The Practicing Writer 2.0: June 2023
Featuring 70+ curated, fee-free opportunities that pay writers for their fiction, poetry, & nonfiction. Celebrating our 20th year of service to writers.
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:
First things first:
Many thanks to all of you who responded to the two polls in last month’s issue. (You can find both polls, with results, in that issue’s archived version.) Here, I’ll share just a few quick takeaways from the results:
Even among this highly writing-focused crowd, Short Story Month is (vastly) under-recognized.
Jewish American Heritage Month is also under-recognized (but I was more prepared for that result).
The second poll drew only about one-tenth of the respondents as the first one did. That poll’s results, though, do make me wonder about the utility of my blog posts.
What will I do with this information? Good question. The answer remains tbd. But I am glad to have the data, in any case. So, again—thank you.
In the meantime, if you follow me anywhere online beyond this newsletter, chances are that you’ve seen me doing my part to amplify both #ShortStoryMonth and #JewishAmericanHeritageMonth, two of May’s multiple observances that have the most direct connection with my own writing history and practice. A lot of this work has involved Twitter threads (which I’ve tried to organize for easier tracking). I’ve also been running a celebratory giveaway, which ends today (May 31). So if you’d like to win an electronic copy of Quiet Americans, my own highly Jewish-American short-story collection, hurry over!
Some nice things are cooking at my own HQ for June. I hope the same is true for all of you! I’ll be posting updates on the blog(s) and Substack Notes in due course.
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 Yoni Hammer-Kossoy:
What can I say without gushing too much? I’ve been reading your Practicing Writer and various blogs for years and I’m awe-struck by how you manage to be such an active and positive force for literary good in the world all while working and maintaining your own writing practice. I wanted to especially thank you for sharing
’s spreadsheet of poetry manuscript contests and submission windows. This amazing resource helped reduce the pain of manuscript submission, and making a long-story short, my first poetry collection - The Book of Noah - was runner-up in Grayson Book’s 2022 contest and has just been published by them.
From Jessica Manack:
Hi Erika, thank you so much for your work. I submitted to Orca, A Literary Journal after reading about them in your June 2022 newsletter. They published two of my flash pieces, for which it was great to receive payment, and nominated one for The Best Small Fictions anthology! Overall, they have been wonderful to work with, and I appreciate your introducing me to a great new journal.
From Jill Witty:
I enjoy your monthly newsletter but have never acted on an opportunity until now. Your April newsletter made me aware of the “Brilliant Flash Fiction” writing contest. I entered and won third place. Thank you for all your work to compile and send these opportunities!
and from Alberta Nassi (Part One):
Thanks to you, I was notified tonight that my essay “Treif” is a finalist for the Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize. [I discovered this opportunity] the first time I read your newsletter! How cool is that? You’re performing a wonderful service, especially when the opportunities can be so limited and so competitive.
When I received this note at the end of March, the Brooklyn Nonfiction Prize had not yet announced its winner. I suggested that we hold off sharing this news until we knew the final results. Because there might be even more to celebrate!
Which brings me to this follow-up.
From Alberta Nassi (Part Two):
Erika, you were prescient! Yesterday, I WON the Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize! Without you and by extension the Jewish Binders [ED note: a Facebook group where Alberta caught a mention of the newsletter], I would not be here. Please know what an incredible service you are offering writers. I have faced a sea of rejection, and with this recognition and a few other affirmations, my work is beginning to have a bit of traction. [Find the winning essay on the contest’s website; click the “Brooklyn Non-Fiction Stories” tab to locate it.]
Many congratulations to all of this month’s correspondents. 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
This year’s Spring Salon Series from Electric Literature, which took place online May 16-18, was free to attend (thanks, as I’ve gleaned, to support from Mount Saint Mary’s University and the New York State Council on the Arts). Importantly, recordings are available.
The salon that I’m spotlighting here is May 17’s session titled “Literary Magazines are Dead, Long Live Literary Magazines.”
From the original event description:
Book media loves to write a piece about a dead literary magazine. Living magazines, however, rarely attract the same prurient attention. Meanwhile, readers feel betrayed when beloved magazines with the same funding model (a single wealthy benefactor) continue to fail. But there are many literary magazines with alternative structures, young and old, online and in print, doing the work to stay alive in a culture that seems to like having them around, but celebrates them most fervently when they’re gone.
Electric Literature has assembled five independent magazines of significant literary influence that are forging their own paths. One Story is a 20-year-old print magazine with a devoted following that has never published the same writer twice. Taco Bell Quarterly was founded as a “reaction against everything” and is devoted to writing about Taco Bell. The Offing is volunteer run, and publishes work “that challenges, experiments, and provokes.” ZYZZYVA began in 1985 to reflect the cultural values that make San Francisco a cultural beacon, and offers themed, print issues on a wide range of topics. And for the last fourteen years, Electric Literature has been using our platform to launch new writers in a way that is exciting and inclusive.
