Formerly the ‘Market’s page; this started as a list in progress of primarily writing programmes and places to which you might submit, and has expanded to include other creative leaning opportunities for writers, artists, budding writers and artists, and young people in Antigua and Barbuda and way beyond. I try to do research before posting and do so in good faith; still, I can’t vouch for all. So remember, do your own due diligence; also read the submission and/or application guidelines carefully.
Re the markets, please note these are not all paying markets, or they are not all markets that pay in cash. Some of the programmes have application fees (some of the markets have reading fees too) note: I do have personal objection to markets that declare loudly that they don’t pay but still expect writers to pay to submit, I’m not inclined to post those as a rule but some will slip through …so, do your research, weigh the pros and cons, and then go with your gut.
Also, I feel the need to mention this: please please please understand that your work is your copyright unless you explicitly license it to someone else [“It must be remembered that copyright has two main purposes, namely the protection of the author’s right to obtain commercial benefit from valuable work, and more recently the protection of the author’s general right to control how a work is used… In general, respecting the rights of creators to control their creations is a principle many advocate adhering to.” ]…this means, among other things that any changes to that work must be done in consultation with you. Be careful out there.
Also, as you navigate the world of applying for and submitting to things, you may find the following articles useful:
Processing Feedback
Coping with Rejection
Copyright Information
How to submit your writing to literary magazines
Contracts
To generate new story ideas or just practice (no just about it), check out the workshop space right here on the blog (though not recently updated). There’s also a Resources page here on the site (which is very frequently updated and addresses most of the questions a working writer and author may have); use as needed. The Services page is for anyone scouting for local editors, illustrators, book formatting services, and more. N.B. if any link is broken, use the search feature to the right of the site. I also write about my experiences as a journeying writer on my author blog – so go there and search “writing” for more personal insights – and here for my writing-related services, locally based but available globally.
On Deadline
Contests and Awards
Markets
Paying it Forward
Programmes
Project Funding
Publishers
ON DEADLINE
Future Deadlines will be posted on the Opportunities Too page (use the search feature if you can’t find it) but you can still come here for publishers and all the other resources listed below.
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CONTESTS AND AWARDS
The American Academy of Arts and Letters offers different awards. These are mostly geared toward American artists but dig through, you never know.
BOCAS Prize – the largest prize of its type specific to the Caribbean. Each year there is a short list broken down by genre then a top three from each of those genres – fiction, poetry, non fiction. Bocas also offers the Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize which replaced the Hollick Arvon Prize, the Burt Award for teen/young adult Caribbean literature, on hold after 2019 due to funding, and the Henry Swanzy Prize. Details here.
JCH, author and Wadadli Pen founder and coordinator, collecting 2014 trophy as one of the inaugural top three Burt Award finalists at the Bocas Lit Fest.
The Booker Prize – One of the biggest. Find all you need here.
Boston Review Contests – this has a contest model shaped by social justice and accessibility concerns whereby contestants from the USA, Canada, and Western Europe pay an entry fee and all other global entrants do not. All works will be weighed equally. Details here.
The Bristol Short Story Prize – open to any one any where (who can pay the entry fee and write a kick-ass story), any genre.
Christopher Fielden’s listing of short story contests.
Commonwealth Short Story contest for the best piece of unpublished fiction. The submission period is usually mid-September to mid-November, and the announcement of winners is normally around May/June of the following year. While I have never won this prize, my story, Amelia at Devil’s Bridge, was selected for Pepperpot: Best New Stories from the Caribbean based on its performance in the Commonwealth Short Story contest; a reminder that participating (whatever the opportunity) can open up other opportunities.
Congress of Caribbean Writers offer a grand prize coinciding with their conference for a book published in the preceding year. The winner is “an author who clearly demonstrates an open Caribbeaness” and “a work in which differences are transcended and the logics, languages and imaginative worlds of a common Caribbean identity are explored.” Applications can be sent by authors and their publishers.
Dayton Literary Peace Prize comes with a US$10,000 purse; the winning book should focus on a central message of peace, broadly defined as increasing understanding between and among people.
Derek Walcott Poetry Prize – Arrowsmith Press, in partnership with The Derek Walcott Festival in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, and the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, presents the annual Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry to be awarded to a full-length book of poems by a living poet who is not a US citizen (green card holders welcome) published in the previous calendar year. The book must be in English or in English translation, and may have been published anywhere in the world. The prize includes a $1,000 cash award, along with a reading at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre in Boston. In the case of translations, the prize money may be shared by the poet and the translator.
Desi Writers Lounge – my fairytale that became my children’s picture book With Grace started out as a Desi Writers Lounge short story contest honourable mention. This distinction attracted publisher interest – in case, you’re wondering if there’s ever any value in these things.
Drue Heinz Literature Prize is an annual prize with a submission period that runs from May to the end of June. It’s administered by the University of Pittsburgh Press and comes with a purse of US$15,000 and publication by the UofPittsburgh Press under its standard contract. You don’t have to be a US citizen or resident to participate and there’s no entry fee. The award is open to writers who have published a novel, a book-length collection of fiction, or a minimum of three short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or literary journals of national distribution. On-line publication and self-publication do not count toward this requirement. Eligible submissions include an unpublished manuscript of short stories; two or more novellas (a novella may comprise a maximum of 130 double-spaced typed pages); or a combination of one or more novellas and short stories. Novellas are only accepted as part of a larger collection. Manuscripts may be no fewer than 150 and no more than 300 typed pages. Prior publication of your manuscript as a whole in any format (including electronic) makes it ineligible. Entries are accepted by mail only; you can now submit online.
The International Dylan Thomas Prize – the world’s largest literary prize for young writers. More here.
Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction – The competition is open to writers in English, whether published or unpublished. Previous winners of this award are not eligible to win again. Writers must be residents of North America.
Gordon K. and Sybil Lewis Award – This is awarded by the Caribbean Studies Association. It carries with it a US$1,000 cash prize. In evaluating submissions (books), the judges look at the importance of their theoretical contribution to our understanding of historical and/or contemporary issues within a discipline of the broader field of Caribbean Studies. Attention is given to the thoroughness of the work and its methods including its use of primary data, use of new methodology, and development of new paradigm. For more information:Caribbean Studies Association Secretariat, c/o Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago Phone: +1 (868) 748-2602 (calls will only be received Monday – Friday between the hours of 8:00am – 3:00pm EST) Email: secretariat@caribbeanstudiesassociation.org
Hurston Wright – The Hurston/Wright Legacy Award™ is the first national (US) award presented to published writers of African descent by the national (US) community of Black writers. This award consists of prizes for the highest quality writing in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. In addition to the Legacy Awards, President’s Choice Awards are awarded at the Legacy Award ceremony.
The O. Henry Prize Stories are selected from the submitted magazines. Stories must be originally written in English and published in Canada and the United States during the previous calendar year. There are no restrictions on genre. Novel excerpts and works in translation are not considered. Submissions from authors and agents are not accepted.
PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists – The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists is offered annually to an author of children’s or young adult fiction for a novel-in-progress. Previously called the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship, the award was developed to help writers whose work is of high literary caliber and assist a writer at a crucial moment in their career to complete their novel. The author of the winning manuscript, selected blindly by judges unaware of nominees’ names, will receive an award of $5,000.
The Patricia Grodd Poetry prize for Young Writers open to high school sophomores and juniors (around 16, 17, I think) from any where in the world. It recognizes outstanding young poets and the contest winner receives a full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop. In addition, the winning poem will be published in The Kenyon Review. The runners up will also see their poems published.
Prince Claus Awards include the Prince Claus Seed Awards, the Prince Claus Mentorship Awards, and the Prince Claus Impact Awards – the first two are open call and the Impact Awards invites cultural experts from its global network to nominate candidates. An international, independent & interdisciplinary Jury is commissioned to select the six Impact Award recipients every two years.
