SHORT STORY SUBMISSION: CALL FOR BLACK MALE & BLACK NONBINARY WRITERS
Kwame Mbalia
INFO: For too long the stories of Black boys have been written for us and our joy has been omitted. No longer. I want to present, read, and tell stories that center the joy of Black boyhood.
I am putting together and editing a to-be-announced Middle Grade anthology (i.e. targeted towards readers age 8-12) that will center the joy of Black boyhood. A stellar group of authors have agreed to come with me on this journey, and a fantastic publisher is committed to publishing these stories.
Something that is near and dear to my heart is the idea of mentoring and providing space for up-and-coming writers. To that end, I am launching a call for submissions with the hope of finding two writers to be published in this anthology. I did not get to where I am by myself. Other authors reached back, boosted, lifted, and helped me climb, and I want to do the same.
ELIGIBILITY
A Black male/non-binary author as specified above
Unagented and non-traditionally published (if you’ve previously published novellas or short stories, that’s fine!)
Must be 18 years old or older in order to submit a story
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Stories should be typed in a manuscript format and emailed as an attachment to BlackBoyStories@gmail.com
In addition to the short story, all submissions must include a 150 words or less bio that tells me about you.
Due to the volume of submissions, submissions will not be returned and comments will not be provided. (It’s just me, y’all.)
If selected, then you agree upon request to cooperate with the editor (me) and the publisher and in the editing and publishing process. You further understand that you will be asked to sign a contributor agreement in a standard form acceptable to the editor (me) and the publisher, and your submission may not be published if you elect not to sign. You further agree that the submission may be edited for length, format or otherwise by the editor (me) and the publisher.
If selected, you will be paid $2,000 on delivery and acceptance, and you will receive credit upon publishing.
SHORT STORY REQUIREMENTS
Short stories must be written for a Middle Grade audience, i.e. for readers age 8 to 12 years old. Stories can be of any genre, i.e. contemporary, science-fiction, fantasy, etc.
Stories must be no more than 3000 words in length.
Stories should not have been previously commercially published and you must be the sole author of the story you submit.
Stories should center joy (which doesn’t mean excluding other experiences) and feature and center Black boys (which doesn’t mean excluding other characters. Say it with me: Centering doesn’t mean excluding.)
All short story submissions must be typed in a manuscript format.
The submission must not contain any material that violates or infringes upon the rights of any third party, including without limitation any copyright, trademark or right of privacy or publicity, or that is unlawful, in violation of or contrary to any applicable law or regulation, or the use of which as described in this call for submissions by the editor would require a license or permission from or payment to any third party; and the submission must not contain any material that is defamatory.
By submitting, the applicant represents and warrants that the applicant owns the copyright in the submission, has complied with all of the requirements and has obtained all permissions, licenses and consents that are necessary for the submitting of the submission and to the use of the submission by the anthology editor and publisher and their licensees. The anthology editor reserves the right in the editor’s sole discretion to disqualify any submission that the editor determines does not comply with these requirements, or to require the applicant to make such changes to any submission as are necessary to make it compliant.
DEADLINE: November 1, 2020
https://kwamembalia.com/a-call-for-joy/
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START A RIOT! CHAPBOOK PRIZE
Foglifter
INFO: In response to rapid gentrification and displacement of QTBIPOC+ literary artists in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in celebration of these communities’ revolutionary history, Foglifter Press, Radar Productions, and Still Here San Francisco are pleased to announce Start a Riot! - a chapbook series for local emerging queer and trans Black writers, Indigenous writers, and writers of color.
AWARD: Each year, the prize will honor one author with:
chapbook publication
a $1,000 prize
promotion
a spot on the Sister Spit Tour
ELIGIBILITY:
Submitter is a QTBIPOC+ literary artist
Submitter is a current resident of the larger San Francisco Bay Area
Submitter does not have a previous full-length publication in their submission genre
MANUSCRIPT DETAILS:
Open to all genres, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, hybrid, graphic novels
25 pages (maximum)
IMPORTANT DATES:
Deadline: November 1, 2020
Results Announced: Spring 2021
Chapbook Release: Fall 2021
https://foglifterjournal.com/submit-to-start-a-riot/
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2020 CRAFT FLASH FICTION CONTEST
Craft Literary
INFO: Welcome back to our annual flash fiction contest for unpublished stories up to 1,000 words!
Leesa Cross-Smith will select three winning stories
AWARD: $1,000
GUIDELINES:
Open September 1 to November 1
CRAFT submissions are open to all writers
International submissions are allowed
Fiction only!
Please submit work in English only
1,000 word count maximum—flash fiction only
We review literary fiction, but are open to a variety of genres and styles—our only requirement is that you show excellence in your craft
Previously unpublished work only—we do not review reprints, including self-published work, for contests
We allow simultaneous submissions—writers please notify us and withdraw your entry if your work is picked up elsewhere
We allow multiple submissions—please submit each set of two flash stories as a separate submission accompanied by a reading fee
All entrants will receive an exclusive digital compilation next year that includes: the winning pieces with Leesa Cross-Smith’s introductions and the winners’ craft essays; the editors’ choice winners; excerpts from finalist pieces; and more
Please, please, double-space your submission and use Times New Roman 12 pt font
Please include a brief cover letter with your publication history (if applicable)
We do not require blind submissions
We do not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, disability, family status, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation, or for any other reason
Additionally, we do not tolerate discrimination in the writing we consider for publication: work we find discriminatory on any of the bases stated here will be declined without complete review (you will be refunded, less fees)
READING FEE: $20
DEADLINE: November 1, 2020
https://www.craftliterary.com/craft-flash-fiction-contest/
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THE COMMONWEALTH SHORT STORY PRIZE
Commonwealth Writers
INFO: The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words). Regional winners each receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives £5,000.
As well as English, stories are accepted in the Bengali, Chinese, French, Greek, Kiswahili, Malay, Portuguese, Samoan, Tamil and Turkish languages. Translated entries from any language into English are also eligible.
The competition is free to enter and open to any citizen of a Commonwealth country who is aged 18 and over.
DEADLINE: November 1, 2020
http://www.commonwealthwriters.org/our-projects/the-short-story/
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JACK STRAW WRITERS PROGRAM
Jack Straw Cultural Center
INFO: Jack Straw Cultural Center is now accepting applications for the 25th year of the Jack Straw Writers Program. To date, the program has included more than 275 writers from the Pacific Northwest and beyond who represent a diverse range of literary genres. Each year, an invited curator selects 12 participants.
The purpose of the Jack Straw Writers Program is to introduce writers to the medium of recorded audio; to develop their presentation skills for both live and recorded readings; to encourage the creation of new literary work; to present the writers and their work in live readings, in an anthology, on the web, and on the radio; and to build community among writers. Participating writers are presented in live readings, in the printed Jack Straw Writers Anthology; and on the web and radio. Each year an invited curator selects the participating writers from a large pool of applicants based foremost on artistic excellence. Among past curators are program co-founder Rebecca Brown, Anastacia- Renée, Donna Miscolta, Matt Briggs, Stephanie Kallos, Shawn Wong, and Jourdan Imani Keith. Writers receive training in vocal presentation, performance, and microphone technique to prepare them for public readings, interviews, and studio recording. Their recorded readings and interviews with the curator are then used to produce programs for SoundPages, our literary podcast, and for selected radio broadcast.
The Writers Program requires participants to be on-site at Jack Straw Cultural Center for a number of activities, such as an introductory orientation, workshops for microphone/voice technique and live performance, in-studio interview session with the program curator, and live readings. (See Covid-19 advisory for more on this.) Most of these activities take place between January and June. Additional Writers Program readings will take place around the community throughout the year, including a final reading with all of the writers in November. Work appearing in the Jack Straw Writers Anthology may not be previously published material, and any subsequent publication of this work must acknowledge the Jack Straw Writers Program.
The 2021 Writers Program Curator is E. J. Koh. E. J., a 2016 Jack Straw Writers Program fellow, is the author of the memoir The Magical Language of Others (Tin House Books, 2020) and poetry collection A Lesser Love (Louisiana State University Press, 2017), winner of the Pleiades Editors Prize for Poetry. Her poems, translations, and stories have appeared in Academy of American Poets, Boston Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, PEN America, Slate, and World Literature Today. Koh is the recipient of The Virginia Faulkner Award for Excellence in Writing from Prairie Schooner and has received fellowships from the American Literary Translators Association, Kundiman, MacDowell Colony, Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, and Vermont Studio Center. She is the editor for Pleiades: Poetry by Korean American Women and has appeared in anthologies: Bettering American Poetry Vol. 3, Privacy Policy: The Anthology of Surveillance Poetics, Political Punch: Contemporary Poems on Politics of Identity, and The World I Leave You: Asian American Poets on Faith and Spirit. Koh earned her MFA at Columbia University in New York for Creative Writing and Literary Translation. She is completing her PhD at the University of Washington in English Language and Literature.
Selection Process
Writers Program applications are evaluated and awarded by an invited curator. The curators change each year. All applicants will be notified of the results in writing. Please allow at least eight weeks after deadline dates for the review and notification process to be completed. The first Writers Program mandatory meeting will take place in January 2021.
Selection Criteria
The Writers Program receives more than a hundred applicants, from which 12 writers are selected. Curator selections will be based upon the excellence of the work represented in the support materials provided by the applicant.
Covid-19 Advisory
We will almost certainly need to adapt the 2021 Writers Program to fit the safety requirements of the current situation, as we have been doing for the 2020 Writers. Some elements – such as workshops, readings, and meetings – will be moved online, and some will be adjusted to minimize the number of people sharing space.
It is impossible to know exactly what the situation will look like in January, when this program is set to begin, so we are requesting your patience, flexibility, and adaptability in advance. Know that we will do whatever we can to help you get the most out of this program and find community with your cohort and curator.
DEADLINE: November 3, 2020
https://jackstraw.submittable.com/submit/90532/jack-straw-writers-program
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: AWAKE
Lucky Jefferson
INFO: Lucky Jefferson's digital zine Awake seeks to amplify the experiences and perspectives of Black writers in American society.
