Erika Dreifus

Each week in this space, Practicing Writing shares no-fee, paying markets for writers of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction: competitions, contests, and calls for submissions. These weekly posts complement monthly issues of The Practicing Writer newsletter, where you’ll always find more listings, none of them limiting eligibility to residents of a single municipality, state, or province. (But this blog does share those more localized opportunities, including jobs.)

As always, if you’d like to share a specific opportunity listed here, please credit the blog for the find. Thanks for respecting the time and effort that I put into researching, curating, and posting this information! I do notice, and I appreciate the courtesy.

• “Hot Flash Fiction publishes fiction and other versions of the truth. No Hallmark stories. While we are interested in flash fiction, we also include short stories, novel excerpts, and essays. No self-help articles. Just smart, funny, compelling, and interesting writing. Sorry, no poetry. We are seeking previously unpublished work. Simultaneous submissions are fine—just let us know when your piece is published elsewhere, so we can help you celebrate! Please send us only one piece at a time.” Pays: We offer an honorarium equal to your age for each published story. Our stories remain posted on our primary page before joining our archives.” Deadline: November 1.
• “Saint Paul Almanac is a literary-centered arts organization. We share stories across cultures and cultivate dialogue to promote understanding, relationships, and collaborative action in our city. We are currently accepting visual art and writing submissions for our 13th edition. We are particularly looking for pieces that share personal experiences of living in or visiting Saint Paul. Nonfiction, fiction, poetry, cartoon and more are all accepted. You do not need to live in Saint Paul to write about Saint Paul. Stories and poems must be 650 words or less.” Pays: “All writers receive $50 for their accepted submission, plus one free book.” Deadline: November 4.
• Oklahomans, it’s your turn! “This year, writers from the state of Oklahoma are invited to apply for the Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award. One fiction writer and one poet will be selected. Winners receive an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to meet with top literary professionals, including editors, agents, publishers, and prominent writers. This year’s judges are DéLana R.A. Dameron for poetry and Eugene Lim for fiction. The submission deadline is January 6, 2020.” Each winner also receives a $500 honorarium and a one-month residency at the Jentel Artist Residency Program in Wyoming. NB: This is an award program for emerging writers, who have published no more than one full-length book in their genre of application.
• Challenges notwithstanding (including changes at host platform Yahoo Groups), I do plan to have the November issue of The Practicing Writer newsletter ready for you later this week. So please take these next couple of days to peruse anything you may have missed in the current issue that may still be open/of interest.
• Youth Communication New York seeks a part-time editor for its teen magazines.
• In Michigan, Michigan Quarterly Review is looking for “a part-time online editor (temporary position) who is committed to the literary arts to assist us with our website and social media management.” They appear to be budgeting for 15 hours/week with a pay rate of $20/hour.
• From Johns Hopkins University in Maryland: “We are seeking a distinguished fiction writer as a successor for professor Alice McDermott, who retired last year. The position is for a highly acclaimed writer at an advanced stage in his/her/their career. Interested applicants should have a substantial body of work (three or more books from reputable publishing houses) and an international reputation. Teaching responsibilities will include graduate and undergraduate courses. We are particularly interested in candidates with a demonstrated ability to develop and teach courses in one or more of the following areas: Asian American, Native American, African-American, Latino/a, World Literature, and Queer Studies.”
• “The University of Wisconsin-Platteville invites applications for a tenure-track, Assistant Professor of English and Professional Writing, beginning August 15, 2020. The successful candidate will join a large, vibrant Humanities program with strengths in English education, professional and creative writing, and languages and literature.”
• From Kentucky’s Murray State University: “The Department of English and Philosophy at Murray State invites applications for the Watkins Endowed Professor of Creative Writing, fiction concentration. This is a visiting, one-year position with the possibility of renewal for a second year. The Watkins professor will teach one, 3-credit hour undergraduate course each semester in nontraditional fiction. These courses could include, contingent upon professional interest: digital narrative, game narrative, screenwriting, young adult fiction, horror, fantasy, detective or science fiction, etc.”
• From the University of Arizona: “The Department of English invites applications for a Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing: Fiction for the Spring 2020 semester. This is a one-semester visiting position, requiring that the candidate teach a graduate fiction workshop and an advanced undergraduate fiction workshop. Candidates may also be asked to serve on MFA thesis committees as needed. We seek candidates able to work with diverse students and colleagues and who have experience with a variety of teaching methods and curricular perspectives.”
• “The Department of English at St. Lawrence University [New York] seeks applicants for a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor in Creative Nonfiction for the 2020-2021 academic year. Experience teaching fiction, screenwriting, or hybrid genres also desirable.