The Practicing Writer 2.0: July 2023
Featuring 75+ carefully curated, fee-free opportunities that pay writers for their fiction, poetry, & nonfiction. Celebrating our 20th year of serving the writing community.
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, Facebook, and/or Substack.
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:
I’m pleased to present the July 2023 issue. As usual, there’s a lot for you to peruse below. I’ll keep this intro brief—if you’re interested in what’s been happening in my own writing practice, you can find a recap on Practicing Writing.
There are just two items in that recap that I’ll cross-post here.
First: my June 8 article “How to Avoid Submission Fees: Lessons Learned from 20+ Years of Sending Out My Work—and Curating Opportunities for Others,” which appeared earlier this month in
.And I also want to thank a number of other Substackers for their recent (and very generous) praise for this newsletter. I’m tagging below to encourage you to go check out their wonderful Substacks, all of which I subscribe to:
From David Gutowski/
: “The Practicing Writer 2.0 is a valuable newsletter for writers. From writing resources to contest notices to submission alerts to residency information, this is one of the most useful tools in my writing toolbox. Thank you, Erika Dreifus.”From Christine Sneed/
: “The single best resource I’ve seen for submission opportunities – with no fees. Erika Dreifus, The Practicing Writer Substacker, generously puts this free newsletter together each month.”From
’s “Best Submission Resources for Writers”: “Like having a professional writer in the family.”And endorsements from
’s Emily Stoddard, who included the newsletter as a recommended resource in an article for Writer’s Digest, and ’s Zina Gomez-Liss, who did the same in rounding up “10 Substacks to Try.”
On to the issue!
Wishing everyone the best with your 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. Thank you so much!
2. SUCCESS STORIES
From Chantal Bellehumeur:
I wanted to share my success story with you. In your May newsletter, you mentioned the mini-contest #56 from On The Premises Magazine. Contestants had to write a story between 25 and 50 words in which the word unicorn appeared a single time. I won an honourable mention, and my piece was published on the magazine's website. Thank you so much for putting all this together.
From Barbara Ridley:
I have been an avid reader of your newsletter for years and have often followed up on some of your suggestions for submissions. Finally I can report a success story. After a heads-up from you, I submitted to Mud Season Review a creative non-fiction piece I had been trying to get published for 2 years - and I am thrilled that it appears in Issue #68.
And this one, from Caitlin Cacciatore, arrived via the author’s latest newsletter, from which I’m quoting here:
I am pleased to announce the recent publication of my poem, “Cli-Fi,” in The Good Life Review’s “Micro Monday” feature.
This poem was born in an ecopoetry workshop, and I must extend my sincerest thanks to the teaching author, Kathryn Savage, as well as the Loft Literary Center, which offered a workshop called “Ecopoetry and Micro-Memoir About the Environment.”
I must also send my thanks to Professor Erika Dreifus, who runs The Practicing Writer 2.0 Newsletter. I found this opportunity in the February edition of her newsletter and would like to just take a moment to highlight the amazing work she does each and every month. If you don’t already subscribe to her blog, it’s a must for all aspiring, emerging, and established authors.
Professor Dreifus was (and remains!) a professor at Baruch College, CUNY, which happens to be my alma mater. I unfortunately never had the pleasure of taking a course with her, but the newsletter she curates is truly a cornerstone in my writing practice. I highly recommend – and commend – it.
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: “9 WAYS TO REFRAME A WRITING HALT”
Although evidently aimed toward poets,
’s “9 Ways to Reframe a Writing Halt” strikes me as instructive advice for writers of every genre.4. CONTESTS, COMPETITIONS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
STONY BROOK SHORT FICTION PRIZE
Deadline: July 14. For this competition, “only undergraduates enrolled full time in United States and Canadian universities and colleges for the academic year 2022-2023 are eligible. This Prize has traditionally encouraged submissions from students with an Asian background, but we urge all students to enter….The author of the winning story will receive $1,000 and a scholarship to the 2024 Southampton Writers Conference. Additionally, the winning story will automatically be considered for publication in TSR: The Southampton Review.”THE IRON HORSE LITERARY REVIEW PHOTOFINISH COMPETITION
Fee-free submissions for one day only: July 15. “For the IHLR annual PhotoFinish, we seek well-crafted and very brief ekphrastic work that pushes beyond an absolute literal read of a photo prompt. We’re looking for work that recognizes what’s hidden in the world we see, responding to the physical details that the picture offers or what emotion it conveys or both. We provide the photo on our website and social media platforms every mid-May. Responses should be no longer than 500 words for prose or 15 lines for poetry….Winner receives $250. The finalists receive $50. The winner and nine finalists are published in the e-edition, released at midnight on New Year’s Eve--our last horse over the year’s finish line.”IRON HORSE PRIZE