The second issue of our digital zine will explore Black culture through cuisine. Send us your most savory and decadent poems, essays, flash fiction, and art on foods that inspired your identity and exude blackness.
Upon acceptance, submissions will be included on our website and publicized on social media.
Writers looking to be published in upcoming print issues should plan to submit their work to the appropriate form during open calls.
When submitting:
- Send no more than three poems in a submission. Poems should be separated by titles or page breaks.
- If sharing an essay, include an essay with no more than 1500 words.
- Send no more than three pieces of art. Artwork that offers social commentary on the Black experience is highly preferred (We love comics and collage pieces!).
- Include a cover page highlighting your name, email address, current address, and bio (third-person, 50 words max).
We do not accept translations or work that has been previously published in print or online.
DEADLINE: November 6, 2020
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ADINA TALVE-GOODMAN FELLOWSHIP
One Story
INFO: Together with the Talve-Goodman Family, One Story is happy to open submissions for the Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship. This educational fellowship offers a year-long mentorship on the craft of fiction writing with One Story magazine. Our hope is to give a writer outside of the fold a significant boost in their career.
Previous winners of the Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship include Nay Saysourinho (2019) and Arvin Ramgoolam (2020).
The fellow will receive:
Free tuition for all One Story online classes and programming offered in 2021.
Travel stipend ($2,000) and tuition to attend One Story’s July 2021 week-long summer writers’ conference in Brooklyn, which includes craft lectures, an in-person intensive fiction workshop, and panels with literary agents and publishers.
A full manuscript review & consultation with One Story Executive Editor Hannah Tinti (story collection or novel in progress up to 150 pages/35,000 words).
REQUIREMENTS: This fellowship calls for an early-career writer of fiction who has not yet published a book and is not currently nor has ever been enrolled in an advanced degree program (such as an MA or MFA) in Creative Writing, English, or Literature, and has no plans to attend one in the 2021 calendar year. We are seeking writers whose work speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference. This means writing that explores being in a body marked by difference, oppression, violence, or exclusion; often through categories of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, religion, illness, disability, trauma, migration, displacement, dispossession, or imprisonment. All applicants must be at least 21 years of age as of January 1st, 2021. For complete eligibility details, please visit our FAQ.
CHECKLIST: To apply to this fellowship you will need:
A fiction writing sample (3,000 - 8,000 words)
A personal statement (600 - 1,100 words)
Two professional references (no recommendation letters but please provide: name, email, phone)
A current resume detailing any work or educational experience. Please also list any writing classes you have taken, along with writing-related awards, fellowships, publications, and residencies (if any).
All applications will be received via Submittable.
SUBMISSION FEE: $0
DEADLINES:
Extended to November 6, 2020 11:59pm ET.
The winner of the 2021 Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship will be publicly announced in January 2021.
https://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=fellowship
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THE OCM BOCAS PRIZE FOR CARIBBEAN LITERATURE 2021
INFO: The OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature is an annual award for literary books by Caribbean writers, first presented in 2011. Books are judged in three categories: poetry; fiction — both novels and collections of short stories; and literary non-fiction — including books of essays, biography and autobiography, history, current affairs, travel, and other genres, which demonstrate literary qualities and use literary techniques, regardless of subject matter. (Note: textbooks, technical books, coffee-table books, specialist publications and reference works are not eligible.)
There will be a panel of three judges for each category, who will determine category shortlists and winners.
The three category winners will then be judged by a panel of four judges — consisting of the chairs of the category panels and the prize chair — who will determine the overall winner.
AWARD: The author of the book judged overall winner will receive an award of US$10,000. The other category winners will receive US$3,000.
To be eligible for entry for the 2021 prize, a book must:
Have been first published in the calendar year 2020 (1 January to 31 December);
Have been written by a single author who either holds Caribbean citizenship or was born in the Caribbean (this must be verified by the publisher), regardless of current place of residence;
Have been written by an author who is living on 31 December, 2020;
Have been written and first published in English originally (i.e. translations are not eligible);
Be a new work, previously unpublished in book form (though collections including poems, stories, essays, or other short pieces that have individually appeared in print in periodicals or anthologies are eligible).
The OCM Bocas Prize is requesting both digital and print copies of each entry for 2021: a PDF file of the book must be uploaded with the entry form below, and five copies of the book must be mailed via reliable courier to The Bocas Lit Fest.
DEADLINE: November 9, 2020
https://www.bocaslitfest.com/2021/awards/ocm-bocas-prize-entry/
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Call for entries: young black writers competition
The Guardian / gal-dem
INFO: Calling all young black women and black non-binary writers aged 16-21. The Guardian is once again collaborating on a special issue of Weekend magazine with gal-dem, an online and print publication committed to sharing perspectives from women and non-binary people of colour. This time we want to feature your work. Today, we are launching a memoir writing competition on the theme of ‘conversations’. The winner and two runners-up will be published at theguardian.com and in the next Weekend x gal-dem issue in December 2020.
How to enter
All you have to do is submit a 700-word journalistic personal essay that shows off your talents – on the theme of conversations. We’re particularly interested in essays that take a creative approach to the theme. Did you have an unforgettable conversation with your grandmother about her youth that changed how you viewed her? Do you find having certain conversations really hard, and if so, why? Is there a conversation you regret, or one you regret you never had? We’re keen to hear about your personal experiences.
All entries must be sent to weekend@theguardian.com with the subject line ‘Guardian Weekend x gal-dem memoir writing competition entry’ by midnight on Monday 9 November. You must include your name and contact telephone number. If you are aged 16-17, you must have sought permission from your parent or guardian. Your personal data will be used only in relation to this competition in line with the terms below and our privacy policy. It will be deleted 100 working days after the winning entries are published. If you have any questions about the competition, send them to the same email address.
The Judges
gal-dem CEO Liv Little, together with writer and bestselling author of Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams and gal-dem’s editorial team, supported by editors from Guardian Weekend.
The Prize
There will be one winner and two runners-up. These top three essays will be published in Guardian Weekend magazine as well as on theguardian.com. You will have a video call with gal-dem and Guardian editors as part of the editing process before publication, and you will be paid £250 for your published essay. The overall winner will receive three months of mentoring from a member of the gal-dem editorial team and a 1-1 workshop with a Guardian journalist (via video).
DEADLINE: November 9, 2020
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/oct/22/call-for-entries-young-black-writers-competition
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OPEN CITY 2021 FELLOWSHIP
Asian American Writers’ Workshop
INFO: The Asian American Writers’ Workshop is now accepting applications for the 2021 Open City Fellowship. The fellowship is a nine-month program and will run from January through September.
STIPEND: $2,500 for the duration of the nine-month grant period;
PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITIES: We will publish two long-form pieces and two short ones, or three long-form stories, you’ve written over the nine-month period on our online magazine, The Margins. We want these pieces to be special and we hope you will too.
OPEN CITY WORKSHOP SERIES: We have created a special workshop series just for Open City Fellows. We’ll launch with a special orientation that will feature professional writers and former fellows. Future sessions in the workshop series may deal with interviewing, the craft of writing, photography, multimedia storytelling, and data research;
GUIDANCE AND MENTORSHIP: You’ll receive mentorship and editorial guidance from Senior Editor Noel Pangilinan and will have access to potential resources from the CUNY Journalism School;
AAWW PERKS: You’ll receive free membership to the AAWW, discounts, free access to general programs;
WRITING WORKSHOP: One free writing workshop organized through AAWW ($200 value).
Previous fellows have gone on to write and report for Granta, Al Jazeera America, the New Yorker, among other outlets. Their work during our fellowship has been picked up by NPR, CityLab, and the New York Times.
Open City Fellows will be required to:
— meet with the Open City editor every two weeks.
— attend six writing workshop sessions, which may include feedback from the Open City editor;
— attend occasional get-togethers with all fellows; and
— attend an initial all-day orientation at the start of the nine-month term.
APPLICATION:
SUBMITTABLE APPLICATION FORM: In this form, we ask you to specify which neighborhoods you are uniquely qualified to cover for Open City;
PROJECT PROPOSAL: Identify two to three story ideas tied up by a common theme in your chosen neighborhood (900 words max)
CV: Upload a 1-3 page resume or CV that also includes publication history
WRITING SAMPLES: 2 or 3 writing samples that best illustrate the kinds of articles you would like to write for Open City. Samples should not be more than three pages each and must be uploaded to the application form as PDFs or MS Word documents. They should be double-spaced, in 12-point font size, and should not include publication information.
REQUIREMENTS:
During the fellowship term, fellows must live in one of New York City’s five boroughs: Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island, or Queens.
Asian American and Asian diasporic writers are eligible to apply. “Asian American” is defined broadly to include not just, say, Chinese and Indian Americans, but also Asian American adoptee and multiracial writers, Indo-Caribbean writers, and West Asians, such as Iranians and Arab Americans.
SELECTION PROCESS:
The Open City Fellows are chosen based on the following criteria:
— Relevance, quality, and cohesiveness of project proposal;
— Merit of past work, based on submitted work sample;
— Demonstrated ability to cover the proposed neighborhoods;
— Career record, as described in the resume;
— Demonstrated willingness to take the most advantage of the Fellowship: e.g., to attend ALL trainings and workshops, and take advantage of publishing opportunities.
Applicants will be assessed based on a multi-round selection process, in which the applicant pool grows smaller in each round. The assessment process will involve Programs Manager Lily Philpott, and Senior Editor Noel Pangilinan, as well as an outside jury comprised of literary and journalism professionals. Finalist applicants will be interviewed in person or online, depending on the pandemic situation.
DEADLINE: Extended to November 9, 2020 by 11:59pm ET
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: THE STEM ISSUE
Overachiever Magazine
INFO: Overachiever Magazine, an online platform for Asian women, is now accepting submissions for the STEM Issue!
Suggested topics include:
Why you chose to go into STEM.
Why you chose *not* to go into STEM.
Your experiences with harassment and discrimination as an Asian woman in STEM.
Any other thoughts you have on the issue.
