The Practicing Writer 2.0: January 2024
Concluding our 20th year of serving writers with dozens of carefully curated, fee-free opportunities that pay for fiction, poetry, & creative nonfiction.
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 Twitter (yes, I’m still calling it that, and for reasons I don’t entirely understand, I’m still there), Facebook, and/or Substack.
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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 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,
To borrow from the late British monarch Queen Elizabeth II, the year 2023—the period after October 7, in particular—“is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.” I’m proud to have continued publishing this newsletter throughout the year and gratified by the positive feedback and “success stories” that so many of you have shared. But I’ll admit that I’m not particularly energized moving forward into The Practicing Writer’s 21st year. And that’s in no small part because I’ve been so (further) disillusioned by what I’ve seen in literary and literary-adjacent communities in the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.
It seems that every time I allude to these circumstances in this space, subscribers flee. Which is certainly a choice they’re free to make.
But I can make choices, too. And as I approach the 20th anniversary of this newsletter’s existence—the first issue, dated February 2004, went out to a tiny group of subscribers at the end of January that year—I’m thinking a lot about how I choose to spend my time (and brain cells, and emotional “bandwidth”) and how I can most meaningfully contribute to the communities and causes that matter most to me.
For now, messages like this one, which arrived not long ago and whose author requested anonymity, are sustaining me as I continue to curate resources and produce this newsletter:
I just wanted to write and thank you for the work you do to curate and share opportunities to publish. I’ve recently had to pull work from magazines and unsubscribe from so many other lists and newsletters—places to submit poetry manuscripts (which is a kind of list I need and I hate to remove myself from!), newsletters from individual journals—because of their messaging that displays a cold-hearted disregard for Jewish life. So I just wanted to say I’m grateful that there’s someone in the literary space right now who is sharing opportunities without simultaneously making me feel like I need to pack my bags.
Just to expand on my correspondent’s note: As I’ve mentioned in this space before, I am consciously striving to avoid amplifying publications and organizations that I no longer trust to demonstrate reasonable information literacy or critical judgment (never mind, as my correspondent suggested, basic compassion). But I am one, imperfect person. I am not omniscient. Some information may escape me. All I can promise you is that I’m doing my best.
May 2024 bring us all meaning and fulfillment in our writing practices—and peace, security, and freedom for everyone, everywhere.
Sincerely,
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. Thank you so much!
2. SUCCESS STORIES
From Gila Green:
I’m writing to tell you that my essay “Satisfaction” is a finalist for Iron Horse Literary Review’s “Unlawful Acts” issue, one of only seven essays put forward. Had I not seen this opportunity in your listings, I would not have known about it. Thank you for all of your work and for the opportunities you provide for the writing community.
From X.P. Callahan:
Wanted to let you know that my poem “Police Blotter” has been included in Am Yisrael Chai: Essays, Poems, and Prayers, the anthology edited by Rabbi Menachem Creditor, which I read about in your [resources]. I am sorry to put this news under the “success story” rubric; just as Rabbi Creditor wishes that the anthology had not needed to be compiled, I wish my poem had not needed to be written. But here we are. The poem is also included in my collection Black Shirt Emblazoned, forthcoming from Monday Editions. Thank you for your brave and steady witness. Be well.
From Allen Borshy:
I would like to thank you for the list of publications [ED note: this one, I think] that accept short fiction. One of my short stories, “Mr. Rosenberg,” is now available for reading at jewishfiction.net.
and from Howard Wach (another former “day-job” co-worker; recall last month’s “Success Stories” installment):
I retired about 18 months ago and have been pursuing creative nonfiction. You included the Palisades Review in [your list of flash nonfiction venues]. [I sent them] a funny story about visiting a resort with my family (our kids were little ones at the time) where you pay for your discounted room by enduring a time-share presentation. I was really happy to have it accepted, since otherwise I'm working through the usual rejection-filled scenario! Thank you for putting the newsletter together every month—it's a huge undertaking and many many writers are benefiting.
