Submission Guidelines
Please make sure you read the following guidelines closely. If you’re unsure about any of the guidelines, please contact Voiceworks editor Selina Moir-Wilson at editor@expressmedia.org.au.
We are only able to publish work by writers and artists who are under twenty-five at the time of submission. Please also keep in mind that because of our funding arrangements, we are only able to publish writers living in Australia or Australian writers living overseas.
Voiceworks only considers previously unpublished work (which includes personal websites and blogs). We accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know if your work is accepted for publication elsewhere.
If your submission is unsuccessful, we will notify you as soon as we can and then provide you with detailed feedback a little later. Feedback is written by a small group of volunteers and we receive a lot of submissions, so we appreciate your patience. If you think something’s gone wrong, or you haven’t heard from us three months after the submission deadline, please get in touch.
Poetry Guidelines
Poetry: send no more than three poems, each no more than 100 lines. We recommend reading our poetry guide here before sending us your work.
We encourage you to submit across genres, but please send us no more than four submissions in total (excluding visual art).
Deadline: Sunday 28 July, 11:59PM AEST
Theme: Loaf
Take a load off… take a loaf off! ‘I loafe and invite my soul / I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.’ Whitman is the loafing poet. It’s important for my practice that I sit on the grass, I’m not being lazy! OK, maybe I’m being a little lazy… I’m aimless I’m idling I’m lazing I’m dawdling! I’m dillying I’m dallying I’m twiddling my thumbs! I’m sick of work, I wanna lay on the couch! When does bread become a loaf? A loaf is something that’s been moulded. Who decided to make me this shape? Half a loaf is better than no bread, but this bread is mouldy, should I still be grateful? Loafing is a crime, they call it loitering. Can’t do anything these days. In Fitzroy they demolished people’s houses to open artisan markets. I move to the suburb and buy a tiny fig loaf for twelve bucks like a sucker! Three million loaves of bread go in the bin every day, five million go in tummies. 30% of people see Jesus in their toast. This fig bread’s a rip off, wish it didn’t taste so good!
—Blurb by Voiceworks EdComm
Remember, you don't have to stick to the theme. Most of all, we want good writing!
Rates of Pay
$100 per published piece.
Terms of Publication
Express Media publishes work in Voiceworks on a non-exclusive, irrevocable and royalty-free basis. We require writers who will be published in Voiceworks to sign a licence deed granting us permission to publish work in the printed Voiceworks magazine, on the Express Media and Voiceworks websites, and for use in promoting our magazine. Writers retain copyright of their work and are free to use in whatever way they’d like in the future. Please only submit your work if you are satisfied with these terms. For more information about this, please contact us.
Subscribe
To get a better idea of what kind of work we publish in the magazine, and to help us continue to support young writers, you can subscribe* to Voiceworks here.
*Choosing not to subscribe will not impact your submission.
Submission Guidelines
Please make sure you read the following guidelines closely. If you’re unsure about any of the guidelines, please contact Voiceworks editor Selina Moir-Wilson at editor@expressmedia.org.au.
We are only able to publish work by writers and artists who are under twenty-five at the time of submission. Please also keep in mind that because of our funding arrangements, we are only able to publish writers living in Australia or Australian writers living overseas.
Voiceworks only considers previously unpublished work (which includes personal websites and blogs). We accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know if your work is accepted for publication elsewhere.
If your submission is unsuccessful, we will notify you as soon as we can and then provide you with detailed feedback a little later. Feedback is written by a small group of volunteers and we receive a lot of submissions, so we appreciate your patience. If you think something’s gone wrong, or you haven’t heard from us three months after the submission deadline, please get in touch.
Fiction Guidelines
Send no more than two fiction pieces, each no more than 3000 words. If you are submitting two stories, please upload them both in this submission (as two separate documents), rather than creating a second fiction submission.
We encourage you to submit across genres, but please send us no more than four submissions in total (excluding visual art).
Those seeking to submit nonfiction, poetry or visual art, please see the separate submission categories.
Deadline: Sunday 28 July, 11:59pm AEST
Theme: Loaf
Take a load off… take a loaf off! ‘I loafe and invite my soul / I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.’ Whitman is the loafing poet. It’s important for my practice that I sit on the grass, I’m not being lazy! OK, maybe I’m being a little lazy… I’m aimless I’m idling I’m lazing I’m dawdling! I’m dillying I’m dallying I’m twiddling my thumbs! I’m sick of work, I wanna lay on the couch! When does bread become a loaf? A loaf is something that’s been moulded. Who decided to make me this shape? Half a loaf is better than no bread, but this bread is mouldy, should I still be grateful? Loafing is a crime, they call it loitering. Can’t do anything these days. In Fitzroy they demolished people’s houses to open artisan markets. I move to the suburb and buy a tiny fig loaf for twelve bucks like a sucker! Three million loaves of bread go in the bin every day, five million go in tummies. 30% of people see Jesus in their toast. This fig bread’s a rip off, wish it didn’t taste so good!
