The Practicing Writer 2.0: May 2022
Marvelous May Edition, packed with (fee-free & paying) potential for writers of fiction, poetry, and cnf: contests, grants, residencies, calls for submissions, and MORE.
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 (@ErikaDreifus) and/or Facebook.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Editor’s Note
Success Stories
Featured Resource
Current Contests, Competitions, and Other Opportunities (NO ENTRY OR APPLICATION FEES; 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
Welcome, practicing writers:
I’m not going to lie. May is my favorite month, for a bunch of reasons that I won’t delve into here. (Yes, one of them is that May is my birthday month; if you want to give me a gift, please consider purchasing, gifting, reviewing—on Goodreads and/or Amazon—and/or otherwise recommending one of my books! 😀)
So I think it’s fitting that this month brings an especially bountiful array of opportunities to share with you—I’m extra-happy with this issue, and I hope that you’ll be, too. You’ll find here more than 65 curated current competitions and calls. All of them are fee-free (you don’t need to pay to apply/enter or submit your work), and all of them compensate writers for winning/published work. None limit entries/applications to writers resident in a single city/state/province.
PLUS: This month’s featured resource points you to an updated list of 60+ residency and retreat opportunities that are both free to apply for and free to attend. (Rare birds, indeed! Some of them even provide stipends!)
And I’m delighted to share another healthy batch of subscriber success stories, as well.
As it happens, April was quite good to me this year, too. If you missed them when I shared them elsewhere, I hope that you’ll take a peek at a couple of items connected with my own writing practice. Over on the Literary Mama site, where I was interviewed for a “Where Are They Now?” column featuring past contributors, I talked about writing fiction (LM had published a short story of mine in one of its past May [Mother’s Day] issues) and a whole lot more. And a new flash story—highly writing-related, and, as it happens, not disconnected from some of what I revealed in the LM interview—appeared in the latest issue of a journal titled Teach.Write.
I’m also grateful to Fiction Writers Review for marking the commemoration of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) by re-upping my 2011 essay “Looking Backward? Third-Generation Fiction Writers and the Holocaust.” (For those who may be especially interested in the subject, that essay occupies an interesting spot in my archive between an earlier exploration, “Ever After? History, Healing, and ‘Holocaust Fiction’ in the Third Generation,” and “A Special Kind of Kinship: On Being a ‘3G’ Writer.”)
Okay, enough. Let’s move on to the issue. Enjoy—and let’s all have a marvelous May, in our writing practices and beyond.
Warmly,
ERIKA
2. SUCCESS STORIES
From Rachel Belth (click through for a link to the essay in our Twitter exchange):
Your newsletter is such a helpful resource! I recently had an essay published at Elevator Stories, and I have a poem forthcoming at The Sunlight Press, both of which I found through you. Thanks so much for your work!
From Julie Zuckerman (click through for a link to the piece):
Honored to have a new piece up, “On Pesach, She” at @TCJewfolk, just in time for Passover! This piece began in a @kathyfish class, and I'm grateful to @erikadreifus for pointing me to the call for submissions. Chag sameach to all celebrating!
From Gabriela Denise Frank (click through for a photo of the essay’s first page):
Just settling in to read the new issue of @McNeeseReview! Thanks for giving my essay a home alongside these gorgeous works ~ and thanks to @erikadreifus who posted about the submission opportunity! #WritingCommunity
Please share news from your writing practice that may be connected with this newsletter or our other resources. I love to celebrate such successes in this space!
3. FEATURED RESOURCE
Since the last newsletter went out I’ve managed to update my list of fee-free writing residencies.
Opportunities included on this list must charge no fees for application OR attendance. Some of these programs—but not all—also confer stipends.
