The Practicing Writer 2.0: May 2023
Continuing the celebration of our 20th year of service to writers. Curating fee-free opportunities that pay writers for their fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Sharing resources.
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 and/or Facebook.
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:
Happy May! As usual, a packed issue awaits, so I’ll try to keep this brief.
If you missed my atypical mid-month missive (prompted by the advent of Substack’s new “Notes”), you can find it here. I want to reiterate this point: The launch of Notes has prodded me to at least try to think more carefully about the information and resources that I share between issues of this newsletter (primarily on my blogs: Practicing Writing and My Machberet), and how I share all of that content. I can’t say that I’ve made much progress along those lines yet. But I’m trying (without inundating all of you via email). And hope springs eternal.
Staying upbeat: There’s a lot to celebrate this month (in addition to my birthday! 🎂). Among May’s observances that connect most clearly with my own writing history and practice are Short Story Month (some background for which you can find in this brief Poets & Writers piece from 2009) and Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM; in Canada, Jewish Heritage Month).
This brings me to this issue’s first poll, sparked by my own curiosity:
Of course, all of this makes May an exceedingly suitable time to purchase, borrow, read, re-read, recommend, and/or review my short-story collection Quiet Americans! (Did I mention that I have a birthday coming up?)
The commemorative confluence also makes reading my latest book review, of Tova Reich’s The House of Love and Prayer and Other Stories, which appears in the spring issue of Moment magazine, particularly timely. And if, by any chance, you’re interested in some other news from my own writing practice, I’ve posted an update over on the Practicing Writing blog.
But that’s enough from me. Let’s move on to all that awaits here for you. Enjoy—and let’s all have a marvelous May, in our writing practices and beyond.
Warmly,
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 Iris Leona Marie Cross:
Erika! I requested a grant from The Vincent Anioke Grants to Support Black Writers which you posted in The Practicing Writer 2.0: February 2023. Within 24 hours, Vincent fulfilled my request via PayPal. Once again, I have to thank you for the effort you put into producing your comprehensive newsletter. What would I do without it?
From Liam Hoare:
My essay on Deborah Levy, “Both Sides, Now,” is the cover story for the April edition of AWP’s The Writer’s Chronicle! I just wanted to let you know about this because I first saw the call for submissions for The Writer’s Chronicle in your newsletter!
From Amy Losak:
Thanks to you, my late mom Sydell Rosenberg’s short story, titled “I Retrospect Nature,” was just published in The Maine Review. I’m so delighted and thrilled. TMR was absolutely wonderful to work with.
I learned about this literary journal via your newsletter. In fact, your newsletter is my top source for these varied opportunities. I likely wouldn’t have found out about it otherwise. So -- thank you!
and from Stefanie Kirby:
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
Resource lists are great—so long as they’re regularly checked for broken links and other necessary housekeeping.
In that spirit: I’ve recently managed to review and update my list of fee-free writing residencies.
To be included on this list, programs must charge no fees for the residency application OR attendance. Some programs—but not all—also confer stipends.
4. CONTESTS, COMPETITIONS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
PJ LIBRARY SUMMER CAMP FOR WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS OF JEWISH PICTURE BOOKS
Deadline: May 2. “PJ Library invites writers and writer/illustrators of Jewish-themed picture books to apply for our 2023 Picture Book Summer Camp for five days [August 27-31] of inspiration, mentorship, fun, and creativity on the beautiful campus of the Highlights Foundation. A majority of the spaces are reserved for emerging creatives (unpublished, or no more than one published picture book). Limited spaces are reserved for alumni from the 2022 PJ Library Picture Book Summer Camp.” Accepted candidates receive “tuition, lodging, and meals. Travel stipends to the retreat center will be available from PJ Library. ($500 for domestic travel, $1300 for international travel.)”ON THE PREMISES MINI-CONTEST
Deadline: May 5. “For this mini-contest, tell, show, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long in which the word ‘unicorn’ (singular, not plural) is used exactly ONCE.” Prizes: “First place pays $35, second pays $25, and third pays $15, all in US dollars. Honorable mentions get published, but make no money.”IRENE YAMAMOTO ARTS WRITERS FELLOWSHIP
for this one.)
