The Practicing Writer 2.0: December 2024
Featuring 50+ fee-free, paying/funded opportunities. Plus: post-MFA fellowships, #JewishBookMonth, success stories, & more. Serving writers of fiction, poetry, & cnf for more than 20 years.
Welcome, new readers, and welcome back to the regulars.
For updates and additional opportunities between newsletters, please check the “Practicing Writing” blog and follow me on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and/or Substack. (I’m dramatically decreasing my activity on Twitter/X1.)
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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:
(Yes, this newsletter is going out on the penultimate day of the month, instead of the customary final day. This can happen when the last day of the month coincides with Shabbat [the Jewish Sabbath] or other Jewish holidays.)
Much has transpired since the November newsletter posted, both in the writing world and in the larger world. I continue to share a lot of information on my blogs and on social media; for the moment, I’ll leave it at that.
I do want to briefly thank everyone who supported, in various ways, the recent auction run by The Artists Against Antisemitism, on whose board I serve. As reported, the auction raised more than $65,000 “to help fight antisemitism in the arts and support Jewish artists,” which of course includes literary artists. Given that the need continues for me to update both “After October 7” (this quicklink goes directly to the section “Regarding Literary and Literary-Adjacent Communities”) and “Writers, Beware,” I’m quite aware of all the work that there is to do on this front.
On a happier note: I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention that we are now several days in to Jewish Book Month 2024 (5785 on the Jewish calendar). Observance shifts annually with the Jewish calendar to coincide with the month preceding Hanukkah, and this year, Hanukkah begins at sunset December 25.
Jewish Book Month is effectively coordinated by the Jewish Book Council (JBC), and as the JBC notes, its history goes back 99 years: “In 1925, Fanny Goldstein, a librarian at the Boston Public Library, decided that Jewish books and Jewish pride were worth celebrating, so she set up a display of Jewish books and initiated the first Jewish Book Week. Ninety-nine years later, we still think Jewish books are worth celebrating!” Learn more on the JBC’s 2024 Jewish Book Month page, which is replete with action-oriented suggestions for your observance. And if you’re an editor/educator/librarian/curator, please add Jewish Book Month to any existing “theme-month” lists for attention!
If you’re an editor/educator/librarian/curator, please add Jewish Book Month to any existing “theme-month” lists for attention!
On a similarly celebratory note, I hope that the upcoming December holidays are pleasant ones for everyone reading this.
And as the greeting-cards often say at this season, may there be Peace on Earth.
With best wishes for you and your writing,
ERIKA
P.S. I am also 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 Max Burger:
Thanks for your list [of where to read/publish Jewish writing]! “Lost and Found,” an excerpt from my novel, My Father’s Father, (still on submission) has been posted in this issue of The Jewish Fiction Journal.
From Howard Wach:
I’m writing to share a success story, an essay I’ve placed with the Jewish Writing Project. It’s short and (I think) to the point, a reflection on the quaking ground under our Jewish-American feet. I’m a pure baby-boom product, and I think for many of us in that giant cohort the ground has shaken especially hard.
Thanks again for all your work providing resources for scribblers, especially on the Jewish side.
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 RESOURCE: POST-MFA FELLOWSHIPS
Way back in 2007, I shared a blog post in which I’d compiled links to fellowship and writer-in-residence opportunities aimed particularly toward emerging writers, including recent graduates from MFA programs in creative writing. I’ve continued to update that list over the years—most recently, just a couple of weeks ago. You can find it over on my website. (You’ll also find examples of such programs—of the fee-free variety, at any rate—listed directly below, since they have deadlines within the next month or so.)
