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.

Quick reminder that by this week’s end, the September issue of The Practicing Writer 2.0 will have gone out to subscribers. It’s never too late to join 9,000+ others who receive this free resource by email. And be sure you haven’t missed any of the fee-free and paying opportunities featured in the August issue, as well as in the supplementary posts here on Practicing Writing each Monday.

• Money Chronicles: A Story Initiative—a collaboration among Principal Foundation, the Center for Fiction, and Short Edition—is a national (U.S.) “short story contest designed to bring our experiences with money – positive and negative – out of the shadows. We want to read your imaginative and meaningful short stories (fiction and creative nonfiction) touching on themes related to money and personal finance. Introduce us to protagonists whose relationship to money may be on the verge of unexpected or needed change.” Prize: Finalists (up to 30) “will be selected to receive a $250 honorarium” and story distribution. Note that submissions are limited to 7500 characters (spaces included). The deadline is August 31, but submissions will be capped once 400 entries have been received.
• Last Monday’s Sub Club Newsletter spotlighted “34 Literary Magazines Closing by August 31st (with 10 Themed Calls),” with fee and payment info listed. And yes, you may just find there a couple of “qualifying” (no fee and paying) listings that I haven’t already shared with you this month!
• The 2023 Rin Kelly Scholarship for Fiction remains open for applications until September 1. “The family of Rin Kelly is offering three $350 scholarships to emerging fiction writers with a focus on speculative, imaginative and critical/satirical works. Scholarships are awarded through the San Francisco Writers Grotto, and are eligible for use toward enrollment in SF Writer’s Grotto fiction classes during the period of November 1, 2023, through May 31, 2024. Scholarship recipients also have the option to submit any stories produced as part of their Grotto coursework to The Fabulist Magazine for a special submissions cycle which offers an additional level of editorial review, feedback, and consideration for publication.”
• Lucky Jefferson, “an award-winning creative arts publisher,” seeks applications “from undergraduate or graduate students for a new Arts Research Development Fellowship! This virtual role is perfect for students with an interest in research, statistics, and the literary arts; this role directly supports Lucky Jefferson’s community research programs while collaborating with a diverse community of writers and artists. This role is remote (meaning you can work from wherever) and you can expect a time commitment of up to 15 hours, or less, a month, depending on needs and time commitment.” Pays: $18/hr. There is no application deadline indicated, but the posted start date is “October 2, 2023, or when the role is filled” and the fellowship/contract duration is listed as “three months from start date, or December 31, 2023.”
• EastOver Press, “an independent literary press with an online journal named Cutleaf,” is advertising for a Social Media Coordinator. “We offer $20 per hour for up to 6 hours of work per week, to a max of $480 per month.” No deadline indicated. 
• In DC, “Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop seeks a passionate, experienced project manager and editorial leader to helm our Prison Book Club program, a long-distance, correspondence-based program with members incarcerated in prisons across the country. Reporting to the Deputy Director, the Prison Book Club Manager will ensure high quality service delivery for 800+ incarcerated members; this includes the publication of a magazine, personalized selection and shipment of thousands of books to incarcerated readers, coordination of a letter writing program with hundreds of volunteers, and facilitation of interactive digital events to foster community connections between writers and readers across prison walls.” Salary: “$50,000-$60,000.” Deadline: “Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, with priority consideration given to applications received by September 15.”
• In West Virginia, “Davis & Elkins College invites applications for a full-time faculty member to teach Creative Writing beginning Spring 2024. A PhD or MFA in Creative Writing or a related field is preferred, but ABD candidates will be considered. Area of specialization is open among poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Rank and salary are dependent upon qualifications and the position is renewable upon satisfactory performance.” Deadline: “Review of applications will begin immediately and the position will remain open until filled. However, all applications received on or before September 25, 2023 will receive full consideration.”
• “The Department of English Language and Literature in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts at the University of Michigan seeks applicants with a Ph.D. or M.F.A. for a full-time new Lecturer III position in Creative Writing/Literary Publishing on a continuing 12-month appointment beginning Fall 2024. This is a non-tenure track position. Duties and responsibilities for this Lecturer III position are expected to include teaching responsibilities for two courses per term, with a course in creative writing (fiction and nonfiction) and a publishing and editing practicum course.” Although a salary range is not included with the position, the University of Michigan’s Human Resources site indicates that “The average salary of all lecturers (lecturers I-IV, intermittents and adjuncts) who teach at the University of Michigan is $71,000.” Deadline: “Anticipated application deadline is October 13, 2023.”
• “The Department of Writing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in poetry, beginning in August of 2024.  Salary is competitive with peer institutions and commensurate with quality of practice, scholarship, academic research, extent of teaching experience, and current professional standing.” Deadline: “Applicants are encouraged to apply by Monday, January 8, 2024, for full consideration….You are encouraged to begin the application well before the priority deadline. Applications will not be accepted after February 8, 2024.”