Deadline: May 7. “The National Center for the Preservation of Democracy at the Japanese American National Museum (NCPD@JANM) is thrilled to announce the Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship. This year’s inaugural fellowship provides two $5,000 unrestricted awards to promising writers of color who are focused on art criticism and/or reporting about the visual, performing, or media arts.” Open to writers who reside in the United States and “have two to five years of demonstrated publication experience, which may include a blog or self-publishing,” among other criteria. (Thanks toCAVE CANEM POETRY PRIZE
Deadline: May 10. Annual contest “is dedicated to the discovery of first books by Black poets. The winner receives $1,000, publication by University of Pittsburgh Press in fall 2024, 15 copies of the book, and a feature reading. Black poets who have not had a full-length book of poetry published by a professional press are encouraged to apply.” Judge: Colleen J. McElroy.LIMP WRIST GLITTER BOMB AWARD
Deadline: May 11. For an “outstanding poem by a poet of any stage of her/his/their career,” this contest “is open to LGBTQIA+/non-binary poets and their allies” (including poets around the world). “Limp Wrist founder/editor Dustin Brookshire will serve as the initial reviewer narrowing contest entries to 10 finalists. Two poems from each finalist's submission packet will be sent to the final judge. Diane Seuss will serve as the final judge of the 2023 GBA. Seuss will select a winner and three honorable mentions. The winner will receive: a cash prize of $600; publication of his/her/their winning poem in an issue of Limp Wrist; a feature spot in the Wild & Precious Life Series. Each honorable mention will be awarded a cash prize of $50 and have their poems published in Limp Wrist.”CREATIVE FUTURE WRITERS’ AWARD
Deadline: May 14. For UK residents only. “Celebrates talented, underrepresented writers who lack opportunities due to mental health issues, disability, health or social circumstance.” Prizes include “£20,000 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 “X,” with more information available on the website.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 $5,000. 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, 2022.”JAMES LAUGHLIN AWARD
Deadline: May 15. For a second book of poetry that is under contract and scheduled for 2024 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: Leila Chatti, John Murillo, Sam Sax.CAROLYN MOORE WRITING RESIDENCY
Deadline: May 15. “Portland Community College and the Humanities & Arts (HARTS) Council invite writers of all genres—including poetry, fiction, and nonfiction—to apply for a 2024 Residency. The Residency is the first of its kind to be hosted by a community college in the United States.” It offers writers “concentrated time to focus on developing a written work at the Writers House in Tigard, Oregon, while also providing PCC students the opportunity to meet and interact with talented writers from across the country.” This year, there will be “two four-week January residencies, one four-week February residency, and two four-week April residencies. Residents are welcome to propose staying for a shorter period during those months—for instance, proposing a three-week residency during January—with the understanding that we favor four-week stays.” Note: “In addition to use of the House and grounds, Residents receive a stipend of $400 dollars per week.”SINGAPORE POETRY CONTEST
Deadline: May 15. In conjunction with the publication of Jim Pascual Agustin’s Waking Up to the Pattern Left by a Snail Overnight, the Singapore Poetry Contest has issued a “call for submissions inspired by the title of this extraordinary book of poems….We are looking for poems that use the word ‘snail’ 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…non-winning poems will be considered for publication as well.” Judge: Jim Pascual Agustin.ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION ARTS WRITERS GRANT PROGRAM
Deadline: May 17. 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).”PROUD TO BE: WRITING BY AMERICAN WARRIORS CONTEST
Deadline: May 19 (extended deadline). Awards $250 first prize and publication in each of these categories: short fiction, poetry, interview with a warrior, essay, and photography. Open to writing by “veterans, military-service personnel, or their families.”WHOLE LIFE SOAPS HAIKU CONTEST
Deadline: May 20 (5pm PST). Annual contest organized by Bill McConnell, a self-described “local soap maker in the San Gabriel mountains of southern California,” seeks “observational thoughts of nature in the form of a haiku.” This year’s theme is “Aging and the Cycle of Life.” Prize: “Winners will receive a cash prize of $100 and publication on a custom designed soap. Winners will also receive six free soap bars with their haiku incorporated into the soap.” (Thanks to WinningWriters.com for this one.)AIR – ARTIST IN RESIDENCE NIEDERÖSTERREICH
