The Practicing Writer 2.0: October 2023
Featuring dozens of carefully curated, fee-free opportunities that pay writers for their fiction, poetry, & nonfiction. Celebrating our 20th year of serving the writing community.
Welcome, new readers (273 subscribers have joined us since the last newsletter went out), 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 (yes, I’m still calling it that, and for reasons I don’t entirely understand, I’m still there), Facebook, and/or Substack.
If you are accessing this newsletter via email, you may find a “Message Clipped” notice as you continue reading. That’s due to the length of this info-packed missive. (I’m fairly certain that this issue contains a record number of opportunity listings.) 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:
As promised last month, I’m sending this issue out a tad earlier than usual. But don’t worry—it’s still packed with potential for you and your writing practice. I’m particularly happy to be able to share another fine batch of subscriber “Success Stories.”
On a somewhat less sunny note: You may recall my having mentioned an upcoming panel that I’ll be taking part in—for the Jewish Book Council’s November Jewish Writers’ Conference—on the subject of “Addressing Antisemitism in Our Literary Lives.” As I focus on preparing my presentation over the following weeks, I’d welcome information that any of you might wish to share with me about your own experiences in this context. Please feel free to reach out. Thank you.
Let’s move on to the issue!
Wishing everyone an outstanding October,
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 Elizabeth Edelglass:
Thank you, Erika, for all you do for us writers! My prose poem “L’Enfant” (one of the first pieces I wrote when I started studying poetry over Zoom during pandemic isolation) found a home in Struggle Magazine, thanks to you sharing their call for writing with a Washington, DC, connection in your marvelous Monday Markets. (The poem is not online, but the magazine can be found/purchased here.)
From Vickie Goodwin:
After the very first newsletter I received from you, June 2023, I submitted a story to The Bad Day Book, and it was chosen to be published. Thank you for this opportunity.
From Nancy Hesting:
You brought Chicken Soup for the Soul to my attention a couple of years ago and I had my story about my dog selected to be included in a book they published January 2023. Well, I’ve just learned a second story has been selected to appear in another book in their series to be published in 2024. Thanks so much for all of your hard work. You continue to give me hope!
From Lev Raphael:
Thanks for listing Yafeh Zine. I tried them with a flash essay that fit their theme and they accepted, which brings me to 54 CNF publications or acceptances inside two years. [ED note: I shared this one initially via the My Machberet blog.]
Reminder: Please share news from your writing practice that may be connected with this newsletter, or my blogs/other resources. I love to celebrate and amplify in this space!
3. FEATURED RESOURCE
From
: thoughts (and practical suggestions regarding) professional development as “a place to cultivate mutual cooperation and collective support.” Although poets are the target audience here, I believe that the advice—and certainly, the comprehensive list of “things poets should pay attention to outside the intensive labor of actually writing”—applies across genres.)4. CONTESTS, COMPETITIONS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
IRON HORSE LITERARY REVIEW “LONG STORY” COMPETITION
Fee-free submissions day: October 1. “Every fall, we accept submissions for the IHLR Long Story, which is your chance to publish those marathon-long essays and stories most journals won’t consider. Length: 20 to 40 pages.” Confers a $1,000 prize and publication “as an e-single, with its own chic design…available for free download via ISSUU to all readers.” (NB: On Twitter, IHLR indicated that they’ll cap submissions at 25 for this opportunity.)IRON HORSE LITERARY REVIEW “NAPOMO” COMPETITION
Fee-free submissions day: October 1. “Every year, during National Poetry Month, Iron Horse releases a special electronic issue dedicated to all things poetry. Send us your poems!” Prize: “The best poem receives $1,000.” Finalists also receive cash awards. All are published. (NB: On Twitter, IHLR indicated that they’ll cap submissions at 25 for this opportunity.)EVARISTO PRIZE FOR AFRICAN POETRY
Open for entries October 1-November 1. An annual prize of USD $1,500 is awarded for ten poems written by an African poet. For this competition, “an ‘African writer’ is taken to mean someone who was born in Africa, who is a national or resident of an African country, or whose parents are African. The prize is open to African poets who have not yet had a full-length poetry book published at the time of submission. Self-published poetry books, chapbooks, and pamphlets are exempt from this stipulation. Only poems written in English can be considered, but we welcome poems in translation for consideration too. In the case that the winning work is translated, a percentage of the prize money would be awarded to the translator.”FURIOUS GAZELLE HALLOWEEN WRITING CONTEST
