Note: Don’t forget to check out our 2023 writing retreats list.

If you haven’t been to a writers retreat before, this is the year to go. With bountiful numbers of writing retreats the world over, you’re thoroughly spoilt for choice! Take time to glean advice and take inspiration from those in the know, wherever you go.

No matter how far you are in the writing process, there’s a retreat for you. Need inspiration? Have the ideas, but need isolation to write? Started writing, but need a push? Nearly finished your manuscript, but need intensive editing advice from an expert? Each retreat supports and boosts you along the path of creative production.

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Note: Be sure to check out the 2023 writing conferences list! Check out this colossal list of writers conferences around the world in 2019. Continue Reading

Note: Don’t forget to check out the 2023 book fairs list!

Nothing warms a book lover’s heart more than a good book. And nothing excites a book addict more than a book fair, overflowing with publishers and booksellers. So, every year we compile for you the dates of the biggest and best book fairs around the world, in the annual Kotobee International Book Fair Calendar.

Take out your calendars and start jotting down dates. This year’s events look spectacular.  The fairs are scattered all over the world, so it’s time to start booking your plane tickets.

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Note: Don’t forget to check out the 2023 writing contests list.

Ask any seasoned authors, how to push yourself to finish that never-ending WIP and they’ll likely say the same thing: writing contests. Nothing pushes anyone to get work done like a deadline. Add a monetary award to the competition and the starving artist’s hunger pains begin to subside.

Ask your friends and loved ones what they think of your writing and unless you’re lucky enough to have Pulitzer Prize-winning authors for friends, they’ll probably say how relatable your writing it is, how it brought them to tears. While they may be the best people to go to for the relentless support you need on tough days, when you want to up your game, you’ll need more critical feedback from experts, who don’t know you and don’t care about your feelings. You need to start submitting your work to writing contests.

Photo by Sarah Pflug from Burst

Check out our lists of over 100 writing contests. Below you’ll find opportunities for students, first-time authors, and published authors. Have your writing read by experts and maybe even get some recognition or a book seal for your work. We’ve organized them by category and deadlines, to make sure you don’t miss a date.

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This post is outdated. For upcoming retreats, go to International Book Fairs 2020, Writers Conferences 2020 and Writers Retreats Not to Miss

For most people, writers have often been considered a solitary species (rather bookish, if you’ll excuse the pun!), that prefer to keep to themselves. But this has rather changed in the past few decades, with the ability to create an image around yourself in order to sell your books a much bigger deal.

Publishing events are often the best places to go to if you’re looking to reach out to fellow writers, literary agents and people in the know. Below is a list of some of the top literary events going on in 2018.

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200+ Writing Contests to Join in 2023

Let’s face it – there’s some pretty stiff competition out there in the big, wide world of writing and publishing. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make a success of it! One of the best ways of getting yourself some attention, especially if you’re an up-and-coming writer hungry to start getting your work published, is enter a competition.

And fear not! It doesn’t have to get expensive! Although there are plenty of writing competitions out there with entrance fees (they can also be called “Reading Fees”), you do have the option of entering competitions that don’t have entrance fees. Some of these competitions and contests are also backed by reputable names, such as the BBC, who will then publish them to an incredibly wide audience.

Just as we’ve entered a new year, think of this as a golden opportunity to start your writing career. So, take your pick of the 21 competitions outlined below that don’t require a financial commitment on your part to enter.

Scroll to the bottom, or click on any of the images to visit the competitions’ respective websites.

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Note: Don’t forget to check out our 2023 writing retreats list.

With the new year just in, you’ve got a new opportunity to invest in your career as a writer. One of the best ways to do this is by attending workshops or retreats where you’ll get guidance and critiques, often from hosts who are themselves, award-winning authors.

Aside from getting your creative juices running, writer’s retreats and workshops are also the perfect way to network with other authors and others involved in the publishing industry. You’ll get to ask the right questions and hear the answers you need for your latest literary work – and get yourself known.

Below are 30+ amazing retreats and workshops around the world that you can attend to glean advice and take inspiration from. Many of them offer financial aid of some sort. Also, make sure to check their other programs while you’re at it!

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Note: Don’t forget to check out the 2023 book fairs list!

With the beginning of each new year, we all make promises to ourselves about the positive changes we’d like to make in our lives over the coming 12 months. The new year is the perfect excuse to get your teeth stuck into a fresh pile of books (and as many of the following book fairs also sell books at discounts, your wallet won’t suffer too much!)

In the following 12 months, there are plenty of opportunities to walk along shelves piled high with books, searching for the latest literary gems. The following book fairs are just a taster of this year’s top options from around the world.

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This post is outdated. For upcoming retreats, go to Writers’ Retreats You Don’t Want to Miss.

If it’s proving hard to chip away at the good old writer’s block, then you’ll be glad to know there’s something you can do about it. And not just any old solution either.

Writer’s retreats and workshops are the perfect way to unblock your creative juices, get them flowing again, and getting your pen (or keyboard!) loose again. With leading authors and agents in attendance, you’ll get to ask the right questions and hear the answers you need for your latest literary work.

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