Rattle Poetry Prize – The annual Rattle Poetry Prize offers $10,000 for a single poem to be published in the winter issue of the magazine. Ten finalists will also receive $200 each and publication, and be eligible for the $2,000 Readers’ Choice Award, to be selected by subscriber and entrant vote. You also win a print subscription to Rattle even if you don’t win.
The Saroyan Prize is a book award offered by Stanford University Libraries for writers of fiction and non fiction from around the world.
Speculative Literature Foundation offers four grants – see if you qualify for any of them.
The Wadadli Youth Pen Prize – as the name suggests, this one is for youths resident in Antigua and Barbuda, and open to Antiguan and Barbudan youth (35 and younger) anywhere (provided someone resident in Antigua and Barbuda can collect their prizes locally if they win). Launched in 2004, this annual Challenge helps nurture and showcase the next generation of Antiguan and Barbudan writers and visual artists. This platform is home base for Wadadli Pen, so explore and learn more about us.
Past Wadadli Pen finalist Vega collecting her prize in 2014 from Wadadli Pen co-founder and patron D. Gisele Isaac.
UNESCO International Literacy Prizes – the oldest UNESCO prizes in education. Since 1967, UNESCO has rewarded successful and innovative literacy programmes with the aim of recognizing excellence and inspiring projects in the field of literacy throughout the world. There are two UNESCO International Literacy Prizes:
- The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize (2 awards) established in 1989, thanks to the generosity of the Government of the Republic of Korea. It gives special consideration to the development and use of mother-tongue literacy education and training
- The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (3 awards) the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy, established in 2005, thanks to the generosity of the government of the People’s Republic of China. It gives special consideration to literacy for people in rural areas and out-of-school children, particularly girls and women.
Each of the five prizewinners receives a medal, a diploma and US$20.000. Read more.
The Wasafiri New Writing Prize is open to anyone worldwide who has not published a complete book. Creative submissions welcomed in one of three categories: Poetry, Fiction and Life Writing. To enter, simply fill in the entry form and send it with your entry and fee of UK Sterling £6 if entering one category, £10 for two and £15 for three categories. A maximum of 5 poems can be entered and the word limit for Fiction and Life Writing is 3000. Other terms and conditions apply. £300 will be awarded to the winner in each category and their work will be published in Wasafiri.
A periodically updated site promoting new contests, Winning Writers.
Writers’ Digest Your Story Competition & Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition
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MARKETS
3LBE or Three-Lobed Burning Eye – speculative fiction magazine published online twice per year and print anthology every other year. Pays US$100 for stories US$50 for flash fiction, plus one copy of print anthology. Seeking original horror, fantasy, and science fiction.
Adda – Run by the Commonwealth Writers organization in the UK, Adda typically publishes short stories between 2,000 and 7,000 words (it also publishes non-fiction and poetry but we don’t have submission specs for these categories). But you can inquire for yourself by contacting Commonwealth Writers. This market pays for both story and accompanying art work. You can read my Adda-published story, The Other Daughter, here.
Akashic’s Duppy Thursday series and Mondays are Murder series – submissions should be 750 words or less —no payment, and are asking for first digital rights. The rights to the story revert to the author immediately upon publication —Your story should be set in a Caribbean location and (in the case of Duppy Thursday) incorporate some aspect of folklore, whether centrally or tangentially. You can read my Duppy Thursday story Papa Jumbie and my Mondays are Murder story The Cat has Claws on the Akashic website – sometimes submission provides an opportunity to experiment with different genres.
Analog – a Science Fiction and Fact magazine – pays 8-10 cents per word for short fiction (up to approximately 20,000 words), 6 cents per word for serials (40,000-80,000 words), 9 cents per word for fact articles, and $1 per line for poetry – buys First English Language serial rights plus certain non-exclusive rights – will consider material submitted by any writer solely on the basis of merit – no hard-and-fast editorial guidelines – publishes science fiction stories in which some aspect of future science or technology is so integral to the plot that, if that aspect were removed, the story would collapse – the science can be physical, sociological, psychological. The technology can be anything from electronic engineering to biogenetic engineering. But the stories must be strong and realistic, with believable people (who needn’t be human) doing believable things–no matter how fantastic the background might be. – Art must be able to visually interpret the story in such a way that it accurately represents the story, hooks the reader, and doesn’t give away the ending – artists can send four to six samples (copies only) of their best work to be considered for a commission – payment is $1,200.00 for color cover art and $125.00 for black and white interiors. For submission guidelines, go here.
Anansesem is an online children’s literary journal which accepts stories, poems, art, even non fiction targetted at the children’s market. They published a Best of Wadadli Pen issue in 2011. They especially encourage submissions from young people but accept quality submissions from people of all ages. Submit poems to anansesempoetry@gmail.com, fiction to anansesemfiction@gmail.com, art to anansesemart@gmail.com, and non fiction to anansesemnonfiction@gmail.com If between eight and 16, submit fiction and nonfiction to anansesemkids@gmail.com Check the site www.anansesem.com, for submission guidelines and other pertinent data; for info re rights and payment check their FAQs.
ARC Poetry Magazine – publishes contemporary poetry. It has two reading periods – April to July and September to December.
Artemis – an award winning US literary journal – more here.
ArtsEtc – ArtsEtc accepts essays, fiction and poetry about Barbados, its Diaspora and, occasionally, the wider Caribbean community in this context. Details here.
Asimov – Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine is an established market for science fiction stories. Asimov’s pays 8-10 cents per word for short stories up to 7,500 words, and 8 cents for each word over 7,500. They seldom buy stories shorter than 1,000 words or longer than 20,000 words, and don’t serialize novels. They pay $1 a line for poetry, which should not exceed 40 lines. They buy First English Language serial rights plus certain non-exclusive rights explained in their contract. They do not publish reprints, and do not accept “simultaneous submissions” (stories sent at the same time to a publication other than Asimov’s). Asimov’s will consider material submitted by any writer, previously published or not. More here.
Bayou Magazine – open for submissions of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and visual art between September 1st and May 1st of the given year. Details here.
Beneath Ceaseless Skies – Accepts up to 11,000 words – single stories only (no excerpts from longer works) – literary adventure fantasy (i.e. secondary world setting – could have different zoology, ecology, physical laws, history, unique culture etc. than our world; some traditional or classic fantasy feel, but with a literary approach). Preferably character-driven, original stories. No urban fantasy, no fairy tales or myths, no science fiction, no poetry, no multiple submissions, no sex or violence beyond an R rating, no reprints. Buys first world serial rights, first world electronic rights, non-exclusive world audio rights, an option to buy non-exclusive world anthology rights for US$0.06 cents per word. Author returns copyright and can re-publish or re-sell after 180 days. For formatting and other submission information, go here.
Best online literary magazines
Big Fiction – They welcome longer pieces, like really long. They also pay. Check them out.
BIM: Arts for the 21st Century out of Barbados publishes short fiction and poetry, academic essays and critical reviews.
BLACKBERRY: a magazine is an online literary magazine featuring black women writers and artists. Its goal is to expose readers to the diversity of the black woman’s experience and strengthen the black female voice in both the mainstream and independent markets.
Bookbird, journal of International Children’s Literature.
Caribbean Vistas – Caribbean Vistas, a refereed journal, is described as an academic, artistic, and cultural resource for artists, professors, researchers, students, and the global Caribbean community.
The Caribbean Writer is an international, refereed, literary journal with a Caribbean focus, founded in 1986 and published annually by the University of the Virgin Islands. Its mission is to publish quality writing by established writers that reflects the culture of the Caribbean; promotes and foster a strong literary tradition; and serves as an institute for the development of emerging writers. See submission details and information on the available literary prizes at thecaribbeanwriter.org or email them submit@thecaribbeanwriter.org. I have successfully placed a number of short stories, poems, and one play excerpt with them. ETA: Please note, submission is now online only.
Chicken Soup for the Soul – You know the franchise; well, it’s a paying market but no mention of royalties only a one time fee. They welcome inspirational and personal stories and poetry. More here.
Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores – pays for fiction, fact articles, and poetry. There’s also the Kepler Award. Details here.
