About

Voiceworks Online is currently seeking experimental, digital-based writing and comics. If you make work that can’t be printed on the page, this is your time to shine! This includes but is not limited to:

• Interactive fiction
• Hypertext writing
• Code poetry
• Bots and generative text works
• Writing with sound or video elements
• Full-colour comics or comics with animated elements

Each selected piece goes through a collaborative editing process, and individualised feedback is provided for all unsuccessful written submissions. All published contributors are paid for their work.

What we’re looking for

The best way to get a sense of the kinds of work we publish is to read the work on our website! You can also check out our handy digital writing guide for lots of tips on what we like and how to get started if you’re new to digital writing. If you aren’t sure if what you’re working on is the right fit for us, or if you want some guidance developing an idea, please feel free to send us a pitch. You can find our guides to pitching here.

Theme: Border

Did you dream of a butterfly last night, or is a butterfly now dreaming of you? The threshold of reality is flimsy. The average person spends a third of their lifetime on the other side of consciousness, over an evasive and eventually impenetrable border. One day soon, perhaps, the consciousness you know and love will dematerialise into binary code. You can tell when it approaches, when daylight dims into dusk, and you peer at every face you pass in the DMZ. When did they drive the borders into your body/ies? In the semi-darkness with no one watching, your id and superego bleed into each other. You begin to dissolve the margins, close the pagebreaks, acting with mounting zeal: Tear down this (fire)wall!

~Thanks to EdCommers Faye Tang and Aries Gacutan for the blurb~

Voiceworks Online Guidelines

Please make sure you read the following guidelines closely. If you’re unsure about any of the guidelines, please contact Voiceworks editor Joel Keith 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 Australian writers and artists. However, international students are excepted from this.

Voiceworks only considers previously unpublished work (which includes personal websites and blogs).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.

We are only able to publish writers and artists who are under the age of 25 (that is, 24 and under) at the time of submission.

We only accept work by people living in Australia (including international students) or by Australians living overseas.

We only consider previously unpublished work.

Please send no more than two submissions at a time.

Word limits are as follows (these may or may not be strictly applicable to experimental pieces; consider them guides):

Fiction and nonfiction: no more than 3000 words

Poetry: no more than 100 lines

Comics: no more than 10 pages

Deadlines

All submissions due Sunday 24 August, 11:59PM AEDT

Rates of pay

$100-$150, depending on length and format

You’ll find further details by following the link below. Please read the information carefully and contact Voiceworks Editor Joel Keith if you have any questions or concerns. Alrighty then, it’s time to submit!

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.

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 Ashleigh Barton!

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.

The Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers will close at 11:59PM AEST Sunday 12th October.

COMPETITION GUIDELINES

How to Enter

1. All entries must be received by 11.59PM AEST, Sunday 12th October 2025.
2. One entry may be submitted, per category, with a maximum of 2 entries across the 3 categories
3. 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
4. Submissions of fiction or nonfiction may be up to 3,000 words in length
5. Submissions of poetry may be up to 100 lines in length
6. Entries can include pieces written for readers of any age group
7. All entries must be typed and double-spaced
8. Submittable accounts must be created in the entrant’s own name and list the entrant's contact details.

Conditions of Entry

1. Entries must be original works, written entirely by the entrant, and must not infringe upon anyone else’s copyright or intellectual property rights
2. 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)
3. The name of the entrant should not be included anywhere on the submission; it should only be entered in the submission form
4. All members currently serving on the Express Media board; and/or all paid, permanent staff of Express Media, are ineligible to enter
5. Entries are only accepted from secondary school aged students (between the ages of 12 and 18 inclusive)
6. 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

1. The judges’ decision is final; no correspondence will be entered into about the judgements or the judging process
2. 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 is poetry? How do I write it? How do I get published?

Express Media, in partnership with Australian Poetry, is pleased to announce the 2025 return of 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 14 September 2025.
      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 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 2025 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 14 September 2025.
        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 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 2025 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 14 September 2025.

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.