Young Adult Book Manuscripts

Flux is an imprint of North Star Editions that publishes exclusively young adult fiction. Their motto is “Where Young Adult is a Point of View, not a Reading Level”. Most of the books they publish focus on the older end of the young adult market. They publish edgier, darker stuff, than other young adult publishers. …

The Masters Review: Now Accepting Submissions

The Masters Review is a print and online publication for new and emerging fiction and narrative nonfiction authors. They are seeking the most gifted new authors in hopes of showcasing talent that will continue to produce excellent work. They also publish reviews of books by brand new authors, interviews with established authors, critical essays, and…

June 5, 2017

22 Calls for Themed Submissions (Short Stories, Poetry, and Essays)

This is a list of themed submission calls for a variety of topics, genres and audiences – fiction, poetry, non-fiction, interviews and reviews. Topics include compassion for the natural world, romance, colonizing other worlds, reconciliation and decolonization, stories about ruins and chefs, post-apocalyptic horror, themed stories for children, work by and about underrepresented communities, and…

June 1, 2017

Harvard Square Editions: Now Accepting Submissions

Updated March 2, 2023: They published one book that I could find last year and their last tweet is over a year old. I would not approach them with a submission at this time. Harvard Square Editions is a publishing company founded by a group of Harvard Alumni.  They accept novel and novella submissions with environmental…