Deadline: October 6. For “Halloween-themed poetry, fiction, short plays, and creative non-fiction.” Prizes: “The first-place winner will receive $50. Runners-up will receive publication and a $5 honorarium.” Note: “We’ll consider previously published work as long as you retain publication rights, but please include a note about publication history.”ADINA TALVE-GOODMAN FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: October 11. “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.” Fellowship package includes a stipend ($2,000) and free admission to One Story’s week-long summer writers’ conference, which includes craft lectures, an intensive fiction workshop, and panels with literary agents and publishers; a full manuscript review and consultation with One Story Executive Editor Hannah Tinti (story collection or novel in progress up to 150 pages/35,000 words); other benefits. Eligibility: “This fellowship calls for an early-career writer of fiction who has not yet published a book and is not currently nor has ever been enrolled in an advanced degree program (such as an MA or MFA) in Creative Writing, English, or Literature, and has no plans to attend one in the 2024 calendar year. We are seeking writers whose work speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference.”2024 ART OMI: WRITERS RESIDENCY
Deadline: October 15. This program “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; “very few Full Grant Fellowships [offering stipends to cover food in addition to the residency lodging] are offered per year.”GREEN BOX ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
Deadline: October 15. This residency program in Colorado “offers artists of national and international stature, from diverse disciplines, and at any stage in their career the opportunity to create new works while living in and engaging with the community of Green Mountain Falls and greater Pikes Peak region. In 2024 Green Box will offer 30-day Open Project Residencies for individual artists as well as duos and trios working in any artistic discipline. Duo and trio residencies are asked to submit one application for their unit. Deliverables will be mutually agreed upon at the time of awarding, and all residencies include a degree of community engagement.” Note that “resident artists will be paid a stipend [$9,000 for an individual residency; $12,000 for a duo; $15,000 for a trio] that will cover living expenses as well as travel and ground transportation. Living in Green Mountain Falls requires a vehicle, which an artist may choose to rent or bring their own.” Housing: “Private housing in a shared housing facility will be provided at The Shed, part of the beautifully-restored Lakeview Terrace Theater. All bedrooms feature Smart TV’s, WiFi, and landline phones; access to art studios and laundry facilities are also provided, as well as an outdoor fire pit, BBQ grill, and hot tub. Weekly cleaning of apartments is also included.”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 2024-2025 Scholarship award will be approximately $71,000, adjusted for inflation. If there are two winners, each will receive the full amount.”MARFIELD PRIZE
Deadline: October 15 (received). Sponsored by the Arts Club of Washington, this $10,000 prize “recognizes the author of an outstanding nonfiction book about the visual, literary, media, or performing 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 2023 calendar year.STEPHEN FRASER ENCOURAGEMENT FUND
Deadline: October 16. Part of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Impact and Legacy Fund, this program provides “three grants of $2,000 each to children’s book authors, artists or translators who have traditionally published at least one book.” These grants are supported by veteran editor and agent Stephen Fraser; in addition to the cash awards, “recipients may also take advantage of Stephen’s offer to meet with them for career advice or feedback.”JEWISH RENAISSANCE EMERGING JOURNALISTS PROGRAMME
Deadline: October 18. “We’re looking for writers of all ages and backgrounds keen to kickstart their career in journalism. Featuring masterclasses, expert panels, mentoring and publication opportunities, plus a writing competition with cash prizes, Jewish Renaissance’s Emerging Journalists Programme offers a solid base from which to launch a career in the media.” Applicants should be “someone aged 18+ (no upper age bracket) who is interested in journalism, but may have had zero experience so far. Or you may have written for student, local or community publications in print, online or broadcast, but have had fewer than two commissions for national and international outlets.” Open to applicants worldwide, “but all events will be scheduled in UK time (GMT).” Hosted by Jewish Renaissance in association with Jewish News and the Union of Jewish Students. Sponsored by Dangoor Education.ZÓCALO PUBLIC SQUARE ANNUAL BOOK PRIZE
