OPEN call for fiction SUBMISSIONS
Shenandoah
SUBMISSIONS OPEN: August 1, 2023
INFO: Starting August 1, Shenandoah will be open for fiction submissions to be considered by Mubanga Kalimamukwento, their editorial fellow in fiction.
GUIDELINES: “I would love to see work that decenters the Western lens through language and/or location. I think this is a crucial way to expand how readers envision ‘the story’ and engage with many literary traditions. I would love to see more work from the global south and work by women of color wherever they may reside.” - Mubanga Kalimamukwento
shenandoah.submittable.com/submit
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MANUSCRIPT CONSULTATIONS
Electric Literature
ENROLLMENT: August 1 - 31, 2023 (or when the 50 slots have been filled)
INFO: For the first time, up to 50 writers may enroll to receive a comprehensive manuscript review, with detailed notes, and a video call with an EL editor. Before enrolling, please review the full description of the manuscript consultation, as well as our roster of editors (viewable here).
We have 50 available slots, with 10 slots reserved for EL members at a 5% discount. The remaining 40 slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more about becoming an EL member here.
Enrollment begins at 7 AM PST on August 1, 2023 and closes at midnight PST on August 31, 2023, or when the 50 slots have been filled.
After you purchase the manuscript consultation here, we will send you a private Submittable link to submit your manuscript.
Once you have purchased a manuscript consultation, your slot is secured, and you have until August 31 to submit your manuscript.
To purchase a manuscript consultation as a gift, simply forward the confirmation email that contains the submission link to the gift recipient.
This opportunity will also serve as an important fundraiser for Electric Lit, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Proceeds will be used to pay staff salaries, writer fees, and help us continue to edit, nurture, and publish over 500 writers annually.Please send any questions to editors@electricliterature.com.
electricliterature.submittable.com/submit
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FLASH FICTION CONTEST
Pigeon Pages
DEADLINE: Extended to August 6, 2023
SUBMISSION FEE: $15
INFO: Our Annual Flash Contest will be judged by Gina Chung, author of Sea Change.
PRIZE: The winner will receive $250 and publication in Pigeon Pages. Honorable mentions will receive $50 and publication.
GUIDELINES:
Previously unpublished fiction and nonfiction pieces of 850 words or less are eligible for this contest.
We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know ASAP if the submitted piece is accepted elsewhere.
Please do not include personal information on your piece, as submissions will be read blind.
All winners must be over 18 years old and reside in the U.S. in order to claim their cash prize.
pigeonpagesnyc.com/flash-contest
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OPEN READING PERIOD FOR LITERARY NONFICTION
Sarabande Books
DEADLINE: Extended to August 7, 2023 by 11:59pm
SUBMISSION FEE: $22
INFO: Sarabande is pleased to offer an open reading period for works of literary nonfiction, including essay collections, book-length essays, and hybrid and experimental works.
ELIGIBILITY:
This submission period is open to literary nonfiction manuscripts in English. It is highly recommended that those who intend to submit a manuscript familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. You can find some of our recent literary nonfiction titles to the right. here.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Submissions to the Open Reading Period for Literary Nonfiction should include:
A cover letter with a description of the work and a brief author bio
A complete, full-length manuscript of literary nonfiction, between 150-250 pages, paginated consecutively with a table of contents and acknowledgements page
A $22 submission fee
Submission of more than one proposal is permissible with separate reading fees. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted. We ask that you notify us immediately if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit
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OPEN READING PERIOD FOR WORKS IN TRANSLATION
Sarabande Books
DEADLINE: Extended to August 7, 2023 by 11:59pm
SUBMISSION FEE: $15
INFO: Sarabande is pleased to offer an open reading period for works of poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction in translation.
ELIGIBILITY:
Publication of a translated work is contingent upon the agreement to grant English language rights and other contractual terms. Sarabande reserves the right to reject any submitted manuscript or to withdraw a publication offer if contractual obligations are not met.
It is highly recommended that those who intend to submit a proposal familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. You can find some of our bilingual titles and works in translation here.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Translators and authors wishing to submit a query should include:
A one-page cover letter that that addresses the book’s cultural, historical, and artistic significance
A brief biography of the poet and the translator, including previously published works
A sample translation of at least 20 pages (more complete manuscripts are preferred, but not required
A statement confirming that permission has been granted to the translator(s) for English translation and publication of the original text by the rights holder
A $15 reading fee
Submission of more than one proposal is permissible with separate reading fees. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted. We ask that you notify us immediately if the manuscript is acc
sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit
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THE SARABANDE SERIES IN KENTUCKY LITERATURE
Sarabande Books
DEADLINE: Extended to August 7, 2023 by 11:59pm
SUBMISSION FEE: $22
INFO: Sarabande is proud to be an independent publisher headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Each year since 2005, thanks to the generosity of benefactors from our home state and beyond, we have published a new work of Kentucky literature.
ELIGIBILITY:
This series is for writers and projects with ties to Kentucky. Eligible submissions should meet at least one of the following requirements:
The author is from Kentucky or lives/has lived in Kentucky.
