The weekly batch of no-fee, paying competitions, contests, and calls for submissions—plus jobs for those of us who write (especially those of us who write fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction). These posts are intended to complement/supplement monthly issues of The Practicing Writer newsletter, where you’ll always find more listings.
Shenandoah is open for poetry submissions until February 15 and for prose and comic submissions until March 15. “Our window for translation submissions, as a courtesy to international submitters, never closes.” Pays: “We believe your work has incredible value. We pay our contributors at the rate of $100 per poem, $100 per 1000 words of prose up to $500, and $50 per page of comics up to $500.”
From Publishing Genius’s Adam Robinson: “I’d like to add an especially off-kilter book to the 2019 catalog. This book would be something that calls into question what a book even is, but is still friendly to readers. Think, like, form following content. More aha! than wtf? Think, like, a children’s picture book for adults, or an annotated guide to refrigerator magnets, or Vanishing Point. The ideal book will be unputdownable, fun to read, highly designed, delightful. Maybe jarring. Think, like, A Humument or AM/PM. Maybe a little distasteful is cool. Maybe the cover price will be $5, maybe it’ll cost $50 because it’s four volumes long. And hey, if you want to pitch a regular book, like a novella or short story or poetry collection or whatever, that’s cool—but when you do, make it funky. Give me a concrete idea of how we might subvert its bookiness.” NB: “I anticipate that I’ll only select one book from this call. Maybe two. As soon as I identify the right manuscript(s), submissions will close. My goal will be to reply to each pitch very quickly….Although this call for submissions is informal, we’ll agree to legitimate terms and put a contract in place when the time comes. I’ll also offer input in the form of edits and ideas.” (Editor’s note: I’m assuming that “legitimate terms” includes payment!) Discovered this one via @Barrelhouse.
“In 2019 Malarkey Books will publish Dear Writer: Stories That Just Aren’t the Right Fit at This Time, an anthology of previously unpublished frequently rejected fiction. Only stories that are 2,000 words or more and previously unpublished and which have been rejected at least ten times are eligible. Selected writers will be paid $30 and one free copy of the printed book. We will consider all stories sent in February 2019. Stories that are not selected for the anthology may still be considered, at a different payment rate, for one of our other projects or publication on our website.”
“The Elizabeth Kostova Foundation offers a call for participation in the twelfth annual edition of the Sozopol Seminars which will take place between June 13-17, 2019, in the ancient town of Sozopol, Bulgaria. Fiction writers from Bulgaria and fiction writers from English-speaking countries, including but not limited to Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States, are invited to apply. Fiction works in the genres of the novel and the short story are accepted for submission. A total number of ten applicants will be selected for participation and funding. Five applicants writing in English, and five applicants writing in Bulgarian language, will be admitted to the seminar as participants and appointed fellows of the program. The Elizabeth Kostova Foundation will cover their room, board, and in-country transportation. The five English-language fellows traveling to Bulgaria will be reimbursed with 50% of their international travel expenses.” Application deadline: February 25 (Monday), 2019, 10:00 AM (UTC+2:00, EET).
The Harlequin Creator Fund “is designed to attract and support up-and-coming and established female writers (in the US and Canada) of fiction, TV or movie scripts, who tell feel-good stories with a unique point of view. The first fund draws from a pool of $30,000 USD and will focus on submissions in a wide range of genres, including, but not limited to, comedy, drama, suspense, adventure and historical. The stories must be character-driven and leave audiences feeling uplifted. The writers of the chosen submissions will receive funding and guidance for an opportunity to complete and package their story ideas for advancement.” More about what will be provided: “Successful applicants will be offered a Development Agreement with us and a portion of the $30,000 we have set aside to support their project’s development. The details of how funds will be allocated will be up to Harlequin and will depend on the number and quality of applications received.” Deadline: March 15, 2019. (Found this one via Mackenzie Dawson.)
Attention, writers of creative nonfiction: “Hippocampus Magazine is awarding four full scholarships to HippoCamp 2019. One will definitely be awarded to a full-time undergraduate student, one will be awarded to a full-time graduate student, and for the other two student status does not matter. For this scholarship competition, we’ll consider quality of writing, financial need, and ambition, so we’re looking for a writing sample and some additional information.” NB:”Two runner-ups will receive a partial scholarship ($200) toward the conference registration.” Deadline: May 1, 2019.
In case you haven’t seen it, the February 2019 issue of The Practicing Writer went out to subscribers last week. It’s packed with no fewer than two dozen no-fee opportunities that will pay you for your work. A copy of this issue will remain online until the March issue replaces it.
Houston is looking for its next Poet Laureate. Deadline: February 13, 2019.
In Minneapolis, Graywolf Press “is currently seeking an Editorial and Production Associate and a Marketing and Events Assistant.”
“The Department of English at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga invites applications for the position of tenure-track assistant professor of English, beginning August 2019, with primary specialization in Creative Nonfiction and a demonstrated expertise in researched writing, such as Literary Journalism, Science Writing, Travel Writing, or Immersion Journalism. The successful candidate will be able to teach Creative Nonfiction at the undergraduate and graduate level as well as additional courses on style, editing, readings in Creative Nonfiction, and writing for publication. A preference will be given to candidates who can teach in multiple genres. Teaching responsibilities include a 3/3 load.”
“Sweet Briar College invites applications for a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor position in English and Creative Writing. The English and Creative Writing program at Sweet Briar College employs a studio curriculum with an emphasis on project-based learning. As working writers, our faculty engage in projects that shift and develop over time and are informed by what we’re reading and what we discover as we write and by the changing world around us. We seek candidates with proven teaching at the undergraduate level and evidence of potential for creative writing publications consistent with a visiting Assistant Professor appointment. The candidate will teach three first-year nonfiction writing courses during both the fall and spring semesters.”
“The Department of Communication and Media in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is seeking a non-tenure track Lecturer in Literature or Creative Writing for an appointment beginning Fall 2019. We seek a teacher/scholar who will join an interdisciplinary faculty that is committed to advancing the department’s mission of educating versatile, creative communicators for the 21st century. The successful candidate will teach undergraduate courses in literature or creative writing or both. Teaching responsibilities may include a broad humanities course for first-year students as well as undergraduate courses in areas such as Introduction to Literature, Creative Fiction or Non-Fiction, and courses reflecting the candidate’s own research field. Candidates must demonstrate the capacity for effective collegiate teaching and an eagerness to instill in students a passion for literature or creative writing. A Ph.D., M.F.A., or foreign degree equivalent in Literature or Creative Writing or related field is required at the time of the appointment.”
