FWG Monthly Newsletter March 2023

We can’t blame February for rushing by – it is the shortest month of the year, after all. But even so, we’re already here in March.

We’re well into furry award season now. The Ursa Major Awards are now open for voting. Please do take the few minutes to vote on these – they are the awards with the widest voting eligibility, so they are a great barometer for what is popular across the entire fandom.
Nominations for the Coyotl Awards are still open for FWG members until March 6th. Guild members, please make sure you’re submitting your nominations ahead of the voting period to come.
Nominations for the Leo Awards should now have closed. There is no voting for these awards. Instead, a judging panel will determine the winners of these categories.

Of course, the awards are not the only things of interest that happened during February.
In case you missed it, we announced a revamp of FWG membership profiles, encouraging all members to utilise their profiles better, to give links to works and to make it easier for readers to find out more information about the incredible talent our members have. This is in conjunction with a massive update to the Suggested Reading List. While this is still a work in progress, there has been plenty of responses already, and I’m really hopeful that these resources will prove much more beneficial in the future when we wish to highlight certain members.
If you are an FWG member but did not receive the email advising you of these changes, please get in contact with us through the guild email so that we can ensure you are not missed in this update.

The second announcement we had during February was the launch of our Patreon page. Through this, we hope to ensure the guild is able to cover its own costs, as well as taking on the costs of the Coyotl Awards, which have previously been taken on by the award chair. This could allow us to expand the impact of the awards, giving us more options in the future to make them bigger and better in all aspects.
We hope that our members will consider the Patreon page as a way to provide voluntary dues in the absence of any regular membership fees, and that readers can use it as a way to benefit furry writing as a whole. We are grateful for any support that is given, and in the future we will look to ways to reward that generosity with more tangible benefits.

March may not be quite so exciting in terms of announcements and updates, but behind the scenes we’re still working on a few more plans we hope to bring public before too long. And of course, the reading list and member profiles will continue to get updated over the next couple of weeks.

While you wait for all of that, why not check out some of the open submission calls?

Paw Anthology – Deadline May 1st
This Is Halloween – Deadline When Full
Furry Femdom Erotica – Deadline When Full
F/F No Erotic Anthology – Deadline When Full
Isekai Me! – Deadline When Full
Children Of The Night – Deadline When Full
Furry/Lovecraftian/Erotic/University Themed Anthology – Deadline When Full
Beyond Their Pale – Deadline When Full
Found Family – Deadline When Full
Heroes Rise Up – Deadline When Full
Punk’s Not Dead – Deadline When Full
Save The Corgis, Save The World – Deadline When Full
#ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing
Zooscape – Reoccurring submission windows.

We hope you’ll also check out the list of recent releases and upcoming books from our guild members.

Happy Howlidays, edited by Vincenzo Pasquarella. Released February 22nd 2023.

A Drop In The Motion (Paperback and Hardback), by Dwale. Released February 23rd 2023.

Rafts, by Utunu. Available for pre-order. Released March 16th 2023.

Don’t Ask Me If I’m Okay, by Jessica Kara (Jess E. Owen). Available for pre-order. Released May 16th 2023.

As always, if you have something to add to either of these lists, please let us know as there will always be something we miss!

Until next month, please keep up with our socials (Twitter isn’t dead yet!) and our chatrooms on Discord and Telegram for the latest updates and information. I hope you’ll also browse through the Reading List as it is updated.

Stay safe and happy writing!
J.F.R. Coates

February Updates – Membership Profiles, Recommended Reading, and Patreon

Hello everyone,

Jumping in here with a mid-month update, as promised at the start of February!

The FWG has two exciting updates to share with everyone.

Firstly, all our members should have received an email advising them of our intention to overhaul and update membership profiles and the recommended reading list. I feel like many members are not using their profiles to their full potential, which I would love to see changed. The Recommended Reading List is also outdated and difficult to navigate, so this will be fully updated and brought into a much better condition.
If you are a member and have not received this email, please get in contact with us so we can update your details and provide you with the necessary links.

