The Practicing Writer 2.0: October 2022
60+ carefully curated calls & competitions for poets, fictionists, & cnf writers. No fees to submit/apply. Paying opps only. Nothing that's limited to residents of a single city/state/province.
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 back, practicing writers!
I don’t have a lot to report from my own writing practice this month, so I’ll move things along quickly because, once again, this is a packed issue.
I do want to take a moment to extend best wishes to everyone who is living (or has loved ones) in a storm zone. As I’ve been putting the final touches on this issue, I’ve been overwhelmed by the images and clips from Florida. And Hurricane Ian isn’t even the only weather disaster that has struck since the last newsletter went out.
With heartfelt hopes for a safe, healthy, and fulfilling October,
ERIKA
2. SUCCESS STORIES
From Priscilla Thomas:
I’m excited to share that my work has been accepted by Open Book’s Unbound program, which I learned about through your newsletter. It means that within the next year, an essay of mine will be sent out to Unbound subscribers, along with discussion questions, related poetry, and writing prompts for readers. It was great to prepare something different from the usual for this submission, and even better to have it accepted! Thank you so much for making it easy to find interesting opportunities like this one.
From Luca Brite:
I wanted to let you know that I submitted an essay to the Falconer Museum. It was accepted into their anthology about Hugh Falconer, a lesser known Scottish Paleontologist. Thank you for your hard work compiling contests and magazine publications for writers. I really really appreciate it.
Please share news from your writing practice that may be connected with this newsletter or our other resources. I love to note those successes in this space!
3. FEATURED RESOURCE
It's back! Per a recent newsletter, the Authors Guild is “bringing back our free, public webinars on the business of writing and the path to publication. New events in the Business Bootcamps for Writers series will offer deep dives into topics such as building relationships with booksellers, public speaking for authors, and how to make a living as a literary writer. Previous sessions on finding an agent, the acquisitions process, marketing for indies, and more are available now as on-demand recordings.”
4. CURRENT CONTESTS, COMPETITIONS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
CALDERA 2023 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM
Deadline: October 3. “Residents draw inspiration from the residency community and the natural world surrounding the Caldera Arts Center in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains near Sisters, Oregon. Caldera offers 2 and 3.5-week residencies from January through March. A cohort of 5 artists/collaborations is in residence each month. Residents are responsible for travel to and from Caldera Arts Center. Caldera staff can make arrangements to pick up groceries for those without onsite transportation. Residencies are open to US-based artists, creatives, and cultural workers in any discipline. Artists at any stage of their careers who are not current students are eligible. Residencies are also available for parent artists who would like to bring their children.” Note: “Stipends of $700 -$1200 will be provided to each artist/group in residence depending on the length of their residency.” The application page includes more information on selection priorities.ARTHUR FLOWERS FLASH FICTION PRIZE
Deadline: October 9. For emerging writers of color. “Established in 2021 by Si Yon Kim and Erica Frederick, women of color editors of Salt Hill, the contest is named after Arthur Flowers, a beloved teacher and mentor in the Syracuse University Creative Writing MFA community, to honor his legacy as a steadfast champion of Black students and other students of color in the program. While we want our entrants to feel empowered to submit absolutely anything, we are especially excited for stories that break the canon and queer and color the ways that we’ve been taught to consider form, language, time, setting, and plot.” Prizes: Winner receives $500 and publication; two runners-up each receive $50 and publication. (NB: Do check eligibility criteria, including the definition of “emerging writers,” on the website.)TARBELL FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: October 9. “A one-year programme for early-career journalists intent on improving the world. The fellowship represents a unique opportunity to do great journalism, covering