Deadline: October 20. Honors “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….As with everything else Zócalo features, we are on the lookout for that rare combination of brilliance and clarity, excellence and accessibility.” Prize: “The author of the winning book will receive $10,000 and participate in a public program in Los Angeles in spring 2024. We will also recognize the authors of the books we select for our short list.” Books must have been published in 2023.JEWISH CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARDS
Deadline: October 23. “The Jewish Children’s Book Awards for story and illustration aim to celebrate the work of talented Jewish children’s book authors and illustrators living in Europe and the UK” and confer £1,000 to the winners of the story and illustration categories. “All entries will be considered for publication by Green Bean Books.” For the story prize, submissions “must be Jewish in content, either inspired or informed by Jewish history, folklore, values, festivals or texts.” Submissions, which can run up to 1200 words, “must be unpublished in the English language and cannot be on active submission or under contract with an English language publisher before the award is announced.” Note: “Submissions are accepted in English, French, German, Italian, Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish and Yiddish” (and note also the guidance for creators who “have been displaced from your country within the last year”).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, 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 ADCI Literary Prize has a prize fund of £2,000.” 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 2022 and 31 October 2023.”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: Authors “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).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 2022 and October 31st 2023. Note: “We aim to award the winner of the prize £1000 - currently funded by donations.”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 2022 and 31 October 2023. 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.”DISABLED POETS PRIZE
Deadline: October 31. “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).” Note that “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.”MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL POETRY PRIZE
Deadline: October 31. (Free submissions for the first entry; subsequent entries require a fee.) “Our theme this year is ‘A Truth’, inspired by a statement from the sadly deceased poet Lucie Brock-Broido: ‘Though I am wildly capable of certain linguistic fabrications, I am in it for the truth. OK: a truth.’ We are looking for poems which examine the notion of truth and subjectivity, that resist certainties. Our theme is deliberately broad to inspire poems on a variety of topics, while engaging with the notion of what truth means to you. Your poetry could use vivid imagery and use poetic forms in interesting ways to interrogate what you feel is a truth. Be guided by intuition.” Prizes: “a winning prize of £200, with £50 for second place, and £25 for third place. There will also be 10 highly commended poems with no financial remuneration.” NB: “Entrants can be of any or no faith. No previous experience of creative writing or poetry required. All are welcome.”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 2022 and 31 October 2023 (and not first published abroad), or be unpublished.”NATIVE VOICES AWARD
Deadline: October 31. “Indigenous storytellers, such as from Native American, First Nation Australian, and Polynesian communities, can submit an original, unpublished work in English”; genres encompass short story, flash fiction, nonfiction essay, script, poetry, or visual art collection. “Submissions should feature themes related to indigenous communities; including, but not limited to, culture’s history, past/present family dynamics, customs, spirituality, myths and/or beliefs, cultural art, community challenges, etc.” Confers monetary prizes (ranging from a $500 cash award for the first-place winner to $25 gift cards for each of six finalists). “Winning submissions will be featured in the Kinsman Quarterly, its social media sites, and printed promotions. Winning submissions will also be published in the 2024 anthology, Native Voices.”QUEER ADVENTURERS WRITING CONTEST