4. CONTESTS, COMPETITIONS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
THE WELKIN MINI
Submissions: December 1-January 2. “The Welkin Mini is a competition to celebrate micro fiction and creative non-fiction up to 100 words. Like the main Welkin Prize, it is free to enter and aims to be a welcoming space for all writers.” Cash prizes: £50/£30/£20/£10. “Payment of prizes will be via Paypal. Where a winner is unable to accept payment via Paypal (because of geographic location or otherwise), payment in kind will be offered in the form of vouchers for my editorial services.” (Hat tip: .)RSL CHRISTOPHER BLAND PRIZE
Deadline: December 6. Administered by the Royal Society of Literature, in memory of Christopher Bland. “An annual award of £10,000 for a debut novelist or non-fiction writer first published in any form aged 50 or over.” Detailed eligibility criteria apply—be sure to read through them.KIM WALL MEMORIAL FUND GRANTS
Deadline: December 8. From the International Women’s Media Foundation. Provides $5,000 grants “to journalists whose work embodies the spirit of Kim’s reporting. The grant will fund women or non-binary reporters covering subculture, broadly defined, and what Kim liked to call ‘the undercurrents of rebellion.’ Kim wanted more women to be out in the world, brushing up against life, and the Kim Wall Memorial Fund honors this legacy.” NB: At last check, there were two deadlines listed for this opportunity listed; I’ve provided you with the earlier one.JANE MARTIN POETRY PRIZE
Deadline: December 9. “The Jane Martin Poetry Prize is a national poetry competition, established in 2010, in memory of Girton alumna, Jane Elizabeth Martin (1978, Classics) through the generous support of her family….The winner will receive a cash prize of £1000 and there will also be a second prize of £500. Both prize-winners will have an opportunity to give a reading at a celebratory event at Girton College, at which the prizes will be awarded.” NB: “Entrants must be resident in the UK and between the ages of 18 and 30 on Thursday 27 February 2025.”EDINBURGH WRITING AWARDS/SCOTTISH ARTS TRUST BURSARY
Deadline: December 10. “Scottish Arts Trust Bursaries help skilled under-represented writers and artists to obtain free entry to our writing and visual arts awards,” which include the Edinburgh Writing Awards (Young Adult Fiction Prize, Short Story Award, Essay Award). Open to writers worldwide.GEORGE ELIOT FELLOWSHIP ESSAY PRIZE
Deadline: December 12. Annual prize confers £500.00 “for a previously unpublished paper on George Eliot’s life or work.” The winning essay will be published in George Eliot Review. “The competition is open to all, but may be of particular interest to graduate students.” (Additional information here.)KING’S ENGLISH SOCIETY POETRY COMPETITION
Deadline: December 15. “The competition is open to all and entry is free….The theme of the competition is PAPER….The author of the winning poem will receive £100 and the poem will be published on the King’s English Society website, Facebook platforms, and occasionally in the next issue of the Society’s quarterly magazine, Quest. The runner-up will also be published.” (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)LIT FOX AWARD
Deadline: December 15. From Lit Fox Books, for full-length poetry collections. Prize package includes $1500, publication, author copies, and more.ST. MARTIN’S/MINOTAUR-MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA FIRST CRIME NOVEL COMPETITION
Deadline: December 15. “Open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any Published Novel (in any genre),” as defined within the guidelines. Note that “murder or another serious crime or crimes [must be] at the heart of the story.” Prize: “If a winner is selected, Minotaur Books will offer to enter into its standard form author’s agreement with the entrant for publication of the winning Manuscript. After execution of the standard form author’s agreement by both parties, the winner will receive an advance against future royalties of $10,000. On the condition that the selected winner accepts and executes the publishing contract proposed by Minotaur Books, the winner will then be recognized at the Edgar Awards Banquet in New York City in May 2025.”POMEGRANATE WRITING FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: December 16. From the Jewish Women’s Archive. “A year-long writing Fellowship for Jewish women of color and racially and ethnically diverse Jewish women* that supports the development of their talents, provides a platform that amplifies their voices, and builds the field of Jewish women of color thought leaders” (*consult the website “for more about how [they’re] defining Jewish Women of Color”). Five fellows will be selected for this “entirely remote” fellowship, which is open to applicants currently residing in North America. Stipends of $3,600 will be awarded.RBC BRONWEN WALLACE AWARD FOR EMERGING WRITERS
Deadline: December 16. From Writers’ Trust of Canada. “Established in memory of writer Bronwen Wallace, this award has a proven track record of helping talented developing authors secure their first book deal. Three $10,000 prizes will be given for outstanding works of unpublished poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction. The award is sponsored by RBC.” Runners-up also receive cash awards. Entrants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Other criteria detailed on the site.AKADEMIE SCHLOSS SOLITUDE DIGITAL RESIDENCIES