In our second bit of news, the FWG now has a Patreon Page. You can find the page by clicking here.
We intend to use this Patreon to help fully fund the guild’s annual expenses, as well as fully covering the costs of running the Coyotl Awards. Any additional money that comes in beyond this will be used to further the reach of the guild and our members. We are happy to receive suggestions for what you would like to see should we reach these funding targets.

With these two important updates, we hope to steer the FWG in a direction that will help benefit its members, but also make it a crucial resource for readers who are wanting to support furry fiction.

Please keep checking back routinely to see the updates to the membership profiles and the reading list as they happen. This will not be an instantaneous process, but one that may take several weeks to complete.

Your support for the guild is most appreciated. We hope to repay this support by encouraging a thriving space for readers and writers alike.

Thank you, and happy writing.
J.F.R. Coates

FWG Monthly Newsletter February 2023

Welcome to February!
We’re a couple of days late because I wasn’t sure if we were going to be in a position to announce a couple of exciting things, but we still aren’t there yet, so I’ll just have to tease some announcements that should be coming in the next few months. Keep watching our social media channels and the blog here for updates as they happen! Guild members might also want to keep an eye on their emails, as there will be one coming from the FWG soon regarding some updates to member profiles.

But what can we announce?
Well, we can share that it is officially furry award season again! The Ursa Major Awards are currently open for nominations – click here before February 11th to get your nominations in!
The Leo Awards are also open for nominations all month – please check eligibility requirements to see if you are able to nominate works. The Leo Awards are also seeking judges. All information for the Leos can be found by clicking here.
The Coyotl Awards will also soon be opening for nominations. This will be announced through our Twitter feed, so if you aren’t following us there, please consider doing so to keep up to date with all of the latest news. The Coyotl Reading List is a good place to see what works are eligible this year across all three awards, so consider having a browse through to see what you have read. Voting for the Coyotl Awards will open next month.

Do you want to be considered for one of these awards next year? Check out the following open markets. Perhaps your story will get a nomination for the 2023 awards!

Reclamation Project: Year Two – Deadline March 1st
Paw Anthology – Deadline May 1st
This Is Halloween – Deadline When Full
Furry Femdom Erotica – Deadline When Full
F/F No Erotic Anthology – Deadline When Full
Isekai Me! – Deadline When Full
Children Of The Night – Deadline When Full
Furry/Lovecraftian/Erotic/University Themed Anthology – Deadline When Full
#ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing
Zooscape – Reoccurring submission windows.

Or perhaps you’re looking to read something that will be a contender for 2023. Check out the latest and upcoming releases from our members.

Human By Birth, Dragon By Blood, by Stephan Coghlan. Released January 24th 2023.

Happy Howlidays, edited by Vincenzo Pasquarella. Released February 22nd 2023.

Rafts, by Utunu. Available for pre-order. Released March 16th 2023.

Don’t Ask Me If I’m Okay, by Jessica Kara (Jess E. Owen). Available for pre-order. Released May 16th 2023.

Are you a member with a new or upcoming release? Please let us know so we can add it to our list!

Please keep an eye out through the month for some upcoming announcements. We hope it will excite writers and readers alike, and help to bring about a strong future for the guild.

Happy writing!
J.F.R. Coates

The FWG’s Stance on AI Generated Content

Given the rise of AI generated images and stories across online spaces, the Furry Writers Guild would like to clarify its position on the matter.

The Furry Writers Guild stands for art created by real people, and therefore AI generated images or stories are not permitted in any guild space. This includes discussion on how to operate the algorithms. This rule has been in place in the Telegram and Discord chats since December 2022, but will now be enshrined in the Code of Conduct.

In addition to this, we will be updating the Membership Requirements to ensure that AI generated content is not used as evidence of publication history.
As such, stories generated or produced through any AI generator, algorithm, or program are not permissible for use in gaining membership status within the FWG.

Finally, the FWG will not actively promote any author, publication, or publisher that routinely uses AI generated images or stories. These authors and publications will not be promoted on social media, nor will they receive focus calls in guild chats. It will be at the discretion of the FWG staff whether such authors and publications appear on the Anthology Markets or other relevant lists.