The manuscript is set in Kentucky or about a Kentuckian.
Additionally the author must be willing and able to travel to or within Kentucky for readings and public events. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible.
It is highly recommended that those who intend to submit a manuscript familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. You can find some of our recent titles by Kentucky-affiliated authors here.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Submissions to the Sarabande Series in Kentucky Literature should include:
A cover letter that specifies your fulfillment of the eligibility requirements
A complete, full-length manuscript of poetry, short fiction, or literary nonfiction (48 to 100 manuscript pages for poetry, 150 to 250 for prose). Manuscripts should be paginated with a table of contents and an acknowledgements page.
A $22 reading fee
Submission of more than one manuscript is permissible with separate reading fees. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted. We ask that you notify us immediately if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit
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CCDI Artist/Scholar in Residence Application
Library of Congress
DEADLINE: August 7, 2023 at 2:00pm EST
INFO: The Artist/Scholar in Residence program supports artists or scholars in the creation of new scholarly and/or artists works that imaginatively study, experiment with, and/or critique the Library’s digital collections, materials, and/or services. Proposed projects should center on one or more of the following groups: Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and/or other communities of color in the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, territories and commonwealths (Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands).
The program is open to a broad array of artists and scholars, including (but not limited to): visual artists, conceptual artists, dancers, journalists, cultural critics, independent scholars, academic scholars, and cultural heritage practitioners, including librarians.
For 2023, the Library intends to award two 12-month grants of up to $90,000 each.
Questions about this grant program may be submitted until 2:00 PM Eastern Time on July 27, 2023 to LOC-grants@loc.gov. After July 27, the Library will only respond to emails related to submission problems.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
How do I apply?
Step 1: Download and review all forms and documents (including the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) here:
Notice of Funding Opportunity (Notice) (PDF, 474 KB)
Application Checklist (PDF, 109 KB)
Project Narrative Template (PDF, 148 KB)
Budget Plan Narrative (PDF, 160 KB)
Budget Plan Worksheet Template (XLS, 68 KB)
Step 2: Applicants can get a Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov or can use their EIN/TIN number. Alternatively, if you don’t have either, you can leave that section blank on your proposal narrative cover page and can submit a Vendor Survey Form, which will be provided during the award process to successful applicants.
What is the purpose of this program?
The Library of Congress will expand the connections between the Library and the public and strengthen the use of Library of Congress digital collections. The Library seeks to offer awards to support projects that remix and reuse Library digital collections in creative ways and that center on one or more of the following groups: Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and/or other communities of color in the United States.
Who is eligible to receive this grant?
Eligible applicants must be individuals who are U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents based in any of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, territories, and commonwealths (Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands). Eligible applicants must propose a project that must be conducted within the United States or U.S. commonwealth or territory. Additional information about eligibility is found in Section C of the Notice.
Will the Library accept multiple proposals from the same applicant?
An eligible applicant may submit only one application under this announcement.
When will the Library communicate grant decisions?
The Library intends to communicate funding decisions by late Fall 2023.
Who do I contact if I have more questions?
Staff will be available to answer questions at the Artist/Scholar in Residence grant webinars. Questions about this grant program may be submitted until 2:00 pm Eastern Time on July 27, 2023 to LOC-grants@loc.gov.
What is meant by the “Library’s digital materials and collections”?
Broadly speaking, these are Library materials that are born digital or have been digitized and available online via the Library’s digital collections website. Here you can browse or search our digital collections by keyword. A Digital Scholarship Research Guide provides more in-depth information about ways to access digital materials at the Library of Congress such as APIs and datasets.
How can I tell if an item or collection is legally available to use?
When viewing an item in the Library’s digital collections, look for a statement called “Rights and Access” or “Rights Advisory.” It contains the most accurate information we have about the rights status of the material. If the statement includes text like “public domain” or “no known copyright restrictions,” the item is free to use. Otherwise, it us up to you to determine if the details of the statement is compatible with your specific use, such as “research and educational use.” The Library’s Copyright Guide provides fuller information on rights status for Library digital materials.
loc.gov/programs/of-the-people/represent/artist-scholar-in-residence/
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ENOUGH SERIES
The Rumpus
DEADLINE: August 8, 2023
INFO: ENOUGH is a Rumpus series devoted to creating a dedicated space for work by women and non-binary people who engage with rape culture, sexual assault, and domestic violence. We want to make sure that this conversation doesn’t stop until our laws and societal norms reflect real change.
We consider personal essays, critical essays, poetry, comics, and hybrid work. We are especially interested in work that considers who has been taught to speak up and who has been taught to be silent, who has access to healthcare and to therapy, and how these inequalities make vulnerable populations even more vulnerable. While we support the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, ENOUGH is its own series and we ask that you avoid using these hashtags in your titles and essays unless you are writing a piece that centers around or investigates the campaigns themselves.
Prose should be between 1000–3500 words. You may submit three poems or five pages of poetry in one submission. We can only consider work that has not been previously published (this includes personal blogs and social media). All work should have a title.