Leadership from each of these publications* will have a candid conversation about how they stay afloat, the role of literary magazines in the cultural landscape, and their predictions for the future.
*Unfortunately, ZYZZYVA’s Oscar Villalon was unable to attend. But the four participating editors had a lot to share about their own publications, and the larger litmag world.
4. CONTESTS, COMPETITIONS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
ON THE PREMISES MINI-CONTEST #57
Deadline: June 2. “For this mini-contest, tell, show, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long in which the same thing, place, or incident is seen from two very different points of view.” Stories must run between 25 and 50 words. Prizes: “First place pays $35, second pays $25, and third pays $15, all in US dollars. Honorable mentions get published, but make no money.”WOMEN IN THE MOUNTAINS RESIDENCY
Deadline: June 12. “The Elizabeth Kostova Foundation is pleased to announce the opening of applications for a 10-day residency exclusively for women writers from Bulgaria and other European countries. The residency will take place in the serene Rhodope Mountains from August 1-10, 2023. The main objective of this residency is to provide a conducive space and ample time for deep creative work, while also addressing some of the challenges that women writers often face. This includes the persistent undervaluing of writing as a profession, the perception of women’s writing as a hobby, the underestimation of domestic work, and the cultural expectation for women to prioritize the care of others over their own needs.” Residency award includes accommodation, meals, travel costs, and more.PASSA PORTA RESIDENCY
Deadline: June 12. As part of a residency exchange program, this opportunity is for “writers based in England…of novels, short stories or poetry, children’s or young adult literature or literary non-fiction….The author must have had at least one work published by a literary publisher (not self-published).” Passa Porta “is a multilingual house of literature at the heart of Brussels….This residency will offer the writer a quiet place to write. However, there will be the opportunity to take part in public events in Flanders and Brussels, as well as to meet and collaborate with fellow authors and translators….The writer will be offered free accommodation in a self-catering flat at the Passa Porta house of literature….The National Centre for Writing [UK] will cover the cost of travel to and from Brussels and Passa Porta will pay a small stipend towards living expenses.” (Thanks to Freelance Writing Jobs for the tip about this one.)GRIST IMAGINE 2200 CLIMATE FICTION SHORT STORY CONTEST
Deadline: June 13. Open to writers worldwide, this contest seeks “stories of 3,000 to 5,000 words that envision the next 180 years of climate progress — roughly seven generations – imagining intersectional worlds of abundance, adaptation, reform, and hope….The winning writer will be awarded $3,000, with the second- and third-place winners receiving $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. An additional nine finalists will each receive $300. All winners and finalists will have their story published in an immersive collection on Grist’s website. Stories will be judged by a panel of literary experts, including acclaimed authors Paolo Bacigalupi, Nalo Hopkinson, and Sam J. Miller.” Note: “Imagine 2200 was inspired and informed by literary movements like Afrofuturism and Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, disabled, queer, and feminist futurisms, along with hopepunk and solarpunk. We hope writers of all genres look to these movements for inspiration, and we urge writers within these communities to submit stories. We also invite you to bring climate fiction and the principles of Imagine 2200 into other genres.”BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
Deadline: June 15. The South Dakota park offers two residencies per year, “each for a period of four to six weeks to occur between September 15th through May 1st.” Provides housing in “an apartment located in a small housing complex at park headquarters at no cost to the artist. Facilities for this program are wheelchair accessible. Housing will be either an efficiency apartment or a one bedroom apartment (depending upon availability) that is fully furnished with heat and air conditioning….Additionally, the park provides a reimbursement for personal expenses not to exceed $300.” Note the themes described on the website.INTERNATIONAL WIZARD OF OZ CLUB CONTESTS
Deadline: June 15. “Submissions are invited for the 2023 International Wizard of Oz Club Annual Contests. Our goals are to encourage new writers and artists, and to explore a large range of Oz expression. Authors, researchers, and artists are invited to submit their work for consideration. Contest winners will be announced during OzCon International in Pomona, CA on July 29, 2023.” Categories include fiction, nonfiction, and art, with cash prizes awarded for each. NB: “Entries must be about or pertaining to the Land of Oz as originally created by author L. Frank Baum in the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and its sequels, Oz plays, Oz movies, or any other version or aspect of Oz.” (Thanks to WinningWriters.com for reminding me about this one.)KELSEY STREET PRESS 2023 QTBIPOC PRIZE
Deadline: June 15. “Open to QTBIPOC-identified, feminist, innovative writers/poets. The winning manuscript will be chosen by Ching-In Chen, winner of the 2018 Lambda Literary Award for Best Transgender Poetry for recombinant (Kelsey Street Press, 2017). The prize winner will receive publication along with a $1,000.00 cash award to help aid in book promotion, travel, event attendance, and a general contribution to the hopes of thriving as an artist.” Note: “There are no citizenship requirements or limitations. Online submissions are accepted from around the world.”NORTON WRITER’S PRIZE
