The Practicing Writer 2.0: April 2023
The Practicing Writer 2.0: April 2023
Celebrating our 20th year of service to writers. Curating fee-free opportunities that pay writers for their fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Sharing resources.
Welcome, new readers, and welcome back to the regulars!
For updates and additional opportunities between newsletters, please check the “Practicing Writing” blog and follow Erika Dreifus on Twitter and/or Facebook.
If you are accessing this newsletter via email, you may find a “Message Clipped” notice as you continue reading. That’s due to the length of this info-packed missive. Please be sure to click as appropriate to access the full text.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Editor’s Note
Success Stories
Featured Resource
Contests, Competitions, and Other Opportunities (NO FEES TO ENTER/APPLY; PAYING 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:
Welcome to spring (at least here in the Northern Hemisphere). I am loving the extra light and longer days—not that I’m finding significantly salutary benefits for my writing (not yet, anyway).
I do hope to have a couple of items to share with you next month, but for now, let’s move ahead with the issue.
For everyone who may be observing any of the holidays that come at this season, I extend warm wishes for meaningful times. And let’s not forget that here in the USA we’re about to embark on National Poetry Month; same goes for Canada.
Onward with our writing practices,
ERIKA
P.S. Quick reminder: I am thrilled 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.
2. SUCCESS STORIES
From Leah Nicole Whitcomb:
Thank you so much for posting these monthly submissions. Thanks to you, one of my short stories was accepted by Samjoko Magazine, and I applied to GrubStreet’s Boston Writers of Color Literary Stipend and received it. I’m using it for journal fees. I’ve also sung your praises to every writer friend I know and encouraged them to sign up to your newsletter. The work you do is very much appreciated.
From Mandy Gardner:
I note how many success stories you have in the March newsletter - kudos! Here’s one more (the third due to you): Teach. Write. will be publishing my short essay “Teaching Haiku in Jail” in the issue releasing April 1. Thank you as always!
From Gail Ann Weinstein:
Many moons ago I “met” you in [a now-defunct online group]. I was excited to see your writer’s site and to see how it has expanded.
This may be considered a sort of success story. An agent critiqued my novel (requested full ms) as too quiet for their agency. So, I was thrilled to find your article about how you were told the same thing about your writing and short story collection, Quiet Americans. [ED note: “What’s In a Title?”, which appeared on the Center for Fiction site in 2011.] Reading your publishing success story gave me courage and...I felt...and feel... I am in very good company.
From Judith Cohen:
I think I found Alphabet Box on your list [ED note: Yes, Alphabet Box has been shared in this newsletter in the past!]. I am the featured writer [there]. An essay I wrote about dinner with Grace Paley and John Cheever in Provincetown about 40 years ago is the piece I sent. And thanks for your newsletter. I use it all the time.
From Sarah Swandell:
I just wanted to thank you for all the small journals you lift up. I never would have discovered them otherwise. How cool is it that Toronto Journal [ED note: included in last month’s issue] includes an audio version of the stories they publish? And how cool is it that they refuse to accept cover letters, because they want all pieces of writing to speak for themselves? I’m sure that’s just one example among the many small journals you showcase. All these hidden gems...you really are a champion for the written word. I hope the good vibes you send out into the universe come right back to you!
And...thank you for helping me get my butt in the chair and write!
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 RESOURCE: “FOR BETTER CREATIVITY, SPRING CLEAN YOUR BRAIN”
Yes, I know that not everyone who reads this newsletter is doing so from north of the equator. But according to this Substack’s analytics, spring has sprung for the majority. And I’ll tell you plainly: Kelsey Allgood’s “For Better Creativity, Spring Clean Your Brain,” over on Writer Unboxed, resonates. Check it out!