—Blurb by Voiceworks EdComm
Remember, you don't have to stick to the theme. Most of all, we want good writing!
Rates of Pay
$100 per published piece.
Terms of Publication
Express Media publishes work in Voiceworks on a non-exclusive, irrevocable and royalty-free basis. We require writers who will be published in Voiceworks to sign a licence deed granting us permission to publish work in the printed Voiceworks magazine, on the Express Media and Voiceworks websites, and for use in promoting our magazine. Writers retain copyright of their work and are free to use in whatever way they’d like in the future. Please only submit your work if you are satisfied with these terms. For more information about this, please contact us.
Subscribe
To get a better idea of what kind of work we publish in the magazine, and to help us continue to support young writers, you can subscribe* to Voiceworks here.
*Choosing not to subscribe will not impact your submission.
Submission Guidelines
Please make sure you read the following guidelines closely. If you’re unsure about any of the guidelines, please contact Voiceworks editor Selina Moir-Wilson at editor@expressmedia.org.au.
We are only able to publish work by writers and artists who are under twenty-five at the time of submission. Please also keep in mind that because of our funding arrangements, we are only able to publish writers living in Australia or Australian writers living overseas.
Voiceworks only considers previously unpublished work (which includes personal websites and blogs). We accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know if your work is accepted for publication elsewhere.
If your submission is unsuccessful, we will notify you as soon as we can and then provide you with detailed feedback a little later. Feedback is written by a small group of volunteers and we receive a lot of submissions, so we appreciate your patience. If you think something’s gone wrong, or you haven’t heard from us three months after the submission deadline, please get in touch.
Nonfiction Guidelines
For completed work, send no more than two pieces, each no more than 3,000 words.
We encourage you to submit across genres, but please send us no more than four submissions in total (excluding visual art).
Deadline: Sunday 28 July, 11:59 AEST
Theme: Loaf
Take a load off… take a loaf off! ‘I loafe and invite my soul / I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.’ Whitman is the loafing poet. It’s important for my practice that I sit on the grass, I’m not being lazy! OK, maybe I’m being a little lazy… I’m aimless I’m idling I’m lazing I’m dawdling! I’m dillying I’m dallying I’m twiddling my thumbs! I’m sick of work, I wanna lay on the couch! When does bread become a loaf? A loaf is something that’s been moulded. Who decided to make me this shape? Half a loaf is better than no bread, but this bread is mouldy, should I still be grateful? Loafing is a crime, they call it loitering. Can’t do anything these days. In Fitzroy they demolished people’s houses to open artisan markets. I move to the suburb and buy a tiny fig loaf for twelve bucks like a sucker! Three million loaves of bread go in the bin every day, five million go in tummies. 30% of people see Jesus in their toast. This fig bread’s a rip off, wish it didn’t taste so good!
—Blurb by Voiceworks EdComm
Remember, you don't have to stick to the theme. Most of all, we want good writing!
Rates of Pay
$100 per published piece.
Terms of Publication
Express Media publishes work in Voiceworks on a non-exclusive, irrevocable and royalty-free basis. We require writers who will be published in Voiceworks to sign a licence deed granting us permission to publish work in the printed Voiceworks magazine, on the Express Media and Voiceworks websites, and for use in promoting our magazine. Writers retain copyright of their work and are free to use in whatever way they’d like in the future. Please only submit your work if you are satisfied with these terms. For more information about this, please contact us.
Subscribe
To get a better idea of what kind of work we publish in the magazine, and to help us continue to support young writers, you can subscribe* to Voiceworks here.
*Choosing not to subscribe will not impact your submission.
Submission Guidelines
Please make sure you read the following guidelines closely. If you’re unsure about any of the guidelines, please contact Voiceworks editor Selina Moir-Wilson at editor@expressmedia.org.au.
We are only able to publish work by writers and artists who are under twenty-five at the time of submission. Please also keep in mind that because of our funding arrangements, we are only able to publish writers living in Australia or Australian writers living overseas.
Voiceworks only considers previously unpublished work (which includes personal websites and blogs). We accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know if your work is accepted for publication elsewhere.
If your submission is unsuccessful, we will notify you as soon as we can and then provide you with detailed feedback a little later. Feedback is written by a small group of volunteers and we receive a lot of submissions, so we appreciate your patience. If you think something’s gone wrong, or you haven’t heard from us three months after the submission deadline, please get in touch.
