Monday Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

  • Richard Hugo House (Seattle) is looking for a Writer-in-Residence: “The writer-in-residence holds office hours (for free but by appointment only) for anyone seeking advice and feedback on their writing, and they also lead writing workshops and programs that reach into the heart of Seattle’s communities, with a specific focus on underserved populations who may not have access to the arts. Residencies run from September through June and may last for up to two terms.” Pays:”$500 per month stipend for nine months, plus additional compensation for Hugo Classes; a vibrant and growing community of, by and for writers; an opportunity to work with a committed staff in a creative work environment and receive support and encouragement for artistic projects.” There is no application fee. Deadline: June 4, 2012. NB: “Applicants for the position should be practicing, published writers of poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction and accomplished and dedicated writing teachers with experience working with writers of all levels in a traditional workshop setting and on a one-on-one basis as a mentor offering criticism and professional development advice.”
  • Working an unpaid internship at a magazine in NYC this summer? You may be eligible to win a $1,000 grant from the generous Ed (2010). Summer application deadline (no fee) is May 30, 2012 (11:59 p.m.).
  • The Stowe Prize is a $10,000 award to recognize a United States author whose written work makes a tangible impact on a social justice issue critical to contemporary society. Named in honor of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the Stowe Prize was established to commemorate the 200th anniversary of her birth in 2011 and is awarded biennially. The inaugural Stowe Prize was awarded to authors Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn for their work, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin changed how Americans thought about slavery, galvanizing the antislavery movement and widening the divisions that led to the Civil War. Translated into sixty languages, Uncle Tom’s Cabin remains an international classic, read for its powerful portrayal of the struggle for freedom. It is in this tradition that the winner of the 2013 Stowe Prize will be chosen.” No entry fee indicated. Deadline: July 2, 2012.
  • The Common Language Project (a nonprofit online journalism organization based at the University of Washington in Seattle) is commissioning freelance articles, photography, video and multimedia on international issues for an American audience. We are interested in work that is original, rigorously reported, character-driven and designed for online presentation. All stories must include visuals and we give priority to stories that incorporate multimedia. Our rates vary depending on the medium, length and complexity of assigned stories. Note that while we pay for each story we assign, we cannot pay for travel expenses at this time. CLP contributors retain all rights to their work. We publish work from all over the world. Currently we are especially interested in hearing pitches from Latin America, East Asia, and the former Soviet states.”
  • “Marlboro College [Vt.], a liberal arts college of 300 students and 41 faculty members, invites applicants for a Visiting Professor of Writing for a one-year sabbatical replacement, beginning August 2012. Teaching responsibilities include teaching a Fiction Workshop in the fall and a Poetry Workshop in the spring, tutorial support for advanced students in Writing, with an additional literature course or two (depending on the tutorial load) each semester in the applicant’s area of expertise. MFA or PhD required.”
  • Oklahoma State University seeks a Visiting Professor, Poetry. “One-year appointment or two one-semester appointments, rank open, beginning August 2012. MFA or PhD in Creative Writing with significant poetry publications and demonstrated excellence in teaching required.”
  • From the University of Virginia: “The Department of English and Creative Writing and the Program in American Studies seek applications to fill non-tenure-track Lecturer and Instructor positions during the 2012-13 academic year. Subject areas of particular need include but are not limited to: English Language and Literature, Creative Writing (fiction and poetry), and American Studies. Compensation may take the form of wages, part-time salary with part-time benefits or full-time salary with full-time benefits, depending upon the number of courses taught. A relevant terminal degree is expected but not required. Candidates must have a strong commitment to teaching. Applications will be considered immediately.”
  • The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers

    Another midweek medley of writing-related finds culled from the Web.