Submit your pieces to overachievermagazing@gmail.com
DEADLINE: November 11, 2020
https://twitter.com/OverachieverM/status/1323399535205535744
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QUEERIBBEAN STORIES: THE HOLIDAYS
Rebel Women Lit
INFO: The December holiday period can be a period of extremes for many queer folks, especially here in the Caribbean where we pair every season with rituals around food, outfits, and of course family gatherings.
It can be particularly difficult for LGBTQ+ folk who may not be able to bring their full selves home, or who may have been rejected by their biological family for attempting to do just that.
It can also be season can be a source of immense joy for queer people who have been accepted and loved by their biological family, or decide to spend time with their chosen family.
We want to hear your Queeribbean Christmas/December Holiday stories. This includes fiction, non-fiction, essays, poetry and visual art.
We want it all. Happy, sad, angry, reflective, comedic. If your holidays feel like a Hallmark rom-com, a retelling of the Grinch or something as sad as burnt-up fruit cake tell us! Let's write, share, and archive our own stories.
DEADLINE: November 15, 2020
https://www.rebelwomenlit.com/queeribbean
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Octavia E. Butler Fellowship
The Huntington Library
INFO: The Huntington is the repository of the literary archive of Octavia E. Butler (1947–2006), the first science fiction writer to receive a prestigious MacArthur "genius" Fellowship and the first African American woman to win widespread recognition writing in that genre. Applicants may be working from a variety of disciplinary perspectives on the ideas and issues explored by Butler in her published works, ranging from speculative fiction through Afrofuturism to environmental studies and biotechnology, but preference may be given to candidates who intend to make extensive use of the Butler archive during their residency.
Tenure of fellowship: Between nine and twelve months.
AWARD: $50,000
TIMING: Applicants must have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. by no later than Nov. 16, 2020.
https://www.huntington.org/available-fellowships
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Aaduna
INFO: aaduna seeks to uncover new and emerging creative visionaries, especially people of color, in the realm of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and the visual arts.
DEADLINE: November 16, 2020
https://www.aaduna.org/submission-process/
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LITERATURE GRANT
Café Royal Cultural Foundation
INFO: Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC will award a publishing grant to authors of fiction / creative non-fiction, poetry and playwriting.
GRANT: Up to $10,000.00
ELIGIBILITY: Authors in fiction / creative non-fiction, poetry and playwriting. The applicant must be the originator of the written material.
Grants awarded in this category may fund costs associated with continuing the composition of work submitted.
Writers applying must be a current resident of New York City and have lived there for a minimum of one year prior to applying.
The processing time of application can take up to three months. Please make sure to submit your application with ample time before the start date of your project.
Application Requirements:
Up to and no more than a 30 page PDF of the work, for the Café Royal Cultural Foundation executive committee to download and read.
A letter of intent from the publisher with a date of planned publication, if no publisher is assigned, Café Royal Cultural Foundation may work with writer to help find a publisher.
A short description of the project.
A short author biography of the person(s) involved.
List of costs that the grant money be used for - must not exceed the amount of $10,000.00
Click on the apply button below to download the application. Once completed, please e-mail application to publishinggrant@caferoyalculturalfoundation.org.
We accept applications all year round. Applications will only be received by e-mail. The processing time of application can take up to three months. Please make sure to submit your application with ample time before the start date of your project and please refrain from inquiries in the meantime.
DEADLINE: November 16, 2020 at 9am
https://caferoyalculturalfoundation.org/literature-page
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african american creatives grant
Pippin Properties, Inc.
INFO: Pippin Properties, Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of its first annual African American Creatives Grant—an award of $6,000 to an aspiring creative who has an interest in young people’s literature. For 2020, the inaugural year of the grant, Pippin is accepting applications for African American Artists only.
We believe Black Lives Matter, and we all must do our part to dismantle racism in our country and within publishing. In an effort to assist in deconstructing unjust disparities experienced by African American people in the United States, Pippin Properties is pledging to do its part by offering the African American Creatives Grant, in addition to other initiatives that aim to support, amplify, and elevate underrepresented creatives in the field.
African American artists, at any point in their careers, may apply and use the award towards the development of their careers. The creator is under no obligation to submit their work to Pippin Properties for representation. In the event that the recipient decides to do so, we would make it a priority to review the work with dispatch. Please note that Pippin is under no obligation to offer representation.
If you are interested in applying, please review the following guidelines listed below.
Submission Guidelines
Applicants are invited to submit their application for consideration to the Pippin team via info@pippinproperties.com.
The judging process will be composed of two parts. During the initial round of assessment, a committee composed of Ashley Valentine, Art Manager; Cameron Chase, Subsidiary Rights Manager; and Rakeem Nelson, Agency Assistant will review and select 10 final applicants. Next, a committee of senior Pippin staff composed of Holly McGhee, Company President; Elena Giovinazzo, Vice President; and Sara Crowe, Senior Agent, will select the awardee from these top ten. 110 West 40th Street, Suite 1704 / New York, NY 10018 / Phone: 212-338-9310 / info@pippinproperties.com / www.pippinproperties.com PIPPIN PROPERTIES, INC.
The following are required for consideration during the application process:
Please submit a cover letter, sharing a brief summary of the nature of your work and how this grant would help you in your creative pursuits, a maximum of one page, double spaced. Please be sure to include your contact information, list your full name, address, email address, and phone number.
Please submit 10 samples of artwork, scanned and submitted as PDF.
Please note that we are accepting digital submissions only.
Formatting
All of the above must be submitted as a single PDF document. The maximum file size should not exceed over 25MB. Feel free to share via email or WeTransfer. Original art will not be considered.
The applicant’s name must be included in the header on each page, as well as page numbers in the footer. •The author’s first and last name must be included in the name of the PDF file.
Any submission received that does not meet these requirements will not be reviewed.
Eligibility
African American artists at any point in their careers may apply
2020 applicants must be aspiring, unpublished visual artists
Applicant must be at least 18 years of age and have a Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to participate.
Applicant must have an interest in young people’s literature and intend to incorporate this genre into their work. Note: This $6,000 grant will be awarded pre-tax and the winner will receive a federal income tax 1099 form. We will require a W-9 prior to assigning the award, and it will be distributed in one lump sum.
DEADLINE: Our submission window will remain open until we’ve received 100 applications OR until November 16th, 2020, whichever comes first. If the latter, we require all applications be in by 11:59pm EST on November 16th. In the case that we reach our maximum first, we will announce our closing to applications via our website and all social channels. We are accepting applications on a first come, first serve basis.
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33rd Lambda Literary Awards
INFO: Lambda Literary Award submissions are judged principally on literary merit and content relevant to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer lives. Specific guidelines must be met for each award category.
A book may be submitted to only one category. Because of this, it is very important that you read through these guidelines carefully to ensure that your book is eligible for consideration and that you are submitting it to the proper category.
New This Year
Due to COVID-19, we have implemented an entirely digital submission process using Submittable. Please do not send physical copies of your books.
Given the significant increase in the volume of LGBTQ books for younger readers, we have split the LGBTQ Children’s/YA category into two categories: LGBTQ Children’s/Middle Grade and LGBTQ Young Adult.
We have expanded the mystery category to include bi, trans, and queer books by creating a single LGBTQ Mystery category as opposed to separate lesbian and gay mystery categories.
General Eligibility
Lambda Literary Award submissions are judged principally on literary merit and content relevant to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer lives.
Submitted books must be published between January 1 and December 31, 2020. The book must also be distributed (i.e., available in bookstores or online) in the United States during 2020. (See the LGBTQ Drama criteria for exceptions regarding plays.)
Lambda Literary Awards are open to all authors regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity except in the case of the special awards that mark specific stages of an individual LGBTQ writer’s career.
Books must be published in English. Translations from other languages are eligible.
Self-published books are eligible.
Books available only in ebook format are not eligible.
First print editions of books previously published online or in ebook format are eligible.
Reprints of books that were published in the US in previous years are not eligible. This includes second (or later) editions, books that have been republished by a different publisher, and books that are modified versions of previously published works.
First US editions of books published outside the US before 2020 are eligible if the original edition was not submitted for Lammy consideration in a previous year.
Specific Categories
A book may be submitted to only one category. If a category receives fewer than ten (10) submissions, the category will not be active in this awards cycle. The submitted books may then be reassigned to another category, if appropriate. If the book cannot compete in another category, the submission fee will be refunded.
I - LESBIAN & GAY CATEGORIES
Books eligible for lesbian categories feature a prominent lesbian character or contain content of strong significance to lesbian lives.
Books eligible for gay categories feature a prominent gay male character or contain content of strong significance to gay male lives.
Lesbian Fiction or Gay Fiction: Literary fiction that does not fit more precisely into a specific genre category such as Erotica, Romance, Speculative Fiction, or Mystery. Novels, novellas, and short story collections by a single author are eligible; anthologies are not.
Lesbian Memoir/Biography or Gay Memoir/Biography: Biographies, memoirs, autobiographies, and works of creative nonfiction by or about lesbians and gay men or with content of strong significance to gay and lesbian lives. Posthumously published works and/or those with co-authors are eligible; anthologies are not.
Lesbian Poetry or Gay Poetry : Single volumes and collected poems are eligible; chapbooks are not. Updated editions of previously published works are not eligible unless at least 50% of the poetry (not the supplemental text) is new.
Lesbian Romance or Gay Romance: Novels, novellas, and short story collections by a single author that focus on a central love relationship between two or more characters are eligible; anthologies are not. Category includes a broad range of subgenres including traditional, historical, gothic, Regency, and paranormal romance.
II - BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER CATEGORIES
These categories are non-gender-specific works containing material of strong significance to members of the bi and trans communities.
Bisexual Fiction or Transgender Fiction: Novels, novellas, short story collections, and anthologies with prominent bi/trans characters and/or content of strong significance to the bi/trans communities. May include historical novels, comics, cross-genre works of fiction, humor, and other styles of fiction.
Bisexual Nonfiction or Transgender Nonfiction: Nonfiction works with content of strong significance to members of the bi/trans communities. Includes a wide range of subjects for the general or academic reader (e.g., history, memoirs, cultural studies, public policy, law, politics, community organizations, humor, spirituality, gender studies, parenting, religion, spirituality, relationships, psychology, travel).