4. CURRENT CONTESTS, COMPETITIONS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
GLADSTONE’S LIBRARY WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
Deadline: May 6. The UK-based library’s program “provides space and resources for four writers whose work engages with liberal values.” Appears to require at least one book of fiction or nonfiction published in the UK since 2019 or forthcoming in 2022. Residency awards include accommodation, meals, travel expenses as delineated, and a £100 honorarium/week.ANGELA MANKIEWICZ POETRY CONTEST
Deadline: May 7. Two prizes of $500. Capped at 500 entries. Judge: B.J. Buckley.LOUISE MERIWETHER FIRST BOOK PRIZE
Deadline: May 8. From the Feminist Press. Open to women or nonbinary authors of color seeking to publish their first book. Open to works of fiction and narrative nonfiction. Awards a $5,000 advance and a contract to publish the book in 2024.RTÉ SHORT STORY COMPETITION
Deadline: May 13. Open to writers “resident on the island of Ireland, or, if living abroad, hold[ing] an Irish passport.” Top 10 stories “will be broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1. The winners of the top three winning stories will receive prizes of €5000, €4000 and €3000 respectively; the other shortlisted authors will each receive a fee of €250.” Judges: Ferdia MacAnna, Éilis Ní Dhuibhne, and Lisa McInerney.SOUTH ARTS INDIVIDUAL ARTIST CAREER OPPORTUNITY GRANTS
Deadline: May 13. These grants support “a milestone opportunity in an individual artist’s career that is likely to lead to substantial and significant career advancement. Grants of up to $2,000 are available to support opportunities taking place between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023.” To be eligible, an artist/writer must “be a United States citizen, lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence, or have permission from the Department of Homeland Security to work permanently in the U.S.,” and must “be a resident of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee,” among other requirements.ABA JOURNAL/ROSS WRITING CONTEST FOR LEGAL SHORT FICTION
Deadline: May 15 (5pm CDT). “Entries must be original works of fiction of no more than 5,000 words that illuminate the role of the law and/or lawyers in modern society. The winner will receive a prize of $3,000. Entrants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents and 21 years of age or older” by the contest deadline. Note: “Entries may be unpublished or published no earlier than December 1, 2021.”JAMES LAUGHLIN AWARD
Deadline: May 15. For a second book of poetry that is under contract and scheduled for 2023 publication with a U.S. publisher (check for additional eligibility criteria). Confers “$5,000, an all-expenses-paid weeklong residency at The Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, and distribution of the winning book to approximately one thousand Academy of American Poets members.” Judges: Aracelis Girmay, Solmaz Sharif, Mai Der Vang.NIGHTBOAT BOOKS EDITORIAL FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: May 15. “Seeking to support the labor of editors of color, we’re looking for an aspiring BIPOC editor to work alongside Nightboat staff to develop a book project of their choosing over the course of two (2) years. Black and Indigenous editors are strongly encouraged to apply.” Confers $10,000 “(paid in installments—$5,000 per year of the fellowship or according to the fellow’s individual needs).” Note: “We approximate that this fellowship will require a commitment of 400 hours at $25/hour in total, approximately 15 hours/month over the course of 2 years.” Note also that “the applicant must live in the United States and be a U.S. Permanent Resident (green card) or U.S. Citizen.”OUTWRITE 2022 CHAPBOOK COMPETITION
Deadline: May 15. For chapbooks, in English, in three categories: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. “OutWrite is a celebration of LGBTQ literature; entries that explore aspects of LGBTQ culture or identity are encouraged.” Prizes: “Each winner will receive 25 copies of their winning chapbook, an offer of print publication from Neon Hemlock Press [ED note: I have confirmed that this offer includes a $100 payment], and an opportunity to read from their work at OutWrite 2022.” Judges: Brent Lambert (fiction), Joseph Osmundson (nonfiction), Saida Agostini (poetry).AUSTEN RIGGS ERIKSON PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN MENTAL HEALTH MEDIA
Deadline: May 15. “The news of the day is infused with issues that affect mental health–social justice, climate change, strength and resilience in the face of COVID-19, access to healthcare, or any number of other topics. We want to recognize the very best work with our media prize. The prize carries an award of $3,000 and will be presented at an event where the honoree (or honorees) are invited to speak about their work.” Eligible work “must have been written in English, intended for the layperson, and must have been first published/released after April 1, 2021.” Check guidelines for a list of formats/categories.SINGAPORE POETRY CONTEST
