The Practicing Writer 2.0: June 2024
Featuring 50+ fee-free opportunities that pay for winning/published work. Serving writers of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction for more than 20 years.
Welcome, new readers, and welcome back to the regulars.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Editor’s Note
Success Stories
Featured Resource
Contests, Competitions, and Other Opportunities (NO FEES TO ENTER/APPLY; PAYING OPPORTUNITIES ONLY; NOTHING THAT’S LIMITED TO WRITERS IN A SINGLE CITY/STATE/PROVINCE)
Submission Alerts (NO SUBMISSION/READING FEES; PAYING CALLS ONLY; NOTHING THAT’S LIMITED TO WRITERS IN A SINGLE CITY/STATE/PROVINCE)
Blog Notes
Newsletter Matters
1. EDITOR’S NOTE
Greetings, practicing writers:
It’s been a busy few weeks! In addition to some developments that I can’t disclose quite yet, here’s some of what I’ve been up to since last month’s newsletter went out to you:
I hosted the May Jewish Book Carnival (a project administered by the Association of Jewish Libraries) over on the My Machberet blog.
Accompanied by some truly stunning art (which I cannot take credit for), my flash micro-essay “Breaking News” was published by Green Golem.
And I’m just wrapping up my latest literary observance of Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM; in Canada, Jewish Heritage Month). You can find all of this year’s featured titles on Twitter and listed here on Bookshop.
As has become my habit, too, I’ve been devoting time to curating “After October 7: Readings, Recordings, and More” and “Writers, Beware.” I continue to pray for peace and better times for everyone that will make those projects historical relics rather than current resources.
With all best wishes for all of you and your writing practices,
ERIKA
P.S. I am grateful when you share this newsletter, in its entirety, with your networks. But if you choose to share only certain listings, please respect my work of research and curation and credit your source—ideally, with a link back to this newsletter. Thank you so much.
2. SUCCESS STORIES
From Madelaine Zadik:
I am grateful to you for making me aware of Mud Season Review in your newsletter. I am happy to announce their publication of my personal essay “Grief.” Thank you so much! It is the story of my family and the legacy of the Holocaust. The editors there were great to work with and I've been very pleased with all my interactions with them. Additionally, they will be publishing an interview with me. Again, many thanks.
From Miles Whitney:
I have been writing some essays with Jewish themes and decided to submit a couple of them, referring to your Jewish Writing Resources. I also referred to your “Where to Publish Your Work” resource. I saw that you mentioned Duotrope. I signed up and used their search function for nonfiction works on religion/spirituality with the subtopic of “Judaism.” A new publication, OfTheBook Journal, was one of the results. I submitted a strange, dense essay on the origin of death (examining Genesis), and it was accepted for publication in May. (ED note: That piece has since been published.)
Thank you so very much for this invaluable service. I'm a humble government attorney with no experience, and I was able to easily follow your roadmap.
Reminder: Please share news from your writing practice that may be connected with this newsletter, or my blogs/other resources. I love to celebrate and amplify in this space!
3. FEATURED RESOURCE: “RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MEDIA”
At some point, I hope to find something on this topic that’s more specific to the literary community. For now, though, I’m spotlighting these “Recommendations for the Media,” part of the American Jewish Committee (AJC)'s Call to Action Against Antisemitism in America.