Fee-free submissions for one day only: July 15 (see note below). “Texas Tech University Press and Iron Horse Literary Review are pleased to announce the Iron Horse Prize, awarded annually to a first book of collected prose. The author of the winning entry will receive $1000, and their collection will be published in the summer of 2024 by Texas Tech University Press. We are looking for emerging writers who have yet to publish collections of their own prose, either short fiction or nonfiction.” Judge: Katie Cortese. NB: On July 15, they will “accept a limited number of submissions free of charge to ensure the inclusion of as many authors as possible. If you can afford to pay the fee, we ask that you reserve the free slots for others who may not be able to submit otherwise.” Also note: “If you miss the July 15th free submission day and would like to submit your work but cannot pay the fee, please feel welcome to contact” the press as indicated, “but not before July 15.”LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY ALEXANDRIA (LSUA) DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND HUMANITIES FLASH FICTION CONTEST
Deadline: July 15. “All creative writers are cordially invited to write a piece of Flash Fiction. Tell a short-story with a title. In a minimum of 6 words and a maximum of 1,500 words, tell a story about what happened, who it happened to, and why.” Prizes: “First, second, and third place finishers will be awarded $250, $150, and $100 respectively, and the stories will be published on the LSUA website.”HELEN SCHAIBLE INTERNATIONAL SONNET CONTEST
Deadline: July 15 (midnight CDT). “Categories: #1 Traditional Sonnet – Shakespearean or Petrarchan; #2 Modern Sonnet.” See website for definitions and guidelines. “Enter only one poem in either Category #1 or #2, or one poem in each….The entries must be original and unpublished. Poets can only win or be noted in one category.” Prizes for both categories: “First Prize: $50. Second Prize: $30. Third Prize: $20. Three Honorable Mentions and three Special Merits will be named per category, ranked. Winners will be notified by mid-September, 2023, and receive certificates of achievement. A list of all 18 winners’ names and poem titles will be posted on our website. All will be invited to participate in an online reading in October.” Judges: Brian Palmer (traditional sonnet) and Beth Staas (modern sonnet).SWAMP PINK PRIZE FOR INDIGENOUS WRITERS
Deadline: July 15. Open to indigenous writers in the United States, this prize welcomes fiction and nonfiction of up to 25 pages or a set of 1-3 poems. “Winners in each genre will receive $500 and publication.” Judges: Tacey M. Atsitty, Poetry; Toni Jensen, Nonfiction; David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Fiction. (Thanks to Jeanne Lyet Gassman for leading me to this one.)UCROSS RESIDENCY FELLOWSHIP FOR NATIVE AMERICAN WRITERS
Deadline: July 15. “Two Ucross Fellowships for Native American Writers will awarded each year. Those selected for the fellowship are offered a four-week residency, a stipend of $2,000, and an opportunity to present work publicly.”VALIANT SCRIBE POETRY CONTEST: LET THERE BE LIGHT!
Deadline: July 15. For poetry “written from a hopeful perspective, insinuating there’s light at the end of the tunnel. We welcome entries focusing on faith and social issues. Submissions must be previously unpublished. Each poet is limited to one submission of no more than five poems. Submissions should be in English. Submissions in other languages are also welcome but should be accompanied by an English translation.” Prize: “The author of the winning poem will be awarded 500 Canadian dollars. Payment will be made through PayPal or TransferWise. Entrants must ensure they can receive payment through either option. We will also shortlist up to ten runner-ups for honourable mention….The winning poem and shortlisted poems will be featured on a dedicated page on our website.”BURLINGTON CONTEMPORARY ART WRITING PRIZE
Deadline: July 17. Prize “seeks to discover talented writers on contemporary art. The winner of the Prize receives £1,000, their review is published on Burlington Contemporary and they have the opportunity to publish a review of a future contemporary art exhibition in The Burlington Magazine.” NB: “Entrants must have published no more than six pieces of writing in print or online prior to their submission. This does not include personal blogs and websites.” Judges: Huey Copeland and Adam Pendleton.DONN GOODWIN PRIZE
Deadline: July 17. “The Milwaukee Irish Fest poetry award for the Donn Goodwin Prize will be given to the entry that best reflects Irish or Irish-American poetry traditions. Although the poems do not necessarily need to have direct Irish or Irish-American themes, the winning entry should have a cultural or literary relation to either Ireland, Irish-America, or to Irish poetry. The person with the winning submission as determined by our panel of adjudicators will receive a $100 honorarium and will be invited to read their poem at Milwaukee Irish Fest (if available).”NAN SHEPHERD PRIZE
Deadline: July 17. “If you have an idea for a book of nature writing, you haven’t previously published a book, you’re based in the UK or Ireland, and you consider yourself underrepresented in nature writing (whether through ethnicity, disability, class, sex, gender, sexuality or any other circumstances) then the Nan Shepherd Prize is for you.” Prize: “The winner receives a £10,000 publishing contract with Canongate. If they don’t already have an agent they also receive an offer of representation with Caro Clarke at Portobello Literary.”CALDERA ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