Deadline: October 31. Seeks personal essays on the theme of “Firsts”: “At Queer Adventurers, we take an expansive definition of outdoor adventures. We love hardcore stories of multi-day trips and treks. We also appreciate the gentler activities: urban nature walks, birding, garden tours. We believe spending time in nature is healing, regardless of the level of activity it involves. We’re deeply excited to hear your stories of LGBTQ travel firsts.” Open to writers worldwide. Prizes: “The winning writer will receive a $150 cash prize, payable via PayPal or Venmo. One runner-up will receive a $50 cash prize, payable via PayPal or Venmo. Winning and longlisted writers will have their essays published in Queer Adventurers.” (Thanks to WinningWriters.com for reminding me about this one.)SUNDRESS PUBLICATIONS LIGHT BILL INCUBATOR MICROGRANT
Deadline: October 31. Awards “$500, a slot in Sundress’s reading series, a one-week residency at the Sundress Academy for the Arts in Knoxville, TN, and the potential for digital publication to one Black and/or Indigenous writer with a chapbook in progress to support the completion of said project.” NB: “Applicants may apply for any genre; however, the proposed project must be a chapbook-length project, meaning the planned final version will be fewer than 48 pages.”TALLGRASS ARTIST RESIDENCY
Deadline: October 31. Offers individual artists/artist teams “time and space to retreat and research in a rural, tallgrass prairie setting. Though the experience is rural, it is not meant to be isolating. Artists are provided lodging at Matfield Station in the small community of Matfield Green, Kansas — 20 miles from Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and home to a growing number of artists and community builders.” Note: “This residency seeks to create connection and conversation across the Great Plains by cultivating opportunities for artists/artist teams who currently live in a place that is ecologically considered prairie (← click the link to see a general map of this area). However, we also have one dedicated residency period for an artist/artist team outside of the prairie ecoregion, treated as an ‘ecoregion exchange.’” Residency award packages include “a $500 stipend from KCAIC for travel and material reimbursement to be awarded after residencies are completed. Ecoregion exchange artists traveling from 700+ miles away will receive an extra stipend for travel.” Note additional benefits (and commitments) on the website.THE CHANGES PRIZE
Deadline: November 1. “Established in 2022, the Changes Book Prize awards $10,000 and publication for a first or second collection of poems. In addition to the cash prize, winners receive a fairer-than-standard publishing contract, national distribution, extensive advertising and publicity, and a NYC launch event for their book.” Only U.S. residents may enter. Final judge: Eileen Myles. First readers: Eloisa Amezcua, Bennet Bergman, Kyle Dacuyan, Kay Gabriel.COMMONWEALTH SHORT STORY PRIZE
Deadline: November 1. For unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words), by Commonwealth citizens aged 18 and over. Note: “The international judging panel will select a shortlist of around twenty stories, from which five regional winners are chosen….The regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives a total of £5,000. The winning stories are published online by Granta and in a special print collection by Paper + Ink. The shortlisted stories are published in adda the online literary magazine of the Commonwealth Foundation.” NB: “Submissions are accepted in Bengali, Chinese, Creole, English, French, Greek, Malay, Maltese, Portuguese, Samoan, Swahili, Tamil, and Turkish. Stories that have been translated into English from any language are also accepted and the translator of any winning story receives additional prize money.”GOTHAM BOOK PRIZE
Deadline: November 1. Honors “the best book published that calendar year — either fiction or nonfiction — that either is about New York City or takes place in New York City.” Currently seeks nominations for books published in 2023. Confers a $50,000 prize.STEVE KEMP WRITER’S RESIDENCY
Deadline: November 1. “An annual opportunity for one writer working in any medium to spend six weeks in the Smokies and to focus on their craft in a retreat-like setting. The writer will follow in the footsteps of—and actually spend real time with—Steve Kemp in an effort to create written works that move visitors to a greater appreciation of and stewardship for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.” Applications are welcome from writers in any genre “whose work is engaged in issues that are relevant to the park’s main interpretive themes,” which include “Diversity and Abundance,” “Continuum of Human Activity,” and “Refuge of Scenic Beauty.” Award package includes “a stipend of $600 to help with meals and transportation” and “several options for office/desk/creative space if needed in addition to housing and the great outdoors,” among other benefits.LEADERS IGNITING GENERATIONAL HEALING AND TRANSFORMATION (LIGHT) PRIZES