Please only send one ENOUGH submission at a time. After we’ve responded with a decision, you are welcome to submit again.
therumpus.submittable.com/submit
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2023 CURATORIAL & ART WRITING FELLOWSHIP
NLS Kingston
DEADLINE: August 10, 2023 at 5:00pm EST
INFO: The Curatorial/Art Writing Fellowship is a 5-month long mentorship program geared towards addressing the dearth of archival scholarship on the work of artists in Jamaica and the Caribbean by empowering young writers and curators with the tools to write these histories. This program aims to develop diverse curatorial practices with a strong research and writing foundation equipping young curators to work on future projects at larger institutions and in their own initiatives, thereby generating an archive on specific concerns and artists of focus. For the program one early career fellow will be selected per year to work with a professional curatorial mentor in the development of the fellow’s project.
The program provides for fellow’s:
A work stipend of JMD $300,000
A separate publication and exhibition budget
Professional development from an experienced mentor
Access to Creative Sounds audio recording studio for podcast recording
Project space for the final project execution and talks
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
A curatorial or research statement of 700 - 1000 words. This should include ongoing research interests, planned areas of focus, as well as critical questions being investigated through the research.
An executive summary of 75 - 100 words.
A timeline for the project period. The timeline should detail checkpoints such as period of research, technical execution of outcomes such as publications (both podcast and written), panel discussions and curatorial interventions (exhibition or otherwise).
Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Work sample. Must include PDFs of 3 of your most recent writing samples, especially as related to area of research and/or 10 JPEG images (1920 pixels on longest side) with accompanying text (PDF format) of exhibitions applicant has worked on in the last 5 years.
Recommendations. Applicants must submit 2 signed letters of recommendation from someone who has worked with the applicant in their career, either in exhibitions, school and/or residencies.
Completed application form.
Copy of valid government-issued identification.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
Clarity. Clarity of the ideas and critical questions expressed in the research statement.
Relevance. How relevant is the applicant’s project to contemporary Caribbean lives and/or the archive of Caribbean art practices.
Timeline. Well-estimated timeline with thoughtful attention to time for research and technical execution of outcomes.
Previous output of applicant.
Strength of recommendations.
TIMELINE:
Notification of receipt. All artists will be notified that their application has been received by October 2, 2023.
Acceptance. Accepted applicants will be notified by November 27, 2023
All other notifications. All other applicants will be notified on the status of their submissions by December 4, 2023
Fellowship start date. December 4, 2023
REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROGRAM:
Meetings. Fellow is required to attend regular scheduled meetings with Mentor and periodical meetings with the NLS administrative staff. Fellow is expected to be punctual for all meetings and respectful of all set timelines.
Podcast Episode. Fellow is expected to host one episode of the NLS IN podcast interviewing guest(s) working in their area of research.
Exhibition. The work created in the residency should be available for a month-long curated exhibition at NLS following the residency where applicable.
Art Writing Blog. Monthly contribution to the NLS art writing blog informally documenting developments, challenges and emerging curatorial/research concerns.
Workspace. The program does not provide office space for the duration of the intensive, therefore applicants are required to have access to their own workspace, computer and working WiFi.
Time. Accepted applicants are expected to work independently under the mentorship of a professional curator and writer with a time commitment of at least 15 hours per week.
Curatorial Intervention. Fellow is expected to present a curatorial intervention in the form of an exhibition or other pre-approved format relevant to the fellow’s project focus.
Artist Talk. Fellow is required to moderate one artist talk/panel discussion towards the end of the intensive during the time of the curatorial intervention.
Written Publications. Fellow is expected to publish one essay in the form of a catalogue or zine to accompany the curatorial intervention, as well as submit one relevant piece of writing for publishing in a major art publication.
nlskingston.org/documents/NLS_Curatorial_and_Art_Writing_Fellowship_Application_2023.pdf
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Call For Work: CNF Video Game Writing From LGBTQ+ Writers of Color
ANMLY
DEADLINE: August 15, 2023
INFO: This folio seeks to collect novel, experimental, and personal approaches to video game writing from queer & trans writers of color.
Video games are fun! They can be challenging and weird and chock full of orientalism and homophobia; many of us love them despite it. This folio is interested in those kinds of tensions; what is the cost of escapism, in cases where your people are positioned as the enemy? What does it mean to execute a male power fantasy as someone affected by misogyny? Alternatively, what has escapism taught players about themselves — gender, ability, goals? What is fulfilling about inhabiting a different self?
This folio is interested in the art of video games, too; writing on music, sound effects, writing that challenges what “good” graphics look like, writing that explores labor; critical engagements, too, in the politics and approaches of narratives across franchises or individual games.
Video games are a vast medium — visual novels, RPGs, life sims, battle royale, puzzle matching — writing on any and all of them will be considered! In the spirit of this, the category of “creative nonfiction” is broad — list essays, lyrical works, prose poem sequences, comics, hybrid works and uncategorizable attempts alongside more standard essays are encouraged.