Deadline: July 18. “Through our residency program, Caldera supports artists, creatives, and cultural workers to build skills, relationships, and projects that inspire growth, combat oppression, and activate change. Residents draw inspiration from the residency community and the natural world surrounding our Arts Center in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Expanding our creative community allows us to deepen our mission to inspire and support young people from historically underrepresented urban and rural communities by awakening the potential of their creative voice. Residencies are open to regional and national, creatives and cultural workers in any discipline. Artists at any stage of their careers, who are not current students, are eligible to apply. Residencies are also available for parent artists who would like to bring their children. Residents will receive private lodging, studio, and artist stipend. Please note: transportation to and from the residency site is not provided by Caldera Arts.”PEN/BARE LIFE REVIEW GRANTS
Deadline: July 21. “The PEN/Bare Life Review Grants support literary works in progress by immigrant and refugee writers, recognizing that the literature of migration is of inherent and manifest value. Beginning with the 2024 grant conferral, PEN America will confer two PEN/Bare Life Review Grants of $5,000 each.” Among important notes: “The project must be an unpublished work-in-progress that will not be published prior to April 1, 2025, as the grants are intended to support the completion of a manuscript. The project must be a work of a literary nature: fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry. This grant is available to foreign-born writers based in the U.S., and to writers living abroad who hold refugee/asylum seeker status.”BLACK VOICES IN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE WRITING CONTEST
Deadline: July 24. From Strive Publishing and Free Spirit Publishing: “The contest is open to Black authors who at the time of entry are at least 18 years of age and residing anywhere in the United States. As always, the contest’s mission is to elevate authentic, culturally relevant children’s stories written by and about Black people. Every entry is considered for publication and three cash prizes will be awarded.”KARI ANN FLICKINGER BIENNIAL MEMORIAL LITERARY PRIZE
Deadline: July 30. This new prize is a tribute to Kari Ann Flickinger, “a much loved poet and artist. She was shy and reserved, yet had a substantial online following within the poetry community. The Kari Ann Flickinger Biennial Memorial Literary Prize was created to celebrate her artistic legacy and to honour her contribution to literary life.” Award includes $1500 plus publication with Rare Swan Press; four finalists will receive $250 along with a Literati Magazine Portfolio. Entries are welcome from writers around the world. “Mature poets are especially welcome.” Guest judge: Jessica Barksdale Inclán.AWP HBCU FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Deadline: July 31. From the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, for active HBCU faculty and current HBCU students (undergraduate and graduate) who are available to travel to travel to Kansas City, Missouri, February 7-10, 2024, for the next AWP annual conference. During this cycle, fellowships will be awarded to two faculty and four students. Fellowships will confer: a $4,000 honorarium for faculty and a $250 honorarium for students; paid travel expenses and lodging for the duration of the conference; meeting and discussion with creative advisor Rion Amilcar Scott; article publication in The Writer’s Chronicle regarding #AWP24 experience.BENNETT NIEBERG TRANSPOETIC BROADSIDE PRIZE
Deadline: July 31. For “a single poem written by a trans poet who has yet to publish their first full-length book. The prize consists of $500, 10 limited edition letterpress broadsides of the winning poem, and a feature in Gasher Journal.” Honors the legacy of Bennett Nieberg, “a queer Jewish emerging poet pursuing their MFA at Virginia Commonwealth University at the time of their passing in 2021.” Judge: [sarah] Cavar.RCWMS ESSAY CONTEST
Deadline: July 31. From Resource Center for Women and Ministry in the South, which describes itself as “committed to supporting women as they find their voices and make them heard.” For this annual essay contest, “women and nonbinary people 18 years of age and older may submit previously unpublished nonfiction essays of 1,200 words or less. Essays should focus on themes of repair, release, or renewal. Each of us writes amid torn hearts, fractured communities, and broken systems. When do we repair? What do we release? How do we renew? We invite essays that explore, complicate, and/or write against this theme.” Prizes: “$300 for first place, $200 second, and $100 third. The winning essay will be published in the RCWMS newsletter, South of the Garden.”SINGAPORE UNBOUND AWARDS FOR BEST UNDERGRADUATE CRITICAL ESSAYS ON SINGAPORE AND OTHER LITERATURES
Deadline: July 31. “For the third year running, Singapore Unbound, a NYC-based literary non-profit, will be giving out three awards of USD250.00 each for the best three undergraduate critical essays on topics in Singapore and other literatures. The purpose of these awards is to encourage the teaching and study of Singapore literature at college level and the cultivation of general appreciation for the character and achievements of Singapore literature. Funded by Professor Koh Tai Ann (NTU, Singapore), these awards will be given to written works of literary criticism that illuminate their chosen topics for the general reader. We welcome all critical and theoretical perspectives, but we prefer writing that is graceful, compelling, and accessible. The award-winning essays will be published on Singapore Unbound’s journal SUSPECT.” No simultaneous submissions. Open to undergraduates worldwide. Judge: Sophia Siddique Harvey.SISTERS IN CRIME PRIDE AWARD FOR EMERGING LGBTQIA+ CRIME WRITERS
