For your perusal: 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.
Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers
Overland has again opened the Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers. This year we are looking for the best short fiction, up to 3000 words, from an Indigenous writer under the age of 30.
The first place will receive $5000, publication in Overland and a three-month residency at the beautiful Trinity College. Entry is free.
CLOSING 31/01/17
2017 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize
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
Text Prize
The $10,000 Text Prize aims to discover incredible new books for young adults and children by Australian and New Zealand writers. This year is our tenth prize and they couldn’t be more proud of that fact. Awarded annually to the best manuscript written for young readers, the Text Prize has unearthed extraordinary, multi-award-winning books and launched international publishing careers for the last ten years.
Published and unpublished writers of all ages are eligible to enter with works of fiction or non-fiction.
The winner receives a publishing contract with Text and a $10,000 advance against royalties.
CLOSING 03/02/17
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
Nature Writing Prize - 2017
The $5,000 award is for an essay between 3,000 and 5,000 words in the genre of ‘Writing of Place’. The prize will go to an Australian writer whose entry is judged to be of the highest literary merit and which best explores his or her relationship and interaction with some aspect of the Australian landscape. The competition’s judges are award-winning journalist, author and editor Jo Chandler and novelist and critic James Bradley. The winning entry will be published in Griffith Review online as a multimedia essay.
CLOSING 27/01/17
The Calibre Essay Prize
The Calibre Essay Prize is one of the world’s leading prizes for a new essay and it is now worth a total of $7,500.
Entries close 15 March 2017
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
2016 Newcastle Short Story Award
Brought to by the Hunter Writers Centre, this competition for stories of up to 2000 words is open to Australian residents. First prize is $3000.
Entries close 8pm EST Monday 6th February, 2017
The KYD Unpublished Manuscript Award
This award will assist an early-career author in the development of their unpublished manuscript. The award is open to writers of adult fiction and adult non-fiction.
The winner will receive a $5000 cash prize and a mentorship with KYD’s Rebecca Starford (non-fiction) or Hannah Kent (fiction)
Submissions open 1 Feb 2017 and close 5pm AEDT Friday 31 March 2017.
Wundor Short Fiction Contest (Novellas, Short Stories and Flash Fiction)
At Wundor they plan to champion interesting, unusual fiction in all of its forms. Brevity can be one of literature’s great virtues, and we do not believe in filling out short stories into novella form if they are supposed to be short stories, or lengthening a novella to try to make a novel, when the story suits the novella form just fine.
Whether you have a single piece of work, a collection of pieces or a brilliant novella on your hands, they would like to read it. The only stipulation is that the sum total word count of your submission should fall between 5,000 and 45,000 words.
CLOSING 28/02/17
Forty South Publishing Tasmania Writers' Prize 2017
Open to residents of Australia and New Zealand, the prize is for short stories up to 3,000 words on an island, or island-resonant theme.The winner receives a cash prize of $500 and publication in Tasmania 40°South.
CLOSING 13/02/17
THE MOGFORD PRIZE FOR FOOD & DRINK WRITING
From 7th November 2016 we will be inviting entries for the fifth annual prize which will be awarded during the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival on 29th March 2017. The winning prize for 2017 has been increased to £10,000, with a £10 entry fee.
Two of the judges this year will be famous English author Philip Pullman, and British food writer and television presenter Mary Berry.
Food and Drink must be at the heart of the tale. The story could, for instance, be fiction or fact about a chance meeting over a drink, a life-changing conversation over dinner, or a relationship explored through food and drink. It could be crime or intrigue; in fact any subject as long as it involves food and/or drink in some way.
Applicants are invited from anywhere in the world. They can be published or unpublished authors, but the entry itself must be previously unpublished. The story is to be up to 2,500 words and must be written in English.
CLOSING 15/01/17
Philosophy Through Fiction Short Story Competition
Philosophy Through Fiction Short Story Competition is open to speculative fiction (including but is not limited to science fiction, fantasy, horror, alternative history, or magical realism) that explores one or more philosophical ideas. These can be implicit; there is no restriction on which philosophical ideas you explore. First prize is US$500 and the winning story will be published in Sci Phi Journal. Entries close 1 February.
CLOSING 01/02/17
Nature Writing Prize - 2017
The $5,000 award is for an essay between 3,000 and 5,000 words in the genre of ‘Writing of Place’. The prize will go to an Australian writer whose entry is judged to be of the highest literary merit and which best explores his or her relationship and interaction with some aspect of the Australian landscape. The competition’s judges are award-winning journalist, author and editor Jo Chandler and novelist and critic James Bradley. The winning entry will be published in Griffith Review online as a multimedia essay.
