The Practicing Writer 2.0: October 2024
The Practicing Writer 2.0: October 2024
Featuring 60+ fee-free, paying/funded opportunities. Serving writers of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction for more than 20 years.
Welcome, new readers, and welcome back to the regulars.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Editor’s Note
Success Stories
Featured Resource
Contests, Competitions, and Other Opportunities (NO FEES TO ENTER/APPLY; PAYING/FUNDED OPPORTUNITIES ONLY; NOTHING THAT’S LIMITED TO WRITERS IN A SINGLE CITY/STATE/PROVINCE)
Submission Alerts (NO SUBMISSION/READING FEES; PAYING CALLS ONLY; NOTHING THAT’S LIMITED TO WRITERS IN A SINGLE CITY/STATE/PROVINCE)
Blog Notes
Newsletter Matters
1. EDITOR’S NOTE
Greetings, practicing writers:
I want to keep these prefatory comments brief, in part because, once again, there’s a lot to get to in this issue. (For starters, just look at all of those success stories in the next section!)
And frankly, I’ll be brief because the imminent one-year mark of Hamas’s attacks on Israel beginning the morning of October 7, 2023—combined with the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which are also coming up on the calendar very soon—leaves me feeling somewhat…quiet.
And yet, as expressed in my latest published piece, a found poem that was featured recently on the Jewish Book Council’s website, “Words Are All That I Have.”
Over the past year, I’ve found comfort and community in a number of places where words matter, including within a new nonprofit organization, The Artists Against Antisemitism (TAAA). In fact, I’m now serving on TAAA’s board. I invite you all to learn more about TAAA through our newly re-launched website. (Per the FAQ: “Our extended community is for everyone: artists, creators, curators, and supporters from all disciplines—Jewish and non-Jewish, around the world.”)1
I’m hoping, and praying, for a much better, more peaceful year to come, for everyone.
With all best wishes for all of you and your writing practices,
ERIKA
P.S. I am grateful when you share this newsletter, in its entirety, with your networks. But if you choose to share only certain listings, please respect my work of research and curation and credit your source—ideally, with a link back to this newsletter. Thank you so much.
2. SUCCESS STORIES
From Nechama Birnbaum:
Erika, you posted an opportunity to apply for the PJ Library-Highlights Foundation Picture-Book Summer Camp. Not thinking I would get in, I sent in my work. To my surprise, I got the scholarship. I just came back from an incredible, magical, four- day writing retreat. I met my community and learned so much. I would have not known about it if not for you, so THANK YOU!
From Hope Jordan:
Erika, thanks so much for all you do. I am thrilled to share that in the past few months, I’ve published poetry in trampset and Cutleaf and have a short story forthcoming in Orca — all markets found via your newsletter! Keep up the great work.
From :
Erika, because of you, I found “Photo Finish” from Iron Horse Literary Review and have been chosen for publication. Thank you so much for your newsletter. (ED note: Expect this year’s “Photo Finish” to be available at the end of December.)
From :
For 20 years I’ve been writing poems, stories, and memoirs and then putting them aside. During a minor home renovation I kept finding piles of them in the weirdest places! If it were not for your information about Jewish publications [“Rachmones on the Job”] would not have been submitted [to
]. So thank you again for your hard work.
From Connie Corzilius:
Grateful and happy to report that my story “An Out” has been published in Jewish Fiction, which I heard about from your list of opportunities. Thanks so much!
Reminder: Please share news from your writing practice that may be connected with this newsletter, or my blogs/other resources. I love to celebrate and amplify in this space!
3. FEATURED RESOURCES
With the aforementioned one-year mark coming up, I am going to re-up two documents that I began curating shortly in the weeks following October 7.
Among the many items included in the former document is
’s , which also dates back to last fall.Given recent/ongoing developments, I’m going to highlight here a specific (and very recent) post from this diary, an “explainer on the campaign in Lebanon, on a possible ceasefire and on what the future may bring.”
The post was published last Friday. Obviously, the situation has not remained frozen since then. But what’s written in that post still warrants attention.2
Again, may the day come soon when there is no longer a need for any of us to be writing about any of this.