  • Let’s begin with some application advice (mainly for academe, but with crossover appeal for writers-who-don’t-teach but are applying for grants/fellowships/awards/etc.). (via Wordamour)
  • Five Ways to Celebrate Short Stories is a post I wrote for Fiction Writers Review last year, but the beginning of Short Story Month 2012 seems to be a perfect time to “recycle” it.
  • Speaking of Fiction Writers Review: My “reviewlet” of Anne Korkeakivi’s The Unexpected Guest posted last week. One of the things I discuss in that piece is the author’s use of French words and phrases, so I was of course interested to discover Korkeakivi’s thoughts on handling languages other than English in fiction (thanks for the link, Writer Abroad!). (By the way, you can read some relevant thoughts of my own archived on the Brave New Words blog, too.)
  • May is apparently prime giveaway season. Don’t forget about this practicing writer’s participation in the Collection Giveaway Project. And over on Hippocampus Magazine, there will be one giveaway every day of this month to celebrate the publication’s anniversary. You need to delve into the current issue to participate–may I humbly suggest that you check out my own micro-essay in that issue, “Comprehension”?
  • For those who ask am I a writer, Cathy Day has some answers.
  • Monday Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

    Every week, I try to start us off with a fresh batch of markets, jobs, and opportunities. Always paying gigs. No submission fees. Let’s get started with this week’s offerings.

  • From Mason’s Road: “For our upcoming issue, the theme is characterization. We are looking for submissions in which characters’ voices, behaviors, and thoughts resonate and shine. While we always aim to publish the very best work that we receive, our genre editors will sift through their selections from Issue #5: Characterization to nominate their favorite for the $1,000 2012 Mason’s Road Literary Award. A special guest judge (TBA) will select the prize winner from these nominations. We have a blind submissions policy and accept work in fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, drama (stage or screen), art, craft essays, and audio drama from both emerging and established writers and artists.” Deadline: May 15, 2012.
  • Ashland Creek Press is currently accepting submissions of novels, memoirs, short story collections, and essay collections on the themes of travel, the environment, ecology, and wildlife — above all, we’re looking for exceptional, well-written, engaging stories. As you’ll see from our new and forthcoming titles, we are open to many genres (young adult, mystery, literary fiction) as long as the stories are relevant to the themes listed above. At this time, however, we are not reading submissions for children’s books.
  • The Dave Greber Freelance Writers Book and Magazine Awards are for Canadian residents who work a minimum of 70 percent of their time as self-employed freelance writers. “As of 2012, the book award is valued at five thousand dollars and the magazine award is valued at two thousand dollars. Both awards are made available to freelance writers of non-fiction for social justice writing that is exceptionally well written and researched. The Book and Magazine awards provide financial support while the writer completes a book or magazine project for publication.” No entry fees indicated. Deadline: June 15, 2012.
  • The Paris Review wishes to hire a full-time assistant for our editorial, advertising, and development staffs. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: managing social networks, updating Web store, formatting and proofreading Web site, and producing newsletters. Candidates should have experience with Google Analytics, HTML, WordPress, and Excel. Experience with InDesign and SalesForce (or other fund-raising programs) a plus. In addition, candidates should have strong writing skills, an interest in the arts, lots of energy and enthusiasm, and the ability to do many things very well at once.” Job is in NYC.
  • Intriguing freelance opportunity for those in the right cities: “The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) seeks a San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston-based freelance writer to write profiles for our member site http://membercentral.aaas.org. Please have experience writing profiles and science content for a broad audience. A background or degree in journalism is preferred. A degree in science with proven writing skills will also be considered. We pay $.75/word at a maximum length of 800 words. You are required to submit a high-res digital photo (good enough for web publication) of the profile subject with your story. We pay $5 for every photo you take that we publish with the story. We accept but don’t pay for photos the profile subject gives you/us permission to use.”
  • “The University of Houston-Victoria invites applications for the position of Writer-in-Residence in the School of Arts and Sciences. The individual must have a strong publication record in creative non-fiction and be able to help us grow our Creative Writing major as well as establish a low-residency MFA. Teaching duties will include upper-division courses in creative nonfiction as well as introductory Creative Writing classes.  The School of Arts and Sciences is home to the Society for Critical Exchange, Cuneiform Press, Centro Victoria, and two internationally distributed journals: American Book Review (http://americanbookreview.org) and symploke (www.symploke.org).”
  • Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (New York) is looking for a Communications Coordinator, Infectious Diseases Society of America (Arlington, Va.) seeks a Senior Communications Specialist, and Sarabande Books, Inc., (Louisville, Ky.) is taking applications for a Director of Marketing and Development.
  • Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

