Mslexia - Where to submit your writing this month

 With details of where to submit this month, here is the latest Mslexia newsletter:

Hello, If we're properly honest with ourselves, all we REALLY want is a shiny new writing acceptance: a phone call or email telling us that something we wrote is going to be published. Imagine yourself this time next year looking at a list of achievements and realising – it happened. Imagine your submission was accepted, you won that competition, you finally saw your name in print.  Imagine it… then plant yourself back in reality and think about the tiniest action you can take to make that happen. What about considering the hand-picked opportunities below before collapsing with a tub of Quality Street? If you’re the kind of writer who wants to set yourself up for as many wins as possible in the New Year then our Writer's Diary & Planner makes the perfect accompaniment to this newsletter. Check it out to see if it could help make 2023 your most creative year yet. In fact, this newsletter (that you’re finding so useful ✨) was a major inspiration for our Diary & Planner. Inside, we’ve listed competitions and submission slots open for each month. There’s also an on-hand submission tracker so you’re more likely than ever to stay focused and achieve your goals! The best of luck with your final push & save us a green triangle! 🎄     BUY YOUR DIARY NOW   AMPHIBIAN LITERARY JOURNAL These guys were inundated with brilliant submissions from Mslexia readers last time around so they wanted to tell you about their fourth issue on the theme of Wildlife & Nature. Amphibian showcases work by the 'culturally amphibious'. Wing 'em your poems, stories and myths of less than 2,000 words, for your chance to appear in the February edition. Deadline: 6 Jan Enter here*     BELLOWS PRESS If you’re looking for an independent press that prioritises marginalised communities, then Bellows Press is one to check out. They are currently looking for unagented, unorthodox writers of historical and speculative fiction, and they’re particularly interested in featuring queer stories that don't centre fear or shame. Send them a one-page synopsis of your work, the first 3,000 words, and a short paragraph about your good self!  Enter here*     ANNE BROWN ESSAY PRIZE  Open to anyone from, or living in Scotland, this prize wants your essays on any subject! Named after a formidable female journalist who forged a pioneering career at the BBC as far back as the 60s, worked in journalism for six decades and helped launched hundreds of other careers, this one is right up our street here at Mslexia. And there’s no entry fee, so send them under 4,000 words and you could win £1,500. Deadline: 31 March Entry fee: Free  Enter here*           ARCHETYPE Archetype is a Toronto-based artistic and literary journal that strives to publish creative work—essays, poetry, fiction, interviews, and art. The journal is committed to being a platform for both emerging and established writers and artists to tell stories that celebrate life, explore human connection, and investigate the idea of being alive. This li’l beauty is only published twice a year so get your essays, fiction, interviews, reviews, or poetry (of up to five poems or 5,000 words) sent in before Jan 7 to get 2023 off to a flying start. Deadline: 7 Jan Submit here     ROI FAINÉANT PRESS These guys aren’t afraid to be a bit different and do things their way – committed to diversity and inclusion, they claim to be ‘your one-stop shop for words that shock & awe’. And they want to hear from you with anything and everything from flash fiction to screenplays, and essays to novellas. No word limits and no limits to how many submissions you make! Take a look at their witty website for all the deets.   Deadline: 31 Dec Entry fee: £5  Submit here     PUBLIC SECTOR POETRY A specific one here! Guest-edited by Hannah Lowe, Public Sector Poetry Journal offers an opportunity for those working in Education, Health and Social Care to explore their sectors and enlighten the public through poetry. They want to hear from you whether you're studying or retired. Deadline: 8 Jan Entry fee: Just buy something from their shop, min £3 (but you get a free calendar!) Submit here     PEREGRINE POCKETBOOKS Peregrine Pocketbooks is a series of small books – think 20,000 words - that take a closer look at some of our favourite films, books, games, and TV shows. They are looking for 250-400 word pitches about your idea, a creator statement and some relevant digital clips. If selected, you’ll get to work one-on-one with their Words Lead on perfecting your manuscript for print, as well as a nifty £150 advance and 50/50 split on royalties from sales. Check out their website for more detailed info and go give them a follow on social! Deadline: 31 Jan Submit here       FULL HOUSE LITERARY These bold experimenters want to read your prose, poetry, or hybrid chapbooks. They are looking for writing that takes risks, experiments with form, and/or tells a story in a way they haven’t heard before. They are looking for a minimum of 20 pages of text and a maximum of 30 pages. So take a chance! Roll the dice and send them something playful, something experimental, something only you could have made to be in with a chance of seeing your work published. Deadline: 31 Dec Submit here     THE CHARLES CAUSLEY INTERNATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION  If you want a serious cash injection from a reputable trust, this is for you. First Prize is £2,000 plus a one-week writing residency at Cyprus Well, Charles Causley’s former home in Launceston. Not only that, but all prize winners will also be invited to take part in the Charles Causley Arts and Cultural Festival in Launceston. You can write on any topic, with 40 lines maximum. Their head judge this year is Seán Hewitt.  Deadline: 1 Jan Entry fee: £7.50 for one poem, £5.50 thereafter Enter here     * these listings were sponsored by friends of Mslexia who particularly want to hear from you.   Copyright © 2022 Mslexia Publications Ltd., All rights reserved.