Bisexual Poetry or Transgender Poetry: Single volumes and collected poems are eligible; chapbooks are not. Updated editions of previously published works are not eligible unless at least 50% of the poetry (not the supplemental text) is new.
III - LGBTQ CATEGORIES
These categories are non-gender-specific works containing material of strong significance to members of the LGBTQ community.
LGBTQ Anthology: Collections of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry are eligible.
LGBTQ Children’s/Middle Grade: Individual works and collections of fiction, nonfiction, picture books, and poetry whose intended audience is young readers are all eligible; anthologies are not.
LGBTQ Young Adult: Individual works and collections of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry whose intended audience is young adult readers are all eligible; anthologies are not.
LGBTQ Comics: Book-length works of fiction or non-fiction that use a combination of words and sequential art to convey a narrative are eligible, including novels, graphic memoirs and short story or comics collections by the same author/team. Individual comic books, periodicals, anthologies, and web-only content are not eligible.
LGBTQ Drama: Plays and other theatrical works and performance pieces that have been published in book or script form during 2020. Collections from a single author are eligible; anthologies featuring multiple authors are not. Unpublished play manuscripts are eligible, as long as the play has received a full production with at least 8 consecutive shows in 2020.
Because of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on theater, we will also allow entries for the following this year in the LGBTQ Drama category:
Plays that were scheduled to be produced in theaters in 2020 but which were postponed or cancelled because of the pandemic
Plays that were produced and performed outside traditional theatrical venues in 2020 because of the pandemic (such as online venues, etc.)
LGBTQ Erotica: Anthologies, novels, novellas, graphic novels, memoirs, and short story collections whose content is principally of an erotic nature.
LGBTQ Mystery: Novels, novellas, and short story collections in which a crime or series of crimes is an integral part of the story are all eligible; anthologies are not. Category includes a wide range of crime fiction subgenres including police procedurals, political/legal/medical thrillers, cozies, and hard-boiled detective stories.
LGBTQ Nonfiction: LGBTQ-themed works for general readers, as opposed to those targeted primarily to scholarly audiences (e.g., LGBT/Queer/Gender Studies programs). Includes but is not limited to law, history, politics, spirituality, humor, parenting, relationships, psychology, travel, and photography. Anthologies (edited collections of separately authored work) are not eligible in the LGBTQ Nonfiction category and should be submitted to LGBTQ Anthology. (Please see the LGBTQ Studies category below for comparison and contact Lambda’s awards manager at awards@lambdaliterary.org if you have questions about where to submit your work.)
LGBTQ Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror: Includes science fiction, fantasy, horror, and related genres. Novels, novellas, and short story collections are eligible; anthologies are not.
LGBTQ Studies: Scholarly work focusing on issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity, and oriented toward academia, libraries, cultural professionals, and the more academic reader. Generally, but not exclusively, published by university presses. Anthologies (edited collections of separately authored work) are not eligible in the LGBTQ Studies category and should be submitted to LGBTQ Anthology. (Please see the LGBTQ Nonfiction category above for comparison and contact the Lambda’s awards manager at awards@lambdaliterary.org if you have questions about where to submit your work.).
DEADLINE: November 16, 2020
https://www.lambdaliterary.org/guidelines-categories/
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30 BELOW CONTEST—2020
Narrative Magazine
INFO: Narrative invites all writers, poets, visual artists, photographers, performers, and filmmakers between eighteen and thirty years old to send us their best work. We’re looking for the traditional and the innovative, the true and the imaginary. We’re looking to encourage and promote the best young authors and artists working today.
AWARDS:
First Prize - $1,500
Second Prize - $750
Third Prize - $300
Ten finalists will receive $100 each
The prizewinners and finalists will be announced in Narrative
All entries are eligible for the $4,000 Narrative Prize for 2021 and for acceptance as a Story of the Week or Poem of the Week.
We accept submissions in the following media:
Written: Works of prose and of poetry, including short stories, all poetic forms, novel excerpts, essays, memoirs, and excerpts from book-length nonfiction. Prose submissions must not exceed 15,000 words. Each poetry submission may contain up to five poems. The poems should all be contained in a single file. All submissions should be double-spaced (excluding poetry, which should be single-spaced), with 12-point type, at least one-inch margins, and sequentially numbered pages. Please provide your name, address, telephone number, and email address at the top of the first page. Submit your document as a .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .rtf file. You may enter as many times as you wish, but we encourage you to be selective and to send your best work. All entries will be considered for publication.
Drawn: Graphic stories, graphic-novel excerpts, and comics of no more than thirty pages, in .pdf format.
Photographed: Photo essays of between five and twenty images, previously unpublished (including on sites like Instagram, your personal website, stock photography sites, etc.). Images should be submitted together in low-resolution .pdf format; however, upon acceptance, images will need to be provided that have a resolution of at least 300 dpi, in a .tif, .jpg, or raw format that can be reproduced at 2,048 pixels wide. Captions or text should be included, either with the file containing the images or as a separate document in a .doc or .pdf format, with numbered captions corresponding to the similarly numbered photographs. Please provide your name, address, telephone number, and email address on the first page.
Spoken: Original works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in audio theater, including performance, radio journalism, and stories and poems read aloud. Submissions may run up to ten minutes, in .mp3 format, with a bit rate of at least 128 kbit/s.
Filmed: Short films and documentaries of up to fifteen minutes. Submissions must be in .mp4 or .mov format.
Judging: The contest will be judged by the editors of the magazine. Winners and finalists will be announced to the public by December 18, 2020. All entrants will be notified by email of the judges’ decisions, which will be final. The judges reserve the option to declare ties and to designate and award only as many winners and/or finalists as are appropriate to the quality of contest entries and of work represented in the magazine.
Entries must be previously unpublished, though we do accept works that have appeared in college publications. Entries cannot have been the winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest. We accept online entries only. We do accept simultaneous submissions, but if your entry is accepted elsewhere, please let us know as soon as possible (and accept our congratulations!).
ENTRY FEE: $26 fee for each entry. And with your entry, you’ll receive three months of complimentary access to Narrative Backstage.
DEADLINE: November 19, 2020, at midnight, PST
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250-word Microfiction Challenge
NYC Midnight
INFO: The 250-word Microfiction Challenge is a competition that challenges writers around the world to create very short stories (250 words max.) based on genre, action, and word assignments in 24 hours. In the 1st Round (November 20-21, 2020), writers are placed randomly in groups and are assigned a genre, action, and word assignment. Writers have 24 hours to craft an original 250-word story (maximum) in their assigned genre, with the assigned action taking place, and incorporating the assigned word.
The judges choose a top 10 in each group to advance to the 2nd Round (January 15-16, 2021) where writers receive new assignments and again have 24 hours to craft original stories. Judges select the top 5 writers in each group from the 2nd Round to advance to the Final Round of the competition taking place February 19-20, 2021 where writers will receive their final assignment of the competition. Feedback from the judges is provided for every submission and there are thousands in cash and prizes for the winners. Sound like fun? Join the competition below and get ready for November 20th!
It's easy to register. First, download and read the Official Rules & Participation Agreement. Once you've read through everything, you are ready to register by clicking the button below.
ENTRY FEE: $29
DEADLINE: November 19, 2020
http://www.nycmidnight.com/Competitions/MFC/250/Challenge.htm
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The One Teen Story Teen Writing Contest
One Story
INFO: We’re excited to announce our newest One Teen Story Contest! We’re asking writers ages 13-19 to enter their original, unpublished fiction. We are interested in great short stories of any genre about the teen experience—literary, fantasy, sci-fi, love stories, horror, etc. What’s in a great short story? Interesting teen characters, strong writing, and a beginning, middle, and end.
PRIZE: The winning stories will be published in forthcoming issues of One Teen Story, which will reach over ten thousand readers. The contest winners will receive $500 upon publication and 25 copies of the magazine featuring their work. The contest winners will also have the opportunity to work with a One Teen Story editor prior to publication. Honorable mentions will be chosen in three age categories: 13-15, 16-17, and 18-19, and each will be announced on our website, by email announcement, and on social media.
GUIDELINES:
To enter, you must be between the ages of 13-19 as of November 20th, 2020.
Short stories should be between 2,000 to 4,500 words and be the writer’s own original, previously unpublished work.
Previously published stories and stories forthcoming at other publications cannot be considered. This includes stories that have been self-published online on personal websites or other publishing platforms, including blogs.
By submitting your work, you are acknowledging that it is your own creation, that it has not been borrowed from any other person’s work (including film and video content), and that the characters and situations are of your own invention.
Stories should have teens as their main characters and be about the teen experience.
No entry fee is required.
Only one submission per person.
One Teen Story reserves the right to approve all final, edited content.
A parent or legal guardian must sign a consent form for One Teen Story to publish the names of winners who are under the age of 18 on our website and social media platforms.
A parent must sign a consent form for One Teen Story to publish the names of the winners and honorable mentions on our website.
You must submit through our online Submission Manager.
Proof of age must be provided by all winners and finalists.
How to Submit:
We have an automated system for you to send us your work. It will securely send our editors your story and email you a confirmation that it has been received. To use the automated system, you’ll need to log in to your One Teen Story account. If you don’t have one, you will be able to create one on our Submission Manager when you submit your piece. Using this account, you will be able to check the status of your submission at any time by going to our login page. When you are ready to submit, please visit our Submission Manager. In the Genre drop-down menu, be sure to select your correct age group. IMPORTANT: Please note that we only accept work by writers ages 13-19. If your story is being considered for publication, we will ask that you provide us with proof of your age.
DEADLINE: November 20, 2020 11:59pm ET
https://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=submit&pubcode=ots
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BIPOC Writers Fellowship: Adapting Books for the Screen
The Writers Room 5050
INFO: The Writers Room 5050 and Level 4 Press Present: The BIPOC Writers Fellowship, "Adapting Books for the Screen," beginning March 2021. In this 12-week fellowship, fellows will adapt a book into a feature film screenplay, receive mentorship from industry leaders, a stipend for participating, and more.