4. CONTESTS, COMPETITIONS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
STOROZYNSKI RESIDENTIAL WRITING FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: June 3. “This $10,000 residential fellowship supports emerging writers who have published no more than one book. Writers with a significant publication record who have not yet published a book are also encouraged to apply. The fellow will be expected to reside in South Bend, Indiana, for approximately four weeks as a guest of the Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values at the University at Notre Dame, give a public lecture or reading, and appear as a guest lecturer in University courses that intersect with the Fellow's work. Each fellowship includes private housing, a $10,000 stipend, living expenses, and access to university resources such as parking, the library, and the gym. The fellowship may be taken in March or April 2025. The Fellowship is funded by the Reilly Center’s Health, Humanities, and Society program, and, as such, applicants’ work should address themes of health, physical or mental illness, narrative medicine, the body, disability, or similar topics.”HUGO BURGE FOUNDATION POETRY/SPOKEN WORD RESIDENCY
Deadline: June 7. “This residency will take place from 14th August to 11th September 2024. This is a fully funded residency that includes exclusive studio space in our Tower Studio, accommodation in one of our Hobbit Pods, and a weekly stipend of £350.”BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
Deadline: June 15. The South Dakota-located 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 2024 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.” 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.”NORTON WRITER’S PRIZE
Deadline: June 15. “Recognizes outstanding original nonfiction by undergraduates. The contest is open to students age 18 and above who are enrolled in an accredited 2- or 4-year college or university during the 2023–2024 academic year. Three cash prizes of $1,000 apiece will be awarded in 2024 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.VOICES OF HERITAGE WRITING CONTEST
Deadline: June 15. Launched in May (Jewish American Heritage Month) by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM). “Participants are invited to submit original essays, stories, or poems that capture the rich tapestry of Jewish life in America. We encourage entries that reflect on historical milestones, personal narratives, or profiles of influential Jewish Americans who have shaped the nation’s culture and values. This contest not only celebrates the past and present achievements of Jewish Americans but also aims to educate others about their enduring legacy and continuing impact.” Prizes (for each category: “historical insights,” “personal stories,” “profiles of influence”): “first prize of $3,000, second prize of $1,500, and up to ten runner-up prizes of $500 each. Winning entries will be prominently featured in a special publication on CAM’s digital platforms.”GUPPY OPEN SUBMISSION COMPETITION
Entries: June 17-21. “It’s that time again – where we get ready to open the portholes here at Guppy Books and welcome submissions from unpublished and unagented authors for our annual competition. This year it’s the YA competition – where writers of novels for young adults have the chance to win a publication deal with Guppy Books and join our small but mighty team.” NB: “Writers who have been traditionally published in other genres are unfortunately not eligible. This competition is open to self-published authors.” Also: “All shortlisted authors will be offered an editorial meeting with Bella Pearson. The winner will be offered a contract with Guppy Books (with no obligation to accept).”INTERNATIONAL GRANADA WRITERS IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM
Deadline: June 20. For “writers living in any country and writing in any language.” The residency will award two writers 30-night stays (between November 4 and December 3, inclusive) “at the Corrala de Santiago of the University of Granada. Granada City of Literature Unesco will cover the travel expenses of each of the selected writers. The University of Granada will cover the accommodation expenses of the two selected writers in single rooms and full board at its guest residence Corrala de Santiago. Granada City of Literature Unesco and the University of Granada will provide the writers-in-residence with opportunities to participate in the literary life of the city of Granada and contacts with local writers, as well as the possibility of participating in workshops and pedagogical activities.”A MIDSUMMER TALE NARRATIVE WRITING CONTEST
Deadline: June 21. From Toasted Cheese. This “summer-themed narrative writing contest” is open to “non-genre” fiction (as defined within the guidelines) and creative nonfiction. “The theme of the 2024 A Midsummer Tale writing contest is: Summer Olympics. Possible takes on this theme include, but are not limited to, stories involving a child’s dreams of being an Olympic champion; an athlete training in an Olympic sport; a former Olympic athlete; an Olympics broadcast as a backdrop for a concurrent story; the host city during an Olympics as the setting for a story; Olympics merchandise or swag or an Olympic medal as a key element in a story; and stories from the perspective of anyone involved in producing an Olympics, from executives and builders to food vendors and security to coaches and broadcasters. Take your story in any direction you like as long as it involves a past, present or future Summer Olympics in some way. Your story must be set during the hot summer months and the theme must play an integral role in the story.” Prizes: “Winning stories are published in the September issue of Toasted Cheese. If 50 or fewer eligible entries are received, first place receives a $35 Amazon gift card & second a $10 Amazon gift card. If 51 or more eligible entries are received, first place receives a $50 Amazon gift card, second a $15 Amazon gift card & third a $10 Amazon gift card.” (Hat tip: WOW! Women on Writing Markets Newsletter.)INTERNATIONAL EDMONTON COMMUNITY JAPANESE ASSOCIATION (ECJA) SPRING HAIKU CONTEST