Deadline: July 31. A legacy project of past SinC president Sherry Harris, this award confers $2,000 for an emerging writer in the LGBTQIA+ community. According to Harris, “Each past president is required to do a legacy project, something that they feel passionate about. When thinking about what I wanted to do, I kept two things in mind. First, why SinC was formed — to equal the disparity in how female crime fiction writers and male crime fiction writers were reviewed and won awards. Second, I love our Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for emerging crime writers of color. With those two thoughts in mind, I realized I wanted to start a similar award for the LGBTQIA+ community.” Note: “An unpublished writer is preferred, however publication of not more than ten pieces of short fiction and/or up to two self-published or traditionally published books will not disqualify an applicant. While no prior writing or publishing experience is required, the applicant should include any relevant studies or experience in their materials.”SPECULATIVE LITERATURE FOUNDATION DIVERSE WRITERS AND DIVERSE WORLDS GRANTS
Applications: July 1-31. “Since 2014, the SLF has offered two diversity-centered grants intended to foster the creation of speculative fiction work rich in diversity. Writers may apply for either or both grants.” Each grant confers $500. “Open to all levels of publishing experience, worldwide.”WASHBURN CHAPBOOK PRIZE
Deadline: July 31 (fee-free entries for BIPOC-identifying writers only). Named for poet and professor Laura Lee Washburn (who serves as final judge), this prize “is awarded once a year to a woman or non-binary writer for a micro chapbook, which Harbor Review will publish digitally on our website. Our definition of woman includes all women, including transgender and all female-identifying individuals. Women of color and queer women are encouraged to apply.” Note: “Micro chapbooks should be exactly 10 poems long.” Prize also confers a $200 cash award.Deadline: August 1: Awarded annually “to help U.S.-based writers complete substantive literary works—such as poetry books, essay or short story collections, novels, and memoirs—or to help launch these works. Additionally, a Granum Foundation Translation Prize will be awarded to support the completion of a work translated by a U.S.-based writer. Funding from both prizes can be used to provide a writer with the tools, time, and freedom to help ensure their success. For example, resources may be used to cover basic needs, equipment purchases, mentorship, or editing services.” One winner will receive $5,000; up to three finalists will be awarded “$500 or more”; for the Translation Prize, one award of $1,500 will be made.
LUCKY JEFFERSON POETRY AND PROSE CONTEST
Deadline: August 1. Two writers (one in poetry, one in prose) will each receive “$100, publication, and a swag box.” Other finalists will receive publication. Judge: Morgan Christie.SOURCE WRITING PRIZE
Deadline: August 1 (5.30pm GMT). Subtitled “Thinking Through Photography,” Source invites new writers (who have not written for them before) to submit an article. “The winning entry will receive £500 / 570 Euro and we will either publish it or commission you to write an article for us in the future. All short listed entries will also be considered for [paid] publication or for future commissions.”INAUGURAL HELLER VISITING CREATIVE WRITER’S RESIDENCY
Deadline: August 4. From the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. The week-long residency is slated for November 5-12. “The 2023 Visiting Creative Writer will receive an honorarium and travel compensation, as well as room and board.” Note: “Primary selection criteria include writing sample and writing/publishing/teaching experience(s); secondary criteria include location and writer’s identity.”DC REID POETS’ GRANT
Deadline: August 21. Canada’s Writers’ Trust “is excited to announce the establishment of the DC Reid Poets’ Grant. The new program will anonymously deliver grants of $5,000 to poets of modest means to help fund their writing. Established by an author, the program was created to support working poets. In its inaugural year, the DC Reid Poets’ Grant will support eight writers, selected by an anonymous jury three poets from across the country. It is intended to be for those of modest means, working poets who earned less than $30,000 from all income sources in the previous tax year.” Note that applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, living in Canada, who have published at least two books of poetry with a traditional publishing house.
REMINDER: Multiple competitions listed in last month’s newsletter remain open well into July; make sure you haven’t missed them!
5. SUBMISSION ALERTS
Per a recent post from TORTOISE PRESS: “We are BACK OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS! We’re handling things a little differently than we used to. Rather than an open form, we’re making the free submission a product on our site….A couple plusses about the new process—it will help us manage submission volume, because we can limit the ‘inventory’ of submissions; we can pause and unpause the process depending on how many are coming in. (And unfortunately we do have to limit submissions; when we were last open, we were getting as many submissions in a week as we could publish in a year.) It will also help us track submissions a little better.” NB: Because the submission form URL provided at the bottom of this post does not appear to be hyperlinked, I am going to provide you with that link here. BUT! Do read the full original post, first. It’s important! Also note: The product-form/process was still open when I last checked, but that’s no guarantee that it will remain so for long. Consider yourselves amply forewarned.
