HELPING WRITERS REALISE THEIR
CREATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL DREAMS

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Develop
Develop

Tools to help develop your writing skills.
- Competitions and Opportunities
- Seeking submissions
Program
Program

Workshops and events.
- Winter Program
  
  Writers SA offers a year-round program of literary workshops, events, and courses, both in person and online.
  
  Writers SA members receive a discount to all ticketed workshops, members log in here to access discount prices. Not a member yet? You can join us here.
  
  For information about our cancellation and refund policy, please read our terms and conditions before you register for a workshop.
  
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- All Events
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- Online Events
- Youth Workshops
  
  Writers SA believes in fostering writers of all ages, and encouraging young writers to express their creativity and build their skills in a supportive, safe, fun and engaging environment.
  
  We hold kids writing workshops and writing clubs for young people regularly throughout the year and in the school holidays.
  
  If you are from a school or organisation we can also develop young people’s writing workshops, one-off talks and events, and other programs with and for you, please contact us at [email protected] or call on 08 8223 7662 to find out more.
  
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- Regional Program
  
  Looking for a writing workshop, community event, performance or literary showcase in regional South Australia?
  
  Our No Limits: Young Regional Writers program offers a diverse range of online and in-person writing workshops and events in three regional SA locations: Riverland, Eyre Peninsula and Limestone Coast.
  
  This project is supported by Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government initiative, and Arts South Australia.
  
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- Events Calendar
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Resources

Resources

Professional resources for writers.
- Manuscript assessment
- Mentorship Program
  SA Writers Centre Mentorship Program
  The mentorship program is designed to connect our members with a suitable mentor, at any stage of their writing careers. From writing craft, editing, pre publication, to marketing and publicity mentorships – and encompassing a wide range of genres – SA Writers Centre will assist you to identify the most appropriate mentor for your needs.
  Selection of Mentor
  There are a number of mentors listed on our website. Please familiarise yourself with them and prepare a shortlist of preferred mentors. Karen Wyld Ruth Starke Rebekah Clarkson Cassandra Dean Anne Bartlett Carla Caruso Bernard Whimpress Anna Solding Scott Zarcinas Ben Stubbs Cameron Raynes Lauren Foley Jane Turner Goldsmith Tony Shillitoe Ray Tyndale
  Mentorship Application Form
  You will also need to identify at least one (maximum of three) goals for your mentorship and agree to the full terms and conditions.
  Process
  SA Writers Centre will connect you with a mentor with four weeks of application. Mentorship fees must be paid in advance in full to the Centre.
  What to expect
  Mentorship hours are billed for actual time spent, in 15 minute (minimum) increments. This includes all contact with the mentee including phone/Skype/IM conversations, emails, reading and feedback time and face to face meetings. Note this means that if you send four emails to your mentor, that will equate to one hour of mentorship time. The mentor and mentee will develop a shared timetable and plan, including identified goals, and will keep a weekly record that tracks progress towards goals and time spent by the mentor. Any questions or difficulties will be resolved by the SA Writers Centre.
  Rates
  Mentorships are offered in five hour blocks. 5 hours $550 10 hours $880 20 hours $1650 You can add additional blocks upon completion of initial blocks if you and your mentor agree that this would be beneficial for your work. [gravityform id="15" title="true" description="true"]
- Consultations
- Pre-submission Assessment
  Are you ready to send your book out to agents or publishers? Once your manuscript is ready for submission, you need to spend time perfecting your pitch—and it’s important to get it right. While all publishers and agents have their own submission guidelines, we can give you a general assessment of your synopsis, cover letter, biography and first chapter (or chapter outline if your manuscript is nonfiction) to ensure your pitch is in the best possible shape.
  - A written report with personal feedback
  - Advice and next steps from a publishing expert
  - For fiction, nonfiction, short stories.
  For prices and more information, please contact
  [email protected]
- First Feedback
  Are you just starting out as a writer and looking for some guidance? Our online First Feedback service provides an opportunity for new writers to get a first reader for their work. Submit up to 1500 words of writing or up to four pages of poetry (Times New Roman, 12pt, double-spaced) and receive a page of general feedback on your story and your writing, with some questions designed to develop and challenge your writing skills. You will receive your feedback within four weeks of submitting. This service is available for members only. For more information, please contact [email protected] [gravityform id="13" title="true" description="true"]
- Professional development
- Useful links
- Southern Write Archive
  Southern Write is the SA Writers Centre newsletter/magazine. It was discontinued in 2014, but there is a wealth of information on writing craft in these pages. 2014 March edition June edition 2013 March edition June edition September edition December edition 2012 February edition March edition June edition September edition December edition 2010 February edition March edition April edition May edition June edition July edition August edition September edition October edition November edition December edition 2009 February edition March edition April edition May edition June edition July edition August edition September edition October edition November edition December edition 2008 February edition March edition April edition May edition June edition July edition August edition September edition October edition December edition 2007 February edition March edition April edition May edition June edition July edition August edition September edition October edition November edition December edition 2006 February edition March edition April edition May edition June edition July edition August edition September edition October edition November edition December edition 2005 February edition March edition April edition May edition June edition August edition September edition October edition November edition December edition
Members