Crazyhorse – this journal welcomes general submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from September 1st through May 31st, with the exception of the month of January, during which they only accept entries for the Crazyhorse Prizes, and the month of July, during which they only accept entries for Crazyshorts!, our annual short-short fiction contest.
Cricket Media – publishes writing and illustration for children of all ages; children as well can submit fiction, poetry, and other writing of interest to the age group for the different magazines.
Daily Science Fiction – a market accepting speculative fiction stories from 100 to 1,500 words in length. Specifically they’re looking for science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, etc. They will also consider flash series–three or more flash tales built around a common theme. If submitting a flash series, note that it is a series in your cover letter and at the top of the submitted text in the submission box. Each story does need to stand on its own.
Day One – a weekly literary journal dedicated to short fiction from debut and emerging writers (i.e. writers who have never published a full length novel or short story collection), English translations of stories from around the world, and poetry. Each issue showcases one writer and poet and includes an introduction from the editor, an interview with the authors, and occasional bonus content. Day One features cover art commissioned from emerging artists and illustrators, and readers will learn more about the artist and the genesis of the cover each week. Seeking original short fiction up to 20,000 words and poetry. They pay and do not charge a fee to submit. Email the story or poem as a word document, along with a brief description and author bio, to dayone-submissions@amazon.com
Dread Machine – They publish futuristic dark fiction, speculative fiction, cyberpunk, slipstream, and science fiction. More here.
Duende – open year round to visual art submissions; lit art submissions open to July 1st. Submit here.
Fairytale Review accepts fiction, drama, and poetry, in English or in translation to English, along with scholarly, hybrid, and illustrated works (comics, black-line drawings, etc.). It will consider original interview transcripts and dialogues. Submit up to 30 pages for consideration, though in rare cases they will consider longer works; space is limited as it is an annual journal. More here.
Fiddlehead – Canada based but open to good writing in English from all over the world, looking always for freshness and surprise. Our editors are always happy to see new unsolicited works in fiction and poetry. Paying market.
Five on the Fifth publishes 5 short stories on the fifth of each month. They accept flash fiction, general fiction, non-fiction, horror, and science fiction/fantasy. The maximum word count for submissions is 5,000 words. They do not publish novels, poetry, fan fiction, nor erotica – though there can be erotic and/or graphic elements in your fiction, so long as it is for the purpose of telling a great story. Five on the Fifth is now exclusively accepting submissions through its submission manager, Submittable. Please read the full submission guidelines and submit your work by visiting Five on the Fifth’s Submittable page.
Funds for Writers – Submissions related to market news accepted for the newsletter.
The Gingerbread House lit mag is dedicated to publishing quality poetry & fiction with a magical element. They lean toward the literary, but are open to anything well written. Send an email with a brief bio and your submissions in a doc or docx attachment to gingerbreadhouselitmag@gmail.com. For details, go here.
Guernica welcomes submissions from writers and visual artists at all stages of their careers. They accept short and long form non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and visual essays. They pay an honorarium, rate unspecified. Details here.
Hanging Loose – a U.S. publication for teen writers. .
Harper’s – Fiction only; by snail mail only. Details here.
Impossible Archetype – an international online journal of LGBTQ+ poetry. More here.
Interviewing the Caribbean – This is a Caribbean literary journal consisting of conversations and creative pieces by contemporary and veteran writers. Follow on facebook if you want to keep up with the submission calls.
The Island Review – The editors of The Island Review are seeking submissions from islanders everywhere, as well as from those whose work is influenced by islands or which explores ideas of islandness. More here.
Journal of West Indian Literature – The Journal of West Indian Literature invites authors to submit manuscripts that fall within the focus and scope of the journal. More here.
Joyland magazine – a literary journal in multiple time zones – especially inviting submissions of creative non-fiction, fiction, and novel excerpts, no poetry, from Black writers. Pays $100/piece. More here.
Kenyon Review – Acceptable submissions include short fiction up to 7,500 words (one only), poetry (up to six poems formatted as a single document), plays (up to 30 pages), excerpts (up to 30 pages) from longer works, and translations of poetry and short prose. All entries will be read; payment is upon publication; authors retain their copyright and will receive a contract spelling all of this out, on acceptance. Send queries to kenyonreview@kenyon.edu or click and read the KR link (preferable to do that rather than emailing them for info that’s already online).
Ladybug & other Cricket Media publications – Art and lit (fiction, poetry) for young children. Paying market.
Malahat Review – paying Canadian market for poetry, fiction, and creative non fiction. See details.
Margutte is open to all types of artistic expression, from literature, music and theatre to cinema, comics and videogames. They publish original works and critical essays. It was born in Mondovì, where many of the editorial staff live or were brought up, but has a much wider scope. Mondo in Italian means world. There are many worlds in Mondovì, and many worlds in the realm of Margutte.
The Missing Slate – Out of Pakistan, Missing Slate is an arts and literary journal created with intent to uphold free speech irrespective of geography, political, or religious affiliations; to honour talent and incorporate as many styles, opinions, and cultures as possible. The magazine is a “borderless” one with a culturally and intellectually diverse team that believes art is too inclusive to be mapped. They take submissions in three categories: art, poetry, and fiction. Narrative nonfiction is currently closed to public submissions. Though submissions are open throughout the year, each category has its separate submissions guidelines, which they ask submitters to respect. At 2020, The Missing Slate is closed to submissions indefinitely. You can still read previous publications like my story, story of the week when it was published, Something Wicked and poem Summer One on their website.
Moko – Out of the BVI and targetted at emerging and established writers and artists from the Caribbean. My poem Children Melee and story Game Changer have been published with them.
Narrative magazine is dedicated to advancing literary arts in the digital age by supporting the finest writing talent and encouraging readership across generations, in schools, and around the globe. You have to pay to submit but, if (big if; it’s a hard nut to crack) accepted, they also pay well.
The New Yorker – you may know it as the place where Antiguan writer Jamaica Kincaid published her early works; it remains one of the more respected literary publications in America. It’s not easy to get in to but, if you can, it publishes fiction and poetry (submit up to six at a time).
Notre Dame Review – The Notre Dame Review is an independent, non-commercial magazine of contemporary American and international fiction, poetry, criticism and art. Its goal is to present a panoramic view of contemporary art and literature—no one style is advocated over another. They are especially interested in work that takes on big issues by making the invisible seen, that gives voice to the voiceless—work that gives message form through aesthetic experience. They pay a small gratuity.
One Story – One Story has two submission periods, January to May and October to November. They accept literary fiction between 3,000-8,000 words. They pay US$500 and 25 contributor copies for first serial North American rights. All rights revert to the order on publication. More details here.
Palette – Poetry submissions; international; paid; especially encourages submissions from marginalized voices. Details here.
Papirmass – this one is for both literary and visual artists AND it pays a stipend. The most interesting thing about it though might be its novel approach to packaging and distribution of your creative work. It’s a simple one page print. Full submission guidelines here.
ParAbnormal Magazine – They want ghosts, spectres, haunts, various whisperers, shapeshifters and creatures from various folklores. They do not want vampires, ghouls, werewolves, or zombies. More here.
Pedestal – poetry, flash fiction, more.
Poetry Ireland Review – Publishes poetry, reviews and articles from Ireland and around the world; and they pay. Only snail mail submissions accepted though. Details here.
Poui is a journal attached to the University of the West Indies Cave Hill.
Prairie Schooner, per its website, publishes “the best writing available, both from beginning and established writers”. More here.
Pree – Caribbean literary platform out of Jamaica looking for work by people who live in the Caribbean, are from the Caribbean, or are of Caribbean descent and live anywhere in the world; will also consider publishing works on or about the Caribbean by non-Caribbean writers. Currently doesn’t pay but hopes this will change in future. Seeking essays, articles, creative non-fiction, fiction, short stories, poetry, and photo essays; will also accept work written in Caribbean vernaculars, English and representations of both. Read more.
Pseudopod – horror short and flash fics to be recorded for audio broadcast. More here. See also these audio fiction markets.