4. CONTESTS, COMPETITIONS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
FURIOUS GAZELLE HALLOWEEN WRITING CONTEST
Deadline: October 6. For “Halloween-themed poetry, fiction, short plays, and creative non-fiction.” Prizes: “The first-place winner will receive $50. Runners-up will receive publication and a $5 honorarium.” Note: “We’ll consider previously published work as long as you retain publication rights, but please include a note about publication history.”NEIL PEIRCE FOUNDATION JOURNALISM TRAVEL GRANTS
Deadline: October 7. “We support journalists in covering under-told stories about ways to make cities and their metro regions work better for all their people. Our travel grants of up to $1,500 enable journalists to travel to cities within the U.S. to produce one or more stories for publication. The awards, selected through a competitive review process, cover travel expenses necessary for on-the-ground reporting….We invite full-time freelancers as well as journalists currently employed by a news organization to apply.”ADINA TALVE-GOODMAN FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: October 9. “Honoring the memory of author and former One Story Managing Editor Adina Talve-Goodman, this educational fellowship offers a year-long mentorship on the craft of fiction writing with One Story magazine. Our hope is to give a writer outside of the fold a significant boost in their career.” Fellowship package includes a stipend ($2,000) and free admission to One Story’s week-long summer writers’ conference, which includes craft lectures, an intensive fiction workshop, and panels with literary agents and publishers; a full manuscript review and consultation with One Story Executive Editor Hannah Tinti (story collection or novel in progress up to 150 pages/35,000 words); other benefits. Eligibility: “This fellowship calls for an early-career writer of fiction who has not yet published a book and is not currently nor has ever been enrolled in an advanced degree program (such as an MA or MFA) in Creative Writing, English, or Literature, and has no plans to attend one in the 2025 calendar year. We are seeking writers whose work speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference.”GREEN BOX ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
Deadline: October 11. This residency program in Colorado “offers artists of national and international stature, from diverse disciplines, and at any stage in their career the opportunity to create new works while living in and engaging with the community of Green Mountain Falls.” 2025 residency opportunities for writers include an “Open Project” program and a special Arts Journalism program. “Artists should note that a vehicle is necessary for living in Green Mountain Falls; they may choose to rent or bring their own. Private housing will be provided at The Shed, Green Box’s dedicated Artist housing.” Resident artists also receive stipends ($9,000 for an individual residency).LATINO VOICES IN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE WRITING CONTEST
Deadline: October 14. Sponsored by Con Todo Press and Free Spirit Publishing, “the contest is open to Latino authors who are at least 18 years of age or older and residing anywhere in the United States. The contest’s mission is to elevate authentic, culturally relevant children’s stories written by and about Latino people. Every entry is considered for publication and three cash prizes will be awarded.” (Hat tip: Funds for Writers.)ART OMI: WRITERS RESIDENCY
Deadline: October 15. This program “hosts authors and translators from around the world for residencies throughout the spring and fall….Guests may select a residency of one week to two months; about ten writers at a time gather to live and work in a rural setting overlooking the Catskill Mountains.” NB: Residencies are “fully funded with accommodations, food, local transport and public programming provided.” Travel funds are not provided.CAVE CANEM RETREAT
Deadline: October 15. “Cave Canem supports the work of Black poets through a suite of core programs, namely an annual retreat consisting of intensive poetry workshops and readings, hosted at the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg. The retreat offers an unparalleled opportunity for Cave Canem Fellows to study with esteemed faculty, and to join an expansive community of peers. Fellows write from a range of poetic traditions: blues; confessional; experimental; dramatic; lyric; narrative; performance; political; etc….Due to our generous community of institutional funders and individual donors, there is no submission fee for the Fellowship application and the retreat is free to all Fellows.” NB: “Applicants must confirm that they will be 21 years or older at the time of the 2025 Cave Canem Retreat, which will take place June 8-15, 2025.”CHÂTEAU DE LAVIGNY WRITERS AND LITERARY TRANSLATORS’ RESIDENCIES
Deadline: October 15. Read materials carefully for this Swiss-based residency program; although all residency categories include lodging in the château, not all confer stipends.AMY LOWELL POETRY TRAVELLING SCHOLARSHIP
Deadline: October 15. “The American poet Amy Lowell died in 1925. Her will established an annual scholarship to support travel abroad for gifted American-born poets.” Note that “the 2025-2026 Scholarship award will be approximately $74,000, adjusted for inflation. If there are two winners, each will receive the full amount.”ANISFIELD-WOLF BOOK AWARDS