Members

Membership information and resources.
Interact

Interact

Keep up to date with those around you.
- Blog
- SA First Nations Writers Group
  The South Australian First Nations Writers Group was established to foster and develop the continuing diversity and growth of local First Nations writing in South Australia. It is coordinated by Edoardo Crismani, a descendant of the Wiradjuri people, author of poetry and short stories and working on his first novel manuscript. The group meets once a month, and currently these gatherings take place over Zoom due to Covid-19 restrictions. Meeting dates for 2020:
  - Wednesday 21 October
  - Wednesday 18 November
  - Wednesday 16 December
  The SA First Nations Writers Group is supported by Writers SA, with assistance from the Australia Council for the Arts.
- A Year in Review
  Writers SA in partnership with The Adelaide Review have launched ‘A Year in Review’, a new national program of literary criticism, supported by The Australia Council for the Arts. As a recipient of The Australia Council of the Arts COVID-19 Resilience Fund, Writers SA will deliver a year-long literary criticism program designed to provide important coverage to Australian authors affected by the pandemic, and a platform for emerging local critics. The first review will be published shortly. Keep your eyes on The Adelaide Review and this page for the latest. For more information on the project, click here.
- Writers & Readers in Residence
  In 2018, Writers SA launched its Writers and Readers in Residence Project, in which South Australian and international writers undertake an artistic residency in regional communities to activate reading as well as writing in the town. The Writers and Readers in Residence Project will take place from 2018 to 2020, and has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body. In the first year of the project, residencies were awarded to Bernice Chauly (Malaysia), Jane Howard, Karen Wyld and Manal Younus.
  2018 Writers and Readers in Residence
  
  Bernice Chauly
  Bernice Chauly is a novelist, poet and educator. She is the award-winning author of six books of poetry and prose which include the acclaimed memoir Growing up With Ghosts, Onkalo, and the novel Once We Were There, which won the Penang Monthly Book Prize 2017. Since 2011, she has directed the George Town Literary Festival, shortlisted at the London Book Fair’s International Excellence Awards 2017. Her contribution to the Griffith Review: Commonwealth Now is “The Batang Kali massacre, Truth still denied”. While on her Writers SA residency, Bernice worked with South Australian poet Ali Cobby Eckermann at her property in Koolunga. She also appeared at Adelaide Writers Week and New Zealand Festival.
  Jane Howard
  Jane Howard is a journalist, critic, artist and researcher who works throughout Australia. She is a contributing editor at Kill Your Darlings Journal, where she focuses on podcast criticism, and a regular contributor to Guardian Australia. Jane has worked for the Guardian across Australia and in Asia; had writing commissioned in England, Scotland, Canada, and the Czech Republic. She was director of the 2016 Digital Writers’ Festival and coordinator of HIVE at the 2017 Adelaide Film Festival. Jane is currently manager of communications and development at ActNow, and a research assistant at Deakin University. Jane undertook her residency in Renmark in partnership with the Renmark Paringa Library. Jane met with local readers at the library and with students at St. Joseph’s School Renmark and Glossop High School, and ran a workshop at Riverland Youth Theatre.
  Karen Wyld
  
  As a freelancer, Karen writes trade book reviews for Books + Publishing and has op-eds published in NITV, Meanjin, Al Jazeera, Guardian Australia and Indigenous X. She has a piece in the Spring issue of Meanjin, which is a fictional telling of four girls in Western Australia, who were part of the Stolen Generations. Her debut novel, When Rosa Came Home, was shortlisted for a SA Readers & Writers People’s Choice Award in 2015. Her draft manuscript, Where the Fruit Falls, was shortlisted for the Richell Prize in 2017. Karen was a participant of Hardcopy in 2018, after being awarded the inaugural ACT Writers & First Nations Australia Writers Network Indigenous Writers Scholarship.
  
  Karen spent a month in Ceduna for her residency, where she edited her novel, Where the Fruit Falls, which she worked on during the Hardcopy professional development program for writers. She also commenced her next project, Bestiarium Terra Nullius: peculiar beings of uninhabited southern lands, which is a series of three novellas. Following the journeys of maritime explorers, such as Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders, some of this work is based in the Great Australian Bight.
  
  While in Ceduna Karen was hosted by the Ceduna School Community Library, and presented writing workshops with readers from the wider community, the Ceduna Area School, and met with community at Arts Ceduna and Far West Languages Centre.
  