Deadline: June 22. “ECJA once again calls upon your hidden poetic talents and invites you to get creative and craft and submit a Haiku, suitably themed to celebrate the season.” Cash prizes will be awarded for “best overall” and “second best overall” in Japanese- and English-language categories (there is also a youth category). The submission form includes the following note where entrants are asked to disclose their locations: “We could love to know where you are contacting us from. Our 2022 and 2023 events had many international poets joining!” (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)DAVE GREBER FREELANCE WRITERS AWARDS
Deadline: June 28. These social-justice writing awards are open to “continuing residents of Canada” who at the date of application have “lived in Canada for the last twelve months” and who are “working a minimum of seventy per cent of their work time as a self-employed freelance writer.” Prizes: “The book award is set at $5,000 and the magazine award is set at $2,000. Since the awards can be given before publication and book and magazine publishing timelines can differ, so do the requirements for each award.”MARLBOROUGH LIT FEST LOVE BOOKS COMPETITION
Deadline: June 28. “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 groups 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: “The competition is open to UK residents only with a UK bank account, in order to receive your prize money if you win.”AFRICAN DIASPORA AWARD
Deadline: June 30. “Afro descendants wanted for the African Diaspora Award 2024. Participants submit an original, unpublished work in English, including short stories, flash fiction, nonfiction essays, poetry, or visual art. Prizes up to $1000 USD for top winners along with publication in Kinsman Quarterly’s literary journal and the upcoming anthology, Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora.” (Hat tip: WOW! Women on Writing Markets Newsletter.)BERGGRUEN PRIZE ESSAY COMPETITION
Deadline: June 30. This competition “seeks to stimulate new thinking and innovative concepts while embracing cross-cultural perspectives across fields, disciplines, and geographies. By posing fundamental philosophical questions of significance for both contemporary life and for the future, the competition will serve as a complement to the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy & Culture, which recognizes major lifetime achievements in advancing ideas that have shaped the world.” Entries should develop “the concept of the planetary” (details on the website). Submissions are welcome in two languages: Chinese and English. “Each language category will have a prize of $25,000 USD and intends to recognize one winner, though there may be multiple winners in any given year. The Berggruen Institute will host an award ceremony and convene the authors of the winning essays in dialogue with established scholars and thinkers at one of our global centers. We plan to publish the winning essays in our award-winning English-language magazine Noema and Chinese-language magazine Cuiling, giving readers insight into perspectives of both East and West.” Eligibility criteria apply, including “a formally accredited undergraduate degree or equivalent”; entrants must also “have at least one publication in a reputable literary, journalistic, or academic outlet.”BRITISH CZECH AND SLOVAK ASSOCIATION (BCSA) WRITING COMPETITION
Deadline: June 30. “Discovering a New Country – that’s the suggested (but not compulsory) theme of this year’s BCSA writing competition. It’s prompted by the 100th anniversary of the publication of Karel Čapek’s Letters from England (Anglické listy). Write about that great writer if you wish, but he needn’t feature at all in your entry – it could be something on a much more individual, personal or local level. The new country could be anywhere – as long as your entry fulfils the requirements set out in the next paragraph. As stated, this 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 should be original writing, in English and not more than 2,000 words long. Fiction or fact – either is welcome. The first prize is £400 and the second prize £150.” Note: “Submissions are invited from individuals of any age, nationality or educational background.”CENTRUM ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAMS
Deadline: June 30. Based in Port Townsend, Washington, Centrum is currently “accepting applications for three of our residency programs (Emerging Artist, In the Making, and Self-Directed Residencies).” Details on all programs are available on the main website. Note that both the Emerging Artist and In the Making programs are not only fee-free, but confer stipends, too. Self-Directed Residencies actually do cost a fee to attend, but some fee waivers are available. “In the interest of transparency and integrity, here are the estimated numbers for our 2025 residency season: 7 spots for Emerging Artists Residency, 3 spots for In The Making, and 60 spots for Self-Directed Residencies. We will have approximately 10 scholarships available, with hopes of raising funds for more.”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 novel or a book-length collection of fiction with a reputable book publisher, or a minimum of 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.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 2023 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. Global contest from The Writers College. “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).”MARCUS PEMBREY BIONEWS WRITING COMPETITION