Visual Art and Comics Guidelines
Visual art submissions include comics, illustrations, drawings, graphics, etc. We recommend that you pitch your comics before sending them to us. For advice on how to construct your pitch, check out our handy guide here. We print in duotone (two colours) and our page dimensions are 170 x 245 mm. Please supply your images in greyscale, at actual size and 300dpi. Please name your files—strings of numbers and letters are easily confused with other submissions.
Deadline: Sunday 18 August, 11:59pm AEST
Theme: Loaf
Take a load off… take a loaf off! ‘I loafe and invite my soul / I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.’ Whitman is the loafing poet. It’s important for my practice that I sit on the grass, I’m not being lazy! OK, maybe I’m being a little lazy… I’m aimless I’m idling I’m lazing I’m dawdling! I’m dillying I’m dallying I’m twiddling my thumbs! I’m sick of work, I wanna lay on the couch! When does bread become a loaf? A loaf is something that’s been moulded. Who decided to make me this shape? Half a loaf is better than no bread, but this bread is mouldy, should I still be grateful? Loafing is a crime, they call it loitering. Can’t do anything these days. In Fitzroy they demolished people’s houses to open artisan markets. I move to the suburb and buy a tiny fig loaf for twelve bucks like a sucker! Three million loaves of bread go in the bin every day, five million go in tummies. 30% of people see Jesus in their toast. This fig bread’s a rip off, wish it didn’t taste so good!
—Blurb by Voiceworks EdComm
Remember, you don't have to stick to the theme. Most of all, we want good writing!
Rates of Pay
$100 for single-page art and comics
$150 for multi-page comics or suites of art
Terms of Publication
Express Media publishes work in Voiceworks on a non-exclusive, irrevocable and royalty-free basis. We require writers who will be published in Voiceworks to sign a licence deed granting us permission to publish work in the printed Voiceworks magazine, on the Express Media and Voiceworks websites, and for use in promoting our magazine. Writers retain copyright of their work and are free to use in whatever way they’d like in the future. Please only submit your work if you are satisfied with these terms. For more information about this, please contact us.
Subscribe
To get a better idea of what kind of work we publish in the magazine, and to help us continue to support young writers, you can subscribe* to Voiceworks here.
*Choosing not to subscribe will not impact your submission.
The Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers is a developmental award open to Australian secondary school-aged students across the nation.
The prize recognises writing excellence in three categories: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction and Poetry. Entries can include writing for readers of any age.
In 2024, submissions open on 20th May and close at 11:59PM AEST Wednesday 31st July
The Prize is sponsored by Hachette Australia and administered by Express Media, Australia’s peak youth literary organisation. Shortlisted writers get the opportunity to receive mentorship from an established author. In 2024, the Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers Mentor is Jane Godwin!
The Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers gives young writers the opportunity to hone their skills under the guidance of some of Australia’s favourite authors. The Prize aims to ignite passion for creative writing and poetry in the minds of Australia’s secondary school students, and to encourage them to pursue writing and publishing opportunities inside and outside of the classroom. The prize is judged by representatives from Hachette Australia and Express Media.
COMPETITION GUIDELINES
How to Enter
- All entries must be received by 11.59PM AEST, Wednesday 31st July 2024
- One entry may be submitted, per category, with a maximum of 2 entries across the 3 categories
- Each entry must be submitted via the submissions portal, with one entry per submission form. DO NOT put multiple submissions in one word or PDF document
- Submissions of fiction or nonfiction may be up to 3,000 words in length
- Submissions of poetry may be up to 100 lines in length
- Entries can include pieces written for readers of any age group
- All entries must be typed and double-spaced
- Submittable accounts must be created in the entrant’s own name and list the entrant's contact details.
Conditions of Entry
- Entries must be original works, written entirely by the entrant, and must not infringe upon anyone else’s copyright or intellectual property rights
- Entries must not, either wholly or partly, have previously been published in print or online (with the exception of an entrant’s personal blog or website)
- The name of the entrant should not be included anywhere on the submission; it should only be entered in the submission form
- All members currently serving on the Express Media board; and/or all paid, permanent staff of Express Media, are ineligible to enter
- Entries are only accepted from secondary school aged students (between the ages of 12 and 18 inclusive)
- Entrants under 18 years of age must have permission from a parent/guardian/teacher to enter the prize
Express Media and Hachette Australia each reserve the right not to consider a submission if the conditions of entry above are not complied with. Note: Entrants must acknowledge and agree to these terms upon submission. Parent/guardian/teacher of the entrant must confirm permission for entry upon submission.
Consideration of Submissions
- The judges’ decision is final; no correspondence will be entered into about the judgements or the judging process
- Only shortlisted entrants will receive feedback on entries.
PRIZE DETAILS
The prize winner in each category will receive:
- $500 courtesy of Hachette Australia
- publication of their work on the Express Media website
- their names and an acknowledgement printed in Voiceworks, Australia’s premier youth literary journal.