  Manal Younus
  Manal Younus is an Australian based freelance storyteller from Eritrea who believes that language and stories are the very fabric of our existence. The young artist also facilitates writing, performance, public speaking, youth empowerment and intercultural awareness workshops in schools, community groups. Younus has featured on ABC’s QandA, presented at the Adelaide TEDx Conference in 2016, the National Multicultural Women’s Conference of 2016, the Adelaide Festival of Ideas and Open State Festival, the Halogen Foundation’s Young Leaders Convention, The Council for International Schools Conference 2017 and James Cook University’s Young Language Ambassadors Conference of 2018. Manal’s residency took place in Port Augusta in partnership with the Port Augusta Public Library. She also spent time with local writers, readers and artists, in particular with the local community arts groups Desert Voices Choir and Dusty Feet Mob. Manal focused on writing a new collection of poetry, which explores youth, self, femininity, faith and migration. Following her residency, Manal will keep in touch with the community through digital updates to show the progression of her writing work. Subscribe to Writers SA for news about the 2019-20 iterations of the Writers and Readers in Residence Project.
- Context Writers Festival
  
  Context Writers Festival is a free, three-day festival for writers to connect and share new conversations about story and truth.
  
  Presented in partnership by Writers SA and City of Adelaide, the 2021 Context Festival features a diverse range of local and national authors to inspire new conversations, held on Kaurna Yarta (Adelaide), from 8–10 October. The program features Professor Aileen Moreton-Robinson, Natalie Harkin, Soul Lounge poets Stevie Zhao, Manal Younus and Prosper, journalists Anisha Pillarisetty and Royce Kurmelovs, musician Corey Theatre, zine-maker Ruby Allegra, novelist Karen Wyld, and many more.
  
  Context Writers Festival
  October 8-10
  Adelaide City Library
  Auslan interpretation will be available on all sessions. Please see library accessibility information here.
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  An initiative of the City of Adelaide delivered in partnership by Writers SA
- See Me Through My Hands
  In 2020 and 2021, Writers SA presented ‘Deaf Storytellers Live’ and ‘See Me Through My Hands’ at Adelaide Writers Week – performances featuring emerging writers from the Deaf community telling stories in Auslan. Thank you to the writers – Stuart Anderson, Joanna Agius OAM, Debra Swann, Paul Bartlett, Samantha Wilson, Sophia Borick and Kate Frost, mentors Manal Younus, Hannah Kent, Jared Thomas and Sean Williams, facilitator Indigo Eli and our team of interpreters. Supported by Aesop Foundation and City of Adelaide.
- National Writers’ Centre Network
  The National Writers’ Centre Network is Australia’s largest network of writers. The network supports and connects writers in all the States and Territories of Australia. Together, we represent more than 10,000 members and a much broader constituency of early career, emerging and established authors – across all genres, all styles and all parts of Australia.
  ACT Writers
  Doonkuna Wing, Gorman House Arts Centre, Ainslie Avenue, Braddon ACT
  NT Writers’ Centre
  Froghollow Centre for the Arts, 55 McMinn Street, Darwin NT
  Queensland Writers Centre
  Level 2, State Library of Queensland, Cultural Centre, Stanley Place, South Bank QLD
  TasWriters
  77 Salamanca Place, Hobart TAS
  Writing NSW
  Callan Park, Balmain Road, Rozelle, NSW
  Writers SA
  Institute Building, Kintore Avenue, Adelaide SA
  Writers Victoria
  Level 3, The Wheeler Centre, 176 Little Lonsdale Street, VIC
  Writing WA
  Alexander Library Building, 25 Francis Street, Perth Cultural Centre, WA
- Liminal x Writers SA
  
  Writing Commissions & Editorial Mentorship 2022
  
  Submission period: 1 September–1 October, 2021
  
  We are thrilled to announce that Writers SA is collaborating with Liminal magazine!
  
  We are welcoming fiction and non-fiction pitches from both emerging and established Asian-Australian writers who live in South Australia. Selected works responding to the theme of Haunt will be published online, in a collection of Asian-Australian excellence that sees Liminal’s first South Australian series, to be published in 2022.
  
  Alongside these commissions, Liminal will facilitate a mentorship for two emerging editors, who will work with editors Cher Tan and Elizabeth Flux for hands-on experience editing our South Australian series.
  
  If your pitch is successful, the editorial mentorship and writing commissions will be remunerated.
  For more information, please see below.
  
  Liminal x Writers SA Writing Commissions 2022
  
  Call For Fiction & Non-Fiction Pitches
  
  Led by Cher Tan & Elizabeth Flux, alongside two emerging editors.
  
  What spectres linger? What superstitions appear in the day to day? Whether it be ghosts of people or ideas, experiences that cause ripples through lives and generations, places you return to again and again, we want to hear what ‘haunt’ means to you.
  
  The Liminal writing commissions call for fiction and non-fiction writers to send through a pitch of their best ideas. We are looking for work that touches on the theme of Haunt, in the broadest ways possible; you are welcome to take the theme and split it apart, interrogate it, or turn it inside out. We welcome work from both emerging and established Asian-Australian writers.
  
  Writers will be paid $600 each, for their piece in the Liminal x Writers SA series.
  