Deadline: November 1. [ED note: I am quoting here from a condensed e-newsletter description of the call and prizes; the link above will take you to the website.] A current call for “submissions of art, letters, stories, and poetry for the third issue of an annual literary magazine in public health…invites everyone to share their experiences and stories about healing and transformation with cancer.” The editors ask, “How might you reimagine healing and transformation with cancer through art, letters, stories, and poetry?” Prizes: “Prize money (1st: $500, 2nd: $375, 3rd: $125) will be given to the top three contestants of each category.”MEMORIAL FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH CULTURE (MFJC) FELLOWSHIP GRANTS
Deadline (for eligibility intake form submission): November 1. “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.SHEARING FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: November 1. For writers “who have published at least one book with a trade or literary press.” Fellowship confers $40,000 paid over a nine-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.SWANSEA UNIVERSITY DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE
Deadline: November 3 (received). Awarded for “the best published literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under, the Prize celebrates the international world of fiction in all its forms including poetry, novels, short stories and drama.” Confers £20,000 and awards of £500 for shortlisted authors. Submissions must be made by publishers.BIRD IN YOUR HANDS PRIZE
Deadline: November 5. “A contest that centers and celebrates BIPOC voices”; accepts poetry, fiction, and nonfiction “in any form under 500 words.” Prizes: “The winner of the contest will be awarded $500, published in Issue 30 of Thin Air Magazine, and interviewed for Thin Air Online. The winner and runners-up will also be invited to read their work at the Northern Arizona Book Festival held in April 2024. First and second runners-up will be awarded an honorarium.”FRANKEL INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED JUDAIC STUDIES FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline: November 6. At the University of Michigan. The 2024-25 Frankel Institute fellowship theme is “Jewish/Queer/Trans”: “Fellowship applications are accepted from both tenured and untenured faculty as well as from recent Ph.D.’s without a tenure-track position and professors emeriti. Where appropriate, applications are accepted from independent artists, documentary film-makers, and writers. You may apply either for a full academic year (usually September 1-April 30) or for a single term (Fall terms runs September-December and Winter Term runs January-April). Fellows can serve no more than two terms within a period of four years. The Frankel Institute is structured as a residential fellowship. With advance notification, alternative arrangements may be available.” Compensation: “All fellows receive compensation of $62,000 for a full academic year fellowship, or $31,000 for a single term. Additionally, University of Michigan health benefits are available for fellows who carry a 50% or greater appointment for four consecutive months.”WEIRD CHRISTMAS FLASH FICTION CONTEST
Deadline: November 6. “This is a contest for flash fiction of no more than 350 words that’s both about Christmas (or any other winter holiday) and simultaneously weird. Exactly what that means is, of course, up to you because you’re the one with literary pretensions and a damaged psyche. All you have to do is make something about the Christmas season seem new and unsettling with a bit of that grinning like you’re not sure if it’s funny or creepy, and you make your fellow co-conspirators in this hell of existence a bit more bearable.” 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.MASS MoCA RESIDENCY FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline: November 8. “The Studios at MASS MoCA will offer multiple full fellowships that do not have geographic or demographic limitations. This means that anyone who wishes to can apply for one of these fellowships, regardless of discipline or location. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.” Note also current opportunities, also closing November 8, for fellowships for Black or Indigenous Artists & Writers, which “fund all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence, and also include a stipend of $200 per week.”
REMINDER: Some competitions listed in last month’s newsletter remain open into October; make sure you haven’t missed them!
5. SUBMISSION ALERTS
According to a recent announcement (on Twitter), REDIVIDER “is now a paying market! We’re paying contributors on a word count-based sliding scale from $25 to $40 for each piece published.”