4. CONTESTS, COMPETITIONS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE FOR FICTION
Nominations: April 1-30. “The Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction is an annual $25,000 cash prize given to a writer for a single work of imaginative fiction. This award is intended to recognize those writers Ursula spoke of in her 2014 National Book Awards speech—realists of a larger reality, who can imagine real grounds for hope and see alternatives to how we live now….Readers, authors, booksellers, publishers, librarians and anyone else can nominate work they believe fits” the criteria outlined on the website. 2023 selection panel includes William Alexander, Alexander Chee, Karen Joy Fowler, Tochi Onyebuchi, and Shruti Swamy.FARRAR, STRAUS & GIROUX (FSG) WRITER’S FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: April 3. “The FSG Writer’s Fellowship is a yearlong program designed to give an emerging writer from an underrepresented community additional resources to build a life around writing: funding, editorial guidance, and advice on how to forge a writing career.” The funding component includes “$15,000 paid over two installments: half paid at the start of the Fellowship program, half paid in February 2024.” Note: Open to applicants in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Among eligibility criteria: “The applicant must not have published a book-length work in any genre, have a book under contract, or be negotiating a contract either in the United States or abroad by the time the fellowship begins. Having published short poetry chapbooks will not exclude an applicant from eligibility.” Also: “The applicant must be a U.S. Permanent Resident (green card) or U.S. Citizen.” Remote fellowship.THE SUNLIGHT PRESS SPRING FLASH FICTION CONTEST
Submissions: April 3-May 1 (or when a cap of 175 entries is reached). For flash stories up to 1,000 words. “The top cash prize for the winner is $750; the prize for the finalists is $100. All other stories accepted will receive our regular payment for published work ($40 for fiction), and will appear later this year.” (Scroll down a bit to find the contest information when you get to the page I’ve linked to above.)INVISIBLE CITY BLURRED GENRE CONTEST
Deadline: April 7. Theme: “Levity.” Submissions “must be 750 words or less and can be flash fiction/nonfiction, prose poetry, or some unique combination of the three.” Cash prizes ($750/$350/$150); publication for the top five entries. Judge: Rachel Howard.BETTY L. YU AND JIN C. YU CREATIVE WRITING PRIZES
Deadline: April 8. “TaiwaneseAmerican.org is pleased to announce the 2023 Betty L. Yu and Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prizes. Created in 2021 in collaboration with Taiwanese American author Charles Yu, the Prizes are intended to encourage and recognize creative literary work by Taiwanese American students, and to foster discussion and community around such work. In 2022, the prize expanded to include a separate middle school category for 6th-8th grade applicants, judged by Alvina Ling. This year, we have added an additional category for adults in all stages of life beyond college. Submissions may be in any literary genre including fiction, poetry, personal essays or other creative non-fiction” and “must be from writers of Taiwanese heritage (or writers with other significant connections to Taiwan), or have subject matter otherwise relevant to the Taiwanese or Taiwanese American experience.” Cash prizes (one $500 Grand Prize per age category; three $200 finalist prizes per age category; $75 honorable mentions “at judge’s discretion per age category”). “In addition, each of the winners and finalists will have their submitted work published online by TaiwaneseAmerican.org and considered for publication in a future edition of Chrysanthemum: Voices of the Taiwanese Diaspora, and offered the opportunity to participate in a virtual group session with the judges.” Charles Yu will judge adult and college categories; Shawna Yang Ryan will judge college and high school categories.BETHANY ARTS COMMUNITY (BAC) YOUNG ARTIST RESIDENCY
Deadline: April 11. For “emerging artists from 21-30 years old,” this program runs for thirteen weeks, “July 24 to October 20. Artists are provided room & board, a private studio, and a $250 stipend per week. Meals will only be provided during other residency programs, approximately 5 weeks of the Young Artist Residency. Artist is responsible for transportation to and from BAC.” The program, located in Ossining, New York, requires a full 13-week commitment; “10 hours per week on average supporting Bethany program development”; and two community programs.RUTH LILLY AND DOROTHY SARGENT ROSENBERG POETRY FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline: April 14 (but note the request to “please register for the online portal by April 10, 2023 if you intend to apply”). “Among the largest awards offered to young poets in the US, the $27,000 prize is intended to support exceptional US poets between 21 and 31 years of age.”AUSTEN RIGGS ERIKSON PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN MENTAL HEALTH MEDIA