  Submit here
  
  Liminal x Writers SA Editorial Mentorship
  
  Call For Emerging Editors
  
  Mentored by Cher Tan & Elizabeth Flux
  
  The Liminal & Writers SA Editorial Mentorship invites emerging Asian-Australian editors based in South Australia to apply for an editorial mentorship. The mentorship will be conducted online, and involve working closely with Cher Tan (non-fiction) and Elizabeth Flux (fiction) to edit the Liminal x Writers SA series. Each selected mentee will learn how to edit and shape pieces for digital publication, as well as receive feedback and guidance throughout the entire editorial process.
  
  Each emerging editor will be paid a stipend of $1600, which will support the upskilling and development of an emerging Asian-Australian editor based in South Australia.
  
  Submit here
  
  THIS PROJECT IS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LIMINAL MAGAZINE, AND IS SUPPORTED BY ARTS SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
- Lit Market Lab
  Writers SA is excited to announce a state industry first, the Lit Market Lab. This October in Adelaide, we will connect 20 aspiring and emerging South Australian writers with representatives from the Australian publishing industry over an intensive weekend to forge professional relationships, grow networks and—most importantly—pitch their books. Joining us will be: Rachel Bin Salleh, Magabala Books Robert Watkins, Ultimo Press Kelly Fagen, Allen & Unwin Alex Adsett, Alex Adsett Literary Agency Melanie Ostell, Melanie Ostell Literary Agency Grace Heifetz, Leftbank Literary …and more to be announced. Writers SA is now accepting applications from unpublished writers with a completed manuscript in any form or genre, and those with only a single publication and no current representation. We especially encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers, writers with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse writers, and those living in outer suburban, regional and remote areas. See below for more information about what each professional is looking for. Apply here Applications close 11:59pm on Monday 13 September. The Lit Market Lab is supported by Arts South Australia. Publishers Rachel Bin Salleh, Magabala Books (WA) Only accepting pitches from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creators, and if there are any non-Indigenous peoples involved, they would need to either be co-author or part of the storytelling process. Magabala Books publishes in all genres. (co-authors can apply together in one application)
  Robert Watkins, Ultimo Press (NSW) Currently interested in contemporary literary fiction and contemporary reading group fiction. ‘Also keen to read psychological thrillers, but not looking for crime that sits outside what might be considered a psychological thriller (procedurals, mystery, traditional outback crime etc). I will read historical literary fiction if it has themes that feel contemporary! Ps I also like short fiction – but only if the collection has a unifying theme across the collection.’
  Kelly Fagen, Allen and Unwin (NSW) A&U publishes a wide range of Australian fiction and non-fiction and Kelly is looking for books from largely new authors who have something to say that is currently missing from our national and international conversations.
  Agents Alex Adsett, Alex Adsett Literary Agency (QLD) Seeking: Crime or mystery, romance, science fiction or fantasy (except urban fantasy), commercial fiction, literary fiction (with a strong narrative), narrative nonfiction, young adult, or middle grade fiction. Particularly looking for BIPOC authors or those from marginalised backgrounds.
  Not seeking: Comedic SciFi Fantasy or crime, or any kind of satire or parody; no short stories, no poetry, no works that have already been published or self-published. No straight memoir, unless there is a really great hook. No urban fantasy, unless there is a genuinely fresh perspective.
  Melanie Ostell, Melanie Ostell Literary Agency (VIC) I’m keen to unearth distinctive voices and wonderful stories in commercial fiction, crime, literary, historical fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir and only interested in select YA and middle grade. No microfiction, expansive fantasy series, poetry or plays.
  Grace Heifetz, Leftbank Literary (NSW) Open to most genres but not looking for kids & YA, genre or lifestyle/illustrated at this time.
  Applicants must:
  - Have a completed and polished manuscript not currently under consideration or contract
  - Be previously unpublished, be unpublished in the last ten years, or, have one full length novel or collection published but not be under contract or represented for a second novel or collection*
  - Be a permanent resident living in South Australia
  Applications must include:
  - Biography (300 words)
  - Synopsis and/or summary
  - The impact this opportunity will have on your writing career
  - The genre you are writing in and word count of your manuscript
  - Your dream publisher if there were no barriers and why
  - Completed manuscript as an attachment***
  - If the manuscript has been previously submitted to anyone on the list of attending professionals, and if so, please advise where and the year.
  This program aims to provide opportunity to writers who are not always reflected in the literary establishment. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writers, culturally and linguistically diverse writers, writers with disability, working class writers, writers living in the outer suburbs, and those in regional or remote areas. Terms and Conditions: * Previously published includes self-published or traditionally published books, including full-length collections of poetry or short stories. **A travel and accommodation subsidy can be provided for regional or remote applicants. Please note where you will be travelling from in your application. ***Manuscript attachment will not be supplied to, or viewed by, anyone outside of Writers SA. Taking part in the Literary Market Lab weekend does not guarantee publication or that agency representation will be offered, however the opportunity to make industry connections will be invaluable. In addition to inclusion in this program, each participant will be offered a one year Writers SA membership (or membership renewal). Attendance over the three days, including some meals, is free to the 20 successful applicants. Covid-19 contingency Writers SA is committed to the safety of our community. If a Covid-19 outbreak or lockdown should occur, the event will be postponed or presented in a digital format. If a participant is required to self-isolate or their movement is restricted at the time of the event, Writers SA will endeavour to accommodate attendance through digital or other means. If Covid-19 restricts the participation of our interstate guests, their sessions will be postponed or presented digitally.
- Council Partnerships and Events
- No Limits: Young Regional Writers
  [caption id="attachment_56609" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Eyre Peninsula by Jack Baldwin, The Lead South Australia, licensed under CC BY 2.0[/caption] Writers SA is expanding our operations into the regions! Our project No Limits: Young Regional Writers supports literary activities in the regions, and creates industry pathways for young regional writers, from skills to publication. The project supports coordinators in three regional SA locations (Renmark, Eyre Peninsula and Mount Gambier), employs diverse authors to present skills-based writing workshops, commissions new literary work by young regional writers, connects young writers with publishers and industry representatives, and presents performance events and literary showcases in regional Country Arts SA venues for communities of readers and writers. With events delivered in-person and online, young regional writers are connected with professional peers and audiences from around Australia. This project is supported by Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government initiative, and Arts South Australia. As of May 2021, Alysha Herrmann has stepped into the role of Statewide Regional Manager and Riverland Coordinator. She is currently recruiting coordinators in Eyre Peninsula and Mt Gambier regions. Contact [email protected] for more information.
- Teen Writers Club
  