Deadline: May 21. Austrian program offers “living and working opportunities for one - three months in Krems on the Danube for artists from the fields of building culture, visual arts, digital arts, literature and music….In addition, the artist-in-residence will also receive a sum of 1.300,- Euros per month.” NB: “Austrian artists and artists residing in Austria are not eligible to apply.”CHANGING LIGHT PRIZE FOR A NOVEL-IN-VERSE
Deadline: May 25. This new annual prize from Livingston Press awards a $500 prize “plus 20 copies, standard royalty contract. Publication in trade paper, e-book, and Kindle.”RTÉ SHORT STORY COMPETITION
Deadline: May 26. (NB: Because I noticed conflicting information on Substack, where the deadline was posted as May 22, I’ve confirmed the May 26 deadline via email with the program; when I last checked, the Submittable deadline had not yet been corrected. Please direct any further inquiries to the program and not to me! Or submit on the early side to avoid any worries.) 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: Claire Kilroy, Ferdia MacAnna, and Kathleen MacMahon.DAVID HAROLD TRIBE POETRY AWARD
Deadline: May 29. “The richest poetry prize in Australia” awards “$20,000 for an original unpublished poem on any theme, up to 100 lines in length. The award has been made possible by a generous gift to the University by David Harold Tribe, author, and humanist. Awarded every five years, the prize aims to encourage the writing and enjoyment of poetry in Australia.” Open “to anyone normally resident in Australia for at least three years prior to entry.” No simultaneous submissions. Judges: Toby Fitch, John Kinsella, Ellen Van Neerven.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.” This year, the competition has been opened to applicants worldwide, “and up to two $250 honorable mentions will also be awarded.” Check guidelines for the prompts.
ARC POETRY VIRTUAL POET-IN-RESIDENCE
Deadline: May 31. As described in the announcement, the Poet-in-Residence offers mentoring and contributes new work to the journal. “Candidates should be Canadian citizens or have a permanent residency in Canada, and candidates should have a strong background in the practice of contemporary poetry. Candidates should also have at least one full-length collection published by an established Canadian publisher.” Compensation: “The contract fee for the PIR will be $10,000, pending funding. Payment will be monthly for the duration of the term, although an alternative payment schedule is negotiable. Standard writer’s fee rates will apply for publications in Arc.” NB: “The PIR will not be required to relocate during the nine-month residency; however, up to one week of travel and readings are required of the PIR, to promote the launch of Arc Poetry Magazine 106 (Spring 2025).”JENNY BROWN ASSOCIATES OVER 50 AWARD
Deadline: May 31 (opens May 1). “Jenny Brown Associates is running an award for debut novelists resident in the UK aged 50 and above….The winner will receive £1,000 and a placement on a residential writing course at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre. Runners-up will receive tailored mentoring sessions.” NB: “Entrants must be unpublished fiction writers and entries must not have been published in any format (physical, eBook, audio) prior to entry. The exception to this is that if you have published short stories, non-fiction, poetry or children’s books as an unrepresented author….”GENESIS JEWISH BOOK WEEK EMERGING WRITERS’ PROGRAMME
Deadline: May 31. Open to emerging writers “resident in the UK and aged 18 or over” who meet the specified criteria of “emerging writer.” Applications are invited from writers in poetry; long- and short-form fiction; and long- and short-form non-fiction (including journalism). “The Programme offers 10 bursaries of up to £1,500 each and a year of peer support along with seminars and one-on-one mentoring.”GRANADA WRITERS IN RESIDENCE PROGRAMME