The fellowship will focus on adapting a book into a screenplay, the release of fictional feature films for theatrical, streaming, and television movies-of-the-week (MOWs). In the process, BIPOC writers will learn the highest industry standards for developing, writing, financing and producing an adapted feature film project. Each fellow will adapt one Level 4 Press book into a feature film screenplay.
The Writers Room 5050 and Level 4 Press are currently working with top executives, writers, representatives and guest speakers to provide mentorship, feedback, and firsthand industry knowledge.
The BIPOC Writers Fellowship includes but is not limited to:
A 12-week lab taking you from book-to-screenplay
Mentorship on creating and crafting your script
A $750 Writer Stipend to all participants and accepted writers
Expert development notes and assessments by industry professionals
A 'table read' with professional actors
Script Sales and Career Strategy instruction
Pitch deck and high-end marketing collateral created for the project
Live Industry Event to pitch your new script and meet high-end industry decision-makers
For those scripts optioned, setup or sold, there will be financial participation
REQUIREMENTS:
BIPOC Writer: Applicants must be of BIPOC heritage/ethnicity (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color)
Script Submission: Writers must submit a completed screenplay (90 to 120 pages) for consideration
Application Fee: An Early, Regular or Late application processing fee will apply.
SUBMISSION FEES:
Early - $40.00
Regular - $50.00
Late - $60.00
Payment Methods: PayPal, Venmo, Zelle
PayPal: send fee to username: Evette Vargas | email: evette@digital-reign.net | send as “Trusted”
Venmo: send fee to username: @Evette-Vargas | email: evette@digital-reign.net
Zelle: send fee to email: evette@writersroom5050.com
Announcements:
Semi-Finalists: January 22, 2021
Finalists: February 5, 2021
Fellows Announced: February 19, 2021
Fellows Begins: Week of March 8, 2021
Fellowship Schedule:
Dates: Wednesdays, March 10th to May 26th, 2021
Time: 6pm to 9pm PST - (1 class per week, 3 hours per class)
Venue: Zoom
DEADLINES:
Early: November 20, 2020
Regular: December 18, 2020
Late: January 8, 2021
https://www.writersroom5050.com/fellowship-details
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force / fields anthology submissions
Perennial Press
INFO: Perennial Press is publishing a new anthology in 2021 with the theme: "FORCE / FIELDS"
in speculative fiction, a force field is a barrier that protects someone or something from attacks or intrusions. what are the force fields you hold up? what are the force fields you fight against? we also want your interpretations of the separate themes of "force" and "fields." what the forces that move you forward? what are the forces holding you back? fields refers to places of open land and natural environments. what are the fields of your dreams? the fields of your nightmares? tell us about flora & fauna & fantastical field creatures.
we are open to submissions of fiction, poetry, and all forms of 2D visual art. hit us with the eco-poetics, the cli-fi, sci-fi, chick fic, apocalypse photography, protest art, all of it! interpret the theme, misinterpret the theme, just send us your best.
please submit 1-3 prose pieces (word limit: 3000 per piece), 2-5 poems, or up to 5 visual art works. all works must be in their final form. please proofread before submitting. we also strongly suggest having another person proofread your work.
our goal as a press is to publish the speculative & the environmental. give us your work that speaks to one or the other, or a combination of both of those. wide interpretations welcome. accepted pieces will be featured in our 2021 print anthology.
ELIGIBILITY: anyone who writes or makes art. any country. any age. if you are under 18 years of age, please note that in your submission in case we need to get parental permission.
COMPENSATION: accepted artists will be paid a percentage of the profits from the anthology, or a $20 stipend up front. you can choose upon acceptance. all contributors will receive a complimentary copy of the anthology. shipping may not be available to all countries, so in that case we will provide a pdf version.
DEADLINE: November 21, 2020
https://airtable.com/shrmhapHbLghyRb3s
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Essay Contest Submission
Pidgeon Pages
INFO: Judged by Morgan Jerkins, author of Wandering In Strange Lands and This Will Be My Undoing
PRIZE:
The winner will receive $250 and publication in Pigeon Pages.
Honorable mentions will be receive $50 and publication.
GUIDELINES:
Previously unpublished creative nonfiction pieces of 3,000 words or less are eligible for this contest.
There is a $10 fee to submit.
We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know if the submitted piece is accepted elsewhere.
Please do not include personal information on your piece, as submissions will be read blind.
All submissions will be considered for publication in the general journal.
ENTRY FEE: $10
DEADLINE: November 22, 2020
https://pigeonpagesnyc.submittable.com/submit/126088/essay-contest-submission
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CALL FOR AUDIO SUBMISSIONS: HEARD/WORD
Galleyway
INFO: HEARD/WORD is Galleyway's new audio series highlighting compelling voices in poetry and prose. We invite you to share recordings of original poems and short fiction. Selected work will be showcased on our blog and social media platforms. Submissions should include:
MP3 recording of you reading your poetry (no longer than 3 minutes) or short fiction (no longer than 5 minutes)
Text version of the piece
A headshot
A brief bio
Social media handles and link to website
Please send submissions to camille@galleyway.com
DEADLINE: November 30, 2020
https://galleyway.com/blog/2020/3/31/call-for-audio-submissions
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Vestal Review
INFO: Vestal Review, the longest running flash fiction magazine in the world, is looking for submissions from Black and brown and non-binary writers. We'd love to hear from you. We are prioritizing underrepresented writers, so please specify that in your bio.
FEES AND PAYMENT: We charge a $3 reading fee for general submissions. Your payment goes directly towards production of the journal, technology fees, and payment for our authors.
Contributors receive $50, sent via PayPal.
DEADLINE: November 30, 2020
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: MUNDANE WORKERS
Raising Mothers
INFO: Raising Mothers seeks submissions that speak to the layered intricacies for parenthood from the perspective of the parent or the child by writers who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latinix or POC. In the December issue, we seek an entrance into the intimate mothering spaces when some aspect of daily life still manages to foster a kind of wonder in the moment.
Whether it is in a first giggle on a changing table (after a poop explosion) or nestling with your child while watching Coco together for family movie night or something else, we are eager to read your joys and frustrations; they teach us about love and resilience and relational discovery. We deserve all of that and the bounty of more.
DEADLINE: November 30, 2020
http://www.raisingmothers.com/submissions/call-for-work/
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ENOUGH
Rumpus
INFO: ENOUGH is a Rumpus series devoted to creating a dedicated space for work by women and non-binary people that engages with rape culture, sexual assault, and domestic violence. We believe that while this subject matter is especially timely now, it also timeless. We want to make sure that this conversation doesn’t stop—not until our laws and societal norms reflect real change.
ENOUGH is open to women and non-binary people. Women of color and non-binary people of color are especially welcome to submit.
We will consider personal essays, critical essays, poetry, comics, and hybrid work. We are especially interested in work that considers who has access to healthcare and to therapy, who has been taught to speak up and who has been taught to be silent, and the ways in which 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.
Essays should be between 1000–2500 words. You can share three poems or five pages of poetry in a 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.
If you haven't received a response within three months, you may query marisa@therumpus.net to check on the status of your submission.
DEADLINE: November 30, 2020
https://therumpus.submittable.com/submit/111183/enough
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Fall 2020 Story Contest
Narrative Magazine
INFO: The Fall Story Contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. We’re looking for short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest.
Narrative winners and finalists have gone on to win Whiting Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, the Pushcart Prize, and the Atlantic prize, and have appeared in collections such as The Best American Short Stories, The Best American Nonrequired Reading, and many others. View the recent awards won by Narrative authors.
As always, we are looking for works with a strong narrative drive, with characters we can respond to, and with effects of language, situation, and insight that are intense and total. We look for works that have the ambition of enlarging our view of ourselves and the world.
AWARDS:
First Prize - $2,500
Second Prize - $1,000
Third Prize - $500
Up to ten finalists will receive $100 each
All entries will be considered for publication
SUBMISSION FEE: $27 fee for each entry. With your entry, you’ll receive three months of complimentary access to Narrative Backstage.
All contest entries are eligible for the $4,000 Narrative Prize and for acceptance as a Story of the Week.
DEADLINE: November 30, 2020, at midnight, PST
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Illuminating Black Lives: A Writer's Fellowship
Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow
INFO: This fellowship invites writers to explore the African-American experience. The work may be in any literary genre: fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, or a combination. It may take place now or in the past. It may draw upon the life of the author or probe other lives. There is no expectation of a certain attitude or type of experience. Rather, the successful application will demonstrate insight, honesty, literary merit, and the likelihood of publication.
The fellowship winner will receive a two-week residency to allow the recipient to focus completely on their work. Each writer’s suite has a bedroom, private bathroom, separate writing space, and wireless internet. We provide uninterrupted writing time, a European-style gourmet dinner prepared five nights a week and served in our community dining room, the camaraderie of other professional writers when you want it, and a community kitchen stocked with the basics for breakfast and lunch.
APPLICATION FEE: $35
DEADLINE: November 30, 2020
https://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Latino Book Review
INFO: Latino Book Review is proud to announce the call for submissions for our print magazine 2021 issue. Our latest issue is set to be published in Spring 2021 and will include some of the best work by Latinx writers and artists in the U.S. and around the world.
We are currently seeking to publish original work by authors and artists in the following areas:
Poetry (3 poems per submission)
Fiction (Around 2000 words)
Nonfiction (Around 2000 words)
Visual arts (6 piece portfolio)
Essays (Related to culture, literature or arts Around 2000 words)
Research (Related to culture, literature or arts 2000-3000 words)
Works can be submitted to info@latinobookreview.com with an email titled "magazine submission." Written works should be attached in a Word document along with a 100-word bio, and a separate file with a high-resolution image of the author or visual artist. Visual works of art should be attached in a high-resolution PDF or JPEG format.
DEADLINE: November 30, 2020
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CALL FOR SUBMISSION
Liminal Transit Review
INFO: We accept work about themes including but not limited to immigration, diaspora, displacement, decolonization, borders, as well as the intersections of these themes with literature, movement, and transit– interpreted as broadly as possible! We want your work about geography, about place and identity, about the connections between literature and identity and place. We want your work about transit and movement– and how that exists in and shapes how we see borders and diaspora and displacement. We love experimental work, and abstract work, and theoretical work. If you have any questions about whether your work fits our themes, go ahead and send it to us, and we’ll let you know.
