TOP SPONSOR 

The 30th annual Missouri Review Jeffrey E. Smith Editors' Prize is open for submissions!

The prize awards $5,000 and publication to prize-winners in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. All entrants are considered for publication and are guaranteed with their entry fee a 1-year digital subscription to the Missouri Review along with a free digital copy of the new collection of short stories from TMR contributors, Strange Encounters.

Deadline: October 1.

Learn more, and enter here: 
https://www.missourireview. com/contests/jeffrey-e-smith-editors-prize/.

 

WHO'S THE RIGHT JUDGE OF YOUR WORK?

I read a lot of posts, in the spirit of broadening my horizons, and this week I came across this one by a public speaking expert. The message smacked me like a wet rag across the nose how closely this fits writers. 

The author of this post is a public speaking coach, and his clients enter speaking contests. He was disturbed when the better speakers, one his student, did not win a speaking contest. 

There are two ways of judging a story. From the eyes of a critical writer, or the eyes of a reader. In other words, from a critical eye or a layman's eye. Your market is the latter. The critics are the former. Sure, we crave feedback on our work, but who is the right judge of how good our work is?

My publisher is not a big fan of authors entering contests, and when I first published with them, we used to butt heads over that belief. From her experience, winning or placing in a contest does not necessarily sell the books. 

For instance, do you know the awards your favorite author has earned? Can you name the winners of the most recent Edgars (for mystery) or Bram Stoker awards (horror)? Do you follow awards, and if someone wins, does that dictate your reading material?

The answer is probably no. 

Would you like to win awards? Or would you like to make sales? At first blush, you'd think that a win would immediately up your sales. Unfortunately, that's not often so. Because those choosing the award winners are not your targeted market. They think entirely differently. 

Sure, continue to compete. A win might open other doors in other ways. You earn bragging rights and you can post medals on your website and covers. But realize the mindset that picks winners isn't necessarily the mindset that reads for entertainment.

SUPER SPONSOR 

Last call! Deadline: September 30.

The 18th annual Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest welcomes both published and unpublished work. Winning Writers will award $3,000 to the best poem in any style, and $3,000 to the best poem that rhymes or has a traditional style. 10 Honorable Mentions will receive $200 each. The top 12 poems will be published online. The top two winners will also receive two-year gift certificates from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value). $15 entry fee per poem.

This contest is recommended by Reedsy. Submit here.


 

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Featured article

Five Reasons Your Magazine Pitches Get Rejected

By Andrea J. Johnson

So you've written your hundredth magazine pitch only to be rejected again. This is where most writers quit, but smart authors know that a successful pitch goes beyond a clean essay and a flashy idea. You need content that not only compels the editor to inquire for more but also provides a definitive point of view that will appeal to readers for years to come. But in pursuit of this delicate balance, many writers unknowingly commit a series of sins that equal rejection before the editor finishes the first sentence. Here are five of the most common mistakes.

You don't do your research. 

Review the tone and style of each publication on your wish list. How long are the articles? Are submissions limited to certain subjects? Familiarize yourself with the magazine's content, and discover if they've already published articles similar to your pitch. One way to do this is to Google search their website using "site: publication.com [plus your pitch's keywords]." This should bring up any material already written about the topic so that you don't rehash old ground.

You don't know your audience. 

For example, if you're crafting a pitch for Bustle, they look for lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and entertainment pitches only. That means, the essay you've written comparing The Fountainhead to the works of Friedrich Nietzsche isn't going to fly no matter how many times you insert "Chanel" or "Hollywood" into the text. Remember, understanding your readers' needs will increase the quality and impact of your pitch.

You don't provide enough details. 

A good pitch should be specific. Create a clear angle that defines exactly how your story will attract readers. Include web links or research, especially if the pitch involves a product or procedure. For example, if you're going to write an article about an exercise fad, outline the details. Don't just pitch the question, "Peloton: Does It Work?" Give the editor a concrete hook on which to base her expectations. Do you have expert data from Johns Hopkins? Did you do a survey of 100 fitness experts? Have you and six of your closest friends drawn numbers from one to seven and vowed to work out that many times a week for a month? Depending on the publication, all of those approaches have merit. But the key is to decide how you'll answer your own question (and why that question is important) before you pitch the article. Don't expect the publisher to make those decisions for you. If you have personal experience, flaunt it. If you need experts, find them. Remember, there are thousands of other writers out there with the same idea vying for the same spot. Show the editor why this is a pitch that only you could write.

