Erika Dreifus

For many years—since long before Substack arrived on the scene—I’ve been curating “Monday Markets and Jobs” posts on the Practicing Writing blog, where everyone can still find them (albeit slightly later in the day than in the past). But I’ve begun sharing this #MondayMotivation early every Monday morning via Substack, too, as a benefit for paid subscribers.

Quick reminders: Unlike the monthly newsletter, which filters out listings that may be limited to writers in single city/state/province, these weekly posts do include such localized opportunities. In all cases, calls and competitions must not charge submission/application fees, and they must offer payment for winning/published work (or, in the case of residencies, they must not charge fees for attendance/participation).

Herewith, the latest gleanings:

• Open until May 31: submissions of short fiction, flash fiction, and nonfiction, for Night Gingko, which publishes “the best writing the Outer Beltway & the DMV have to offer.” To that end, they welcome work from writers “living within a 30 mile radius of Washington, DC. Of course, all great writers are also great rulebreakers, so if you are unsure about whether or not you live within this area or if you’re certain that you should be included, submit anyway!” Pays (per mention on Bluesky): $100.
• Also open until May 31, the Dream Foundry Contest for Emerging Writers “is for writers who are relatively new to paid or incoming-earning publication of speculative short fiction in English.” (Check the guidelines for eligibility details.) “In addition to their cash prizes [$1500/$750/$400], winners get featured at Flights of Foundry, an annual convention where professionals from all over the industry come to discuss all things related to the speculative arts.”
• “In 2024, Hawthornden Foundation launched a new site in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn and non-residential writers’ residency sessions began in 2025. Hawthornden Brooklyn supports established and emerging creative writers of many kinds – poets, novelists, biographers, short-story writers, playwrights, scriptwriters, essayists, creative nonfiction writers, and translators. During the six-week residency, Hawthornden provides writing space, a stipend, meals, and time to focus on writing projects. Residents have an opportunity to connect with other writers, benefit from peer-supported activities, and participate in valuable and collaborative shared experiences. As a non-residential residency, Hawthornden Brooklyn does not provide housing. Each participating writer will be offered a stipend of $5,000 to help defray the costs that attending the residency may entail. Hawthornden Foundation does not provide any direct assistance arranging travel or housing accommodations, nor any funding in addition to the stipend. Please take all of this into account when evaluating your participation in the residency.” Applications for 2026 residencies remain open until June 1. (Hat tip: Freelance Opportunities!)
• This one’s for “current residents of Canada only, as payment will be made out in Canadian dollars”: pulp MAG is open for submissions (poetry, prose, visual art, new media) until June 1. Pays: “$20 per poem, $15 per page of prose, $20 per piece of art, and $20 per new media piece.”
• In Atlanta, Emory University is advertising for a Curator of Literary and Poetry Collections. “Candidates applying by June 20, 2025, will receive priority consideration.”
• New York University’s School of Professional Studies “seeks an Academic Director and Clinical Assistant/Associate Professor of Publishing in the Center for Publishing, Writing, and Media, effective Fall 2025. (The rank of the faculty position will be determined based on the candidate’s experience and qualifications.)” Salary: “The annual base salary range for this position is $85,000 – $135,000. The range for the annual administrative stipend is $10,000, – $30,000.” Deadline: “The review of credentials will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. For best consideration, please submit materials before the priority deadline of June 30, 2025. Note: applications will still be considered after the priority deadline.”
• Among current positions open at the Hmong Museum in St. Paul, Minn., is one for a Creative Writer/Researcher ( $40/hour up to 130 hours) and another for a Creative Storyteller ($5000 for the project). No deadlines indicated.

And one quick reminder that by this time next week, the June edition of The Practicing Writer 2.0 will have landed in subscriber mailboxes. In the meantime, you might want to make sure that you haven’t missed any of the still-open opportunities in the May issue.