Deadline: June 15. “Recognizes outstanding original nonfiction by undergraduates. The contest is open to students age 17 and above who are enrolled in an accredited 2- or 4-year college or university during the 2022–2023 academic year. Three cash prizes of $1,000 apiece will be awarded in 2022 for coursework submitted during the academic year,” one in each category (first-year student in a 2- or 4-year college or university; student in a 2-year college/university; student in a 4-year college/university). Instructor nomination required.SAPIENS PLURUM SHORT FICTION CONTEST
Deadline: June 15. “We’re excited to announce the eighth annual short fiction writing contest ‘Building Communities in the Face of Climate Change.’ The winner will receive $1000 for first prize. Second prize is $500 and third is $300.”RENARD PRESS POETRY COMPETITION
Deadline: June 17. This competition is associated with the press’s Kinship project, “a poetry anthology that seeks to provide a platform for marginalised voices, and to celebrate the great diversity and rich variation in the identities of people from around the world and from a huge cross-section of walks of life.” They’re seeking poetry submissions from “anyone, anywhere” and are “particularly keen to hear from those who do not consider the aspect of kinship they’re writing about to be represented in traditional or mainstream media.” Confers a £200 first prize and £100 second prize. “Special mentions at the judges’ discretion. All of the poems on the shortlist will be published in a volume, and everyone included will receive a copy of the book, and will be invited to take place in an online launch event.” Judges: Miriam Halahmy, Tom Denbigh, Hannah Fields, Reshma Ruia, Will Dady. (Hat tip: WinningWriters.com.)EUGENE C. PULLIAM FELLOWSHIP FOR EDITORIAL WRITING
Deadline: June 19. “Awards $75,000 to an outstanding editorial writer or columnist to help broaden his or her journalistic horizons and knowledge of the world. The annual award can be used to cover the cost of study, research and/or travel in any field. The fellowship results in editorials and other writings, including books.”ROXANE GAY BOOKS/GROVE ATLANTIC FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: June 22. “We are currently seeking an editorial fellow interested in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the inner workings of an independent publishing house and developing a solid foundation for a career in publishing. The fellow will have exposure to the editorial, marketing, publicity, and rights departments of Grove Atlantic, and will directly support Roxane Gay Books, a new imprint at Grove Atlantic, in building an exciting list of fiction and nonfiction. This is a one-year fellowship that will allow the fellow to gain experience in publishing with an emphasis on creating access for candidates from backgrounds underrepresented in publishing….Fellows will receive a $25,000 stipend, for 24 hours a week of work, paid biweekly. The fellow is also eligible for health and dental benefits and paid time off. Candidates can be based anywhere in the United States.”GREAT LAKES COLLEGE ASSOCIATION NEW WRITERS AWARD
Deadline: June 25. “For the 54th year this group of thirteen independent Midwestern colleges will confer recognition on a volume of writing in each of three literary genres: poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Publishers submit works on behalf of their authors; a defining criterion for this award is that a work must be an author’s first–published volume in the genre.” The winning writers “receive invitations to visit several GLCA colleges, where they give readings, meet with students and faculty, sign books, and often visit a creative writing class..” Authors “receive an honorarium of $500 from each of the colleges they visit. In addition, writers are reimbursed for all travel, lodging, and food costs they might incur in visits to GLCA member colleges.” Limited to writers resident in the U.S. and Canada; publishers may submit only one entry per category. This year’s competition will consider works “that bear a publication imprint of 2022 or 2023.”ALCS EDUCATIONAL WRITER’S AWARD
Deadline: June 30. “The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society Award for Educational Writers is awarded to an outstanding example of traditionally published non-fiction that stimulates and enhances learning. Total prize money is £2,000.” Criteria include: 1) “The work to be a single-volume, non-fiction (with or without illustrations), of genuine merit for the 5-11 age group”; 2) “The work to have been first published in the UK, in the English language”; 3) “The work to have been published within the previous two calendar years, i.e. 2021 and 2022.”BRIEFLY WRITE POETRY PRIZE
Deadline: June 30 (23:59 BST). “Celebrates and rewards bold, succinct writing. We want well-crafted poems up to 10 lines.” Prizes: £40/£20 /£10 for the top three poems. “Prize and commended poems will be published online. Each winning author will have the chance to be featured on the website.”BRITISH CZECH AND SLOVAK ASSOCIATION (BCSA) WRITING COMPETITION