You don't do your due diligence. 

Pick a topic you're passionate about. Don't pitch a product review if you've never used the item. Don't herald the merits of a diet you've never tried. Don't pitch personal experiments you haven't completed. No editor wants to work with hypotheticals. They want to know that the article you pitched is the one they're going to get. Nothing is worse than having to extend a deadline because the writer failed to investigate—or worse, her hypothesis is incorrect, so she has to scrap the entire concept.

You don't craft a good headline. 

Don't wait until you've gotten the job to think about a clever title. After all, it's the first thing the editor sees and is often the one element that helps them decide whether they're going to read your pitch or ditch it. Strong headlines establish tone and set the groundwork for what's to come. They should be eye-catching but still accurately convey the article's substance.

Now, take an honest step back. 

Have you committed these sins? If so, here's your chance to turn rejection into recognition. 

Bio: Andrea J. Johnson is a freelance contributor to the women's lifestyle website Popsugar where she amassed more than 100 articles in less than a year. She is also a columnist for LitReactor, the online literary magazine dedicated to genre fiction and discussions on the writing craft. Moreover, Andrea works as the Acquisitions Editor for the RIZE Imprint at Running Wild Press, and she is the author of Poetic Justice, the first in the Victoria Justice Court Reporter Mystery series from Polis Books. Learn more about Andrea at ajthenovelist.com or on Twitter @ajthenovelist.
 

COmpetitions

DREAM FOUNDRY CONTEST - FOR COVER ART
https://dreamfoundry.org/contest-rules/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 1, 2020. First prize $1,000. Second prize $500. Third prize $200. This contest is for artists who are relatively new to paid illustration work for speculative publications in English. Submit one .pdf with at least three finished artworks, but no more than five. We are looking for speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, weird fiction, etc.) themed artwork. Please don’t send us artwork without a speculative element (mainstream, contemporary, romance, westerns, historical fiction etc.).



TULIPTREE REVIEW UNDERDOGS STORY CONTEST
http://www.tuliptreepub.com/underdogs-contest.html 
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 23, 2020. The Fall/Winter issue will feature stories that empower the theme of the underdog. Entries may be fiction, nonfiction, or poetry—as long as it tells a story, it fits. Grand prize is $1,000 and contributors will receive $50.



TEXAS SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://www.bethuneandson.com/texas-short-story-contest
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 2, 2020. Theme: Life and stories from the Texas Gulf Coast. One first-place winner will receive $1,000, publication in the Bethune & Son Fiction Anthology, Presidio Volume IV and the website. One second-place winner will receive $300 and publication. One third-place winner will receive $200 in Bethune & Son store credit and publication. Limit 5,000 words.



EXPATRIATE AND WORK ABROAD CONTEST
https://www.transitionsabroad.com/information/writers/expatriate_writing_contest.shtml
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 15, 2020. Prizes are $500, $150, $100, and $50. Winning articles will be featured on the website and social media. Winners have often gone on to become contributing writers. Contest is open to professional and freelance writers from any location around the globe. Submit an original and unpublished essay or mini-guide of between 1,200 and 5,000 words relating to your experience living, moving, or working abroad. 



THE DARLING AXE FIRST PAGE CHALLENGE
https://darlingaxe.com/blogs/news/fpc-update-aug2020
$5 CAD ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2020. First prize $200, second prize $100, third prize $50. The First Page Challenge is a writing contest for novelists. Hook us in a single double-spaced page for a chance to win a growing prize pool, plus publication on the Chopping Blog. Our judge, Michelle Barker, will be asking herself one question: how likely am I to turn this page and keep reading?



CITY LIMITS POEMS OF POLITICAL PROTEST CONTEST
https://citylimitspublishing.com/contests/poems-of-political-protest-contest/
$7 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2020. We’re looking for your best political poetry! We’re putting out an anthology called Poems of Political Protest in November 2020 and we want your voice to be heard! First prize $500, publication, and 100 author copies. Second prize $250, publication, and 50 author copies. Third prize $100, publication, and 20 author copies. All entries must be centered on a political situation.