Deadline: October 16 (received; hat tip to WOW! Women on Writing Markets Newsletter for making me aware of this year’s deadline, which seems significantly earlier than I remember). For “outstanding works that contribute to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of cultural diversity. Awards are given for fiction, poetry, memoir and autobiography, and general nonfiction.” “Books must be written in English and published and copyrighted in 2024 to be eligible for the 2025 prize.” “Award recipients traditionally receive $10,000 from the Anisfield-Wolf fund. Attendance at the ceremony is a condition of accepting the award.”THE AL PURDY A-FRAME RESIDENCY
Deadline: October 18. Sited at the former residence of Al Purdy and his wife Eurithe, “who had set aside $1,200 from CBC radio plays Al had written in Montreal” to build it. “Writers who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents may apply for a term of two to twelve weeks. The residency will be open to all writers, and the organization is committed to inclusivity and diversity; preference will be given to poetry and poetry projects.” Residency awards confer stipends of $750/week. The current application cycle is for residencies to take place July 2025-June 2026.MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL POETRY PRIZE
Deadline: October 23. (Free submissions for the first entry; subsequent entries require a fee.) “This year, the competition will have an ecopoetry and place theme.” Confers cash prizes (£200/£50/£25). NB: “Entrants can be of any or no faith. No previous experience of creative writing or poetry required. All are welcome.”EYE CONTACT AWARD IN GENRE FLASH FICTION
Deadline: October 25. Sponsored by Seton Hill University and its MFA program in Writing Popular Fiction. “Eye Contact is a college literary magazine. But don’t let the term ‘literary’ turn you off — we also love to publish genre fiction and poetry! Stories of escape and adventure and love and fear and wonder. The kind of thing you love in Hollywood movies and prime-time TV shows and bestselling books. Only in a short, condensed format, readable in five minutes or less. And we want more of it. Thus, in 2022 we launched the Eye Contact Award in Genre Flash Fiction! Now, every term a new genre will be randomly paired with the magazine’s special theme (if any) for its upcoming issue, and the staff will select the best genre story 1000 words or less in length.” The current theme is “Innocence”; the current genre is “Romance.” Confers cash prize “or gift card equivalent” of $250. “Open to all writers.” (Hat tip: WOW! Women on Writing Markets Newsletter.)MARFIELD PRIZE
Deadline: October 27 (received). Administered by the Arts Club of Washington, this $10,000 prize “recognizes the author of an outstanding nonfiction book about the visual, literary, media, or performing arts.” The competition seeks “art history and criticism, biographies and memoirs, and essays.” Book must be a first edition nonfiction title written in English for a general audience by a living author and published first in the United States during the 2024 calendar year.THE AUTHORS WITH DISABILITIES AND CHRONIC ILLNESSES (ADCI) LITERARY PRIZE
Deadline: October 31. From the Society of Authors. This prize “seeks to encourage greater positive representation of disability in literature….Open to authors with a disability and/or chronic illness, the prize will call for entries of novels which include a disabled or chronically ill character or characters. The ADCI Literary Prize has a prize fund of £2,000.” Note that “the author must be a British national OR resident in Great Britain and Northern Ireland for three years prior to the date of submission for the award, and writing in English” and “submissions must have been published or self-published in the UK between 1 November 2023 and 31 October 2024.”ALCS TOM-GALLON TRUST AWARD
Deadline: October 31. From the Society of Authors. “An annual award for a short story, financed by a bequest made by Miss Nellie Tom-Gallon in memory of her brother and generously supported by ALCS (Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society) and Hawthornden Literary Retreat. The winner will receive £2,000, the runner-up £1,000, and £500 is awarded to each of the shortlist (up to four authors).” Among the entry criteria: Authors “must be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth, or the Republic of Ireland” who “have had at least one short story accepted for publication” (although the story submitted for the prize may be published or unpublished).EDWARD F. ALBEE FOUNDATION RESIDENCIES
Deadline: October 31. “While our renovation project is still technically underway (though very nearly complete), we are happy to announce the re-opening of our application process. Month-long residencies [in Montauk, on Long Island in New York] will be available starting in January, 2025 and run through June for our Winter/Spring period. We are accepting applications for that period as of right now! (A second application period for the Summer/Fall period will be made available at a later date.)”THE GORDON BOWKER VOLCANO PRIZE FOR FICTION
