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.

• From Shenandoah: “We will be open for CREATIVE NONFICTION and NOVEL EXCERPTS starting on August 15 through August 31, 2021.” Pays: “$100 per 1000 words of prose up to $500.”
• A shorter submissions window (August 16-23) is opening at Sylvia, “an online literary magazine” featuring “poetry and stories for every season.” Currently seeking “autumn and winter pieces.” Pays (via Paypal or UK bank transfer): “£1.75 per line for poetry (not including titles or line breaks) and £0.25 per word for prose.”
• Attention, Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents: “Poetry submissions are open for Island 163 – due for publication November 2021.” Deadline: August 23. Payment: “Island will pay a fee of $125 per poem published, less the cost of a 4-issue subscription if you are not a current subscriber.”
• I’ve been informed of the founding of koening, “a new zine for Asian creatives,” which will be “paying online contributors $15 for their pieces and print contributors $25.” They opened for submissions last Friday, and for their first issue, for which they’re seeking “swamp-themed horror” (genres will change in subsequent issues) they’ll remain open until September 13.
• Call for essay pitches focusing on the freelance writing life, from Britany Robinson/One More Question: “Topics your essay might cover: Creativity, time-management, self-promotion, business, writing essays, writing journalism, writing content, not writing because you’re burnt out, burn out, what to do about burnout, or something else I haven’t considered (because I’m a little burnt out).” Payment: $100.
• We’re now halfway through August, but remember that PLENTY of the opportunities listed in the August newsletter remain open for entries/submissions.
• Job announcements seem a bit scarce this week. Let’s see what I can come up with next time.