TEXLANDIA PRIZE
https://www.texlandia.org/submission-guidelines
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2020. All poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction submissions are automatically entered in the contest, free of charge. Simply upload your piece(s) on our Submittable page. A $1,000 prize will be awarded to the best piece in each genre: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction. All other entries will be considered for publication in the Summer 2021 print issue. While there is no word limit, we rarely publish work over 9,000 words.



CITY LIMITS SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://citylimitspublishing.com/contests/short-story-contest/
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2020. City Limits Publishing is publishing a series of short story collections and we’re looking for new authors to join the mix! Categories: Fantasy, Fairytale, Fiction, Thriller/Suspense, LGBTQ+ Literature, Life Lessons, Romance, Young Adult. First prize $200, publication, and 20 author copies. Second prize $100, publication, and 15 author copies. Third prize $50, publication, and ten author copies. Original work of fiction under 2,000 words. (Early bird promo is extended until September 15, 2020!)



CITY LIMITS PUBLISHING NOVEL CONTEST
https://citylimitspublishing.com/contests/novel-contest-with-cash-prize-and-publishing-contract/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 1, 2020. First prize $500, publication, and 100 author copies. Second prize $250, publication, and 50 author copies. Third prize $100, publication, and 20 author copies. All genres. Original work of fiction or nonfiction that must be previously unpublished, and word count per chapter should not exceed 3,000 words. Novel minimum – 30,000 words. 



CITY LIMITS POETRY CONTEST: WORDS, WORDS, WORDS
https://citylimitspublishing.com/contests/city-limits-2020-poetry-contest-words-words-words/
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2020. This year’s theme is “Words, Words, Words” giving power to three of the most popular literary devices. Your poem must include one of the following: Alliteration (repeating consonant sounds, ex: practically perfect poetry prevails periodically); Onomatopoeia (sound words like “Pop!” “Bang!” “Zap!”); or Personification (attributing human-like characteristics to inhuman objects, ex: “The wind whistled past my ears”). First prize $500, publication, and 100 author copies. Second prize $250, publication, and 50 author copies. Third prize $100, publication, and 20 author copies.



CITY LIMITS PUBLISHING NEW THEATRICAL WORKS
https://citylimitspublishing.com/contests/city-limits-publishing-2020-new-theatrical-works-competition-and-festival/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2020. We are currently accepting submissions for short plays and full-length plays in all genres and categories. Categories/Genres: Short Play Romance, Short Play Comedy, Short Play SciFi, Short Play Historical, Short Play Drama, Full-Length Romance, Full-Length Comedy, Full-Length SciFi, Full-Length Historical, and Full-Length Drama. Grand Prize Shorts Categories – $500 Cash Prize Publishing Contract, 100 Author Copies of your work. Grand Prize Full-Length Categories –  $1,000 Cash Prize, Publishing Contract, 100 Author Copies of your work. Individual Categories: First Place – $100 Cash Prize, Publishing Contract, 100 Author Copies of your work. All short play entrants will be published in an anthology of short plays and will receive a copy of their completed works. Full-length plays will receive individual publishing contracts with royalty earning opportunities, including performance rights royalty earning opportunities. Short plays are defined as follows: total staged length is up to 45 minutes, not less than 10 minutes. Full-length plays are defined as follows: total staged length is up to 2.5 hours, not less than 45 minutes.



THE ARCANIST FLASH FICTION HALLOWEEN CONTEST
https://thearcanist.io/calling-all-halloween-stories/
$7-10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 26, 2020. We specialize in flash fiction so we want stories that are 1,000 words or less. Enter our new horrifying, terror-ridden, candy-eatin' new contest with the theme of Halloween. As long as your story is speculative and has some aspect of Halloween (costumes, masks, hauntings, whatever!) your story will be considered! First place prize is $200 USD. Second place prize is $100 USD. Third and Fourth place prizes: $75 USD. 
 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

THE JACK STRAW ARTIST RESIDENCY PROGRAMS 
http://www.jackstraw.org/programs/asp/Residency_Programs_FAQs.shtml
Deadline November 2, 2020. Offer established and emerging artists in diverse disciplines an opportunity to explore the creative use of sound in a professional atmosphere through residencies in our recording studios and participation in our various presentation programs. Artists may apply to only one program per year. All residency applications are now online via Submittable. If this format is not accessible to you for any reason, please contact us at [email protected] or (206)634-0919. Jack Straw Cultural Center - an accessible building in Seattle's University District - houses two recording studios, a New Media Gallery, and other exhibition spaces in the front entry space and main hallway. Residents in the Artist Support Program have access to the studios, as well as the potential to borrow equipment for remote recording. 