Both pitches and full drafts will be considered! Send your pitch or draft to summerisfarah@gmail.com with the subject line FOLIO SUBMISSION; include a brief bio and a line about your favorite game :) Only one pitch/piece per person will be considered, with an 1,800 word limit.
anmly.medium.com/call-for-work-cnf-video-game-writing-from-lgbtq-writers-of-color-3ffe10e818c5
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Writer to Writer Mentorship Program
Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP)
DEADLINE: August 15, 2023
INFO: AWP's Writer to Writer Mentorship Program matches emerging writers with published authors who volunteer their time for a three-month series of modules on topics such as craft, revision, publishing, and the writing life. Potential Writer to Writer mentees must be AWP members, but it is free to apply to and participate in the program. You can check your membership status by logging in at awpwriter.org and selecting "My AWP Account" at the top of the page. Please note: if you are not an AWP member, your application will not be considered.
Please fill out the submission form and attach your 10-page writing sample.
The Writer to Writer Mentorship Program is open to all AWP members, but we particularly encourage applications from those writers who have never been associated with an MFA program and those writing from regions, backgrounds, and cultures that are too often underrepresented in the literary world.
Our mentees come from all backgrounds and levels of experience. If you feel that you can benefit from a mentor's guidance at the current stage in your writing, then you are welcome to apply! After the AWP membership team reviews all mentee applications, we send a selection of potential matches to our mentors, who ultimately choose their own mentee. They tend to choose mentees based on shared goals and interests, and whether they feel they can help that person at the stage they are in now. To ensure that we make the best possible matches this season, we ask that you be open and honest about your goals, your background, and where you are now with your writing.
Should you be chosen to participate, your mentor will review your writing, listen to your concerns, and help you work towards your writing goals. You will have opportunities to interact with the others taking part in that session. AWP's membership team will also be there to support you, every step of the way.
Season 19 begins on September 18 and will consist of six lightly structured modules over a twelve-week period, concluding on December 8. You and your mentor will make a commitment to the process—and to each other.
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The Other Futures Award 2023
Futurepoem
DEADLINE: August 15, 2023 by 11:59pm EST
ENTRY FEE: $28
INFO: The Other Futures Award is given annually to an innovative, adventurous full-length work that challenges conventions of genre and language, content and form. Send us writing that imagines new lived or literary possibilities, and questions established paradigms.
The winner will receive publication with Futurepoem, an honorarium of $1000, a standard royalty contract, and 25 author copies. We will announce our decision in late 2023. The winning book will be published in 2025.
PROCESS: All submissions are read by at least two Futurepoem staff readers, who then recommend a limited group of manuscripts to the permanent editors. The winning manuscript is selected by Futurepoem's permanent editorial staff. Our process is identity-hidden, so please be sure that the author's name does not appear anywhere in the manuscript.
ELIGIBILITY: We welcome submissions by writers at any stage of their career. Manuscripts must be unpublished book-length works of prose, poetry, or multi-genre work. And though we are open to books with visuals, we have a limited capacity to support image-based projects. We publish poetry, first and foremost, and heavily image-based projects will be better served by a different publisher. Previously published poems or chapbooks may be included, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished. Writers who are not U.S. citizens are welcome to send work. Past or present students, colleagues, or close friends of Futurepoem editors are not eligible to submit.
TRANSLATIONS: We do not publish translations of works originally written in languages other than English. However, previously unpublished texts that engage bilingual or multilingual practices are welcome.
SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: We accept simultaneous submissions. Please notify Futurepoem as soon as possible if your book is accepted elsewhere.
MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: We accept multiple submissions from the same author. Each manuscript should be submitted separately including a separate entry fee.
FORMAT: Suggested length is 50 to 150 pages, though manuscripts may be slightly shorter or longer. The Other Futures Award is an anonymized contest. Please include a title page with title only, and a table of contents. The author’s name should NOT appear anywhere in the manuscript.
REVISIONS: While we are not able to accept revisions during the reading period, the winner will be able to revise their manuscript before publication.
HOW TO SUBMIT: Please submit online using our Submittable page (futurepoem.submittable.com/submit). We cannot accept hardcopy or emailed submissions. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with our catalog before you submit.
ENTRY FEE: $28. We also offer need-based reduced fees of $18 and $9; please select the fee that is most appropriate for you. You can also choose to partially sponsor someone else’s submission for $35. A fee waiver is available for anyone who may need it — if the lowest fee represents a hardship for you, please email ahana@futurepoem.com with subject line: 2023 OFA Fee Waiver.
futurepoem.submittable.com/submit/267935/the-other-futures-award-2023
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2024 Residency Programs
Centrum
DEADLINE: August 15, 2023
INFO: Centrum is thrilled to announce the open call for applications to all of the 2024 Residency Programs. These programs include:
Emerging Artist & Writers Residency - The Emerging Artist and Writers Residency provides stipends, multiple resident gatherings, visiting artists & curators, and an open studio/public reading. This residency is aimed at writers, visual, and interdisciplinary artists in the Pacific Northwest who are towards beginning of their creative paths and can benefit from the time to focus and receive support from a community of peers and specialists in their fields.