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
There’s much to appreciate in this recent edition of
’s — but the item I want to spotlight is the “‘Did-Do’ List” (a close cousin of Lisa Romeo’s “I Did It!” list, which I’ve referenced in past newsletters). I’ve been tweaking my own “Did-Do” List as I’ve prepared this newsletter for you. And even in a “slow” year, I’m finding it to be an encouraging exercise.4. CONTESTS, COMPETITIONS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
A.C. BOSE GRANT FOR SOUTH ASIAN SPECULATIVE LITERATURE
Submissions: January 1-January 31. Honoring the legacy of Ashim Chandra Bose, this grant administered by the Speculative Literature Foundation “provides $1,000 to South Asian or Desi diaspora writers developing speculative fiction. Work that is accessible to older children and teens will be given preference in the jury process.”CLAIRE HARRIS POETRY PRIZE
Submissions: January 2-March 31. “A new initiative of Goose Lane’s icehouse poetry imprint” that is “designed to enhance the visibility of debut poetry collections by previously unpublished poets from Black, Indigenous, and other racialized communities. This prize will be presented for the first time in 2024 and thereafter will be presented biennially for a full-length debut collection. The prize will include a cash award of $1,000, a contract for the publication of the collection under the icehouse poetry imprint in the following year (2025), and public readings in at least three Canadian cities. The recipient of the 2024 prize will be selected by poet and essayist Kazim Ali.” NB: “Eligible writers include Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada who are writers from Black, Indigenous, or other racialized communities and who have not previously published a book-length collection of poetry. (Poets who have published a chapbook, but not yet a book-length collection, are eligible to apply.)”OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY WATERSHED FELLOWSHIP WITH THE PUBLIC HUMANITIES COLLABORATORY
Deadline: January 8. “The Public Humanities Collaboratory convenes scholars, creatives, cultural practitioners, and nonprofit and community leaders to engage in collective inquiry with the aim of discovering new approaches to enduring or emerging challenges….For 2024–2025 Watershed Fellowships, we welcome applications from philosophers, writers, historians, activists, teachers, storytellers, theologians, and community leaders whose work engages human connections with water.” Check the detailed guidelines and FAQ for information on stipends, residency options, and more.“MISS SARAH” FELLOWSHIP FOR BLACK WOMEN WRITERS
Deadline: January 9. This residency fellowship “aims to provide Black women writers a restful environment conducive to reflection and writing. It also offers uninterrupted, independent time to plant the seed of an idea for a new writing project or to develop or complete a project underway. For 2024 the Fellowship will focus on the genre of Fiction….The selected writer will receive a ten-day solo residency in July 2024 and can choose whether to stay at Trillium Arts’ rural ‘Firefly Creek’ apartment in Mars Hills, NC or at E. Patrick Johnson and Stephen Lewis’ ‘Montford Manor’ residence near downtown Asheville, NC. Participants will receive a $1,000 stipend and transportation to and from Asheville, NC. Additional benefits will be custom tailored to the needs of the awardee.” NB: “The preferred dates for a “Miss Sarah” Fellowship in 2024 are July 10-20. However, the panel will consider other dates….Black women writers at any stage of their careers are invited to apply. For applicants outside of the United States, please note that travel expenses will only be covered within the United States. International airfare will be at the expense of the applicant.” (More info about “Miss Sarah”—Sarah M. Johnson—is available here.)BECHTEL PRIZE FOR INNOVATION IN CREATIVE WRITING INSTRUCTION
Deadline: January 12. “Each year the Teachers & Writers Magazine editorial board awards the Bechtel Prize and a $1,000 honorarium for an essay describing a creative writing teaching experience, project, or activity that demonstrates innovation in creative writing instruction. The Bechtel Prize is named for Louise Seaman Bechtel, who was an editor, author, collector of children’s books, and teacher. In 1919, Bechtel became the first person to lead a juvenile book department at an American publishing house. Bechtel helped establish the field of children’s literature and was a tireless advocate for the importance of literature in children’s lives. This award honors her legacy.” Judge: Garth Greenwell.MIRIAM CHAIKIN WRITING AWARD
Deadline: January 12. This $500 memorial prize welcomes submissions of “plays, short stories, poetry collections, or other examples of creative writing…. Submissions can be either published or unpublished manuscripts.”THE ENCORE AWARD
Deadline: January 12 (5pm BST). From the Royal Society of Literature, this award of £10,000 “is open to second novels, published in the current calendar year,” meaning currently that “all entries must be published (in any format) for the first time in the UK or RoI within the calendar year 2023.” NB: “Only publishers or agents based in the UK or Republic or Ireland may enter works, which must be by writers who are citizens of the UK or Republic of Ireland.”RBC BRONWEN WALLACE AWARDS FOR EMERGING WRITERS