ROCKET RELIEF EMERGENCY GRANTS - ARTSKC
https://artskc.org/rocket-relief/
This grant is intended to help artists whose income has been impacted by COVID-19 and who need assistance with basic expenses such as food, housing, medical costs, and childcare. This fund is open to all self-identifying visual, multi-disciplinary, and performing artists in the eligible region (within 80 miles of Kansas City). Grant amounts are available as flat stipends of $1,000.



SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA ARTS COUNCIL
http://semac.org/what-s-new/our-next-deadline.php
Pandemic Relief Grants for working artists and culture bearers who can demonstrate a loss of essential artistic income due to the pandemic. Applications will be accepted September 1 to October 1, or until funds are exhausted, whichever comes first. Awards are $1,500. We expect to release funds in mid-November.



NORTH CAROLINA ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS
https://www.ncarts.org/invest-arts/grants-artists/artist-fellowships
The North Carolina Arts Council has awarded fellowships to artists in a variety of disciplines who have been selected through rigorous panel screening processes. The Arts Council supports artists in their development and the creation of new work because they play an essential role in the creative vitality of the state. Fellowship recipients receive $10,000 to purchase supplies and equipment, or pursue other artistic goals. The program operates on a two-year cycle. Choreographers and visual, craft, and film/video artists deadline: November 2020. Songwriters, composers, and writers deadline: November 2021 (Literary fellowships include playwrights, prose writers, screenwriters and literary translation). Artists residing in NC for at least one year prior to the deadline and at least 18 years old are eligible. 



NORTH CAROLINA ARTIST SUPPORT GRANTS
https://www.ncarts.org/invest-arts/grants-artists/artist-support-grants
This program, funded by the NC Arts Council, provides the opportunity for regional consortia of local arts councils to award project grants to artists in their regions. These grants support professional artists in any discipline and at any stage in their careers to pursue projects that further their professional development. (See site to find your region of the state.)



USW PROJECT GRANTS
https://www.pw.org/content/usw_project_grants
Deadline September 30, 2020. Writers who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) and reside in Detroit, Houston, or New Orleans may apply for grants. The purpose of these grants is to support BIPOC writers in presenting virtual events that will engage communities in these cities as part of Poets & Writers' ongoing initiative.
 

 

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

FLAME TREE: TERRIFYING GHOSTS
https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/strange-lands-submissions-announcement-0-0-0
Deadline September 20, 2020. Pays eight cents per word. Limit 2,000 to 4,000 words. Ghastly castles, haunted mansions, shadowy forests and long, dark corridors. This new addition to the Gothic Fantasy series will be packed with tales of terror, bringing together the new and the familiar, the unusual and the unexpected. Terrifying Ghosts Short Stories will deliver a satisfying read for anyone fascinated by glimpses of the beyond.



FUTURE SF
http://future-sf.com/submissions/
Deadline September 30, 2020. Open themed submissions call – open to all authors. For this call we’re seeking science fiction stories that envision the future of the East Asia region in an optimistic, positive way. No dystopias, please. We consider fiction of 500-10,000 words (under 5,000 words strongly preferred.)



BLACK SCI-FI ANTHOLOGY - FLAME TREE PUBLISHING
http://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/black-sci-fi-short-stories-call-for-submissions
Deadline September 21, 2020. The Black Sci-Fi Short Stories anthology is due to be published in April 2021 (UK) and June 2021 (US), in our Gothic Fantasy series. Dystopia, apocalypse, gene-splicing, cloning, colonization and much more can be explored here – in fantastic stories, whether informed by the black experience or not. Word count is approximately 2,000–4,000. Payment will be eight cents/six pence for each word (SFWA qualifying market rate) and six cents/four pence for reprints.