Deadline: October 31. From the Society of Authors. “Awarded to a UK or Irish writer, or a writer currently resident in those countries, for a novel focusing on the experience of travel away from home. Inspired by Malcolm Lowry’s novel, Under the Volcano and in celebration of its author, the prize aims to inspire literary excellence and encourage writers to travel and to write from the resulting experience. The winner will receive £2,000 and the runner-up £750.” For books first published in UK or Ireland between 1 November 2023 and 31 October 2024.MCKITTERICK PRIZE
Deadline: October 31. From the Society of Authors. “Given annually to an author over the age of 40 for a first novel, published or unpublished. The prize money is £4,000 for the winner and £2,000 for the runner-up, with each shortlisted author receiving £1,000 (up to four authors).” Among the entry criteria: “The work must either have been first published in the UK between 1 November 2023 and 31 October 2024 (and not first published abroad), or be unpublished.”NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY CHILDREN’S HISTORY BOOK PRIZE
Deadline: October 31. Honors “the best children’s historical literature in the United States and encourages authors to continue to create engaging and challenging narratives that provide a window into the past for middle readers and their families. The winning author is awarded $10,000. The jury comprises librarians, educators, historians, and families with middle-grade readers.”QUEER ADVENTURERS LGBTQ WRITING CONTEST
Deadline: October 31. Annual contest seeks “to inspire others by sharing true stories of LGBTQ adventure travel.” This year, the contest invites stories that explore “Border Crossings”: “Tell us about an international journey that changed your life. Interpret the theme metaphorically and tell us how your gender expression or sexuality transgresses borders. Write about how sexuality and gender identity impact your ability to cross borders freely.” Prizes: Cash prize of $150 ($50 for a runner-up). No cash prize for finalist(s), but their essay(s) will be published. Open to writers worldwide.ICELAND WRITERS RETREAT ALUMNI AWARD
Deadline: November 1. Offers “financial support so that a selection of talented writers with financial needs are able to attend the retreat. For IWR 2025, we have successfully raised funds, thanks to the continued generosity of our donors, to make more scholarships available for qualified applicants.”PJ LIBRARY SEPHARDIC STORIES INITIATIVE
Deadline: November 1. “Part of PJ Library’s mission to represent the diversity of North American Jewish communities through the books we send to families,” and this program “aims to lift the voices of Sephardic emerging writers, with generous support and guidance from the Seattle-based Samis Foundation. This year-long, all-expenses paid fellowship (January – December, 2025) will include monthly virtual workshops with Sephardic experts, established authors, and publishing professionals; individual mentorship; a special in-person writing retreat; and regular editorial feedback. Fellows will delve into the craft of writing children’s books and work with PJ Library publishing experts to develop their own stories, informed by Sephardic/Mizrahi traditions, tales, and/or experiences. Participants will also build a strong support base of authors with similar goals.” Eligibility: “Applicants must have no more than one published children’s book, should identify as Sephardic or Mizrahi, and should be able to articulate a potential children’s book project (picture book or middle grade chapter book/graphic novel) they would like to work on. Fellows can be based anywhere globally, however they must be writing in English.”STEVE KEMP WRITER’S RESIDENCY
Deadline: November 1. “An annual opportunity for one writer working in any medium to spend six weeks in the Smokies and to focus on their craft in a retreat-like setting. The writer will follow in the footsteps of—and actually spend real time with—Steve Kemp in an effort to create written works that move visitors to a greater appreciation of and stewardship for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.” Applications are welcome from writers in any genre “whose work is engaged in issues that are relevant to the park’s main interpretive themes,” which include “Diversity and Abundance,” “Continuum of Human Activity,” and “Refuge of Scenic Beauty.” Award package includes “a modest stipend” among other benefits.SHEARING FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: November 1. For writers “who have published at least one book with a trade or literary press.” Fellowship confers $46,500 paid over a nine-month period; space in the Black Mountain Institute offices at the University of Las Vegas; free housing in downtown Las Vegas; and other components as detailed on the website.COMMONWEALTH SHORT STORY PRIZE
Deadline: November 2 (“12pm GMT”). Open to any citizen of a Commonwealth country aged 18 and over, this prize “is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words)….An international judging panel of writers will select a shortlist of around twenty stories, from which five regional winners are chosen. One of the regional winners is then selected as the overall winner, who receives £5,000. The regional winners will receive £2,500. All five regional winning stories will be published on Granta.”DISABLED POETS PRIZE