Deadline: May 16. “In conjunction with Gaudy Boy’s April 1, 2022 publication of Jhani Randhawa’s TIME REGIME, the winner of the Gaudy Boy Poetry Book Prize, SUSPECT is holding the 8th Singapore Poetry Contest with a call for submissions inspired by the title of this extraordinary book of poems….We are looking for poems that use the chiming words ‘time’ and ‘regime’ together or separately in imaginative ways….The contest is open to everyone, living anywhere.” Prizes: “Awards of USD300, 200, and 100 will go to the top three winners. The winning poems will be published on SUSPECT; non-winning poems will be considered for publication as well.” Judge: Jee Leong Koh. (Thanks to Winning Writers for the reminder about this one.)WORDS WITHOUT BORDERS EDITORIAL FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: May 16 (11:59am, ET). Designed “to provide training for individuals looking to build a career around the publication and promotion of international literature.” NB: “The editorial fellow will work remotely and commit to working sixteen hours per week for nine months, beginning in September. Though the position is remote and allows for some flexibility in hours, fellows must be available to work between the hours of 10 am and 4:30 pm ET. The editorial fellow position pays $16 per hour.”ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION ARTS WRITERS GRANT PROGRAM
Deadline: May 18. Supports “emerging and established writers who write about contemporary visual art. Ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 in three categories—articles, books, and short-form writing—the grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from short reviews for magazines and newspapers to in-depth scholarly studies. We also support art writing that engages criticism through interdisciplinary methods and experiments with literary styles. As long as a writer meets the eligibility and publishing requirements, they can apply.” Included among the former: applicants must be “a US citizen, permanent resident of the United States, or a holder of an O-1 visa (if your application advances to the final round, you will need to submit current documentation).”BENNETT NIEBERG TRANSPOETIC BROADSIDE PRIZE
Deadline: May 18. For “a single poem written by a trans poet who has yet to publish their first full-length book. The prize consists of $1,000 USD, 25 limited edition letterpress broadsides of the winning poem, and a feature in the upcoming issue of 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: Kayleb Rae Candrilli.CREATIVE FUTURE WRITERS’ AWARD
Deadline: May 22. For UK residents only. “Celebrates talented, underrepresented writers who lack opportunities due to mental health issues, disability, health or social circumstance.” Prizes include “£10,000 of cash and top writing development prizes supplied by prominent publishers and development agencies.” The theme for this year’s submissions (in poetry and fiction) is “How It Started.” Check the website for more eligibility and additional information.BACOPA LITERARY REVIEW WRITING CONTEST
Deadline: May 23. Cash prizes ($200 for winner; $100 honorable mention) and publication in categories of fiction, creative nonfiction, humor, formal poetry, free verse poetry, and visual poetry. Writers may enter only one category.CELEBRATING BLACK WRITERS: STUDENT WRITING AWARD FOR SECONDARY AND COLLEGE STUDENTS
Deadline: May 23. “The Center for Black Literature (CBL) at Medgar Evers College, in partnership with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, invites high school and college students of all ages to participate in a writing contest titled ‘Celebrating Black Writers: Voices Calling for Activism and Social Justice.’ Submissions in the genres of fiction, prose, and essay are welcome….All students currently enrolled in secondary/high school or college, including community college, are encouraged to participate by writing and submitting their own essays, prose, or fiction. Writings should represent various themes raised by Black writers—poets, novelists, literary activists, public intellectuals, civil rights leaders, and historians—who have advocated for social justice.” Cash prizes. (For college students: first place $4,000; second place $2,000.) (Thanks to @marcelalandres for the tip about this one.)ELIZA MOORE FELLOWSHIP FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE
Deadline: May 26. Awarded annually by the Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) to “one outstanding, early-career artist who is developing new works that address plants, gardens, or landscapes in the broad sense. This is our most prestigious artist award and is open to visual artists, literary artists, dancers, and musicians. The award includes a $10,000 individual grant and requires a 2 - 8 week stay at the OSGF estate.” (Anyone interested in this fellowship may also wish to check the OSGP Interdisciplinary Residency Program, with options for 2-week and 5-week attendance, which has the same deadline.)Deadline: May 30. From Lucas Aykroyd: “I’ve been very fortunate, and it’s time for me to give back. With the Irene Adler Prize, I’m awarding a $1,000 scholarship to a woman pursuing a degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution in the U.S. or Canada, based on an essay competition.” Check guidelines for topic selections.
