For your perusal: freelancing writing jobs, competitions, and places to publish.
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WRITING OPPORTUNITIES
Writers Bloc Workshop Competition
We think it’s important to invest in literature, and in the future of Australian writers in particular. To that end, each month we curate, edit, illustrate and publish a selection of original creative writing—and pay the writer professional publishing rates.
Each month, we will choose one short story, poem, or otherwise brilliant piece of writing to be our Bloc Feature. The Writers Bloc team of professional editors, teachers and award-winning creative writers will then work with you to polish the piece and publish it along with specially commissioned cover art. A little like this:
Best of all, we’ll pay you for the story and include you in our end-of year-anthology of creative writing.
If you’re interested, all you have to do is upload a completed draft of your story to our Workshop section, and join in our community of creative writers.
The Australian/Vogel's Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript
The Australian/Vogel's Literary Award is one of Australia's richest and the most prestigious award for an unpublished manuscript by a writer under the age of thirty-five. Offering publication by Allen & Unwin, with an advance against royalties plus prize money totalling $20,000, The Australian/Vogel's Literary Award has launched the careers of some of Australia's most successful writers, including Tim Winton, Kate Grenville, Gillian Mears, Brian Castro, Mandy Sayer and Andrew McGahan.
The Australian/Vogel's Literary Award-winning authors have gone on to win or be shortlisted for other major awards, such as the Miles Franklin Award, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the Booker Prize.
CLOSING 01/05/17
Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency Australian Writers’ Prize
UK literary agency Madeleine Milburn is looking for a great unpublished Australian writer who can amaze with an incredible voice, writing, and premise. The prize is open to adult fiction in all genres, to any unpublished Australian writers without representation. The top three entries will be shortlisted, with the winner receiving an offer of representation from the agency. All three shortlisted entries will receive a comprehensive editorial report. Entries must include a pitch letter including author bio and contact details, a one-page synopsis, and full manuscript. Email entries and queries to [email protected].
CLOSING 31/05/17
Elyne Mitchell Rural Writing Award
The Elyne Mitchell Rural Writing Award commemorates internationally renowned Silver Brumby author Elyne’s life and work, and hopes to encourage women all over Australasia to write their stories and send them in. Up to 2500 words referencing an Australasian rural experience. 2017 Theme: ‘Local Stories, People, Places and Events’. Fiction or Non-Fiction: Open Category – $15 per entry- 1 x $1000 prize money. Upper Murray Writers Category – $10 per entry – Open to residents of Towong, Tumbarumba and Indigo Shires – 1 x $500 prize money. Non fiction “bonus” $100 Dymocks Voucher.
CLOSING 17/08/17
CHASS (Humanities) Prize
2017 will mark the fourth year of the annual CHASS Australia Prizes. The Australia Prizes honour distinguished achievements by Australians working, studying, or training in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) sectors, including academics, practitioners, philanthropists, policy makers, and students.
Nominations have now opened for four prizes. Two prizes are sponsored by Routledge (cash prize of $3,500 each): one for a non-fiction book/e-book that enriches Australian cultural and intellectual life, the second for ‘Distinctive Work’—an exceptional artistic performance, exhibition, film, television show, play, composition or practical contribution to arts policy. The third prize (cash prize of $2,000) is sponsored by Future Leaders for a ‘Future Leader’, an individual under 30 years of age who is demonstrating leadership skill and potential in the arts, humanities and social sciences. The Co-Op has sponsored the fourth prize ($500 voucher) for a student essay, exhibition, performance or project in any HASS area.
CLOSING 30/04/17
BBC National Short Story Competition
It’s the 12th year of the BBC National Short Story Award and No.1 bestselling author Joanna Trollope will chair the judging panel for 2017. Trollope, known as one of the most insightful chroniclers and social commentators writing today, is also a long-time short story writer. Her eagerly anticipated 20th novel, City of Friends, will be published in February 2017.
Joining her on the panel will be a formidable line-up of writers who are prizewinners themselves: Eimear McBride (Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction); short story writer and academic Jon McGregor (IMPAC Award); Sunjeev Sahota (Encore Award); and returning judge Di Speirs, Books Editor at BBC Radio.
CLOSING 06/03/17
Irene Adler Prize
A a $1,000 scholarship to a woman pursuing a degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution in the U.S. or Canada, based on an essay competition.
In today’s challenging climate, the organisers want to let their female colleagues know—past, present and future—that they and their work are respected and valued. This is not to minimize men. It’s to help maximize the talents of the other 50 percent of the world’s population, which is too frequently shortchanged. The time is right.
CLOSING 30/04/17
Bruce Dawe National Poetry Prize
As an Australian poet, your contribution shapes our Australian culture.
