✎STUDY HALL CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES 09/19/2023✎

By Sarah Yanni

The Creative Opportunities newsletter is a 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 (when not writing), is deep on Fridge Restock TikTok.

►To help make Creative better for all of our members, please let us know what we can do to improve the newsletter by emailing [email protected].

 

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GENERAL SUBMISSIONS

—The Cincinnati Review is open for print journal submissions in all genres, including special genres such as fiction translations, drama, and miCRo. The journal pays $25/page for prose and $30/page for poetry. Specific requirements for each genre can be found on The Cincinnati Review website. The deadline to submit is September 30.
—Blue Mesa Review is open to submissions of Fiction (up to 6,000 words), Nonfiction (up to 6,000 words), Poetry (up to 3 poems), and Visual Art. Chosen contributors receive a $25 payment and publication in the annual print magazine, published by the Creative Writing Department at the University of New Mexico. There is an entry fee of $3 and the deadline to submit is October 31.
—Indiana Review is open for general submissions of fiction (up to 6,000 words), nonfiction (up to 6,000 words), and poetry (3-6 poems). Payment for publication is $5 per page ($25 minimum) and two contributor copies of the issue in which the work appears. There is a $3 reading fee, waived for Black and/or Indigenous writers, and the deadline to submit is October 31.
—Foglifter––a journal of LGBTQ+ voices–– is open for Issue 9 submissions across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, hybrid and drama genres. Contributors receive two copies of the issue in which they appear and a $50 honorarium. There is no reading fee, and the deadline to submit is November 1.
—Camas Mag is open for submissions of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art and photography, within their Winter 2023 theme: Hearth. Founded by Environmental Studies grad students at the University of Montana in 1992, Camas is a biannual literary magazine focused on art and literature rooted in the landscapes and traditions of the American West. There is an entry fee of $3 and the deadline to submit is November 10.
—The Beloit Fiction Journal––the celebrated contemporary fiction print journal that began in 1985––is holding their annual reading period, welcoming stories up to 13,000 words on any subject or theme. There is an entry fee of $3 and the deadline to submit is November 16. 

 

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CONTESTS + PRIZES:

 

—The Miller Williams Poetry Prize, held by the University of Arkansas Press, is open for poetry manuscript submissions between 60 and 90 pages. Series Editor Patricia Smith serves as judge, awarding $5,000 and publication to the chosen winner. The deadline to submit is September 30, and there is a reading fee of $28.
—Philip Levine Prize for Poetry is sponsored by the Creative Writing Program at CSU Fresno and awards $2000 and publication by Anhinga Press to the chosen manuscript. Submit a poetry manuscript of 48 Philip Levine Prize for Poetry – Department of Englishpages minimum. This year’s final judge is Douglas Kearney. The reading fee is $25 and the deadline to submit is September 30.
—The Iowa Short Fiction Award and the John Simmons Short Fiction Award are annual prizes given to two collections of stories by emerging short fiction writers, published by the University of Iowa Press. Manuscript submissions are managed and juried through the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Writers who have yet to publish a book-length volume of fiction are eligible to apply. There is no entry fee, and the deadline to submit is September 30.
—The Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction recognizes “daring, original, and innovative novels.” The winner receives $5,000 and publication by Dzanc Books. Finalists will be compiled in-house and passed along for evaluation to this year’s judges: Mark Dunn (Ella Minnow Pea), Julie Ann Stewart (Water and Blood), and Alan Grostephan, author of The Banana Wars, which was chosen as the winner of last year’s Prize for Fiction. The entry fee is $25 and the deadline to submit is September 30.
—The Alice James Book Award welcomes submissions of poetry manuscripts by US-based writers. The winning manuscript will receive a $2,000 prize, publication by Alice James Books, and distribution through Consortium. The entry fee is $30 and the deadline to submit is October 16, 2023.
—The Diode Editions Full-Length Book Contest is open to all poets over the age of 18 who write in English. The winning collection will receive $1500, publication by Diode Editions within one year, 10 author copies, and publication of select poems from the book in the 17th anniversary issue of diode poetry journal. Send receipt of payment (screen-capture, PDF, etc.) and manuscript submissions to [email protected] with “Book Contest” and the title of your manuscript in the subject field. The $20 reading fee can be paid on their site and the deadline to submit is October 30.
—North American Review is holding their Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize, welcoming submissions of fiction pieces up to 10,000 words. The winner receives $1000 prize and publication in North American Review’s Summer issue. The final judge this year is Allegra Hyde. The entry fee is $23 and the deadline to submit is November 1.
—The Vanity Papers Wonderland Short Fiction Competition is open to submissions of stories between 1000 and 2500 words. The winner will be featured in the forthcoming print issue, and runners-up will be publishable on the website. The Vanity Paper contributors have written for outlets like The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, The New York Times, JStor, Wet Grain, The Minnesota Review, The London Magazine, Aesthetica Magazine, The Oxford Magazine, and others. The entry fee is £5 reading and the deadline to submit is November 12. Email proof of payment and entry to [email protected].

 

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OPEN QUERIES: 

 

—Amy Collins at Talcott Notch Literary Services is open to Non-Fiction queries during the month of September. She publishes mostly Pop Culture, Cooking, and Advice-related Non-Fiction. Send work via her query manager.
—Katie Shea Boullier at Donald Maass Literary Agency is currently open to queries. Katie focuses on representing commercial fiction for young adult and adult markets in the areas of upmarket women’s fiction, book club fiction, romance, psychological / domestic suspense, thrillers, and coming-of-age stories. She is particularly drawn to contemporary storylines. To query, email [email protected].
—Eric Smith from P.S. Literary is currently open to queries, with a wish list including neurodiversity-centered stories (across both non-fiction and fiction, for Middle Grade Young Adult, and Adult), novels by adoptees about the adoptee experience, projects in verse or across genres, and “high-concept rom-coms.” See P.S. Literary’s website for detailed query guidelines and the query email.
—Nina Leon at Perez Literary & Entertainment is currently open to queries, with a wish list including New Adult fantasy romance, commercial fiction, mysteries, thrillers, high fantasy, historical romance, and more. Her full wishlist is available here. Send work via her query manager.

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JOBS

 

—One Story, Inc. is hiring a part-time Assistant Editor. The position requires 8-12 hours of work per week, and candidates should be able to commit to at least one day of work in-person per month at the Brooklyn office. This is a contract position with $1,000/month pay. Prospective candidates should send a cover letter and CV to [email protected] by 11:59 PM ET on Tuesday, October 3rd.
—Smith College is hiring an Assistant Professor of English Language and Literature, to begin July 1, 2024. This is a full-time tenure track position in creative writing, with a specialty in Fiction writing. Applicants should have an MFA or equivalent terminal degree in creative writing, along with a strong record of publication, significant teaching experience and a clear pedagogical vision. Apply via Interfolio; review of applications will begin October 1.
—The Department of English at the University of Iowa invites applications for an Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing. They are looking for a fiction writer and teacher who can offer both creative and critical classes. They particularly welcome applications from writers who have expertise in multiple creative genres or in the following fields: African American Studies, Asian Literature, Native American and Indigenous Studies, Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies, Transnational and Postcolonial Literature, Latin American Literature, Disability Studies, and Media Studies. This is a tenure-track position, with teaching both at the undergraduate and the graduate levels, with a “normal load of two courses per semester.” The anticipated start date for the position will be August 21, 2024. Apply via the Iowa website; review of applications will begin October 1.