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.

• ICYMI: The latest edition of The Practicing Writer 2.0 went out to subscribers last Wednesday. Featured within: 45+ opportunities that are both fee-free and paying.
• Open for submissions until August 14: The Orange & Bee, which seeks “original works of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction that engage in a significant way with the long history of fairy tales. We are interested in works that stretch, expand, test, subvert, and challenge the fairy-tale tradition.” Pay rates as detailed in the guidelines. (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
• Canada-based Block Party, which “annually publishes physical, thematic issues,” welcomes submissions for its current “Radio” theme until August 15. Pays: $10. (Hat tip: The Sub Club.)
• From the UK’s Holocaust Centre North: “Memorial Gestures is a remote residency programme for artistic research supporting artists, writers and translators. Over the course of 7 months researchers are invited to explore our collection and respond to materials and themes they feel have contemporary relevance. We are currently recruiting for 3 artists and 1 writer and translator each.” When you download the detailed call information, you’ll find that the writer’s award package includes a £4800 bursary;£1000 budget for publication of final work; £500 research travel; and £250 workshop fee (development & delivery), among other benefits. Apply by August 20, 9am (GMT)
• Acre Books “is reading queries and submissions for fiction and nonfiction manuscripts during the month of August. Although we are not accepting poetry submissions at this time, we will have an open reading period for poetry again soon, most likely in early 2025, so check back with us then.” (Hat tip: Funds for Writers.)
• A reminder (via Twitter) from Becky Tuch: “Lit Mag News is always looking for contributors! Never a fee to submit. Writers are paid. I LOVE hearing from interested contributors and I’ve got a lot of space for the fall. Send me something!” Guidelines here.
• At Maryland’s Towson University, “the Department of English invites applications for a tenure-track, 9-month Assistant Professor position in fiction writing in the Department of English, beginning August 2025.”
• Assistant Professor of Writing and Digital Humanities: “The American University of Paris invites applications for a full-time position with a focus on Writing and digital humanities in the Department of Comparative Literature and English, at the rank of Assistant Professor, beginning August 1, 2025. The responsibilities will include teaching in the English Writing program as that program adjusts to the rise of artificial intelligence, and contributing to the ongoing development of courses that interrogate the relationship between humans and technology, be that through performance, film or game scripts, fiction writing, digital humanities, disability studies, or critical theory. Participation in either AUP’s Writing Lab or its MFA program would be expected.”