Deadline: December 18. The current residency call is titled “Tools for Citation” and encourages “proposals of artistic projects that explore the practice of citation from a conceptual and theoretical frame. Selected projects should be carried out in open-source formats that are well-documented, shareable, and consider the accessibility of its users, who may range in age, race, gender, economic class, and ability. Six project proposals will be selected and rewarded with an online residency and a grant of 1.200 euros.”THE ANDROMEDA AWARD
Deadline: December 18. From the United Talent Agency, Conville & Walsh, and Curtis Brown Creative. “The award is open to anyone based in the UK or USA who has a full-length science fiction or fantasy novel.” (Within the rules, one finds that entrants must be un-agented.) Cash prizes: “$5,000/$3,000/$1,000” plus, for the 2nd- and 3rd-place winners, course opportunities.NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PROVOST’S POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Deadline: December 18. Eligibility extends to “professionals transitioning to academic careers (for those in a field for which the doctorate is not the terminal degree).” Fellowship appointments “are for two years and begin in September. Fellows teach a maximum of one course per semester, participate in school and departmental activities, and are assigned a mentor to prepare them for a career in academia.” Fellows receive “a $62,000 nine-month salary; a research allowance ($2,000); and reimbursement for one-time relocation fees (up to $3,000)….The University also provides a benefits package, including medical and dental coverage.”ECCLES INSTITUTE VISITING FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: December 20. At the British Library. “The Eccles Institute Visiting Fellowship offers funding for researchers working on the Americas across the arts, humanities and social sciences, to spend some time with the British Library’s collections in London.” The fellowship project “could be original academic research leading to a doctoral dissertation, journal article or scholarly monograph. It could also be part of the research and development for new creative work in fiction, poetry, music, dance, theatre, art, design, and everything in between.” Fellows are given financial stipends intended to support at least 3 weeks research at the Library (amounts depend on the applicant’s place of residence; the fellowship is open to applicants worldwide).LOVE LETTERS TO LONDON COMPETITION
Deadline: December 20. From the London Society. “Now in its fourth year, this competition is open to everyone to celebrate our wonderful, fantastic, infuriating city in prose or poetry. Open to all ages, and to all writing styles - fiction, poetry, essays and reportage - whether you live in the capital or not….As 2024 represents the 60th Anniversary of Martin Luther King’s sermon at St Paul’s, we are theming the competition around: DREAMS FOR LONDON.” For writers over 18, categories include “Open” and “Poetry”; cash prizes will be £500/£250/£100 for each category. “Entries can have been published elsewhere but must fit the brief and have been written in 2024.” (As always, read and consider the full rules, including this point: “Copyright in all entries will remain with the entrant, but The London Society has the right to use any entry for free in its own publications in print, online or in other media.”)W.Y. BOYD LITERARY NOVEL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MILITARY FICTION
Deadline: December 31. “Honors the best fiction set in a period when the United States was at war” and “recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel and encourages the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction.” Confers $5,000. Novels submitted “must have been published during the year prior to the award.”CREATIVE.INSPIRED.HAPPY MID-CAREER WRITING SCHOLARSHIP
Deadline: December 31. “For an aspiring writer not currently in a professional writing career, for use toward furthering their education in writing, such as continuing education or community college courses on writing. This scholarship is open to aspiring writers in any field, including fiction, poetry, and non-fiction.” Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded.FOUR QUARTETS PRIZE
Deadline: December 31. From the Poetry Society of America. For “a unified and complete sequence of poems published in the United States in a print or online journal, chapbook, or book in 2024. Poems in the sequence may have been published in different journals provided that they were published in 2024 and that brought together, they form a complete sequence.” Awards: “Finalists will receive $1,000 each. The winner will receive an additional $20,000.”ERNEST J. GAINES AWARD FOR LITERARY EXCELLENCE
Deadline: December 31 (received). Award confers $15,000, “honors Louisiana’s revered storyteller, Ernest J. Gaines, and serves to inspire and recognize rising African-American fiction writers of excellence [U.S. citizens only] at a national level.” Eligible authors must have a “work of fiction (novel or collection of short stories) that is published between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. Galleys for a 2024 publication are also accepted.”