We accept fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and cross genre work in English. Send us up to five poems or 3000 words of prose (multiple pieces of prose totaling this word count is allowed), or up to ten pages of cross genre work. We also accept flash fiction and flash creative nonfiction. Poetry has no formatting guidelines except font (Garamond or Comic Sans, please!), but please double space your prose in 12-point Garamond or Comic Sans. Cross genre work has no formatting guidelines. All submissions must be submitted as PDF files or Word documents. Please include trigger warnings and content warnings as and when required. Please only submit once per issue unless specifically requested, in only one genre. We do not accept works in translation at the moment.
Simultaneous submissions are allowed but please email us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.
DEADLINE: November 30, 2020
https://liminaltransitreview.com/submit/
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CALL FOR SUBMISSION: A Notebook of Lullabies
Asian American Writers’ Workshop / The Transpacific Literary Project
INFO: In traditions around the world, the lullaby is a liminal space between waking and sleep, consciousness and dream, between the living world and the underworld. In this way, the lullaby is a kind of path that one journeys down when crossing between those worlds. It is the calming voice in your ear as you step closer into the void, the soothing hand that strokes your back as you float into some dark unknown. The lullaby bears this twoness: comfort and death.
In this time of Covid-19, when loss and mortality are daily fixtures of a global consciousness, the twoness of the lullaby feels especially poignant.
The Transpacific Literary Project is calling for writing and translations that swirl around in lullabies. Possible projects might include translating a traditional lullaby into another form, creating a contemporary lullaby, or analyzing an existing lullaby. We are also interested in writing that embodies the liminal space of the lullaby, that offers comfort in the most morbid way, that sweetly sings of death’s door, that consoles as much as it disturbs.
Recordings and voices are highly encouraged as accompaniments to submissions.
All contributors, writers and translators, will be paid.
Submissions are accepted in any language spoken in Southeast Asia and East Asia.
The Transpacific Literary Project (TLP) is an arm of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop (AAWW) that holds a space for writing and translation from East and Southeast Asia, published on AAWW’s online magazine The Margins. Organized around themed collections of work called notebooks, the project draws connections between emerging and established voices across this expansive region in ways that may reorient reader relationships to languages and literatures, and bring out surprising discussions of representation and relationality, constraint and hierarchy, resistance and refusal to settle within established frames.
DEADLINE: December 1, 2020
https://aaww.submittable.com/submit/176173/lullabies
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The Kenyon Review Fellowships
INFO: These fellowships represent a significant fulfillment of one aspect of The Kenyon Review’s continuing mission: to recognize, publish, and support extraordinary authors in the early stages of their careers. We believe that after two years, these KR Fellows will be more mature and sophisticated writers, teachers, and editors. As a result, they will be extremely attractive candidates for academic positions as well as for significant publishing opportunities.
This post-graduate residential fellowship at Kenyon College offers qualified individuals time to develop as writers, teachers, and editors. Fellows will receive a $36,572 stipend, plus health benefits. Fellows are expected to:
Undertake a significant writing project.
Teach one class per semester in the English Department of Kenyon College, contingent upon departmental needs.
Assist with creative and editorial projects for the Kenyon Review and KROnline.
Participate in the cultural life of Kenyon College by regularly attending readings, lectures, presentations, and other college activities.
Eligibility:
An MFA or PhD in creative writing, English literature, or comparative literature completed before December 1, 2020 but no earlier than January 1, 2015.
Teaching experience in creative writing and/or literature at the undergraduate level.
Application Information:
A one-page cover letter
A curriculum vitae
An 8-10 page writing sample
A one-page course proposal for an undergraduate introductory-level multi-genre creative writing class
An unofficial transcript
Two letters of recommendation, one of which should directly address the applicant’s teaching ability
APPLICATION FEE: $0
DEADLINE: December 1, 2020
https://kenyonreview.org/programs/fellowship/
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: AFRO-LATINX ANTHOLOGY
Alan Pelaez
INFO: Editor Alan Pelaez Lopez invites contributions to a multi-genre anthology (Title TBA) of contemporary queer and trans Afro-Latinx writers on memory, care, and futurity published by a notable University Press with a slated publication date of 2021.
This collection of writings will serve as a living archive of contemporary literature by queer and trans Afro-Latinx writers. By “Afro-Latinx,” we mean writers who are Black of Latin American and Caribbean descent. This anthology aims to push the boundaries of how we think, accept, deny, or play with the concept of “Latinx.” The final project will not be a survey of recent literature but a gesture towards an Afro-Latinx aesthetic informed by differently Black experiences. Latin America and the Caribbean, as landscapes, as imagined communities, and as diasporic analytics are continually shapeshifting. Black people in, of, and from Latin America, the Caribbean, and their diasporas are at the heart of this shapeshifting, but the literature of Afro-Latinx writers is— similarly to Black people across the continent— policed, surveilled, and organized by non-Black entities. This anthology seeks to open, nuance and challenge narratives made about us without us. The anthology is not an explanation of what it means to be a queer and/or trans Black person of Latin American and/or Caribbean descent, but a dialogue of how we work with, through, and against memory, care, and futures.
The anthology seeks to answer:
How do queer and/or trans Black writers from Latin America, the Caribbean and their diaspora(s) address memory? How do queer and trans embodiments help us understand and/or question the past, the present, and construct a Black queer and trans future?
How does Blackness remember geographies we are no longer inhabiting, those we never inhabited, and those we may never know?
What are the textures of caring, being cared for, and accepting care as Black queer and/or trans people?
What are the uses of care, love, intimacy, and kinship in queer and/or trans Black spaces?
And, how do our genders, sexualities, sexual performances, and rejections of all three serve as worldbuilding embodiments for the future?
Mediums:
Creative non-fiction (15 pages max)
Fiction (15 pages max)
Poetry (Send 3-5 poems, no more than 7 pages)
Comics (15 pages max—you can send text submission if it’s not inked yet, or send a full first draft)
Plays and choreopoems (15 pages max)
Performance essays / documentation (20 pages max including images—you must have permission to use all images submitted.)
What we are looking for from contributors:
We are looking for new work (or pieces that have not appeared in a full-length collection that you have retained the rights to) that address memory, care and futures. All work must be submitted in English and you must be open to working with an editor. Pieces that utilize other languages are welcome as long as the piece is primarily in English. This anthology will not publish work that considers Blackness as a monolithic experience. All published writings will receive a modest honorarium.
Submissions:
Please include your name, contact info, and a 50-word bio.
DEADLINE: December 1, 2020
http://www.alanpelaez.com/afro-latinx-anthology/
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Honey Literary
INFO: Honey Literary’s first issue will debut in Winter 2020/2021. We publish two issues each year, one in winter, and one in summer. Our first reading period opens September 1st and closes December 1st.
To share your work, please email the respective genre editor and upload your .docx/.pdf files. Include a brief bio with a few sentences about why your work is a good fit for us with our mission statement in mind.
Please send us your work only once per submission period. Simultaneous submissions are cool as long as you promptly notify us if the work is accepted elsewhere.
Honey Literary accepts and encourages simultaneous submissions, but please let us know immediately if a piece is accepted elsewhere. Submit no more than once per submissions period. We only accept unpublished work. Honey Literary retains first publication rights, and upon publication, rights revert back to the author. Please credit Honey Literary as the first publisher if the piece appears elsewhere after publication, which includes, but isn’t limited to other journals, anthologies, chapbooks, and full-length books.
Poetry: Send us three to five unpublished pieces at a time. We’ve got big appetites, so more is more. We want the poems that were too weird for workshop. Give us work that is eclectic and absurd and demands to be read aloud. Send us your jigsaw edges and remixes.
Email submissions to Editor Rita Mookerjee: poetry@honeyliterary.com
Sex, Kink, and the Erotic: Locker room talk is dead; Honey Literary is here for body-positive, kink-friendly content centered around respect and consent. Ideal submissions include but are not limited to confessions, toy/gear reviews, etiquette guides, dirty little secrets, burlesque show recommendations, odes to sideboob, fav strip club snacks, dating app wins (or fails), shibari shoots, erotic vignettes, recaps from the weekend, and that porno script you saved on your old desktop. Honey Literary loves and supports sex workers as well as their art/writing! Show us what’s inside your bedside drawer.
Email submissions to Editor Rita Mookerjee: sex@honeyliterary.com
Essays: Send us essays that use the personal to explore facets of our current world. From natural history, science, politics, international events, food, culture, and art, we want to see how the personal and public intersect in your work.We’re seeking essays that are elastic, capacious, experimental and exploratory. We welcome memoir, nonfiction, research, lyric meditations, and hybrid work about what stirs your curiosity, what raises your hackles. We especially invite emerging writers and student writers to submit their work.
(750-1000 words)
Email submissions to Editor Avni Vyas: essays@honeyliterary.com
Hybrid: Do you have work that blurs, defies, or redefines genre? We welcome excerpts and stand alones that may include, but are not limited to: documentary poetics, notes, mappings, marginalia, lists, altars/shrines, collections, audiovisual pieces, prose poetry, letters, invented forms, collaborations, and scholarly projects that are slightly or largely out of touch with institutions. Send enough work to contextualize your project with respect for our time. For example: a bouquet–not the entire meadow.
Email submissions to Editor Claire Meuschke: hybrid@honeyliterary.com
Comics: We’re looking for eccentric, experimental, excessive, confessional, instructional, genre-nasty comics pieces (10 pages or less) in any form. Single-panel pieces, excerpts from zines, comics stories without words, comics without pictures, one-offs, doodles, interesting trash, and everything in between. We are particularly open to submissions from members of the LGBTQIAAP+ community.
Email submissions to Editor Jessica Q. Stark: comics@honeyliterary.com
Animals: Kingdom: Animalia. Familiars. Daemons. Protectors. Companions. Predators. Prey. This is a space to submit art & writing about animals real or imagined, pre-historic or future, spineless or silky, friend or foe. Share the work you do with animals; show us the bioluminescent creatures in your lagoon; describe the dreams where your lost pets come to visit you. Highlight conservation work in your habitats. Profile the service animal of the year. Recount the folk tales that made you scared of drain serpents. Tell us about the anteater in the forest, the sandhill cranes in the parking lot, the carabao in the rice field, the angler in the deep. We want your venom, oily feathers, plush fur, mythical beasts, and whale songs.