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Deadline: June 30. From the Progress Educational Trust (PET). “What better way to celebrate the 25th Birthday of BioNews than encourage young and aspiring writers to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard!) and share their opinions about the most important fertility and genomic developments of the last 25 years.” This new contest “is named after one of the PET founding trustees and patrons.” Writers, who must be “aged from 18-30 (entrants must be under 31 on the closing date),” are asked to “write a comment piece on the following topic: Which scientific or legal development in fertility, genomics or embryo research in the last 25 years do you think will have the greatest impact in the next 25 years?” Three prizes: “First prize £750 - the winner will be given the opportunity to have 3 pieces of work published in BioNews with coaching from the experienced team of BioNews editors. Second prize £500. Third prize £250.” Note eligibility criteria, including subscription to the BioNews email newsletter and availability requirements for UK-based and other entrants. (Hat tip:PINE MEADOW RANCH CENTER FOR ARTS & AGRICULTURE (PMRCAA) RESIDENCIES
Deadline: June 30. “Currently, we are hosting three residents at a time. Residents are being accommodated for two to four-week residencies from mid-March to mid-November. They are provided studio space in one of the ranch buildings and a private room with a shared bathroom, kitchen, dining and laundry area. As we continue to remodel other buildings, PMRCAA will be able to accommodate different artists, scientists and scholars. For our 4-week long residencies, residents are invited to participate in an open studio event towards the end of their residency.” The theme for 2025 residencies is “Care & Stewardship.” Check under “Residency Program Details” for information about stipends/travel reimbursements.’s CREATIVE NONFICTION CONTEST
Deadline: June 30. Confers cash prizes ($100/$50/$25). Be sure to read the full guidelines linked within the announcement! (For starters, if you don’t subscribe [free of charge] to the magazine, your submission won’t be considered.)ROYAL SOCIETY OF PORTRAIT PAINTERS (RP) CRITICAL WRITING PRIZE
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Deadline: June 30. This award “for new writing on any aspect of contemporary portrait painting” is “open to all.” To enter, applicants “are invited to send a proposal or pitch for a new text. Three of the applicants will be selected to realise the proposed text and awarded either the first prize of £500 or one of two ‘special mention’ prizes of £250. All three texts will be published in the RP Annual Exhibition Catalogue published in May (2025).” NB: “The text could be a review of a forthcoming exhibition, of an existing piece of work, or it could take a more creative or experimental form. Please note that we are looking for texts which are enquiring, provoking, and jargon-free. We are not looking for academic dissertations or specialist scholarly papers, couched in highly technical or theoretical language, so it is not advisable to submit academic texts.” (Hat tip: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. (There is also an entry division for secondary-school students, with lower cash prizes.)ALCS EDUCATIONAL WRITER’S AWARD
Deadline: July 1: “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 11-18 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. 2022 and 2023.”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 2023-2024 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 2024 contest confers US$1750 in cash, plus other prize benefits, for each of two awards (the BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize and the BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean) for unpublished short fiction.EQUESTRIAN VOICES CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST
Deadline: July 1. From The Plaid Horse. Invites “works of prose, at any length. We regret we cannot consider poetry.” Current theme: “A trainer who has made a significant impact on your life.” Prizes: “The Grand Champion prize will be awarded to a single author. The prize will include a $5,000 cash prize and a featured publication in The Plaid Horse (in print and online). 5 Champion prizes will be awarded $500 cash prize and a featured publication in The Plaid Horse (in print and online). 10 Reserve Champion prizes will be awarded $250 cash prize and a featured publication [online]. All authors who submit an entry will receive a free 1 year subscription to The Plaid Horse.”RICHARD MARGOLIS AWARD
Deadline: July 1. 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, 2023, and June 30, 2024; 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.” Note: “Work must be original poetry written originally in English by a poet who is a citizen or legal resident alien of the United States.”SCOTTISH ARTS TRUST BURSARIES
Deadline: July 3. “Bursary applications are currently open for writers seeking help with entry fees for the Edinburgh Award for Flash Fiction and the new Edinburgh True Flash Awards….Successful applications will depend on the quality of the work submitted (we want to see the work you intend to submit), your practice as a writer or artist and your circumstances. We do not ask for proof.” Applications are open to writers worldwide. (Hat tip: Freelance Writing Jobs.)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 2023 and 31 August 2024”; “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.”
REMINDER: Some opportunities listed in last month’s newsletter remain open for applications and entries, too. And please keep reading the “Blog Notes” below for an important reminder about additional opportunity listings!
5. SUBMISSION ALERTS
FREEFALL will re-open for submissions (from Canadian writers only) June 1. They publish prose, poetry, art, and interviews and book reviews.
For the month of June, SCUPPERNONG EDITIONS “will be open to submissions for hybrid memoir, as well as books on social justice issues in North Carolina.” NB: “You do not have to be a North Carolina resident to submit.”
Scheduled to open June 1: Ontario-based THE /TEMZ/ REVIEW, for poetry and prose.
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.” For submissions June 1-7, they seek work as follows: “It’s a time for gatherings and cookouts, so this month, we want your stories about food. That restaurant that’s been open for 20 years despite never having any customers. A baker’s deranged attempt to perfect their blood pudding. A delivery order gone horrifically wrong. Extra rare or well done, if it’s about food, we want it.”