  Writers SA hosts a Teen Writers Club each term in-person. High school aged teens meet on Saturday mornings at City Library just off Rundle Mall for 8 weeks starting at the end of week 1.
  
  Dan Thorsland is our 2021 group facilitator! Dan is an editor, writer, video and film producer, who contributed to Superwoman, Wonder Woman and Star Wars comic series when he worked for DC and Dark Horse. Dan has moved on from his position at video game producer Mighty Kingdom and now works for Flinders University.
  
  Facilitators change term-to-term and provide structure and advice for the group with help on all forms and mediums related to creative writing. Sessions are casual and there are no hard outcomes, just a fun and inclusive atmosphere to build relationships with other writers and to learn to write or learn to write better.
  
  The cost of participation for each term is $200 and while registrations are open, you can find the event link under the ‘Program’ tab. Places are limited to keep the group manageable and if Covid creates restrictions, we move to a Zoom or Groups online location.
  
  If you’d like to find out more information or to be added to a mailing list when registrations are coming up, please email [email protected]
  
  Writers SA does not currently have a program for primary school aged children but please ask your local council library if they have any workshops coming up.
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- Volunteering
  Volunteering with the SA Writers Centre offers a chance for you to expand your skills, ready you for the workforce and provide you with an operational understanding of a professional arts organisation. Whilst we currently don’t have any vacancies for volunteers, we do encourage you to register your details with us here and we will notify you of any suitable opportunities. SA Writers Centre has a wide reaching professional development program that offers free and ticketed events for local writers – from our Quick and Dirty reading nights, Member Meetup events – through to ticketed events such as literary dinners, fundraising events and regular workshops. The majority of our volunteer opportunities require event preparation, venue set up and pack up, front of house and bar shifts for our regular onsite and offsite events and often reside out of normal office hours, such as evenings and weekends. We really value our volunteers and are committed to ensuring the experience is positive and useful and we strive to provide pathways for them. Many of our current staff began with us through our volunteer program. Occasionally, we also have volunteering vacancies in the areas of administration and workshop delivery. We’re looking for people who want to begin or boost their career in the arts, who want to support opportunities for local writers, or who just want to get involved and have some fun. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please ensure you fill out this form and you will be contact should we require your assistance or further details.
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Home > Develop > Seeking submissions

Seeking submissions

Listed below are Australian journals and publishers, as well as international publications who are open for submissions. Guidelines do change regularly, so check their websites for the latest information.

If you are seeking publication for a manuscript, you can also consider securing a literary agent; please see the Australian Literary Agents Association for more information. Please note that inclusion on this page is not an endorsement, you should always carefully check terms and conditions for information on rights and eligibility. Writers should never have to pay for publication through a legitimate publisher, for more information on vanity publishing see here.

Subscribe to our weekly e-news for the latest opportunities straight to your inbox, and view 2022 competitions, awards and opportunities here. Keep an eye on our program of workshops to get you ready to submit your writing.

If you’d like a pre-submission assessment of your documents before you start querying editors or agents, contact [email protected] for pricing.

Do you have a publication opportunity to share? Submit it for review here.

Photo courtesy Penguin Australia

AUSTRALIAN JOURNALS + PUBLICATIONS

Archer Magazine
An award-winning print publication about sexuality, gender and identity. It is published twice-yearly in Melbourne, Australia, with a focus on lesser-heard voices and the uniqueness of our experiences.

Aniko Magazine
Welcomes flash fiction, short stories, creative non-fiction, and poetry. Contributors are paid $125.