Recently re-opened for submissions: THE SUNLIGHT PRESS. Pays: “$40 for essays (including book reviews and Artist on Craft pieces); $40 for fiction (short stories and flash fiction); $30 for the first poem accepted, and $10 for each additional accepted in the same submission; $15 for photos.”
Open for submissions during October: Canada-based BRICK, which “prides itself on publishing the best literary non-fiction in the world.” Pays: “$65–720, 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.”
From COFFEE HOUSE PRESS: “Our next open reading period begins at 9 a.m. CT on October 1, 2023, and will be limited to book-length fiction and nonfiction manuscripts. We will cap the number of submissions we accept at 200, so if you plan to send us work, please do so early.”
CUTLEAF, “an online literary journal with an annual print anthology,” will open for nonfiction submissions October 1. “We often limit the number of submissions in order to be able to respond quickly to authors, so please plan accordingly.” Pays: “$100 to $400 for prose.”
Also during October: KISSING DYNAMITE will be open for submissions of poetry microchap manuscripts “for print publication in Fall 2024. 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.”
An update (via email newsletter) from ONLY POEMS, which was listed in last month’s newsletter: “We’re grateful for all the submissions we have received (almost 1000 subs in less than three weeks!!!). For now, our model is to publish one poet a week. In order to give careful consideration to all submitting poets we have decided to slightly amend our submissions policy. Instead of remaining open every single day, we will be accepting submissions the first seven days of every month, all year round. So, the next submissions window will be October 1–October 7. Submissions made outside of this timeframe will go unread.” Payment, per their guidelines: “We offer $55 to all our poets. This is per contribution and not per piece.”
According to its Submittable page, POET LORE will be open for submissions starting October 1. 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.
October is a month for fiction and nonfiction submissions at VARIANT LIT, which pays $10 per accepted piece.
ALIEN, “a literary magazine for outsiders,” will open for fiction and poetry submissions October 3. 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.”
October 5 is the deadline for fiction and poetry submissions at INVISIBLE CITY, “an online publication of the MFA in Writing Program at the University of San Francisco” which “seeks work that makes the unseen seen, examining the world through previously unconsidered perspectives and angles.” Pays: “$20 honorarium per accepted work.” Note that they will remain open beyond the October 5 deadline for nonfiction and visual art.
UK-based SHORT FICTION remains open for submissions until October 6. “We publish one story per month as our Featured piece. We will also periodically seek to publish one story in a new section - ‘Introducing’ - which will be a showcase for excellent new writers; that is, writers for whom this is their first published piece.” Pays: “2p (£0.02) per word, to the nearest 100 words, with a minimum of £30 and maximum £100, paid via PayPal. (For those without a PayPal account, we can work out an alternative method of payment.)” NB: They consider submissions “from the UK, Europe, the Commonwealth and every other country except for the USA.”
I’ve been advised via email that THE MAINE REVIEW will hold a fee-free window from October 9 to October 15 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.”
Similarly scheduled to be open for submissions between October 9 and October 15: 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.
A PUBLIC SPACE, “an independent literary and arts print magazine,” is open for submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry until October 15. (ED note: Although I was able to confirm via email that they do pay contributors, they declined to provide amounts.)
From Canada-based CARTE BLANCHE: “We invite creators to take a deep breath and mull over the word ‘Soft’ as a theme for carte blanche 47. We want to consider works that touch on the soft, slow, open, and gentle. After collectively living through a challenging few years, what does softness mean to you? We invite creators to submit previously unpublished pieces in the following genres: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, translations (French to English), photography, and comics.” Pays: “an honorarium of $75 for each published piece” (presumably in Canadian dollars). NB: “Please note that while Canadian and international creators are welcome to submit their work to us for consideration, as a result of our affiliation with the Quebec Writers’ Federation and Canada Council grant requirements, we may emphasize a focus on Quebec-based creators in a given issue.” Deadline: October 15.