None believed this more so than Emeritus Professor Bruce Dawe AO, one of Australia’s most acclaimed contemporary poets. Professor Dawe believed that universities should support the study of Literature and promote the Arts in Australian society. His decision to sponsor this prominent Literary Prize is ongoing, living proof of his conviction.This annual $2500 prize has been generously endowed by Emeritus Professor Dawe to celebrate Australian poetry.
CLOSING 12/05/17
Arch and Bruce Brown Playwriting Competition (LGBT)
The 2017 playwriting competition will be open to submissions from March 1 through April 30, 2017. All manuscripts must be electronically submitted (no hard copies) and received by midnight on April 30. Only the first 150 submissions will be accepted, and they will not consider work previously submitted to this competition.
Only full-length works (dramas, comedies, musicals, screenplays) will be considered. One entry per author, please. Scripts must be original and in English. All must concern lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or genderqueer life and be based on, or directly inspired by, a historical person, culture, work of art, or event.
There is no entry fee. Prizes are as follows: First Prize, $3,000; Second Prize, $1,500; Honorable Mentions, $500. Prizewinners will be announced before the end of the year.
CLOSING 30/04/17
Country Style's Short Story Competition
The chance to see one’s work in print and win a substantial prize of $5000 has tempted many readers over the years to try their hand at Country Style’s Short Story Competition. Some have been experienced writers, others first-timers who surprised themselves with the extent of their literary talent: all are equal when the entries are collected for judging. Your story can involve any situation or setting, but must incorporate ‘light’ as a major or minor theme in either a figurative or literal sense. We look forward to your imaginative response—time to start writing!
PRIZE: The winning entrant will receive $5000.
Closing 19/4/2017
Entries are open for the 2017 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize. The 2017 Jolley Prize is worth a total of $12,500, with a first prize of $7,000 and supplementary prizes of $2,000 and $1,000. The judges will also commend three additionalstories, the authors of which will each receive $850.
Entries must be a single-authored short story of between 2,000 and 5,000 words, written in English. Stories must not have been previously published or be on offer to other prizes or publications for the duration of the Jolley Prize.
Closing 10/04/17
Event Non-Fiction Contest
Contest winners feature in every winter issue since 1989, and many have gone on to greatness. Winners also win a pretty nice cheque. How do you feel about $1500 in prize money?
CLOSING 15/04/17
Monthly Catch at Penguin
Do you have a manuscript you would like Penguin to consider? Penguin Group have what’s known as the ‘Monthly Catch’. During the first week of every month, you can submit unsolicited manuscripts for their consideration.
CLOSING 31/12/17
2024 Short Story Competition - Future
Seeking the best credible positive vision of life in 2024, in a satisfying narrative context. Entropy being what it is, all that we can create, without first imagining it, is a mess!
So. tell us a story we can believe in, about a world not far in the future where things are not perfect but getting better, not just for a few, but for humanity.
This is not easy to do, dystopias abound in all forms of fiction and “utopia” is pronounced with a sneer more often than not. But how will we avoid a horrible future if it is all we can imagine?
CLOSING 05/05/17
Jobs and Internships
ABC Women in Broadcast Scholarships
As an ABC Women in Broadcast Technology (WiBT) Intern, you will have an opportunity to apply the theory of your studies to develop an excellent understanding of technology and its use in the broadcasting industry. You will be based in a technical support team maintaining broadcast equipment.
CLOSING 07/05/17
RESIDENCIES, FESTIVALS AND FELLOWSHIPS
LitLink - Varuna Residency
A LitLink Residential Fellowship offers writers and illustrators of fiction and narrative non-fiction living in regional NSW and Sydney Surrounds a two-week creative residency at Varuna the National Writers House in the beautiful Blue Mountains, NSW.
The Fellowship includes full board and accommodation at Varuna including a prepared evening meal, uninterrupted time to write in your own private studio, the companionship of your fellow writers and the opportunity to receive feedback on your work from a Varuna Consultant. Varuna awards five Litlink Fellowships to writers living in regional NSW each year.
CLOSING 30/04/17
Disney / ABC Writing Program (Los Angeles)
For over 25 years, the Disney | ABC Writing Program has been lauded as one of the most successful writer programs in the entertainment industry. The one-year program is the only program of its kind sanctioned by the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW). The program has launched the careers of many writers, including: Maria Jacquemetton (Mad Men); Jane Espenson (Once Upon A Time); Saladin K. Patterson (Psych); Bryan Oh (Chicago Fire); George Mastras (Breaking Bad); and Veena Sud (The Killing).
Created in 1990 in partnership with the WGAW, the Disney | ABC Writing Program is based in Los Angeles and is widely recognized as one of the entertainment industry’s most coveted writing programs.