topics that could have a major impact on the lives of billions, such as global poverty and existential risks. Fellows receive a stipend of up to $50,000 to support placements at major publications and independent freelance reporting. The programme incorporates expert speakers, feedback & mentorship from experienced journalists and a two-week journalism summit in Oxford. Upon graduation, we expect fellows to bring their impact-focused perspective to major newsrooms and publications around the globe.” NB: “The fellowship is entirely remote. This enables us to support rising journalism talent from around the globe. However, we strongly encourage fellows to move to international journalism hubs for the duration of this fellowship. We expect this to accelerate fellows’ careers and will give preferential treatment to those willing to do this.” (Found this one via Sian Meades-Williams.)ADINA TALVE-GOODMAN FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: October 12. “Honoring the memory of author and former One Story Managing Editor Adina Talve-Goodman, this educational fellowship offers a year-long mentorship on the craft of fiction writing with One Story magazine. Our hope is to give a writer outside of the fold a significant boost in their career.” Applicants must have not yet published a book and must not be currently nor have ever been enrolled in an advanced degree program (such as an MA or MFA) in Creative Writing, English, or Literature, with no plans to attend one in the 2023 calendar year. “We are seeking writers whose work speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference. This means writing that centers, celebrates, or reclaims being marginalized through the lens of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, religion, illness, disability, trauma, migration, displacement, dispossession, or imprisonment.” Fellowship package includes: $2,000 stipend; access to One Story online classes; admission to One Story’s Writing Circle; admission to One Story’s week-long summer writers’ conference; and a full manuscript review and consultation with One Story Executive Editor Hannah Tinti.MEMORIAL FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH CULTURE (MFJC) FELLOWSHIP GRANTS
Deadline (for eligibility intake form submission): October 14. “The purpose of the MFJC Fellowship program is to assist well-qualified individuals in carrying out an independent scholarly, literary or art project, in a field of Jewish specialization, which makes a significant contribution to the understanding, preservation or transmission of Jewish culture. Please note that we do not fund conferences, gap years, or study tours.” Grant amounts do not appear to be posted on the site.2023 ART OMI: WRITERS RESIDENCY
Deadline: October 15. “Hosts authors and translators from around the world for residencies throughout the spring and fall….Guests may select a residency of one week to two months; about ten writers at a time gather to live and work in a rural setting overlooking the Catskill Mountains.” NB: Residencies are “fully funded with accommodations, food, local transport and public programming provided.” Travel funds are not provided.CHÂTEAU DE LAVIGNY WRITERS AND LITERARY TRANSLATORS’ RESIDENCIES
Deadline: October 15. Read materials carefully for this Swiss-based residency program, as “very few Full Grant Fellowships are offered per year.”AMY LOWELL POETRY TRAVELLING SCHOLARSHIP
Deadline: October 15. “The American poet Amy Lowell died in 1925. Her will established an annual scholarship to support travel abroad for gifted American-born poets.” Note that “the 2023-2024 Scholarship award will be approximately $66,500, adjusted for inflation. If there are two winners, each will receive the full amount.”NEIL PEIRCE FOUNDATION JOURNALISM TRAVEL GRANTS
Deadline: October 15. “We support journalists in covering under-told stories about ways to make cities and their metro regions work better for all their people. Our travel grants of up to $1,500 enable journalists to travel to cities within the U.S. to produce one or more stories for publication. The awards, selected through a competitive review process, cover travel expenses necessary for on-the-ground reporting. We invite full-time freelancers as well as journalists currently employed by a news organization to apply. In 2022 the foundation anticipates awarding up to seven travel grants, and exponentially more in 2023 and beyond.” (Found this one via WinningWriters.com.)JOHN POLLARD FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL POETRY PRIZE