The next submissions window at 34 ORCHARD will run from July 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.” Pays: “$50 on signing of the contract. You will need to have a PayPal address to receive payment; we don’t use any other form of internet cash transfer service. If this doesn’t work for you, we’re happy to send you a paper check. If you are overseas, please ensure you have a PayPal account.”
From UK-based BAD BETTY PRESS: “This July, we’d love to receive samples of your full-length poetry collections, with selected works to be published by Bad Betty in 2025. Successful poets will work with founding editor Amy Acre to bring their book to life.” Compensation: “On publication, you’ll receive 15 complimentary copies, a discount on further copies, and a small advance of royalties.” Note: If you sent work for their previous (June 2023) call for poetry pamphlets, it seems that you should sit this one out.
BRINK is scheduled to be open during the month of July “for submissions engaging the theme of Relief. Through Submittable, we accept a variety of creative work from Nonfiction to Fiction, from Poetry to Translation. But our hearts beat strongest for hybrid work that falls into the cross-genre category we call Evocations. We are interested in work that presses boundaries, uses more than one medium to tell a story, and both looks and feels different on the page. Additionally, we look for submissions that engage the theme of each issue as well as the idea of being on the brink.” Pays $25/poem, $50 or $100 for other written work (depending on length) and art (depending on how many images).
For the month of July, FLASH FROG will be open for ghost-story flash fiction only. Pays: $25.
As far as I can surmise from its guidelines page, Canada’s THE MALAHAT REVIEW, which has been temporarily closed for regular submissions, will reopen in July for poetry submissions from writers around the world, closing again July 31. (Although the guidelines page indicates that they typically welcome submissions from Canadian writers throughout the year in all genres, they’ve been closed for all submissions during this recent period and will re-open for Canadians’ submissions in all genres, too, in July.) “We pay CAD$70 per published page plus a one-year print subscription and two copies of the issue in which your work appears.”
For the month of July, VARIANT LITERATURE is open for fiction and nonfiction submissions. Pays: “$10 per accepted piece.”
Closing July 5: submissions for BRIGHT WALL/DARK ROOM’s upcoming issue on films featuring “Heists.” For a subsequent issue focusing on “Nostalgia,” the deadline is July 31. “We are currently able to pay $50 for accepted essays, upon publication.”
Closing July 8: submissions for DIET MILK, which is “devoted to Gothic prose, poetry, and art.” Pays: “$15 per poem, $0.01 per word ($40 minimum) for short stories, and $50 per art piece via PayPal.”
Australia-based GRIFFITH REVIEW, which “publishes work by established and emerging writers – most from Australia, some from overseas,” is open until July 9 (11:59pm AEST) for nonfiction submissions for an upcoming issue on the theme “Animal Magic”: “This edition visits habitats near and far, wild and domestic – the backyard and the dog park, the jungle and the desert, the field and the farm – to examine our complex interactions with creatures furry or scaled, four-legged or eight-limbed, winged or feathered.” Compensation (as disclosed on Twitter): “Our standard rate is AU$0.75 per word.” (Poets, take note: “We’ll be opening a separate poetry call-out on 24 July - keep an eye on our social media and newsletter for more information soon.”)
July 9 is also the deadline for pitches for a collaboration between NARRATIVELY and WILSON QUARTERLY: a special summer/fall issue titled “Why Africa Matters.” “With narrative storytelling and emphasizing African voices, we want to surprise and delight our readers with a portrait of the continent that doesn’t often make the mainstream Western media. This edition will focus on the five key themes that demonstrate just what makes today’s Africa both unique and consequential: Economic Opportunity; People; Technology; Cultural Influence; and Governance/Diplomacy. We welcome pitches that fall into those thematic areas.” Compensation: “$2,000 for 1,500-2,000 words.”
Pitches and submissions are currently welcome at SIXTY INCHES FROM CENTER, but they won’t be reviewed or followed upon until the “Summer Slowdown,” which runs through July 9, concludes. This outlet “welcomes writers and artists of all experience levels and backgrounds to pitch ideas for traditional and experimental arts writing as well as creative writing around topics and practices that are relevant to the cultural landscapes of the Midwest. Priority will be given to writing by, about, and for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ artists, artists with disabilities, and the long list of writing, art-making, and cultural practices that have been neglected in mainstream conversations and canons. We publish writing, photography, art, archive materials, video, and conversations that are thoughtful, generative, experimental, and relatable to our variety of readers.” Pays: “Standard rate of $150 per article to writers, photographers, and illustrators. A poet will be paid $150 for a collection of poems published via Sixty, regardless of how many poems are published. For interview transcriptions, we pay $1 per minute transcribed. Payments are made on the 8th and 22nd of each month. All contributors must send us an invoice and W9 Form to be paid, and will receive payment after publication.” (Thanks to The Writer’s Job Newsletter for the tip about this one.)
