Bookouture and Dahlia Books join forces on an exclusive call-out for writers from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds – closed
Bookouture, in association with The Asian Writer and Dahlia Books, are putting out an exclusive call-out for commercial fiction submissions from unagented and unpublished writers from BAME backgrounds and will be offering professional editorial feedback on the synopsis and first three chapters for the month of August.
Lucy Dauman, Associate Publisher at Bookouture, said: ‘We are committed to diversifying our list and ensuring that voices from all backgrounds are heard. It’s more apparent than ever that writers from BAME backgrounds are under-represented in publishing and we hope that, by helping to shape the pitch and those all-important first chapters, we can add real value to a writer’s publication journey and discover some exciting new voices in commercial fiction.’
Farhana Shaikh, Founder of Dahlia Books and The Asian Writer, said: ‘We’re seeing lots of publishers rushing to diversify their lists which is right and long overdue. I’m thrilled to see that Bookouture are going one step further. Working with Lucy at Bookouture to bring this opportunity to writers from diverse backgrounds has been incredibly heartwarming. It’s a fantastic opportunity for BAME writers to receive editorial feedback, which I’m certain will help them to develop their writing talent and support their journey to publication.’
Writers should submit a short bio, a synopsis (of up to 1,000 words) and the first three chapters/50 pages (up to a total of 10,000 words) here.
The inbox will open at 12.00am on Saturday 1 August 2020 and the deadline for submissions is 11.59pm on Monday 31 August 2020*.
Each submission will be read by a member of the Bookouture editorial team, who will provide editorial feedback within six weeks from the date of submission. The feedback will cover the hook and the pitch, as well as the writing style and impact of the opening chapters. We will also advise on genre and where the author thinks this sits in the market.
For more information on what Bookouture are looking for, click here
*If you are not able to submit to us in August, we would still love to read your submission via the usual submissions platform on our website. However, while we respond to all submissions and give feedback where we can, beyond the month of August, we will not be able to give the same detailed editorial feedback.
Short Story September Anthology – closed
Our publisher, Dahlia Publishing is currently inviting short stories of up to 4,000 words on the theme ‘kitchen’.
Please send us your short stories interpreting this theme in any way you wish. We are looking for work which surprises us and embraces the unexpected.
Selections will be made by joint editors Farhana Shaikh and Susmita Bhattacharya.
Successful writers will receive two copies of the anthology which will be published in September 2020.
Please send your short story with a short covering letter to f.shaikh@dahliapublishing.co.uk with ‘Short Story September – Kitchen’ in the subject heading.
Deadline: 31 December 2019
The Asian Writer Short Story Prize 2019 – closed
We’re pleased to announce that our annual short story prize returns for a sixth year and will be open for entries on March 1st. We’re looking for new and original fiction under 4000 words to publish, on any theme or subject.
£10 per entry. Max three entries per person.
PRIZES
1st Prize – £150
Runner-up Prize – £100
Highly commended – £50
The best short stories will be chosen for publication in a compendium which will celebrate ten years of The Asian Writer and include interviews, features and all previous winning stories.
Please pay for your entry prior to sending us your story, confirming your payment reference in your email.
Email entries to editor@theasianwriter.co.uk with Short Story Prize 2019 in the subject heading. Please include a short biography of no more than 100 words.
Deadline: 7th September 2018
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Previous Winners:
2017 – Formations by Mona Dash
2016 – The Swim by Jamilah Ahmed
2015 – Seascapes by CG Menon
2013 – The Gardener by Jocelyn Watson
2012 – Easy to Forget, Easy to Remember by Deepa Anappara