Deadline: October 18. “For an outstanding debut poetry book collection by a poet, in the English language. The John Pollard Foundation International Poetry Prize is valued at €10,000 and will be adjudicated by a panel of judges nominated by the John Pollard Foundation and the Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre in the School of English, Trinity College Dublin.” Appears to require submissions by the publisher, who may submit only one title for the prize. “The 2023 prize will be awarded to a first book of poetry published originally in the English language between October 1st 2021 and October 18th 2022.”MARFIELD PRIZE
Deadline: October 28 (received). Sponsored by the Arts Club of Washington, this $10,000 prize “recognizes the author of an outstanding nonfiction book about the arts….Book must be a first edition nonfiction title written in English for a general audience by a single, living author and originally published in the United States during the 2022 calendar year. Books may be about any artistic discipline (visual, literary, performing, or media arts, as well as cross-disciplinary works).”ZÓCALO BOOK PRIZE
Deadline: October 28. “Since 2011, Zócalo Public Square’s annual book prize has recognized the U.S.-published nonfiction book that best enhances our understanding of community and the forces that strengthen or undermine human connectedness and social cohesion….The author of the winning book will receive $10,000 and speak at a public program, including an award ceremony, where they will deliver a lecture based on their work, and participate in an interview, in Los Angeles in spring 2023. We will also recognize the authors of the books we select for our short list.” (Hat tip here to @TerryLKennedy.)THE ADCI LITERARY PRIZE
Deadline: October 31. From the Society of Authors. “Launched in 2022, the ADCI (Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses) Literary Prize seeks to encourage greater positive representation of disability in literature. Founded by author Penny Batchelor and publisher Clare Christian together with the Society of Authors, the prize is generously sponsored by Arts Council England, ALCS, the Drusilla Harvey Memorial Fund, the Hawthornden Literary Retreat, and the Professional Writing Academy. Open to authors with a disability and/or chronic illness, the prize will call for entries of novels which include a disabled or chronically ill character or characters. The winner will receive £1,000 and two runners-up £500 each.” Note that “the author must be a British national OR resident in Great Britain and Northern Ireland for three years prior to the date of submission for the award, and writing in English” and “submissions must have been published or self-published in the UK between 1 November 2021 and 31 October 2022.”ALCS TOM-GALLON TRUST AWARD
Deadline: October 31. From the Society of Authors. “An annual award for a short story, financed by a bequest made by Miss Nellie Tom-Gallon in memory of her brother and generously supported by ALCS (Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society) and Hawthornden Literary Retreat. The winner will receive £2,000, the runner-up £1,000, and £500 is awarded to each of the shortlist (up to four authors).” Among the entry criteria: “Applicants must be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth, or the Republic of Ireland” who “have had at least one short story accepted for publication” (although the story submitted for the prize may be published or unpublished).AWP HBCU FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Deadline: October 31. From the Association of Writers and Writing Programs. “To invite strong HBCU [Historically Black Colleges and Universities] participation within AWP, we will award faculty and student fellowships to attend and participate in every annual AWP Conference & Bookfair. These fellowships will kick off with the 2023 AWP Conference & Bookfair in Seattle, Washington!” Four faculty fellowships will be offered to active HBCU faculty (full- or part-time). Fellowship benefits include a $4,000 honorarium, paid travel expenses and lodging, publication in The Writer’s Chronicle, and a meeting with Creative Advisor A.J. Verdelle. (NB: Student fellowship applications will open in November.)THE BARBELLION PRIZE