Deadline: June 30. “Marriage and Divorce – prompted by the 30th anniversary of the split between Czechia and Slovakia, that is the suggested (but not compulsory) theme of this year’s BCSA writing competition. If you choose to write on that theme it can be related to the Velvet Divorce but it needn’t be – it could be something on a much more individual or local level. As stated, that theme is not compulsory. What is compulsory is that entries must deal with either (1) the links between Britain and the Czech and/or Slovak Republics, at any time in their history, or (2) society in those Republics since 1989.” Entries may be “either fact or fiction”; “submissions are invited from individuals of any age, nationality or educational background. Entrants do not need to be members of the BCSA.” First prize: £400; second prize: £150. “The writer of this year’s winning entry will (if he or she wishes) be presented with the prize at the BCSA’s Annual Dinner in London in November 2023. The two prizewinning entries will be published in the British Czech and Slovak Review.” (Thanks to Freelance Writing Jobs for reminding me about this one.)DRUE HEINZ LITERATURE PRIZE
Deadline: June 30. “Eligible submissions include an unpublished manuscript of short stories; two or more novellas (a novella may comprise a maximum of 130 double-spaced typed pages); or a combination of one or more novellas and short stories. Novellas are only accepted as part of a larger collection. Manuscripts may be no fewer than 150 and no more than 300 pages.” Open to those writing in English “who have published a book-length collection of fiction or at least three short stories or novellas in magazines or journals of national distribution. Digital-only publication and self-publication do not count toward this requirement.” Confers $15,000, publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press, and promotional support.MARLBOROUGH LIT FEST LOVE BOOKS COMPETITION
Deadline: June 30. “We want you to tell us why you love your favourite book, poem or play. Your response should be in the form of a piece of text of up to 750 words. Entrants should explain what they love about their chosen read, highlighting key areas of interest, and why they think others should try it. We are looking for creative, passionate, and engaging responses which celebrate your love of reading.” Age group include 13-15 years; 16-19 years; 20+ years. “Winner for each age group receives £300; the runner-up in each age group receives £100.” Note: Entries are welcome from outside the UK, “but you need a UK bank account to receive your prize money if you win.”McLAUGHLIN-ESSTMAN-STEARNS FIRST NOVEL PRIZE
Deadline: June 30 (received; note that “hardcopies are required even if a PDF is submitted”). “Each year, The Writer’s Center awards $3,000 to the author of an exceptional first novel published in the previous calendar year. Conceived and funded by former board member Neal P. Gillen, the McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize honors three dedicated writers and members of The Writer’s Center faculty—the late Ann McLaughlin, Barbara Esstman, and Lynn Stearns—each of whom have nourished and inspired students and fellow writers.” Eligibility: “All first novels published in print in 2022 are eligible, including those published by major and independent presses. Only authors living in the United States and publishing in English are eligible.”MY WRITING JOURNEY COMPETITION
Deadline: June 30. “Write us a 600-word essay on the theme: The best writing tip I’ve ever received. We’ll publish the best piece in our newsletter and on our blog – plus the winner receives $200 (R2 000 or £100).”SARGESON PRIZE
Deadline: June 30. “First offered in 2019, the Sargeson Prize is New Zealand's richest short story prize, sponsored by the University of Waikato. Named for celebrated New Zealand writer Frank Sargeson, the Prize was conceived by writer Catherine Chidgey, who also lectures in Writing Studies at the University.” Open for entries “from New Zealand citizens or permanent residents aged 16 and over who are writing in English. Published and unpublished writers are welcome to enter. Entries must be single stories of no more than 5000 words.” Confers prizes of $10,000/$1,000/$500, plus publication.THE AUTOETHNOGRAPHER STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
Deadline: July 1. Recognizes “outstanding works of literary and artistic autoethnography by creatives anywhere in the world who identify as active students at any age or level.” Entrants works’ “must be nominated by an instructor, professor, tutor, or other educator; the author/artist must have been an enrolled student in the 2022-2023 school year.” Will confer “two $250 USD cash prizes paid via PayPal; publication in the digital version of The AutoEthnographer; publication in the print anthology of The AutoEthnographer; participation in the magazine podcast; the opportunity to join our Editorial Board for 6 months; and the opportunity to develop a column/feature at the magazine. Additionally, applicants who are not awarded the cash prize may still be invited to publish their submissions ($25 USD payment); participate in the magazine podcast; and/or have their work published in the biennial print edition.”BROOKLYN CARIBBEAN LITERARY FESTIVAL (BCLF) SHORT FICTION STORY CONTEST
Deadline: July 1. The 2023 contest confers US$1750 in cash for each of two prizes (the BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize and the BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean) for unpublished short fiction. Judges: Katia D. Ulysse and Ifeona Fulani for the Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize and Ayesha Gibson-Gill and Tanya Savage-Batson for the Award for Writers in the Caribbean.RICHARD MARGOLIS AWARD
Deadline: “Applications are accepted year-round but must be received by July 1 for consideration for the current-year award.” For “a promising new journalist or essayist whose nonfiction work combines warmth, humor and wisdom and sheds light on issues of social justice. The award honors the life of Richard J. Margolis (1929-1991), a renowned journalist, essayist and poet who gave eloquent voice to the rural poor, migrant farmworkers, Native Americans, aging adults and others whose voices are seldom heard. He also wrote several books for children.” Award combines a one-month residency at Blue Mountain Center and a $5,000 prize (finalists receive $1,000 but no residency).KINGSLEY AND KATE TUFTS POETRY AWARDS