Rattle Poetry – Rattle’s mission is to promote the practice of poetry. Rattle is published in several forms, in effort to find as many readers as possible, but the primary version has been our print issue, originally twice per year, but now appearing quarterly in March, June, September, and December. Every poem we’ve published has or will appear on Rattle.com as part of our daily blog, which features a poem every day, or, occasionally, relevant prose. Many of the poems include an audio clip of the poet reading their work. Here’s the website.
Rainbow Rumpus -the only online literary magazine for children with LGBT parents; it publishes interviews, comics, and fiction about and for kids and teens who otherwise may never read a story about a family like theirs in school. It’s seeking children’s fiction (for ages 5-12) and YA fiction (for ages 13-18) and pays $300 upon publication, for first North American online rights. The story is accompanied by a photo and bio which can link to a writer’s website or blog, and is archived permanently on the site. Read more.
Rebel Women Lit (RWL) publishes discussions on contemporary literary culture, politics, interviews with writers, reviews of publications (creative and scholarly), listicles, hot takes, as well as short fiction and poetry by emerging and established Caribbean writers. They pay an honorarium. Details here.
Room Magazine – for publication of stories, poems, creative non fiction and art. They receive as many as 1200 submissions per year and publish only 80, so submit your best. Submission details.
The Rumpus – paying market for essays, fiction, poetry. Check for reading periods.
Seawoman Press (run by Sandra Sealey in Barbados) is a good resource for market listings as well.
Shenandoah is a paying market that accepts comics, poetry, and prose. Details here.
Small Axe and specifically the SX Salon (described as a forum for innovative critical and creative explorations of Caribbean reality) is not a paying market, unless you win in the annual literary contest, but, for Caribbean writers, a good credit to have and not an easy one to get. You can submit electronically to submissions@smallaxe.net
StepAway – What I find appealing about this one is this: “Our writers will lead our readership through the streets of his or her chosen city. They will do so in one thousand words or less.” Interesting challenge, yes? Information is sparse, but read what’s available here.
Storyscape – “We get excited about genre-bending stories of all genres, but also all storytelling methods, i.e., written, audio, visual, found, overheard, and anything else you can think of. If you were wondering if you should submit a photograph of the poem you scrawled in sharpie ink on top of a ripped up advertisement in the subway, the answer is probably yes. Or, you could just send us the poem you wrote. Get it?” More.
Strange Horizons – Paying market for speculative fiction. Details here.
Subtropics publishes the best literary fiction, essays, and poetry being written today, both by established and emerging authors. The open reading period is in September. Details here.
The Sun Magazine – Accepts writing (essays, fiction, poetry, interviews) and photography by snail mail only to Editorial Department, The Sun, 107 N. Roberson St., Chapel Hill, NC 27516. Online submissions now accepted. They say “we’re open to just about anything. Surprise us; we often don’t know what we’ll like until we read it.” It’s a paying market – $300 to $2,500 for nonfiction, from $300 to $1,500 for fiction, from $100 to $250 for poetry, and from $1,000 to $2,000 for interviews plus a complimentary one year subscription to The Sun. Read more.
Susumba’s Book Bag – a digital publication out of Jamaica.
Sweet: a Literary Confection – accepting exclusively poetry and creative non-fiction.
Takahe – They accept fiction and poetry; pay is subscription for a year and a copy of the issue in which your work is featured (if you’re a non-New Zealander; NZ’ers receive a cash payment thanks to grants from Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa). More here.
Terraform – Seeking 2,000 words of speculative fiction honing in on tech, science, and future culture topics. They pay. Read more.
The Three Penny Review – They pay ($400 per story, $200 per poem). Got anything? Keep the reading period in mind though – January to June. Submission guidelines.
Three-Lobed Burning Eye – Original speculative fiction: horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Short fiction 1000–7000 words ($100), Flash fiction 500–1000 words ($30). More here.
Torch Literary Arts seeks original creative work by Black women writers. They are interested in work that challenges and disrupts preconceived notions of what Black women’s contemporary writing should be.
Tout Moun: Caribbean Journal of Cultural Studies – an open access, peer-reviewed, academic online journal for the cutting-edge research in Cultural Studies produced in and about the Caribbean. The journal welcomes research submissions on diverse cultural projects in a broad range of media including critical essays in written format, visual essays (including photographs, drawings, videos and paintings), book reviews and works of fiction. Published annually Tout Moun is a project initiated by the Department of Liberal Arts at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago. The online journal responds to the challenges of a new publishing world, making papers and research accessible via the Internet, and in doing so, making the work of emerging Caribbean scholars and those already respected in this field, available to an international market.
Unfolding is a nonprofit online literary magazine. Its mission is to create space for whimsical and unapologetic storytellers in a growing digital environment. It welcomes journals, poems, interviews, short stories, personal essays, articles, and one-act plays; and aims to highlight Black Writers, Artists, and Talents hailing from all walks of life. Non-paying market. More here.
VQR – “VQR strives to publish the best writing we can find. While we have a long history of publishing accomplished and award-winning authors, we also seek and support emerging writers.” Paying market. Read more.
Wasafiri – a UK based academic journal and literary magazine. Welcomes submissions of articles, review essays, interviews, and essays year round; and fiction and poetry during specific periods announced on their website. Also hosts the Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize.
Womanspeak is a Bahamian journal featuring Caribbean female writers.
Came across this one at Antiguanice.com…a call for writers on yachting…how ’bout it?
The Wrong Quarterly – accepts fiction of under 6,000 words, fully edited, and previously unpublished; also non-fiction, life-writing, and essays of under 5,000 words. All submissions should be sent to editors@thewrongquarterly.com Here’s what they’re looking for. At 2020, this publication is also on break.
ZNB Presents – Zombies Need Brains LLC accepts submissions to its online magazine. Details here.
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PAY IT FORWARD
This section is not to be confused with the categories of things, above and below, for which you can put yourself forward. This is about giving someone else an opportunity. I was updating my ‘awards’ page (such as it is) over at my other blog and was reminded that there are things we could all be nominating deserving people for (as maybe someone will do us some day); maybe we just don’t know about them. So, now we do and now that we do, let’s pay it forward.
The ALBA prize in Literature and the ALBA Prize in Arts for the work of a lifetime from the Bolivarian Alliance for our Americas – I don’t have a huge amount on this – but I know that nominations can come from writers and artist associations, universities and other academic institutions, regional and cultural identities, and others identified with the spirit of the prizes. Not sure how current this is (my information dates back to 2011) but you should be able to get more information by emailing premios@albacultural.cult.cu
The Anthony N. Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence is an annual awards programme out of Trinidad and Tobago. What I like about it is the purse is significant enough to empower the recipient to continue to do the kind of work that would have got them the nomination in the first place. The award is not envisioned as a lifetime achievement – a thank you for your service – but as an encouragement to mid-career artists and professionals across the categories of arts and letters, science and technology, and public and civic contributions who still have work to do and who can serve as a model to others while so doing. You can apply yourself but I want to believe there’s some weight behind being recognized and nominated by others as, as they say, self-praise is no praise at all.
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Prize – named for the famed children’s author of the Pippi Longstocking series, the Swedish prize is the largest award, internationally, for children’s and young adult literature. It amounts to about 5 million in SEK and is awarded annually. Potentials must be nominated. More here.
The International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award is presented annually for a novel written in English or translated into English. The Award is an initiative of Dublin City Council the municipal government of Dublin which now retains full ownership of the award. The Award aims to promote excellence in world literature. Nominations are submitted by library systems in major cities throughout the world. Titles are nominated on the basis of ‘high literary merit’ as determined by the nominating library. Participating libraries can nominate up to three novels each year for the Award. Over 400 library systems in 177 countries worldwide are invited to nominate books each year. Dublin City Libraries actively seek out and encourage nominations from countries who have not previously nominated books for the award. Libraries interested in participating should contact the organisers for details. Did you read that last bit? Libraries interested in participating should contact the organizers for details. Caribbean libraries, Antiguan and Barbudan library system, this is something you can do to boost a deserving book that might otherwise be under the radar. Here is the contact information: International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award Office. Dublin City Library & Archive. 138 – 144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Ireland. Email: literaryaward@dublincity.ie. Tel +353 1 6744802. For more on the Impac Dublin award, go here.