Deadline: October 31. A book prize “dedicated to the furtherance of ill and disabled voices in writing. The prize is awarded annually to an author whose work has best represented the experience of chronic illness and/or disability. The awarded work can be of any genre in fiction, memoir, biography, poetry, or critical non-fiction from around the world - whether it is in English, in translation, traditionally published, or self-published. The prize is named in tribute to English diarist W.N.P. Barbellion, who wrote eloquently on his life with multiple sclerosis (MS) before his death in 1919.” Eligible books must have been published between November 2021 and October 31st 2022.” The 2021 prize included a £1,000 award; amount for 2022 does not appear to be specified on the website.THE BERGMAN PRIZE
Deadline: October 31. “Established in 2020 in memory of Judson & Susan Bergman, the Bergman Prize awards $10,000 and publication by Changes to the author of a first or second collection of poems. The winning poet receives a generous publishing contract, national distribution, extensive publicity, and a book launch event in New York City.” Only U.S. residents may enter. Final judge: Louise Glück. First readers: Aria Aber, Bennet Bergman, Kyle Dacuyan, Jameson Fitzpatrick, and Sandra Lim.DISABLED POETS PRIZE
Deadline: October 31. “Jerwood Poetry Fellow Jamie Hale is launching the UK’s first Disabled Poets Prize in collaboration with Spread the Word, Verve Poetry Press, Verve Poetry Festival, and CRIPtic Arts. This Prize looks to find the best work created by UK based deaf and disabled poets, in written English and in British Sign Language. Deaf and disabled poets will be able to submit to three categories – best single poem, best unpublished pamphlet, and best poem performed in British Sign Language. In each category, there will be a first place prize (£500), second prize (£250), third place prize (£100), and three highly commended entries, (£50). The Prize offers significant professional development opportunities for the winning writers, including a publication deal with Verve Poetry Press for the best unpublished pamphlet as well as development prizes from The Literary Consultancy and Arvon Foundation.” (Thanks again to Sian Meades-Williams.)MCKITTERICK PRIZE
Deadline: October 31. From the Society of Authors. “Given annually to an author over the age of 40 for a first novel, published or unpublished. The prize money is £4,000 for the winner and £2,000 for the runner-up, with each shortlisted author receiving £1,000 (up to four authors).” Among the entry criteria: “The work must either have been first published in the UK between 1 November 2021 and 31 October 2022 (and not first published abroad), or be unpublished.”THE GORDON BOWKER VOLCANO PRIZE FOR FICTION
Deadline: October 31. From the Society of Authors. “Awarded to a UK or Irish writer, or a writer currently resident in those countries, for a novel focussing on the experience of travel away from home. Inspired by Malcolm Lowry’s novel, Under the Volcano and in celebration of its author, the prize aims to inspire literary excellence and encourage writers to travel and to write from the resulting experience. The winner will receive £2,000 and the runner-up £750.” For books first published in UK or Ireland between 1 November 2021 and 31 October 2022. Note: “Submissions must be made by the print publisher and are limited to TWO submissions per imprint. Publishers are invited to submit a maximum of one additional call-in title.”PEN/FAULKNER AWARD FOR FICTION
Deadline: October 31. Honors “the best published works of fiction by American permanent residents in a calendar year.” Author of the winning book receives $15,000; finalists receive $5,000 each.SUNDRESS PUBLICATIONS LIGHT BILL INCUBATOR MICROGRANT
Deadline: October 31. For “Black and/or Indigenous identifying writers with a chapbook in progress.” Confers “$500, a slot in Sundress’s reading series, a residency at the Sundress Academy for the Arts in Knoxville, TN, and the potential for digital publication.”COMMONWEALTH SHORT STORY PRIZE
Deadline: November 1. Awarded “for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words). Regional winners each receive £2,500 and the opportunity to be published online by Granta magazine, and the overall winner receives £5,000.” Note: “As well as English, stories are accepted in the Bengali, Chinese, Creole, French, Greek, Kiswahili, Malay, Portuguese, Samoan, Tamil and Turkish languages. Translated entries from any language into English are also eligible. If the winning story is a translation, the translator receives additional prize money.” Open “to any citizen of a Commonwealth country who is aged 18 and over.”DEFENESTRATIONISM.NET’S FLASH SUITE CONTEST
Deadline: November 1. “What is a Flash Suite, you may ask. Our team defines, albeit loosely, a flash suite as follows, ‘A series of at least three flash fiction works that correlate, and build to something greater. Recurring characters, extended motifs, harmonious subject matters, and/or sustained narrative are such correlations–but we encourage innovation and new ideas.’” Prizes include $75 to the winner and $60 to a runner-up.GOTHAM BOOK PRIZE