AIR – ARTIST IN RESIDENCE NIEDERÖSTERREICH
Deadline: May 30. Offers “living and working spaces for architects, visual artists, musicians and writers in Krems an der Donau [Lower Austria] for a period of one to three months….In addition, the artist-in-residence will also receive a sum of 1.300,- Euros per month.”PEACE STUDIO ARTS & JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline: May 30. “A one-year, application-based program that provides $10,000 to mid-career artists and journalists to create an art and/or storytelling project focused on healing existing divisions and building bridges in their community.” Applicants must currently reside in the United States.BOSTON REVIEW ANNUAL POETRY CONTEST and AURA ESTRADA SHORT STORY CONTEST
Deadline: May 31 (“free entry for contestants outside U.S., Canada, Western Europe, and those experiencing hardship”). Both contests seek submissions on the theme of “Speculation” and confer $1,000 and publication. Fiction judge: Jordy Rosenberg. Poetry judge: Donika Kelly.GENESIS JEWISH BOOK WEEK EMERGING WRITERS’ PROGRAMME
Deadline: May 31. Open to “emerging writers over 18 years of age and living in the UK with no more than three years’ experience of being published. Applications are invited for projects in the fields of Fiction, Non-Fiction (including journalism) and Poetry. The programme offers bursaries of up to £1,500, mentorship, peer-support and a programme of writing seminars to ten UK-based emerging writers of any background. Applicants should be working, or planning to work, on a specific project, with the aim of publication.”JERRY JAZZ MUSICIAN SHORT FICTION CONTEST
Deadline: May 31. “Three times a year, Jerry Jazz Musician awards a writer who submits, in our opinion, the best original, previously unpublished work of short fiction. The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Our newsletter subscribers include publishers, artists, musicians, and fellow writers. While your writing should appeal to a reader with these interests and in these creative professions, all story themes are considered.” Open to writers in English worldwide. Confers a prize of $100 and publication.LIT UP BY REESE’S BOOK CLUB FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: May 31. Provides unagented, “unpublished, underrepresented women writers” with “an all-expenses-paid retreat, a three-month mentorship with a published author, and marketing support from Reese’s Book Club.” Note that the application requires an “original adult or young adult fiction manuscript featuring a woman at the center of the story that is completed and written in English. We accept genre fiction but are currently not accepting non-fiction, picture books, middle grade, plays, screenplays, or co-written manuscripts.”McLAUGHLIN-ESSTMAN-STEARNS PRIZE
Deadline: May 31 (received). This $3,000 prize recognizes “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 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 unselfishly nourish and inspire students and fellow writers.” Note: “Only American authors publishing in English are eligible.”SPECULATIVE LITERATURE FOUNDATION OLDER WRITERS’ GRANT
Deadline: May 31 (opens May 1). A $1,000 grant awarded to a writer 50 years of age or older at application time. Grant is “intended to assist such writers who are just starting to work at a professional level.” Be sure to check the capacious definition of “speculative literature.”PEGGY WILLIS LYLES HAIKU AWARDS
Deadline: June 1. Prizes include cash awards ($150/$75/$50). No simultaneous submissions. Note: “Monetary awards to non-US winners will be made through PayPal, where possible, in order to avoid the high cost of bank processing fees.”THE NOVEL PRIZE
Deadline: June 1. Biennial award “for a book-length work of literary fiction written in English by published and unpublished writers around the world” that “offers $10,000 to the winner, and simultaneous publication in the UK and Ireland by the London-based Fitzcarraldo Editions, in Australia and New Zealand by Sydney publisher Giramondo, and in North America by New York’s New Directions. The prize rewards novels which explore and expand the possibilities of the form, and are innovative and imaginative in style.” Each of the three participating publishers will receive entries from specified parts of the world; scroll down the page and click the logo for the appropriate publisher to locate guidelines for submissions from your area.OPEN DOORS POETRY FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: June 1. Offered by the Porches Writing Retreat to a first-time visitor with one published collection. Provides a week-long residency.PJ LIBRARY AUTHOR ISRAEL ADVENTURE