The National Awards programmee gives Antiguans and Barbudans the opportunity to nominate a deserving recipient who has excelled and impacted his/her field (including the arts) and the community above and beyond. Email govgenab@gmail.com or check press announcements leading up to the November 1st Independence celebrations.
The Pushcart Prize – I’m putting this here instead of the Awards section because this is really an opportunity for editors of journals to nominate writers they think are deserving. In my opinion, Caribbean editors of journals need to be doing more of this – I don’t see enough of our works in the mix. They welcome up to six nominations (print or online) from little magazines and small book press editors throughout the world. The nominations may be any combination of poetry, short stories, essays, memoirs or stand-alone excerpts from novels. They also welcome translations, reprints and both traditional and experimental writing. Nominations are accepted between October 1 – December 1 (postmarked) for the next year’s Pushcart edition. There is no entry fee and no form to fill out. Find out how to submit nominations here.
The Women of Wadadli Awards – like the National Awards – is nominated by the public for deserving (specifically women in this case) Antiguan and Barbudan women in all areas (including the arts). I am thankful to have been a part of the first group of awardees in 2020. 
I am not sure if it will be an annual thing but I don’t believe the first will be the last; so, stay tuned.
Youth Awards (Antigua and Barbuda) – Just a reminder to keep an eye out year round for deserving young people and make nominations. Here’s an old sample form for reference. This is a project of the Department of Youth Affairs.
Also keep in mind opportunities to serve by volunteering with or contributing to programme like (in, Antigua and Barbuda, Wadadli Pen and The Cushion Club)
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PROGRAMMES
The American Library in Paris Writing Fellowship – nurturing and sustaining cross-cultural intellectual discourse. You don’t have to be American to apply. More here.
Amsterdam Writers’ Residency – for up to three months in the European city working on your writing. Details here.
The Antigua and Barbuda Public Library has an Author of the Month series, part of the Library’s aim to introduce the local community to its authors. Selections are done based on availability during the months of January and November. The authors are invited to display and read from their books. There is a Q & A segment, and attendees are encouraged to purchase copies of the authors’ books. For more information, email publib287@gmail.com or look them up on http://www.facebook.com/NPLAntiguaBarbuda
Barbara Arrindell & Associates – creative writing classes for children and adults –
The Black Project in Antigua and Barbuda is building a database of creatives in Antigua and Barbuda. Artists interested in collaborating with other creatives locally and regionally are invited to fill out a form at this link. I don’t know, this project seems to be dormant but the link remains live, so I’ll leave it for the time being.
Breadloaf – is an annual workshop, at Middlebury College in Vermont in August. I did this in 2008 on an international fellowship and highly recommend it. A number of other programmes are offered. If you want details or to apply, visit the website.
Breadloaf in Sicily – a spin-off of Breadloaf set in Sicily.
Callaloo Creative Writing Workshops – In 1997, the Editor of Callaloo founded the CALLALOO CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP as an outreach program to historically black colleges and universities—for example, to Morehouse College, Morgan State University, North Carolina Central University, Spelman College, Fisk University, Xavier University of New Orleans, and others. And as the national need for creative writing workshops increased, the editor expanded and opened the CALLALOO CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP to a number of new and emerging writers from across the United States. Offering sessions in poetry writing and in fiction writing, the workshop now admits, on a competitive basis, participants from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Caribbean. Additionally workshops have been and continue to be held in the US, UK, and the Caribbean (Barbados). I earned a spot in this fellowship in 2012, at Brown U in Rhode Island; and would highly recommend it.
Camargo Foundation – the Camargo Foundation fosters creativity, research, and experimentation through its international residency program for artists, scholars, and thinkers. Find out more here.
Coalition for Women in Journalism – The first global network of mentors for women journalists with seven chapters in seven countries, offering help to journalists in five languages. They offer a peer support network through our mentorship program, in any region or beat. Women facing crisis situations, can be offered professional and psychological assistance. Mentors are based in the U.S. cover the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. I’m adding them because journalism/media is a branch of writing or vice versa, and too often mentors are lacking in both and mentors for ‘minority’ groups especially so. Find out more here.
Colgate University’s Olive B. O’Connor Fellowship in Creative Writing – The annual fellowship is designed to support writers completing their first books. It provides a generous stipend, office space, and an intellectual community for the recipients, who spend the academic year at Colgate. In return, each fellow teaches a creative-writing workshop each semester and gives a public reading of his or her work. Details.
Dorland Mountain Arts Colony – a writers’ colony located near Temecula Wine Colony about 100 miles south of Los Angeles. Details.
Edith Wharton Home – open for 2 – 3 week residencies for women writers – each resident will receive a work space at the Mount, a US$1000 food and travel stipend, and lodging for the duration of their residency. Residents must provide their own transportation. The principal responsibility of each resident would be to spend time further developing her creative work. In addition, residents are required to produce a short piece of public writing (essay, article, blog post etc.) about the time at the Mount and offer a public reading of their work. Read more
Edward R. Murrow Press Fellowship – The Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow spends nine months full-time in residence in New York. The program enables the fellow to engage in sustained analysis and writing, expand his or her intellectual and professional horizons, and extensively participate in various active program of meetings and events. The fellow will be part of the David Rockefeller Studies Program, alongside the program’s full-time, adjunct, and visiting fellows, whose expertise extends across the broad range of significant foreign policy issues facing the United States and the international community. More.
Festivals of the Caribbean – for opportunities to network and promote one’s work in a literary stimulating environment.
Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown – Fellowships are awarded to the best application manuscripts. Other factors, such as an applicant’s biography or perceived, particular ability to benefit from the program, may be taken into account, but excellence of the manuscript is the primary over-riding criterion. The jury disqualifies applicants it deems to be already emerged. Writers who have published a full-length book of creative work (or have a contract to publish a full-length creative work) are not eligible. Read more.
Fresh Milk Barbados – is a place for visual artists, writers, thinkers and makers – providing residencies and programmes to enable Caribbean artists to develop, and to raise regional awareness of contemporary arts and global opportunities. See more here.
Going to university in the US? You might want to check out some of these grant programmes.
The Harper Collins Author Academy – open to applications from unagented writers from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. It is a free programme that trains and supports writers that has been put together by Affiliate Publisher Rose Sandy, with support from across the company as well as authors and colleagues from the wider industry. The six-week programme will run twice a year, the first course in January, the second in September, with 45 students in each intake. Details here.
Hosking Houses Trust – offers residencies. Details here.
Hurston Wright – This just came to my inbox – the Hurston/Wright Weekend workshops are open to black writers in the genres of fiction, poetry, non fiction and memoir. Application deadline is April 18th 2014. If you’re near there, check it out or check for more info re fees, location etc at their website or by emailing info@hurstonwright.org
International Writer’s Program (IWP) at the University of Iowa – the Public Affairs Section at the US Embassy at Bridgetown encourages citizens of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St.Vincent and the Grenadines to apply for the prestigious 10 week residency. It is for both established and emerging writers. Applicants must have published at least one book or have had their work appear in significant publications over the past two years. For more on this opportunity email BridgetownExchanges@state.gov
Jhohadli Writing Project + Jhohadli Summer Youth Writing Project – adult and youth creative writing, writing for media, written communication, coaching, and more right here in Antigua and Barbuda, but accessible from anywhere in the world. Go here for details.
Jhohadli Writing Project 2022 Workshop Schedule
Businesses and individuals can also support the Jhohadli Summer Youth Writing Project which aims to encourage critical thinking and creative expression in young Antiguans and Barbudans. This aspect of JWP happens if businesses commit to sponsoring at least one participant. Email antiguanwriter@gmail.com
Just Write – an annual writers’ retreat in Antigua and Barbuda by Brenda Lee Browne.
