Winning Writers
@winningwriters.com
News about high-quality literary contests and resources for writers since 2001. Get access to in-depth profiles of 200+ great free literary contests when you subscribe to our free email newsletter: https://winningwriters.com/free
@janefriedman.com: Should You Use Substack for Your Email Newsletter? https://janefriedman.com/should-you-use-substack-for-your-email-newsletter-or-something-else/ HT Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop #PubTips
Should You Use Substack for Your Email Newsletter? Or Something Else? | Jane Friedman
Should authors use Substack for their newsletter? It depends on your purpose—strengthening ties with existing readers, or reaching new ones.
janefriedman.com
"Confessions", a poem by Mandy Moe Pwint Tu https://poems.com/poem/confessions/ via @poetrydaily.bsky.social and Gaudy Boy
35 Themed Submission Calls & Contests for August, curated by @authorspublish.com "Some of the call themes are: cozy fantasy; anger management for pet peeves; of love forbidden..." https://authorspublish.com/35-themed-submission-calls-and-contests-for-august-2026/
35 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for August 2026
Curated by Authors Publish
authorspublish.com
Company Offering Printed Books to Train AI Stops After 404 Media Coverage https://www.404media.co/ai-company-training-scanning-books-database-isbndb/ via @404media.co HT @literaryhub.bsky.social
Company Offering Printed Books to Train AI Stops After 404 Media Coverage
Citing backlash, ISBNdb removed its webpages about training AI, denied ever buying, scanning, or selling a book for AI training, and said the site was a test of market interest.
404media.co
People keep gifting personalized AI-generated children’s books; kids don’t even like them https://www.wired.com/story/boomers-cant-stop-gifting-their-grandkids-ai-generated-slop-books/ via @wired.com HT @literaryhub.bsky.social
Boomers Can’t Stop Gifting Their Grandkids AI-Generated Slop Books
Parents are getting fed up with garbled bedtime stories that feature characters based on actual photos of their children.
wired.com
Deadline Aug 30: Ekphrastic Poetry Prize Submit unpublished poems to win $3,000, publication, and a brief interview in Palette Poetry. Fee: $20 for 1-3 poems (under 10 pages in all). Judge: Divya Victor. https://www.palettepoetry.com/2026-ekphrastic-poetry-prize/
"EXAMPLE SERMON", a poem by Maya Salameh https://poems.com/poem/example-sermon/ via @poetrydaily.bsky.social and @haymarketbooks.org
"There are two kinds of truth: the truth that lights the way and the truth that warms the heart. The first of these is science, and the second is art. Neither is independent of the other or more important than the other." -Raymond Thornton Chandler https://loom.ly/NmTYHRE via A.Word.A.Day
bellwether
noun: 1. An indicator of future trends. 2. A leader or trendsetter.
wordsmith.org
19 Awesome Writing Conferences and Workshops in August 2026. #writingtips #amwriting #publishing #writing #pubtip #WritingCommunity #MondayBlogs publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/2026/07/19-a...
19 Awesome Writing Conferences and Workshops in August 2026
This August there are more than a dozen writing conferences and workshops. Some conferences and workshops will be held online, but most will...
publishedtodeath.blogspot.com
40 Writing Contests in August 2026 - No entry fees! #writingtips #amwriting #publishing #writing #pubtip #WritingCommunity #MondayBlogs publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/2026/07/40-w...
40 Writing Contests in August 2026 - No entry fees!
This August there are more than three dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes rang...
publishedtodeath.blogspot.com
30 Sites Where You Can Get Fabulous Free Photos. #writingtips #amwriting #publishing #writing #pubtip #WritingCommunity #MondayBlogs publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/2013/03/6-si...
30 Sites Where You Can Get Fabulous Free Photos
Fantasy - Pixabay Updated 7/19/26 Whether you are blogging, writing articles, or designing a cover for your book, there is nothing t...
publishedtodeath.blogspot.com
63 Calls for Submissions in August 2026 - Paying markets. #writingtips #amwriting #publishing #writing #pubtip #WritingCommunity publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/2026/07/61-c...