All staff of the Furry Writers Guild would like to reaffirm their commitment to furthering the reach of furry fiction. We hope that the clarification of these rules and expectations help to reassure authors who are wary about the spread of AI generated fiction. It has no place within guild spaces, and we will be standing united with visual artists to ensure that furry art of all forms will remain created by real people.

Thank you for understanding and upholding these rules within guild spaces.
J.F.R. Coates

FWG Monthly Newsletter January 2023

We’re here already, into another year!
From everyone at the Furry Writers Guild, we wish you all the very best 2023 can bring. We hope your goals for the year are achievable, and that you can make good progress towards them. And, never forget, that a goal can simply be to continue as you are now. Don’t feel the pressure to set a lofty target just to seem like you’re setting something. Be realistic with everything, and that includes your mental wellbeing!

This won’t be a very in-depth newsletter, as I’m writing it a few weeks early because I’ll be in the UK until mid January, but we do have one very important piece of news to share!
As of late 2022, the Furry Writers Guild is now officially a non-profit organisation!
This has the potential to open up a lot of exciting new avenues for the guild in terms of fundraising and helping to develop the furry writing community. The trial run of the furry book month novel bundle was just the first part of this, and you can expect to see so much more coming in the next few months. If all goes well, you should see the first of this by the next newsletter in February!
In many ways, my 18 or so months as president of the guild feels like it has been waiting for this moment. I am so excited to bring my plans to fruition, and I hope you all will be as well!

Until those exciting times come forward, it’s time to check out the current anthology calls that are open. This includes a new one from FurPlanet, so please do check them out to see if the calls take your fancy.

Reclamation Project: Year Two – Deadline March 1st
This Is Halloween – Deadline When Full
Furry Femdom Erotica – Deadline When Full
F/F No Erotic Anthology – Deadline When Full
Isekai Me! – Deadline When Full
Children Of The Night – Deadline When Full
Furry/Lovecraftian/Erotic/University Themed Anthology – Deadline When Full
#ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing
Zooscape – Reoccurring submission windows.

There are also a number of books recently released or coming soon from our members. Please consider bringing in the new year with some fantastic fiction from our community.

The Way To The Lonely Valley, by Frank LeRenard. Released November 2nd.

Return From Divalia, by Kyell Gold. Released December 1st.

When The World Was Young, edited by Madison Scott-Clary. Featuring stories from multiple FWG members. Released December 1st.

Winter of Wonder: Fauna. Featuring stories by R.A. Meenan and J.F.R. Coates. Released December 21st.

Human By Birth, Dragon By Blood, by Stephan Coghlan. Released January 24th 2023.

Don’t Ask Me If I’m Okay, by Jessica Kara (Jess E. Owen). Available for pre-order. Released May 16th 2023.

May the start of 2023 be the beginning of an exciting time for you all. I know it certainly is for the Furry Writers Guild.

Stay safe, and happy writing.
J.F.R. Coates

FWG Monthly Newsletter December 2022

What do you mean, it’s December already?

Welcome to the final month of 2022! From everyone here at the Furry Writers Guild, we hope your year has been safe, productive, and enjoyable. May the holiday season bring positivity to you all.

For some of us, early December means MFF. If you’re there, keep reading this blog to find out where you can find the best books, and then go and have fun! For everyone else, enjoy the weekend and look forward to the holiday period at the end of the month. Hopefully those yearly writing targets are looking achievable.

Of course, for those of you at MFF, we hope you have a fantastic time, and be sure to check out the Dealer’s Den. There are plenty of vendors who will be selling books.
Guild members and affiliate publishers with a presence at MFF include:

Fenris Publishing – Fenris Publishing carries a wide variety of novels, comics, art books, anthologies, tabletop games, and tabletop RPG accessories (dice sets, trays, bags, etc.). We carry products from Fenris Publishing, Bewere Books, Rabbit Valley Comics, Sofawolf Press, Goal Publications, Easy Roller Dice, and a variety of independent and self-published creators. Table M 9-11