Deadline: November 4. For “deaf and disabled poets aged 18+ currently living full-time in the UK.” Two categories: “1) Best Single Poem and 2) Best Unpublished Pamphlet.” Prizes: “The Prizes on offer for shortlisted poets in each category include: First place prize of £500, second place prize of £250, third place prize of £100, and three highly commended prizes of £50 each.” Additional prize benefits are detailed on the site.FRANKEL INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED JUDAIC STUDIES FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline: November 4. Residential fellowship at the University of Michigan. The 2025-26 Frankel Institute fellowship theme is “Jews and Media”; applications “are accepted from both tenured and untenured faculty as well as from recent Ph.D.’s without a tenure-track position and professors emeriti. Where appropriate, applications are accepted from independent artists, documentary film-makers, and writers.” Applicants are encouraged to apply for a full academic year (September-April). “We also offer a limited number of single-term fellowships under special circumstances.” Compensation: “All fellows receive compensation of $62,000 for a full academic year fellowship, or $31,000 for a single term. Additionally, University of Michigan health benefits are available for fellows who carry a 50% or greater appointment for four consecutive months.”MASS MoCA RESIDENCY FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline: November 8. “The Studios at MASS MoCA will offer multiple full fellowships that do not have geographic or demographic limitations. This means that anyone who wishes to can apply for one of these fellowships, regardless of discipline or location. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.” Note also current opportunities, also closing November 8, for funded residency fellowships for Black or Indigenous Artists & Writers; Massachusetts-based artists (“working in any discipline”); and Puerto Rico Artists (this fellowship confers additional stipends).SWANSEA UNIVERSITY DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE
Deadline: November 8 (received). Awarded for “the best published literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under, the Prize celebrates the international world of fiction in all its forms including poetry, novels, short stories and drama.” Confers £20,000 (£500 for shortlisted authors). Submissions must be made by publishers.SHEDOESTHECITY NEW VOICES FUND
No deadline indicated. Canada-based SheDoesTheCity “has a legacy of being a platform where many writers got their start.” This fund “has been established to offer opportunities to talented writers who’ve not yet been discovered. If you love to write about the arts and entertainment, or have a compelling personal story to share, you’ve come to the right place.” Check the site for info on the types of stories they’re interested in. “This fund is open to all women, non-binary, and transgender writers, who have less than 20 bylines to their name and are Canadian residents. Writers will receive a $200 honorarium.” (Hat tip: WOW! Women on Writing Markets Newsletter.)
REMINDER: Some opportunities listed in last month’s newsletter remain open into the new month. And don’t skip over the “Blog Notes” below for an important tip about additional opportunity listings!
5. SUBMISSION ALERTS
BELLEVUE LITERARY PRESS, which publishes work “at the intersection of the arts and sciences,” recently opened a submissions window (scheduled to close December 15) for “exceptional narrative nonfiction” proposals. They do not consider “proposals of the following genres: memoir, self-improvement, popular reference, handbooks, cookbooks, plays, or poetry.”
Similarly, SERVING HOUSE BOOKS opened a submissions window in September (and plans to keep it open through November), for “nonfiction essay collections. International writers of English welcome. Translations also welcome.”
Also recently re-opened: THE SUNLIGHT PRESS, which ordinarily welcomes personal essays, fiction, poetry, reviews, “artists on craft” submissions, and photography. NB: They have already reached their caps for both fiction and poetry.
From October 1-October 5, ECOTONE, “the literary magazine dedicated to reimagining place,” is scheduled to be open for fee-free submissions of flash fiction and nonfiction.
From October 1-October 15, HUB CITY PUBLISHING, which is interested in “finding and spotlighting extraordinary new and unsung writers from the American South,” will be open for unagented manuscript submissions in nonfiction.
Opening October 1 (and remaining open until December 15 OR until its cap of 200 submissions is met): BOOK XI, which seeks “philosophically informed creative work.” For this window, the topic is “Experiments with Form.”
Open for submissions during October: Canada-based BRICK, which “prides itself on publishing the best literary non-fiction in the world.” NB: “We routinely reach our Submittable-imposed cap of free submissions well before the submission period ends.”
EASTOVER PRESS will open October 1 for book-length nonfiction manuscripts (with a cap of 100 submissions).
FLASH FICTION ONLINE will be open October 1-October 31, “or until sub cap is reached (subject to change, but it was 250 for literary stories and 450 for speculative fiction genres for our summer reading window).”
According to its Submittable page, POET LORE will be open for submissions starting October 1.