61 Calls for Submissions in August 2026 - Paying markets
This August there are more than five dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As alway...
publishedtodeath.blogspot.com
Here are the top genre and niche websites as identified in the 28th Annual 101 Best Websites from the May/June 2026 issue of Writer’s Digest. https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-best-genre-niche-websites-2026 via @writersdigest.bsky.social
Writer’s Digest Best Genre/Niche Websites 2026
Here are the top genre and niche websites as identified in the 28th Annual 101 Best Websites from the May/June 2026 issue of Writer's Digest.
writersdigest.com
AI Companies Are Buying Tons of Old Books Because They're Free of AI Slop https://www.404media.co/ai-companies-are-buying-tons-of-old-books-because-theyre-free-of-ai-slop/ via @404media.co
AI Companies Are Buying Tons of Old Books Because They're Free of AI Slop
ISBNdb, a company that sources printed books for AI companies to turn into training data, tells clients “the optics problem is real.”
404media.co
Deadline Sep 13: Frontier Poetry Myths & Fables Prize New and emerging writers may submit unpublished poems that address myths or fables with creativity and innovation. Win $3,000 and publication. Fee: $20 for 1-3 poems, up to 5 pages in all. https://www.frontierpoetry.com/2026-myths-fables-prize/
Early-bird deadline Sep 1: Writer’s Digest Personal Essay Awards Submit an unpublished essay up to 2,000 words to win $2,500, online publication, trip to conference, and interview published in WD. Many smaller prizes. Fee: $30. https://loom.ly/LFVgVPQ
"Curfew", a poem by Rajendra Bhandari, translated from the Nepali by Dhirendra Kumar Shah https://poems.com/poem/curfew/ via @poetrydaily.bsky.social and The Bombay Literary Magazine
Deadline Sep 15: Willow Springs Surrealist Poetry Prize Submit unpublished poems in the surrealist tradition to win $1,000 and publication in Willow Springs. Fee: $15 for 1-3 poems. Judge: Michael Hettich. https://loom.ly/-x4DBbo HT @pw.org
As censorship intensifies in Russia, exiled writers and publishers are creating a parallel literary network beyond the Kremlin’s reach. Gift article via @bloomberg.com: https://loom.ly/wH8VyVo #tamizdat
Deadline Sep 13: CRAFT Flash Prose Prize Submit unpublished fiction and creative nonfiction. 3 winners will each receive $1,000, a bundle of Rose Metal Press Field Guides, and publication in CRAFT. Fee: $20 for 1-2 prose works up to 1,000 words each. https://loom.ly/w33IldQ
"Our Cram School", a poem by Oh Eun, translated from the Korean by Shyun Ahn https://poems.com/poem/our-cram-school/ via @poetrydaily.bsky.social and @blackoceanbooks.bsky.social
Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest $3,500 for the best poem in any style and $3,500 for the best poem that rhymes or has a traditional style. Top 12 poems published online. Submit published or unpublished work. Fee: $25 for 1-3 poems. Final judge: Michal ‘MJ’ Jones. https://loom.ly/t4CtnDI
Deadline Aug 31: The St. Lawrence Book Award Submit an unpublished first collection of poetry or prose (short stories or essays, but not a novel). Win $1,000 and publication. Fee: $30. https://loom.ly/5oh2sBI via @blacklawrence.bsky.social
35 Literary Journals Focused on a Limited Demographic "...including older writers, younger writers, writers attending university, working-class writers, the incarcerated, veterans and their families, and women..." https://loom.ly/0Kznggg via @authorspublish.com
35 Literary Journals Focused on a Limited Demographic
Curated by Authors Publish
authorspublish.com
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Early-bird deadline Sep 1: @writersdigest.bsky.social Personal Essay Awards Seeks unpublished essays up to 2,000 words. Winner receives: $2,500 in cash and other benefits. Many smaller awards. Fee: $30. https://loom.ly/LFVgVPQ
Deadline Sep 7: @terrainorg.bsky.social 17th Annual Contest Submit unpublished poems, fiction, and nonfiction. First-place in each genre wins $1,000 and publication. Fee: $20 per story, essay/article, or set of 1-5 poems. https://loom.ly/JIdSl5Q
Take a Break fiction magazine pauses commissions and starts using AI https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/magazines/bauer-take-a-break-fiction-magazine-commissioned-writers-stories-ai-tools/ via @pressgazette.co.uk HT firstwriter.com
Take a Break fiction magazine pauses commissions and starts using AI
Take a Break Fiction Feast, owned by Bauer Media, has paused commissions and is introducing the use of AI tools in stories.
pressgazette.co.uk
Here are the top websites by and about agents as identified in the 28th Annual 101 Best Websites from the May/June 2026 issue of @writersdigest.bsky.social. https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-best-everything-agents-websites-for-writers-2026 #PubTips