October 15 is the current deadline to submit book and chapbook manuscripts at CONIUM PRESS, “a boutique fiction publisher with a limited catalog. We typically work on a single book at a time. Each year’s publishing decisions are determined based on the submission pool, available budget, and editorial workload. We believe books come in all shapes and sizes. We’ll consider turning a 20-page story into a chapbook. We’ll do a flash collection. Send us that novella. Generally speaking, little books (i.e. chapbooks) have a better shot. Conium Press leans toward magical realist, surrealist, and experimental fiction. We’re especially interested in work from historically underrepresented voices, including but not limited to LGTBQIA2S+ writers, BIPOC writers, writers with disabilities, and women writers.” Compensation: “If published, authors receive ten copies and a small honorarium (we’re talking about a few hundred bucks, so don’t quit your day job).”
October 15 is also the deadline for submissions at CONSEQUENCE, which considers “fiction, nonfiction, poetry, visual art, and translations”; work must “address in some manner the human consequences and realities of war or geopolitical violence.” Pay rates are detailed on the site.
Also open until October 15: submissions for RATTLE’s Spring 2024 issue, which “will feature a Tribute to Collaborative Poems. The poems may be any style or subject, but must be written collaboratively by two or more poets.” Pays: $200/poem, plus a subscription.
October 15 is also the deadline for fiction, poetry, and nonfiction at THE SPECTACLE, which seeks “your most alive, your most dynamic, your most pressing” work. “Publication in an issue includes a $50 honorarium.”
TOPOGRAPH, “a literary journal of place,” is similarly open until October 15. Considers flash fiction, fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and “place reviews.” Pays: “$10 for accepted work.”
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.
Closing October 22, ADDA’s current call for poetry and spoken word is open to all Commonwealth citizens. “This call for submissions aims to explore poetry in its many forms and traditions. We are inviting submissions of written poetry and, for the first time, video recordings of spoken-word poetry. We strongly encourage submissions in mother tongues and/or oral languages, provided they are accompanied by an English translation or include English subtitles. Send us your work either in written form or as a video recording.” Compensation: “Up to 24 pieces will be selected by a team of poets and spoken word artists and published over the year. You will be paid a fee if your work is accepted for publication.”
MUDROOM is receiving submissions (poetry and prose) through October 25. Pays each contributor $15 (via Paypal).
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 features “poems in conversation with visual art,” similarly remains open until October 31. Pays: $10 per poem or piece of art.
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.”
October 31 is also the deadline at NONBINARY REVIEW, for submissions on the theme “Lies for Children.” Note that they “want speculative work that looks at our theme from unexpected angles.” Pays: $10 flat fee for poetry and $.01/word for prose. NB: “While there is a published close date for submissions, we have an acceptance cap for each issue, and submissions will be closed once we reach that cap, so don't wait until the last minute.”
OPEN MINDS QUARTERLY, which welcomes “writing and art from people with lived experience of what is variously called mental health challenges, mental illness, madness, and neurodiversity,” remains open until October 31 for an issue themed “Identity”: “How has your experience with mental health challenges, mental illness, madness, and/or neurodivergence shaped your identity? How do other identities intersect with your experience? Have mental health challenges, mental illness, madness, and/or neurodivergence affected the way you see yourself? What about others? Do you feel your identity is understood by others? What would you like to tell them about it? We want to hear all about how identity affects your lived experiences. We encourage you to consider this theme and incorporate it into your work. Pieces that follow the theme will have a much higher chance of being selected for this issue than pieces that don’t follow the theme. Nonfiction, reviews, and letters, should relate specifically to experiences of madness or mental health challenges. Poetry, fiction, or visual art submissions do not need to focus on madness/mental health, but we may prioritize pieces that fit our mandate and this issue’s theme.” Payment: “Contributors published in OMQ will receive a print copy of the issue they are published in and an honorarium (currently $25 CAD). This payment is subject to change.”