Arena Online
Provides weekly online commentary on emerging social and political issues. It accepts unsolicited submissions of 800-1200 words.

Aurealis
Science fiction, fantasy and horror short stories that are of a “speculative” nature are considered.

Australian Book Review
ABR is one of Australia’s major cultural magazines, presenting high-quality journalism and new writing.

Baby Teeth Journal
A literature and multi-media arts journal, supporting emerging artists.

Backslash Lit
They invite pieces that use digital and electronic mediums as a vessel for creativity, including but not limited to source code poetry, hypertext poetry, interactive fiction, ASCII art, and generative art.

The Big Issue
An independent magazine that publishes informative and entertaining articles on a variety of subjects including arts and entertainment, street culture, lifestyle and personal profiles, as well as fiction.

Bramble
Bramble is a new journal based in the Illawarra that is edited – and solely publishes creative works – by disabled writers and artists. Submissions are currently open for their first print edition.

The Circular
The best new Australian non-fiction; essays, interviews, reviews, features and more. Each week they dispatch a newsletter that rounds up the most interesting, useful and surprising non-fiction published by and about Australian writers.

Curioser Magazine
Accepts poetry and short fiction in the magical realism genre.

Cordite
Cordite Poetry Review accepts poetry on an ongoing basis, as well as peer-reviewed research on Australian and international poetry and poetics.

DEBRIS
DEBRIS is now calling for pitches for Issue 02— Hospitality, guest edited by Alana Lentin, Anne-Marie Te Whiu and Anna Yeon. Contributors are invited to interrogate the theme of hospitality from all its angles: the relationship between hospitality and inhospitableness, between being a host and being welcomed or shunned—and others we are yet to discover. Closing 15 January 2022.

DJed Press
An online publication that exclusively works with and publishes Bla(c)k creatives and other creatives of colour (POC).

Frankie
A bi-monthly magazine that celebrates and inspires a community of creatively inclined, curious and kind-hearted people, featuring interviews, rants, and research pieces.

Glimmer Press: FUTURES
Glimmer Press is now accepting submissions for a new short story anthology on the theme FUTURES. At a time when our future seems at peril from various existential calamities, what does the future look like to you? They encourage you to think broadly and creatively about the theme and are especially interested in stories that provide a glimmer of hope in amongst the darkness. All genres are welcome. $500 prize pool. Closes 30 September.

Griffith Review
Accepts essays, reportage, creative non-fiction, fiction, memoir, visual essays and poetry.

Going Down Swinging
Publishes fiction, creative non-fiction, spoken word, commentary, essays, comics, poetry and experimental work online.

HEAT
HEAT is a distinguished Australian literary journal renowned for its dedication to literary quality, and its commitment to publishing innovative and imaginative poetry, fiction, essays, criticism and the hybrid forms.

Hyades magazine
A new online magazine that seeks to publish the best poetry and short fiction.

InReview poetry
Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.

Island Magazine
Island welcomes submissions from Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific and Australians living abroad, of fiction, nonfiction and poetry.

Kill Your Darlings
KYD is an eclectic online magazine of commentary, essays, interviews, fiction and reviews.

Liminal
Liminal magazine is an online space for the exploration, interrogation and celebration of the Asian-Australian experience.

Mascara Review
Submissions by e-mail, considering previously unpublished work. Submissions are currently open for Mascara Literary Review’s very first print anthology, to be published with Ultimo Press. They seek writing that addresses and explores the theme of RESILIENCE through fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction.

Meanjin
One of Australia’s oldest homes for new writing. Publishes Australian fiction, essays, long-form journalism, poetry, memoir, interviews, and more.

Overland
Overland is a quarterly print journal (publishing essays, stories and poetry) and an online magazine, publishing non-fiction articles each week day.

Pocketry
Pocketry is an independent publisher based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in late 2019 by poet and self-confessed book geek Indrani Perera with the aim of providing a home for unheard voices. The first issue of the pocket-sized print journal, the Pocketry Almanack, was published in February 2020.

Puentes Review
Puentes Review is published twice a year and welcomes submissions from Latinx artists and writers in Australia. They are looking for previously unpublished fiction, non-fiction, poetry, translations and artwork. All successful contributions are paid.

Pure Slush
Established in 2010, Pure Slush currently publishes print anthologies of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

The Penny Mint
A community for passionate young writers, amplifying new voices and providing a platform to publish, perform and perfect their words.

Right Now Magazine
Accepts pitches on human rights issues in Australia. Unpaid.

The Saltbush Review
For the inaugural issue of Adelaide’s new literary journal, to be launched in August, they are seeking submissions of short fiction, creative nonfiction, and memoir of up to 2,500 words on the theme of ‘Water.’ Shorter works such as flash fiction are also welcome, as are works that challenge genre boundaries.

Scum
Submissions are open the first week of every month, publishing feminist-friendly work under 2000 words, fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

Stereo Stories
Publishing evocative, concise stories and short memoir based around a song.

Underground writers
Accepts poems, short stories, flash fiction and reviews, prioritizing unpublished writers.