FRACTURED LIT
https://fracturedlit.submittable.com/submit
Fractured Lit welcomes all writers, established as well as emerging. We want to find Flash with emotional resonance, characters we care about, who come to life through their actions and responses to the world around them. We’re searching for Flash that investigates the mysteries of being human, the sorrow and the joy of connecting to the diverse population around us. We currently feature two separate submission categories, based on the length of the work submitted: Micro Fiction, for work under 400 words (pays $50); and Flash Fiction, for work 401-1,000 words (pays $75).



ELECTRIC LIT
https://electricliterature.com/about/submit/
Electric Literature’s weekly fiction magazine, publishing short stories and novel excerpts by today's most dynamic voices every Wednesday, recommended by your favorite writers, accepts previously unpublished fiction of 1,500 to 10,000 words. Two one-week submissions periods per year, usually in Spring and Fall. Response time: six to eight months. Pays $300. Electric Literature’s second weekly magazine, publishing strange and diverting poetry, flash fiction, and graphic narratives every Monday, accepts previously unpublished fiction, poetry, and graphic narrative under 1,500 words. Four one-week submissions periods per year. Response time: three months, and pays $100. Electric Lit’s essay series about the way stories shape our lives has open submission periods to include prompts such as, “What is a book that changed your mind?” and “What is a book that almost killed you?” When open, prompt information can be found on Submittable. Accepts original essays of 800 to 4,000 words on books, films, television, or other narrative media in response to the prompt. Four two to three-week submission periods per year. Response time two to three months. Pays $100.



ROOM
https://roommagazine.com/submit
Deadline October 31, 2020. Literature, art, and feminism since 1975. Room Magazine invites unpublished writing on any theme for our open issue 44.2. Room publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art by women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit and nonbinary people. We specifically encourage writers with overlapping under-represented identities to submit their work. All contributors will be paid upon publication: $50 CAD for one page, $60 for two pages, $90 for three pages, $120 for four pages, $150 for five or more pages. Fiction and creative nonfiction up to 3,500 words. Poetry up to five poems.



PUBLIC INFORMATION COORDINATOR
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/84719
Responsible for creating internal and external communications for University Housing including email, media requests, student/parent notifications, coordination of Website content and social media. Reviews, evaluates and makes recommendations for new programs or the modification of existing communication initiatives. This position also provides significant support for University Housing marketing efforts and special events. Bachelor’s degree and two years experience related to the development and dissemination of informational material. 
 

Publishers/agents

MICRO PUBLISHING MEDIA - HYBRID
https://micropublishingmedia.com/publish-with-mpm/
Micro Publishing Media was created as an alternative to the frustrations of self-publishing and the lack of access for many authors to agents and the large publishers. The publishing industry is now made up of conglomerates, which are multi-national corporations. There are fewer chances for most authors to find their break. For every 1,000 submissions maybe only one is chosen to fill the few slots available. We created MPM to fill an important need. We can help authors increase their chances in the traditional publishing arena or we can help them reach a level of quality that we will accept and publish through our curated list. We are an indie publishing house with real access to bookstores. However, our authors pay for some of the services needed to achieve their goals.



ZENO LITERARY AGENCY
http://zenoagency.com/about-us/
Zeno Agency Ltd is a London-based literary agency specialising in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror. We are also expanding into other genres, such as crime and thrillers, women’s fiction and young adult fiction. 



THE TOBIAS LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.thetobiasagency.com/
The Tobias Literary Agency specializes in all Intellectual Property matters in the publishing industry, from the seed of an idea to the day a book hits the shelves and beyond. A full-service literary agency headquartered in New York City with satellite offices in Boston, Nashville, and soon-to-be Los Angeles, The Tobias Literary Agency represents established and debut authors. We handle all our clients’ subsidiary rights, including but not limited to audio, foreign language translations, film and television, gaming, and apps. The Tobias Literary Agency has procured film options for many clients and has co-repped projects with the biggest entertainment agencies in the world, including CAA, ICM, UTA, Paradigm, and more. 



GO LITERARY
http://www.go-lit.com/
A full-service boutique agency, GO Literary aims to give voice to a broad range of perspectives across the literary spectrum. GO Literary is actively seeking both fiction and nonfiction works that wed compelling writing with a strong narrative and tackle big issues in engaging, accessible, and even surprising ways. Beyond working toward the success of each individual book, GO Literary strives to establish long-term relationships with its authors to help them build satisfying and enduring careers.
 

SPONSORS

www.fundsforwriters.com/advertising 

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