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.
Jane Austen Writing Competition
Follow in the footsteps of Jane Austen with these two writing competitions.
To win a first prize of £1000, adults are invited to send in a short story of 2017 words or fewer based on this quote from Mansfield Park: "Selfishness must always be forgiven you know, because there is no hope of a cure”.
CLOSING 28/02/17
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Published and unpublished writers of all ages are eligible to enter with works of fiction or non-fiction.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
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
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
subbed in Chapbook Manuscript Call-Out
subbed in is now accepting manuscript submissions for a new project involving the publication of three chapbooks by three NSW-based writers in 2017.
The submission period is open from January 20, 2017 - March 20, 2017 (closing at midnight AEST). Please email submissions to [email protected]
CLOSING 20/03/17
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
Now in its 16th year, this contest seeks today's best humor poems. No fee to enter. Submit published or unpublished work. $2,250 in prizes.
Please submit one humor poem during August 15, 2016-April 1, 2017. Judges will award a first prize of $1,000 and a second prize of $250. Ten Honorable Mentions will receive $100
CLOSING 01/04/17
Rosanne Fitzgibbon Editorial Award
The Rosie honours the memory of Rosanne Fitzgibbon DE (1947-2012), a distinguished editor of literary fiction and non-fiction, as well as of scholarly work in literary studies, and the recipient of the inaugural Beatrice Davis Editorial Fellowship in 1992. 'Rosie', as she was known, gave generously to her authors and to her profession, serving in many roles in many organisations.
The Rosie is an award to recognise excellence in editing, as demonstrated in one work, with testimony from author, publisher and editor. The nomination can come from any of the parties.
CLOSING 01/03/17
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
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
Head of Development - Wheeler Centre
The Wheeler Centre is nationally and internationally renowned as a leading institution for the art of conversation, and champion of the transformative power of informed public discussion and debate. An autonomous cultural organisation housed in the State Library of Victoria, the Centre programs over 200 public events each year, in its 250-seat performance space and in venues across Melbourne and regional Victoria.
CLOSING 13/02/17
RESIDENCIES AND FELLOWSHIPS
2017 ABR Gender Fellowship
Australian Book Review seeks applications for the ABR Gender Fellowship – a new addition to our highly successful Fellowship program. With support from Emeritus Professor Anne Edwards AO, a former Vice-Chancellor of Flinders University and a long-time ABR Patron and board member, they are seeking proposals for a substantial article on gender in contemporary Australian creative writing in all its forms.
The ABR Gender Fellowship is worth $7,500.
Applications close 1 February 2017.
2017 ABR RAFT Fellowship
Australian Book Review seeks applications for the second RAFT Fellowship. They welcome proposals for a 6,000 to 8,000-word article on any aspect of the role and significance of religion in society and culture.
Applications close 10 March 2017
2017 ABR Eucalypt Fellowship
Australian Book Review seeks applications for the third ABR Eucalypt Fellowship (formerly the ABR Dahl Trust Fellowship). Proposals are sought for a 6000 to 8,000-word article on the Australian eucalypt in all its forms, with reference to history, literature, science and natural history, Indigenous subjects, the arts, or politics. This Fellowship article will appear in our annual Environment issue later this year.
Applications close 10 March 2017
THE CHARLES PERKINS CENTRE
The Charles Perkins Centre has been made possible thanks to the generosity of its inaugural Patron, Judy Harris. The fellowship will support an established Australian writer to create new work within Australia’s leading interdisciplinary centre dedicated to easing the global burden of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and related conditions through innovative research and teaching.
The fellowship will be for one year (2017-2018), and will include: a grant of AUD $100,000 and an Honorary Appointment at the University of Sydney.
Expressions of Interest Close Feb 10
Jacky Winter Gardens Residency
At Jacky Winter they pride ourselves on skilfully mixing art and commerce, and The Jacky Winter Gardens Artist-in-Residence Program is a further expression of this. They want to offer time and space for the development and creation of new work, or the continuation of an existing project.
Each month from March to November we have set aside five days (Sunday afternoon through Friday morning) to donate the entire private use of the whole property to accommodate a working artist who can use the time to start, sustain or finish a commercial project. Nine residencies are given out every year to professional artists of all disciplines. Applications are free, and are taken four times per year.
CLOSING 13/02/17
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
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
Letters Page - Open Submissions
The Letters Page is a literary journal in letters, published by the School of English at the University of Nottingham. They publish essays, stories, poetry, memoir, travelogue, and criticism; but all in the form of letters. We are interested in the literary traditions of letter-writing, and in the idea of correspondence in a digital age. We would love to hear from you.
They will pay £100 for every submission published. Please include your name and postal address with your submission. We respond to all contributors.
CLOSING 06/02/17
Body Parts Magazine - Open Submissions
Body Parts Magazine is an online literary magazine of horror, erotica, speculative fiction, essays and art. Each themed issue honors Eros and Thanatos, the Greek gods of libido and mortido—life and death. We celebrate the vast and various expressions of dreams and darkness, our primitive desires and urges, and seek to encounter—and embrace—those shadowy monsters who dwell in the dimly lit corners of human experience.
CLOSING 01/03/17
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
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
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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