CLOSING 27/01/17
IPEd National Editors Conference 2017
Call for papers, workshops and panel participation
Editors Queensland, on behalf of the Institute of Professional Editors Limited, is seeking expressions of interest to present papers and workshops at the 8th IPEd National Editors Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 13–15 September 2017.The conference program, with the theme Advancing Our Profession, will be divided into three streams: technology, professional development and building alliances.
This conference will focus on contemporary and emerging aspects of editing and publishing,
CLOSING 16/01/17
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
Toowoomba Playwriting Competition 2017
Aspiring and experienced Australian playwrights are invited to submit unpublished and unperformed play scripts to the annual Carnival of Flowers Toowoomba Repertory Theatre Play Writing CompetitionToowoomba Rep. has initiated this competition to foster and encourage new and experienced playwrights, whether amateur or professional.
The play scripts will be judged anonymously by an experienced reading panel who will establish a short list of ten. The shortlisted plays will then be evaluated by three industry professionals who will prepare written feedback to the playwrights on their scripts, as well as providing guidance for the selection of the two winners of our competition.
The winning plays will be workshopped then performed during the 2017 Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers
for a six night season.
CLOSING 31/01/17
Jobs and Internships
General Manager - Playwriting Australia
Due to the incumbent General Manager’s move to southern NSW, Playwrighting Australia are seeking a dynamic, motivated arts administrator/manager to fill this role. With new 4-year Australia Council and Catalyst funding commencing in 2017, and multi-year funding from Arts NSW and DCA WA as well as a confirmed strategic plan in place, this is a great time to join this exciting company. The results of our strong diversity programs are also bearing fruit, with future productions of writers developed through these programs in the pipeline, and with further growth possibilities in this area as well as in the philanthropic sphere.
CLOSING 30/01/17
Head of Digital Content - Australian Music Vault
An opportunity exists for a Head of Digital Content to join the Collections team and undertake a long term fixed term contract.
As the Head of Digital Content, you will lead the development and delivery of a user-centric curatorial content strategy for the Australian Music Vault and Arts Centre Melbourne’s Collections for online, mobile and in exhibition contexts. The role leads multidisciplinary project teams and is responsible for scoping a cohesive digital narrative across multiple platforms and for ensuring alignment with organisation-wide plans and strategies.
CLOSING 18/01/17
Head of Communications - Climate Council
The Head of Communications is responsible for managing the Climate Council’s large media presence and overseeing innovative digital and engagement projects designed to connect audiences with climate change in new ways.
It’s an opportunity to work with some of the best climate communicators, researchers and experts in the world – in an innovative, strategic, tech-driven communications organisation. Best of all, you’ll be playing a leading role in shaping the public discourse on the biggest issue of our time.
CLOSING 31/01/17
Emerging Writers' Festival Artistic Director
The Emerging Writers’ Festival (EWF) is excited to be seeking expressions of
interest from suitable candidates interested in the role of the festival’s next artistic
director.
They are looking for highly skilled candidates with a passion for Australian writing in all
its forms, and a commitment to building the community around it.
The festival director will lead the artistic direction of EWF and deliver high quality,
diverse and dynamic programs in support of the emerging writers community.
CLOSING 23/01/17
RESIDENCIES AND FELLOWSHIPS
Faber Writing Academy - Novel Writing Scholarships
Faber Writing Academy at Allen & Unwin is offering one person in Sydney and one person in Melbourne a free place on their Writing a Novel: Stage 1 courses starting on 7 March 2017.
Writing a Novel: Stage 1 is a comprehensive, three-month course for aspiring novelists that provides the structure and support you need to head towards the first draft of your novel. The course directors are award-winning authors with guests including other top authors, editors, agents and industry professionals. In 2017, the course directors are Kathryn Heyman or James Bradley in Sydney, and Paddy O'Reilly and Toni Jordan in Melbourne.
The Writing a Novel Scholarships provide an excellent opportunity for emerging writers to benefit from the structure of regular workshops as well as one-on-one mentoring sessions with highly experienced tutors.
CLOSING 07/02/17
2016 NSW Young Regional Artist Scholarship
The NSW State Government is offering 15 scholarships for young, regional artists and cultural workers to undertake exciting and career-making professional development opportunities. Scholarships are open to artists and performers from all art forms, including dance, design, digital arts, history, Aboriginal arts, literature, music, theatre, screen, curatorial and the visual arts.
Scholarships are worth $10,000 and include a professional development networking program which takes place in Sydney in late 2017.
CLOSING 20/02/17
American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship
The American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship was created in 2013 to nurture and sustain a heritage as old as the Library itself – deepening French-American understanding.