THE /TƐMZ/ REVIEW, another 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.
THE ADROIT JOURNAL, which aims “to showcase what its global staff of emerging writers sees as the future of poetry, prose, and art,” is open for submissions until November 1. “Thanks to the generous support of our donors, The Adroit Journal pays $50.00 to all poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction and Enlightenment contributors, as well as our issue cover artist.”
FOGLIFTER, which “welcomes daring and thoughtful work by queer and trans writers in all forms,” remains open for submissions until November 1. Pays honoraria (note info provided on the guidelines page regarding their Writers in Need fund).
Until November 1, NINTH LETTER is accepting submissions for a special online edition on the theme of “Praise” (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) as well as a discounted subscription offer for the print issue of Ninth Letter.”
For its next themed issue, IRON HORSE LITERARY REVIEW will be seeking submissions on “Unlawful Acts”: “Send us your poems, stories, and essays that center around unlawful acts: misdemeanors to felonies, war crimes to white collar crimes, perpetrators in the home or at work. We’ll be especially happy to receive mss about breaking laws that shouldn’t be laws in the first place.” A fee-free submissions day for this issue is currently scheduled for November 1. They pay “$100 per essay or story, and $50 per poem or flash piece for our themed and open issues.”
Thanks to the Flash Fiction Flash newsletter, I’ve recently encountered CULT, which is currently open for submissions and “wants the weird, the risk-taking: the stuff that gets tucked away because someone thinks no one would ever publish that. We want art that challenges and confronts; not coddles and reaffirms.” Pays: “$25 for online publication and $40 for inclusion in our biannual print edition.”
Reminder: THE FORGE, which “publishes one prose piece per week selected by a rotating cast of editors,” opens for free submissions on the first of each month (except for September and December). “If there is no free link, we’ve hit our quota.” Pays: “We pay, upon publication, $75 flat regardless of length….Authors outside the U.S. must be able to receive payment via PayPal.”
Reminder: ROUGH CUT PRESS seeks “experimental work of all genres by writers and allies of the LGBTQIA community. To get a sense of what we publish please read some of our former issues. We don’t know what we like until we see it. Each month we announce a different theme, but don’t worry if the work you submit doesn’t quite fit: we often build issues around work that takes us by surprise.” Pays: “We offer all published artists a $25 honorarium.”
Reminder: There’s a rolling deadline (the 25th of each month) for OFF TOPIC PUBLISHING’s Poetry Box, which supplies subscribers with a poem “printed postcard-style” along with tea and chocolate. Poems should be no longer than 15 lines (“including blank lines”). Payment: $30 CAD. Note: “Only selected poets will be contacted. If you haven’t heard from us by the 5th of the month following your submission, your poem was not selected.”
Also:
, 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.”
REMEMBER: Multiple venues listed in last month’s newsletter remain open for submissions, too. And please keep reading the “Blog Notes” below for an important reminder about additional opportunity listings!
6. BLOG NOTES
The newsletter is published just once each month, but there’s always something new on the Practicing Writing blog:
(Monday) Markets and Jobs for Writers (including fee-free/paying opportunities that don’t make it into the monthly newsletter)
(Friday) Finds for Writers
#SundaySentence
Occasional Notes from a Practicing Writer
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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
Information contained in The Practicing Writer is researched carefully but readers should always verify information. Necessary corrections, when discovered, are posted within each archived issue. The Practicing Writer and its editor disclaim any liability for the use of information contained within. Thank you for following/reading.
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About the editor: Erika Dreifus is a writer, teacher, and literary consultant whose books include Birthright: Poems and Quiet Americans: Stories. A Fellow in the Sami Rohr Jewish Literary Institute and an adjunct associate professor at Baruch College/CUNY, she lives in New York. Please visit ErikaDreifus.com to learn more about her work and follow her right here on Substack, on Facebook, and/or on Twitter, where she tweets (mostly) “on matters bookish and/or Jewish.”