Deadline: July 1. Based at Claremont Graduate University and given for poetry volumes published in the preceding year, these prizes confer $100,000 (Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award) and $10,000 (Kate Tufts Discovery Award). The current cycle will recognize works published between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023; the Kingsley Tufts award is for a mid-career poet while the Kate Tufts Discovery Award is for “a first book”; the Kingsley Tufts award also requires the winner to spend, within six months of the award presentation, “one week in residence at Claremont Graduate University for lectures, workshops, and poetry readings in Claremont and Greater Los Angeles.” NB: Self-published books are eligible. Note also: “Work must be original poetry written originally in English by a poet who is a citizen or legal resident alien of the United States.”WINGATE LITERARY PRIZE
Deadline: July 7. “For close to half a century the Wingate Literary Prize has been shining a light on the books that best explore Jewish themes and matters by an illustrious list of writers. The winning book must be of literary merit and aimed at the general reader. Our judges are looking forward to being immersed in the wide range of fiction and non-fiction books published over the past year.” Prize confers £4,000. Note that books “must be published between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023”; “must be published, distributed or easily available in the UK and Ireland”; and “must be published in English, whether originally or in translation for this publication.”MASS MoCA ASSETS FOR ARTISTS RESIDENCY FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline: July 8. From the Studios at MASS MoCA in the Berkshire Mountains, for residencies between January and June 2024. “We now offer multiple full-ride fellowships, often in specific donor-identified categories.” Current fully-funded offerings include General Fellowships, Fellowships for Black or Indigenous Artists and Writers, Puerto Rico Artist Fellowships (including writers), and a Residency for Massachusetts Creatives. Some of these awards also confer stipends.AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE (AAAS)/SUBARU BOOK PRIZE
Deadline: July 10. “The AAAS/Subaru Book Prize aims to encourage the reading, writing, and publishing of quality science books. The Prize began in 2005 by looking back on 40 years of outstanding science books and honoring six authors for their distinguished and lasting contribution to science literature. Beginning in 2006 and beyond, the Prize honors recently published, individual books.” Categories include: Children's Science Picture Book (prize to author and illustrator); Middle Grades Science Book (prize to author); Young Adult Science Book (prize to author); Hands-On Science Book (prize to author). “Winning authors and illustrators will be recognized at the AAAS Annual Meeting which will be held February 15-17, 2024 in Denver, CO. Each winner will receive $1,500 and a commemorative plaque.” Note publisher role/agreement. (Hat tip: Writers’ Rumpus.)BLESSING THE BOATS SELECTIONS
Submissions: June 1-July 14. Spotlights “As the 2021-2023 Blessing the Boats Selections Editor-at-Large, Aracelis Girmay will read submissions and select the final manuscript for publication. Blessing the Boats Selections is named after Lucille Clifton’s National Book Award-winning collection, Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems (BOA, 2000), in honor and celebration of her enduring legacy.” This opportunity is “open to all women poets of color in the U.S., including poets who identify as cis, trans, and non-binary people who are comfortable in a space that centers on women’s experiences, regardless of citizenship and publication history.” Awards $5,000 honorarium and book publication by BOA Editions, Ltd. in Fall 2024. Note: Paper submissions only.1729 PRIZE IN POETRY
Deadline: July 15 (but entries are capped at 500). From Mason Jar Press with support from The Ivy Bookshop. For book-length works of poetry. “We tend to lean toward semi-experimental works with a strong literary bent.” Prize confers “a $1,000 award, contributor copies, and quarterly profit-sharing.” Judge: Chen Chen.
REMINDER: A couple of competitions listed in last month’s newsletter remain open.
5. SUBMISSION ALERTS
From June 1 through June 14, SUNDRESS PUBLICATIONS welcomes fee-free submissions (for submitters’ first manuscripts only) for its open call for full-length poetry manuscripts. “Beginning June 15, the reading fee is $15 per manuscript, though the fee will be waived for entrants who purchase or pre-order any Sundress title or broadside….Please note that this submission fee is waived for all BIPOC writers for the duration of the reading period,” which runs through August. “Selected manuscripts will be offered a standard publishing contract, which includes 25 copies of the published book, as well as any additional copies at cost.”
ELECTRIC LITERATURE has announced a call for creative nonfiction personal essays (2,000-6,500 words). Submissions will open June 1 and close June 15 (or when they reach a cap of 500 submissions). “While there are no restrictions on form or subject matter, submissions should center narrative and consider what it means to essay; in other words, write to interrogate, investigate, adventure, and introspect.” Pays: $100. Note: Among the recent salon offerings that I mentioned above (“Featured Resource”) there is one in which Electric Literature editors explained more about what they’re seeking in response to this call; catch the recording here. UPDATE: They’ve hit the cap!