Deadline: May 31. Organized by Granada UNESCO City of Literature and the University of Granada, this program “is targeted at writers residing in any country in whichever language they write” (but note the requirement of “intermediate to high level of language skills in English or Spanish”). Applicants must also have published “at least two books (prose fiction, essays, poetry, etc.), excluding self-publishing.” The residency will confer “a month’s stay (30 nights) in Granada for two writers, between November 3 and December 2, 2023, at the Corrala de Santiago of the University of Granada. Granada UNESCO City of Literature will cover the travelling expenses of each of the writers selected. The University of Granada will arrange and cover the costs of accommodation for the two writers. Each will have their own room with full board at the university’s hall of residence for visitors (Corrala de Santiago). Granada UNESCO City of Literature and the University of Granada will provide the writers in residence with opportunities to participate in the city’s literary life, arranging contacts with local writers, involvement in workshops, teaching activities, and so on.” (Thanks to Sian Meades-Williams’s Freelance Writing Jobs for the update on this one.)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 $150 and publication.ELIZA MOORE FELLOWSHIP FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE
Deadline: May 31. Awarded annually by the Oak Spring Garden Foundation “to one outstanding, early-career artist who is developing new works that address plants, gardens, or landscapes in the broad sense. This award is open to visual artists, literary artists, dancers, and musicians. The award includes a $10,000 individual grant and requires a 2 - 5 week stay at Oak Spring.” (Anyone interested in this fellowship may also wish to check the OSGF Interdisciplinary Residency Program, with options for 2-week and 5-week attendance, which has the same deadline.)SONOMA COUNTY WRITERS CAMP BIPOC WRITER SCHOLARSHIP
Deadline: May 31. For “a 4.5-day generative writing retreat in Cazadero, CA,” this scholarship provides “a full tuition waiver [classes, panels, room and board] for one recipient who is BIPOC and self-identifies as a woman or non-binary. Camp runs from July 26 - July 31, 2023.”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 “to assist such writers who are just starting to work at a professional level. These funds may be used as each writer determines will best assist their work.” Be sure to check the capacious definition of “speculative literature.”STOMPING GROUND CREATIVE ARTS RESIDENCY
Deadline: May 31. “At Stomping Ground, we offer an artist-in-residence program that provides the perfect balance of contemplative study and community engagement in the base of the Adirondack Mountains just outside of Saratoga Springs, New York”; “creative residents receive a FULLY-SUBSIDIZED stay including 3 meals a day in exchange for giving back to our unique community.”ABRAMS AMPLIFY AWARD
Deadline: June 1. New award. Established by ABRAMS Children’s Books “to honor and uplift the voices of children’s book creators from marginalized communities….We encourage BIPOC writers of middle-grade manuscripts (for ages 8-14) to submit their work….Future contests will focus on different children’s book categories and age groups.” Entrants must be un-agented writers “who are at least 18 years old at the time of entry, are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia, and have not previously had any children’s fiction or children’s nonfiction published.” Prizes: “One (1) winner will receive $5,000, editorial notes, and a one-on-one video conference meeting with an ABRAMS editor to discuss the Submission. Two (2) winners will receive $2,500 and editorial notes on the Submission from an ABRAMS editor. Two (2) winners will receive $1,000 and editorial notes on the Submission from an ABRAMS editor. All winners will have an opportunity for their full Submission to be reviewed by the ABRAMS Books editorial team for a possible offer of publication.”BARD FICTION PRIZE
Deadline: June 1 (received). For “a promising emerging writer who is an American citizen aged 39 years or younger at the time of application. In addition to a $30,000 cash award, the winner receives an appointment as writer in residence at Bard College for one semester, without the expectation that he or she teach traditional courses. The recipient gives at least one public lecture and meets informally with students.” Application must include “three copies of the published book they feel best represents their work.”PEGGY WILLIS LYLES HAIKU AWARDS
Deadline: June 1. From The Heron’s Nest. Prizes include cash awards ($200/$100/$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.”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.MOLLY KEANE CREATIVE WRITING AWARD
Deadline: June 2 (7:00 a.m., Irish time). Competition “for people resident on the island of Ireland” for an unpublished short story. Prize: “€250 cash plus a course of the winners choice in the Molly Keane Writers Retreat, Ardmore in 2024 to the value of €300.” NB: “It is highly advisable [original emphasis] that entries are not currently submitted elsewhere for consideration.”