July 10 is the deadline at THE BAD DAY BOOK for two sets of submissions: One seeks “general” submissions and the other is focusing on caregivers in the context of special needs and disabilities) In either case, they’re seeking works “about bad things, but that are still funny. We are not looking to include tragic or heart breaking stories. This book is to get others to laugh, gasp, and cringe. Stories MUST be personal and true events that have already happened. No AI bot stories. No creative writing. No fiction.” Compensation: “All stories and poems 199 words or under words will be paid $40 for publication. All stories and poems 200 words and over will be paid $75 for publication. If your submission is chosen to be published in more than one publication you will receive separate payment for each publication your work is published in. You will also be provided with 2 paperback copies of each publication with your published work. All books and monetary payments will be provided 30-45 days after book publication.”
- , which “accepts written articles and audio pieces in a range of styles and formats: literary journalism, memoirs, interviews, investigative journalism, poetry, and fiction,” has posted a July 11 deadline for pitches for its “Sea” issue: “The sea can mean many things to many people; at once mythical, spiritual, material, dangerous, and in danger, our SEA issue wants to explore the sea and how it relates to what we consume and how we consume it.” Pays: “a flat rate of US$130 per piece.” (Hat tip: WOW! Women on Writing Markets Newsletter.)
As announced in one of its recent newsletters, ELECTRIC LITERATURE’S “The Commuter” is scheduled to open
“for submissions in ALL CATEGORIES on July 13th! The portal will close at midnight PST on July 15th, or when 375 submissions (per category) are received. We want to see your best short prose, poetry, and graphic narratives! All submissions will be accepted through ourSubmittable page.”UPDATE: In a subsequent newsletter, the dates were changed, and I’ve confirmed via email that the new information is the correct information. “The Commuter will open for submissions in ALL CATEGORIES on July 17th!
The portal will close at midnight PST on July 23rd, or when 375 submissions (per category) are received. We want to see your best short prose, poetry, and graphic narratives! All submissions will be accepted through our Submittable page.” Compensation: “If your work is selected, we offer a total payment of $100.”Closing July 14: submissions for BRAMBLE, which “publishes creative works by disabled writers and artists based in Australia.” (The deadline appears on Twitter.) “Submissions accepted for publication will be paid $200 in total.”
Submissions for the 20th-anniversary issue of FAIRY TALE REVIEW remain open until July 15. “Vol. 20 will not have a theme. We are looking for your best new work.” Payment: “Contributors will receive two (2) copies of the issue and a $50 honorarium upon publication.”
Open for submissions until July 15: NAT. BRUT, whose “principal mission is to showcase the work of writers and artists who have been historically devalued or pigeonholed by art and literary institutions. We publish work that has been buried, ignored, and disappeared from public consciousness. Equally, we seek work that comes from artists’ buried, ignored, and disappeared impulses and practices—the risky, the exploratory, and the potentially ugly.” They welcome fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and comics (for comics only, they’ll consider reprints); until July 15 they are also considering folio submissions “based around the idea of ‘exploding the I,’” with details in the guidelines. They pay $30, as indicated within the submissions manager and on Twitter.
Also open until July 15: submissions for REDIVIDER’s Summer 2023 “Blurred Genre” special edition, which “explores the fluid boundaries between genres. We welcome all hybrid, genre-blurring and experimental work. Submit your flash nonfiction, visual sci-fi poetry, memoir comics, mixed-media fiction collage with a dash of cultural critique, digital or drawn media—all fall in the broad spectrum of possibilities! All contributors will be paid $30 for accepted work.”
Scheduled to re-open July 15: CONSEQUENCE FORUM, for submissions to be considered “for either our print publication (Consequence journal) or our website (Consequence online). All submissions need to address in some manner the human consequences and realities of war or geopolitical violence.” Pays: $20-$60 as detailed on the website.
To help celebrate its 25th Anniversary, McSWEENEY’S “will be publishing a special issue dedicated to ten previously unpublished authors. Writers who submit should be previously unpublished (neither book nor short story). Fiction of any length up to 10,000 words is welcome. Just one story, please. We encourage writers of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities. Tell us a story that’s never been told.” Pays: “Contributors are paid at the time of publication, and our standard rate for short stories is $400.” Deadline: July 19. (Thanks to
for the tip about this one.)Closing July 23 at midnight (Irish Standard Time): CHANNEL, which aims “to provide a home for Irish and international writing that contributes to building rich, mutually sustaining relationships between human beings and the natural world.” Pays: “€50 per poem and €50 per page of prose, up to a total maximum fee of €150 per piece. The artist whose work is featured on each of our covers will receive a fee of €250. All contributors to our print issues, including cover artists, will also receive a copy of the issue in which their work appears.”