Voiceworks
Voiceworks is a national literary journal that features exciting new writing and art by young Australians.

Westerly
Publishes short stories, micro-fiction, poetry, memoir and creative non-fiction, artwork, essays and literary criticism.

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AUSTRALIAN PUBLISHERS

Affirm Press
An independent Melbourne-based publisher dedicated to publishing great Australian stories, big ideas, and engaging local and international authors. Publishes Australian literary and genre fiction, non-fiction and children’s books; does not accept unsolicited short stories, poetry or novellas. Accept email submissions on the first Monday of each month only.

Aboriginal Studies Press (AIATSIS)
Scholarly and general works, children’s books, biographies, research papers and monographs about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia. Accept website submissions.

Allen & Unwin
Allen & Unwin is Australia’s leading independent publisher and is the 2020 Publisher of the Year. The Friday Pitch allows for writers of all genres to have their work considered by one of their in-house Submission Editors.

Australian Scholarly Publishing
Publishes scholarly and general books under its Australian Scholarly & International Scholarly (academic), Arcadia & Arden (general & art books), Tantanoola (fiction) and Chancery Bold (law) imprints. Submissions open.

Black Inc. Books
Accepts general and commercial non-fiction – including history, current affairs, sports, and biography – and literary, YA, and commercial fiction.

Brio Books
A boutique, independent Australian publisher, publishing fiction and non-fiction books by Australian and New Zealand authors under four imprints.

Buon-Cattivi Press
A small Adelaide-based press house that publishes unique Australian literature and promotes new and emerging authors, publishing “original stories that challenge established genre boundaries and disrupt traditional writing styles”.

Currency Press
Accepts plays for consideration that have had a professional production. In the case of established writers, they also consider plays for publication that have a professional production contracted for the near future.

Debut Books
A platform to amplify great storytelling, welcoming submissions from first-time Australian authors, across all genres of fiction (especially Australian-based genre fiction).

Echo Publishing
Publishes fiction and nonfiction, with a focus on resilience and survival, history, strong women, and the transgression of boundaries and breaking down of barriers.

Escape Publishing (Harlequin)
A small, specialist publisher of romance fiction, including contemporary, historical, paranormal, fantasy, thriller, sci-fi, erotic romance and LGBTQIA+.

Federation Press
Publishes non-fiction law and related subjects.

Giramondo Publishing Company
An independent, Australian, university-based literary publisher of award-winning poetry, fiction and non-fiction, renowned for the quality of its writing, editing and book design, accepting unsolicited submissions.

Glimmer Press
A new, Adelaide-based small publisher.

Hachette Australia
One of Australia’s largest publishers, welcoming submissions from fiction, non-fiction and children’s book writers who are residents of Australia or New Zealand.

Hardie Grant
A creative global publisher of quality, stylish, cutting-edge books. Not currently open to unsolicited submissions, but check back.

Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing
Accepts fresh, exciting and well-written stories that kids and teenagers will love to read.

HarperCollins
While HarperCollins only considers material submitted by literary agents, they do accept entries to the Banjo Prize, find out more here. HarperCollins publishes fiction (commercial, literary, science fiction and fantasy) and general nonfiction, including biography/autobiography, memoir, history, health/wellness, sport, politics, culture, lifestyle, cookery and humour.

HQ (Harlequin)
HQ is a boutique publishing division under the auspices of the multinational publishing house HarperCollins. They publish a wide range of fiction from psychological thrillers, gripping family sagas and gritty crime to layered historical novels, romance and contemporary book-club fiction.

Joan Press
A publishing imprint for Allen & Unwin, curated by Nakkiah Lui, publishing books across all genres with the hope of finding a home for “the voices that get pushed to the fringes”.

Larrikin House
Publish quirky, original, and humorous kid-focussed books. Open to picture books and junior fiction.

La Trobe University Press
Publishes leading scholars and experts, producing books of high intellectual quality, substance and originality.

Magabala Books
Australia’s leading Indigenous publishing house, accepts a limited number of unsolicited manuscripts directly from authors and literary agents.

MidnightSun
An Adelaide-based small press publishing new and unknown writers and ‘unusual’ topics.

Melbourne University Publishing
MUP accepts political, history and current affairs submission; illustrated art and lifestyle books and the best in Australian academic research and writing.

Murdoch Books (a division of Allen and Unwin)
Publishes a wide range of food, gardening and lifestyle titles.

National Library of Australia Publishing
NLA Publishing creates books that tell stories by and about Australians, publishing non-fiction and children’s titles in the fields of history, art, photography, the environment and literature.

Pan Macmillan Australia
Publish a wide range of bestselling, award-winning and high-quality titles. Submit fiction, nonfiction, children’s books and YA.

Penguin Random House Australia
From future classics to cherished favourites, PRH champion emerging voices and bring readers the highest-quality books from established, award-winning and bestselling authors. PRH Australia comprises an adult publishing division and a children’s publishing division, see guidelines for each.