Kenyon Review fellowships – an opportunity to focus on the writing, and nothing but the writing, for a couple of years. Details here.
Lighthouse Writers Workshop – Retreat in Juneau, Alaska. Details.
The Millay Colony for the Arts – one of the oldest multidisciplinary artist residencies in the world.
Nieman Fellowship – for journalists – a Nieman Fellowship is an extraordinary, transformative learning opportunity open to journalists working in all media in every country around the world. Those selected for the program spend two full semesters at Harvard auditing classes with some of the university’s greatest thinkers, participating in Nieman events and collaborating with peers. Read more.
NLS Kingston
Obama Foundation Fellowship – Frequently Asked Questions.
Playwrights Workshop Trinbago Monthly Readers Theatre Series Script Submission – PWT is a collective of playwrights, theatre practitioners and enthusiasts working together to make plays for all stages, screens, streets and radios. On the first Wednesday of every month at 7PM (AST GMT-4), since 2009, the Playwrights Workshop Trinbago (PWT) has been reading scripts in the Monthly Readers Theatre Series (MRTS). Submit your script for review here.
Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts – two artist fellowship opportunities. More here.
Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Program – Scholars, scientists, and artists work on individual projects, or in clusters, to generate new research, publications, art, and more. Applications in all academic disciplines, professions, and creative arts are encouraged. Stipends are funded up to $75,000 for one year with additional funds for project expenses. Some support for relocation expenses is provided where relevant. Fellows receive office or studio space and access to libraries and other resources of Harvard University during the fellowship year, which extends from early September through May. Fellows are expected to be free of their regular commitments so they may devote themselves full time to the work outlined in their proposal. Since this is a residential fellowship, fellows are expected to reside in the Boston area during that period and to have their primary office at the Institute so that they can participate fully in the life of the community. Other details.
Read Caribbean – the official Caribbean literature programme of the Miami Book Fair.
Sewanee Writers Conference – applications open mid-January – fellowships and scholarships are available. Details.
Sharma Taylor Writes – sharma-taylor-writes-information-on-1-on-1-book-coaching-programagg 
Stegner Fellowship – Stanford University. Details here.
The Steinbeck Fellow Program – The emphasis of the program is on helping writers who have had some success, but not published extensively, and whose promising work would be aided by the financial support and sponsorship of the Center and the University’s creative writing program. The program offers the opportunity to interact with other writers, faculty and graduate students, and to share their work in progress by giving a public reading once each semester during the fellowship. The fellowships afford a stipend of $10,000. Residency in the San José area is required during the academic year (approximately 1 September – 20 May). Read more.
Storyknife Writers Retreat – Residencies at Storyknife in Homer, Alaska, are either for two or four weeks, based on preference of the applicant. Resident’s food and lodging is covered during the period of their residency, but travel to and from Homer, Alaska, is the responsibility of the resident. Residents stay in individual cabins & dine at the main house. An on-staff chef is responsible for food preparation. Residencies are offered in two week and four week periods. Four week residencies begin on the 1st of each month and end on the 28th. Two week residencies begin on the 1st of each month and end on the 15th. Residencies are available April through October.
US State Department – Opportunities via the US State Department for writers and journalists internationally. Read more. Caribbean folks, you’ll want to check the US Embassy website in Barbados for more on programmes applicable to Creatives in the region. Additionally, see the US Embassy Bridgetown, see the US Embassy Bridgetown Education and Exchanges link for various opportunities.
Vermont Studio Center – I actually wrote to them for more information on their International Fellowship and they responded. There are three yearly fellowship application deadlines, always 2/15, 6/15, 10/1. A fellowship is a competitive award, won based on “the merit of the work” as determined by a jury’s review of all applicants submitted work. If won, it covers the full cost of a 4-week residency at VSC (US$3950), it does not cover the cost of travel or materials. Applicants can also request partial financial assistance. They offer up to 50 fellowships at each deadline. At VSC, they offer simple housing, all meals in their communal dining room, a private studio space in which to work, and participation in the Visiting Artists/Writers program and the international creative community of 50 visual artists and writers per each monthly session. Focus is on working in the studio. You can write to them at info@vermontstudiocenter.org if you want more information.
Writer’s Pro Workshops – digital workshops offered by ReShonda Tate Billingsley and Victoria Christopher Murray.
Writing Between the Vines – offers writers a space to work, a place to create- surrounded by the beauty and majesty of vineyards in locations around the world. Funded through application fees and in partnership with wineries, Writing Between the Vines provides writers the time to focus on works in progress or cultivate new ideas in residencies of up to one week in length at no charge. Well, there is an application fee, and you will be responsible for your own transportation, meals, and personal expenses. Apply here.
Yaddo – Yaddo offers residencies to professional creative artists from all nations and backgrounds working in one or more of the following media: choreography, film, literature, musical composition, painting, performance art, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video. Artists may apply individually or as members of collaborative teams of two or three persons. They are selected by panels of other professional artists without regard to financial means. Residencies last from two weeks to two months and include room, board, and studio.
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PROJECT FUNDING
It goes without saying that I’m almost always on the lookout for funding for Wadadli Pen (and for that matter always seeking opportunities to advance my own writing); as with so much of what I research (even for myself), I share.
Global Fund for Women – its primary goal is to get resources to organizations led by women, girls, and trans people. It supports organizations led by historically marginalized groups who are working to build strong, connected movements for gender equality and human rights. It provides flexible, core-support grants for operating and program expenses, gives multi-year grants as often as possible, and offers travel and event organizing grants to support knowledge-exchanges and convenings. Global Fund for Women also provides immediate support to organizations who are first responders in times of natural and human-made crises. Details here.
Government of Antigua and Barbuda – (2015) “The Government of Antigua and Barbuda through the Antigua and Barbuda Festival Commission is providing a revolving fund mechanism to assist all Artists in their production process for the furtherance of the economic development of creative sector”. This is to be funded reportedly by the Citizenship by Investment Fund. Full disclosure, there has been some pushback/concerns from artistes: for example in the Daily Observer, “What happens when you take $25,000 this year to do an album and you can’t pay it back because the industry does not allow you to generate the revenue?” – Gavin Christopher, musician-producer & “Here it is that you’re asking Carnival artists to go and get a loan when the truth of the thing is you owe us” – Alister Thomas, mas designer-builder. As we say with everything, read, investigate, consider, and decide if it’s a good fit for you – bearing in mind that it’s not a grant fund or arts subsidy (which I’d venture we still need given the nature of what we do). As Gavin noted it’s not “free money” (if such a thing exists), it is still a loan (albeit not your typical commercial loan) and loans have to be repaid. At 2020, I’m not sure of the status of this loan programme nor how to apply for it but I’ll leave this here for awareness’ sake.
International Fund for Cultural Diversity – The IFCD provides support to projects that aim to foster the emergence of a dynamic cultural sector, primarily through activities facilitating the introduction and/or elaboration of policies and strategies that have a direct effect on the creation, production, distribution of and access to the diversity of cultural expressions as well as the reinforcement of institutional infrastructures supporting viable local and regional cultural industries. Read More .
International Fund for the Promotion of Culture – The call intends to support projects, which are in compliance with the criteria set out in the Operational Guidelines of the International Fund for the Promotion of Culture (IFPC). Read More …and apply, if inclined, before the May 30th 2014 deadline.
MacArthur Fellowship – This actually sounds kind of perfect: $625,000, paid in quarterly installments over five years; w/emphasis on nominees for whom our support would relieve limitations that inhibit them from pursuing their most innovative ideas. Perfect , right? Well, you do have to be nominated and you do need to be resident in or citizen of the US. More.
Poets and Writers Readers and Workshops mini-grants – funding for readings and workshops in some US cities. Event organizers would need to apply and funding goes toward covering writers’ fees. More here.
Speculative Literature Foundation Grants – including travel grants and grants for older writers. More here.
Women Arts – funding programmes specifically for women in the arts.