Deadline: April 15. “The news of the day is infused with issues that affect mental health–social justice, climate change, strength and resilience in the face of COVID-19, access to healthcare, or any number of other topics. We want to recognize the very best work with our media prize. The prize carries an award of $3,000 and will be presented at an event where the honoree (or honorees) are invited to speak about their work.” Eligible work “must have been written in English, intended for the layperson, and must have been first published/released after April 1, 2022.” Check guidelines for a list of formats/categories.BRILLIANT FLASH FICTION WRITING CONTEST
Deadline: April 15. Open to writers worldwide. Awards publication and cash prizes ($200/$100/$50), plus $20 and publication for shortlisted stories. No theme; all genres accepted.MARGARET GIBSON POET LAUREATE POETRY AWARD
Deadline: April 15. “For a poem on nature in a time of global climate crisis”; “open to all poets.” Cash prizes: $300/$200/$100. “Winning poems will be published in Connecticut River Review and posted on the Connecticut Poetry Society website. Winners receive a free, two-year membership in the Connecticut Poetry Society.”GREEN STORIES PROJECT SUPERHERO COMPETITION
Deadline: April 15. “‘Saving the world’ is the basic job description of most superheroes, but who on Earth is going to help ‘save the planet’? Maybe that’s where you come in! As part of the Green Stories Competition, this contest challenges you to create an uplifting short story of superheroes that respond to climate change. Imagine your target audience to be teens and young adults that enjoy watching superhero films.” Note: “Drawing on your own experiences of climate change, entries from adults that live /have lived in the following countries are especially welcome (but not essential): India, Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Niger, Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, or Brazil.” Prize: £500 prize (~$600) “or equivalent in your own currency”; additionally, a scene from the story will be turned into a one-page comic strip. (Hat tip: to Sian Meades-Williams/Freelance Writing Jobs.)F. SEAN HODGE PRIZE FOR POETRY IN MEDICINE
Deadline: April 15. “Sean Hodge, MD, a graduate of SUNY Upstate Medical University who went on to establish a thriving otolaryngology practice, died an untimely death in 2017. A physician who loved the humanities, he read and wrote poetry and played music as complements to a busy physician’s life.” In his honor, the prize encourages “physicians and physicians-in-training to write poetry as one way of reflecting on and communicating their experiences.” A $250 prize is given in two categories, one for current medical students, residents, and fellows; the other for physicians who have completed post-graduate training. Winning poems are also published in The Healing Muse.BACOPA LITERARY REVIEW WRITING CONTEST
Deadline: April 16. Cash prizes ($200 for winner; $100 honorable mention) and publication in categories of fiction, creative nonfiction, humor, formal poetry, free verse poetry, and visual poetry. Writers may enter only one category.MANDEL INSTITUTE CULTURAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Deadline: April 17. “The fellowship is designed for artists and cultural producers who have a desire to integrate Jewish themes in their work and/or harness Jewish culture to address communal and global challenges.” The two-year program “will include four seminars, one retreat, online sessions, time to advance creative work, and dedicated work with an adviser. Two seminars will take place in Brookline, MA, where the Mandel Institute is based, and two will be traveling seminars to Israel and a North American community selected by the cohort. Fellows will receive a $20,000/year stipend, which will support their time in the fellowship’s educational program and independent work on a creative project.” Note: Applicants “must currently live in the U.S. or Canada.”ANONYMOUS WAS A WOMAN ENVIRONMENTAL ART GRANTS
Deadline :April 18. “The Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants (AWAW EAG) will distribute a total of $300,000 in funding—up to $20,000 per project—to support environmental art projects led by women-identifying artists in the United States and U.S. Territories.”PROUD TO BE: WRITING BY AMERICAN WARRIORS CONTEST
Deadline:April 21. EXTENDED TO MAY 19. Awards $250 first prize and publication in each of these categories: short fiction, poetry, interview with a warrior, essay, and photography. Open to writing by “veterans, military-service personnel, or their families.”HEY ALMA FICTION CONTEST
Deadline:April 24.EXTENDED TO MAY 1. For its first-ever short fiction contest, Hey Alma (“a feminist Jewish culture site and online community bringing you a diversity of voices”) seeks “previously unpublished Jewish short stories…of any genre. Emerging and established writers are all welcome to submit. Finalists will be selected by the staff of Hey Alma, and the winner will be chosen by guest judge T Kira Madden.” Prize: “The winner will be published on Hey Alma this spring and awarded a $250 honorarium (and a Hey Alma sweatshirt for good measure).”WHITING CREATIVE NONFICTION GRANT
