Markets and Jobs for Writers

Background of a keyboard, mug of coffee, and wallet on a tabletop; text label indicating "Markets and Jobs for Writers: No fees to submit work/apply. Paying gigs only."

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 Kelly Glass: “We’re seeking pitches for @kindredparents, the Black family focused community by @parentsmagazine! We’re looking for reported essays and reported features only.” Pay rates and much more information provided in the thread.
  • Until August 25, Ecotone “will be open to no-fee Submittable (and post) submissions from BIPOC writers only.” Pays an unspecified honorarium. Seeking work for both unthemed and upcoming “Labor” issues. (Hat tip: Mslexia‘s Writing Opportunities newsletter.)
  • Attention, Kentuckians: Artist Enrichment grants from the Kentucky Foundation for Women provide “opportunities for feminist artists and arts organizations to further their artistic development to create art for positive social change. Applicants may request funds for a range of activities including: artistic development, artist residencies, the exploration of new areas or techniques, or to build a body of work.” Deadline: August 29.
  • Attention, UK writers: Arvon has announced the availability of new grant funds. “For our tutored residential  courses and for our online writing weeks and weekends, we offer a  Low Income Grant. If you couldn’t attend an Arvon week without some financial help, we encourage you to apply. With Low Income Grants, you can apply for any amount up to the full course fee. Last year we were able to help more than 90% of all writers who applied.” The new funds are available “for courses running October 2022-March 2023 only.” (Hat tip: Sian Meades-Williams.)
  • The Poetry Foundation is seeking grant reviewers. “Grant reviewers will need to commit to a process that includes a virtual orientation session, using our online portal to review and score anywhere from 25-30 grant applications over a 3-week period, and participating in a 3-hour virtual grants meeting to make final recommendations. We expect that this is, on average, a 30-35 hour commitment and the compensation is $1500.”
  • The Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation is advertising for a Prize Manager, “circa 2 days per week, to fulfil 104 days over the course of a year. Days/hours are flexible but must align with the prize cycle: busy months of the year are April – September so these may require more days with fewer allocated in October-February. There will be a three-month trial period. Remote working is preferred, with the option to work in the Foundation office based in Finsbury Park, London, approximately 3 days per month. There may be scope for additional hours in the future.” Compensation: “£13,000, or £125 per day.”
  • The School of the Arts in the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) “invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in fiction writing with a secondary expertise in one or more of the following areas: creative nonfiction; screenwriting, creative writing for new media, hybrid forms, translation, and/or digital writing.”
  • The University of Central Missouri “seeks candidates for a tenure-track position in Creative Writing at the rank of Assistant Professor, beginning on August 7, 2023. The position contributes to the department’s program in general education, including first-year Composition, and it includes a significant editorial role for Pleiades: Literature in Context.” They’re seeking a creative nonfiction specialist for this one.
  • In Tennessee, the Department of English at Belmont University “is seeking applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor beginning August 1, 2023. Job responsibilities include teaching undergraduate composition and undergraduate and graduate creative writing courses. Demonstrated excellence in teaching required. The ideal candidate will have a specialty in poetry with a secondary specialization in fiction or creative nonfiction.” 
  • In Indianapolis, Marian University “seeks an Assistant Professor of English (Creative Writing, Tenure Track) to promote our Catholic Franciscan mission and identity by developing a creative writing curriculum and student publications with social justice, multicultural, and/or community writing themes. Additional responsibilities include participating in departmental activities and meetings, mentoring students, advising, and maintaining a publishing agenda. The area of specialization is open (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, screenwriting, etc.); the ability to teach multiple genres and/or media is strongly desired. Preference will also be given to candidates who have previous editorial experience with literary or academic journals and who are able to teach first-year writing in the general education program.”
  • In Texas, The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s College of Humanities and Sciences “seeks a full-time, tenure-track faculty member in English, beginning in late July of 2023 with initial appointment at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, commensurate with qualifications and experience. UMHB seeks faculty who are active Christians and dedicated teacher-scholars to prepare students for leadership, service, and faith-informed discernment in a global society.”
on a tabletop: a keyboard, a mug of coffee, and a wallet with cash, plus a text label announcing Markets and Jobs for Writers

2 thoughts on “Markets and Jobs for Writers

  1. Sandra says:

    Thank you, Erika, for your long service to writers. At age 80 now, with health issues, I do not apply for jobs now but follow your blog anyway, It makes me happy to see what is going on in the writing world and I see many more opps now than when you began. On a side note, absolutely NO job would be worth having to teach comp again!

    1. Erika Dreifus says:

      Sandra, thank you! And yes—comp is SO hard to teach!!!

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