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PUBLISHERS
I get approached, from time to time, by hopeful writers thinking I can help them get published. Truth is, apart from trying to get my own work published, I don’t work in publishing though I do provide writing, coaching and editing services in a freelance capacity, to publishing houses and writers. And, as you know, through Wadadli Pen I try to help writers grow, and I share what information I can about writing and the publishing process on this and my other site – from the reading rooms (search to find) to the resources page to right here, opportunities and its spin-off opportunities too (where I post pending submission/application deadlines). You can use search on this site to find any of those. Beyond that I’m not in a position to publish anyone but I hope the information I share and services I provide help to open that door to publishing to others. In light of the questions about publishing, I thought I’d begin posting about Caribbean and Caribbean friendly publishing houses, and expanding. My main advice though is do your research – see what types of books they publish, visit their website, and follow their submission guidelines and if they have none posted contact them with a query letter. From recent experience I should add the reminder that they may or may not reply, and it’s unlikely that they’ll respond quickly; be patient and cast your net wide, be prepared for the possible rejection (unless you’re seriously blessed, there’s just no way around it). If you can, get an agent to help you with the process, especially since some do not review unsolicited materials – that’s not unusual especially with the bigger US publishers and likely in other markets as well. If you believe in your writing, don’t give up. See information about different types of publishers here . The listing below is primarily traditional publishers, primarily independent, not self-publishing or DIY options – though some do provide such services for a fee and some are hybrids. Disclaimer: Some of these publishing houses I’ve worked with, some I haven’t, some I’ve had good experiences with, some not as good, some I’ve moved on from, some I still publish with, some I may publish with in future. Point, these are not endorsements – just information (blurbs mostly lifted from their ‘about’ page with a link where possible to their submissions page) – do your RESEARCH and make up your own mind.
Also the publishers listed here are a mix of genres but I found a listing of children and teen/young adult book authors that I thought I’d share. Here it is.
Akashic – is a Brooklyn-based independent company dedicated to publishing urban literary fiction and political nonfiction by authors who are either ignored by the mainstream, or who have no interest in working within the ever-consolidating ranks of the major corporate publishers. Books published by Akashic include Pepperpot: Best New Stories from the Caribbean (in partnership with Peepal Tree under the Peekash imprint and in which my story ‘Amelia at Devil’s Bridge’ appears). More.
Annick – Canada based, it’s “one of the most innovative and cutting-edge publishers of fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults”, according to its about page. It’s one of the specialty imprints listed on the page of publishing partners put together by Hands across the Sea – a US based non profit operating in the Caribbean and former Wadadli Pen partner.
Blue Banyan Books and its sibling imprint Blouse and Skirt Books have a growing catalogue of Caribbean books coming out of its headquarters in Jamaica, including a number of top Burt Award winning titles – in fact, Blouse and Skirt has the distinction of publishing more Burt titles than any other Caribbean publisher. Blue Banyan’s chief is Tanya Batson-Savage; I provided editing services on Blue Banyan’s A Dark Iris by Bermudian author Elizabeth Jones.
Book Smugglers – Starting in 2017, they are looking to publish four speculative fiction novellas a year. They are looking for diversity, subversion, genre crossovers for middle school (to use the American vernacular) up to adult, with a word count between 17, 500 and 40,000. Go here for the rest.
Bumpkin Books – a small publishing company started by Dr Rachel Thwaites-Williams, a Jamaican born Medical Doctor resident in St. Lucia. She was inspired by her daughter Charlotte to write and publish her first illustrated children’s book. The book also had the added bonus of creating a character with whom little Charlotte and other little girls in the Caribbean and across the globe could identify. The book was received so well that Rachel decided to take the next step in self publishing, creating her own publishing company. In 2020, Bumpkin Books’ publications included Zane Goes to Costa Rica by Antiguan and Barbudan writer Ladesa Williams 
. More here.
CaribbeanReads –
CaribbeanReads is the publisher of my book Musical Youth – second placed for the inaugural Burt Award for teen/YA fiction. It is also the publisher of my children’s picture book Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure.
This is a small publishing company dedicated to serving talented Caribbean authors. It was founded by US based St. Kitts-Nevis author Carol Ottley-Mitchell. For a small press, it has a very varied and expanding book list, across several different types of platforms. Its stated aim ” is to make publishing more accessible to potential Caribbean authors and to increase the number of high-quality books about and for the Caribbean.” Read more.
2020 call for submissions from Caribbean Reads – 
Caribbean Reads Publishing has announced that it is actively seeking #ownvoices manuscripts for middle grade readers, roughly 8 to 13 years, with a Caribbean setting. There’s no published cut off date but don’t sleep on it. Go here for submission details.
Carlong – This Jamaica-based publishing house promises “educational and cultural publications”. Here’s their link.
Cavendish Square – offers by its own description “a robust and diverse list of library-bound circulating reference, nonfiction series, and early readers that range in grade level from kindergarten to college”. US-based, it’s listed here as one of the publishing partners of Hands across the Sea, a non profit operating in the Caribbean and former Wadadli Pen patron.
Collins – UK based, Collins has been publishing educational and informative books for almost 200 years. Its CSEC study guides has included contributions from several Antiguan and Barbudan authors including Barbara Arrindell, Brenda Lee Browne, and me; and in 2021 it began rolling out a series of Caribbean books as part of its Big Cat series of children’s books – including Turtle Beach by Arrindell with illustrator Zavian Archibald 
and my book The Jungle Outside 
. Here’s its site link.
DK – Former Wadadli Pen patron Hands Across the Sea praises DK Publishing’s “line of beautifully illustrated non-fiction Eye Wonder (primary school) and Eyewitness (secondary school) series (as) a graphic triumph—never has so much information been presented in such an appealing and accessible way.” That’s primarily why I’m adding them here. I’m not sure if they have a track record with publishing Caribbean material though certainly through Hands what they produce is finding its way to the Caribbean marketplace. I’d say, check out their website and if you think what you have is a good fit, give it a shot. Like most publishers in the bigger markets like the US, they’re clear to point out though that they don’t favour cold submissions: “The preferred and standard method for having manuscripts considered for publication by a major publisher is to submit them through an established literary agent. We cannot recommend an agent for your work; however, we can suggest such guides as Literary Market Place for agent listings and their contact information. There are also online resources for writers interested in learning more about the process of submitting manuscripts to agents and publishers. A good place to start is the Authors Guild.”
Editorial Campana – 
“Campanita Books and Little Bell Caribbean are the children’s books imprints of Editorial Campana, an independent publishing company in New York. We are committed to the creation of quality children’s books that teach, inspire and entertain. Campanita Books produces mostly bilingual titles (English-Spanish) that reflect the world’s ethnic and cultural diversity. Little Bell Caribbean focuses on our desire to publish books by writers and illustrators from the Caribbean region that speak to the children in voices and images that they recognize and can identify with…Our new endeavor, The Caribbean Children’s Book Project, will expand on an initiative started in 2008 by the Office of the Governor of the United States Virgin Islands which places thousands of books written and illustrated by local writers and artists in the hands of children at no charge to them. The success of the program has encouraged us to propose it to other Caribbean nations.” You might be familiar with their popular A Caribbean Journey from A to Y (read and discovered what happened to the Z) by writer and publisher Mario Picayo; they also published my Caribbean fairytale With Grace. Editorial Campana is listed as a publishing partner of the Hands across the Sea project, a non profit that supplies books to Caribbean children and a former Wadadli Pen partner. Read more directly from their website.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG), an imprint of Macmillan, one of the big five publishers is open to direct submissions. This post advises the best way and the type of content to submit.
Hansib – Hansib Publications was founded in London in 1970 and began life publishing The West Indian Digest (1971), a magazine for Britain’s fledgling West Indian communities. In the two decades that followed, Hansib engaged and communicated further with the Caribbean, African and Asian communities. It is listed as a publishing partner of the Hands across the Sea project, a non profit that supplies books to Caribbean children and a former Wadadli Pen partner. Hansib published the second edition of my book, The Boy from Willow Bend. 