Deadline: June 1. “PJ Library invites experienced and published children’s book authors and illustrators to apply for our third Author Israel Adventure cohort! This all-expense-paid experience is designed to inspire accomplished creators to bring Israel, Jewish ideas, and diverse Jewish stories to their board, picture, and middle grade books. We will begin our adventure with online meet-ups and customized webinars before we travel together to Israel where we will explore the historical and modern country, meet with diverse groups of Israelis, and journey from the barren desert to the Mediterranean Sea. We will experience the unique vibrancy of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and take time for reflection, discussion, and writing, often facilitated by well-known local authors. Thanks to generous support from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, the 2023 trip is central to a cohort year spanning from October 2022 through October 2023. After returning from Israel the cohort experience will culminate with a writers’ retreat in North America.”SAPIENS PLURUM SHORT FICTION CONTEST
Deadline: June 1. “We’re excited to announce the eighth annual short fiction writing contest ‘Inventing Beautiful Futures.’ The winner will receive $1000 for first prize. Second prize is $500 and third is $300.”DAN VEACH PRIZE FOR YOUNGER POETS
Deadline: June 1. Welcomes poems “from college-age students, aged 18-23, on any subject or style. Poems with an international focus are especially welcomed, but all poems must be written in English.” Confers $100 and publication in Atlanta Review.LORCA LATINX POETRY PRIZE
Deadline: June 5. Aiming “to honor the role of transoceanic friendship in poet Federico García Lorca’s life, work, and legacy,” this prize brings “emergent Latinx poets and their poetry to larger international audiences. In its second edition, the Prize offers to translate an emerging Latinx poet’s English language chapbook-length manuscript into Spanish and publish it bilingually. The Prize strives to facilitate platforms for this poet to present their work, including at festivals, residences and readings in the United States, and beyond.” Poet must have published no more than one full-length collection. Prize confers $500 and 10 copies of the chapbook. Judge: Carmen Giménez Smith. First read: Suzi F. Garcia.DRUE HEINZ LITERATURE PRIZE
Deadline: June 30 (opens May 1). “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.GRANUM FOUNDATION PRIZE
Deadline (confirmed via email): August 2; applications will open May 1 (which is also when full instructions will appear online). “The Granum Foundation Prize will be 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 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 fees for a writing residency, mentorship, or editing services. They also may be used for necessities such as rent or writing equipment. Competitive applicants will be able to present a compelling project with a reasonable timeline for completion. They also should be able to demonstrate a record of commitment to the literary arts.” One winner will receive $5,000; up to three finalists will be awarded “$500 or more”; “$500 or more will be awarded to one writer working in translation.”
REMINDER: Some opportunities listed in last month’s newsletter remain open.
5. SUBMISSION ALERTS
At THE CINCINNATI REVIEW, print-magazine submissions will reopen May 1st and will close again once the cap is reached; act quickly if you’re interested. Pays: “$25/page for prose and $30/page for poetry in the print journal.”
Open for submissions (briefly!) from May 1-3 (within ET): ENCHANTED CONVERSATION, where the 2022 theme is “Weather.” Consult the detailed guidelines for more information on their interest in “new fairy tales” and poetry (which must connect with the theme). No multiple submissions (submit only one poem or story at a time). Pays: $50 (Paypal only).
I’ve been alerted that in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, THE MAINE REVIEW will run a fee-free submissions window from May 1 to May 7. 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.”