News from BAD BETTY: “This June, our new pamphlet imprint Little Betty is accepting poetry submissions for its inaugural pamphlet list, planned for publication in 2024. Editors Gboyega Odubanjo and Anja Konig will read submissions, make selections, and work with pamphlet authors to develop their manuscripts.” Note: “We’re based in the UK, but welcome submissions from poets anywhere in the world.” Compensation: “On publication, you’ll receive 15 complimentary copies, a discount on further copies, and a small advance of royalties.”
EXTRA TEETH, publishing “the best new writing from Scotland and beyond,” is slated to re-open for submissions June 1. They seek “creative fiction and nonfiction between 800 and 4,000 words” and pay “£100 for each selected piece, as well as two copies of the magazine in which the piece is featured. We pay via bank transfer within 30 days of receipt of a signed publishing agreement.”
From NEW ORLEANS REVIEW: “In celebration of Pride, there are no submission fees for LGBTQIA2+ writers in June. We are especially interested in trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming voices.” Pays: $300 (fiction and nonfiction) and $100 (poetry).
Also scheduled to open June 1: Ontario-based THE /TEMZ/ REVIEW. They pay $20 (presumably CAD) for poetry and prose.
BRIGHT WALL/DARK ROOM, “an independent online film journal devoted to exploring the relationship between movies and the business of being alive,” is open for submissions for its July issue until June 7. The theme for that issue will be “Vacations on film—the good, the bad, and the furiously funny. There are so many directions (pun intended!) you can take: you could travel the way of humor (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, National Lampoon’s Vacation, What About Bob, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), explore the path of romance (Call Me By Your Name, Roman Holiday, Moonrise Kingdom) or intrigue (Thelma & Louise, Glass Onion), opt for a more solitary exploration (Eat, Pray, Love, Return to Seoul, Wild, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris), some good old family bonding (Archipelago, Little Miss Sunshine, Old), or absolute disaster (Jurassic Park, Spring, Old, Midsommar).” Compensation: “$100 per accepted essay, upon publication.”
805 LIT & ART pays ($15) for short fiction submissions (751-2,500 words) only, though they also publish flash fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and art and photography. Deadline: June 10. (Hat tip: Pamelyn Casto/FlashFictionFlash.)
TOLKA, “a biannual literary journal of non-fiction: publishing essays, reportage, travel writing, auto-fiction, individual stories and the writing that flows in between,” is open for submissions until June 11. “We offer contributors a flat fee of €500, which we pay prior to publication; contributors also receive a copy of the issue in which their work is featured.”
SYLVIA has announced an upcoming submissions window between June 5 and June 19: “We will be looking for nature-inspired pieces. We are leaning into our sylvan vibes this year; send us your forest poems, tales of fairies, and moments in nature….We pay £1.75 per line for poetry (not including titles or line breaks) and £0.25 per word for prose. Payments will be made via PayPal or bank transfer to a UK bank account only.”
SAMJOKO, which is “non-genre specific,” is open for submissions until June 10. “We pay up to 6 months after publication through PayPal only. Payment projected to happen sooner. Current payment is $20 per accepted submission, though we hope to increase this with greater support from readers.”
Submissions for ANTITHESIS, “Australia’s long-running graduate journal of contemporary theory, criticism and culture,” are open until June 11. As detailed on the website, the current theme is “Cosmos.” Payment: AU$50.
I’ve been alerted that in honor of Juneteenth, THE MAINE REVIEW will run a fee-free submissions window from June 13 to June 19. (Another no-fee window, honoring Pride Month, will run from June 27 to July 3.) They publish “contemporary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, including works in translation and hybrid forms.” Pay rates: “Fiction and Nonfiction writers receive a $25 honorarium per published flash (1,000 words or fewer) and a $50 honorarium for work 1,001 words or more. Poets receive a $25 honorarium per published poem.”
EASTOVER PRESS remains open until June 15 for “previously published short stories for a forthcoming anthology. The stories should have been published in 2021 or 2022. The anthology will focus on BIPOC writers who live in or hail from rural or semi-rural locales (in the United States) and whose short stories feature characters living and/or working in rural or semi-rural spaces. In addition, we’ll also accept work from BIPOC writers who've spent a significant amount of time in rural or semi-rural locales and whose work might reflect those spaces. Erika T. Wurth will serve as guest editor.” Compensation: $100-$300.
Another one closing June 15: GRAIN, which publishes “engaging, surprising, eclectic, and challenging writing and art by Canadian and international writers and artists.” Send poetry, fiction, or literary nonfiction (query for other genres). Pays: “All contributors, regardless of genre, are paid $50 per page to a maximum of $250, plus two copies of the issue in which their work appears” (the payment is presumably in Canadian dollars). NB: They do have a Submittable cap.
