How did January pass so quickly and yet last for 87 agonizing days? I meant to post about the Cóyotl Awards a few weeks ago but it completely slipped my mind.

If you’re a guild member with qualifying work published in 2024, or if you’re a guild member who read a qualifying work published in 2024 and want to make sure everyone else reads it, we’re compiling a recommended reading list before we open for nominations. I haven’t set up a submission form, so the best way to suggest work is to email us or use the promote work form linked in the sidebar to the right. Please make sure to indicate that you’re recommending works for the Cóyotls! Recommendations will be compiled in a new post at https://coyotlawards.com/ so you can find works you missed during the year.

Official Cóyotl Award nominations will start on March 1 and voting will start around April 1 (or as soon after that as we can get the nominations verified and organized into a ballot). This is a reminder that we are seeking a guild member who would like to take over the vacant Cóyotl Award Chair position. Guild officer elections will also occur in April.

If you’re having a hard time lately, remember that honing your craft as a writer is a valid and healthy way to cope with world events. No one can write the way you do. Your art is unique, just like you are, and it’s important to the world. You are important to the world! Anyone who implies otherwise has no soul.

Here are the current open markets for your short stories:
Spirit of the Wolf – Deadline March 31st 2025
The Second Hayven Celestia Anthology – Deadline July 15, 2025
Indecent Exposure – Deadline When Full
This Is Halloween – Deadline When Full
Children Of The Night – Deadline When Full
Furry/Lovecraftian/Erotic/University Themed Anthology – Deadline When Full
Plott Hound Magazine will be opening for short story submissions on March 1, 2025

Please also check out the latest book releases from our members:

Legend of Ahya: Broken Empires, by Matthew Colvath. Released October 2nd 2024.
Space Dragons: Luxorian’s Crew, by Veo Corva. Released November 12th 2024.
Catfish and Other Stories, by K.C. Shaw. Released November 30th 2024.
Wolf Tech 3: The Alphas, by Adam Webster. Released December 10th 2024.

Happy writing!

Kate Shaw

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season whatever you celebrate, and if you don’t celebrate anything, I hope you got a few days off work where you could rest and recharge.

Maybe it’s just me, but I feel fiercely hopeful for 2025. We’re heading for a lot of change, but as we all know, transformations can be difficult but ultimately positive. We just have to stay strong, stick together, and protect the most vulnerable among us.

The guild has dropped Twitter/X completely, since that platform no longer feels appropriate for the furry writing community. While our Telegram and Discord are most active, we have moved to Bluesky and it seems like a pretty good place at the moment. If you’re a guild member who has also joined Bluesky, and the guild account hasn’t followed you back, feel free to drop an email or message to let us know your handle. This is also a good time to update your contact information if your email has changed or if there’s anything else we should update in the guild membership records. Don’t forget to update your available works too! There’s a link to the right that you can fill out.

I used to never set new year resolutions (except one in 2011 that I still keep, to floss my teeth every day. Yay healthy teeth and gums!), but these days I like the idea that the new year is a reset button. If I decide to make a change in my life that others will notice–the way I dress, my hairstyle, pronouns used, etc.–people are more likely to accept this change as normal right after the new year. Sometimes the hardest part of being one’s true self is worrying about what others will think. That’s truer today than it has been in my entire lifetime, unfortunately.

So, what are some of your resolutions for 2025? I have plans to change jobs later this year and move to another state to go back to school in fall, which has me really excited (and scared)! Along the way I want to finish the three writing projects I’ve been working on, including the novella I started in October.

As for guild stuff, we have lots coming up! We still don’t have the firm publication date for the Blood & Water anthology, except that it should be verrrrry soon, but we definitely have the Cóyotl Awards coming up! Later this month I’ll post the dates for nominations and voting, along with the link for the pre-nomination phase: the recommended reading list! That’s specifically for 2024 works that are eligible, and it’s a great way to find works that you missed last year.

We also have guild elections coming up in April, but if you’ve been considering stepping up to an officer position, we can really use your help sooner than that. Three officer positions are currently vacant: vice president, treasurer, and Cóyotl Awards Chair. I am acting president but would really like to step down to treasurer instead. While I’m pretty good at the back-end details of updating the website and so forth, I don’t feel I’m the right person to lead the guild. We need someone with vision and enthusiasm who can devote time to the position and not (as a totally random example) neglect social media to sew fursuits to fund her upcoming move and tuition.

Whatever your writing goals for the new year, the Furry Writers’ Guild will be there to support you!

Check out the Kickstarter campaign for a new pro-paying furry/furry-adjacent story market, Plott Hound Magazine!

Here are the current open markets for your short stories:
Spirit of the Wolf – Deadline March 31st 2025
The Second Hayven Celestia Anthology – Deadline July 15, 2025
Indecent Exposure – Deadline When Full
This Is Halloween – Deadline When Full
Children Of The Night – Deadline When Full
Furry/Lovecraftian/Erotic/University Themed Anthology – Deadline When Full

Please also check out the latest book releases from our members:

Shadow Sun, by Jess E. Owen. Released August 30th, 2024.
Legend of Ahya: Broken Empires, by Matthew Colvath. Released October 2nd 2024.
Space Dragons: Luxorian’s Crew, by Veo Corva. Released November 12th 2024.
Catfish and Other Stories, by K.C. Shaw. Released November 30th 2024.
Wolf Tech 3: The Alphas, by Adam Webster. Released December 10th 2024.