The Visiting Fellowship offer writers and researchers an opportunity to pursue a creative project in Paris for a month or longer while participating actively in the life of the American Library. Fellowship applicants should be working on a book project, fiction or non-fiction, or a feature-length documentary film, which resonates with the Library’s Franco-American tradition and interests. Particular attention will be paid to a potential fellow’s ability to offer Library members a variety of opportunities for exploring a topic or form. The list of the Visiting Fellows (below) should give a good indication of what the Library is looking for. In addition to the stipend, the library will connect the fellow to resources and people in Paris that could be helpful to his or her project. The fellowship is open to all English-speakers, regardless of nationality.
Visiting Fellowship award: a $5,000 stipend paid one month before start of fellowship period. The award, to be spent at the discretion of the Fellow, is designed to cover travel to Paris, accommodation, and expenses associated with the month in Paris. The fellowship is open to all nationalities, though the proposed project must be in English.
CLOSING 14/02/17
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
Steinbeck Fellowship
The Steinbeck Fellows Program of San José State University (SJSU), which was endowed through the generosity of Martha Heasley Cox, offers emerging writers of any age and background the opportunity to pursue a significant writing project while in residence at SJSU. The emphasis of the program is on helping writers who have had some success, but not published extensively, and whose promising work would be aided by the financial support and sponsorship of the Center and the University's creative writing program.
The Steinbeck Fellowship Program is named in honor of author John Steinbeck and is guided by his lifetime of work in literature, the media, and environmental activism. The program offers the opportunity to interact with other writers, faculty and graduate students, and to share their work in progress by giving a public reading once each semester during the fellowship. The fellowships afford a stipend of $10,000. Residency in the San José area is required during the academic year (approximately 1 September - 20 May).
CLOSING 02/01/17
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 reader’s responses.
They believe terrific new writing must be produced and we 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
Write for KYD
Fiction submissions and non-fiction pitches for 2017 are now open!Kill Your Darlings publishes commentary, essays, memoir, reviews, interviews and fiction online.
They strongly recommend to all who submit that they read KYD to acquaint themselves with the material we publish, and to attain familiarity with our tone and style and encourage writers from diverse backgrounds and at all levels of experience to pitch and submit to KYD.
Kill Your Darlings pays all of its contributors.
CLOSING 28/02/17
Speculative Fiction Festival Callout - NSW Writers' Centre
The Speculative Fiction Festival will be held on Saturday 22 July 2017 and will be directed by multi award-winning author Cat Sparks. Speculative fiction is a broad term encompassing science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, steampunk, alternate history, new weird, supernatural, dystopian and a host of other subgenres besides. A literature of boundless imagination!
Cat is calling for both established and new voices keen to share insights and discuss aspects of all the genre has to offer. Submissions may come from authors, editors, publishers, agents, academics and others with a passion for all things fantastical.
Submissions must be a single A4 page or less, and include details of your publication experience, any upcoming releases around the time of the festival and suggested panel topics or specific areas of expertise.
CLOSING 29/01/17
We accept unsolicited material, if it is polished and fits the tone and style of the magazine, is clearly targeted at a particular section of the magazine and falls within the word counts relevant to a particular section. (For example 750 words for 'My Word' submissions or 1800 for a four-page feature; see the attached 'Word Counts' information box.
Alternatively, writers can pitch story ideas by email first. To be considered, your pitch should explain which section of the magazine the story is intended for, be one paragraph long, contain a topic sentence, a sample introductory sentence and explain the story angle, writing tone, suggested word length, a list of possible interviewees (if appropriate) and whether or not photographs and/or illustrative material is available.
CLOSING 28/02/17
Summer Shorts Submissions
The Quart Short Collective are co-ordinating a series of quarterly reading nights in Adelaide, where professional actors read writers' work, and they'd love you to send through any short stories, poetry or creative non-fiction you may have. Submissions are rolling, but to be considered for the next evening of readings in January, you'll need to get your work to us by December 22. It's not themed, not limited to SA authors and they do pay on a profit-share arrangement (averaging about $30 per contributor). You can find more information on their website - please share with anyone who may be interested!
CLOSING 22/12/16
Veronica Literary Magazine
Veronica is a brand new 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 seekr 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 us an email and we 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
Newslogue
The Newslogue team have opened their platform to the public! They are encouraging all writers and journalists to create an account through www.newslogue.com to post original work to receive analytics, readership growth and revenue.
Their business model puts the money of advertisers directly in your bank account. Minimum industry averages pay between 0.96c and $4.43 per thousand views, one million views per month can produce $4,000 in revenue, direct to the creator. Writers retain full copyright of the work they post on Newslogue
CLOSING 31/03/17
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.
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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Writers Bloc Community
The Writers Bloc is a community for writers. We provide free anonymous workshopping, advice, events, opportunities, and a paid publishing platform.