✎STUDY HALL CREATIVE 11/29/2023✎
The Creative Opportunities newsletter is a twice monthly (!) compilation of lit mag submission opportunities, creative writing contests and prizes, and literary fellowships and residencies. This month’s newsletter is written by Sarah Yanni, who definitely stirred the pot at Thanksgiving.
GENERAL SUBMISSIONS:
-(RE-SHARING) Split Lip Magazine seeks voice-driven poetry, fiction, flash fiction, art, photography and memoir for their monthly digital issues. Chosen contributors receive $75. There is no reading fee if submitting by November 30, and a $3 fee if submitting the first half of December. The deadline to submit is December 15.
–Harvard Review is holding their annual reading period for fiction and non-fiction works, with a -maximum of 7,000 words per submission. Chosen pieces will be published in the Review’s print journal. The deadline to submit is December 30 and there is a reading fee of $3.
–American Short Fiction is holding their annual reading period, inviting submissions of fiction stories without any length or style restrictions. The submission guidelines that “payment is competitive” and pieces are considered for publication both online and in the triannual print journal. The deadline to submit is December 31 and there is a reading fee of $3.
–TriQuarterly, the literary journal of Northwestern University’s Litowitz MFA+MA program, welcomes submissions of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, short drama, video essays, and hybrid work from established as well as emerging writers. The journal pays honoraria for accepted work and guidelines for each genre can be found on their website. The deadline to submit is December 31 (with the exception of video and craft essays and interviews, which are open year-round.) The reading fee is $2.
–Voicemail Poems welcomes submissions for their upcoming winter issue. The journal asks poets to submit both text and audio––text through submittable, and audio by calling 910-703-POEM. Full instructions can be found on the Voicemail Poems website. The deadline to submit is January 1 and there is no entry fee.
CONTESTS + PRIZES:
-(RE-SHARING) The fifth annual Story Foundation Prize is open for submissions of short stories up to 10,000 words. The winner receives $1,500 and publication in Story’s Summer 2024 issue. The entry fee is $25 (which includes a year-long subscription to Story) and the deadline to submit is December 15.
–Longleaf Press’ Poetry Contest welcomes submissions of poetry manuscripts between 50-80 pages. Along with publication, the winning author receives a $1000 prize, 25 author copies, and a virtual reading. This year’s winner will be selected by judge Roger Weingarten. The deadline to submit is December 15 and there is an entry fee of $27.
–45th Parallel welcomes submissions of 2,000-8,000 word science fiction stories, for their Pandemic Resilient Cities Sci-Fi Contest. From the contest site: “We are looking for submissions that explore how individuals and societies react to challenges brought on by an unfamiliar disease. Above all, we hope that this writing contest inspires creative solutions to a difficult problem that may inform our own reality.” Pandemic-Resilient Cities is a scientific research program sponsored by the National Science Foundation and conducted by researchers at Oregon State University. Four winners will receive $500 each and digital publication in 45th Parallel. The deadline to submit is December 15 and there is no entry fee.
–Boulevard Magazine is holding their annual Short Fiction Contest for Emerging Writers, defined as a writer who has not yet published a book with a nationally distributed press. The winner receives $1,500 and publication in Boulevard. Stories should be no longer than 8,000 words The deadline to submit is December 31 and there is an entry fee of $18.
–The Hollis Summers Poetry Prize––held by Ohio University Press––welcomes submissions of poetry manuscripts between 60-95 pages. The winning manuscript will be published by the Press in 2025 and the author will receive a $1,000 prize. This year’s contest general editor is Sarah Green, with final judge Chanda Feldman. The deadline to submit is December 31, and there is an entry fee of $30.
FELLOWSHIPS + RESIDENCIES:
-(RE-SHARING) The Fine Arts Work Center Fellowship offers seven-month residencies (October 1 through April 30) to a group of emerging fiction writers and poets. Each fellow receives an apartment and monthly stipend of $1,250, plus an exit stipend of $1,000. During this time, Fellows can pursue their work independently in a diverse and supportive community of peers, located in Provincetown, MA. There is an application fee of $40 and the deadline to apply is December 15.
-The Ossabaw Island Writers’ Spring Retreat is a six-day program of lectures, readings, workshops, and manuscript consultations, located twenty minutes from downtown Savannah, Georgia. This year’s program will take place March 8-13, 2024. From the retreat website: “The unspoiled beauty of Ossabaw Island has attracted writers, artists, and musicians to live on the island for short periods of reflection, research, and creativity in the mid-to-late 20th century. Ralph Ellison, Annie Dillard, and Alice Walker, are among those who have drawn inspiration from the island.” The deadline to apply is February 15, but those who apply by December 15 receive $200 off tuition if accepted (tuition cost is $3195). Applications can be submitted through the online portal.
–The First Ten Pages Fellowship provides fiction writers a one-week residency at Rockvale Writers’ Colony in College Grove, TN. A small stipend of $100 is given to the recipient for food. To apply, writers should submit the first ten pages of a previously unpublished novella or novel, and the work will be evaluated for movement and action, tone, theme, introduction of characters, description of setting, narrative voice, the introduction of conflict, the inciting incident, and originality. The application fee is $25 and the deadline to submit is December 31.
OPEN QUERIES
–Katie Gisondi at Laura Dail Literary Agency is open to queries for commercial fiction and non-fiction with a clear, distinct voice, and a unique hook. Specifically, she would “love to see more Indigenous/First Nations as well as Latinx, disabled, chronically ill, and trans/nonbinary/queer stories and voices.” Submit through her Query Manager.
–Katt Fox at The Rights Factory is open to queries for adult and YA commercial and book club fiction, as well as a slate of specific nonfiction topics that can all be found on her website. Submissions can be sent through her Query Manager. –Lynnette Novak at The Seymour Agency will be open to all queries starting January 2, 2024. She welcomes queries in a wide slate of non-fiction and fiction categories, including self-help, LGBTQ+, and memoir. Submissions can be sent through her Query Manager.
JOBS
–Aperture––a nonprofit photography publisher––is seeking a full-time Proofreader/Copy Editor to provide critical editorial support for the organization, based in New York City. The role will focus on proofreading copy for communications, sales, exhibitions, education, and book departments, and will report to the Senior Text Editor. The salary is $48,000-$52,000, along with full benefits. Apply through the application portal.
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