Please submit a maximum of 3 artworks, 3-5 pages for poems, and 10-15 pages for longer pieces.
Email submissions to Editor Christina Giarrusso: animals@honeyliterary.com
Interviews: Honey Literary seeks to conduct interviews that showcase the boundlessness of art and innovation, tapping into the creative’s soul and teasing out the hows and whys of their passions. We want to facilitate interviews that go beyond the typical, robotic back and forth between two parties, but rather a natural, gradual unfurling between people who cherish expression and creation. Whether you’re a singer, writer, visual artist, or culinary chef, Honey Literary wants to know what moves you, what keeps you up at night, who’s in your artistic lineage, and of course, all about your craft.
Email submissions to Editor Zakiya Cowan: interviews@honeyliterary.com
Reviews: Honey Literary is seeking reviews on recently released books, along with art mediums that aren’t typically at the forefront of conversations. From novels, novellas, short story collections, and poetry collections, to graphic novels filled with queer and magical themes (think non-binary werewolves and time travel) and hybrid books, we want to engage with all forms and genres. We’re also seeking a wide variety of reviews, so think about that fashion line that makes their clothing from plastic bottles, or that brand of panties whose goal is to eliminate product waste among people who have periods. Or maybe you want to engage with films and tv shows from independent studios, directed, written, and/or starring BIPOC, queer, and disabled individuals. Or what about restaurants that feature traditional recipes from across an ocean? Reviews are boundless, and whether it’s an in-depth analysis or short and sweet praise, we want to hear it all!
Email submissions to Editor Trinity Jones: reviews@honeyliterary.com
Valentines: Tell us about that one friend you didn’t know you were in love with until you came out. Share the sticky note love letters you’ll never end up giving your roommate’s girlfriend. Or what about those love songs you wrote to your favorite artists? Honey Literary wants your Valentines: your phone notes, email drafts, letters in a box, corner-of-the-page-too-distracted-by-lust-to-pay-attention doodles, and descriptions of the outfits you love but will never wear. Or what about your thoughts on the perfect perfume for that special someone, your late-night car conversations, your platonic epics, your [self-insert] fanfiction, your realizations of being pursued or secretly admired, your sheets of loose leaf stuffed into drawers, your quarantine love stories, or your Tinder conversations with strangers that you’ll never speak to again? Think about those missed connections: the person you ran into three times at the grocery store whose name you didn’t catch. Is your valentine a top 10 list? Is it taped on a bus stop, in the refrain of a pop song, at the bottom of a bowl, or framed at an altar? Give us your cutesy, your sexy, your sultry, and your badass expressions of love and life.
Email submissions to Editor Maria Clara Melo: valentines@honeyliterary.com
DEADLINE: December 1, 2020
https://honeyliterary.com/submit/
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: “Composite Dreams” ISSUE
Oyster River Pages
INFO: Oyster River Pages publishes fine fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and visual art online. . Please see the general guidelines below for each genre. (Work that is unfinished, unproofed, or noncompliant with the guidelines gives our editors existential angst.) Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please contact us immediately if your work is picked up elsewhere. We request first serial rights, after which all rights revert to the author or artist. For this special issue only, we will accept previously published work, provided you have the rights to republish it and you provide the original publication in which it appeared.
“Composite Dreams” is the first of an ongoing series of Oyster River Pages’ efforts into implementing inclusion and diversity deeper into our mission as a magazine. The intention of this collection is to publish Black voices only, to be a space exclusively for and filled by Black writers and artists. We kindly ask that if you do not fit this category, to wait until our annual issue to submit your work. Please include a 60-word bio with your submission. To stay in touch with the latest happenings at ORP, subscribe to our mailing list below.
Fiction: Please submit one story up to 4,000 words in .docx format. All work should be double-spaced, and at least font size eleven.
Creative Non-Fiction: Please submit creative nonfiction pieces that are no longer than 4,000 words in .docx format. All work should be double-spaced and at least font size eleven.
Poetry: Please submit up to three poems in .docx format. Each poem should start on its own page. Otherwise, the spacing of the submission will remain as is in publication to preserve the integrity of the poem.
Visual Art: Please submit photography or other visual arts that are saved at 300 dpi or greater. We reserve the right to crop or edit submissions in order to fit in print or on our webpage.
DEADLINE: December 1, 2020
https://www.oysterriverpages.com/submit
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: "Somewhere We Are Human: An Anthology on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings"
Migrant Anthology
INFO: "Somewhere We Are Human: An Anthology on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings", edited by award winning author of The Distance Between Us, Reyna Grande, and acclaimed poet and author of Nostalgia & Borders, Sonia Guiñansaca. We are seeking bold personal non-fiction essays and poems from migrants, asylum seekers, refugees and displaced people with experience in the United States. We are especially interested in essays and poems from those in the midwest and Border towns. We are centering and giving priority to essays and poems from Indigenous migrants, Black migrants, Asian Pacific Islanders, and Arab communities.
During this time of political unrest, how do we shift the nation’s collective imagination about migrants towards one rooted in humanity and justice? What stories about ourselves and communities need to be told during these times of border militarization, mass detention, and draconian anti-immigrant legislation?
The anthology will be published by HarperCollins in English and Spanish. Contributors will be compensated (a min. of $800)
GUIDELINES:
All attachments should be saved as a Microsoft Word document (.docx)
For Non-Fiction Essays no more than 2,000 words
Poems should be no more than 6 pages in length (1-3 poems)
Written work should be finished pieces (no drafts)
Essays and poems should primarily be written in English.
All submissions should be unpublished pieces
Please number your pages in the order it should be read
One anthology submission per person
Short cover letter describing your interest in participating in this anthology (2-3 paragraphs)
A cover letter, short bio, and written work must be included in order to be considered
Please make no inquiries about the status of your submission. Only those selected will be contacted through email by the end of December
Guiding Questions:
We are seeking bold personal essays, and poems from migrants, asylum seekers, refugees and those deported from across the United States. These are just guiding questions and themes. We understand the topic of migration is broad so we are looking for pieces that touch upon these but not limited to these. There is no monolithic migrant story, we want to hear YOUR STORY, and YOUR EXPERIENCE.
We believe that we existed before the migration. That we had childhoods, and memories of our loved ones and a place we may have called “home”. Tell us those stories. What are stories before migration that you wished were written about.
We believe that our migration story is complicated, nuanced, layered, and intersectional. Scholars and politicians skip over the hard decision and journey of migrating or that many of us were displaced from our home country because of climate change, political turmoil, war, economic inequity-leaving us with no other choice but to “migrate”. Mainstream stories often leave out how some of our family members are detained in the process of coming to the U.S. They fast forward to us as “hard workers” and “taxpayers” and take away our childhoods, teenage years, and coming of age moments. Tell us those stories of our growing up in the United States. As a teenager what was it like to grow up in a mixed status family? What was dating like? If you are queer, how did you understand your queerness in relationship to your migration? What was it like before DACA? What are some stories of growing up undocumented that you wished you could have read? If you came to the U.S later on (after your formative years), what did you learn about yourself? What did you wish people knew about growing up in the South? Tell us these stories. Stories that disrupt the mainstream tokenizing, stories outside the “good” vs “bad immigrant”. Essays and poems that decenter whiteness, and assimilation.
We believe that our migrant communities deserve justice and a world without borders and detention centers. We believe that joy, healing, and freedom of expression is crucial to our existence. We want to read poems and essays touching on this. We want to read about where you are now in life? Tell us about the world you envision. What are some things you have reflected on about your migrant story? What are you un-learning? What is some advice and words you wished you were given about being migrant when you were younger? What are the messages you want recently “arrived” migrants to hear? What do you want to tell yourself 20 years from now? For artists, how has your art played a role in your healing and growth?
PLEASE NOTE: We are not looking for scholarly/academic papers. We will not consider submissions by non-migrant people. We are looking for contributors that are undocumented or formerly undocumented.
DEADLINE: December 5, 2020 at 11pm PT
https://www.migrantanthology.com/
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ONGOING
Fellowship for BIPOC Editors
Shenandoah
INFO: In order for structural change to happen in the predominantly white publishing industry, innovation must happen at all levels, from the big five book publishers to literary magazines like ours. We recognize that if we want Black writers, Indigenous writers, and other writers of color to feel at home in Shenandoah, and for the literature we publish to be full of varied and passionate perspectives that enliven, empower, and engage all of us, we need to have representation at our core. With this in mind, we’re excited to announce a new initiative: The Shenandoah Fellowship for BIPOC Editors.
Through this editorial fellowship, we’re committed to expanding the roster of people we work with and to discovering new BIPOC voices to amplify and empower. Selected fellows will receive a $1000 honorarium and will curate a selection of published work in a genre of their choosing for a single issue of Shenandoah, working with the Shenandoah staff to guide the work to publication. This opportunity will give fellows the chance to learn about all aspects of a small literary publisher and forge connections with peers and potential future employers in the industry and in academia.
Requirements and Eligibility
A single fellow will be selected for each issue of Shenandoah going forward, alternating genres (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, comics) as we see fit. Fellows will choose two–three pieces of prose, five–ten poems, or two–three comic artists for their issue; these authors will be paid at the same rates as other Shenandoah authors ($100 per poem; $50 per comic panel; $100 for every thousand words of prose—for a maximum honorarium of $500 per author). Each fellow will receive a $1000 honorarium for their work. We welcome writers and editors of all experience levels. No previous editorial experience is necessary, but we are looking for applicants who are passionate and informed about the literary community. We welcome candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
The Application
In 500 words or fewer, describe why this fellowship would be valuable to you, addressing what you think is the role and value of a literary magazine in the publishing ecosystem. Make sure to include your writing and editing experience and the genre you would be most excited to work in (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, comics).