Deadline: January 14. “Established in memory of writer Bronwen Wallace, this award has a proven track record of helping talented developing authors get their first book deal.” Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents who have been published in a literary magazine or anthology but are unpublished in book form. “Two $10,000 prizes will be given for outstanding works of unpublished poetry and short fiction.” Finalists receive $2,500.BAKWIN AWARD FOR FULL-LENGTH PROSE
Deadline: January 15 (“or until we reach our cap of 300 submissions”). From nonprofit press Blair. For “an unpublished full-length literary prose work of fiction or nonfiction, prioritizing manuscripts by authors that fit Blair’s mission of publishing new and historically neglected voices. Entries should be literary in nature. Novels, short story collections by a single author, memoirs, essay collections, and biographies are all acceptable (NO POETRY COLLECTIONS, PLEASE). Blair does NOT publish strict genre fiction (mystery, science fiction, fantasy, horror, etc.), but we acknowledge that some elements of genre fiction may be present in literary fiction.” Award confers “publication and a $1,000 advance against royalties.” Final judge: Tiya Miles.BETHANY ARTS CENTER POETRY RESIDENCY
Deadline: January 15. “In recognition of the 28th anniversary of National Poetry Month in April 2024, Bethany Arts Community (BAC) in Ossining, NY is offering its fourth annual residency focused on poetry….The Poetry Residency is for one week, Wednesday, April 24th to Wednesday, May 1st, artists are provided room & board, a private studio, 3 basic meals a day…and a $225 stipend upon completion of the residency. Artist is responsible for transportation to and from BAC and any supplies or materials needed for their practice.”STACY DORIS MEMORIAL POETRY AWARD
Deadline: January 15. Stacy Doris “created new worlds with her unexpected poetics. Following upon her spirit of creative invention, engaging wit and ingenious playfulness, discovery in construction, and radical appropriations based on classical forms, pastiche, etc., and love, the Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award is given to a poet with a truly inventive spirit.” Prize confers $500 and publication in the Spring 2024 issue of Fourteen Hills.JANET HEIDINGER KAFKA PRIZE
Deadline: January 15. Prize honors Janet Heidinger Kafka, “a young editor who was killed in a car accident just as her career was beginning….Each year a substantial cash prize is awarded to a woman who is a US citizen, and who has written the best book-length work of prose fiction, whether novel, short stories, or experimental writing. We are interested in calling attention to the work of a promising but less established writer.” Entries, published in 2023, must be submitted by publishers; cash prize is $15,000.TOM LA FARGE AWARD FOR INNOVATIVE TEACHING, WRITING, and PUBLISHING
Deadline: January 15. “This annual award in the amount of $10,000 is designed to encourage and foster literary activity that combines serious play, imagination, erudition and innovative practice.” Since the award “aims to foster literary work in [La Farge’s] spirit, applicants will be expected to familiarize themselves with his legacy.” NB: “The award may be sought for a project or body of work in writing, publishing, education or any combination of the three.” (Hat tip: George Salis, previous prize recipient.)LEVIS READING PRIZE
Deadline: January 15 (received). For “the best first or second book of poetry published in the previous calendar year,” this prize is “presented by the M.F.A. in Creative Writing Program in the VCU Department of English and VCU Libraries with additional support from the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences, and the family of Larry Levis.” It “honors the memory of poet Larry Levis who served on the creative writing faculty at VCU at the time of his death in 1996.” Prize: “Traditionally, the winner receives an honorarium and [is] invited, expenses paid, to Richmond to present a public reading in the following fall.” NB: “The competition is not limited to U.S. citizens. However, because winners are supported in their travel to Richmond, all poets who win the award must be in residence in the U.S., as international travel can not be funded.”2024 ZÓCALO POETRY PRIZE
Deadline: January 22. Recognizes “the U.S. writer of a poem that best evokes a connection to place….The prize interprets ‘place’ in many ways: A location may possess historical, cultural, political, or personal importance, and may be literal, imaginary, or metaphorical.” Prize: “The winner will receive $1,000 and will have the opportunity to read their poem at the Zócalo Book Prize event in the spring. Zócalo will also publish the poem on our site alongside an interview with the poet. In addition, we plan to recognize our honorable mention submissions,” who will be paid $100 each.BETHANY ARTS CENTER YOUNG ARTIST FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: January 23. “In 2022, Bethany Arts Community (BAC) identified the need and opportunity to support a longer-term fellowship specifically for emerging artists from 21-30 years old. In 2024, BAC welcomes their third annual Young Artist Fellowship, running in two cohorts from May 2 to September 2, 2024 and July 8 to November 8, 2024….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 Fellows. Artist is responsible for transportation to and from BAC and any supplies or materials they may need for their practice.”JERRY JAZZ MUSICIAN SHORT FICTION CONTEST