Pantera Press
Home to the next generation of talented Australian writers, Pantera Press is proudly all about great storytelling.

Puncher and Wattmann
Poetry, fiction, life writing, poetry anthologies and critical non-fiction. Puncher and Wattmann books have won or been shortlisted for a number of literary awards including the Miles Franklin, Prime Minister’s awards and various state and Premiers’ literary awards. Their titles treasure eclecticism, wit and iconoclasm. Usually receive submissions from 15 November to 30 January.

Seizure
An imprint of Brio books, publishes fiction novellas via annual Viva la Novella competition, open between September and December.

Scribe
Scribe accepts unsolicited and un-agented submissions in a three week window, in 2021: 1 April through to 21 April
1 September through to 21 September.

Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster are currently not accepting unsolicited material including manuscripts, but will consider agented work; they publish and distribute a variety of books in Australia and New Zealand across a range of genres including fiction, non-fiction and children’s books under local and international imprints.

Text Publishing
An independent, Melbourne-based publisher of literary and commercial fiction and non-fiction.

Thames & Hudson Australia
Publish Australian illustrated, children’s books and narrative nonfiction in the following areas: arts (fine or decorative), history (Australian, natural or cultural), architecture, science, design, fashion, gardens, photography and popular culture.

Ultimo
Ultimo Press is an independent publisher established in 2020 with the simple ambition to become home to Australia’s best storytellers; they accept submissions of general literary fiction and nonfiction.

UNSW Press
Accept submissions for general, scholarly and literary non-fiction.

UQP
UQP publishes books across non-fiction (history, politics, current affairs, biography and memoir, environmental issues); literary fiction, including short stories; children’s and young adult (YA) books (fiction and non-fiction); and poetry.

UWAP
UWAP shares stories, research and education with the world to encourage thought, inspire action and create and connect with engaged communities, publishing award-winning fiction, non-fiction and scholarly works.

Ventura Press
Sydney-based independent book publisher.

Wakefield Press
A leading independent publishing company based in Adelaide, publishing literary and popular fiction, young adult fiction, history, biography, art, poetry, food, wine, the environment, education and true life.

Wombat Books
Publishes books for children including picture books, early readers and middle fiction.

Photo via Voiceworks

INTERNATIONAL JOURNALS

The American Reader
Bimonthly magazine publishing fiction, poetry and criticism.

Apex Magazine
An online zine of fantastical fiction, accepting short stories.

Asimov’s Science Fiction
An established market for science fiction stories, pays 8-10 cents per word for short stories up to 7,500 words.

Barrelhouse
Barrelhouse is an independent non-profit literary organisation that aims to bridge the gap between serious art and pop culture.

Chicken Soup for the Soul
Publishes inspirational, true stories about ordinary people having extraordinary experiences.

Clarkesworld Magazine
An award-winning science fiction and fantasy magazine that publishes short stories, interviews, articles, and audio fiction

Creative Nonfiction
Accepts nonfiction from emerging and unpublished writers, rom immersion reportage to personal essay to memoir.

Epoch Press
Epoch Press is an independent press dedicated to publishing exceptional creative nonfiction. We currently publish a literary journal three times a year and aspire to include publications of manuscripts in the future.

Fantasy and Science Fiction
One of the major magazines of the genre. They pay 8-12 cents a word.

The Fiction Desk
A short story publisher specialising in anthologies of new short fiction from debut and established authors, based in the UK.

Granta
Granta is committed to championing new voices and is open to unsolicited submissions of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, for both print and online publication.

Harvard Review Online
Harvard Review publishes short fiction, poetry, essays, drama, and book reviews.

International OCD Foundation
Welcomes submissions from those living with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) or a related disorder, including BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder), their family/friends, researchers, and medical professionals.

Lightspeed Magazine
A digital science fiction and fantasy magazine, publishing short stories and novellas.

The Moderate Review
Established in 2020, The Moderate is a lynx eye dedicated to discovering and promoting new voices in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art in all its forms.

Narrative magazine
Accepts previously unpublished manuscripts of all lengths, ranging from short short stories to complete book-length works for serialization.

N+1
A print and digital magazine of literature, culture, and politics published three times yearly.

The New Yorker
One of the most prestigious publications in the world, accepting fiction and poetry submissions.

One Story
Publishes one literary fiction story at a time. Submission periods: January 15th – May 31st and September 7th – November 14th.

Reed Magazine
California’s oldest literary journal. Publishes fiction, poetry, non-fiction, art and emerging voices.

Structo magazine
A UK-based literary magazine.

Story Unlikely
Story Unlikely is a monthly E-zine that publishes fiction and memoir short stories in an array of genres and styles. Payment is 5 cents a word for previously unpublished stories, and 1 cent a word for reprints.

Uncanny
An online speculative/ SF magazine, accepting short story, nonfiction, poetry, and novella submissions.

Virginia Review
Accepts poetry, non-fiction and short fiction.

The Zodiac Review
An online, semi-annual literary magazine presenting short fiction by both emerging and established authors.