HERMINE, “a print-only journal of short stories, published annually in Toronto,” is slated to re-open for submissions on May 1. Pays: “Payment may vary from year to year. Payment for Issue 2 was $50 to $200 per story, plus two contributor copies.”
A brief window for unagented writers who have not yet published a book (“chapbooks okay”) will be open at TIN HOUSE BOOKS from May 7th at 12:01 am PT to May 8th at 11:59 pm PT. At that time, they’ll welcome “debut poetry collection, debut essay collection, and debut short story collection submissions.”
Until May 9, ALAN SQUIRE PUBLISHING is accepting submissions for an anthology, to be edited by Hannah Grieco, on the theme “Running Away”: “Ever wish, with every cell in your body, that you could run away? From home, from a person, from your job, from yourself? Physically or emotionally, on foot or purely in your own mind?….We’re looking for short prose—fiction or creative nonfiction—that explores the need to leave, to escape, to run. We love a speculative slant, whatever that means to you. It can mean the strange or surreal. It can mean horror or fantasy. It can simply mean it’s not what you’re supposed to wish for. We're flexible. Just keep it between 500-3000 words.” Payment: “$30 & 2 print copies of the anthology.” Will consider reprints. (Hat tip: WOW! Markets Newsletter.)
Until May 13, 11:59 pm AEST, GRIFFITH REVIEW is receiving poems for its upcoming “Real Cool World” issue (published in partnership with the Australian Antarctic Division), which “will explore Antarctica as a place and as a canvas for imagination. This vast, dry continent drives much of the Earth’s weather, part litmus test for change at the world’s extremities and part canary in the coalmine. If stories about Antarctica illuminate much of the rest of the planet’s past and future, they also create a space to play out human ideas of exploration, investigation and fantasy.” Payment: Via email, I was told that their “standard rate for poetry is $200 AUD per poem.”
ISLAND is open for poetry submissions (from Australian and New Zealand “citizens and residents only”) until May 15. Pays: “$125 per poem published, less the cost of a 4-issue subscription if you are not a current subscriber.”
JUST FEMME & DANDY, “a lit mag for & by queers+ on fashion,” is similarly open until May 15 for submissions for its third issue, themed “Sustain.” “Please take a look at our different sections to get a better sense of what we are after. We also take pitches.” Pays: “50 USD per text-based submission and 150 USD per multimedia submission.” (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
May 15 is also the deadline for this call from LUCENT DREAMING: “We are looking for prose and poetry to publish in our For a Friend anthology, a giftable collection of writing for oneself or a friend. We are open to a wide range of genres and styles that fit the theme. As a guide, we think we are looking for pieces that range from words of encouragement to life advice-styled poetry and prose, to love letters you might send to a friend, i.e. writing that is a source of comfort, inspiration, learning and escape. We are looking especially for work from writers of colour and working class writers living in the UK.” Payment: “Fixed £100 and a free contributor copy.” (Hat tip again: @Duotrope.)
From SPLIT LIP as the magazine celebrates its tenth anniversary: “Ten is a BIG deal, and we want to celebrate in all sorts of TINY ways! We are publishing a special anniversary issue of mini fiction, memoir, and poetry! Isn’t mini cute??? So please polish your tiniest pieces! We want to read them!” Note: “There is no required theme, but we will probably get super excited about work that touches on the passing of time, nostalgia, memory/memories, decades, the past, or the number ten in some way, even if very tangentially.” Submissions will be open May 1-31. Pays: $75/piece. “Accepted work will be featured (1) online in November in our anniversary issue AND (2) in a bundle of TEN GORGEOUS SUBLIME SPECTACULAR postcards featuring the micros, as well as Split Lip art from over the years.”
NASHVILLE REVIEW is open for submissions in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and translation during May. “We welcome submissions in Art and Comics year-round. Currently, we are not accepting unsolicited reviews or interviews.” Pays: “$25 per poem and $100 for prose and art pieces.” NB: “We cap the number of submissions to be considered at 750 per section to ensure a reasonable response time. If we reach our submission cap before the end of the month-long reading period, submissions will close early.”