HOOKS INSTITUTE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD
Deadline: December 31. From the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis, for a non-fiction book “that best furthers understanding of the civil rights movement and its legacy.” Confers a prize of $1,000 and an invitation to lecture at the University of Memphis. “Non-fiction books with a first-published date in the 2024 calendar year are eligible for the award.”LILITH MAGAZINE ANNUAL SHORT FICTION CONTEST
Deadline: December 31. “Lilith Magazine—independent, Jewish & frankly feminist—seeks quality short stories with heart, soul and chutzpah, 3,000 words or under, for our Annual Fiction Contest. First prize: $300 and publication. We especially like fresh fiction with feminist and Jewish nuance, and are eager to read submissions from writers of color and emerging writers of any age.”THE LYRIC COLLEGE POETRY CONTEST
Deadline: December 31. From The Lyric, “the oldest magazine in North America devoted to traditional poetry.” Contest is open to “undergraduates enrolled full time in an American or Canadian college or university. Poems must be original and unpublished, 39 lines or less, written in English in traditional forms, preferably with regular scansion and rhyme.” Confers cash prizes ($500/$200/$100) and publication.WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS POETRY COMPETITION
Deadline: December 31. From Northeast Ohio Medical University. New to this competition this year, awards will be conferred in two categories: “a medical student category, open to students enrolled in M.D. and D.O. programs in the US, Puerto Rico, or Canada, and a physician category, open to any rank of physician (M.D. or D.O.) at any career stage, from residency to retirement, in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or Canada.” Confers cash prizes, which are undisclosed as far as I can see on the website, which is often a deal-breaker for me, but this contest is so well-established and I’ve covered it so many times in the past, and I so love William Carlos Williams, that I’m making an exception! (Hat tip to WOW! Women on Writing Markets Newsletter for reminding me about this one.)THE FIFTY & UP WRITER AWARDS
Deadline: January 1. From table/FEAST. Only open to writers aged fifty and up. “There will be one winner for Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction. Each winner will receive $50.00 USD plus a dollar per year if beyond the fifty years mark.”ANN FRIEDMAN WEEKLY FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: January 3. “For nonfiction writers who are not yet established in their careers,” this fellowship “includes mentorship and editing; a $5,000 stipend; regular check-ins to provide structure and accountability; and space in my newsletter where fellows can publish and promote their work. This program is funded by paying members of the Ann Friedman Weekly. For the 2025 fellowship, I will provide support and accountability to two writers, who will each write and publish a newsletter of their own.” Applicants should be “nonfiction writers who don’t have (m)any published clips, who aren’t well-connected to editors, who don’t have a substantial social media following. I’m looking for people who are already writing and developing their skills. I invite people from populations that are underrepresented in media to apply. (I know most job listings have a line like this, but I really and truly mean it. Please apply!) For reasons related to scheduling calls and time zones, I am limiting this to writers who live in the United States.” (Hat tip: Freelance Opportunities.)JACK HAZARD FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline: January 3. From New Literary Project. “Jack Hazard Fellows are fiction, creative nonfiction, and memoir writers who teach full time in an accredited high school in the United States. We provide a $5,000 award that enables these creative writers who teach to focus on their writing for a summer.” Among eligibility criteria, applicants must “have taught full-time for at least three years” and “return to full-time teaching in Fall 2025.”THE NEWBERRY ARTIST IN RESIDENCE FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline: January 3. Three fellowship programs—including one for historical-fiction writers—at the Newberry Library in Chicago. Each one-month fellowship confers a $3,000 stipend. Open to “artists of any nationality.”BETHANY ARTS CENTER POETRY RESIDENCY