GULF COAST has also posted a call with a June 15 deadline: “This summer we are hitting up the karaoke bar with an online call! For this online series we are looking for pieces in all genres that engage with pop songs and pop music. The saccharine, the power ballads, the manufactured and the sincere. Send us work centering around your go-to karaoke song, the earworm you can’t shake, the songs or artists that shaped you…for better or worse. Pop music is a broad label so we are leaving this call open to your interpretations or experiences of what ‘pop’ might look like or mean to you. Grab that mic and give us your best!” Pays (as reported on Twitter): $75 for poetry and $100 for prose. (Hat tip here goes to the
newsletter.)Also open until June 15: THE JOURNAL OF COMPRESSED CREATIVE ARTS, which seeks, “as you might guess, ‘compressed creative arts.’ We accept fiction and creative nonfiction, as long if they are compressed in some way.” Pays: $50.
June 15 is also the deadline for a special call from POETRY addressing “Lineage and Influence.” Per guest editor Charif Shanahan, they are “looking for original poems that engage directly with notions of lineage and influence. Your poems can be for or to or after a predecessor or contemporary; ‘about’ lineage or influence thematically; intertextual; ekphrastic; an homage, critique, or anything between; anything that places your original work in conversation with a poetic or artistic antecedent or contemporary. Show us who moves and agitates you, who paved the way for you as a poet, who didn’t, who opened imaginative doors, who tried to close them, who teaches you, and with whom you choose to be in artistic conversation and collaboration.” Pays: “All poets will be compensated for published poems. We pay $10/line with a minimum honorarium of $300 per poem in print and $150/magazine page for prose.” Note: “Work will be read on a rolling basis so we encourage you to submit early!”
PROPAGULE, which is “especially interested in the aesthetically novel, experimental, transgressive, and uncategorizable,” has also posted a June 15 deadline. Welcomes fiction and nonfiction. Pays: “$5 per 1,000 words (up to a maximum of $20).” (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
Based in South Australia, THE SALTBUSH REVIEW currently seeks submissions of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction of up to 3,000 words on the theme of ‘Fracture.’ Shorter works are also welcome, as are works that challenge genre boundaries.” Deadline: June 16. “We pay AUD$150 per piece of fiction and non-fiction and AUD$100 per poem or piece of flash fiction.”
Based in Canada, THE EX-PURITAN “seeks submissions all year round, from anywhere in the world”; submissions received by June 25 are considered for the issue published in August. “Regular submissions to the magazine are free of charge and should fall under one of six categories: fiction, essays, poetry, interviews, reviews, and experimental/hybrid work”; note that there are monthly caps for these fee-free submissions. Pay rates are detailed within the guidelines. (Note that The Ex-Puritan is also currently open for “pieces from Indigenous folks for a special issue on Indigenous storytelling to be guest edited by Brandi Bird.” Here, the deadline is July 10. “All entries are free of charge; if submissions have been disabled on this form, it just means we’ve reached our monthly limit of no-fee submissions. If this happens, please wait until the first of the next month to submit, as the free entries will restart.”
Africa-focused AFREADA (“stories from home”) is open for submissions until June 29. They publish “fictional stories and personal essays that are no longer than 5,000 words” and pay £25. (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
THE BRAAG is currently receiving submissions for two calls that close June 30: one for poetry pamphlets (UK writers only) and the other for a micro-chapbook (“may contain poetry, microfiction, or a single speculative short story”) which is open to writers worldwide. “Pamphlet authors recieve 10% royalties and five copies of their book. Further books can be purchased by the author at trade discount (50%). Micro-chapbook authors recieve a £15 honorarium and a copy of their micro-chapbook, alternatively they can request a further five free copies of their micro-chapbook in place of an honorarium.”
For a new series to be curated by different guest editors, CODHILL PRESS currently seeks full-length poetry manuscripts that address the theme “Dreams and the Subconscious.” (Current guest editor: Robert Krut.) Two manuscripts will be selected for publication. “Books will be published by Codhill Press and distributed by Codhill and SUNY Press; authors will receive 20 copies of the collection and a contract.” Deadline: June 30.
MIDNIGHT & INDIGO, “a literary platform dedicated to short fiction and narrative essays by Black women writers,” is also open for submissions until June 30. Pays: “$200 for Short Stories accepted for publication in our annual Speculative issue (eBook, print, and/or audiobook – October 2023) and $100 for Short Stories accepted for publication on midnightandindigo.com”; “$100 for Essays accepted for publication on midnightandindigo.com.” NB: There are rolling submissions for speculative fiction only.
June 30 is also the deadline for this call from NONPROFIT QUARTERLY magazine (NPQ): “For NPQ’s fall 2023 climate justice edition of NPQ Magazine, we’re looking for climate fiction! Yes, we’re trying something new and want to hear from you! Inspired by Janelle Monáe, Octavia E. Butler, and Ursula K. Le Guin, we’re looking for short climate fiction stories that spark imaginative visions of the future. Particularly, we want to see writing that is largely speculative in nature but scientifically grounded.” Stories should run “up to 2000 words.” Compensation: “NPQ will pay $500 for substantive science-grounded stories and $300 for short stories around 500 words.” (Hat tip: Write at Home.)