Happy writing!

Kate Shaw

Well, here we are. It’s September, the start of a new season and a new chapter in FWG’s history as our previous long-serving president, JFR (Jaye) Coates has stepped down and I am officially the new president. My name is Kate Shaw (writing usually as K.C. Shaw), and I’ve been in the background as vice president for several years now. I don’t post much so you might not know me, but I love everything the guild stands for and I’m proud to have helped Jaye bring so many important changes about since 2021. I hope I can continue her stellar work going forward.

Jaye will still be around, of course, as a guild member, moderator on various platforms, and editor of the forthcoming Tales from the Guild: Blood and Water anthology. We’ll miss her as president, but we’re all excited to see her writing and publishing adventures continue.

That said, we are now down several guild officers. If you’ve ever considered helping out, we currently need a treasurer and vice president. Feel free to contact me or any other guild officer if you’d like to step up, although we will also be holding officer elections as usual in April of 2025.

I’m delighted that my first “official” act as president is to congratulate guild member Edi Álvarez for doing so well in the International Latino Book Awards! His novel Virtus Draconis was a finalist for Best Fantasy Novel and won honorable mention for Best First Book. It’s available in both Spanish and English editions. His book Como una Fiera also won honorable mention for Most Inspirational Young Adult Book. Congratulations!

Here are the current open markets for your short stories:
Paw Anthology: Volume 2 – Deadline November 21st 2024
Spirit of the Wolf – Deadline March 31st 2025
Indecent Exposure – Deadline When Full
This Is Halloween – 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

Please also check out the latest releases from our members.
Squeak Thief, by Kyell Gold. Released July 2024.
The Heavens Within Our Grasp, edited by Maddison Scott-Clary, featuring stories by multiple FWG Members. Released July 1st 2024.
Far Flung, by Utunu. Released July 3rd 2024.
The Eternal Party, by DarkEnd. Released July 4th 2024.
Therianthropic Dreams, by NightEyes DaySpring. Released July 15th 2024.
Return of the Queen, by Shaun M. McGrath. Released July 31st.
Shadow Sun, by Jess E. Owen. Available for pre-orders. Released August 30th
Legend of Ahya: Broken Empires, by Matthew Colvath. Available for pre-orders. Released October 2nd 2024.

Many thanks to Jaye for her hard work over the years. I’ll do my best to ensure a seamless transition.

Kate Shaw

Ever since I stepped up to president in 2021, I have been proud to lead the Furry Writers Guild. It has been an absolute joy to see the talent and passion amongst the writing community.

Sadly, all things must come to an end. I have decided to step down as president of the guild effective immediately.

I have not achieved all I wanted for the guild, but I truly believe I have left it in a better place than I began. Every president has left their mark in expanding and evolving the guild, and I am happy with what I achieved. I have simply come to realise that I no longer have the time and energy to devote to running the guild in the way that it deserves.

For that reason, I will be stepping down. My VP K.C. Shaw will be stepping up to fulfil the rest of the current term, with a decision to be made in April next year to continue or to initiate an election. Over the next few days and weeks, I will be assisting Kate to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.

You will still be able to find me around the Telegram and Discord as always – I’ll be sticking around to help moderate the chats, though our wonderful members always make it so easy by never having any drama to police!

It has been an honour and privilege leading the guild these past three and a bit years. Thank you everyone for entrusting me with the presidency.

But! This is still a blog post, and that means there are markets to share! Check these out if you have a short story within you.
F/F Non Erotic Anthology – Deadline August 31st 2024
Isekai Me! – Deadline August 31st 2024
Paw Anthology: Volume 2 – Deadline November 21st 2024
Spirit of the Wolf – Deadline March 31st 2025
Indecent Exposure – Deadline When Full
This Is Halloween – 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

Please also check out the latest releases from our members.
Squeak Thief, by Kyell Gold. Released July 2024.
The Heavens Within Our Grasp, edited by Maddison Scott-Clary, featuring stories by multiple FWG Members. Released July 1st 2024.
Far Flung, by Utunu. Released July 3rd 2024.
The Eternal Party, by DarkEnd. Released July 4th 2024.
Therianthropic Dreams, by NightEyes DaySpring. Released July 15th 2024.
Return of the Queen, by Shaun M. McGrath. Released July 31st.
Shadow Sun, by Jess E. Owen. Available for pre-orders. Released August 30th
Legend of Ahya: Broken Empires, by Matthew Colvath. Available for pre-orders. Released October 2nd 2024.

There might be one more monthly blog from me, depending on how the transition goes with Kate. If there is, I will see you then.

If not, I leave you in the very capable hands of Kate.

Thank you everyone.
Stay safe and happy writing.
J.F.R. Coates