Deadline: April 25. Grants of $40,000 “will be awarded to as many as ten writers in the process of completing a book-length work of deeply researched and imaginatively composed nonfiction for a general readership.” Note that projects “must be under contract with a publisher in Canada, the UK, or the US by April 25 to be eligible. Contracts with self-publishing companies are not eligible.”BELLAGIO CENTER RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Deadline: April 26 (to register an application; you must first complete a “pre-application assessment,” after which you “may be invited to register and apply”; full application deadline is May 17). “Offers academics, artists, policymakers, and practitioners an opportunity to unlock their creativity and advance groundbreaking work through the completion of a specific project in a residential group setting during 4 weeks of focused time.” The residency is located in Italy. Room and board are included; “travel funding is available when there is financial need.” Note: “This year, in addition to our General Open Call for applications on any topic, we are prioritizing three themes: Reinventing Capitalism, Promoting Well-being, and Addressing Climate Change.”BETHANY ARTS COMMUNITY (BAC) MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESIDENCIES
Deadline: April 26. “BAC welcomes artists working across any discipline and medium, including visual artists, sculptors, writers, playwrights, choreographers, musicians, composers, performance artists, filmmakers, and more to our Fall Multidisciplinary Residency.” A community program component is required. “The Fall Multidisciplinary Residency runs for two sessions, September 25 to October 9 and October 2 to October 16, each with its own cohort. Artists are provided room & board, a private studio conducive to artists’ medium and/or project, 3 basic meals a day, and a $225 stipend per week upon completion of the residency. Artist is responsible for transportation to and from BAC [Ossining, New York].”HARPER-WOOD CREATIVE WRITING & TRAVEL AWARD
Deadline: April 26 (09:00 BST). “St John’s College, Cambridge, invites applications for the Harper-Wood Creative Writing & Travel Award for English Poetry and Literature. The purpose of the Award is to inspire a project of creative writing by making it possible for the holder to engage in relevant, project-related travel and study. Please note that the Award is intended primarily for creative writers who are in the initial stages of their careers. Applications are encouraged from writers whose work has not yet achieved book-length publication (e.g. novel, book of short stories, poetry collection, play).” Note: “At the time of election, the candidate must be a graduate of any university in the UK, Ireland, the Commonwealth or the USA. All or part of the period of tenure should be spent in a country of the candidate’s choice, outside the UK (i.e. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). Candidates are asked to provide a detailed outline of their proposed course of study/research and travel plan, as well as making a strong case for its relevance to their creative writing project.” Also: “Funding will be determined by the College Council in light of the successful candidate’s qualifications and financial circumstances (including payments from other sources), up to a maximum of £17,600. This sum is intended to cover accommodation and other living expenses during the successful candidate’s tenure. Additional financial assistance is also available to enable the successful candidate to meet travel costs incurred.”ASTRA INTERNATIONAL PICTURE BOOK WRITING CONTEST
Deadline: April 30. “Open to writers for children, both published and unpublished. The purpose of this contest is to encourage, discover and honor talented writers of texts for picture books from all over the world; to foster literary excellence in books for young children; and to promote international cooperation and understanding through picture books.” In addition to cash prizes (USD 5,000 for two Gold Prize winners; USD 3,000 for one Kodansha Award winner; USD 1,000 for eight Honor Prize winners), “the winners will have the opportunity to sign publishing contracts with the sponsors to publish the manuscripts in different languages. Each winner will be required to agree that sponsors have a one-year priority option to publish winner’s manuscript to receive the cash prize.” Note: “Manuscript may be submitted in any of the following languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Japanese or Chinese.” No simultaneous submissions. (Hat tip: Joy Moore.)ERBACCE-PRIZE FOR POETRY