Until June 9, NORTHERN GRAVY is open for submissions of fiction, poetry, and writing for middle-grade or young-adult readers. NB: “While we love receiving submissions, if you weren’t either born in the UK or Ireland, or currently reside in the UK or Ireland, we will have to discard your submission without reading it.”
Twice a year, MSLEXIA (“for women who write”) invites submissions of short fiction and poetry on a particular theme for its “Showcase” section. Currently, they’re seeking work on “Red.” Deadline: June 10.
BRIGHT WALL/DARK ROOM, “an independent online film journal devoted to exploring the relationship between movies and the business of being alive,” currently has two calls with June deadlines. For “To the Sea,” the deadline is June 10; for “Heartbreak/Heartbreakers,” the deadline is June 30.
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). Note that a cap applies.
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.”
And another one with a sub window closing June 15: POETRY.
From THE FAIRY TALE MAGAZINE: “The fall/winter submissions window will be [opening] June 17, 2024 at 12 AM, EST., and closing on June 24, 2024 at 11:59 PM, EST.” The current theme is “Classic Fairy Tales. You can take a lot of license with the work, but there must be a clear connection to a specific old fairy tale in the work. We are also very open to the stories and poems focusing on seasonal holidays, like solstice celebrations, Halloween, Hanukkah, etc.”
Open for submissions until June 20: CHANNEL, “a home for Irish and international writing that contributes to building rich, mutually sustaining relationships between human beings and the natural world.”
Open until June 30: VARIANT LIT magazine, which considers fiction, poetry, and flash/micro fiction and nonfiction. (Thanks to @Duotrope for alerting me to the updated submissions calendar.)
A call from : “I am inviting submissions of your best new, unpublished work written in response to Writing in the Dark writing exercises—especially if it’s work you feel you couldn’t/wouldn’t have written without the exercise.”
THE SICK TIMES, “a journalist-founded website chronicling the Long Covid crisis,” is “accepting pitches for reported news stories and essays/commentary pieces. We take pitches, not full (already written) drafts on spec. We prioritize pitches from people with Long Covid and related diseases.”
A call posted on Twitter by THE LONDON MAGAZINE’s managing editor: “The London Mag is looking for argumentative essays that examine literature and the places it intersects with wider culture. Don’t be afraid to match high culture w/low, to be funny, iconoclastic, and have an authorial voice. Above all, please do not write in the tone of a PhD thesis lol. I am imagining essays that sit somewhere between the rigour of Too Little/Too Hard and originality of The Fence. We get lots of pitches for retrospective essays on certain writers, books etc. which we love and will continue to publish, but we’re looking for work to go alongside that. Email me at jamie(dot)cameron(at)thelondonmagazine(dot)org.” No deadline. (Hat tip: Write at Home.)
Reminder: RIDDLEBIRD, which features “literary fiction and personal essays,” has “decided to try a rolling submission system. We will be open year round, but capped at 50 a month.”
Reminder: Make it a habit to check the CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL website, where titles in development are posted. Note: “If this is your first time, please visit our Story Guidelines page.”
Reminder: ROUGH CUT PRESS seeks “experimental work of all genres by writers and allies of the LGBTQIA community. To get a sense of what we publish please read some of our former issues. We don’t know what we like until we see it. Each month we announce a different theme, but don’t worry if the work you submit doesn’t quite fit: we often build issues around work that takes us by surprise.”
Reminder: There’s a rolling deadline (the 25th of each month) for OFF TOPIC PUBLISHING’s Poetry Box, which supplies subscribers with a poem “printed postcard-style” along with tea and chocolate. Poems should be no longer than 15 lines (“including blank lines”).
Reminder: , which aims to “revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful,” selects one story for publication each month and considers reprints.
Reminder: WRITE OR DIE is open for author interviews and creative nonfiction year-round. Regarding the latter: “We are interested in essays that focus on the writing life and especially love work where the personal intersects with the critical. We love essays that examine how publishing, reading, teaching, spirituality, sexuality, identity, obsession, labor, and family shape writing.”
REMEMBER: Multiple venues listed in last month’s newsletter remain open for submissions, too. And please keep reading the “Blog Notes” below for an important reminder about additional opportunity listings!
6. BLOG NOTES
The newsletter is published just once each month, but there’s always something new on the Practicing Writing blog:
(Monday) Markets and Jobs for Writers (including fee-free/paying opportunities that don’t make it into the monthly newsletter)
(Friday) Finds for Writers
#SundaySentence
Occasional Notes from a Practicing Writer
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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.”