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.

• The American Jewish Historical Society has extended the Emma Lazarus Project Poetry Contest deadline to August 15. Updated prize info indicates that $1,000 will go to the winner in each category: “Middle School, High School and Collegiate / Adult Emerging Poet”).
• “TU Dublin – Tallaght Campus and Red Line Book Festival are inviting writers to submit their work to the 2020 Red Line Book Festival TU Dublin Short Story Competition. This year’s competition will be judged by award-winning author Rob Doyle, whose latest book, Threshold, was published to critical acclaim earlier this year…..The 2020 anthology of shortlisted stories will be called ‘Creation, Cosmos, & Caboodle’, although there is no restriction on theme or style for entries, writers are invited to respond to this title if they wish. The competition is free to enter and open to all writers aged 16 or over. The overall winner will receive a cash prize of €500, with two runners up receiving €250 and €150 respectively.” Deadline: August 19. As always, be sure to read all the guidelines/terms/conditions. (h/t FundsforWriters)
• “This summer, the editors of The Stirling Spoon are hosting our first annual literary competition, centered around the theme of ‘Identity in America.’ In light of international protests calling for social change, the vibrant Black Lives Matter movement, and Pride Month, we hope to recognize and amplify diverse voices across the United States. The subject of the submissions may range from race and gender to geographic and social identity, as long as the story or poem loosely connects to our central theme. “The two winners will receive a prize of $150 each and publication in The Stirling Spoon. We reserve the right to withhold the prizes if there are no such pieces that warrant publication in The Stirling Spoon. The deadline for submissions is Friday, August 21.” Judges are Matthew Gray and Richard Blanco. Guidelines here. Submit here.
• From Kevin Larimer: “Dear writers, I’d love to read more pitches for the annual Independent Publishing issue of Poets & Writers Magazine @poetswritersinc. Do you have an idea for an article, essay, or interview about editing / publishing in lit mags & indie presses? DM me, thanks!” (In the next tweet, Larimer added: “I’m especially interested in helping to amplify the voices and work of BIPOC editors and publishers at small presses and literary magazines.”)
• “The Girls Write Now Fellowship Program offers full-time paid fellowships to 3-5 Fellows annually. Fellowships are customized, and typically last up to one year. The program is a competitive opportunity with a leading nonprofit to get on a solid track post-graduation with intensive, on-the-ground training from Girls Write Now. Fellows emerge from the program well positioned for promotion within Girls Write Now or to be competitive candidates in any career.” NB: “Fellows work remotely until staff can safely return to the Girls Write Now midtown Manhattan headquarters.”
• Girls Write Now is also seeking a WordPress Website Developer/Designer. “For the foreseeable future, this will be a remote position, with the addition of in-person meetings once safe to do so. This position is projected to extend from Fall 2020 through January 2022, with the possibility for further continuation. Over the course of the project, some months will be more intensive than others. This is a part-time, independent contractor position. The project rate will be commensurate with candidate experience.”
• Binc (the Book Industry Charitable Foundation) is hiring a Communication Coordinator. “BIPOC candidates are especially encouraged to apply.” NB: “Binc is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This position has the potential to work from a remote office.”
• “Staten Island Arts—the non-profit arts council for Richmond County—seeks to hire a Part-Time Communications and Marketing Specialist. This is a new position being created to support the 28-year old organization at a crucial time of growth for community arts on Staten Island as the borough experiences a new era of business development and public focus. Staten Island Arts is actively engaged in the fight against racism and social injustice. Staff and board members are engage in ongoing racial equity training and the work of creating a more inclusive cultural sector in Richmond County.”
• In Florida, Stetson University is advertising for a Coordinator of MFA Publishing: “This position coordinates professional development opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in creative writing. The position serves as a liaison between the undergraduate and graduate programs, and assists the MFA Program Director with residency planning, publicity, and logistics.” Posting includes a detailed list of job functions/responsibilities.
• “The University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position beginning August 2021 in the Literature program. The successful candidate will teach Creative Writing courses, as well as courses in American Literature, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and contribute to the University’s lower-division core offering. The area of specialization within Creative Writing is open. Candidate will be expected to teach in a variety of genres, such as fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction. Ability to teach courses in American Minority and American Immigrant literature – particularly Latinx literatures – required.”
• “Wells College, a small liberal arts college located in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, is seeking applications for a 1-year Visiting Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing position beginning August 2020. This position involves a 3/3 teaching load including workshops in fiction and creative nonfiction as well as American literature courses and Introduction to Literature. For fall 2020 at least, we expect courses to be a hybrid mixture of in-person and online, with all courses going to fully remote instruction after Thanksgiving Breaks for the final three weeks of the semester.”
• In Washington, the Department of Literature in the College of Arts and Sciences at American University “invites applications for a term faculty appointment for Academic Year 2020-21. Rank will be dependent on degree, experience and stature in the field. The appointment is a 9-month term position and will commence on August 24, 2020….Applicants should hold a terminal degree (MFA or PhD) in Creative Writing. The position will require the incumbent to teach two courses in poetry and/or creative non-fiction per semester plus read and mentor theses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Previous experience teaching creative writing online is especially desirable.”