Deadline: April 30 (midnight GMT). Winner receives a publishing contract with erbacce press (20% royalties). “Two runners-up will also be considered and they will win either a perfect bound book or a high quality chap-book under similar terms to the winner.” Additional (nonpaying) recognition for selected others. NB: “ALL submissions to the erbacce-prize may be used in future erbacce poetry journals, previously published or not and by sending a submission you agree to that (we will of course send every poet we publish a copy of the Journal, gratis).”FRIENDS OF FALUN GONG POETRY COMPETITION
Deadline: April 30. “We call on you—poets, writers, fellow human beings—help us expose the especially heinous crimes committed against a peaceful and law-abiding group of Chinese citizens: Falun Gong practitioners. Read real accounts of persecution and speak out, using the powerful voice of poetry, for those who urgently need their voices to be heard. This contest is an excellent opportunity for those who have never encountered Falun Gong before to read a bit and learn about it, and through yours words, raise awareness among others.” Check the site for themes and other guidelines. Prizes: $500/$250/$100. “All winners will be published on FoFG’s website. The 1st Place winner will appear in print in the Society of Classical Poets Journal.”THE OLD KNITTING FACTORY REST RESIDENCY FOR SINGLE MOTHERS
Deadline: April 30. “Applications are now open for a free one-week stay in the Old Knitting Factory’s residency space, including a cash stipend to apply to childcare costs. The residency is open to single mothers and other twice-marginalized single parents from anywhere in the world. Come enjoy the beauty and peace of Connemara [Ireland], and take some time to rest and honor yourself and your children. Inspired by the work of The Nap Ministry, adrienne maree brown, and The Mae House, I am offering it as a rest residency, meaning that you don’t have to be an artist to apply; you just have to be a single mom (or other twice-marginalized single parent) who could use some rest. And couldn’t we all? You’ll have use of our residency space for any week of your choosing, and you are welcome to bring your children or not, as best suits your needs. The space features a double bed, fold-out single bed, futon, and pack-and-play crib. The resident will receive a €250 cash stipend toward childcare costs, to use at your discretion.” The announcement is also available on Instagram. (Hat tip: Elizabeth Graver.)POSSESSION SOUND POETRY SERIES
Deadline: April 30 (fee-free submissions for BIPOC writers only; a subsequent fee-charging period will follow). This series from Poetry Northwest Editions “will publish one or two manuscripts in spring 2024 drawn from our open reading periods. Poets who have published at least one full-length collection are eligible. First book prizes are fairly common…but what comes next? Our mission is to give mid-career poets—those seeking a publisher for second books and beyond—a lift and a home.” Prize: “The winner will receive a $500 advance, standard publication contract, and national distribution via Ingram. We use the IngramSpark platform for printing and distribution. All manuscripts will be considered for publication.”WALLACE STEGNER GRANT FOR THE ARTS
Deadline: April 30. For published writers with Canadian citizenship. Award includes a $500 grant and one month’s free residency at the Wallace Stegner House in Eastend, Saskatchewan.CINTAS FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP IN CREATIVE WRITING
Deadline: May 1. “CINTAS Fellowships acknowledge creative accomplishments and encourage excellence in architecture & design, creative writing, music composition and the visual arts. Eligibility is limited to artists of Cuban citizenship or direct descent.” Fellowship amount is $20,000.PARSEC SHORT STORY CONTEST
Deadline: May 1. Annual contest from Parsec, “a 501c3 non-profit organization promoting science fiction, fantasy and horror in literature, media and music.” The current theme is “Preserve or Purge,” and authors are asked to “try and incorporate both concepts into their speculative work.” Eligibility: “The contest is open to non-professional writers; those who have not met eligibility requires for [the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association] or equivalent, sale of a novel or sale of 3 stories to a large-circulation publication.” Prizes: “First-place receives $200 and publication in the Confluence program book. Second-place receives $100. Third-place receives $50.” There is also a Youth Story Prize of $50. Judges: Andrea Stewart, Jim Horlock, Lindz McLeod.RABBI SACKS BOOK PRIZE
Deadline: May 1. For an author of “a recently published or about to be published work of Jewish ideas deeply sourced in Jewish texts, with broad appeal within and beyond the Jewish community. The author of the winning work will receive a $50,000 prize, generously funded by the Rohr Family. Additional funds will be used to help the author and two finalists promote their books through podcast interviews, marketing and book distribution….The Prize is an acknowledgement of a work that explores contemporary Jewish life and practice and stimulates public conversations of seminal importance to the field of Jewish thought. The manuscript should be publication ready and hold a 2023 copyright.” Works must be in English, available for distribution in North America, and entered for the prize by “a recognized publishing house.”WATERSTON DESERT WRITING PRIZE