FurPlanet Productions – FurPlanet Productions publishes a wide variety of novels, anthologies, comics, and art collections created by the best authors and artists in the fandom. Our catalog includes works by artdecade, Cheetahpaws, Demicoeur, Fluff Kevlar, Kadath, Kaylii, Kyell Gold, Mary E. Lowd, Rechan, Rukis, Scappo, Tsampikos, Ursula Vernon, and more. We also distribute works from a variety of other publishers. Table A 3-6

Gre7g & Kyoht – Furry science fiction, prints, stickers, original sketches, stickers, and bandanas. Table D8

NightEyes DaySpring – I sell books I have self-published and also have swag related to them. I also carry an anthology I co-edited for FurPlanet. (Come here for When The World Was Young). Table G20

Don’t forget there are also writing panels all through the weekend! There are too many to list here, but visit the schedule by clicking here!

For those of us not at MFF, we might as well get stuck into writing! Fortunately, there are a few open anthology calls that might whet the appetite. Why not give some of these a shot?

Dragonesque – Deadline December 31st
Reclamation Project: Year Two – Deadline March 1st
This Is Halloween – Deadline When Full
Furry Femdom Erotica – Deadline When Full
F/F No Erotic Anthology – Deadline When Full
Isekai Me! – Deadline When Full
Children Of The Night – Deadline When Full
Furry/Lovecraftian/Erotic/University Themed Anthology – Deadline When Full
#ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing
Zooscape – Temporarily closed for submissions. Reoccurring submission windows. Re-opening December 15th

If the writing bug isn’t biting you during this festive period, then cast your eyes instead to some of the new and upcoming releases from our members. Some of these can be purchases at MFF, with others available for pre-order throughout the month.
We hope you’ll continue to support our authors by helping to share these works, and to give them a rating or review if you’ve picked them up.

The Way To The Lonely Valley, by Frank LeRenard. Released November 2nd.

Return From Divalia, by Kyell Gold. Released December 1st.

When The World Was Young, edited by Madison Scott-Clary. Featuring stories from multiple FWG members. Released December 1st.

Winter of Wonder: Fauna. Featuring stories by R.A. Meenan and J.F.R. Coates. Available for pre-order. Released December 21st.

Don’t Ask Me If I’m Okay, by Jessica Kara (Jess E. Owen). Available for pre-order. Released May 16th 2023.

2022 is almost over. Hopefully the year has been kind – or at least, kinder than some recent years have been. If you’ve achieved your writing targets for the year, then congratulations! It’s tough work to make that happen at the moment, so take the time to feel that achievement.
It’s also the time to start looking forward to what 2023 can bring. What goals will you set for next year? What targets to aim for?
It’s never too early to set those resolutions and give yourself a little headstart.

From me and everyone at the Furry Writers Guild, happy holidays.
We’ll see you again in 2023!
J.F.R. Coates

FWG Monthly Newsletter: November 2022

Another month down, and we make it through to November already! I hope everyone found a great new furry book to enjoy during Furry Book Month, either through our novel bundle (which might still be up for a few hours before I take it down after work, so get in quick if it is!), or through the content we shared over the month.

We also saw Oxfurred Comma a couple of weeks ago. For two days, we shared plenty of writing advice and information across a wide variety of topics. Every panel is available for viewing on our Twitch channel, so if there’s anything you missed, or something you want to watch again, it’s all there for you!

For the first time, the Furry Writers Guild ran a novel bundle, with 9 books provided by guild members for purchase. The proceeds from this bundle will be shared amongst the authors, with the guild also taking a cut for fundraising. This bundle appeared to go well, with plenty of sales at the $10 minimum price – and above! Thank you to everyone who purchased the bundle – I hope you enjoy all nine of your new books!

Of course, we want every year to be better than the last. If there is something you want to see from Furry Book Month or Oxfurred Comma, we would be very happy to hear it. This can include ideas for theming with any future book bundles, as we are certainly interested in running more in the future. The Furry Writers Guild is here to improve the reach and voice for furry writers – please let us know how we can improve this!

Before going into the usual market updates, we have a new publisher to highlight. Blackwarren Books is a new furry-friendly publisher with a strong focus on LGBTQ+ characters and authors. They are currently open for novel submissions, and will be included on our Furry Markets Page going forward. Please check them out if you have anything ready to submit.