Also open for the month of May: England-based VERVE POETRY PRESS, for “both pamphlet and full length collections. As in previous years, we will require entire manuscripts which are either finished or at the very least late drafts. We will require also our (in)famous one pager which should describe your poetry journey so far and your hopes and aims for your book – more on this soon. There is no charge to submit to us. We are looking for a few books for 2023 and more for 2024. Our 2022 roster is already complete. Please also note that we are moving to a bi-annual programme of open submissions. After May 2022 our next open submissions window will be in the spring of 2024.” Pays royalties, and, per confirmation, welcomes international submissions.
BALTIMORE REVIEW’s submissions window closes May 31 (or when caps are reached). Publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Pays: “$40 via Amazon gift certificate or $40 through PayPal, if preferred). We hope to continue this as long as funding is available.”
Although the BLACK LAWRENCE PRESS IMMIGRANT WRITING SERIES considers manuscripts year-round, submissions received after May 31 will be considered for the November instead of the June reading period. Check the detailed guidelines. Note, for example, that “only books of poetry, prose (fiction or nonfiction), and hybrid texts of poetry and prose will be considered” and that “submission is open to any individual living in the U.S. who identifies as an immigrant and who either (i) was born in another country, (ii) has at least one parent who was born in another country (iii) is a refugee, or (iv) lives in the United States under Asylum or a Protection Program, such as TPS or DACA.” Payment: “In addition to publication, marketing, and a standard royalties contract from Black Lawrence Press, authors chosen for the Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series will receive a travel stipend of $500, which can be used for book tours or in any manner chosen by the authors.”
CONTEMPORARY VERSE 2, a Canadian quarterly literary journal “that publishes poetry and critical writing about poetry, including interviews, articles, essays, and reviews,” remains open for submissions through May. Note: “CV2 welcomes poetry submissions in French, as well as translation projects, including both French to English and English to French.” Pay rates, as well as some specific notes for writers outside Canada, are detailed on the website.
ONE STORY remains open for literary-fiction submissions until May 31. “Because of our format, we can only accept stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They can be any style and on any subject as long as they are good. We are looking for stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone.” Payment: “$500 and 25 contributors copies for First Serial North American rights.”
THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE “exists to serve, bring together, and celebrate the refugee and immigrant communities worldwide. To help promote and showcase writing from these communities, fiction and poetry are open to refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants only. We accept non-fiction, book reviews, and author interview submissions by everyone on the theme of migration.” Current submissions window closes May 31. Payment: “£100 per published author in the print issue, and £50 per published author in the online issue. Sadly, due to legal constraints from the Home Office, we cannot offer payment to people who are seeking asylum; however, accepted authors who are seeking asylum will receive a £100/£50 online gift card (you choose which one, and we'll try to get it for you). The authors we publish in print will also receive one complimentary copy of the issue in which their work appears.” Note: “We can only pay via PayPal or into UK bank accounts.”
POET LORE, which remains open for poetry submissions until May 31, has announced that it is now a paying publication, offering $50/poem.
Canada-based PRAIRIE FIRE is receiving emailed submissions until May 31. Detailed information about pay rates is available online.
Until June 1, CONSEQUENCE FORUM is receiving submissions for its flash nonfiction series. “In 500-900 words, zoom in on one specific sensory detail that makes your experience of war/geopolitical conflict true, the detail that’s been imprinted on your memory forever. We’re looking for lightning narratives and mini-essays that offer illuminating glimpses into these moments. While we wholeheartedly encourage pieces with unexpected and even experimental approaches, we’re seeking work that successfully imparts new knowledge, confers fresh perspective, and/or turns our assumptions inside out.” Pays: $25.
Also until June 1: UK-based FIELDNOTES, “a biannual print journal publishing new writing and artworks with a focus on practices that work between disciplines and against type,” is receiving submissions for its fourth issue. “We are seeking non-conforming submissions: ideas in transition, poetry in translation, collaborations and conversations, works between genres, between fiction and theory, between text and image, new poetic modes and things-in-progress.” Pays: “between £100-£200.” (Hat tip: Freelance Writing Jobs.)
