Erika Dreifus

For many years—since long before Substack arrived on the scene—I’ve been curating weekly “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 information early every Monday morning via Substack, too, as a benefit for paid subscribers.

Please note: These posts are supplements to the free monthly newsletter, allowing me to include opportunities that I may not have caught in time for each month’s edition. Plus, 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. But 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 participation fees).

This week’s gleanings below:

• ICYMI: The August newsletter went out late last week. You’ll find dozens of fee-free and paying/funded opportunities within.
• Here’s one I didn’t catch in time to include in the aforementioned newsletter: Baltimore Review reopened for submissions August 1 (and will close again in November). Payment: “$50 via Amazon gift certificate or $50 through PayPal, if preferred, as well as a copy of the annual print compilation in which the author’s work appears.”
• And another one that I similarly caught only after editor Amie Newman posted about it August 1; it, too, will close during the fall: “An anthology of midlife women’s stories with eating disorders coming in Fall 2026. Because our stories aren’t the end of the struggle—they’re a way through it. *Open for submissions now!*” Pays: “Writers will receive $250 for their essays after publication.”
• From Teachers & Writers magazine: “We are seeking submissions to our Banned Books Writing Prompts series until August 31st! T&W publishes this series with the aim to push back against the growing movement to censor what students can read and to show what happens when we enthusiastically embrace banned works rather than fear them. Do you have a favorite banned book? Do you have writing prompts for that book that can be used in a creative writing classroom? Please share this with us!” Payment: “Our compensation for articles ranges from $75 – $150, payable upon publication.”
• Yellow Arrow Journal, “a biannual publication of creative nonfiction, poetry, and cover art by writers and artists who identify as women,” is also open for submissions until August 31. For the forthcoming “Kairos” issue, to be curated by guest editor Darah Schillinger, work (creative nonfiction, poetry, art) “exploring the aftermath and aftereffects of catalytic moments, forged from either small flash fires or conflagration” is sought. Pays: “$10.00USD and a PDF of the journal issue. Note that payments are through PayPal; while we try to accommodate those that do not have a PayPal account, this is not always possible, especially for people outside of the U.S.”
• “The Crepuscular Press is seeking a social media manager to run its Instagram and TikTok accounts.” NB: “The first four months of this placement will be a trial period to see if the SM manager can employ consistently reliable strategies to grow followers in at least one account. During this period the weekly salary will be $240/week for six to seven hours of work. Continuation in the role after four months will be contingent on the manager’s accomplishments. Although we at TCP appreciate that social media algorithms are extremely volatile, the company relies on a limited budget so allocation to organic social media growth must depend on its success rate.” Deadline: “A final decision won’t be made until mid-August. In the interim I’ll be interviewing and exchanging messages with candidates to help us make our final pick.”
• “Comparative Media Studies / Writing section at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Creative Writing starting July 1, 2026, or as soon thereafter as possible.” NB: “We encourage candidates who write fiction of any or many sorts, including literary fiction, speculative fiction, romance, fantasy, science fiction or other genre fiction. Novelists and short story writers whose writing practice also includes less traditional work in writing for comics, the screen, and digital and non-digital games are welcomed as well.” Deadline: August 29.
• “The Department of English at the University of Iowa invites applications for a permanent Director of our Nonfiction Writing Program. This is a tenure-track position, at the rank of Associate or Full Professor. The position will carry a 1:2 teaching load, in addition to leadership of the MFA program. The Director will work closely with an Associate Director and full-time administrative program assistant, as well as with the chair of the English Department. Duties include: oversight of admissions and recruitment, fundraising, alumni and university relations, curriculum; and service on the department’s Executive Committee.” Deadline: “Review of applications will begin Sept. 5, 2025.”
• “The Iowa Writers’ Workshop seeks a fiction writer to join its permanent faculty. This is a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of Fiction. Candidates should have a distinguished record of publication, including at least one book of fiction, and to have made meaningful progress towards a second book. We expect candidates to have substantial experience in teaching, preferably at the graduate level.” Deadline: “Review of applications will begin October 1, 2025 and continue until the position is filled, with a start date of August 19, 2026.”
• “The Department of English at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign invites applications for an Assistant Professor or tenured Associate Professor in Creative Writing (Poetry) with a target start date of August 16, 2026.” Deadline: October 1.