Deadline: May 1. “Inspired by author and poet Ellen Waterston’s love of the High Desert, a region that has been her muse for more than 40 years,” this prize “provides financial and other support to writers whose work reflects a similar connection to the desert, recognizing the vital role deserts play worldwide in the ecosystem and the human narrative.” Award “supports literary nonfiction writers who are completing, proposing, or considering the creation of a book-length manuscript.” Confers a $3,000 cash award, a residency at PLAYA (Summer Lake, Oregon), and a reading and reception at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon.DRUSILLA HARVEY ACCESS FUND
Open all year. For “UK residents and British citizens” and based at the Society of Authors, this program offers authors “support for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, and retreats. Usual grants will be under £100 and no more than £350, but fair consideration will be given to all proposals.” (Another hat tip here to Sian Meades-Williams/Freelance Writing Jobs.)THE POETS’ HARDSHIP FUND
“Opens on the first of every month.” This is a “volunteer-run and donation-reliant hardship fund for poets in the UK.” NB: “Because we are running with no outside funding, we will only be accepting requests of funds up to £50 per poet per month for the time being. Anyone who has requested funds can re-request for another £50 the following month.” Note also: “In the hope of making requests for funds more accessible for everyone there’ll be no explaining or form-filling required. We will also accept anonymous requests, or requests made on the behalf of others. The money doesn’t have to be for a project or a book; you’re a poet if you write poems. That’s it.” (And still another hat tip to Sian Meades-Williams/Freelance Writing Jobs.)
REMINDER: Some opportunities listed in last month’s newsletter remain open into April.
5. SUBMISSION ALERTS
Scheduled to open its Submittable gates on April 1 (and remaining open for the month): Canada-based BRICK, which “prides itself on publishing the best literary non-fiction in the world.” Pays: “$55–685, depending on the length of accepted work, plus two copies of the issue the work appears in and a one-year subscription to the magazine.”
Based in the UK (but open to international submissions): BROKEN SLEEP BOOKS, which will open April 1 for poetry-collection manuscripts (and will remain open until the end of May). They describe themselves as “a working-class, small, innovative press, who publish a range of poetry and prose, from a range of writers. Our primary focus is in increasing access to the arts, in ensuring more people are able to engage with creativity regardless of their socioeconomic status.” Compensation: “We pay 10% royalties, with the author receiving 5 free author copies. The author may buy as many books as they wish at 50% discount, whenever they wish, and all Broken Sleep authors receive a permanent discount on all of our books.” (Hat tip, again, to Sian Meades-Williams/Freelance Writing Jobs.)
Also based in the UK, and also open to international submissions: GALLEY BEGGAR PRESS will be open during April. Welcoming both agented and un-agented work, they publish “adult literary fiction (novels and short story collections) and narrative non-fiction. We are not currently considering other genres (e.g., poetry, lifestyle, commercial fiction).” (Hat tip, again, to Sian Meades-Williams/Freelance Writing Jobs.)
Slated to open April 1: the next round of submissions for MUD SEASON REVIEW, which seeks “deeply human work that will teach us something about life, but also about the craft of writing or visual art; work that is original in its approach and that in some way moves us.” Pays: “We pay authors and featured artists $50 for work that appears in our issues. For artists whose images are paired with writing, and for poets whose work appears in The Take: Mud Season Review, we offer payment of $15.” NB: The deadline listed is April 30, but “we may close the reading period early by genre if volume demands.”
THE SUNLIGHT PRESS is scheduled to re-open for poetry submissions April 1. Pays: “$30 for the first poem accepted, and $10 for each additional accepted in the same submission.” (They also publish and pay for work in other genres; poetry, however, was closed in March.)
TEXAS REVIEW PRESS, which “publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and scholarly works,” is open for submissions during the month of April; submissions are capped at 300. (Note that during April, the Press is also open for submissions for its Sabine Series in Literature, which “highlights work by authors born in or working in Eastern Texas and/or Louisiana. There are no thematic restrictions; Texas Review Press seeks the best writing possible by authors from this unique region of the American South.”)
VARIANT LITERATURE is scheduled to be open during April for fiction and nonfiction submissions. Payment: “$10 per accepted piece.”