Stipend/Honorarium: $1500
Time of year: October
Length: 4 weeks
Applicants must live in Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Idaho, or Montana
2. Self-Directed General Residencies - These residencies are largely solitary, with an optional weekly coffee meet-up with other residents. These happen Jan-June and August-December. This program is fee-based, with fee-waived scholarships available.
Cost: $450/week
Stipend/Honorarium: None, but a limited number of Scholarships for waived fees are available.
Time of year: August-June.
Length: 1-4 weeks
Applicants may come from anywhere in the world.
3. In the Making Residencies (New! Beginning in 2024) - These residencies have public-facing components that could be a workshop, a temporary installation, a performance, or another type of community engagement at some point during the residency. Stipends and funds for these vary and are project-specific. These happen throughout the year. If you have an idea for In the Making, indicate so on your application with a brief description, and if selected, we’ll follow up to plan it in more detail.
Cost: There is no fee charged for this residency.
Stipend/Honorarium: Dependent on scope of project and funding.
Time of year: Varies and depends on project. Typically between August-June.
Length: 1-4 weeks.
Applicants may come from all over the world.
centrum.org/centrum-artist-residencies/
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CALL FOR Submissions: flash and short fiction
khōréō
DEADLINE: August 15, 2023
INFO: khōréō is a quarterly publication of stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. We’re especially interested in writing and art that explores the impact of human or cultural migration, whether voluntary or forced. Examples include themes of immigration, diaspora, and anti-colonialism, as well as more metaphorical interpretations of the term. Most importantly, we’re a new magazine and we’re still finding our identity: therefore, please don’t self-reject because you’re not sure if your work is a good fit. We won’t know until we see it, so please give us a chance to look!
WHO CAN SUBMIT: khōréō is dedicated to diversity and amplifying the voices of immigrant and diaspora authors and artists. We welcome, but do not require, a brief description of the author’s/artist’s identity in their cover letter.
We invite you to submit if you identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, transnational/transracial adoptees, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. We especially encourage BIPOC creators who identify as the above to submit their work.
When reading submissions, we take in good faith that you identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora as described above. If you still aren’t sure if you should submit, please email contact@khoreomag.com.
We kindly request individuals who do not identify as such to support the magazine by reading our stories, subscribing, and helping spread the word instead.
GUIDELINES:
We are looking for short fiction under 5,000 words. Because we are a new journal, we have a stricter budget and therefore prefer stories under 3,500 words. Anything over 5,000 words will be rejected without being read.
Stories must contain a speculative element in order to be considered; if there isn’t some element of fantasy, sci-fi, horror, etc. in the story, it’s not for us. The speculative element should be integrated into the piece—a random mention of a ghost on page 12 of 16 isn’t going to be the right fit.
Please submit stories through our Moksha system. Please submit based on length — stories ≤1,500 words should go into our flash queue, while stories 1,501-5,000 words should go into the short story queue.
khoreomag.com/submissions-fiction/
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Raspa Magazine
DEADLINE: August 15, 2023
INFO: Raspa Magazine publishes creative written work and visual art that narrates the queer Latinx experience. We do not focus on genre or form, but on artistic merit, innovativeness, and potential cultural impact. Raspa Magazine serves as a sustainable space for queer Latinx artist to share work without the fear of being tokenized, with liberty to experiment, and create work with the knowledge that it will be treated with dignity and respect. Our intent is to cultivate an environment that empowers art makers to push boundaries in their process, redefine the literary canon, and reshape art to be more representative and inclusive.
Raspa Magazine accepts submission from February 15 through August 15. We are looking for short fiction, poetry, dramatic works, visual art, creative non-fiction, or creative written work created by self identifying queer Latinxs. We do not accept works written by non self-identifying queer Latinx artists.
Poetry should be submitted in a single word document with each poem beginning on a new page. We usually select more than one piece per contributor so please submit a minimum of 3 pieces and no more that 8 pieces.
Short stories and creative non-fiction should reach a minimum of 1,500 words and a maximum of 3,000 words.
We welcome all submission in either English or Spanish. Spanish language work will be translated into English. Works by self-identifying Latinxs who write in any language other than English or Spanish will need to submit a translation to appear with the original piece.
Visual art should consist of a minimum 5 high resolution JPEG, Photoshop, or TIFF files that are at least 2 megabytes and reach 300 DPI. When possible a link to an artist portfolio is preferred.
Raspa Magazine holds all first serial publishing rights, after publication all rights return to the artist. Reprinted work must have a footnote indicating what issue and year it first appeared in Raspa Magazine.
Raspa Magazine provides monetary compensation for all contributors. Compensation amount will depend on the amount of funding accessible for the particular issue and will be discussed with the contributor if the work should be selected for print.
Please submit all submissions via email to hola@raspamagazine.com with your last name and the word “submission” on the subject line. On the first page of your submission document please include your full name, a valid email address, and a brief bio. Submissions without the requested information will not be read.