Deadline: November 1. Honors “the best book (works of fiction and nonfiction are eligible) published that calendar year that either is about New York City or takes place in New York City. The winner will receive $50,000.”SHEARING FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: November 1 (midnight, PT). For writers “who have published at least one book with a trade or literary press.” Fellowship confers $20,000 paid over a four-month period; space in the Black Mountain Institute offices at the University of Las Vegas; free housing in downtown Las Vegas; and other components as detailed on the website.WEIRD CHRISTMAS FLASH FICTION CONTEST
Deadline: November 1. For “flash fiction of no more than 350 words that’s somehow about Christmas and somehow about slapping a big ole scoop of oozy weird right in the middle of your Christmas pudding. What does that mean in particular? I don’t know! You’re the writer! Surprise me! Just make Christmas (or any other winter holiday) seem new and unsettling with a bit of that grinning like you’re not sure if it’s funny or creepy, and you’re on you way to fame and fortune as the winner of this little contest.” Consult the three prompts/categories. There will be “one overall winner (1st prize, $75) which can come from any category and then a $50 ‘prompt prize’” for each of the three categories.SWANSEA UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE
Deadline: November 4 (received). Awarded for “the best published literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under.” Confers a prize of £20,000 and awards of £500 for shortlisted authors. Submissions must be made by publishers.
REMINDER: A couple of opportunities listed in last month’s newsletter remain open into October. Be sure that you haven’t missed them!
5. SUBMISSION ALERTS
THE SUNLIGHT PRESS has re-opened for submissions of personal essays, fiction, poetry, reviews, and more. Pays: $40 for fiction and nonfiction; “$30 for the first poem accepted, and $10 for each additional accepted in the same submission.”
Also recently re-opened: AUTHORS PUBLISH magazine: “We are particularly interested in articles about how authors can promote their writing or build their careers. We are interested in articles about traditional and self publishing. This includes articles about agents, publishers, and conferences. We regularly publish articles about the mechanics of writing. Currently we are especially interested in publishing, case studies, about how authors got their debut book published by a traditional press, small or otherwise.” Pays: “We pay $40 for these articles and they tend to be under 800 words in length.” For longer “Special Issue” articles, payment is $60. (The guidelines also mention interest in ebooks, for which a $500 fee is paid, “plus possible additional money from sales…and new editions.”)
ALIEN, “a literary magazine for outsiders,” will open for fiction and poetry submissions on October 1 (and remain open until January 10). They consider nonfiction and visual art submissions year-round. Pays “$20 for each accepted piece of writing. Payments can be done via Venmo, Cash App, and PayPal.”
Open during October: Canada-based BRICK. “With a focus on literary non-fiction—and a willingness to stray when our hearts are taken—the magazine prizes the personal voice and celebrates life, art, and the written word with the most invigorating and challenging essays, interviews, translations, memoirs, belles lettres, and unusual musings we can get our hands on.” Pays: “$55–685, depending on the length of accepted work, plus two copies of the issue the work appears in and a one-year subscription to the magazine.”
Also from October 1-31, KISSING DYNAMITE will be open for submissions of poetry microchap manuscripts “for print publication in 2023. We’re happy to consider a diverse range of poetic styles and themes, so send us work that represents you!” Payment: “an honorarium of $50 USD and 10 complimentary copies of the microchap. Additional copies are available to authors at the cost of printing.”
Starting October 1 (and continuing through November), POET LORE will be open for submissions. Pays: “$50 per published poem. Contributors also receive one copy of their issue, plus a copy of the following printed issue of Poet Lore.”
Also beginning October 1: SUNDOG LIT will open for general submissions for poetry, nonfiction, and fiction. Note: “The first 300 submissions” are free. Payment: $25.
