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Friday Finds for Writers

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

Treasure ChestWriting-related resources, news, and reflections to read over the weekend.

  • A few submission questions–especially for nonfiction/essay writers–answered by Michelle Seaton.
  • Kelly James-Enger reveals “10 Reasons Why Your Pitch Got Rejected.” (Wish that I’d had this post to share with the students in my freelancing seminars last week.)
  • Robert Lee Brewer shares his experience securing blurbs for his new poetry collection.
  • “The men couldn’t fight back against being prisoners—but they could take on perceived abuse by a writer’s imagination.” So writes Carol Muske-Dukes in an extraordinary post on John Cheever’s visit to the Ossining Correctional Facility (“Sing Sing”).
  • One of my favorite reading series is Sunday Salon NYC. Even if I weren’t a past participant and didn’t have a piece in the latest issue of the complementary SalonZine, I’d point you to the online offerings that Nita Noveno and Sara Lippmann have assembled. Check out their introduction to the “Shaken” issue.

    • Have a great weekend, everyone!

    Wednesday’s Work-in-Progress: Updates Galore

    by Erika Dreifus on
    3

    A few bits of news to share this week:

  • Remember when I told you that I was about to submit a poetry chapbook manuscript to a contest for the very first time? Well, I’m overjoyed to share that the manuscript has reached quarterfinalist status! The news really made my day last Wednesday when it was announced. Obviously, I’m hoping that the manuscript makes it to the next (semifinalist) stage, too. But even if it doesn’t, I have gained such a sense of validation in the work. For that, I am so grateful.
  • Today I’m on my way to the Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA program‘s August residency, where I’ll be teaching seminars on freelancing, character development, and short-story collection structuring. I’m honored to have this opportunity and eager to get my first-ever glimpse of the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
  • And speaking of fiction/short stories, may I recommend that you short story writers consider pre-ordering the 2014 Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market? I won’t get any commission, but you will get to see my article on “Habits of Highly Successful Short Story Writers” within. More about that (and public thanks to my interviewees) when I’m able to get my hands on a final copy of the book, myself.

    • I’m not sure what my Internet situation will be like while I’m away at the residency, so I’m taking a brief hiatus from blogging until I get back. (Don’t worry–when I say “brief” I mean “brief”–you’ll see me back here on Monday morning!) Have a great several days, everyone.

    Some of the scenery I can look forward to! (photo from the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts Facebook page)
    Some of the scenery I can look forward to! (photo from the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts Facebook page)

    Wednesday’s WIP: Notes on Fallen Idols

    by Erika Dreifus on
    7

    1. I am unabashedly stealing the structure of this post from Daniel Nester, who is currently posting “99 Days of Notes” on his site. All last week, I was especially moved by the several Notes on Grief. You can find links to each post in the series and read all about the project right here.

    2. I’m hoping that this format will help me say something at least semi-cogent regarding Margo Rabb’s essay, “Fallen Idols,” which appeared in last Sunday’s New York Times Book Review.

    2a. Rabb’s essay evoked many thoughts, only some of which I’ll attempt to articulate here.

    2b. I’ve never met or corresponded with Margo Rabb, but I admire and have often recommended her short story “How to Tell a Story.”

    3. “Fallen Idols” essentially presents us with exemplary instances of disillusionment resulting from discoveries that esteemed authors have flaws.

    3a. The essay begins with Rabb’s own admiration for Rainer Maria Rilke; having Googled him, Rabb discovers enough to make her wonder, “How could the kind prophet whose lengthy passages I’d copied into my teenage diary be a selfish, sycophantic, womanizing rat?” (more…)

    Monday Markets for Writers

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    Monday brings the weekly batch of no-fee competitions/contests, paying submission calls, and jobs for those of us who write (especially those of us who write fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction).

  • “Jaggery, a DesiLit arts and literature journal, connects South Asian diasporic writers and homeland writers; we also welcome non-South Asians with a deep and thoughtful connection to South Asian countries, who bring their own intersecting perspectives to the conversation. (By South Asia we mean Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, The Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.) Our hope with Jaggery is to create a journal that offers the best writing by and about South Asians and their diaspora….We publish ART, ESSAYS, FICTION, POETRY, REVIEWS, and an advice column. We prefer original, previously unpublished submissions; we solicit reprints only in exceptional cases….We’re purchasing ongoing worldwide digital rights, for use in web and possible downloaded forms (ebook, PDF, etc.). Six months after publication, you may request to have your work removed from our online archive. We follow a blind submission review process and pay $25 for prose/poetry/art.” Hurry up if you’re interested: “The deadline for submissions for the inaugural issue is July 31st, 2013.” (via @Duotrope)
  • “Blank Fiction Magazine is currently accepting submissions for our first three issues! The themes for each are: Literary Fiction, Noir Fiction and Science Fiction.” Deadline for the first (literary fiction) issue is October 15. Pays: “Blank Fiction Magazine is proud to support all of our writers with a $50 honorarium for their contribution to our pages.”
  • “Soomo Publishing, an independent publisher of college-level webtexts, seeks experienced freelance writers to contribute original commentaries on world literature. Soomo is convinced that textbooks don’t have to be boring. With this in mind, we are looking for magazine feature-type commentaries to accompany important works of pre-Renaissance-era writing. The commentaries will be included in an online world literature course, and are intended to provide historical and cultural context that is both instructive and thought-provoking. Our goal is to capture students’ imagination and introduce them to the ‘stories behind the stories.’ In terms of voice, our models include Smithsonian magazine, Wilson Quarterly, and Mental Floss’s’101 Masterpieces’ series–in short, anything that makes culture relevant, stimulating, and accessible.” Pays: “Commentaries are being assigned at 1,500 words, at a rate of $0.50/word.”
  • As announced in its latest newsletter: “Creative Nonfiction is looking for new instructors for its online classes. Responsibilities include creating written lectures, reading and responding to student work, engaging in online discussion, and answering student questions on a daily basis.”
  • Coming soon! More no-fee writing contests and paying calls for prose and poetry in the August issue of The Practicing Writer, which will go out to subscribers before week’s end. Get your copy right in your e-mailbox. It’s free, and we don’t sell, rent, or share our mailing list.
  • Algonquin Books (Chapel Hill, N.C.) is looking for an Assistant Publicist.