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.

• “Chicagoans are invited to submit their nominations for Poet Laureate now through January 18.” Self-nominations are also welcome. “The Chicago Poet Laureate will serve a two-year term and be awarded a grant of $50,000 for the commissioning of new poems and to create a public program series, including programs for youth and students. The Poet Laureate will serve as an ambassador for the city’s literary and creative communities.”
• From Tolka: “Submissions for Issue Five are now open, and will close 22 January at midnight.” They welcome “all forms of non-fiction: personal essay, memoir, reportage, travel writing, auto-fiction, and the writing that falls in between” from “Irish and international writers.” Payment: “We offer contributors a flat fee of ‎‎€500, which we pay prior to publication; contributors also receive a copy of the issue in which their work is featured.”
• From Nick Ripatrazone (on Twitter): “Call for submissions for our Culture section at @Image_Journal! Send me smart, surprising, crafted essays about contemporary music, film, literature, theater, and dance that approach a subject from a spiritual or theological angle.” Pays: “$25/page plus four copies.” (Thanks to Greensboro Review for catching this one.)
• From Angela Chen (also on Twitter): “It’s January and I’m looking for more pitches for @wired! Send your cranky critiques, weird ideas, lyrical essays, far-off proposals—rates start at $500.”
• From Vanessa Peterson at Frieze (also on Twitter): “I am open to pitches from writers in 2023, esp. web opinion pieces on art and book/film reviews, as well as longer profiles, interviews, etc. DMs should be open (fee is £230 for 700 words, more for longer features).” (Found this one through Write at Home.)
• “Literary Affairs of Los Angeles is seeking a new facilitator for our book-club discussions and we hope you are the perfect fit….Starting pay begins at $200 per book club and there is an opportunity to lead multiple book groups per month based on your availability. Facilitator must live in Los Angeles.” 
• “Kirkus Reviews is seeking an excellent customer service representative/editorial assistant for its Indie (self-published) section.” Appears to be an in-person job in New York.” Salary minimum: $30,000. Salary maximum: $50,000.
• Lamba Literary has posted multiple job opportunities on its website.