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.

• From Pangyrus: “We are looking for columnists who can contribute short (approx. 800 word) essays, commentaries, and reported pieces with a strong viewpoint and appealing voice.” Topic possibilities are included within the guidelines. “Accepted columnists will earn $50 a column and be featured as regular contributors.” Deadline: November 15.
• From On the Premises: news about their next mini-contest, titled “Do Not Talk Like a Pirate Day”: “For this mini-contest, tell, show, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long about any subject you want. However, none of those 25 to 50 words are allowed to have the letter “r” in them. Any entries containing the letter “r” will walk the plank!” Prizes “$35 for first place, $25 for second, $15 for third, all in US dollars. Honorable mentions get published but make no money. If international currency exchange fees are necessary to pay an author, that fee comes out of the mini-contest prize money.” Deadline: November 29.
• From Washington Writers’ Publishing House: “The WWPH Fellowship provides the opportunity for undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates with a keen interest in the literary arts to get hands-on experience working with the Washington Writers’ Publishing House. WWPH fellows/interns will learn small press publishing from WWPH executive board members and authors while helping advance the press’s mission. Participants will gain invaluable insight into the running of an independent, nonprofit literary press and the publishing business in total. Each participant will receive a $500.00 stipend for the 12-week virtual internship. Our WWPH Fellowship is made possible with a generous donation from Dr. Jean Feldman.” Deadline: November 30.
• At the University of North Carolina Asheville, they’re advertising for a Director, Great Smokies Writing Program. “This is a 20 hour per week/12 month per year position.” Apply by November 25.
• “The Department of English at Arizona State University invites applications for an Assistant Teaching Professor position in Creative Writing with an anticipated start date of August 2025. This is a full-time, benefits-eligible appointment made on an academic year basis (Aug 16 – May 15). Teaching Professors typically teach four classes per academic term. Because this position entails significant administrative/service in the area of online curricular development, the teaching expectation would be three classes per academic term.” Deadline: December 5.
• “The Department of Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington invites applicants for a full-time, tenure track Assistant Professor of Creative Writing/Fiction position on a continuing 9-month appointment starting August 2025.” Deadline: “Applications will be accepted until 11:59pm EST on December 9, 2024, the job closing date. “
• “The Department of Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington invites applicants for a full-time, tenure track Assistant/Associate Professor of Creative Writing/Poetry position on a continuing 9-month appointment starting August 2025.” Also has a December 9 closing date.
• Online teaching opportunity: “Southern New Hampshire University is looking for faculty to teach in our Master of Fine Arts courses.” They appear to be seeking in particular applicants with “established novel length publication record in Speculative Fiction.” No deadline indicated.