CLOSING 31/05/17
Playwriting Australia – Seeking Stageplays
Playwriting Australia is seeking original plays. They approach the selection of plays with care and precision. It is a multi-stage process that involves a number of different readers assessing plays across a detailed list of criteria. It is a process that also allows for readers to be in conversation with them and with each other, ensuring quality control of readers' responses.
They believe terrific new writing must be produced and they do this reading to give playwrights opportunities to develop and/or showcase their best new plays in order to see the work reach production.
All plays submitted to Playwriting Australia are read in their entirety.
Submissions are ongoing.
PUBLICATIONS/ORGANISATIONS SEEKING SUBMISSIONS
Tincture Journal Submissions open
Poetry submissions for Issue Eighteen are currently open and will close on April 13. Tincture welcome pitches of creative non-fiction ideas via email and are happy to hear from writers of all backgrounds and levels of experience.
You can find them on Submittable: tincture-journal.submittable.com
CLOSING 13/04/17
Yankee Magazine - Pitch
Yankee welcomes freelance submissions in the areas of home, travel, food, and non-fiction editorial. They are not currently accepting poetry, fiction, or cartoons. Both manuscripts and queries should include a small collection of clips of your other work. Manuscripts should additionally be accompanied with a short cover letter.
CLOSING 31/05/17
Peril Magazine
Peril Magazine has extended its callout for their upcoming WORK edition.
"So, what does work mean to you? Send us your critical essays on the nature of racialised labour in Australia. Challenge us with prose that dreams big about a living wage. Inspire us with your poetic reproductions of women’s work, men’s work, non-binary werk. Delight us with your film or audio explorations of the work/werk that shakes you. We’re especially curious about those speculative fiction and genre creators out there who might be a little shy about submitting to non-genre-specific journals – we’re open minded and we value your work/werk, so we’d love to share it further if you’ll take a chance on us too."
CLOSING: 14/04/17
Veronica Literary Magazine
Veronica is an online literary magazine, started in 2016 by creative writing students at QUT.
They will be regularly publishing a wide range of content, including fiction, memoir, poetry, and art. Producing something different? Send it their way!
They seek complex representations of all women and non-binary folk. So, if that’s your jam, send them your pieces! They are on the hunt for pieces up to 2,000 words for fiction, memoir, non-fiction, etc. Poetry should be up to 60 lines, or a suite of three shorter, related, poems. They would love to see your art, comics, illustrations, graphics, etc. and guidelines are flexible, so if you’re an artist send them an email and you can chat about it!
Send your submissions to: [email protected] with “fiction”, “memoir”, “poetry”, “comic”, etc. in the subject line. Submissions are open now!
They are currently unable to pay contributors, but will provide critiques and feedback to all submissions.
Submissions are ongoing.
CLOSING 01/06/17
Scum Mag
Scum is interested in publishing feminist-friendly work of any variety, but as a general rule your piece should be under 1000 words (50 lines for poetry) and able to be classified as “fiction”, “culture”, “memoir”, “column”, “poetry”, and/or “review”. They tend not to publish traditional reviews of books and films—to get a feel for the reviews they do publish, check the review tag. Feel free to pitch to them if you’re not sure if your piece is a good fit. (Please note that they don’t accept pitches for fiction or poetry.)
Submissions to Scum are open the first week (from the 1st to the 7th) of every month. The rest of the month, submissions are closed. They pay $60 per piece of writing.
Uneven Floor (poetry)
Uneven Floor, an independent poetry publication based in Perth, Western Australia, is seeking poetry submissions for its online magazine.
Unpaid, editors ask that writers read their website thoroughly to get a feel for their tone before submitting. Ongoing.
Voiceworks Magazine - Longform Submissions
Australia's premier youth literary journal is branching out beyond their usual 3000 word upper limit and seeking longform submissions.
"We are open to self-contained works to be published in a single issue, as well as episodic stories suited to serialised publication across multiple issues. We encourage submissions of various fiction styles, be that ‘literary’, genre (sci-fi, mystery, historical, etc.), and work that blurs the boundaries between fiction and nonfiction. We will, naturally, smile upon funny writing, and work that experiments with style and form.
We are not looking for fanfiction, hard-boiled crime, romance, screenplays, play scripts or children’s literature."
The successful submission will receive $300.
CLOSING: 14/05/17
The Wrong Quarterly
The Wrong Quarterly are a London-based journal who publish "inventive" works of nonfiction, life writing and essays up to 5,000 words and fiction up to 6,000 words. Submissions are accepted from both British and international writers. Ongoing.
Right Now
Right Now is committed to covering human rights issues in Australia through free, accessible, creative and engaging online, print and radio media. Creative writing is a great way to explore human rights in Australia: from poetry to flash fiction to long and short pieces. Ongoing.
This post was sponsored by an our Patron Angie Holst – thank you Angie! If you'd like to help support the next generation of Australian writers, check our our Patreon page.
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