This anthology call from FLAME TREE FICTION closes October 13. “In the tradition of Poe’s ‘A Tell-tale Heart’ and Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’, This Way Lies Madness (publishing September 2025) will bring together a twisted tangle of dark stories featuring monstrous manifestations of trauma and guilt, paranoia and persecution, anxiety, addiction, and crippling terror. In these pages, readers should expect to find madness in all its forms, without the tired stigmatising tropes. Instead, these tales of deep-rooted terror will draw on metaphor, symbolism, imagery, structural innovation, and close introspection to challenge stigma and promote understanding around mental illness, reflecting broader cultural, generational, and societal impacts with authenticity and insight....Writers are asked to be bold and inventive, to challenge convention, while being sensitive to the stigmatising constructs of mental illness in current society.”
BELMONT STORY REVIEW, a magazine that “aims to surprise and delight readers through an eclectic mix of storytelling which includes fiction, personal essay, and poetry at the intersection of faith and culture,” is open for submissions until October 15. NB: “For those who cannot receive U.S. checks (i.e. outside of the U.S. or Canada), we can pay in kind with additional copies of the magazine.”
October 15 is the deadline for submissions at CONSEQUENCE, which publishes work that addresses “the human consequences and realities of war and geopolitical violence through literature and art.”
Submissions received by October 31 for the BLACK LAWRENCE PRESS Immigrant Writing Series will be considered in the next reading period: “Submissions are accepted year-round. However, selections are made in June and November for a total of two books per year.” The series “aims to provide a clear and consistent home for new Immigrant Writings in the U.S. Book selections will be made by a four-member editorial board composed of writers in the U.S. who are either immigrants or whose works focus on the immigrant experience. Selections will be based on merit with the goal of publishing the best works by immigrants. Poets and authors, at any stage of their careers, who identify as immigrants are welcome to submit a book manuscript of poetry or prose or a hybrid text for consideration.”
HARBOR REVIEW, which features “poems in conversation with visual art,” similarly remains open until October 31.
NEW WRITING SCOTLAND, which “publishes works by writers resident in Scotland or Scots by birth, upbringing or inclination,” has also posted an October 31 deadline. “All forms of writing are invited: autobiography and memoirs; creative responses to events and experiences; drama; graphic artwork (monochrome only); poetry; political and cultural commentary and satire; screenplays; short fiction; travel writing or any other creative prose may be submitted.”
October 31 is the deadline at speculative-writing journal NONBINARY REVIEW, for submissions on the theme “Rituals.” NB: “While there is a published close date for submissions, we have an acceptance cap for each issue, and submissions will be closed once we reach that cap, so don't wait until the last minute.”
THE /TƐMZ/ REVIEW, a literary journal based in Canada, is also open for submissions of poetry and prose until October 31.
Also Canada-based, and also posting an October 31 deadline, UPROAR is seeking pieces for their Fall theme: ‘A Moment in Time: An Ekphrastic Challenge.’ For this issue, poets and storytellers will be asked to submit a piece of writing (poem or short story) that centers around an original photograph, either taken by the writer or by someone else, and used with their permission. Writers will submit the photo along with their entry. They can be family photographs or of objects and landscapes as long as it is an original photograph and not taken from online sources.” Reprints considered.
THE FIRST LINE, featuring “short stories that stem from a common first line,” is open until November 1 for stories that begin with the following line: “The parking lot was empty.” (Per their guidelines “We love that writers around the world are inspired by our first lines, and we know that not every story will be sent to us. However, we ask that you do not submit stories starting with our first lines to other journals (or post them online on public sites) until we’ve notified you as to our decision (usually four weeks after the deadline). When the entire premise of the publication revolves around one sentence, we don’t want it to look as if we stole that sentence from another writer.”)
For its next themed issue, IRON HORSE LITERARY REVIEW will be seeking submissions on “Deception.” A fee-free submissions day for this issue is currently scheduled for November 1.
Until November 1, NINTH LETTER is accepting submissions for a winter online edition on the theme of “de/composition” (detailed on the site; scroll down the page).
At STONE’S THROW, “the monthly online companion to Rock and a Hard Place Magazine,” they’re open for submissions early each month. “We’re looking for all the same dark fiction, crime and noir as our usual submissions, but with a target length between 1,000 and 2,000 words, and aligned with the monthly submissions prompt.” For submissions November 1-4 (for the December issue), they seek work as follows: “It’s time for Jingle Bell Rock. For December, we want stories about music. Whether it’s musicians in a very tough spot, a record collector who will do anything to get that rare LP, the secrets that lurk in relationships between bandmates, or the traditions and legends of specific musical subcultures, if it’s about music, we want to roll with it.”