All fifteen shortlisted writers will:
- Be invited to participate in a writing masterclass
- Attend an exclusive Q&A with Jane Godwin
- Receive a book pack of YA Titles courtesy of Hachette Australia
For more information please email Mia Nie, Express Media Creative Producer, creativeproducer@expressmedia.org.au
What are graphic narratives? How do I create a compelling comic or graphic novel? How can I get published?
Express Media is proud to present the 2024 return of Toolkits: Graphic Narratives – an online course in the forms, skills, and ethics of creating graphic narratives. This program will combine theoretical approaches, practical exercises, and group workshopping to guide young writers through the development of their work.
During this 12-week program, you'll get to explore the many and varied formats of graphic storytelling. Participants will both learn the applications of graphic storytelling and discuss the history and innovations of this unique literary practice. Toolkits: Graphic Narratives covers a strong foundation in the familiar, such as comic strips, graphic novels, and manga, but isn’t afraid to branch into the experimental.
Toolkits is first and foremost a practical initiative. Young writers will be encouraged to create, write, workshop and edit their work throughout the course. They will hone their skills in textual analysis, create their own original work (which can be fictional, autobiographical, biographical or journalistic), explore the possibilities of collaborative work, and learn how to pitch work to publishers when they’re done.
If you are a writer or artist aged 30 and under interested in graphic storytelling, we want to hear from you!
Become an Express Media Member!
Toolkits is free for Express Media members along with a number of other perks, events, and opportunities. You must be a member to participate in Toolkits. If you’re not already a member, you can easily sign up here.
Note: Express Media is committed to access, so if you would like to sign up and are experiencing financial hardship, please submit your application and contact us via info@expressmedia.org.au to be awarded one of our sponsored memberships if your Toolkits application is successful.
Applications are now open and close 11:59pm AEST Sunday 18 August 2023.
Have a question? Need help with your application? Send an email to Express Media’s Creative Producer Mia Nie at creativeproducer@expressmedia.org.au.
Toolkits: Graphic Narratives is generously supported by The Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.
What is poetry? How do I write it? How do I get published?
Express Media, in partnership with Australian Poetry, is pleased to announce Toolkits: Poetry – an online course in the forms, functions, histories and uses of poetry, combining theoretical approaches, practical exercises and group workshops to guide young writers through the development of new work.
Toolkits is first and foremost a practical initiative. During this 12-week program, participants will be encouraged to write, workshop and edit their writing throughout the course. They will hone their skills in textual analysis, create their own original work, explore the possibilities of collaborative work, and learn how to pitch work to publishers when they’re done.
If you are a writer or artist aged 30 and under interested in writing poetry, we want to hear from you!
Become an Express Media Member!
Toolkits: Poetry is free for Express Media/Australian Poetry joint members along with a number of other perks, events, and opportunities. You must be a member to participate in Toolkits. If you’re not already a member, you can easily sign up here.
Note: Express Media is committed to access, so if you would like to sign up and are experiencing financial hardship, please submit your application and contact us via info@expressmedia.org.au to be awarded one of our sponsored memberships if your Toolkits application is successful.
Applications are now open and close 11:59pm AEST Sunday 18 August 2023.
Have a question? Need help with your application? Send an email to Express Media’s Creative Producer Mia Nie at creativeproducer@expressmedia.org.au.
Toolkits: Poetry is presented by Express Media in partnership with Australian Poetry and is generously supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.
What is digital storytelling?
What kind of meaningful experiences can you create online?
What makes digital storytelling different to other forms of writing?
Express Media is proud to present the 2024 return of Toolkits: Digital Storytelling - an online course in the forms, skills, and ethics of creating stories for the web and beyond. This program will combine theoretical approaches, practical exercises and group workshopping to guide young writers to experiment and develop their work in a range of digital forms.
Toolkits is first and foremost a practical initiative, and a large focus of this course will be on creating work that’s uniquely digital and couldn’t be published on the printed page. Young writers will be encouraged to create, write, workshop and edit their work throughout the course.
If you are a young writer or artist interested in digital storytelling, we want to hear from you!
Become an Express Media Member!
Applications to Toolkits are free for Express Media members along with a number of other perks, events, and opportunities. If you’re not already a member, you can easily sign up here.
Note: Express Media is committed to access, so if you would like to sign up and are experiencing financial hardship, please contact us via info@expressmedia.org.au to be awarded one of our sponsored memberships.
Applications are now open and close 11:59pm AEST Sunday 18 August.
Have a question? Need help with your application? Send an email to Express Media’s Creative Producer Mia Nie at creativeproducer@expressmedia.org.au.
Toolkits: Digital Storytelling is generously supported by The Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.