More. They also published (and you’ll have noticed that I’m including books in which content by Antiguan and Barbudan writers appear) 
London Rocks by past Wadadli Pen judge Brenda Lee Browne and books by Dorbrene O’Marde 
as well. They welcome biographies, poetry, family history, theses, novels, essays collection, African-Asian-and-Caribbean history. For details email manuscripts@hansibpublications or call 01920 830 283 in the UK.
Harlequin – Call for writers from a brand well known for romance. More information here.
House of Nehesi Publishers – a multimedia publishing and communication consultant and development company. The book publishing division was founded in 1982 in New York, USA. The foundation was established in 1986 in Philipsburg, St. Martin, Caribbean, as a non-profit/non-governmental organization (NGO). They’re also the organizers, with various partners, of the St. Martin Book Fair in St. Martin.
Ian Randle – Ian Randle Publishers Ltd., based in Kingston, Jamaica, was the first commercial publishing company in the English speaking Caribbean to produce scholarly and academic books and today remains the leader in the field with bestselling books in History, Gender Studies, Politics, Sociology as well as books covering a wide range of issues on the contemporary Caribbean. More recently the list has become more diversified and now features leading titles in Art, Music, Cookery, Biography, Poetry and Literature. More.
Jackmandora – Jackmandora is the publisher of a line of children’s books and media. Its stories “explore the richness of the Caribbean: our history and geography, flora and fauna, our food, our music, our sports or heroes. While the stories are set in the Caribbean, each features universal themes that all children of any country or ethnicity can relate to.” More.
Lantana Publishing –
UK-based Lantana mainly publishes picturebooks for 4 to 8 year olds but will consider longer narratives written for older children (9 to 13 year olds) and young adults (14 to 18) if the stories really resonate with the themes and ideas they love. What are those? Well, they love new writing that interweaves mythic, folkloric and spiritual elements into fun, contemporary stories full of colour and excitement. They love quirky retellings of folktales or fairy tales that blend modern values with traditional storytelling. They particularly love stories that pack a punch – with strong role models, positive relationships between communities and the environment, and evocative storylines that can provide a glimpse into the belief systems of other cultures. Authors and illustrators with a unique view on the world but with a story that everybody can enjoy, they want to hear from you. Please read through their submission guidelines carefully before sending your work to
submissions@lantanapublishing.com
Lee and Low Books – a US publisher specializing in multicultural books. See their submission guidelines.
LMH Publishing – LMH Publishing is reportedly the leading general book publisher in the Caribbean region. Located in Kingston, Jamaica. More.
NewSeason Books and Media – NewSeason Books and Media is in the market for “TRANSFORMATIONAL CONTENT” – i.e. content that is boundary breaking and will change lives. To find out how to submit your book, go here.
Nightjar Press – Nightjar Press is an independent UK publisher specialising in limited edition single short-story chapbooks by individual authors. It is brought to you by the people behind early 1990s British Fantasy Award-winning publisher Egerton Press, responsible for Darklands, Darklands 2 and Joel Lane’s short-story collection The Earth Wire. The publisher and editor is Nicholas Royle, the designer John Oakey. More.
Papillote Press – from the collected works of Phyllis Shand Allfrey to contemporary fiction to folk tales like The Snake King of the Kalinago singled out by spotlighted by Ann Morgan during her Year of Reading the World project, this independent Dominica-based press has been doing its thing. Check it out. See also Papillote’s YouTube channel.
Paria – Founded in 1982 in Trinidad and Tobago, Paria was initially concerned with working with authors who were engaged in writing the history Trinidad and Tobago. Over time, other categories of books have been published by the company, such as textbooks, business books, children’s books, and art books, as well as collections of historical prints, herbal and folklore calendars, and historical maps of both Trinidad and Tobago. Read more.
Peepal Tree – UK-based Peepal Tree is a wholly independent company, founded in 1985, and now publishing around 30-40 books a year. Books published by Peepal Tree include Pepperpot: Best New Stories from the Caribbean (in partnership with Akashic under the new Peekash imprint). Submit your manuscript here.
Penguin – I don’t see submission guidelines on their site and would assume that like most international publishers they favour agented submissions. I’m adding them because they publish across different genres and because they, like some others named here are also on the list compiled by non profit and former Wadadli Pen patron Hands across the Sea, as producers of books popular with young Caribbean readers. Maybe that’s your in. Here’s their link.
Pluto Press – Guidelines for submitting a Book Proposal to the Walter Rodney Writing Prize – specific to African and Caribbean non-fiction writers, who are women or non-binary people, for whom this is their first book (self-published authors qualify). This publishing avenue is the result of a partnership between the Walter Rodney Foundation and the Pluto Educational Trust.
Rosen – “Rosen Publishing, Inc. is an independent educational publishing house, established in 1950 to serve the needs of students in grades Pre-K -12 with high interest, curriculum-correlated materials. Rosen publishes more than seven hundred new books each year and has a backlist of more than seven thousand.” This is from their website and they’re listed here as one of the publishing partners mentioned by Hands across the Sea, a former Wadadli Pen patron and a non profit out of the US serving the Caribbean.
Royards, an educational publisher for over 35 years in Trinidad, has opened up its e-platform to self-published authors to use. The platform is very much like Amazon but it’s Caribbean based allowing authors to sell e-books alongside other Caribbean Authors and Small Publishers while keeping full rights. Reach out to them at You can reach out to them at info@digitalcanopi.com
Scholastic – “The publisher has a highly-evolved line of child-friendly reference books, cutting-edge e-books, and a well of supporting material.” – Hands Across the Sea
She Writes Press – This is a US based sort of hybrid between traditional and self publishing.
Soho – consists of the Soho Teen, Soho Crime, and Soho Press imprints (the latter dealing with literary fiction). See their submission guidelines here.
Tamarind – Tamarind Books was founded by Verna Wilkins in 1987 with the mission of redressing the lack of diversity in children’s publishing. Over twenty years later, the world has changed but the problem is still very relevant today. And so, Tamarind still exists to put diversity ‘in the picture’. Tamarind is now integrated into Random House Children’s Publishers UK, which is part of The Random House Group which is a Penguin Random House Company. Tamarind is looking to expand its fiction list and remains true to the Tamarind ethos of publishing compelling stories, stories that give a positive profile to children of all backgrounds, stories that allow all children to see themselves in the stories they read. More.
Tu Books – This one I decided to add after reading this interview, posted to the Reading Room Xll page as it referenced this imprint and what they were looking for. In an introduction entitled ‘Where Fantasy and Real Life Collide’, you’ll find this explanation of what they’re looking for: “Tu Books was created for a specific reason. The present and the future belong to everyone and to limit this reality is a fantasy. Adventure, excitement, and who gets the girl (or boy) are not limited to one race or species. The role of hero is up for grabs, and we mean to take our shot.” Read More.
University of the West Indies Press – Submit a written proposal or book prospectus after taking a look at the kind of material they publish, of course.
FYI, here’s a link I found re agents seeking picture books – agents get your books to publishers and for a percentage of whatever you make in advance and royalties, advise you and negotiate the publishing deal on your behalf.
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As with all content on wadadlipen.wordpress.com, except otherwise noted, this is researched and/or written by Joanne C. Hillhouse (author of The Boy from Willow Bend, DancingNude in the Moonlight, Oh Gad!, Musical Youth, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight 10th Anniversary Edition and Other Writings, With Grace, Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure and its Spanish language edition). All Rights Reserved. If you share this list, give credit; if you appreciate the service, help spread the word about Wadadli Pen and my books. You can also subscribe to this and my author site to keep up with future updates. Thanks and Good Luck.
According to the Daily Observer newspaper, “the story follows the life of a young woman who is teased in school and considered to be unpopular. In a series of intriguing developments, a young man teams up with his friends planning to violate her. Instead he falls in love with her, putting aside all his wealth, pride and ego to gain her trust and love.” The veteran journalist is originally from Dominica. (Source – Daily Observer newspaper)
– I think the universe is trying to tell me something.
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