REMINDER: A couple of opportunities listed in last month’s newsletter remain open.
5. SUBMISSION ALERTS
Scheduled to open May 1: a submission window for AWAY FROM HOME, “an anthology of poetry and prose about stepping inside someone else’s home…and outside the familiar,” from Stanchion. Compensation: an undisclosed “nominal” payment and one copy. Deadline: May 31.
Scheduled to open for print-magazine submissions again on May 1: THE CINCINNATI REVIEW. They’ll close once they hit submission caps (and definitely by month’s end). “We pay $25/page for prose and $30/page for poetry in the print journal.”
FromCOFFEE HOUSE PRESS: “Our next open reading period begins at 9 a.m. CT on May 1, 2023, and will be limited to book-length poetry manuscripts. We will cap the number of submissions we accept at 200, so if you plan to send us work, please do so early.” No reading fee mentioned. (Hat tip: .)UPDATE: A READER HAS ALERTED ME THAT THE THE QUOTED INFORMATION APPEARS TO HAVE DISAPPEARED FROM THE PRESS’S WEBSITE.Also scheduled to open May 1 (for fiction submissions only): CUTLEAF, where pay rates for prose range from $100 to $400. (Per this recent newsletter, this window will close May 7.)
At THE FAIRY TALE MAGAZINE (formerly Enchanted Conversation), “the second and last submission period for 2023 will be from May 1, 2023 at 12 a.m., EST to June 2, at 11:59 p.m., EST. This will be the window for works that will be published in the September and December issues of FTM.” They welcome “new fairy tales” and poetry on this year’s theme (“love”). Pays: $50, via Paypal.
From JACK LEG PRESS: “JLP will accept queries starting May 1, 2023. JLP is primarily focused on poetry and short story collections. We also consider select literary novels and creative nonfiction.” Note: “We publish between 6-11 titles a year. JLP offers competitive royalties (excluding author purchases). Authors receive five free copies and a 50% discount on all JLP books.” No submission fees indicated. (Hat tip, again, to
.)THE MALAHAT REVIEW, which welcomes submissions of poetry and fiction from Canadian writers year-round, invites submissions from international writers at specified times (creative nonfiction is welcome from both Canadian and international writers year-round). Starting in May (and running through July), poetry is welcome from international writers. “We pay CAD$70 per published page plus a one-year print subscription and two copies of the issue in which your work appears.” Be sure to read through the very detailed guidelines page. (Thanks to Pamelyn Casto’s Flash Fiction Flash newsletter for reminding me of this one.)
In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, THE MAINE REVIEW has scheduled a fee-free submissions window May 1-May 7. They seek “outstanding contemporary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, including works in translation and hybrid forms.” Payment: “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.”
NASHVILLE REVIEWwill be 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.”UPDATE: A READER HAS ALERTED ME THAT SUBMISSION WINDOWS HERE HAVE CHANGED; THE NEXT ONE WILL BE OPEN IN AUGUST.At NEW ORLEANS REVIEW, “in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, there are no submission fees for all API writers for the month of May, not limited to those living in/born in the US.” Pays: $300 for fiction and nonfiction; $100 for poetry.
Scheduled to open for literary fiction May 1 (and remaining open until they reach a cap of 2000 submissions): ONE STORY. “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.”
May is a fee-free submissions month at SPLIT LIP. Pays: “(via PayPal) $75 per author for poems, memoirs, flash, fiction, and art, $50 for interviews/reviews, and $25 for mini-reviews for our web issues.” Note: “We recommend submitting early in free subs months! Sometimes we have to shut free subs early due to a rad but also overwhelming response.”
May is a month for poetry and art submissions at VARIANT LIT, which pays $10/accepted piece.
Submissions (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, comics and art) for THE SUBURBAN REVIEW’s upcoming “Spice”-themed issue are welcome until May 3 at 11:59 p.m. (AEST). Pay rates range between $100-$300 (Australian), depending on word count and genre.