Deadline: January 31. “Three times a year, Jerry Jazz Musician awards a writer who submits, in our opinion, the best original, previously unpublished work of short fiction.” Prize includes $150 and publication. “The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Our newsletter subscribers include publishers, artists, musicians, and fellow writers. While your writing should appeal to a reader with these interests and in these creative professions, all story themes are considered.” Open to writers worldwide.MAINE WRITERS STUDIO RETREAT
Deadline: January 31. A free, one-week (June 15-22, 2024) writing retreat “will be awarded to a qualified writer who can benefit from a quiet space to advance their current project. The retreat is located in a gloriously renovated barn in the quaint college town of Brunswick, just 30 minutes north of Portland, ME. Walking distance to everything the town has to offer, and just two blocks from the Amtrak train station and 30 minutes from Portland Jetport, this is the perfect and peaceful hideaway to dive into your work.” NB: “Please note that transportation and meals are not included.”PATTIS FAMILY FOUNDATION CHICAGO BOOK AWARD
Deadline: January 31. “The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award at the Newberry Library is presented annually to a book that transforms public understanding of Chicago, its history, or its people.” Eligible criteria include: “Any book, whether fiction or nonfiction, that promotes public understanding of Chicago; titles must be available for purchase by the general public in either hardcover or bound paperback form.” Note that “books must bear a copyright of 2022 or 2023 to be eligible for the 2024 prize.” Prize includes a $25,000 award.STORY UNLIKELY SHORT STORY CONTEST
Deadline: January 31. Annual contest imposes “no restrictions on genre: fantasy, sci fi, memoir, fiction/nonfiction, etc - we don’t care as long as it's written and told with quality and care. The story itself cannot exceed 4,500 words. There are no restrictions on age or location of participant.” Prizes: “$750 first place, $500 second place, $250 third place. The winning story will be featured on Story Unlikely’s website, will be strongly considered for our annual (print) sample magazine, and may be sent out as the bonus story for signing up, which means a lot of exposure to the winner. All three placing stories will be published in the monthly issue, and all three will be illustrated by our crackpot team of digital editors.” Read the detailed guidelines for information about honorable mentions. NB: “All authors MUST be signed up for the Story Unlikely monthly magazine (free!) to be eligible for prize and publication.”PATERSON POETRY PRIZE
Deadline: February 1. Sponsored by The Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College, this is a $2,000 award for a book of poems, 48 pages or more in length, judged as “the strongest collection of poems” published in 2023. Note: “The winning poet will be eligible for the monetary prize only if he/she/they participates in a reading at the Poetry Center in Paterson, NJ or virtually.”PATERSON PRIZE FOR BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Deadline: February 1. Offers a $1,000 prize for books published in 2022 in “each category: Pre-K - Grade 3; Grades 4 - 6; Grades 7 - 12.”FRANCES “FRANK” ROLLIN FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: February 1. From Biographers International Organization. Named for the 19th-century author and activist, this program confers two awards ($5,000 each) “to two authors working on a biographical work about an African American figure or figures whose story provides a significant contribution to our understanding of the Black experience. This fellowship also provides the recipients with a year’s membership in BIO, registration to the annual BIO Conference, and publicity through BIO’s marketing channels. The Rollin Fellowship aims to remediate the disproportionate scarcity and even suppression of Black lives and voices in the broad catalog of published biography. This fellowship reflects not only BIO’s commitment to supporting working biographers but to encouraging diversity in the field.” NB: “The fellowship is open to all biographers anywhere in the world who are writing in English, who are working on a biography of an African American figure (or figures), and who are at any stage in the writing of a book-length biography. A publishing contract is not required for eligibility. Biography as defined for this prize is a narrative of an individual’s life or the story of a group of lives. Innovative ways of treating a life (or lives) will be considered at the committee’s discretion. Memoirs are not eligible.”PHILIP ROTH RESIDENCE IN CREATIVE WRITING