Posted by Phoebe Maltz Bovy on Twitter, on behalf of THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS: That outlet “is taking freelance op-ed/essay submissions, on topics pertaining to (would you believe it) Canadian Jews. Got a pitch for us? Please send it to pbovy at thecjn dot ca . Thank you and merci!” (Per my inquiry elsewhere, this opportunity pays “$200 CAD for an approx 800 word op-ed.”)
TWENTY-TWO TWENTY-EIGHT “accepts submissions of poetry, fiction, non-fiction essays, visual art, music, and videos.” (Hat tip: Flash Fiction Flash.)
From the UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA POETRY CENTER: “In anticipation of Voca’s 15th anniversary, we are seeking Voca-centered stories! An online audiovisual archive featuring over 1000 recording of poetry readings over the past 6 decades, Voca documents the work of emerging poets alongside literary luminaries. We’re seeking blog posts specifically tied to the Voca archives—from deep-dives on a single poem to lesson-plans highlighting readings throughout the years. The Poetry Center is also embarking on a new effort called the Belonging Initiative. Pieces exploring the theme of belonging—through the work of archives, through VOCA itself, or through poetry more broadly are welcome!” Per my inquiry on the linked post, there is no pitch deadline at this time.
WALLSTRAIT, “a literary journal of hard-to-define fiction,” is open for submissions year-round. (Hat tip:
.)Reminder: Make it a habit to check the CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL website, where titles in development are posted. Note: “If this is your first time, please visit our Story Guidelines page.” (NB: In case you’ve caught this bankruptcy-related news, the anthology website states: “Our book business is not part of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. While that business works on sorting out its financial challenges, we continue to publish our books as usual and we look forward to reading your submissions and considering them for our upcoming titles!”)
Reminder: THE FORGE, which “publishes one prose piece per week selected by a rotating cast of editors,” opens for free submissions on the first of each month (except for September and December). “If there is no free link, we’ve hit our quota.”
Reminder: PARANOID TREE, which welcomes fiction, creative nonfiction, and prose poetry (with a word limit “~400 words”), is always open for submissions.
Reminder: RIDDLEBIRD, which features “literary fiction and personal essays,” has “decided to try a rolling submission system. We will be open year round, but capped at 50 a month.”
Reminder: ROUGH CUT PRESS seeks “experimental work of all genres by writers and allies of the LGBTQIA community. To get a sense of what we publish please read some of our former issues. We don’t know what we like until we see it. Each month we announce a different theme, but don’t worry if the work you submit doesn’t quite fit: we often build issues around work that takes us by surprise.”
Reminder: , which aims to “revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful,” selects one story for publication each month and considers reprints.
Reminder: VAST CHASM, which publishes “bold work that explores the expansive human experience, including flash and short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and other nonconforming work,” considers submissions “year-round, on a rolling basis, for our quarterly online issues.”
REMEMBER: Some venues listed in last month’s newsletter remain open for submissions, too. And please keep reading the “Blog Notes” below for an important tip about additional opportunity listings!
6. BLOG NOTES
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(Monday) Markets and Jobs for Writers (including fee-free/paying opportunities that don’t make it into the monthly newsletter)
(Friday) Finds for Writers
#SundaySentence
Occasional Notes from a Practicing Writer
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About the editor: Erika Dreifus is a writer, teacher, and literary consultant whose books include Birthright: Poems and Quiet Americans: Stories. A fellow in the Sami Rohr Jewish Literary Institute and an adjunct associate professor at Baruch College/CUNY, she lives in New York. Please visit ErikaDreifus.com to learn more about her work and follow her right here on Substack, on Facebook, and/or on Twitter, where she tweets (mostly) “on matters bookish and/or Jewish.”
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Two quick postscripts. First: Cohen-Leisorek has already posted another diary entry. And second: I regularly read only three of the four publications mentioned in the graphic, and I (admittedly) haven’t managed to keep up with the Lebanon-campaign-related coverage, but in my view The Atlantic is, typically, significantly better than The New York Times and The New Yorker when it comes to writing about this region. Just wanted to register that opinion!