As noted just a few days ago on the Practicing Writing blog, ELECTRIC LITERATURE’s current window for "Recommended Reading” fiction submissions (which opened September 26) will close October 2. Pay, for stories running between 2,000 and 10,000 words, is $300.
ADDA’s current call for submissions closes October 4. Published by the Commonwealth Foundation, adda welcomes submissions from Commonwealth citizens and “strongly encourage submissions from young writers and from countries with fewer publication opportunities.” For this call, “writers are invited to submit creative non-fiction, short fiction, short graphic fiction and poetry on the theme of healthy communities.” Pays an unspecified fee.
The LEAGUE OF CANADIAN POETS seeks poetry from Canadian citizens and poets living and/or practicing in Canada for a chapbook “for medical practitioners, learners, and poets,” to be titled Adventitious Sounds and edited by Zamina Mithani. Deadline: October 7. Payment: “$25 honorarium per selected poem.” LCP members may submit two poems; non-members may submit one poem.
I’ve been advised via email that THE MAINE REVIEW will hold a fee-free window from October 10 to October 16 in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Pays: “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.”
Also open between October 10 and October 16: SEASIDE GOTHIC, which publishes “fiction, poetry, and nonfiction of high quality” in keeping with its definition of seaside gothic literature (available on their website). Pays: “£0.01 per word,” via Paypal, on publication.
October 14 is the deadline for a call for submissions for THE HER·ISH PROJECT. Founder Emily Courter explains: “My latest project is a collection of poetry and prose by early-career women writers that center the modern woman's experiences.” Read the full thread for details, including payment (“Honorarium depends on how many pieces are accepted, but it will be at least $25 and include a copy of the collection.”)
October 15 is the deadline for submissions at CONSEQUENCE, which considers “fiction, poetry, nonfiction, reviews, visual art, and translations”; work must “address in some manner the human consequences and realities of war or geopolitical violence.” Pay rates detailed on the site.
Also open until October 15: submissions for RATTLE’s Spring 2023 issue, which “will feature a Tribute to Irish Poets. The poems may be any subject, style, or length, but must be written by poets who identify as Irish and lived in Ireland for a significant portion of their lives. Our intention is to highlight and connect with the current poetry scene in Ireland.” Pays: $200/poem, plus a subscription.
Korea-based SAMJOKO MAGAZINE, which publishes “fiction, poetry, non-fiction, articles, plays, screenplays, photography & art,” will also close October 15. Pays: $20 USD, via Paypal; note comment on the submissions page about potential payment delays. (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
INVISIBLE CITY, an online publication of the MFA program at the University of San Francisco, is now a paying venue, offering each contributor a $20 honorarium. They are accepting submissions in fiction and poetry until October 16 (they’ll continue to welcome non-fiction and visual art beyond then).
GREAT WEATHER FOR MEDIA will open October 15 for submissions for its print anthology. “Our focus is on the innovative and unexpected.” They welcome “poetry, short fiction (under 2,500 words), flash fiction, creative non-fiction, hybrid.” Note that cash payments go only to U.S. writers, who receive $10 and a contributor copy.
MUDROOM is receiving submissions (poetry and prose) through October 25. Pays each contributor $15 (via Paypal).
Until October 28, Canada-based PRAIRIE FIRE welcomes submissions for an issue themed “The Peace We Make.” They’re “seeking fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction that looks at the depth of peace, and the struggles that we’ve all had when it comes to creating peace instead of war. Creating peace within ourselves and with others is a journey, what does your journey look like? When have you chosen peace as an act of rebellion, found a moment of personal peace in a war zone (literally or figuratively), found inner peace despite the chaos, made peace with a loved one, made peace with an idea, made peace with all the little battles that rage inside us every day of our lives. And, perhaps peace, no matter how hard you tried hasn’t come yet, and you’re still waiting.” Pay rates are detailed on the website.