Deadline: February 1. “Named for Bucknell’s renowned literary alumnus (‘54) and initiated in fall 1993, the Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing offers up to four months of unfettered writing time for a writer working on a first or second book in any literary genre. The residency provides lodging in Bucknell’s ‘Poets’ Cottage’ and a stipend of $5,000. In the spring semester of 2024, the Stadler Center will accept applications for the 2024–25 Roth Residences (Aug.–Dec. 2024 and Jan.–May 2025). NB: “An applicant must be at least 21 years of age, reside in the United States, and not be enrolled as a student in an academic program or hold competing professional, academic, or fellowship obligations during the period of the residency. Some record of publication is desirable. Publication (or acceptance for publication) of a second book is disqualifying.”WOODBERRY POETRY ROOM CREATIVE FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: February 1. This fellowship at Harvard University “invites poets, writers, translators, visual artists, composers, and scholars to propose creative projects that would benefit from an immersive encounter with the Woodberry Poetry Room and its collections. The fellowship includes: a stipend of $5,000, access to the Woodberry Poetry Room (and several other Harvard special collections), and research support from the Poetry Room curatorial staff. Thanks to the generosity of the T. S. Eliot Foundation, the fellowship recipient will also receive a one-week residency to work on their project at the T.S. Eliot House in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The Eliot House residency may be scheduled between May-October of the fellowship year, but does not have to coincide with the fellow's research visit to Harvard. The fellowship recipient will receive a Harvard Library special access card that is active for one year, allowing for a great deal of flexibility in terms of scheduling. It is hoped that the $5,000 stipend (which is the comprehensive honorarium for individual and collaborative recipients) will help to offset travel and lodging costs.”EMORY UNIVERSITY CREATIVE WRITING FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: February 15; note that “the search committee will begin reviewing applications as they arrive.” Two-year fellowship in fiction “in lively undergraduate English/Creative Writing Program, beginning Fall 2024. A two-year commitment is assumed but the contract renewal for the second year is contingent on a positive review of the first year. Load 2-1, all workshops; $45,000 and health benefits. Fellow will give a public reading. Required: MFA or PhD in last five years, with Creative Writing teaching experience; record of publication, but no full-length book published or under contract. Desirable: interest in secondary genre, creative nonfiction, and/or screenwriting.”CASA UNO RESIDENCY
Rolling applications. “Located in the Central Valley of Costa Rica, the residency takes place on a beautiful property that provides an opportunity for one to four artists simultaneously to have meaningful interactions and stimulating discussions while pursuing their own individual projects in an inspiring natural setting.” Note that although there’s no fee to apply or to attend, you will need to cover your own transportation and nearly all meals (details provided on the website).
REMINDER: Some competitions listed in last month’s newsletter remain open into January; make sure you haven’t missed them!
5. SUBMISSION ALERTS
Recently re-opened for submissions: POETRY IRELAND REVIEW.
Scheduled to re-open for submissions January 1: TRAMPSET.
34 ORCHARD will be open for submissions January 1-15. “We like dark, intense pieces that speak to a deeper truth. We’re not genre-specific; we just like scary, disturbing, unsettling, and sad….We are an international journal and welcome submissions from everyone, all over the world.”
Open for fiction and nonfiction during January: VARIANT LIT.
Open for poetry from writers around the world during January (and February): MALAHAT REVIEW (which accepts submissions in all genres from Canadians throughout the year; creative nonfiction is also welcome from international writers year-round).
Opening for poetry submissions January 1 (and remaining open through February): Ireland-based SOUTHWORD.
Opening for submissions January 1 (and remaining open through March): BETHLEHEM WRITERS ROUNDTABLE, for Summer 2024 issue consideration. “The theme for that issue will be: Dog Days of Summer: Lazy stories . . . or dog stories!” Accepts work “in most genres of fiction, as well as memoir and poetry.”
Until January 5, POET LORE is open for submissions for “a folio of work by queer writers centered on love,” to be curated by guest editor Luther Hughes.
Australia-based GRIFFITH REVIEW has two calls open on its Submittable page. One, closing January 7, is for non-fiction pitches for Griffith Online. “This is where we showcase short (1,000–1,500 words) pieces of commentary, analysis and critique on subjects as diverse, esoteric or topical as you like.” NB: “We’d particularly welcome pitches from First Nations writers. We’d also welcome pitches from members of the d/Deaf and disabled writing communities.” January 14 is the deadline listed for nonfiction for an upcoming issue on “Attachment Styles.” Beyond these, there’s a mention of an upcoming poetry call that is slated to open January 22: “Keep an eye on our social media and newsletter for more details soon.” You’ll also find details on pay rates and more on their website.