The short story market has not changed much in the past month, but there is one deadline fast approaching! Check out the open calls here:

Empire of Beasts – Deadline December 1st
This Is Halloween – Deadline When Full
Furry Femdom Erotica – Deadline When Full
F/F No Erotic Anthology – Deadline When Full
Isekai Me! – Deadline When Full
Children Of The Night – Deadline When Full
Furry/Lovecraftian/Erotic/University Themed Anthology – Deadline When Full
#ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing
Zooscape – Temporarily closed for submissions. Reoccurring submission windows. Re-opening December 15th

Several of our members also have new works released recently or coming soon. Please consider supporting them by purchasing, sharing, and recommending the following titles! Some of these might make excellent Christmas presents, after all.

Tales of Feathers And Flames, edited by K. Vale Nagle. Featuring short stories from multiple FWG members. Released October 7th.

Shapers of Worlds: Volume III, edited by Edward Willett. Featuring a short story from FWG member Jess E. Owen. Released October 12th.

Mage, by R.A. Meenan. Released October 31st.

The Way To The Lonely Valley, by Frank LeRenard. Released November 2nd.

When The World Was Young, edited by Madison Scott-Clary. Featuring stories from multiple FWG members. Released December 1st.

Don’t Ask Me If I’m Okay, by Jessica Kara (Jess E. Owen). Released May 16th 2023.

Thank you once again to those who participated in Furry Book Month and Oxfurred Comma. We hope you enjoyed the month.
Please send in any suggestions for what you’d like to see in the future.

Happy reading and happy writing!
Stay safe!

J.F.R. Coates

Oxfurred Comma 2022 Schedule

The time is almost upon us!

Join us live on Twitch this weekend for Oxfurred Comma 2022, where we have plenty of panels on a wide variety of writing topics to interest you all.
The majority of these panels will be done live, so participation and questions from the audience are certainly encouraged.
All times listed are in PDT.

Saturday 22nd
11am: Kill Your Darlings, Not Your Sanity: Editing Without Self Hate – Rugger
12pm: Planning A Story, Outlining, and Submitting To Theme – Frances Pauli, Ian Keller, and Mary E. Lowd
1pm: Writing Workshop – Madison Scott Clary
2pm: How To Write About Sex Without Writing About Sex – Rob MacWolf
3pm: Writing A Series – Kyell Gold and Rukis
3.30pm: Writing and Mental Health – Madison Scott Clary
4.30pm: Worldbuilding – J.F.R. Coates

Sunday 23rd
11pm: How To Give And Use Constructive Criticism – R.A. Meenan
12pm: New Writing Projects, Motivation, and Staying Organised – Malcolm F. Cross
1pm: Writing Workshop – Madison Scott Clary
2pm: Inspiration and Writers Block – Kate Shaw
3pm: Fantasy Fiction – NightEyes DaySpring
4pm: Braiding Plot Threads – Madison Scott Clary

Join us a little earlier each day for our introduction. There will also be an announcement for the winner of the Flash Fiction Contest at the close of Sunday.
All panels will be streamed live on Twitch, and will be saved for viewing at a later date.

We hope to see you all there, to have fun and to learn plenty about furry writing!

See you then.
Happy writing.
J.F.R. Coates

FWG Monthly Newsletter – October 2022

Furry Book Month is here at last! We think all months should celebrate furry fiction, but this is the month set aside to truly show our appreciation. Oxfurred Comma is coming later on this month, and we’ll have some information on that to come, but first let’s get our teeth sunk into what we have coming throughout the month.

Our wonderful community would be much lesser without the publishers who help bring our writing to an audience. Every Furry Book Month, we often see sales and discounts from them. Over the month, we will be updating this page with any specials to help put more books into your hands.

FurPlanet are currently discounting all remaining Goal Publications stock to just $5.
This is while stocks last, so get it quick before it’s all gone!

The Furry Writers’ Guild is trying something new this year – we have put together our first ever Furry Book Bundle! The book bundle includes nine novels from our members, and acts as a great introduction in reading furry novels. All proceeds from this bundle will be shared amongst the authors, with the FWG taking a share to help fund any future endeavours we’re looking towards.