And also until June 1: THE GROWLERY, “Run Amok Books’ new blog about writers and writing, is seeking essays in the 500-1000 word range. What exactly are we looking for? Well, like our publisher, we tend toward the obscure and the strange, the irreverent and the profane. We love experimental forms and diverse voices. Above all, we love stories. We believe the story is better than the truth. Or maybe the story is the truth. And we pay! Contributors will receive 3-5 cents per word.” Feature categories are outlined in the guidelines.
And also until June 1, THE MASSACHUSETTS REVIEW “seeks submissions of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid work for a forthcoming issue spotlighting work by disabled and/or D/deaf artists. We as guest editors Khairani Barokka, Cyree Jarelle Johnson, and Michael Snediker would love to solicit work from writers and poets who identify as D/deaf, disabled, chronically ill, mentally ill, and/or neurodiverse. This special issue is part of an effort to increase Massachusetts Review’s publication of artists from our communities going forward.” Note: When I inquired about pay rates on Twitter, I learned that the journal has “received funding to increase our honorarium for this issue”; the usual honorarium is $100.
EASTOVER PRESS has announced that it’s seeking short stories for a forthcoming anthology. “The anthology will focus exclusively on BIPOC writers who live in or hail from rural or semi-rural locales in the U.S. and whose short stories feature characters living or working in rural or semi-rural spaces. We are only accepting previously published stories at this time, and those stories should have been published in 2020 or 2021. Our payment to authors upon publication of the anthology will be $100-$300. Deadline: September 5.
This one’s just for those in the UK or Ireland: STYLIST has announced that is is now publishing a short story each week. “You don’t have to be established or have even written a story before to submit; we’re more interested in the quality of your words than your writing experience. Stylist Short Stories aren’t limited by genre, either – we’re after romance, horror, crime, fantasy, historical fiction and everything in between.” Note: “Whilst Stylist maintains open submissions for all authors, Stylist Short Stories is designed to offer an opportunity to those who are particularly underrepresented in commercial publishing such as female-identifying, trans and non-binary writers.” Pays: £200. (Hat tip: Freelance Writing Jobs.)
Submissions for TINT JOURNAL’s In Conversation section “(reviews, interviews, and profiles focusing on ESL writing) are welcome year-round by writers of all linguistic backgrounds.” Payment: “€ 25, two Tint Journal bookmarks of your choosing, access to all full-length audios and assistance in claiming a free press copy from the publisher (in the case of a review).” Note that “short stories, creative nonfiction, flash fiction, flash nonfiction and poetry) are only accepted by writers who have learned or acquired the English language after being fluent in another language and within an open call for submissions,” and at this time do not offer payment.
BOOKFOX “seeks writers who can help other writers. You will do this by creating blog posts that are literary resources. Bookfox isn't looking for simple, 1000-word blog posts requiring minimal research, but deep and vast knowledge of a particular topic, substantiated with citations from specific books, and expert-level advice. Your articles should have weight and heft. Topics can cover writing craft and also the business of writing/publishing. For instance, for craft, you could write about topics such as: Plotting, characterization, dialogue, POV, voice, or sentences. For publishing, you could give advice on finding agents, self-publishing, writing a query letter, marketing your book, etc.” Pays: “Roughly 10 cents a word for original writing (so $300 for a 3,000 word article).”
Reminder: 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.”
And another reminder: Make it a habit to check the CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL website, where titles in development are posted. “If this is your first time, please visit our Story Guidelines page.” Projects with May deadlines include “Cats,” “Dogs,” “Crazy, eccentric, wacky, lovable, fun families,” and “Thanksgiving, Xmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa & New Year’s.” Pays: $200 plus 10 free copies.
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)
Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer
(Friday) Finds for Writers
Sunday Sentence
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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 on Facebook and/or Twitter, where she tweets “on matters bookish and/or Jewish.”