In 500 words or fewer, tell us about a favorite piece of writing you recently read in a literary magazine in your desired genre. Describe how you found it, who wrote it, its aesthetic attributes, and what you loved about it.
In 500 words or fewer, compose a solicitation email to an emerging writer (who has published no more than one book) who you would love to work with. Include in your email what you admire about this writer’s work and why you would like to work with them.
We'd love to know where you heard about this fellowship, if you don't mind sharing!
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis beginning November 1, 2020 at https://shenandoah.submittable.com/submit. Upload a single document that responds to these prompts separately.
https://shenandoah.submittable.com/submit/175611/fellowship-for-bipoc-editors
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BIPOC WRITERS
Bad Mouth
INFO: Bad Mouth is an Albuquerque-based reading and music series that—in regular non-pandemic times—was a quarterly curated reading series featuring writers across genres, along with live music. Since the pandemic shut-down, we’ve been featuring weekly videos of one writer reading, with bio, links, and other information to highlight and promote that writer’s work. We post the videos on the Bad Mouth Facebook Page, the Bad Mouth website, and send to the Bad Mouth email list.
We’re currently open to submissions from writers of any genre (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction). At this time, we are asking for submissions from BIPOC writers.
If you’d like to participate, please send a note and brief bio to badmouth@plumeforwriters.org.
Thanks for considering, and we look forward to hearing from you!
DEADLINE: Ongoing
https://badmouthreadingseries.wordpress.com/about/
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MICRO/FLASH FAST RESPONSE FOR BIPOC WRITERS
Fractured Lit
INFO: Fractured Lit is committed to providing a platform to diverse, emerging voices. We are now offering an expedited reading category explicitly for marginalized or underrepresented writers. Submissions to this category will receive a response in two weeks or fewer.
All submissions are considered for publication at the payment rates below based on the appropriate word counts. Please see the guidelines below, or contact us at contact [at] fracturedlit.com with any questions. This form is for marginalized or underrepresented writers only.
Fractured Lit publishes micro and flash fiction from writers of any background or experience. Both Micro and Flash categories are open year round and we do not charge any submission fees. We accept simultaneous submissions but ask that you inform us immediately and withdraw your work if your story is accepted elsewhere. We pay our authors $50 for original micro fiction and $75 for original flash fiction.
Micro fiction for Fractured Lit is 400 words or less.
Flash fiction is 401-1,000 words.
We will also consider previously published fiction, as long as the writer retains the rights or second-publication rights can be obtained. We do not pay for reprints.
Writers may submit up to two stories in the same document. Please wait 1 month after our initial reply before submitting again.
Cover letters are optional, but it's nice to know who is submitting to us. Please refrain from describing your stories. The work needs to speak for itself. Including the title and word count of each story is helpful for more efficient consideration of your work. Please include a brief third-person biography statement.
We consider submissions sent via Submittable. We are not open to email submissions and are not open to submissions sent via post.
Fractured Lit holds first serial publication rights for three months after publication. Authors agree not to publish, nor authorize or permit the publication of, any part of the material for three months following Fractured Lit’s first publication. For reprints, we ask for acknowledgment of its publication in Fractured Lit first.
DEADLINE: Ongoing
https://fracturedlit.submittable.com/submit/175793/micro-flash-fast-response-for-bipoc-writers
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: INTERVENXIONS
The Latinx Project
INFO: Intervenxions is an online publication of The Latinx Project that features original writings, criticism, and interviews exploring contemporary Latinx Art, Politics, & Culture.
Pitches no longer than 100 words are accepted on a rolling basis. No completed drafts or manuscripts.
Please inquire about Spanish-language and bilingual submissions.
Include a brief bio (250 words or less) with your pitch.
For image requirements, see Squarespace guidelines on sizing and format. Please do not send images without verifying copyright restrictions and permissions.
Article length is roughly 1,200 to 2,000 words, with occasional exceptions for longer pieces.
Please hyperlink sources, no reference lists.
For interviews, please have audio or transcript available upon request. *Please note: interview questions do not need to be submitted beforehand.
Avoid redundancy, such as the same word or phrase used twice in a sentence.
Drafts should prioritize clear and concise language, as well as strike a balance between a casual, yet informed tone.
For additional guidance, please review past contributions.
DEADLINE: Ongoing
https://www.latinxproject.nyu.edu/submission-guidelines
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SEEKING BOOKS FOR REVIEW
BIPOC Book Critic's Collective
INFO: BIPOC Book Critic's Collective is a networking platform for book critics writing personalized, creative book reviews and author interviews that will bring a spotlight to women writers of color.
To ensure equity and accessibility to the public, we review books written within the decade, outside of the cisgender, patriarchal standards of traditional publishing. Allowing writers, agents, and publishers to submit manuscripts that align with our mission to promote BIPOC books. Our focus is on women and non-binary writers.
MISSION: To write personal, thoughtful reviews of self-published, queer, non-conforming and super strange books while also acknowledging writers who are published within traditional companies. We cover those who identify as women. We also cover those who don't. We don’t follow “rules” of convention, we make our own. And that's ok.
We will be going live soon. If you are interested in sharing your book for review on our website or in being a guest on our Podcast, please see the guidelines below.
GUIDELINES:
- We accept self-published and traditionally published titles
- We accept digital AND print galleys/arcs (email editors@bipoccriticscollective.com for physical address)
- You can complete this form without a digital arc/galley
- We are only accepting submissions from authors of color.
- Doc. or PDF formats ONLY.
- We do not accept ZIP folders.
- If you have promotional photos, author photos or blurbs, you can submit up to five files. Please, be sure that all author/promo pictures belong to you or you must provide the information of the photographer that they belong to so that we may reach out for permissions.
***Submitting your manuscript for review does not guarantee that your book will be reviewed by the Bad Book Biddies. We will give all submissions equal consideration. We have three other platforms outside of the Medium Publication which we can also use to highlight your unique contribution to the literary community. It is easier for us to review if you provide us with a copy, but some of us will have no problem purchasing your book to review.
DEADLINE: Ongoing
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
VIDA Review
INFO: The VIDA Review is an online literary magazine publishing original fiction, nonfiction, poetry, reviews, and interviews.
We are exclusively interested in work by those often marginalized in literary spaces, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC); cis and trans women, agender, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, nonbinary, and two-spirit people; LGBQIA people; people with disabilities; and people living at the intersections of these identities.
All pieces should be original, and previously unpublished in any format in English.
Please send one submission at a time, and please submit only once every 6 months.
We are open to simultaneous submissions, so long as you label them as such and promptly let us know if your work has been accepted elsewhere.
Please note that all submissions should be accompanied by a cover letter and brief third-person biography statement, and that (unless otherwise stated) we ask for First North American Rights to publish writing. Following publication, all rights revert back to the writer; we only ask that you credit the VIDA Review as the place your work first appeared.
GUIDELINES:
Fiction
Up to 3,000 words (but if your work is a bit longer, feel free to send it)
Double-spaced
Include contact information on first page of submission
Include word count at top of first page
Provide a cover letter in the "Cover Letter" section and a brief third-person biography
Nonfiction
Up to 3,000 words (but if your work is a bit longer, feel free to send it)
Double-spaced
Include contact information on first page of submission
Include word count at top of first page
Provide a cover letter in the "Cover Letter" section and a brief third-person biography
Book Reviews
Must be a review for a full-length or chapbook of poetry or prose by a writer from a historically-marginalized community
Must be published by small or independent presses
Must have been published within the last five years
Do not send us a review of your own book
Include publisher, price, and page number, as well as the word count of the review at the top of your submission
Simultaneous submissions are encouraged, but please let us know and withdraw your submission if your work is accepted elsewhere
No self-published titles are accepted
Reviews should be double-spaced and be no more than 1,200 words
PAYMENT: Payment for those accepted will range between $15-$20. We recognize that this is a token amount of money but hope to increase this amount in the future. Payment will be made via PayPal within 2 months of publication.
DEADLINE: Ongoing
https://thevidareview.submittable.com/submit
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
It’s Real
INFO: It’s Real - a publication devoted to exploring mental health in Asian American communities - is open for submissions.
There are no submission guidelines for your work - they need only be related to mental health, the Asian American community, and our monthly theme.
Please complete the following two-part submission form. If you are unable to submit through the submission form, please email us your submission as an attachment.
We are open to simultaneous submissions, so long as you classify them as such on the Submissions Form and promptly notify us by email if they are accepted elsewhere. Please note that (unless otherwise stated) we accept both First North American Rights or Nonexclusive Reprint Rights. Following publication, all rights revert to the writer; under the condition of accepting First North American Rights, we ask that you credit It's Real Magazine as the place your work first appeared.
Please note that because of the recent increase of submissions to It's Real, publication in the magazine is selective. We will be evaluating submissions on a basis of skill and a unique artistic voice. We respond to submissions within 2 weeks.
Questions? Email us at itsreal.magazine@gmail.com or contact us through our socials!
DEADLINE: Ongoing
https://www.itsrealmagazine.org/submit.html
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SUBMISSIONS CALL FOR WRITERS OF COLOUR
Sapere Books
INFO: Sapere Books is always open for submissions, and we especially encourage writers of colour to send us their work. We recognise that writers of colour are underrepresented in genre fiction publishing, and we believe that it is important to take steps to address this.
We are an eBook-focused publisher; physical copies of books are made available on a print-on-demand basis.
We are looking for both new submissions and out-of-print titles in the following genres:
Crime Fiction, Mystery and Thrillers
Romantic Fiction and Women’s Fiction
Historical Fiction (including Sagas, Mysteries, Thrillers and Romance)
Action and Adventure (Military, Aviation and Naval Fiction)
History and Historical Biography
If you are a writer of colour with a finished manuscript or an out-of-print book, please see our submissions guidelines and get in touch with our editorial director, Amy Durant: amy@saperebooks.com.
If you have further questions about the submissions process, or what Sapere Books is looking for, feel free to email them directly to Amy and she will get back to you as soon as possible.
Please click here to find out more about what we can offer authors.
We look forward to reading your work!
DEADLINE: Ongoing
https://saperebooks.com/blog/submissions-call-for-writers-of-colour/
