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.

• Late last week, Barrelhouse announced that it would open September 7 (which was Saturday) for “parenting-related short fiction that somehow involves famous musician icons” for a special online issue. Per this tweet, submissions will be capped at 200; no other deadline is indicated. Payment: $50. (Hat tip: Kaitlyn Arford.)
• A special call from The Hopkins Review: “We are actively seeking essays that engage with the seventeen years of literature and culture in The Hopkins Review’s quarterly print archive, available on Project MUSE.” There is currently no deadline for this call; payment will be $100.
• Northern Gravy, which “welcomes submissions from UK & Ireland writers of any background, including first-time writers,” is open for submissions (of fiction, poetry, and MG/YA) until September 15. Pays: £100.
• Open for submissions until September 20: Acta Victoriana, “the literary journal of Victoria University in the University of Toronto.” They seek poetry and short fiction (as well as visual art), and they pay $20. (Hat tip: @Duotrope.)
• The online application for the 2025-2026 George Bennett Fellowship at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire will be live until September 30. The fellowship’s purpose “is to provide time and freedom from material considerations to a person seriously contemplating or pursuing a career as a writer. The stipend for the one-year Fellow is $18,250, plus housing and meals. This position also offers medical and dental insurance, long-term disability coverage and access to an employee assistance program. As Writer-in-Residence the person shall live in Exeter and, in return for stipend and housing, shall (besides carrying out his or her own literary projects) make his or her self and talents available in an informal and unofficial way to students interested in writing and, more specifically, to students in English classes and to members of student literary organizations.” NB: “You must be eligible to work in the United States in order to apply.” Also: “Preference is given to a writer of fiction, however, literary non-fiction, poetry and drama are also eligible.”
• In Virginia, “the English Department of Washington and Lee University (W&L) invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor in Creative Nonfiction, starting in July 2025.” Apply by September 30 “for full consideration.”
• In South Carolina, “the Department of English at Coastal Carolina University invites applications for a position as an Assistant Professor of English specializing in creative writing with a focus in fiction and poetry. The appointment will be effective August 16, 2025.” A review of applications “will begin on October 7 and continue until the position is filled.” 
• In New York, St. Lawrence University is advertising for the Viebranz Visiting Professor of Creative Writing for the academic year 2025-26. “Publications and teaching experience in creative nonfiction and another genre are preferable.” Application deadline: October 15.
• Also in New York, “the Literature and Creative Writing Department of Hamilton College invites applications for a practicing creative nonfiction writer with expertise in a second genre to fill a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor, starting July 1, 2025.” Application review will begin October 15.
• In North Carolina, the Duke University English Department “invites nominations and applications for a distinguished writer with a national or international reputation for a one-semester or one-year position as Artist in Residence. We seek candidates who are committed to the teaching of writing to undergraduates. The ideal candidate will be a writer with at least one published book and distinguished publications (either poetry or fiction), and have experience in teaching undergraduate students….The position begins either August 1, 2025 or January 1, 2026 and ends either December 31, 2025 or April 30, 2026.” Deadline: “The committee will begin its deliberations on November 1, 2024.  Applications received by that date will be guaranteed full consideration.”
• In Massachusetts, “the Department of English at the College of the Holy Cross invites applications for a full-time tenure-track position specializing in Creative Writing (Fiction) to begin in August 2025. We will consider appointments to the tenure-track at the assistant or associate professor level.” Application deadline: November 17.