A VELVET GIANT, “a genreless literary journal,” is open until July 1. “We love ambiguity: flash pieces, found pieces, cross-genre experiments, the ‘poem’ that thinks it might be a story, the ‘story’ that thinks it might be a poem. Retellings and reimaginings. Work that chips away at institutional structures. Work that breaks everything down so that it can build.” Pays: $20.
Reminder from THE SUNLIGHT PRESS:
“We will be closed to all submissions during July and August this year while we catch up on reviewing work. This will enable us to contact writers more quickly after they submit.We will reopen to all submissions on Tuesday, Sept. 5.” Pay rates detailed within the post. UPDATE: They will be closed to all submissions beginning June 16 (they have already closed for poetry).CENTAUR “is on the lookout for writing that’s inspired, bold, and surprising. With four seasonal issues a year, and between four and seven pieces in each, there’s only room for your best 400 words or fewer.” Pays: “Your published story or art will receive $20 in payment and a fortune in goodwill.” (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
CLEVELAND REVIEW OF BOOKS “takes pitches for reviews, essays, interviews, and critical writing experiments in perpetuity. Literature, art, history, culture, politics, etc. Midwest relevance enjoyed but not required. Details linked. Rates start at $70 for web.” (Thanks to The Writer’s Job Newsletter for the reminder!)
CORNICE, which describes itself as “changing the way readers interact with short fiction,” is open for submissions; they “also consider poetry that is connected to the natural world.” Pays: 35 GBP/40 USD/40 EUR/60 AUD; “note that for poetry and stories under one thousand words, we pay 50% of the above.”
ITERANT, which seeks “poetry only at the moment,” pays “$50 to each poet published in our magazine.” (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
MENAGERIE publishes “fictions, essays, and poems. We believe in sentences so sharp they draw blood, the strange and inexplicable, the wild and weird and uncanny, words in thickets, clusters, and flocks, pieces that move us beyond caring what others think about said pieces.” Pays: “$50 per acceptance (e.g. one piece of prose or 1-3 poems).” Note: Monthly caps apply for fee-free submissions. (Thanks to Jeanne Lyet Gassman for introducing me to this one.)
OTEH NÎKÂN publishes “writing by LGBTQ2S+ Indigenous writers year-round. We read submissions monthly and editorial decisions are communicated shortly thereafter.” Pays: “Prose: $300 CAD/per prose piece. Poetry: $200 CAD/per poem.” (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
TWENTY-TWO TWENTY-EIGHT (“for people who watch the world”) accepts submissions of “poetry, fiction, non-fiction essays, visual art, music, and videos.” Pays: “$30.00 for all accepted submissions. We pay either by check or by PayPal. For international submissions, we are only able to send money via PayPal.” (Thanks again to Jeanne Lyet Gassman for introducing me to this one.)
WRITE OR DIE, now partnering with Chill Subs, “is where all writers can find inspiration, accountability, and motivation. We are especially interested in being transparent about the writing process—the day-to-day routines of writers, the messy drafts, the rejections, and the hours spent staring into space. We love to talk about all of that. And we love that writing is something we all share and are all capable of without needing fancy accolades to prove you have something to say.” They’re seeking interviews, nonfiction, and features as described within their guidelines, and they pay $20.
THE WRITER’S CHRONICLE, published by the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) has two special calls at the moment. One (with no deadline specified) is for “essays on the impact of AI on writing and teaching.” The other call (closing September 1) is for articles on Kansas City, with two distinct parts: “In 2024, AWP will hold its annual conference in Kansas City, Missouri. The Writer’s Chronicle is especially interested in hearing from trans writers who want to discuss how the current political climate in Missouri, and the Unites States at large, is affecting them. We also encourage trans writers to submit on any other topic The Writer’s Chronicle focuses on….Additionally, The Writer’s Chronicle would love to prepare conference-goers with brief pieces about literature in relation to Kansas City and its environs to appear in our February issue. Is there a local writer that you think those bound for AWP should know more about? Literary sites that should not be missed?” Pays: “$18 per 100 words for accepted pieces. Authors are paid upon publication.”
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.”
Another 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: Short Story, 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.And at STONE’S THROW, “the monthly online companion to Rock and a Hard Place Magazine,” they’re “open for submissions the first week of every month, from 12AM on the first through 11:59PM on the seventh. 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 the best, choose the one story that shines brightest, and publish it online the following month, paying $25 per accepted story.” For submissions June 1-7, they seek work prompted by the theme of freedom. “Help us celebrate this July in true RHP fashion, by sending us stories of characters engaged in personal bids for a freedom they desire.”
REMEMBER: Some venues listed in last month’s newsletter remain open for submissions.
6. BLOG NOTES
The newsletter is published just once each month, but there’s always something new on the Practicing Writing blog:
(Monday) Markets and Jobs for Writers (including opportunities that don’t make it into the monthly newsletter)
(Friday) Finds for Writers
#SundaySentence
Occasional Notes from a Practicing Writer
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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.”