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STORYKNIFE WRITERS RETREAT
DEADLINE: August 31, 2023
APPLICATION FEE: $40
INFO: Storyknife provides women with the time and space to explore their craft without distraction. Every aspect of a residency at Storyknife is steeped in a profound generosity of spirit so that each writer knows she and her work are valuable. Storyknife residents carry away both this affirmation and a living community of women writers to assist their valuable work wherever they go.
Residencies at Storyknife in Homer, Alaska, are either for two or four weeks. Resident’s food and lodging is covered during the period of their residency, but travel to and from Homer, Alaska, is the responsibility of the resident. Residents stay in individual cabins & dine at the main house. An on-staff chef is responsible for food preparation.
Four week residencies begin on the 1st of each month and end on the 28th. Two week residencies begin on the 1st of each month and end on the 15th OR begin on the 15th and end on the 28th. Residencies are available April through October.
ELIGIBILITY:
Applicants must:
Be woman-identified
Be 21 years of age or older
Apply as an individual artist, not a collaborative group or team
You will provide a work sample and answer four questions (each answer 300 words or fewer).
How have you sought to educate yourself as a writer? (Formal education not a prerequisite, but evidence of curiosity and learning in your applicable genre is.)
What is your experience with publishing your work? (Publishing is not a prerequisite but is considered a goal for writers who attend Storyknife.)
What project will you pursue while in residency? (Please note that you will be free to work on whatever writing you wish during residency. We simply are interested in what you think you’ll be pursuing.)
Why would a writing residency benefit you at this time especially?
Work Sample Requirements:
Work samples should reflect work completed within the last two years. All work samples must be uploaded through Submittable. Written work samples will be uploaded directly within the application.
Applicants can submit published or unpublished work samples.
All work samples must be combined into one PDF file.
A writing sample not to exceed 10 pages (prose: double-spaced 12 point font, poetry: single-spaced 12 point font acceptable). Prose includes screenplays and stage plays which also must conform to the 10 page limit.
Any writing samples with identifying material will be disqualified. Identifying material is your name, address, or publication credits. This only refers to the writing sample, not the answers to the questions. This is an anonymous jurying process.
Diversity
Storyknife is committed to diversity and elevating voices of historically excluded communities. We value all aspects of diversity and seek to make each resident’s time at Storyknife as productive and pleasant as possible.
Please contact executive director, Erin Hollowell, at ehollowell@storyknife.org to ask about accommodation or to speak further about your needs. Storyknife is welcoming to all and will work with you to meet your needs.
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Yellow Arrow Journal
Yellow Arrow Journal
DEADLINE: August 31, 2023
INFO: Yellow Arrow Publishing is excited to announce that submissions for our next issue of Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. VIII, No. 2 (fall 2023) is open August 1–31 exploring the power and ephemerality of life’s fleeting moments. Guest editor Leticia Priebe Rocha states,
“As we navigate the turmoil of daily life and the heaviness of what lies beyond our control, it takes an intentional effort to nurture [life’s fleeting] moments into existence and to sustain the life they bring us. For me, this effort is often driven by introspection: What makes you feel alive? What connections have shaped your being? How do you tap into the well of love and hope within you? The act of creation through poetry and art has been a blessing toward answering these questions, empowering me with an openness to receive the ephemeral and inscribe it not only in memory but on the page.”
This issue’s theme will be EMBLAZON
: to conspicuously inscribe or display
: to depict (a heraldic device) on something
: to celebrate or extol publicly
And here are some questions to consider when choosing or writing for this issue:
What are the experiences that inscribed themselves onto your being and made you who are? Who are the people who adorn your life? Whose lives do you adorn in return? What are the places and contexts that you inevitably herald in all of your interactions?
Of the ephemeral instants that have embellished your existence, what marks and stays with you? What are the sensations, emotions, and images that anchor you in your own aliveness?
What is your relationship with time? How do you view its nature, particularly in relation to the fleeting moments that make up the human experience?
What are the sparks that you strive to ignite during your time on this Earth? How do you hope to illuminate the world when your time comes to an end?
Yellow Arrow Journal is looking for creative nonfiction, poetry, and cover art submissions by writers/artists who identify as women, on the theme of EMBLAZON. Submissions can be in any language as long as an English translation accompanies it. For more information regarding journal submission guidelines, please visit yellowarrowpublishing.com/submissions. Please read our guidelines carefully before submitting. To learn more about our editorial views and how important your voice is in your story, read About the Journal. This issue will be released in November 2023.
GUEST EDITOR: EMBLAZON’s guest editor, Leticia Priebe Rocha, earned her bachelor’s from Tufts University, where she was awarded the 2020 Academy of American Poets University and College Poetry Prize. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, she immigrated to Miami, Florida, at the age of nine and currently resides in the Greater Boston area. For more information, visit her website at leticiaprieberocha.com. Leticia’s poem “Lost In” was part of Yellow Arrow Journal PEREGRINE, and she was our .W.o.W. #46 (March 2023). We are excited to work with Leticia over the next few months.
yellowarrowpublishing.com/news
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2023-2024 Arts Writing Incubator
Black Embodiments
DEADLINE: September 1, 2023
INFO: Participants in the Arts Writing Incubator meet to discuss contemporary black art, sharpen our understanding of the practice of arts writing, and to develop our own publishable arts writing.