In partnership with OceanCare, STORMBIRD PRESS plans an anthology titled Our Ocean’d Earth. They seek “nonfiction or fiction writing that conveys one clear and unified message: that our oceans are worth fighting for….The ideal submission will be a short essay or story of 1000 to 3000 words that will reflect Stormbird Press’ core principle: defending nature and empowering communities. The anthology will be distributed by OceanCare and featured in Stormbird Press’ 2023 catalogue.” Deadline: October 30 (11.00pm AEDT). Payment: “Each published piece will receive a payment of €200. Each author will be featured on the Stormbird Press author page and receive unlimited Our Ocean’d Earth ebook downloads for one year.”
Until October 31, A PUBLIC SPACE “welcomes submissions of fiction, essays, poetry, as well as graphic and hybrid work.” Pays: unspecified honorarium.
Submissions received by October 31 for BLACK LAWRENCE PRESS‘s Immigrant Writing Series will be considered in the next reading period: “Submissions are accepted year-round. However, selections are made in June and November for a total of two books per year.” The series: “aims to provide a clear and consistent home for new Immigrant Writings in the U.S. Book selections will be made by a four-member editorial board composed of writers in the U.S. who are either immigrants or whose works focus on the immigrant experience. Selections will be based on merit with the goal of publishing the best works by immigrants. Poets and authors, at any stage of their careers, who identify as immigrants are welcome to submit a book manuscript of poetry or prose or a hybrid text for consideration.” Compensation: “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.” NB: “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.”
HARBOR REVIEW, which places “poems in conversation with visual art,” similarly remains open until October 31. Pays: $10 per poem or piece of art.
LUCKY JEFFERSON’s “Awake,” which collects “work by Black authors that explores the power we each hold,” is open for submissions for its first print edition until October 31. The prompt: “The West is under attack! Protect your frontier and deliver your ‘isms [alive] to collect your bounty!” (More details on the website.) Pays: $15-$50.
MIDNIGHT & INDIGO, “a literary platform dedicated for short fiction and narrative essays by Black women writers,” is also open until October 31. Pays: $0.07 per word for short stories and $100 for essays, on acceptance.
NEW WRITING SCOTLAND, which “publishes works by writers resident in Scotland or Scots by birth, upbringing or inclination,” has similarly posted an October 31 deadline. “All forms of writing are invited: autobiography and memoirs; creative responses to events and experiences; drama; graphic artwork (monochrome only); poetry; political and cultural commentary and satire; screenplays; short fiction; travel writing or any other creative prose may be submitted.” Pays: “£25 per published page.”
THE /TƐMZ/ REVIEW, a literary journal based in Canada, is also open for submissions of poetry and prose until October 31. Pays: $20 per piece of prose or batch of poems.
KELP JOURNAL, which is “especially interested in stories pertaining to oceanic and conservationist themes,” is open for submissions until November 1. Per email confirmation, they pay $35 per piece.
Until November 1, NINTH LETTER is accepting submissions for a special online edition on the theme of “Constellations” (detailed on the site). Payment: “Authors whose work is selected for this special feature will receive a small honorarium ($25 per poem, $75 per story or essay) and a complimentary 2-year subscription to Ninth Letter.”
THE ATAVIST “is (almost) always open for pitches! We’re looking for deeply researched and carefully crafted longform (8k-30k word) nonfiction with attention to narrative. Payment varies by project, but our baseline story fee is $6,000.”
THE YALE REVIEW “is now accepting pitches on a rolling basis for essays and criticism on a wide range of subjects, from literature, art, history, and politics to film, television, music, and internet subcultures.” Pays: “Depending upon the length of the piece, we pay between $500 and $1,500 for print nonfiction (around 3,000–5,000 words), [and] between $200 and $500 for online pieces (around 1,000–3,000 words).”
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: $40 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: 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. Note: “If this is your first time, please visit our Story Guidelines page.” Pays: $200 plus 10 free copies.
REMEMBER: Multiple 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
Sunday Sentence
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.
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.”