A brief window for unagented writers who have not yet published a book (“chapbooks okay”) will be open at TIN HOUSE BOOKS from May 6th at 12:01 a.m. PT to May 7th at 11:59 p.m. PT. They will be “looking in particular for debut poetry collections and short story collections, both of which should engage with food and/or place, broadly defined….While not every poem or story needs to involve food or geography, we would love to read manuscripts that touch on either subject in some way.” International submissions welcome. They’ll also consider works in translation as specified. Important: “We ask that you do not send us a project unless you have a completed draft of the full manuscript available upon request.”
May 7 is the deadline for submissions at NORTHERN GRAVY, which welcomes fiction, poetry and kid lit (defined as “writing for middle grade and young adult audiences”) from “UK and Ireland writers.” Pays: £100. (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
May 7 is also the deadline at RIDDLEBIRD. “For our summer issue, we will specifically be looking for humorous work, lighthearted pieces, or works that explore the humor woven through struggles.” They’re looking for “literary fiction” and “personal essays.” Per this page, they pay “$100 and a contributor’s hard copy.” UPDATE: May close before midnight if cap is reached.
Tasmania-based ISLAND is open for fiction submissions (“from residents of Australia, New Zealand, our Pacific neighbours and Australians living abroad”) until May 8. Pays: “Island pays 20 cents per word for print fiction, with a minimum of $350 and a maximum of $750. Fees for print are less the cost of a 4-issue subscription if you are not a current subscriber.” For poetry, they’ll consider submissions “from Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents only” until 5pm AEST May 15 and will pay “$125 per poem published, less the cost of a 4-issue domestic subscription if you are not a current subscriber.”
General submissions will open at A PUBLIC SPACE May 15 (closing one month later). There is no fee indicated, and compensation is an unspecified honorarium.
Per an announcement on Twitter, BARRELHOUSE will also open May 15, for print-magazine submissions in all genres. They’ll remain open “for 2 weeks, or until certain sub caps have been hit.” Pays: “We pay $50 to each contributor to our print and online issues, as well as two contributor copies.”
From ARC POETRY: For an upcoming issue, “we invite artists who live with disability/chronic illness/mental illness and other forms of existence that are impacted by ableism to send us poems, prose, essays, and reviews exploring what it means to be in the world, or your topic of choice. We hope that your art challenges the able-bodied gaze and doctrine by changing the narrative of the dominant body and extending the meaning of wholeness.” Pays: $50/print page for poems and essays; a flat rate of $80 for reviews ($50/print page for feature reviews with a discussion of at least two books of poetry). Deadline: May 15. Guest Editor: Therese Estacion.
May 15 is also the deadline for submissions at BERLIN LIT, a “journal for new poetry” that pays “20 euro per poem.” (Hat tip: @Duotrope).
JUST FEMME & DANDY, “a lit mag for & by queers+ on fashion,” is also open until May 15, for submissions for an issue themed “Resurrect.” “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 up to 150 USD…per multimedia submission (video, photography, image + text, fashion spread + interview, etc.).”
Until May 26, Canada-based PRAIRIE FIRE welcomes submissions addressing the theme of “Haunted: Things That Keep You Up At Night.” (As per usual, read the call guidelines carefully; they’re not seeking exclusively negative interpretations.) Pays: $0.10 per word for prose and $40 per poem (for print), with caps and other information provided on their “rates of payment” page.
BALTIMORE REVIEW’s submissions window is scheduled to close May 31. Publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Pays: “$50 via Amazon gift certificate or $50 through PayPal, if preferred). We hope to continue this as long as funding is available.”
Also closing May 31: submissions for BI+ LINES, “the first print anthology of bi+ poets in English,” edited by Helen Bowell and published by Fourteen Poems. The theme is “in-betweeness”; submissions are welcome internationally. “Poets included in the anthology will be paid £75.”
Although the BLACK LAWRENCE PRESS IMMIGRANT WRITING SERIES considers manuscripts year-round, submissions received after May 31 will be considered in 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; rates vary by genre and word count, between $30 and $150.
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 remains open for poetry submissions until the end of May. Pays: “$50 per published poem.”