Deadline: January 6. “In recognition of the 29th anniversary of National Poetry Month in April 2025, Bethany Arts Community (BAC) in Ossining, NY is offering its fifth annual residency focused on poetry.” NB: “The Poetry Residency is for one week: Monday, March 31 to Monday, April 7, 2025.” Residency package includes room and board, plus a stipend ($225).OLIVE B. O’CONNOR FELLOWSHIPS IN CREATIVE WRITING
Deadline: January 6. At Colgate University. Two fellowships will be conferred (one in fiction, one in poetry). “Writers who have recently completed an MFA, MA, or PhD in creative writing, and who need a year to complete their first book, are encouraged to apply. The selected writers will spend the academic year (late August 2025 to early May 2026) at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. The fellows will teach one multigenre course each semester and will give a public reading from the work in progress.” Fellowship confers a stipend of $57,100, travel expenses, and health and life insurance.OUTPOST RESIDENCY
Deadline: January 10. “The Outpost Foundation’s flagship program is a residency that awards two BIPOC writers from the United States and Latin America a $2,000 stipend as well as complimentary travel, lodging, and meals to spend the month of September cultivating a generative writing community in the mountains of Southern Vermont. In addition to the time spent in residence, Outpost Fellows in Residence will engage in organized interactions with the community of local universities and bookstores, allowing space to share their work and expand their networks.”JOAN LEIMAN JACOBSON NONFICTION NON-FICTION WRITER IN RESIDENCE
Deadline: January 15. In Massachusetts, “the English Department and the Program in American Studies at Smith College invite applications from distinguished non-fiction writers for a visiting joint appointment as the Joan Leiman Jacobson Writer in Residence, to begin July 1, 2025. Authors in a range of non-fiction genres with a strong record of publication and teaching experience are eligible to apply, particularly essayists, journalists, science and environment writers, and critics. Previous recipients include Hilton Als, Dava Sobel, Russ Rymer, and Susan Faludi. Teaching responsibilities for this position will include one undergraduate writing workshop each semester: in American Studies, a course in writing about American society and culture; in English, a course in narrative and/or creative non-fiction. Jacobson Writers in Residence contribute to the dynamic writing communities of Smith College and the wider Northampton area, and one public lecture or reading is expected at some time during the residency. This two-year, half-time, benefits-eligible position offers an annual salary of $60,000 and a housing stipend, with the possibility of renewal for a third year.”
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
At THE CINCINNATI REVIEW, print-magazine submissions will reopen December 1 and will most likely close again soon thereafter; act quickly if you’re interested in sending them your work.
Reminder: Online submissions of fiction, poetry, and essays for the print edition of NINTH LETTER are free during December. NB: Caps of 300 submissions apply for each genre.
As noted in their latest newsletter, NORTHERN GRAVY will be open for submissions from December 1 until December 22. Per the guidelines: “In order to submit to Northern Gravy, you must be a UK or Ireland writer. While we love receiving submissions, if you weren’t either born in the UK or Ireland, or currently reside in the UK or Ireland, we will have to discard your submission without reading it.”
A recent post from Short Story, Long indicates that editor Aaron Burch will re-open submissions December 1 (and will keep them open for the month). “Have a story in the 3k-8k word range that you feel like might be a fit? Get ’er ready! Have a friend who writes stories that you think are great who might not know about us? Tell ’em!”
Closing December 3: MEETINGHOUSE, which welcomes “all forms of writing, both creative and critical….We appreciate genre-bending & genre-blending. We believe trying and failing to work through difficult ideas and feelings is more worthwhile than staying comfortable in what you know. Asking questions is better than answering them. And we very badly want to be kind.”
At MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW, they're taking pitches for an upcoming “Creativity” issue until December 4. “As always, the theme is a loose prompt. We’re looking for pitches for longer pieces: narrative features, compelling investigations, essential profiles, and super-sharp essays. This call for pitches is mostly aimed at journalists, but if you're an expert with a strong idea, please don't hesitate to reach out.”
Reminder: BELLEVUE LITERARY PRESS remains open for narrative nonfiction submissions until December 15.
Also until December 15, THE JOURNAL OF COMPRESSED CREATIVE ARTS is receiving submissions of “‘compressed creative arts.’ We accept fiction and creative nonfiction, as long if they are compressed in some way.”
ORCA is open for submissions for its next “literary” issue until December 15. “Please remember that we have 100 free submissions each month, and they usually fill up very quickly.”
You have until December 31 to send a general flash-fiction submission to FLASH FROG (during January, they’re scheduled to take contest submissions only).
MENAGERIE, which publishes “fictions, essays, and poems,” is open for submissions until December 31. “If only tip jar subs are available on the Submittable page, that means we’ve hit our monthly free cap.” (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
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….We’ll read through each story, choose the one story that shines brightest, and publish it online the following month. After a year, we’ll collect all twelve stories into a Stone’s Throw Annual Anthology, to be published alongside our other print issues.” For submissions January 1-4 (for the February 2025 issue), they seek work as follows: “There’s always a bigger fish, and this month, give us stories of characters who think they’re the top of the food chain, only to find out in spectacular fashion that they are, in fact, way out of their depth. We want hubris. We want bravado. And then, we want the sinking feeling that you can only get when you realize you’re just a minnow swimming with a bunch of sharks.”
OFF ASSIGNMENT, “a literary magazine with a penchant for journeys and a fascination with strangers,” recently posted an update on Instagram: “We are currently accepting submissions to our ‘Letter to a Stranger,’ ‘No Equivalent,’ ‘Under the Influence,’ ‘What I Didn't Say,’ and ‘Witching Hour’ columns. Let our prompts unlock ideas for that personal essay melding place writing and emotional journeys.” (Note that when I asked about a deadline, I was told that there isn’t one.)
Newly discovered (as it happens, on Bluesky): THE INFLATED GRAVEWORM, “a quarterly zine of ‘dark’ literature” that is open for submissions.
A reminder from PALETTE POETRY: “Submissions for our Featured Poetry category are open year-round to poets at any stage of their careers. Featured poems are published online only and will spotlight a number of poems from new authors each month. We highly encourage emerging authors to submit.”
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.”
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
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 fee-free/paying opportunities that don’t make it into the monthly newsletter)
(Friday) Finds for Writers
#SundaySentence
Occasional Notes from a Practicing Writer
Please visit, comment, and subscribe.
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. Any necessary corrections, when discovered, are added post-publication 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 right here on Substack and/or on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram.
I’ve seen others issue extensive sermons comments on the decision to “leave Twitter” or not, especially within a political context. I’m not particularly interested in weighing in along those lines. But for anyone who might be curious about my own path, I hope it will suffice to say that the move to revive and build a long-dormant Bluesky presence and wean myself away from Twitter/X has been brewing for a long time and is grounded in multiple factors.
Among these motivations: the dramatic decrease in engagement/reach that I’ve noted for my Twitter/X account throughout the span of the current owner’s reign, with an especially pronounced follower exodus over the past few weeks. Moreover, as
has identified: “As X has grown more and more clunky to use – ubiquitous and ridiculous ads (unless you pay), bots promoting explicit materials, an incentive structure aimed at making outrage-bait content go viral – an alternative holds intrinsic appeal….Bluesky allows unimpeded links to news articles, unlike X, Facebook and Instagram.”If you happen to be interested in learning more about Bluesky and why it might appeal, here’s a gift link to a piece by Kevin Roose that I appreciated. For now, I’m just hoping Bluesky remains a decent place to be. Find me there.