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.

In case you’ve missed it, please check out this recent note to those who subscribe to The Practicing Writer 2.0, with some important updates that connect with these weekly posts here on Practicing Writing. I expect to continue publishing these “Markets and Jobs” posts here on the blog, for the foreseeable future, but henceforth, they may look slightly different, and arrive slightly later in the day, than you may be accustomed to.

• “The Letras Boricuas Fellowship is an opportunity sponsored by the Mellon Foundation and the Flamboyan Arts Fund that awards individual grants of $25,000 to literary writers who identify as Puerto Ricans….Twenty-four writers will be selected annually in 2025 and 2026. The fellowship supports writers working within one of the following literary genres: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Spoken Word and Playwriting. In addition to providing unrestricted funds to support writers in Puerto Rico and in the U.S. diaspora, Letras Boricuas seeks to encourage literary practice, connect writers, expose writers’ works to a wider audience, and support the creative development of works that celebrate Puerto Rican lives and culture. The fellowship program aims for each group of grantees to include writers from different literary genres. Applications will be accepted in Spanish, English, or both languages.” Deadline: April 30.
• “The Mining History Association (MHA) Research Grant Program is open to all who are currently engaged in or who plan to conduct mining history research, including graduate students, academic scholars, public sector professionals in related disciplines, independent scholars, writers, and educators. Research may focus on technology, business, social and cultural life, the environment, or any other aspect of mining, its associated industries, and its communities. It may concentrate on any era or geographical location….Funding may vary, up to a maximum of $1000 per grant.” Deadline: May 1.
• The Rabbi Sacks Book Prize “is awarded to an author of a recently published or about to be published work of Jewish ideas deeply sourced in Jewish texts, with broad appeal within and beyond the Jewish community. The author of the winning work will receive a $10,000 prize, and two finalists will receive $2500 each….The winning author and finalists will be responsible to present public lectures organized by the Sacks-Herenstein Center.” Submissions must hold a 2025 copyright and must be nominated and submitted by publishing houses by May 1.
• Tractor Beam is “a new quarterly speculative and science fiction publication dedicated to soilpunk: radical visions of hopeful futures built from the ground up. Our editorial mandate is to explore audacious and provocative ideas around farming, food, earth science, and beyond, reimagining how humans can live more harmoniously with nature. For our second issue, themed ‘The Garden,’ we’re seeking original written and graphic works set on a future Earth transformed by new approaches to soil. Literal or abstract, near term or on distant horizons: worlds can take inspiration from innovations or alternative practices in earth and material science, regenerative agriculture, food, microbiology, and more. Each story should be a visionary proposal woven into a spectacular plot. Tractor Beam pays $1,200.00 for all accepted submissions.” Deadline: May 1.
• From WOW! Women on Writing Markets Newsletter: “Do you have a writing tip or how-to you’ve learned from the writing trenches (whether it’s for novel writing, short story, memoir, essay, freelance, etc.) that you’d like to share with fellow writers? We are always looking for craft pieces for this very newsletter! Recent Craft Corner articles have been on everything from avoiding info dumping to creating a writing schedule and writing about trauma. We’ve covered a lot of topics, so we’re really looking for unique tips. Get creative! Articles are around 1200-1600 words. Pay: $75-$100. Send your ideas, along with your author bio, to pitches (at)wow-womenonwriting(dot)com.” No deadline indicated.
• At The New York Times, the Book Review is “looking for an Assistant Editor to guide news coverage across the desk, assigning and editing breaking news and enterprise stories on the publishing industry and the literary world at large. Working with our reporters to produce scoops and compelling narratives, this editor will be able to identify major storylines and personalities in the book space as well as the best angles and digital formats through which to cover them. This is a hybrid position based in New York City and includes regular attendance in the office each week per your departmental guidance.” Salary: “The annual base pay range for this role is between: $150,000 – $175,000 USD.” No application deadline indicated.
• “Zibby Media is seeking a New York-based, book-loving digital native to join our collaborative team as a full-time Content Creator and Social Media specialist. In this role, the Content Creator will ideate, produce, and execute content across our social channels, helping us connect with new audiences and engage our existing community through innovative, compelling, and fun social media initiatives.” Salary: “$60k – $90k.” No application deadline indicated.

Reminder: The full May edition of the monthly newsletter will be landing in subscribers’ mailboxes in just two more days (it’s never too late to sign up!). In the meantime, you may want to give one last look to the April edition for the many opportunities that remain open for submissions/applications at this time.)