MUDROOM is open for submissions of poetry and prose until July 25. Pays: $15 (via Paypal).
Noted on ARC POETRY MAGAZINE’s Submittable page: “As a Canadian literary magazine, and due to the increasing number of submissions from US-based poets, we are requesting that US submitters pay a $2 entry fee per poem.” For others, fee-free poetry submissions remain open until July 31. Payment: “ARC pays for poetry at the rate of $50 per page,” on publication, with one copy.
AWAKE, a zine produced by Lucky Jefferson “by Black authors that explores the power we each hold,” is open until July 31 for submissions that address the prompt provided: “The West is under attack! Protect your frontier and deliver your ‘isms [alive] to collect your bounty!” Bounties (payments) vary between $15 and $50 depending on genre/word count.
Thanks to Caitlin Cacciatore’s Success Story (referenced above), I realized that it had been a while since I’d checked in with THE GOOD LIFE REVIEW, “an online literary journal committed to exploring the overlooked.” I found two opportunities to amplify in this space. First, they’re open until July 31 for submissions for their autumn issue (fee-free for BIPOC writers), for which writers will be paid $55. For the “Micro Monday” feature that Caitlin referenced, fee-free submissions are open to all until December 31, with payments of $25.
Also open until July 31: HIDDEN TIMBER BOOKS, which seeks full-length manuscripts of “literary fiction or memoir (in a collection or as a whole). We would also love to read your middle grade novel.” NB: “We may close submissions early if we reach our capacity.”
July 31 is also the deadline for submissions at L’ESPRIT LITERARY REVIEW, which “publishes work written in the fearless, risk-adept, and revolutionary spirit of High Modernism. We accept short fiction, creative non-fiction, novel extracts, drama, literary criticism, book reviews, artwork, and photography.” Pays: “We pay $10 per published piece of writing, and hope to increase this amount in the future.” (Thanks to Jeanne Lyet Gassman for leading me to this one.)
For an issue on the theme “World Tour” (check the guidelines for details on what they are—and are not—seeking), NONBINARY REVIEW remains open until July 31. Pays: $.01/word for prose, $10 flat fee for poetry, and $25 flat fee for art ($50 for cover art).
At THE OFFING, the “Enumerate” section is open for submissions until July 31. “Enumerate is our department of cataloging, of naming, of listing. It features work that is hybrid — cross-genre, and work in all genres (fiction, CNF, flash, poetry) — as long as it uses the form of a list (which you may interpret widely). Any length, any subject, any medium (i.e. text, video, photo, music, etc.). The lists should add up to some kind of literary foray, exploration, meditation, commentary, collage.” Pays: “Upon publication, contributors will be paid a $25–$100 fee, depending on department and number/length of works published.”
Until July 31, RICOCHET EDITIONS invites fee-free hybrid manuscript submissions from “POC and Indigenous writers and writers facing financial hardship.” They describe their mission as publishing “innovative, non-traditional, trans-genre, and/or genre-less works that have a hard time finding homes in journals, competitions, and with other publishers. We have published manuscripts ranging from small chapbooks to full-length books.” Authors of selected manuscripts “will receive $1,000 and 50 copies of the perfect-bound book with ISBN. The staff will also send out copies to venues for review and (if applicable) awards.”
Also until July 31: For an upcoming anthology, SOUTH BROADWAY PRESS seeks “poetry and photography inspired by living in the line of wildfires. We are interested in your experiences during or after a wildfire. We seek work that shares the realities of living with the effects of climate change, the main contributor of the increase and ferocity of wildfires, and wildfire climate refugees….In alignment with our past anthologies, this anthology will support a non-profit, probably local to Colorado, doing work in prevention or education around wildfires. We are still currently seeking this. Contributors will be paid a small honorarium for work included in the anthology, $20 for poetry and $20 for photography.” (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
TACO BELL QUARTERLY, “a real literary magazine for you to submit your literary Taco Bell writing” (really!), is open for submissions until July 31 (per its Submittable page.) Pays: “a $100 honorarium per acceptance.
According to this tweet from ACRE BOOKS, “the small press offshoot of The Cincinnati Review,” they’re open until August 1 for “works of poetry, nonfiction, translation, graphic essays, & fiction by women of color, including writing by trans, nonbinary, & genderqueer writers.” Follow the submission instructions provided with the tweet (their site’s usual manager seems to be closed).