LONELY PLANET “is commissioning new guidebooks for several Middle Eastern countries and we’re looking to expand our pool of expert writers across the region. We’re looking for people with a deep love and knowledge of the country with great writing skills. You should be living there or have travelled through it extensively in the last 18 months.” Application form remains open until April 6. Per this Twitter thread, they’re “especially” seeking writers in “Iran, Israel, Jordan, Oman, Turkey and the UAE,” and “rates run upwards of $1,500 dependent on word count and research times.” (Hat tip: The Writer’s Job Newsletter.)
BRIGHT WALL/DARK ROOM, “an online magazine devoted to exploring the relationship between movies and the business of being alive,” plans a May issue devoted to Katharine Hepburn and will pay for $100 for selected essays. Deadline: April 7.
POETRY WALES is open for general submissions until April 7. For the upcoming issue, they “will also be celebrating the South Wales Valleys and areas like it that experience economic stress. We would be glad to see submissions from those writers who have connections to the Valleys as well to communities that may be considered ‘working class’ across the UK and the world.” Pays: £20/page for poems. (For those who may be interested in pitching reviews or articles: Payment is £67.50/1500-word review and, for articles, “£200/3000 word, or in that proportion, depending on number of published words.”)
SAMJOKO is open for submissions until April 10. “We are non-genre specific. Read previous issues to get a sense of what we publish.” Pays: $20.
Also open until April 10 (and offering fee-free submissions “for Black and indigenous writers”): SO TO SPEAK. They’re currently seeking fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art for an online issue, for which they’re now paying $100.
April 10 is also the deadline for a(nother) LONELY PLANET opportunity: “Lonely Planet is commissioning new guidebooks in several countries across southern Africa and we’re looking to expand our pool of expert writers across the region. We’re looking for people with a deep love and knowledge of the country with great writing skills. You should be living there or have travelled through it extensively in the last 18 months.” Per this Twitter thread, there’s specific interest in “Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia & Zimbabwe” and “rates run upwards of $1,500 dependent on word count and research times.” (Hat tip: Kaitlyn Arford.)
Canada-based FUNICULAR is open for fiction (including flash) and poetry submissions until April 11. Pays: $10/printed page (up to a maximum of $100) for short stories and $25 per piece of flash or poetry. “We’ll also throw in a contributor’s copy so you can place it conspicuously on your coffee table to help convince your parents you are not wasting your life on this writing thing.” NB: “We do not currently pay for pieces accepted for online publication only.”
Open until April 15: BOURBON PENN, which seeks “highly imaginative stories with a healthy dose of the odd. Odd characters, odd experiences, odd realities. We’re looking for genre / speculative stories and are quite partial to slipstream, cross-genre, magic realism, absurdist, and the surreal.” No simultaneous submissions. Pays: “3¢ /word,” for stories 2,000-7,500 words. (Hat tip: AuthorsPublish.com.)
CONSEQUENCE, which welcomes fiction, poetry, nonfiction, reviews, visual art, and translations that “address the human consequences and realities of war or geopolitical violence,” is similarly open for submissions until April 15. Pay for written work ranges between $20 and $60.
According to its Submittable page, Canada-based EVENT will remain open for poetry submissions through April 15. Pays: $40/page for poetry (up to a total of $500).
Also open until April 15 (and also Canada-based): OVER/EXPOSED, which “publishes fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, reviews, visual art, hybrid works, and experimental mediums.” Pays: “a small honorarium of CDN $15 per publication.” (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
Until April 15, RATTLE is open for poems for its fall 2023 issue, which “will be dedicated to poems written in response to prompts. The poems may be any subject, style, or length, but must have been generated by a writing prompt. Include a note beneath each poem briefly explaining what the prompt was and where it came from.” Compensation: “Contributors in print receive $200/poem and a complimentary one-year subscription to the magazine. Online contributors receive $100/poem.” (Note that the Submittable page includes categories for the “Poets Respond” and “Ekphrastic Challenge” features that are open year-round and lead to online publication only.)
Also open until April 15: Canada-based ROOM, which “showcases writing and art by people of all marginalized genders, including cis and trans women, trans men, nonbinary and two spirit people.” They’re currently taking work for an open-themed issue. Pays: “All contributors will be paid upon publication: $50 CAD for one page, $60 for two pages, $90 for three pages, $120 for four pages, $150 for five or more pages.”