This year will feature a single cohort of 5 people who convene October - May 2024. The cohort will convene virtually every month to discuss assigned arts writing and to workshop writing-in-progress. They are tasked with seeing black art in their own locales on their own time, maintaining a writing practice that engages this art, and will be expected to pitch and ideally publish at least once during their session. Their writing will also be collected in the annual BES journal, A Year in Black Art.
The cohort will also gather for a weekend-long intensive in Seattle, WA in Spring 2024, where they will participate in closed-door sessions with invited artists, arts writers, and arts workers—folks who will also present their work for public conversation.
Cohort members will receive a humble $1,000 stipend for their participation and a per diem for their time in Seattle.
APPLICATION DETAILS:
The application consists of a 2-page letter of interest describing your critical practice, how using writing to think through contemporary black art will be generative to your practice, and what you hope to gain through engaging with The Black Embodiments Studio.
Application materials should be sent in PDF format to blackembodiments@gmail.com by September 1, 2023. 5 people will be notified of their acceptance by September 10, 2023 and publicly announced shortly thereafter. Our organizational capacity unfortunately makes it impossible to respond with individual feedback on applications.
BEST PRACTICES:
You do not have to have any experience in the arts or in arts writing to apply! But you should be experienced in self-directed thinking, invested in contributing to conversation, and able to dedicate time for reading arts writing and for seeing art on your own time. You should also have proficiency in reading, thinking about, and discussing race, and doing so from an anti-racist perspective.
Things to think about when writing your application: be specific!
Nearly every applicant will discuss their commitment to black art(s) and their need or desire to be amongst other critical black arts thinkers. The routes to these commitments, desires, and needs can be very different, however. Your application should show us how specific people, conversations, ideas, works, and/or artists, etc. have helped shape how you have arrived at this opportunity—and what you might make of it.
You don’t have to have any arts writing experience to participate in the AWI but writing is the tool through which BES operates. It is important to discuss the stakes of (arts) writing for you, your practice, and the contributions you want to make in the (arts) world(s) you are a part of.
There may be plenty you don’t know and want to learn through participating in the AWI—you might not even know what you don’t know! When describing your goals, needs, and/or desires to use BES and the AWI as a learning space, be clear on any specific tools, methods, strategies, frameworks, etc. that you hope to develop and why.
The AWI requires participants set their own schedules for experiencing, reflecting on, and writing about black art. Your letter should discuss how you are currently or will be intentionally engaged in cultural practices in your region, and ways that you are or will be intentionally engaged in some sort of reflection on those practices.
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2023 CONTEST: Fiction, nonfiction + flash
Black Warrior Review
DEADLINE: September 1, 2023
ENTRY FEE:
Fiction and Nonfiction: $20 for each submission
Flash: $6
INFO: Black Warrior Review’s 2023 Contest is now open.
GUIDELINES:
Fiction and Nonfiction: Submit up to 7,000 words.
Flash: Submit a packet of up to 3 flash pieces in one file. This can be in any genre, as long as the author considers it “flash.” We encourage experimental, hybrid, and lyrical submissions in this category. Image + text work is also welcomed. Surprise us. Word count is at the discretion of the submitter.
Cover letters are welcome.
Please do not include identifying information in your submission document. We will use your Submittable information to contact you, so please make sure your contact information is accurate and up-to-date.
Multiple submissions are welcome, as are simultaneous submissions. Please notify us immediately if your submission is accepted elsewhere.
We accept only previously unpublished work for publication. Winners in Nonfiction, and Fiction genre receive $1000 and publication in BWR 50.2, our Spring 2024 issue. The first runner-up in each genre receive monetary compensation, acknowledgment in the print issue, and online publication (if desired). We may consider any submission for general publication.
The winner in Flash receives $500 and publication in BWR 50.2, our Spring 2024 issue. The first runner-up receives monetary compensation, acknowledgment in the print issue, and online publication (if desired). We may consider any submission for general publication.
Winners will be announced in October.
Fiction Judge: Michael Martone’s newest books are Plain Air: Sketches from Winesburg, Indiana (2022) and The Complete Writings of Art Smith, The Bird Boy of Fort Wayne (2020). He has authored or edited over two dozen editions including recent books The Moon Over Wapakoneta (2018); Brooding (2018); Memoranda(2015);Winesburg, Indiana; and Double-wide (2007), his collected early stories.
Michael Martone (2005) is his memoir in contributor’s notes like this one.
The Flatness and Other Landscapes won the AWP Award for Nonfiction, in 2000.
His stories and essays have appeared in over 100 magazines and journals and have been featured or cited in Best American Stories, Best American Essays, and the Pushcart Prize.
Martone was born and grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He attended Butler University, IPFW, and graduated from Indiana University. He holds the MA from The Writing Seminars of The Johns Hopkins University.
Martone won two Fellowships from the NEA and a grant from the Ingram Merrill Foundation. In 2013 he received the national Indiana Authors Award, in 2016, the Mark Twain Award for Distinguished Contribution to Midwestern Literature, and in the spring of 2023 was awarded the Truman Capote Award by the Monroeville Literary Festival.