SHENANDOAH’s current call for flash nonfiction ends May 31. Curator jj peña seeks work “from writers who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and/or from other marginalized identities….While I don’t have any preferences for a particular topic or concept, I do gravitate to stories that, as Maggie Nelson writes in The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial, ‘bring us spectacular pain’….I love work that is risky, innovative, and, perhaps above all else, full of heart.” Payment (confirmed via Twitter): $100.
For an anthology to be titled THROUGH THE PORTAL: STORIES FROM A HOPEFUL DYSTOPIA, Exile Editions and co-editors Lynn Hutchinson Lee and Nina Munteanu seek “eco-fiction stories that celebrate the complexity of relationships and the emotional and physical journey from catastrophe” until May 31. Note that they also seem to be open to prose poems. Note, too: “We’d be delighted to receive international submissions, although 90% of the authors must live in or have ties to Canada (through paying income tax, owning property, etc.).” Payment: “5 cents/word CDN.”
June 1 is the deadline at THE CHRISTIAN CENTURY for readers to submit first-person narratives (under 1,000 words) on the theme of “Sleep.” Payment: “A selection of submissions will be published in the print or web magazine. Authors of the selected essays will receive $100 and a free one-year subscription to the magazine.”
Another June 1 deadline: “‘Revisiting WOMAN: AN ISSUE’ will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of a groundbreaking double issue of the MASSACHUSETTS REVIEW (MR), while also reexamining the multifaceted conceptions of womanhood in the twenty-first century. The issue will include literary prose and poetry from women writers around the world, including intersex and trans women and transfeminine writers. This issue will represent an effort to go beyond the definition of ‘woman’ as framed by the ideologies of the 1970s, to explore and examine new possibilities and horizons for feminist literatures today.” For this issue, the journal seeks “your personal essays, stories, interviews, and poems about womanhood as it relates to modern times.” Payment: $200.
Also open until June 1: OLIT, which seeks fiction, nonfiction, poetry, hybrid, artwork, photography. “Send us all kinds of stuff. We love the artfully weird.” Note: “While we prefer writers with a connection to Orlando or the greater Central Florida area, Olit will accept quality writing meeting our aesthetic and criteria from writers anywhere around the world.” Compensation: “We are only able to pay contributors $10 (PayPal) for publication at this time.”
Per its April newsletter, ORCA is now open for poetry submissions for its next literary issue (and will remain so until August 15). We will accept submissions of up to three poems in a single document, with a maximum total word count of 1000.” Per their Submittable page, they pay $25 for poetry (they also publish and pay for prose). Bear in mind that ORCA offers 100 fee-free submission slots each month: “If the fee-free submission forms do not appear, it means the 100 free submissions have been used for that month, and the free portals will reopen at the start of the next month.”
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 May 1-7, they seek work prompted by the summer solstice upcoming in June. “We want stories about somebody’s longest, unending day. Send us tales of what someone is going through that is making every minute, every second, tick by in the most agonizing way.” (Thanks to the WOW! Women on Writing Markets Newsletter for reminding me about this regular opportunity.)
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.”
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. Pays: “base pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check.” The same publisher has also established a outlet on Substack, distributing “52 beautiful poems a year, one per week,” and paying poets “Base Pay of $10 for the chosen poem + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check.” NB: “Must have a rhyme scheme or a rhythm scheme. No blank verse or free verse. If you do feel that blank verse or free verse is the best form for the poem, please send a sentence or two explaining the choice.” Reprints are welcome here, too.
REMEMBER: Some venues listed in last month’s newsletter remain open for submissions.
6. BLOG NOTES
The newsletter is published just once each month, but there’s always something new on the Practicing Writing blog:
(Monday) Markets and Jobs for Writers (including 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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Interested in matters of specifically Jewish literary and cultural interest? Please also visit the My Machberet blog (“machberet” is the Hebrew word for “notebook”). And be sure to consult our collection of Jewish Writing Resources.
And now, this issue’s second poll (this one is intended to help me address some of the administrative questions that I’ve been thinking about; thanks very much for taking the time to respond):
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 (mostly) “on matters bookish and/or Jewish.”