Open for fiction and poetry submissions until April 16 (and for nonfiction and visual art beyond then): INVISIBLE CITY. Pays: “$20 honorarium per accepted work.”
In place of its past contests, CHESTNUT REVIEW is now holding open reading periods for chapbooks twice each year. The current window is open until April 30. “Chapbooks may be poetry, prose, or hybrid. When submitting, please select the genre that aligns the most closely with your chapbook.” Note: They list a submission fee “on a sliding scale,” including “$0.” Compensation: “Selected authors will receive our standard payment ($120) and 50 copies of their chapbook in hard copy. Authors earn 30% royalties on all Amazon sales of the chapbook, paid annually.”
HARBOR REVIEW welcomes poetry submissions for its summer issue, themed “Merge//Divide” until April 30. Pays: $10/poem.
April 30 is also the deadline to send work for NONBINARY REVIEW’s upcoming issue on the theme “Epic Fail” (note, however, that their website mentions submission caps that may lead to early closure). Payment: $.01/word for prose and flat $10 for poetry.
Also closing April 30: Canada-based THE T|E|MZ REVIEW, which publishes prose and poetry, paying $20 (presumably CAD) per piece of prose and per batch of poems.
THREEPENNY REVIEW, which does not read submissions “during the last two-thirds of the year (May through December),” is therefore open for them through April. Pays: “At present The Threepenny Review is paying $400 per story or article, $200 per poem or Table Talk piece.” No simultaneous submissions.
SUNDOG LIT receives submissions of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction until May 1, and “the first 300 submissions to each are free.” Pays: $25.
According to its website, INTREPID TIMES will reopen for “standard [non-contest] travel writing submissions” in April (specific date is not specified there). They pay $50 for “Travelog” pieces and $250 for features."
Posted by THE COMMON’s Nina Sudharkar: “Hello all book reviewers — are you excited about a forthcoming book that engages with the notion of place? Pitch me….(I’m particularly keen on books by BIPOC authors & works from indie presses, any genre!)” Pays: $200. Per the thread: no deadline. (Hat tip: The Writer’s Job Newsletter.)
Posted by ESQUIRE’s Adrienne Westenfeld: “a quick thread about how to submit to Esquire’s books and fiction section.” Noted within the thread: “I also work with literary writers on first-person essays and narrative nonfiction.” Rates begin at $500. (Hat tip, again, to The Writer’s Job Newsletter.)
Posted on the LONGREADS Twitter account: “We’re currently looking to publish more researched and reported essays and cultural criticism. Have a pitch? Send it our way.” Check the website for guidelines/pay rates.
Posted by the SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY WRITERS ASSOCIATION: “You don’t have to be a SFWA member to submit to the SFWA blog! You don’t have to be in the USA either! We’re actively seeking pitches on the SFF landscape outside of the Western mainstream. We pay $0.10/word.”
There’s a rolling deadline (the 25th of each month) for OFF TOPIC PUBLISHING’s Poetry Box, which supplies subscribers with a poem “printed postcard-style” along with tea and chocolate. Poems should be no longer than 15 lines (“including blank lines”). Payment: $40 CAD. Note: “Only selected poets will be contacted. If you haven’t heard from us by the 5th of the month following your submission, your poem was not selected.”
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. Pays: “base pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check.”And another 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.” Pays: $250 plus 10 free copies.
REMEMBER: Some venues listed in last month’s newsletter remain open for submissions.
6. BLOG NOTES
The newsletter is published just once each month, but there’s always something new on the Practicing Writing blog:
(Monday) Markets and Jobs for Writers (including 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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Interested in matters of specifically Jewish literary and cultural interest? Please also visit the My Machberet blog (“machberet” is the Hebrew word for “notebook”). And be sure to consult our collection of Jewish Writing Resources.
7. NEWSLETTER MATTERS
Information contained in The Practicing Writer is researched carefully but readers should always verify information. Necessary corrections, when discovered, are posted within each archived issue. The Practicing Writer and its editor disclaim any liability for the use of information contained within. Thank you for following/reading.
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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 on Facebook and/or Twitter, where she tweets (mostly) “on matters bookish and/or Jewish.”