You can find the Book Bundle on Gumroad, and is available for a minimum purchase of $10 – that’s just over $1 per book! A great way to support furry writers! The link to the bundle is here: https://furrywritersguild.gumroad.com/l/FurryBookMonthBundle
Included in the bundle is: John Bailey, J.F.R. Coates, Royce Day, Renee Carter Hall, Gre7g Luterman, R.A. Meenan, Michael H. Payne, Madison Scott-Clary, and James L. Steele.

Should this bundle go well, then you can expect to see further deals in the future! But get in quick, this bundle is only for Furry Book Month!

Later this month, we also have Oxfurred Comma returning. This will be the third iteration of everyone’s favourite online furry writing convention! And if you want to be a part of the fun, then there’s still a chance! If you have a panel you want to share, then please get in contact with us soon to confirm your participation. Panels can be pre-recorded or run live.

And we can’t speak of Oxfurred Comma without also mentioning the Flash Fiction Contest! That’s right, it’s back for another year!
Entries for the flash fiction contest are open to everyone, and should be a maximum of 500 words. There is no theme, but the entries must be furry in some way. The stories must not be erotic, as a PG-13 rating is preferred. All entries should be sent to the Furry Writers Guild email address, with Flash Fiction included in the subject. Entries are to be submitted by October 16th.
The winner of the contest will receive a prize of $25.

There will be more details about Oxfurred Comma over the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye on our Twitter feed for more information!

As always, we have open markets for submissions, and our new and upcoming releases, so please check them out and help support our writing community – especially this month!

Empire of Beasts – Deadline December 1st
This Is Halloween – Deadline When Full
Furry Femdom Erotica – Deadline When Full
Isekai Me! – Deadline When Full
Children Of The Night – Deadline When Full
Furry/Lovecraftian/Erotic/University Themed Anthology – Deadline When Full
#ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing
Zooscape – Temporarily closed for submissions. Reoccurring submission windows.

Please also consider checking out some of the new and upcoming releases from our members.


Tales of Feathers And Flames, edited by K. Vale Nagle. Featuring short stories from multiple FWG members. Released October 7th.

Shapers of Worlds: Volume III, edited by Edward Willett. Featuring a short story from FWG member Jess E. Owen. Released Fall 2022.

The Way To The Lonely Valley, by Frank LeRenard. Available for pre-order. Released soon.

When The World Was Young, edited by Madison Scott-Clary. Featuring stories from multiple FWG members. Released December 1st.

Furry Book Month is a great celebration of the best writing our community can produce. We hope that you’ll get involved wherever you can – reading, purchasing, reviewing, recommending, and, of course, writing!

Join us for Oxfurred Comma, and enjoy the writing we share.
Happy reading!
J.F.R. Coates

Furry Book Month Novel Pack – Call For Submissions

Hi everyone!

I’m delighted to announce that for Furry Book Month we intend to have a story bundle available for purchase – the first that the FWG has produced. If this goes well, it will hopefully be the first of more to come.

To populate this novel bundle, we are accepting submissions to be included for the next two weeks – until September 25th.
To qualify, the story and author must fulfil a few criteria.

The author must be a member of the Furry Writers Guild.
The story must be self-published.
The story must be a novel.
The story must be a stand-alone or first in a series (no sequels).
The story must be furry.
The story must be for general audience (no erotica this time).

In the future, should we run more story bundles, we will look into what we can do in conjunction with our wonderful furry publishers to include works published by them. Authors who retain the rights to their published novels as ebooks may submit. We can also look into erotica stories being included, but for the first to test the waters we wanted to keep the potential audience as wide as possible.

All contributing authors will receive an equal share of the proceeds from this story bundle, in addition to a share going towards the Furry Writers Guild. Depending on numbers received, we may need to curate the total list, as we are aiming for approximately 10 novels in the bundle.

Please send all submissions to the Furry Writers Guild email address, or directly to myself through Telegram or Discord.

I look forward to seeing your entries come in!
J.F.R. Coates