  • “The Danish Centre for Writers and Translators has the pleasure of being able to offer a four-week working residency in the buildings on the beautiful grounds of Hald Hovedgaard, near the town of Viborg, in the period of July 16 – August 13, 2012. Four foreign authors and eight to ten Danish authors will gather for this period in a writing-conducive environment, where they will have the opportunity to work undistracted in an inspiring literary atmosphere. This working residency is available to Danish and foreign writers who have had at least two works of fiction published.” There is no entry fee indicated. Application deadline for non-Danish applicants is April 1, 2012. NB: “The H.A.L.D. residency program is supported by DIVA – the Danish International Visiting Artists Exchange Programme, a programme administered by The Danish Arts Council (link to text in Danish and English). This means that, besides staying at Hald for free, the four chosen authors from abroad will receive a sum of DKK 10,000 to cover other expenses, such as food, as well as a refund of up to DKK 5,000 (DKK 7.000 overseas) for travel expenses.”(via @femministas)
  • I’m thrilled for Jonterri Gadson, who kindly let me know via Twitter that she has won the Herbert W. Martin Fellowship at the University of Dayton–which she found out about through this list of post-MFA opportunities.
  • Subscribers, you’ll have the April issue of The Practicing Writer by the weekend. Not yet a subscriber? Click here to learn more. There’s no fee to subscribe, your email address is kept confidential, and new subscribers receive a free writing contest ebook.
  • The Daniel Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative, “[c]reated in memory of the 38-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter slain by terrorists in 2002, is designed to encourage young journalists to write in-depth stories about a modern manifestation of anti-Semitism or another deeply ingrained prejudice. The DPIJI will help writers develop their ideas, mentor them and provide them with a stipend of $5000 ($2500 upon selection and $2500 upon completion of the project). Moment will edit and publish their stories, possibly in conjunction with another media outlet. Applicants must be between the ages of 22 and 38.” No application fee. Deadline: April 4, 2012.
  • “The Authors’ Foundation was established in 1984 to mark the centenary of the Society of Authors. It has been generously supported by authors, charitable trusts and the Royal Literary Fund. The Foundation provides grants to writers to assist them while writing books. There are two rounds of grants each year, awarded in the summer and in the winter. The next closing date for applications is 30th April 2012.” No application fees indicated. Eligibility: “You may apply if: 1. You have been commissioned by a commercial British publisher to write a full-length work of fiction, poetry or non-fiction and need funding (in addition to the publisher’s advance) for important research, travel, or other more general expenditure; or 2. You are without a contractual commitment by a publisher but have had at least one book published commercially by a British publisher, and there is a strong likelihood that your next book will be published in Britain.” Note: “Maximum grants are unlikely to exceed £3,500 – £4,000. Most grants are in the range £1,000-2,000).”
  • “The Scripps College [Calif.] Writing Program seeks a distinguished visiting writer for the Mary Routt Endowed Chair of Writing during the spring semester of 2013. The successful candidate will serve as Mary Routt Chair of Writing throughout the spring semester (from mid-January to mid-May). Teaching responsibilities include one writing workshop in the area of his or her choice as well as a presentation of his or her work at two public events. We are looking for candidates with critical recognition consistent with a writer of national reputation; we prefer candidates who can show evidence of outstanding teaching ability.”
  • Harvard University Press (Mass.) seeks a Writer/Editor, George Washington University (Washington) is looking for a Managing Editor, and WomenWorking.com (New York) invites applications for a Writer/Editor.
  • Friday Finds: Five Ways to Benefit from AWP (Without Attending the Conference)

    Although it may be somewhat difficult to believe (depending on how much time you’re spending on Twitter this week, and how many writer-types you follow), not everyone is attending the annual conference of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) right now.

    And here’s something that may be even more surprising: There’s plenty to gain and glean from a quick-and-easy trip (no luggage! no airport delays!) to the organization’s website.Here are five examples:

  • Searchable database of writers’ conferences, centers, residencies, festivals, and retreats.
  • Online guide to writing programs (graduate and undergraduate).
  • Selection of craft-focused articles from AWP’s magazine, The Writer’s Chronicle.
  • Selection of career-advice articles from the AWP Job List.
  • “Advice for Grantseekers from the National Endowment for the Arts,” a podcast from last year’s conference (scroll down to Episode 12; many of the other episodes on this page are limited to listeners with [membership] eLink access, but Episode 12 is available to all.
  • AWP membership does offer, as they say, some privileges. But everything I’ve listed just above is available to anyone who visits the site.

    Enjoy, and have a great weekend!