At UK-based MSLEXIA, “for women who write,” January 8 is the deadline for submitting “500-word fictional prose monologues in the voice of the wife, mistress, sister, daughter, mother of a famous real or fictional person. We’re inviting strong voice pieces suitable for both page or performance. Please give your piece a title that explains the relationship, e.g. ‘Ophelia, fiancée of Hamlet’; ‘Melania, wife of Donald Trump’.”
According to its Instagram page, CONSEQUENCE will open January 15 for submissions that “showcase the talents of BIPOC writers and artists. We welcome submissions in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translations, or visual art that explore the experiences, realities, or consequences of war or geopolitical violence.” This window is slated to close April 15.
Closing January 15: GREAT WEATHER FOR MEDIA, which seeks poetry and prose for its annual print anthology. “We welcome work from writers worldwide,” but cash payment is available only for USA-based writers.
Also closing January 15: submissions for RATTLE’s upcoming “Tribute to the Ghazal.” (ED note: Check the Submittable page for other open opportunities with Rattle.)
BERLIN LIT, “journal for new poetry,” is open for submissions until January 16.
THE AMPERSAND REVIEW is open until January 31, for submissions of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, and reviews. NB: “In keeping with our mandate to foster literary culture in communities within Canada, priority may be given to submissions written by those who reside in Canada.” (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
BELMONT STORY REVIEW also remains open until January 31, for submissions of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. NB: “For those who cannot receive U.S. checks…we can pay in kind with additional copies of the magazine (3 total) but cannot issue monetary payment.”
Another January 31 deadline: submissions for MIRRORBALL: HOW TAYLOR SWIFT REFLECTS THE LOSS, HOPE, AND LOVE OF MILLIONS AROUND THE WORLD. To be published by EastOver Press, this anthology “of writings from around the world inspired by Taylor Swift, her music and her call to fans globally to cry and laugh and dance and mourn and grow together” welcomes poetry and prose and will be edited by Chiwan Choi and Michelle Grondine.
NONBINARY REVIEW is similarly open until January 31, for poetry, prose, and visual-art submissions for an issue with the theme of “Old Friends”; note that there’s a submission cap for each issue, so they may close early.
Also open until January 31: THE /TƐMZ/ REVIEW, for submissions of poetry and prose. (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
The deadline for poetry submissions at TERRAIN.ORG, which has a focus “on place, climate, and justice,” is January 31. (Nonfiction and fiction remain open through March.)
New publication: THE ILFORD REVIEW “is now open for submissions for Issue One. We are currently seeking essays and creative non-fiction that run between 3,000 - 6,000 words in length.” (Hat tip: WOW! Women on Writing Markets Newsletter.)
Another one I’ve discovered via the WOW! Women on Writing Markets Newsletter: SCRAPS, which “showcases the abandoned work of writers and artists. In this exercise, abandoned work is any piece of writing or art that the author or artist has indefinitely shelved after receiving a series of rejection letters from traditional venues. These pieces should be complete and polished, and mostly competent, but not quite good enough. Think 4th place runner-up. Or 5th or 6th. In addition to showcasing the abandoned work, we would like to present a collaborative response to rejection by creating a complimentary element to accompany each piece of writing. The rejection letters will be used by the editors to create this response, ranging from additional graphics or illustrations, erasure poetry, essays, music, and bibliomancy.”
Thanks to @Duotrope, I’ve recently discovered the THE PUBLIC DOMAIN REVIEW, which welcomes submissions for its essay series. “While spanning a wide array of disciplines and periods, our essays all share a common focus on oft-overlooked subjects and attention to works now out of copyright due to age. We are seeking writing that, though often considerate of academic themes, engages both the expert and curious newcomer in discovering the stories preserved by the digital commons.”
MENAGERIE, which publishes “fictions, essays, and poems,” is open year-round. “Subs are free till we hit our monthly cap, so get in early.” (Hat tip: Jeanne Lyet Gassman.)
From EMI NIETFELD: “I’m accepting pitches for my newsletter,
, where funny, witty people write retrospectives of life experiences -- all in the style of a Big Tech post-mortem! I hope to feature a diversity of experiences and voices, while helping amazing writers connect with new readers.” (Hat tip: The Writer’s Job Newsletter.)Reminder: Free submissions are open for the first seven days of every month at ONLY POEMS.
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: 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: 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”).
Also:
, 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.
REMEMBER: Multiple venues listed in last month’s newsletter remain open for submissions, too. And please keep reading the “Blog Notes” below for an important reminder 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.
We value our subscribers, and we protect their privacy. We keep our subscriber list confidential.
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.”