Michael Martone retired as Professor at the University of Alabama, having taught creative writing classes there since 1996. He taught creative writing for 40 years, also teaching at Iowa State, Harvard, Syracuse Universities and Warren Wilson College.
He lives in Tuscaloosa with his wife, the poet Theresa Pappas.
Nonfiction Judge: Jesse McCarthy is Assistant Professor in the departments of English and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. He is the author of the essay collection, Who Will Pay Reparations on My Soul? winner of the 2022 Whiting Award for Nonfiction, and a novel, The Fugitivities.
Flash Judge: Allegra Hyde is the author of the speculative story collection THE LAST CATASTROPHE, as well the novel ELEUTHERIA, which was named a “Best Book of 2022” by The New Yorker. Her first book, the story collection OF THIS NEW WORLD, won the John Simmons Short Fiction Award. Hyde is also the recipient of three Pushcart Prizes, and her work has been anthologized in Best American Travel Writing, Best of the Net, and Best Small Fictions. Hyde has received fellowships and grants from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, The Elizabeth George Foundation, the Lucas Artist Residency Program, the Jentel Foundation, the U.S. Fulbright Commission, and elsewhere. For more information, visit www.allegrahyde.com.
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FALL 2023 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
A Gathering Together Literary Journal
DEADLINE: September 1, 2023
INFO: A Gathering Together welcomes previously unpublished essays, short stories, poetry, reviews, visual art, and film. If you have other kinds of submissions in mind please let us know.
The journal is published bi-annually, with special features published between issues. Our deadline for submissions for our spring issue is March 1st and for our fall issue, September 1st.
Please take some time to review our content so that you can get a feel for what we would like to publish. The About Us page is also a great starting point for determining if your work is a good fit. As well, the essay, “Inauguration,” in which our founding editors frame what we are trying to accomplish with this space.
A Gathering Together is unable to compensate writers at this time.
All submissions will undergo a blind review. Please remove all identifying information from your submission–with the exception of the title page, which should include your name, a brief bio, and any other information you would like the editorial team to know. Please submit all text in .doc or .docx format, double spaced, size twelve font (unless your poetry or other creative submission requires otherwise). We welcome simultaneous submissions, but please let us know if your work has been accepted elsewhere during the process of reviewing.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Features are generally published January-March or July-September. Our interviews usually consist of a conversation with the artist whose work illustrates the immediately preceding issues, but we are interested in featuring projects, initiatives, and works of all kinds.
Artists: Artists who want to be featured in our upcoming issues are invited to send us a letter of interest, brief bio, and a sample portfolio. See additional guidelines below.
Interviews: Writers who want to conduct interviews are welcome to send us pitches letting us know how the interview and interviewee (artist, performer, community initiative, archive, etc.) would be a good fit for our journal.
GENERAL SUBMISSIONS:
Essays and Creative Nonfiction: Essays should address issues of relevance and import. We are looking primarily to use this space to engage ideas that are not normally considered in popular media or ways that they might be considered differently. If necessary, we encourage the use of either footnotes or hyperlinks. If you would like to skip these, please add a further reading list, so that our readers can engage your ideas in depth. We do not impose a word count, as long as there is a convergence between the idea and its proper elaboration.
Poetry: Poetry submissions should engage issues of enduring consequence. Please submit between three and five poems that reflect your style. We will choose up to three if we accept your work for publication. Submit all poems in one document using a page break between each poem.
Short Stories: The short story form continues to represent an important format for intellectual production. We seek compelling narratives that tell stories that rebel against master narratives of our existence be it by use of plot, narrative structure, characterization, or another device. Tell us a story we’ve never heard before, or an old one with an ending we’ve not yet dreamed.
Reviews: William Cooper Nell once wrote that “we must be a reading people.” A Gathering Together is above all a place guided by the written word. We are interested in books that may not have gotten the attention they deserved. Less concerned with engaging the “hot new book,” the reviews section will feature works that strike us as necessary reads, regardless of the date of publication. In addition to books, we offer space for reviews of music, independent film, museum exhibitions, and theater. We will accept both essay reviews and standard reviews. There is no word limit—so the same principles about length outlined in the guidelines for essays holds here.
Visual Art: There are limits to words. Art submissions must do the same kinds of work that we expect in other forms. We accept all kinds of submissions. Please ensure that whatever you submit is of publishable quality. Image resolution should be a minimum of 72dpi and the file should be no larger than 2MB. We prefer that they be submitted in .eps, .jpg, .tiff, or .png file formats.
Film: The moving image, too, is a striking way to articulate meaningful ideas. Films should be no longer than 30 minutes. If we decide to share your work, we will require you to upload it to a third-party site, such as Youtube or Vimeo, so that we can embed it on our site.
SUBMISSIONS PROTOCOL:
All submissions should be sent as attachments to submissions@agatheringtogether.com. In your email, please briefly indicate the nature of your submission and whether you would like it to be considered for our biannual issue or for a special feature.