August 1 is also the deadline for a special call from FRACTURED LIT: “Associate Editor Exodus Brownlow is creating a BIPOC Love Story Portfolio for October 2023! She’ll select eight stories for publication and our regular submission payments!” Details from the curator: “I want to read stories that do not shy away from taking the traditions of the romance genre with nontraditional touches. Think ‘Marriages That Have Fallen into Misery’ stories and turn them on their heads. I am looking for pieces from the perspective of the everyday couple, the lipstick left at the scene of an argument, two galaxies desperately in love with each other but separated by great distances, houses gutted from the loss of a family who no longer lives there, a ‘love cube’ between the four seasons, and stories that are varied in their ambitions with the romance centering at the core.” Important: “Please send flash/microfiction only—1,000 word count maximum per story.” Pays: “We pay our authors $50 for original Micro Fiction [max 400 words] and $75 for original Flash Fiction [401-1000 words].” Reminder about another opportunity here: For general submissions of microfiction and flash fiction, Fractured Lit is open (and fee-free) year-round and is available to all writers, paying the same rates cited above.
August 1 is also the final deadline for submissions for MONOSYLLABIC QUEER THEORY, “a book-length poetry collection that welcomes all forms of poetry (short, long, prose poems, free verse, highly formal, and beyond).” The challenge here: “to transform your favourite queer theory text into a poem that uses only single-syllable words.” Co-editors are Lucas Crawford and thom vernon. “Selected writers will receive honoraria of $250 CAD (at minimum).” Note that for submissions received by the early-bird deadline (July 1), the pay rate is $300 CAD (and, fyi, for that reason, once I received news about this opportunity I did share it on the Practicing Writing blog).
Also closing August 1: a “Chapters”-themed call from WIZARDS IN SPACE: “All chapters must have an end. A final sentence, a closing line. And so does Wizards in Space. For our ninth and final issue, we’re ready to hear about the chapters of your own journeys. Which pages have you turned, and which are you now opening? We want your cliffhangers, we want your tidy knots, we want your open endings. Fresh starts and sweet farewells.” Payment: “$40 per original poem or per page of original art; $20 per reprinted poem or per page of reprinted art; $0.04 per word for original prose, based on final published word count; $0.02 per word for reprinted prose, based on final published word count.”
Noted on Twitter, from CHICAGO REVIEW OF BOOKS: “WRITE FOR US! Alongside reviews and interviews, CHIRB is looking to publish new feature essays in the following 4 categories” (those categories are detailed in the thread and on their website). Payment: “Currently, we are able to pay $25 for reviews and interviews and $75 for features.”
Iceland-based THE MANTELPIECE is “is open to unsolicited submissions of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. We consider all submissions for both our website and online magazine.” Per their confirmation on Twitter, they welcome work on a rolling basis. Compensation: “We pay (via PayPal) 0,1 EUR per word for the first 1000 words and 0,04 EUR for every subsequent word, with a minimum payment of 40 EUR, (meaning a 1000-word piece pays 100 EUR, a 2000-word piece pays 140 EUR, a 3000-word piece pays 180 EUR, etc).”
Also noted on Twitter: an update from OFF ASSIGNMENT, “a non-profit online literary magazine with a penchant for journeys and a fascination with strangers” that has upped its pay rates. “Our writer payments have increased to $300” ($100 for their “Witching Hour” series). They detail each of their essay categories on their guidelines page. (Thanks to Write at Home for helping me catch this one.)
Reminder: CRAFT LITERARY’s “creative categories are open year-round to any emerging or established author. We accept submissions from international writers.” Pays: “$100 for original flash and $200 for original short fiction and creative nonfiction.”
Reminder: THE FORGE, which “publishes one prose piece per week selected by a rotating cast of editors,” opens for free submissions on the first of each month (except for September and December). “If there is no free link, we’ve hit our quota.” Pays: “We pay, upon publication, $75 flat regardless of length….Authors outside the U.S. must be able to receive payment via PayPal.”
Reminder about FRONTIER POETRY: “Submissions for our New Voices poetry category are open year round to any new and emerging poet who has not published more than one full-length collection of poetry. New Voices are published online only and will feature a number of poems from new authors each month.” Pays: $50/poem, up to $150.
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.” Pays: “We offer all published artists a $25 honorarium.”
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”). Payment: $30 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.”
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. Pays: “base pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check.” The same publisher has also established a outlet on Substack, distributing “52 beautiful poems a year, one per week,” and paying poets “Base Pay of $10 for the chosen poem + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check.” NB: “Must have a rhyme scheme or a rhythm scheme. No blank verse or free verse. If you do feel that blank verse or free verse is the best form for the poem, please send a sentence or two explaining the choice.” Reprints are welcome here, too.
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 fee-free/paying opportunities that don’t make it into the monthly newsletter)
(Friday) Finds for Writers
#SundaySentence
Occasional Notes from a Practicing Writer
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7. NEWSLETTER MATTERS
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About the editor: Erika Dreifus is a writer, teacher, and literary consultant whose books include Birthright: Poems and Quiet Americans: Stories. A Fellow in the Sami Rohr Jewish Literary Institute and an adjunct associate professor at Baruch College/ CUNY, she lives in New York. Please visit ErikaDreifus.com to learn more about her work and follow her right here on Substack, on Facebook, and/or on Twitter, where she tweets (mostly) “on matters bookish and/or Jewish.”